VOL. 4 PRELIMINARY UNEDITED TRANSCRIPT HOUSE OF ASSEMBLY FOR THE PERIOD: 3:00 p.m. - 6:00 p.m. THURSDAY, MARCH ll, 1982 NO. l

March 11, 1982 The House met at 3:00 P.M. Mr. Speaker in the Chair. MR. SPEAKER (Simms) : SERGEANT-AT-ARMS: Tape No. l EL - 1 Order, please! Mr. Speaker, His Honour, The Lieut~nant-Governor has arrived. MR. SPEAKER: Admit His Honour the Lieutenant- Governor. THE LIEUTENANT-GOVERNOR: Mr. Speaker and members of the hon. House of Assembly: I have the privilege and pleasure of welcoming you to the Fourth Session of the Thirty-Eighth General Assembly of the Province of Newfoundland. Newfoundland's reason for being is the sea.

Those who first arrived on our shores and those who stayed did so with a singleness of purpose - to harvest the living resources of the surrounding sea. Now, in our time, our resources beneath the sea, the hydrocarbons of the Continental Shelf of Newfoundland and Labrador, have emcr<jcu as another resource to be extracted from the Newfoundland offshore environment. Our people have long known that the bounty of the sea exa~ts a cruel toll. Our history records a litany of marine disasters - the overturned dory, the swamped schooner, and the iced trawler. Each has brought its cup of agony and sorrow.

And now once again we are faced with the treachery of wind and wave, ~he might of the raging Atlantic and man's unending need to do battle against the awesome forces of nature. The tragic loss of the eighty-four men of the Ocean . Ranger has again displayed the dual nature of our relationship with the sea. Newfoundland's foremost poet, E.J. Pratt, des­ cribed this relationship when he penned the words of that well known poem, aptly entitled "Newfoundland". 'I

March 11, 1982 Tape No. 1 EL - 2 .!!9 ~ ~_:_~- P~ DDO~ _ ( Lie~t .~~_ctnt_-.GoveEn~: of Assembly: "Here the winds blow, And here they die, Not with that wild, exotic rage That vainly sweeps untrodden shores, But with familiar breath Holding a partnership with life, Resonant with the hopes of spring, Pungent with the airs of harvest.

They call with the silver fifes of the sea, They breathe with the lungs of men, They are one with the tides of the sea, They are one with the . tides of the heart, They blow with the rising octaves of dawn, They die with the largo of dusk, Their hands are full to the overflow, In their right is the bread of life, In their left are the waters of death." Mr. Speaker and members of the hon. House My government is concerned with the amend- ment to the Merchant Act of 1920 (The Jones Act), which the United States is presently considering.

This amendment would interfere with the rights of non-residents of the United States to sue American companies whose vessels operate in for- eiqn waters. While this would not present a problem for any claims arising from the Ocean Ranger disaster, the amendment could in future have adverse effects for Newfoundlanders working on American rigs ani for their relatives. My government will be introducing a Resolution into this hon. House requesting unilnimous suppot·t !"or a request to both Houses of the American Congress that the proposed legislation be withdrawn.

It is proposed that this resolution be presented in person by the Speaker of the Newfoundland House of Assembly to the Speaker of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives in Washington. One of the first major steps my government took upon assuming office was to establish a Task Force of Newfoundlanders to examine the issue arising out of the un- fairness of the Upper Churchill contract. As a result of its .,

March 11, 1982 Tape NO. 1 EL - 3 HON. W.A. PADDON (Lieutenant-Governor): recommendations, my government resolved, with unswerving determination, to recapture the massive Upper Churchill resource for the economic benefit of the residents of this Province. Accordingly, through firm leg­ islative action embodied in The Upper Churchill Water Rights Reversion Act, my government subsequently moved decisively to regain control of this Province's largest hydro project and to secure justice and equity from the Upper Churchill hydro development.

My government undertook to withhold proclamation of this Act until the courts had confirmed that it was within the powers of this House of Assembly. Last week, in a landmark decision, the highest Court in this Province ruled that this legislation is valid. My government is confident that the Supreme Court of Canada will concur with the very learned and most cogent decision of the highest court in this Province.

All Newfoundlanders will rejoice with my government in this historic decision which can mean so much to improve the living standard of our people and give Newfoundlanders an opportunity to acquire equality with other Canadians. Mr. Speaker and members of the han. House of Assembly: My government has received this vitally important decision as another vindication of its policy to control and manage the resources of this Province for the benefit of our people. My government reaffirms its determination to assert the rights of Newfoundlanders and Labradorians to their rightful heritaqe.

The fruits of this policy have been realized in the renegotiated power contracts with the Electric Reduction Company of Canada and with the ~

March 11, 1982 Tape No. 1 EL - 4 HON. W.A. PADDON (Lieutenant-Governor): Paper Companies' operations in Corner Brook and Grand Falls. Confirmation of this Province's action in passage of the Reversion Act is another significant step forward towarcs ahcievement of our resource policies. The goal of this Province to obtain necessary control over the assets and power potential of the Churchill Falls plant is coming closer to reality and my government is mindful of the necessity of defining alternative uses for the power generated therefrom.

To this end my govern­ ment reaffirms its policy of dedicating power generated within the Province firstly towards users within Labrador and New­ foundland. Power surplus to our immediate needs can be available for sale outside the Province on a reasonable recallable basis, but at fair prices subject to escalation in conformity with market conditions. Almost at the same time as the rendering of this historic decision, technological advances have made the Cabot Strait crossing feasible.

A recent study by the Lower Churchill Development Corporation has confirmed the technical feasibility of a transmission line from the Island of Newfound­ land to Nova Scotia, across the 120 kilometer Cabot Strait. Such a link would assist the Maritime area in its oil displace­ ment programme and could be extended as well into parts of the northeastern United States where the demand for Canadian hydro­ electric power is increasing at a rapid rate. Power carried over these transmission lines from the Upper Churchill would translate technical feasibility into economic and financial feasibility.

It will be remembered that my government is also pursuing with the Government of Canada the development of the Lower Churchill sites at Gull Island and Muskrat Falls adding further to the feasibility of a linkage between Labrador and /,

March 11, 1982 Tape No. 1 EL - 5 HON. W.A. PADDON(Lieutenant-Governor): power markets in the rest of Canada and the United States. The Government of Canada has assured the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador that it is willing to allow the National Energy Board to grant to Newfoundland the right to transmit electrical energy from the Lower Churchill across Quebec into Ontario, the Maritimes or the northeastern United States. Early passage of this legislation in the Parliament of Canada is eagerly anticipated.

With enactment of this legislation, my government-will have achieved long sought legal recognition of its right to transmit electrical power generated within the Province through sister Provinces to market with the same freedom as oil and gas are now transported inter-provincially. With the Cabot Strait crossing it is po~sible that Newfoundland and Labrador will be able to select between alternative r.outes of transmission. Mr. Speaker and members of the han.

House of Assembly: As already noted, it is with pride that my government announced recently the renegotiation of the fixed price power contracts with Rowatcr <1nd Abitibi-Prjro. Legislation will be brought before you for your consideration which will ratify these revised and improved contracts. The net effect of these renegotiated power contracts will result in government receiving an add­ itional $120 million in the seventeen years remaining on their contracts.

Combined with the additional revenue from ERCO of $146 million, this means that the total benefit gained for the people of this Province over the life of these renegotiated contracts is $266 million. Now that we have achieved fairness and equity in negotiations with our corporate citizens within t;

March 11, 1982 Tape No. 1 EL - 6 HON. W.A. PADDON(Lieutenant-Governor): the Province, is it not reasonable to expect that same fairness and equity from the Province of Quebec with respect to the Upper Churchill Power Contract? In the same way my government believes it is reasonable to expect the same fairness and e~uity in its negotiations with the Government of Canada concerning offshore resources. My government believes it has the right to expect the same fairness and compromise from the Government of Canada as from private corporations.

Within a federal country, it is essential tha~ both levels of govern­ ment be prepared to negotiate toward agreements which accept the principles of constitutional equality and co-operative federalism. The renewable resources of this Province, fish, forests, hydro power and farming, are at the centre of my government's resource policy for the future. The rural society of our Province has traditionally drawn its livelihood from these renewable resources and we expect this to continue in the future.

The many needs of our Province, however, call for additional revenues and my government believes that the proper development of offshore oil and gas can be the means to relieve our financial constraints and provide the funds necessary to bring the level of services up to the level enjoyed by other Canadians. These revenues also provide the means for the further development of our renewab~e resources. The fishery will always play a vital role in the Newfoundland economy.

It was the fishery that brought our forefathers to this Province and the fishery will continue to sustain a unique quality of life for our people. With proper management, the fishery will continue to provide jobs and incomes for generations to come. Our water power, our forests and ~

March 11, 1982 Tape No. 1 EL - 7 HON. W.A. PADDON(Lieutenant-Governor): and our farm land are renewable resources which will continue into the future, without im­ pairment, enriching the lives of our people. While our renewable resources hold the key to our long-term prosperi~y my government believes that non-renewable resources provide the opportunity to achieve a higher level of economic well being. In particular, offshore oil and gas now present this Province with a unique opportunity to break out of the economic bondage which has enslaved us for so long.

The wealth of our offshore re- sources has the potential to transform the Newfoundland economy and to eliminate the disparity in incomes which has persisently continued over the decades in spite of vigorous attempts to achieve economic prosperity. Yet this potential to achieve economic equality with the rest of Canada can only be realized through proper management of this resource. Unless offshore oil and gas are managed soundly, Newfoundlanders will be denied the rare opportunity to achieve Canadian standards of economic well being. Mr. Speaker and members of the han.

House of Assembly: When the Dominion of Newfoundland became a partner in Confederation in 1949, the Terms of Union confirmed that the resources belonging to us prior to Union were to be retained and fully protected in the Constitution, just as they are for all other provinces.

Section 37 states that: "all lands, mines, minerals and royalties belonging to Newfoundland at the date of Union .•• shall belong to the Province of Newfoundland." The purpose of this clause was to maintain the position of Newfoundland as a partner in Confed­ eration and to ensure it would continue to have control over its natural resources. 7

March 11, 1982 Tape No. 1 EL - 8 HON. W.A. PADDON(Lieutenant-Governor): My government has consistently asserted this Province's ownership of the mineral resources on its Continental Shelf. This conviction is founded on the fact that ownership of these resources resided with the Dom­ inion of Newfoundland before Confederation with the Dominion of Canada, and our ownership rights were not alienated in that process.

Nevertheless, the Government of Canada lays claim to ownership of the Continental Shelf surrounding Newfoundland and Labrador and would see the rights of this Province subordinated to its own goals and ambitions. My government will continue to strive to protect the birthright of our people. For too long, the benefits of our natural resources have enriched areas removed from our shores while our people contend with a stand­ ard of living and a level of opportunity far below that enjoyed by other Canadians.

In keeping with the Canadian tradition of negotiation, my government demonstrated its willingness to resolve the offshore ownership despute by entering into discussions with the Government of Canada to negotiate in good faith a joint management and revenue-sharing regime, putting aside the ownership question. Unfortunately, my government's spirit of co-operation and compromise did not meet with a similar response from the Government of Canada, and we were forced to lay our case before the Court. My government is confident that our case for ownership will withstand the test of justice. Mr.

Speaker and members of the hon. House of Assembly: The basis on which my government entered into negotiations with the Government of Canada was that the exclusive claim to ownership of both parties would 1:1

March 11, 1982 Tape No. 1 EL - 9 HON. W.A. PADDON(Lieutenant-Governor): be set aside and that a system of joint management would be established which would allow these rich offshore resources to be managed through a partnership between both orders of government. My government entered into discussions with the understanding that the question of ownership would be put aside during negotiations, and per­ manently if the negotiations were successful. The objective was to achieve a permanent agreement whereby these offshor e resources could be managed in such a way as to achieve the objectives of both governments.

Unless ownership is put aside and a permanent arrangement is found, the danqer exists that an agreement can be torn up at any future time. During negotiations, the Govern­ ment of Canada intervened in a labour relations question in such a way as to bring before the courts the question of offshore ownership. The Government of Canada thus broadened a labour relations dispute into a dispute concerning the jurisdiction over offshore oil and gas. My government took the position that this dispute was fundamentally a labour relations issue and not a question of resource ownership.

