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December 2, 2024 HOUSE OF ASSEMBLY PROCEEDINGS Vol. L No. 94

The House met at 1:30 p.m.

SPEAKER (Bennett): Order, please!

Admit strangers.

Before we begin, joining us in the Speaker's gallery today for a Member's statement are retired veterans: Captain LeBlanc, Chief Warrant Officer Tobin, Sergeant Clarke, Master Corporal O'Reilly, Corporal Critch and Officer Cadet Spurrell.

Welcome.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

SPEAKER: Also in the Speaker's gallery, for a Ministerial Statement, Assistant Commander Cahill, Sergeant Lodge, Sergeant Major Baldwin, Constable Halliday and Constable Bennett.

Welcome.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

SPEAKER: Joining us for a Member's statement in the Speaker's gallery are Sister Charlotte Fitzpatrick, Sister Patricia March, Sister Betty Morrissey, Sister Ruth Beresford, Sister Bridget Patterson, Sister Irene Neville and Sister Monica Hickey.

Welcome this afternoon.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

SPEAKER: In the Speaker's gallery, I'd like to welcome Thelma Williams and the family of the late Albert Williams. They are joining us this afternoon for a Ministerial Statement.

Welcome.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

SPEAKER: Also in the public gallery, Nadine Reid of South Dildo. She is here with her family members and will be recognized this afternoon in a Member's statement.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

SPEAKER: Also joining us is Kelsey Fifield from Ascension Collegiate High School and also Brenda King and her daughter Heather King, joining us as guests this afternoon.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

SPEAKER: Finally, I'd be remiss if I didn't acknowledge our Page, Portia, who just completed her master's degree in political science from Memorial University today.

Congratulations.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

Statements by Members

SPEAKER: Today we'll hear statements by the hon. Members for the Districts of Labrador West, Lake Melville, Mount Pearl - Southlands, Mount Pearl North, Placentia - St. Mary's, Virginia Waters - Pleasantville, with leave and also St. John's East - Quidi Vidi, with leave.

The hon. the Member for Labrador West.

J. BROWN: Thank you. Speaker.

Speaker, I rise today to acknowledge 17 individuals who I had the privilege of presenting a Confederation 75 anniversary medal to last week.

These individuals are the backbone to our community and many of them were pioneers who held mould Labrador West into what you see today. Many of these individuals and pioneers are continuing to volunteer in various groups and charities and are all well known and respected within the community.

I would like to thank Darrell Brenton, Noreen Careen, Harold Clarke, Mike Cole, Dr. Tom Costello, Ed Daigle, Ed Delahanty, Junior Humphries, Josephine Gaulton-Rowe, Todd Kent, Dave Mercer, Gail Pike, Craig Porter, Peter Record, Thelma Ricketts, Gerry Rideout and Sally Snow.

Each of these individuals helped our communities in many ways. Whether through sports, charities, coalitions, Relays for Life, MADD or keeping our community healthy, they are exemplary role models for future generations in Labrador West. They've proven that. They have shown us what volunteerism and community service can do for a community.

I'd like to thank all hon. Members and rise and congratulate these 17 recipients. On behalf of the constituents in Labrador West, I'd like to thank these individuals again for everything they've done for us and continue to do for Labrador West.

Thank you.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

SPEAKER: The hon. the Member for Lake Melville.

P. TRIMPER: A Christmas tradition like no other, Speaker, is the annual Santa to the Coast event that occurs in Labrador each December.

Soon after the Second World War, Canadian and, later, British forces stationed at the Goose Bay military base began to airdrop or land on skis to deliver parcels of toys and other goodies to costal Labrador communities. With the development of airstrips in the 1970s, the Otter was able to land and distribute the gifts in person.

For the last 25 years, the Rotary Club of Happy Valley-Goose Bay has taken on this tradition in partnership with Air Labrador that now operates as Air Borealis. Many hundreds of loot bags are packed and loaded aboard the Twin Otter that delivers Santa Claus and eager elves to the excited children.

I can tell you it is a thrill to serve as an elf on these adventures. We are as excited as the children when we land. This unique project has been recognized by Rotary International and profiled by many journalists over the years.

I would like to invite our Legislature to also recognize this spirit of Christmas and the long-standing partnership between the Goose Bay Rotary Club and Air Borealis.

Thank you very much.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

SPEAKER: The hon. the Member for Mount Pearl - Southlands.

P. LANE: Thank you, Speaker.

Halloween is a time of the year that brings out the child in us all. It's a tradition in my family to drive around Mount Pearl and Southlands to see all the fantastic displays in our community. One of the most impressive displays each year is called A Haunting on Whiteley. We always look forward to seeing the spooky delights they have concocted. From spinechilling and gruesome to silly and fun, their decorations bring smiles to all passersby.

Chantelle Keen and her husband, Dave, who is a retired US Army veteran, are the masters of this wonderful display. Chantelle says that Dave enjoys decorating as his way of coping with the impact of many years of service. Their decorating has inspired the neighbours, as many of the other homes on Whiteley Drive have followed suit and offer a brilliant display for Halloween.

Not only do the Keens provide a wonderful Halloween display, but they also have an outdoor food pantry and use this opportunity to collect donations and non-perishables to help those in need in our community.

Honourable Members, please join me in commending Chantelle and Dave Keen for their wonderful community spirit and continued efforts to help others.

Thank you.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

SPEAKER: The hon. the Member for Mount Pearl North.

L. STOYLES: Speaker, On September 25, I had the opportunity to attend the official opening of the Echelon Wellness centre, clinic in my District of Mount Pearl North.

This clinic has quickly become a cornerstone of support and care, offering health care services to military veterans and members of the RCMP all under one roof.

Our veterans and RCMP members have served our country – standing on the front line to protect the safety, security and freedom we often take for granted. When their active duty ends, many return with visual injuries but also with invisible scars, post-traumatic stress disorder, chronic pain and other mental health challenges.

By bringing these services together, this clinic fosters a holistic approach to healing and wellness and, most importantly, offers our retired servicemen and women the care that they deserve, in a place they feel comfortable, all with the respect and expertise that understands their challenges.

They provide a free space for these women and men to meet on a daily basis to offer support to each other, through social activities such as music, games and lots of education and self-supporting events.

Speaker, I ask all Members in this House of Assembly to join me to say thank you to the professional service in our community.

Thank you.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

SPEAKER: The hon. the Member for Placentia - St. Mary's.

S. GAMBIN-WALSH: Speaker, Nadine Reid resides in South Dildo, Trinity Bay. She enjoys volunteering with the Salvation Army Trinity Bay South Corps and recently began learning how to model.

Supported Employment provides persons with intellectual disabilities opportunity to find meaningful and rewarding employment. The Department of Immigration, Population Growth and Skills funds 16 agencies to develop and maintain job opportunities.

Through this program, Nadine has worked at the Needs Convenience store, The Inside Scoop in South Dildo, the Dildo Freshmart and currently is employed at the Adora Boutique in Whitbourne.

On November 2, I was pleased to present Nadine with a Confederation 75th anniversary medal for her volunteerism and contribution to community. Nadine was truly deserving of recognition for her role in advocating for persons with disabilities.

Please join me as I congratulate Nadine Reid of South Dildo.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

SPEAKER: The hon. the Member for Virginia Waters - Pleasantville, with leave.

Does the Member have leave?

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Leave.

SPEAKER: Leave is granted.

B. DAVIS: Thank you, Speaker.

Along with my colleagues in the House of Assembly, I rise to offer sincere condolences to the friends and family of Mr. George Powell.

While born in Ontario, George Powell was a son of this province.

He joined the RCMP in 1952, serving throughout Newfoundland and Labrador, as well as Fredericton, Toronto and Ottawa, before returning to St. John's in 1977. His final posting was Vancouver, where he retired in 1988 as chief superintendent.

After a lifetime of serving our country with the RCMP, in his retirement Mr. Powell returned to our province to be closer to family and to serve Newfoundland and Labrador again. This time as an active volunteer.

From the RCMP Veteran's Association to the Canadian Baptists of Atlantic Canada, from Festival 500 and even as a volunteer visitor at Her Majesty's Penitentiary, Mr. Powell certainly had a hand in a variety of community organizations and helped others whenever and wherever he could.

I had the distinct pleasure of knowing him and working with him for many years. A funny, kind, generous man who made friends wherever he went. To his family and to those who knew him best I offer my deepest condolences on your loss.

Mr. Speaker, I ask all hon. Members to join me in remembering retired Chief Superintendent George Powell.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

SPEAKER: The hon. the Member for St. John's East - Quidi Vidi, with leave.

Does the Member have leave?

AN HON. MEMBER: L eave.

SPEAKER: Leave is granted.

J. ABBOTT: With leave, Speaker, I am rising to recognize the Sisters of Mercy, who first trod upon our shores in 1842.

The Sisters of Mercy have made valuable contributions to our province. St. Clare's Mercy Hospital is where they are best known for their work in health care. The Sisters established St. Patrick's Mercy Home in 1959, and they are well-known for their work in education, having established Our Lady of Mercy and Holy Heart of Mary High School in my district.

Fifteen years after arriving and establishing their first convent, the four-story granite building, which was to house the convent of Our Lady of Mercy, was built on Military Road in the District of St. John's East - Quidi Vidi.

However, with their population declining, the Sisters gifted the convent to The Gathering Place in 2020 to be used for shelter and transitional housing.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

J. ABBOTT: Quite so, the building is named Mercy House to honour their mission of compassion and charity.

Since first arriving from Ireland, the Sisters of Mercy have spread across the Island, into Labrador and even into Monsefú, Peru.

I ask my fellow Members to join me in thanking the Sisters of Mercy for their valuable contributions to the people of Newfoundland and Labrador.

Thank you.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

SPEAKER: Statements by Ministers.

Statements by Ministers

SPEAKER: The hon. the Premier.

A. FUREY: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I rise in the House today to pay tribute to the life of Mr. Albert Williams, a family friend and a dedicated and passionate, hard-working Newfoundlander and Labradorian.

Most in here know him as the chair of the board of Newfoundland and Labrador Hydro and, in that role, he admirably, passionately served the people of Newfoundland and Labrador. However, his contributions to our beautiful province go far deeper.

Born in his proud home of Grand Bank, Albert graduated from the engineering program at Memorial University before starting his own firm. Through NewPlan Engineering, he helped build the very roads and bridges that connect our communities to this day. Later, he moved on to serve as CEO of SNC-Lavalin, Atlantic Division.

Retirement was not a word in Albert's dictionary, so after leaving Lavalin, he quickly took on many other projects and in 2022 he happily accepted the huge role of the board chair at Hydro.

Like many people from the Burin Peninsula, Albert indeed loved to be on the land either on foot or on snowmobile and, if not the land, in his boat. In fact, he took

part in one of the most gruelling outdoor events in the world, the Cain's Quest snowmobile race in Labrador. Impressive indeed.

More than anything, Albert was a family man, who was happiest spending time with his wife Thelma. He especially was proud of his children Stephen and Jonathan and his treasured grandchildren Jesse, Sam, Alison, Alexa and James. You would regularly find Albert at hockey rinks or sporting events cheering on his family members on Saturdays or any evening of the week.

Speaker, I ask all Members to take a moment to remember the life and the service of an incredible Newfoundlander and Labradorian, Mr. Albert Williams.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

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

T. WAKEHAM: Thank you, Speaker.

I thank the Premier for an advance copy of his statement.

On behalf of the Official Opposition, I offer my sincere condolences to the family of Mr. Albert Williams. Albert's adventurous spirit and love for life were truly inspiring and his dedication to his family, especially his joy in his grandchildren's activities, is a testament to the remarkable person he was.

His contributions to Newfoundland and Labrador's energy sector, his leadership at Newfoundland and Labrador Hydro and his entrepreneurial achievements have left an indelible mark on our community. Albert's legacy as a brilliant engineer and business leader, a dedicated volunteer and a warm-hearted individual will long be remembered.

