Newfoundland and Labrador Hansard — Members' Statements; Statements by Ministers — 25 November 2014 (47th General Assembly, 3rd Session, Vol. XLVII No. 45)
2014-11-25
Newfoundland and Labrador — Debates (Hansard)
PDF Version
November 25, 2014
HOUSE OF ASSEMBLY PROCEEDINGS
Vol. XLVII No. 45
The
House met at 1:30 p.m.
MR. SPEAKER (Verge):
Order, please!
Admit strangers.
Before we start proceedings, I would like to welcome to the public gallery
today Councillor Vince Burton from the Town of Paradise.
Welcome to the House of Assembly.
SOME HON. MEMBERS:
Hear, hear!
Statements by
Members
MR. SPEAKER:
Today we have members'
statements from the Member for the District of Baie Verte Springdale; the
Member for the District of St. George's Stephenville East; the Member for
the District of St. John's Centre; the Member for the District of Mount
Pearl South; the Member for the District of Humber Valley; the Member for
the District of Virginia Waters; and, if the House approves with leave, the
Member for the District of St. John's South.
The
hon. the Member for the District of Baie Verte Springdale.
SOME HON. MEMBERS:
Hear, hear!
MR. POLLARD:
Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
rise in this hon. House today to congratulate an outstanding teacher-coach.
School Sports Newfoundland and Labrador recognizes outstanding
contributions to the development and delivery of athletics with the Honour
Award.
The
recipient of this annual award has a long and distinguished involvement with
school sports. From Indian River
High, Springdale Roger Jacobs has captured this title for 2013-2014.
For the past twenty-eight years Roger has been a physical education
teacher and has coached numerous sports such as volleyball, basketball,
soccer, badminton, table tennis, ball hockey, ice hockey, and slo pitch.
has taught in Englee, La Scie, King's Point, and now in Springdale.
In every school Roger has developed young, talented individuals into
top-notch athletes. His team has
won provincial championships and has captured an incredible ten team
sportsmanship awards.
His
willingness to serve or to give of his time, talent, and tireless energy has
been simply incredible. As an
athletic director at Indian River High, Roger has developed a well-rounded
athletic program which has achieved the gold star status for seven
consecutive years.
ask all hon. members to help me convey congratulations to Roger Jacobs, a
teacher-coach who indeed made a difference.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
SOME HON. MEMBERS:
Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER:
The hon. the Member for
St. George's Stephenville East.
SOME HON. MEMBERS:
Hear, hear!
MR. REID:
Mr. Speaker, I rise to
congratulate a team of MUN Alumni who took top prize in the 2014 G20 Global
Business Challenge, a prestigious international graduate business
competition which took place in Australia earlier this month.
The
G20 Global Business Challenge is a unique and highly innovative competition
that attracts top graduate students from leading business schools and
universities. Teams were
challenged to develop an innovative solution to use, recycle, and/or manage
water to achieve large-scale impact.
Earlier this year, the team passed the preliminary round of the challenge,
where they competed against forty other groups from eighteen countries
before being chosen as one of the six top finalists.
The team consisted of Dave Winsor, Dan Goossens, Janine Brophy, Lica
Christensen and the team coach, Professor Peggy Coady, an associate Dean in
the Faculty of Business Administration.
Professor Coady said winning the competition is a testament to Memorial's
high caliber students, graduates, and programming.
ask all members to join with me in congratulating the MUN team on winning
the G20 Global Business Challenge competition and taking the top prize of
$100,000.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
SOME HON. MEMBERS:
Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER:
The hon. the Member for
St. John's Centre.
MS ROGERS:
Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women, I am
happy to congratulate Jenny Wright and all incredible feminists who worked
tirelessly to improve our society through Status of Women councils across
the Province.
Jenny and her sisters at the St. John's Status of Women Council recently
hosted women from across the Province for Building Allies in Dangerous
Times, a gathering that saw feminist activists discuss issues affecting
women in their communities. They
found a great deal of common ground.
They talked about housing, mental health and addictions, violence,
lack of access to health care and child care, and the Family Violence
Intervention Court. They shared
advice and they made plans for how to proceed in the future.
These strong women are fearless as well as tireless.
They do a gargantuan job with resources that have not increased in
several years. They are setting their
own agendas, based on the needs of their own communities and slowly but
surely they I should say we because I share their struggles, feel their
frustrations and celebrate their triumphs they are getting things done.
Brava, Jenny Wright and sisters.
Thank you for all you do for the women of Newfoundland and Labrador.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
SOME HON. MEMBERS:
Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER:
The hon. the Member for
Mount Pearl South .
MR. LANE:
Mr. Speaker, I would like
to recognize the accomplishments of an amazing individual in my community.
Ed Moyst has dedicated himself to the sport of soccer since 1958 and
has excelled as a player, a coach, an official and as a builder of the
sport. He is a founding member
of the Mount Pearl Soccer Association, was elected as first chairperson and
has been on the executive committee of the association ever since; twice as
chairperson, twice as director, once as vice-chairperson, and the remaining
years thereafter as administrator.
holds a Level 3 technical coaching certificate, a Class 2 certificate as an
official, and has officiated soccer games for over thirty years.
His many accomplishments have not gone unnoticed, as he has been
inducted into the St. John's, Mount Pearl, and Newfoundland and Labrador
Soccer Halls of Fame.
This
past September, I was honoured to attend an event at the Team Gushue Complex
in which the Upper Smallwood Soccer Field was appropriately renamed the Ed
Moyst Soccer Field.
would ask all members of this hon. House to join me in congratulating Ed
Moyst on his accomplishments and for his ongoing contribution to the sport
of soccer in the City of Mount Pearl.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
SOME HON. MEMBERS:
Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER:
The hon. the Member for
Humber Valley.
MR. BALL:
Mr. Speaker, I rise in
this hon. House today to congratulate thirteen students from Elwood Regional
High School in Deer Lake who recently attended We Day events in Waterloo,
Ontario.
Day is an annual series of stadium-sized events that brings together
world-renowned speakers and youth to encourage participants to find their
passion and strive to create the change they want to see.
Tickets for We Day events cannot be purchased, they have to be earned
by taking on a local and a global action.
This
event included over 7,000 students along with several guest speakers and
musicians. The group from Elwood
High School stated they were overwhelmed by the empowering and inspiring
message that was delivered by all those in attendance at the event.
Mr.
Speaker, I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate Elwood
students: Dylan Cross, Daniel Williams, Andrew Lodge, William Chubbs, Kyle
Hiscock, Becky Maher, Sydney Park, Emily Finlay, Catlin Giles, Sophia
Hewitt, Shania Turnbull, Kate Compton, and Jenna Langdon who, along with
their Principal Peter Burt, and teacher Jillian Cross, earned the privilege
to attend this tremendous event.
Mr.
Speaker, I ask all members of this House to join me in congratulating these
students and teachers of Elwood Regional High School in Deer Lake on this
great accomplishment.
SOME HON. MEMBERS:
Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER:
The hon. the Member for
Virginia Waters.
MS C. BENNETT:
Mr. Speaker, I rise
in this hon. House today to recognize Jack Goldsworthy, a Grade 6 student at
Roncalli Elementary School in Virginia Waters district.
He is one of twenty-two students from across Canada selected to
attend Canada's History for Kids, Young Citizen's Forum in Ottawa this fall.
This
program focuses on citizenship and is a complementary component to the
school's annual heritage fair.
Jack's video, Reduce, Reuse, Recycle:
The Original Way of Life looked at how people in the past wasted
nothing, reused what they could and used recycling as a necessary way of
life.
October, Jack toured our Nation's capital in which he was joined by fellow
winners from across Canada to explore Ottawa which included museum and
walking tours, and many other cultural activities.
Jack also participated in a brainstorming session to identify as many
important people, events and moments in history that could be commemorated
as part of Canada's birthday in 2017.
Mr.
Speaker, I ask all hon. members to join me in recognizing Jack on his
achievement as an ambassador of the program and epitomizing the youth of our
Province as curious in Canada's history and what it means to be a Canadian
citizen.
Thank you.
SOME HON. MEMBERS:
Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER:
Does the Member for St.
John's South have leave?
AN HON. MEMBER:
By leave.
MR. SPEAKER:
Leave.
The
hon. the Member for St. John's South with leave.
MR. OSBORNE:
Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
would like to recognize the Community Food Sharing Association and the work
they do throughout the year to help ensure that those in need receive a
little extra help.
With
the Christmas season approaching and the extra spending demands on families,
the need for donations at the food bank are greater than that of any other
time of the year. The Community
Food Sharing Association serves 27,000 people every month, 38 per cent of
those are children.
This
year, there is a shortfall of almost 60,000 pounds of food.
There are thirty empty cages that are usually full by the end of
November. There will be a
challenge to fill the need.
urge people who can afford to share even one item of food to help those who
cannot afford it. Help make
Christmas a little less stressful for the families who need it.
Please donate.
consultation with the Community Food Sharing Association, there is a
one-hour food drive at 5:20 on Wednesday, December 3, here at Confederation
Building ,
starting at the rear parking lot of the East Block.
I encourage anyone interested in helping to get involved.
The Community Food Sharing Association will help
provide pick up of the food.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
SOME HON. MEMBERS:
Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER:
Statements by Ministers.
Statements by Ministers
MR. SPEAKER:
The hon. the Minister of Finance and President of Treasury Board.
SOME HON. MEMBERS:
Hear, hear!
MR. WISEMAN:
Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
I am pleased to rise in this House today to advise hon.
members on the progress of this year's Home Heating Rebate program.
The Home Heating Rebate program helps thousands of Newfoundlanders
and Labradorians each winter.
This year, the Home Heating Rebate, along with the
Residential Energy Rebate, will see a combined total investment of $62
million. The Home Heating Rebate
is available to residents of the Province who directly incur costs to heat
their home.
Eligible households with an adjusted family income of
$35,000 or less qualify for a maximum rebate of $250 with a maximum rebate
of $500 for coastal Labrador.
The Residential Energy Rebate is available to all
households in Newfoundland and Labrador and provides a point-of-sale rebate
equivalent to the 8 per cent provincial portion of the 13 per cent
Harmonized Sales Tax charged on the consumption of energy for residential
purposes.
Mr. Speaker, as a government, we are extremely proud of
both the Home Heating Rebate and the Residential Energy Rebate.
These important programs put cash back into the hands of individuals
and families, helping them meet the costs of staying warm.
I am pleased to inform hon. members that since
launching this year's program, applications have been received are on par
with last year and staff at the Department of Finance are now approving the
applications and sending out the rebates.
Mr. Speaker, we continue to ensure that several avenues
are available for people to access applications for the Home Heating Rebate.
Details and application forms can be found on the Department of
Finance Web site, or they can call toll-free 1-855-223-7432, or they can
homeheatprogram@gov.nl.ca .
Application forms have also appeared in newspapers, at
regional offices of Department of Advanced Education and Skills, at Service
NL Centres across the Province, and at the Seniors Resource Centre here in
St. John's.
Mr. Speaker, last year, approximately 58,000 households
received rebates from the Home Heating Rebate program.
Once again, this program is helping people throughout Newfoundland
and Labrador meet the cost of heating their homes and staying warm.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
SOME HON. MEMBERS:
Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER:
The hon. the Member for Virginia Waters.
MS C. BENNETT:
Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
I thank the minister for an advance copy of his
statement today. Mr. Speaker,
this time of year presents extra hardships for many families with Christmas
on the horizon and rising heating costs to protect against the winter cold.
Providing such rebates help low-income families and seniors manage a
little better.
I am sure, as MHAs, we all receive calls from
constituents wondering when the rebate will be announced.
Last year, Mr. Speaker, the Home Heating Rebate was announced on
October 24. The year before, it
was announced on December 3.
This year, it is November 25.
I would encourage government to commit to a fixed date
each year when the rebate is announced so people relying on the rebate are
not left waiting, wondering, and worrying even more.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
SOME HON. MEMBERS:
Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER:
The hon. the Leader of the Third Party.
