November 21, 2012 HOUSE OF ASSEMBLY PROCEEDINGS Vol. XLVII No.

The House met at 2:00 p.m.

MR. SPEAKER (Wiseman): Order, please!

Admit strangers.

Statements by Members

MR. SPEAKER: Today we have members' statements from: the Member for the

District of Lake Melville; the Member for the District of Lewisporte; the Member

for the District of Burgeo La Poile; the Member for the District of St. Barbe;

the Member for the District of Conception Bay East Bell Island; and the Member

for the District of Terra Nova.

The hon. the Member for the District of Lake Melville.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. RUSSELL: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I rise in this hon. House today to congratulate a resident of Happy

Valley-Goose Bay, Brandon Ramey, on his recent success on being awarded the

National Aboriginal Youth Achievement Award.

The award is governed by the Congress of Aboriginal Peoples' National Youth

Council out of Ottawa.

Brandon is very active with the Goose Bay

chapter of Mothers Against Drunk

Driving. He is also a member of the NunatuKavut nation. He is presently

attending St. Thomas University in Fredericton, New Brunswick.

Brandon was nominated by Corporal Rick Mills of the RCMP. Brandon is a role

model of all Aboriginal youth across this great country.

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

Brandon Ramey on his success.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

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

MR. VERGE: Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize an outstanding

volunteer from my district. Derek Bennett grew up in Lewisporte and has been

known for his athletic involvement and also for his skill as a sport organizer.

His love for recreation led him to pursue a program of studies in community

recreation.

Derek has been the recreation and tourism director for the Town of Lewisporte

for the past twenty-three years. During his tenure he has organized numerous

festivals and trade shows; he also started the Youth Bowling Program, the Slow

Pitch Softball League, and he has been a coach and an organizer with the Minor

Hockey System.

Derek has been Chairperson of the Recreation Hockey League and now serves as

Chairperson for the Central Icepak of the Newfoundland and Labrador Major Midget

Hockey League.

Derek, who is a tireless worker and volunteer, was formally recognized for

his valuable contributions on June 22 when Recreation Newfoundland and Labrador

presented him with the Recreation Volunteer Recognition Award.

Members of this House, please join with me in recognizing Derek Bennett for

his outstanding contributions to our community, to our district, and to the

entire Province.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Member for the District of Burgeo La Poile.

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

I rise today to recognize and congratulate three constituents from my

District of Burgeo La Poile, who were recently awarded Queen Elizabeth II

Diamond Jubilee medals.

The first award went to Ms Elizabeth Bragg of Channel-Port aux Basques in

recognition of her numerous years of volunteerism in various organizations and

committees serving the Southwest Coast, including the Dr. Charles L. LeGrow

Health Centre Foundation, Port aux Basques Employment Corporation and Port aux

Basques and Area Chamber of Commerce, just to name a few.

Secondly, we have Ms Elizabeth Harvey of Isle aux Morts, who was instrumental

in driving the income tax issue for fishers throughout this Province and the

Province of Quebec.

The third award was presented to Mr. Lloyd Rossiter of Ramea for his

countless years of volunteer service to the Royal Canadian Sea Cadets, the Town

of Ramea, Ramea Volunteer Fire Department and his church, just to name a few.

Mr. Speaker, I ask all members of this House to join with me in extending

congratulations to Elizabeth Bragg, Elizabeth Harvey, and Lloyd Rossiter upon

receipt of Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee medals. The medals could not have

gone to more deserving individuals.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Member for Conception Bay East Bell Island.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. BRAZIL: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I stand in this House to congratulate a group of volunteers for undertaking a

very valuable project. I speak of Radio Bell Island which will operate from St.

Michael's High School on a permanent basis beginning early in the New Year.

They have received their official CRTC Radio operations license, and with

financial support from Innovation, Business and Rural Development, numerous

businesses, individual citizens and a partnership with the Eastern School

District, they have begun the construction of a state of the art studio.

With local leadership, Radio Bell Island will serve not only the residents of

Bell Island but will have a potential listening audience of over 60,000 in the

greater Conception Bay area. Programming includes news, interviews, music, talk

shows, sports, history segments and everything else to catch the ear of the

preschooler to the senior.

While the whole of the community will benefit from this operation, the

students of St. Michael's High will benefit immensely by being trained in every

aspect of operating a professional radio station.

Mr. Speaker, I ask all members to join me in congratulating all involved with

Radio Bell Island on becoming a permanent asset to the region.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Member for the District of St. Barbe.

MR. BENNETT: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in this hon. House today to acknowledge and commend the

volunteer firefighters of Newfoundland and Labrador, and especially those in the

District of St. Barbe.

The Newfoundland and Labrador Association of Fire Services is over 6,000

members strong, and has been representing the men and women of the volunteer and

career fire services of this Province since 1964.

Fire Canada has 451 fire departments registered for Newfoundland and

Labrador, of which only twenty-three have paid members. The District of St.

Barbe alone has fourteen volunteer fire departments, constituting approximately

225 persons. If they volunteer only two hours per week, the total volunteer

hours in this district per year is 23,400 with a dollar value of over a half

million dollars, an intangible benefit that is immeasurable.

These volunteers give time for meetings, training, and firefighting duties.

They give unselfishly so all members of the communities can live with the

comfort of knowing that if something terrible is to happen at any given time,

help is on the way.

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

unprecedented service of these volunteers, as volunteerism is what makes rural

communities.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Member for the District of Terra Nova.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. S. COLLINS: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I rise today to recognize a special individual from my district, Mr. Nelson

Granter of Gambo a recent recipient of the Queen's Diamond Jubilee medal.

In 1959, at the age of eighteen, he enlisted in the Canadian Army. As a radio

and telegraph operator he had various postings and completed actually three

tours of duty, including one with the UN's peacekeeping force in Central Africa.

In 1981, he joined the Canadian Forces Reserve as an officer, and would later

serve as Commanding Officer of 780 Freshwater Air Cadet Squadron in Gambo.

Mr. Granter continued to volunteer his services with various cadet units

until his retirement in 2006. Mr. Granter's volunteer experience has been

extensive and varied. He has served two terms on the Gambo Town Council,

including a term as deputy mayor, has been a member of the Royal Canadian Legion

for thirty-one years, currently serving as president and district commander. He

has also become a dedicated member of the Prostate Cancer Canada Network, and

recently been appointed to the Newfoundland Advisory Board.

I ask all hon. members of this House to join me in recognizing the efforts of

Mr. Granter, a model citizen to whom I wish to thank and congratulate.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER: Statements by Ministers.

Statements by Ministers

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Minister of Service Newfoundland and Labrador.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. MCGRATH: Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to rise today in this hon. House

to pay tribute and commemorate the National Day of Remembrance for Road Crash

Victims.

The National Day of Remembrance for Road Crash Victims is an annual event

which remembers those killed or seriously injured on Canadian roads. This is the

fifth year for the event, which places a focus on key areas, such as increased

enforcement, the building of safer vehicles, and a general change in road user

behaviours.

Mr. Speaker, my department is responsible for the Highway Traffic Act, and we

are constantly reviewing the act to determine how we can make adjustments to

ensure that we are making roadways safer and protecting the public. This is done

through education and awareness, as well as ensuring our law enforcement

officials have the best tools possible to assist them in their daily work.

In recent years the provincial government has made amendments to the Highway

Traffic Act designed to strengthen the act and turn the tide of senseless

tragedies caused by reckless and impaired driving. The act was also amended to

authorize police to use traffic safety stops as a means of determining whether

drivers are driving while suspended, driving without insurance, or driving while

impaired.

Mr. Speaker, our efforts do seem to be making a difference. Here in this

Province in 2010, we saw an 11.4 per cent decrease in fatalities and a 1 per

cent decrease in injuries. Through strengthening our enforcement activities and

an increase in awareness, we are beginning to see a shift in behaviour behind

the wheel, but we must remain vigilant in our efforts and continue this positive

trend in road safety, especially as we approach the holiday season. This is the

time of year when family and friends get together to share a toast and celebrate

the season of giving. We must maintain a heightened sense of awareness of moose

on your highways, dangerous and slippery road conditions, and avoid driving when

we are impaired or fatigued.

Mr. Speaker, working together, as government, law enforcement agencies and

the community, we can continue to bring the importance of road safety to the

forefront and do our part to bring an end to senseless tragedies on our roads

and highways.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER: The Opposition House Leader.

MS JONES: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I am pleased today to rise to honour the National Day of Remembrance for Road

Crash Victims in our Province and all across Canada. I really believe, Mr.

Speaker, that we all have to do whatever we can to ensure that there is safety

on our highways. I, this morning, participated with the minister in a wreath

laying ceremony at Foxtrap in memory of many of the victims of car crashes in

our own Province. I was accompanied by my friend, a young mother, who lost her

daughter only eleven months ago to a highway accident in this Province.

To see how devastating it is for these families, to see the pain in their

faces this morning as they went there to remember their loved ones certainly

gives us all the inspiration we will ever need to work harder to ensure that we

have safe highways.

I want to commend, one, the government for what changes they brought about

with regard to impaired drivers in the Province because it makes a huge

difference. I also want to say we need to continue to do more. There are many

lives that are still lost to moose collisions. There are many lives that are

still lost to the weather conditions on our highway, the road conditions at

particular times, along with other unsafe practices that happen on our highways.

So we have to be cognizant of all these things and make improvements in all

these things and better efforts to protect the safety of people in this

Province.

Mr. Speaker, as well, we need to support the families of these victims in any

way we can. The greatest way we can do that is support them in their lobby

efforts. When I meet with groups like SOPAC, I am always reminded of the

wonderful public relations they do in the Province that helps people slow down

and be more careful of moose on our highways just because of their public

relations. Things like the people who call into the media in this Province and

report that there is a moose or that there is a driver that has gone askew on a

highway, all of that helps us all be safer as we travel.

Mr. Speaker, today I want to join with the government, as do our caucus, but

also to wish everyone in this Province safe travels now, throughout Christmas,

and throughout the year.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER: The Member for St. John's East.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. MURPHY: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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

statement. Today we are all remembering those who were lost on our highways. I

am glad to see these events place focus on road safety today.

We are living in an age where we have increased road traffic and hazards that

would include anything from cellphone abuse, to driver inattention, to moose. We

need to place more safety measures as well for our workers on our highways that

would include emergency and police officers who work every day on our highways.

I am also glad the government and I will be meeting later this week to place

more focus on highway safety in the form of move-over laws to ensure there is

safety while in the execution of their duties.

As well, I would also like to thank those groups who place safety on our

highways, like MADD for example, and also to government for making the

appropriate changes to the Highway Traffic Act to catch more offenders.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. OSBORNE: By leave, Mr. Speaker.

MR. SPEAKER: Does the Member for St. John's South have leave?

No leave.

The hon. the Minister of Environment and Conservation.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. HEDDERSON: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, it is a priority of our government to ensure the sustainable

management of our moose populations, along with other wildlife species. Of

course, this ongoing responsibility must be balanced with the interests and

safety of the residents of our Province.

