Newfoundland and Labrador Hansard — 13 March 2012 (47th General Assembly, 1st Session, Vol. XLVII No. 7)
2012-03-13
Newfoundland and Labrador — Debates (Hansard)
March
13, 2012 HOUSE OF ASSEMBLY PROCEEDINGS
Vol. XLVII No. 7
The House met at 1:30 p.m.
MR. SPEAKER (Wiseman): Order, please!
Admit strangers.
The Chair would like to recognize a guest in the gallery today, a former MHA
in this Assembly, Mr. John Crane, the former Member for the District of
Carbonear Harbour Grace.
Welcome, Sir.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Opposition House Leader.
MS JONES: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
I rise today on a point of order with regard to the notice of private
members' motions. Mr. Speaker, under Standing Order 63(3) it states, "On the
Monday before the Wednesday of the week in which a Private Member's motion is to
be debated, the Government House Leader or the Opposition House Leader, as the
case may be, shall announce to the House the Private Member's motion to be
debated on that Wednesday."
I have checked Hansard for Monday and although the Member for St. John's West
indicated that he was moving a motion for debate, on Wednesday, the Government
House Leader did not give notice as he should have on Monday to confirm that
indeed the motion by the Member for St. John's West would be the one debated on
Wednesday.
Mr. Speaker, although this is a minor point, it is clear that the Government
House Leader somehow omitted to follow that proper process of giving
notification. In the past, Mr. Speaker, such a lapse has resulted in the
government losing an opportunity to debate their motion on Private Member's Day.
However, Mr. Speaker, in the spirit of our co-operative approach, and our
interest in seeing this House operate properly, the members in our Party are
willing to overlook this omission and ask that the Government House Leader, if
he wishes to rise and ask for leave to proceed with the debate on this motion
presented by the Member for St. John's West, and in doing so we will grant him
that leave.
MR. SPEAKER: The Government House Leader.
MR. KENNEDY: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
I am looking at Standing Order 63(3), and what you have to look at is on the
Monday before the Wednesday the Government House Leader, as the case may be,
shall announce to the House. Mr. Speaker, I stood up, I indicated that there
would be a Private Member's motion; the Member for St. John's West just read the
motion into the record. That is notice, Mr. Speaker.
What you have to look at when you are dealing with anything here, it is not
strictly procedure or process. What you have to look at is the substance. It is
not a matter of form over substance, Mr. Speaker. You look at the spirit and the
intent of the regulation in the Standing Order of the act and you determine was
it complied with. Did the government follow the procedure?
Mr. Speaker, I really do not know what the Opposition House Leader is trying
to establish there today. If she wants to debate rules and procedures with me,
we have two or three months to do it and I will be more than eager to debate
with her. If you are going to try to pick up on every point like that, then we
will be here all day. I gave them a free day yesterday on points of order and on
procedure, Mr. Speaker. Perhaps, we have to come back today now to strict
compliance.
So, Mr. Speaker, you look at the Standing Order, on the Monday before, the
Government House Leader, as the case may be, shall announce to the House. Well,
Mr. Speaker, I stood up, I said we are going to call the private member's
motion; it was then read by the Member for St. John's West. That is the spirit
and intent of the Standing Order, Mr. Speaker. What we cannot do in a House like
this, or in any Parliament, is try to adhere to strict and rigid compliance with
all rules and procedures. There has to be flexibility, Mr. Speaker. There has to
be a way to get business done, and that is what we are doing here. So, Mr.
Speaker, I think the whole thing is just foolish and stupid, and if that is the
way they want to play, we will play.
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Opposition House Leader, to the point of order.
