December 6, 2012

HOUSE OF ASSEMBLY PROCEEDINGS Vol. XLVII No. 65

The House met at 1:30 p.m.

MR. SPEAKER (Wiseman): Order, please!

Admit strangers.

Before we start proceedings today, members might recall there is a point of

order that the Speaker acknowledged the other day in the House. I said I would

undertake a review and provide a direction for the House. I would like to do

that before we start today.

It arises as a result of a point of order raised on Tuesday by the Opposition

House Leader. This point of order is related to the tabling of documents which

the Opposition House Leader suggested had been read by the Minister of Natural

Resources during Question Period both on Monday and on Tuesday.

The Hansard Question Period transcripts and the video clips for Monday and

Tuesday have been reviewed. The Minister of Natural Resources did not cite nor

claim to be quoting from any document at the time. It is not clear from any of

those sources that the minister was reading from, checking, or verifying from

any document. Consequently the point of order cannot be upheld.

I want to provide some guidance for the House, because it is an issue in and

of itself and may require some clarification. However, it was pointed out and

stated in O'Brien and Bosc on page 433 that any document quoted, and the

operative word there is quoted, by a minister in Question Period must be tabled.

A minister is not entitled "to read or quote from a despatch (an official

written message on government affairs) or other state paper without being

prepared to table it if it can be done without injury to the public interest."

It goes on, on page 609, same document: "Any document quoted" again, the

word quoted "by a Minister in debate or a response to a question during

Question Period must be tabled upon request."

Further on that page, quoting Speaker Glen in the House of Commons in 1941:

"The principle upon which this is based is that where there is information given

to the House, the House itself is entitled to the same information as the

honourable member who may quote the document." Again, the emphasis is on quote.

On page 610: "A public document referred" the emphasis here is on referred

"to but not quoted by a Minister need not be tabled." It goes on to say a

minister is at liberty to table documents at any time. Consequently, if during

Question Period a minister reads words or figures from a document, he or she

must be prepared to table that entire document. Again, the operative word here:

reads words or figures; if he or she simply cites a document as a source but

does not read or cite clauses from it, the document need not be tabled.

Such the guidance of the House would be used as we talk about the tabling of

documents and the requiring of ministers to table documents that they may refer

to, read from, or quote from.

Thank you.

Statements by Members

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

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

the Member for the District of Burgeo La Poile; the Member for the District of

Exploits; the Member for the District of Bellevue; and the Member for the

District of Fortune Bay Cape La Hune.

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

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. MURPHY: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I rise today to congratulate St. Pius X Parish in St. John's East. The

congregation celebrated its Golden Jubilee fifty years as an established

parish on September 2.

Throughout the coming Golden Jubilee Year, St. Pius X Parish has planned

events and liturgies with the theme, For the Greater Glory of God: The Past, The

Present, The Future. Their plan is to honour the parishioners who did so much to

lay the foundation for the parish and to celebrate their present parishioners

while enthusiastically embracing their future.

When the First Communion Class of June 2013 celebrates, for example, they

will be joined by the people who received First Communion in June 1963.

The worship community first met in a chapel in 1956 and St. Pius X Parish was

established in 1962 with 500 families about 2,100 parishioners.

Construction on the church on Smithville Crescent was completed in 1976.

Since then, the parish has thrived and grown, priding itself in strong Jesuit

leadership and service to the community, both local and international.

I ask all hon. members to join me in congratulating St. Pius X Parish on

fifty golden years.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

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

MR. OSBORNE: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I would like to acknowledge Mrs. Ruth Wilkins who has been bestowed the

honour of receiving the Queen's Diamond Jubilee Medal for her active involvement

in, and dedication to, her community.

Ruth Wilkins is an inspiring leader in her community. She was instrumental in

developing the Shea Heights War Memorial and worked tirelessly to make this war

memorial a reality.

Ruth canvassed the Shea Heights area in search of war veterans from the

community, both living and deceased. Ruth compiled the names of 151 veterans and

sought funding to see this project through to completion. It was through her

dedication that these veterans will forever be remembered in the community of

Shea Heights and, indeed, the Province of Newfoundland and Labrador.

In addition to Ruth's work on the memorial, she authored a book about Shea

Heights entitled Shea Heights: The Real Story of our Home and donated the

proceeds back to the community. She was awarded Citizen of the Year in 2011.

I ask all members of the House to join me in offering Ruth Wilkins

congratulations on receipt of this award.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER: The Member for Burgeo La Poile.

MR. A. PARSONS: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I rise today to recognize and congratulate Ms Kathryn Findlay upon being

named to the top ten in the Miss Achievement Newfoundland and Labrador

competition for 2012. Kathryn is a Grade 12 student at St. James Regional High

School in Channel-Port aux Basques.

This event honours our Province's most amazing, intelligent, and talented

young women. This program provides participants with an opportunity to win

scholarships and awards, and raises community awareness about the positive

contributions youth make to this Province.

Ms Findlay won the provincial Lions Club Speak-Off this year and placed third

in the Atlantic Canada Lions Club Speak-Off held in Antigonish, Nova Scotia. She

volunteers at the local hospital and teaches French to children with special

needs. She is a talented singer and piano player. She is also the reigning

Winter Carnival Queen for Port aux Basques and is an avid basketball and

softball player. Kathryn plans to pursue a career as a speech pathologist when

she graduates.

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

congratulations to this multi-talented young lady and wish Ms Kathryn Findlay

well with all her future endeavours.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER: The Member for Exploits.

announced the creation of the Qalipu Mi'kmaq First Nation, which is the first

landless band in the country. On Tuesday, October 23, 2012, their members held a

provincial election to elect a Chief, a Central Vice-Chair, and a Western

Vice-Chair.

Mr. Speaker, Mr. Randy Drover, a resident of Bishop's Falls in the District

of Exploits, was a candidate for the position of Central Vice-Chair. Randy began

volunteering with the Exploits Indian Band Council which is now Sple'tk First

Nations in the youth program, and served as National Vice Chief of the Congress

of Aboriginal peoples. He is currently employed with the Town of Bishop's Falls

as Town Manager.

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

Randy Drover on being elected as the First Central Vice-Chair of the Qalipu

Mi'kmaq First Nation.

Thank you.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

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

MR. PEACH: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I rise in this hon. House to pay recognition to three outstanding

constituents in the great District of Bellevue. Mr. Speaker, on October 11, I

was joined by the former Minister Responsible for the Volunteer and Non-Profit

Sector and had the privilege of presenting Mr. Gerald Smith of Dildo and Mrs.

Barbara Barrett of Arnold's Cove with the Queen's Diamond Jubilee Medal.

These two individuals have been volunteers in many capacities within their

communities and surrounding areas for many years. Their commitment and

dedication certainly strengthen their resume in becoming a Jubilee recipient.

Mr. Hayward Smith, a peacekeeper, was presented with the Queen's Diamond

Jubilee Medal on Remembrance Day for his outstanding service, volunteerism, and

leadership to the cadets and the Town of Norman's Cove-Long Cove.

Mr. Speaker, time would not permit me to adequately describe the many reasons

why these individuals have been chosen for these awards.

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

constituents in becoming recipients of the Queen's Diamond Jubilee Medal.

Thank you.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

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

MS PERRY: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I rise in this hon. House today to deliver accolades to Northern Harvest Sea

Farms, which has been officially recognized as a world leader in the aquaculture

industry. In fact, Mr. Speaker, this company has become the first salmon

operation in North America to receive the Best Aquaculture Practices three-star

certification.

This is a testament that Newfoundland and Labrador fish farmers are leading

the way with respect to sustainable and responsible farming practices. The Best

Aquaculture Practices is an international certification program based on

achievable, science-based, and continuously-improved global performance

standards for the entire aquaculture supply chain farms, hatcheries,

processing plants, and feed mills.

For salmon and other major farmed species, Best Aquaculture Practices

requires effective management of animal health, feed inputs, water quality, and

food safety. We are leading the way in Newfoundland and Labrador, Mr. Speaker,

and we are only just beginning!

I ask all members to join me in recognizing Northern Harvest Sea Farms for

their contribution to the rural economy of Newfoundland and Labrador, and the

aquaculture industry of North America.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER: Statements by Ministers.

Statements by Ministers

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

and the Minister Responsible for the Status of Women.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MS JOHNSON: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in this hon. House today to honour the memory of fourteen

young women who were killed during what is referred to as the Montreal Massacre.

On December 6, 1989, fourteen female students were brutally murdered at

Montreal's cole Polytechnique. These women were students in the traditionally

male-dominated field of engineering and targeted simply because they were women.

In 1991, the federal government designated today, December 6, as the National

Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women. It is important we

honour the memory of these fourteen young women, and encourage every person in

Newfoundland and Labrador to take a stand to end violence against all women.

Violence against women in our Province remains a serious issue. According to

Royal Newfoundland Constabulary and Royal Canadian Mounted Police data, between

2006 and 2010 more than 14,000 violent incidents were committed against women

over the age of eighteen. Unfortunately, the majority of cases of violence

against women go unreported to the police.

We all have a responsibility to address violence against women. Through our

$12 million Violence Prevention Initiative, the provincial government is

proactively working to identify long-term solutions to prevent violence against

women.

Mr. Speaker, last week, the provincial Purple Ribbon Campaign, funded through

the Violence Prevention Initiative, was launched throughout the Province. The

campaign promotes awareness about the prevention of violence against women, and

honours women who have suffered violence or have died in a violent situation.

Wearing the purple ribbon, as members of the House of Assembly are wearing

today, shows support for preventing violence against women, and making it an

issue we can openly discuss in our society. The Government of Newfoundland and

Labrador encourages all residents to support and participate in the Purple

Ribbon Campaign by wearing lapel pins or displaying the purple ribbon car

magnets.

As a reminder to us all of the tragic events of December 6, 1989, I will now

read into the record of the House of Assembly the names of the fourteen women

who died that day: Genevive Bergeron, Hlne Colgan, Nathalie Croteau, Barbara

Daigneault, Anne-Marie Edward, Maud Haviernick, Barbara Klucznik-Widajewicz,

Maryse Laganire, Maryse Leclair, Anne-Marie Lemay, Sonia Pelletier, Michle

Richard, Annie St. Arneault, Annie Turcotte.

Twenty-three years later, their memory continues to serve as a reminder that

violence against women is a devastating reality in our society today.

To learn more about how to prevent violence against women, please visit

www.respectwomen.ca

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Opposition House Leader.

MS JONES: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I thank the minister for a copy of her statement.

Words cannot express the sadness that we all feel for what happened on

December 6. The Montreal massacre was gender-based murder. Fourteen women,

engineering students, were gunned down as classes were finishing for the

semester. The gunman, Mr. Speaker, whose name I refuse to say, certainly blamed

feminism and feminist actions for his inability to get into cole Polytechnique

Institute.

These women were accepted in the school, not because anyone did any favours

for them, but because they were brilliant young women. They were about to embark

on their young adult lives and they were working professionals. It is nothing

short of a travesty that their lives were cut so short.