This position has been vindicated by the recent decision of the Federal Court of Appeal, which has just rendered a dec­ ision in this case confirming that the matter is one of labour relations, rather than resource ownership. Furthermore, the Government of Canada continued to assert its ownership at the negotiation table and proposed an agreement fundamentally grounded in federal ownership and regulated under federal legislation. The Government of Canada has recently proposed that the agreement reached with Nova Scotia be used as the basis for an agreement with Newfoundland.

The agreement with Nova Scotia places total control in the hands of the Government of Canada and explicitly provides for the application of q

March 11, 1982 Tape No. 2 EL - 1 liON. W.A. PADDON (Lieutenant-Governor): federal legislation and for ad­ ministration to be carried out by federal officials. This agreement does not provide an adequate share of revenues into the future. It allows the provincial revenue share to fall rapidly as the level of revenues increases and the provincial share vanishes entirely when the fiscal position of the Province reaches a certain threshold level. Any agreement which failed to recoLJnize the enoumous shortfall which exists in both our fiscal and economic positions would be unacceptable to my government.

Just as unacceptable would be a joint revenue sharing system whereby the federal government would receive 100 per cent of additional oil and gas revenues beyond a given level, while the Province received nothing. Any agreement based upon that signed with Nova Scotia must be rejected as denying the concept of joint management and falling far short of an acceptable share of revenues. It must also be recognized that the absence from the agreement of any mean­ ingful joint management gives the federal government the power to change the revenue share unilaterally.

My government will be presenting its reasons for rejecting this type of agreement, and will be re­ vealing for the first time the essential elements which my government believes to be necessary in any agreement which will serve the long-term interests of this Province. The Newfoundland proposal to the Government of Canada provides for a settlement whereby offshore resources would be jointly managed to achieve both national and provincial objectives while at the same time sharing the financial benefits with other Canadians.

The settlement proposed by Newfoundland would permanently resolve the ownership question by creating a partnership whereby the resources will be jointly managed. Both parties would be pro­ tected by having a permanent joint management agreement. 1fl

March 11, 1982 Tape No. 2 EL - 2 RON. W.A. PADDON(Lieutenant-Governor): This would provide satbility and security for private investors and would prevent either government from making unilateral changes or from undermining the agreement. Mr. Speaker and members of the hon. House of Assembly: Newfoundland's position will be fully presented to the people of this Province and it will be clearly shown why the agreement proposed by the federal government would have been totally unacceptable.

Within the context of a negotiated agreement, Newfoundland's economic and social objectives can only be met through a system of joint management. The principle of joint management is vital to any negotiated agreement. While the question of revenue sharing has enormous significance, it is also critical that the Province be able to use these offshore resources through shared management as an instrument to achieve its social and economic objectives. The benefits of revenue sharing will be realized after the development phase has been completed and after Hibernia oil has begun to flow.

In the vitally important intervening years before production is brought on stream there will be enormous economic benefits to be captured in the de­ velopment phase, in which hLllions of dollars will be spent to create the necessary production and distribution system. The benefits of this early development phase can only be captured if Newfoundland has the opportunity to participate with the Government of Canada in managing these first phase developments. Through such joint control, industrial benefits and employment opportunities can be realized within the Province.

For this reason, joint manaqement is a "bread and butter" issue for Newfoundlanders in search of employment. 11

March 11, 1982 Tape No. 2 EL - 3 BON. W.A. PADDON (Lieutenant-Governor): Joint management of our petroleum resources is imperative. The development of this great re­ source will touch the whole fabric of Newfoundland society and will have widespread implications. National and prov­ incial economic aspirations must therefore be tempered with a sensitivity to the social and cultural objectives of this Province so that the unique way of life which we cherish is preserved. A meaningful management role for the Province will permit development at a level compatible with the capacity of the local economy.

A controlled rate of development through joint management will allow the Province to respond to the opportunities and to minimize the social disruption which inevitably accompanies such massive scale development. Joint management will also allow economic benefits to be distributed throuqhout the Province so that existing communities will remain viable in an economically healthy Province. Without a ro1e for the Province in managing these great resources there would be no means to ensure equitable sharing of benefits throughout all regions of the Province.

It is not realistic to expect the federal government to exercise from Ottawa the local sensitivity which is required to make decisions which will ensure that all regions of the Province share in the benefits. The fishery provides an illustration of the danger associated with federal control over provincial development and where the absence of an adequate provincial management role allows important resource decisions to be taken in isolation from provincial priorities.

My government views with deep concern the statements from the Government of Canada, urging that Newfoundland must accept an agreement based upon the settle­ ment recently reached with Nova Scotia. It has been suggested that unless Newfoundland signs such an agreement our people 1 ?

March 11, 1982 Tape No. 2 EL - 4 HON. W.A. PADDON (Lieutenant-Governor) : will be forced to accept an inferior settlement, which would fall far short of meeting the essential requirements of this Province. Such statements, coupled with the attitude which led to the federal intervention in the labour relations case involving the Seafarer's International Union, reflects loss of faith in co-operative federa]i sm. My qovcrn­ ment shares no such despair for the future of federalism.

My government is convinced that relations between the two orders of Government in Canada must be characterized by concensus, mutual assistance and respect for constitutional equality. While a negotiated settlement was preferred, the failure of the Government of Canada to set aside its claim to exclusive ownership made it necessary to place a reference before the Newfoundland Supreme Court. My government regrets that this was necessary. My government is extremely con­ cerned with the recent proposal that the Government of Canada might place the ownership question before the Supreme Court of Canada.

Such action might pre-empt the Newfoundland Court of the opportunity of giving a judgement on this matter and would be unacceptable to my government. My government firmly believes that our people have the right to a decision by the highest court in the Province on a matter vital to Newfoundland and Labrador. Mr. Speaker and members of the hon. House of Assembly: My government continues to believe that a negotiated settlement which will benefit all Canadians can be concluded, and has proposed to the Government of Canada the basis for an agreement.

The negotiation of such an agree- ment requires that both parties bargain in good faith to sec k an agreement based upon a partnership arrangement. Such a partnership arrangement would provide for joint management, without dominati on by either side- 1 ':l

March 11, 1982 Tape No. 2 EL - 5 ~9~~-W.A._~~QQON(Lieutenant-Gov~rnor): The great strides which have been made in assuming control of our resources will be of lasting benefit to Newfoundlanders. The firm action taken through legislation, negotiation and through the Courts has already created tangible benefits, which will increase over time. The recent victory in the Upper Churchill Reversion Act augurs well for the future. The prospect of regaining control over our hydro-electric resources holds great promise for a more prosperous Newfoundland.

The prospect of offshore dev­ elopment either through a negotiated joint management agree­ ment or through Provincial control from a court decision also promises a release from the poverty of the past. These resource management decisions are directed toward providing a higher quality of life within this Province. In this respect, resource management is the servant of social policy. Government can only provide an adequate level of services if it has sufficient financial resonrccs. The ultjmilte aim is human development.

My govern­ ment is determined to persist in its efforts to secure a better future for Newfoundlanders by sound management of our resources. At stake is the standard of living of our people and the quality of our public services. Mr. Speaker and members of the hon. House of Assembly: Without the revenues to provide Can~dian levels of services in health, in education, in social services and in justice, this Province will never attain the standards of social equity and human development already enjoyed by other Canadians.

We seek to manage our resources as a means toward human betterment and not from an instinct of greed or materialism. 1 h

March 11, 1982 Tape No. 2 EL - 6 HON. W.A. PADDON(Lieutenant-Governor): For the people of Newfoundland and Labrador our offshore resources offer ~n opportunity to generate wealth and to promote economic strength and social justice. This offshore heritage, along with the other abundant resources of our Province, offers an opportunity to respond to the urgent needs that must be met. It is difficult to con­ vey the magnitude of these needs without describing the plight of individuals in difficult situations caused by economic privation.

The personal stress brought on by economic hard­ ship is difficult to describe in words or through statistics. However, some indication of the economic shortfall that must be bridged by resource management and control is given by the fact that per capita earned incomes remain at roughly half the national average, the same lcv0l recorded at the time of Confederation in 1949. Also, thirty-three years after Confederation the Province's unemployment rate is twice the national average.

My government's action will recapture our natural resource heritage so that this economic disparity, which rends the unity of the national fabric can be removed. Indeed, this Province's natural heritage will bring great wealth to Canada as well as to Newfoundland, Qnd we rejoice in thic; knowledge. The measure of our sharing will reflect the greatness of our heritage. The well being of Canada as a nation is the sum of the states of well being of its constituent parts, the Provinces of Canada. The greatness of Canada de­ pends upon the health and prosperity of each province.

My government is committed to an economically strong Newfoundland where compassion and social justice flourish in a Province which enriches a socially just and economically strong Canada. 1 t;

l'iarch 11, 1982 Tape No. 2 EL - 7 liON. W .A. PADDON (Lieutenant-Governor): Mr. Speaker and members of the hon. House of Assembly: The Public Accounts for the period ending March 31, 1981 will be placed before you, for your usual thorough review. You will be asked to grant supply to Her Majesty. I invoke God's blessing upon you as you commence your labours in this Fourth Session of the Thirty-Eighth General Assembly. May Divine Providence guide you in your deliberations. 1 R

March 11, 1982 Tape No. 3 NM - 1 MR. SPEAKER (Simms) : Order, please: The hon. Minister of Justice. MR. OTTENHEIMER: Mr. Speaker, I give notice that I will on tomorrow ask leave to introduce a bill entitled, "An Act To Amend The Conflict Of Interest Act, 1973." Motion, the hon. Minister of Justice to introduce a bill, "An Act To Amend The Conflict of Interest Act, 1973," carried. On motion, a bill, "An Act To Amend The Conflict Of Interest Act, 1973" , read a first time, ordered read a second time on tomorrow. MR.

SPEAKER: His Honour the Lieutenant- Governor has been pleased to make a speech to the members met in General Assembly and for greater accuracy I have obtained a copy and they will be distributed to hon. members now at this point in : time. SOME HON. MEMBERS : DR. TWOMEY: The hon. member for Exploits. Hear, hear: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. It is my pleasure and duty to move a committee of this hon. House be appointed to draft an Address in Reply to the Speech from the Throne.

Before doing so,please permit me to have a short period of time to express a few personal thoughts and observations that are accorded by tradition to the mover of this motion. Mr. Speaker, regretfully at this time, I wish on your behalf as well as on my own our sincerest sympathies to all the families who had relatives on the Ocean Ranger. This terrible tragedy was international in character and by its uniqueness affected not alone the Province and the nation but the whole world.

We mourn the loss of all who died and in so doing share with all their families a small part of the tragedy which we all hope will never happen again. I am sure that it is the wish of all of us here that the commission of inquiry will establish the causes of this awesome disaster, and by so doino correct it. 1 7

March ll, 1982 Tape No.3 NM -2 DR. TIWMEY: I am pleased to have the opportunity·, Mr. Speaker, of congratulating Bis Honour the Lieutenant­ Governor on delivering his first Speech from the Throne. During his tenure of office I wish him. all success. I am sure that he will bring to his new position the same dedication that he has shown during his long and distinguished medical career. Mr. Speaker, I ~otish to bring greetings to all the members of this hon. House from the District of Exploits. 1R

March 11, 1982 Tape 4 EC - 1 DR. TWOMEY: By provincial standards we are newcomers to the roster of historical districts that have for many years been a part of the provincial political scene. However, during these few years we have accomplished much in the areas of municipal affairs, transportation, fisheries, and I hope in the near future, offshore oil development. Despite these accomplishments and others, such as paved road through all the communities, water and sewer to many, we have also upgraded the onshore fish landing facilities, improved and extended recreational complexes and built low-rental homes.

Despite these addenda to the district, much still remains to be done, especially in road upgrading and paving and other municipal services. I feel that I should mention paving of the Cottrell's Cove­ Fortune Harbour road and the Leading Tickles road as priorities during this corning year. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to acknowledge that a

section of the Trans-Canada Highway in my district was included in the Premier's recent announce­ ment on transportation. SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear! DR. TWOMEY: Mr. Speaker, as we all know, the fishery of last year was almost a total failure. I understand that there is an old saying 'plenty of snow, plenty of fish'. We have certainly adequately fulfilled the first requisite, but rather than rely solely on providence, I am sure that this government will bring forth measures to support this vital industry. Mr.

