Newfoundland and Labrador Hansard — Orders of the Day; Statements by Ministers — 20 June 1989 (41st General Assembly, 1st Session)
1989-06-20
Newfoundland and Labrador — Debates (Hansard)
j[l_ Volume XLI Tuesday Province of Newfoundland FORTY -FIRST GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NEWFOUNDLAND First Session VERBATIM REPORT (Hansard} Speaker: Honourable Thomas Lush Number 16 20 June 1989
The House met at 2:00 p.m. Mf~. SPEAKER (Lush): Order, please! I would like to IAJE!lcornc• some gUE!Sts to thE• gallE!d.es today on behalf of all hon. me1nbE!rs. Firstly, visiting the House of AssEHnbly today and sitting in the gallery is the Right RE!Verend Russell Hatton, Suffragan Bishop, Diocese of Nova Scotia. SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear! Ml~. ~3PEAKEI~ : Also, D1~. CharJ.E:!S F. Maher, tlw Vice- --President for' Acade1nic Affairs and Dean of the College of the American IntE!rnational Colloge of SpringfiE!1d. Dr'. Char1E!S u.Jas bor'n i.n Torbay, and is hornE• for a bd .Pf vi. sit. SOME HON.
MEMBERS : Hear, hear! Ml~. SPEAKFI~: ThE! hon. the rnemb E! r for Stephenville . Ml~. K. AYIWAIW: Before we begin the routine business of the day, I wonder if the· House would agrE'e to send a congratulatory message to the Port aux BasqUE!S Mar:i nE!rs who won thE! Herder Memorial Championship this year, sincE! the HousE• was not opE!n at thE! time. ThE! Marinc~rs have made history by winning this coveted award for the first timE!, and by beating the grE!at. St. John's Capitals. Also, my beloved StE'phenville Jets were unable to do anyH1ing this year, along with the Corner Brook Royals.
I think it is wor'thy of notE! that l:he banquet. is comiiV::J up this weekend, and the Herder will be 1_802 June 20, 1989 Vol XLI prE!Sented to them in a formal et:!remony. I think .i.l: ' IJJoul.d be fitting if this House could send a congr'atulat.ory message. Also, the membE·r· for LaPoile js a fot'ITIE!r prE!S 'ident of thE! Mari.n, :•rs, dnd hE! has buiJ.t that hockE!Y tE!alrl :i.nl.o a fine hockey team over the past nurnbE'r' of YE!ars. AN HON. MEMBER: With fairness and balance . MR. K. AYLWARD: Fa :1rnE!SS right . - and balance, {~hat l.
C' -· If the House could along those lines, greatly appreciated. do SOirlC:!l.hin11 :l t. L\J(ll.l] d bt ' Thank you. SOME HON. MEMBERS : HE'ar, hear! MR. SPEAKER : The hon. the LeadE•r ol L he, Opposition . MR. RIDEOUT : Mr. Speaker, obvoi.ous ly my colleagues on this s:ldE' of the Hou se take gr eat plt:'a surr:! in seconding the moti on pr·oposed by thE! gE!I'd:le111an l~or :'3tephentJ.i.lle, that the House send appropriate congratulations Basques Mariners. to the Port Aux I k n OIAJ t h r.\1 :. a J" l of Newfoundland and Labrador proud of the accomplishmen ts that team.
So are we, and should duly express congratulations. -L ~: of 1./JE! OUI" I would also like to take this occasion to suggest that perhaps in the con g r' at u 1 at o 1~ y 1n e s s a q e l:: he House shouJ.d commend t:hP Mar:lnet ~~: for having so many winnings, so many parades and so many cavalcades, in IJJh.ich th(• gentleman who presently represents LaPoile was pictured, and to thank them for his e:~1E!ction to t.hE! House of No. 16 1\802
Assembly. SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hoar, hE!ar! MR. SPEAKE!~: I might pcd.nt out to hon. rnE•mbE!rS that: WE! havE:~ no provision in our Stand:Lng Orders for thE!Se congratulatory messages and other niceties that we participate in from time to t.irne. The Chair, of course, is just dir'E!Ct.ed by the House, but·. I would point out, maybe to sornE!body who i.s working on the appropri.al:.e cornrnittoe, that when WP get into parliamentary rE!for·m, l:.his rn·.ight be an :idea, that we do make provision for that in our ~)tanding Or·c.h!rs and in t.he Orders of the Day. It does happen in other Legilatures throughout Canada.
Statements by Ministers MR. ~3PEAKER: ThE! hon. thE! M~inJstE!r of Socia1. se.~rvicc~s. MR. EFFORD: Thank you, Mr. Speaker, Mr. Speaker, I hi~ve a brief statement which is more or less a cl.arification of sornE!·thing T said in the House of Assembly yesterday. I want to take this opportunity to correct an answer I gavE:~ to a question. It. has beE!n my intE!nt:Lon, since being E·lected to this lion. HousE! in 1985, to t1ny to bE! as accurate as I can at any given time, both in my formE!r position when asking questions, and E!Spc::~c:i.ally now as M·in:i.ster responsi.bJ.e for thE!
DepartmE!nt of Social Services in answering qUE!St:i.ons. YE!S {:er·day afternoon, whE!n the hon. L803 June 20, 1989 Vo1 XLI mernbE!r for thE! Port au Por·t Peninsula asked mr:i a quE•stion, I gave him an :i.ncorrE!Ct anstAJE!r. I said, in answer to his question about an incident which took place over the past we:~ekl:!nd dotJJn i~t l::h::• Remand Centre, that it did noL take place at the Remand Centre but at the Youth Correction Centre, in lorbay. I tAhHI t l~o clarify that, Mr.
SpeakE!r, and say it did take place at the Remand CentrE! and not at t.h(• Youth Correction CE!nt:re. lhe p1acE!S arE! together but in separate butl.dings, and l".:hE•y pE!r-f',H'In l.:lw same funct.:ion. I lAJc~nL tn go on r·ecor·d as Sdying I did ,·1nl:. :i. n·l:. e n t: :i. o n a l J. y m j s 1 E! ad t. h (' H ot.t ~' E' , 1 rnadC! a rn.i.st.ake. I lAJill sl:.dnd by a n y s t a t E• nw n t: T m a k e , b u l:. 1 tAl a n t to c1al"ify thi.s at t.his pdl'·l:.icuOldr ti.rnE!. SOME HON. MEMBERS: 11ear, hear! MR. SPE~KER: ·. The hon. the rn t::~ rn b r:• r· Port. MR. HODDER: Foln Por't dU WE!ll, Mr.
Spe:~akc~r, [ guuss IAJE! notAl k n otJJ who k n etJ.J IJJh i3. t t. h 0! y lAJE:' 1·· ~=! talking about yesterday. SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hc:!ar, hedr! Ml~. HODDER: Mr·. SpE!akE!r, whi,J.E• I do congratulate the Minister for having thE! courage to comE• ~i.n and do this, I would say to hirn il~ is one of those things where, perhaps, the minister's arrogance sometimes overcomes his better judgE!rnent. When he .is tryLng Lo makE• a statement in th::i.s HotJse, perhaps he should curb his arrogance somewhat. Ml~. SPEAKE!~: No. 16 R803
Are there further statements by Ministers? The hon . the Minister of Environment and Lands. MR. KFI LAND: Thank you, Mr. Speaker . It is u.li.th a grr:!at deal of pleasure that I make an announcement to this Hon. House on a matter of much s:ignjficance to our Province and, in particular, to the constituents of the d .ding of Naskaupi, whi ch I arn VE!ry honoured to represent. Only a fE!W short days ago it IAJas my honour as Minister of thE! DE!partrnE~nt of EnvironmE!nt and Lands to preSE!nt the btidget E!Stirnates fo r rny DepartJnE!Ili:.
In thoSE! es ·U .matE! 'S I notE•d that somE! $2 milLion dollars WE!rE! ear-·-rnarkE!d for the destruction of the environrnnetally persistent group of chemicals called 11 polychlorinal:ed biphenyls 11 , or PCB' s, that are of provinc:l .al otJJnership and are located in safE! storage in Labrador. As the majority of PCB wastes in this region are of Federal ownership, the Department of National Defense is taking the lead in such aspects as environmental studies and the tendering procedure. Mr. Speaker, the rE!Sidents of thE!
Happy Valley/Goose Bay region will be the first :in Canada to SE!e thE! safe disposal of these wasi:E!S by technologically advanced mobile thE!r-tnal dE!struction equipment that has been in usE• E!1SE!WhE!rE! for a number of years and .is designed specifically for chemical wastes, including PCB's. A comrnit1nent was made to the residents of Happy Valley/GooSE! Bay that, before this project could go ahead, my Depart.JnE!nt would enact si:r·ong L804 JunE! 20, 1989 VoJ. XLI regulations for mobile PCB d E! s t r u c U . o n b y i n c i n e r a t i o n .
A J.:L proponen'l:s IJJould have to adht:!rt~ to t h e s e R e g u l a t t o n s a s a ITt i n i. rn u Ill st:andard for l:hnir mob ·i le PCB dE!struct.ion faci.litiE!S. I attl pleasf~d to Si.'l.Y thc1t. tny DopartmE:•nt has fulfilled that commitment. Today I have in rny h<:,nd, and t.~.ri .ll table in this Hon. House, the Mobile PCB Destruct ion Fad.ltl:y Regulations under the Department of Envior·nrnE!nt cHld Lands Act tJJhich were approved by Cabjnet earlier this month and whi ch, I understand, appeared in The Newfoundland Gazette dal 0d June 16.
These RC:!<.JUlat:Lons colnp1etrJE!Ill: l:ho sr: • dr·afted by Env:Lrontt iE!nl :. Catlada at•d my officials t;..J.ill coll'lbine ofr ·-or ·i:.s with Federal engineers ~nd technicians to rnonilor Lhe operation of dE! s L t' u c t. :i on 1.1 n i L s and to ensure regulatory compliance. Mr. Speaker, these Regulations will ensure safe destruct. ion of thE! PCB IJJas tes s l:orPd in CousE! 13ay and, of coursE!, any oth E!t' locations in the Province where such an incinerator may be located in the future.
By this action tJJe are today demonstrating to the rest of Canada that Newfoundland and Labrador :is prE!parE·cl t.o dE'•a] wil:h its tJJaste probletns in a responsible manner, governed by technological consid(~rat.ions dnd complete openness with interest groups, rather than defE!r' our problems for ·the resolution of future generations. We w.i.ll continue l:o domons ·l:r·al:E:! l:o our peopJ.e as wEd] as t.o thE! r·e~;t of Canada that this Government rE!rna:i ns ccnnrr6t l:.ed to the protecl: :ion and E!nhancemPnt of our E!nvironrnE!nt. Mr . 5pE!akE>r.
I t.~.d1l continue to kE:!f.:!p MernbE!lns of this No. 16 R804
hon. House, tht~ people of Naskaupi District and communities of Coastal Labrador advised as this project proCE!E!dS. Subject to thE! presentation of more detailed technicaJ jnformation on the specific incinerator that will assure compliance with these Regulations, I will issue an Environmental Certificate of Approval, probably in August, with appropriate terms and conditions that will govern its operation which is likely to proct~ed in the November to February period. I rn:Lght add, Mr. SpE!aker, that WE' do have an environrn~:!nt officE!r on the site, on station in Happy Valley-Goose Bay.
They are generaJ.ly thE!rE• on a seasonal basis, but. in this particular instancE! thE·y w:i 11 likeJ.y re1nain through the period normally expected and through the period for the destruction of PCB's currently stored in Happy Valley/Goose. In addition to that we wilJ. also have other environment experts from our department visit on a fairly rE!gular basis to ensure that the RE!gulations are compJ jed wj th, and all safe destruction procedures arE! fa] lowed. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the member for Green Bay. MR. H FWLETT: I thank thE! han. MinistE!r for an advance copy of his statement.
I also compliment thE! minister on his commitment to rid our environment of 'polychJ.orinated biphenyls', PCBs. I note this program is dedicated to the eradication of PCBs in the minister's district and environs. I would ask the minister that this program bE! E!XtE!ndE!d over thE! nE!Xt L805 June 20, 1989 Vol XLI year or so to include Labrador West and the Island portion of the ProvincE!; the lE!SS distanCE! theSE! toxins have to bE! carrJ.E!d to the disposal site, the beU:E!l". I would also commend the minjster's attentjon to an
article in the June 19, edition of Newsweek pages 56 and 57 entitled Microbes To The Rescue. As the minister is no doubt aware, a common g~rden septic tank cleanses household sewagE! through thE! acU.ons or· bacteria. Scientists have now idE•nt:.i.fied bacter:i a and o Uteln m:icrobc:•s thal: can break clntAJn such chemicals as the Herbicide 2 -4 D and PC:Bs. rheir scientiFic advances arE! no longE•l" conf:inecl Ln the labratory, Mr. ~3p~:·akur, bul~ haVE! ent.er'E!d the J·'E!d1lll or· industrial application. Unlike burning, this new method of envir'or11nental clean -up lua•J('S littJe or no toxic resjdue.
AJ.so, Mr. SpE!aker, I r:h:ink :it ·1s appropriate to thank the environmental activists who, over !~hE! past fE!W YE!ars, havE• drawn our attention to the seriousness of environmental pollution. Thrse were people who risked being callE!d radicals, who dared to be a Daniel, who dared to sl:and a1one. We owe t:hetn a debl: of grdLil:ude. I thank you, Mr. Speaker. SOME HON. MFMBERS: Hear, hE!ar! Oral Questions MR. RIDEOUT: Mr. Speaker. MR. ~)PEAKER: The hon. the Leader' of thE! Opposit:i.on. No. 16 1\805
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hc:!ar, hc:!ar! MR. RIDEOUT: Mr. Speaker, \:.he Prc:!ln:ic:!r is quickly developing a reputation in t.his House as the King of Double Standards. Yesterday, I rE!mind l~he PremiE!r, :in questions I askc~d him, it was not a question of whether his Minister of Forestry and Agriculture (Mr.
FLight) has property leased to a Crown corporation, it: IAJas not a question of whether the minister renegotiates the lease while he is a 1ninisbH' or E•VE!n terminates l:.he ]ease IAJh.iJ.e hE ! j_s a m.inister, but the question is the standard of conduct that the present Premier dernandc:•d whE•n he was LE!ach;!r of thE! Opposit io n. Now, Mr.
Speaker, will the Premier tell the House how hE! could, therefore, invite a colleague into his Cabinet while a potential conflict of interest existed when the Premier is on public Y'E!cord· as having said quiU! clc.~arly that he could not condone a potentjaJ. conflict of interest under his leadership? MR. SIMMS: A good question . MR . SPEAKER: The han. the Premier. PREMIER WELLS: Mr . Speaker, I do not know how many times I have to say this. May bE! it is rny fault, rnay be I am not explaining it sufficiently.
The thing that raised the question before, when I tJJas sitting on the:! opposite side of the House, was l:hE! fact that a min :istE!r, namely, Dr. CoJ.lins, who was thE· Minist:E!r oF Finance, ownE!d, I do not know, 2S per cent., I t.hjnk, of a compc.~ny \~hat rented and negotiat c~ d leases and renewals of 1eaSE!S in a building down on Bonaventure L806 JunE! 20, 1989 VoJ. XLI AvenUE! to the government of Lh :i s .P r o u i n u~ .
The position I t.ook, and thE! standard that I felt was appropr·iate and put fonuat"ci at l . .I"H :! time, was that t.h<:~ _rninisl":.E•r should either dispose of the asset or resign from l":.he Cabinet. If he was not prepared to dispose of the asset, he would have to resign from the Cabinet.
Now when I invi\:E!d UlE! mE!IrtbE!r' for Windsor Buchans to join the Cabinet, he told tn(• of \:he exisl:E!nCE! of that lease that was originally negotiated twenty years ago, Lhe lease with the Liquor Corporation, and it t>.Jas rene1>.J1 :•d i.n Oc l:.ob1 ,!r, ( bE!1iE!VE!, of last yc,ar ', IA111E :!n thf' li'"st tHI"tn start'''d. 11E! l:.nl.d 1111,, about that J. ease and 1 s cd d l o h :i 111 here ar·e the al l~e r· nat .i.lJ e s op t:! n !·o you: Dispose of the propl:!r "ly, and I d i d 11 0 t S e t a 1: i II'IE! 1 i In i l~ , S 0 p U t the propE!rLy up rOI " Sd]E' 01' dispose of 1":11E! propE!r1:y.
Tho lease w·:iJl not: bE! ab1E! t.o bl! renewed. It is done and negotjated . There Js no direct. dc:!alings lAd l:h goVE!r'niTH:!ni:. You were not jn government whon the 1 e a s e t..ua s neg o t i a ted , s o l: h o r e will be no negotiation with government. The lease must terminatE!, if you do not d:ispoSE! of the pr·operty, or you rnus\: resign, one of Lhose three. Now I have J.eft it to the minister to dispoSE! of the propE!r'ty. HE! has toJ.d TnE! that hE· j s at LE!rnpt:i.ng to dispose of thE! propE!r'l:y, t>.Jh·.ich is the course whJch he proposes to foLlow.