MS MICHAEL:
Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker.
I, too, thank the minister for the advance copy of his
statement. Once again, I ask
government to remove the yearly uncertainty and anxiety the public suffers
because this government refuses to make the Home Heating Rebate a permanent
annual program with a fixed date.
Our offices get calls starting early in the fall from
people anxious to know if they can count on the rebate, which they
increasingly depend upon with the rising costs of heating.
In addition, government refuses even to respond to our call for
people whose heat is included in their rent to also qualify for the rebate.
Government needs to get in touch with the people of this Province and
address these two pressing concerns.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
MR. SPEAKER:
The hon. the Minister of Environment and Conservation.
SOME HON. MEMBERS:
Hear, hear!
MR. CRUMMELL:
Mr. Speaker, as 2014 draws to a close, I rise in this hon. House to
acknowledge a tremendous milestone that was celebrated this year
t he sixtieth anniversary of this Province's
provincial parks.
Throughout this past summer, we celebrated with
visitors to our parks during special events for Canada Day, Parks Day, and a
Parks Proud launch to celebrate this significant achievement in our
Province. I am told all of these
activities were successful and a wonderful time was had by all.
Employees of the Parks and Natural Areas Division of
the Department of Environment and Conversation promoted this sixty-year
achievement by wearing Parks Proud anniversary shirts and encouraging
visitors to join and to celebrate sixty incredible years.
Mr. Speaker, the provincial government continues to
establish, protect, and manage our parks as natural habitats for future
generations while offering unique nature experiences like hiking, camping,
and outdoor activities for everyone to enjoy.
The provincial parks system was established in 1954
with the creation of Sir Richard Squires Memorial Provincial Park near
Cormack, and has expanded to a network of thirteen camping parks, seven day
use parks, the T'Railway Provincial Park, Main River Waterway Provincial
Park, and ten park reserves. The
Province also has two wilderness reserves and eighteen ecological reserves
that protect significant seabird colonies, rare plants, and significant
fossil sites.
Mr. Speaker, again, I would like to thank all the parks
staff in the Parks and Natural Areas Division who worked every day to
protect, preserve and promote our natural heritage, while providing a
diverse range of outdoor recreational opportunities Province-wide.
As an outdoor enthusiast myself, I encourage every
visitor to celebrate, discover, explore, understand and appreciate our
Province and all it has to offer.
You can learn more about our provincial parks on the
provincial government Web site.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
SOME HON. MEMBERS:
Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER:
The hon. the Member for St. George's Stephenville East.
MR. REID:
Mr. Speaker, I would like to join with the minister in celebrating the
sixtieth anniversary of the provincial park system in this Province.
We have a well-developed park system in our Province and it is more
extensive than in most other provinces, and it is something we should be
very proud of.
I would like to congratulate the staff who work at
these parks over the years and the fine job they have done over that period.
The parks are an important part of
our heritage and quality of life in this Province and we should not allow
them to deteriorate. In this
regard we should ensure that the Newfoundland T'Railway park is not allowed
to fall in disrepair. I am
hearing that government may be considering closing sections of this park.
I hope that is not the case, Mr. Speaker, but I heard that it is a
possibility that is being considered.
We need to continue to innovate in the way we highlight
our areas of natural beauty. In
this regard, government is three years late in releasing the natural areas
systems plan that they promised in 2011.
Mr. Speaker, congratulations on sixty years of the
parks.
SOME HON. MEMBERS:
Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER:
The hon. the Member for St. John's East.
MR. MURPHY:
Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
I thank the minister for the advance copy of his
statement here today.
Congratulations to our parks staff who sometimes do so much with little
resources that have been cut to the bone from past Budgets.
We also cannot forget that over the years past governments have
chosen to close a lot of the provincial parks in our system, dump them from
our inventory, and they also privatized others.
Other ideas government had have been forgotten.
When do we get to see the promised protected area strategy, for
example? Mr. Speaker, let us not
forget that government is falling down in recognizing development over
ecology and the environment. Why
the minister is intent (inaudible)
MR. SPEAKER:
Order, please!
The hon. the Minister of Labrador and Aboriginal
Affairs.
SOME HON. MEMBERS:
Hear, hear!
MR. RUSSELL:
Mr. Speaker, I rise to pay tribute to the thirty-ninth Annual Labrador
Creative Arts Festival. Taking
centre stage at the Lawrence O'Brien Arts Centre from November 19 to
November 25, the festival is a celebration of the arts
that brings together young Labradorians from all regions and all
cultures.
Inclusive and innovative, this event showcases plays written and performed
by Labrador students. The
festival also features visiting artists, from many different disciplines,
who venture to the Big Land every year to share their talents and to pass on
their creative knowledge to the youth through workshops and hands-on
training.
I am
pleased to say, Mr. Speaker, that this year's students visiting from
Villanova Junior High in Conception Bay South are also participating in this
year's event.
Aside from helping young people develop their artistic abilities, the
Labrador Creative Arts Festival fosters creativity, self-confidence,
teamwork and leadership. Mr.
Speaker, these characteristics serve as a foundation upon which young men
and women can build future achievements and become leaders in their
communities, future fields of study and in their careers.
shining example of how this festival helps develop our young people is Ms
Mckenzie Hutchings of North West River who has been a regular participant in
the Labrador Creative Arts Festival.
Recently, Ms Hutchings was crowned Miss Achievement Newfoundland and
Labrador and credits her involvement in the festival with giving her the
confidence and experience to participate in the pageant and to succeed in
her many, many endeavours.
As a
proud Labradorian, it is always a pleasure to highlight Labrador and the
accomplishments and vision of its people, especially its young people, Mr.
Speaker. Staging the Labrador
Creative Arts Festival each year is a massive undertaking and it is because
of the students, teachers, parents, and organizers involved that this annual
event is possible.
This
festival is a wonderful celebration of young people and the arts and, as
this year's festival draws to a close, I ask all hon. members of this House
to join me in congratulating Ms Mckenzie Hutchings and all of this year's
participants.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
SOME HON. MEMBERS:
Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER:
The hon. the Member for
Torngat Mountains.
MR. EDMUNDS:
Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
thank the minister for an advance copy of his statement.
It is good to see him rise.
I would like to see that happen in Question Period.
Mr.
Speaker, the Labrador Creative Arts Festival is Canada's longest running
children's festival. I think
that is a statement worth mentioning here today.
The artistic version of the Labrador Creative Arts Festival is to
provide a forum allowing young people in Labrador to write, produce, and
direct plays about issues that affect their communities and their region.
think over the last thirty-nine years there has been some 500 plays that
have been written. There have
been over 530 visiting artists from every province and territory in Canada,
as well as the United States and Europe.
This year, as the hon. member mentioned, I am proud to welcome the
students from Villanova Junior High from my hon. colleague, the Member for
Conception Bay South, who are attending the Labrador Creative Arts Festival.
MR. SPEAKER:
Order, please!
SOME HON. MEMBERS:
Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER:
The hon. the Member for
St. John's Centre.
MS ROGERS:
I thank the minister for
an advance copy of his statement.
Congratulations to all the visionaries involved in the Labrador Creative
Arts Festival. It is indeed a
massive undertaking by students, teachers, parents, and other organizers.
It is often through the arts where we can dare to envision a better
world, better and more egalitarian communities where everyone has what they
need to fully live.
Bravo, Mckenzie Hutchings; you make us all proud.
Bravo, Labrador Creative Arts Festival visionaries.
Lead us on; help us envision a future where no one is left behind.
Thank you.
SOME HON. MEMBERS:
Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER:
Oral Questions.
Oral Questions
MR. SPEAKER:
The hon. the Leader of
the Official Opposition.
MR. BALL:
Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Last
week, the Premier stated that he did not have the information on the cost of
the environmental liabilities at the former Abitibi mill and properties in
Central Newfoundland. The AG
pegged the cost at $265 million.
That was $165 million more than the previous government estimates.
ask the Premier: Now that you have had the chance to look for the
information and get briefed, can you update the House today on the exact
cost of the government's mistaken expropriation?
MR. SPEAKER:
The hon. the Premier.
SOME HON. MEMBERS:
Hear, hear!
PREMIER DAVIS:
Thank you, Mr.
Speaker.
thank the hon. member opposite for bringing this up again.
There have been a variety of estimates looked at with regard to the
environmental cost.
would like to point out to the member opposite, while this House unanimously
approved the expropriation of the assets, I would like to point out first
and foremost that there were significant assets that returned to the
Province as a result of that expropriation.
We retained timber rights for Newfoundlanders and Labradorians.
We also retained the power generation rights for Newfoundlanders and
Labradorians, Mr. Speaker. That
was significant for us as a Province.
can also tell the member opposite, that there is a significant piece of work
underway with regard to the remediation of the former mill site.
We hope to have an announcement on that in the very near future.
SOME HON. MEMBERS:
Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER:
The hon. the Leader of
the Official Opposition.
MR. BALL:
Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
remind the Premier, even though it was unanimous, no one in this House, when
they were given that briefing, expected that the building itself was part of
that expropriation.
Mr.
Speaker, last spring government admitted that the old Abitibi mill was on
the list to be demolished. At
that point they had to establish the priorities.
We know the RFP for the demolition closed in August, but we have not
heard much about that since.
ask the Premier: When will the old mill that you expropriated be demolished,
and at what cost to taxpayers?
MR. SPEAKER:
The hon. the Premier.
SOME HON. MEMBERS:
Hear, hear!
PREMIER DAVIS:
Thank you, Mr.
Speaker.
The
removal of the former mill property is an important matter that is
continuing to be worked by our government.
It is an active file. It
is under active review.
As I
said in my first answer, we hope to be in a position in the very near future
to make an announcement in regard to that removal of the property.
SOME HON. MEMBERS:
Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER:
The hon. the Leader of
the Official Opposition.
MR. BALL:
Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Well, six years is a long time to be active, when the people in Central
Newfoundland have been asking for this demolition to occur.
Mr.
Speaker, government announced last April that they were dealing with Rentech
on Central and Northern Peninsula fibre resources but we have heard very
little about that since.
ask the Premier: It has been six years since the expropriation, and seven
months since potential with Rentech was announced.
What is the status of this proposal?
MR. SPEAKER:
The hon. the Minister of
Natural Resources.
SOME HON. MEMBERS:
Hear, hear!
MR. DALLEY:
Mr. Speaker, following
the expropriation and the protection of the timber rights for the people of
Newfoundland and Labrador, particularly for the Central region, government
engaged in an Expression of Interest.
We went through three EOIs.
Through that process, Mr. Speaker, very challenging issues, I guess,
with the industry right now and over the past number of years.
did have a proponent come forward in Rentech.
We are working with them.
As I indicated last week in the House, Mr. Speaker, we are not there yet.
They have multiple challenges as well they are working on.
It is suffice to say we are still working together and trying to find
a way through so we can ensure that we are able to utilize the resources,
but also to make sure, Mr. Speaker, our commitment, that we will make sure
the resource benefits the people of Newfoundland and Labrador first and
foremost.
SOME HON. MEMBERS:
Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER:
The hon. the Leader of
the Official Opposition.
MR. BALL:
Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
The
community of Wabush has experienced a hard time with the closure of the
Scully Mine and the potential closure of the Bloom Lake operation.
Alderon was supposed to help offset some of the effects of the Wabush
mine closure, but it is becoming clear that this project is delayed, at
least for the foreseeable future.
ask the Premier: Without another mining operation ready to replace Wabush
mines, what are the plans for the community of Wabush?
MR. SPEAKER:
The hon. the Premier.
SOME HON. MEMBERS:
Hear, hear!
PREMIER DAVIS:
Thank you, Mr.
Speaker.
What
is happening in Wabush and what is happening with commodity prices that is
having a significant impact on those operations is a matter that is being
watched very closely by our government.
can tell you that a variety of ministers are engaged in what is taking place
in Wabush, including the Minister of Municipal and Intergovernmental
Affairs, which has been having discussions with the Town of Wabush.