Speaker, all of us are conscious of the current recession in our Province, in our nation, and,indeed, in the whole world. So many of our resources are dependent on foreign markets that we find ourselves in an unfortunate position. The North American consumption of fish has decl{ned for various reasons, but in particular 1 Q

March 11, 1982 Tape 4 EC - 2 DR. TWOMEY: due to the increased cost of entertainment and gasoline to get to the restaurants. Our iron ore mines are experiencing down time because of the slump in the auto industry, and thus a decline in demand for steel. Also, large buildings and construction projects have been held in abeyance due to the high cost of borrowed money. The demand for our paper is soft for many and varied reasons. Our seal fishery could be in jeopardy if the European Parliament enact legislation forbidding the sale of seal pelts in Europe.

Last, but by no means least in this litany of misery, the federal government have allocated a cod landing quota to the Europeans from our Newfoundland fishing zones. They have also,by various means and for reasons known only to themselves, withheld monies from federal programmes that could ameliorate a part of our economic plight in this Province. Even the safety and lives of our seamen are 'have not' priorities. The Air Sea Rescue services are not located in our Province, hence they cannot respond with the alacrity that circumstances demand. Mr.

Speaker, the government should be commended for their perseverance and initiative in preparing a r.ase for submission to our Supreme Court in Newfoundland - need I name it? - the Churchill Falls Water Reversion Act. Our Court has confirmed that the Province owns and controls these waters. If the Supreme Court of Canada agrees with this judicial opinion, 2n

March 11, 1982 Tape No. 5 MJ - 1 DR. H. TWOMEY: we at last can o:-eclaim some o[ the power which is ours. Likewise, by considered and learned negotiation our government has changed the power contract signed many years ago with the ERCO plant at Long Harbour. As a result we have increased the revenue to our treasury by many millions of dollars. The government have also signed a new and favorable power contract with Abitibi-Price and have negotiated a similar contract with Bowaters. Yes, we are recovering a part of our resources.

These are among the first steps in righting some of the wrongs that we have suffered in our history. SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear! DR. TWOMEY: Mr. Speaker, the Province of Newfoundland owes a debt of gratitude to Premier Peckford. I have already enumerated some of his positive achievements for our Province. His insistence that certain parts of the previously proposed constitution be amended was successful, and now our Terms of Union have been enshrined for posterity.

The Premier has been critized by some and vilified by a few because he has argued strongly and vociferously for our rights as a province within a confederation. He is not alone among the provincial premiers to stand in opposition to the Prime Minister of Canada. Do these few who counsel subservience expect that Newfoundland can take its rightful place anong the provinces of Canada by total submission to the federal government ? This, . to me, means to barter our resources and hence our future prosperity for meager, short-term gain s. Newfoundland is not merely a province , it is a 1 have~not 1 province.

Our people are not merely Canadian , but 1 have-not 1 Canadian. We have the highest 2 1

M<J.rch ll, 1982 Tape No. 5 MJ - 2 DR. H. TWOMEY: unemployment rate and the lowest income rate in Canada. It is to overcome these disparities that our Premier continues to debate in a positive manner for the future of our Province and its people. SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear! DR. TWOMEY: Mr.

Speaker, when I first sat in this Honourable House six years ago, I received a treasured telegram from my,son Sean, I shall read it to you as I consider his words, his principles and his philosophy meaningful not only to me but to all honourable members. 'To my father: Today you undertake a noble and a sacred obligation to the people of Newfoundland. You have been entrusted with a duty to defend the freedoms and heritage of our country. Guard them carefully, for in 1783 William Pitt said, "Necessity is the plea for every infringement of human freedom. It is the argument of tryants: It is the creed of slaves".

Remember these words, and though you may at times stand apart, you will never stand alone; thus with immense pride, I watch you take your place in the House of Assembly. I trust in your honesty, integrity and common sense to direct you, in your concern and compassion to lead you, and in your faith in God to guide you. I know you shall not disappoint me.' SOME UON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear! DR. TWOMEY: Mr. Speaker, I move that a Committee of this House be appointed to draft an Address in Reply to the most gracious Speech from the Throne. 2')

March 11, 1982 SOME HON. MEMBERS: MR. SPEAKER (Simms): SOME HON. MEMBERS: MR. BARRETT: MR. BARRETT: Tape No. 6 SD - 1 Hear, hear. The hon. member for St. John's West. Hear, hear. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, first of all, I would like to join with my colleague and commend His Honour for delivering the gracious Speech from the Throne. This occasion marks His Honour's first address 1 having been appointed just a few months ago as Her Majesty's representative in our Provi~ce. I would like to say that few Newfoundlanders could more appropriately be singled out to hold such a high and distinguished office.

His Honour is well known for his many years of service and dedication as a medical practitioner in this Province, particularly in the remote coastal Labrador area. It takes a very special kind of person to make sacrifices and to unselfishly devote one's career to the health and well-being of individuals in an area as isolated and lacking of essential services as the Labrador Coast was during most of His Honour's time in that region. SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear. MR. BARRETT: So, Mr.

Speaker, I believe that His Honour, given his long and distinguished record of service and his exemplary dedication, will be a most auspicious and capable holder of the office of Lieutenant Governor. It is an honour and a privilege for me to second the statement and expression of appreciation proposed so eloquently by my colleague, the member for Exploits (Dr. Twomey). Following the custom and tradition of this occasion , I would like to briefly comment on the 2l

March 11, 1982 Tape No. 6 SD - 2 MR. BARRETT: gracious Speech from the Throne, as well as briefly addressing some of the aspirations yet to be fulfilled in the historic district of St. John's Wes~ a district that I have been proud to represent. Perhaps one of the most significant accomplishments achieved in St.John's West has been the conclusion of the crosstown arterial road and overpass, constructed at a cost in excess of $10 million. This is a major component in the overall transportation system in the City of St.

John's and it has significantly improved the traffic flow, particularly throughout the city's West End. I, like all residents in the Province, welcomed the recent agreement with respect to the St. John's syncrolift. While I do not wish to become too partisan on this very special day, I must express my very deep disappointment with the federal government's decision to withdraw from this project, shirking both its responsibility and commitment to this vital harbour development. However, through this provincial government's prompt action and initiative, the St.

John's syncrolift will now become a reality - SOME liON. MEMBERS: Ilcar, hear. MR. BARRETT: - in so doing ·creating many badly needed jobs and providing an economic boost for the city. It is obvious that the future progress, growth and vitality of the city is closely related to the scale of harbour development and expansion. This will become even more apparent as we continue to explore and develop our offshore oil and gas resources. The syncrolift facility will assure the importance of St.

John's as a major North Atlantic port where vessels can he repaired and maintained using the most modern methods and the most advanced marine facility available. 21:

March 11 , 1982 Tape No . 6 sn - 3 MR . BARRETT : Since my election in St. John's West, I have been working towards the provision of a fire -tug to provide an efficient fire fightin g capability in the port of St . John 's. I shall continue to pursue the Nat ional Harbours Board to exercise it s responsibility in this area before a ser ious tragedy occurs within the confines of the harbour, potentially affecting 2'i

March 11,1982 Tape No. 7 ah-l MR. BARRETT: businesses and residents in the surrounding areas.Perhaps some ~rogress can be made in this important area during the coming year. Mr. Speaker, I am very pleased and encouraged with the number of immediate measures of considerable economic benefit that have been initiated by this government,particularly the recently announced early tendering programme which is providing $15.5 million worth of housing projects as well as $29 million worth of transportation projects. SOME HON.MEMBERS: Hear, hear! MR.

BARRETT: This decision by our government now permits the business community to gear up for these projects so that starts can be made just as soon as weather permits,thereby providing the maximum employment benefits for our people and the economic spinoffs that occur to the benefit of the entire Province from such projects. The social impact of the agreement for the construction of additional low rental housing units is also significant and will be of particular interest and benefit to the residents of my district of St. John's West as well as to other areas. Mr.

Speaker, I cannot help but be deeply moved by His Honour's gracious Speech from the Throne today. I believe that his speech strikingly conveys the essential fact that while few Newfoundlanders h~ve every reason to be confldent of the future,we have little reason to take our future for granted. As His Honour stated 1 the benefits of our natural resources have for too long enriched areas removed from our shores while our people contend with a standard of living and a level of opportunity far below that enjoyed by other Canadians. 2R

March 11,1982 Tape No. 7 ah-2 MR, BARRETT: Few will argue that that concern has been the present government's chief occupution. This is manifested by the emphasis which the government places on its approach to resource management, an approach which is based on the indisputable premise that the people of this Province must be the first beneficiaries of our own natural resources. SOME HON.MEMBERS: Hear, hear! MR. BARRETT: One might ask is that not after all the fundamental responsibility and role of any government?

If the government does not safeguard the development of the province's resources, with what else could they possibly concern themselves? Inherent in this concept of prudent resource management is, of course, the existence of an enlightened social policy. At no time can social and cultural development polices be isolated from those of resource management. The two go hand in hand. Indeed, if ever we are to achieve a level of social well being consistent with national standards, then our approach to resource management and development must reflect our desire to achieve specifically that goal. Mr.

Speaker, the history of this Province has shown that our governments have not always placed careful resource management in the forefront of their obligations to our people. Indeed, Newfoundland's history is marked with repeated instances where the interests of certain individuals and companies have taken precedence over those of the real owners of our resources, the people of Newfoundland and Labrador. How·ever, Mr. Speaker, under this present administration that kind of philosophy has seen an abrupt but appropriate end. Today we are fortunate to have a government which recognizes the 27

March 11,1982 Tape No. 7 ah-3 MR. BAR-~TT: public's rights to have government manage its resources wisely and with a social conscience . Indeed, we have seen a keen balance struck between the goals of resource development and the need to realize advancement in cultural and social fields . But, Mr. Speaker, most of us recognize that it is dreadfully hard to raise the level of public services, to improve roads and water and sewerage facilities, to build better schools and better hospitals , unless we have the 2A

March 11, 1982 Tape No. 8 EL - 1 MR. BARRETT: necessary level of resource gen- erated revenues with which to finance that kind of social progress. That is why I know it was with a deep sense of satisfaction and accomplishment that this government succ­ essfully renegotiated several historically inequitable power agreements with companies in this Province. The first one, Mr. Speaker, was the infamous ERCO agreement which the government re­ negotiated at a saving to the Newfoundland taxpayers of $146 million. SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear! MR.

BARRETT: Next came the renegotiation of the Abitibi-Price and Bowaters agreements through which the government saved another $120 million. SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear! MR. BARRETT: Collectively, Mr. Speaker, the renegotiation of these three agreements represents a saving to the Newfoundland taxpayer of some $266 million. SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear! MR. BARRETT: That, Mr. Speaker, is quite an accomplishment,but it does not represent the only 1 nor the greatest of this government's achievments. Today, Mr.

Speaker, His Honour acknowledged with profound satisfaction the recent decision by the Appeals Division of the Newfoundland Supreme Court that the Water Rights Reversion Act is both legal and valid, a decision which otherwise indicated that Newfoundland has the right to take back the water rights which made possible the infamous Upper Churchill contract after more than a decade of giveaway of Newfoundland's resources. SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear! MR. BARRETT: Mr. Speaker, with the possible exception of the achievment of responsible government in ?Q

March ll, 1982 Tape No. 8 EL - 2 MR. BARRETT: 1832 and of Confederation in 1949, has an event given such a cause for optimism among the people of this Province. Indeed no event in our recent past sign- ifies,as does this court decision,that this Province is well on the road to rectifying the mistakes of the past and on to building a brighter and more prosperous future. SOME HON. ME .MBERS: Hear, hear! MR. BARRETT: Certainly, Mr. Speaker, SOME HON. MEMBERS: Oh, oh! MR. SPEAKER (Simms) : Order, please! MR. BARRETT: - it is difficult for me to - MR. HANCOCK: Look around the Province some time . MR.

SPEAKER: . --- ---- Order, please! MR. BARRETT : You want to hear more, eh? MR. HANCOCK : You have not been around the Province much. MR. BARRETT: Certainly it is difficult for me to express today the outpouring of emotion which so many of my con- stituents expressed over this recent development. Sm'l.E HON. MEMBERS : Oh, oh! MR. BARRETT: As I have stated, we all know that the Churchill Falls contract represented one of the most in- equitable agreements ever to be perpetrated on a people. Newfoundlanders could not be made to ' suffer this aggravation for another half century.

Thus when the Supreme Court made its historic decision known, our people were truly relieved and do not hesitate to express their pleasure and satisfaction as a result. Mr. Speaker, it took a very courageous government to bring forward this bold and imag- inative piece of legislation. For this the government de- serves a great deal of credit and I am confident this will 3n

.J. March 11, 1982 MR. BARRETT: the people of this Province. SOME HON. MEMBEltS: MR. BARRETT: Tape No . 8 EL - 3 be manifested in due time by Hear, hear! Mr . Speaker, the Supreme Court decision is a total vindication of this government's efforts to obtain fairness and equity in the area of resource management.