Moose have become firmly established in the social, cultural, and economic

fabric of our Province, particularly in rural areas. Mr. Speaker, under a model

first adopted in the 1970s, moose are managed to maximize their value and

benefits, while mitigating against negative aspects, particularly moose-vehicle

collisions, which can have significant consequences for the people of our

Province.

With this in mind, we recently conducted a series of public consultations

throughout the Province to gather input from stakeholders and the general public

for the development of a new five-year moose management plan for the Island

portion of the Province. These sessions provided a forum to discuss how moose

are currently managed, solicited feedback to be considered in future management

decisions, and provided an overall understanding of how the public views this

resource. Through the public sessions, on-line survey, and written comments, we

received more than 2,000 submissions. I would like to thank all those who

provided us with such valuable feedback during this process.

Mr. Speaker, it is our goal to continue to manage moose populations in the

Province to provide maximum benefits to all residents and maintain healthy and

sustainable wildlife habitats. We must also continue to recognize their

importance from a cultural, social, recreational, and economic standpoint.

Through the consultations process, we wanted to hear first hand the various

perceptions and opinions on moose management in the Province and capture any

factors that differentiate one region of the Province from another, if indeed

they do exist.

Mr. Speaker, our new five-year moose management plan will provide direction

that will guide the annual planning process that considers moose management

areas, licensing regime, establishment of optimal populations by management

area, and the development of appropriate strategies to meet the commitments of

the new plan.

Mr. Speaker, our five-year plan will encompass many factors and be a balanced

and informed approach to moose management in the Province, based on both public

input and science.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Member for Torngat Mountains.

MR. EDMUNDS: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I thank the minister for advance notice of his statement.

Mr. Speaker, if I could, I would like to make a comparison. In my district

and in Labrador we are dealing with a major shortage in caribou: roughly 22,000

now from 780,000. We would not like to wish this to happen to any population or

species of the harvest, especially for subsistence.

Mr. Speaker, I am glad that the government has finally committed to these

consultations on this five-year plan. This was a commitment that was made

several years ago. I actually attended a moose consultation session in

Clarenville, Mr. Speaker. I must say that after the session, being brought to a

new awareness on moose safety, I drove back from Clarenville in a wind and rain

storm. Needless to say, my driving speed added an hour onto my normal time, so

certainly safety is a big issue. I would like to support the government on

recognizing the dedication today to crash victims.

Throughout the sessions, the one thing that stuck out to me was the emphasis

on hunting, predominately on hunting, Mr. Speaker. I was a little disappointed

to see that there was not much time to do with actual moose management

strategies and public awareness in terms of moose fencing and identifying hot

spots. With a new minister in the department now, I hope that this plan is

proactive and fully inclusive of all alternative solutions in managing our moose

populations.

Thank you.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Member for St. John's East.

MR. MURPHY: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I would also like to thank the minister for the advance copy of his statement

today.

I want to thank the government for the initiative to undertake the study on

moose in the Province. It is good to see that government attempts to reach out,

knowing the cultural attachment that Newfoundlanders and Labradorians have to

the animal, and also recognize the changing conditions even that moose face.

I did have the opportunity to participate in the study, having dropped in on

the session down at the Newfoundland Hotel. We have to recognize that the moose

has a heavy economic impact. In some areas they are in decline while in others

there is an abundance of population. The government has to recognize the

importance as well, for example, not only for moose safety and highway reasons,

but also the importance of moose to the outfitting industries in the Province.

That cannot be ignored.

We also have to remember that they come with a social cost in the form of

motor vehicle accidents that cause so much grief. We have to strive to find that

balance and I encourage government to look at all solutions that would be

satisfactory to all.

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER: Does the Member for St. John's South have leave?

The hon. the Minister of Tourism, Recreation and Culture.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. FRENCH: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, I thought I would read this one today and put everyone in the

festive mood. Today I would like to highlight the upcoming celebrations of

Christmas at the Commissariat, being held November 24 and November 25.

During the two-day period, the Commissariat will be alive with the sounds,

tastes, and traditions of Christmas in St. John's in the 1830s. From 11:00 a.m.

to 4:00 p.m., visitors to the Commissariat can take in some holiday music, taste

traditional Christmas pudding from the historic kitchen, I might add create

some holiday crafts, and participate in a variety of hands-on family activities.

On Saturday evening, November 24, from 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m., visitors are

invited to the Commissariat by Candlelight celebrations for the lighting of the

Yule Log while they enjoy a cup of hot cider over the sounds of festive carols.

Visitors can take a tour of the house by candlelight to meet some interesting

period characters and learn about the traditions of Christmas in the nineteenth

century.

Mr. Speaker, Christmas at the Commissariat is an event in which all residents

can participate. It also supports a great cause, since admission is a

non-perishable food item in support of the Community Food Sharing Association.

The event commemorates the historic holiday season and highlights our Provincial

Historic Sites.

The Commissariat and all Provincial Historic Sites have something for

everyone to discover. They reveal significant stories and insights into the

historical development of the Province. Since 2003, the provincial government

has invested approximately $2.5 million for upgrades to Provincial Historic

Sites.

I invite everyone to attend this weekend's festivities and to explore some of

our incredible history.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER: The Member for the District of Bay of Islands.

MR. JOYCE: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I thank the minister for the advance copy and just let him know that I am

always in the Christmas spirit, as the people in this House would know.

Mr. Speaker, this is the start of Christmas and the Commissariat House is a

start for all of us at Christmas. It is a great time for everybody to go down

and look at the old traditions of the old Christmases in St. John's and

Newfoundland traditions from the 1830s. It is a great time to see what type of

food we were eating, what type of music we were playing, what type of cider I

know some of us are people who would like to have a drop of cider at times, so

we can drop down and have a bit of cider.

It is always great to see our traditions alive in Newfoundland and Labrador

and it is great to see that this house is open to the public that we can all

drop down and see, and it is great for the government to be able to have access

to the public.

Also, the minister mentioned about the Community Food Sharing Association, we

as parliamentarians and we as a group and I know everyone in this House agrees

that we have to try to remember the less fortunate in the Province during this

time. During this time now, with the start of Christmas, let us all be on our

forefront of the people who are less fortune at Christmas and let us all reach

out just that little extra so we can all make a better Christmas for everybody.

When we do that, we will have a better Christmas ourselves.

Thank you again, Minister, great job.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER: The Member for The Straits White Bay North.

MR. MITCHELMORE: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I, too, thank the minister for an advance copy of his statement. I encourage

people to visit our Provincial Historic Sites and the Commissariat holds a very

important piece of our history because we demanded the rights to manage our own

affairs, to have our own government. I am looking forward to participating in

the event this weekend, to take in the traditional foods, sights, and sounds. I

am very pleased to see that admission is a non-perishable food item. It is very

good to see that we are looking at partnering with non-profit entities and

helping others.

I encourage government to provide new supports for programming to help

advance new visitation to these vital pieces of heritage.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER: Presenting Reports by Standing and Select Committees.

Tabling of Documents.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Oh, oh!

MR. SPEAKER: The Speaker was conscious of the time and we start Question

Period at 2:30 p.m. I was just dispensing a couple of routine issues before we

went to Question Period at 2:30 p.m.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER: Question Period is a half an hour.

Oral Questions.

Oral Questions

MR. SPEAKER: The Leader of the Official Opposition.

MR. BALL: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Yesterday, government was forced to come clean and admit that they broke the

commitment to the people of this Province not to spend taxpayers' money on

Muskrat Falls without sanction. The minister admitted that $45 million was

transferred to Nalcor on October 1.

I ask the Premier: How can you break your commitment and transfer millions of

dollars to Nalcor behind closed doors prior to sanctioning this project?

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Premier.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

PREMIER DUNDERDALE: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, we do not do anything in secret. There have been millions and

millions and millions of dollars invested in the development of the Churchill

River for the last thirty years, Mr. Speaker, significant amounts of money

invested in the development of the Lower Churchill by leaders of the Liberal

Party when they were Premiers of this Province.

Mr. Speaker, there was an allocation of money in last year's Budget for

Nalcor, for oil and gas projects, and for development of the Lower Churchill.

When we made the commitment to say that we did not intend to spend the money

until sanction, we certainly expected that we would have been at sanction

mid-summer. That did not happen, Mr. Speaker. When we were at risk of losing a

year in our construction schedule, which would have cost upward of over $300

million, a decision was made to spend some of that money now.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER: The Leader of the Official Opposition.

MR. BALL: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Of course, the question was about the commitment, why you decided to do it.

We understand that obviously you wanted to do the road, but at least what we

felt is that the public should know about it.

While answering questions on this broken commitment, the Minister of Natural

Resources stated that Nalcor ran out of money and that government had to step

in.

I ask the Premier: The project is not even sanctioned. What does it say about

the billions more that you plan to spend and the long-lasting financial burden

on the Province, and the other commitments that Nalcor has if Nalcor is already

out of money?

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Premier.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

PREMIER DUNDERDALE: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, tens upon tens upon tens of millions of dollars has been spent

on the development of the Lower Churchill River over the last thirty years.

Significant amounts of that money were spent by Liberal Administrations, two

attempts to develop without a by-your-leave to anybody, I say to the Leader of

the Opposition.

Mr. Speaker, when we were asked about the Budget allocation, it certainly was

our intention not to spend significant amounts of money until sanction was

complete, of the money allocated in the Budget. We fully expected that we would

be at sanction mid-summer.

When it became clear, Mr. Speaker, that sanction was not going to happen

until later and the project was at risk of being delayed a year if we did not

make an investment, and at a cost to the people of this Province, whose

interests are always at our forefront, of $300 million, it was decided it was

prudent to use some of that money to do the work to prevent that delay.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER: The Leader of the Official Opposition.

MR. BALL: Mr. Speaker, it sounds a lot to me that this project is already

sanctioned. The Premier is the one who said that she would not spend the money

prior to sanctioning. Without a loan guarantee too, I would remind the Premier.

Now I am hearing here that we decided to spend the money prior to

sanctioning. It is troubling that the Premier is intent on plowing through with

the $9 billion Muskrat Falls Project without any regulatory oversight, even with

further indication that there is strong public support for the PUB review.

I ask the Premier: Why are you ignoring the people of the Province and

refusing regulatory oversight on this project? What is it you are afraid of?

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Premier.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

PREMIER DUNDERDALE: Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, it is not me or the government who is afraid. The people who

absolutely refuse to come to this House of Assembly for the debate are the

Opposition. The Liberals have shut down a full and open debate of this project,

Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, we did refer the question to the Public Utilities Board. The

questions we asked: Do we need the power; is Muskrat Falls the least-cost

alternative? Mr. Speaker, when the PUB produced its report it concurred with

Nalcor and it is in the executive

summary right in the front so you might want

to read it. It concurred with Nalcor and MHI that based on Decision Gate 2

numbers that we did need the power and indeed it was the least-cost alternative.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

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

MR. BALL: So again, I ask the Premier: if you have your answer, why not

go back there? They did not give you the confidence in the project that you went

looking for. That is the reason why you decided to go to MHI yourselves.