Indeed, women have faced considerable obstacles gaining ground in such

fields. Women like Ann Mooney Bridger, the first female civil engineering

graduate at Memorial University. They are tremendous role models for women and

girls. A 1978 graduate, Bridger was and still is a trail blazer.

Today, programs like Women in Science and Engineering have helped increase

the presence of women in these non-traditional careers. For those of you who

will not be able to make the vigil tonight, I would suggest that we all take a

moment today to think about those fourteen women and to reflect on what gender

violence is and what courage these women and others have displayed in fighting

for their rightful place.

Mr. Speaker, unfortunately, we do not have to look back twenty-three years or

look as far as Montreal to see how violence affects women in our society and the

devastating reality of what we face.

Today, Mr. Speaker, I would like to remember some women in our own Province,

some women who we hear about in the news and have filled homes with such sadness

throughout Newfoundland and Labrador: Stephanie Chaisson, who was gunned down in

March at her workplace; Chrissy Predham Newman, who was murdered in her home;

Amanda Power, who was brutally murdered and her body was found by children; Mary

Evans, an Aboriginal woman who was strangled and hidden in a sleeping bag.

Only two weeks ago, we heard of a case where police were searching for a man

from Natuashish after a domestic violence incident, and the story of a woman

being pushed off the roof of her house here in St. John's by her partner only a

few years ago. We do not have to look too far, Mr. Speaker.

Violence in any aspect of our society is unacceptable and should not be

tolerated. Women living in violence need support and they need all of our

support to escape the situations that they often find themselves in. I hope that

on days like this we not only remember them and acknowledge them, but we look to

see what supports we continue to need to provide so that we do not see violent

situations like this continuing in our own Province.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

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

MS ROGERS: I thank the minister for an advance copy of her statement.

Twenty-three years ago today, these women would be in the prime of their lives.

I was living in Montreal not far from cole Polytechnique when this happened. A

year later I made an award-winning film called After the Montreal Massacre .

My film, which continues to screen on television and on campuses and

community events worldwide, is not only about a lone gunman killing female

students. It makes the links between violence against women on a large scale,

but also with the inequalities women everywhere experience daily.

We can only solve the problem of violence against women if we address these

inequalities, inequalities of poverty, of lack of accessible and affordable

child care, and of lack of representation of women in decision-making bodies,

like here in our own House of Assembly, where still a mere 17 per cent of our

seats are occupied by women.

I want to thank the women and men in our Province who work daily to address

these inequalities and all those on the front lines who work to assist women and

children who are direct victims of violence. As Arundhati Roy wrote, a world

"is not only possible, she is on her way. On a quiet day, I can hear her

breathing."

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER: Does the hon. the Member for St. John's South have leave?

AN HON. MEMBER: No.

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Minister of Health and Community Services.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MS SULLIVAN: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in this House today to provide an update on the

Newfoundland and Labrador Colon Cancer Screening Program that was launched in

July of this year.

The provincial government, in partnership with Eastern Health and Western

Health, implemented this screening program with the intent to reduce provincial

mortality rates through the early detection of cancer. Colon cancer is the

second-most common cancer in both men and women and the second leading cause of

cancer death in this Province.

Men and women can reduce their risk of developing colon cancer by eating a

healthy diet low in fat and high in fruits and vegetables, being physically

active, living smoke-free, drinking alcohol in moderation, and by participating

in regular screening.

Mr. Speaker, this provincial program, administered by Eastern Health, was

introduced in the Western Region of the Province and will expand throughout the

remainder of Newfoundland and Labrador over a three-year period. Through the

program, men and women aged fifty to seventy-four are invited to request a

take-home test known as a FIT kit from the Colon Cancer Screening Program by

calling the toll-free number. The FIT is considered a very effective and

user-friendly method for screening those at average risk for colon cancer.

To date, 857 FIT kits have been requested by people in Western Newfoundland

and of that number, 434 kits have been returned for testing. As a result, sixty

individuals have been contacted regarding a need for follow-up testing. The

uptake on the program has been better than anticipated and is aiding in the

early detection of colon cancer.

Mr. Speaker, I encourage residents of Western Newfoundland who fall within

the target group to contact the Colon Cancer Screening Program through the

toll-free line or by e-mail to participate in this effective screening program.

Our government is investing $3 million annually to fund this initiative. Over

the past nine years we have invested over $140 million in cancer treatment and

prevention, and we will continue to work to enhance cancer care in the Province

and to improve quality in our health care system through investments in

equipment and services for the prevention, early diagnosis, and treatment of

cancer.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER: The Member for Burgeo La Poile.

MR. A. PARSONS: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I thank the minister for an advance copy of the statement. Indeed, colon

cancer is a big issue in this Province; we know it is one of the leading types

of cancer of both men and women. The goal of this program was to reduce the

mortality rate across the entire Province.

We are always hearing of cases, there are not many communities in this

Province you can go into and you are not hearing somebody touched, especially by

colon cancer. Anything we can do to improve screening and genetic testing to

either prevent this or catch it early is to be commended. As we know, early

detection is key.

This is a right step in the fight against colon cancer. Making it easier to

do self-screening in the privacy and comfort of your own home is a good move. It

is good that this program is expanding and it is necessary that we raise

awareness. I commend you for doing that.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

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

MS ROGERS: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I thank the minister for an advance copy of her statement. I also would like

to applaud the Minister of Health for this screening program which will benefit

many people in the Province of Newfoundland and Labrador bravo.

Widespread screening is a key to early detection of colon cancer. Another

disease where early detection is important is diabetes. In 2011, the Auditor

General stated that our inadequate diabetes screening programs are causing

people to become sicker. We know that mismanaged diabetes results in

complications with serious medical consequences and greater cost to the health

care system.

The Province needs more education and a more established screening program

with benchmarks and accountability. Now I hope to see funds for a comprehensive

diabetes screening program in the 2013 Budget.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER: Does the hon. the Member for St. John's South have leave?

AN HON. MEMBER: No.

MR. SPEAKER: Oral Questions.

Oral Questions

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

MR. BALL: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Section 3.5 of the term sheet for the federal loan guarantee states that no

government in the future can change the way government requires the billions it

will spend on Muskrat Falls.

I ask the Premier: Why are you denying the ability of future governments to

manage our own Crown assets?

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

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. KENNEDY: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

3.5 contains the conditions present, many of which are normal commercial

agreements we see in commercial agreements. Also, the member's question

reiterates a basic misunderstanding of this project. What it is, Mr. Speaker, is

we are investing money in our future, we are taking money that would otherwise

go to oil companies, and we are building a revenue-generating asset that will

produce revenues for hundreds of years.

I do not get this taking billions of dollars from other pots. In essence,

what will happen is the money will be all paid back and it can be used by future

governments to do as they see fit.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

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

MR. BALL: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Well, the minister quite clearly said about the rate setting and what will

happen. What we do know is the power purchase agreement will actually commit the

ratepayers of this Province to fifty years of this revenue. That is the only

thing that makes it successful.

Section 3.5 of the term sheet for the federal loan guarantee states that if

Emera backs out of sanctioning, they will owe Ottawa $60 million in the penalty.

That does not sound like a committed partner to me. Yesterday, Emera went so far

as to say that Nalcor has agreed to pay a share of the penalty.

Why have you committed to giving away $30 million of taxpayers' money to

Emera to help Emera get out of the commitment to the Maritime Link?

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

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. KENNEDY: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

As I indicated yesterday, the key issue for the loan guarantee is the

question of sanction. When Nalcor, the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador,

and Emera sanction the project, Mr. Speaker, then that is binding and

irrevocable and the Province of Newfoundland and Labrador has the loan

guarantee.

Mr. Speaker, the Government of Nova Scotia and Emera, from everything I have

heard and seen, are committed to the Maritime Link. The member opposite must

realize that besides the agreements which we have, there are also commercial

arrangements that have to be put in place between the companies. There is no

indication anywhere that Emera wants to do anything but build the Maritime Link

because they see it, Mr. Speaker, as a way to further their business, while the

Government of Nova Scotia sees it as a way to get rid of the coal fire plants

and to meet their environmental

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

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

MR. BALL: I would just like the minister to confirm or deny: have you

made a commitment to pay $30 million to Emera if they decide to break the

contract on the Maritime Link and decide not to build it? Have you made the

commitment of the $30 million to Emera?

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

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. KENNEDY: Mr. Speaker, there are commercial discussions going on

between Emera and Nalcor. There is no commitment on the Government of

Newfoundland and Labrador's part for that at this point, Mr. Speaker. Those

discussions are going on and will continue up until the point of sanction. It is

my understanding that any agreements that will be reached or anything that will

happen will be disclosed at some point, because Emera is a publicly traded

company.

Mr. Speaker, what we have is a situation where we are looking at, prudent

businessmen are looking at putting into place agreements that cover all

eventualities and all contingencies, Mr. Speaker, no matter how remote or how

unlikely to occur.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

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

MR. BALL: Once again, it is quite clear, in my opinion at least, that we

have committed to the $30 million. The minister did not deny that they have not

made that commitment. It is bad enough that the Premier signed a term sheet that

puts our Province on the hook for all the cost overruns on the Labrador Island

Link that belongs partially to Emera, and half the overruns on the Maritime Link

that belongs to Emera, for at least thirty-five years. Now she has agreed to

cover half of Emera's penalty on the project.

I ask the Premier: What other secret deals have we signed with Emera that we

need to know about?

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

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. KENNEDY: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, there are no secret deals. The Maritime Link is a good

investment, Mr. Speaker, both in terms of allowing us to move power from the

Province, but increasing the reliability of our system if something were to

occur. The Maritime Link takes us off the isolated grid and literally connects

us to the Mainland. Essentially what we have done is we have a federal loan

guarantee which will save the ratepayers of this Province a billion dollars, Mr.

Speaker; it was the Premier standing steadfast in the last number of weeks that

resulted in this unconditional loan guarantee.

There are commercial discussions ongoing between Nalcor and Emera which at

some point will become public, but I do not have the details today to provide to

the people of this Province.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

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

MR. BALL: Mr. Speaker, well, it is very clear that the federal loan

guarantee can only be triggered if we indeed have a partner with Emera, and

already we are talking about an out clause, and we are already talking about a

$30 million share in that penalty.

Mr. Speaker, the Minister of Natural Resources has been publicly talking

about upcoming legislation that will remove the PUB from the responsibility of

setting rates in our Province.

I ask the Premier: Will power rates in the Province now be set by officials

at Nalcor or by Cabinet?

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

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. KENNEDY: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

We have done nothing different here, or we will be doing nothing different

than was done by the Liberals in 2000 with Granite Canal and with their proposed

Lower Churchill development, Mr. Speaker. Next week I will refer to comments

from their former Premier who outlined as to why they had to have these

exemptions, Mr. Speaker, and they had to have a guaranteed source of revenue.

Mr. Speaker, it is not enough to say it was an export project. People of the

Province would be paying, in the Liberal deal, Mr. Speaker, for all of the

project if it did not meet the conditions and terms outlined. So, it is not as

simple, Mr. Speaker, as to try to distinguish one project from the other. The

reality is that what we are doing is what the Liberals set up.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Member for Torngat Mountains.