He obviously cannot unjlaterally terminate the lease. There is another party to the J.ease so he could noL unj]a teral1y tE!rrninatE! ·.it, and I did nol: e::•xpc:!ct that.. I expE!Cted he IAJou1d have a rE!asonable time wil:h:in wh'.i c.h l:o do i.t, and frankly eVE!n :if he tAlent t.o thE! expiration of Lhe existing No. 16 R806
lease, I would not ask him to r·psign frorn thE• Cabinet, bE!CausE·· the lE•ase was negotia'l:E!d. But hE! cannot r·enew that lPase or E!nt.er in\': o a. n y new d 1:! a 1 for· a continuation of that lease with the NPwfoundland Liquor Corporation, which is an agency of the gouernment of this Prouince. He cannot do that and rPrnain a minister. IF he wishes to do that, hE! rnus t resign. Now, that is precisely what I asked the foJ"JTJer PremiE!r to do JAdth respect to Dr. Collins. I did not ask the-former Premier to throw Dr. Collins out of the Cabinet immediately.
I scl.id to t:he For'JTJE•r Premier what should be done is eithPr the minister must dispose of tho assr:d: or· h(:• must bE• askc~d to resign, one or the other. MR. RIDEOUT: Mr. Speaker. MR. SPFAKFR: ThE! hon. the --Lead or of Opposition. MR. RIDEOUT: ThE! record tAd 11 shotAJ cJ.earJ.y the now PrE!Jn:iE•r did in fact thE! t.hE!n PI"E!ITiiE!r to seek resignation of the minister we were talking about. thE! that ask thE! whom Mr. Speaker, most lease arrangements haue a thirty-day cancellai::ion clause.
The issue here is the Premier1s statement that not euen a potential conflict of interest could bP t.oJ.erated under his leadership. That is the iSSUE!, SOME HON. MEMBERS: HE!ar, hE!ar! MR. RIDEOUT: Now, will the House, in IA.Ihy he uiew did PrE!mier of that not say L807 June 20, 1989 tell the statement, to his VoJ. X L.I colleague, 1Dispose of the property, exercise the opLion clause, then I will talk to you about a Cabinet appointment1? MR. SPEAKER: The han. the Pl':E!Iflifi:~r. PREMIER WELLS: Fr·ankJ.y I do not. know if Lhere is an opt .ion clause in "i i:. There rnay well be.
But what the minister told mE! hE! wou1d do is he t.-~Jould dispose of the property wJLhJn three months. This is what he told me he intPnded to do. ·I accc:•pl: that fJ"om hitn. I think that that. :is E•nt.:.irPly J"E'•asonc;b]E''· liE! t.~.ri 11 d .is p o s C::• oF L, h rc• p r' o p u I"· l:. y within three months or he w·ill SE!E•k to ter·rn-.incd:e l:.he lE!a~;e. I do not th:i.nk that anyl .. h:ing eJ~:;E' CC\11 be askE!d of h:Lm. I thi.nk L.hal: i.s honour·able and pl"oper bE!hau:i OJ". I r·eally cannot quaJ'TE!l tAJ:il:h \':hal:.
I do not think that LhaL j~ contrary to the standard thaL [ suggest ought Lo haue been Lhe standard to be follotAJE!d by ministers. MR. RIDEOUT: Mr. Speaker. MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Leader of the Opposition. MR. RIDEOUT: It is certainly clear that that .is contrary to the Pl"E•m:i.Eor' s CliAII1 wor·ds I that not E! u E!n a po tE! nt. u~l conflict of interest can exist under his leadership. L E! t rn E! a s k t h E! P r' E! rrri. E! r t lr.i. s , M J" .
Speaker: Is the real reason here, is thE! rE!al fact fact hE'!r'P, that the Prernic•r OIA.Ied a po1it.i.ca1 debt: t.o his coJ.league and that the Premier hdd to pa.y back thE! per~;on who gaue up his seat for his leader? No. 16 R807
w. SOME HON. MEMBERS: Shame! Shame! MR. RIDEOUT: Is that not the real change? SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear! Ml~. SPEAKFR: The hon. the Prerrder . PREMIER WELLS: No, Mr. Speaker. It is not thE~ real reason. Lt~i: me remind the hon. the LE•ader of thE~ Opposj tion about the potential for conflict . The mjnjster is not in any position to nt1got: :iate t.~.rith the government. The 1E·ase is in place. He has to follow it. If he cannot terminate it, he is bound by law to follow the lease . MR. RIDEOUT : fhat is not the issue. PREMIER WELLS : That is the• issue.
It: js not the issue that the leader wants to prE!Sent, but i_t is thE• rE~ality. The minister :is not in a potential conflict because he cannot negotiate a lease. He is prohibited from negotiating a lease and he knows it. If he negotiates a netJJ J.ease· he is out of the Cabinet, and he knotJJs that that is the standard. So there is no potential. Now, the minister, on his own, has said, 1 Look, Mr. PrE!mier, I am putting the property up for sale. If I cannot s E! 11 it, I wi 11 seek to terminate the lE•ase within threE~ months . 1 Now, I do not know whethE:~r hE:~ can even achieve that.
If he says to the Liquor Corporation, 1 I want to tE!rrninatE~ the lease, 1 and they say no, hE~ may havE~ no alternative but to continue it. However, I do not L808 June 20, 1989 Vol XU know what will happen. I do not want to anticipate that d:ifficulty. He has t:oJd 1ne whi>.t he is going to do. HE! has actE!d entirely honourably and I have no quarrE~1 ur:.i.th :Lt, dE!sp:it.e LAJhat thE'! hon. t:hE~ Leadt~r of the Opposition seeks to make of it. SOME HON. MEMBERS : Hear, hear! MR. RIDEOUT : Mr. Speaker. MR. SPEAKER: T 11 E· han. thE! LE•adeJ'· Opposition . MR.
RIDEOUT : The PrE•rnier· is back .i.nq his OIAJn lAJOi"dS rlCliAJ about conflict of interest. oF t-.he o 1_-f F I" o r n po Lcnt_:i a] Let rne ask thE~ Pre1ni<::!l" Llr .i~~: Is i t n o l: a F ct c t l: h a l: i f l: h r:- h l.l n . mE!ITrbE!r tr·ies to d:i spoSE! of, or·, j n fact, disposes of that prope~ty today t hat he s t a n d s to g a :i n because l:hE!re is already a least' in placE!, and i.s that: not a potential conflict of interest which the Premjer said he would never tolerate undr:·r· h·is leadE!rsh-:Lp? MR. SPEAKER: The hon. thE! Pr·em ·i.E:!r . PREMIER WELLS: I cannot irnagi nE!
LAJhat: the hon. thE! LE!ador of the Oppos'it.ion ]_ s ta1k:i.ng about:. The JeasE• lAJa s negotial:ed twenty YE!ars a<Jo. It was renE!IJJed in OctobE~r. The netJJ tE!rm starl:E~d, I am to1d, in October. HE! was not-. a rnernb~'!r of thE~ House at thE~ tirnE!. MR. WARREN : No, he gave up his seat for you . PREMIER WELLS: No. 16 1~808
That is right. He had interests of the ProvincE! and he did a good job of is a very principled man. SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear! MR. RIDEOUT: the best at heart it. He The more thE! Pn~mier speaks, thE! longer his nose gets. PREMIER WELLS: Mr. Speaker. I am prE! pared to answer thE! qUE!st·ion that if hon. member·s IAJant.. If they want to sit a listen. I will give them the ansWE!r to it. There was no lease. The member was not a member of thE! House ned: a membE!r' of thE• governrnE!nt, he was not E!VE!n a ITielnber of thE~ House -uJhen the leaSE! IJJas renniAIE•d last.
OctobE!r. ~)o IAJhen hE! t.oJ.d mE· about. it. he was given an instruction, and that is precisely the position I took with respect to Dr. CoJ.lins. The minister must give up, must dispose of that businr::~ss or he must rE!sign. He cannot do both. He cannot continue to remain j n the Cabinet and negotiate new leases and new agreements and renewals with the government. Ml~. BAKER: Right on.! Right on! That i.s conflict! PREMIER WELLS: He cannot continue the Cabinet and do the government. MR. FLIGHT: to rE:'I'nain i.n businE!SS wil:h A point of order, Mr. Speaker. MR.
SIMMS: No points of order until after Question Period. L809 June 20, 1989 Vol XLI MR. SPEAKER: ThE! han. thE! MinistcH' of For·es try and Agriculture. MR. FLIGHT: Wr::d 1, :it IAJi.ll b (• a poLnt of privilE!ge. thE!n. I would just l:i.kE! to :.Lnful"rn thE! House, Mr. SpeakE!r, if H. i.s important to !:he LeadE!I" of l:lw Opposition and important to the HouSE!, that I have this lllOI"ning instigated a conversation with a real estate company with the instructions to sell lhe bu.i.1ding. EvE·r·yone knoiAJS l·:hai: in the rea] E·stat.:E!
ITJar'kE!t ~in f:1uc hans. l: he p o t 1:! n t: i. a 1 i: o s r.! l l. l:. h.-~ l: building -- AN HON. MEMBER: This morning? MR. FLIGHT: Yes. ULis 111or·ning. SOMF HON. MEMBERS: Oh, oh! MR. FLIGHT: Mr. SpE!akor. I think· J should be entitlE!d, having sat thr·ough l,t.Jhat: I sat through ·· Ml~. SIMMS: You arE· only IAJas·t_ing the l:iii'IE:! oF the HOUSE!, Ml~. FLIGHT: The first weekend i.n Buchans, Ml". Speaker. after I becamE! a member of CabinE•t. I started nE!gotiat:.i on~~ to SE!ll the building.
It is practicaJ.ly impossible to seJ.l that kind of real E!St.at.e in Buchans, but.: I have asked C.-l. rea] E!s\:a{:E! c01npany to list the prop e r t y a n d to s e J. 1 i. t . l I.1.1Ll 1 tE:~ll thE! han. rnembers. if it. is not done in a reasonable period of tilrH:' I IJJill tE!r·minal:e the l~~ase, whatever it costs me. No. 16 1~809
MR . SIMMS : Why did you not do it two rnon ths ago, before you went to Cabinet? MR. RIDEOUT : Mr. Speaker. MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Leader of thE! Opposition. MR. RIDEOUT: Mr. Speaker, obviously that is not a question of pr·ivilE!ge. It is a prima facie lease and a IAJaste of Question Period. That: is Lvhat it is. SOME HON. MEMBERS : HE!ar, hear! MR. SPEAKER : Hon. members, 1 took it to br.:• a point of ordE!r. The hon. rnembE!rs I heard indicate that there was no point of order in Question Period, so there ought. not. be.
I rnade a ruling on that a couple of days ago, and I suggested that thE!r'e IJJas nothing in our rules of order at that particular point in time, and that is correct. I did say to hon. members that probabJ.y it was advisable not to have points of order or points of privilege during Question Period, but that is for the House to decide The Chair can only call it according to the rules of order, but I rule there is no point of order. MR. TOBIN: Mr . Speaker·. MR. SPEAKFR: The han. thE! rnE·mbE!r for Burin Placentia West. MR. TOBIN : Mr. Speaker, I have a question for the::~ Minister of DE!VE!loprnE•nt.
I am sure that the minister is aware as is everybody in this House and L810 June 20, 1989 VoJ XLI everybody in this - Pro vi nee, rE!lating to the lack of work at th~C1 Marys ·town Shi pyarcl. ThE! re ar·e people leaving Marysi:own e!t.Jery day traVE!lling to the rna:inland to secure ernployrnE!nt. l"hE! shipyal'·d is now probably at the lowest peak it has been in its history . Yesterday, Mr. Young of FPI announced the company is act.uaJ.ly going to pursue the construction of a new shrimp trawler to harvest shrimp in the Northern Labrador waters .
I IJ.Jould J.:ikE! to ask thE! rn:-injsLer· has he had any discussions wilh M r· . Y o u n g o r F P I JA E! g a r· d oi. n ~J l·. h \ · construction of this vessel at the Marystown Shjpyard? CouJd the minister i:E!.ll us iF Mr. Younq h . .'J.s a] ready requested a PJ"j ce fr ··o 111 thl' Marystown Shipyard? Is he aware of any other companies involved? Mf~. SPEAKER : rhe hon. l: h E• P..1i n :i. s 1:£,• r· of DeveJ.opmE!nt . MR. FUREY : We11, Mr.
SpE!aker, I-:he hon. rnernbeJ" i s t a 1 k j_ n g a b o u t t h e F P I T r a IAI] e r' Rep1acement Pro(::~r·arn, t.JJh'ich I<JdS a program was undertaken in 1987, whE!re two 1evels of governmE!nt E!ntered :.i.nt.o a :,0- --:,o cos t·.-- ·shal"::i ng agrE!E!JTJent for• the E!XpE•rJdil :.Ui"O of': $21 million to replace eighl trawlers under the Program.
WE!lJ., to datE~ there have been five of these wetf :ish traiAJ1E!rS J"epli3.CC:!d trawlers for that particular corporation, and they have dPferred and put on hold t.he furthE~r capt t.a1i.zat:ion of anothcc!r three wel:Fish traiJJler'S becc:->'usE! of the:.~ c-ircumstances suJ~rounding t:he reduction in the Nor· ·l:l'lE!rn cod stocks. ~3o the company has takc:!n the decision to put that on hoJ.d at this ttrne. No. 16 R810
FPI is currE!nt:ly se~::1king from governrrtE!nt whethE!r or not we are prE!par·~::1d to take t:he balance fl"Om the Offshore Industry Development AgrE!E!ffiE!nt Fund, which currently has $9 miLlion of capital sil::ting thE!r'e, and whetbE!r we are prepar'E!d to look at transferring funding from thE• three wetf.ish trawlE•rs to the Northern shrimp vesseJ that they require to prosecute thE! Northern fishery. Mr. Young has had discussions with the Marystown Shipyard and with my department and they have puf forward a proposal which we are giving serious consideration to at this time.
I can tell \:he han. lrtE!lnbE!r that it has had discussion in the Resource Policy Committee, which I Chair, and that we have a]so looked at the economics of it and the social ramifications, and Treasury Board has looked at it as well. SometimE! in LhE! very nE•ar fu LurE• lAJE! hopE! to ht'l.Ve a full and opE!n djscussion about Lhe Ocean Industry Development Fund in a full meeting of the Cabinet to determine whethE!l" or not Lue want to proceed to put a subsidy in place for the shrimp trawler. MR. TOBIN: Mr. Speaker. MR. SPEAKER: The han. the member for Burin Placentia West. MR.
TOBIN: I thank thE! ministE!r answer, Mr. Speaker. for his LE!t me ask thE! rn·inister, is this additional funding that FPI is requesting a separate issue from the money that is already allocated for the further three? It is my understanding Lhat 1..811 June 20, 1989 Vo 1 XLI probably FPI would-like to have that remain in reserve for the thr·ee, and whE!n they arE• rE:!ady l:o start construction of these vc::~ssels they lAd.ll prococ::!d. Has governmE:1nt beE'!Il asked Lo deal tAri.t.h this one c'lS a separate issue?
Is there is difference outstanding between th~::1 Marystown Shipyard and a shipyard in Norway, and what would that amount bE! bcd~IAJC•en LhE· tlAJO? MR. FUREY: Mr. SpeakE!r. MR. SPEAKER: The hon. l:he Mi. n .is I;(! In of Deve].opmcnt. Ml~. Flli~EY: Well, that. lAJa s q u :i t:e a r·llH"T.Y or qlH!St:ions, Mr. ~3pE!al<r:!r. Is lhE•r-·c:! a dJfferent funding mechanjsm Jn p1ace to dt~!a1 tJJ·.i th the r'E!pldcutnen L of l:he threE:! IAH'!l:fi.sh t.r·otAJ].t0'ln~; ror· the -- MR. TOBIN: Do they s epara t.E!d tht~ee? lAJant. this onr• issUE! fr·om to the bP a other Mf\. FUREY: No, indE!E!d, tell the Min • hon.
SpE!aker. mernbor I can that Products International us to look al: l.hu lAJhal: s:it:s in l:hE! Ocudn Fisheries has asked balanco of Industry Development Agreement, that $9 between tho governments cent each. million cost-shared fE!dE!r·aJ. and pinovincia1 E!qually. at. 1)0 per They have asked us 1:o 1ook at thE• possibility of transferring that from the three wet:fish trawlors, that they currently do not neod because of the reduction of Nor·thern cod stocks, into thE! shrimp fishery, which is considered promising. No. 16 1\811
You know, therE • has to be a Canadoianizat:ion Progr·arn in place by May 1, 1990. That leaves VE!Iny littlE• tirnE! tA.rith UH:!m to get out from underneath the lease that they currently have on the Faroe se vessel they are currently leasing. So what they would like to do is put in place a vesSE!l that UlE!y wholly own UlE!mSE!lVE!S to ITIBE!t the rE!quirements of the new regulations of the Department of FishE!d .E!S and Oceans. ~)o thE!Y have asked us to look at the baJ.ance of the capital. sitUng under the Ocean Industry Dt=!VE:~lopment AgreE·ment and transfer that latterly into l:hc::~ shr·itnp v e s s e 1 .