Mr. Speaker, as the Premier barrels through sanctioning Muskrat Falls, there

is still the issue of the untested water management agreement with

CF(L)Co . The Premier has relied on the expertise at the

PUB for this water management agreement. There is no confidence that they can

accurately but she has confidence that she can use this water management

agreement, but no confidence that the PUB can do the review on the $9 billion

Muskrat Falls project.

So I ask the Premier: How can the PUB be good enough for one job, but not

good enough for the other?

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Minister of Natural Resources.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. KENNEDY: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I think it is rather unfortunate that the Leader of the Opposition keeps

referring to a $9 billion project. He knows that is not correct, Mr. Speaker. It

is like they said, power rates will double; what did that show to be? It showed,

Mr. Speaker, to be absolutely and totally false, and that is what I am saying to

the Leader of the Opposition: your comments are false, Sir.

Mr. Speaker, in relation to the water rights management, there is a

difference between the original contract and the renewal contract. I would

suggest that if the Leader of the Opposition looks at that he will see it. We

have had this reviewed by lawyers, both in St. John's and in other parts of the

country, Mr. Speaker. They have all expressed the confidence that it can be

done. Hydro-Qubec has sent a letter saying their contract has not been

interfered with. Well, Hydro-Qubec, Mr. Speaker, has never been slow to take us

to court when their contract rights have been interfered with.

Finally, the PUB, for what it is worth, did consider the matter, and did

indicate that there was no breach of the contract in any way.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

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

MR. BALL: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

When I referred to the $9 billion project, what I am talking about is there

is a billion dollars in interest during construction that we know of, and we

also know that the Maritime Link will come in more than the $1.2 billion that we

know; that, of course, is excluding overruns, which we all anticipate will

happen, I am sure.

Mr. Speaker, the Premier and the Minister of Natural Resources have both

indicated that they do not have confidence in the PUB, even though these are

your appointments.

So, I ask the Premier: If you do not have confidence in your own

appointments, how can the people of this Province have confidence in this

government?

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Premier.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

PREMIER DUNDERDALE: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, this is the second day in a row that the Leader of the

Opposition has encouraged the government to get rid of the PUB, to fire the PUB.

It certainly does not sound like he has much confidence in them himself.

Mr. Speaker, what we did with the PUB, we put forward the questions that I

spoke about in my earlier response. We referred Muskrat Falls and we said: do we

need the power? Is this the least-cost option? They hired an expert, Mr.

Speaker, who concluded yes to both those questions. In their executive

summary,

the PUB says that they concur with Nalcor and MHI that Muskrat Falls is the

least-cost alternative, Mr. Speaker. They wanted more information, we got more

information, Mr. Speaker.

MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!

The hon. the Leader of the Official Opposition.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. BALL: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The Premier has made it clear to the unions that she intends to strip

benefits that they now receive; however, she is not practicing the same

restraint in her own office and the department.

Since September there have been over twenty new appointments in her office

and government departments.

I ask the Premier: Why are you demanding cuts from others while padding your

office and the department with new appointments?

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Premier.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

PREMIER DUNDERDALE: Mr. Speaker, that accusation is not only incorrect,

it is insulting. We have been looking this past year to find efficiencies, to

streamline services, to make sure that we are delivering government programs in

the most efficient, effective way for the people of the Province.

There has been no increase in my staffing budget, Mr. Speaker, on the eighth

floor. We have approached our staffing in a very slow and particular way, doing

an analysis of what it was we required on the eighth floor, how it needed to be

organized, and only filling the positions when we were sure that they were

required.

No new positions have been added, Mr. Speaker, and we are still within our

budget.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

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

MR. BALL: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I would like for the Premier to actually table those and we would like to see

it without the Bill 29 component to it.

Mr. Speaker, a few days ago government provided us with the contract details

of the new staff hired in her office in September. There were positions in the

Premier's office that received as much as a 40 per cent increase in pay. The

Premier is really talking from the other side of her mouth when she demands 3

per cent cuts from other government departments.

Hundreds of thousands of dollars have been spent on brochures supporting

Muskrat Falls, so I ask the Premier: Can you please explain to the people of

this Province the hypocrisy in demanding austerity from everyone else, when it

comes to your own office and communications?

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Premier.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

PREMIER DUNDERDALE: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, we have held positions vacant in my office for well over a year

to make sure that we were doing the right thing and only hiring the people

necessary to do the work. Day after day after day in this House we hear members

of the Opposition parties talk about that we are not providing enough

information on Muskrat Falls, Mr. Speaker. When we provide that information to

every person in this Province, every household in this Province at a cost of

less than $1 per household, Mr. Speaker, they have the nerve to stand up and

criticize it. Mr. Speaker, it is absolutely unbelievable.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Member for Burgeo La Poile.

MR. A. PARSONS: Mr. Speaker, a CBC access to information request on the

remuneration paid to Len Simms, the CEO of Housing, yielded his base salary only

at a whopping $160,000. This individual left this job twice to run Tory election

campaigns and was reappointed both times.

I ask the Premier: Don't you think the people are entitled to know what

bonuses the CEO of Housing is receiving after running your election campaigns?

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Minister of Innovation, Business and Rural

Development.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. HUTCHINGS: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

We take the access to information and privacy act very seriously, Mr.

Speaker. We strike a balance between access to information and protecting the

private interests of individuals or commercial information which is very

sensitive in the public domain, Mr. Speaker.

Bill 29 looked at various aspects of that. Prior to Bill 29 and what we have

today is very similar in terms of what that access can be. Mr. Cummings made a

recommendation. He talked about a harm test and how important it is to identify

personal information and what is released to the public and what is not.

We made the recommendations, we took the recommendation of Mr. Cummings, made

it a part of Bill 29. We make no apology, Mr. Speaker, for protecting the

private interests of the people of Newfoundland and Labrador.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Member for Burgeo La Poile.

MR. A. PARSONS: I appreciate the non-answer, Mr. Speaker, from the

minister of public engagement. There was absolutely no answer to the question,

or as the Wikipedia says, "The Minister of Twitter".

Mr. Speaker, one of the most fundamental rights of this House is to approve

expenditures and provide oversight that money is well spent. Yet, now government

intends to hide quantities and evidence of non-salary payments to political

appointees of government, a long way from openness and accountability. Thank

you, Bill 29.

I ask the minister: Will government commit to revealing upon request all

non-salary payments and any other benefits provided to political appointees of

this government?

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Minister of Innovation, Business and Rural

Development.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. HUTCHINGS: Mr. Speaker, I remind the hon. member it was this

government that proclaimed the legislation. It was sitting idle before we came

to power and we proclaimed the legislation.

Mr. Speaker, prior to Bill 29, an application for a compensation package for

someone in government basically gave that figure, what it was. There was no

bonus and no information provided. Post Bill 29, based on the Cummings

recommendation we adopted, right now you will receive a range of salary for

someone in the public service. In addition, you will receive the calculation to

calculate any bonus attached to that position, Mr. Speaker.

In terms of protecting individual privacy, we would not release the actual

figure because that would breach maybe the employer-employee, a certain

relationship in regard to bonuses. That relates to an individual's employment

history. Mr. Speaker, I do not think that should be in the public domain. We

support that, and we certainly support that piece of legislation.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Member for Bay of Islands.

MR. JOYCE: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, the Minister of Finance, the Member for Humber East stated that

the Corner Brook hospital is so huge it could cost up to $750 million. Premier,

in a recent private meeting with the City Council of Corner Brook you stated: As

long as the new hospital numbers were coming in at $600 million to $700 million

we would not build it.

I ask the Premier: Who is correct in their statements, you or the Minister of

Finance?

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Premier.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

PREMIER DUNDERDALE: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, this government is fully committed to a new hospital in Corner

Brook, and that is what I told the city council, Mr. Speaker.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

PREMIER DUNDERDALE: Mr. Speaker, we are charged as stewards of the

Province's fiscal situation. We are called on to manage the money of the

Province. We have to ensure that it is done appropriately, Mr. Speaker. We are

going to do that with every project we do, including the hospital in Corner

Brook. It is a big project. It is going to require hundreds of millions of

dollars. We need to spend it properly to ensure that the needs of the people of

that region are properly met, Mr. Speaker. That is what we are doing, and that

is what we are going to continue to do.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Member for Bay of Islands.

MR. JOYCE: Mr. Speaker, I ask the Premier once again: Is the Minister of

Finance correct when he is saying it is going to be so huge and have all of the

facilities that we need for $750 million, or are you holding the threats to the

City of Corner Brook in a public-private meeting saying that if it is up to $600

million it will not be spent? What will you cut to keep it under the $750

million that the Minister of Finance says we need in Corner Brook?

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Premier.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

PREMIER DUNDERDALE: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, I understand that the member opposite had some difficulty

getting a meeting with the City of Corner Brook himself, and I am not a bit

surprised because if he misreports his own meetings with the City of Corner

Brook in the way that he is misreporting mine, I can understand why they would

not want to meet with him, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, we have a solid commitment to the people of Corner Brook that we

are going to build a new hospital. Planning for that hospital goes on, on a

daily basis and there is interaction between us and all of the entities that are

involved in the design and planning for that hospital. That commitment has not

faltered, not one bit, Mr. Speaker.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Member for St. Barbe.

MR. BENNETT: Mr. Speaker, today is World Fisheries Day, and today the

minister stated in the media that he has no intention to change the course of

aquaculture development in this Province.

Why do the minister and this government insist on following the failures of

Norway, the failures of Scotland, and the failures of British Columbia in

open-net aquaculture when vision, courage, and action in closed-containment

aquaculture could make us a success and at the same time protect our environment

and our investments?

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Minister of Fisheries and Aquaculture.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. DALLEY: Mr. Speaker, I say to the member opposite: it was vision,

courage, and action that got us the success in aquaculture to start with.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. DALLEY: We have a thousand people attached to the workforce on the

South Coast of this Province, Mr. Speaker, because of investments made by this

government, because of a working relationship with industry to build aquaculture

to where it is today. It is a tremendous industry; communities are thriving,

people are working, Mr. Speaker, and we are having tremendous success. We

continue to make the right investments in aquaculture.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER: The Leader of the Third Party.

MS MICHAEL: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Yesterday, the Premier trumpeted a poll showing 59 per cent of people support

the Muskrat Falls project.

Mr. Speaker, I ask the Premier today: Will she also trumpet the poll that

shows that 69 per cent of the people believe the project should be sent back to

the Public Utilities Board for review?

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Premier.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

PREMIER DUNDERDALE: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

We do not govern by polls, but it is always nice when you hear that people

are endorsing the work that is being done by the government on their behalf. It

is certainly interesting to hear the Leader of the Third Party refer to the

poll, and refer she is accepting the view that is expressed on returning the

project to the PUB. I can only assume from that statement, Mr. Speaker, that she

also concurs with the majority of people in this Province that the Muskrat Falls

project is the best project for the people of the Province, now, and into the

future.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER: The Leader of the Third Party.

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

I said nothing about concurrence with anything. I am asking the Premier if

the Premier will listen to the voice of the people in this Province, 69 per cent

of whom say

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Oh, oh!

MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!

Order, please!

MS MICHAEL: send the project back to the PUB for review. Do the

democratic thing.

Yes or no, to the Premier: Will she listen to the voice of the people in the

Province?

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Premier.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

PREMIER DUNDERDALE: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, of course we listen to the voice of the people in this Province.

We went to an election just last year on Muskrat Falls, on new energy. It was

the central part of our platform, Mr. Speaker, and what did the people of the

Province do? They gave us a resounding endorsement of that policy.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER: The Leader of the Third Party.

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

I point out to the Premier that very few of us heard the word Muskrat Falls

mentioned during that general election and number two, Mr. Speaker

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Oh, oh!

MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!

MS MICHAEL: she cannot listen, she cannot say she agrees with one poll

and not with another.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Oh, oh!

MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!

MS MICHAEL: Mr. Speaker, both the joint panel's environmental assessment

and the Public Utilities Board expressed serious concerns about the financing of

the Muskrat Falls project, including the project's ability to deliver the

long-term financial benefits projected by Nalcor and about how rates will be

calculated and charged to the ratepayers of the Province, on whose back the cost

will always be.

Mr. Speaker, the Premier's reply to these concerns is to ignore them and

continue her silence and secrecy. I ask the Premier: If the financing is so

sound, why is she hiding the details?

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Minister of Natural Resources.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. KENNEDY: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

As I indicated yesterday, the revenues have obviously been looked at with the

bond rating agencies, as Nalcor is going to borrow money from the markets. Also,

Mr. Speaker, the provincial government has engaged in the rigorous review of the

economics of this project, but just to put it in perspective, the revenues that

we show right now, there will be approximately $130 million available to the

Province in 2020 that will be over and above the payment of all expenses. That

is based on 40 per cent of the power. It does not include the export or the

other 40 per cent.

Mr. Speaker, Muskrat Falls is a project that will pay for itself. It will

ensure a future for our children and our grandchildren and that is not a future

that we are willing to put in the hands of a PUB who would not do their job.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER: The Leader of the Third Party.

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

Over here we are interested in the present, not just the future. Again, he

has insulted the PUB.

Mr. Speaker, in jurisdictions where electricity

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Oh, oh!

MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!

MS MICHAEL: and utilities hold a virtual monopoly like here, public

utilities boards take on the important role of protecting the interests of

electricity consumers. That is their role, yet our government has silenced the

PUB we have just heard them insult it allowing our monopoly utility Nalcor

to undertake the largest project in our history without independent review.

There is no agency looking out for the average ratepayers.

I ask the Premier, who says she is interested in them: Who is looking after

the interests of the people of the Province?

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Minister of Natural Resources.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

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

We were elected as a government to make decisions. Mr. Speaker, we as a

government, unlike obviously the NDP, we look to the future because that is what

it is about.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. KENNEDY: Muskrat Falls is the Premier's vision for this future and

for our children. Mr. Speaker, it is not unusual to have the PUB exempted in

this Province. For example, in 1996, Granite Canal was exempted from PUB

examination. The Lower Churchill Project, in 2000, was exempted from PUB

scrutiny, Mr. Speaker. What we did, Mr. Speaker, as a government, we went to the

PUB. They did not do their job.

Let's look at what else has happened, Mr. Speaker. Abitibi in 2002, the

former Liberal government also exempted from PUB scrutiny.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Member for The Straits White Bay North.

MR. MITCHELMORE: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, ACOA announced funding upcoming cuts to the RED Boards. The

Minister of IBRD and his department followed suit and cut their funding in July.

ACOA now ties its Business Development Program funding for non-profits to match

the provincial contribution to 25 per cent. Government's Regional Sector

Diversification Fund, used by non-profits, will leave non-profits facing funding

the projects 50 per cent themselves.

Mr. Speaker, will the Minister of IBRD step up support for non-profits, or is

he determined to follow Harper's lead and slash the non-profit sector?

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Minister of Innovation, Business and Rural

Development.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. HUTCHINGS: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, the federal government in the last budget process decided the

$4.4 million contribution overall in the package, that they were taking out

their $3.2 million. We were in for $1.2 million with the economic RED Boards.

Mr. Speaker, we have encompassed a range of programs of $135 million in IBRD.

We have staff throughout the Province, we have a regional office, and we work

closely with non-profit groups. In regard to the cuts that were made, we are

confident with the capacity we have on the ground that we are able to fill any

vacancies that are left.

Just recently, in July, we asked all Regional Economic Development Boards to

identify for us projects that they had. We have stepped up and identified over

eighty that we will now identify and have identified new proponents for those

projects. We will move forward with them and work in partnership with them, with

Chambers of Commerce, municipalities, with all those local governments and

volunteers on the ground to continue the good work we have done in economic

development in rural Newfoundland and Labrador, Mr. Speaker.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Member for The Straits White Bay North.

MR. MITCHELMORE: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

It certainly seems there is going to be a void to fill, and government is

quick to give volunteers a pat on the back and laud their contributions to the

community. Yet, a growing number of our non-profits in this Province are

undercapitalized and they are chasing government programs to help pay for

operations. We see IBRD giving grants to Fortune 500 companies but reigning in

investments to local non-profits.

Mr. Speaker, I ask the Minister of IBRD, will he develop a special, social

enterprise fund with flexible lending terms for non-profits?

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Minister of Innovation, Business and Rural

Development.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. HUTCHINGS: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, we are all fully engaged the hon. member does not know in

social enterprise. We are very into the Federation of Co-operatives Newfoundland

and Labrador. We have an MOU. It is recognized nationally for what we are doing

and the support we are giving to MOUs and co-ops, and new co-ops. There were

seven established last year in the Province.

I was at their AGM just recently and spoke to someone who talked about, on a

national basis, the things we are doing with co-ops here in this Province that

are second to none. That is social enterprise, Mr. Speaker.

Again, on Fogo Island with Zita Cobb, the investment we have there, that is

social enterprise. We believe in it. The hon. member is missing it. I do not

know where he is, but we are heavily engaged. The programs we are engaged in

too, he mentioned the Rural Secretariat and Diversification Fund. Since 2005,

$42 million we have invested, in partnership and other leverages. We are up to

$205 million invested in rural Newfoundland and Labrador.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!

The hon. the Member for St. John's North.

MR. KIRBY: Mr. Speaker, Autism Spectrum Disorder is the most common

neurological disability affecting children today, but parents cannot get the

supports they need for their children. Eastern Health says children with autism

wait an average of two years to see an occupational therapist. There are close

to 120 schools in the Eastern School District and there are only three itinerant

teachers with autism specific responsibilities.

How much longer will families have to wait before this government gets its

act together and gives more support to students with autism?

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Minister of Education.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. JACKMAN: Mr. Speaker, in the Province we have six itinerant

specialists who work with autistic children, teachers and everything else.

Mr. Speaker, since 2009, we have provided $1 million to support professional

development for teachers with more engagement within the school system. We have

brought in professionals. We work with the parents, with the schools, the entire

system to improve the services of autism, Mr. Speaker.

This is a very broad spectrum. The more we get into it, the more we are

learning about it, Mr. Speaker. It is all about providing the best service we

can for the parents and, in particular, the students with autism disorders, Mr.

Speaker.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Member for St. John's North.

MR. KIRBY: Mr. Speaker, many families in this Province cannot wait for

this government to get its act together. Some parents are paying thousands of

dollars out of their own pockets to take their children out of the Province to

get assessments and services they need. Why are these parents being forced to

find solutions themselves without leadership from this government?

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

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

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MS SULLIVAN: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, we have spent in excess now of $10.5 million annually in autism

programs that the member across the way does not seem to know anything about

just last year, $2.9 million to bring the ABA program up to the Grade 3 level.

Apart from that, there are about sixty additional FTEs provided to the RHAs

throughout this Province, Mr. Speaker, to continue to provide services to

children with autism. Mr. Speaker, we understand the seriousness of autism in

this Province of Newfoundland and Labrador, and we are working diligently at

trying to assess those and address those needs.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Member for St. John's North. Time for a quick

question, please.

MR. KIRBY: Will the Minister of Education assure students, parents,

teachers, and bus operators in this Province that his review of student

transportation policies will include public consultations?

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Minister of Education, and a quick response.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. JACKMAN: Mr. Speaker, we had a contact this morning by the hon.

member, provided him information, even pointed out to him

section three and

section four, where he can find out the terms of reference and the scope of the

project. We are asking for an independent analysis, Mr. Speaker, and I am not

going to judge and dictate what independent means. If the hon. member is

considering dictating something, maybe he should tell us, but I am not there,

Mr. Speaker. This is going to be an independent analysis of our bussing system.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!

The time for Question Period has expired.

We have less than a minute remaining before 3:00 o'clock and Private Members'

Day. I am going to suggest to the House, we do not have that much time for a

petition, so unless someone can deliver a petition in less than a minute, we can

proceed directly to Private Members' Day.

Petitions

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Member for St. Barbe.

MR. BENNETT: To the hon. House of Assembly in the Province of

Newfoundland and Labrador in Parliament assembled, the petition of the

undersigned humbly sheweth:

WHEREAS with declining enrolment, distance education by Internet is now an

accepted way to deliver educational services to students living in small

communities; and

WHEREAS students have little to no say in where they or their families

reside; and

WHEREAS many families do not have the ability to relocate so that their

children can access educational opportunities in larger centres; and

WHEREAS many small businesses rely on the Internet to conduct business; and

WHEREAS high-speed Internet permits a business to be more competitive than

the slower dial-up service; and

WHEREAS high-speed Internet service exists

MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!

According to Standing Order 63, the Speaker has no flexibility on Private

Members' Day but to adjourn the routine matters and go directly to private

members' business.

Orders of the Day

Private Members' Day

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Oh, oh!

MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!

Order, please!

There is a motion on the Order Paper in the name of the Member for Lake

Melville, and it being 3 o'clock on Wednesday, Private Members' Day, I will now

ask the member to introduce his motion.

MR. RUSSELL: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I move the following private member's motion, seconded by the Member for Baie

Verte Springdale:

WHEREAS the Arctic presents significant opportunities for future economic

growth and development, and Newfoundland and Labrador is well-positioned to play

a central role because of the Province's geographic location, industrial

infrastructure, knowledge and experience in operating in cold and harsh

environments, research and development capacity and facilities, and favourable

reputation; and

WHEREAS our government launched the cross-departmental Arctic Opportunities

Initiative in April 2010 to identify opportunities, build knowledge and

capacity, promote awareness of our Province's strengths, and find ways the

government can help advance and support local successes in Arctic development;

and our Department of Innovation, Business and Rural Development is also leading

a Federal-Provincial Arctic Committee focused on promoting collaboration between

the provincial and federal governments to advance opportunities in the North;

and

WHEREAS in September and October of 2012, the Province conducted a series of

stakeholder engagement sessions in St. John's, Lewisporte, Corner Brook, St.