During this difficult time, our thoughts and prayers are with his family and friends, including his wife Thelma; children Stephen and Jonathan; and grandchildren, Jesse, Sam, Alison, Alexa and James.

Thank you, Speaker.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

SPEAKER: The hon. the Member for Labrador West.

J. BROWN: Thank you, Speaker.

I thank the Premier for an advance copy of his statement.

Our caucus would like to send our deepest condolences to the family and friends of Albert Williams. His work on behalf of this province will be remembered for generations to come. Mr. Williams left a void that certainly will be difficult to fill.

As a fellow snowmobiler, I hope his trails are good, the snow is just right, and it's a large, Labrador day.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

SPEAKER: Further statements by ministers?

The hon. the Minister of Justice and Public Safety.

B. DAVIS: Thank you, Speaker.

I rise to celebrate five police officers who were honoured recently at the Atlantic Women in Law Enforcement conference and by MADD Canada.

RCMP Sergeant Cara Streeter was named the 2024 Atlantic Women in Law Enforcement Officer of the Year. Based at the Happy Valley-Goose Bay detachment, Sergeant Streeter has played a role in changing lives in the community by fostering positive police relations with youth and Indigenous communities.

Speaker, RCMP Sergeant Elizabeth Lodge was acknowledged for her positive impact on communities she serves with the Mentoring and Coaching Award. A member of the serious organized crime unit, Sergeant Lodge is currently mentoring law enforcement in the Kingdom of Jordan.

RNC Constables Deirdre Halliday and Evan Bennett received the Team Endeavors Award for their immediate action and bravery that resulted in a youth's life being saved.

I also acknowledge Constable Caleb Pellerin of the Deer Lake RCMP detachment, a traffic investigator who was named MADD Canada's 2024 Police Officer of the Year.

Speaker, our province is served by two outstanding police agencies.

While I have this moment, I want to officially welcome Assistant Commissioner Pat Cahill as the Royal Canadian Mounted Police's new Commanding Officer for Newfoundland and Labrador division; we are in great hands for sure. I thank the outgoing Assistant Commissioner Jennifer Ebert and wish her much success on her new path.

Speaker, I ask all hon. Members to join me in recognizing Sergeants Streeter and Lodge, Constable Pellerin and Constables Halliday and Bennett on their awards and for their efforts in keeping our province a safe place to live, work and raise a family.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

SPEAKER: The hon. the Member for Harbour Main.

H. CONWAY OTTENHEIMER: Thank you, Speaker, and I thank the minister for providing an advance copy of his statement.

I join the minister in recognizing the exceptional work of the five police officers honoured for their contributions to public safety. Their dedication to protecting communities and fostering positive relationships deserves our deepest gratitude.

RCMP Sergeant Cara Streeter's work in Happy Valley-Goose Bay highlights the importance of building strong connections between law enforcement and Indigenous communities. Her recognition as the 2024 Atlantic Women in Law Enforcement Officer of the Year is well deserved.

Similarly, the achievements of our RCMP Sergeant Elizabeth Lodge, RNC constables Deirdre Halliday and Evan Bennett and Constable Caleb Pellerin demonstrate professionalism, bravery and mentorship. These officers truly represent the best of our law enforcement.

As we welcome Assistant Commissioner Pat Cahill to his new role, I urge the government to prioritize addressing systemic changes in our justice system.

While celebrating these officers, we must also acknowledge the rising rates of violent crime in all regions of our province and the critical need to support all police officers in the challenging work they do; ensuring they have the resources to uphold safety, fairness and justice is essential.

Thank you, Speaker.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

SPEAKER: The hon. the Member for Labrador West.

J. BROWN: Thank you, Speaker, and I thank the hon. Member for an advance copy of the statement.

Our caucus also congratulates Sergeant Streeter and Sergeant Lodge, constables Pellerin, Halliday and Bennett for all their incredible work and their well-deserved achievements. We also congratulate Assistant Commissioner Pat Cahill on his new role and thank Assistant Commissioner Ebert on her tireless work.

Finally, we call upon government to make their jobs easier by putting in place more program initiatives to take impaired drivers off the road and make the streets safe for people.

I'd also like to take this opportunity to remind people at home that it is also their responsibility to call if anyone who is impaired and also to make sure that you do the right thing in there because this is the holiday season and we all want less accidents and less incidents on our roads.

Thank you.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

SPEAKER: Are their any further statements by ministers?

Oral Questions.

Oral Questions

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

T. WAKEHAM: Thank you, Speaker.

Speaker, media are reporting that the province is paying upwards of $11 million a year to Teladoc for services.

I ask the Premier: Can you confirm the actual cost and how long the contract is in place for?

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

J. HOGAN: Thank you, Speaker.

Of course, those contracts will be operational with NLHS but, really, so glad that we have Teladoc available. As we've said before, the plan is to roll out all the Family Care Teams throughout the province which is what Health Accord NL calls for. People want collaborative care for primary care in Newfoundland and Labrador and that's what we're going to deliver.

In fact, as I've said a few times in the House of Assembly during Question Period, I would have good news to report with regard to people connected to Patient Connect. Since we've been sitting in this House of Assembly I think there has been an additional 6,000 patients who have been connected to Patient Connect in Newfoundland and Labrador.

Again, I'll say Health Accord NL is a great plan and the plan is working.

Thank you, Speaker.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

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

T. WAKEHAM: Speaker, I can only assume from that that we don't know how much we're paying or how long the contract is.

Again, a local physician, Dr. Powell, has spoken out about the enormous cost of Teladoc.

Based on the story and the amount paid to Teladoc, and the number of patient visits, I ask the Premier again, how much is each visit costing us?

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

J. HOGAN: Again, Speaker, as I said, we're so grateful that we have Teladoc –

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

J. HOGAN: – it was done through an open and transparent process, and of course not only does it give us access to people who are on Patient Connect, but now everybody that is on that Patient Connect system – and I encourage people to register – will have access to primary health care in Newfoundland and Labrador, which is the most important thing.

The Member will know that it does cost money to provide health care in Newfoundland and Labrador but the most important thing is that health care is being provided.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

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

T. WAKEHAM: Speaker, there are 150,000 people I think, or greater, in the Province of Newfoundland and Labrador who say they do not have access to a family doctor. That's a statistic we all know. The information I'm talking about has been put out by the Health Authority. They've talked about 19,000 visits; they've talked about there's an $11-million cost. Now if you do the math, that's a pretty high cost for patient visits.

I ask the Premier again: How much does a family physician get paid to see an actual person in their office? How much does that cost the system per visit?

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

J. HOGAN: Thank you, Speaker.

I'd just like to take a minute to talk about the feedback that NLHS has received with regard to Teladoc, and I think the satisfaction is like 80, 85 per cent of people are satisfied with Teladoc –

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

J. HOGAN: – and the people that will return and use it again is like 85 or 90 per cent.

So again, we're working on building these collaborative care teams so people will have access to primary care – not just access to family physicians, but the primary care that they need, whether that's in person or through Teladoc, which is available virtually.

Thank you, Speaker.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

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

T. WAKEHAM: Speaker, when the emergency rooms are closed, when you can't get access to a primary care physician, I guess people have no choice but to call the number, and that's unfortunate. At the same time, though, there are options.

I ask the Premier: Why are seniors and people on low income being forced to pay out of pocket to see a nurse practitioner?

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

SPEAKER: The hon. the Premier.

A. FUREY: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I'm sure the Member does realize there are options, as he occupied a leadership role within the health care system himself. But when faced with challenging decisions, when faced with economic, financial versus patient-centred decisions, that Member opposite did not have the courage, did not have the fortitude, did not have patients' best –

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Oh, oh!

SPEAKER: Order, please!

A. FUREY: – interests at heart and he wanted to take out nurses and shut down clinics.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

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

T. WAKEHAM: Speaker, any time the Premier wants to talk to me about the cuts to health care that this Liberal government made 10 years ago, I'm more than happy to talk to him about it.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

T. WAKEHAM: But right now, I'd love to talk about those people who are being forced to pay to see a nurse practitioner.

Last week, the president of the nurse practitioners spoke out and said –

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Oh, oh!

SPEAKER: Order, please!

T. WAKEHAM: – why does Teladoc come ahead of supporting the nurse practitioners on the ground, it's backwards?

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

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

J. HOGAN: Thank you, Speaker.

I just have to address something that the Member opposite said, I think, a couple of questions ago with regard to diversions. Diversions in emergency rooms are down over the past two years.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

J. HOGAN: There are two reasons they're down. One, is Teladoc; one is access to virtual care. The second reason is, despite what he's talking about in term of budget cuts 10 years ago, under this Premier, the budget of health care has gone up every year since he's been here, Speaker.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

J. HOGAN: That's why we're seeing things like increased access. That's why we're seeing things like no more diversions, Speaker.

Thank you very much.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

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

T. WAKEHAM: Speaker, we'll just keep trying. We will keep trying because we can do better and we will do better.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

T. WAKEHAM: Speaker, a confidential briefing note received by my office has revealed shocking details of the internal medicine crisis in this province.

Speaker, at the Carbonear General Hospital one doctor who hadn't slept in 48 hours was left supervising 45 patients. Speaker, the note describes – quote – unsafe conditions.

I ask the Premier: Do you agree?

SPEAKER: The hon. the Premier.

A. FUREY: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Let me take an opportunity to address the

preamble once again. Not only was he CEO, a leader –

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Oh, oh!

SPEAKER: Order, please!

A. FUREY: – h e was VP before that.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Oh, oh!

SPEAKER: Order, please!

I heard the question; I'd like to hear the response.

The hon. the Premier.

A. FUREY: Certainly, we can do better than cutting nurses. Certainly, we can do better than cutting clinics in Labrador. Certainly, we can do better than pretending the iPads are going to be a solution to providing care in Labrador, Mr. Speaker.

What I will say about the content of the question after addressing the

preamble is that we have heard that situation, the minister has heard that situation. Just like we've operated immediately to help address the internal medicine issues at St. Clare's. We take the internal medicine issues seriously no matter where they exist and if there are workplace quality issues, then we're happy to address them and we will address them.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

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

T. WAKEHAM: Speaker, the note references St. Clare's is over capacity with patients waiting for admission. Central Health is described as the overflow at maximum capacity.

Speaker, are we putting lives at risk in rural Newfoundland and Labrador?

SPEAKER: The hon. the Premier.

A. FUREY: Certainly, we are not, Mr. Speaker. We certainly value the hard-working women and men on the front line in rural Newfoundland and Labrador, as we do in the metro region.

One of the reasons that this government acknowledged that St. Clare's was not big enough and we wanted to make sure that we had definitive action and that's why the whole province needs another tertiary health care centre.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

A. FUREY: A campus style that will serve the people of the province, Mr. Speaker.

AN HON. MEMBER: How are you going to man it?

A. FUREY: We will continue with the aggressive recruitment package that we have already introduced and is already paying dividends.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Oh, oh!

SPEAKER: Order, please!

The hon. the Leader of the Official Opposition.

T. WAKEHAM: Speaker, the note urges Newfoundland and Labrador Health Services and the minister's department to recognize the safety concerns from physicians who are – quote – intoxicated from sleep deprivation because they are overburdened with patient volume and coverage.

I ask the Premier: When are you going to fix this issue?

SPEAKER: The hon. the Minister of Labrador Affairs.

L. DEMPSTER: Speaker, you know that I have difficulty staying in my seat when the topic of rural nurses comes up and Labrador is mentioned. Not everybody in the House – it is important to look back –

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Oh, oh!

SPEAKER: Are the Members ready?

The hon. the Minister of Labrador Affairs.

L. DEMPSTER: Speaker, it's important for this House to know, and for the purpose of Hansard , that when we were dealing with the boondoggle left to us by the previous administration and choices had to be made, instead of looking in the backroom to find efficiencies, he reached into the most vulnerable in Labrador.

That was the decision of the CEO of Labrador-Grenfell Health that was going to leave people living in isolated communities without a nurse. It is unthinkable, Speaker. Places where the weather comes in for days on end, you can't get a plane. I lived it, Speaker.

