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April 2, 2019

HOUSE OF ASSEMBLY PROCEEDINGS

Vol. XLVIII No. 62

The

House met at 1:30 p.m.

SERGEANT-AT-ARMS:

All rise.

MR. SPEAKER (Trimper):

Order, please!

Admit

strangers.

Please

be seated.

SERGEANT-AT-ARMS:

Mr. Speaker, her Honour the Lieutenant-Governor has arrived.

MR. SPEAKER:

Admit her Honour the

Lieutenant-Governor of Newfoundland and Labrador.

All

rise, please.

SERGEANT-AT-ARMS:

All rise.

(Mr.

Speaker leaves the Chair.)

(Her

Honour the Lieutenant-Governor takes the Chair.)

SERGEANT-AT-ARMS:

It is the wish of her Honour the Lieutenant-Governor that all present be seated.

MR. SPEAKER:

May it please your Honour, the General Assembly of the province has at its

present session passed certain bills to which, in the name and on behalf of the

General Assembly, I respectfully request your Honour's Assent.

CLERK (Barnes):

A bill, “An Act To Establish An Oil And Gas Corporation For The Province.” (Bill

42)

A bill, “An Act To Amend The Marriage Act.”

(Bill 46)

A bill, “An Act To Amend The Fishing

Industry Collective Bargaining Act.” (Bill 48)

A bill, “An Act To Amend The Historic

Resources Act.” (Bill 49)

A bill, “An Act To Amend The Public Bodies

Reporting Act.” (Bill 50)

A bill, “An Act To Amend The Forestry Act.”

(Bill 51)

A bill, “An Act Respecting Student

Financial Assistance.” (Bill 52)

A bill, “An Act To Amend The Loan And

Guarantee Act, 1957.” (Bill 53)

A bill, “An Act To Remove Anomalies And

Errors In The Statute Law.” (Bill 54)

A bill, “An Act Respecting A Pension Plan

For Employees Of The Government Of The Province And Others.” (Bill 56)

A bill, “An Act To Amend The Registered

Nurses Act, 2008.” (Bill 57)

A bill, “An Act To Amend The Regional

Service Boards Act, 2012.” (Bill 58)

A bill, “An Act To Amend The

Interpretation

Act.” (Bill 59)

HER HONOUR THE LIEUTENANT-GOVERNOR (Judy

May Foote, PC, ONL):

In Her Majesty's name, I assent to

these bills.

Mr. Speaker and Members of the Honourable House of

Assembly:

The Third Session of the Forty-Eighth

General Assembly of this hon. House of Assembly is about to be prorogued.

Before releasing you from your duties, I

wish to express gratitude for the care and consideration that you have given to

important matters brought to you by our ministers.

During

this third session, 57 pieces of legislation were debated and passed in this

hon. House.

In this

session, legislation was focused on advancing better outcomes for

Newfoundlanders and Labradorians, and maximizing opportunities that can provide

bright futures for all in our province.

Maximizing Economic

Opportunity

In some

cases this meant bringing forward new legislation to make our province an ideal

place for economic growth and investment.

For

example,

An Act to Establish an Oil and Gas Corporation for the Province will

help realize the goals of Advance 2030 – a plan that was developed by our

government and industry to grow our offshore oil and gas sector in ways that

will benefit current and future generations.

The new

corporation will drive exploration. It will attract new investment. It will

maximize returns through equity investments, and enhance local supply chain

opportunities.

Establishing this new corporation responds to the needs of industry, and

positions this province as a globally preferred location for exploration and

long-term investment.

example of legislation that protects the public while creating the right

environment for pursuing a new and unprecedented economic opportunity would be

An Act Respecting the Control and Sale of Cannabis.

This

legislation sets out the statutory framework for cannabis in the province, which

includes: creating a licensing structure; providing an inspection procedure;

setting out restrictions on the sale, purchase, consumption, transportation,

advertising and promotion of cannabis; and setting out offences and penalties.

This

legislation helped prepare our province for one of the most significant policy

shifts since Newfoundland and Labrador joined Canada.

It also

maximized the opportunity for generating benefits here at home from the

production and sale of cannabis.