Anthony, Happy Valley-Goose Bay and Wabush, bringing together a broad base of

stakeholders from government, academia, communities, community organizations,

and industry to discuss opportunities, challenges, and the role the Province can

play in advancing and supporting work in the Arctic for companies and

organizations in the Province;

THEREFORE

BE IT RESOLVED that this hon. House encourages the Government of

Newfoundland and Labrador to continue through its Arctic Opportunities

Initiative to identify and advance opportunities for Newfoundlanders and

Labradorians to take the lead in Arctic development initiatives, specifically by

producing an Arctic "plan forward" that will promote Newfoundland and Labrador

as the ideal staging ground for Arctic-related activities, given our many

capabilities and competitive advantages, and work with local companies,

institutions, and organizations to identify and prepare to capture Arctic

opportunities as they emerge.

Mr. Speaker, it is truly an honour to rise in this hon. House today to speak

about the opportunities that are emerging for Newfoundland and Labrador and our

residents in regard to developments in the Arctic. As interest in the Arctic

intensifies, as a Province we must be prepared to harness and capitalize on

these emerging economic and business opportunities, Mr. Speaker.

When you think about it, Newfoundland and Labrador certainly has had a

considerable amount of experience working in harsh and cold environments. This

collective experience has shaped who we are as a people, both socially and

economically, and it has also facilitated the growth and development of new

industries and new business opportunities. As a government, our focus is on

sustaining and building on this activity.

Over the past fifty years, Newfoundland and Labrador has become synonymous

with offshore oil and gas, and we are an established marine and offshore supply

and service centre. Today, our supply and service sector is over 500 companies

strong, Mr. Speaker. It can meet all of the project development and operational

requirements, and is well-versed in accessing remote and isolated communities in

Arctic-like conditions.

World-class education and research institutions are anchored right here, Mr.

Speaker, ready to respond to industry demand and provide high-skilled graduates

to resource companies and service providers alike. Our level of expertise in

areas such as ocean observation, ice surveillance, telecommunications,

autonomous underwater vehicles, and marine simulation is making waves, Mr.

Speaker, globally, and has elevated our position as a leader in ocean

technology. All of this is exciting and incredibly rewarding, and it is creating

new opportunities, Mr. Speaker, for the residents of Newfoundland and Labrador.

In partnership with industry and academia, we have increased our capacity to

conduct world-class research in cold, harsh environments, Mr. Speaker.

Geographically, Newfoundland and Labrador is definitely strategically

positioned, and is definitely directly in the path of critical international

shipping lanes. Each year, thousands of ships, Mr. Speaker, criss-cross the

Atlantic Ocean for destinations around the world; many of them making stops

here.

As more shipping routes emerge in the North, Newfoundland and Labrador will

be an important supply and service stop along the way for people, products, and

services alike. Our deepwater and ice-free ports in towns such as Lewisporte and

In Labrador, I am happy to say, Mr. Speaker, in my District of Lake Melville,

the Port of Happy Valley-Goose Bay provides direct access to the Port of

Lewisporte. This corridor truly acts as a true gateway to the North. Factor in

our close proximity to the Arctic and Arctic sea routes, it is clear to see that

this Province will have a key role to play in any Arctic exploration.

As a government, we have made significant investments in critical

transportation infrastructure, including over $5.3 million for the St. Anthony

Port Authority to facilitate expansion and modernization of its wharf. We see

this investment as a pivotal step in positioning St. Anthony as a key port of

call in the transportation of products throughout the Arctic. It will help

stimulate new commercial and trade opportunities for the Province and contribute

directly to the growth of the economy of St. Anthony and the surrounding

communities.

The Town of Lewisporte's slogan, Gateway to the North, speaks to the

important role that they already play in shipping people, products, and services

to the Coast of Labrador. Lewisporte is also a major marine supply distribution

terminal for a variety of fuel products such as gasoline, diesel, and home

heating fuel, and is also the offloading centre for aviation fuel for the Gander

International Airport.

We have also made investments, Mr. Speaker, in infrastructure projects that

will ultimately increase the efficiency of the transportation system in our

Province. In 2011, we invested close to $14.5 million to support the

installation of a Category III Instrument Landing System at St. John's

International Airport, and for rehabilitation work to the runway at Gander

International Airport.

Part of this investment was also earmarked for the expansion of the SmartBay

project of the Marine Institute by installing additional buoys and sensors to

enhance marine traffic management in Placentia Bay. For those unfamiliar, Mr.

Speaker, with SmartBay, it is a valuable partnership between the Marine

Institute and three local businesses. It has also emerged as a crucial, ocean

observation system in Placentia Bay, which is one of Canada's busiest marine

waterways.

Through SmartBay's implementation, the bottom of the bay has been mapped and

buoys strategically placed to provide oil tankers, fishermen, and other users

with detailed information to monitor ocean conditions, and most importantly,

avoid catastrophes. In the period since that announcement, the Department of

Innovation, Business and Rural Development has worked closely with the Marine

Institute and Transport Canada to finalize the details of SmartBay's expansion

to other regions of the Province, Mr. Speaker. Based on their strategic

importance in regard to marine trade logistics, four new buoys will be placed

near St. John's, Corner Brook, Lewisporte, and Port aux Basques. Once installed,

they will provide real-time oceanographic conditions to marine users of those

regions, Mr. Speaker.

This Administration is working hard to increasingly diversify our economy

which will result in greater employment opportunities and greater wealth for the

people of our great Province. As a government, we are committed to working with

industry and businesses to help them achieve even greater successes. We want

companies to be able to pursue opportunities at home and abroad, Mr. Speaker. We

want to support workforce development initiatives. We want to attract greater

volumes of investment in business developments in all regions of our Province.

That is why we have our eyes keenly focused on new markets and new

opportunities, Mr. Speaker, including those in the Arctic, and we are taking

steps to maximize the benefits for Newfoundland and Labrador-based businesses.

As Premier Dunderdale has said, the edge of the new frontier starts right here

on our shores.

When you combine, Mr. Speaker, our geographic location, industrial

infrastructure, knowledge and experience, our academic research and development

capacity, and world-class business community it is clear that Newfoundland and

Labrador is well positioned to be an active player and participate in any future

developments that may occur in the Arctic.

Let us continue to build on our collective strengths and capacity to

capitalize on all emerging opportunities in the Arctic for the benefit of all

Newfoundlanders and Labradorians.

Through this resolution, Mr. Speaker, I am encouraging the development of an

Arctic action plan that will promote Newfoundland and Labrador as the ideal

staging ground for Arctic-related activities, given our many strengths and

significant expertise.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER: The Leader of the Official Opposition.

MR. BALL: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

It is certainly my privilege today to stand and speak to the private member's

resolution that was put forth by the Member for Lake Melville. Of course, as the

Opposition and as a Member of this House of Assembly we, too, do support the

initiatives and see the opportunities, really, with the positioning not only

in Labrador but of course the Island of Newfoundland, as a Province in general,

how we have positioned ourselves for the opportunities that exist within the

Northern Gateway and as the gateway to the Arctic.

I agree with the Member for Lake Melville. There are significant

opportunities as we actually put the infrastructure in place. There is no

question about that, but I do add the caution. I will say that it will require a

significant amount of work. No doubt, this will be work that will have to be

completed over a long period of time, but it will take a commitment and a

resolve because it is just not simply about getting a group together or getting

people in a room, or going across the Province or the Island, or going across

Labrador to actually have meetings and to gather information. It will take a

significant investment, a significant commitment, not only to the infrastructure

but of course the will and the courage to make sure that we explore all of these

opportunities so that we can actually foster the economic growth.

As the member said, this was launched by government through the Arctic

Opportunities Initiative in April, 2010, but what we do know, of course, the

idea here was in the making sometime before that. What we have now seen is

really almost three years have passed since we have taken it to where we are

today. This is the first that we have brought it to the floor of the House of

Assembly.

As a member, as I said, we do see that there are significant opportunities

with the Arctic Gateway and positioning Labrador and the Island to take

advantage of those opportunities, and we do support that.

I do notice, however, that when you look at the series of meetings in St.

John's, Lewisporte, Corner Brook, St. Anthony, Happy Valley-Goose Bay, and

Wabush that actually took place from September to October in 2012, that there

are significant portions of Labrador that was left out of that. The member

opposite did mention that there were some meetings in St. Anthony and did

mention about the investment of about $5.3 million in infrastructure investment

in St. Anthony that would go to support such economic opportunities through the

gateway.

I will say, though, that there are other things that we have all noticed and

we have significant discussion in this House, things that would now be lacking

and I refer to, for instance, the Coast Guard centres and the closures that we

now know are currently underway in St. Anthony.

It is important that if we do make investments in infrastructure that we also

be cognizant of what we are losing and the potential opportunities and the

impact that those losses would have as we try to develop economic benefits

through other infrastructure investments, and as we too try and open the Arctic

and open the North for the economic benefits that would actually exist.

Mr. Speaker, it is no question that as a Province we have one thing on our

side that is very obvious. All you need to do is look at the map and you will

see that no matter what you do, if you look at economic investment, one thing

that you will always look at is where you are located. You look for the

opportunities that that location could actually bring to you. There is an old

saying, I guess, as you develop business that there is one thing for sure: It is

always about location, location, and location. You do a lot to make sure that

when you make economic investments, you do position yourself so that you can

take advantage of the location. In this case it is natural for us; it is a

natural gateway for us through the Arctic.

We do have the transportation and the logistical experience that exists

within the Province. We know already, just through our shipping experience, that

we are very familiar we are probably more familiar than anyone else is, I

would suggest, in the world in navigating those waters. That is important. That

is expertise, and these are things that you just cannot buy. We are fortunate as

a Province that we have those and that exists within our Province.

We do have established marine and offshore supply centres, and we do have

supply and service industries available within the Province of some 500

companies. These are important things that you can build the economy and build

this gateway to the Arctic. We can actually build on all of this.

Mr. Speaker, even though this is natural in some aspects of how we develop

these opportunities, it cannot be a given. We cannot take for granted that

because we are located here that it will just happen. That is not the case. We

have to make sure that we take advantage of this location, we take advantage of

the expertise we have available to us and that we use it, but we must not forget

we do risk competition in this.

We already know there are other places within Canada that are positioning

themselves to take advantage of this same opportunity that we are discussing

here today. We know it from the Port of Belledune in New Brunswick, for

instance, that they too would like to be considered to be a natural gateway to

the North. We know that Sept-sles in Quebec, they feel the same way. They want

to take advantage of those similar economic opportunities.

We know that Churchill, in Manitoba, they see themselves as the same thing.

We have to do something so we can take advantage of the location that we have,

so that we can position ourselves to be the gateway that we want to be to the

North. It is important for us, and it is a great opportunity, I believe.

Now, you have heard us and members in our Party express lots of things. We

said a lot of things about the economic opportunity in Labrador. We have talked

about the mining, we have talked about tourism, and we have talked about the

cultural activities that are very important to us. As we develop the economy and

as we open up the North, which in some ways is naturally happening because of

environmental issues, we must make sure that we do protect the culture, we do

protect the ecology, and we make sure that we do take care of our environment in

doing so.