MS JONES: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
The Government House Leader might think the parliamentary procedures of our
House and the Standing Orders of this House are foolish, but I certainly do not
think so, Mr. Speaker. The reason I rise today to point this out I could have
waited until Wednesday, and we could have had a debate in this House on
Wednesday as to whether the government's motion was eligible to even be called
for a debate, as has happened in previous times in this House of Assembly, I
would like to remind the Government House Leader. In times where it has been
ruled that because proper notice was not given, the motion was not effectively
eligible to be called for debate. I raise it today, Mr. Speaker, in advance of
the motion being presented tomorrow, and I ask that proper leave be given for
that motion in terms of the debate that is about to occur on Private Members'Day on Wednesday.
MR. SPEAKER: Any further comment with respect to the point of order?
Points of order on a procedural issue, technically, need to be raised at the
time of the breach. So, in terms of its pure technical
interpretation, the
appropriate time to raise a technical point of order would have been on the day
it had happened, which would have been on Monday, in terms of procedurally. It
appears, though, that there is a motion on the floor, and I think the Opposition
House Leader has indicated that it is not the party's intent to disrupt the
activity of tomorrow and have the government member introduce the private motion
as already read into the record on that day. So, there being no point of order,
we will proceed with today's session.
The hon. the Opposition House Leader.
MS JONES: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
I rise on another point of order as well.
It has recently come to my attention that the hon. Member for Humber West has
disregarded one of the recommendations of the Green report and the standard of
practice for MHAs, which had been established by the previous Premier.
Recommendation 76 of the Green report states, "
(1) Members of the House of
Assembly should be prohibited from making donations and other gratuitous
payments to or on behalf of individuals, charities, community groups or agencies
using their constituency allowance or other public money".
I have a copy of a photograph which appeared in the March 3, 2012 edition of
The Western Star newspaper. The photo clearly shows the Member for Humber
West presenting a government cheque to a community group.
I am seeking some clarification from the House on this practice since the
member should know the difference and the Government House Leader or the Premier
should have taken the time to reinforce or establish this practice with members
on their side of the House.
I am not sure if the practice of not allowing this kind of cheque
presentation, as established by the previous Premier, is still in force or if
there is a new standard of conduct being established by the current Premier.
Given this recommendation on the Green report and the previously established
practice, I want to ask for some clarification on the matter from the Government
House Leader, or the current Premier, or the Speaker.
Mr. Speaker, there have been cases where I, myself, have received cheques
from government departments to be delivered to my constituents; however, I was
of the understanding that I was not permitted to present that in a public
fashion. I need to have clarification from the House as to whether that standard
in the Green report still stands and if it is still the practice of government,
or if the Premier or the House of Assembly has shifted priorities?
Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
MR. SPEAKER: The Government House Leader, to the point of order.
MR. KENNEDY: Yes, Mr. Speaker, I am not aware of what the member opposite
is talking about. If I could just see a copy of what she is referring to, Mr.
Speaker.
It is my understanding from the Green report, Mr. Speaker, that members
cannot make donations from the constituency allowance or personal allowance, but
that government cheques or cheques on behalf of government can be presented. Can
I see a copy of the
MS JONES: I gave it to the Page to give to you.
MR. KENNEDY: Mr. Speaker, there is also another issue here: How is this a
point of order? The House Management committee deals with the
interpretation of
Green, and then if there is an amendment that has to be brought to the
legislation, there is a way to go about that.
I am a bit concerned, Mr. Speaker, in terms of the timing of this. We are
here today getting ready for the House of Assembly and we are getting these
kinds of points being raised by the member opposite. I really question, Mr.
Speaker
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Oh, oh!
MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!
The hon. Government House Leader.
MR. KENNEDY: I really question the validity of raising this kind of issue
in the House of Assembly when it is one that - as you are well aware - we deal
with in the Management Commission on a regular basis.
MS JONES: (Inaudible).
MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!
The hon. the Government House Leader.
MR. KENNEDY: Mr. Speaker, I am looking at this photograph, there is a
reference of receiving $40,000 from the provincial government. She just admitted
herself, she being the Opposition House Leader, that she has presented
government cheques in the past. So I really do not know what she is talking
about here.