MR. EDMUNDS: Mr. Speaker, the George River caribou herd appears to be

headed towards decimation, down over 5,000 animals since last year's census, to

22,000. We are still waiting for conservation measures from the government for

this season.

I ask the minister: The harvest has already begun for this year, why have you

waited so long without implementing management measures?

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

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. MCGRATH: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Before I answer that question, I would just like to make a clarification.

Yesterday, it was very disturbing here as an MHA for Labrador, to stand up and

hear the Member for Cartwright L'Anse au Clair make a comment about the people

in Labrador and talk about people in Labrador, and then distinguish the Innu

people separately from the people of Labrador.

I just want to make it very clear in the House, that this government speaks

very clearly and highly of the Innu, and we include them. We work very hard to

make sure they are included as people in Labrador very clearly.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. MCGRATH: With the caribou, Mr. Speaker, we are taking the caribou in

and we will be bringing out the details on that shortly.

MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Member for Torngat Mountains.

MR. EDMUNDS: Mr. Speaker, the hon. member across had ample opportunity to

stand up yesterday, he chose not to.

Mr. Speaker, I remind the minister that the Aboriginal harvest has already

begun on Orma Lake Road in Central Labrador. That means it is already too late

to implement a zero harvest level.

I ask the minister: What enforcement measures are being taken to ensure a

sustainable hunt that will not further decimate the herd?

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Minister of Environment and Conservation.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. HEDDERSON: Mr. Speaker, we take our responsibility seriously when it

comes to the protection of wildlife and conservation practices in this Province,

whether it be in the Island portion or in the Labrador portion. The George River

herd, as the member has pointed out, is in serious, serious decline, Mr.

Speaker.

We are working as closely as we can. This herd is a little bit different

because it is two jurisdictions as well. We have to deal with Quebec, and we

have to deal with our Province. In all dealings, Mr. Speaker, we are moving

towards putting in place what we believe is the best thing that we can do at

this particular time. We have collected all the material, and that decision will

be imminent.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Member for Bay of Islands.

MR. JOYCE: Mr. Speaker, during the 2011 election the Member for Humber

East and the Member for Humber West said the construction of the hospital in

Corner Brook would begin in 2012. During Estimates, one minister said that it is

in the design stage. The former Minister of Transportation and Works said it was

in the pre-design stage and that $1 million was committed for this. Now the

Minister of Health is saying that they hired a consultant to see what they need,

back to the drawing board.

I ask the minister: It is time to be honest with the people of Corner Brook

and give us the true status on the hospital in Corner Brook?

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Premier.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

PREMIER DUNDERDALE: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador, this government has

made a commitment to the people of Corner Brook to construct a new hospital. We

are firm in that commitment. It is an expenditure of an important sum of money.

Due diligence and good stewardship requires that we do the job properly. We have

not faltered, not one inch, on our commitment to the people of Corner Brook.

They will have their new hospital, Mr. Speaker.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Member for Bay of Islands.

MR. JOYCE: Too bad she does not say the same thing when she is in a

private meeting with the city councillors in Corner Brook.

Mr. Speaker, the Minister of Finance told the people of Corner Brook

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Oh, oh!

MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!

MR. JOYCE: that the initial cost estimates for the hospital was $750

million to $1 billion. It has been confirmed by a second councillor that the

Premier told them that if the price is $600 million, the hospital will not be

built. I know the Member for Humber West, and he confirmed it to me that he was

at the meeting. He will not stand up for the people of Corner Brook.

I ask the Minister of Finance: Will he now stand up for the people of Western

Newfoundland that the original cost will stand and that the Premier will not use

the hospital as a bargaining chip for the lack of funds?

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Premier.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

PREMIER DUNDERDALE: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, when I go into a private meeting, regardless of the fact that

you would expect that conversations might be somewhat protected, I am not naive

enough to think that people are not going to repeat things that I say in a

meeting. I have no problem owning what I say.

Mr. Speaker, I did not ever use $600 million. The number I used was well

beyond that, over $1 billion is what I said. That is clearly what I said. That

is what I own that I said, and that is what I stand by.

We have to ensure that we are spending the money of the people of

Newfoundland and Labrador in the most efficient, effective, and prudent way, Mr.

Speaker. That is why the required planning is being done so we spend the amount

of money that is appropriate only.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER: The Member for the Bay of Islands.

MR. JOYCE: Six years later, Mr. Speaker, and we are still just starting

the planning stage. I will say that is great planning, Premier. You should ask

the city councils who are saying what you said in the private meeting. The

Member for Humber West was there also. Stand up for them.

Mr. Speaker, it is back to the drawing board for the proposed Corner Brook

hospital.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Oh, oh!

MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!

MR. JOYCE: While the Minister of Finance estimated $750 million to $1

billion, the Premier made it clear they would walk away from the project that

exceeded $600 million.

I ask the minister: You said this exercise is not downsizing but rightsizing.

Does your rightsizing have a $600 million limit?

Someone stand up.

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Minister of Health and Community Services.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MS SULLIVAN: Mr. Speaker, several things in that tirade that he just went

on with. First of all, this is a hospital for the people of Western

Newfoundland, and all of us are standing up for that. All of us are committed,

we have committed to it, and we will see it through.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MS SULLIVAN: Mr. Speaker, what he seems to want, and what I refuse to do,

is to rush out and just do it. What we are going to do on this side of the House

is that we are going to plan it and we are going to plan it properly.

Mr. Speaker, we have hired an internationally

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Oh, oh!

MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!

This is Question Period. Important questions are being posed on behalf of the

people of Newfoundland and Labrador and important answers are being provided.

So, if members are going to ask the questions, ask the questions and then listen

for the answer. If members are posing an answer in response to a question, the

colleague who is responding to that, I ask other colleagues to respect the

person who is on their feet responding to the question.

I acknowledge the Minister of Health and Community Services.

MS SULLIVAN: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

You are right; this is an important answer for the people of Western

Newfoundland, Mr. Speaker. We have hired an international company, a company

with great reputation to do some very clear planning around building a piece of

infrastructure that, frankly, we have not done in over thirty years, Mr.

Speaker. We are going to get it right. When that hospital goes up, it is going

to be the best hospital that Newfoundland and Labrador (inaudible)

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER: The Member for Burgeo La Poile.

MR. A. PARSONS: Mr. Speaker, we have the highest rate of type 1 diabetes

in the world. The Canadian Diabetes Association released a report this morning

on the socio-economic benefits of insulin pump therapy. Insulin pumps help

stabilize glucose levels, preventing complications like heart attack and

amputation. Complications account for 80 per cent of the $255 million in

diabetes costs each year.

I ask the minister: Will you lift the age restriction and fund insulin pumps

for people all ages with type 1 diabetes?

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Minister of Health and Community Services.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MS SULLIVAN: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Curious question, Mr. Speaker. He was criticizing our poverty reduction

program earlier, and this is one of the initiatives of the poverty reduction

program. In any case, Mr. Speaker, he wants us to raise the age. We are one of

only three provinces in the country that has the age actually at twenty-five, as

opposed to eighteen in most of the rest of Canada, Mr. Speaker.

We have invested a great deal of money in the insulin pump program: $2.1

million. Mr. Speaker, we take some exception with some of what is found in that

report, that reports, as an example, that we only spend $700,000 when it is $2.1

million. Mr. Speaker, there are a number of assumptions in that report that are

incorrect.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER: The Member for Burgeo La Poile.

MR. A. PARSONS: Mr. Speaker, Andrew Codner is a local

twenty-four-year-old with Type 1 diabetes. He is actually dreading his

twenty-fifth birthday, as his insulin pump coverage will end. He will be forced

to return to injecting insulin multiple times a day because he cannot afford the

pump out-of-pocket.

I ask the minister: This is the gold standard of care; how do you explain to

people, like Andrew, that they will be denied the same standard?

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Minister of Health and Community Services.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MS SULLIVAN: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, the issue of diabetes is one of great concern to us here in

Newfoundland and Labrador. We recognize how significant the issue is here in

Newfoundland and Labrador. That is why we have invested so significantly in the

program, and that is why we continue to invest, Mr. Speaker.

We have invested not only in the insulin pump program but in the glucose

strip testing and so on. Mr. Speaker, we have continued to invest. We have, for

example, $5.9 million now in glucose strip testing, and we will continue to make

those kinds of investments, Mr. Speaker. This is not anywhere, except at the top

of our radar.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER: The Member for St. Barbe.

MR. BENNETT: Mr. Speaker, the Fisheries Minister met with his federal

counterpart this week. Search and rescue is a huge issue in the House of

Commons, but a bigger one for our people. We have more people risking their

lives at sea than any other Province, yet our services are nonexistent.

Can the minister advise us if he discussed this critical issue in his

meetings in Ottawa? If so, what new strategy did he bring to Ottawa to show that

this government is aggressively tackling this issue on behalf of those who work

on our waters?

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

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. DALLEY: Mr. Speaker, I did take an opportunity this week to meet my

federal counterparts and recognize the importance of having a strong working

relationship as we address multiple issues in our fishery. I had an opportunity

to raise some important issues for the 2013 fishery, including the crab issue,

and discussed the sealing industry as well.

At the same day, Mr. Speaker, the issue of marine search and rescue was

raised in this House; it was also raised in the House of Commons, and I

certainly raised it with Minister Shea and Minister Penashue as well during my

meeting, and highlighted the concern that we have as a Province and our

commitment to continue to raise this issue and to fight for the safety and

concerns of our people working offshore. In my case, as Minister of Fisheries,

Mr. Speaker, I certainly highlighted the importance of marine search and rescue

for our fishery.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER: The Leader of the Third Party.

MS MICHAEL: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The loan guarantee term sheet for the Muskrat Falls Project allows for a sale

or change of control of subsidiaries among the different parties to the loan

guarantee.

Section 4.11 does not specify which subsidiaries are referenced.

So, Mr. Speaker, would the Premier specify which entities of Nalcor this

section refers to?

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

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

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. KENNEDY: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Section 1.4 of the federal loan guarantee deals with the question of

subsidiaries of Nalcor for borrowing, and it will become clear next week, Mr.

Speaker, but one of the reasons our subsidiaries are set up are to allow for

non-recourse borrowing, which will result in the Province not being on the hook

if something goes wrong. So, these are normal commercial arrangements that I

think there are four companies that have been set up that will deal with the

various issues of the Labrador asset, in terms of the transmission asset, the

Labrador-Island Link, and the generating station. The loan guarantee is set up

so that the Province is protected.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER: The Leader of the Third Party.

MS MICHAEL: So, Mr. Speaker, it seems to me if Nalcor is unable to meet

its financial obligations incurred because of the debt it takes on, it appears

that it could lose ownership and control of the Muskrat Falls generation

facility, the Labrador-Island Link, and the Labrador transmission assets.