The Northwest Passage, as we know, is becoming more and more accessible. The

number of vessels that are going through the Northwest Passage right now is

growing on a yearly basis, and that is important because the marine activity is

now coming by our shores. As we open up the Northwest Passage, I believe we will

see more and more of that, and there is significant opportunity that will go

with it.

Mr. Speaker, the issue is not that we should do it. The real issue is how do

we do it? The fact is there is no question, we have to do this. The real

question is how will we do it? What are the factors that will stand in our way?

What are the changes we will need to consider in order to do this?

We already know we have the position, and more specifically, it is Labrador

that we can count on to be the focal point of this gateway. To become that

staging ground, to be formally recognized by everyone in the world, that if you

want to use the Northwest Passage, the opportunity that will pass by our shores,

especially through Labrador, that will be ours. We will have to do something a

little different from time to time to set us aside from the competitors that we

have. We have to do something different.

It is important that we continue to invest in the infrastructure. Things that

are in some parts of this Province, and really across the country some things

that we just take for granted. I refer to things like cellphone coverage; I

refer to things like broadband coverage. Communication is important as we build

on those communities.

Access to food; right now we know that since September we have had reduced

capacity on the North Coast. How we even get food there, how do we get people

there? It is important that we make that commitment so that we can put a

dependable service in place, a service that people can depend on. No longer

should the people who live on the North Coast of Labrador have to live with very

high food prices.

How do you build a community when you have compromised communications, when

you have compromised things like cellphone coverage, when you have food costs

that are the highest in the Province? That is not the way it should be if you

really want to develop communities. We must know that we have a dependable

health care system in place. We have to know there is an education system in

place that you can depend on.

Just today, we heard comments that were coming from the North Coast about how

it was difficult even to get an electricity hook up there, that people were

waiting over a month to get houses hooked up to electricity. This is not the way

you build that economy, this is not the way. We need to make that investment in

infrastructure so that the people in Labrador, in this particular case, can

depend on similar or the same services that we would see within the Province.

We know right now there is a shortage of vessels. This is something that we

have to address because you will not be able to build and the economic

opportunities on the North Coast of Labrador in particular without those very

basic type services in place.

Mr. Speaker, I had the opportunity this year in June, and in February, to go

to the North Coast of Labrador. One of the things that surprised me was the fact

that in Nain, for instance, they could not depend on the lights. There were no

lights at the airport in Nain. In 2012 we had an airport without lighting. These

are things that are important when you want to build the infrastructure in

places like Labrador, of course. These are things that we take for granted, but

things that we must make sure that those types of services are supplied to the

people.

As I mentioned, Mr. Speaker, health care, education these are all important

things to community development. I did mention the cost of food, but it is not

only the cost; it is actually the variety of food, the dating on the food. These

are all issues that they have to deal with on a day-to-day basis on the North

Coast.

Mr. Speaker, there is one thing; there is another issue that created a lot of

discussion in this House just a few months ago. Of course, that was search and

rescue. Search and rescue we just cannot settle for anything less when it

comes to search and rescue in Labrador versus any other parts of this country.

We have to make sure that we have a dependable search and rescue service that is

available. If we are to bring more people, if we are indeed to encourage people

to explore those waters, to open up this new frontier, well, then, we must put

services like search and rescue in place, something that the people that are

using the waters can depend on.

Mr. Speaker, one thing that the member mentioned was the whole idea of

putting an action plan in place. That is something that I actually agree with,

but what I would want to see in that action plan is not just a plan, just not to

go around the Province, go around Labrador, and create and gather information.

What are needed are milestones to this action plan. We must make the commitment

so that we can focus on actually getting this infrastructure investment in

place. This is important.

We must work within the timelines. We have to make sure, because the

competition, they are doing their part. We have already seen this in Sept-les;

we have seen it within the Province of Quebec. There is a railway that has been

discussed in this Province since the 1970s. Right now, the new railway that we

are seeing that would support the mining industry in Lab West will actually be

done in Quebec, not in Labrador. I see this as a missed opportunity for us.

Mr. Speaker, there are a lot of opportunities, I believe, as we open up the

North, but we must prepare for it. There are a lot of opportunities that we must

be willing to take advantage of, but it will take courage, it will take

investment, and it will take an action plan. We have to make sure that we put

those strategies in place and we have timelines attached to them so it is not

just another document that sits on the shelf, it is a document that will have

opportunity, but it is a document that we can focus on. It is a document that we

can actually tie strategic-type investments to.

We have to understand that we do have the location, we do have the expertise

within the Province right now, and we do have the people that are available, I

believe, to take advantage of those economic opportunities when they come our

way. We must make sure that we have the support in place. It is just not a

given. We have to prepare ourselves for that competition, Mr. Speaker.

I do agree that the action plan is important. I do support this motion. I do

believe that the strategic plan is something that needs to be further developed.

It is early, but I must say, and I cannot say enough, that we really, really

must attach the timelines with specific dates so that we can actually focus on

where the infrastructure is needed.

We just cannot settle for something. We cannot settle for less. We have to

make sure that we develop, that we continue to develop, Labrador and the ports

within the Island part of Newfoundland that are ready to serve this economic

opportunity that is presenting itself.

Mr. Speaker, I see my time is out now so I thank you for this opportunity.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER (Verge): The hon. the Member for Baie Verte Springdale.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. POLLARD: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

First of all I would like to thank the minister for giving me an opportunity

to second the motion put forward by my colleague, the Member for Lake Melville.

In addition I would like to thank the minister and the department officials for

giving us a very, very good briefing yesterday.

Mr. Speaker, the Arctic is indeed an area of intense international focus as

the region undergoes significant change. One change is the Arctic sea ice is

thinning and melting at a very, very faster rate than expected.

Environmentalists say at the current pace the Arctic could be ice free within

five to ten years due to climate change. This will open up new shipping lanes,

which will become the arteries of global commerce.

Based on that phenomenon, we as a Province are looking to the far North for

new opportunities. The Arctic as we all know is rich with natural resources,

with much attention focused on oil and gas, mining, and emerging fisheries.

Development of natural resources in the Arctic was often considered in the

past too difficult and not economically feasible due to the harsh, cold

environment; however, due to technological changes, natural resources and the

new shipping lanes are becoming more accessible today.

We know how to endure and do business in demanding ocean conditions. We have

the experience. Experience speaks for itself, Mr. Speaker; we excel in safe,

responsible, cost-effective and sustainable hydro-carbon development in ice and

iceberg-prone regions.

Our knowledge and expertise of extracting natural resources from the land and

sea has shaped our unique capacity in resource development, especially in cold

and harsh conditions. It also led to the creation of new businesses, industries,

and locally developed technologies.

By developing natural resources in a safe and responsible fashion, we are

contributing to sustainable economic and business growth. Over the past number

of decades, Mr. Speaker, Newfoundland and Labrador has become a very significant

force on the international energy stage and also in established marine and

offshore supply and service centre.

About one-third of Canada's conventional light crude oil is produced in

Newfoundland and Labrador through the fields of Hibernia, Terra Nova, and White

Rose. To date, the local oil and gas industry has discovered over 3 billion

barrels of oil and 11 trillion cubic feet of natural gas, with an estimated 6

billion barrels of oil and 60 trillion cubic feet of natural gas left to

discover. From 1997 to 2010, almost 1.4 billion barrels of oil has been

produced, worth approximately $82 billion.

Mr. Speaker, why is the Arctic so important? It is estimated that the Arctic

contains over 20 per cent of the world's undiscovered oil and gas resources, and

may contain up to 90 billion barrels of undiscovered oil and over close to 1.7

trillion cubic feet of undiscovered natural gas. No wonder, Mr. Speaker, each of

the eight Arctic states wants a piece of the pie.

As the demand for these resources increases and with further exploration

underway, there is a possibility of more discoveries and more opportunities yet

to be realized in the North Atlantic and the Arctic region, giving rise to a

very keen interest from jurisdictions all over the world.

Newfoundland and Labrador's oil and gas innovators have experienced some of

the most adverse conditions in the North Atlantic. They have experienced the

impenetrable sea ice, the powering icebergs, and the colossal North American

waves. They have the know-how, Mr. Speaker, to address the challenges of

resource development in such a cold, harsh environment. They continually

developed next generation technologies that are well positioned in a global

marketplace. With ingenuity, experience and steadfast determination, we have

transformed the cold ocean challenges into competitive advantages.

Mr. Speaker, while we cannot control the weather, how high the ocean swells,

or iceberg flow, we can better equip mariners with information, skills, and

technology that support better decision making. For example, through marine

simulation we can replicate harsh marine conditions and provide specialized

training in a controlled and safe environment.

We believe that if a product, service, or technology has demonstrated

capabilities and success in such environments as the North Atlantic, it can

provide significant economic value to local companies and global industries. No

doubt, Mr. Speaker, Newfoundland and Labrador is an innovative community. We are

motivated by staying at the forefront of evolving industry requirements. We are

always ready to tackle new maritime frontiers.

To help harness emerging opportunities in the Arctic and to ensure that we as

a Province are ready for the big push North, I am pleased to rise and speak to

the value of the Arctic Opportunities Initiative whose purpose is to identify

possible opportunities, to build knowledge and capacity, to create greater

awareness about Newfoundland and Labrador's capabilities and competitive

advantages.

Through this initiative and productive dialogue with stakeholders, the

development of the North must balance our economic and environmental

obligations. Here in Newfoundland and Labrador we can make oil and gas

development in the Arctic safe, economical, and sustainable. We have developed

the technologies. We have the know-how. We can do it. We are now leaders, Mr.

Speaker.

Newfoundland and Labrador is also rich with an abundance of minerals. It is a

multi-billion dollar mining industry that is driving economic development in the

North, while being developed in an environmental sustainable manner. With nearly

thirteen active mines, major industrial investment, and more exploration

underway approximately eleven minerals and metals are produced in the Province

of Newfoundland and Labrador. In fact, half of Canada's iron ore production

comes from Western Labrador.

In the Province, mineral shipments for 2012 are valued at $4.1 million, Mr.

Speaker. The industry provides employment for approximately 8,000 women and men

across the Province and is well positioned for future development and major

expansion.

Potential opportunities in this sector will help ensure long-term industry

sustainability while maintaining employment for many Newfoundlanders and

Labradorians. Our knowledge, our expertise, our skilled labour, and our supply

and service capacity to remote locations make us the ideal partner for

successful mining exploration and development in the Arctic.

As fish stocks become from accessible in the Arctic, so too are the

opportunities for Newfoundland and Labrador. This Province is home to one of the

world's leading centres for fisheries and marine education, training and

research: the Marine Institute. For over twenty years, the Marine Institute has

been providing specialized fisheries and marine training to residents in

Northern communities. It also houses the largest flume tank of its type in the

world, which provides the physical environment required to evaluate fishing

gear, provide technical services to the industry, and host demonstrations for

the industry and for the public at large.

Mr. Speaker, our long and rich history of harvesting fish from the frigid

North Atlantic makes us an ideal partner in the development of commercial

fisheries in the Arctic.