The

industry has already generated approximately $12 million in retail sales since

October. Our province has the third largest supply rate per capita in the

country, and a significant number of buyers have been taken out of the illegal

market.

addition to setting out a framework for commercial activity involving cannabis,

amendments to the Highway Traffic Act

further strengthened impaired driving legislation in the province in

anticipation of legalization.

Upon

legalization of cannabis by the federal government, changes to our legislation

ensured: zero tolerance for drugs for novice drivers, drivers under age 22, and

commercial drivers; seven day vehicle impoundment for the presence of drugs, or

a combination of drugs and alcohol for novice drivers, drivers under age 22 and

commercial drivers; seven-day vehicle impoundment for all drivers deemed

impaired based on Standardized Field Sobriety Test/approved testing device

and/or Drug Recognition Expert; 30-day vehicle impoundment for all drivers for

refusal or failure to comply with a demand, consistent with alcohol; and,

medical exemption provisions, subject to confirmation of legally authorization

and the individual not being impaired.

These

proposed amendments, and more specifically zero tolerance for novice drivers

under age 22, were supported by Mothers Against Drunk Driving as well as the

Royal Newfoundland Constabulary and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police.

Our

government also put the right legislation in place to maximize buying and

selling energy off island.

A bill

to amend the Electricity Power Control

Act, 1994 and the Public Utilities Act

put in place the legislation needed to adopt an open access transmission

framework for the province's high-voltage electricity transmission system.

Adopting

an open access transmission framework was necessary as the province became fully

interconnected with the North American grid.

Making

these changes facilitated our province's participation in both import and export

electricity markets.

With new

transmission connections in place, Newfoundland and Labrador has the ability to

transmit power directly to the Maritimes and beyond, including the Northeast

United States.

Access

to these markets can provide additional options for rate mitigation to export

sales in off-island purchases.

Just as

our government put legislation in place to facilitate development involving oil

and gas, cannabis and energy, legislation was also put in place to pursue

savings.

An Act

Respecting the Restraint of Salary and Extinguishment of Severance Pay for

Non-Represented Public Sector Employees and Statutory Officers of the Province

eliminated severance for the public service, and put in place a wage freeze, to

expire on March 31, 2020.

With

this legislation, employees with at least one year of continuous service are

paid one week of salary to a maximum of 20 years to eliminate severance

obligations.

Overall,

the elimination of severance across the public sector is expected to result in

$25 million in annual savings.

Through

this legislation, quality government services were maintained, the contributions

of the public sector workforce were respected, consumer spending was stimulated

and our government achieved a more affordable public service.

Advancing Better Outcomes

Our

government also delivered on its province to advance legislation that enhances

the quality of life in our province, and respects and protects the rights of

individuals.

For

example, our government introduced new public health legislation to support the

well-being of people living in communities throughout Newfoundland and Labrador.

An Act

Respecting the Protection and Promotion of Public Health enabled our government

to address gaps in existing legislation, which was originally enacted 50 years

ago.

The act

is similar to actions being taken in other Canadian jurisdictions, allowing this

province to adopt best practices that are effectively working in other provinces

and territories.

This new

legislation helps the public health workforce in this province respond quickly

to emerging challenges, such as the potential for fast-moving infectious

diseases.

With

this legislation, our government continues to enhance the standard of care that

Newfoundlanders and Labradorians receive each day.

Continuing with the theme of improving on past practices,

An Act Respecting

Children, Youth and Families repealed and replaced the Children and Youth Care

and Protection Act to make many necessary changes. Highlights of the

improvements included: recognizing the role of family in promoting the safety

and well-being of children and youth; removing restrictions so that all youth

under a youth services agreement can receive services until he or she reaches

the age of 21; requiring that a cultural connection plan for an Indigenous child

or Indigenous youth who is removed from his or her family be included in the

plan that is filed with the court for the Indigenous child or Indigenous youth;

establishing the ability for Indigenous representatives of prescribed Indigenous

governments or organizations to be heard in court; requiring specific placement

considerations for Indigenous children and Indigenous youth who are in the care

or custody of a manager; establishing a licensing process for agencies,

family-based placement providers and residential placement providers; and

providing authority to delegate functions and services under the act to an

Indigenous government or organization.

passing this legislation our government has created the opportunity to forever

enhance the outcomes for children, youth and their families who receive our

services.