As well, the Minister of Natural Resources, who is engaged with
business partners who have rights and ownership rights and operating
responsibilities in the area.
can tell the member opposite, and tell the members of the House of Assembly,
we are having constant communications.
We are tracking and following what is happening.
We are having communications with people within the community.
As well, Mr. Speaker, I point out that officials from Advanced
Education and Skills and the minister have been engaged with partners in the
Wabush area and we will continue to do that work as we move forward.
SOME HON. MEMBERS:
Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER:
The hon. the Leader of
the Official Opposition.
MR. BALL:
Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
With
the closure of Wabush Mines, the Town of Wabush itself is losing $2.4
million in tax revenue. When
Abitibi closed in Grand Falls-Windsor and in Stephenville, government
covered some of the lost tax revenue for the town for up to three years.
ask the Premier: Will you commit to a similar arrangement for the Town of
Wabush?
MR. SPEAKER:
The hon. the Premier.
SOME HON. MEMBERS:
Hear, hear!
PREMIER DAVIS:
Thank you, Mr.
Speaker.
Again as I pointed out in my first answer to this topic, the Minister of
Municipal and Intergovernmental Affairs has been having discussions with the
town, with the mayor. I can tell
you that there is a plan underway for the continuation of those discussions
in face-to-face meetings. I
think $2.1 million actually is the number I could be corrected on that,
but we are having a discussion on that.
We are aware of what has happened in the past in other types of
circumstances.
This
is about supporting the community.
This is about supporting the Town of Wabush so they can continue as a
town, they can continue to function, they can live up to their obligations,
and they can continue to provide the services within a municipality that the
residents demand from the town.
pointed out by the member opposite, we understand the potential significant
impacts on their budgets for the coming year.
We are continuing to work with the town, Mr. Speaker.
SOME HON. MEMBERS:
Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER:
The hon. the Leader of
the Official Opposition.
MR. BALL:
I remind the Premier it
is about generating and creating a budget, too.
This decision is something that this community is relying on and
waiting on from this government.
Nalcor has admitted that the dome being built over the Muskrat Falls Project
is not ready and there is no date set for its completion, this despite the
fact the winter season has begun in Labrador.
ask the Premier: Why has the construction of this dome been delayed?
Will it affect the overall project schedule?
MR. SPEAKER:
The hon. the Minister of
Natural Resources.
SOME HON. MEMBERS:
Hear, hear!
MR. DALLEY:
Mr. Speaker, there has
been some discussion this week and certainly in the media as well around the
dome as we call it, the cover that is to help with the scheduling and the
work throughout the winter. It
is partially done on generation Units 1 and 2.
It is not yet completed.
The
focus of the work right now is on the spillway, but we have been reassured
by Nalcor officials that there is no anticipation of scheduled delays at
this point. They are continuing
to work, as I said, on a spillway, and they continue to work on the dome,
particularly around generation Units 1 and 2.
Phase 2 of that will be obviously for generation Units 3 and 4.
SOME HON. MEMBERS:
Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER:
The hon. the Leader of
the Official Opposition.
MR. BALL:
Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Decision Gate 3, which was in October 2012, the starting reference point for
Muskrat Falls power was for 2017; that is when power would be available.
Nalcor's own documents now, as of August this year, show that power
for Muskrat Falls will not be available until 2018.
ask the Premier: With this delay in the project, or if there is no delay,
how is this now affecting 2018's
schedule affecting the overall cost of the
project?
MR. SPEAKER:
The hon. the Minister of
Natural Resources.
SOME HON. MEMBERS:
Hear, hear!
MR. DALLEY:
Mr. Speaker, there is
extensive oversight on the progress of the Muskrat Falls Project.
An independent engineer provides reports to the federal government as
well as to us. We will make that
public, as we have done with so much information around Muskrat Falls.
Certainly the
schedule of Muskrat Falls has been a topic of debate,
but it has been clear in what has been conveyed so far to the public,
without question, it is on
schedule for power in late 2017, Mr. Speaker.
have no indication that
schedule has changed.
If we do, Mr. Speaker, we will gladly make it public.
Beyond that, I know there are thousands of Newfoundlanders and
Labradorians working in Labrador, working in Muskrat Falls; they are doing a
good job. By all accounts, there
is good work happening, and it is progressing so that we will reap the
benefits of that river for many generations to come.
SOME HON. MEMBERS:
Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER:
The hon. the Member for
Burgeo La Poile.
MR. A. PARSONS:
Mr. Speaker, with the
recent allegations of negligence against management and staff of HMP, I ask
the Minister of Justice: Has the Department of Justice reached out to
private solicitors to provide advice and representation in this matter?
MR. SPEAKER:
The hon. the Minister of
Business, Tourism, Culture and Rural Development.
SOME HON. MEMBERS:
Hear, hear!
MR. KING:
Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
The
member opposite raises a very important question.
As many people would know, there is a very significant trial ongoing
right now at the courthouse.
Many very serious allegations have been made against a number of employees.
I can confirm there are allegations against four senior people within
the correction system. Two
attorneys have been retained; one is representing three management employees
and one attorney is representing the interests of a unionized employee.
SOME HON. MEMBERS:
Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER:
The hon. the Member for
Burgeo La Poile.
MR. A. PARSONS:
Mr. Speaker, I ask
the Minister of Justice: Can they confirm who these two attorneys are?
I guess, obviously, whether they are outside of the Department of
Justice. Can they table their
contracts?
MR. SPEAKER:
The hon. the Minister of
Business, Tourism, Culture and Rural Development.
SOME HON. MEMBERS:
Hear, hear!
MR. KING:
Mr. Speaker, thank you
again for the opportunity to respond.
As I
said a few months ago, very serious allegations have been made and one of
the roles that government finds itself in from time to time is ensuring the
rights of our employees are protected until such a time as there is
resolution brought forward.
this particular case, I can confirm that the two attorneys have been
retained. Erin Breen is
representing three management employees and Jerome Kennedy is representing a
unionized employee. The terms of
their employment, Mr. Speaker, for members opposite, would be a standard
agreement, standard retainer rates that government uses from time to time on
a regular basis when we use outside legal advice.
SOME HON. MEMBERS:
Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER:
The hon. the Member for
Burgeo La Poile.
MR. A. PARSONS:
Mr. Speaker, can the
Minister of Justice confirm why the department went outside their own
solicitors in this particular case, and will they confirm that these two
contracts will be tabled for the House of Assembly?
MR. SPEAKER:
The hon. the Minister of
Business, Tourism, Culture and Rural Development.
SOME HON. MEMBERS:
Hear, hear!
MR. KING:
I am actually responding
in my capacity as Government House Leader, Mr. Speaker, for the record, not
as a minister of that particular department.
will say to the member opposite that I will endeavour to see if there are,
in actual fact, contracts available to individuals and if there are
particular contracts signed, then I will be prepared to table them.
can also say, though, that this is not unusual.
I could probably provide a list of hundreds of instances where the
Department of Justice, on occasion, reaches outside into the community for
representation on any number of files.
It happens almost on a daily basis and this particular circumstance
is no different than many instances in the past.
SOME HON. MEMBERS:
Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER:
The hon. the Member for
St. John's North.
MR. KIRBY:
Mr. Speaker, government
is spending over $1 million every year on schools that are vacant and no
longer in use. While these funds
are being wasted on empty schools, students with special education needs are
going without supports, school guidance is under resourced, and the list
goes on and on and on.
ask the minister: When do you plan to stop running these vacant schools and
spend that $1 million on educating and supporting our students instead?
MR. SPEAKER:
The hon. the Minister of
Education and Early Childhood Development.
SOME HON. MEMBERS:
Hear, hear!
MS SULLIVAN:
Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Mr.
Speaker, disposition of school properties is not an easy matter.
It is not as simple as the member opposite makes it out to be, but it
certainly is something that we have turned our attention to and it is
certainly a file that we are moving forward on.
Some
of the factors that impact disposition have to do with clear title to the
land, clear title to the buildings and so on, whether or not it is Crown
land on which the building happens to have been erected and so on.
Mr. Speaker, whether there is a Crown grant applicable is another
point of interest here that we have to look at and, of course, environmental
factors.
Whilst we share his view that we would like to expedite the disposition of
these buildings, it takes more time than he would imagine.
SOME HON. MEMBERS:
Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER:
The hon. the Member for
St. John's North.
MR. KIRBY:
Well, Mr. Speaker, this
government is spending over $100,000 alone at the former St. Anthony
Elementary School site. Now,
that is a school building which is slated to be demolished all together.
So that is very simple.
Clearly, that $100,000 a year could be far better spent.
ask the minister: Why are you wasting this money on empty buildings instead
of investing it in programs, supports, and services in schools where the
money should be spent?
MR. SPEAKER:
The hon. the Minister of
Education and Early Childhood Development.
SOME HON. MEMBERS:
Hear, hear!
MS SULLIVAN:
Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Mr.
Speaker, we share his concern.
We would like, as I said earlier, to be able to expedite these processes,
but we have to be responsible in how it is that we go about it.
We cannot simply take insurance off buildings, Mr. Speaker.
We cannot create those situations in community.
We have at this point in time, Mr. Speaker, in process, fourteen
former schools which are being removed.
We have four regional board offices that are being removed, and we
will continue to advance this file as quickly as we can possibly do it.
is right about the St. Anthony school.
We intend to have that school removed so we can make way for a
softball field. That has always
been our plan, it will continue to be our plan, and we will do that as
quickly as possible.
SOME HON. MEMBERS:
Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER:
The hon. the Member for
St. John's South.
MR. OSBORNE:
Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
2009, government budgeted $20 million to outfit the Confederation Building
with blue windows. They said the
project would conclude in late 2012.
In May of this year, the minister said the budget had ballooned to
$56 million.
ask the minister: What has been spent on this project to date, and when will
the repairs be complete?
MR. SPEAKER:
The hon. the Minister of
Transportation and Works.
SOME HON. MEMBERS:
Hear, hear!
MR. BRAZIL:
Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
This
is an ongoing project. As was
noted in this House over the last number of months, this was a project that
was started to be a certain thing in replacing the windows.
Once we got into the construction phase, we realized there was a lot
of extra work that needed to be done.
Obviously, the costing related to that became more costly.
are investing in a piece of infrastructure and an asset for the people in
this Province that will be around for the next fifty to a hundred years.
We are assessing exactly what else has to be done here, and we will
have the final numbers in the next number of months when this job is
completed.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
SOME HON. MEMBERS:
Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER:
The hon. the Member for
St. John's South.
MR. OSBORNE:
Mr. Speaker, it is the
same answer over and over again, the same as they announce projects over and
over again, and the same money over and over again.
Mr.
Speaker, I would remind the minister that this department engaged external
architects and engineers and began extensive daily inspections of the
windows and brickwork in preparation of this renovation.
ask the minister: How can the public have any confidence in government's
ability to manage projects when you have already let this project triple in
price, and you have already let it go two years beyond its completion date?
MR. SPEAKER:
The hon. the Minister of
Transportation and Works.
SOME HON. MEMBERS:
Hear, hear!
MR. BRAZIL:
Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
have an obligation to make sure that the employees and the people who use
this building do it in a safe manner and that it is up to standards for
people to be able to work in a good environment.
This is about engagement here, Mr. Speaker.
It is about offering service to the people.
I do
not know what my hon. member across would like to do.
Maybe they would have the windows falling out of the building.
Maybe they would not have people in a safe environment.
We do not do that, Mr. Speaker.
We provide a safe environment and a good asset for the people of
Newfoundland and Labrador.
SOME HON. MEMBERS:
Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER:
Order, please!
The
hon. the Member for Virginia Waters.
MS C. BENNETT:
Thank you, Mr.
Speaker.
The
minister is right, there are absolutely obligations that government has.
Today is the UN's International Day of the Elimination of Violence
Against Women. This government
cut the Family Violence Intervention Court to save $500,000.
