March

24, 2010 HOUSE OF ASSEMBLY PROCEEDINGS Vol.

XLVI No. 3

The House met at 2:00 p.m.

MR. SPEAKER (Fitzgerald): Order, please!

Admit strangers.

Today the Chair would like to welcome some special guests - a special welcome

to Chief Joe Browne of the Royal Newfoundland Constabulary, who is accompanied

by his family and present in the Speaker's gallery.

Welcome to the House of Assembly.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER: The Speaker would also like to welcome some representatives

of various multicultural groups from all around the Province including: the

Association of New Canadians; Friends of India; Sharing Our Cultures; and

others.

Welcome to the House of Assembly.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

Statements by Members

MR. SPEAKER: The following members' statements will be heard: the hon.

the Member for the District of Baie Verte-Springdale; the hon. the Member for

the District of Cartwright-L'Anse au Clair; the hon. the Member for the District

of Lewisporte; and the hon. the Member for the District of Humber Valley.

The hon. the Member for the District of Baie Verte-Springdale.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. POLLARD: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I rise in this hon. House today to convey congratulatory messages to the

following: first, to the Springdale

Under-20 Female Hockey team , who captured the gold medal at the Provincial D

Championships on the weekend of March 12 to March 14; secondly, to the Under-15

Female Hockey team, also from Springdale, they captured the gold medal at the

Provincial B Championships held in Marystown on the same weekend.

Both teams are to be acknowledged for their outstanding display of skill,

determination and sportsmanship for the entire weekend! In addition, coaches

Tanya Warford, Dave Edison and Robert Bouzane are to be commended for their

dedication and hard work in preparing their teams.

Finally, the Springdale District Minor Hockey Association also is to be

applauded for their outstanding leadership and commitment to the growth of

female hockey in the area. Investing countless hours of volunteer time in our

youth is greatly appreciated and is reaping positive dividends.

Mr. Speaker, I ask all hon. colleagues to join me in offering congratulations

and many more successes to everyone involved.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Member for the District of Cartwright-L'Anse au

Clair.

MS JONES: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, as a follow up to yesterday's statement on the 2010 Labrador

Winter Games, I rise again today to congratulate the athletes from the

communities of Charlottetown and Pinsent's Arm on sharing the win of the Most

Spirited Team award and to recognize several game record breakers.

Mr. Speaker, the teams from Charlottetown and Pinsent's Arm, along with their

co-ordinators, Ida Powell and Matilda Martin, are to be commended for their

enthusiasm and appreciation for these games. They are certainly instilling a

greater sense of pride in people across Labrador. This kind of overall spirit

will be a huge motivator for our young people to participate ensuring the

continued success of our beloved Winter Games in Labrador.

I would also like to recognize several individuals who set new records in

various sports. Stephanie Sooley from Mary's Harbour set a new record in the

Hurdles event of the Northern Games sport. She completed 130 hurdles breaking

the old record of ninety-eight. Sarah Sooley of Port Hope Simpson also set a new

record in the High Kick event of the Northern Games sport. She kicked a height

of six feet and eight inches, breaking the old record of six feet and seven

inches. Brad Rumbolt of Mary's Harbour set a new record in the Labrathon. His

winning time of fourteen minutes and five seconds broke the old record of

fifteen minutes and thirty-six seconds. Also, a new record set in the gruelling

Northern Triathlon by Rick Kennedy of Happy Valley-Goose Bay. He beat the old

record of forty-seven minutes and forty-five seconds by over five minutes with a

time of forty-two minutes and three seconds.

Mr. Speaker, I ask all members in this House to join me in congratulating the

athletes and teams from Charlottetown and Pinsent's Arm, as well as recognizing

and congratulating the individual Labrador Winter Games record breakers for

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Member for the District of Lewisporte.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. VERGE: Mr. Speaker, I rise today in this House to recognize a

resident of Boyd's Cove, Mr. Bertram Burry.

Bertram was born in Boyd's Cove in 1944. Shortly after his birth, Bertram's

mother passed away with tuberculosis at the age of twenty-four. Bertram had

virtually no memory of his mother until recently he acquired a picture of her

taken nearly 100 years ago during the launching in Boyd's Cove of a two masted

schooner, The Margaret Rose .

It turns out The Margaret Rose was built by Bertram's

great-grandmother's brother, master shipbuilder Joseph Newman in Boyd's Cove in

the early 1900s. Inspired by the picture of his mother and with help from family

and friends, Bertram undertook to build an exact replica of The Margaret Rose .

It took six months of hard labour for Bertram with help from his brothers,

Harvey and Israel and also from his Uncle Pat, to produce an eight-foot two inch

replica of The Margaret Rose . Bertram hopes to have the boat permanently

displayed for all to see down at Newman's Point in Boyd's Cove, the place where

the original The Margaret Rose was built.

In completing this labour of love, Mr. Burry provided his family, the Town of

Boyd's Cove and the whole area with valuable information of historical

importance, of cultural significance that has highlighted the boatbuilding

skills of our ancestors.

Members of this House, please join me in recognizing and thanking Mr. Bertram

Burry and his family for the history lesson and for the awareness that has

resulted from this labour of love.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Member for the District of Humber Valley.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. KELLY: Mr. Speaker, it gives me great pleasure to rise in this hon.

House today and formally recognize two outstanding volunteers in my district.

Eric and Arthur Reid were recently recognized for thirty-five years each of

dedicated service to the volunteer fire department in Reidville.

Mr. Speaker, both Eric and Arthur Reid are to be commended for this

outstanding volunteer service to the residents of Reidville. Over the years,

they served their fire department with distinction and provided valuable

services to their community.

Mr. Speaker, our Province has approximately 6,500 firefighters, of which

approximately 6,000 are volunteers. These firefighters not only volunteer their

time, but potentially they put themselves in harm's way, but they make a

commitment to receive ongoing training, and often they use their own holidays

for training purposes.

Mr. Speaker, I was so proud to be present in the community centre in

Reidville when both Eric and Arthur received their thirty-five-year awards.

Thirty-five years is a long commitment, and for most it represents an entire

career.

Mr. Speaker, I ask all members of this hon. House to join me in recognizing

the outstanding services provided to the municipality of Reidville by volunteers

Eric and Arthur Reid.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER: Statements by Ministers.

Statements by Ministers

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Premier.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

PREMIER WILLIAMS: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize an outstanding individual, an amazing

police officer and an exemplary Chief of Police.

On March 17, 2006, Joseph F. Browne became the nineteenth Chief of the Royal

Newfoundland Constabulary. Having begun his career in April 1983, he quickly

gained a reputation for being a thorough and thoughtful member of the Royal

Newfoundland Constabulary. He has received the ranks of lieutenant, inspector,

and in 2001 became deputy chief of operations.

During his illustrious career he has served on patrol, he served with the

criminal investigation division, accident investigations, and communications and

community services. His vast experience and proven leadership capability served

him well and served us well during his tenure as Chief of Police. Indeed, Chief

Browne was recognized in 2007 when he was given the honour of being made a

Member of the Order of Merit of the Police Forces.

Mr. Speaker, our government has made a significant investment into the Royal

Newfoundland Constabulary, particularly during Chief Browne's tenure. A few

short years ago this under-funded and morally under-supported police force was

facing serious difficulties. Our government recognized the needs, and we also

recognized that as we become a more affluent society we must ensure that our law

enforcement officers have the resources necessary to do their jobs.

So, since 2004 we have invested heavily in the RNC, including the initiation

of the Police Recruit Training Program, which placed an additional eighty-four

police officers on our streets. We have also increased the RNC budget by

approximately $18 million, along with a multitude of other initiatives.

No doubt, from the increase of women in the force to the improvement of

operations, positive change in the RNC is evident. Most importantly, there is a

re-established pride, both within the force and within the people of

Newfoundland and Labrador who its members serve. Chief

Browne, and indeed his entire leadership team, deserves much credit for this

change. He has instilled pride into each new member of the RNC and he has

reinvigorated the pride of RNC veterans.

Leadership is critically important to the success of every organization. As a

career-long member of the force who truly appreciated their history and also had

a vision for their future, Joe Browne's passion was evident every single day he

went to work. His hard work and dedication has inspired both those who serve him

and those whom he serves.

Mr. Speaker, as Chief Browne prepares for a new

chapter in his life, I want

him to know and we want him to know that as a result of his leadership the Royal

Newfoundland Constabulary is a much improved police force. It has indeed been a

pleasure to work with Chief Browne during his tenure, and on behalf of our

government and the people of Newfoundland and

Labrador , I thank him for his service and offer both him and

his family our sincerest best wishes for his future endeavours.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

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

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

We in the Opposition would also like to take this opportunity to thank and

pay tribute to Chief Browne. I guess everyone recognized his skills and his

potential many years ago. I had the honour, when I was Minister of Justice, of

appointing him as Deputy Chief back in 2001, and everybody certainly recognized

his skills at that time as well. He has overseen a lot of massive changes to the

RNC. For example, we had the Lamier Inquiry which made some pretty serious types

of issues for the RNC and required changes, and he has overseen those and he has

overseen them in fine style.

It is great to see as well, of course, the funding that government has

provided to the RNC in recent years to make sure that he had the resources to do

what needed to be done, particularly the training program that we now see at

Memorial. He was instrumental in seeing that that was started and it became a

great program here so we do not have to look to outside centres to train our men

and women to be members of the RNC here. He has been known to be a very

intelligent person, an amicable person, who has no doubt done great work in

improving the morale of the RNC. He is also known to be a person of great work

ethic and great leadership skills. I do not think we have heard the last of Joe

Browne, and with that, sir, we wish you all the best in your future endeavours.

Thank you.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Member for the District of Signal Hill-Quidi

Vidi.

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

It, too, gives me great pleasure to be able to stand and congratulate Chief

Browne as he finishes his career with RNC and to wish him all the best in

whatever he chooses to do in the future.

As the Premier has outlined, I do not think there is any doubt that under the

chief's leadership, and I would say before he became chief as of his involvement

at the upper echelons of the RNC, that the RNC has become a very professional

group of people. I continually have people in the community talk to me about

their good relationships with the RNC. So, sir, you are leaving quite a legacy

behind you and I wish you well. I am sure that with the leadership you gave, the

team that has been developed will want to continue the work that you began, the

work that has brought so many women into the force, the work of training that

has really created the professionalism.

I heard the chief say last night on the news that he was amazed at the

development of the rumours about what he was going to do next, like jobs in the

oil patch or even running for office. Whatever it is, I wish him and his family

all the best. The first thing: Get a good rest and enjoy yourself.

Thank you very much.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER: Further statements by ministers?

The hon. the Minister of Innovation, Trade and Rural Development.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. SKINNER: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, Newfoundland and Labrador is home to a diverse manufacturing

sector that in 2008 produced close to $7 billion in products and was a direct

employer of approximately 14,000 individuals. This activity is being driven by

innovative, ambitious entrepreneurs who are thinking big and exploring

opportunities to expand and increase their export activity.

Visible Innovation, a company located in Pasadena, has developed

photoluminescent safety signage and markings that are garnering significant

attention from companies operating industrial work sites. Its unique product

absorbs light energy that is re-emitted as visible light during dark or blackout

conditions making it ideal for a safe work environment.