For all this government 's efforts to correct the mistakes of the past and to achieve for Newfoundlanders a level of prosperity which other Canadians enjoy, there are those who in spite of our legitimate aspirations are attempting to force a second Upper Churchill upon us, only this time in place or hydro power the gas and hydrocarbon resources of our continental shelf are at stake . This must never be allowed to happen . SOME HON . MEMBERS : Hear, hear! MR . BARRE'l'T: Every member in this hon. House should be aware of the dual nature of offshore oil and gas.

On the one hand oil and gas developments inherently possess many potential dangers to the social and cultural fabric of our society and it is necessary that firm control be maintained if these dangers are to be reduced to a ~nimum . On the other hand offshore oil and gas also represents 31

March 11, 1982 Tape No. 9 NM- 1 MR. BARRETT: a significant opportunity for this Province to obtain the necessary revenues to expand its social programmes, to increase our level of public services, and raise our standard of living closer to the Canadian average. Equally important, if our offshore resources are managed properly, they represent substantial industrial development opportunities and jobs for many of our unemployed Newfoundlanders. Mr.

Speaker, this Province cannot afford to throw this opportunity away, ~e cannot afford to place our own aspirations second to outside interests , we cannot afford another Upper Churchill. SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear! MR. BARRETT: Mr. Speaker, I am very pleased that the Throne Speech has shown this government's re-dedication to the responsible and planned development of our resources. Toward this end, I would like to reiterate my full support for the continuing efforts of our Premier to secure a fair and reasonable settlement of our offshore oil and gas resources ?OME BON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear! MR.

BARRETT: - as well as those of our vast hydro resources in Labrador. We will maintain our well-charted course despite the open threats of the Federal Energy Minister that Newfoundland could be left out in the cold if we do not move quickly and sign an agreement like the one Nova Scotia has just conculuded with the federal government. Well, Mr. Speaker, we have all seen the results of past hastiness, of selling out our rich resources for little short-term gain. Our long history painfully chronicles the failure to seize upon our opportunities to pull ourselves up by our own bootstraps.

However, our government is determined that this history of failed opportunity is just that - history. We have 3?

March 11, 1982 Tape No. 9 NM - 2 MR. BARRETT : finally turned the corner and have embarked on a new course, confident in ourselves and determined that this time we shall do it right. In the past we may have jumped on the bandwagon and signed a so-called "deal" like Nova Scotia. Such action, Mr. Speaker, would leave our children and their children in wonderment and frustration that another opportunity has not been realized, indeed, that our last option, our greatest opportunity, has again been squandered. The oil and gas finds to date off Newfoundland are much more considerable than those off Nova Scotia.

Also, Newfoundland has a stronger and a much different case, both legally, historically and constitutionally in its claim for ownership and control over the offshore resources. Indeed, if Nova Scotia was as fully confident that it had signed the best possible deal with the federal government, why was a clause injected in that deal stating that if Newfoundland received a better settlement, then that better settlement would also apply to Nova Scotia? SOME HON. MEMBERS : Hear, hear~ MR. BARRETT: It is quite obvious that Nova Scotia has left it up to Newfoundland to do the · hard bargaining on their behalf. MR.

FLIGHT: They have a smarter Premier in Nova Scotia than we have in Newfoundland. MR. BARRETT: signed the deal. Yes. I know. That is why he So be it, Mr. Speaker, this government and the people of Newfoundland and Labrador deserve and will accept nothing less than a fair and reasonable settlement in the best long-term interests of this Province. We need jobs, we need substantial improvements in our level of public services in the area of roads, water and sewer facilities, recreation and many other 31

March 11, 1982 Tape No. 9 NM - 3 MR . BARRETT: areas . We greet with great enthusiasm, an opportunity to develop a new and vital resource to Newfound­ land and to Canada alongside our present involvement in the fishery, the forestry, and the development of our other natural resources . 30~1E HON . MEMBERS : MR. SPEAKER (Simms) : MR. BARRETT : Oh, oh! Order, please ~ Order, please~ The parrot; are at it again. However, the residents of my district are not so reckless as to want this activity at any price .

We are not prepared to see our long term ~nterests go down the drain to ac hieve a Ee111 short term benefits . This is why I call upon our government today , and indeed upon all members in this hon. Hou se, to stand fast and to search for the 3'·

.. March 11, 1982 Tape 10 EC - 1 MR. BARRETT: courage and the vigour necessary to oppose those who do not have Newfoundland's best interests at heart. All of us, and this government in particular, must make absolutely certain that the historic opportunity which our offshore resources represent is not lost. In other words, we cannot permit our offshore resources to fall prey to the kind of management approach that we saw so often in the past. SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear! MR. BARRETT: This is a time, Mr. Speaker, for all Newfoundlanders to stand up and be counted.

This is a time when everyone must get behind the government in order to ensure that the resource management policies that are so well reflected in the renegotiation of the ERCO agreement, the Bowaters agreement, the Abitibi-Price agreement, and most recently the decision with respect to the Upper Churchill contract, are reflected in every aspect in how we approach the development of our offshore resources. SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear! MR. BARRETT: This is a great challenge, Mr. Speaker, and I am confident for my part, that as I support the government in this endeavour, the people of the district of St.

John's West are behind me with their support also. SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear! MR. BARRETT: With these remarks, Mr. Speaker, I have much pleasure in seconding the motion that a committee be appointed to draft a reply to this most gracious Speech from the Throne. SOME HON. MEMBERS: Thank you. Hear, hear! 3S

March 11, 1982 Tape 10 EC - 2 MR. SPEAKER (Simms) : The hon. the Leader of the Opposition. MR. STIRLING: Mr. Speaker, to get through the formalities of this great occasion, even though the Lieutenant-Governor and the judges have retired from the Chamber, since t~is is a new Session and the Lieutenant- Governor has read his first Throne Speech, let rre acknowledge our pleasure and say that we agree with the mover in bringing out the qualities of our new Lieutenant-Governor.

One thing he did not mention is that he is the first native born Labradorian to become the Lieutenant-Governor of our Province, and we are very proud of him. SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear! MR. STIRLING: We also congratulate a former member of this House and a former Justice Minister on his elevation to the Appeals Court. And permit me to congratulate the new judges on their appointments - I refer to Mr. Justice Lang and Mr. Justice Riche. I will come back later to comment on a very dangerous practice being encouraged, intentionally or otherwise, by this government. Mr.

Speaker, someone once said, 'Just because a task has not been done does not mean it is impossible to do. It usually means it is simply beyond the capability of that particular group to do it.' SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear! MR. STIRLING : And, Mr. Speaker, the Throne Speech today proves that running this country is beyond the capabilities of that particular group to do it. SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear! MR. HODDER: Truer words were never spoken. MR. STIRLING: Mr. Speaker, the Throne Speech was very well read, and it is the fourth such address that .~ ~

March 11 , 1982 MR . STIRLING : AN HON . MmffiER : MR . ROBERTS : and find out. MR . STIRLING: Tape 10 EC - 3 I have heard in this Hou se . It will be vour l~st one . Well , let us have the election And, Mr . Speaker, I have read others , and I have ju st consult ed with some of my colleagues who have been here so long . Some of the Throne Speeches tha t have been made and read have been earnest and sincere documents , s ome have been long -... rinded and empty, some ha ve been pathetic , comical,and some have even been sad and trying . But, Mr .

Speak er , today 's Throne Speech is the very first to have been read in this Legislative Chamber \o/hich could be considered criminally negligent . There is absolutely nothin g in this Throne Speech , Mr . Speaker. SOME HON . ME!>1BERS: Hear , hear ! 37

March ll, 1982 MR. STIRLING : of war, Mr. Speaker. lMR.CALLAN: MR. STIRLING: Tape No. ll SD - l What is it? It is a declaration A conqlomeration of questions. It is to say that this government ·has run out of ideas, it now desperately wants an election with the federal government as the main issue,because it has presented nothing here today. MR. NEARY: Or on the backs of the Quebecers . MR. STIRLING: Mr. Speaker, if that is true then I can fully understand the true nature of this document, its neqligent and boisterous absence of credibility or any tangible substance. God help us, Mr.

Soeaker, if this statement, this nationalistic chest-thumping, this anti­ confederate speech making, this excuse for the breakneck speed with which this government is plunging Newfoundland and Labrador into economic and social chaos. God help us, Mr. Speaker. This may not be the real Throne Speech, maybe it is just the introduction to the Throne Speech and maybe we are going to get a more honest and yet to be announced Throne Speech. Mr. Speaker, I know,and members of this side of the House know 1that this government is well-meaning and they create the impression of wanting to do something. But, Mr.

Speaker, when you look at its record, the record is a record of failure and incompetence and nothingness. Mr. Speaker, let me quote another great authority. We saw in the Throne Speech today a Throne Speech that dealt only with the offshore. The first Throne Speech h~d to do with the fishery being the Harbour Grace - ~he Harbour Grace development was going to be the key to our future. SOME HON. MEMBERS: The superport. 3R

... March 11, 1982 Tape No. 11 so - 2 MR. STIRLING: The superport, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Spe~~er, this speech is saying our only hope is the offshore. Mr. Speaker, only a year ago here is what this government said,and I presume it was accurate: 'My government has published studies which demonstrate that even with this Province's ownership rights being confirmed,and then only if oil prices in Canada are at world levelsf the revenues from the Hibernia field would meet or exceed equalization payments for only three of its estimated twenty year life'. That is what they said . last year. This year it is the only hope, Mr.

Speaker. Mr. Speaker, just listen to this - MR •. NEARY: World prices are dropping. MR. STIRLING: - as what happened last year. 'It is fair to say therefore'- this was February 25th, 1981, presumably written by the sa ·,;e person who wrote this Throne Speech-' It is fair to say therefore that oil and gas develo _)ments will not provide any relief for our pressing financial situation in this decade'.

Maybe I had better repeat it; some of the members on the other side sound as if it is the first time they heard it, certainly in stark contrast with this Throne Speech this year. 'It is fair to say therefore that oil and gas developments will not provide any relief for our pressing financial situation in this decade'. And, Mr. Speaker,' Our efforts therefore must be directed,especially during this decade 1towards providing as many jobs and as much business activity to our oeople as is oossi ble .' MR. TULK: Who said that? MR.HANCOCK: This same government said that . 3Q

March 11,1982 MR. STIRLING: MR. NEARY: administration now? MR. STIRLING: MR. NEARY: administration? MR. STIRLING: Tape No. 12 ah-1 This was the Throne Speech. That is not the Moores' No. That is February 25,1981. It is not the Smallwood No. It sounds like it might have been another administration. It is the same government, the same Premier. The only thing that has changed is that the Lieutenant-Governor is a different Lieutenant-Governor this year. But, Mr. Speaker, that is what we have trying to tell this government for a year, because we took them at face value, the need to create jobs. Mr.

Speaker, whoever wrote that Throne Speech may have been the same person who got the message this morning that we let out tn ~he members on the other side,that the Premier had in fact broken the law of this Province, that under the law he was required to call the Trinity-Bay de Verde by-election within six months. That was July 28th and in six months,January, he had to call it. So we let it out to the other side, Mr. Speaker ,md in a hand-delivered note be for :' one o'clock, the by-election is called in Trinity-Bay de Verde. And Mr. Speaker - SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear! MR.

STIRLING: -I am prepared to welcome to this House, sitting in the gallery today, a man who has been working for the people in Trinity-Bay de Verde and who will be sitting on this side representing Trinity-Bay de Verde after April 2nd. And I will welcome him, Mr. Speaker. SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear! /, n

March 11,1982 MR. PATTERSON: SOME HON.MEMBERS: MR. NEARY: MR. STIRLING: MR. STAGG: MR. STIRLING: Tape No. 12 ah-2 Sit down,boy! You are down the drain. Oh, oh! The truth hurts. The truth hurts. There will be another night of the long knives. Mr. Speaker, I really looked for something in that Throne Speech and I will take it home with me to Portugal Cove tonight. MR. LUSH: MR. STIRLING: To try and find something.

And I will study it and qo over it with a finetooth comb,as they used to say in the old days, and I will try to locate where it clearly and specifically outlines this government's programme to secure the ailing Newfoundland fishery. Mr. Speaker, I do not believe it was mentioned, not a mention.