Meanwhile, they have overspent on Confederation Building, and have
buildings in St. Anthony that are being lit and not demolished.
ask the Premier: Don't you see how poor planning trickles down to the most
vulnerable who have to be pay for it?
MR. SPEAKER:
The hon. the Premier.
SOME HON. MEMBERS:
Hear, hear!
PREMIER DAVIS:
Mr. Speaker, I have
heard a lot in my day, but to take the planning that is done on building and
construction projects and equate it to the very serious matter of family
violence in this Province, I say to the member opposite, she should not do
it.
also have to say, Mr. Speaker, I read her release today as well.
I found it upsetting when I read her release today, that in any way,
shape, or form is to take issue with the very good work that volunteers do
around this Province in consultation with government, with their own
agencies, and partner organizations in the community to fight family
violence and violence throughout our Province; groups such as Transition
House, which do very good work around this Province.
MR. O'BRIEN:
The John Howard Society.
PREMIER DAVIS:
Groups like the John
Howard Society, Mr. Speaker, provide great service and partner with a
variety of government departments, here in our government, in order to
provide the best services it can to the people of the Province.
SOME HON. MEMBERS:
Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER:
The hon. the Member for
Virginia Waters.
MS C. BENNETT:
Mr. Speaker, if the
Premier was listening to front-line staff, he would know.
If he was listening to front-line workers, then why isn't he willing
SOME HON. MEMBERS:
Oh, oh!
MR. SPEAKER:
Order, please!
MS C. BENNETT:
I ask his minister,
Minister Manning: If it is important to raise awareness around violence
against women, why are they not releasing the report on sexual exploitation
that your own government commissioned?
MR. SPEAKER:
The hon. the Premier.
SOME HON. MEMBERS:
Hear, hear!
PREMIER DAVIS:
Mr. Speaker, I can
tell you that not releasing that report was to protect the best interests of
people of our Province, the people who are identified, who are known
throughout that report. It is
about protecting the people who are very vulnerable in this Province.
That is what we need to do.
SOME HON. MEMBERS:
Oh, oh!
MR. SPEAKER:
Order, please!
PREMIER DAVIS:
I can tell you, Mr.
Speaker, if bringing the Family Violence Intervention Court if I thought
for a minute that bringing that back was going to stop violence, violence
against women, violence in relationships, if I thought for a second it was
going to stop violence, I would have brought it back by now, Mr. Speaker, I
can assure you that.
can tell you, it takes a variety and a suite of programs, it takes a variety
of services, it takes a community, it takes a number of stakeholders working
together in order to protect the best interests of those most vulnerable in
our Province, Mr. Speaker, and we are going to continue to work with all of
those stakeholders to protect women and children and families in
Newfoundland and Labrador.
SOME HON. MEMBERS:
Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER:
The hon. the Member for
Virginia Waters.
SOME HON. MEMBERS:
Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER:
Order, please!
MS C. BENNETT:
Mr. Speaker, as the
Premier knows, in other jurisdictions that report, and reports like it, are
released to the front-line workers who are asking for it.
The
estimated cost of family violence to the Canadian economy is $220 per
person; 220 times more expensive than the $1 per person to operate the
Family Violence Intervention Court that was in place in this Province and
saving women and children from abuse.
ask the Premier: Will you properly observe the International Day for the
Elimination of Violence against Women and commit here and now to reinstate
that court?
SOME HON. MEMBERS:
Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER:
The hon. the Premier.
SOME HON. MEMBERS:
Hear, hear!
PREMIER DAVIS:
Mr. Speaker, the
member opposite is very well aware of my position on the Family Violence
Intervention Court. That is why
officials in the Department of Justice are doing their due diligence to look
at the Family Violence Intervention Court as it used to exist and how it
could potentially exist in the future, because the Family Violence
Intervention Court serviced people of St. John's, and the greater St. John's
area only. It did not provide
services to the people of Port aux Basques.
SOME HON. MEMBERS:
Oh, oh!
MR. SPEAKER:
Order, please!
PREMIER DAVIS:
It did not provide
services to the people of St. Anthony.
It did not provide services to the people of Labrador West, to Happy
Valley-Goose Bay, to coastal Labrador.
Mr. Speaker, it did not provide services to anyone outside of the
greater St. John's area.
SOME HON. MEMBERS:
Oh, oh!
MR. SPEAKER:
Order, please!
PREMIER DAVIS:
I believe the Family
Violence Intervention Court has the potential to provide services beyond the
greater St. John's area. That is
what I have asked the department to look at.
That is the work they are doing, Mr. Speaker.
can tell you, through my lifetime I have seen my share of family violence
and the effects of it, Mr. Speaker, and nobody in this House of Assembly
feels more strongly about protecting the people of Newfoundland and Labrador
than I do.
SOME HON. MEMBERS:
Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER:
The hon. the Member for
Torngat Mountains.
MR. EDMUNDS:
Mr. Speaker, it has been
over two years since this government implemented the ban on all harvesting
of the George River caribou herd.
A five-year ban was implemented in 2012 and would be revisited in
ask the minister: Now that it is almost 2015, what is the status of
government's update regarding harvesting of the George River caribou?
MR. SPEAKER:
The hon. the Minister of
Environment and Conservation.
SOME HON. MEMBERS:
Hear, hear!
MR. CRUMMELL:
Mr. Speaker, our
government has been very proactive when it comes to the George River caribou
herd. The five-year ban on
hunting came in place in 2013.
We have allocated $1 million in last year's Budget to monitor the herd, to
do a census of the herd to see where it is to.
Mr.
Speaker, there were fifty-seven populations across Canada that are
undergoing similar stresses as the George River caribou herd.
It is a mystery to many people, but we are gathering information.
We are making sure we are doing the right work around that and
understanding what is happening.
are going to continue with that ban, and we are going to be diligent about
that.
SOME HON. MEMBERS:
Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER:
The hon. the Member for
Torngat Mountains.
MR. EDMUNDS:
Mr. Speaker, no one has
been able to identify the reason for the decline, but those involved with
monitoring the George River caribou herd, including the Ungava Peninsula
Caribou Aboriginal Roundtable, clearly define that there is much more work
that is needed to be done to find out what caused the decline.
ask the minister: Outside of current investments that have failed to find
out the decline of the George River caribou herd, what is his department
prepared to do to find out the reasons for the decline in the George River
caribou herd one of our most valuable resources?
MR. SPEAKER:
The hon. the Minister of
Environment and Conservation.
SOME HON. MEMBERS:
Hear, hear!
MR. CRUMMELL:
Mr. Speaker, we agree
with the member opposite. It is
a valuable resource; we need to find a solution and an answer to exactly
what is going on. This is a
global phenomenon in a lot of respects.
Research is ongoing. We
have allocated $1 million in this year's Budget to study the herd going
forward, collared animal tracking, that sort of thing, Mr. Speaker.
are taking the situation very seriously.
It is a very complex issue.
It looks like preliminary information shows there are cycles 100
years ago that caribou were about at this population as well.
There is a long history. We have
a lot of information. We have to
analyze that information and have a strategy to move forward.
We are working on that, Mr. Speaker.
SOME HON. MEMBERS:
Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER:
The hon. the Leader of
the Third Party.
MS MICHAEL:
Thank you very much, Mr.
Speaker.
Ontario has agreed to a federal-provincial public child care program.
Canadian provinces have been waiting twenty years for a national
child care program.
ask the Premier: What is this government prepared to do to make a
cost-shared public child care program a reality?
SOME HON. MEMBERS:
Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER:
The hon. the Premier.
SOME HON. MEMBERS:
Hear, hear!
PREMIER DAVIS:
Thank you, Mr.
Speaker.
Child care is being used more in Newfoundland and Labrador today than ever
was before. I can tell you that
we, as a government, have implemented a suite of programs that were designed
to improve child care opportunities throughout Newfoundland and Labrador for
the families who want to avail of those services and the benefits that come
with availing of such services.
Mr.
Speaker, I can tell you, since 2011 to 2014 there has been talk in this
House, I should point out, in the last week or so since the fall sitting,
about early childhood education and the recent report that came out.
I can tell you, of all the provinces in Canada, Newfoundland and
Labrador made more gains than any other province in Canada in child care.
That speaks to the commitment of our government in improving child
care services for the people of the Province.
SOME HON. MEMBERS:
Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER:
The hon. the Leader of
the Third Party.
MS MICHAEL:
Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Canadian studies have proven for every dollar spent on early childhood
education, the benefits can be as high as $2.78.
So I
ask the Premier: Why will this government not follow the model of Quebec and
fund a program proven to make economic sense?
SOME HON. MEMBERS:
Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER:
The hon. the Premier.
SOME HON. MEMBERS:
Hear, hear!
PREMIER DAVIS:
Thank you, Mr.
Speaker.
know that the debates continue with the model that has been followed by
Quebec. Some would say that it
created economic challenges and difficulties for the Province of Quebec, and
great economic challenges for the province itself.
So,
Mr. Speaker, I can tell you that we have made great gains in early childhood
education. Just recently, as I
mentioned yesterday in the House, when I created our new departments, I took
Early Childhood Education and moved it into what was previously the
Department of Education a move that has been praised by industry experts
and industry stakeholders throughout the Province and outside of the
Province and throughout Canada, Mr. Speaker.
They are the kind of steps, a step-by-step approach, to make
improvements to early childhood education.
have made good improvements we have made better improvements than any
other Province in Canada, Mr. Speaker, and we still have work to do.
SOME HON. MEMBERS:
Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER:
The hon. the Leader of
the Third Party.
MS MICHAEL:
Mr. Speaker, I ask the
Premier: Why is his government stopping short of creating a public child
care service for the families of this Province?
SOME HON. MEMBERS:
Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER:
The hon. the Premier.
SOME HON. MEMBERS:
Hear, hear!
PREMIER DAVIS:
Thank you, Mr.
Speaker.
Mr.
Speaker, in the suite of programs we have created, we have created financial
supports and assistance to not-for-profit organizations around Newfoundland
and Labrador who see a child care need in their own communities, and we
provided assistance to them financially and also expert supports to them so
they can create child care spaces and opportunities in communities
throughout Newfoundland and Labrador.
is proving to be a very successful program, Mr. Speaker.
I can tell you, as I said earlier, as we continue to make those
improvements the biggest improvements amongst provinces in Canada between
2011 and 2014 we still have work to do, and we are going to still do that.
SOME HON. MEMBERS:
Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER:
The hon. the Member for
St. John's Centre.
MS ROGERS:
Mr. Speaker, every member
on this side of the House supports the immediate reinstatement of the Family
Violence Intervention Court, and last Thursday at least thirteen government
members, including the Premier, stood to support my call for the immediate
reinstatement of the court a majority of the members of this House,
representing a majority of the people of this Province.
ask the Premier: Will he carry out the will of this House and immediately
reinstate the Family Violence Intervention Court, a court that worked, and a
court that did prevent violence against women and children?
MR. SPEAKER:
The hon. the Premier.
SOME HON. MEMBERS:
Hear, hear!
PREMIER DAVIS:
Thank you, Mr.
Speaker.
thank the member opposite for bringing this matter to the floor of the House
again. We just had a discussion
about it and I have already articulated to the House, but I will repeat it
again. The Department of Justice
and Public Safety is doing work around the Family Violence Intervention
Court, or a similar model that used to exist, versus what could exist.
We are looking at what is the potential for broadening the aspects of
the Family Violence Intervention Court so it can benefit people throughout
Newfoundland and Labrador.
What
members are asking for is to reinstate what used to exist.
What we are looking at is finding a better way forward, Mr. Speaker,
to find the best opportunities for families who live with family violence.
The impacts on families, on women and children, are too great to do
anything else.
Mr.
Speaker, we have to work to find the best that we can have, find the best
programs available, and that is what we are working to find.
SOME HON. MEMBERS:
Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER:
Order, please!
The
time for Question Period has expired.