Mr. Speaker, this government recognizes the contribution that such businesses

make to the Province and the benefits of their continued expansion. To better

facilitate their success, we have invested in a comprehensive suite of business

development programs totalling close to $90 million per annum. Programming that

has proven to help launch a company's growth; to improve its operational

efficiencies; to modernize its equipment; to address its workforce skills gaps;

and to open doors to a world of opportunities. We also administer a series of

workshops that enable companies to better sell to large procurers of goods and

services and to acquire knowledge into how to maximize productivity. These

sessions also provide us with the opportunity to acquire insights into how we as

a government can better facilitate sector growth.

Last Thursday, dialogue from these sessions culminated in the launch of the

provincial government's latest resource designed to support the expansion of the

manufacturing sector. It is a Web-based directory of manufacturers from across

our Province; almost 500 manufacturers, Mr. Speaker. The directory has the

potential to link businesses, to create better awareness of the scope of

products manufactured in Newfoundland and Labrador, and centralize information

into an easy to use format.

Mr. Howard Nash of the Canadian Manufacturers and Exporters Association

describes it as a valuable tool that creates awareness of the range of locally

manufactured products and helps companies reach a wider marketplace. Lotek

Wireless' Mark Ploughman sees the directory as a vehicle to enhancing awareness

of locally manufactured products and holding value for companies seeking

partnering, networking or other commercial opportunities. He also feels that the

directory will open the eyes of job seekers that are looking for challenging and

rewarding careers.

Mr. Speaker, our goal is a straightforward one, to improve the ease in which

companies do their work and market their products globally. Whether you are

located in Buchans, in Happy Valley-Goose Bay or in Twillingate, this initiative

benefits local manufacturers. It promotes provincially produced products to a

global marketplace and supports the sustainable development of the business

community.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Member for the District of The Straits & White

Bay North.

MR. DEAN: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I would like to first of all thank the minister for the advance copy of his

statement. It is good to see that government is continuing to support business

activity in this Province. We know that start-up manufacturing in particular is

a high risk investment sector and that picking manufacturing winners or losers

is not always easy, and yet it is so critical to their success that that

investment is there. We certainly need more manufacturing in this Province that

is rooted in unique qualities and local advantages and so on. So I acknowledge

the investment that this government is making to support entrepreneurs and I

would encourage more of the same as the future unfolds before us.

I would compliment the minister for the launching of the Web-based directory.

I do believe that will be good for the entrepreneurs and businesses and

manufacturers in the Province. Newfoundlanders, as we know, are smart,

resourceful, hardworking people who can compete with anyone in this world, all

we need is the opportunity to do so.

Again, I thank you.

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Member for the District of Signal Hill-Quidi

Vidi.

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

I thank the minister for the advance copy of his statement. I know that small

businesses throughout the Province have been able to take advantage of programs

aimed at improving their operations, equipment, workforce skills and access to

markets, and I am glad to see another initiative that is going to help them with

that. I hope that the transfer of Labour Market Development programs from the

federal government to the provinces will lead to more training programs targeted

to the specific needs of small businesses in this Province. While that is not

under the purview of this minister, I know that he does speak with the Minister

of Human Resources, Labour and Employment in having these discussions. So I

encourage that discussion to go on.

One of the things we often hear, especially from rural businesses, is the

difficulty of getting access to venture capital. Often the lack of a venture

capital market makes it hard for small businesses to take advantage of business

development programs. I was happy to see the introduction of a labour sponsored

venture capital program here, but I understand it will take a while to build up.

So I urge your department to make a concerted effort this year to see how small

rural businesses can have more access to venture capital.

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker.

MR. SPEAKER: Further statements by ministers?

The hon. the Minister of Human Resources, Labour and Employment.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MS SULLIVAN: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I rise today to inform this hon. House that March 21-27 is Multiculturalism

Week for the Province of Newfoundland and Labrador.

Mr. Speaker, starting this celebratory week on March 21 has special

significance, because the day is designated by the United Nations as the

International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination. March 21, 2010,

also marks the third anniversary of the launch of the provincial government's

Immigration Strategy.

Mr. Speaker, this government views increased immigration as a partial

solution to the skill shortages and demographic challenges faced by our

Province.

I am pleased to report that we are experiencing positive results with our

Immigration Strategy both in terms of attracting newcomers who are

contributing to the prosperity of the Province and in promoting inclusive,

welcoming communities across the Province.

Mr. Speaker, the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador is committed to the

promotion of inclusive citizenship, welcoming communities and cross-cultural

understanding where the cultural diversity of all people is valued, supported

and enhanced. I am honoured to recognize a number of people present in our

gallery today who have enriched our Province by making it their chosen home.

To support Multiculturalism Week, the provincial Office of Immigration and

Multiculturalism, through partnerships with many organizations and community

groups, has organized a series of special events called, "Together We Rock!

Celebrating Multiculturalism Across the Province".

Mr. Speaker, I invite all Newfoundlanders and Labradorians to symbolically

show our respect for all cultures by lighting multi-coloured lights outside our

homes during Multiculturalism Week in the same way that the provincial

government has added welcoming lights to the Confederation Building. I also

encourage everyone to attend the many pot-lucks, culture nights, educational

seminars, and other events organized by community volunteers throughout the

Province as part of the "Together We Rock!" festivities.

I would like to conclude by congratulating our partners and volunteers for

organizing such a wonderful tribute to celebrate all cultures, as we

collectively weave a bright, vibrant, prosperous future for the great Province

of Newfoundland and Labrador.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Member for the District of Port de Grave.

MR. BUTLER: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I want to thank the minister for an advance copy of her statement and to say

that we in the Official Opposition want to congratulate all those involved with

Multiculturalism Week in our Province from March 21-27. It is also very

encouraging to see the date March 21, which is a date set forth by the United

Nations, a Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination.

Mr. Speaker, there is no doubt about it, in this great world we live in we

have come a long way, but much more has to be done. I cannot help but remember

some of the meetings you and I attended this year where various jurisdictions -

the tremendous impact they found that immigration and multiculturalism had

placed with regard to skill shortages in their particular provinces.

Mr. Speaker, I would be remiss if I did not mention those who have moved to

this Province and have settled in the area where I represent and the tremendous

impact that they make on our economy. When I go home this weekend, if I can find

my multiculture' Christmas lights, coloured Christmas lights, I will have them

up in celebration of this particular week. Some of our staff, Mr. Speaker, had

the opportunity last year to attend many of the functions and they were very,

very impressed, and we must continue to support the Association for New

Canadians.

Mr. Speaker, I want to conclude by saying, as on their poster: Welcome all

newcomers to our communities and to the greatest Province in this federation

because we can each make a difference.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Member for the District of Signal Hill-Quidi

Vidi.

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

I am really delighted to stand in response to the statement from the

minister, and I thank her for the advance copy, to recognize Multiculturalism

Week.

I am going to put in a personal note here, and the researchers have prepared

this for me and do not know that I am going to put in this personal note, but I

want to do it as a special wish to the visitors who are here today. I had the

privilege just a few weeks ago to go to Lebanon for the first time and finally

go to the home of my grandparents, and go to the village where my grandparents

came from and to meet my cousins there. One of the things that struck me was

what was similar about Lebanon that made them feel comfortable in

Newfoundland .

I would like to say a special wish to those who are here today, who have

added to our culture here in Newfoundland and

Labrador . I hope that they all find something here in

Newfoundland that is similar to where they came from so that

they will always feel at home here as they bring us the richness of their

cultures.

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER: Further statements by ministers?

Oral Questions.

Oral Questions

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

MS JONES: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, earlier today the minister provided an update on government's

implementation of the Cameron inquiry recommendations, and as we have witnessed

over the past few weeks, there were major gaps which repeated some of the

problems that had been originally identified through the Cameron inquiry.

I ask the minister today: Why didn't you and your department complete due

diligence, as highlighted and recommended by Cameron on page 438 of her report,

to ensure that these recommendations were being followed in a timely manner over

the past twelve months?

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

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. KENNEDY: Yes, Mr. Speaker, let me begin my answer the same way I

began my press conference earlier today, with an apology to the women and

families of the people who suffered in the ER-PR.

Mr. Speaker, we provided an update today. Thirty-nine of sixty

recommendations have been completed, or substantially completed. We invested

$21.4 million in Budget 2009; $4.7 million of which, Mr. Speaker, was to upgrade

lab equipment and facilities. That was on top of the $54 million that we

invested in 2007-2008 and 2008-2009 to purchase equipment, Mr. Speaker, like

MRIs, CT scanners, and $10.9 million for twelve new digital mammography

machines.

I am well aware, Mr. Speaker, of the comments of Madam Justice Cameron, I

think it is at page 438 or 448 of the Cameron inquiry, as to my oversight role.

It does not mean, Mr. Speaker, that I am going to be in the lab, however,

conducting cyclosporine testing.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

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

MS JONES: Mr. Speaker, despite the update from the minister that many of

these recommendations have been implemented, the fact remains that there is

still not training being provided to those in the lab. Occurrence reports are

still not being filed accurately and there had been no accreditation process or

even an MOU signed until a few weeks ago.

Mr. Speaker, I ask the minister - because all three ministers in the past

year in the Ministry of Health have indicated that these recommendations were a

priority for them. Yet, why was it in the middle of another crisis in health

care when we were learning about what was happening in our labs around

cyclosporine, why was it only then that government and Eastern Health moved to

sign an MOU on accreditation of those labs?

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

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. KENNEDY: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Again, I reiterate, Mr. Speaker, that this is about the patients of this

Province and providing quality health care.

Mr. Speaker, the accreditation process can be conducted by a number of

different companies in this country, is my understanding, Accreditation Canada

out of Ontario and a company called QMP-LS. There were discussions with these

companies, Mr. Speaker. It is rather unfortunate that the Leader of the

Opposition makes it sound to the public as if the accreditation process could be

completed by now.

Mr. Speaker, the accreditation process was initially proposed to be done over

a five-year period because labs have to have time to prepare in the

accreditation process. This has been moved up, Mr. Speaker, to a three-year

period, and it is my understanding that sixteen months to eighteen months, the

labs can be accredited in the Eastern Health region. So, Mr. Speaker, what we

have done, we are moving on these recommendations. Some of them, like continuing

education and proficiency testing go on forever. So, again, it is rather - it is

disingenuous, at a minimum, for the Leader of the Opposition to even suggest

that all of these recommendations could be completed by now.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

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

MS JONES: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

No answer to the question. It was a year ago when the ministry of this

government indicated that they would move immediately on these recommendations.

A year later there was no MOU signed on accreditation and we have no explanation

for it.

Mr. Speaker, another significant strain on our labs has been the resignation

of those in key leadership positions. In fact, the minister stated only last

week that University Health Network, which would be stepping forward to do the

review, would also step forward to run the lab. Even the CEO Kaminski said that

the University Health Network would also provide site supervision. However, the

University Health Network has said unequivocally that those are roles that they

will not provide.

So, I ask the minister: Who is currently providing the leadership roles in

the labs in the absence of clinical chiefs?