Another example of how our expertise in developing natural resources in the

harsh environment is the November, 2011 $2 million investment by Statoil Canada

and the Research and Development Corporation that will boost Memorial

University's research expertise in reservoir engineering. This partnership will

result in positive outcomes as it will further develop Newfoundland and

Labrador's research expertise in reservoir and Arctic operations.

It also represents some of the innovative work of the RDC and its

contribution to enhancing exploration and development opportunities for this

Province. Investments such as this further bolster our R&D facilities and

further develop these important industries for the economic prosperity of

Newfoundland and Labrador. They also exemplify the vigorous efforts of this

government that it has made to strengthen the focus, the quantity, the quality,

and the relevance of research and development undertaken in our Province and

elsewhere for our long-term economic benefit.

Technologies to harness some of the opportunities in the Arctic are developed

right here and now in Newfoundland and Labrador. By continuing to advance the

Arctic Opportunities Initiative, we are one huge step closer to ensuring that

this Province maximizes the opportunities in the Arctic.

Mr. Speaker, this activity will further strengthen an already strong and

increasingly diversified economy.

In closing, Mr. Speaker, when it comes to resource development, whether it is

oil, gas, mining, or fishery, Newfoundland and Labrador has what it takes to

make any potential Arctic opportunity into an ocean of reality. The edge of a

new frontier starts on our shores. As the natural gateway to the Arctic, we are

ready, Mr. Speaker. We thrive on exploring new frontiers. Over the course of our

500-year history we have peered under the ocean floor, we have tunnelled below

the surface of the earth, we have blazed new trails in aerospace, and we are

pushing the boundaries of communication technologies.

You might ask, Mr. Speaker, what is the advantage that Newfoundland and

Labrador has? What do we have to offer? Number one, we are strategically

located; number two, we have the industrial infrastructure right at our

fingertips; number three, we have the vast amount of knowledge and experience in

operating in cold, harsh, unwelcoming environments; number four, we have the R&D

capability and facilities that are world-class and are the envy of many

jurisdictions; and last but not least, we have a very, very favourable,

internationally known reputation as a Province that is open for business. We are

looking forward to the far North for more new opportunities.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!

The hon. the Member for Cartwright L'Anse au Clair.

MS JONES: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I am pleased to stand today and to speak to the motion that has been put

forward. Mr. Speaker, the motion is actually asking the House of Assembly to

encourage the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador to continue through its

Arctic Opportunities Initiative to identify and advance opportunities for

Newfoundlanders and Labradorians to take the lead in Arctic development,

specifically by producing an Arctic "plan forward" that will promote

Newfoundland and Labrador as the ideal staging ground for Arctic-related

activities, given our many capabilities and competitive advantages, and work

with local companies, institutions, and organizations to identify and prepare to

capture Arctic opportunities as they emerge.

That is what the motion today is asking us. Mr. Speaker, I want to point out

that this has been an ongoing piece for the government for the past three years.

There are press releases going back to 2009 when the former Member for Lake

Melville, Mr. Speaker, was advocating in the same capacity.

While I am all there to support the government in their Arctic initiatives,

what I would really like is to see something happening. I would really like to

see something happening.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Oh, oh!

MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!

MS JONES: For the past ten, twelve years in Labrador we have been

advocating that we are the Gateway to the North, that there were opportunities

in the Arctic for us. In fact, Mr. Speaker, I have even travelled to Nunavut on

two or three occasions, myself, in terms of meeting with people and with local

companies that are bridging partnerships.

What I want to say, Mr. Speaker, is that the government are the ones that

have fallen behind in developing and promoting the Province as a gateway.

Because Labrador companies have far exceeded where the government is today in

their own partnerships and in doing business in the Arctic. For example, in

Labrador, we have a joint partnership with the Baffin area already. In that

whole area across the Arctic we do partnerships with community development

groups, we do partnerships with educational groups, and we do partnerships with

many businesses.

We have a Labrador-based company today that is supplying fuel and fuel

supplies to every community right across the Arctic, and have been doing it for

quite some time employing people in our Province, along with Northerners. I

have a company in my own district that are doing partnerships in fisheries in

the Arctic, that are employing people from the Arctic regions, as well as people

from Labrador. We are partnering with the large Baffin Fisheries Coalition to be

able to harvest products for them for market and process those products.

So, we are working with them on all kinds of different initiatives and

opportunities. So, I would say, Mr. Speaker, to the government opposite, by all

means, step up your Arctic plan. Present it and start working towards it. You

have been three years now talking about it. It is time to get started and get

something moving.

Mr. Speaker, I really agree with what people are saying that we are naturally

positioned. There is no one in this country that could look at us and say that

we are not naturally positioned to be the gateway to the Arctic, because we are.

Not only are we a Province of 181,000 square kilometres, but we are 145

kilometres off the East Coast of Canada. Our geography positions us here in

Newfoundland and Labrador as a natural gateway between America, between Europe,

and between the Arctic. There is no other place in this country that is better

position strategically to do what needs to be done to service the Arctic.

So, there is no question about that. I think the question becomes the

infrastructure and the investments that will be required to take on that

responsibility and that staging for the Arctic. That is what we are missing. The

will is there. The private sector enthusiasm is there; it is happening.

Geographically we are there; we can talk about it all day. We are already there.

Mr. Speaker, it is the infrastructure piece that needs to be looked at.

In fact, I attended the energy forum that was in St. John's, and it was

probably about three years ago now. At the energy forum in St. John's, there

were companies in this Province getting up then and making presentations about

how we were to be staged as the gateway to the Arctic. Now, three years later,

we are talking about it in the House of Assembly. That will give you just one

indication.

Mr. Speaker, people talked about oil and gas today. The development of energy

resources in the Arctic is becoming more and more important. Every year we host,

together with the Arctic regions, what we call, a gateway conference. It is

called Northern Exposure. Last year, we did it in Ottawa. Two years before, we

did it in Montreal. We come together with the Arctic regions and we talk about

what we have to offer as Northerners and how we can work together to build

stronger economies in all of our regions.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Oh, oh!

MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!

I ask members for their co-operation.

The Member for Cartwright L'Anse au Clair.

MS JONES: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

One of those areas is definitely in oil and gas. While the Arctic is emerging

as a newer player in the oil and gas industry, since 1997 we as a Province have

produced more than 1 billion barrels of oil. We have the expertise to be able to

offer these skills. We can become a natural centre of excellence for research

and development in oil and gas, for oil and gas exploration, and for the

development of oil and gas in Northern and difficult climates; because we have

been doing it and we have been doing it very well. We have a good track record

when it comes to that.

Mr. Speaker, let us talk about some of the other pieces. One of the critical

pieces I see for us right now is in transportation in particular, and in search

and rescue, notwithstanding the expertise we have to be a knowledge-based

partner with the Arctic, because we have tremendous knowledge. We have a culture

that is similar. When you compare Labrador and you compare the regions of

Nunavut, Mr. Speaker, and the Baffin areas, what you will find is a very similar

culture, a very similar way of life, a tremendous respect and understanding for

each other and for the environments in which we live. All of those things bode

well when it comes to this kind of a partnership.

So let us look at the things we need to do some work on. Transportation is a

key piece. If the government is serious about this plan, they have to look at

transportation. We are competing today with the Territories. We are competing

with Manitoba. We are competing with Quebec who is putting a major

infrastructure development of $55 million into the Port of Sept-les.

All of these people are competing with us. We are competing with New

Brunswick. They are competing with us to beat a gateway to the Arctic as well.

So, we need to show them that we are committed, and we are committed to invest.

We have what it takes. We have the resources. We have the expertise in oil and

gas, in mining, in knowledge-based economies, in education. We have the business

community that is willing to invest, that have the vision and the foresight, and

are actually out there doing it today and making money, and have been doing it

for years, Mr. Speaker.

Mel Woodward was like fifty years before his time in terms of his vision on

where Labrador could be positioned in the Arctic. For the last ten years he has

been one of the main companies as a supplier to the Arctic region. We have that

kind of mindset already, but we need to have the transportation, and that is a

key piece. We need the proper port facilities.

We have three ports in Labrador that would really be good to service in the

Arctic: Rigolet, Goose Bay, and Cartwright. Mr. Speaker, either one of those

ports could be a tremendous asset in supplying the Arctic region. They just need

to have the appropriate infrastructure and the appropriate investments.

Let's talk about mining alone. I talked about bringing a railway across

Labrador. I have yet to hear anything about it. As we know, Caisse and CN are

already developing a proposal to build a railway across Labrador.

Mr. Speaker, we know today we are producing 29 million metric tons of iron

ore in Labrador but we also know into the future that we are going to be

producing 88 million metric tons of iron oil in Labrador. We know that even with

the development of the new port in Sept-les and what is happening with the

railway we are only going to have a capacity to be able to transport about 35

million to 40 million metric tons. What happens to the rest of that ore, and how

does it get shipped?

That is why I am talking about building a railway. That is why I am talking

about the need to be able to do this and to benefit all the people in the

Province. If you were to look at a railway now from Ross Bay Junction to Happy

Valley-Goose Bay, you would be looking at a 590 kilometre highway, which is only

comparable to what would have to be built to Sept-les to be able to take the

rest of that ore out.

Why are we letting CN and Caisse in Quebec overtake this industry in

Labrador, building a second railway, putting in additional port facilities when

we should be doing it ourselves, when that should be our vision as

Newfoundlanders and Labradorians to the future generations of this Province?

That is what we should be doing. We should be developing the infrastructure to

give us that 150 years of industry and royalty right here in our own Province.

That is the same with the Arctic, Mr. Speaker, exactly the same thing with

the Arctic. In order for us to do this there has to be a commitment to

infrastructure, that port facilities have to be put in Labrador. The Government

of Canada has to invest more. They have invested in Pangnirtung, they have

invested in some of the other communities across the Arctic but they have to do

more.

I will tell you why, Mr. Speaker, because the shipping routes in the world

are changing

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Oh, oh!

MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!

Again, I would ask all members for their co-operation.

The hon. the Member for Cartwright L'Anse au Clair.

MS JONES: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I am actually shouting at the top of my lungs as well, so it would be nice if

I could relax them a little bit, save my voice for tomorrow.

Anyway, Mr. Speaker, as I was saying, the shipping routes really are changing

in the world. If you were talking about fifty years ago when you were shipping

out of this Province, you were talking about most of our markets for a lot of

things that we are producing. Especially like iron ore, would have been in the

United States and in Europe, and today that has all changed. Our markets today

are in India, they are in China. We are seeing a different transportation route

all together.

Right now we are seeing more and more vessels going through the Northwest

Passage. In fact, Mr. Speaker, in 2010 there were 150 vessels that made 270

voyages in the Canadian Arctic waters, which was up from 108 ships in 2009 and

158 transits. The number of ships transiting in the Northwest Passage also

increased from seven in 2009 to eighteen in 2010, and twenty-seven in 2011. I do

not have the number for this year, but apparently it is up again.

We are seeing a different transportation route emerging to some of the global

markets which we are using, which are going to benefit the Arctic and benefit

Labrador and Newfoundland. Because when you start going through the Northwest

Passage, you are reaching directly into the markets through the North. That will

provide tremendous benefit to all the regions of this Province because any time

one region does well, we all do well. I think that is the critical piece we have

to remember.