Presenting Reports by Standing and Select Committees.
Tabling of Documents.
Notices of Motion.
Notices of Motion
MR. SPEAKER:
The hon. the Minister of
Finance and President of Treasury Board.
MR. WISEMAN:
Mr. Speaker, I give
notice that I will move that the House Resolve itself into a
Committee of the Whole to consider a resolution relating to the advancing or
guaranteeing of certain loans made under the Loan and Guarantee Act, 1957.
( Bill 31)
MR. SPEAKER:
Further notices of
motion?
Answers to Questions for which Notice has been Given.
Petitions.
Petitions
MR. SPEAKER:
The hon. the Member for
Mount Pearl South.
MR. LANE:
Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
have a petition. To the hon.
House of Assembly of the Province of Newfoundland and Labrador in Parliament
assembled, the petition of the undersigned residents humbly sheweth:
WHEREAS there are many individuals within our Province who have mobility
issues; and
WHEREAS it is extremely important as an inclusive society to ensure
appropriate access to both public and private facilities and institutions;
and
WHEREAS a key component in the provision of access for persons with mobility
issues is the provision of regulated blue zones; and
WHEREAS our provincial government implemented new blue zone regulations two
years ago but it failed to adequately enforce them; and
WHEREAS this failure of our government to adequately enforce blue zone
regulations has resulted in the continued denial of appropriate access for
persons with disabilities to many public and private facilities;
WHEREUPON the undersigned, your petitioners, humbly pray and call upon the
House of Assembly to urge the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador to
start enforcing its blue zone regulations in order to provide appropriate
access for persons with mobility issues.
in duty bound, your petitioners will ever pray.
Mr.
Speaker, this is an issue which I brought up in the last sitting of the
House of Assembly. I will
continue to do so.
I do
want to acknowledge, though, that I did have a meeting with the former
Minister of Service NL a few months back now.
We had a good discussion on this.
He made some commitments to try to improve things, and I thank him
for that.
actually did see an announcement a while back where there was some funding
provided to the Coalition of Persons with Disabilities to do basically an
awareness and education program for businesses as to what their requirements
are for blue zones. I view that
as a very positive thing. I
certainly thank the former minister for doing that.
That
being said though, Mr. Speaker, it is one thing to educate the public, it is
one thing to educate business; it is quite another to actually enforce the
regulations as they exist. We
still have a number of government-owned facilities, schools, and so on which
are not in compliance with blue zone regulations.
There are still a ton of businesses out there that are not in
compliance either.
Part
of the role of the government in this regard is enforcement.
I encourage the government to be more diligent in enforcing these
regulations in order to provide access to persons with disabilities to
sustain facilities that we can all avail of.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
MR. SPEAKER:
The hon. the Member for
Cartwright L'Anse au Clair.
MS DEMPSTER:
Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
the hon. House of Assembly of the Province of Newfoundland and Labrador in
Parliament assembled, the petition of the undersigned humbly sheweth:
WHEREAS Route 510 from L'Anse au Clair to Red Bay is in deplorable condition
and requires immediate upgrading; and
WHEREAS the condition of the highway is causing undue damage to vehicles
using the highway, and has now become a safety hazard for the travelling
public; and
WHEREAS both residential and commercial traffic has increased dramatically
with the opening of the Trans-Labrador Highway and increased development in
Labrador; and
WHEREAS cold patching is no longer adequate as a means of repair;
WHEREUPON the undersigned, your petitioners, humbly pray and call upon the
House of Assembly to urge the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador to
immediately allocate resources to Route 510 from L'Anse au Clair to Red Bay
that allows for permanent resurfacing of the highway.
in duty bound, your petitioners will ever pray.
Mr.
Speaker, this is about a seventy-six kilometre stretch of highway that is in
a very dilapidated condition. I
have been standing on my feet.
This is my third sitting in the House now calling attention to this stretch
of highway.
Every year we seem to get inundated with a lot of cold patch, Mr. Speaker.
It is just a band-aid solution.
I know there are a lot of requests that go in for roadwork around the
Province, but I believe we need to allocate resources based on need.
If that is being done, there is no doubt about it, that this
section
of the highway will be very high on the radar.
Mr. Speaker, not only do we have residents and commercial traffic,
but we have ambulances that are driving that stretch of road every day.
We have school children from L'Anse au Clair to Red Bay who are
driving on this bus every day.
have met with the current Minister of Transportation and Works, and I have
met with the other two ministers, Mr. Speaker, and I will continue.
I hope when the Budget is being put together this fall that they will
look at the serious condition of this road.
We have heavy traffic, Mr. Speaker, with all of the work going on in
Muskrat Falls, and the contractors and subcontractors driving on this road
making it much worse.
is a very serious, serious safety issue, Mr. Speaker, and we are all
fortunate that we have not seen loss of lives yet on this stretch of road.
That is what I fear will happen if we do not give immediate attention
to this
section of the road in the near future.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
MR. SPEAKER:
The hon. the Member for
The Straits White Bay North.
MR. MITCHELMORE:
Thank you, Mr.
Speaker.
the hon. House of Assembly of the Province of Newfoundland and Labrador in
Parliament assembled, the petition of the undersigned residents of
Newfoundland and Labrador humbly sheweth:
WHEREAS Route 430, the Viking Trail, is the primary highway on the Great
Northern Peninsula; and
WHEREAS the current road condition of approximately sixty kilometres between
Plum Point and Eddies Cove East have sections that are in dire need of
resurfacing and/or repaving; and
WHEREAS it is government's obligation to provide basic infrastructure to all
Newfoundlanders and Labradorians; and
WHEREAS an improved road network on a primary highway is needed to enhance
road safety and help with local commerce as well as deal with increasing
passenger traffic levels in this
section of the highway;
the undersigned, petition the House of Assembly to urge the government to
allocate funds under the Provincial Roads Program to pave this
section of
Route 430.
in duty bound, your petitioners will ever pray.
Mr.
Speaker, this
section of road has seen robust activity and increasing
passenger traffic, especially with the Strait of Belle Isle ferry crossing
at St. Barbe, when you look at that
section of the highway with the high
level of volume of heavy equipment going into Southern Labrador, as well as
going to St. Anthony, the amount of international shipping that is taking
place in the region, and you look at the hub of commerce that is happening
around Flower's Cove and Plum Point.
There are two schools there.
There is the regional hospital.
There are a number of regional services that are offered in this
region.
Government has invested building a four-lane highway in the area around the
Strait of Belle Isle Health Centre, the newly constructed facility,
multi-million dollars there. As
well as looking at the residential and commercial district of Flower's Cove.
We have Muskrat Falls; the generating station is coming
across with the cable crossing in Shoal Cove.
There has been a lot of
activity happening there, but the road has been eroded based on the
activity. What has been laid is
one strip of pavement, basically, right in the middle of the road.
No way is that going to be safe throughout the year.
We need to actually put down pavement, and when we do it that
section of the highway has not been replaced in decades.
Mr.
Speaker, we certainly need to see some investment made in our primary
highways if we are going to retain the tens of thousands of tourists who
travel through, and the commuters who use that highway on a regional basis.
It is something that must happen.
It has to remain a priority.
It is a main highway. We
are not even talking about a trunk road or a side road on any level.
This is the primary artery on the Great Northern Peninsula.
It covers off three districts, Mr. Speaker, that I am talking about
when it comes to servicing transportation needs.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
MR. SPEAKER:
The hon. the Member for
St. John's Centre.
MS ROGERS:
Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
the hon. House of Assembly of the Province of Newfoundland and Labrador in
Parliament assembled, the petition of the undersigned residents of
Newfoundland and Labrador humbly sheweth:
WHEREAS the Family Violence Intervention Court provided a comprehensive
approach to domestic violence in a court setting that fully understood and
dealt with the complex issues of domestic violence; and
WHEREAS domestic violence continues to be one of the most serious issues
facing our Province today, and the cost of the impact of domestic violence
is great both economically and in human suffering; and
WHEREAS the Family Violence Intervention Court was welcomed and endorsed by
all aspects of the Justice system including the police, the courts, the
prosecutors, defence counsel, Child, Youth and Family Services, as well as
victims, offenders, community agencies and women's groups; and
WHEREAS the recidivism rate for offenders going through the court was 10 per
cent compared to 40 per cent for those who did not; and
WHEREAS the budget for the court was only 0.2 per cent of the entire budget
of the Department of Justice;
WHEREUPON the undersigned, your petitioners, humbly pray and call upon the
House of Assembly to urge government to reinstate the Family Violence
Intervention Court.
in duty bound, your petitioners will ever pray.
Mr.
Speaker, I have hundreds of these.
They keep arriving in my office.
People want the court reinstated.
That has been established loudly and clearly.
was interesting to hear the Premier today stand up in the House and say, he
said directly: if I think that the court prevented violence against women
and children, I would have opened it right away.
Mr.
Speaker, we know that it does.
We know that it did. The
recidivism rate was 10 per cent rather than 40 per cent.
That meant that it did reduce violence against women and children.
I do not know why this government is not reinstating the court
immediately. First of all, I do
not know why they closed it.
Obviously, it was a mistake.
When
we look at today, the International Day for the Elimination of Violence
against Women, I cannot help but wonder: is this government more interested
in saving face than they are in saving lives?
Maybe that is what is at play here.
I do not know, because it makes no sense whatsoever for this
government (
a) to have closed the court; and, (
b) not to have reopened it.
They say it was a budgetary consideration.
Then they said it was not serving enough people.
Now no one is getting served.
Mr.
Speaker, it has been almost two years since this court was closed.
How many lives has that affected?
How many lives of women and children who have been victims of
violence have been affected by the closure of this court?
Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker.
SOME HON. MEMBERS:
Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER:
The hon. the Member for
St. Barbe.
MR. J. BENNETT:
Thank you, Mr.
Speaker.
petition to the hon. House of Assembly of the Province of Newfoundland and
Labrador in Parliament assembled, the petition of the undersigned humbly
sheweth:
WHEREAS there is no cellphone service in the Town of Trout River, which is
an enclave community in Gros Morne National Park; and
WHEREAS visitors to Gros Morne National Park, more than 100,000 annually,
expect to communicate by cellphone when they visit the park; and
WHEREAS cellphone service has become a very important aspect of everyday
living for residents; and
WHEREAS cellphone service is an essential safety tool for visitors and
residents; and
WHEREAS cellphone service is essential for business development;
WHEREUPON the undersigned, your petitioners, humbly pray and call upon the
House of Assembly to partner with the private sector to extend cellphone
coverage throughout Gros Morne National Park, and the enclave community of
Trout River
in duty bound, your petitioners will ever pray.
Mr.
Speaker, maybe the government is not as aware, maybe the entire members of
the House are not as aware of where Gros Morne National Park is and the
major financial contribution that it makes to the Province as a whole and
that it is probably the singular, signature attraction in the Province that
people internationally look to visit, more so than many of our other very
fine attractions.
Mr.
Speaker, imagine if you are coming from New York City, Germany, London,
Toronto, anywhere all over the world where people are accustomed to having
cellphone service. You have been
attracted to Gros Morne National Park by the advertising of all of the
amenities, the nice ads that the Province put on, the view that you can see
from the top of Gros Morne, the boat ride through Western Brook Gulch, the
car ride out through Trout River Gulch, the boat ride up through Trout River
Pond, all of these things that tourists can come and see.
You
come and you expect modern, contemporary amenities.
You come here and you find out that for the most
part it really is up
to grade. It really is up to
snuff. There are some very nice
restaurants, world-renowned restaurants in Trout River and Woody Point.
The Writers at Woody Point festival every year, which is only a
handful of kilometres from the Town of Trout River; yet, when you come in to
Gros Morne National Park, the first thing you lose is cellphone service.
Then as you progress from Wiltondale further into the park, the
cellphone service still is not available.
When you come into Bonne Bay there is cellphone service until you get
to Trout River, where there is no cellphone service.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
MR. SPEAKER:
The hon. the Member for
St. John's North.