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

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. KENNEDY: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Again, I believe the Opposition does not seem to be concerned about the

facts. On March 10, Mr. Speaker, there was a resignation of the clinical chief.

On March 11, if I remember correctly, we had the two site chiefs tender their

resignations, even though their positions were being eliminated. On March 12,

Dr. Bob Bell, the CEO of University Health Network, gave an interview to CBC.

That interview was played last week as if it had been given to him on Monday.

Dr. Bell's comments were superseded by conversations over the next few days as

to the role of University Health Network. When CBC played the comments from Dr.

Bell on Monday, my understanding was that he is in Kuwait.

So, essentially, Mr. Speaker, what happened is the comments of Dr. Bell that

are being referred to by the Leader of the Opposition, are in fact comments that

were made prior to the final decision as to how the University Health Network

would be involved. It is my understanding, Mr. Speaker, and I have confirmed

with Ms Kaminski, that University Health Network is supervising the labs.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

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

MS JONES: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

One of the recommendations as well in the Cameron report talked about a plan

to recruit and retain pathologists in the Province. The minister indicated this

morning that this particular recommendation has been completed.

I ask you, Minister, if you are prepared to table the recruitment and

retention plan for pathologists in this Province to ensure that we will not have

vacancies and we will not have further challenges with recruiting these human

resources?

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

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. KENNEDY: Mr. Speaker, recommendation 8 of the Cameron inquiry, or the

Cameron report, deals with a report by a Dr. Mong as to the number of

pathologists that should be required for this Province. He suggested a full

complement of 34.4 pathologists. It is my understanding, Mr. Speaker, that we

currently have in the thirties, and that by August 2010 we will have thirty-four

pathologists, thereby equalling the suggestion by Dr. Mong. The Flynn Report,

prepared by Dr. Greg Flynn of QMP-LS on February 17, indicates that the labs at

Eastern Health had twenty pathologists and that based on the workload they were

currently producing, it could be - fifteen could suffice.

Mr. Speaker, we are well on our way to dealing with the recruitment of

pathologists and retention of pathologists. I can go through all the numbers

again that I went through yesterday and show how successful we are being in

recruiting pathologists and doctors in general.

Finally, Mr. Speaker, we have now in place a labour market adjustment policy

which allows us to utilize the kinds of measures that I referred to yesterday

when it comes to the recruitment and retention of hard to fill positions.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

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

MS JONES: Mr. Speaker, one of the other issues identified was the lack of

training of lab technologists. We have been asking for health professionals'

legislation for the past two sessions of the House. We have yet to see it

tabled.

I ask the minister today: Why is this important piece of legislation being

delayed, and will it be tabled in this session of the House?

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

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. KENNEDY: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

There is reference here to continuing medical education for lab technologists

and technicians, Mr. Speaker, and it is my understanding that there are training

courses offered staff.

Mr. Speaker, we have in recommendation 18, reference to the development of

training programs for immunohisto chemistry technologists. To date, three or

four technologists have attended the National Society for Histotechnology

conference in the U.S., and the fourth will be registered to attend the 2010

conference.

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to advise that the health professionals' act - I

assume that is the piece of legislation that the Leader of the Opposition is

referring to - will be brought into this House in this session. So, I do not

know, again, if the Leader of the Opposition I guess she has not had a chance

to read the recommendations, Mr. Speaker, but she is putting forward a picture

that is not reflected in the notes that follow.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

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

MS JONES: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

We have recently learned of problems at the paediatric ICU where a lack of

doctors is adding to the stress of physicians' ability to provide effective

services to patients. Efforts have been made, minister, for the past year to

recruit a new doctor for this unit, however these efforts have been

unsuccessful.

I ask you today: Is government prepared to commit to Atlantic parity for

doctors and physicians in this Province in an effort to fill these particular

voids like we see in the paediatric ICU?

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Premier.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

PREMIER WILLIAMS: Mr. Speaker, as part of the ongoing negotiations with

the NLMA, Atlantic parity is obviously an issue for them. They put a proposal to

us, which is indicated by the Minister of Finance yesterday, was in the range of

at least $125 million and I think I have categorized it, given some of the

add-ons, of being somewhere between $125 and $150 million. Today, it is my

understanding that we have actually written back I think the Minister of

Finance has written back to the NLMA asking them to confirm what has been

reported in the media yesterday, and what was certainly the context and

connotation of what they were saying yesterday during their press conference was

that in fact the package that they are looking for from government is a package

that, at the end of the fourth year, would be about $80 million.

So that letter has gone back to the NLMA and we are now waiting for a

response from them and at that point we will continue on with negotiations. In

those negotiations, the topic of Atlantic parity will certainly be discussed.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

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

MS JONES: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Yesterday in the House, I indicated to the minister, through Question Period,

a lack of internal medicine specialists in places like Burin, Carbonear and

Clarenville. Today, Mr. Speaker, we have learned as well that there is only an

internal specialist in St. Anthony for part of the year and concerns are being

expressed by both surgeons at that hospital with regard to retention and burnout

of physicians that are on staff.

I ask the minister: Without addressing these recruitment and retention issues

that are facing doctors through negotiating and through their collective

agreement, how can services be protected for people in all these various areas

of the Province?

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

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. KENNEDY: Yes, thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I am aware of the two doctors who the Leader of the Opposition refers to.

Myself and the Premier met with them in St. Anthony. I subsequently offered

them, Mr. Speaker, a different way to deal with the fee payment. They were not

interested in the same.

Mr. Speaker, I indicated yesterday to the leader opposite that there are

times when it becomes difficult to recruit, and we are having difficulty

recruiting certain types of specialists, but, Mr. Speaker, we still have to get

back to the point that we have the most physicians that we have ever had in this

Province. We are recruiting more specialists than we are losing, and that we, in

the last eighteen months, prior to September 9, had a net increase of

fifty-three positions.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. KENNEDY: Mr. Speaker, we currently have seventy-six residents in

family medicine, psychiatry and other training programs who have accepted

$25,000 per year bursaries in return for a one-year return service agreement.

MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!

I remind the hon. minister to finish his answer.

MR. KENNEDY: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

As I indicated yesterday, we are paying up to $36,000 non-pensionable bonuses

for rural Newfoundland and Labrador.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

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

MS JONES: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The great thing about numbers is you can spin them however you like, I say to

the minister. We also know that we have a turnover rate of 100 physicians a year

in this Province, and we have vacancies of 125 right now today. So I say to you,

Minister, all is not well.

Yesterday, the Minister of Health and Community Services said he was going

over a consultant's review of air ambulance services in light of what many in

Labrador have seen as an unacceptable slow response time for medivac services.

I ask the minister today if he can tell us who he tasked with the completion

of this review, and what were the terms of reference used, and if he could table

those in the House of Assembly?

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

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. KENNEDY: Yes, Mr. Speaker, as I indicated yesterday, I met with the

affected families in Labrador on November 27, met with the councils, we, Mr.

Speaker, retained a consultant - government did. The leader opposite should know

who it is; he met with the councils in St. Anthony, Happy Valley-Goose Bay,

Labrador City, Wabush, met with various groups. Mr. Speaker, we will release

this report in due course and we will make a decision.

Mr. Speaker, what we have right now, as I indicated yesterday, are two air

ambulances, one in St. John's, which I understand has to be here as a result of

the neonatal unit at the Janeway, and because St. John's is a tertiary care

centre, and we have one in St. Anthony. The question, Mr. Speaker, that has to

be looked at: If there are two air ambulances in this Province, where should the

second one be located? Should it be located in St. Anthony, Happy Valley-Goose

Bay, Labrador West? If there was a third airplane, where would that be?

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

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

MS JONES: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The question was very simple. I ask the minister again: Who is the

consultant, and what were the terms of reference, and are you prepared to table

them?

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

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. KENNEDY: Mr. Speaker, the Leader of the Opposition stood up in this

House in early December and presented a petition from 3,000 residents of

Labrador asking to have the air ambulance moved to Labrador. The hon. Minister

for Labrador Affairs addressed the inaccuracies in that petition and what we

have heard is a continued call from the people of Labrador to have an air

ambulance put in Labrador itself.

We are seriously considering, Mr. Speaker, all of the alternatives. The

consultant has filed his report, and when a decision is made, the consultant's

report will be released to the public at the same time that the decision is

made.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

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

MS JONES: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Obviously, the minister has no idea what is going on in his department

because he refuses to give the information.

Mr. Speaker, let me say this to the minister. There was never anyone asking

to move air ambulance services, it was always being asked to meet the needs in a

gap in a service in this Province.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Oh, oh!

MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!

MS JONES: A need that you consistently have failed to do.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Oh, oh!

MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!

The hon. the Leader of the Opposition.

MS JONES: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

A need that you have failed to meet, Mr. Speaker, which is why I ask today,

because an explanation is required in the case of Labrador West and why four

ambulance response times have resulted in probably what is a loss of life. I

said to the minister yesterday: Where was plan B? The minister said: Plan B

failed.

Well I ask the minister again today: Why was there no air ambulance available

and ready to respond to an emergency at a moment's notice wherever it was needed

in this Province?

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

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. KENNEDY: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I am looking at the petition dated December 15, 2009 which asked to have the

petitioners humbly pray and call upon the House of Assembly to support and

strengthen the provincial air ambulance program based in St. John's and St.

Anthony. What the petition said, Mr. Speaker: We, the undersigned residents of

Labrador, call on the Newfoundland and Labrador government to establish a

medivac response team and aircraft in Labrador. There is an overwhelming need to

have a medivac stationed in Labrador to serve all of the people in Labrador and

its communities. It said nothing about St. Anthony and St. John's. You attempted

to mislead this House.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!

The hon. the Leader of the Opposition.

MS JONES: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The people of this Province depend upon government to provide an air medivac

service for them. We have had a number of incidents in this Province now where

we have had failure to respond in an appropriate time. Those incidents have been

brought to the minister's attention, yet they have not been resolved.

I ask you again today, Minister: Tell me why there was no air medivac

aircraft available in this Province to respond to emergencies on the day that it

was required in Labrador West?

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

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. KENNEDY: Mr. Speaker, I admitted yesterday that there were

deficiencies in the process and the failure to respond. We are going to correct

that. We will correct it forcefully and we will correct it, Mr. Speaker, very,

very quickly I can assure you, but I say to the Leader of the Opposition, you

may not like the answer.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

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

MS JONES: Mr. Speaker, we understand that the air medivac aircraft based

in St. John's was actually down for the second week at the time that this

emergency occurred.

I ask the minister: Why was there only one air medivac available for use in

this Province, and why was the air medivac in St. John's down without another

aircraft there to replace her, ready to go in a moment's notice?

MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!

The hon. the Minister of Health and Community Services.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. KENNEDY: Yes, thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The St. John's plane was down - and we will deal with that in a very short

period of time also, Mr. Speaker.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. KENNEDY: Mr. Speaker, what happened was the individual in question

went in the hospital around 3:00 o'clock, to the best of my knowledge. The

request for an air ambulance was around 6:50. The air ambulance was down in St.

John's, Mr. Speaker, and we will correct that. Then, what happens is that a

charter

MS JONES: (Inaudible).

MR. KENNEDY: Can I finish my questions?

MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!

MR. KENNEDY: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

You will not like the answer. I am going to tell you; you will not like it.

Mr. Speaker, what will happen is at 8:00 o'clock it was decided to send a

charter from St. John's, there was time lost as a result of having to go back

and get oxygen, Mr. Speaker. This plane was a slower plane than the King Air

which is utilized and that added an extra hour. I have indicated, Mr. Speaker,

that is unacceptable. I do not know what more that I can do, that we are

concerned about the people of Labrador and all the residents of this Province,

and we will do our best, Mr. Speaker, in the upcoming days to correct this

situation.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

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

MS JONES: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, yesterday I asked the Minister of Labrador Affairs about a

contract that was initially being looked at for 5 Wing Goose Bay, that, as we

know, was awarded south of the border.

Mr. Speaker, the minister obviously had no details regarding that yesterday

and I ask him again today - because this reflects a loss of nearly $15 million

to the local economy of Happy Valley-Goose Bay. I ask the minister: Why has this

contract gone south of the border and not to 5 Wing Goose Bay?

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Oh, oh!

MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!

The hon. the Minister of Labrador Affairs.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. HICKEY: Mr. Speaker, when the Leader of the Opposition gets up and

asks such questions, it certainly tells the people of the Province, it tells the

people of Labrador, and it certainly tells the men and women that work at 5 Wing

Goose Bay that you have no more knowledge about this file now than your

predecessor did when Roger Grimes sat across the House of Assembly, Mr. Speaker.

Let me say this on 5 Wing Goose Bay, Mr. Speaker, the future of 5 Wing Goose

Bay is alive and well. I can tell you that we are still

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Oh, oh!

MR. HICKEY: Mr. Speaker, let me say this to the hon. member: We are

working with the federal government, we are working with the unions of defence

employees on 5 Wing Goose Bay, and I can tell you, you have an ATIPP request,

which your researcher requested, and I can tell you we have a list of all the

meetings that we have had on Goose Bay. You were in Ottawa very recently; you

never even once visited either one of the embassies to talk about 5 Wing Goose

Bay. So what are you doing?

MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!

MR. HICKEY: (Inaudible).

MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

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

MS JONES: Yes, you talk about flying on a wing and a prayer, Mr. Speaker.

You got it over there; I am telling you right now.

Well, Mr. Speaker, the minister said in the media this morning that as a

minister he should not have to answer questions and no one should call him and

ask him questions or his department but I know he only has three files in the

Department of Labrador Affairs but one would think he would know something about

one of those three. I wanted to inform the minister that three weeks ago there

was a new ATIPP request sent to your department. So if you get home, get time to

go through those three files, maybe you could respond to that minister and I

will wait for the response.

I ask you today, Mr. Speaker, maybe the minister could stand and respond to

that ATIPP request that he claims he did not have, which is on his desk in one

of his three files.

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Minister of Labrador Affairs.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. HICKEY: Mr. Speaker, her researcher used to send me e-mails; she does

not send them anymore. Also, Mr. Speaker, the request came in through ATIPP and

the response will go back through ATIPP and she is just going to have to wait.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Oh, oh!

MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!

The hon. the Leader of the Opposition.

MS JONES: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I will look forward to seeing that, but unfortunately the minister in his

radio interview this morning did not even know he had received the ATIPP

request.

Mr. Speaker, my next question for the minister is this. We learned on

actually, that this contract was given to the U.S. on March 16. The minister was

in the paper on Monday saying that he was still lobbying to get this contract.

So I ask you, minister, either you were withholding the information from the

public or you were just not being informed by the people and your colleagues in

Ottawa, which is it minister? Are you in the loop or are you hiding information?

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Oh, oh!

MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!

The hon. the Minister of Labrador Affairs.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. HICKEY: Mr. Speaker, we were not withholding anything, but I can tell

you one thing, we were waiting for NATO to make the decision. NATO made the

decision after we returned from Ottawa.

Let me say this, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, we had a good trip and we had a

successful discussion, both myself and the Minister of Intergovernmental

Affairs, with the British Embassy, with the German Embassy and with the

embassies in Ottawa.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Oh, oh!

MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!

MR. HICKEY: Let me tell you, they are still interested in Goose Bay, and

as I said earlier, Goose Bay is alive and well, but no thanks to the work that

you and your government ever did when you were in power.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!

The hon. the Member for the District of Signal Hill-Quidi Vidi.

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

Mr. Speaker, Justice Margaret Cameron clearly recommended that government

change legislation

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Oh! Oh!

MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!

MS MICHAEL: - to allow patients complete access to all of their relevant

information when things go wrong in the health care system.

Mr. Speaker, a year after the Cameron inquiry this government is dragging its

feet on implementing this legislation. In this morning's update that was given

by the Minister of Health and Community Services he says that he wants to talk

to other federal ministers about recommendations 33 to 35 which relate to

disclosure.

Mr. Speaker, I would like the minister to explain to this House and to the

public how bringing these recommendations to a meeting of health ministers in

six months' time is going to help put Cameron's vital recommendations in place

now for people who are waiting for these changes?

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

MR. KENNEDY: Yes, Mr. Speaker.

What we indicated in the update was that recommendations were completed,

substantially completed, or partially completed. To the Member for Signal

Hill-Quidi Vidi, recommendations 33 to 35 are particularly complicated. They

were the subject and I have read closely what Madam Justice Cameron had to

say. I have also read the report on the task force on adverse events

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Oh, oh!

MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!

MR. KENNEDY: - and that I am aware of what Justice Cameron had to say

about that.

One of the difficulties, I will say to the Member for Signal Hill-Quidi Vidi,

is that we have received correspondence from medical groups indicating that they

have a concern that if this particular legislation were brought in that it would

impact on patient safety. So when we have a doctors association telling us that

this is an issue, we have to have further discussions with and we may have to

retain someone. There is a Dr. Picard, I think - or Ms Picard - referred to in

Justice Cameron's report. We may have to get an academic or a practitioner to

look at this, because as Minister of Health

MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!

I ask the hon. minister to conclude his answer.

MR. KENNEDY: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

My major concern has to be patient safety, and when I have the Canadian

Medical Protective Association telling me that bringing this in could affect

patient safety, I have to take that seriously.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Member for the District of Signal Hill-Quidi

Vidi.

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

I, too, am concerned about patient safety and I am concerned about the fact

that people are telling me that things still go wrong. They cannot find out why

things have gone wrong with them in their care or in the care of somebody else

in their family. The minister has six months between now and September to get

the advice that he is talking about, to do consultations.

I would like to know: Why wouldn't the minister, and why wouldn't this

government, take a leadership role and go to that meeting in September with a

plan in place, with ideas in place and show that we are learning from what has

happened here in this Province?

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

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. KENNEDY: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I thank the Member for Signal Hill-Quidi Vidi for her suggestion. I guess I

did not make myself clear, we certainly do intend to do that. We are not simply

going to wait to go to the health ministers' meeting. We are going to conduct

further work. Any suggestions that the member opposite has, I am certainly

willing to listen to. This Cameron report and the Cameron update have to be

beyond politics. We are dealing with the lives of the patients of our Province.

Anything that the Member for Signal Hill-Quidi Vidi can offer, I am certainly

willing to listen to.

Mr. Speaker, we will take the steps that need to be taken and we will, Mr.

Speaker, consult those who we have to consult with a view to bringing it to the

national agenda. We are hosting the ministers' meeting this year and I am hoping

that there will be discussions of Cameron, because we are seeing it - it is not

only Newfoundland and Labrador, Mr. Speaker. Unfortunately, we are seeing

incidents in New Brunswick, Quebec, Ontario and elsewhere.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Member for the District of Signal Hill-Quidi

Vidi.

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

Mr. Speaker, we have had people who have come to us telling us that they want

answers when they ask questions about things that have happened to them or

somebody in their family. What they say to us is that they do not get the truth.

I have seen some documents that families have been given when there has been an

investigation into something that has gone wrong. I have seen language that is

language that you cannot really get at.

I ask the minister, especially because of his background as a lawyer: Can he

come up with an answer does he expect to find an answer that is going to be

able to meet the needs of those who may cause something to go wrong and those

who need to hear the truth, the people of the Province, the patients of our

health care system?

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

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. KENNEDY: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, recommendations 33 to 35 deal with peer review and the Evidence

Act. It is my recollection, Mr. Speaker, that recommendation 51 deals with

disclosure and adverse events. I think that recommendation 51 outlines a number

of things that should be told to the patient if there is an adverse event or

something that can affect the health of the individual. These indicate, Mr.

Speaker, the facts, what has happened and what needs to be taken. We did it with

cyclosporin.

There is a disclosure policy that Eastern Health has on their Web site that

outlines the steps a doctor must take. Mr. Speaker, again, if I remember

correctly, I think in one of the recommendations there is talks of an ethics

consult in terms of how these matters should be dealt with, Mr. Speaker, in

terms of informing patients of what is going on. That is recommendation 54.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!

The time allotted for questions and answers have expired.

Presenting Reports by Standing and Select Committees.

Tabling of Documents.

Notices of Motions.

Answers to Questions for which Notice has been Given.

Petitions.

Orders of the Day.

Orders of the Day

Private Members' Day

MR. SPEAKER: This being Private Members' Day, the private member's motion

put forward by the hon. the Leader of the Opposition.

MR. KELVIN PARSONS: On a point of order, Mr. Speaker.

MR. SPEAKER: Is the hon. the Opposition House Leader rising on a point of

order?

MR. KELVIN PARSONS: Yes.

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Opposition House Leader on a point of order,

keeping in mind that it is 3:00 o'clock and it being Private Members' Day.

MR. KELVIN PARSONS: In fact, Mr. Speaker, it relates to the motion that

is before the House today, the private member's motion. So I guess probably the

more opportune time to do it would be once that motion is actually called for

today.

Thank you.

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Member for the District of Cartwright-L'Anse au

Clair.

The hon. the Opposition House Leader.

MR. KELVIN PARSONS: Sorry for the confusion, Mr. Speaker.

In regard to the motion put forward by the Leader of the Opposition, the

Member for Cartwright-L'Anse au Clair, yesterday with regard to Medical

Transportation Assistance Program, there have been some discussions by various

persons, the Table Officers, the Government House Leader and myself, and it is

felt that an amendment would be in order before we started the proceedings and

debate on this motion, that I would on behalf of the Member for

Cartwright-L'Anse au Clair - and I was the seconder to that motion as well - and

that is in the last paragraph, the therefore

be it resolved clause, it makes

mention to the word "make" in the second sentence. We would ask that the word

"make" be deleted, and we would insert in its place the words "consider making".

That would, apparently, make the motion more palatable to all concerned. So we

would move that amendment.

Thank you.

MR. SPEAKER: Does the hon. the Government House Leader want to respond to

that particular amendment to the motion?

MS BURKE: Yes, Mr. Speaker, we were in consultation with the Opposition

House Leader and the Table Officers regarding the motion that was put forward,

because as it read indicated or called upon government to expend funds, which

certainly would be what we probably felt was a motion that was out of order.