I shall look into it and try and find the government's plan for augmenting and securing and solidifying the markets and the boats and the gear and the other infrastructure, the critical path of action all designed to put the Newfoundland and Labrador fishery into its proper place in our lives as a sound economic brace , a hUgh 1 secure 1viable employer. I will look and see if I can find it, Mr. Speaker.

And then when I find that plan of action, that course dealing with our fishery, dealing with the creation of jobs, then , of course, I will come back here on Monday and Tuesday and I will applaud the government for their great action. And I will not stop there, Mr. Speaker, in my search to find something to commend this government on. I like to heap praise on the shoulders of the deserving. So I am going to look for something in the Speech talking about a problem in the economy,highlighted by an almost invisible passing from the economy. The other day an 41

March 11,1982 Tape No. 12 ah-3 MR. STIRLING: event occured in St. John 's th nt· went by almost unnoticed and ccrtuinly went by unsun g. There was a brie= mention in one of the news reports of the century old firm, United Nail and Foundry ,being placed into receivership . Another old firm gone . Imagine a long-established,proud old Newfoundland firm dies without any hope for it and almost one hunnred employees. And the seconder of the Address in Reply knows full well about another company that went into bankruptcy recently because of the inaction of the government . Mr .

Speaker, the sad part of it is this is by far not the first,and ~1ithout question not the last of the Ne\ ·Tfoundland and Labrador businesses that are dyinq under the watchful eye of the current qovernmcnl MR. PATTERSON : Tell Mac Eachen about that \.,ri th his twenty per cent inte res t rate . 4?

March 11, 198 2 MR . FLIGHT : MR . LUSH: again. MR . CALLAN: Assembly or in Ottawa? MR . STIRLING : Tape No . 13 EL - l There you are . Attacking the Liberal government Are you in the Provincial Mr . Speaker, there were 167 personal bankruptcies and si xteen businesses went under in 1979 . SOME HON . MEMBERS : Oh, oh! MR . STIRLING : In 1980, there were 186 private bankrupcies and thirty-seven businesses went under. Mr . Spea ker, this year 256 privat e and forty -one corporate bus ­ inesses . Mr.

Speaker, that list does not include, and the Throne Speech did not include, the mining operation in Baie Verte, the Harbour Bret on fish plant or the other plants that have cl ose d, and it do es no t include the massive down­ time being experienced in th e mining industry in Labrador, or the down -time in the paper industry, including down-time in the mill at Stephenville . MR. LUSH : It is all the federal gov ernment. MR . STIRLING : Nor did it include United Nail and Foundry . MR . NEARY: Is there any way they can blame all this on Mr . Smallwood? MR . STIRLING : Mr .

Speaker, neither docs this list include the hundreds more businesses and private in ­ dividuals \..rho go into voluntary receivership to avoid the accompanying embarrassment and the destructive collapse of their lifeline . 4q

March 11, 1982 Tape No. 13 EL - 2 MR. STIRLING: Mr. Speaker, nobody knows -the experts do not know; we do not know-just how many people have been hurt in this Province in the last little while. MR. CALLAN: into receivership? MR. NEARY: MR. STIRLING: Mr. ~e~er- When does Mount Scio House go Tory times are hard times. - I was looking, as I sat and listened to the new Lieutenant-Governor, I was looking in what he said to find that there might be a sign of some economic initiative in this government. I hope, Mr. Spe~er, that I may be missing something, that there is some shining, brilliant economic thrust. MR.

CALLAN: When does Mount Scio house go into receivership? MR. HANCOCK: Prepare for the after hour phone call. MR. S'l'IRLING: Mr. Speaker, you remember it was not too long ago that the hon. Premier had made a remark when we asked him a year ago about businesses closing down and the financial difficulty,and he said, oh, we Liberals over there, the Liberals seem to feel the government should come to the aid of every private sector company. Well, they were not going to do that and they were not going to overheat the economy. SOME RON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear. MR.

STIRLING: I would rather, he said, an industry go under than anything for the Province to be suff­ ering on losing anything. They did not give anything away, Mr. Speaker. As a matter of fact, his comment then was that some of the failin0 businesses have only been nuisances around our necks so we could not proceed with the development of the Province. 44

March 11 , 1982 Tape No . 13 EL- 3 MR . NEARY : Horwood Lumber, United Nail an d Foundry, fish plants . MR . STIRLING : Mr . Speaker, that is what the Premier said about our failing businesses . And since then he has certainly stuck to his guns . That was in November last year and since then there have been lots more business- es in bankruptcy , so I guess there are fe~-1er of these nuisance businesses around his neck to irritate him now.

And today ' s Throne Speech is a certain indication that his government intends to continue to stick to their guns on that particular track and say, 'Let her go for the gullies, boy . Let a few more go , let a fe\'1 more go . ' Mr . Speaker, there is no question this go vernment does have a policy of majntaining through thick and thin that businesses can go down the drain, and it is neglecting the economic programmes needed to regenerate the economy . Mr . Speaker , last year I stood in the Ad dres s in Reply and said that 1981 would Itt;

March 11, 1982 Tape No. 14 MJ - 1 MR. L. STIRLING: at a year of confrontation. We are seeing the results in every part of this Province, in everything that this government does. And we see, Mr. Speaker, for example, people downstairs today, young doctors, interns and residents we are all proud of, giving a high quality of health care in this Province, and why are they on strike, Mr. Speaker? Because this government will not allow them to have binding arbitration, will not qivc them the same rights as the police and the fireman have, and these people are on strike so that they will not have to go on strike again.

This is 3 caring government they talked about earlier. MR. HOLLETT: Not for money. MR. STIRLING: Mr. Speaker, last year - and I thought I was going to get the opportunity to do it again this year , but I did not ; we now have today the by-election called in Trinity - Bay de Verde - well last year as I was looking through the notes I was challenging the Premier to call the by-election in Bellevue. And, Mr. Speaker, as youarid all the members of the government and the official Opposition, the distinguished guests, the members of the Press can see by the presence of Wilson Callan - SOME HON. MEl.ffiERS: Hear, hear!

MR. STIRLING: the election - MR. WINDSOR: MR. STIRLING: on this side of the House. SOME HON. MEMBERS: MR. STIRLING: - the Premier finally did call He will not be there long. -and wehave got a fine representative Hear, hear! And, Mr. Speaker, that was the first time, Mr. Speaker, that we saw the peculiar ability of this government to claim their first great victory. Remember that great victory on election night? ThcLiberals had won in Bellevue but it was a ld~

March 11, 1982 Tape No. 14 MJ - 2 MR. L. STIRLING: great victory for the Tories. The Premier came on and claimed the great victory in that we had only won by 700 votes. SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear! MR. STIRLING: And we have heard some other great victories. That was the first kind of a twisted sense of what a great victory was, Mr. Speaker. MR. LUSH: MR. G. FLIGHT: illogic. MR. CALLAN: MR. ANDREWS : you got to look out for. MR. T. LUSH: MR. ROBERTS: they can see why we won. SOME HON. MEMBERS: MR. STIRLING: Goes on from victory to victory. That is what you call moral After his threatening letter too.

Just look behind you to see what From victory on to victor~'. Look in fromt of you, Hal, and Hear, hear! In today's Speech we sec the syndrome that beset this government since this current administration and the Tories took over some time ago. This Speech reflects the effect of a thinking of a style of confrontation. It is the replacement of sound government and sound planning by fed-bashing and gnashing of teeth. MR. BARRETT: MR. WARREN: MR. LUSH: though. MR. STIRLING: MR. CALLAN: cabin out there yet? You are still on your knees. Jack is on his knees too. That is alright. Our cup runneth over Mr.

Speaker, if we were back in 1949 - Is the road open to your summer 47

March 11, 1982 Tape No . 14 MJ - 3 t-1R . STIRLING : - it just might be possible that all the old anti -confederates, who must be smi ling today, looking down with this grcup of anti-confederates, with the leader of the anti -confederates over there - SOME HON . ~ffiERS: Oh, oh! MR. STIRLING : - they would be happy, Mr . Speaker . ~1aybc we would never hilvc the opportunities to hilve this Confederation Buildi ng, the university, the schools, because we would maybe not have become part of Confederation, if they had had their way, Mr . Speaker. Maybe they are hoping to get their revenge now, thirty years later, Mr . Speaker . SOME RON. MEMBERS : Oh, oh! 4A

March 11, 1982 Tape No. 15 NM - 1 MR. FLIGHT: They would have fought for a better deal and they would still be fighting. They would have fought for a better deal. MR. HOLLETT: of Union. MR. SPEAKER (Simms) MR. STIRLING: They would never sign the Terms Order, please~ Mr. Speaker, it must be a maze of staggering confusion and it may be one of the reasons why I do not think that the member for Baie Verte - White Bay (Mr. Rideout) is in his seat today. He must be very confused, Mr.

Speaker, And one of the reasons he is not here is that 1 you remember,he felt so strongly about the question of ownership, because he felt so strongly about it that he crossed the floor, Mr. Speaker. MR. LUSH: What a laugh. He will cross again now. MR. STIRLING: this government - MR. OTTENHEIMER: And since he made that decision His wife is in hospital,the Premier said. That is the reason he is not here. SOME RON. MEMBERS : MR. STIRLING: MR. SPEAKER: MR. STIRLING: Oh, oh! Mr. Speaker Order, please! Mr.

Speaker, since he made that decision this government has stated on numerous occasions, and I will quote from just one of last year's Throne Speeches, "The goal of my government can only be achieved through wise and englightened management of our resources and this means provincial ownership of offshore oil and gas." That was the position last year. What is the position this year, Mr. Speaker? The position this year is, "We do not want ownership. Set it aside permanently. We will give it up permanently." So I do not know whether the member for Baie Verte - White Bay (Mr.

Rideout) is now writing another letter of resignation, and he will have to find another place to sit. 4q

March 11, 1982 MR. HANCOCK: MR. CALLAN: MR. NEARY: Tape No. 15 NM - 2 He is not coming back here. We will let him come halfway back. He will be sitting in the public gallery often the next election. MR. LUSH: I am some glad I did not cross then. MR. FLIGHT: I am sure glad he did not talk me into crossing . MR. LUSH: I am some glad I was not talked into crossing the House. SOME BON. MEMBERS: Oh, oh! MR. LUSH: I was going to cross myself but I was afraid they would change their minds on it. SOME HON. MEMBERS: Oh, oh! MR. STIRLING: Mr.

Speaker, I am so pleased to provide entertainment for that humourless group on the other side. MR. ROBERTS: You know the only entertainment they have provided us with. MR. STIRLING: Well, Mr. Speaker, this is a very serious matter. It was their whole Throne Speech. It was the whole Throne Speech, Mr. Speaker, talking about offshore gas and oil. And there is somebody, Mr. Speaker, who is very happy today, very happy with the attitude taken by this government, and that is the Province of Nova Scotia.

That province and that provincial government knows that as long as this government confronts with Ottawa on an hourly basis. for l!lythica,l reasons, that l!IOre i.ndustrial in:!;:r;a,st:r;uctuxe goes to Nova Scotia. That provi.nce will get rich and fat and prosper and Newfoundland will get nothing. And they will laugh and chuckle with glee at us the Sallie as our gleeful COlllpanions on the other side were chuckling, while our economy bombs and the oil and gas off our shores helps no one except to encourage Nova Scotia and the people who are going to Nova Scotia. sn

March 11, 1982 Tape 16 EC - 1 MR. STIRLING: One of the things tnat this qovernment seems to be able to do is talk out of both sides of its mouth at the same time. On the one hand they want to crucify those former Liberals, and the former Tories in this House -and I believe that .included the person who is now the Minister of Justice (Mr. Ottenheimer) - who unanimously supported the Upper Churchill agreement, unanimously supported it in this House. They never mention the Minister of Justice and he unanimously supported the Upper Churchill. And everybody has fourd Mr.

Speaker, since that time, that the only mistake made in it was a sixty-five year agreement. SOME HON. MEMBERS: Oh, oh! MR. STIRLING: Sounds very funny, Mr. Speaker. MR. OTTENHEIMER: Tell us about the secret letter of intent. MR. STIRLING: Sounds very funny until you recognize that this government, in all its innocence, in all its well-meaning intention, asks the people of Newfoundland today and the people on this side of the House to agree on the offshore on permanently setting aside our ownership. Well, Mr. Speaker, I reject that.