So I ask the Premier to confirm that Nalcor could privatize by a sale to any

of the partners, but especially to Emera, the assets belonging to the people of

this Province if it does not have the money to pay its debt for building Muskrat

Falls, because that is what this

section means, Mr. Speaker.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

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

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. KENNEDY: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I have no idea what the Leader of the Third Party is talking about. Mr.

Speaker, Nalcor was set up for the people of this Province to ensure a bright

and prosperous future in our oil and gas industries, our hydro industries, and

there is certainly no intention on anyone's part to sell Nalcor, like the

Liberals were going to do many years ago, Mr. Speaker.

What we have is a situation, Mr. Speaker, where there is a loan guarantee.

The effect of a loan guarantee is that if there is a problem, then the federal

government comes in. The Prime Minister of Canada, after a rigorous economic

audit, said last week: There is minimal risk to the taxpayer of Canada. Then he

went further and said a zero risk, Mr. Speaker.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. KENNEDY: That is as good as it gets right now. We have every

confidence in this project. We have every confidence in Nalcor, Mr. Speaker.

This is a good project and it is for the people of this Province.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

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

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MS MICHAEL: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I point out to the minister: I was not talking about Nalcor.

Section 4.11

says very clearly there cannot be a change of control or sale of Nalcor, but it

does say there can be a change of control or sale of the subsidiaries.

So, once again: Yes or no does that mean those four subsidiaries can be

sold to one of the other partners or control can go to one of the other

partners?

That is what this

section is saying, Mr. Speaker, and I ask the minister to

say yes or no to that question. I am not talking about Nalcor the

subsidiaries.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Oh, oh!

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

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!

MR. KENNEDY: Excuse me, Mr. Speaker.

I am looking at the

section here we have, Mr. Speaker, and it deals with

change of control. There is not going to be any change of control. Nalcor is

around for the long run. These companies were set up, Mr. Speaker, to allow for

commercial financing. Separate parts of the asset

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Oh, oh!

MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!

MR. KENNEDY: will be financed separately. Essentially, Mr. Speaker,

they were set up in terms of allowing non-recourse financing, which the

minister, I am sure, will talk about next week.

When I look at the subsidiaries, I do not know how you sell a subsidiary and

you do not sell Nalcor. It is not happening. Everything is safe.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

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

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

Then I ask the minister: Why does it very specifically say in one sentence

the subsidiaries can be sold or a change of control can happen, and a very

separate sentence says but not Nalcor?

That means they can be dealt with separately from the mother company. He

should know that.

Yes or no?

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

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

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. KENNEDY: Mr. Speaker, the loan guarantee 4.11 says: "There shall be

no sale or change of control of any Borrower or subsidiaries, except as among

the Parties, and no sale of any material Project assets. There shall be no sale

or change of control of Nalcor."

Mr. Speaker, I really do not know what the Leader of the NDP is talking

about. All I can indicate, Mr. Speaker, is that she should perhaps look at what

her party did yesterday in voting against the future of this Province, the jobs

we are going to see created, the creation of revenue and shame on her for

voting to keep Holyrood in place.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!

The hon. the Leader of the Third Party.

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

Shame on that government, Mr. Speaker, for signing a loan guarantee that has

that

section in the loan guarantee.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Oh, oh!

MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!

MS MICHAEL: Mr. Speaker, the loan guarantee term sheet stipulates the

federal government is to receive regular and thorough financial and operational

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Oh, oh!

MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!

I remind members one more time, this is Question Period, important questions

are being posed. It is an issue that is very important to the people of

Newfoundland and Labrador. I ask all members to respect the individual who has

been recognized by the Chair and who has the opportunity to speak.

MS MICHAEL: Thank you, Mr. Speaker, I will make it short.

Will the Premier make public the reports that will have to be made to the

federal government according to the term sheet?

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Premier.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

PREMIER DUNDERDALE: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, we have negotiated a collaborative agreement with the Government

of Nova Scotia, with Emera, particularly Nalcor and Emera, that brings benefit

to Newfoundland and Labrador, $1 billion at the very least to ratepayers because

of that collaboration. We have protected the people of Newfoundland and

Labrador, Mr. Speaker. We have reduced rates we will reduce rates because of

that collaboration.

Mr. Speaker, we have negotiated with the federal government terms that are

favourable to the people of Newfoundland and Labrador, favourable to the people

of Canada. When the Prime Minister of the country says this loan guarantee poses

zero risk to the people of Canada, Mr. Speaker, that is only good news for

Newfoundlanders and Labradorians.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

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

MS ROGERS: Mr. Speaker, until women reach full equality in all aspects of

society, violence against women will continue to be a growing problem. This week

we asked a straightforward question of a senior staff person in the Women's

Policy Office, is there a gender equity policy for appointments to boards,

commissions and tribunals? That person indicated she was not permitted to speak

to Opposition members or their staff.

Mr. Speaker, I ask the Minister Responsible for the Status of Women: Is there

s a gender equity policy for appointments to boards, commissions and tribunals?

If not, will this government develop and implement one?

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Premier.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

PREMIER DUNDERDALE: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, social justice is something that is extremely important to the

Government of Newfoundland and Labrador. I want to say that it is particularly

important to me as Premier of this Province and as a woman of this Province, Mr.

Speaker. We have always adopted a policy of gender equity, Mr. Speaker, not only

in terms of our appointments. We look always to right the balance within

government and we have made tremendous progress, Mr. Speaker.

In terms of our boards, commissions and agencies, we have adopted the same

policy, but we have gone beyond that, Mr. Speaker. For the first time in the

history of Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada, and perhaps for the first time in

the world, we have gender and diversity agreements in all our major project

benefits agreements the first in the world, Mr. Speaker.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

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

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MS ROGERS: Nalcor Energy and Newfoundland Hydro, 2012, one woman, four

men; Nalcor Oil and Gas board, 2012, five men.

Mr. Speaker, Newfoundland and Labrador has the highest prevalence of diabetes

in the world, increasing to one in three people by 2020; 80 per cent of medical

costs are for treatment from complications from poorly managed diabetes.

Research shows the insulin pump therapy is the best treatment for management and

prevention of complications. Newfoundland and Labrador was a leader in extending

its pump program to twenty-five years of age bravo for that but it is now

time to make the next step.

On behalf of Andrew Codner, on behalf of the single mom with four kids in my

district who needs the pump, I ask the Minister of Health: Will she eliminate

the age restriction and extend the pump program to all people who need it?

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

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

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MS JOHNSON: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I am going to address her first question first. Mr. Speaker, not only is

gender diversity a policy, it is an absolute directive of this government. Mr.

Speaker, that is evident through the numbers. Since this Premier came in our DMs

have gone from 15 per cent to 45 per cent female, our ADMs are 47 per cent and

we are near parity on all boards, Mr. Speaker. That speaks to not only policy

but direction.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

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

MR. MURPHY: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The take-or-pay power purchase arrangement will lock NL Hydro into buying 40

per cent of Muskrat power for fifty years. If all ratepayers do not use this

power we still have to pay the amount stipulated under the take-or-pay

arrangement by Nalcor.

Question: If the power is not used, does the ratepayer still have to pay for

the power even though he is not using it?

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

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. KENNEDY: Yes, Mr. Speaker.

We framed the debate around Muskrat Falls with a couple of questions. The

first question: Do we need the power? Mr. Speaker, the MHI review of

Newfoundland and Labrador Hydro's forecasting for 2012 the demand paper out of

the Department of Natural Resources clearly indicated that we need the power.

Now, what is going to happen is that 40 per cent of the power, Mr. Speaker,

will be used in essence to replace Holyrood and allow for new commercial and

industrial development on the Island. As long as 40 per cent of the power is

used then we are fine.

I refuse to engage in the doom and gloom politics of the NDP. I see our

Province heading upwards and onwards, Mr. Speaker, under this Premier and that

is what is going to happen here.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER: The 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 Natural Resources.

MR. KENNEDY: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I give notice that I will ask leave

MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!

This is under the heading of Tabling of Documents. I know you are anxious,

but that is the next one.

Tabling of Documents.

Notices of Motion.

Notices of Motion

MR. SPEAKER: Your turn now.

The hon. the Minister of Natural Resources.

MR. KENNEDY: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, I give notice that I will ask leave to introduce a bill

entitled,

An Act To Amend The Churchill Falls Labrador Corporation Limited Lease

Act, 1961 and the Electrical Power Control Act, 1994, Bill 53.

MR. SPEAKER: Answers To Questions For Which Notice Has Been Given.

Petitions.

Petitions

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

MR. BENNETT: 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 with declining enrolment, distance education by Internet is now an

accepted way to deliver educational services to students living in small

communities; and

WHEREAS students have little to no say in where they or their families

reside; and

WHEREAS many families do not have the ability to relocate so that their

children can access educational opportunities in larger centres; and

WHEREAS many small businesses rely on the Internet to conduct business; and

WHEREAS high-speed Internet permits a business to be more competitive than

does slower dial-up service; and

WHEREAS no high-speed Internet service exists in the community of Eddie's

Cove West; and

WHEREAS there are no plans to offer high-speed Internet to residents of this

community;

WHEREUPON the undersigned, your petitioners, humbly pray and call upon the

House of Assembly to urge government to partner with the private sector and

offer high-speed Internet service to this community.

As in duty bound your petitioners will ever pray.

Mr. Speaker, the issue of high-speed Internet, broadband services, cellphone

services there was a time when these services might be thought of as being

extras, or somehow special or exotic; fortunately as time has progressed, many

communities have now been hooked up with all of these services. There is a great

concern among communities that they are being left behind. Consequently, Mr.

Speaker, people of these small communities are very concerned and present this

petition, as have many other towns.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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

MR. A. PARSONS: 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 the people of La Poile must use the provincial ferry system in order

to travel to and from La Poile; and

WHEREAS the people of La Poile and visitors are required to wait at the Town

of Rose Blanche-Harbour Le Cou from time to time for the ferry services; and

WHEREAS there is no restroom or waiting room area at the Town of Rose

Blanche-Harbour Le Cou where users of the ferry service may utilize washroom

facilities; and

WHEREAS citizens of all ages, including men, women, children, seniors, and

disabled persons require washroom facilities as a basic human need in the course

of their travels, or wait inside out of the elements and harsh weather

conditions, and particularly while awaiting the transit systems; and

WHEREAS it is an abuse of human dignity as well as health and safety

regulations to allow such degrading and dehumanizing circumstances to continue;

WHEREUPON the undersigned, your petitioners, humbly pray and call upon the

House of Assembly to urge the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador to

immediately construct and operate a waiting room-restroom facility at the Town

of Rose Blanche-Harbour Le Cou such that all users of the provincial ferry

service may be able to utilize such waiting area and washroom facilities.

As in duty bound, your petitioners will ever pray.

Now, Mr. Speaker, this is a petition that I have brought before previously. I

know that the former Minister of Transportation and Works was certainly aware of

it, so I bring it today, as we have a new Minister of Transportation and Works

and I want him to be aware of this situation.

The fact is that these people rely on ferry travel to get home and to get up

to the mainland every day. There are times when the boat is not there, it is not

ready to go, and these people it is a small community do not have the basic

facilities to use that everybody expects in this day and age.