W e a r· e c E! r· t a :i n 1 y J. o o k i n g at that. We are looking at the economics of :i.t., lAJe are J.ook:lng at the social consequences, and we want to be very sensitive to a company t:hat this govE•rnrnE!nt oums, the Marystown Shipyard. But, Min. Speaker, I can t:E!ll t.he hon. mE!rnber that that dE•c:is :ion will be made in fu11 consu1tation with t:he en t:ire CabinE!t. When CabinE!t has had a chance to J.ook at all of the ramifications and th e total picture, we will make that decision then. MR . TOBIN: Mr. Speaker. MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the member for Burin Placentia West . MR. TOBIN: Mr.
Speaker, my final supplementary to the minister would be: Would he not cons j der leaving that money as it is? FPI has only decided to delay these threE! t:rawlers and will construct them at a later date, probably within a year or two yc::~ars. Would his government not be prE!pared to deal l!.rit:h this one as a separate L812 June 20, 1989 Vo] XLI issue and come forth with the monE!Y that F'PI has rE!qLIE!S{:<:!d, which I understand they are asking to cost---shcu·e lAJ.i.th the feder·al government?
Would Uw a1nounL l:hc:~t he"! :is asking this govt: !r r11nont to contribute be j_n the aroa of e1 $4 million subsidy? MR. FUI\EY : Mr . Speaker . MR . SPEAKER: The hon. !: hE! Minis tur· oF De v e 1 o prne l'l"l . Mf~. FUREY : M r . ~3 p e a k e r , tAlC:! c a n o n l. y d r:• (~ 1 tAI"i r: h t h e r e q u E' s l: L h a t lAJ (~ h d v e b (' r 0 I" (! u s . T h E! h o n . rn e 1 n b E! r· c o n l:. o (· \: s d n d confuses Lhe issUE! by sc~y:i .ng, 'I~; thE!
I~(~ rlE!W rno llE' y available? w··i L l t h E! f> r o v j n c r:• f i n cl a n1 o n e y l:.r- u c· l. o pick mo n E! y oFf ,':) n d pInes E:! ril: to F P '[ in a new subsjdy program?' We are no t. :i n l: h a. l: p o s i t L o n , ;'vi I" . Speaker. WE! find our ·s elves in a vei"Y d:ifficult Fiscal pos :il:ion, the position that we inherited . And what we have do is dc;•a.l lArith things as we fjnd them.
As we Find them, l:hC'! previous qovur·nrnenl: had put :Ln place, to l:.he:ir CrE!d:iL, an Ocean Industries Development Agreement, cost-shared equally by the Province and the federal government ., to heJp st :irnu]ate and create work at the Marystnwn Shipyard and to l·lE!J.p Ff'I, :i.n :i.t .~ ; ver·y extensive cap :ital:izat:Lon, to get thesE• IIE!l!.J WEdJish l:rau(lE·r·s in place. I can tE!ll the hon. member that I a.m awarE! of t:he proposr:!d b"id that Marystown Shjpyard gave to FPI w:i l: h res p E! c l: l: o t h P. :i r p 1~ c• l.i.rni n dry cost, what ].t.
IAJould cost thPITI Lo build this shrimp VE!Ssel at Marystown Shipyard. And I am aJso aware, in a ballpark manner, of thE! figurE!S ·that: ar·E:~ ava:i1ab1E~ fr'om thE! Norweg-:Lan sh:ipya1nc.Js, and No. 16 R812
lAJ hat it WO U 1 d C 0 S 1: thE! ITI t 0 b U i 1 d in Norway this vessel necessary to prosecute thE! fishE!ry off our· coastJ.ine. So I am awarE• of both bids. I am surprised very much by the d:i ff'er·ent:i.aJ bettAJeen the bids, I can tell the han. mE!Inber that. And now it becomes a d (;! c i s ion for the full Cabinet, recognizing the total picture, the economic analysis, the differential betWE!en the bids and the social consequences for Marystown Shipyard.
And I say to the han. rnembE!r that if we can find a tAJay to deal with this, so that E!Verybody contributE!S and t.hE!rE· is harmony ar·ound the board, I would love nothing better than to sGe FPI build this shr·=Lrnp trawlE•In at thE! Maryst.own Shipyar·d, which this governmE!nt owns. SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hE!ctr'! MR. SIMMS: Mr. Speaker·. MR. SPEAKER: The han. the Opposition House LeadE!r. MR. SIMMS: I have a question for my friE!nd, th~~ Minj ster of Forestry. I know he has been busy today, but perhaps he might bt' ab1E! to ansLIJer this qUE!stion.
For the last four yc;!ars the previous government, through the Federal -Provincial Forestry Agreement, had entered into $10 million silviculture agreements with both papPr companies in thE! Province, Corner Brook Pulp and Paper and Abitibi. So $20 miJlion has bE!E!n spent ove1n thE! last four years in this program on silviculture progr·arns and hundrE•ds of jobs haVE! been created. Can the minister confirm that both L813 JUnE:! 20, 1989 Vol X L.I companies have asked the government to undertake a $5.75 million extended silviculture program again this year? MR. SPEAKER: fhe han. thE!
Minister of For·es l:ry and AgriculturE!. MR. FLIGHT: Mr. SpE!aker, the hon. l'nE!Inber is right in most of the assertjons in his pr·earnble. He tM-.1.11 a1so know that thE! sj,JvicuJ.tun:! agjr'E!E'HIE•nt: that he is talldng about tAril:h the paper companies ran out last: year, and t.hE! foresl:Ty aqlnE!E:Jnc•nl: runs out next year. The f'oresLry a g r e erne n 1-.i. s be i n 1.3 n e g o t :L d l: c· d n c 1 \AJ , as hE! knotAJS, and we• have a~:;kud 1:1--,c· pcq:>E!r cornpanl.es for· an amendrnenl: to the four-.. yE!ar· a~JI"E!E•rnent Lo CCHH'ln l::h'is yedr.
The:• pdpur companjes, as he probably knows, haVE! signed that cllllt:Hldll'lent cHH.:l it is notAJ a lllcd.:tE·I~ or l:.he Pr·uv:ince signing the amendment that w1ll just :i.ncJ.udE• th::i.s year·, LIJhich :ic; not COVE!Ined by \:.he aglneelllen l: because the agreement ran out last:. year. In duE~ course, Mr. ~3pc•akE!r, thE! Department of FOlnes t:.r·y L\J:.i l] be signing that agreement to cover t.h:is year and then, hupufu]ly, when we get a now forestry agreement in place, therE• tAd]]. be a new silviculture aqreE!IIlE•nt: nE!gOt.iated W:i.t.h thE• ttAIO pdper• companies.
Thoy will dovetail and one will expire with the other. MR. SIMM~;; A supplementary, Mr. Speaker. MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Opposih.on House Leadc?.r. MR. SIMMS: The minister has indicated Lhat thE! ProvinCE! wiLl bE! sirjrd.ng Uds new amendment.. Can he indicatE! to the House when they will be No. 16 R813
signing that new amendment? MR. SPEAKFR: The~ han. the Minister of Forestry and Agr·icul ture. MR. FLIGHT: I can say to thE! ministE•r that it will be signed within the next couple of weeks. As the member is au.Jare, the compan-.iE!S, always being as agreeable as the companies are and as co -operative as the companies ar·e, in UE!ry shotnl order agr eed with the request of the g6vernmen t and signed the documc,!nt. Howevc:.~r, as thE!
JnE!rnber also knou.Js, to ptnovide the ScHliE! lev el of silviculture this year as we provided last year, :i.nf1ation and c:werything else increascc'd the~ co st, so my off':ic:ials ar'E! talking l:_o l:hE! comparl'Lc~s about the possibility of their contributing a lil:.tlE! extra \:his YE!dr even -_in viE!W of the fact they have signed the documents. fhe negotiations will determine in the next few days whE!thl':~r or no ·t that will indeed be so.
Whether it is so or whether it is not so the agreements wj_ll be signE·d and thE• silvicull:ure progr·am tAJill continue at the same level as last year and, hopE!fully, we tAJill gE!t a new federal forestry agreement. MR. SIMMS : A supplementary, Mr. Speaker. MR. SPEAKER: ThE:~ han . tho Oppos:i tion House LeadE!r. MR. SIMMS : Mr. Speaker, thE! rrdnistE!r has indicated that in \:.he nexi: couple of WE!eks or so lAJE! tAJill sign 'this, that rny officials are nE•gotiating, talking to the forestry cornpanj .es and so on. So while they are fidd1ing around likE! this, is thE! rnin-.is\:E!r awclrE! that unless \:hE!
L814 June 20, 1989 Vo1 XL.I govern1m~nt rE !Sponds to the requc~sl: of thE! cornpanjes by thj _s Friday :Ll: _ is the intent:ion of thE! companies to cance1 their silvjculture progr ·arn for this Sulrl fi'IE!r and thereby throw hundreds of people out of work? It is because of the minister's lack of effort and lack of in :itiative in gel:ting back to the cornpaniE!S, instead of dilly-dallying, thE!Y are ready l:o cancel their program by the end of th:is WE!E!k. Is the ministE!r i:.'llAJarc! of thaU If hE! js at;.JC.H'E! of it, why does he not act and do t:he propE!r th:.i ng? MR.
SPEAI<ER : r he h on . l: he Minis t e t'· o f F o t" n ~. !: J" y and Ag r:icu] tutn e. MR. FLIGHT : M r . ~3 p e a k E! r , t hE! h on . tn C! 11 d:.: u r· t. a I. k s about the companies pulling ou t and hundrc•ds <'lnd l:housdnds or: peop1e being Lhrut,vn out: ol' job~ ;;, rhat :is the same me1nbc•J~, Mr. ~~peaker·, who accused lfiE! of bc::inq an alarmist a F ew years ago when I raised a genujne concern. MR. SIMM:) : lhis is a fact. it? MR.
FLIGHT : A r· e you at;.ICH' e of My off j_ c i a] s h a v e bee n t a 1 k :i n g tAl i t. h A b :L 1: i b i ---P r· i. c e a n d r d 1 n n o 1: atAJarE! ----maybe the mE!trtber rft.i_ght. br· aware -- that A bi ti bi P r· .icE! or Kruger will pull out. MR. SIMMS : Try to sell your pr·operty, my son, and l:ry to find out tJJhat. is qoing on. MR. FLIGHT : So 1-: h E• rn E! 1 n b e r t.1.1 -.i. 11 k n o t.1.J I h a d discussions tAJit:h my officials l:h:-is morning on the very :issue that he is raising thE! question on . Both the Deputy Minister and the ADM No. 16 R 814 -
are satisfiE!d. ThE!~{ arE! talking with Abitibi officials. And, no, I doubt VE!ry seriously if Abitibi will do anything so precipitous. MR. SIMMS : We t.&.Ji11 SE!e . MR. FlIGHT: We will see . MR. SIMMS: No doubt aboaut it. MR : FLIGHT: Mr. Speaker, the silviculture progl"dJTI and our r1:~lat.ionship with Abitibi- -PricE:~ wi] J continue on. Maybe !:hE! member· t.uould likE" to SE!e that. but. hE! is not going to seE! it; he is going to Slo!E! \:he job continuing, and the kind of relationship t.ue have had t.uith thE• companies continuing . MR . SPEAKER: ThE! han. \:he rnE!I'nbE!r fo1~ St. John's Ea~~t.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear! MS DUFF: Mr. Speaker, I would like to address this question to the Minister of Education. It relates to An Anthology of English Literature: Themes for all Times, which was supposE:~d i:o be part of thE! Grade X11 curriculum this September. This anthology, which was compiled and edited by Roy Bonistee1 and Ron ClarkE•, has bE!en two years in preparation. Jesperson Press made a sucCE!Ssful proposal, I think tJAJo years ago, and over·all ther'E! WE!re about 300 different pieces of English Literature subm:ii:b:!d and 171 of these were selected.
Of course that invollJC::!S a lot of tAJor·k with permissions, copyrights and this sort of thing. It tAJas to halJE! L815 June 20, 1989 Vol XLI beE!n in the hands of EngLish teachers by June, 1989, and i.n the classroom in September. On May 1.2 the publishers recejued a Jetter frotn Ed Jones, t.uho is l:he Chair·1nan of ·Uw En~Jlish Cur-r-:i.cultnn CommittE•(•, that l:he l:uxt L•Ji:I.S acceptable and that it met all the specifications. On May 17 they rE!CeiVE!d a phonE! caJ J to ~;elY that: thir·tE!E!n piE!CE!S had to be dEd.et:ed because the language was offensive .
I would like l:o ask the mins'lE!r, in uiE!l.U of the fact that this I:E!Xt t.uas rr:•comrnended by the'! EngLish Curr·icuJum Con1rn:l'l:LE!C as acceptablE! , L hE! 1: ext t.~-Ja s L n l.: h r? hands of the DeparlmenL or E d u c a t i o n F o t" q u .i L E! ~; c,11 n E! t·· ·[ r: i E! , a n J that the requested deletions result in a cost of about $SO,OOO, tAJ:i.1l thE:' ITJ:inist:E!r tc11 t·hi~; fiou~;(;• what happenud betLJ..Jc •un May l~? dnd May ] 9 t (l causE! the d ('cis i (l n 0 r· the Cu r-ri cu 1 um Co1nrni L: I: e. c:! l:o be:! ouerruJ.ed, on Luhat ba" ~:if ; l:.hdl:. decision was rnadE!, and by tAJhorn?
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Minister of Education . DR. WARREN: Mr. SpE:~akE!r, this u..Jas one of thE'! i s s u e s t h cl t I IAJ a s b r' j, (! r E' d 0 n shortly after I arrived at the Department of Education. This is a very i1nportant "inii:iati.l;C! on t:he part of th('• df•p<H'LrnenL, l.o hc.~ve a tE!Xt developE!d l:o suit l:he neE:!dS of our students, custom madE• :in this Province. It is my understanding that this text is an excellent effort and I pay tribute to the ed:i tors and aLl. concE·r·ned for their work .
However, I gather there were some problems wilh some oF the lang u a g c" t. hat tAla s us c• d i. n t.he t.E!Xt. It: "is my undN·stand:i .ng that about eleven or twelve of the items contained language which might be regarded as being offensiVE! to sot-riP par'E'nts, and evE•n to SOITIE! J~e1ig.ious groups .i.n No. 16 R815
the Province. My officials examined that and th~~y thought that it was inappropriate that the Department of Education would authorize, for' all students, a text that had certain language, Lhe kind of language that IJJas included. I could table the language later' on, if you wish, but I do not intend to do it or'ally.
This is not a tc~xt that is chosen off thE! shelf, it is not something that people watch on t.E!]evision, it is not an aJ.tenlate text: Thts was me~nt to be a text rc!ad by aJ.] students, and rny officials suggE!S l:ed that WE! had to be caut::i.ous i.n ·the kinds of language that t-uas used .in t t, dnd I concurred with their reco1rnnc!ndation. SOME liON. MEMBERS : HE!ar, hear! MS DUFF: ---·--Mr. SpE!aker. MR. SPEAKER: The hon . the membE !r for St .. John 1 s East. MS DUFF: ---- --·- I would li .kE! for thE! minist.E!r to tell us if in fact he has read these works himself?
If he has r'C:•ad thE!rfl in COntE!Xt, dOI?.S hE! hirnSE!lf cons:LdE!r' them offensive? Also, is it the normal practice of his Department for staff members who do not have expertise in a par'ticuJar area to overrule a Curriculum Committee? MR. SPEAKER: The han. the Minister of Education. DR. WARREN: Mr. Speaker, I have not read all the items. I said I thought there were about 171 items in it and about twelve were considered to contain langudge which, mi(jht bE• L816 June 20, 1989 Vol XLI considered offensive.
Since that tnitial dE!C:i.s::ion was made, and i'l.. was not made by thE! 1rr.inis ter, by the way, and what the min:ister thinks pE!r'sona1ly .i.s .irreh!IJant l~o t.hi.s, because I spE!ak Cl~~ min is l..er' hE!re, I gather since UlE! t1JJeJ.ve items wer'e asSE!SSE!d, I think :i.-1. ·.:is now down to six that haUE! l:o be replaced or adjust.E!d. Six oul. of the twelve were considered appropriate, and my of ficia ls, including ·rny curr'iculum officials, advise me that these six should either be adjusted or replaced.
Now, I apologiZE!, Ml". ~)pt:!a k er', to the studE!nts becau se: • \.1Je wanl-:ed l:o get th:.is l:E!X t :i.n Lhu schoo1 ~:~ ear 1 y . We want E! d l: o r:3 E! l:. i 1: l:. h C! J" u for aLL teacher 's and s l.ud enl: :s. I apologize for the slight delay, b u t t h e y h a v e b e e n u s i n g l: h c· s a 111 P l:.ext for years and th .i.s \:.u xl:. is go:i.ng to be there for seven or eight or nine yE:~ars; we wanted l.:o d 0 j_ t. r j g h t , a n cJ IAI (' d j cJ 11 0 l.
IAI il n L to offund, not just LhE! parE!nt s oF any par'ticular gr 'oup ::i.n l:h:-i s Pr'ovince, v..1ho m·i(jht be offE!ndE!d by some of 'l:.he ter'ndnoJogy used, but 111any other parents, Mr. ~3peaker, who want their children to read what is r'.ic3ht and nol: to USC:! this kind of literature in required text. SOME HON. MEMBERS : Hc:!al~, hc:•ar! MR. SPEAKER: The hon . the rnembE!r For' St: . John 1 s East. MS DUFF: Mr. Speaker, we drE! i:allcLng h~:!rE! about authors like Jules Verne, Ernest 1-1 erni n']tv<i y and M<.H 'g <H' (:! t Atwood.