SPEAKER: Order, please!

The minister's time is up.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

SPEAKER: I ask all Members to please keep it down a little bit. It's very difficult to hear the questions, it is equally as hard to hear the answers. So I ask all Members –

AN HON. MEMBER: But there are no answers.

SPEAKER: I don't control the questions; I don't control the responses.

The hon. the Leader of the Official Opposition.

T. WAKEHAM: Speaker, it's deflect, deflect, deflect, deflect, deflect.

So let's get on with it again. Let's ask another question out there right now for the people of Newfoundland and Labrador.

Western Newfoundland and Labrador is described at full capacity and 64 alternate level of care patients in the beds.

Let me ask again: Why aren't you utilizing the old western memorial hospital for these alternate level of care patients?

SPEAKER: The hon. the Minister of Labrador Affairs.

L. DEMPSTER: I have one more point to make, Speaker, that I haven't brought to the floor, because people bring new information to me all the time when I'm Labrador.

Recently, when I was in Labrador I had a retired nurse say I don't know what we'll ever do if that man becomes leader, because he would be cut, cut, cut. When we went in the room and met with leadership in the room what did he say? He threw all the nurses under the bus in that room –

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Oh, oh!

SPEAKER: Take your seat, please.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Oh, oh!

SPEAKER: Are Members ready? If you want to waste Oral Questions like this I don't mind. You've got 30 minutes.

Minister, you have 25 more seconds.

L. DEMPSTER: (Inaudible) the point being, so there were a lot of cuts that were happening at the time. When there was a meeting called with the leadership in Southeastern Labrador, Speaker, and the leaders were asking why certain things happen. The Member opposite looked at the nurses and said: Why isn't this done? Basically threw them under the bus. That's important. When tough decisions have to be made, we have to own the tough decisions.

I'm happy to be serving under a government where we continue to increase the budget in health care –

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

SPEAKER: The minister's time is expired.

The hon. the Opposition House Leader.

B. PETTEN: Thank you, Speaker.

The alternate universe is alive and well across the way.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

B. PETTEN: I have no other words, Speaker, I can't say anything else, I'm speechless.

Last year, this government spent more than $100,000 on trips to Ireland to recruit physicians. Only one physician was recruited, Speaker.

Minister, I ask: Where's that physician today?

SPEAKER: The hon. the Premier.

A. FUREY: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

That recruitment initiative was not just about individual physicians, it was about students. I'm happy to say that some have actually signed up for our return-in-service agreement for the family practice.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

A. FUREY: What that means is they do their medical school in Ireland and then they come here to do their family practice training in Newfoundland and Labrador for two years. Then they sign a return of service to the people of Newfoundland and Labrador.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

SPEAKER: The hon. the Opposition House Leader.

B. PETTEN: So just to confirm, we had one doctor. What we're talking about is aspirations. We don't know if they're ever going to come. This is what –

A. FUREY: They're here.

B. PETTEN: Oh, they're here. But they're not practising, Premier.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Oh, oh!

SPEAKER: Order, please!

B. PETTEN: The doctor recruited was an internist who went to work at St. Clare's. Speaker, we've been told he lasted a week – one week. He saw one patient and then he quit.

Can you confirm that, Minister, or Premier? Fill you boots.

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

J. HOGAN: Speaker, as the Premier said, when any resident starts the program, they're not physicians yet. They have to do their residency, they need to be qualified. You can't just take people off the streets and say, here you be a doctor, you be a doctor. If that's how they're going to recruit doctors if they're in government, no one's going to be left here. There's not going to be any health care for anybody.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

J. HOGAN: With regard to internists, as I've said in the House a couple of times, there has been an alternate payment plan or sessional plan put in place at St. Clare's here in St. John's, with a plan to then leverage that throughout the rest of the province. As I've said in the House, again, on numerous times, IMs are the most difficult practising physicians in the country to recruit. We are doing our best efforts to help them and work with them.

We talked to the CEO of NLHS this morning actually about this issue and about how to provide incentives for rural Newfoundland physicians to work. The incentives are larger for rural Newfoundland and Labrador than they are for the city, Speaker.

Thank you.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

SPEAKER: The hon. the Opposition House Leader.

B. PETTEN: The government with no plans. Here we go again.

Speaker, this was $100,000 chunk that the former minister went on to Ireland and he come back with one doctor, and the doctor seen one patient, then he quit.

So I guess my question is: There are incentives involved; does he have to pay back those incentives, Minister?

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

J. HOGAN: Speaker, I just wanted to add a point about IMs, is that we added seats at Memorial last year for IMs who are international graduates. In fact, international graduates last year were mostly from – guess where – Ireland.

Thank you, Speaker.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

SPEAKER: The hon. the Opposition House Leader.

B. PETTEN: Speaker, but they're still not answering the question I'm asking. I think it's a very important question because last year, the former minister was patting himself on the back on the big trip to Ireland and all the recruitment. He discovered this one doctor, and that doctor was going to solve all the world's problems. We realize that was only smoke and mirrors, which you see a lot of with this government and this Premier.

Speaker, we also understand several other internists at St. Clare's are on leave or have been resigning citing workload and lack of supports. Internists have previously written the former minister outlining many issues related to internal medicine in the province, all adding to the urgency to act.

Why did the Liberal government, the Premier and minister ignore this letter?

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

J. HOGAN: Speaker, as I said, there are incentives in place for IMs in rural Newfoundland and Labrador. Those incentives are higher for that part of the province than they are for the city. There's an additional sessional payment plan now in place for St. Clare's that will be a leverage to an alternate payment plan for IMs throughout the province. We've added seats to Memorial University for international graduates, specifically for IMs.

So if you want to know what the plan is, that is the plan. There are more people here now from Ireland that are working towards being IMs. The plan is working. We are recruiting and we will retain these physicians.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

SPEAKER: The hon. the Member for Terra Nova.

L. PARROTT: Thank you, Mr. Speaker, and the plan is not working, Minister.

Minister, you could have seen the problem with internal medicine specialists from a mile away. Over the past few weeks, several physicians have had to call on multiple hospitals to transfer patients. In some cases, they are being turned down because the receiving doctors are overworked.

Minister, what is the plan to stabilize health care services in Eastern and rural Newfoundland and Labrador?

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

J. HOGAN: I'll say it again, but it's in Hansard . It's in Hansard from last week; it's in Hansard from the week before. This government has added seats at Memorial University for international graduates which includes specifically, IM physicians. As I've said, they're the hardest physician class to recruit in the country.

The incentives for these positions are higher in rural Newfoundland and Labrador, which is where that Member wants people to go. Maybe he should pick up the phone and tell people about the incentives in his area, rather than just complain about the fact that there are none there.

Thank you.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

SPEAKER: The hon. the Member for Terra Nova.

L. PARROTT: Minister, I picked up the phone and told you about the problems in my area and nothing has still happened.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

L. PARROTT: If patients from my district are lucky, they're sent to Carbonear. There they're going to be greeted by a doctor who's not slept in 48 hours. He has four ICU patients in their care and 41 in-patients – one exhausted physician for 45 patients.

Again, why is the minister allowing unsafe conditions in rural Newfoundland and Labrador?

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

J. HOGAN: Speaker, they keep asking the same question; I'm not going to change my answer. We are doing everything we can to recruit physicians to rural Newfoundland and Labrador. The way we've done that is to provide incentives for physicians to work in rural Newfoundland and Labrador. Those incentives are higher than for working in St. John's or urban areas of the province.

We increased seats for international graduates who can then come to Newfoundland and Labrador as IMs, do their residency here and work in these facilities. We have a sessional rate at St. Clare's, which now we'll leverage to an alternate payment plan for IMs throughout the province.

That is the plan. I look forward to the question again and I bet you the same answer is going to apply.

Thank you.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

SPEAKER: The hon. the Member for Terra Nova.

L. PARROTT: Minister, if we never raised this from back in July, there would be no plan. For the past few weeks, we've been talking about inconsistent internal medicine coverage at G. B. Cross. Now, we know as of December 16 we'll have no doctors to admit medical patients at G. B. Cross in Clarenville.

Minister, why don't you tell me the plan for that?

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

J. HOGAN: I know when I was practising once a judge said to me that history is a good predictor of the future. That's very clear here. We know the question we got then; we know the question we're going to get afterwards.

Speaker, it has nothing to do with the fact that he wrote me this summer about this issue; I appreciated that he raised some concerns. The plan about international graduates at MUN, that was in place before I became minister. These plans have existed since the Health Accord.

This is a great plan. This is working. Some of the specifics related to IMs and rural physicians in Newfoundland and Labrador I've outlined here maybe once, twice, three, four, five times, I think, now, Speaker.

I can continue to do that but Hansard is there for the record. He can read that as much as he wants because he's going to continue to ask it.

Thank you, Speaker.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

SPEAKER: The hon. the Member for Terra Nova.

L. PARROTT: So the Minister of Health understands a hospital admits patients into the medical ward. What the question was had nothing to do with internal medicine. We have no doctors in Clarenville as of the 16th of December.

What happens to in-patients? I'll say there are over 30 in-patients. They're already admitted. Are they going to be shipped to overburdened St. Clare's, overburdened Carbonear? What are you going to do with them?

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

J. HOGAN: Thank you, Speaker.

NLHS works constantly on making sure that appropriate care is provided throughout its facilities throughout Newfoundland and Labrador. In the event that there are possible gaps or predicted diversions, then NLHS comes up with alternate plans for that.

They make sure that the care is going to be provided. Unfortunately, sometimes a patient may have to go another facility that's not quite as close to their hometown. That's a great thing that they're able to do that but, of course, that doesn't mean that we stop recruiting and retaining physicians so those gaps don't happen in the future.

Thank you, Speaker.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

SPEAKER: The hon. the Member for Harbour Main.

H. CONWAY OTTENHEIMER: The Minister of Transportation and Infrastructure stated in this House of Assembly on November 7 that he knows that Route 60 in the Harbour Main District is busy with a high volume of traffic, yet he refuses to make a commitment to have Route 60 resurfaced from the roundabout in Holyrood to the bowling alley in Kelligrews.

Can the minister finally make a commitment to resurface this deplorable road in next year's road plan?

SPEAKER: The hon. the Minister of Transportation and Infrastructure.

F. HUTTON: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I remember the Member opposite asking about this a little while ago and I think there was a petition and I responded to it and at that point in time I said yes. As a matter of fact, I was back and forth with a Member of that area over the weekend by email who had written me to ask if it was going to be looked at in the coming year and my answer to him was yes, we'll look at it.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

SPEAKER: The hon. the Member for Harbour Main.

H. CONWAY OTTENHEIMER: Hopefully, Speaker, looking at it will mean that there's action. But again, on November 7, in the House of Assembly, the minister also acknowledged that my office has been in contact with his office. As a matter of fact, Speaker, I currently have 16 open files with maintenance inquiries submitted to Transportation and Infrastructure. Some of these files are months and even years outstanding.

Will the minister give the people of the Harbour Main District assurances that these regular maintenance items, like ditching, brush cutting, culvert replacement and pothole repair will get addressed immediately?

SPEAKER: The hon. the Minister of Transportation and Infrastructure.

F. HUTTON: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The quick answer is yes. In the very near future, we're going to be contacting Members opposite as we get ready for our roads plan for 2025 and looking for input from them, as we will from all Members of this hon. House, to see what work will be done and what money will be spent in the coming year in our budget, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

SPEAKER: The hon. the Member for Harbour Main.

H. CONWAY OTTENHEIMER: Speaker, these weak non-answers further confirm why we need a change in government.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

H. CONWAY OTTENHEIMER: I hear from my constituents and they are telling me that the issue with Transportation and Infrastructure not getting regular maintenance items completed is because the department doesn't have the proper equipment to do the work. The equipment is either in for repairs or just too old to repair. Snow season will be here any day.

I ask the minister: Can you provide assurances to the people of the Harbour Main District and the province that these depots will be fully equipped and ready for this upcoming winter season?

SPEAKER: The hon. the Minister of Transportation and Infrastructure.