Now, this government was aware of the situation in Burgeo and they took care

of it and they did a good job. They have a great facility down there. I am

asking that the same one be placed in Rose Blanche-Harbour Le Cou so that the

people using this ferry which also includes government officials who must

travel back and forth to provide government services. We need the facility. I am

bringing it up so that the current minister is aware, and hopefully we can work

together to provide that service, which is not just a need; it is a want as

well. Everybody needs it and wants it.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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

MR. MURPHY: Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker.

I would like to read the following petition into the record.

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 Tordon 101 contains chemicals 2,4-D and Picloram; and

WHEREAS the chemical Picloram is a known cancer-causing carcinogen; and

WHEREAS the provincial government has banned the cosmetic use of the

pesticide 2,4-D; and

WHEREAS safer alternatives are available to the provincial government for

brush clearing, such as manual labour, alternative competitive seeding methods,

and-or mechanical removal of brush; and

WHEREAS the provincial government is responsible for ensuring the safety and

wellbeing of its citizens;

WHEREUPON the undersigned, your petitioners, humbly pray and call upon the

House of Assembly to urge government to cease the use of chemicals covered under

its own cosmetic pesticide ban and begin using safer methods of brush clearance

that will not place its citizens in harm's way.

As in duty bound, your petitioners will ever pray.

Mr. Speaker, this petition is from St. John's, Lewisporte, Birchy Bay, and

Campbellton. It is from a lot of people who are concerned with the use of these

chemicals and they believe there are safer methods of

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Oh, oh!

MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!

I will acknowledge the break in your time, I say to the Member for St. John's

East, so you will not lose any of the time that I take on your behalf.

I am going to ask one more time, all members in this House, if you have

private conversations, please take them outside the Chamber. The Speaker is

having great difficulty in hearing members who are speaking. I know this is the

end of the week and people are anxious to conclude the day, but I am going to

ask all members to co-operate. The Speaker needs to hear what is taking place in

the House and he cannot do it when there are private conversations taking place,

and the member who has been acknowledged to speak in the House deserves the

courtesy of being heard.

I call upon the Member for St. John's East to conclude his petition.

MR. MURPHY: Thank you, Mr. Speaker, and I appreciate that.

Again, this petition comes from anywhere: Lewisporte, Campbellton, Birchy

Bay, and St. John's. There are a lot of people out there who are really

concerned about the use of chemicals and the effect these chemicals make on our

water supplies, particularly.

There are a lot of people who have legitimate concerns as regards to the use

of such chemicals and, of course, the nature of how they stay in the environment

and make their way up through the food chain. A lot of people are particularly

concerned, in this particular case, about these chemicals ending up in their own

water supplies.

We know we can take several initiatives to prevent cancer. We know that

government has started on its own path toward fighting cancer. Good for

government in doing that, but here is a way where government can actually sink

its fingers into a preventative measure by being able to take up, for example, a

mechanical means of clearing brush from our roadsides so that we are not going

to have any growth. They can also go ahead and promote the use of competitive

seeding methods, for example, like lupines and that sort of thing that are very

hard against things like alders that are growing on the side of the road.

I present this petition to the House on behalf of these people who have

signed this petition today.

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Member for Cartwright L'Anse au Clair.

MS JONES: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I thought I was going to have to call the Open Line to get my petition on

today. Anyway, Mr. Speaker, I rise to present this petition on the crab fishery

in my area. It says:

WHEREAS the crab being fished in Area 2J is currently landed and processed in

Area 2J; and

WHEREAS this ensures that processors and plant workers adjacent to the

resource benefit appropriately from the resource; and

WHEREAS any change to this practice will be detrimental to communities with

processing plants in communities adjacent to Area 2J;

WHEREUPON the undersigned, your petitioners, humbly pray and call upon the

House of Assembly to urge government to commit to maintaining this practice and

disallow any 2J crab to leave the 2J area to be landed or processed in other

parts of the Province.

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to stand here and present this petition on behalf

of hundreds of people throughout my district. I know the minister is diligently

undertaking a decision with regard to this. We can only hope, Mr. Speaker, he

will see, as we do, the importance of keeping this particular policy in place in

the Province.

Mr. Speaker, as long as the petitions come in, I will continue to stand and

present them in the House. I will not sit, Mr. Speaker, when I have something

that I would like to add to the discussion.

Unlike the Minister of Labrador Affairs, who yesterday when I asked a

question in the House, Mr. Speaker, would not stand in his place and answer the

question. Instead, Mr. Speaker, had the gall today and to weasel his way out

of it yesterday, the word the Premier likes to use, the weasel word. He weaseled

his way, Mr. Speaker, and stood up today and got a side-hand sweep and sat down.

Mr. Speaker, the member lacks courage, obviously. He lacks courage and lacks

the intestinal fortitude to stand in his place and say what he has to say. I

never thought I would see it, Mr. Speaker, but it is evident to me today.

Anyway, Mr. Speaker, I am not into those weasel ways of politics. I like to

take on direct action when direct issues present themselves. Certainly, that is

the case that I have always dealt with in this House, Mr. Speaker.

I would challenge the Member for Labrador West, the hon. Minister of Labrador

Affairs, do not adapt to those weasel tactics of politics in the House of

Assembly. When you have something to say, Minister, stand in your place and say

it. Do not wait twenty-four hours and be advised by all the other people on the

eighth floor, Mr. Speaker, and be advised by the Premier and the rest of the

ministers in the caucus. If you have something to say, say it.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

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

MR. MITCHELMORE: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

A petition to the hon. House of Assembly of the Province of Newfoundland and

Labrador in Parliament assembled, the petition of the undersigned residents of

Newfoundland and Labrador humbly sheweth:

WHEREAS in the District of The Straits White Bay North, despite the $4

million Rural Broadband Initiative announced on December 22, 2011, only one

community, Ship Cove, is slated for broadband coverage; and

WHEREAS the communities of Pine's Cove, Eddies Cove East, Bide Arm, North

Boat Harbour, L'Anse aux Meadows, Great Brehat, St. Carol's, Goose Cove,

Grandois, and St. Anthony Bight still remain without services; and

WHEREAS many small businesses within the district rely on Internet to conduct

business; and

WHEREAS broadband Internet permits a business to be more competitive than the

slower dial-up service; and

WHEREAS broadband Internet enhances primary, secondary, post-secondary, and

further educational opportunities.

We, the undersigned, petition the House of Assembly to urge government to

reinvest in rural broadband initiatives in Newfoundland and Labrador.

As in duty bound, your petitioners will ever pray.

Mr. Speaker, I am aware that based on a carryover there has been a second

call for the RBI of about $2 million, but there is still significant gaps. We

have about 200 communities that do not have broadband Internet in many districts

across Newfoundland and Labrador. So, mine is certainly no exception to that.

I think there are ways and means in which we can look at addressing bridging

these gaps for business, for education, and for other opportunities when it

comes to broadband. Maybe we need to do an analysis of looking at how we can use

cooper wire as a means. There is a certain mileage around stations, current

infrastructure that is there, where we may be able to use cooper wire to get

through some of these communities, or using things like

Wi-Fi repeaters and extenders.

There are innovative technologies, low-cost technologies, which are being

used in places like Italy where they have 279 kilometres extending. So if our

topography allows, I think it is something we need to do. We need to look at a

different way as to how we can bridge these gaps so these communities, not only

in the District of The Straits White Bay North but in other areas also receive

broadband or a similar equivalent coverage. That would be good for all

Newfoundlanders and Labradorians.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER: Orders of the Day.

Orders of the Day

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Government House Leader.

MR. KING: Thank you, Mr. Speaker

I believe protocol is that we would now go for second reading and return to

Bill 50, the one that we left off last day.

MR. SPEAKER: The Speaker recognizes the Minister of Health and Community

Services, debating Bill 50.

MS SULLIVAN: Mr. Speaker, I am going to continue on from where we left

off the other night on Bill 50,

An Act To Regulate The Practice Of Pharmacy. I

know people in this House of Assembly do not need any review of what we did the

other night, but if there are any people at home who are just tuning in and did

not get to see on Wednesday night, I am introducing this bill this afternoon

regarding the practice of pharmacy in Newfoundland and Labrador. Essentially,

what we are doing here is we are repealing the current bill and introducing and

replacing a new Pharmacy Act, 2012, which will just be a more modernized act.

Mr. Speaker, I talked last day about the board acting in the public interest

and that that would be the primary function of this board. I will not give all

the detail again, but there are provisions within this new act to ensure various

practices that the board must adhere to in seeing to the public interest, public

safety.

We talked about the Web site, Mr. Speaker. The bill requires that the

Pharmacy Board maintain a Web Site and sets out some minimum content that has to

be contained therein, but also we talked about making available to any person

who would like it, a paper copy of the information that is on that Web site as

well.

There are some governance changes, Mr. Speaker, in this particular bill as

well, particularly in terms of additions to the board. The two additions that I

referred to on Wednesday night when we spoke had to do with the addition of the

seat for the Dean of the School of Pharmacy, which is a very welcomed addition

to the board. The second would be a pharmacy technician representative. Because

we are becoming so much more progressive within the practice of pharmacy here

within Newfoundland and Labrador, that too will enhance what we are doing around

pharmacy and the practice of pharmacy in the Province.

Looking as well at registration of pharmacy students and interns though the

current bill does set out some provisions for students to register, this one

will just give more detail, greater detail, around the pre-requisites for

student registration, basically stating what registered students are able to do

in a pharmacy setting as part of their clinical practice experience. We all know

how important clinical practice is to students. So, there are some general and

more specific regulations in that particular

section requiring pharmacy students

to register prior to beginning their practical placement, Mr. Speaker, which is

new in this particular bill.

We are looking as well, Mr. Speaker, in the bill around the provision for the

registration of pharmacy interns. We know that they do an eight-week internship

program, and we are looking again around the provision for the registration of

those interns through the process.

On the last evening as well, I talked about the registration of pharmacy

technicians, which is really in keeping with the trend across the country. This

bill recognizes the role being played by pharmacy technicians and the expansion

of that role in Newfoundland and Labrador.

So, Mr. Speaker, that is a very quick review of what we had looked at last

time and then, as people in this House would know, we ran out of time the other

evening, so I will just continue on.

I am going to start by looking now at the panel agreement, Mr. Speaker. The

Pharmacy Board not only registers pharmacists and pharmacy students and interns

and technicians, but it also licenses pharmacies, Mr. Speaker. I believe our

government has made some very significant investments in pharmacies. As a result

of our recent agreement with the Pharmacists' Association of Newfoundland and

Labrador, the provincial government will invest approximately $37 million over

the next four years to support pharmacies in the Province of Newfoundland and

Labrador. Through that agreement, our government has committed to making

investments in a number of areas, Mr. Speaker. The agreement identifies several

professional services provided by pharmacists that can now be charged to the

provincial government, including medication reviews for individuals diagnosed

with diabetes, something that was topical today in Question Period. It was one

of the pieces of information that I was going to provide an answer to had we not

run out of time on that issue as well but very important.