I have rE-ad those books and there is nowhere that those could be considered offens:ive under normal circumstances . I would 1.ikE! thE! m-inister i:o b:d .l No. 16 R816
us whether or not he supports this form of censorship, pE!rsonalJy. Does he personally find them offensive? In fact, lAJhf:~n is this kind of censorship going to stop? Is the m:i.nister, thE!n, gcdng to ask Lady Macbeth to rub out the 1 darnnE!d spot 1 that she is talking about? Because it is t~e same contE!Xt :Ln which thE! other words are taken out. Is he going to take David Burney 1 s David ofF the curriculum? Because one of these 1 bad words 1 appears in that poom and it has beEHl on the cur·r:i .culum for years.
Is thE! 1nin .i.sl:er intending to feE•d our Gr·ade XII students on a diEd : of l.i.t:E!rary pablurn fr·om now on? SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear! MR. SPEAKER : The hon. the Minister of Education . DR. WARREN: Mr. Speaker, my understanding is that this is an excellent text. It contains many c:~xcellent j tems. I have rc::~ad l:hE! sections that are controversial. The word 1 darnn 1 is not considered a problem by my officials in their rE!ViE!W of thE! text.
The word 1 hel1 1 is not considered offE!nsive, but thE!re are other ter ms I could table later on that might be cond .derE!d offensive, not only by the students of parents of a very small group of people in the community, but many par·ents. I inform the hon. member that there are schools that suspend studE!nts because they use those words in class. Are we going to authorize in a l:extbook, l:h<:'lt must be r·uad by everybody, some of thE!Se words, some of these items. [ r.Hn not prE!pared to do that, Mr. Speaker. I am not prE!pared to do that.
I do not consider that censorship. 1_817 JunE! 20, 1989 Vol XLI SOME HON. MEMBERS : Hear, hear! MR. SPEAKER : I inform hon. mernbE•rs l:ha t and Question Period had elap se d not collapsc::~d. I lJJant to pE!OpJ e in TnOVE! On business. introduce so1ne thE! galler:tes to the I1E!Xi: Order, pJ.ease! irnpor·tant. before lJJe item of I want to we]come lo the gallE!I"ies, on bE!halr oF hon. ITH '!Inbers, t.h:i.rt:er•n sl .. uciE!nL~;, fr·on1 I< :i n d E!
I" g a r t o n t o C I" a d o [ V , lAJ i. i: h th . t L M' N I J M' e:1r· ... eac11E'rs, lS~~ as·1 anc :J.~:.s Cai"E!E·n' fJn om lhE~ ~31:ar or·- I he ~'3C'<'l School, Point Lance, St. Mciry 1 s 13ay. SOME HON. MEMBERS : Hear, hear! Mf~. SPEAKER : I also want to lJJEdcoJne :,;o1ne councjJ.]ors here today, representing their particular council areas. I want t.o IAJC] come town councillor :3l:ephE!Il MacKenzie from "thE! conunun:ity of Pol"t cw:< Basques. Also, I tJJanl: l:o tJJe lcomE• councillors from the Council of Hopedale in the persons of May or Garfit-!ld FlOIAJE:•r and CotJnci 1:1 nr Flowc::~r. SOME HON.
MEMBERS: Hear, hear! Presenting Reports by Standing and Special Commitees MR. SPEAKER : ThE' hon. the G 0 ~! E! r· n ITI E:! 11 t House Lt~ader·. MR. BAKER : No. 16 1\8 17
Thank you, Mr. Speaker . I would likE! to table the:~ Annual Report, April , 1987 - March , 1988, of the Provincial Advi sory Coun cil on the Status of Women Newf oundland and labrador. MR. SPEAKEI\ : Order, please! I do not know what item of routine bus:in1;!ss WE! are :in"l:.o now. I understand that Question Period is over, and that we are into PresPnb .ng RE•potnt.s by Standing and SpE!C.ial Cot runittE!E!S, and I suggi':!St that many oF tfw ques t:i.ons lAJE' have be reserved for Question Period tomorrow. Answers to Questions for which Notice has been Given MR. SPEAKER : The hon. fhe Minister of Educat:ion.
DR. WARREN: Mr. Speaker, in anscuer to a question by the hon. the member for Grand Falls, asking aboul: . my expenditures For travel: The total sinCE! l\1ay 5 is $526 .4-0, two trips to Gander, and I went alone, Mr. Sp,~akE!r. So I would like to table these figures. Petitions MR. DOY LE : Mr. Speaker . MR. SPEAKER : The hon. the member For Harbour Main . SOME HON. MEMBERS : Hear. hear! l.818 June 20, 1989 Vol XLI MR. DOYLE : Thank you. Mr. Speaker . I have a pE!U .tion that 1 tJJant to present today to the House of Assembly on behalf oF approxirnal:Edy forty wornE!n in \:he Province.
I am not goj ng to ~~o into reading the prayer of the petition, simply because this petition, or one similar to it, has been presented in the House over· thE:~ last coup1E• of days, one by the rnerrrbE!r for· ~it:. John's East, and onE! by Ute rnernbE!r Fot~ Humber East (Ms. Verge). E1ut. il .. does haiJE! to do u..Ji .th \:he rnallllflography s c r e E! n i n g p r· o ~11" a ITI :.i. n t. h "' fl r' u u :i n c (! , J ' ' ' an~ 1t ts a very, u~ry sertous issue, Mr'. SpeabH', and one u..Jh:.lch really deserves the attention of al1 gover'nrnent.
ITIC!IIibers, <'Hid indeed, all han. membE•(·s h<.!r·n Ln the HouSE! of Assembly. IL :is an 'i S S l.JE! t h a I~ i S V i t. d 1 l~ 0 l.. h (~ Lu 0 I II U 11 of NewfoundJ.and and L.iibraclor and l feel conf'ident that l:.he lAJOIIInn of t:he Pr'ovince tJJouJd not IAJanl:. l::o see happen here today what h~s been happening over thE! J.asl: coup]e of days herE• .i.n l:hE• HOIJSe of Assembly, and that is Lhat the issue become a political football. That is pretl:.y nearly what has happened over the last couple of days, and the issue, which is a vital issue, a sensitive issue, has b(•come nuar<Ly a political football.
Now the women oF the Province need and want, and indc:!ed ~~xpE!Ct their government to be compassionate and to dEdiver on this very, very vital need that they have. LE!l: us exarn.ine for a minul:e t..vhai: the women oF the Province are looking for, Mr. ~3pec:~ker. They are not looking For the government t:o invest rnany, tnany tn.ill.ions of dollars in buildjng a hospilaJ. fhey are not look:ing for lrr.i11-.ions No. 16 R818
of dollars to be investod by the government, they are not looking for a major investment at all. What they arE! looking for simply i.s a Vt:!ry small investmE!nt of approximately $250,000 or $350 1 000, <:'l.nd that ·is not a lar'gE! investmr:~nt t.uhen you consider that the MinistE!r of Finance this y~:!ar is projecting a surplus in his budget. It is not really good enough I Your Honour I that the Minister of Health respond the way he has been responding over the last couplE! of ddys.
Actually. t.ue have not had any meaningful rE!Sponse fr'om the minis t:er. lie has been saying that in due course hE! lArill delivetn, tAJht:!n it: .is reasonable he wilJ deliver. What l'.he worn~:!n of the ProvinCE! are ask .ing for is that they be given access to modern mammography screening equipment. As the mE!ITJbetn for St.. John 1 s East pointE•d out a couplE! of days ago, what we had fiVE! YE!ars ago in the hospitals of the Province was VE!ry. VE!ry appropriatE!. it was state-of -the art equipment for that particular point in time.
It was only last December that a national study reviewed the whole issue and did a report which shotAJE!d that this nE!lAJ typE! of equipment could actually be instrumental in savin~ lives by early detection, and th:is is what this equipment is aJ.l about, E!arJ.y dE!tect:ion, if thE! women of thE! Province had that type of E!quipment. Mr. Speaker, this particular petition shou]d receive the support of all hon. mE!rnbers. and I am referring in particular' to the Minister of ErnploymE!nt and Labour RE!lat:i.ons (Ms. CotAJan). who is the only wornEHl in thE! Cabinet.
I am sure that she will be only too L819 June 20, 1989 Vol XLI plc?.aSEH:l to go to the Minish!r of HeaJ.th and say. 11 Look. J.ooSE!n up on the purse str'ings a lit ~tle bit hE!re. What we nE'E•d is appr·ox:irnatE!ly 11 - WE!ll, I do not know exactJ.y what it. :i.s, but ~it: js a small inVE!Sltnt:!nt:l I am to ld, which could be instrumentaJ in s a v i n g 1 i !J E• s . I a rn s tH' e t h a t: l:: !·1 C:! Minister does not want to be known i n y ears f r' o rn now a s l: hE!
Dr' a c u 1 a of the hE!alth carE' system, that hE! wants to establish himself as a good, honest, caring, compassionate Minister of Health . I tAJould urge hitn on behalF of t h e s E! f o r t y p E! t i t j o n e r' s~ t. o 1 o u ~; (:' n up on Lhe pur~>~:! stl~:Lngs dnd llldkC! a r'u aJ.. honest. rll( ·' ani n ~JftJ 1 C 0 l'l t ln i bUt l 0 n t 0 1-:1·1 (! WO lTllc' 1'1 0 {-- l h (! Province who are looking for this rnammogt"aphy sctnE!ening E!quip1nc•nt:. Thank you, Your Honour. Mf~. ~)PEAKER: ThE! hon. l:hE! i'nE!lllbE!r For' Mounl'. :3cio -- BeJ.l Island. MR. WALSH : Mr'.
SpE!akE!r, it i,~; a plt::-asur ·e for' me to stand to support tl'w pt"ayer ' of t:hE! petition and also, f··1r. Speaker, it is a pJ.e asure to hE !ar someone spec.~k about t:he conctO!rn as opposed t:o trying to l'l'ldkE! pol:it:.ical hay out: oF so1nething, such as canCE!r', that :is cr'uc:-ia.J. and has touched all of us. I reluctantly sat in my place yesterday when the subject cdme up. OVE!r the last tt ... Jo or' thrE :!C years cancer has t:ouch(!d my fam:ily, not once but twjce . I reluctant:ly sat also whi 1E!
I hE!ard han. members on the other side make poli.t:ical hay out oF a situation that is pertinent to all of us. In supporting l:he prayer I would like for them to take wisdom ft"orn thE! hon. ltwtnber For l·lutnbE!r Val1E'Y (Mr. Woodfor'd). tAJho sa~Ld. No. 16 R819
11 Try to · n~tnE!ITrber the things that tJJe do say in this House because we do not know, one, lAJho they touch or, two, who thE:~Y affeci:. 11 And tJ.JhiJ.e I J:istened to the siJ.linE!SS OVE!r {:hE! last couple of days, I sat here and rE!ITiinisced a J.:Lttle bit about the fact that immediately after election day I WE!ni: to Toronto to watch another member of rny family dying, who is still doing that. So I compliment thE! hon . m~:·rnbE!r for Harbour Mc:ci.n For not making a po1iticial football out of an issue that is important.
Let us not t:.alk about reports that came down :Ln the last six months tlv~t sitnply saj_ d 1 The new innovations have carne for·ward 1 and rE+E!r-ring to Cor·ner Brook. Let us not forget thE! fact that the machine has been there for four·teen YE!ar~~ and lc L us say, for l:he first SE!VE!n, !:hE! rnatnmography machine that was there served a purpose. Let us all acc:c!pt so111e responsibility for the fact that two yr:!ars arjo, three yea1ns ar:Jo, four years ago, and onE! year ago nothing was done.
I support my Minisl:er, hE! .i.s looking at what can be done, and his collE!agUE!S in CabinE!t a1ne looking at: what can bE! done. I ask all hon. membE!rS on the other side, if they have such petitions to br·i ng f orwar·d, I t.~..ri ll be pr·oud to put rny signaturE! to it. But, for the love of God and people who are suffering of cancer and dyj.ng in this Province, please do not make a polib .cal football out of it, and I adm:ire !:he hon. rnernber for not doing that today. Thank you, Mr . Speaker . SOME HON. MEMBERS : Hear, hear! MR. SPEAKER : The hon. the Opposition House 1,_820 June 20, 1989 Vol XLI LeadE!r .
MR. SIMMS: I would Like l:o haVE! a Few wor ·ds to say in support of the pet.it.::ion so ab1y subrnittE!d by rny colle('lgue, the rnernbr::'r' for Har·bour Ma :.i.n. I cornmE!nd h:irn in i:he way hc:! 1nade hi:s pr'E!sentation. I cornrnE•nd Lhe rnernber fi"Oin Mount Scio --- Bo 11 Island for the comments that he has made and, obviously, hE! has struck the nail on Lhe hE·ad. It is r·ather· unfortunat:e l:hat:. he di.d not seC:' fit to have a ·fE•tJJ wor·d ~: with his colleague, the Minister of Hc::~aJ.t.h, becausE!
IAJh:i.]n hE :· stood in his place and accus0d us 0F trying Lo score po]itical polnls on it, the opposite is exactly true. WE! ta 1 k E•d a bout t.r:1ld n~J rE!Sponsibility boCf!IJ~; c:• c:•qu:Lp111ent: has b~:·en Lhere for· four·Lel:!n yc·at"~. and so on and so forth. I rE!Fer Lhe hon. lllf!lrlber to h:l s col] E!ague 1 ~. comrnE!I·fl:s on an or·:i<::J.in,>1 pe l:.i 1: i.u n prE!SE!nted hE~re :.in the l·louse on J u n E! 1 6 , H a n s a r' d , p a g e ·; 0 9 . r 1: was not so111ebody on t.h:is s:ide of the House !:hat madE! rE!fE!l"once to that, it was lh<:!
M:i.n:i.ster of Health on his own side of the HouSE!, sjtting next to hjlfl _ :'3o h a v .i n g s d. i d t h a t I h o p e 1: h -'I 1: l: h e member takes the Min:lster of Health aside and has a heart -to -heart lalk wit.h him, bE!Ci.'l.USQ LIJhat 1-:hE! member· Fo1" Moun!: Scio-Bell Island has said is a b s o 1 u t e l y c o r r e c t , d n d 1-:. h a l: i s , Mr. Speak"'~r, what the mernbE·rs on \:. h i S S i d (;' h d V E:~ b c::! E! n t In y i n 9 1: 0 ~; -,~ y truthfu11y . The rnE!Inber· fot" St .. Johns 1 East, nobody can question her interest in this matter.
Certainly 1-:he member for Humber fast. has been a ]ong- -sLancJ:i.n~J advocai:E! of i:his kind oF ser·v.iCE!, nor can anybody question Lhe internest that !:hE! 36 na1nes on Ul'i.s particular petition have. Ely the way , this pet :i t :ion is no L No. 16 1\820
signE!d only by worrwn, but by men and women from various par·ts of the Province : Topsail, St. John 1 s, Grand Bank, Carrnanvi11E~, Flatrock, Labrador City, Wabush, Stephenville, from all over the pJ.acE!. One of t:hE! signatures, Mr. SpeakE!r, is that of the PrE:,sidE!nt of thE! Nur'ses 1 Union. CE!rtainly thE! PrE•sidE!nt of the Nurses 1 Union would have an interest in this particular matter. Now, as the member for Mount Scio BeJJ. IsJ.and says, WE! have aJJ., at one timE! or anothE!r no doubt~. been touched by somebody passing (:'HAJ<."ly bE!CiHISE! of cancE!r.
Certainly IAJE! lAJOU]d alJ knOIAJ SOIIIE!bOdy lAJhO has passed away in that IAJay. It is not a n:i ce thing to ·see happen. In fact., I have a good f1nh!nd who is a fo1nmE!r' fTIE!IIlbE!r of t·.his House who presently is undE!rgoing a serious situation. What we are talking about here, Mr. Speaker', is specifically for the Minister of Health and the goVE!rnrnE!nt to free up a feiAJ doJ.J.ars from their $5 million surplus which they have - MR. BAKFR: We do not have it yet . MR . SIMMS: Well, you are projecting a $5 million surplus, I say to the President of Treasury Board.
You may end up with a $20 million surplus. Who knows! But you are projecting a $5 million surplus. Now, Mr . Speaker, the freeing up of a few pall:ry dol1ars, a measly few hundred thousand dollars, can provide a very :important service to the people of this Province. As my co11E!agUE!, thE! I"IIE!rnbE!r for St. John 1 s East, said lAJhen shE! spoke to this petition, Mr. SpeakE!r·, l~o addrE!SS this question L821 June 20, 1989 VoJ. X Ll in an arr'ogant sor't of way and an off-hand SOI"t of way, as has happenE!d, is very unfortunatE!.
I hope that the minister will reflect on the way he has responded to these petitions in thE! past bE!CaUSE! I can as~~ur'e h:im thE!rE! a1ne morE! corning, d.n·d for good r'E!ason. I am told that there are about 160 women who, throughout th ·is Province jn the next YE!ar', IAri-11 develop breast cancer, and if that js nol: detected E•arJ.y on !-..here ::i.~~ a VE!I~y, VE!Y'Y good chance of l:.l·wscc! par't:i.cuJ.ar· lAJOIIHHl hav::i ng l:.o have a mastecturny or, even worse, sufrering death. So, Ml". Speai<E~r. th:.is :.i.~~ a vcr·y i111porb:~nt issue. This is not a pol:iticaJ issue.