F. HUTTON: Mr. Speaker, first of all, I'd like to address the

preamble about a weak answer. If the answer yes is weak, I don't know what else I could say –

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

F. HUTTON: – to the residents of Newfoundland and Labrador. We are going to look at it. We are going to look at all areas of the province.

As I've stated before, there are 9,700 lane kilometres of road in this province. We have a dedicated staff. Right now, our capacity is about 80 per cent; we are operating above that in terms of the equipment. We've bought new equipment to maintain the roads, for ice control, for snow removal throughout the coming year.

The answer again – the Member opposite may think it's weak – is yes, of course, we will look at it. Safety is our top priority.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

SPEAKER: The hon. the Member for Exploits.

P. FORSEY: Thank you, Speaker.

Speaker, the twinning of the Trans-Canada Highway between Bishop's Falls and Grand Falls-Windsor was announced in May 2023, yet only brush cutting has been completed to date. While brush cutting is needed, residents were promised a divided highway over the last year. There is no pavement.

When will the residents be able to drive on the long-overdue divided highway?

SPEAKER: The hon. the Minister of Transportation and Infrastructure.

F. HUTTON: Mr. Speaker, part of the process of building a highway is to clear part of the road in order to put the highway there, to do the geotechnical work that is required to do it; that work is underway. We awarded contracts. We doubled our brush cutting budget this year from $2 million to $4 million and then had an additional $3 million for the twinning, which will take place in two locations, plus another area that will be done in Port-aux-Basques to extend the passing lane off the ferry.

Mr. Speaker, in the coming year, you will see more RFPs coming out and you're going to see lots of construction and work happening.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

SPEAKER: The hon. the Member for Placentia West - Bellevue.

J. DWYER: Speaker, the Red Harbour West River Bridge is reduced to one lane, yet government has placed 80,000 pounds of concrete jersey dividers on the bridge.

Why is one lane closed to weight restrictions, when the bridge can handle 21 jersey dividers?

SPEAKER: The hon. the Minister of Transportation and Infrastructure.

F. HUTTON: Mr. Speaker, our safety teams who work with the engineering firms – and I've discussed this with the Member opposite prior to the House of Assembly being open – this is the safest option that they have recommended and, obviously, we are going to go with the safest option that is recommended.

The bridge will remain open throughout the winter months, obviously, and work will be continuing to upgrade it as it's required.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

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

J. DINN: Thank you, Speaker.

Speaker, the lack of accessible housing units and the inability of the province and the city to work together has real consequences for people.

Rhonda Whalen receives income support, but lives in St. John's housing. Since having one of her legs amputated a year ago, Rhonda suffered a stroke, is confined to a wheelchair, has been forced to live downstairs without access to the bathroom on the second floor, is forced to use a commode and use the kitchen sink for personal bathing.

I ask the minister: How much more indignity and trauma must Rhonda suffer before either the Department of Housing or CSSD and city officials work together to secure accessible housing for Rhonda?

SPEAKER: The hon. the Minister of Housing, and Mental Health and Addictions.

J. ABBOTT: Speaker, thank you for the opportunity to respond.

It's a difficult situation that the Member raised concerning the individual in his district, but we've had conversations with the city. We've provided funding to the city and they are going to make sure they've got one of their units remodelled to support the individual in an accessible unit.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

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

J. DINN: Speaker, I spoke to Rhonda on Friday and no such offer has been forthcoming or any indication.

Her greatest distress is the fact that she's been separated from her granddaughter, who she has cared for since her mother died, and will not be able to spend Christmas with her.

I ask the minister: What supports will he put in place so that Rhonda can be reunited with her granddaughter and be able to care for her and herself?

SPEAKER: The hon. the Minister of Housing, and Mental Health and Addictions.

J. ABBOTT: Speaker, again, thank you for the opportunity to respond.

Again, a difficult situation and certainly aware of that. As I said, I had a conversation with the mayor. The individual is in a City of St. John's unit. We are trying to work with the city and are working with the city to make sure that the needs of the constituent can be addressed in as quick a period as possible.

Will that be before Christmas? I can't, obviously, guarantee that, but the city of St. John's has the responsibility to respond and they are responding.

Thank you, Speaker.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

SPEAKER: The hon. the Member for Labrador West.

J. BROWN: Thank you, Speaker.

Speaker, with the recent threats of tariffs by the United States, many businesses in Newfoundland and Labrador are worried, especially those involved in cross-border trade.

I ask the Premier: What steps is government taking to help businesses navigate these challenges and what strategies are going to be put in place to mitigate the impacts, if these tariffs come on our economy?

SPEAKER: The hon. the Premier.

A. FUREY: Thank you, Mr. Speaker, and thank you for the question.

Of course, it's a concern of everybody in Newfoundland and Labrador. I have spoken with the Member, but I am happy to tell the entire House that we did convey a group of stakeholders that would be impacted by potential tariffs. One of the feedback elements that came from that discussion was to have a potential contingency should the tariffs come into place.

Right now, we're still looking at that. We're very hopeful that there can be a diplomatic resolution and a common understanding that tariffs will only hurt both sides of the border.

I can tell you this, Mr. Speaker, and I tell every Newfoundlander and Labradorian, that we will stand up for the industries in Newfoundland and Labrador to ensure that they are appropriately represented.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

SPEAKER: The hon. the Member for Labrador West.

J. BROWN: Speaker, given the challenges that the US tariffs will impose, I ask the minister responsible: What steps are being taken to help Newfoundland and Labrador businesses expand their trade opportunities to European markets? Are there any initiatives in place to help those access international markets and reduce our reliance on the US market?

SPEAKER: The hon. the Minister of Industry, Energy and Technology.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

A. PARSONS: Thank you, Speaker.

I'm happy to stand up for my first question in this session.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

A. PARSONS: What I would say to the Member is, it's a very good question, certainly being at the manufacturers and exporters conference on Friday, hearing from mining companies, the reality is that it would be a significant impact on us.

What I can say is that we are constantly looking at opportunities abroad. In fact, recently, we had 28 different heads of state from around the world here in Newfoundland and Labrador to look at opportunities that we can help them with.

The other thing I would say is we are consistently and constantly supporting local business to attend trade shows, to attend conferences throughout the world and we'll continue to do that.

So I would say to any business out there that may be impacted, reach out, give us all call and we'll certainly do our best to help.

Thank you.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

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

J. DINN: Speaker, in answer to my question on November 13, the Minister of Housing said the wait-list for NLHC units has not grown. In an interview with VOCM today, the minister admitted the wait-list has grown and his department is struggling to meet demand.

Will the minister commit to giving the NLHC the money it needs to hire the workers to complete the renovations and repairs of NLHC units before the end of 2025?

SPEAKER: The hon. the Minister of Housing, and Mental Health and Addictions.

J. ABBOTT: Thank you, Speaker.

I suspect the Member is playing with some words. Basically, our wait-list is around 3,000 and it's on either side of that over the past couple of months. We are working very hard to address our repairs on our units. The budget has been increased and we are turning those units over very quickly.

Last year, we were over 300 units that were vacated. There were over 300 repaired and put back into the portfolio. This year, we are on the same track and we are continuing to do that.

The number of units now that are long term and large repairs are down to 50 and we are trying to bring that to zero as quickly as possible.

Thank you, Speaker.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

SPEAKER: The time for Oral Questions has expired.

Presenting Reports by Standing and Select Committees.

Tabling of Documents.

Notices of Motion.

Notices of Motion

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

T. WAKEHAM: Speaker, I stand to give notice of the private Members' resolution that we will debate on Wednesday, December 4.

It is moved by the MHA for Stephenville - Port au Port, seconded by the MHA for Bonavista:

WHEREAS the Seniors' Advocate has said that seniors in this province have the lowest income in Canada; and

WHEREAS the Seniors' Advocate has stated that the cost of living for seniors has increased by 22 per cent; and

WHEREAS the Seniors' Advocate has outlined that despite the Newfoundland and Labrador Seniors' Benefit being raised by 15 per cent, in reality, the purchasing power of seniors has fallen behind by 7 per cent; and

WHEREAS the most recent status update from the Seniors' Advocate demonstrates that the recommendation to annually index the Newfoundland and Labrador Seniors' Benefit has not been implemented; and

WHEREAS the Seniors' Advocate compassionately and correctly states that one-third of seniors in Newfoundland and Labrador cannot afford necessities, with many cutting pills in half or not eating nutritious food; and

WHEREAS the Seniors' Advocate has said that seniors are getting poorer annually while costs continue to rise;

BE IT RESOLVED that this hon. House urge the government to increase the Newfoundland and Labrador Seniors' Benefit by 20 per cent, for a maximum of $1,819, effective January 2024 and further commit to annual increases indexed to inflation.

Thank you, Speaker.

SPEAKER: The hon. the Opposition House Leader.

B. PETTEN: Thank you, Speaker.

That resolution just read in by the Leader of the Opposition will our resolution for PMR day, Wednesday, this week.

Thank you.

SPEAKER: Further notices of motion?

The hon. the Minister Responsible for Labour.

L. DEMPSTER: Speaker, I give notice that I will on tomorrow introduce a bill entitled

An Act to Amend the Fishing Industry Collective Bargaining Act No. 2, Bill 104.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

SPEAKER: Further notices of motion?

The hon. the Government House Leader.

J. HOGAN: Speaker, I give notice that I will on tomorrow introduce a bill entitled

An Act to Amend the House of Assembly Accountability, Integrity and Administration Act No. 2, Bill 103.

SPEAKER: The hon. the Government House Leader.

J. HOGAN: Speaker, I give notice that I will on tomorrow move the following resolution:

Be it resolved by the House of Assembly as follows:

WHEREAS

section 85 of the Access to Information and Protection of Privacy Act, 2015 provides that the Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner shall be filled by the Lieutenant Governor in Council on a resolution of the House of Assembly;

THEREFORE

be it resolved that Kerry Hatfield be appointed as the Information and Privacy Commissioner, effective December 5, 2024.

SPEAKER: Are there any further notices of motion?

Answers to Questions for which Notice has been Given.

Petitions.

Petitions

SPEAKER: The hon. the Member for Bonavista.

C. PARDY: Thank you, Speaker.

For years, the communities of Route 235 had a memorandum of understanding with government that the snow plow would be strategically stationed in King's Cove to respond to emergencies.

With the absence of 24-hour snow clearing, this plow would be deployed in minutes for fire or medical 911 calls in order to provide assistance during bad weather. Otherwise, residents of the region can count on well over an hour for an emergency response.

We, the undersigned, call upon the House of Assembly to urge the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador to explore every option to have this plow restationed in King's Cove.

We've got a bill coming up in the House, Speaker, either today or tomorrow, entitled Public Safety Act , Bill 95, where we make sure we look after the public safety in Newfoundland and Labrador. This plow has been stationed in King's Cove for well over 50 years because it makes good sense to be stationed there, that if there's an emergency call, they could respond. This government took it away last year. They removed that plow while the options existed to have it located in King's Cove.

So what happens now in Route 235 going up the Bonavista Bay side? The person would have to travel 22 kilometres before the ambulance leaves Bonavista to get to the depot. Once they get to the depot to get to the truck, they'll then have 22 kilometres to get to King's Cove where the fire and emergency people would be coming from their depot.

The ambulance would have to come behind and get from Bonavista to King's Cove. While we have response times in St. John's, which they are to be commended for 15 minutes response times, there is no way in inclement weather that an emergency response vehicle could get to either of the communities in 235, during inclement weather.

Whether you be in Tickle Cove, Open Hall, Red Cliff, whether you be in Plate Cove East, Plate Cove West, King's Cove, Keels, Duntara, Knight's Cove, Stock Cove, you can't expect an emergency vehicle, during that inclement weather. I would say the options for this memorandum of understanding, that was in existence for over 50 years, was in last year, it occurs this year and we fail to see why the government has not made it happen.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

SPEAKER: The hon. the Minister of Transportation and Infrastructure for a response.