Medication reviews for individuals diagnosed with diabetes can really enhance

the treatment that a person with diabetes is receiving, Mr. Speaker.

Additionally, pharmacies may now also bill for services to clients, such as

providing an interim supply of medication or extending a prescription, Mr.

Speaker. Again, those are all very progressive moves and that was something that

we had done through our latest PANL agreement, something that we are very, very

pleased about.

The fee for refusing to fill a prescription in instances where it is

suspected the beneficiary is abusing or misusing a narcotic has also been

increased, Mr. Speaker. These are important service enhancements for

beneficiaries of the Newfoundland and Labrador Prescription Drug Program, as

well as recognition of the important role played by pharmacists as members of

our health care system.

Mr. Speaker, when we talk about provision of health care, it really is a team

approach and pharmacists are very much part of that team.

Mr. Speaker, a remote subsidy valued at $1 million annually has also been put

in place as a result of our latest agreement with PANL. This year, forty-seven

rural pharmacies operating in under-serviced areas in the Province have been

approved for subsidies ranging from almost $11,400 to just over $34,000. This

certainly demonstrates government's commitment to the viability of rural

pharmacies and to the people of rural Newfoundland and Labrador, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, I want to talk as well about the creation of the quality

assurance program, as we have done with several of the other bills that we have

introduced in this House around health care in recent sittings. This particular

bill, as well, will look at, in

part VI of the bill, Quality Assurance. Quality

assurance provisions are intended to permit the board to take action to address

practice issues before they become conduct deserving of sanction, Mr. Speaker,

thereby preventing harm to the public and enhancing patient safety.

Mr. Speaker, the quality assurance program will promote high standards of

practice for pharmacists and pharmacy technicians. It will also promote

continuing competence and continuing quality improvement, both of which are

really essential when we talk about the provision of good, quality health care

in Newfoundland and Labrador.

The quality assurance program will include requirements for all pharmacy

techs to participate in mandatory continuing education and professional

development. We all know the value of that professional development, Mr.

Speaker. The provisions in the bill will ensure that current competencies are

maintained, enabling a continued high level of service to residents of our

Province.

The bill establishes as well a quality assurance committee to investigate

quality assurance concerns. The committee's powers will include the ability to

subpoena records; order an evaluation, assessment or examination; order a review

of a practice; and order periodic or random audits of aspects of a pharmacy

practice. Mr. Speaker, the quality assurance measures in the bill provide the

board with the legislative authority to investigate and assess the practice of a

pharmacist or pharmacy technician before practice issues and concerns become

matters so serious that they would have had to have been dealt with through the

disciplinary process.

Mr. Speaker, early intervention will improve practice where there is a need

for improvement, and ultimately it will enhance patient safety. The bill, Mr.

Speaker, will require pharmacists and pharmacy techs to comply with orders made

by the quality assurance committee. Failure to comply with such orders may

result in disciplinary action. The quality assurance provisions in the bill are

consistent with those recently added to the Psychologists Act, 2005, and the

Optometry Act, 2012, Mr. Speaker, which were bills that we dealt with recently

in this House of Assembly around the same issues of quality assurance.

Mr. Speaker, I want also to speak around regulations for this act. The bill

will authorize the Pharmacy Board to make regulations with the approval of the

minister in certain specific areas. In particular, Mr. Speaker, the bill

provides regulation-making power regarding the scope of practice of pharmacists.

In 2010, our government approved changes to the Pharmacy Regulations to

broaden the ability of pharmacists to refill, extend, or adjust prescriptions.

These changes allow pharmacists to more fully engage their knowledge and skills

to better serve the residents of Newfoundland and Labrador. Across the country

we have seen other jurisdictions act to expand the scope of practice for

pharmacists.

As the most readily accessible health care professions, I am pleased to

highlight this aspect of the bill, which will enable progressive changes for

members of the pharmacy profession. My officials will be working with the

Pharmacy Board in the coming months to discuss the additional services that

pharmacists are qualified to provide to the people of the Province. One area of

expanded scope that we are looking at is the provision, Mr. Speaker, of flu

shots by pharmacists.

As the practice of pharmacy is rapidly changing, so too are the tools used in

pharmacies, and how pharmacists receive prescriptions. The bill was drafted with

a view to ensuring that new technologies can be used, but will be appropriately

regulated so as to provide for patient safety. In conclusion, Mr. Speaker, these

new provisions serve to enhance public protection and patient safety while

supporting pharmacists and pharmacy technicians in maintaining high standards of

practice.

While most of the act will come into force upon royal assent, there will be a

delayed proclamation for two sections of the act. The quality assurance

provisions will come into force on September 30, 2013, and the pharmacy

technician registration

section will become law on June 30, 2013. That

additional time, Mr. Speaker, will give the board an opportunity to appoint and

train quality assurance committees. It will also allow the board to provide

education and develop appropriate standards, policies, and procedures with

respect to pharmacy technician regulation.

Mr. Speaker, the Newfoundland and Labrador Pharmacy Board requested a new

act. They were fully engaged with us, Mr. Speaker, in the drafting process of

this new act. I am pleased to say that the board fully supports this bill.

I look forward to seeing this legislation passed to improve the governance

model for pharmacy in the Province, to enhance public protection, and to enable

enhanced scope of practice for these important members of our health care

system.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker,

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

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

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. A. PARSONS: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I appreciate the opportunity to stand and speak to this new piece of

legislation, the Pharmacy Act. I understand there is a lot of change happening,

therefore it is easier to repeal and substitute rather than make various

amendments.

I would thank the minister for making her staff available for a briefing that

I think was held this week or last week. I cannot remember at this point, it

seems so long ago. We did have an opportunity to meet and recognize what is

exactly going on here. So I appreciate that opportunity.

The first thing I would say is that in this case the changes that are being

suggested, from what I understand, are coming from pharmacists. This is what

pharmacists want. Therefore, we have to recognize and respect what they want to

do.

Like many of us here, I came from a background where I was in a

self-regulating profession. The fact is that pharmacists are also

self-regulating. When you are a self-regulating profession, you have to

basically make sure that you treat, audit, and make sure that your profession

maintains the highest standard of security and professionalism. The fact is if

you do not do that, you are not going to have an opportunity to be

self-regulating much longer.

That is why we want to make sure that we have a strong board, we have a

strong piece of legislation and that there are enough procedures and practices

there to monitor the practice of pharmacy, which is very important. I believe

there are about 670 in the Province, all over rural, urban as well. It is easy

to understate their importance but the fact is we know exactly what they do.

What I would say is, I have looked through the explanatory notes and I have

looked through the entire bill. It is pretty hefty compared to some of the

legislation we have looked at in this session, which have been fairly minor in

nature. They have been very much housekeeping thus far, but this one has some

definite meat to it that is being changed.

I want to discuss just a few points of the legislation. I would note that I

had the benefit as well of having our Leader, the Member for Humber Valley with

us, and having his background and expertise to discuss these. It is amazing to

have his level of professionalism and his history of this practice to explain

what goes on. How do pharmacists act, how does a pharmacy run, and how does the

practice work? To have him there to help educate people like myself is a great

thing and I really appreciate that.

The fact is he is somebody who has been behind the counter. I believe there

may have been other pharmacists in this House from a previous life. The Member

for Gander was also a pharmacist. So it is good when we are discussing

legislation for professions. The fact is people who have done those professions

it is nice to have that background.

Now, one of the things I would note is that there is a change to the

composition of the board. What they have done is they have added new positions

to the board. Formerly, there were seven pharmacists. There would have been two

non-pharmacists who were appointed by the board, and there would have been the

secretary registrar.

What they have done here is they have kept the seven pharmacists, the two

non-pharmacists who are appointed by the board. They have also now added two

pharmacists who are appointed by the minister. They basically balance each other

out. You have non-pharmacists, lay people appointed by the board and by the

government.

We have also added someone that I think is a great addition. You are adding

the Dean of the School of Pharmacy to the board. I believe the Dean has actually

been sitting in on some of these meetings. Obviously, to have their expertise,

and they are the people I guess the Dean, him or her, is the person who is

primarily responsible for educating the new crop of pharmacists that are coming

up through.

I would note that I had the very great pleasure of going to the last awards

night for the School of Pharmacy. I know the Member for Terra Nova was there as

well, and it was nice to see. Actually, I could not believe how generous the

pharmacists were in making sure that there are scholarships and awards out for

new pharmacists. So it is like a big family. They make sure that the new

pharmacists coming up through are taken care of. It is not cheap to be going to

pharmacy school. It is expensive, and the costs that come with going to school

anywhere lodging and board. So, the fact is that these pharmacists coming in

and making sure that there is financial benefit to new pharmacists is a great

thing, and I commend them for that.

Now, going back to the board composition, we have also added a pharmacy

technician to that board to bring in their background and expertise in that

area, and we have simply changed the name of the secretary registrar to

registrar.

So again, we have added to the board. There are more people there. There will

be more people with various points of view and backgrounds and expertise who

will be sitting there. Again, this is something that was requested by

pharmacists. So, if the pharmacists are asking for and again, being

self-regulators, they want to make sure that they have a good board and that

they do a good job of overseeing. Because the way it is with these professions

is that if one person does something that is wrong, whether it is inadvertent or

not, the fact is it can taint everybody. So, we want to make sure that we have

the high standards set there.

I would also note that a big change here is regulating pharmacy technicians.

I have to be honest, Mr. Speaker, I am unsure right here now what

section that

is, but again, this was something that is requested, and I think it is going to

add to the practice. What it is allowing pharmacists to do is to contribute more

to their scope of practice. Again, we had a good briefing on this. This is

something coming from pharmacists; this is something they want. It is also

allowing now the registry of interns. We are making sure that interns that are

practising are registered. We have to have a record of who is in the field,

where they operating and their backgrounds, and so on and so forth.

Now, a big thing here and I think this is good, when we talk about all

pharmacists have to have continuing education. Even after they have their

schooling done and they are out in the field, the fact is that with many

professions you have to have that continuing education to make sure that you can

keep up with advances in the field. We all know that, especially when it comes

to prescription drugs. There are just so many new drugs coming on the market

every day. There are billions of dollars spent in this field.

So, it is a big duty on pharmacists to make sure that they up-to-date with

this. We all know the dangers that can come from having different prescriptions

mixed up or over prescriptions and making sure how they counteract with each

other. You have to be aware and understand what it is that these prescriptions

are doing. So, continuing education is a great thing.

What they are also doing now, with the changes to this legislation, is they

are allowing pharmacy students and interns to perform, under the supervision of

a pharmacist, tasks within that practice. I think that is a good thing. It is

similar to articling. You are basically under the wing of a senior lawyer and

you have a chance to learn. You need that practice. Schooling is one thing, but

the actual practice is where you can learn a lot of the skills that are

necessary. When they are behind that counter, being able to perform again under

the watchful eye of a practising pharmacist, this is a great thing. It is giving

these students that actual practical, hands-on experience.