We a r· t' interested in making i t poJiU.cal j.ssue. WE! i n t E! r e s l~ t::• d t n s u p p o r 1-:L 1'1 g i n t e r e s t s o f t h o s E' p E' o p 1 e IAI h o pI" e s E:' n t t n g us IAJ·:i. l: h p o t .i l:. ions , are asking us to ask government to fr·Qe up a dol1ars. Get the M:.i.n:istE'r' 1'1( l t. a ar '<:! !he ar't:' IA!h (I the f C!tAJ o r· Finance to have a 1ook at the budget. TherE! has to be son1e funds ther·e. IF you di ":C! projecting a surplus, you have to be projecting a surplus. Either you arE' or you are not..
You c a n no t d i ll y d a lly t.u .i t h L t . 1=: 1.1 u n if you lAJerE! not PI"Oject.:ing a surplus, surely to heavens, Mr. Speaker, this matter is of such importance that :it requirEs Lhe Cabinet to have a look at th:is VE!ry, \JE!ry quickly and VE!riJ, VE!ry closely, because, the sooner it gets on strEH-tm, thc:.'n the more effective it wiJ.l be. Thank you, Mr. SpeakE-r. Orders of the Day No. 16 R82l
MR. BAKER: Order 2, Mr. Speaker. MR. SPEAKER: Order 2 -Committee of Supply . I thtnk the mEnnbt~r for St. John's East adjourned the debate. The hon. i:he rnembE•r For St. John's East. SOME HON. MEMBERS: HE!ar, hear! M ~? __ g_lLC£. : Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I wtll now make another attempt to complete my three -part maiden speech, and hopefully I can Finish it today. I think what I have done previously is simply briefly introduce my~;eJ.f and ·Hwn tr·y and talk a little about my d·istrict . So today I w:i J.J. try to gE!'l:. in'Lo a little bil:. morE! relevance with regard to the budget.
I would like to make mention, though, of the fact thai: I arn very pleased to see that the representation by women in this House has increased by 300 per U!nt sincE• l:he last SE!ssion. WE! are still a very obvious rrl".inority. I th·.ink a f•:!W more women wouJ.d add a little coJ.our to the plaCE!. SOME HON. MEMBERS : Heal~, hE!ar! MS DUFF: ----I hope the leaders of all three pal~tiE!S ar'E! going to make good on the cornmitrnE!nts tht:!Y madE! at the Women in PoLLt:Lcs ConferE!nce, that they would look at policies and programs that wi 11 faci 1 H. ate the::~ entry of women into politics.
L822 June 20, 1989 Vol XLI I arn VE!ry proud, .in fact, that our lE!ader, Mr. RidE!ou·t., was abl.E! to attract the most women to run and, in fact, get most of them successfully through the nomination procE!SS and E!]I?!Ct Lt ... dcE:· the number as the government party. SOME HON. MEMBERS : Hear, hear! MS DUFF: -----I am convinCE!d, Mr.
Spt:!akc;!r, thai: if we have a more balanced rcq:n'E!SE!ntat":i.on by wornE·n in thE• House WE! wiLl aJso hdvE• an irnpr-ovelrwnl: in i:hE! proCt:!~;~;es dnd the policies of governmenl, be c au ~; l~ :i. l:. l. s tAl o 1 no n lAJ h o h i'l 1; c· br~ou~1ht to awc-lrE!n(!S~; publ·.ic is~~ue~:~ wh ic h tAJE!re not be .Lnq adcc!qual:.r::! ·ly addressed, and thE•y IAJil] br·::i .n~J lo government a different perspective on rna n y of t. h P s e issuE! s l hat c.-n' e very relevant to the needs of women and children in our Province.
I do no!": think people lAJOLJ1d haVE! bE!en aware of !:he fern:in.ization of poverty if :it had not been for' UH:! strong voices of the people in the women's movement; r.ue tAJOu]d not-.: havE! buen nr::~alnJ.y as atAJar-·e as I!JE• are of a need for a whole range of support services .in our comrnunil:y or for adequate shelter and health care and employment opportuni.l:ic-s, or the t.ragedy of fawily vJ.ul enCE:! and child sexual abuse, or the need for improved counsc•JJ:i.ng and mental health services · for children and adolescents .
HopE!fU 11 y woi thou t saying any !:hi ng against any of the men who are here present I sincerely hope that we wiJ.J. have far greater repr'c~seni:ation by I!JCJill• :H 1 "in l:he next House. Wh:i le I am on and childrE!n, that t:hj s :Ls kind to women No. 16 the st~bj ect of l.l.JOirlcn I l.l.JOU 1d havE! l:o say not a budget t:hat :.i.s and chi1dren. Ii: i.s R822
not a budgE!t that is kind to the underprivileged or the disadvantagE!d in society, bc::~cause it has put a bottom linE!, a projected surplus on current account, ahead of compassion. And I think that was evident in the debate on the petition that we just had. As laudible as it may bE! to achieVE! a budgE!t.E!d surplus on current account, I would certainly seriously question the wisdom of an inflationary $100 m:11lion tax grab at. a hme wh(:!n this Province is reeling from a serj es of economj c bad news. The cost of that achievement, that budgeted surplus on current account, dE!Spite what l:hE! Government House l.eader (Mr. 13ak<:!
r) keeps te1LLng us, i.s jnflationary, because it adds to the cost of consumer goods. MR. R. AYLWAfW : flighly inf1aU.onar·y! MS DUFF: Wilson 1 s budget. is inflationary, too. [t has an ill-conceived and highly discrimatory adjustment on thE• RST For· childrE•n 1 s clothing. Or· consider the privatization, which I undE!rstand is being considc::~red, of governrnE!nt.--ownE!d fish plants and community wharves which are vital in some instances to community life in those areas.
We haVE! sec:~n l:hE! firing of carE!er civil servants, the recovery of funds from Newfoundland and Labrador Hydro, wh:i.ch has got to lead to an increase in the cost of E!lE!Ctricity regardlE~ss of anyone 1 s ability to pay for it, or the recovery of $8 million in overpayments from welfare recipients when much of that overpayment has been due to problems in the system and not any 1_823 JunE~ 20, 1989 Vol XLI :i n t e n t i o n a l .d e c E! i t o n t hE! p d r· t o f thE! pE!Ople who w'i J J. be for·ced to pay.
This budget contains only token gestures towards addressing the real and Ul"gc~nt nE~E·(h .in our Province 1 s social program. We have heard that we are getting for·ty- -five nc•w fundE!d pos:i. U.on~. for nursing and ancillary staff when therE! is an identifted m·od for two hundt~r:!d. WE! are going to have bE!d cJ.osures at an aJ1- -t.:ime high, probably at \:hE! lc•vE:O:l of 400 th is Sumrn~~r. And a~: a ~)t. John's ITIE!rnb<:!in I would have l:o ·:,:a y that t.he ~;t...
John 1 <: ho~:;p:iLaJ ~:: at"U particularly hctrd hlt bec~use of t h e f a c t t h a t t: h E' y h a v e L h u 111 u ~: t a c u 1: e p a t i E! n l: s . W h e n p ('I t-i e n l:. s can not b u d e a J 'l t).r.i l:. h i n t h c· rE!(ji.onal hospil:.a1s Uwy c.umu in her'E!, and that put.s a t.r'etnendou~: burdE!I'l on LhE! tnernain :Lng staff. Forty-seven per cent of pMtienls in St.
John 1 s ho spitals arE! nol: From the utnban cor·e . fhe governtm~nt, whE!n thE•y tmc!re on this sidE! of Lhe HOUSE!, ITtdcJ(:' gr E'!i:d . hue and cry about bc:!d c1ostH 'E•s dnd about nursing shortages, but they hdve donE! noth'ing in Lhis bud(jc·i: to correct them when they had a chance to do so. Th~H'E! atnE! on1y token improvements :in Lhe pro vi. s ion of chronic car· e l::n:• J s '·' n d community suppor·t: servjces, and no funding for a badly needud prov:i.nce-wide screening marmnography progr·arn --none::! at all, unless the government has a change of heart.
This budgE!t Ll.r.i11 faLl to s l:irnu1ate the economy and pnwide E!lnployment. And lhE! hun~<:.n cost oF unemployment are devasLatjng, far JIWre SE!rious, in my viE•w, than the economic cost. Because it disrupts farn'ily :life, you qet discouraged workers, loss of No. 16 I\ 8 2 3
SE!lf--esteern and a whole r'ange of r'elat:E!d social problems. I t.uould haue expected at least some short --b,1rrn programs, perhaps some creat·.i.vE! publi.c- · .. pri.vate s~~ctor' initiatitJE!S l:o bridgE! l':hE! gap while we are waiting for the miracle of the Recovery Team. But instead of that we find the Private Sector Employment Program has bec::1n s capped u.dth nothing to replace it. The Minister of Social SE!rvices (Mr. Efford) gave us a groat lecture the ot:hE!r day about. short--term u.Jork programs.
But I think it is a fact that once a worker is discouraged and out of the lAJO r' k force For h.uo years , the chanCE!S of E!VE!J~ gaj .rd.ng fu11- .. Li.tnE·, meaningful employment again goe s very seriously down. So even if a s h o 1~ t ·-t e t" m p r o g r· am p r' o v i. d e s t e n o r· twenty weeks of t.uork, at. least :i.t k E! E! p s t.uo r k e r· s from fa 11. in g i. n to that horrible cycle of the chronically and permanently unemployE•d. I would like to say a few words, too, about municipal government, because that is an area with which 1 am fairly familiar .
And aJthough I must. say I agr'ee tArith t.hE! stal:E!rnents in the SpE~E!Ch fi"Om the - Throne on the need for municipal co-operation in the provision of essentiaJ local government services, there are still no details in this budget on the financial implications or to encourage this form of co-operation, which I think the9 will be necessary.
Also, if you are going to encouraging annexation municipalities will not want to involve themselves in annexation will not: wctnt to involve themselves in annexation :i.f the total bur 'den of bringing services up to an appropriate level falls on thE! municipality out of its L824· JunE! 20, 1989 VoJ XLI property to t:ell tax base . I"do not the minister that have t. hE! propE!r'ty tax base is a VE'!ry regressive form of taxation . Money will certainly have lo be protJ ided then. We iH'r'! i.n a situation :in the c:ity o'f ~)'L.
John's, with Airport Heights and KiJ.bride, where :it ha s been VN'Y costly to the taxpayers of the city of ~.lt. John's to try to br'ing services up to standaJ~d. I am sure that unless there is some lAJE!ll 'idE!ntiFied .incE!nt.:ive progr·dtn you wiJJ not have much success with this whole ques ~lo n of annexation and allla1~1atnat :io n. caution t·.h u m.i tl..i ~,; l.PI" that the issue of one Lhat . canno-t be I tAJould a1~;o i.n this caSE! annexation :i.~; Fot"CE!d, it can i.t cannot be b r~ :c! n c o u 1~ a •J n d b u l: for·cE•d, and L h•,•J"<:' should be V E!
I~ y , IJ H I~ y 1~<1 ·:i. d (! consultaU.on w:i t.h Lhu tnurdcipalit:ios. I look dt l.he recent statements in the press about 'supE!rcit:i.es' and a l:'.'i.:ne frame of the next municipal elE!Ct'.ion .in NcHJembE!r, and I wou1d say it is totally unrealistic. In fact, I am incli .m•d Lo agJ~eE· lAI :i l: h L h E!
M a y 0 1'' r~ 0 r M 0 ll 11 1: I) (! d Y' 1 ' when he said that ho feels the minist:er is just throwing oul: an idea, putting his foot in Lhe t.uat:er, l:o sr:•e u.Jhat the l:uJnp•:·r·al:tJJ"C• is, and perhaps what he tJ.J: .iLJ conte in with is something far less draconian, far Jess dr-amatic, far less likely to get a lot oF press, and pE!rhaps a l:. a J.at.E!r' tiiJIE! so1ne more reasonable solution. I would also caution government not to wet'tken t:.hn Jnonwnt :.uln totAJdrcl increased responsibility and the genu ine desire For increased autonomy that is ver-y evident·. at the local government level.
Autonomy and flexibility are critical to Lhe principle of No. 16 R824
effective local government. I understand, Mr. Spe:~akE!r, that any new government has a right, and in fact has a rE!Sponstbility to look For nE!W and bettc~r ways of doing things, but I am deE·ply conCE!rned about the proposal to establish a provincial water and sewer corporation, which appeared, certainly, in the election promises and in the Throne Speech. It is not a new idea and I am not at all sure that it is an appropriate one.
No one, of course, would ever question the right of out' citi . .zens to pot.ablr:> water and sewerage disposal syst.E!ms that ar·o consistE!nl w:ith approved standards of public health and safety. No one questions that there are communities experiencing severe problt'ms, but this is a draconian and bureaucratic soJution which strikes at the heart of local government autonomy and I feel will certainly result in high cost to srnalJ rnunici.palibes i_f the intention is to operate it like a public facility tJ.Jith a uniform rate.
The effect, also, I think, of that. expropriation on the assets of existing municipalities, which have already paid a fair amount of money out of thE!lr property tax base to put assets in thE! ground, should be given so me thought. I knotJ.J from my own experience with the City of St. John 1 s that we nE!ed those assets, they are part of our borrowing ability, and it would seriously affE!Ct the ci tiE!S bor-rowing poWE!r if those were expropriated for some kind of provincial corporation.
Another, I guess, municipal question that I would like to raise in relation to the budget is the fact that the costs for the St. John 1 s Fj re Department are going up another $1 million this l.82S June 20, 1989 Vol XLI YE!ar, and that cc~sl:, as I arn sure the government knows, is one that is passed on directly to l:he user rnurli.dpaJ.iti.es. The City of ~IL. John 1 s br:•.ing the hirJI'IE!S t pc::!r capita rnunic:Lpali.t.y pays a fu1J 6f: :, pE!Y' u~nt of that, which is going to amount to something like $741,000 which the city has nat budgeted for.
Now, the pr'e v :i.ou ~~ government undertook to do a major study on this question, the Woods Gordon Report, to look at the effectiveness, the efficiency and thE! cost of the FirE! DE!parl:rnenl:. It is very aJ.anning to sec· l.hi :'lt_ there has been no discussion on IAJ hat is go j n g to happen IAJi L h l . .l'w lnE!COI'nlnendi.'lt:ions or-- Lhi:il: lnCC!pO(·l: .. At the salflo t:inw thu C(l~ =.l:s c o n t :i nl.IE' l: o g o u p a n d i l: 111 d y s:i1np:Jy be that-: the governmcnL dOl'S no t rea 11 y c cH ' e L h a\: 1\lU c h db o u 1: i l: because thE!Y do not have Lo P<'~Y .
And :it is an untenablE• situation when Lhose IJ.Jho do havE• l-:o p<:·\Y hauc· no control at all over the E:'xpendi turE!S. There are many, many pr·oblem~; in the a1nea of municipal gouurn1nrc!l'li:. The min =L s t e r· , again , has b ('' C! n talking about annexations and s u p e r c::i. l-i . e s a n d s a y j. n g L: h a t_ U·1 C! r· c are no more~ studies nE!edE•d.
But =Lt. is fifteen years since the WhE!lan Royal Comm:i~;sion rE!(:JOI'·t i'1nd WE' a r' E' not on 1 y de a 1 :·i. n g IAI i l h annexation, we are deal ing with the who1e str·uctures of munic:ipa] governmE!nts and which ones are most: appr·opr·j_ate.
We are dPa1:i n~1 with the financing of local government, we are dea1ing with the appropriate rolE! and lllanda -l:E ! of municipaJ governlllE!nt, and I would l~ hi n k l: hal: bE! forE! d n y huge changes a r· P rna de in t-_: hi "; s y ~~ t E! lTI, it rnight bE! w:ise to cJo onE• mor·e study to take a very comprehensive look at the whole question of municipal. government in this Province and do another Whelan No. 16 R825
Royal Cornrniss:ion report. I ·think that would actually be supported by the FCM or the Newfoundland and l.abrador Federation of MunicipalitiE~s. I would also just like to bring to government's attention that the prev :ious government suppolntE!d very strongly the initiative by the Federation of Canadian Municipalities to havE~ thE! federal goverrnnE!nt rEd:urn into the ar,~a of municipal infrastructure funding, because the costs involvement in hE!Y'e an! :i.n the b:i.] l:.i.ons. not the millions. and they <.ire away bE ! yond the ab ility of any local rnunicipi.iJi.t:y or, indE!I:!d, Lhe ProvinCE! to pay .
So I hope the efforts made by the previous government will be continued by the Liberal Government in negob .at:i.ng st1nongly on bE!half of mun :icipalities with the feder·al government. M1~. Speaker, I u.Jould also l:i .ke to say a few words about thE! Economic Recovery Commission. I must say at the outset that I have the greatest respect For the members of t:hat Commission, many of· whom I know personally. That initiative has received a grE!at dE~al of praise from government members and criticism from the Opposition, wh:ich I expect is not unE!XpE•ct.ed, as that seems to be the way things go.