F. HUTTON: Mr. Speaker, I thank the Member opposite for this and I just want to mention that there is actually no depot in King's Cove. The decision was made because the person who was using the plow there and operating and working for Transportation and Infrastructure actually lived in that community and that's why it's there. So that's why the decision was made after this person retired.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

SPEAKER: The hon. the Member for Topsail - Paradise.

P. DINN: Thank you, Speaker.

Speaker, I've presented this petition many times as well.

WHEREAS Route 60, through Topsail, is a heavily populated area with physically active residents; and

WHEREAS residents and young children who walk to school daily are finding it very unsafe with the deplorable state of erosion along the shoulders of Route 60 through Topsail;

THEREFORE we petition the hon. House of Assembly as follows: We, the undersigned, call upon the House of Assembly to urge the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador to find a more permanent solution and install curb and gutter to the areas affected by erosion.

I've only been here a short time, really. It seems like a short time. It's probably approaching six years. But in those short six years, I've dealt with four separate ministers of Transportation and Infrastructure. Of course, we have a new minister responsible now and I'm hoping to have a discussion with him on this.

But this

section of road and curb is probably a kilometre and a half to two kilometres. It comes down over Topsail Hill, around the bend and out towards the school. In heavy rainfall, the shoulder gets heavily eroded. The road is pitted with potholes that we do call the department on and they do come out and repair the potholes. But the problem is a more permanent solution for this is what's required.

I understand the Town of CBS and the government have been having discussions on determining if CBS could take over the road. But it's like selling a car. If you're going to sell a car, you have it detailed first. This road here is in a mess and, really, government is still responsible for Route 60. I would expect government should be doing some more permanent repairs to this road and putting in curb and gutter where it's needed because one side of this road is total gravel that gets eliminated, especially given our last month of rain, that's gone. I've come across individuals who have – well, one elderly lady broke her ankle walking the road there.

So this has been a long time coming. I've, again, spoken with at least four separate ministers of Transportation and Infrastructure. I would hope, with the current minister, that there will be some work forward to come up with a more permanent solution to this because it is desperately needed on a road that is heavily travelled by both vehicles and pedestrians alike, as well as young schoolchildren.

Thank you.

SPEAKER: The hon. the Minister of Transportation and Infrastructure for a response.

F. HUTTON: Mr. Speaker, thank you very much for the opportunity to speak to this.

The Members opposite is accurate in stating that our officials, including myself, have had conversations with the Town of CBS about Route 60, specifically. As I mentioned during Question Period, I had an email exchange with a resident who was asking about that as well.

My response to the Member opposite: Yes, I am the fourth minister of Transportation and Infrastructure since he's been here. I'll take his word on that. But I will be looking at all roads in Newfoundland and Labrador.

Again, I say this and I mean it, safety is a priority for our department, not just for me but for all the officials and the bureaucrats who work in Transportation and Infrastructure.

SPEAKER: The hon. the Member for Mount Pearl - Southlands.

P. LANE: Thank you, Speaker.

The background for this petition is as follows:

Over the last number of years, there appears to have been a noticeable increase in crime within the St. John's metro region. While much of it has been centered around break-ins into vehicles, sheds and residential dwellings, which many people attribute to individuals attempting to feed their drug addictions, there has also been several instances of violent crime.

Within the City of Mount Pearl, there have been instances of teenagers being attacked on the trail system and, just recently, there were two separate instances of adults being seriously assaulted by a group of out-of-control teens, allegedly including the use of weapons. What is even scarier about these latest incidents in Mount Pearl is that they appear to have been unprovoked, random acts of violence on unsuspecting law-abiding citizens.

As a result of these incidents, many people in Mount Pearl no longer feel safe in their community. They're afraid to go for a walk on the city's beautiful walking trails and are in fear for the safety of their children and their elderly parents.

While these latest incidents have had an impact on the people of Mount Pearl, it is recognized that many communities in the St. John's metro region are experiencing similar issues. It is also worth nothing that while violent crime has been on the rise, policing levels have actually decreased over the past two years.

Therefore, we petition the hon. House of Assembly as follows: We, the undersigned, call upon the House of Assembly to urge the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador to allocate funding for the provision of additional police resources within the St.

John's metro region to help combat violent crime and the associated public safety concerns; to further urge the government to work with their other provincial counterparts throughout the country to lobby the federal government for a review of the Criminal Code , the Youth Criminal Justice Act and their associated sentencing guidelines to result in greater accountability for repeat and habitual offenders, as well as those who perpetrate violent crimes; and to urge the government to prioritize resources in dealing with some of the factors which can contribute to these criminal behaviours such as poverty, housing, mental health and addiction, rehabilitation and reintegration and appropriate resources in our school system.

Mr. Speaker, I think we've all heard of the incidents that have occurred in Mount Pearl. It says here in the petition, too, there actually was three. Another one came to light that happened a couple of weeks prior to that, a similar assault to the other two that happened at a business on Commonwealth Avenue.

It is certainly not something we're used to seeing in our community, generally speaking, but they did happen and, as is indicated in the petition, people are very concerned. There is a lot of fear out there. I know it's not just happening in Mount Pearl. We know that drugs are on the rise and we've seen violent incidents certainly in St. John's and the whole region. People chopped up and put in a suitcase. We've had armed standoffs. There have been drive-by shootings in our communities, something we've never seen before, and we just need to ensure we have the appropriate resources.

So I say it to the Minister of Justice, budget is coming up, time to look at more boots on the ground for the RNC in the metro region.

Thank you.

SPEAKER: The hon. the Minister of Justice and Public Safety for a response.

B. DAVIS: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I thank the hon. Member for his petition and the many people who have signed his petition.

But let me, first of all, say thank you to the women and men in our great policing agencies that we have in our province and, in particular, the RNC. In this particular case, I think that happened and less than 48 hours later those individuals were apprehended, charges laid and working through the criminal justice system. I do thank the hon. Member for pleading the case that's already been plead. We're working very hard on it.

In the last three weeks alone, we've announced some $46 million in policing resources in this province.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

B. DAVIS: Those resources have not taken full effect yet; they are starting to. There is recruitment out there. There are people getting trained for out in those positions, but let's even rewind a little bit further than that. Over the last three years, we've put an additional $40 million with the RNC and the RCMP, those two police forces, alone.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

B. DAVIS: That brings the total to the RCMP of about $95 million a year to provide policing in this province, to about 80 per cent of the geography and then the remaining $75 million to the RNC that police about 20 per cent of the geography in this province. Do I agree that crime is on the rise? Absolutely I agree with that. That's why we're making those investments now.

In that $21 million, we've started another joint task force that will attack guns, drugs and contraband. Those are three of the major things that perpetuate crime in this province. We're attacking those. We've got a joint task force with five RNC officers, five RCMP officers, put in this area of the province, in the Avalon region where we know it's – we've put a leadership position in place (inaudible) –

SPEAKER: Order, please!

The minister's time has expired.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

SPEAKER: The hon. the Member for Placentia West - Bellevue.

J. DWYER: Thank you, Speaker.

The background to this petition is as follows:

WHEREAS there have not been any improvements in Wi-Fi and cell service throughout the District of Placentia West- Bellevue for 10 years;

THEREFORE we petition the hon. House of Assembly as follows: We, the undersigned, call upon the House of Assembly to urge the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador to formulate a plan to improve Wi-Fi and cell service issues throughout the District of Placentia West - Bellevue affecting fire and emergency services, tourism, business, medical services and personal use that does not meet today's standards and expectations.

The biggest one is that we just heard in Question Period about Teladoc and medical services and stuff like that. That's okay if you have Wi-Fi and cell service but when you're in a town like Little Harbour East, Fair Haven, Grand Le Pierre or Terrenceville, all these towns deserve to be treated the same as any other town. They're in remote areas. The need cell service, not only for personal use, but then also the tourism industry is very reliant on Wi-Fi and cell service because we want people to enjoy the experience, no different with the amenities they would have at home.

So I really would implore the Minister of IET to have a look and let us know what the plan is for Placentia West - Bellevue and, furthermore, for the whole province because there are a lot of dead areas when it comes to Wi-Fi and cell service in the province.

Thank you, Speaker.

SPEAKER: The hon. the Minister of Industry, Energy and Technology for a response.

A. PARSONS: Thank you, Speaker, and I appreciate the petition from the Member opposite.

One of the biggest challenges we face, alongside many issues that are not covered by one jurisdiction is the fact that this is, as I've said many, many times before, federally regulated. It's not just a provincial purview issue. The other fact is that we are dealing with private industry.

Now, we've taken a number of steps over the last number of years when it comes to making increased investment in cellular coverage or in Wi-Fi hotspots. One of the issues we have is that we had to continue to go to the private industry to talk about what they are doing, what they are bringing to the table.

As it relates to Placentia West - Bellview, what I will say is that we have, over the last number of years, had partnership projects where the provider will fund so much and the municipality can fund so much. I don't have a list as to whether any of the communities in Placentia West - Bellview actually applied to the program or not. These municipalities absolutely could apply. What I can do is endeavour to go back to the department to get the list to see if they are there.

What I would say to the Member is feel free to have communities reach out to discuss creative ways that we can increase service in these areas. It's not just always cellular coverage. Sometimes there are other ways that we can do this.

So again, we're continuing to work on this. I will note it's frustrating. The bad thing is it's not just shared by that district. We have seen degradation in many other areas. So we'll continue to work with the federal government and we'll continue to work with the providers to ensure that we're not seeing a decrease in service. We all want an increase in service.

Thank you.

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

J. DINN: Thank you, Speaker.

Speaker, this is a petition to introduce legislation recognizing housing as a human right. These are the reasons for the petition:

Concerned citizens of Newfoundland and Labrador urge our leaders to take action to address the issue of homelessness throughout the province. Growing numbers are ending up in for-profit emergency shelters, which are costing taxpayers millions of dollars, out of desperation.

In 2019, the Parliament of Canada passed the National Housing Strategy Act which declared housing as a human right. More recently, the Federal Housing Advocate, Marie-Josée Houle, stated in her report Upholding dignity and human rights that the human right to adequate housing is an obligation affirmed in international human rights law, including in treaties that Canada has signed and ratified, as well as in human rights declarations and other applicable international norms and standards and has called upon all levels of government to adopt a human rights approach to the housing crisis.

Therefore we, the undersigned, call upon the House of Assembly to urge the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador to introduce legislation recognizing housing as a human right.

Speaker, I also draw attention then to the St. John's Community Plan to End Homelessness 2024-2028 . It talks about here again the Federal Housing Advocate's office, ensuring the right to housing means creating 4.4 million homes in Canada that are permanently affordable and accessible. If the three levels of government can't work together to ensure an adequate supply of housing, the right to housing as not been realized.

I would say then that, in this province, the right to housing has not been realized and I draw the attention back to Rhonda Whalen about accessible housing. We started pushing for her situation almost a year ago to get that rectified and, Speaker, she is still in a unit that's inaccessible. She can't get out of it without the use of an interfacility transport, she's separated from her granddaughter and she is basically forced to live with indignities.

So it's great to be able to say that it's an unfortunate situation but I think if we're going to recognize housing as a human right, then it's making sure that people, like Ms. Whalen, have the housing they need to meet their needs and that they can be together with their family. That's as simple as it comes and to address it as quickly as possible.

There has got to be some way too that the city and the provincial government housing departments can work together to actually address some of these issues. This has gone on for too long because they have not been able to work together. It's as simple as that.

I addressed this situation. I think, if I remember the one study, 4 per cent of public housing is accessible. At some point, that's got to be increased. It's as simple as that. It has got to be increased. I understand there are repairs being made, but we have too many houses that are out of service and in need of renovations, but if we're going to address the issue, then maybe making sure that the houses, as they're renovated, are accessible.

We had an opportunity with Livingstone Street –

SPEAKER: Order, please!

The hon. Member's time has expired.

J. DINN: Thank you.

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

T. WAKEHAM: Speaker, I just wanted to stand up and correct the date on the PMR that I said earlier. It's effective January 2025.

Thank you.

SPEAKER: Thank you.