So with the changes, that would now say, "THEREFOR

BE IT RESOLVED that the

House of Assembly calls upon Government to consider making changes" Certainly,

they are asking government now for consideration, as opposed to a motion that

requires government to spend money. So, from our perspective we have no problem

with the amendment as put forward by the Opposition House Leader.

MR. SPEAKER: In order for a motion to be moved to amend a resolution, our

Standing Order 55 states that it must be done at a previous sitting; but our

House of Assembly not only makes but can change its own rulings and precedents.

In order for the change to be made here today at the present sitting, it will

have to be done by leave.

Does the hon. Opposition House Leader have leave to change the motion as put

forward by the hon. the Leader of the Opposition?

MS BURKE: Yes, Mr. Speaker.

MR. SPEAKER: By leave?

MS BURKE: By leave.

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

Opposition Leader, by leave.

MS JONES: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

It is a pleasure for me today to rise and speak to the motion that has been

put forward as a part of our Private Members' Day debate.

I would like to read the motion for the record, Mr. Speaker, just so members

do not think I might have changed it since yesterday when I tabled it in the

House of Assembly.

WHEREAS the Newfoundland and Labrador Medical Transportation Assistance

Program assists residents financially in accessing medical services; and

WHEREAS the Medical Transportation Assistance Program's current criteria do

not sufficiently provide the financial support for its residents who must travel

to avail of medical services in our Province; and

WHEREAS residents of Newfoundland and Labrador have to incur substantial

costs in order to access medical facilities in major centres as required; and

WHEREAS changes are required to the Medical Transportation Assistance Program

in order to lessen the financial burden at a time that is often difficult and

stressful for patients and their families; and

WHEREAS a petition with over 7,300 signatures was presented to Government on

December 4, 2008 asking for changes to the Medical Transportation Assistance

Program;

THEREFORE

BE IT RESOLVED that the House of Assembly calls upon Government to

consider making changes to the Medical Transportation Assistance Program, namely

to: reimburse gas-mileage for the use of personal vehicles; add meal per diems

for those staying with family and friends; increase overall rates to reflect the

true financial burden; include coverage for those taking

part in clinical

trials; waive the $400 deductible faced by those who live on the Island portion

of the Province; and, increase the reimbursement of eligible costs.

Mr. Speaker, we are bringing this motion forward today in light of the fact

that we are on the eve of a Budget and realizing that this is an issue that

affects many people - hundreds of people, thousands of people - across

Newfoundland and Labrador. It is not new concerns; these concerns have been

raised in the House of Assembly on many occasions over the past year and they

have been raised in the public.

First of all, Mr. Speaker, for those who may not understand what the Medical

Transportation Assistance Program is, it is a program that assists with the cost

of air travel or bus service or taxi service or accommodations and meals in

accessing medical treatment, but there are certain rules and regulations around

those accessible costs that restrict a number of people in the Province from

being able to use the program.

Mr. Speaker, this program was actually started in 1998. It has been ongoing

in the Province for the last twelve years. It has helped thousands of

Newfoundlanders and Labradorians at a time when they were financially unable to

access health care. Yet, Mr. Speaker, in all that time we still only have

something like 6 per cent of the population that are taking up the program.

Last year the budgeted amount of the program was $1.9 million, which is a

relatively small amount when you look at the geography of Newfoundland and

Labrador, when you look at the fact that we have only one tertiary care facility

which happens to be based in St. John's, and that you have most people in the

Province being referred to either St. John's or Corner Brook for different

medical procedures and treatments.

Mr. Speaker, we have had many incidents come to our office from people all

over Newfoundland and Labrador who have really fallen through the cracks of this

program. Although it was intended to alleviate financial hardship on those who

needed it, there are many who need it and are not able to access it, and I will

give you some examples.

Mr. Speaker, for example, right now road mileage or reimbursement of road

travel is not included in the program. Although the program says if you have to

access a health care facility more than 200 kilometres away from your home that

you are eligible for certain expenses, those expenses include whether you take

an aircraft, whether you get a hotel or a hostel when you are there, and some of

your meals; it does not include road travel.

As you know, many people in this Province are forced to access hospital

facilities by road for a number of reasons. One, it costs more by air and they

have to pay up front, so oftentimes they do not have the money for the airline

ticket. In other cases, Mr. Speaker, they want to bring a family member, a

spouse, a parent or someone else with them for care and for service while they

are seeking medical appointments outside of their area. Therefore, to drive

lowers the cost but mileage is not included.

Mr. Speaker, if you look at people who are on the Burin Peninsula, for

example - because this is one of the areas where we have gotten a number of

calls - if you live in Grand Bank or you live in Burin or in Lamaline, or any of

those communities on the Burin Peninsula, you do not have the opportunity to

take an aircraft to hospital in St. John's. You have to drive. You have to drive

the more than 400 kilometres each way to access that service. Right now, they

are not able to claim any road assistance or road mileage under this program.

For example, if you live on the West Coast of Newfoundland, if you are living in

Burgeo, or if you are living in the Bay of Islands, or if you are living in

Pasadena, or even Hampton, any of those places where they have come back and

forth to St. John's for treatment.

In fact, Mr. Speaker, I had a relative of mine who lives in the Sop's Arm

area who had to come back and forth to St. John's at least half a dozen times in

the last year for medical treatment, but they were not eligible to claim any of

those expenses because they were travelling by road.

The same applies if you live on the Northern Peninsula, or if you live in

Southern Labrador, or even now with the road opening into Goose Bay and Labrador

City people have the option to drive to a health care facility, especially if

they are going to be there for an extended period of time, or if they do not

have the money up front to pay for an expensive airline ticket, oftentimes the

gas is cheaper to travel by road.

Mr. Speaker, I had a case in my own district of a lady who suffered with

cancer and spent two years making up to eight trips a year back and forth to St.

John's, to the Health Sciences Centre, and they drove all of those trips back

and forth because she needed her husband to be with her when she came for her

care. The cost of flying that many times throughout the year was basically the

cost of their annual income, almost. If you are earning a fixed income of $1,200

or $1,500 a month and your airline ticket for both of you for that one trip to a

hospital is costing nearly $2,000 a month, then you know you cannot afford those

kinds of costs, so they had to drive. They made many, many trips for her care

but were never eligible to claim those particular costs because they came by

vehicle.

Mr. Speaker, I was in Labrador West a few weeks ago, an area where all people

in that community are being referred to Goose Bay for a CT scan. Hopefully, in

the Budget the minister will find CT scan equipment for Labrador West, because

right now the cost that they are paying to subsidize flying everyone into Goose

Bay to have this test done, surely it must be cheaper to put the equipment at

the hospital in Lab West.

Having said that, Mr. Speaker, they can fly on a voucher subsidized by the

government where the government will pay up to $700 in a subsidy or probably

more some days to get that one person from Lab City to Goose Bay to have a CT

scan done, which is excellent, no problem with it, but if that individual wanted

to drive from Lab West to Goose Bay so they could take a family member with

them, they would not be able to claim any expenses; yet, the cost of driving and

their road claim would probably be a third of what the subsidy is on the

airline.

So what I am saying to government is that by including road mileage, I do not

think you are going to drive the cost of the program up. I think that you are

going to see and I am not saying that you are going to make the cost of it go

down, either, but what I am saying is that you are giving people an option.

Today, if I was living in Baie Verte today, in King's Point - the member for

that area gave a statement today on the children in a school in King's Point,

the boy's basketball team that won the medal this weekend. I happened to be at

their game, I happened to watch their game, and I presented their medals to

them. Mr. Speaker, he talked about them today in that community. Well, the

people in that community today who have to go to hospital in St. John's or some

other part of the Province, they are not able to access any subsidy for their

road travel, which I think is not fair. I think we need to start allowing for

that kind of a program to be implemented, to try and relieve the financial

burden that we are placing on people.

You have to realize, it is one thing for us to say we need a centre of

excellence for health care in this Province, and I totally agree with that. I

totally support it; I totally feel that we do need that. I think that we need to

continue to build on our services, our tertiary care services in St. John's and

our specialist services, but if we are going to expect everyone else in the

Province to come here to access those services, we have to make it a little bit

more affordable for them to do so. That is the reason for my motion today, Mr.

Speaker.

The other thing I am asking for is that one time, originally when this

program was implemented, if you came to St. John's or went to Corner Brook or

Goose Bay or wherever to a hospital and you stayed with a friend, you could

actually claim your meals and your overnight lodging for private accommodations;

something that we are still allowed to do as politicians. If I go into a

community in this Province, if I go to Gander next week and I stay with someone

I know, I am entitled to claim my meals and my private accommodations, but

government cut that out of the medical travel program.

So, for patients who are sick and have to go to Gander because they are sick

and end up staying with a friend or relative, they are not allowed to get

private accommodation allowance or meals, but as a politician I am allowed to go

and claim it. That is not acceptable; it is not fair. These people can least

afford it. They are at the time when they are most ill. They are at a time when

they need financial supports and you guys took that support from them. You

cancelled that aspect of the program and you need to bring it back.

The other thing we are asking, Mr. Speaker, is that the $400 deductible for

Island residents needs to be taken out. In Labrador now, how the program works -

and it works very well I say, and I commend the former, former Minister of

Health, the Member for Trinity North, Mr. Speaker, who actually took a

sympathetic ear to what was happening in Labrador and did make a policy change

in this program that allowed for people in Labrador to claim up to $1,000 a year

in medical travel, and then anything over $1,000 they could claim 50 per cent of

it. It works well, with a few exceptions like including road travel, like

including the private accommodations and meals and those are the things I am

talking about. The base amount, the floor amount, is a good effort and it has

helped a lot of people.

On the Island portion of the Province, it is done very differently. There is

no floor amount. For example, the first $400 you spend in a year you pay it out

of your own pocket. The next $100 you spend, you can get reimbursed for it; then

anything over $500 that you spend, you can get 50 per cent of it back. Well, we

are saying: Do away with the deductible. Put it in at a $500 flat fee so that if

you live anywhere on the Island of Newfoundland, if you are one of those people

on the Burin Peninsula or the Port au Port Peninsula or the Bonavista Peninsula

or the Baie Verte Peninsula, Mr. Speaker, the Northern Peninsula; then you will

have the opportunity within a year to claim up to $500 of your medical expenses

when you are required to travel outside of your area, over 200 kilometres one

way to access medical services. We think that is fair, Mr. Speaker. Then,

anything over that $500, people could claim up to 50 per cent back.

We are asking this because people are telling us that more and more they are

being referred to hospitals outside of their area. For example, more and more we

are getting a contingent of people on the West Coast of Newfoundland, on the

Northern Peninsula region being referred to Corner Brook hospital. Most of them

drive more than 200 kilometres each way to access that service. More and more we

are getting people, Mr. Speaker, on the Burin Peninsula and in the Central

Newfoundland area, being referred to St. John's for speciality services, for

cancer treatments in particular, and so on, and radiation treatments, and very

specialized services. This is happening more -

MR. SPEAKER (T. Osborne): Order, please!

I remind the hon. member that her time for speaking has expired.

MS JONES: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I will have a chance to conclude my comments at the end, and I thank members

for listening.