MR. KIRBY:
Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
the hon. House of Assembly of the Province of Newfoundland and Labrador in
Parliament assembled, the petition of the undersigned residents of
Newfoundland and Labrador humbly sheweth:
WHEREAS oral health is intrinsically linked to overall health and health
care is universally covered in our Province; and
WHEREAS Newfoundlanders and Labradorians have been forced to wait for a year
or longer for much needed oral surgeries; and
WHEREAS residents with emergency cases and others who need oral surgery must
seek medical attention in other provinces; and
WHEREAS the cost of access to oral surgery outside the Province is
prohibitively expensive for many Newfoundlanders and Labradorians; and
WHEREAS the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador covers only 50 per cent
of travel costs and requires a $400 deductible; and
WHEREAS this financial burden and the lack of adequate oral surgery services
in Newfoundland and Labrador is creating a two-tier system within the health
care system;
WHEREUPON the undersigned, your petitioners, humbly pray and call upon the
House of Assembly to urge government to ensure that a more adequate level of
access to specialist primary care based oral surgery and oral surgical
procedures is provided in Newfoundland and Labrador.
further urge government to review the level of financial assistance
currently provided through the Medical Transportation Assistance Program to
residents who leave the Province for oral surgeries.
in duty bound, your petitioners will ever pray.
Mr.
Speaker, we present a lot of petitions in the House of Assembly.
Sometimes government listens, like they did with the school
transportation review, the full-day Kindergarten petition, and a number of
other petitions that Opposition members have presented in the House of
Assembly.
this case, Mr. Speaker, government listened a little bit.
We were happy to see in Budget 2014 rather modest changes I say to
the Member for The Isles of Notre Dame, who is listening very intently over
there. Rather modest changes
were made to the medical transportation assistance act.
Government, in fact, increased the level of assistance to 75 per cent
of expenses over $3,000; but still, when I did contact a constituent of mine
who is the originator of this petition, that really did not help her
situation.
know there are still lots of other people out there who have to go out of
Province. Primarily, they are
going to Halifax, I believe, Mr. Speaker, to have oral surgical procedures
performed and they are paying significant amounts of money out of their own
pocket. It is contrary to the
notion of having a universal health care system, that people have to pay to
that extent.
With
government in its planning stages for the Budget next year, another thing to
make another modest improvement and eventually we will get there.
MR. SPEAKER:
Order, please!
MR. KIRBY:
Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
MR. SPEAKER:
The hon. the Government
House Leader.
MR. KING:
Thank you.
Mr.
Speaker, I move, seconded by the Minister of Education, that we move to
Orders of the Day.
MR. SPEAKER:
The motion is that we
move to Orders of the Day.
All
those in favour, aye'.
SOME HON. MEMBERS:
Aye.
MR. SPEAKER:
All those against, nay'.
Carried.
Orders of the Day
MR. SPEAKER:
The hon. the Government
House Leader.
MR. KING:
Thank you.
Mr.
Speaker, with leave, I would like to introduce a motion regarding the Public
Accounts Committee that I overlooked a little earlier.
MR. SPEAKER:
Does the minister have
leave?
AN HON. MEMBER:
Leave.
MR. SPEAKER:
Leave.
MR. KING:
Thank you.
behalf of the Striking Committee of the House of Assembly, and in accordance
with Standing Order 65(1), I move, seconded by the Minister of Municipal and
Intergovernmental Affairs, that the Member for Grand Falls-Windsor Green
Bay South replace the Member for Lake Melville as a member of the Public
Accounts Committee.
MR. SPEAKER:
Shall the motion pass?
All
those in favour, aye'.
SOME HON. MEMBERS:
Aye.
MR. SPEAKER:
All those against, nay'.
Carried.
The
hon. the Government House Leader.
MR. KING:
Thank you, Mr. Speaker,
and I thank members opposite for leave.
this time I would like to move to Order 2, third reading of a bill,
An Act
To Amend The Revenue Administration Act No. 3, Bill 26.
So moved by me, seconded by the Minister of Municipal and
Intergovernmental Affairs, that the said bill be now read the third time.
MR. SPEAKER:
It is moved and seconded
that the said bill be now read a third time.
it the pleasure of the House to adopt the motion?
All
those in favour, aye'.
SOME HON. MEMBERS:
Aye.
MR. SPEAKER:
All those against, nay'.
Carried.
CLERK:
A bill,
An Act To Amend
The Revenue Administration Act No. 3.
(Bill 26)
MR. SPEAKER:
This bill is now read the
third time and it is ordered that the bill do pass and its title be as on
the Order Paper.
motion, a bill,
An Act To Amend The Revenue Administration Act No. 3, read
a third time, ordered passed and title be as on the Order Paper.
(Bill 26)
MR. SPEAKER:
The hon. the Government
House Leader.
MR. KING:
Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
this time I would like to move to Order 3, second reading of a bill,
An Act
To Regulate Child Care Services, Bill 30.
MR. SPEAKER:
The hon. the Minister of
Education and Early Childhood Development.
SOME HON. MEMBERS:
Hear, hear!
MS SULLIVAN:
Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Mr.
Speaker, I move, seconded by the Minister of Municipal and Intergovernmental
Affairs, Bill 30,
An Act To Regulate Child Care Services.
Mr.
Speaker, I am very pleased to bring this bill to the House of Assembly
today.
MR. SPEAKER:
Order, please!
is moved and seconded that Bill 30 be now read a second time.
All
those in favour, aye'.
SOME HON. MEMBERS:
Aye.
Motion, second reading of a bill,
An Act To Regulate Child Care Services.
(Bill 30).
MR. SPEAKER:
The hon. the Minister of
Education and Early Childhood Development.
MS SULLIVAN:
Thank you very much.
I am
very pleased to bring Bill 30 to the House of Assembly today,
An Act to
Regulate Child Care Services.
The last full review of child care legislation in this Province was more
than fifteen years ago, and I am really happy to introduce a new piece of
legislation today.
The
current Child Care Services Act was proclaimed in 1999.
This new legislation will modernize the current legislation governing
child care services in Newfoundland and Labrador, while ensuring the safety
and protection of our children remains paramount.
Our
government is focused on providing regulated child care services throughout
the Province that are built on three key pillars.
Those pillars are: quality, sufficiency, and affordability.
Those are the building blocks of our 10-Year Child Care Strategy that
we launched in 2013 and which I will outline in a few moments.
believe the most recent development in child care in this Province is the
best place to begin when we are talking about new child care legislation.
On September 30, 2014, our Premier announced the creation of a new
department: the Department of Education and Early Childhood Development.
Premier Davis recognized that the best education systems integrate
early learning activities and the formal education system.
I was privileged to be asked to lead this new department which is
responsible for the complete continuum of learning from infancy through high
school.
this Province, integration of regulated child care services and family
resource centres with education at the governance level to form the new
department will, in turn, enhance service delivery at the community and
grassroots levels through development and implementation of common policies
and procedures.
The
ultimate goal of integration is enhanced service delivery for children and
families that will promote improved outcomes across a variety of indicators.
Focusing on integrated services and enhanced quality early learning
opportunities in a child's formative years, when children's brain
development is most open to learning and growing, will build a stronger
foundation for children's transition to school, for lifelong learning, and
career development, which in turn is vital for a sustainable economic future
for this Province.
Our
government has been recognized and applauded in the media for this move.
Kathy LeGrow, Chair of the Pratt Foundation, a foundation based in
St. John's that advocates for early childhood programming, said, This is a
critical step to enhancing early childhood education and care (ECE) in our
province.
She
went on to say, Integrating early child education into the Department of
Education is significant because it streamlines program planning and
delivery but, more importantly, it legitimizes the early years as being
critical to education and human development.
It affords the sharing of information among educators.
It ensures a continuum of learning, and it provides smooth
transitions between each learning stage.
The Pratt Foundation also recognized our commitment to full-day
Kindergarten, citing both as commendable steps.
Through the creation of my new department, our government's commitment to
creating a child care system that provides quality, accessible, and
affordable regulated child care spaces to parents with young children
throughout Newfoundland and Labrador has never been clearer.
In February 2013, our government officially launched the 10-Year
Child Care Strategy, Caring for our Future: Provincial Strategy for Quality,
Sufficient and Affordable Child Care in Newfoundland and Labrador.
Caring for our Future presents a vision for a planned systematic approach
for the growth and enhancement of regulated child care services throughout
the Province from 2012 through to 2022.
The strategy builds on, as I mentioned earlier, three key pillars and
those are: quality, sufficiency, and affordability.
These pillars help to ensure that parents who choose regulated child
care in Newfoundland and Labrador will have access to high-quality,
affordable services.
are currently in year three of our strategy and our government has
implemented or continued many initiatives under the strategy such as Child
Care Capacity Initiative, which supports community and not-for-profit groups
to promote space creation in under-serviced areas.
As well, the new early childhood education post-secondary program
standards which allow students to achieve Level I certification after
successful completion of year one of the two-year diploma program, and
revised Early Learning and Child Care Supplement for early childhood
educators working in licensed child care centres based on positions held in
addition to qualifications.
These initiatives, Mr. Speaker, lauded by early childhood educators, coupled
with the outstanding array of existing programs and services from birth,
aimed at supporting child development, supporting and engaging families, and
enhancing the transition to school illustrate our commitment to our children
and our families.
Services and programs include regulated child care.
As of June 20, 2014 we had 7,815 regulated child care spaces
throughout the Province, which is almost a 70 per cent increase since 2003.
From birth to age three, in terms of early childhood learning
initiatives, we have programs such as early literacy programming through
partnership with public libraries; we have parent resource kits through
child health clinics; and if you have been watching TV or listening to the
radio at all, you would have noticed the Power of Play promotional campaign
focusing on the importance of play for children's learning and development.
Mr.
Speaker, we also have the KinderStart program, which provides a transition
to school programs for four-year-olds.
With the provincial government investment of $30.6 million, we will
see the implementation of full-day Kindergarten in September of 2016.
We have family resource centres which government funds and which help
to provide play groups, parenting support, and healthy baby clubs.
are by no means done, Mr. Speaker.
We have other upcoming initiatives which we committed to in our
ten-year strategy. They include
and these will be specific initiatives around which I will give additional
information in the coming weeks as we roll out these two new programs, the
first of which is a voluntary operating grant program which will provide
operational funding to child care centres choosing to become involved.
It will require those centres to meet specific accountability
criteria, including the setting of child care rates at provincial daily
subsidy rates, and a Web-based child care registry which will provide
parents with an effective way to find regulated care and make available
improved data to determine supply and demand of child care spaces.
Quality programming in both centre-based and family child care is
fundamental to an effective system of regulated child care.
The program must be supported through an appropriate legislative
framework, which is why a legislative review is a key component of this
strategy, and why we are here today to introduce Bill 30,
An Act to Regulate
Child Care Services.
The
Government of Newfoundland and Labrador regulates child care services
through the Child Care Services Act and Regulations which establishes
health, safety, and program standards.
Provincial government officials are responsible for monitoring and
enforcing compliance with the legislation and regulations.
The act and regulations were reviewed with a focus on ensuring
positive practices are used when providing child care services throughout
Newfoundland and Labrador.
This
new bill is proposed based on extensive public consultation and the review
of academic research and jurisdictional analysis.
The first round of consultations provided the general public, key
stakeholders, and representatives of the child care sector with an
opportunity to share their thoughts and perspectives on the current child
care legislation and regulations, and to discuss changes required to ensure
a strong framework for the healthy growth and development of children in the
child care sector in Newfoundland and Labrador.
Focus groups were held in June 2013 and written submissions and feedback was
encouraged from the general public.
A total of seventeen written submissions were received through this
process. Focus group sessions
were held in St. John's, Corner Brook, Grand Falls-Windsor, and Happy
Valley-Goose Bay. A
cross-section of stakeholders were invited to these sessions representing
owners and operators of small and large child care centres, early childhood
educators working in both centre-based and family-based child care, parents,
and organizations related to the child care sector.