I do not want to be critical simply for l:he sakE! of bE!ing c r it i c a 1 , but it would a p p E! a r to mE! that the costs are VE!ry high, that the results are anticipated l:o be very slow, and that we have VE!Y'Y. very few dE!taiJ.s . I think t.h:i.s HouSE! has a right. to know what the terms of the contracts of those members are .
I am reminded of the Action Tc:!am of L826 June 20, 1989 Vol XLI the Frank Moores government, and :Lt SE!E!ms that t.h(;• mandate of th:Ls Co rnrni s s ion is not: u n 1 ".ikE' t: h a i: Action TE!am, to be a fadJ.itator·. and that t:hE•l~e was a f<.'l.il~ly h·.ir:1h cost ther'E! in buying ou +. SOIIlC' contracts. · I tAiould likE! to know also ~~Jhat l!JE! intend to do w:i Lh r·esu1l .. s rnonit:or.ing. We arE! told thai: this is going to perform economic miracles, but I have, as yet, r·eceiVE!d no indicat.jon of hou.1 ,,~,e arE! go".ing to know 'if, in fact, t. h o s E! rrd.
I" a c 1 E! s a r· e h a p p e n ::i n g • o I" if, in fact:, Lhu 1niraclr:•s di"E! happening becau~;e flibel "n:. ia ha:; COIIlE! on stl"C::!dln or Lh(! F.:Lshvi''Y :lmproves, or· because IJ.JE' have a 1;=; million a year Economic Recovery Commission in place. The House r~oyaJ. Cornrni~~s:.i.on r\E!pOI''L o n E m p 1 o y rn E! n t a n d U n e 111 p 1 o y 11·1 ::• , .. , t t:.J a s a n E~ x c e 11 e n t d o c u 111 e n L .
I t. h d :; certainly provided a blueprint for goVE!rnrnent. but I I.JJould th'.i nk t:ha l it is clearly the responsibility of government to develop and implE!ment the programs !:.hat t.~-r.i 11 st:imu1ate the economy ancl cr'l :!ate E!rnploymE!n\:, with c~s 111any adv"isoi''S a s t h e y n e E• d .
I l h j, n k g o v e nnn c n l~ has an absolute right to seek advice, but government themselves have to be accountable to this fiOUSE! fOI" it~. act··ion~; OJ" ::it.~:. failure l:o act. and not l:o err::! a l:E! an expensive duplication of the existing responsibilities of goVE!rnrnE:!nt depar·tmE!nts lAJh :.i.ch :.i ~~ not accountable to this Hou se. Mr. SpeakE!r. on thE! qUE!Stion of tourism in the Province, I must say !:hat T found thi.s Budge ·l: soniE!What of a d"isappo·int.rnent.
I do not wish to be critical of l~he minister, because I think he himself has been disappointed by the decision of the federal government not. l:o fund a No. 16 R826
cost-shared agreement, but I am sure the minister, coming from the district he comes from, is very, very welJ. a~;.Jare of the importancE! of tourism in the Province. But the BudgE!t seE!IflS to place VE!ry little E!mphasis on this arE!a. And if you are talking about E:~conomic rE!COVE!r'y, you do not neE!d an Economic Rt::~coveJ~y Commission to tell you that one of the areas that has the highest potential For· growth in this Province in ter·ms oF economic development is the tourism industry.
It. is aJ.ready L hE! f 0 u r· l~ h g E! n E! r a i: 0 r 0 f () u In Gin 0 s s Provincial f>J"oduct, but_ LI.Je are just at one on a scale of ten when it cornE:'S to dE!VE<Lopnlent of that industry. It is tailor --made For us. It is br·oad based, it js ablE! to be applied to almost every cornmuni ty in the Province, j t is labour intensive, and it fil-:s in beautifully wilh the kind of phi 1o s ophy that Dr. House LI.Ja s espousing in his Commission Report.
I wouJd J.ike to know if the goVE!rnmE!nt has any intE!ntion, now that it has Failed to negotiate the $60 million FedE!ral--provinc:ial agr'E!E!ment, of putting thE! $24 million, which would have been .its cost share, into some programs which would supplement any other types of funding, such as ACOA, which rnight be c:wailable. Because I think if we lose some of the momentum that has bE!CHl g'a:ined in the tourism indust1ny, we are goj.ng to SE!t ourselVE!S back. ThE! amount of money that we are spending is a half a million dollar amount in the budget for tourism markE!ting.
The amount of mom!y tha{~ we clS a Province ar'E! spE!nd:Lng, comparE!d to what is being spent by Nova Scotia and Prince EdtAJard Island, who ar·e our closest neighbours but also our closest competition, is infinitt::•simal, and WE! will rr:~main L827 June 20, 1989 Vol XLI as we currently are , thE! best -·-k ~~ p t secret in thE! tourism industry :in Canada, unless we make some much more serious efforts to both market ourselves and to develop our tour~sm plant. The budget, and The Thr-onE• SpE!ech, gave very little E:-rnphasi.s to Hw whole question of environment.
It d i d no t i n d i c a t e t h a t U1 c• 1~ e we r· e any nE!W in :L t i at i v E! s . In fact , the budget For the department is somewhat J.ess than last year'. This Province has been blessed with natur·al ~;.r:i 1dE!r'I1E!SS and a rt::~lt'lt:it;oly clr;•an env ·il"onm,:•nt, anu blessed, I suppose, in so111C' IAkty~ :; wi l~ h an a b sen c (! of so tlw o r-- U1 c· Vl'I"Y SE!r'ious pr·ob]c•rns that. c·f"FE!CL areas in Central Canada. f:ltji: t.\JE! still have no regu1at.ions Lo conL('Ol our ATVs. I l~h::Lnk ilJ C! ,::H 'C! still failing in adequate restoration contracts for industrial operations.
We sLil l have no returnable bot~le leg:is1ati.on . W(:! s L:i _l 1 have! placed no money into rE!Cycling opE•rat.ions or to publ:i.c educa ·t:ion on E!nvironrnental issUE!S. Perhaps Lhe most effective way oF doing soJnE!th:ing about the E!nv.ir··onJnE!n\: Ls to try to begjn, at least , to educate the public, and that will take dollars and those dollars are not in this budget. fhere al~e two E!nV-.ir'onrnenta1 :iSSUE!S of particu1ar concern to Lhe citizens of St. John's, and I think they are very keen issues in rny OL•.m district, ~3t. John's East. One of them is St. John's Harbour. Now, E!VE!ry timE!
WE! have tourists who come herE! and stay at the NE•IAJfoundland Hoi:r:.J., {~hey look out the window and they see abou L 150 sea gulls gal~hE!rE!d around, and thE!Y th:i.nk that it js veJ~y cute, at first look. That th:ink it is a conference of Jonathan Livingston SE!a Gull and his friends, bul: il: No. 16 R827
is not. It is the SG!a gulls, as everybody knows, feasting on the raw sewage of the whole East Avalon region. This, again, is one of those areas which is way beyond the ability of the municipal government 'in which that Harbour sits to do anything about without hE•lp from thE! l:.wo SE!nior J.evels of goVE!rnment. So, I uJould certainly like to see this government seriously undertake to negotiate a federal-provincial agreemE!nt for· th(:~ cJ.eanup of St.
John 1 s Harbour and thE~ Humber River, and the various waste disposal sites in this Province, IAJhich uJas co1nrr6ttE•d t.o by our LE!adE!r .in h.is shor··t days in l::hE• Premiershtp. Quebec has a s:i.rni1ar agrE•E!I'nent which l:ht=!y USE! to cluan up the St . l.awrE!nCE! RiVE!r. Also, Mr·. SpE!aker, thE! ar·E:~as of c u 1 t u r e a n d h i s t. o r· i c r e s o u r· c E• s a r· e very scantily addressed in the budget, and I th·ink not at a'll in ThE! Tht'one SpE•ech. There does not appear to be any new funding.
Both thE!SE! arE!aS, wh:ich in rny view are absolutely critical to Newfoundland, are given very low prof ·ilE!, and it would appE!ar also low priority. They are surfeited on lip service and starved for funds to develop policies and programs. It .is motherhood to say that. it:. :i.s jrnportant: to OlH' prj.de and confidence .in ourselves as a peoplE!, I am sick of J.istE!ning to polit:ic.ians at all levels telling us how important our culture and her-itage are, but l:hE!Y are also extremely important as economic gE!nerators, particularly related to the tourism industry.
This could bE! the rncdn plat-Fot~m in our plank t:o deVE!J.Op a uniqUE! situation, a unique positioning for ourselves as a tourism dE!St-.inat.ion. But thE!Y ar·e also, in many cases, L828 June• 20, 1989 Vol X L.l non-renewable resources. We will hav(:~ no art:Lsts herE!, pt~etty soon, to give that creative generator to our cuJ.tur·al life. The u-;pu Hall, j u s t a s a n e x a rn p l E' , w h ·.L c h .i s per·haps the incubatol" oF · a gr'E•al:' percentage of the indigenous, crE!ative taJ.E!nt ~in thjs ProvinCE:•, askE!d for a t-iny gl~ant of $ 1)0,000 t 0 he J. p t hE!
Ill g E! t l j g h t. s f' 0 r t IH! facil-.i ty .. _ nothing :in thE! budgEd:. There is less funding for the arts group. There .is no ::Lncrr:!ased funding for the Newfoundland and Labrador Historic Foundation, who give grants. The money that is u s E! d F o r t h a 1: - y o u <'< r E! n o l: t a J k i n g a b o u t. a 1 o t of m tHH :· y -- :i f" i l:. i s 1 i n k (:• d lAJi l: h p t" .i () d l: u s E! c t.· (l r· invE·strnc::'nt, IAJhjch it has be E:~ n, saves our historic resources at rnini111a1 cost. ·l·:.o govenHIIE!n L.
A fE'IAJ hundtr'E!d l:housand dollctt"~, in boLh those areas, arts and heritage, COUld have~ done a r:r (![IW ndOUS cliiW u n t. b o t: h f cw t. h c e c u n o 111 y a n d For the Pr·ou -incE' of Netvfol .lndland. Mr. SpE'aker, thE! dt:!f'ini t. ion of politics that: I learned when I was doing Pol:itical Sch!nu :~ is l:ha.t politics is the art of the poss:ible, or the allocation oF scarce resources. In the entire history of Newfoundland and Labrador resources have been scarce and thE! allocation has been difficult .
Successiue Thron0 Spe€~chE!S have gone on tw:in t.hemes, the E!conomy and to try and br•:ing our people up to a decent standard of living. HouJ IJ.Je aJ.locate lhese resources is certainly the r·esponsibtlity of governrnent. and a very clE'ar indication of governmenl 1 s priorities. Ther'E!forE:', in sulnlrli.H'Y, Ml". Speaker·, I haVE! l:o ~;i:1y that:. [do not find this budget to be a documE!nl: of hope and t~efol'·m. It is not a co~r~passionat.e budgeL. It .. is a budget whlch puts the balance No. 16 R828
shN!t before people. The rhE!toric and the numbers do not match. It is pregnant with promises like the Throne Speech and the election policies. It appears it will have a J.ong gestation period. DE•] iVE!ry t"r.i.ll tc1.ke place 'in due course' 'when appropriate and feasible,' 'when funds are availablE!.' I hope, Mr. SpE!aker, that thE! bright promises will be delivered sometime bE!fore HadE!S rE!aches zer·o degrees centigrade. If this is the Wells agenda it is not a libE!I"al agenda. It is a small 'c' conSE!rvative agenda t.hc:-lt tAJould bE• worthy of Margaret Thatcher. SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hE!al~!
MS DUFF: There is one little psalm which s a y s , '' To e v e r y t hi n g t he r e i s a season; there is a time to reap and a time to SOlAJ." I arn sur·e everybody is familiar with that. Given the current state of the provincial E!Conomy, i:his Province should have been sown with innovative and creative programs and much needed improvements to our social progra111s; instc,!ad this budget has chosen to reap $100 million in additional taxes out of the provincial economy. SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hE!ar! MR . SPEAKER: The han. the mE•mbE!r for St. John's South. MR. MURPHY : Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
At the pleasure of the Chair, I would ask that I be given leave to inform this han. House that this WE!ek .is a lAJeek that is sEd: aside for all Canadians employed, Canadian employers and employees, L829 June 20, 1989 VoJ XLI as Occupational Health and Safoty Week. I would ljke to put on record that this House supports that week and its awareness c o n c e p t l: o red u c c=:• 1: hE! c a I" 1·1 a '.1 E• a n d suffering in thE! lAJork plaCE!, and thE! trE!rnendous cosi:s of indusl:r.ial accidents in the work place.
In saying that, Mr·. ~!peak'=~l", I would like to say that obviously I cannot or would not concur with t:hc::~ han. rnernber for ~3t. John 1 s East. I wou1d 1ike to say, Mr ··. Speaker·, that I congr·atulai:E! thE! Minister of Finance who, in such a short t.·i1ne, br·our::~ht For'lJJar~cl t;uch a couretgeous budget, one:• tha-t. lAW~ :; n o t rn E! a n t t o b e t o l: a l l y 1-11 i. l:: h o u l: pain, but.
C('!rt:ajn1y one i.h.-::.tt : a·.ll Nc:!\JJFoundlandE!I"S at Lhis par·l~i.cu1ar tirne need. and !:he aspir·atjon~. ol going Nor·t:h have now l:ur ·n•:•c.i ... ,.I"Ound and, please God, WC! tAd ·11 be positively going South .. SOME HON. MEMBERS : Heal~, hPc:~r! MR. MURPHY: I think I would be a ]iti:.l(! rerrliss, Mr·. ~;p(~akE•r, j.p · I d:id nol comment on the tremendous sense of i n i t i at i v e t a k e n by Uw h o 11 • Ll'r C! Minister of Fisheries. Tt would seem members opposite would indicate that the ccid glut at this tj_ITie of l:he yE·ar, espE•c::ia1ly on thE!
Avalon PE!rrinsula, ·is solnEd:hing that just hlippened, just. feLl. upon us all of a sudden. I know the con c E! 1" n s of' L he h on . the mE!mber for· St. Mc-a·y 1 s -- the Capes (Mr. Hearn), and l:he hon . the member for St. John's East. Ext::!rn (Mr. Parsons) lAril':h respect: t.o their· in~~hor·e fisheries, and I think the han . l':he Minister of Fisheries should be certainJy congratu1atE·d fo1~ his for(!Si.qhi: .i.n bringing a factory freezer trawler into St. John's to try and handle No. 16 R829
that glut, and the additional ship that was sE•nt to St. Mary 1 s Bay. I think we all realize at this particular point in time that this l:.i rne last week rn1:!1nbE!rS in t:.he House were addressing thE! sad scenario of the lack of cod and the probability of never seeing any rnorE! than a couplE! of hundr·ed pounds in any given time, and now, all of a sudden, we are addressing a glut. MR. PARSONS: There is no glut. MR. MURPHY: The hon. the member for· St:. John 1 s E a s t Ex t c~ r n s a y s !: hE! r e IAJa s no gJ.ut.
It IAJas yE•ster·day, I think, a fishE!I''rnan Fr·om Flatrock IAias told not to dare take his fish out oF the water because there was nowhere to process the fish . MR. PARSONS : (Inaudible). MR. MURPHY: I would suggest that it was a scenario not with respect to a trawler or foreign gear going away with the trap, but fish go-ing awi.'l.Y with the trap. However, through the foresight and the expertise of the hon. the Minister of Fisheries, that particular situation has been alleviated. The othE!r day thE! han. member for Mount PE!arl (Mr. N.
Windsor) st:ood in his pJ.ace with his great E:~xpertise, his chest swelling with pride with respect to the circumstance on the development of the Lower Churchill and he claimed thal: thE! han. the Pl~E!fniE!r IAidS using the Meech Lake Accor·d in a IAJay that would haVE! a detrirnE!ni:al impact on the LoWE!r Churchill project, and hE! said that the stand taken by this government and L830 · JUnE! 20, 1989 Vol XLI its Premier would negotiations between Hydro and this Province. affE!Ct QuebE>c Now, Mr. ~>peak er', in Lis t.erd.n~J L.o l·:he hon. rnernbE!r For~ Mount PE!drl, is it. fai.r to say that unt.i1 WC"! gr::!t a contract 1~o.lil:h Hydl~o QuE!bE!C, and tlri s gover·nrnent 1~o.ri 11, we a]] cheer for the Montreal Canadians and the Quebec Nordiques?
Is this apples and oranges? I mean, do we have to buy cJ.o t:hes rrradE'! j n QUE!bE!C? Is !:hat IAJhat L~e di"E! s a y i n g ? I s t hat IAJ hat t h e h o n . Uw membeln For Mounl: Pc·,:~i~l IAidS s a y i n g ? H e t a ] k e d IAJ :i I h g r' e d t gusLo about all l:he mee ·l:.in(JS !:hal~ h a d t a k E:! n p 1 a c e o n t h c L OIAI c r· Church.ill prnojecl: and hOL~ l:hey have bt:!en on~jo:ing, and he t.a]kr:·cl at gr1::!at lc•ngl:h about l.hE! Uppur Church~iJ.] cont:rac'L. I dt.' nuL think anybody in !:.his hon.