I reject that permanent setting aside of anything, because every agreement must have a reopener clause in it, as we have found in the Upper Churchill, Mr. Speaker. So they cannot have it both ways. They cannot crucify people 1 including the present Minister of Justice who unanimously supported it, for taking a sixty-five year agreement.

They cannot on the one hand say, 'That was a sin that was created and we will never do that again', and then say that we will set aside our ownership forever, which is what this government is now asking the federal government to do, and they will not sit down until the federal government agrees to allow us to set aside our ownership forever. Mr. Speaker, it is very, very difficult. I do not know if you have seen the application that the Petroleum Directorate has sent out for exploration S1

March 11, 1982 Tape 16 EC - 2 MR . STIRLING : licences. 1-Je had here people ta~king in terms about - it is a little routine form, Mr . Speaker, and it says on one side, 'I f there is not enough room on this , go to the other side', turn over to the other side to set out your development programme. Mr . Speaker, re£erence was made today to the people who died on the offshore . There is an old proverb lvhich says that good men must die but death cannot kil l their names . Mr. Speaker, good men went down on the Ocean Ranger, good hard-working men.

The depth of grief that has spread over this Province and,indeed, this country sL~ce that terrible moment appears limitless and unshakeable, and what the families of these men are gojng through most of us can only imagine. We try to share their grief but it is difficult to feel another's pain . We can empathize with them, however, and we all feel this sense of loss in our own hearts . Each person ~ive today in the privacy of their own souls experience their own grief . wbat we can do for these families, Mr. Speaker, is assure them that, as the proverb says, death shall not kill their names. Mr .

Speaker, since these men represent the early pioneers of a new industry that will probably play a role in the way this Province grows into the 1980s and 1990s, I suggest there must be a monument struck 5?

March 11,1982 Tape No. 17 EL-l MR.STIRLING: in their honour and placed in a place of high prominence near the sea, which has always ruled our lives, and containing the engraved names of these eighty-four men of the Ocean Ranger. SOME HON.MEMBERS: Hear, hear! MR.STIRLING: Then, Mr.Speaker, it will be fact and proven that although good men must die, death cannot kill their names. Mr. Speaker, here in the Opposition we grieve for the families and our hearts go out to them and we wish them strength now in their hour of trial and agony. Mr. Speaker, reference was also made to the Jones Act.

MR.NEARY: They were rather late,were they not? MR.STIRLING: Mr. Speaker, we cannot escape in this Province the fact that we were told, and I admit that. I believed that we had the best regulations, the best offshore regulations in the world. But in our frenzy, as shown in the Throne Speech again today about the fight for control of the offshore, obviously our safety regulations were not adequate. Mr. Speaker, that cannot be allowed to continue, that cannot be allowed to happen. Mr. Speaker, we have seen some strange victories that this government has claimed.

When we lost our case for jurisdiction the other day, it was a great victory for Newfoundland. I did not consider it a great victory. I was disappointed that the federal government won the case on jurisdiction on the labour relations. I feel that we would have been better provided under our Labour Relations Board. The government claimed that as another great victory. In the area of education, Mr. 51

March 11,1982 Tape No. 17 EL-2 MR. STIRLING: Speaker, not a word in the Throne Speech. The area of education - I am saddened that today's Throne Speech did not clarify the utter madness around the ·financing of Grade Xll and the financing of schools in this Province. Last week, Education Minister Lynn Verge called a news conference to say how well the implementation of Grade Xll was going. And then a few days later the school board, the Avalon Consolidated School, called a news conference to say that it was almost bankrupt and needed more money because it could not handle its regular fare, let alone Grade Xll.

Mr. Speaker, we have seen all kinds of problems in this Province. Nobody seems to be concerned on the government side that in the fishery and the Labrador energy, in road construction and in all the areas keeping small business going in the Province, nothing is happening.And it was known last year in the Throne Speech because it set out in the Throne Speech that for the next ten years, even if we got ownership, even if we got everything that we wanted, there would be no money coming from the offshore for this decade. So what are people going to live on for the next six years? Mr.

Speaker, that is the job of this government. That is what they were elected to do. That is what they should be providing in the Throne Speech and that is what they should be doing in legislation. Mr. Speaker, I looked at the legislation and it is a sick list of legislation left over from last year. I believe this government is going to call an election before it brings down the budget, Mr. Speaker. I believe that the election will be called on the basis of anti-Ottawa. Sh

...... March 11,1982 Tape No. 17 EL-3 MR. STIRLING: "Boys, let us stand up one more time. Let us protect this little Province from all the conspiracies that keep us poor. It will never happen again." Meanwhile, the economy goes down the drain and people are out of jobs. People are moving to Alberta. Mr. Speaker, S!i

March 11, 1982 Tape No. 18 SD - 1 MR. STIRLING: we will go through the next couple of weeks in this House with nothing to debate, nothing in the Throne Speech, no legislation. A waste of time, I presume ,until the snow leaves and until the government can get Ottawa into a position where one more time we rally to the call. And maybe, Mr. Speaker, it is going to be when they refer the case to the Supreme Court and that will be the rallying call and the rallying cry. 1\nd this is where I would like to come back, Mr.

Speaker, to the thing that I mentioned in the beginning in which they are tampering with creating an impression in this Province that says that our court is somehow influenced by political considerations. And, Mr. Speaker, that is unfair to our court, it is unfair to any court in Canada. MR. LUSH: MR. STIRLING: An erosion of our judicial system. Mr. Speaker, once you start doing that kind of thing you are causing problems not only for the government but you are creating problems for everybody who believes that the court deals only with fact and politics is left behind. Mr.

Speaker, there are other provinces that have done very well in the last few years. And, Mr. Speaker, the challenge is here to this Province: It is not too late, they have another two and a half years in their mandate. They have set out the things that need to be done in previous budget speeches and previous throne speeches. Now, Mr. Speaker, in

summary then what we are looking for in this House, we are looking for the government to start directing their attention to the fishery, directing their attention to job creation, directing their attention to take advantage of some of the things that are available through federal/provincial relations,as has happened in every other province 1where they are creating jobs, where they are using their federal counter­ parts, Mr. Speaker, to get away from confrontation and fighting. Because, Mr. Speaker, winning victories and 511

March 11 , 1982 Tape No. 18 so - 2 MR. STIRLING: creating a perpetual state of war - MR. CALLAN: Like the one that they won in Bellevue . MR . STIRLING: - may be the natural state for this PC government , Mr. Speaker, but it is not the natural state for the people in Newfoundland and Labrador . And the people in Trinity - Bay de Verde on Ap ril 2nd will give you a taste of how the rest of the people feel in this Pt"ovince. SOME HON. MEf.1BERS: Hear, heat" . MR. SPEAKER (Butt): SQr.1E BON. MEMBERS : The hon. the Premier . Hear, hear. PREMIER PECKFORD: Mr .

Speaker, first of all let me congratulate the member for Exploits (Dr . Twomey) and the~ for St. John's West(Mr. Barrett) for excellent nresentations today and to commend Bis Honour ,as everybody has said, on his first Throne Speech . I have jus t been ha .nded a note a fe1o~ minutes ago which informs me, and I shall inform the House, that the European Economic 57

March ll,l982 Tape No. 19 ah-1 PREMIER PECKFORD: Parliament has voted 164 to 10 , with 20 abst "entions and 24 0 who did not show up in thP Parliament in favour of banning the seal nelts from Canada. And whilst the Leader of the Opposition can call . me ~nti-confederate or confrontationist,or anybody who is now within the hearing of my voice,! will be the first to go on record calling upon the Canadian government to stop our raw cod fish fran off our shores from being taken away from us and brought to Europe. SOME HON.MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

PREMIER PECKFORD: Whilst we labour in unemployment and recession and economic slow-down caused by a multitude of factors,some of which we are responsible for, some of which the Canadian government is responsible for, some of which the international monetary S"stem , I suppose, and capitalism is responsible for, yet at the same time , Mr. Speaker, there is in this Province today a policy which allows raw cod fish to go from the shores of Newfoundland and Labrador into Europe , be processed over there by Europeans while we have fifteen and sixteen per cent unemployment .

That is unacceptable, especially in light of this decision by the European parliament. It is unacceptable to me, it is unacceptable to this government. SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear! PREMIER PECKFORD: Mr. Speaker, let me also, before I get into the main part of my remarks,welcome all the people in the galleries and the leaders of the community who have graciously accepted our invitation to attend this Throne Speech day.

As most people know 1 this is a fairly formal occasion in the history of our Province each year when the Throne Speech is read by the Lieutenant-Governor and various dignitaries are invited to attend, to listen to the Throne Speech, to listen to the debate afterwards and to partake of a SA

March 11,1982 Tape No. 19 ah-2 PREMIER PECKFORD: short reception right after the House closes. So I would like to,on behalf of the government, formally welcome them here and hope that through the process of political partisanship and the Throne Speech and all the rest that goes on :1ere, something of importance is being accomplished here today, namely the Throne Speech. Now, Mr.

Speaker, I have to respond to the Leader of the Opposition in his claims on the economic depression and recession facing our Province and the lack of initiatives from this government, Because I think it is important to set the record straight not only for the Leader of the Opposition but for some who are within the hearing of my voice. We are condemned for somehow ignoring the fishery, Mr. Speaker. The Leader of the Opposition said so only a few minutes ago.

The Leader of the Opposition has never bothered to mention that it was this government in the last few weeks who went out on a limb for $5 million to the Lake Group to ensure that they could keep going until the federal government carne also. SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear! PREMIER PECKFORD: The Leader of the Opposition did not care to mention, to balance his rernarks,that Rarnea was saved by this government in the last couple of months. SOME HON.MEMBERS: Hear, hear! PREMIER PECKFORD: The Leader of the Opposition did not care to mention that in the last three or four months the Minister of Development (Mr.N.

Windsor) and the Minister of Fisheries (Mr. Morgan) have been negotiating to save Burgeo and an announcement was made just a little while ago. SQ

March 11,1982 Tape No. 19 ah-3 SOME HON.MEMBERS: Hear, hear! PREMIER PECKFORD: Who was it, Mr. Speaker, that saved Hermitage and Belleoram a little while ago? It was this government - SOME HON.MEMBERS: Hear, hear! PREMIER PECKFORD: - saved the fish plants in both those communities. Who was it that has assisted in making viable the fish Rn

/ March 11, 1982 Tape No. 20 EL - 1 PREMIER PECKFORD: plant in the great historic district of Green Bay, in Triton jn. just the last three or four weeks for 400 or 300 job<? SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear: PREMIER PECKFORD: Who is negotiating now to save the fish plants on the Southern Shore and the other places around the Avalon Peninsula? This government is. SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear~ PREMIER PECKFORD: Who has saved and provided a trawler to the Harbour Grace fish plant so that they can take some of the Northern cod if it has not already gone to Germany? This government has. SOME HON.

MEMBERS: Hear,hear~ PREMIER PECKFORD: Who has helped twice in the last six months with Janes' crab processing plant in Trinity-Bay de Verde in the Rants Harbour area? It is this government that kept that fish plant going. That is a matter of record. SOME HON. MEMBERS : Hear, hear~ PREMIER PECKFORD: And it is a matter of record, Mr. Speaker, that even before the announcement on Harbour Breton that we have been into meetings with Mr. Monroe and the people in Fishery Products to put a plan in place in the next couple of weeks to save Harbour Breton. SOME HON.

MEMBERS: Hear, hear~ PREMIER PECKFORD: But on the fishery, Mr. Speaker, and on renewable resources in general, let it be recorded again for the umpteenth time 1 since we are into the debate, let it be recorded that it has always been the policy of this adminis­ tration that the key, as the Throne Speech says again today, the key to our future is the renewable resources and rural Newfoundland 1 but'there can be underpinnings of additional 61

March 11, 1982 Tape No. 20 EL - 2 PREMIER PECKFORD: monies to make that rural New- fonndland even better. And those underpinnings can only come from two sources, Mr. Speaker, and I challenge anybody to tell me any other sources where you can get the sums of money needed to keep those nnderpinnings to rural Newfoundland 1and the only two sources are the Upper Churchill and offshore oil and gas . There is no other way. ,:;-· SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

PREMIER PECKFORD: There is no other way nnder the sun to break out of the yoke, the structural and economic problems that have faced this Province since at least 1790, 1830, than to get an infusion of additional money. One way this was thought to be done years ago, Mr. Speaker, and rightly so 1was Confederation itself, that we had to break out of the yoke that we were in, the dependency that we were in, the financial collapse that we were in, and that Confederation came about in 1949 and it has provided schools and hospitals and roads and provided a great social infrastructure for our Province.