Orders of the Day.

Orders of the Day

SPEAKER: The hon. the Government House Leader.

J. HOGAN: Speaker, I call from the Order Paper, Order 2.

SPEAKER: The hon. the Government House Leader.

J. HOGAN: Speaker, I move, seconded by the Deputy Government House Leader, that

An Act to Amend the Lands Act No. 2, Bill 68, be now read a third time.

SPEAKER: It is moved and seconded that the said bill be now read a third time.

Is it the pleasure of the House to adopt the motion?

All those in favour, 'aye.'

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Aye.

SPEAKER: All those against, 'nay.'

Motion carried.

CLERK (Hawley George): A bill,

An Act to Amend the Lands Act No. 2. (Bill 68)

SPEAKER: This bill has now been read a third time. It is ordered that the bill do pass and its title be as on the Order Paper.

On motion, a bill, “An Act to Amend the Lands Act No. 2,” read a third time, ordered passed and its title be as on the Order Paper. (Bill 68)

SPEAKER: The hon. the Government House Leader.

J. HOGAN: Speaker, I call from the Order Paper, Order 3.

SPEAKER: The hon. the Government House Leader.

J. HOGAN: Speaker, I move, seconded by the Minister of Municipal and Provincial Affairs, that

An Act Respecting Licensed Practical Nurses, Registered Nurses, Registered Psychiatric Nurses and Nurse Practitioners, Bill 87, be now read a third time.

SPEAKER: It is moved and seconded that Bill 87 be now read a third time.

Is it the pleasure of the House to adopt the motion?

E. JOYCE: I am going to speak for a second, Speaker.

SPEAKER: The hon. the Member for Humber - Bay of Islands.

E. JOYCE: Mr. Speaker, this is concerning the nurses and I'm talking about the nurse practitioners in the Province of Newfoundland and Labrador.

There were questions asked today and you could see how this is nonchalant for the government. This is very concerning for me. It's extremely concerning, and I'll tell you why. Here we stand up and talk about the seniors in the province. Most of the people in this province, I know in Western Newfoundland, that are using nurse practitioners are seniors. To be nonchalant when the Leader of the Oppositions asks a question about allowing nurse practitioners to bill the government so the money don't come out of their pockets and the nonchalant attitude is disheartening. It's actually disheartening.

I sang out to the Premier – and I don't usually shout across the House, but I shouted out to the Premier of the province – I listened to all the answers. I said to the Premier, come out and tell the seniors to their face. Come out and tell them to their face.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

E. JOYCE: If you want to sit in your chair and laugh and smile and talk about something else which don't affect the seniors when the Leader of the Opposition asked the questions about nurse practitioners, getting on talking about what he did in 2015 while those seniors are suffering, don't have a doctor, can't get in emergency because there's not enough room, I can tell you it's frustrating. When the Premier of this province and nurse practitioners –

AN HON. MEMBER: (Inaudible.)

E. JOYCE: It is relevant. This is about nurses. Yes, it is.

Come out and meet with them. Come out, I'll arrange the meeting. So when you have nurse practitioners in this province willing to supply a service, in the nighttime, on the weekends, because of the need and we have to ask a question to the Premier and he talks about something in 2015, which wasn't even true, because we were the ones who asked the health care corps to give us three options so we could make the decision.

It wasn't even true what he was talking about. It wasn't even true. I was there – I was there. We asked for the three options. We asked for the options, when we brought down the 2016 budget, which wasn't a good budget. I agree that it wasn't, but we had to do what we had to do.

So getting back to the nurse practitioners – I don't care what the reasons are. The government has control; they can do it. They can make that decision. But when a serious question is asked about it and pass it off, and I can see the seniors, in their face, don't know if they can go because they can't afford it. They go get blood work; they have to go back for another one. And the nurse practitioners have to find some way to keep the door open supplying services because of lack of doctors. They can't get into emergency, trust me.

I know one person who wanted to go to the media. He was escorted out of the hospital. The next day they sent a nurse over to his house and they told him and the person with him we don't have a bed for you; you can go in this room if you really want to. But they moved him out because someone more urgent needed it. Then they told him we'll get you escorted out. He actually told me that. He's a good friend of mine.

So I say to the government, here we are passing this bill again in third reading and we have seniors who are suffering, we have nurse practitioners who are apparently a part of the Nurses' Union. Then we can make a change in this Legislature and we're not doing it – we're actually not doing it. When questions are being asked it's nonchalant. I tell you it's frustrating. It's actually frustrating.

I always thought – and I've spent a lot of time in this House – whenever there's a problem we try to find a solution to the problem. When it's health care we all get together and find a solution for health care. Here's the Opposition – I raised it many times. The Member for Mount Pearl - Southlands with me, he raised it many times.

We have an easy solution and what did he get? Laugh, nonchalant, don't even want to answer the question. Talking about something that happened 10 years ago, which wasn't even the Leader of the Opposition's fault. We did it. I want to say it and I say it again, I make no bones about it.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

E. JOYCE: If you're going to attack somebody on issues, I have no problem, but when you want to make something up to make that person look bad, I know how it feels. I know how people jump on it because of it and it's not happening while I'm here. I will stand up for the truth. The truth was we asked all of them. We asked all the four agencies to give us options on how to make cuts, because we had to make the decision in 2016. That was all a part of it.

So I urge the Minister of Health and Community Services and the Premier, if you really feel that not answering the question and trying to respond by something that happened 10 years ago is not real, come out and I'll bring you to the seniors. What better way, Mr. Speaker, to get something about the nurse practitioners, to see the real urgency of it, than someone with the courage to sit down with the seniors in a room and let them tell their stories.

Let them tell their stories. Not mine. Let them tell their stories. Let them come up and say why they can't go back. Let them do it. Let them tell them why they can't go back and get the blood work. Why they can't get a follow-up. Because they can't afford it.

We hear in this House on numerous occasions about the cost of living. We're doing stuff. Here is something we can do. If someone says, well – and I don't know who it was last week said some union doesn't want them to do it – I don't know if that's true or not, I don't know, I'm going to be writing to find out. I'm doing that today; there'll be a letter gone tomorrow to find out.

If that is the problem and I don't know –

J. HOGAN: (Inaudible) district.

E. JOYCE: So I can say it on the record that the Minister of Health and Community Services just told me that the reason why you won't –

J. HOGAN: That's what they said.

E. JOYCE: They said. Who's they?

J. HOGAN: The nurses.

E. JOYCE: The Nurses' Union told you that they don't want to allow the billing because they don't want to lose membership. Is that correct?

J. HOGAN: (Inaudible.)

E. JOYCE: Okay. Can you just tell –

SPEAKER: Order, please!

AN HON. MEMBER: They're opposed to it.

E. JOYCE: They're opposed to it. Well, let me tell you something. If the Nurses' Union is opposed to allowing nurse practitioners to bill so seniors – you want the first person who wants to stand up to go help the seniors, I'll do it. The Member for Mount Pearl - Southlands will take the lead; we will do it.

There are times you've got to make a tough decision. There are times. I can tell you I don't mind making the tough decision. 2016 was the toughest decision that we, as a Liberal government, made. Did we want to make it? No. Did the government at the time have to make it? Yes, but we made it. I was a part of it. I'll stand to be a part of it because with the information, we were in dire straits. I will never ever criticize anybody for that budget; there was a lot of to and fro but we made the decision.

So I say here now to the Minister of Health and Community Services, if we're standing by and the Nurses' Union is opposed to allowing nurse practitioners on the West Coast, I'll stand with you. If there's a protest out there on those steps, the nurses saying that, no, we don't want that, I'll go out and I'll address the nurses myself.

If there's a protest in Corner Brook, I'll be the first one sitting in waiting for them to come into the protest. Do you know why? Seniors and the people who can't afford it, need it. They actually need it. There are times the government has to make a decision that may be tough. This may be tough because you may have some backlash but the benefits are going to outweigh it. There's just no way that anybody can explain to me why you don't let a senior not pay for health care. Why a senior can't go and get the second blood work because they can't afford it. Yet we turn around and say health care is free. It's not free.

There's a doctors clinic in Corner Brook and the seniors, a lot of people, go to the walk-in clinic. They line up 6 in the morning. Speaker, 6 in the morning they line up. No matter what the weather, they have to be outside. If it's stormy, if it's raining, they have to wait to get in line. Then after they're lucky enough to say, yes, you're the first 50 to get in, they have to stay around until their name is called.

Here we have an opportunity. We have an opportunity to change some of that. We have an opportunity to take off the load on the emergency department and this government won't do it. Then someone turns around and says, oh well, we got other methods to do it. You can't. Trust me; it's not working. Trust me because I know the people.

I know the loads out in the emergency room. I know many people who got to go to the nurse practitioner, Speaker. I know a lot. I get called every day.

P. LANE: But we're going to pay $500 a phone call to Teladoc instead.

E. JOYCE: Then you pay for Teladoc instead.

P. LANE: $500 a call.

E. JOYCE: $500 a call.

So I strongly urge the government, on behalf of the people who can't afford it, the people who are less fortunate, the people who don't want to spend two hours out in the rain, snowstorm, get it changed.

I don't care who hears me from the Nurses' Union. I don't care. If they have a protest, I'd be out on the steps talking to them. If they have one in Corner Brook, I'll even be in there sitting down waiting for them, because I can tell you when you have a senior waiting for his blood work and can't afford to go get it, I'll stand up to them. I will stand up to them because I think when you explain that to the rank and file – and I speak to the rank and file on a regular basis in Corner Brook. For personal reasons within family, I speak to them. They tell me they don't know why it's not done. The rank and file is telling me that.

I got text messages last night 11 o'clock about why isn't it done from nurses. From nurses because some of the people say: well, I can't get my blood work, I have to wait for my cheque to come in – from nurses last night at 11:05. I got text messages from nurses wanting it done because their patients, the ones who they see, show up in emergency – what are you doing here? Well, I couldn't get my blood work. I'm hoping you can get it for me.

That's a fact. It's actually a fact. Then they've got to follow up the blood work. Did it change? Do I need my pills? Do I need the medication increased or decreased? Do I need any extra medication?

So this is not just simple, go and get their blood work, see you later, have a nice day. We all know that. Anybody in this room, whoever went for blood work, there's a follow-up. We all know that – we all know that. Here we are, again, taking this nonchalant – because when the question was asked, today, it actually, disturbed me – attitude of nurse practitioners not being able to bill.

I can tell you that it's not very often that things in here disturb me but, today, that disturbed me. It shouldn't happen – it shouldn't happen. When you want to mock a leader of the party – and there are lots of opportunities that we can go to and fro about something that never happened and trying to put it on his shoulders about something that happened in 2015 and avoid the issue of the people who need the nurse practitioners to be able to bill government, it's saddening.

I can tell you, the Leader of the Opposition can pick up for himself. I know the man for 55 years. You can pick up for yourself. I know that. You can pick up for yourself. I've got no problem with that but when you want to attack him, and then use the seniors on the West Coast and people underprivileged to attack him to sit down and make a mockery of it, it's just not right.

So I'll take my seat and I'll say to the government, I'll say to the Minister of Health and Community Services, if you want to make that decision and if you want to worry about anybody coming, protesting to you or complaining to you, let me tell you I'll have your back.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

E. JOYCE: I can tell you when I see the seniors out in Corner Brook, when I see the seniors and other people who need it, I can tell you one thing right now, I'll take it to the hilt. I would do whatever I can to make sure they get proper health care. If it's standing up for any group – any group – I'll do it because that's what we're elected to do is to stand up for the people who are less fortunate.

It's actually sad to constantly have an easy answer because someone don't want it, we're not going to do it. It's just sad. I can honestly tell you, I don't get frustrated too much in here because understand the to and fro but when you're dealing with health care and you're dealing with necessity, when you get people crying on the phone, it's sad.