Houst:! would agree that Lhe Upper c h u r· c h .i ll c o n t r· a c t IAI a s o n e c1 r-- significance in 1980s, even the 1970s . BuL of course, Mr. Speaker, hindsight is twenty/tWE!nty vision. (t IAidS Mar·ch 1927, Mr. Speaker ·, IAJhen tlw P r· -ivy Co u n c ·i 1 alAJd r· d t'' d l: h a. l: (,:]In c• a L J.andmass known as l.abr·ador, a great part of Lhis Prov·inCE!, l:o NE!Wf ou ndJ.a nd, the de c:i ~~ion of the Privy Council, of course, IAidS binding. It was binding.
Then, of course, the Govern1nenL or Newfoundland of thE! c.ii.'ly, no l: realizing Lhe potential of that g 1~ eat: part of l: his Province , IAJ(• r' o offered, I thtnk, a surr1 sornelAJhure close to $40 million fr·om the Province of Quebec, at. that particular time, $40 rni11ion! I go back to this t.o draw an analogy on what t:he hon. the JnE!ITiber For Mount Pear·l, who wi ,lJ. nolAJ be the critic, I understand, oF 1·120, the critic of purE• IAJater, had {~o say. He is not in his place today, he is probably out cleaning No. 16 R830
up the acid rain scenario. HoweVE!r, in 1927 Labrador tJJas worth $40 miJ.J.ion in the eyPs of the Province of Quebec.
The Newfoundland Government of the day took the~r time in deciding wh~::1ther or· not they weln€:! ready to sell that part of ULis great Province - they were going to sell that part back to QUE!bec, becauSE! they realized the difficulty in serving all the coastal communi ties -·- and when they went back to the Prov ince of Quebece thE!Y reneged on Lhe:Lr offer, put thHiln ~j;4 .0 million i.n their· pocket and sajd, No, lAJP do not th:.Lnk that barren land is worth $40 million. ~3o the member stood in hi.s place the other day and ranted and raved about what a terrible deal Newfoundland had signed with QUE!bec with rE!Spect to the Upper Churchill ProjE!Ct..
As 1 said earliE!ln, Mr. Speaker, as WE! look at it i. n 1 9 8 9 , i l:. tJJa s a t.E· r rib 1 e , te1nrible dE!al. MaybE! we could have had an escalating mil rate built into it, but that is yesterday. And I draw the same analogy on l:he Privy Council and thE! $4 ·0 million. Then he went on to talk about the deal wi.th Quebec Hydro and the deal with thE!
Plnov:ince of Newfoundland, not mentioning once the ten years of construction work that went on uninterrupted, and the thousands and thousands of homes t·hat stand in t.his par·t of the Province, and in Labrador, because of the construction jobs that were available to Newfoundland tr·adesmen of that day. SOME HON. MEMBERS : HE~ar, hear! MR. MURPHY: This goVE!rnrnE!nt did not kill thE• L831 June 20, 1989 Vol XLI building trades in this Province. Mr.
SpE:1akE•r, people from the Provinces of Ontraio, Quebec, Not;a Scotia and NE!lAJ Brunswick IAJE!re using their trat;el c<:-.rds l~o Flock to Churchill during those days. ThE! hon. thE! metnbE!r f'oln Ha1nbour· Main remembers it well. Those days are gone. Thr::•rE• tJ..Ias no nE!C::!d for double breasting legislatJon :in those days. And not only di.d he not. mention thE:1 Houses and the prosperity brought to this ProvinCE! all over, he also for 'got. to ment'ion l:he thousands c'(nd tl'w u s a n d s of d o 1 J. a r s a v cd J. a b 1 e L o Nf~tJJfoundland cal~plc'l'il~E!('S, pip E~f:i. t.l:.
E• r' S, p J Ulnb ('I' '~; , (:! l (" c t (' t c L (.') rl s and b r· ·i c k 1 <'1 y l:' iA s r-~ u In the education of their chJJ.dren, and tJJhich lrlc(de l"'lomor'la1 the monument. it is today. All that was t::•asily for 'gol:tc•n, ~k. ~)pc~ai<u1 ~ . SOME HON. MEMBERS : Hear, hl:!ar'! Mf\. MURPHY: And thon conveniently, Mr. SpeakE!r, th('!re was a gap in Lhe hon. member 1 s prE!SE•ntat .. Lon tJ.Ihen hE! f o r g o t. , a s d :i d t h e h o n . m E! m b c:• r F. o t" St.
John 1 s East, l~hr::· Moor'es year'S, thE! doub1e- -bar'rE!] E!d bang, 1 caJ-1 eel .it, over in Point Amor, on the coast of Labrador, and down tn FlotJJE!r 1 s CoVE!, in I·_ hE! hon. rn c lTl be r· 1 s d ~L s t. r i c t: . I IAJ "' ~; l. h !:' r' e , working For reshmont Consultants, IJJhen the hon. Prem::i.pr· of t.ht:~ day carne tJ.Ji.th fl.:.'(gs and buntinrJs waving, and $100 miJJ.ion lat:.er, the lower Churchi1l.
I arn sure the Hon. l:he Ministet" of EnvironrnE!nt and Lands was ver·y happy for the LOIAJI:!r Church "i. n Proj E~ct at that part:i cular t. ~i. tno, if For not h 'in g e 1st" but l: he ~s 1 oo rrrilli.on spent by the t.ht:!l'l Min:i ~; l::E!r' of Finance and thE! Pl~E!tn.iuln of t:hdt t :l rn E:1 , w h o j u s t h a p p "=' n P d t. o b e M r' . Moores and the han. Mr. Crosbie. No. 16 R831
MR. TOBIN: What about (inaudible). Mf~. MURPHY: HE!re is Heckle, whet"e is Jeky1l? TweedlE!dE•e and liAJeE!dlE!durn. The donut twins. Mr. Speaker, if I may remoVE! myself, I look at the hon. member for Grand Bank educat.edJ.y looking at. the pict.urPs in thE! TelE!gr·c~m, he stood in his place the other day, with his hand inside his shirt holding his heart, speaking the aspirations and wishE!S oF thE! pE•oplr::~ of Grand Bank and St. l.au.JrE!nCE!. WhN'e IAJas he, Mr. SpE!aker. whon Markland tAJent dotAJn and Conte By ChanCE! Fo1lou.Jed il~? Wh''!I~E! was hE! l~hc:!n, Sir? Where was his heart then?
ThE!I'l l:hE! hon. rnE!rnber Fot" Trinity North (Mr· . Br·ett), old Noah, JJ.Jho used to move the arks, he .is not in his place today, he is the benefactor of the Clarenvil1e HospitaJ.. SOME HON. MEMBERS: Take that back. You are wrong. MR. MURPHY : I apologize. In the excitement of rny delivery, I u.ras car·r·iE!d atAJay. I apologiZE! to the hon. the JTIE!rrtbE!r for Trinity North, who is not here. MR. TOBIN : I must . say, I (:i.naudiblE·) . MR. MURPHY: I get carried away like you do, Jekyll. Hou.H:'Ver, just as another· point of information, Mr.
SpeakE!r, in June, 1974, the thE!rl Finance Min:i.st:er, who was fi1led with an urge to rid himself of the BRINCO frock, organized a bond issue of $160 million US to purchase CF(L)Co h·om B R INCO. Six months la tE!r, the same hon . minister turned around and found $147,'700,000 for L832 June 20, 1989 Vol Xl.I Hydro to buy the shar1:!s frorn CF(L)Co. Today, this governHIE!nt is strappE!d at 10.5 pcc!r CE:!nt u.r.i Lh thai:. bill.. This is the sarne administration, now opposite, who had the arrogance to sLand in their place and, after six weEd<s, chastiSE! the hon.
Min:J.~:ter· of 1=-i n a n c e f o r· a b u d g E! t i 1 e h a d n o al ternati.ve but to br·ing in -·- Uw Sdtne pcO!op1E:~. They took OVE!r afLE!I~ the Moores administration strappE!d tJJ'i.th l:.hE! sarne monE!y, but not a u.Jord, not a sound about Lhc l..ot.uE!J" Churc hi 11, thE! $100 rn'i 1 Lion.
I l: is too ba.d the hon: ITIC!JrtbE"I" :1e: not in his p]e<cc• today, bco!C,'{U·:,u he 1nay bE! able t.:o g:iue ~;ornE! c]a.r·i .F:.icaL:ion on the $100 tn.il.lion spenL lie tc:'i.lkcd and r·atnb1c!d on abnul: the en 9 :l. n E:! e r in 9 study L hat_ tAii''l ~:; d (l n c· bc::dng incCllllP1E!te. nli. s hon. member knows, Mr. Speaker, where l:he cor·:i.ng samp1es l~l'·u1n 1VJuskr·al~ F a J. 1 s a n d t h ('! L owe r C h u r' c h ::i ] 1 a r' t' today.
I doubt IJE•ry rnuch 'if \:.he hon. mernber· fr·om Mount Pear·] knotAJ ::> wl·wre they at~e. liE• accuSE!d the Pr·emiE!r of putt:i .ng a sod, putt:i.ng a blanket on I1E!got .ic:1tions bE!tlJJc::•E!I1 t·. h i. s P r· o v :i. n c E' a n cl Q u Ed) c· c H y d r o b y rne n t ion in g l: he. so ci fll iss LH' s associatE!d w:i.th l:lw Mc:C!Ch l.c'lku Accord, 1 that one pr·ovince should not be E!levated above anothE!r'.' Surely heavens, this Province is d::i.stj .nct and untquc:• jn a:~ rnuch a~~ t:hat from Lhe tip of St. Anthony to the Bill of CapE' St. George and back on to Cape St.
Francis, there are 270 differE-nt English dialE-cts. If t~hat is not unique, Mr. Speaker, what is? We ar·c:· talking about a social issue belonging to a VE'ry havE- -not Pr·ovincE! .in Mec:!ch Lake, tAJhi.ch ·is designed to 1ook after· one! of t:he havE! provinces. And Uw hon. mernber for Mount Pear·] rningJ.es a]] this in JJ.Ji. t:h thE' LotAJer· Chur·ch· .i . .ll progr·am. I JJ.JouJ.d suggest-. Lhat the han. member in his ongoing No. 16 R832
negotiations - because the Lower Churchill is not netAJ. The Moor'es administration with their double-barreled bang, that was fouri:E!E!n years <:~go. Mr. Speakl:!r, there is nothing new about it. Surely Heavens there must be something moinE! to stand on, or to lr;!an on, or i:o use as a cn..ttch for the hon. the mernber for' Mount Pearl to say in retrospect that our' attitude is br'eaking down the Lower Churchill negotiations. MR. SIMMS: (Inaudible). MR. MURPHY: WE<U, Min.
Spc:'akE!r', nldlnU .n:l lllE!!:!l:ings, and golf club sr;•ssi.ons and what have you, OVE!r the YE'cH'S, do not bring this Province any c 1 o s E• r -- t h e h o n . 0 p p o s :L t j_ o n H o u s E! Leader rnakE!S a small comment. Mr. Speaker, I J.ooked over . the other day, when thE! hon. rne1nber' fo1~ Grand Bank was on his feet -·· of cou1nse, hi.s source; of infor'mation is the member for Burin PlaCE!nLia WE!St ···and thE!rE! uJas the mc:~rnber for Burin -- PJ.acent:ia West throwing information up to him.
Then I looked up and there was the hon. l:he Leader of the Opposition, the hon. the House Leader of the Opposition, and the hon. the member' for Harbour Mc:dn, and they rern.i.ndE!d mE· of thE! back IArindotAI of a 1952 Chev - everybody nodding in unison; Wynken, Blifnken and Nod. SOME HON. MEMBERS: HE!C-J.r, hE!ar! MR. MURPHY: The Minister of Finance sits there in his place, and so he should, without addr·essing any of the snide cornrnents that cornP flnorn rnernbc~rs oppos"i i:E!. He does not need to pay attention, Mr. Speaker. HP does not need to.
L833 JUnE! 20, 1989 Vol XU As timE! goes on, Mr. ~3peaker, \:his government t.~dlJ sit down w:i Lh Hydro Quebec and the Govc;rnrnenl: of QuebE·c and take a rE•asonabJ.e, r a t i o n a 1 l o o k a t tAl h a i: t h .L s ProvinCE! has to offE!r. The hon. Prime Minister of this great country has been moving and shaking h"ims1?.lf aLl about: the United States in the last five years talking to his o\:hE!r blue--ey(;~d Irish friend- ··· and I arn not saying anything about Irish people, why would I? - on the reduction of aci.d rain. Just as a po ·.-.i.nt of i11f"or'ITidloion, Mr.
Speaker, the last great natur'al l"esour'CE:! aud:i.::i.ab] I' :i r1 Nor·th Arner'ica, iF not. i.n l.he wo1nld, exists :.i.n l.ab:~acJor', and ·:Lt ls clean, tumbling waters. Now, Mr SpE!aket', t.hE• Upper' ChUI "ch j-JJ Wi:IS an eng·ineor·ing masterpiece, to sC-J.y the least, a labour legislation masterpiece a collective agreement for ten years without :inh!I'TUpt.ion, dnd. all thosE:' things were for-gotten.
But. now, as the wab:•rs lE•aUE! l:.he Churchill. pouJE:'rhouse and co1ne dot;,Jn l:owards CooSE! lla.y dnd Happy VaJ.J.ey, and tAle sec• the GuJ1 ls]and pro j E! c t an cl L he M u s k I'' a\: Fa 11 s c:~ n d thE! five rivers that E·mpty dot;.Jn into the ProvinCE! of Quebec, it is a g r e a t a n d t:. r' E:~ HIE' n d o u s o p p o r L u n j t. y For i:hosE! honE!S \:.ly concer·ned tAri.l:h the reduction of pollution, the reduction of acid rain, to take
part in the development of the lower Churchill and the Muskrat FaJ.ls. It is tirne for' HH:!SC people to gc;t involved so that tAlE! will reduce the oiJ.-firE!d e1E!CtTic plctnts that dre around, and the coal-fired, and E!VC'n wor'SE•, Ml". Speaker·, the possibilil~y oF wl·~<:':lt might happE•n w:i.t.h a nucJ.ear plant. In those days again, when all of these being o1nganized and No. 16 Mi". Speak!:H', planl:s IAJE!rE! established 1~8 3 3
_and buiJ t, oil was tlAJO dollars a barrel and coal cost nc~xt to nothing. ThE!Y contribute grE!at.ly to l:he probletns of water· in this Province and other Atlantic Provinces. So maybe we have a SE!lling package there. This goVE!rnrnent is much awcH'E! of that. This is one of the rnessagE!S that l:.his gover·nment, I am sure, tJJLll be bringing to Hydro Quebec, bringing to l:he Government of QUE!bE!C, and CE!rtatnly bringing to the Eastern Seaboard and the EastE!rn States. The hon. member for Grand Bank alluded to megaprojects, this government does not believe in JOE!gaproj ects. MR.
TOBIN: Oh, you do not believe in Hibernia! MR. MURPHY: Mr. Speaker, Jecky ll, or somebody over· ther·,~, not lon~1 ago mt:!ntj onE·d some thing about who Wds the !:hen Minister of Industrial Development, and he talked about Hibernia. I remember very well. It was the Hon. Leo 13arry, tJJho then served as IndustriaJ. Minister on the ol:hE!r' sidE! I befor·e hi'.:~ became enlightened. I remember the press conference E!Xtremely wel1 where he held up a lit:tle crock of oil which caused Newfoundland to go into hysterics. There were people lining up to mortgagE! t.heir houses.
He held up a little crock of oil, not even a cupful, Mr. Speaker. Can you imagine what would have happened if he had held up a forty -five gallon drum? This is the frlE!gaprojE!Ct that: the hon. rnetnber fr·om Gr ·a nd Bank swinr:3s over here and talks about to this goVE!rnment. I rE!lnernber vory well the last megaproject in this Province, the one that sat out l.834 June 20, 1989 Vol XLI there rusting for ten years until, all of a sudden, somE! company showed up from New Jersey, Cumberland Farms or somebody. Everybody wa s suspicious. lhe P r l~ 1 n i e r· s a i d , 1 C h E' c k \: h u m o u l: .
Get Dun &- Bradstr'E:1E!t on the:· phone. 1 These peoplE! qu'iE!l:ly took ovE>r CorrtE! by Chance, a JTJegapJ~oj ~'ct. that is working VE!r·y tAlE! ll l:.ocldy. I was a J.jttle concerned as a safety professional when they openE!d up. but today :L t :.Ls lAJor·k:i.ng ve1~y well and ·it SE!(!Jtls to be pro v i d i n g g o o d , s o u n d , s o 1:i . d j o b s r~or· this Pt~ovinCE!. I lAJOnciE•r I ~~r. SpeakE!r, :Lf, afb~t~ seventeen years, hon. tnernb::!r·s oppo~; 11:e Cdn alJ .ud"' l:.o onE! sing] t:!. Stl] i l:.ary megaproj E!Ci:? AN HON. MEI'-1BER: (InaudiblE!). MR.