It is legislating something that is already in practice, we are talking about

the requirement of the board to maintain a Web site and make sure that various

pieces of information are on that Web site. That is something we have heard in a

lot of different pieces of legislation that have been brought before the House

this session. We have looked at a number of different health acts and basically

saying you need to have a Web site, information needs to be available on the Web

site.

The pharmacists already have a Web site and what we are doing now is making

sure that Web site is legislated; it has to be there. I think that is a great

thing. It is one thing to say they should, but it is another thing to say that

they have to have this; they shall have it. That is a great thing, Mr. Speaker.

Another thing here, and this comes back to the self-regulation, and that is

the quality assurance program that includes continuing education and

professional development. We need to maintain quality assurance with just about

any field, especially one as important as pharmacy. From what I understand,

pharmacists every year have to send in their logbooks to be audited. Once in a

while they will come back and they will want greater detail on your logbooks and

on certain files that you have done. What exactly did you do?

That is the definition itself there of quality assurance. We are looking over

your records to see how you treated certain files, what did you do, and maybe

there are times where you could change methods of practice, how you handled

something, how you did something. All we are doing here, it has been there, it

has already been done but we are establishing that. To have quality assurance,

professional development and continuing education all great things, and that

is why there will not be much contention when it comes to this piece of

legislation. It is a necessary thing; it is a cleaning up and an addition to a

previously existing piece of legislation.

One thing they will do is have the quality assurance committee perform these

quality assurance reviews and require compliance. It is one thing to perform the

quality assurance and it is another thing to ensure that there is compliance. We

can say that people should do something but we need to ensure that it is being

done, that recommendations are being followed. That is what we need to ensure

the safety of the people in the Province who are relying on the work of

pharmacists.

It is a very important field and they can have life and death altering

consequences when you are dealing with people's health. For them to have the

quality assurance there and the compliance, that is necessary. I applaud that,

Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, again, I also understood that the privacy concerns of this are

something people are made known of when their files are accessed. They know they

were part of the quality assurance program and your file was reviewed for

quality assurance purposes. I respect that and think that is a necessary thing.

Looking through the legislation and the various sections, a lot of it does

stay the same. There are no changes to a number of different aspects here. There

is a change in the governing structure, which I have already gone into in

detail. In

section 7, from the explanation provided to us and from my reading of

the legislation, there is actually now more emphasis on public protection.

When you have a field, as I have said a number of times here today, that is

dealing with the lives and well-being of Newfoundlanders and Labradorians, we

need to ensure that public protection is paramount. It is the most important

thing: that these people are getting the proper service and the proper

treatment. When you are a self-regulating board, there is nobody more than you

who wants to make sure you are doing the right thing here, because one black

mark is a black mark on everybody. Nobody wants to see that.

There is a significant duty on these people and they place that duty on

themselves. If not, if you have a self-regulating group that does not abide by

that, they are going to very quickly end up not being self-regulated. That is

not what they want. It is a privilege to have that. I am glad they are going to

maintain that quality assurance.

I would note, Mr. Speaker, that in

section 8 there is a change in the quorum

part, but it is not a significant change; it is more of a change in the wording.

What they have gone to now is that a quorum is not a particular number; quorum

has now gone to a percentage. It is 50 per cent plus one member, one of whom

shall be a member appointed to represent the public interest. It is a small

change, but it is to recognize the fact that the percentage is the better method

to use when determining quorum so that their votes are binding.

Another significant part of this was subsection (2) of

section 8, where the

chair essentially now does not have the power on a tie vote on a motion or

resolution. Before, the chair had that power to vote in the case of a tie vote:

say yea or nay and decide the fate of that motion or resolution. Now, the chair

is not going to have that. Again, this is something that was recommended: to

place that decision on them. Now if there is a tie vote, the tie vote will

actually be considered a defeat. That is something that was requested. It is a

lot of responsibility to be placed on the Chair. This is something the

pharmacists have asked for and requested, and I believe it is also standard

practice in other boards.

Subsection (9) deals with the annual report. I believe that is actually now

being covered in other legislation we discussed previously in this session of

the House, where financial reports and the annual reports of each organization

will be given to the minister and the department will make sure that they are

placed on the Web site and that they are placed on the Web site of the body. The

pharmacist is no exception to that.

As I go through this legislation here,

section 13

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Oh, oh!

MR. SPEAKER (Verge): Order, please!

MR. A. PARSONS:

Section 13 deals with the Web site. As we have already

said, the Web site is already in place. It is now just simply mandated.

We talk about the registration of interns; this is good practice, good

procedure, and I do not have much to add to that particular section. We are just

moving forward to make sure we have better record keeping. That is a great

thing.

We also have the registration of students and the registration of pharmacy

technicians.

Mr. Speaker, I think this is an important piece of legislation. I do not

think there is anything that I would call earth shattering in it. It is stuff

that has been recommended by the governing body of pharmacists. It is stuff that

they want. I do note and this is an important thing the Complaints

Authorization Committee. This is the committee that basically handles complaints

to the body. You are basically disciplining your own. One of the things that I

like here is that the Complaints Authorization Committee can actually suspend

the practice of a pharmacist as opposed to before where they could only

recommend to the board. Before, there was that time gap where you make that

recommendation, the board got a look at it and then they have to make a

decision, and we might have somebody performing unsafe practices out in the

community.

The fact is, our pharmacists are dealing with stuff like methadone, they are

dealing with a number of we are talking pharmaceuticals here that are life and

death. What they have effectively done here and this is great is they said:

look, if we get the complaint and we feel it is necessary, we can go ahead and

suspend that practice right away. That is a good thing. That is necessary. We

cannot have that gap here and have somebody out there who is not performing up

to the code that is necessary. The pharmacists themselves do not want this. They

do not want somebody out there who is tarnishing their image, their reputation

as a whole. Again, that is an important section. I am glad to see that in here.

There are a number of other sections here, Mr. Speaker, on the Complaints

Authorization Committee. Another one I think I touched on this or alluded to

it earlier is that they can make recommendations to pharmacists on better

practices, or best practices.

Here is the situation: when the pharmacist sends in their logbook to be

audited and reviewed, there might be something there that is not worthy of

discipline; it is not something that is technically wrong, but it might not be

the best practice, so there could be a better way of doing this. What the CAC,

or the Complaints Authorization Committee, can do is come back and say, you did

it this way, why not try it that way? We are disciplining you. You are not in

trouble, but we recommend that you do it this way. That is always a great thing,

to be able to be told: Look, maybe try it this way. Any profession should not be

afraid of recommending different ways to do things or better ways of handling

matters. I certainly like that section, Mr. Speaker.

We continue on here, right past the Quality Assurance section, pass

section

55. I do note in

section 58, the Duty to report, there was always an ethical or

moral obligation to report. We come back to the same principle, that in

self-regulating professions such as this, they want to make sure that nobody

tarnishes their profession. They want to make sure people are doing things

right.

They have always had an ethical obligation to report malfeasance or something

being done wrong or somebody not performing in the ethical manner. Now it is a

legal obligation. They have to do it. All we have done is strengthened that. It

is recommended by pharmacists. All it is doing is ensuring the safe practices

and the safety of the people of this Province to make sure that if somebody is

out there doing something that is not above board, not right, they have to tell.

It is now a legal obligation on them to do so. Again, I think this is a great

step.

Overall, I think the changes are both necessary and proper, and desirable.

They are progressive. When the body itself comes to you and says that they want

something, it is not like you always do as they say, but in this case what they

are saying is only making things better for everybody.

One thing and I will mention this because I heard the minister mention it

in her comments earlier. Something that is a huge thing in this Province is

diabetes. The fact is in terms of diabetes control, a pharmacist is probably the

person who has the most direct contact with a diabetic.

I listened to our Leader, the Member for Humber Valley tell me about his

experiences with people with diabetes and talk about the troubles that some of

them have maintaining their sugars. They get that spike, the high spikes and the

low spikes. That is why I bring it up.

I say this in all seriousness, and I know the minister is very serious, we

clearly would note that it was this government that did bring in the pumps for

people under eighteen and then went to age twenty-five. You have to be commended

for that. I have said this on numerous occasions in this House, when there is

something that I feel is right or proper I will give commendation for it, as I

have done here many times.

The colon cancer speech today was just one example. If a government does

something right, that needs to be applauded and there needs to be awareness made

of that. We talked about the colon cancer screening. We need to have more

awareness made of that; people need to have access to this.

To have the insulin pump available to people up to the age of twenty-five is

the right thing, it is a good thing. The quality of life for these people, it is

hard to imagine. I cannot imagine it because I am not in that situation.

The fact is that basically and I know the Member for Terra Nova was there

at the breakfast this morning for the Canadian Diabetes Association. The phrase

they use is that this pump is the closest thing they will ever get to mimicking

a normal working pancreas. To have that quality of life and I mentioned in

Question Period earlier, young Andrew Codner. The gentleman teared' up pretty

bad when he was in speaking today, talking about his quality of life. He was

only diagnosed at age twenty-one. He was only diagnosed then. His levels were so

high the doctor who first diagnosed him was unsure as to how he was still

functioning, why he was not in the hospital.

Then to get this pump and to have a quality of life that he has grown

accustomed to now, and to see what they have gone through to go from needles

everyday, multiple injections, and to go to the pump where they basically insert

it in. They only have to change it every three days. They can live that normal

life, whether it be exercise, whether it be eating late at night. Things I take

for granted, but things they cannot take for granted.

This gentleman, he has gone to school. He went out and got his education and

he is working now. He is not working in his field that he wants to. He is scared

right now because he is off his parent's insurance now that he is out of school

and he is forking out about $400 a month. It is tough. We all know it is tough,

these costs are tough.

He is counting down the days to his twenty-fifth birthday. He is scared and

he is worried because he knows he might not be able to afford to keep the same

care, that little pack. It is always by his side, as he says, that pump.

That is why he is calling and I am calling, and I know the government hears

the call that we need to make this technology available to everybody in this

Province who has type I diabetes. I do not think the cost is prohibitive and I

do not think it is something that government does not want. I think it is

something obviously government wants. They

MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!

The Speaker is having great difficulty seeing the relevance of these present

comments to Bill 50, the Member for Burgeo La Poile, if he could explain that

to the Speaker. I do not see the relevance of your current comments to Bill 50.

MR. A. PARSONS: I apologize. I am speaking to the Pharmacy Act.

What I am saying is that the pharmacists are the main point of contact with

people with diabetes, and I referenced the comments made by the minister. I just

want to talk about the firsthand impact that pharmacists have on the lives of

people with diabetes amongst many others.

MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!

I remind the speaker of a previous ruling that the Speaker of the House has

made that in second reading, when we are speaking to bills we are speaking to

the principle of the bill. In reference to the explanatory notes, which I have

just reviewed, I cannot see the relevance of what the member is speaking about

right now.

I would ask the member to speak to the principle of the bill in second

reading.

MR. A. PARSONS: Certainly.

MR. SPEAKER: The Member for Burgeo La Poile to continue.