An Act

to Amend the Family Violence Prevention Act enabled our government to better

support adult victims of domestic violence and their children by expanding the

definition of family violence to include emotional, psychological and financial

harm.

These

are important changes, as the new definition makes it easier for victims of

family violence to seek an Emergency Protection Order to protect themselves and

their children.

Our

government recognizes the importance of taking action to end violence in all

forms, and breaking down the barriers victims face when encountering the justice

system.

Continuing with our efforts to protect people in vulnerable circumstances, our

government brought forward

An Act Respecting the Protection of Intimate Images.

This

legislation provides an additional legal option for those who have had private

and sensitive intimate images shared without their consent.

Should

people find themselves victimized in this way the new law establishes a means

for individuals to pursue the matter in civil court.

lawsuit may result in: an order for the payment of damages; the payment of any

profits made from the distribution; removal of the intimate image from the

Internet; and other orders the court considers appropriate to stop further

victimization.

This

legislation gives power back to victims. It holds people accountable for their

actions and, hopefully, it will deter this kind of behaviour in others.

An Act

Respecting Tenancies of Residential Premises finally brought about a

long-awaited repeal and replacement of Newfoundland and Labrador's Residential

Tenancies Act.

One key

enhancement was a new provision allowing victims of domestic violence escaping

an unfair situation to terminate a lease with only 30 days' notice without

financial penalty.

Other

highlights included changes to penalties under the act, rental increase

notification, group eviction notices, the ability to deliver and receive

documentation electronically and the inclusion of boarding houses under the act.

establishing this legislation, our government responded to the needs of both

landlords and tenants and improved the quality of life for many different people

throughout our province.

Continuing with legislation that addresses quality of life, our government

brought forward

An Act to Amend the Workplace Health, Safety and Compensation

Act, which provided presumptive coverage for work-related, post-traumatic stress

disorder for workers covered under the act.

This

means that a worker who experiences a traumatic event or multiple events at work

will now be presumed to have developed their diagnosed PTSD as a result of their

work.

This

progressive legislation simplifies the claim process, and allows the workers'

compensation system to help injured workers receive the assistance they need

earlier.

This

will lead to better outcomes in improving people's overall health and

well-being, as well as their options for returning to work when appropriate.

With

this new legislation, our government is recognizing the impact that a workplace

can have on any worker, in any occupation.

Presumptive coverage for post-traumatic stress disorder will benefit many

individuals who may have previously suffered in silence.

Our

government believes in putting supports in place that are responsive to the

needs of vulnerable populations.

Our

government also believes in recognizing individuals whose efforts help residents

when they are most vulnerable.

An Act

to Amend the Income Tax Act, 2000 introduced a new Search and Rescue Volunteer

Tax Credit that allows eligible volunteers to claim a $3,000 non-refundable tax

credit on their provincial income tax starting this year.

and Rescue volunteers with at least 200 hours of service are eligible for the

credit.

establishing this legislation, our government recognized the contributions of

Search and Rescue volunteers, and expanded its support for volunteer first

responders in Newfoundland and Labrador.

Continuing with the theme of lowering taxes where possible, our government also

brought forward

An Act to Amend the Revenue Administration Act which ensures a

minimum 5 per cent reduction in the tax on automobile insurance over the next

four years.

Work

continues in the area of automobile insurance, and also with respect to making

further tax and fee reductions as the province's fiscal situation improves.

summary, the legislative initiatives advanced in this session have advanced our

government's vision of a strong, diversified province that offers a high

standard of living for all of its residents.

I thank

you for the large measure of Supply granted.

I assure

the appropriations granted have been and will be expended by our ministers with

care and efficiency.

It is my

pleasure that the Third Session of the Forty-Eighth General Assembly of the hon.

House of Assembly now be prorogued, and it is prorogued accordingly.

Thank

you very much.

SERGEANT-AT-ARMS:

All rise.

(Her

Honour the Lieutenant-Governor leaves the Chamber.)

(Mr.

Speaker returns to the Chair.)

MR. SPEAKER:

Order, please!

Pursuant

to the Speech of her Honour, this House now stands prorogued.