MURPHY : I just Sc'lid t:htil:. tibso1ul:ely nothing to do wil:.h the rE!furbish'ing oF Co1ne By ChancE!. If the Linerboard rnilJ was the second last megaproject, then surE:1ly heaVE!nS Ab:i.t:i.bi--Pr:i.CE! tJJouJd not have another· P<'<per 1ni l1 i.n NewfoundJ.and today. It. tAJd~:: a mistake at \:hE! tirne, bul: Loday oLl: is the wisdom of the Tories. MR. WARREN : The l.:i .nE•dward tn_i ,ll? MR. MURPHY: fhe Liner ·boar·d mill . I protrrLsE!d the hon. murnber· for· flut11bur· Val.] "'Y (Mr.
Woodford) I tAJould nE!tJer mention :i.n t.h:is HousP again, but the only lnE!gaprojE!Ct theSE! pE!Op}E! got involved with in seventeen years is on sale this week. SOME HON. MEMBERS : Hoar, hear·! MR. MURPHY: And, as I alluded to before, if No. 16 R834 .
they were so convinced that it wa s such a wonderful thing, then you had the opportunity to buy it. AN HON. MEMBER : ~ felt good about it . MR. MURPHY: I look at: t:hE! hon . mr::•mb•:!r for flar·bour Main (Mr ·. Doyle). an iron wo r k E' r . Y e s t e r day t he h on . the member for Humber Valley aJ.luded to a 1nan who worE! more covera lls than shirts and U es -- the hon. the member for Harbour Main. MR. DOYU=: : Right on! MR. MURPI·IY : And how well I remember. MR . SIMMS: Steve Neary is back . SOME HON. MEMBERS : HE!ar. hear! MR.
MURPHY: That hon. member. wj .th his spud wrE!nch, L>Jas not worrying about a job in this Pr ovinCE!, hE• was wondering which job hE! was going to go to; going to th e un ion hal]. Mr. Speaker. looking at the board to se e which job he preferred. In th e LibE!ral days, Mr. Speaker. that gentleman had five jobs. His counterparts and cohorts in his own trade in that great area of Conception Bay, Conception Har·bour·, Avondale, flar·bour Ma:in, all these wonderful places, are running around today in desperation trying to find a job in their trade . MR . WARREN: (lnaudi b1.e) . MR .
MURPHY: You know, Mr . qUE!Stion, Sir. ~3peaker. rriE!ITibE• r S L835 June 20, 1989 w.i thou t on thi s Vol XLI side underst and the Finance Mini .st.E!r 1 s budg et . WE ! knotu tha t he was lE!ft no option. He lef t no stone unlurn E!d . TherE! IAIE!re so me wr·inkle s in l:hat bud(JE-1 : wh :Lc h obviously afFe ct and irnpa cts on NE!Wfound1andE!rS. HoWE!VE!r. I lAIO td.d have to congr·atulat:E:!. agai.n. the han. the Minis l:E!In of FinancE! (Or ·. Kil.:chen). SOME HON. MEMBERS : Hear, hear! MR . MURPHY: What i.s evE:•n rncH'e :Lnsp:Lr·ing. MJ".
SpE!aker, is that-: I had s';me second thought:s the day Lh•c' budgel: . Colllf:' do tAl n . A s cons l: i l: u en 1: s t hI" o u rJ h o u \: St. John 1 s South and other· ar ·ea~~ oF thi.s- Pr·ovinCE! caJ]~:!d tilE', [ t~Jas rE!ady t.o hE:!at' ~~OII'IE' n u ~F\t.:i .VE! v 'i b e s . lrJ h a t I h a u E! h c:• a r· d l: o d a t: C:! . Mr . Speaker, has bE•C:!n 9S per· cont : to 96 pE:er cent admiration For thE! courage of the Minister of rinanc e . AN HON. MEMBER : Tax the poor! Tax the poor! MR. MURPHY: It is not. a s~H lSE • of tax r:•s , Ml ".
Speakl=Jr , I l:hi.nk E!V e l~y Newfoundland er· today r·eal iz es that the prov erbial bottom of th e barr·el has been reachE!d. Th e previous admini stration -r eached down and rea ched beyond thE!mselVE!S, and Lhi.s hon. rn.in-.i s I::E!r had no alternative but to reach back. AN HON. MEMBER : He is a good man . MR. MURPHY : If we J.ook ba ck ouer Hansar·d and look back over BudgE•t. SpeE!Ches oF t.he last tlAJent.y yE•ar·s. I do not . t h i n k uJ E! tAd 11 F i n d o rlc:! w h i. c h predicts a $5 milJ.ion deficit no, a $5 million - No. 16 R 8 3 ~:.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Surplus. MR. SIMMS : He does not E!Ven know what hE! is lhE!ading! Mf~. MURPHY: Excuse me, a $5 million surplus at the end of the fiscal year. SOME HON. MEMBERS : Oh, oh! MR. MURPHY : Well, the hon. member for Opposition obviously - Falls, the Leader, should MR. SIMMS : Cl''and House You tAJill never gEd:. in t:hE! Cabinr::•t that way . MR. MURPHY: -- be equally complirnentar·y. AftE!r all, I think he found, in FairnE!SS and balance, that his great district of Grand Falls has a Fair allocation from the Minister of Municipal and Provincial Affairs, $900,000.
And for thE! mdghboring totJJn of Windsor, which rnay or may not in the nE!cUh future be part . of that grE!at cil:y of Grand Falls. he should be quite happy with the dollar figures brought down by the hon. the Minister of Finance. MR. HEWLETT : Green Bay is delirious. MR. MURPHY: ~~een Bay should be delirious. The member' ·is delirious . That member stood in his place and sincerely complained and cried about the 40 kilometers of unpaved road in the Green Bay District, and that is not including the paving up walkways and whatever, when there arE! 7, 000 kilolnPters of unpaved roads in this Province.
L836 June 20, 1989 Vol XLI No, Mr·. Speaker·, it: is sad that the han: member for .Mount Pearl and tht::1 hon. member for Gr·and Bank cannot look on this side and seE• the positiveness of t:h:is l'lE!IAJ, Fresh, real -change government. SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hE!l:l.r! Mf~. MURPHY: Mr. Speaker, without questton, in the fE•Lt.J short WE!t:!k~~ that th :.i.s govE•rnrnent has had an opportuni t:y to presE•nt its pr·ogramrning and ~Hc!ar from our hon. rninisLE!I"S, 1.\Jf:• s E! e a t 1h u E! s C:! n s e o f F a :i. r' n (:• s s a n d balan ce. SOME HON . MEMBERS : Hear, hE!ar! MR.
SPEAKER : The han. member f' or · BtH'in Placentia West. SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hedr, .. hear! MR. TOBIN: Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker . Mr·. SpeakE·r. I look foi"IJJani l.o entering into this debate. We just. had the rnember· fol" ~It. John 1 s South, the landslide member, Mr. SpeakE!r, get up her·e and h(• l:T .:i.(=•d i: 0 j u s t i F y t h E· h y J I" 0 d h'l l l:l'l '"' l: soJ.d th:i.s Prov:Lnce dotJJn the drai.n. He made r·c•ference l:o Lhe rnernber f'or Mount Pearl on sevor·al occasions, and his 'involvement in the Meech LakE! oper·at:Lon, clnd Lt.Jhat he had to say about it and his IJJork. Let.
HIE! say to th e mE!Inber for St. John 1 s ~:Iouth that the rnembl '!r for Mount PearJ. ha s ITiad e a significant contribution t:o this Province ovor the past ten to fifteen years that he has been involved j_n pubJ.:l.c l: i.rc'·. When thE• minister For Mount Pearl was in here tJJork:ing, Mr . ~>peaker, mak:i.ng No. 16 1~8 3 6
thE!SE! types of dE!Cisions, whE!rE! v.1as thE• member for St. John's South? I knew that they attacked the previous leader of the Liberal Party, he was s t.abbr:'d and blE!d in public and did all that, but I neuer thought I would liue long enough to see some one from the Liberal caucus come in attack him indirectly, tht::~ way the member for St. John's South did today, lAfhen he talked about the double-barrel shot. Because it was Mr. Barry who tAias with Mr. MoorE•s tAJhE!n that took place.
I thi nk the fact that was as your leader, the fact that your co11eagUE!S, ].'i ke the M:LnisLf!l" of Social SE!rV-.iCE!S and ot:h1:!rs did hi111 in, I do not . think that_ you should participate in it. The Minister of Social he had the opportunity one qUE!Stion cHid had {:o the next day and Confidence, Mr. Mjsleading the House! MR. EFFORD: (InaudiblE!) you. MR . TOBIN: Services, to answer CUIIIC' back apologiZE!. Sr.::eai<~~r-. When it was put to you YE!S terday afternoon you came back this morning and did H:, that is what happened to you. We will deal with you as time goes by. Now, Mr.
Speak~::~r, l:he membE!r for St. John's South stood herE! and said that this was a courageous budget. Yes, Mr. SpE!aker, indeed it was a courageous budget. I think the courageousness of the budgr:•t was poinl:ed out today in a letter to The Telegram entitled 'The LibE!r<:ds and . in changE!.' For thE! benE!fit of t:hE! LibE•rals, Mr. Speaker, they should read this. It was written by Mr·. E. DukE!, MUN studE•nt, SinglE! ParE!nt, about L837 June 20, 1989 Vol XLI the Liberals and change. "Mr . Wells, let m( ) take you on a t:ri.p down memory lane For a lfiOITIE:~nt.
RerrtE!iTibE!r' thE! dE·ba Le t .. hat lAJa s hr~ ld in \:he Thomson ~31:ud C! n l: Centre gyrn just b~:!f'OrE! UH:! election? And remember the pr-omises you made to the hundr'\: !ds of studE!nts who c~Lt.E!nded?.. You know, whE!n you pr-omised thE! fr'OE!ZE:' on tt.dtion. 11 Do you remember that, Mr. thE! students who WE•r'E! ~'3peakE!r, j n the rho ills o n Stud (c! n l: C E! n L r e L\J h :c• n t· he Pr'E!ITiiE!r u1a~~ Jn and pl'-oln:isE·cl a freeze on tuition. Wh~t has happenE~d lo the f"r·ecZL:! 011 tuition? A 10 pc•1n C!c•nt incr·t::!d SC! .
I h a v e J. e t [:-_ (~ (' s d 0 lJ.J n :i n In y r ·.i "I ('' that. I got yE!Ster·day r:·1nu1n studunt·:s asking mE~ t.o r'a:i.sE · t:he l'rldl.LE •r' :i.n the House of AssE!tnbly. ThE! students in this f>r'ovince ai' '·E! Clnyi_ng out, thc!.y cH '(! bE!tjg:Lng, ~-1 ·1n. Speaker, for so111eone to do -s.ornE•th.ing,_ to stop cr-c•at.ing a stumbling block Li.JhelnE,by only the r·-ich in this Pr'ov.i .nCf'! ccn1 bE! educated. We all know the r' -.-i c h 11 E! s s 0 F t h 8 L i b c:• (' a l p d In t. y . lrJ (c! all know, Mr. Speaker, the direction oF the Liberal Party.
We have aJ.l read and lis lE·ned and heard and SilW the Thatcher .i.sm and Reaganism, the Conservative philosophi.1:!s l:.hai: hav"' SlJ..J< ,•pt: UlE ! Western World. That is l:.he coutnS(! that th.is Premic::!r has sei: us on, Mr. Speakt::!r.
This morning I sat in on the estimates for the Departmenl of Transportation, and I asked a question of the minister as it: rE•latt:!d to jobs .in N!:•tAffoundland, t-.he posit:i.ons t.hat. ar'u ua c;~nt where pE!ople ·took c~at"ly r~:·t.ir't::!l'nent. in transportation depots t h r o u g h o u t t h i s P r· o v i n c E• • I a s k E! d the minister this morning if he could assur·e this House' i:.hat eVE!ry No. 16 R837
job in these depots, where l:he people look after our roads programs and carry out thE! Wint:E!r maintenance, snow clearing and whatever else takes place, that was vacated as a result of the eaJ~ly rE!tirE!mE!nt progr·am would be filled . Do you know that the minister would not make that commitrnE!nt, that alJ. of theSE! vacant positions would be filled? Mr. Speaker·, I think that ·is a sad reflection, and indeed a sad admission, whE!n the people in this ProvinCE! who are dE!pend:i.ng on the Department of Transportation to gE!t to IJ.Jol~k, when the pE!OplE! :i.n t:his Pr ·ovince, Mr.
Speaker·, who are depending on the Department of Transportcd:ion· Fo1~ school bus(>.s and a11 of this-- the Minister of Education should be very concerned about this - that in this Province l:oday we hatH! a Min.iste1~ of Transportation who would refuse to say that all of the depots in this Province would have people there. Mr. Speaker, the Minister of Social Services, Lhe apologetic minister who gets a quesLLon, mislE•ads Lhe HousE!, goes back and checks wH :h hi~; officials, get.s it straight, comE!S back aft:el~ he gE!tS the issue straight, Mr.
Speaker, and then, apologizing, sets l:he recor·d ~;t.raight, . maybE! he should have his officials sit ting with him, Mr . Speaker . AN HON. MEMRER : Tonight. Tonight. MR. TOBIN: I might not be able to make it tonight . MR . FUREY : A point of order, Mr. Speaker . MR . ~3PEAKER: A point of ordE!r, the hon. the 1.838 June 20, 1989 Vol XU member For St . Barbe . MR. FUI~EY: Mr. SpE!aker·, I know HIE! hon . lnE!I "nber is a real gE!nl:.lE!ITian and an honourabJ.e gent] E!fTlan, but IAJhun he says t:hat thE• m·.inisl:er rn:is1E!d Lhe House he implies that the minister de l.i bE! rat. E! l y m.i sled the House .
This rn:Lnist:er· had thE :! courage t.o carne:.~ in and say to Lhe House what: really happened . He in no way rnisled the House. He laid out lhe facts of what did happE!n, Ml". Speaker, and he ts to be con1rnendE•d. I knmu that thE:· hon . rllE!IIlbeJ" rc,!al1 y wants ·to app] c::lud h i.rTI rather than attack hirn. Mf\. SIMMS : Mr. Speaker, to that po int of order, t.hE!re c]early is no po ~i nt oF o1~dr:•r. It is a po .inl: oF foo1ishm~ss by thE:· M:ln:ist.er of Development. Obv:iously he has dec:idE•d to LakE· up wher ·e h:i s colleague has left off now that he has left: thE! flouse.
But: :i.f Your- · Honour reads Beauche sne he will clearly SE!O. that noth~ing the hon . ITIE!IIlber said about l:.hE! o UrC:: 'r hon. member over there js unparliamentary at all. In fact, you can use the JAJord 'mjsll;!ad' :Lf you wish, and that was aLl the han. member said. There was nothing wrong JJ.r.ith that . In fdct I used it t.he other· da.y and thE! Speaker· did not admonish 11w . So I think it is just an attempt by the Minister of Development Lo interrupt the fine speech being given by the member For Burin Placentia West while hE· was just: starting to get in full flight.
I urge Your· Honour to rE•prirnand t.hE :· Ministe1~ of Developln C::!nt: and si.t hirn down and teLL hi .111 t:o stop interrupting and stop rising on these foo1ish points of order. MR. SPEAKER : Order, please! No. 16 I~ 8 3 8
There is no point of order. The hon. the member for Burin PJacentia West. MR. TOBIN: Mr'. SpeakE!r, r--or' UH.~ bc::~I1E!fit of the Minister of Development I will repeat it again. Yesterday in this House there was a question asked of the Minister of Social Services, and it t;.Jas pointed out to him at that time by myself that his ansWE!r' was not right, that his ansL!Jer t.IJas not true. This morning he came back, after going and checking with his officials and after· they had g:iVE!n hirn th(;! facl:s.
WhE•n l:h(:! tninistE!l~ is not competent enough to answer the q u e s l: i o n s ·, he s h o u l d rea l.i z e t hat he should take it under advis(:!mE!nt, go back and ch(::•ck t.IJ'ith his officials and then give the answer thE! nE!Xt clay, not make staternent:s likE! he rnade yestE!rday that were wrong. The answer he gave, Mtn. Speaket", IJ.Jas wrong, and the minister had to cume back here today and admit that he was wrong. rhe last tilllE! ther·e was a question asked of the MinistE•r of Social Serv·ices by the~ mc~rnbE!r for Port au Port he had to take it under advisement. AN HON. MEMBER: Oh, no! MR.
TOBIN: Oh, YE!S. And I Speaker, that answerc~d yet. am not that surE!, Mr. has been So what we have :is a minister who takes it undE!r adviSE!Hlent one day and the::~ nE•xt t.LmE! hE! is askE•d a question he gives you an answer that is not true. Now, it is time for the Minister of Social Services to familiarization with his dE!partrnent and to gE!t. on and do what rlE!E!ds t:o bE! done in the L839 JunE! 20, 1989 Vol XLI Department of Social Services_ We have a budget in the Department of Social ServiCE!S. In Youth Corrections, the Department of ~)ocial SE!rvices has a budget.
Lh:i.s year approved, total services in Youth Corrections, Mr. SpE•aker·, of $10,368,'700. That 'is up Ft"OJTI the $8,771,900 that tJJas appr·oved Jast year. But included in that is capital of $4-,850,000 for· thE! Whitbourne Boys 1 Schoo1 that I announced, that th:is governntcnt approvE•d, and bE!fot~E! I ld--t Public Wotnks had caJ.lE'd tendE:·r·s f'ot". T h a t i s t h E! $ 4-. 8 rn i 11 :i o n t !·1 d t ·i. s thE>re. But the