A follow-up focus group was help with stakeholder organizations and
key individuals in October 2013 to provide more discussion time around
issues raised at the public consultations.
Mr.
Speaker, this morning I had the pleasure of participating in a news
conference with the President of AECENL AECENL is the Association of Early
Childhood Educators of Newfoundland and Labrador.
The president of that organization sat with me at the table.
When asked questions around this particular act and this new piece of
legislation, one of her comments among many that were exceptionally
positive around this act was that she was so happy to see that (
a) government had consulted but, more importantly, that government had listened
to what was said through those stakeholder consultations, Mr. Speaker.
SOME HON. MEMBERS:
Hear, hear!
MS SULLIVAN:
Mr. Speaker, we are very
proud to have the support of AECENL as we bring forward this new act here in
the House of Assembly.
Recommended changes were also discussed with other government departments in
an interdepartmental focus group, which included Advanced Education and
Skills, Intergovernmental Affairs, Labrador and Aboriginal Affairs, Health
and Community Services, and Education and Early Childhood Development.
second round of consultations intended to build on the preliminary round of
targeted consultations occurred in January and February past.
Those consultations specifically encouraged parents to participate.
Focus groups there were held in Corner Brook, Gander, Happy
Valley-Goose Bay, and St. John's, with a primary focus on parents.
We listened to the feedback we received through those extensive
consultation processes.
What
you will see in the key changes here are the culmination of recommendations
that came from our stakeholders, that came from the people who worked with
our children, that came from the parents of those particular children, that
came as well from departments like Health and Community Services, and that
came from jurisdictional scans across this country.
As a result, the new bill has been restructured and modernized to
reflect current knowledge in the child care field, streamline policies and
processes, and to provide flexibility for licensees and transparency.
So,
what I would like to do now is to outline briefly the six changes that we
are proposing in this bill. The
first one has to do with exemptions to licensing.
Exemptions to licensing have been clarified and strengthened by
stronger
definitions of what a child care service is and what a child care
service provider is and, of course, what they are not.
The clarity will result in consistent
interpretation of the need for
a service to be licensed.
Again, Mr. Speaker, I would like to remind those at home and those in the
House who are paying attention, these particular changes came to us based on
what our consultations told us, based on what we learned from studying
literature, based on what we have seen happening successfully in other
jurisdictions.
the current act, exemptions have been opened to broad
interpretation which
resulted in inconsistency for licensing.
The
definitions of a child care service and a child care service
provider have been clarified and strengthened in the proposed bill.
In each of these
definitions, specific exemptions are included
related to the definition.
Firstly, a child care service means an activity or other arrangement that
provides temporary care or supervision of a child, but it does not include
KinderStart, which is offered by the Department of Education and Early
Childhood Development. It does
not include artistic instruction, tutoring, or sports for children who are
enrolled full-time in school. It
does not include day camps offered during school breaks for children who are
enrolled full-time in school.
child care service provider means a person who or an organization that
operates a child care service, but it does not include schools operating
under the Schools Act, 1997. It
does not include hospitals that provide child care services, playrooms, and
school to in-patient children.
It does not include parents and relatives providing child care to a child
who is related to them. It does
not include a nanny hired to provide child care in the child's home.
Unregulated child care remains unchanged at a maximum of four children, with
no more than two children of the four under age two, or if there are three
children under two, they are limited to that number.
They are exempt under regulations.
All other jurisdictions have exemption clauses and the exemptions we
are proposing are similar in scope to other jurisdictions across this
country.
The
second change, Mr. Speaker, is focused on a capacity limit on the licence.
It will remove the current cap set on child care centre licences.
Licences in this Province are currently limited to a maximum of sixty
spaces. This limits the
flexibility of a licensee to determine the scope of their service.
Our change will allow providers more flexibility and reduce
redundancies, while not impacting the safety of children or the quality of
the service they receive.
Again, Mr. Speaker, I would like to remind those listening, that these
changes have come to us through our stakeholder consultations and through
best practices that we have researched and informed ourselves on.
What is most important to us in all of these changes, and is
particularly important to us in terms of the capacity limit on a licence, is
the quality of service to our children.
Quality of service is determined by a number of factors, otherwise known as
the iron triangle of quality: the three iron sides of the triangle of
quality, iron meaning that we are not moving on these.
We are steadfast in these particular factors.
The three sides of that triangle are staff-child ratio, maximum group
size in a homeroom, and staff qualifications.
There are also requirements for the amount of indoor and outdoor
space per child which ensure quality.
The new act does not change any of those factors.
Our staff-to-child ratio and the maximum group size will remain the
same, and the amount of indoor and outdoor space per child will be
unchanged.
well as committed to in the Caring For Our Future strategy, a new trainee
certification level for child care staff will be introduced, replacing the
current entry level certification.
Our requirements in these areas are within recommended guidelines in
research and best practice, including the guidelines recommended by the
National Association for the Education of Young Children.
However, the current capacity limit impacts the ability of licensees
to determine the scope of their services.
Let
me perhaps illustrate this best by giving a couple of examples.
If you have a building with five rooms of sufficient size to
accommodate sixteen preschool-aged children, you would need to be licensed
for eighteen spaces. However,
under the current act this is not possible.
second example. If a licensee
wished to offer a child care service for children from birth through to age
thirteen with one homeroom for each age group, then you would require five
homerooms. They would need
eighty-six spaces. That would be
six infants, ten toddlers, sixteen pre-schoolers, twenty-four kinder care,
and thirty after school. Again,
this is not possible in the current act.
There are currently child care owners in the Province with more than sixty
children in one building, through holding more than one licence in that same
building. For example, the
Campus Childcare at MUN has four licences for 191 spaces.
Little People's Workshop on Mundy Pond Road has three licences for
102 spaces. Kidcorp on Ricketts
Road has two licences for 113 spaces.
This
situation imposes redundancies on the service providers, and red tape such
as more than one application and renewal process being required,
difficulties transitioning children from one age group to another, where the
next age group is under a different licence and often located in a different
place, Mr. Speaker. That is one
of the pieces that we heard loudly from our parent groups in particular.
you have two children and you are transitioning them, or even if you have
one child and you are transitioning from one age group to another, and you
actually have to take them out of one building and bring them to somewhere
else in your town or city, that is often very disruptive to the child and
certainly to the parent, Mr. Speaker.
If we can manage to have a number of different homerooms co-located
in one building, while still ensuring quality through those child-staff
ratios, through the quality and the qualifications of the early childhood
educators, and through the space requirements being met, then everyone is
better served.
Most
provincial and territorial jurisdictions in Canada do not limit the capacity
of a licence. Removing the
capacity limit on a licence will not impact and I am going to say it
again, it will not impact the quality of care that the child receives.
In fact, the child and parent may not even notice the change, but
licensees will get more flexibility as they provide care.
The
third change in this act, Mr. Speaker, has to do with an appeal process.
It will see a process for licensing decisions being defined.
The current Child Care Services Act does not have a defined appeal
process. Adding an appeal
process provides transparency.
Currently, there is no defined appeal process for a licensing decision, such
as refusal to issue or renew a licence, or a decision to issue a violation
order. Defining an appeal
process gives transparency to the process and it outlines obligations and
expectations for both parties.
The
proposed appeal process is similar to other provincial legislation.
Currently, eight of the provinces and territories describe an appeal
process in their child care legislation, including New Brunswick and Prince
Edward Island.
the current act, the provincial director must be appointed by the Lieutenant
Governor in Council. Our fourth
key change in the new act allows the minister to appoint the provincial
director. Public service
competition would still apply, as the appointee would be a provincial
government employee. This change
will not impact service delivery and will bring this legislation in line
with other provincial legislation which speaks to the appointment of a
provincial director.
Change number five will improve the transparency and accountability of the
inspection process. The new act
requires that a manager is not to be appointed as an inspector.
This safeguards the inspection process by separating the inspection
from the person receiving the inspection report and making decisions based
on those inspections. This
change, I am sure all my hon. colleagues will agree, just makes good sense
and it ensures accountability which is paramount when dealing with our
children.
Finally, the sixth change in this new act concerns the statutory review
bringing this act in line with most recent provincial legislation.
A review of the legislation is required every five years.
This review must include public consultation which supports
transparency.
You
will recall that when I started speaking, Mr. Speaker, I said this was the
first time in fifteen years that we reviewed the act.
So bringing in the statutory review to ensure a review every five
years has been applauded and will be welcomed by all groups and all
stakeholders.
This
act introduces six key changes that will help modernize our legislation and
bring it in line with best practices throughout the country with a clear
focus on providing safe quality care to our children.
Our government recognizes the importance of providing that care,
which supports the healthy growth and development of children and their
families.
Research over the past ten years has underscored the importance of the early
years in terms of brain development and the lasting effects that early
experiences have on children's later success.
Quality early learning and child care is provided by qualified staff
in properly established environments, including regulated child care centres
and family child care homes which promote early learning using
well-researched, positive practices.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I will
take my seat now and I look forward to a very healthy debate here this
afternoon on this legislation.
Through the course of the debate, I am sure I will be asked to answer
several questions from members on the other side of the House.
I will certainly be happy to do that.
Again, in terms of this legislation, our overall goal is to
modernize, to strengthen, and to clarify this current legislation, Mr.
Speaker.
Thank you very much for the time.
SOME HON. MEMBERS:
Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER (Littlejohn):
The hon. the
Member for St. John's North.
MR. KIRBY:
Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
is a pleasure for me to get up and speak to Bill 30,
An Act to Regulate
Child Care Services. We have had
quite a lot of discussion and debate about the provision of early learning
and child care in Newfoundland and Labrador and how we relate to other
jurisdictions and what is happening on the international scene.
We have had quite a lot of discussion and debate about that since I
first was elected in 2011.
is good to have an opportunity to address some of the issues, to respond to
some of the things the minister has said, and to discuss some of the things
that are in the legislation and then some of the things that we would have
liked to have seen in the legislation and maybe, if it not too late, we
could see some of those things changed even.
When
the minister stood up, initially she spoke about the recent report that was
issued by the Pratt Foundation.
The Jimmy Pratt Foundation is a local group that was founded to bring issues
associated with early learning and child care to the fore, and to make sure
that early learning and child care was an issue for the current government
but also to ensure that it is going to be an issue in the next election
campaign, which we all know is more or less around the corner.
The
Pratt Foundation really started to gather steam around this time in 2011.
That is when the Atkinson Foundation, based out of Toronto, issued
the report that the minister referenced and we have discussed a number of
times. That report has a
checklist and they issued a revised checklist this year, which the minister
talked about because she was talking about how the Pratt Foundation
complimented government on improving government standing.
Now,
there was an improved standing in that, but it is not really all what we are
led to believe because in the 2011 report, the Province of Newfoundland and
Labrador received a 1.5 out of I am not sure what it was
MS SULLIVAN:
Fifteen.
MR. KIRBY:
I think it is more than
fifteen. Yes, it is certainly
more than fifteen, I say to the minister.
I think it is actually
MS SULLIVAN:
Fifteen.
MR. KIRBY:
nineteen, I say to the
minister because Quebec would have had oh, it is fifteen.
I apologize for that; you are right.
The minister is right, Mr. Speaker.
I apologize for that. The
minister is absolutely right; it is fifteen.
SOME HON. MEMBERS:
Hear, hear!
MR. KIRBY:
In any case, I draw the
minister's attention to two areas in the ranking in the metric because in
2011 we received overall 1.5 out of fifteen.
This year, three years later, we received six out of fifteen.
We still have a total of zero in the
area of funding. We still have a
total of zero in the area of access.
the minister knows, within the ranking there are three areas under funding.
One is at least two-thirds of child care funding goes to program
operations. So, we have a zero
again this year, as we did in 2011.
The next one is that there is a mandated salary and fee scale.
That one we got a zero on again this year.