I just wanted to have a few words about the bill that came through with the nurses and nurse practitioners. I urge the minister and I urge the Premier, next time you're asked a question about the nurse practitioners billing the government, it's serious. It's real. You might not have it in around here, you might not have it in St. John's and you might not know the people, but I can tell you, I do. The Member for Mount Pearl - Southlands do. I know there are Members of the Opposition – I know one out in Stephenville do. I get calls on there. Out Clarenville way do.

This is a real issue, so don't make a mockery of it. If you make a mockery of it, you're making a mockery of the people who need it the most, the less fortunate.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

E. JOYCE: Once you make a mockery of the less fortunate, you lose your way. You forget what we're here for. Trust me, you forget what we're here for. We're here for the people out there, not the bunch in here bawling and shouting. People wouldn't even pay attention to this. A lot of people might not even pay attention to what's going on in here, but the decisions that we make can affect the people that need it.

So I'm asking the Liberal government on behalf of people, please find your way. Remember the oath you swore was to the people of Newfoundland and Labrador to make decisions that are going to be the best for the people of Newfoundland and Labrador. Here's one simple way that we can help a lot of people less fortunate, a lot of seniors, take a lot of pressure off the emergency room – I'm speaking on behalf of Corner Brook and we can do it with a stroke of the pen and we're not doing it. Making a mockery of it, that's just adding insult to injury.

I say to the people of the Province of Newfoundland and Labrador, I'm asking the Liberal government, which I was a part of since I was 12 years old, find your way. Find a way to get this done. Because if you don't find a way to get this done, you're gone that slippery slope where we're in here and then we're losing what we're suppose to do, the oath that we swore to.

Mr. Speaker, I'll take my seat now and I hope that the government will look at this seriously. This is not politics for me. It's not politics one bit. If I ran again tomorrow, I think I'll win. I really think I would win. This is about the seniors who need it. This is a decision you can make, with the stroke of a pen, the money is there, stroke of the pen.

If there's one group against it, we can take them on. We could tell them why. We could explain it. We don't need to go arguing and fighting with them. We could explain why we're doing it, that's all. I don't mean we have to go out and bash heads or go out and have a big rally and start saying it. We don't need to. I can tell you the messages I got last night were from nurses. They were from nurses. The person I called today, one of the people here, a nurse practitioner wants to but can't bill. The nurses from Cormack are asking me to contact them. So this idea that the nurses are against this, not the ones I know.

So I'll take my seat, Mr. Speaker, and I'll just tell the people that I've been around this a long time. There are times when people lose their way, and I've seen it over my 30-something years of people losing their way, forgetting why we're here. This is one example.

The Liberal government, you're losing your way because there is a way to do this to make lives better. You will save lives. You would take a lot of stress off people. You'd take it off the most vulnerable and that's what we're here for. Please get back to the Liberal way to help the most vulnerable, to help the seniors – that was always the Liberal way.

That was always the Liberal way is take the middle of the road, help the most vulnerable – help the most vulnerable. That's what we were always built on, the Liberal Party. That is the idea I always had. That was the idea of Joey Smallwood when I was going around with his sign.

I say to the Members opposite, don't take this as a political speech, take this as a plea for mercy for the people that really need it that we can do it. I can tell you, the Liberal government, that you will get more accolades. You'll get more people supporting you by doing this here.

By doing this here, Mr. Speaker, people will get more support. So this is not trying to bash the Liberal government; this is trying to say here's what we can do to help out. So I'm asking you, please, for the final time, find your way in this policy. I know there are a lot of ministers over there that know what I'm talking about, who have been through this. I know the minister of seniors and wellness, you want to do something for this. I know this.

Mr. Speaker –

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Oh, oh!

E. JOYCE: I hate to be shouted over, Mr. Speaker, on such a serious issue. I really do.

E. LOVELESS: It is a serious issue. I'm talking serious, too.

E. JOYCE: I say to the Member for Fortune Bay - Cape La Hune, you're in the Cabinet. You can get it done. You can stand up for it – and I know you want to.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

E. LOVELESS: (Inaudible) Cabinet. I'm hearing you.

SPEAKER: Order, please!

E. JOYCE: I know. That's what I'm saying.

SPEAKER: Order, please!

Address the Chair, please.

E. JOYCE: Sorry, Speaker.

So each one of you, take a stand. I know the minister of seniors and wellness and the Minister for Housing, you know how this affects seniors, because you know it. You're probably the most liberal, compassionate person. I know you are, but this is something you can do.

But you are, seriously. You really are. I'm going back years –

AN HON. MEMBER: (Inaudible.)

E. JOYCE: No, I'm going back years when I knew that Member and I know how compassionate he is. I can go through the whole side over there. I really feel, deep down inside, the Members opposite want this done. Someone has to take that load and carry it in Cabinet. Someone has to do that. Someone has to step up and say, no, we should do this.

It should be done. It really, really should be done. You have to take it seriously, though. But when there's a question asked to the government and it's not even answered, it's a sad state. If you want to stand up on your feet and say here are the reasons why we can't do it, at least you're showing respect. But when you don't even respond to that question and fluff it off, it's lack of respect to the people who really need it.

So I'll take my seat for the final time. I say to the Member for Fortune Bay - Cape La Hune, you got the same thing down your way. Start the ball rolling. I'm after speaking to five or six other Members and explaining it, too. And I know you will. I know you're concerned about people. I know that. I know it. You all are. But we need someone to take that and run with it and get it done, please.

I'll guarantee you right now, I give you my commitment, if there's any backlash from it, I'll be the first one out standing with you. And you know I will because it's so serious for the people of Newfoundland and Labrador, especially seniors, especially the less fortunate.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker, I'll take my seat.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

SPEAKER: The hon. the Member for Mount Pearl - Southlands.

P. LANE: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I'm not going to take as long as my hon. colleague did. But I do just want to point out the fact, and kind of reference it, my colleague, obviously his concern is the West Coast and the seniors on the West Coast. I know he cares about all the seniors, but he's referencing the West Coast.

I just want to say –

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Oh, oh!

SPEAKER: Order, please!

I ask the Members, if you have conversations, please take them outside.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Oh, oh!

SPEAKER: Order, please!

The hon. the Member for Mount Pearl - Southlands.

P. LANE: Thank you, Mr. Speaker, for the protection.

So as I was saying, Mr. Speaker, my colleague, I couldn't agree with him more. He's referencing the –

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Oh, oh!

SPEAKER: Order, please!

I remind the Minister of Digital Government and Service NL and the Opposition House Leader, please, take your conversation outside.

The Member for Mount Pearl - Southlands has the floor.

P. LANE: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I'm going to try again. I do agree with what my colleague is saying, but he is referencing the West Coast. I just want to say, just for the record here in the House of Assembly, that this is a provincial issue and it impacts the entire province, including the East Coast.

I've got lots of constituents – I've had lots of people reach out to me, and I'm sure all the Members here on the Avalon Peninsula, the Northeast Avalon, they've all gotten calls as well of people that do not have primary care. Despite what the government may have in place, a lot of them still do not have primary care. Calling 811 or Teladoc or whatever is just not cutting it for a lot of people.

There is an opportunity, I believe, to utilize nurse practitioners in this role. We talked about for a number of years in this House of Assembly – as long as I can remember, we've been talking about everyone working to their skill set. How we had all these professionals that were not working to their scope of practice, and we needed to be able to expand their scope of practice.

We've now done that, in some cases. Arguably, there might be areas we can expand it even more. But we have expanded scope of practice for nurses, for nurse practitioners, for pharmacists and so on. But it's pointless to be expanding the scope of practice, if after we do so, we do not utilize these people to their full potential.

So we do have nurse practitioners who are obviously able to fill in some of the gaps. I know they're not doctors, but they are able to fill in some of the gaps that currently exist for people that do not have a primary care provider. It's actually happening – I'm not of any nurse practitioners' offices necessarily in the St. John's area, but I know around Corner Brook and that area they do have clinics. But, as my colleague says, they have to pay for that service.

There's are a lot of people, seniors in particular, but a lot of people who just cannot afford to pay but they really have no choice. So now they are having to make those real tough choices. It was all bad enough you have to choose between taking your pills and groceries so you can feed yourself; now we're going to add in taking your pills, keeping the lights on, eating your groceries, and paying for a visit to the nurse practitioner's office for necessary services that they require.

It's just not right; it's not what our system was founded on, for them to do that. I see no difference – if I can go to a family doctor right now, and that family doctor can bill MCP, why can't a nurse practitioner do the same thing?

Nobody has been able to give an answer, by the way. I haven't heard it. I do try to listen, I really do. I have not heard a valid reason given yet as to why this cannot happen. Now the only thing I just heard now, just shortly ago, was the Nurses' Union. I find that hard to believe. I do. I've got no problem talking to the president of the Nurses' Union either. I just find that difficult to believe.

How is allowing a nurse practitioner to be able to have a clinic and bill MCP – how is that impacting these nurses? All the nurses that are working at the Health Sciences, St. Clare's hospital, and wherever, sure nobody's taking their job. Like, who is being threatened by doing that? Why would they be against it?

I assume they are still going to be part of the RNU and all that stuff anyway. So I can't understand why the Nurses' Union would have an issue with it. I really can't. It's not taking anybody's work. If anything, I could see maybe where the Medical Association, potentially, might say they've got a problem with it because perhaps that means some of the quote, unquote, easy patients, or ones that don't require a lot of care that might go to a nurse practitioner, you're taking them away. They could come into my office, and I can get paid for them.

I haven't heard them come out and say that, but I could understand that, where you have one provider saying now they're going to start poaching my patients or whatever, and I'm losing patients because they're going over here. I haven't heard them say that, but I could understand how that could be an issue. But why would the Nurses' Union care? I don't get it. It just doesn't make sense to me why they would even care.

So I'm with my colleague here, and I've heard other Members here in the Official Opposition raise this numerous times as well, and I'm sure there are Members on that side as well who agree: What is the problem with allowing a nurse practitioner to bill MCP, no different than a doctor is doing. What is the issue?

It's not like it's not already happening. It's already happening. People are a going to nurse practitioners; they are going to nurse practitioner's clinic. The only difference is they've got to pay for it out of their pockets. So if anything, that's the true definition of privatization. Like, we're talking about privatization, I heard someone say: We don't want to privatize health care. That's what we're doing. That's exactly what we're doing right now.

When someone goes to a nurse practitioner's office, and they've got to pay out of pocket and they cannot get reimbursed from MCP, that is the ultimate definition of privatization. That's actually what's happening. It makes no sense to me. That goes against the whole fundamentals of our health care system in this country. We are actually privatizing services where someone goes to see a nurse practitioner to get blood work done or to get a prescription refilled or because they've got a cold or whatever they've got, and they've got to pay out of pocket. That's what we're allowing to happen. We are privatizing it.

It doesn't make sense why we would not just simply say bill MCP the same way a doctor is billing MCP.

So I know this has come up numerous times. It's probably going to come up again. I hope it comes up again. But at the end of the day, this is an easy fix. This is an easy fix for the government. Again, I just cannot fathom why the Nurses' Union – if that's what the minister is saying, I cannot fathom why they would have any shortage. I really can't.

At the end of the day, the people of Newfoundland and Labrador didn't elect the NLMA, they didn't elect the Nurses' Union, they didn't elect any of those unions – none of them. They elected the 40 people in here. Those are the ones who were elected to do what's best for the people in this province.

This is something that needs to happen. We cannot have seniors paying out of pocket, or anybody for that matter, that can't afford it. We cannot have them paying out of pocket to get a prescription filled, to pay out of pocket to get their blood work done. That is the pure definition of privatization. This country and our health care system was founded on the principle that it's not private, that it is public, that it is public pay.

Right now, we're allowing privatization to occur as it relates to nurse practitioners and people are suffering as a result. People are having to pay money they can't afford and, in some cases, just simply not getting the care they need because they can't afford it and we're letting it happen. All we've got to do, with the stroke of a pen, is allow nurse practitioners to bill MCP. I certainly encourage the government to do just that.

Thank you.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

SPEAKER: Is the House ready for the question?

Is it the pleasure of the House to adopt the motion?

All those in favour, 'aye.'

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Aye.

SPEAKER: All those against, 'nay.'