But unfortunately in the course of providing that great social infrastructure 1 there no concomitant or siTT\- ultaneous economic underpinnings to sustain, enrich it and expand it,and we need to have those economic underpinnings. They cannot be provided through equalization and EPF. So the Prime Minister tells us, so the Government of Canada tells us 1 that no longer will you be able to count on those financial underpinnings for that social society which is so valuable in Canada and throughout the world,or to any human society.And in any case,even if it was provided, Mr.

Speaker, I, for one, want to raise my funds by the sweat of my own brow and then share it with other people. And therefore if I have a choice - SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear! 6?

March 11, 1982 Tape No. 20 EL - 3 PREMIER PECKFORD: - Mr. Speaker, my choice is as one Newfoundlander, one Canadian 1that I want to be able to 61

March 11,1982 Tape No.2l ah-1 PREMIER PECKFORD: that I want to be able to develop the resources of where I am, take my share of the revenues and then provide other Canadians too with a share of that great wealth so that the underpinning is natural and so that Newfoundlanders then are working and so that then we can put more money into education and health and social services and transportation and so that we can enrich our cultural heritage. There is no other way, Mr.

Speaker, that it can be done and I believe , I believe right down in the depths of my stomach,that the majority if notyea ninety per cent of Newfoundlanders agree today that that is the only viable course for Newfoundland and Labrador society. We have to be able to manufacture more money from two basic resources which are historically and legally ours, water power and offshore oil and gas. And they can enrich the fishery. SOME HON.MEMBERS: Hear, hear! PREMIER PECKFORD: They can enrich the fishery. They can provide the funds to make the fishery better. They can provide the funds to make the forestry better.

And that is the route that this administration decided to embark upon two years ago. And this Throne Speech is saying, Mr. Speaker, in no uncertain terms , that in our humble view we have been highly successful in pursuing that road for the last two years , highly successful to the tune - SOME HON.MEMBERS: Hear, hear! PREMIER PECKFORD: - of $266 million in power contracts that many people ,two or three years ago,thought could never be changed.

And the Upper Churchill Reversion Act which,I might add ,at the time when it was devised by Newfoundlanders , a task force of Newfoundlanders, there was a lot of skepticism around this Province of whether this really was a substantial initiative on 6L

March 11,1982 Tape No. 21 ah-2 PREMIER PECKFORD: behalf of Newfoundland or whether it was just some preconceived notion that the Premier had the time to try to grab more money from somebody when it was not dese .rved. Well I will tell you, Mr.Speaker, the Supreme Court of Newfoundland has ruled whether that was a foolish initiative or not. We have proven that the course that we have agreed to steer on is a course which has built within it the long-term interests of this Province. It is easy,Mr. Speaker, We could easily forget about the long-term and go f~ r the short-term. It could be easily done.

But, I_think, we would be condemned by Newfoundlanders for evermore, just the same way as Newfoundlanders are condemning each day some of the resource development projects that were started right from 1875 with the railway and the giveaway on land and mineral rights and forestry rights as was done whe n the railway contracts were renegotiated in the early 1900's 1904 and so on. The French Shore question , between 1832 and 1904 meant that two other nations had almost as much if not more fishing rights in Newfoundland than we had - the Americans and the French.

And we lived as a people from 1832 to 1904 with our basic industry belonging really to somebody else and beincr exnloited by somebody else. No wonder, Mr. Speaker, there are Newfoundlanners who get mad when they hear tell of Northern cod going to Germany now, when they are going to stop our seal pelts. We have been through it all before, Mr. Speaker, we have been through it all before and we are saying today in the Throne Speech we do not want to go through it again. We want to change it. We want to make a fundamental structural change in the economic and social life of this Province.

That is what we are trying to do. It is a revolution without a shot being fired. It is 6t:;

March 11,1982 PREMIER PECKFORD: SOME HON.MEMBERS: PREMIER PECKFORD: Tape No. 21 ah-3 vision for some prosperity. Hear, hear! And I -will ask the Leader of the Opposition to please,when he talks about oil and gas measures, 'Will you please get your facts straight'. The big difference between this and the time last year, Leader of the Opposition, for your information, 6Fl

March ll, 1982 Tape No. 22 MJ - l PREMIER PECKFORD: is that the Canadian Government and Alberta and theproducing provinces of Sasakatchewan and 13. C. have decided to double the price o[ oil. 'l'lwt_ makes a big, big difference. SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear! PREMIER PECKFORD: That makes a big, big difference. And secondly, Mr. Speaker, the leader of the Opposition could not have listened too well to the Throne Speech.

On page ll, we talk again,which is consistent with last years Throne Speech, The benefits of revenue sharing will be realized after the development phase has been completed, and after Hibernia Oil has begun to flow , which is about a decade, as everybody knows. 'In the vitally'- MR. SPEAKER (Butt) : PREMIER PECKFORD: MR. SPEAKER : PREMIER PECKFORD : Order, please! Hold on, Mr. Speaker.

Sorry. 'In the vitally important 'intervening years before production is brought on stream there will be enormous economic benefits to be captured in the development phase 1 in which billions of dollars will be spent to create the necessary production and distribution system.' SOl.ffi HON. MEMBERS : Oh, oh! PREMIER PECKFORD: 'The benefits of this early development phase can only be captured if Newfoundland has the opportunity to participate with the Government of Canada in managing these first phase developments.

Through such joint control, industrial benefits and employment opportunities can be realized within the Province. For this reason, joint management is"a bread and butter"issue for Newfoundlanders in search of employment.' That is where it comes in the next ten years. SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear! PREMIER PECKFORD: But even with that long-term policy in place, Mr. Speaker, even with that in place, we 67

March 11, 1982 Tape No. 22 MJ - 2 PREMIER PECKFORD: recognize 1 as we are doing in the fishery now, and the places I just mentioned and in the other negotiations that we are havinq, we re~lize that in the interim, it is tough going. It is tough going for Newfoundlanders and Labradorians, tough going for Canadians in most parts now of Canada. It is tough times and we are trying to arrest and deal with it.

But we do not want Newfoundlanders, through a Throne Speech on this auspicious occasion,to forget about the long-term and the vision that we must have if our children are going to have a better opportunity than we did. And so we will pursue as we have in last month. l-Ie have now pre-tendered $40 million worth of work, and in the next three weeks we will pre-tender another $50 million and that fifty will be 100 per cent Newfoundland dollars - SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear! PREMIER PECKFORD: - if the Opposition want to know tha~ . We are working on it, Mr. Speaker, we are working on it.

The Construction Association of Newfoundland came out indicating their pleasure with this pre-tendering program that we have initiated. I talked to the Canadian Manufacturers Association as late ago as eleven o'clock this morning and they also endorse this new policy and are going to write the premiers of the other provinces and try to have that kind of a program instituted there so all the money that is committed goes ahead and is spent in this year to create jobs now and to try to get us out. We are doing it in the forestry, Mr. Speaker, in mining. You talk about a policy, Mr. Speaker.

We are now receiving mining royalties because of amendments that were brought in by this government 350 to 400 per cent over what they would have been. We changed agreements again and we have increased 6A

March 11, 1982 Tape No. 22 MJ - 3 PREMIER PECKFORD: the revenue flow to our government and that is a sound accomplishment. How about the synchrolift, Mr. Speaker? How about the synchrolift? How about Hinds Lake? Mr. Speaker, how about Upper Salmon? How about Cat Arm? These are efforts,even though it is highly priced power, to generate employment. Because one of the components in getting those jobs and those projects going was also job creation. They are very highly labour intensive.

And we went ahead with some of these projects when in actual fact on Hind- sight .and if we had a lot of more power or had a lot of jobs, you would have delayed implementing it. But we did it becuase it was a job creation program just as much as it was a power supply thing. These are initiatives that we have taken which can stand the scrutiny of anybody. And we recognize that there are problems economically, but they are not all under our ambit either. And we do not have them all within our jurisdiction.

But we have maintained and we maintain vigorously, that where we can activate and do things we are doing it through our pre-hmdering program and through the other measures that we brought in. Now, Mr. Speaker, one other area which is of vital concern to me and that we cannot lose sight of,even with all our economic turmoil, is education. And I notice that the leader of the 6q

~1arch 11, 1982 Tape 23 EC - 1 PREMIER PECKFORD: Opposition mentioned it in a negative frame of mind. In the way, Mr.

Speaker, of the next three or four years when we have to make hard decisions, the Government of Newfoundland have to make hard decisions, and as we implement a long-term policy to try to bring about changes in major resource projects from the past, we have still got to be very, very careful that on that social educational side we do not bite off our nose in spite of our face. 1\nd that is one reason why about three or four - two or three months ago or whatever, I indicated to the students at the university, for example, when we talked about budgeting that we have to be very, very careful to make sure that the institutions which are going to make people think, that the institutions which are going to train people and give them imagination and innovation and creativity must be continued to be funded.

And I am saying here today, Mr. Speaker, that this administration remains committed to a high level of funding to the university over the foreseeable fut~re,as long as we are here as the government to ensure that that happens, because we can never lose sight that unless we have thinking, creative human beings, then whatever else we do will be of no benefit if that is not there. In the same way, I talk about the Institute of Marine Technology. For two years now this administration has been trying to get a new campus for the Institute of Marine Technology.

Two of the concepts which a.re most prominent today in North America, well, throughout t-.he world, are research and development and high technology. And we have both of them here in the College of Fisheries, but it needs a new facility, it needs a bigger building, it eeds to have a campus. We have a world-renowned place hen' that can serve the world and we have been for two years ?n

March 11, 1982 Tape 23 EC - 2 PREMIER PECKFORD: now trying to persuade the federal government to come along with us and build a new campus so that we can be part of the future and can be on the forefront of new technology and new training. Mr. Speaker, this Throne Speech for this government is a very, very significant and important document. It marks, nurnb~r one, the whole question of the Upper Churchill and our first victory on that score.

It marks also that we believe that if we are to have a sound future on renewable resources and a very progressive social­ cultural infrastructure, it must have very sound financial and economic underpinnings and they will come from the offshore and they will come from the Upper Churchill. And we are committed to pursue those policies for the betterment of everybody in this Province socially and culturally. That is where we launch from, Mr. Speaker. These two projects are levers for human betterment. They are means to a better social end, they are not ends in themselves.

They are the levers that we must use and if we do not use them then we are going to remain in the yoke of bondage that we have been in for so long and remain on the bottom rung of Confederation's ladder. Per capita earned income, one-half the national average, unemployment double the national average, these are startling figures that just will not go away as we make up budgets and as we try to administer the affairs of this Province. They have to be changed,and they have to be changed drastically 71

March 11,1982 Tape No. 24 ah-1 PREMIER PECKFORD: W'e see that the only way that can be done is through getting a fair share of these resources on offshore and of the Upper Churchill. No, Mr. Speaker, this is a great day for Newfoundland. This 'l'hrone 'Speech marks the first time that a Lieutenant-Governor has been able to say that we have fundamentally changed the resource which was given away a few years ago and for that that document will remain. SOME HON.MEMBERS: Hear, hear! PREMIER PECKFORD: Mr. Speaker let me just for the record indicate it was the people on the other side who voted against a motion which said 'NOW THEREFORE

BE IT RESOLVED the hon. House urge the federal government to reconsider its position on offshore minerals and recognize the Province's legitimate right to ownership and control of them', voted against a resolution on the offshore.

And it was the group on the other side 1 led by the Leader of the Opposition,who, last week,when he was not prepared - his first words on the whole business of the Nova Scotia agreement- and I did not k~ow where the Leader of the Opposition lived- his first words were,as he gave them on March 4th, he said,"Nova Scctia was smart to enter into the agreement with the federal government: ' That is what the Leader of the Opposition in the Province of Newfoundland had to say about the federal government's agreement, "Nova Scotia was smart:· Now, Mr. Speaker, how was Nova Scotia smart? That is what I would like to know.

How Wil.S Nova Scotia smart to enter into this kind of an agreement? There is a provision there which means the federal government gets one hundred per cent of the revenues after a certain level of time. There is a provision there which says that the management and 7?