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

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. KENNEDY: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker, for the opportunity to speak to this private member's

motion. The Medical Transportation Assistance Program was introduced on April 1,

1998. To date, the program, it is my understanding, Mr. Speaker, is one of the

most comprehensive programs in Canada in terms of scope of coverage. The program

assists eligible residents who incur substantial costs when travelling for

insured services not available within their immediate area or within the

Province. The program is open to patients and family members who receive the

appropriate referral from a physician, such as a general practitioner for

in-province travel, and a specialist for out-of-province travel.

Our government, Mr. Speaker, has provided approximately $2 million in

2009-2010 for the Medical Transportation Assistance Program and is dedicated to

providing a health care system where all residents have equitable access to

essential medical treatment. This brings the total annual investment, Mr.

Speaker, by this government, over the past three years, close to $5 million. The

program provides assistance to residents or families on a cost-shared basis and

may assist with medical travel expenses including: commercial air service, taxi

services when used in conjunction with commercial air services, commercial ferry

services, registered bussing services, purchased registered accommodations and

meal per diems for each day of eligible accommodation.

Mr. Speaker, the program has helped a significant number of patients

throughout the Province of Newfoundland and Labrador get the medical care they

need. In 2007-2008, Mr. Speaker, 1,288 clients utilized the Medical

Transportation Assistance Program; 1,530 clients in 2008-2009; and an estimated

1,311 clients for this current fiscal year. Our government, Mr. Speaker, is

committed to providing patients with timely access to treatment and the Medical

Transportation Assistance Program has ensured that approximately 4,100

individuals are receiving exactly that.

Mr. Speaker, in recent years we have continued efforts to provide a more

responsive program to the client base it serves. On April 1, 2005, the $500

deductible for Labrador residents was eliminated. We also ensured, Mr. Speaker,

that Labrador residents were reimbursed the first $500 of claimable expenses

during a twelve-month period with a claimable balance cost-shared at 50 per

cent. On May 1, 2007, Mr. Speaker, reimbursement of the first $500 of claimable

expenses during a twelve-month period was increased to $1,000 with the claimable

balance cost-shared at 50 per cent for those clients.

On February 1, 2006, Mr. Speaker, the program was enhanced to assist

Labradorians and residents from the Island portion of our Province travelling

via road for a distance of 200 kilometres or more one way and registered

purchased accommodations in order to access insured services. In these

instances, Mr. Speaker, the program assists with purchased registered

accommodations and applicable meal per diems for each night of medically

required purchased registered accommodations.

Mr. Speaker, on July 1, 2007 the purchased registered accommodations per diem

increased from $75 to $125. The monthly cap on purchased registered

accommodations claimable increased from $1,000 to $1,500. The monthly meal

allowance claimable in conjunction with purchased registered accommodations

increased from $600 to $700 and reimbursement of claimable expenses in excess of

$5,000 during a twelve-month period increased from 50 per cent to 65 per cent.

On July 1, 2007, Mr. Speaker, the $500 deductible was reduced to $400 for

residents of the Island portion of the Province.

Mr. Speaker, we have made enormous strides in ensuring that the program

provides an acceptable level of support for those requiring specialized medical

treatment within and outside of our Province. However, this type of assistance,

Mr. Speaker - it is important to emphasize this, that this type of assistance is

only part of how our government is responding to patient needs. Our government,

Mr. Speaker - as you heard the other day from the Throne Speech and also I think

the Premier referred to this - has made enormous strides in ensuring that the

program in rural Newfoundland and Labrador respond to the required needs of our

population. What we are trying to do, Mr. Speaker, is to help decrease the need

for residents having to travel to other parts of the Province to receive these

medical diagnoses and treatments they require.

Obviously, Mr. Speaker, any patient who can access a required medical service

in his or her own community or nearby will want to avail of that as opposed to

travelling hundreds of kilometres, for example, from Corner Brook to St. John's.

We have proven, Mr. Speaker, through these strategic investments, and that is

what it has to be, strategic investments, because the reality is and this is

one of the things I am hoping to do later on this year is to go to various parts

of the Province and hear from the people of the Province what they expect from

their health care system. What we are trying to do is utilize the money we have,

Mr. Speaker, to ensure efficient, effective service.

Mr. Speaker, I have used examples in the past of how when we spoke to the

people of Flower's Cove, we spoke to the people of Lewisporte, they were

reasonable to deal with in terms of what they expected from our health care

system. When you say to people, Mr. Speaker, this is what we have or this is

what we can do, or what are your priorities, my experience, in the short time I

have been Health Minister, is that people are willing to co-operate and that

people do understand. In other words, Mr. Speaker, people are reasonable.

Our health care system, Mr. Speaker, by its very nature evokes emotional

responses. That is one thing I realize, Mr. Speaker, with the e-mails I get on a

daily basis, that when people have their loved ones who are affected, whether it

be your parents, your children, your grandparents, that people want answers.

Unfortunately, Mr. Speaker, we cannot solve every problem, but I certainly

understand the emotion and the need for a response in terms of trying to solve

the problem.

Mr. Speaker, what we are trying to do when we look at how we are going to put

our medical services throughout the Province is look at our patients because as

I repeated on numerous occasions, it is about the patients. It is about taking

the money that we have and utilizing it as best we can. As a government, Mr.

Speaker, we look at this rather big Province, the Island portion, and also

Labrador and seeing how can we strategically place our investments to ensure the

maximum use and the maximum benefit for all residents of our Province.

Mr. Speaker, certain pieces of equipment will be obviously located in bigger

centres. Certain tests and procedures will have to be completed in St. John's,

and hopefully in places like Corner Brook or Gander. What we are trying to do is

ensure that people can, wherever possible, receive their treatment closer to

home.

Mr. Speaker, we recently announced that we will invest $500,000 to expand the

hours of operation for the satellite dialysis unit in Clarenville. Effective

March 31, 2010, Mr. Speaker, dialysis services will be offered an additional

three days per week, effectively doubling the availability of services at that

location. Our significant investment in new dialysis sites throughout the

Province demonstrates our commitment to providing quality health care services.

My understanding, Mr. Speaker, is that dialysis patients can receive three

treatments a week. I am not sure if it is more or less, it may depend on the

severity of the illness, but if you are living in one place and have to travel

hours on end to get to another place, that certainly is it is more than

inconvenient, Mr. Speaker. It is something that we have to, as a government, as

best we can, avoid. Now, not in all circumstances can we do that in a Province

that is geographically as large as ours with a significant rural component.

Mr. Speaker, since 2004 this government has established new dialysis sites,

in Burin, Carbonear, Gander, St. Anthony, and Happy Valley-Goose Bay. The annual

cost in 2008-2009 to operate all dialysis units throughout our Province was

approximately $20 million, which is up 9 per cent from 2007-2008.

Budget 2009, Mr. Speaker, provided an investment of $50 million for funding

new health equipment to be added across the Province. Investments included $3

million in laboratory equipment at the health facilities in St. John's, Gander,

Brookfield, Twillingate, Grand Falls-Windsor, Corner Brook, St. Anthony, Happy

Valley-Goose Bay and Labrador City; $1.2 million for a

nuclear medicine gamma camera in Corner Brook; $1 million to replace a CT

scanner in Grand Falls-Windsor; $75,000 for an endoscopy unit in Stephenville;

and $326,500 for ultrasound machines in Carbonear and Burin. With a recent

investment, Mr. Speaker, of $10.9 million, our government has purchased twelve

new mammography units, eleven of which have been installed in health care

facilities in Carbonear, Burin, Clarenville, Corner Brook, Stephenville, Happy

Valley-Goose Bay and Labrador City, as well as the

breast screening centres in Corner Brook and St. John's.

Now, Mr. Speaker, I am continuously reading out the names of these

communities to dispel the myth that this government is only concerned about St.

John's or the Avalon Peninsula.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. KENNEDY: Mr. Speaker, the numbers decry that proposition. What we are

seeing, Mr. Speaker, is the taking of necessary equipment and putting it

throughout the Province, because we care about the people of rural Newfoundland

and Labrador, and we care about all the people of this Province.

Earlier today we had issues raised again in relation to the residents of

Labrador. Mr. Speaker, we are addressing those needs. We have committed to the

building of a new hospital in Lab West. There is a new college being built

there. I am sure my colleague, the Minister of Labrador Affairs will tell me:

How much is the cost of the Trans-Labrador Highway?

MR. HICKEY: One hundred and eighty-five million so far, and moving up.

MR. KENNEDY: So, Mr. Speaker, these are significant sums of money.

Mr. Speaker, we have also established, or there will be an additional

mammography unit installed and operational at the Curtis Memorial Hospital in

St. Anthony in November, 2010, once renovations to that facility are complete.

These units complement those already in place in St. John's, Gander and Grand

Falls-Windsor, and bring the total number of digital mammography units in the

Province to sixteen. Mr. Speaker, we have, it is my understanding, and I am

trying to remember exactly where we are with the MRI unit in Gander, but we are

moving ahead with that. We are moving ahead with all of this most

technologically advanced and very expensive equipment. Mr. Speaker, we have to -

and again the word is - strategically place these. So medical transportation is

something that is obviously a key factor for us, but what we are also trying to

do is decrease the distance that people have to travel in order to have their

medical needs met.

Mr. Speaker, there have been investments in telemedicine and systems such as

the Picture Archiving and Communications System commonly referred to as PACS,

and physicians are able to provide care throughout different parts of the

Province. As you can see, Mr. Speaker, we are making significant advancements

toward enhancing health care in rural parts of the Province.

Mr. Speaker, I had a very interesting conversation with a number of

psychiatrists shortly after I became Minister of Health on October 9 - although

it seems so long ago - where we talked about tele-psychiatry. How we could, for

example, take an individual in the Minister of Aboriginal Affairs district in

Northern Labrador and receive the kind of advice where a social worker or

someone working with an individual could receive advice through, whether it

would be through the Internet, through Skype, through video cameras. All of the

technology, Mr. Speaker, that is available today.

So this is how we have to move forward. We have to think outside the box in

terms of trying to come up with solutions that benefit the people, especially of

rural Newfoundland and Labrador. Mr. Speaker, even if you look at the minister,

for example, my colleague the Minister of Environment. Her district, at the tip,

is probably two hours to St. John's. Now, Mr. Speaker, if you have to go for

dialysis that is certainly a long haul. Now Carbonear has dialysis. It shortens

it by half but it is still there, Mr. Speaker, that it is an improvement.

I think, Mr. Speaker, that the people of this Province know that not every

place can have everything. One of the things I plan to do in the spring, or

depending on when we are in and out of the House of Assembly, is have public

discussion on this issue. What is it you are looking for and what do you expect?

I recently met with a council in the Minister of Environment's district and I

have to tell you, Mr. Speaker, we dealt with the issue of the lab, X-ray, the

combined professionals that are very difficult to find these days. The council

were very reasonable to deal with, but when we sat there and explained to them

that it is a difficulty in finding the human resources, not from our end with

providing resources.

Mr. Speaker, we are committed to enhancing health care in rural parts of our

Province, not only through improvements in the Medical Transportation Assistance

Program but in our many investments in the programs, services and medical

equipment, and I look forward to the Budget on Monday in continuing that trend.