Motion carried.

CLERK: A bill,

An Act Respecting Licensed Practical Nurses, Registered Nurses, Registered Psychiatric Nurses and Nurse Practitioners. (Bill 87)

SPEAKER: This bill has now been read a third time and it is ordered that the bill do pass and its title be as on the Order Paper.

On motion, a bill, “An Act Respecting Licensed Practical Nurses, Registered Nurses, Registered Psychiatric Nurses and Nurse Practitioners,” read a third time, ordered passed and its title be as on the Order Paper. (Bill 87)

SPEAKER: The hon. the Government House Leader.

J. HOGAN: Speaker, I call from the Order Paper, Order 4.

SPEAKER: The hon. the Government House Leader.

J. HOGAN: Speaker, I move, seconded by the Minister for Municipal and Provincial Affairs, that

An Act to Repeal the Financial Services Appeal Board Act and to Amend Various Acts of the Province to Eliminate Appeals to the Financial Services Appeal Board, Bill 96, be now read a third time.

SPEAKER: It is moved and seconded that Bill 96 be read a third time.

Is it the pleasure of the House to adopt the motion?

All those in favour, 'aye.'

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Aye.

SPEAKER: All those against, 'nay.'

Motion carried.

CLERK: A bill,

An Act to Repeal the Financial Services Appeal Board Act and to Amend Various Acts of the Province to Eliminate Appeals to the Financial Services Appeal Board. (Bill 96)

SPEAKER: This bill has now been read a third time and it is ordered that the bill do pass and its title be as on the Order Paper.

On motion, a bill, “

An Act to Repeal the Financial Services Appeal Board Act and to Amend Various Acts of the Province to Eliminate Appeals to the Financial Services Appeal Board,” read a third time, ordered passed and its title be as on the Order Paper. (Bill 96)

SPEAKER: The hon. the Government House Leader.

J. HOGAN: Speaker, I call from the Order Paper, Order 5.

SPEAKER: The hon. the Government House Leader.

J. HOGAN: Speaker, I move, seconded by the Deputy Government House Leader, that

An Act to Amend the Arts Council Act, Bill 98, be now read a third time.

SPEAKER: It is moved and seconded that Bill 98 be read a third time.

Is it the pleasure of the House to adopt the motion?

All those in favour, 'aye.'

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Aye.

SPEAKER: All those against, 'nay.'

Motion carried.

CLERK: A bill,

An Act to Amend the Arts Council Act. (Bill 98)

SPEAKER: This bill has now been read a third time and it is ordered that the bill do pass and its title be as on the Order Paper.

On motion, a bill, “An Act to Amend the Arts Council Act, ” read a third time, ordered passed and its title be as on the Order Paper. (Bill 98)

SPEAKER: The hon. the Government House Leader.

J. HOGAN: I call from the Order Paper, Motion 1.

SPEAKER: The hon. the Government House Leader.

J. HOGAN: Speaker, I move, seconded by the Minister of Justice and Public Safety, that

An Act to Amend the United Church of Canada Act, Bill 99, be now read a first time.

SPEAKER: It is moved and seconded that the Government House Leader shall have leave to introduce a bill, Bill 99, and that said bill be now read a first time.

Is it the pleasure of the House to adopt the motion?

All those in favour, 'aye.'

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Aye.

SPEAKER: All those against, 'nay.'

Motion carried.

On motion, the hon. the Minister of Justice and Public Safety to introduce a bill, “An Act to Amend the United Church of Canada Act,” carried. (Bill 99)

CLERK: A bill,

An Act to Amend the United Church of Canada Act. (Bill 99)

SPEAKER: This bill has now been read a first time.

When should said bill be read a second time?

J. HOGAN: Tomorrow.

SPEAKER: On tomorrow.

On motion, Bill 99 read a first time, ordered read a second time on tomorrow.

SPEAKER: The hon. the Government House Leader.

J. HOGAN: Speaker, I call from the Order Paper, Motion 2.

SPEAKER: The hon. the Government House Leader.

J. HOGAN: Speaker, I move, seconded by the Deputy Government House Leader, that

An Act to Amend the Revenue Administration Act No. 6, Bill 100, be now read a first time.

SPEAKER: It is moved and seconded that the Government House Leader shall have leave to introduce a bill, Bill 100, and that said bill be now read a first time.

Is it the pleasure of the House to adopt the motion?

All those in favour, 'aye.'

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Aye.

SPEAKER: All those against, 'nay.'

Motion carried.

On motion, the hon. the Minister of Finance and President of Treasury Board to introduce a bill, “

An Act to Amend the Revenue Administration Act No. 6,” carried. (Bill 100)

CLERK: A bill,

An Act to Amend the Revenue Administration Act No. 6. (Bill 100)

SPEAKER: This bill has now been read a first time.

When should said bill be read a second time?

J. HOGAN: Tomorrow.

SPEAKER: On tomorrow.

On motion, Bill 100 read a first time, ordered read a second time on tomorrow.

SPEAKER: The hon. the Government House Leader.

J. HOGAN: Speaker, I call from the Order Paper, Motion 3.

SPEAKER: The hon. the Government House Leader.

J. HOGAN: Speaker, I move, seconded by the Minister Responsible for Labour, that

An Act to Amend the Labour Standards Act No. 2 , Bill 101, be now read a first time.

SPEAKER: It is moved and seconded that the Government House Leader shall have leave to introduce a bill,

An Act to Amend the Labour Standards Act No. 2, Bill 101, and that said bill be now read a first time.

Is it the pleasure of the House to adopt the motion?

All those in favour, 'aye.'

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Aye.

SPEAKER: All those against, 'nay.'

Motion carried.

On motion, the hon. the Minister Responsible for Labour to introduce a bill, “An Act to Amend the Labour Standards Act No. 2,” carried. (Bill 101)

CLERK: A bill,

An Act to Amend the Labour Standards Act No. 2. (Bill 101)

SPEAKER: This bill has now been read a first time.

When should said bill be read a second time?

J. HOGAN: Tomorrow.

SPEAKER: On tomorrow.

On motion, Bill 101 read a first time, ordered read a second time on tomorrow.

J. HOGAN: Speaker, I call from the Order Paper, Motion 4.

SPEAKER: The hon. the Government House Leader.

J. HOGAN: Speaker, I move, seconded by the Minister of Justice and Public Safety that

An Act Respecting the Establishment of the Law Enforcement Oversight Commission and the Complaints Process Relating to Law Enforcement Officers, Bill 102, be now read a first time.

SPEAKER: It is moved and seconded that the Government House Leader shall have leave to introduce a bill,

An Act Respecting the Establishment of the Law Enforcement Oversight Commission and the Complaints Process Relating to Law Enforcement Officers, Bill 102, and that said bill be now read a first time.

Is it the pleasure of the House to adopt the motion?

All those in favour, 'aye.'

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Aye.

SPEAKER: All those against, 'nay.'

Motion carried.

Motion, the hon. the Minister of Justice and Public Safety to introduce a bill, “An Act Respecting the Establishment of the Law Enforcement Oversight Commission and the Complaints Process Relating to Law Enforcement Officers,” carried. (Bill 102)

CLERK: A bill,

An Act Respecting the Establishment of the Law Enforcement Oversight Commission and the Complaints Process Relating to Law Enforcement Officers. (Bill 102)

SPEAKER: This bill has now been read a first time.

When shall the said bill be read a second time?

J. HOGAN: Tomorrow.

SPEAKER: Tomorrow.

On motion, Bill 102 read a first time, ordered read a second time on tomorrow.

SPEAKER: The hon. the Government House Leader.

J. HOGAN: Speaker, I call from the Order Paper, Motion 6.

SPEAKER: The hon. the Government House Leader.

J. HOGAN: Speaker, I move, seconded by the Deputy Government House Leader, that notwithstanding Standing Order 9, this House shall not adjourn at 5 p.m. on Wednesday, December 4, but shall continue to sit for the conduct of Government Business, and if not earlier adjourned, the Speaker shall adjourn the House at midnight.

SPEAKER: Is it the pleasure of the House to adopt the motion?

All those in favour, 'aye.'

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Aye.

SPEAKER: All those against, 'nay.'

Motion carried.

The hon. the Government House Leader.

J. HOGAN: Speaker, I call from the Order Paper, Motion 7.

SPEAKER: The hon. the Government House Leader.

J. HOGAN: Speaker, I move, seconded by the Deputy Government House Leader, that pursuant to Standing Order 11(1) that the House not adjourn at 5:30 p.m. on Monday, December 2.

SPEAKER: Is it the pleasure of the House to adopt the motion?

All those in favour, 'aye.'

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Aye.

SPEAKER: All those against, 'nay.'

Motion carried.

The hon. the Government House Leader.

J. HOGAN: Speaker, I call from the Order Paper, Motion 8.

SPEAKER: The hon. the Government House Leader.

J. HOGAN: Speaker, I move, seconded by the Deputy Government House Leader, that pursuant to Standing Order 11(1) that the House not adjourn at 5:30 p.m. on Tuesday, December 3.

SPEAKER: Is it the pleasure of the House to adopt the motion?

All those in favour, 'aye.'

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Aye.

SPEAKER: All those against, 'nay.'

Motion carried.

The hon. the Government House Leader.

J. HOGAN: Speaker, I call from the Order Paper, Order 15.

SPEAKER: The hon. the Government House Leader.

J. HOGAN: Speaker, I move, seconded by the Minister of Justice and Public Safety, that

An Act to Amend the Family Violence Protection Act, Bill 97, be now read a second time.

SPEAKER: It is moved and seconded that Bill 97,

An Act to Amend the Family Violence Protection Act, be now read a second time.

Motion, second reading of a bill, “An Act to Amend the Family Violence Protection Act.” (Bill 97)

SPEAKER: The hon. the Minister of Justice and Public Safety.

B. DAVIS: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I'm pleased today to rise in this hon. House to introduce a bill to make important amendments to the Family Violence Protection Act . The proposed amendments will expand the criteria of applicants for Emergency Protection Orders, also known as EPOs, which are important tools in the fight against family violence.

EPOs are non-criminal court matters that a judge of the Provincial Court may grant, in urgent situations, to provide immediate protection when family violence has occurred. EPOs are temporary, with a maximum duration of 90 days, but the duration varies on a case-by-case basis.

Presently, only a person who resides with or have resided with the respondent in a conjugal relationship, whether within or outside marriage, or those who share a child, can apply for an EPO. Others experience familial violence or abuse are currently not able to avail of this option to file for an EPO.

With proposed changes, any family member related by blood, marriage or adoption, whether or not they live together, will be able to apply for an EPO. These changes expand protections to more vulnerable people, in particular the seniors who may be experiencing violence from other family members such as adult children. Seniors are often reluctant to press criminal charges against family members, and EPOs can offer an alternative way to address violence that they may be experiencing from family members.

It is also proposed to add the additionally category for those in care relationships to apply for an EPO if violence is present. This includes adding a definition of care relationship, which is circumstances between two persons, whether or not they have ever lived together, if one person is or was dependent on another person for assistance in their life activities because of disability, illness or impairment. This is intended to help protect seniors and others in vulnerable positions when they receive care from non-family members and experience violence.

Family violence itself is broadly defined in the Family Violence Protection Act and includes but not limited to assaults, threats, damage to property, physical confinement, sexual assault, conduct that would cause someone to fear for their safety, emotional or psychological abuse, financial abuse, and deprivation of food, clothing, medical attention or other necessities of life.

The circumstances for seniors and other family members experiencing violence will still need to align with the requirements for granting an EPO, including meeting the definition of family violence for the EPO to be issued. EPOs should be made without delay to ensure the immediate protection of the applicant who is at risk of harm, or whether property that is at risk of damage. Police may apply to provincial court any time, 24/7, for an EPO on behalf of an applicant. Lawyers may apply at Provincial Court by fax or in person during regular court hours. Victims of family violence can apply in person at Provincial Court during regular court hours.

The additional criteria that is and the subject of these amendments were proposed by the NL Network for the Prevention