MR. A. PARSONS: What I would say to that is and I will attempt to be

relevant on what we are talking about here the pharmacists covered by this

board and this act now have an ethical and legal obligation to make sure they do

due diligence. That is why I think they would all want insulin pumps for all the

people who require them. We all want that. All I am saying at this point is: I

am asking that this is something that is considered and put out there.

Going back to the act, it is a good piece of legislation. It is necessary

changes. It is recommended by the crowd who want it, the pharmacists of this

Province. They do a great job. They are going to continue to do a great job in

regulating themselves in performing the quality assurance. Those are my comments

to this piece of legislation, Mr. Speaker.

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Member for Terra Nova.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. S. COLLINS: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

First, before I begin, I would like to thank the Member for Burgeo La Poile

for his remarks. I usually I would say 80 per cent of the time enjoy when he

gets up and speaks. He said a lot of good things there. It really speaks to the

legislation by the very fact we are in agreement here today. The further the

speakers go into when we hear more Opposition speak, it is going to be a common

theme: that everybody is on board with this amendment and this new legislation.

This certainly is good legislation.

Mr. Speaker, everyone here is aware of the role that pharmacists play in the

delivery of health care. They work with patients and other health care

professionals to provide appropriate patient-focused pharmaceutical care. You

cannot even begin to say how important that is.

Pharmacists make a commitment to the people they help and they are entrusted

with their lives and health. It is as simple as that. Pharmacists interact with

patients to help them gain further insight into their medical condition and

counsel them to provide information on how to reduce the incidence of side

effects and prevent drug interactions.

It was mentioned yesterday even though the minister when she got up and

spoke today was continuing what she had said just a couple of days ago; just to

reiterate some of the points she had said, there are actually approximately 670

pharmacists in Newfoundland and Labrador, which is a huge number. Actually, that

number works out to be the highest per capita in all of the country. It is

something to be very proud of.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. S. COLLINS: I just spoke about the importance of pharmacists, so we

understand that. To be able to say we have the highest per capita in Canada of

pharmacists practicing in Newfoundland and Labrador speaks volumes.

Further to that, as a member who represents a rural district, I am also happy

to say that almost 38 per cent of those pharmacists of the 670 practice in very

rural settings. It is something that certainly I can appreciate, as well as many

members of this House of Assembly.

I, for one, know growing up in Glovertown which does not have a hospital

we have to go either to Clarenville or Gander, one way or the other, east or

west. The pharmacist is your primary health care giver in a lot of instances,

especially after hours. There is a many a time that you go over to the local

drugstore, you go and talk to your pharmacist, and you get very good advice;

certainly, they can counsel you in a number of different areas. As a new parent

with a daughter that is almost two years old, I have enlisted their trust and

their insight on a number of occasions over the past little while. So, again,

you cannot overstate the importance of pharmacists; I would certainly like to

put that out there today.

The provincial government, again, as was stated earlier, will be investing

approximately $37 million in pharmacies during the life of the current four-year

agreement with PANL; that is something that was just recently announced, of

course. This investment includes a new dispensing fee structure and payment for

professional services, such as review of a patient's medical profile to discuss

such things as side effects and compliance.

Also, Mr. Speaker, there will be funding for pharmacies operating in

under-serviced areas of the Province, which brings me back to my point I spoke

about just a moment ago with regard to rural settings certainly those are the

ones that this will affect most greatly.

Mr. Speaker, the new four-year agreement with PANL and I should say for

those who do not know: Pharmacists' Association of Newfoundland and Labrador,

PANL; sometimes we use the acronyms and we just assume everybody knows what they

are, but that is certainly what I am referring to today. It is an agreement we

are very proud of in this government. It is something that we consulted with the

group over a number of months, I can easily say, and we are very happy with the

outcome of that, as is the group, so, certainly, kudos to the department and

government for that.

Now, as was said, there are seven differences in this act than there were

from the one that we are in right now; the one that we are looking at putting in

has seven differences. You have to go back and look. Pharmacists were first

legislated in 1910. It is quite a time ago. I know it was before my time and

before most people's time in this House, I would argue. Of course, now, since

1910, we are still looking at that legislation there. Of course, there were

amendments over that period of time, but this is the first time we are going to

do a repeal.

AN HON. MEMBER: (Inaudible).

MR. S. COLLINS: There may be a member or two that were here around 1910,

but generally speaking we had amendments from that time, from 1910 up to

current, but, of course, this is where we are going to repeal the current

legislation and put in some new legislation, certainly something that is up to

date and something more relevant and meaningful.

There were seven parts I wanted to discuss, very briefly, just to touch on

all of them. With regard and this is probably one of the more important ones,

I would think, in my estimation; as the minister has already stated, the bill

emphasizes that the primary function of the Pharmacy Board is public protection.

It clearly states that the board shall regulate the practice of pharmacy to

protect the public interest. So, above all else, that is their first and

foremost priority. Nothing comes before that. That is first and foremost, and

something you do not take lightly, I am sure, because they have the protection,

they have the health and life safety of residents of Newfoundland and Labrador

in their hands, literally. It is something that they take great pride in and

they are very good at it, so it is nice to have that recognized right off the

bat.

The second is the Web site. Of course, under the new act, the Pharmacy Board

will be required to maintain a Web site. I am pleased to report that the board

already has a very detailed Web site. This is actually a group that has been

relatively proactive I would say very proactive actually, with regard to

having that public disclosure and the transparencies. While sometimes you have

to get groups, you kind of have to push them towards this, this is something

that this group has already been partaking over the last number of months,

years, whatever the case may be. They are going to move closer, into a more

transparent area, but even before this they were practising at a very high level

with regard to that. That is something to recognize and commend.

This Web site will also include information on how to file a complaint, the

discipline process itself, and even upcoming hearings or tribunals. It is a spot

that people can go. They can look at their Web site. They can find all the

different information they need. It is a one-stop-shop. Something, obviously, to

recognize is not everyone has Internet service but, more importantly, even

people who have access to Internet service I know most of the Province does,

certainly. I could talk about that at a later time.

Anyway, there are other people who have access to Internet services but are

not comfortable using it. I do not have to look any further than perhaps my

grandmother. If I asked her to go on the Internet now, I have an aunt who is

the same age who on Facebook twenty-four seven. So, it is nothing to do with age

as such, it is just that she does not deem it necessary. For someone like my

grandmother, if she wanted information, she could certainly request that

something be printed off from that Web site and that would be given to her for a

nominal charge. That is also something important to note.

I would like to congratulate the board on the efforts put forward on this Web

site. It is something that has been in the works for some time. So, it is not

something new that we are talking about here today with regard to their Web

site. It is something that they were, again, proactive on. So that has to be

commended.

The third piece, Mr. Speaker, this bill proposes to amend the governance

structure of the board to add a seat for the Dean of the School of Pharmacy at

Memorial University along with a seat for a pharmacy technician representative,

which would both be done for the first time. What this will add obviously is a

new level of expertise. Any time you can get greater expertise and greater focus

on a board, it is a good thing. I certainly see this as a tremendous step in the

right direction.

The bill also recommends the addition of two people to represent the public

interest. These people will be appointed by the board. In addition, there will

be two members from the public appointed by the minister. This is also a very

important part of the board. Again, the board is actually growing not only in

numbers of people, but also in the level of expertise and accountability.

I just wanted to note because I do not know if we had spoke about this

before. Outside of the thirteen voting members it is important to recognize the

registrar who does not obviously I should not say obviously, but he or she,

and I believe she is newly appointed if memory serves me correctly. She does not

have the opportunity to vote but certainly for the delivery of information to

the board members, she plays a very key role. While we do not talk about her

necessarily, the role that she plays behind the scenes is very important. Again,

I would like to recognize the job that she does.

The fourth one: registration of pharmacy students and interns. The current

act, Mr. Speaker, permits the board to register pharmacy students; however, the

proposed bill sets out in greater detail the prerequisite for student

registration, including what registered students are permitted to do in a

pharmacy as part of a clinical practice experience.

Pharmacy students who are registered with the board will be permitted to

perform tasks within the pharmacy scope of practice. Certainly, it will allow

them to practise in greater detail but also it will be done with the supervision

of a certified pharmacist. Not only is it a learning experience for them and

making sure they are getting the right instruction, but public safety again, it

comes back to that, which brings back my first point that it is all about public

safety, public protection. Certainly this is a piece of that as well.

The Member for Burgeo La Poile, when he was up there he was talking about

the School of Pharmacy and as he had mentioned, both myself and him, I think,

attended one or two events with regard to the scholarship and awards ceremony,

as well as a graduation. I attend different functions on behalf of the minister,

as well as MHA myself in my district. It really dawned on me the level of

students they have in the School of Pharmacy. They are the brightest group of

students you can ever imagine, kind of thing, they are so well spoken, they way

they present themselves. It was something that left an impression on me. It is

very assuring to a person like me to know this is the upcoming pharmacists we

have coming into the system. They were exceptional students.

Actually, the School of Pharmacy now, as it stands, is probably more

competitive than any other school, I would venture to argue, at the university

or it is just as competitive. There are people who wait years to get in there.

They apply and they reapply and they reapply. Some people with ridiculously high

averages and are fantastic students cannot get in just because they are taking

the cream of the crop. Again, you can see that when you sit down in front of

crowd at a graduation or an awards and scholarship ceremony, you can see that.

It is obvious. It speaks volumes to the group and how they are doing, the group

of individuals they attract to that profession.

Moving right along, number five there are seven as I have said

registration of pharmacy technicians. This is something that is currently being

done, I believe, in BC and Ontario. It is in the works in Nova Scotia, as I

understand it, but it is something new to this Province. I guess when you look

at that we are kind of leading the country with regard to the registration of

pharmacy technicians.

In keeping with the trend across Canada, this bill recognizes the role played

by pharmacy technicians in the practice of pharmacy. Pharmacy technicians are

not currently regulated, as I had said, in this Province. The bill we are

talking about here today includes sections which provide for the registration

and regulation of pharmacy technicians. In order for pharmacists to focus on the

clinical aspects of their profession to optimize patient care, it is critical to

have well-trained and qualified pharmacy technicians to take responsibility for

the technical and clerical components of pharmacy practice.

Again, if you have these pharmacy techs in place, they allow the pharmacist

to practice at full scope; they are able to garner all their attention and do

what needs to be done. Of course, the pharmacy technician plays an important

role as well, but there is a separation of duties. When you do that and you are

able to have people better able to focus on their particular duties, you get a

better service performed. It is something the pharmacy group had put forward and

they see the importance of this. I think we all do here as well.

As there is an inherent risk in the dispensing of medication, it is in the

interest of patient safety that pharmacy technicians are held to the highest

standards and are accountable for their work. I do not think anybody would

disagree with such a statement. It is only through regulation whereby

educational requirements, standards of practice, and professional accountability

are clearly established that the public can feel confident in the pharmacy

technician's ability to assume this increased level of responsibility. Again, I

think this is something that is needed and something that is going to prove very

useful.

The registration of pharmacy technicians will enable pharmacists to provide

more counselling to patients, collaborate with other health care professionals,

and more generally, to practice to their full scope in keeping with their