The third one is at least 3 per cent of the budget is devoted to
early childhood education and we have a zero on that.
So, we still have a zero out of three in the area of funding.
The
other one in access of course, that is the affordability angle.
It is whether you can afford child care or not and whether you can
access it or not. In the area of
access, one was that full-day Kindergarten is offered.
We have a zero in that, but we do know, as the minister said;
government has announced that in 2016 they are going to introduce full-day
kindergarten.
we have already discussed, that may very well involve classes in temporary
portable classrooms and a variety of other learning spaces and facilities
and school areas that are not currently designated for learning, so gyms,
cafeterias, art rooms, science labs, and music rooms.
I say to the minister, I have heard from a number of different
teachers and administrators in schools across the Province of Newfoundland
and Labrador who have had officials in from the Newfoundland and Labrador
that is a good spot to put two classes of Kindergartens; that cafeteria,
that is a good spot to put three classes of Kindergartens; and that learning
resources centre or that school library is a good spot to put a number of
classes. So that is going on.
MR. LANE:
They must have adopted
the Mount Pearl model.
MR. KIRBY:
My colleague, the Member
for Mount Pearl South, he calls that the Mount Pearl model, where you take
spaces and classes in learning spaces in schools and turn them into
something other than what they were initially designed for.
In any case, the next time this is done, three years from now, please
God, we are actually going to see a one in there and not a zero.
There are two other areas, Mr. Speaker, and I will not belabour this, but 50
per cent under access of two to four-year-olds regularly attend an ECE
program. So we do not have that
right now, and that is a structured learning program.
We have a zero in that this year, and
then the final one under here in funding is conditional on including
children with special needs.
This is really important, so remember that I said that.
I am going to come back to that later on, because it is extremely
important as it relates to what the minister was talking about, their
commitment to a ten-year child care program.
So, I am going to come back to that.
the area of funding and in the area of access, whether you can afford child
care and whether you can regularly access child care, those areas in the
report that was done this year, we still got a zero a zero out of three,
and a zero out of three. We are
still at a zero, but full-day Kindergarten is going to change that, we hope.
Now,
there are a number of other areas, but I do not want to use up any more of
my time on that because I think I have said enough about that.
That is the early year's three report and the update to that that
came this year.
Again, if I have not said it, I just want to say congratulations and thank
you to Kathy LeGrow and Dr. David Philpott with the Jimmy Pratt Foundation
because they have been doing a phenomenal job.
In the last year, I have gone to, I believe, four different events
where they have had a keynote speaker from somewhere else in Canada or
somewhere else in the world to come in and talk about different aspects of
early learning.
know the minister's office has provided great help, and the Minister of
Child, Youth and Family Services office has been a great help in ensuring
that all sorts of people across the broad spectrum of child care and early
learning, people in our communities are able to access those meetings and
events, and keynote speakers, and to learn from national and international
experts on this stuff. It is
extremely important.
When
the minister said, I believe it was last week, or I think it was the day we
were talking about: Oops, we fooled up calling the two by-elections act.
I do not think it was called that, but it was the amendment to.
The minister said during that week, in any case, that this government
did have an aggressive legislative agenda and part of this government's
aggressive agenda was to introduce this particular act.
was thinking to myself that ideally this piece of legislation would do a
variety of different things, as it does in other provinces in Canada.
It would foster the learning, development, health, and well-being of
children and enhance their safety.
It would make sure we have an enriched learning environment where
children can develop and learn, that their health and well-being is looked
out for and they are provided with a safe environment for that to happen so
we do not have to worry about accidents and these sorts of things.
That it would also provide a framework for the regulation of child
care. In part, this does do that
to some extent, but there is still a lot that is in regulation and not
necessarily in the legislation.
should also provide a framework for the operation of early learning and
child care programs and services, a framework for operating child care
centres, home-based child care, and delivering those services to our kids;
also, to establish a system of licensing and compliance for early learning
and child care programs and services, a process for licensing them; also,
for ensuring the rules that go along with licensing are adhered to and
complied with, and that we have people who carry out that function, much in
the same way Occupational Health and Safety is achieved through officers who
deal with compliance and so on, which I will speak to a little later on.
should also set out, as far as I am concerned, Mr. Speaker and based on
what we have heard from the minister, I cannot see how she would disagree.
It should set out really the basic requirements for funding and for
resourcing of early learning and child care programs and services.
Also, it should help to guide parents and guardians of children to
enable them to evaluate early learning and care programs, and to make
choices about which programs are appropriate for them, which work best for
them, which provide the best learning environment, which foster development,
which provide for health and well-being of their children, and provide a
safe learning environment for their children to develop.
They
should also reflect our increased understanding of child development.
As the Atkinson Foundation has shown, as the Jimmy Pratt Foundation
has shown in all those reports, all those talks, keynote speakers and events
we have all attended over the past year, we know that our understanding of
child development has really changed significantly over the past decade.
should also improve government's ability to evaluate the effectiveness of
early learning and child care programs so we can really see all those
investments that the minister talked about, and the ones that she has
promised, not just here in the House of Assembly today, but has been
promised by her predecessor.
Also, the things she addressed in her press conference this morning where
she announced these amendments to the Child Care Services Act.
This
piece of legislation ideally should also detail the supports and the help
that would co-ordinate planning and policy development as it relates to
early learning and child care programs and services.
That is really an overview of what I think we should be able to
achieve.
you look, if you have a cursory examination of the other legislation,
whether that is in British Columbia, or in Alberta, or in Ontario, or in I
know the Member for Exploits is listening intently.
I say to the Member for Exploits, I will not list all the provinces
but you know what I am saying.
It is more or less best practices as we have heard here in the House of
Assembly on many different occasions.
We certainly do not need to reinvent the wheel.
Many
provinces are ahead of us and we look to those reports, the Early Years 3
and the update that was provided this year.
Last year we were last; this year we are second to last.
We know there are a lot of provinces in Canada that have a lot of
legislation and regulations in this area that we can learn from.
get more into the bill, Mr. Speaker and I am just noting my time is
ticking away here really, what is going on here, rather than simply amend
this act, we were told at the briefing that the minister's staff kindly
provided to us the other day, we were told that rather than amending the
current act, Legislative Counsel recommended that the best thing to do would
be to just repeal the existing act and replace it with the one we have
before us in the form of Bill 30.
The
minister said it has been fifteen years since that previous piece of
legislation was introduced. So
this is the first major overhaul.
There have been a series of amendments that have been made over time,
over the course of that fifteen years because if there were not, the first
thing you would say, Mr. Speaker, is well, what has the government been
doing in the eleven or so years they have been in power?
They have done a few minor things, as the minister will readily
admit. They have not entirely
ignored the legislation, but this is really meant to replace what was there
before.
you can imagine, when you are amending legislation in a piecemeal manner
over a decade, really you end up with hodgepodge changes, languages are not
consistent, and so on.
Legislative Counsel is able to provide guidance in how to craft a bill and
make sure the legislation reads consistently and so on and all the
definitions are adhered to, there is no redundancy or duplication, which
really complicates people's understanding of the legislation.
Prior to this, child care centres and family regulated child care homes were
regulated and were compelled to operate in accordance with the Child Care
Services Regulations 2005 and within the confines of the Child Care Services
Act. I will not go into detail
on that because it is a relatively comprehensive piece of legislation
itself. The last amendment that
was made to this was actually in 2005, so it has been almost ten years since
we have seen any substantive changes to this.
February, 2013, as the minister pointed out, this government introduced a
10-Year Child Care Strategy they called Caring For Our Future, a provincial
strategy for quality, sufficient, and affordable child care in Newfoundland
and Labrador. I have often
remarked that is in some ways like a grandchild care plan because so many
children will age out of the system and will not qualify for what this
government intends to have in place after the full ten years is through.
For
example, my son was born in May of 2011; he is three and a half now.
You imagine that you add another nine years on top of that; by the
time we get to the end of the road on this he will not qualify for many of
the things that the minister has indicated.
The
review of the act, we understand, was done in consultation with experts in
the field. I think the minister
said they consulted the academic research.
I did not hear the minister say whether or not they had actually gone
to the Pratt Foundation and asked them to review the legislation.
I am not certain that the experts we have at Memorial University of
Newfoundland and also those who are experts in the area of early childhood
education at the College of the North Atlantic because we do have quite a
good child care facility here in the city that is affiliated with the
College of the North Atlantic and also one at a Corner Brook campus of the
College of the North Atlantic.
have significant programs, expertise, human resources, and people with the
know-how in the area of early learning and care that provide those programs
and services and also are training the next generation of early childhood
educators. I was not entirely
certain of whether all of those folks had been consulted, although there was
some indication that there were a number of rounds of consultations that had
been carried out so far.
I do
understand, although the minister might want to clarify this at some point
as well, that the old act, the old piece of legislation, that would be the
Child Care Services Act, is going to remain in force until the new piece of
legislation comes fully into force.
One
of the things I think that has been done again, as I said yesterday and a
number of other days, I am certainly the first one to compliment government
and to point out when things are done right.
As the Premier said in Question Period today and the minister also
said when she was up giving her speech, one of the things the government has
done quite recently is moved child care in with early learning in the
Department of Education to form the new Department of Education and Early
Childhood Development of which the minister is responsible and, of course,
that is an extremely important move.
That
is something the Atkinson Foundation, the Jimmy Pratt Foundation, experts in
early learning and care in Newfoundland and Labrador and all across the
country have been calling for for some time.
Now, it was not exactly the hardest thing in the world to do; it was
probably one of the easiest things you could have done in that metrics.
was interesting, one day I was preparing to come down to ask the minister a
question in Question Period and I noted that the child care business of
government, if you will, I believe is still under the Minister of Child,
Youth and Family Services Web site.
Then I panicked. I
actually had to call the Minister of Education and Early Childhood
Development's department and confirm that the child care stuff is still
under the Minister of Child, Youth and Family Services Web site and that I
was not wrong. I was going to
suggest to the Member for St. Barbe, who is the critic for Child, Youth and
Family Services, that he had his facts wrong and he was going to ask that
question in Question Period, but it did not turn out that way in any case.
I digress frequently, Mr. Speaker.
That
was a good move. We all
applauded that. We all asked for
that. As I said in debate
before, I do not think anybody would disagree with that.
June 2013, there were a number of focus groups held by government on a
regional basis. There was a
discussion guide put on the Web site by government about this, to ask people
what they thought. That is an
important public engagement process that was undertaken.
There were additional regional roundtables or focus groups held as
well. There was also an attempt
made to reach out to parents, which is extremely important.
One
day, I went down to take my own child to child care I drop my son off
every morning and I was invited to participate in one of those roundtables
myself. I did not, but I did
have the opportunity and I was pleased to see that everybody at my son's
child care centre was invited to participate in that because it is really
important. Parents have things
that they want to raise, all sorts of issues.
had a constituent approach me recently for clarification around a number of
different issues she is facing with a home-based child care centre in my
district, located in Kenmount Terrace.
That is a subdivision off Kenmount Road.
had to go to the minister's office to try to get clarification on some of
those issues; they range from ratios to qualifications and substitutes and
all those sort of things that will happen when we are dealing with early
childhood educators. Because in
a lot of instances early childhood educators are women it is a
female-dominated field a lot of people having their own children
themselves and need to take time away from providing child care and have a
substitute come in then when those sorts of things happen.
So, it is extremely complicated and that is why we need solid
legislation and decent, comprehensive legislation to cover a lot of these
things.
are told that the legislation we have before us today in the form of Bill 30
is intended to modernize and strengthen the legislation.
It is also intended to streamline policies and processes.
The
minister talked about there being a limitation previously on a licence.
So, previously a licence would cover sixty children.
That did not mean the child care centre was limited to sixty children
because when they met that, they would merely issue another licence.
In some cases, one child care would have to apply for multiple
licences. I am not really sure,
but that sounds like multiple fees to me.
I am not sure if those were waived or what happened, but it just
creates more red tape, more bureaucracy, and makes it more