Thank you very much.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

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

MR. DEAN: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

It is my pleasure to be able to take a few moments this afternoon to speak

about the Medical Transportation Assistance Program as is mentioned in the

private member's motion.

Certainly, living in my district and so far removed from the services of the

larger urban hospitals, I know all too well how important this program is and

how burdensome it is on our residents as they have to travel, in particular to

Corner Brook and St. John's centres, to receive the medical attention that those

living in the centres can kind of take for granted.

This motion before us today is very important. It was just last year in June

when I experienced the true cost and financial burden that others experience all

the time when my grandson, who was only four months old at the time, had a

medical emergency and on a moment's notice had to be brought to St. John's. The

expense of accompanying his mom and staying in the city for four or five days

and having to stay in a hotel and the meals and so on, that by the time we got

back home we had spent several hundreds of dollars. Actually, for us it was into

the thousands of dollars. So going through that is not easy for any of us, and

quite frankly, for some, for many in the Province it is virtually impossible to

do that at a moment's notice. It is a very important issue that we have in front

of us and one that requires much attention, I believe.

The Canadian Cancer Society petition was presented here in the House back in

December, 2008, by Ms Michael. It launched a campaign that was called Stand Up

and Be Counted. There were several issues that were identified in this

particular petition and a couple that I would like to take a few moments this

afternoon and speak to as they impact and are very important in particular to

the residents of my district.

Of course, the first issue that they mentioned was the reimbursement of

mileage for use of their own personal vehicles. On the Northern Peninsula, in

the District of The Straits & White Bay North, often the medical procedures and

attention and so on that is required, require the patient to travel to Corner

Brook. A trip to Corner Brook from St. Anthony is 1,000 kilometres and certainly

a significant expense in terms of the gas and the cost of the vehicle and so on

to go there. So the absence of reimbursement means a financial hardship and

burden on individuals who do that. It was just a week or so ago that I had an

e-mail from a particular resident of Savage Cove who is going back and forth for

cancer treatment and actually having to cancel some of the scheduled times

because she just cannot afford the financial output to be able to do the

travelling.

So, I appreciate what the Minister of Health had to say about the investments

that government has made. I acknowledge what government is doing, but at the

same time we would certainly ask, as we put this private member's motion

forward, that great consideration is given to the request. It is a request that

is put forward on behalf of the people of this Province, on behalf of the people

of my district, and something that is very important to them.

Certainly, the ability to have a reimbursement based on mileage - there are

other provinces that do it. It is not a new invention, the wheel is already

there. It is a matter of establishing it. It is a matter of acknowledging the

need for it and so on, and a matter of the willingness, I guess, and the

commitment to make it work. It is something that should basically include a

reasonable mileage allowance that really is based on the return distance,

obviously, from the individual's place of residence to the approved medical

facility, wherever they might be going. As the Leader of the Opposition

mentioned a while ago in her presentation, it certainly is easier at times,

especially taking an escort or taking a family member along with you or a

friend, it certainly is easier to travel to these medical facilities rather than

to get on the aircraft at times and bear that expense of travelling and then

getting there and not having transportation and so on. So, again, I would

certainly ask that we give great consideration to the inclusion of a gas mileage

rebate as requested in this private member's motion.

The second issue that I would like to just speak to for a moment is the meal

per diem, for staying with family members and friends and so on. Often,

fortunately, because of how the people of the Province have, I guess, moved

around and so on that not many of us today probably - we are lucky that we can

come to St. John's, or in particular the St. John's capital centre, but also in

Corner Brook as well. We are fortunate to have family members who live there or

friends who live there. In those situations when we require this medical

attention that causes us to be in these areas for extended periods of time, we

are fortunate that we can have family members and friends who we can stay with;

so that takes the burden away of having to pay for accommodations certainly. It

is very difficult to stay there, and obviously, not be reimbursed for the cost

of food and so on. So, the reimbursement, the ability to claim for meals, to

have a per diem for staying with family members and friends and so on just

increases that possibility again and helps really to relieve the true financial

burden that is involved.

So again, we would ask that this would be reinstated. It is my understanding

that this is something that was cut back in 2006 or so, I believe, under the

current Administration. Certainly, we would ask that you would consider

reinstating that and the necessity of it being very clear. It would still allow

for some compensation for those who have to eat through, whether it is through

generosity or just eating meals at the hospital and the cafeteria and so on. It

is a legitimate expense and certainly would help in that whole process.

So that is really all that I would speak to at this moment, these two issues:

the mileage reimbursement and the meal per diem. Again, many people, even as I

am speaking right now, there are many here in the capital city from my district

receiving cancer treatment, receiving medical attention for other things at the

Health Sciences Complex, at the Janeway with children undergoing extensive

financial burden, burden that in these tough economic times they find very

difficult to really get through, and it is a stress that us as a government, us

as leaders of this Province, have an obligation to do all that we can. So I

would call upon government to certainly look closely at that.

Thank you.

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Member for the District of Ferryland.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. HUTCHINGS: Mr. Speaker, it is good to stand to have an opportunity to

speak to this motion. Indeed, as we know, health care is so important to all of

us right across the Province, and this government has taken the lead certainly

over the past number of years in terms of improving our health care system.

Within that system there are an enormous amount of programs, service delivery

and infrastructure, just to name a few of the entities that are involved in our

health care system. Certainly, serving a province that is so vast, in terms of

regionally and rural, in terms of the number of communities, harbours and coves,

and trying to reach out and provide that service to all Newfoundlanders and

Labradorians is indeed a challenge. We are certainly meeting that challenge and

being innovative in terms of what we need to do.

This bill speaks to one of many programs, which is indeed a very important

program, in terms of people having access to appropriate medical care, whether

it is right next door to them in their community, whether it is regionally,

within the Province, outside the Province, or somewhere around the country. It

may be in a case where the service or expertise is not available here in this

Province. So this is certainly a good program, and certainly allows people to

access appropriate care and provide assistance through this Medical

Transportation Assistance Program. Obviously, it is there to assist substantial

out-of-pocket expenses that people incur, and try to reach that care, that this

provides the assistance to them.

As I said, there are a number of referrals that can be made. It can be

in-Province, it can be out-of-Province, across the country, or indeed outside of

Canada if it is referred by a specialized physician recognizing that this care

is required.

I know, as an MHA, and most hon. members in this House, in terms of the work

we do, as Members of the House of Assembly, you go and you talk to people -

health care is so important. It is a motherhood issue, no doubt, in terms of

dealing with people's families and loved ones. We deal almost every day in terms

of health care issues coming up, in terms of inquiries people have, in terms of

getting the care they need. Advocacy groups in terms of issues, they are

important. We listen all the time, certainly, and try to advance their concerns.

This government continues to do that and has done it since coming to power in

terms of advancing health care, certainly listening to people in terms of groups

and what they are advocating for, in terms of enhancements, and meeting those

needs.

In fact, as we noticed, since 2003, our budget for health has increased

almost a billion dollars a billion dollars, Mr. Speaker, in terms of into all

regions of this Province, into small communities, towns, urban centres, you name

it. The emphasis this government has tried to make too is to invest in those

regions and rural areas, to make sure the services where it can be are

available, in Labrador and on the Island, so they are

accessible, so people can get access to those services and do not have to travel

as much, as often is required. So if we provide that service in particular areas

that do cut down on the travel, but there are cases obviously where people do

need to travel and that is why the importance of this program is so evident and

is important to the people of Newfoundland and

Labrador .

I talked about investment. I know in my district, in the District of

Ferryland, there is an example. In the Southern Avalon, the Town of Trepassey,

just recently, we provided upgrades to X-ray equipment, state-of-the-art,

upgraded in the medical clinic in Trepassey, as well as upgrades to the

laboratory equipment, to make sure the people on the Southern Avalon, and

certainly on the Southern Shore, have access to those services in the region so

they can access that and provide those services that they need there instead of

having to travel long distances to access it. So that is just a basic example of

this government investing in rural Newfoundland so we

can have access to those services.

As well, Mr. Speaker, I have known first hand in terms of the broader scope

of services needed to be provided in terms of our drug formula. We have made

tremendous investment in that in terms of requirements of people advocating for

various drugs over the past number of years. Certainly, we have done well in

terms of answering their needs and increasing the number of drugs that are

covered and the amount that are covered under the current drug formula, which

again is the overall scope of health care improvement, health care delivery, and

again this particular program supports that and is one that certainly is needed.

I just wanted to touch briefly on some of the eligibility criteria and the

expenditures and what this type of program is for and what it is used for. It

assists residents and families in terms of accessing care; commercial air

service; taxi services; commercial ferry services; registered bussing services;

purchased registered accommodations; and meal per diems for each day of eligible

accommodations. So, very important in terms of we have sick loved ones, in terms

of accessing appropriate medical care, that this is there for assistance for

them so they can certainly access it.

I will just touch briefly, Mr. Speaker, on current assistance levels and the

kind of thing we are talking about for those people out there that may not be

too familiar in terms of what would be available with a program like this. There

is a $400 family deductible for Newfoundland residents and families. The first

$400 of eligible expenses in the twelve-month period is paid by the resident or

their family. The next $100 of eligible expenses in that period is paid by the

program. Each family member will be eligible. Expenses may be entitled to

reimbursement of the first $100. Additional eligible expenses in the period up

to $5,000 are cost-shared equally and 50 per cent by those that avail of that.

As well, Labrador residents, due to the uniqueness of the geography and in

terms of accessing particular services, there is no deductible. The first $1,000

of eligible expenses in the twelve-month period is paid by the program.

Additional eligible expenses in the period are cost-shared equally and all

expenses in excess of $5,000 in the period are cost-shared by the resident

family and the program, with the program paying 65 per cent of eligible

expenses.

Now, Mr. Speaker, in terms of governing and looking each year, and as I said

hearing from people in terms of what is important to them and changes in two

particular programs, obviously this is one of many programs in the health care

department that is looked at annually and in terms of the budgetary process.

Over the past number of years this government has done that and has made changes

to that.

I just wanted to speak briefly to some of those changes that have or

enhancements that have been made to this Medical Transportation Assistance

Program to meet the concerns and recognize where we need to invest and where we

need to assist in programs.

For Labrador residents, April 1, 2005 the $500 deductible was eliminated. As

well, in that same year Labrador residents were reimbursed the first $500 of

claimable expenses during a twelve-month period with the claimable balance

cost-shared at 50 per cent. That is obviously recognition of investments in the

program, an enhancement to a program and certainly changes were made reflective

of that.

Again in May of 2007, reimbursement of the first $500 of claimable expenses

during a twelve-month period was increased to $1,000 with a claimable balance

cost shared at 50 per cent. That was for Labrador residents.

In February, 2006, again we saw changes applicable to Labrador, and to the

Island as well in terms of claims. The program was enhanced to assist residents

travelling by road a distance of 200 kilometres or greater one way. We saw the

eligibility criteria for patients travelling by road and requiring a minimum of

fourteen consecutive day's medical travel before becoming eligible for

assistance, with accommodations and meals being eliminated. Once again, it is

looking at the program. It is reviewing it on an annual basis and investing and

trying to improve and make that program more beneficial to those in need.