Mr. Speaker, I have been on the record, no doubt, talking about development

in the Arctic now for nearly ten years, and going back and digging out some of

my old clips and information. I think it is time for everybody to stop talking

and start investing. I have no problem with doing a plan or a framework, but it

has taken us three years to get here. I can only hope that it is not going to

take us that long to do what really needs to be done, and that is the concrete

partnerships and developments between governments and departments in the Arctic.

some smarts up there they will see that Newfoundland and Labrador is well

positioned to be a Gateway to the Arctic. There should be no debate on this in

the country. There should not be. If they reflect upon what we offer as a

Province in every single aspect, from our expertise and knowledge in industries,

to oil and gas and mining; the ability that we have to service and supply all

regions across the Arctic; the similarities of our culture, and our respect for

each other; and the partnerships that we already have; they would do the right

thing, and there would be no debate. Newfoundland and Labrador would indeed, Mr.

Speaker, be officially the Gateway to the Arctic in this country.

Thank you.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!

The Minister of Innovation, Business and Rural Development.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. HUTCHINGS: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

A pleasure as Minister of Innovation, Business and Rural Development to speak

to the private member's motion on the provincial government's Arctic

Opportunities Initiative.

Mr. Speaker, earlier this fall I had an opportunity to travel to St. Anthony

and to launch a series of stakeholder engagement sessions. I later had an

opportunity to attend this session in St. John's. The sessions on this topic

were well received. We had about 150 stakeholders attend the various sessions

different levels of government, industry sector, academia had a great group

out to have a very important discussion on the Arctic Opportunities Initiative

and how we move forward.

At that time I spoke of the eyes of the world looking northwards, and

Newfoundland and Labrador has to be on the leading edge to lead the way as we

move forward. As we know it has been mentioned by previous speakers the

Arctic is undergoing significant change, and with that comes new opportunities;

as we move forward with the initiative, that is what we are looking at

accomplishing: making sure we are there to take advantage of those

opportunities. In Newfoundland and Labrador we certainly want to make those

opportunities accessible in Labrador and on the Island as well, in terms of

meeting those opportunities.

We understand there are challenges of working in a very harsh environment,

but we call that home. For 500 years we have been in this Province quite

familiar with harsh environments, working offshore, from the fishery, from the

oil and gas sector; we know and we see Mother Nature's strength. Sometimes it is

not so good, but other times it brings us our livelihood. It has been very

important to us, who we are as a people for the past 500 years, and will always

be, as we move this Province forward and work in the bounties of the sea.

Leveraging those strengths and identifying opportunities in the Arctic are,

as I said, priorities and at the heart of the Arctic Opportunities Initiative.

Under the leadership of Premier Dunderdale, we place considerable emphasis on

leveraging areas where we show strong leadership and where there is potential

for new opportunities. With our location, strategic as it is, with our

experience and knowledge in harsh environments, we are key in terms of providing

those services to the Arctic as we move forward. We are leading this exciting

business and economic opportunity in growth, not just in a few particular areas,

but volume in a number of areas throughout the Province, throughout the Island

and in Labrador.

If we just look at economic growth and what is happening in the Province,

Statistics Canada reported in November that the Province's employment had

increased by 3,800 people. It reflected the highest growth in Canada of 3.6 per

cent from this time last year. Memorial University's Faculty of Engineering and

Applied Sciences looks to double its size by 2020. Mr. Speaker, again this year,

related to the Budget, we committed to increasing the engineering skills, an

indication of what is happening in terms of economic development and growth, the

expertise, the labour, and the types of professionals who are needed to drive

our economy.

The Canadian Federation of Independent Business recently announced that the

Newfoundland and Labrador business community has the highest level of business

optimism in Canada, again an indication of what is happening here in this

Province and how we move forward in economic growth and development. To sustain

that volume of activity and its positive impact on our communities in all

regions, we have to work collaboratively with all our partners, all of the

stakeholders, which we do.

This initiative and the recent stakeholder engagements I mentioned were an

excellent example of that approach to how we work together to move this

initiative forward. By listening to our partners in the business community in

terms of what they see as key components as we move forward, we get greater

insights into their perception of the Arctic, and acquire input that will help

shape our approach as we move forward, which is so important, Mr. Speaker. It is

an exercise that holds the potential to identify new economic and business

opportunity.

As the minister, I want to thank those who were involved in the stakeholder

discussions, and thank them for their time to meet with us. We will continue

that dialogue as we move forward with our initiative.

Through our history, Newfoundland and Labrador has built this economy, as I

said, on the ocean, and will continue to be a huge part of who we are as a

people and develop in economic growth in our Province. By supporting the growth

of Newfoundland and Labrador oceans technology sector, Mr. Speaker, it is a

sector that is on its way to becoming a billion-dollar-a-year industry. Through

our Oceans of Opportunity, we are further assisting local companies to capture

opportunities in the North as they emerge.

So, that is a new industry. It is about diversifying our economy. It is a

half a billion-dollar industry right now, which has approximately fifty

companies in Newfoundland and Labrador that are driving that industry. That R&D

has been done here. The commercialization of those ideas and technology is done

here. It has been used here but it has also been exported around the world. That

gives you an indication of the expertise we have here, the new businesses that

are being created, and how that can support Arctic opportunities in our

initiative as we move forward.

Premier Dunderdale, in her view: Newfoundland and Labrador is no longer

following; we have turned the corner. We are innovative, and we can drive this

new initiative in the Arctic. There is no better sector that captures that

spirit than the internationally recognized, as I said, Ocean Technology Sector

that is strategically positioned for the Arctic initiative, positioned right

here in Newfoundland and Labrador.

As I said, the success of that sector is up to $500 million now and almost

fifty companies. The inroads that many companies are making are exciting and

give good indication of what is happening here in this Province and how we can

diversify and drive leading sectors.

Through other strategic investments in companies and research institutions,

we are looking to harnessing the richness that exists in the waters and building

Newfoundland and Labrador world-class capacity and performance in ocean-related

research, Mr. Speaker.

Again, in partnership with industry and academia, we have increased our

capacity to conduct world-class research in harsh and cold environment. It

certainly makes the world aware that we can do it here, we have the expertise to

do it here, we have developed to do it here, and we will move this initiative

forward for the better and continued growth of Newfoundland and Labrador.

For example, the development of the Holyrood Marine Base is strategically

positioning the Marine Institute in a similar role as Woods Hole Oceanographic

Institution so prominently in United States, one of those leading institutions.

We see the Marine Institute, Memorial University, and its partners being able to

utilize the community's harbours as an excellent place to do ocean technology

research over the long term. I visited there and certainly saw first-hand the

great works being done.

The sum of all these activities is creating spinoff opportunities for other

businesses in the region and creating new employment opportunities for residents

as well.

Some of the other examples, a couple of these have been mentioned already but

are certainly worth repeating: a $2 million investment from Statoil and Research

and Development Corporation to further develop the Province's research expertise

in reservoir and Arctic opportunities; and SubC Control, a company I visited

personally in Clarenville, a manufacturer of high-end underwater imaging

solutions, received $120,000 from the provincial government to strengthen its

operation. A young man, twenty-seven years old, built this company, the idea,

brought it to commercialization and now is selling that technology around the

world and can use it here as well as we move forward with the Arctic initiative.

Atlantic Coastal Action Program, ACAP in Humber Arm, I also met with those

folks a while back. We contributed $250,000 to advance the Smart Basin

initiative which also is in Placentia Bay. That extends it out to the Bay of

Islands and that area, a surveillance system that is used by mariners and has

been quite successful. We will move that out with that expertise and continue to

grow it.

More than $1.6 million for the Ocean Industry Student Research Awards,

including today, Mr. Speaker, I will be at Memorial University to announce

another $865,000 for that initiative. That looks at investment in

university-aged students who are actively engaged in research and development

activities, and mark the importance of recruiting, fostering, and retaining that

research talent that we have acquired from the R&D perspective and to move this

industry forward. It means sustaining an incredible progress that has been

experienced in recent years.

When I was there last year just to give you an idea of what we are doing

here in this Province and it is recognized worldwide I had the opportunity to

speak to the award winners. There was a young man actually from Pakistan who had

done an undergraduate degree there. He had looked at the type of work he was to

be doing here at Memorial in regard to research. He came here and now he is

doing his Ph.D. We had sponsored him in one of these awards.

So, it is an indication of how far-reaching locally, nationally, and

internationally our Memorial University is and all our post-secondary

institutions and how we are being recognized around the world for what we are

doing. People are coming and want to be part of that.

Mr. Speaker, there was reference earlier in regard to transportation. That is

a priority for the provincial government, as seen by our multi-year

infrastructure investments now valued at almost $5 billion. Mr. Speaker, we

could go on and on but some I will mention: the completion of Phase I of the

Trans-Labrador Highway, made possible by a $65.8 million allocation through

Budget 2012. As well, we talk about port development, a $5.3 million partnership

with the St. Anthony Port Authority to facilitate expansion and modernization of

its wharf. More than $11 million in funding for enhancements to infrastructure

at Gander and St. John's International Airport. Development to the North is all

about you have to have transportation infrastructure in all areas.

A strengthened communication network led to TELE Greenland as a key network

accessing a broadband network to the Province from Greenland to Milton, based on

the fact that we invested with our private partners $15 million in a $52 million

Trans-Gulf Cable, which allows Greenland now to link to Newfoundland, and

subsequently link to North America. It is very important in terms of the

communication aspect.

While all of these investments may not have direct investments in private

sector enterprises, they do speak to the necessity of using the assets of today

for tomorrow and looking to the future, Mr. Speaker.

As interest in the world's ocean and northern areas intensifies at

neck-breaking speed, these investments will help increase the value of the work

being completed locally, and is being heightened as well.

Again, in terms of consultations and what we have heard from local

businesses, they look for solutions as we move forward. Some of the things we

have identified is to continue to: improve shipping lanes for cargo vessels;

practices to enhance the fishing and aquaculture sectors; monitor and observe

the impacts of climate change; better research for oil and gas, which we do

through the Research and Development Corporation and working with industry

leaders; look in other areas like the mining industry and in oceans across the

globe; better implement search and rescue activities, as well as patrolling and

monitoring our coastlines.

I want to just give you an idea of some of the companies already doing work

in the Arctic and northern jurisdictions because we are doing that already. We

are in the North. We have companies and businesses there doing work, and we will

use that and their expertise as we move forward and develop a more defined plan

for the initiative:

Provincial Airlines has been utilized in the Arctic, in such places as

Greenland and Iceland, by the oil and gas industry. They are also known for

their surveillance and ice monitoring capabilities, not only in the Labrador

region; Woodwards Shipping is involved with the transportation of products

between Lewisporte and Labrador; Terp-Star is supporting mining activities in

Greenland; Eimskip is using St. Anthony as a key port of call; and Virtual

Marine Technology is simulating real-life experiences in the Arctic.

As you can see, we have a huge presence there from our business community,

and capacity for Arctic-re