March 11,1982 Tape No. 24 ah-2 PREMIER PECKFORD: control of the whole Nova Scotia offshore will be done by the federal government through their assistant deputy minister stationed in Nova Scotia. Where is the smartness? But then the next day the Leader of the Opposition, after some consideration overnight and having a caucus I understand,then came out with a statement saying we ought to do better than that. SOME HON.MEMBERS: Hear, hear! PREMIER PECKFORD: So I am glad to see that the Leader of the Opposition could find the - SOME HON.MEMBERS: Hear, hear! MR. STIRLING: A point of order. MR.

SPEAKER (Simms): Order, please! A point of order has been raised by the hon. Leader of the Opposition. SOME HON.MEMBERS: Hear, hear! MR. SPEAKER: Order, please! MR. STIRLING: Mr. Speaker, the Premier has decided to introduce some comments here, attributed to me,which are misleading. The two are not inconsistent. I do believe we can get a better deal and I do believe it was a good deal for Nova Scotia,because they have- SOME HOlll MEMBERS: Oh, oh! MR. SPEAKER: Order, please! MR. STIRLING: -now got a deal. And it was a good deal for Nova Scotia. PREMIER PECKFORD: Mr. Speaker. MR. SPEAKER: To the point of order.

The hon. the Premier. PREMIER PECKFORD: No, I will not speak to the point of order. There is no point of order. That is the reason why the hon. gentleman is over there and I am over here. SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear! 71

March 11,1982 Tape No . 24 ah -3 MR . SPEAKER (Simms): I would have to rule that there is no point o£ order in this particular case . The hon . Leader of the Opposition has taken an opportunity to try to clarify remarks attributed to him ,but there is no point of order. PREl'!IER !?ECKFORD : Thank you ve .ry much, Mr • Speaker . I realized there wa s no point of order there in the thing anyway . But, l'ir . Speaker, let me just sum up by saying we have to move in this Prov ince over the next few years on two fronts at the same time . We have ahrays had to try to do that.

Every time we have ever moved on two fronts we ended up moving on one, the short -term one . This qovernment is committed to have its eyes and it is focus just as much on the long -term as it rloes on the short-tenn . For that we make no apologies to the Leader of the Opposition or anybody else . That is the approach we are going to take and we are going to stay on . In the mea .ntime 1 we will try to ensure througr methods I have just mentioned in the fishery and the forestry and the mining, 7 ,,

March 11, 1982 Tape 25 EC - 1 PREMIER PECKFORD: so that our economic well- being in the interim is protected as much as is humanly possible to do it. But let us not forget that if we are looking for a future, if we are looking to have the kinds of opportunities that are taken for granted in the rest of Canada and most of North America, if we are going to have that, if we are going to have any kind of a viable future, then we have to bargain hard for those things which will give us the mechanism to have it. We are not going to, Mr. Speaker, by any stretch of the imagina­ tion, sign an agreement like Nova Scotia.

We are not interested in signing an agreement, but we are interested in negotiating and we will continue to negotiate if the federal government agrees to put ownership aside for the period of negotiation and permanently if an agreement is reached. And, Mr. Speaker, if I may say, as a government, very, very shortly we will be releasing a number of very confidential documents and a proposal that was put on the table to the federal government to which we are still awaiting a reply, which is a reasonable, sensible proposal.

And we intend as a government to make every single Newfoundlander and Labradorian aware of that agreement because I think as soon as that document becomes public it will become even clearer,if there is need for any greater clarity on this matter now, to show how willing and able and co-operative we were in trying to reach a decent and fair agreement between the Newfoundland Government and the federal government. SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear! PREMIER PECKFORD: But, Mr. Speaker, as we say so often, that does not mean another Upper Churchill.

That document will be made public,with a whole range of back-up documents to the Opposition and to every person 7~

March 11, 1982 Tape 25 EC - 2 PREMIER PECKFORD: in Newfoundland,very, very shortly, and we will argue from that that what we have done is try to protect the best interests of this Province and at the same time, be good Canadians, which we are all committed to. SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear! PREMIER PECKFORD: ''Corne, my friends, ''l'is not too late to seek a newer world. Push off, and sitting well in order smite The sounding furrows; for my purpose holds To sail beyond the sunset, and the baths Of all the western stars, until I die.

It may be that the gulfs will wash us down; It may be we will touch the Happy Isles, And see the great Achilles, whom we knew. Though much is taken, much abides; and though We are not now that strength which in old days Moved earth and heaven, that which we are, we are - One equal temper of heroic hearts, Made weak b:y time but strong in will To strive, to seek, to find'; And we will never yield. SOME HON. MEMBERS: MR. SPEAKER (Simms) : Hear, hear! Order, please!

The motion is that an address of thanks be presented to His Honour in reply to the gracious speech with which he has been pleased to open the Fourth Session of the Thirty-Eighth General Assembly of this hon. House and that a Select Committee be appointed to draft such Address in Reply. Is it the pleasure of the House to adopt the motion? Those in favour, 'Aye'. HON. HEMBERS: 'Aye'. MR. SPEAKER: Contrary, 'Nay'. 7fi

CJ. March 11, 1982 MR. SPEAKER (Simms): it. Tape 25 EC - 3 In my opinion the 'Ayes' have The Committee shall consist of the bon. the member for Exploits (Dr. Twomey), the bon. the member for St. John's West (Mr. Barrett) and the bon. the member for Bellevue (Hr. Callan). NOTICES OF MOTION MR. SPEAKER: The bon. the Minister of Finance. DR. COLLINS: Mr. Speaker, on behalf of the bon. the Minister of Fisheries (Mr. Morgan), I give notice that on tomorrow I will move the following:

WHEREAS the European Parliament of the European Economic Community has voted to impose an embargo on the importation of seal products: AND

WHEREAS national and international investigation of the Canadian seal fishery indicates the seal fishery is one of the most humane and well managed fisheries in the world: AND

WHEREAS the seal fishery has been and will continue to be an integral part of the economic, social and cultural heritage of Newfoundland and Labrador and has contributed an estimated $6 million in 1981 to approximately 5,500 people engaged in primary and secondary aspects of the seal fishery: THEREFORE

BE IT RESOLVED that the members of this bon. House of Assembly communicate their objection to the decision made by the European Economic Community to ban the importation of seal products and that this bon. House of Assembly fully support the efforts of the Government of Canada to ensure the continuation of the annual seal fishery. 77

March 11 , 1982 , Tape 26, Page 1 -- apb DR . JOHN COLLINS : Mr. Speaker, as this is an urgent matter 1 respectfully request Your Honour that you asce rtain if members' unanimous consent can be given to override need for Notice of Motion and today pass thi s motion unanimously without debate . MR . SPEAKER(Simms) : Such a request would require unanimous consent . The hon . the Leader of the Opposition . MR. STIRLING : Mr . Speaker, I was given adva nce nocice of a resolution, I presume it is the same one . MR . OTTENHED'iER : change the hi sto ri cal - MR. STIRLING : It is only to Yes . Mr .

Speaker, we certainly want to join with the other side in expres sing the concern . The real sadness expressed in our caucus today was ~q~t this was not done six months ago . MR . NEARY : It is too late . MR . SPEAKER : is unanimous consent then . the motion plea se say 'aye' . HON • MEMBERS: MR . SPEAKER : 'ayes' have it. of Justice . MR . OTTENEEIMER : I understand there Those in favour of 'Aye '. Contrary 'nay ' . In my opinion the The hon . the Minister Mr . Speaker, I give notice that I shall on tomorrow ask leave to introduce the following resolution : 7R

March 11, 1982, Tape 26, Page 2 -- apb MR. OTTENHEIMER:

WHEREAS the Law of the United States known as the Jones Act, presently provides that an action may be maintained by foreign workers employed by American-owned companies engaged in the exploration for hydrocarbons in offshore areas; AND

WHEREAS a Bill has been introduced in the House of Representatives to eliminate this right of action and to restrict it to citizens and permanent residents of the United States; AND

WHEREAS the effect of this Bill would be to discriminate between citizens and permanent residents of the United States and those of other countries; AND

WHEREAS American companies are engaged in the exploration of the Continental Shelf of Newfoundland and Labrador and their employees should be accorded the full protection of American law, irrespective of where they live;

NOW THEREFORE

BE IT RESOLVED that this House, through the Speaker, communicate its firm objections to this Bill to the Speakers of the House of Representatives and the Senate of the United States of America. And if there if unanimous consent, Mr. Speaker, then I would request that the resolution be put today without debate, if there is unanimous consent. MR. SPEAKER(Sirnrns): require unanimous consent . of the Opposition. MR. STIRLING: 7q Such a request would The Hon. the Leader I was also given

March 11, 1982, Tape 26, Page 3 -- apb MR. STIRLING: notice of that motion, and discussed it with the caucus. We felt that since the wording of the resolution did not include the tribute to the member for LaPoile(Mr. Neary), who picked this up and went down at the expense of the Liberal Party, we should have a full debate on this resolution. Because it is very important, therefore, Mr. Speaker., we would prefer to follow the normal course and debate it as the normal government bills. SOME RON. MEMBERS : SOME RON. MEMBERS: MR. STIRLING: there is no urgency - MR. SPEAKER (Sirnrns) : Hear, hear! Oh, oh! Because, Mr.

Speaker, Order, please! MR. STIRLING: - in dealing with this matter and it should be debated fully. MR. SPEAKER: Order, please! I understand there is not unanimous consent. SOME RON. MEMBERS : Oh, oh! MR. SPEAKER: motions. Private Further government members' Notices of Motions. for Burin - Placentia West. MR. HOLLETT: The bon. the member Yes, Mr. Speaker. I give notice that I will on tomorrow ask leave to move the following resolution:

WHEREAS there is an obvious lack of provincial planning and knowledge in Newfoundland and Labrador's fishery; AND

WHEREAS the Fishermen's Union, the industry, the fishermen and the Flfl

ll... March 11 , 1982, Tape 26, Page 4 -- apb MR. HOLLETT: Federal Department of Fisheries and Oceans appear to be drifting in different directions;

BE IT RESOLVED that the government immediately set as its priority a comprehens i ve long - term s trategy f or our fishe r y and a Select Committee be appointed to ensure that this becomes a reality. ?oiR. SPEAl<ER (Simms) : for Pla.centia. MR. PATTERSON: The hon . the member l>1r. Speaker , I give notice that I shall on tomorrow introduce the following resolut i on :

WHEREAS there has been considerable loss of life off the shores of our Province during the past fe"'? years; AND

WHEREAS there is no major Sea rch and Rescue facility l ocated in this Province; AND

WHEREAS a local facility could shorten the response time in the event of an emergency at sea; THEREFORE

BE IT RESOLVED that this Honourable House go on record as urging the Federal Governme .nt to set up a Search and Res cue facility in this Province , preferably to be located at the former United States Naval Station in Arge ntia . SOME HON . MEMBERS: Hear, hear! SOME HON . MEMBERS: Oh, oh ! 81

March 11, 1982, Tape 27, Page 1 -- apb MR. SPEAKER(Simms): for Windsor Buchans. MR. FLIGHT: The hon. the member Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I give notice that I will on tomorrow ask leave to present the following motion:

WHEREAS on February 15, l982,Newfoundland experienced one of its worst sea disasters in the sinking of the Ocean Ranger with the tragic loss of eighty-four lives; AND

WHEREAS the people of Newfoundland and Labrador had been led to believe that our safety regulations were the best in the world, a belief accepted to a point that we had become complacent about the safety of our offshore workers; AND

WHEREAS these regulations failed, resulting in the tragic sinking of the Ocean Ranger; AND

WHEREAS the safety of our workers in the offshore must be always the prime concern of the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador, as it is indeed of all the people of Newfoundland and Labrador; AND

WHEREAS our offshore workers will always be exposed to great occupational hazards;

NOW THEREFORE

BE IT RESOLVED that this House of Assembly, through an appointed committee, consider safety procedures and regulations already in effect, anywhere in the world, gather safetytechnology available from any source, anywhere in the world, and from such procedures and technology, and with due consideration for our own unique knowledge of the devastating power and destructive force of the North Atlantic, B')

March 11, 1982, Tape 27, Page 2 -- apb MR. FLIGHT: devise a safety standard code that will apply to our offshore drilling and production rigs operating anywhere in the Newfoundland offshore; AND BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the said committee be empowered by the full legislative authority of the House of A~sembly of Newfoundland and Labrador to ensure the strict, dilligent application of the approved safety standards on a day-to­ day basis so that the safety of our offshore workers will be assured to the extent that it is humanly possible to do so. SOME HON. MEMBERS: MR. SPEAKER(Sirnms): for Harbour Main - Bell Island. MR. DOYLE: He