In July of 2007, we saw enhancements to the program, certainly for Labrador

and to the Island as well. Purchased registered accommodations per diem

increased from $75 to $125. The monthly cap on purchased registered

accommodation claims will increase from $1,000 to $1,500. Again, we saw an

increase in the multi-meal allowance claimable. Reimbursement of claimable

expenses in excess of $5,000 during a twelve-month period increased from 50 per

cent to 65 per cent. So you have seen over those years, Mr. Speaker, that it was

continually reviewed. The program is continually looked at, and once again, no

doubt, possibly in this year it is being reviewed again and we will wait to see

what happens in the coming days.

Mr. Speaker, a program like this, as I said, is part of a bigger

comprehensive health care and program delivery in the Province, and one of many

programs that need to be reviewed on an annual and often periodically -as I

said, MHAs deal with a number of individuals, a number of groups. They bring

forth their concerns and identify problems, and we certainly bring them forward.

I think the Minister of Health and Community Services referenced, when he

spoke to this bill with regard to the Speech from the Throne, what was mentioned

there overall in terms of the global picture, in terms of our expenditures in

health. We have gone through a process of improving the health system in our

Province, and certainly health care services in all regions of the Province.

When we look, as I mentioned earlier, over a billion dollar increase since this

government came to power. We look at some key investments, were mentioned

actually in the Throne Speech, $17.9 million for mental health and addictions

services; $112 million for health facilities, repairs and maintenance; $281

million to improve health infrastructure throughout the Province, and $177.9

million for new health care equipment.

So, Mr. Speaker, that certainly is enormous in terms of the investments in

the Province in terms of health care and what we are doing to respond to the

needs of health care, and no doubt the needs are great, as I said. Our Province

geographically is certainly diverse in terms of our communities. Certainly, on

the Island and in Labrador, but a comprehensive program where we are looking at

service delivery, we are doing that and I think we are meeting many of the

challenges that are required in terms of doing that.

Again, I said for my area - I know from dealing with other areas - we are

investing. Community health, we look at resourcing in community health. We look

at whether it is a clinic, whether it is equipment. There is a whole range of

initiatives that we have looked at, and we are building on an overall scheme of

health care.

Overall, we look at enhancing medical, health and addictions, improving

long-term care and community supports, which is so important. We look at

strengthening the health work force in terms of commitments we have made to

those who work in the health care system and allowing them to provide the

services; competitive wages, and as well, having the equipment and technology at

their disposal that they need to do the type of job that they do so well.

Health care equipment, this government committed $200 million over four years

in terms of health care investments. That is $50 million a year for a whole

variety of equipment and technology that is so vital, not only in our urban

centres but out around this Island and through Labrador in varied areas of the

Province. So once again, it relates back to the whole issue of this program in

terms of assistance for travel. If we can put more of that technology, more of

that service into the regions and in communities, obviously it will reduce the

amount of travel that is required. So it is a parallel program. We are putting

investment into rural and regional areas in terms of the equipment and

technology, human resource skills and, obviously, in some cases where travel is

required, and this program is there to meet those needs.

Again, to conclude, this is a program that is reviewed. There have been

continued investments in the program. I think it is a program that was initiated

in the late 1990s I do believe, but since then it has been built on. It has been

worked on to provide good additional funding in there, as this government is

doing.

Mr. Speaker, with that I will conclude my comments on this bill. I certainly

appreciate the comments of prior members and look forward to hearing additional

debate by the hon. members.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Member for Signal Hill-Quidi Vidi.

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

I am very happy to be able to stand and speak to this issue this afternoon,

and I am very pleased that the Official Opposition has put this motion before us

for discussion by the government and the Opposition parties. It is something

that has been an issue for me, I know, for a long time, and I have spoken to

this issue in the House on a number of occasions. The importance of relieving

the financial stress on people when it comes to medical transportation is

extremely important. People have enough to deal with when they are in poor

health, and we know that when they are travelling for medical assistance in this

Province, they are travelling because they have a serious condition.

Most conditions can be dealt with closer to home but it is because, of

course, the size of our population, we have services, especially around cancer

care that are quite centralized and people who are critically ill very often

have to be involved in travelling to get the treatment that they need. Adding to

that, burdens of finances is really something that we want to get rid of. If

people are going to heal quickly, if their treatment is going to have benefits,

then they need to have as less stress as possible on them. The stress of not

being able to afford travel, having to use one's savings in order to travel, and

having to go in debt even for travel, is not something that we should want here

in this Province. It is not something we should want in our country. We are a

country that is beyond that, I would think, and yet we do not recognize

adequately the role of medical transportation and the fact that having to travel

for your treatment is part of your medical condition and the cost of medical

transportation is a medical cost.

We, unfortunately, are behind a lot of the provinces in the way that we deal

with this issue. For example, the reimbursement of gas and mileage for the use

of personal vehicles is now happening in many provinces, and it is not beyond us

or it is not something crazy for us to say this is something that should be

happening here. The same way with meal per diems for those staying with family

and friends, very often somebody coming in staying with a family or with a

friend, they may be staying with somebody who themselves do not have a large

income and the cost of having a couple of more people in the house and

sometimes people who are on very particular diets because of their conditions,

that cost then becomes a burden for the family or friend that they are staying

with, or for the person who is sick because they feel: well, I really do need to

buy this food. I cannot have my family here in St. John's - for example, if they

are coming into St. John's - carrying this cost. So we really do have to look at

this issue of the per diems for meals. They get the per diem if they are staying

outside of family, it is important that they also get the per diem if they are

staying with family.

The coverage has to be large enough to really totally minimize the amount of

stress on the individuals. So I am really glad that we are here discussing this

issue and I am hoping that the government is open to voting, along with the

Official Opposition and with myself as the leader of the Third Party, because I

will be voting for this motion. I hope that government too will be voting for it

so that we could all say in this House that we are all in agreement that we have

to improve the medical transportation program in Newfoundland

and Labrador, that we all care about the people of this

Province, and that we all want to reduce the burden that is on people who have

to travel for medical reasons.

Now, we talk about the issue being an issue mainly for rural

Newfoundland and Labrador because

it is people in the smaller communities who have to come into larger centres,

and there is absolutely no doubt that the burden on rural Newfoundlanders

and Labradorians is the heavier burden. I know that in a study that was done

some years ago, and I cited this study here in the House in February of 2008, we

know that one in three rural patients pay more than $200 per trip to see an

oncologist, one in eleven pays more than $1,000, and some people pay up to

$5,000 to come into St. John's from a remote area and the amount of

reimbursement they get does not balance out. When you are up

to the thousands, the amount of reimbursement they get does not balance out what

they are putting out.

The other thing that is a real burden is the fact that even when they are

going to get reimbursed, people have to put the money out up front. They have to

make the expenditure and then they get reimbursed. You know, that is fine when

you have a good salary; you can probably manage that. That is fine when you are

lucky enough to have some savings that are liquid, that you can go to a savings

account where you keep several thousand dollars for use in emergency and you can

take that and use it for an expenditure and then get reimbursed, but an awful

lot of people who are coming into large centres for treatment are not people who

are in a situation where they have $3,000 or $4,000 or $5,000 at their

fingertips. Sometimes each trip can cost that, by the time you put in the cost

of the air travel or the road travel, and you put in the cost of meals and the

cost of accommodations, et cetera. Some trips can be into the thousands.

There really is a tremendous burden on people who are living in rural

Newfoundland and Labrador. Rural Newfoundland and Labrador, as we know, does not

have the same economy as, for example, St. John's and the Northeast Avalon, or

of Corner Brook, those two places in particular. Rural Newfoundland and

Labrador, the income of people is lower, we have higher unemployment, and we

have a large number of people involved in the fishery which is in dire straits.

We have to look at the burden on people in rural Newfoundland and Labrador,

and I am really glad to see that the motion that is on the floor also asks the

government to look at making changes with regard to the $400 deductible faced by

those who live on the Island portion. I think that should be waived and I am

glad that it is in the motion. I am really hoping, and I have some trust that

the government will consider making that change. I think it is incumbent upon us

to do so.

I also want to talk about not just rural Newfoundland and Labrador; I also

want to talk about what people have to expend if they have to go outside of

Newfoundland and Labrador. I am going to speak of the experience of one of my

own constituents here in St. John's, in the District of Signal Hill-Quidi Vidi,

a woman whose doctor recommended that she travel to Ontario for surgery -

recommended it. The doctor believed this is where she should go to have the

surgery, and without any explanation from the government she was denied

assistance under the Medical Transportation Assistance Program. She is aware of

other people who had the same ailment that she has, which was urological in

nature, who received funding but her application for funding was refused. This

is a woman who is on her own, a woman who is a pensioner, and she could not get

any help with the medical transportation. The thing is: not only was the expense

going to be the expense of the travel, but she also had financial hardship with

regard to finding accommodations that would not be too expensive. So, despite

the clear recommendation of her doctor, the Province turned her down, and this

woman has been through stress that she should not have had to go through.

So, when we talk about medical transportation, we of course are talking not

just about the needs here in the Province, but we also have to look at the needs

of people who have to go outside of the Province. We do have situations, and we

all know them. I know that my colleagues in the House, many of them represent

communities where, for example, communities have had to raise money for people

so that they could bring either a child or another family member outside the

Province for treatment; so that the parents of a child, for example, could

travel to Halifax with them, or travel to Toronto and stay with them for an

extended period of time, because no parent and no family wants to put a child in

the children's hospital in Halifax or the children's hospital in Toronto and

leave them on their own. They have to have family with them. It would be a

terrible stress on family if they did not do that. Yet, we do know of

communities where the whole community has to rise up and raise money to send a

family away so that a member of the family can get treatment.

This is not good enough in this day and age. It is not acceptable. There are

many stories like this. I know of another woman. This woman and she has been

in touch with us, both of the cases I am referring to, they have come to us and

told us about their case - this woman was a breast cancer survivor in her

fifties, and she lived in Labrador; she still does, of course. She was told that

she had to go to Toronto for an MRI, and the appointment was set up. The MRI was

of an urgent nature because of the nature of her condition, being breast cancer.

All the flights were booked and she needed to get there, so she decided to drive

to Toronto in her own car, and when she turned to government for reimbursement

for her mileage she was denied.

Well, that is not good enough. We have to put a program in place so that

people who have to travel outside the Province can get help with that travel. We

have to recognize, too, the need for the mileage to be covered. People should be

able to use their own car. It does not make any sense that somebody who has to

come a two hour drive outside of St. John's can get reimbursed if they are in a

taxi or bus but cannot get mileage for their personal vehicle. So, we really do

have to review the rules that we have in place so that, number one, a larger

group of people can have this burden lifted from their shoulders and that,

number two, besides increasing the numbers of people who can get reimbursement,

that the reimbursement that is being offered is of a large enough nature that

people are having to put in a minimum amount of money. It just makes sense to me

that as a Province we do not want people to have to be stressed and to be

burdened.

There was a study done at Memorial University in 2008 and the study was

called: Closer to Home: The burden of out-of-pocket expenses in Newfoundland and

Labrador. This study outlined how people are struggling to access health care in

this Province. So the government does not even have to do the work to figure

this one out, because we have such good research that is being done at Memorial

University.

I want to just outline some of