MS JONES: I did not say that.
MR. KENNEDY: Well, look at Hansard.
MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!
MR. KENNEDY: Mr. Speaker, what we are having here is a situation where
the proceedings of this House are being disrupted by the member opposite with
frivolous
MS JONES: (Inaudible).
MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!
MR. KENNEDY: - where the proceedings of this House are being disrupted by
the member opposite trying to play lawyer here today and trying to raise issues
that she knows or ought to know, Mr. Speaker, are more properly dealt with in
the House Management Commission.
MR. SPEAKER: Further to the point of order?
The hon. the Opposition House Leader.
MS JONES: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
The individual opposite has some room to talk about trying to play lawyer in
the House of Assembly.
Mr. Speaker, I am raising a legitimate issue that was written about in the
Green report. It is a standard by which all MHAs are supposed to conduct
themselves. We have a copy of a newspaper article; it was passed to me late
yesterday afternoon. I had an opportunity to look at it. It is of an MHA
presenting public money, as was stated in the Green report, on behalf of the
government. I am asking for clarification as to how that impacts the regulations
in the Green report and if it is a different standard that is being set by the
current Administration.
Mr. Speaker, I did not say in this House that I had presented cheques to
groups publicly in my district because, Mr. Speaker, what I said was there were
cheques that were sent to my office from government departments for charitable
organizations in my district. Did I bring those cheques to them and pass it over
a desk to them? Yes, I did. Did I go out and make a public donation? No, I did
not. Do you know why I did not? It is because of the regulations that were in
the report. I am seeking clarification as to the Green report and what that
particular standard implies in the House of Assembly, Mr. Speaker, and I just
ask for that clarification.
Thank you.
MR. SPEAKER: The member has raised a point of order. My ruling suggests
that this is not a point of order to be considered by the House, but in my role
as the Chair of the Internal Economy Commission I will take the issue under
consideration and provide some advice to members who sit in the House with
respect to the recommendations of Green and how it applies to members'behaviour
and conduct as they carry out their roles in their constituencies.
Statements by Members
MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!
Today we have members'statements from the hon. the Member for the District
of Cape St. Francis, the hon. the Member for the District of Mount Pearl South,
the hon. the Member for the District of Fortune Bay Cape la Hune, the hon. the
Member for the District of Bay Verte Springdale, the hon. the Member for the
District of Port au Port, and the hon. the Member for the District of Lake
Melville.
The hon. the Member for the District of Cape St. Francis.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. K. PARSONS: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
I rise in this hon. House today to congratulate the 2011 Small Business Award
Winners in the Town of Torbay.
On November 29, the third annual Torbay Small Business awards were held at
the Kinsmen Community Centre. The awards night has been growing since its
inaugural event won the 2010 Marketing Canada Awards in Quebec City as Best
Special Event in Canada in its class.
Mr. Speaker, there were three awards handed out and a total of seven
nominees. The winners were Mudder's Mobile Kitchen for Best New Business, Bob
Newman for Entrepreneur of the Year, and Metal World for Existing Business of
the year. This program has been put in place by the economic development of the
town to recognize and reward their business community, which has been enjoying
incredible growth.
I ask all hon. members to join with me in congratulating the Town of Torbay,
the nominees, as well as the award winners in such a great event.
Thank you.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Member for Mount Pearl South.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. LANE: Mr. Speaker, it gives me great pleasure to rise in this hon.
House to recognize the City of Mount Pearl on being awarded the 2011
Municipalities Newfoundland and Labrador Torngat Award in the category of
Environmental Sustainability. This was presented to the city for the leadership
demonstrated in the construction of the Glacier Arena Expansion project, which
incorporates a geothermal heating system, grey water and an Eco-Chill waste heat
recovery system. It is also my understanding that the city intends to
incorporate this new technology into the construction of their new recreational
multiplex project.
Mr. Speaker, this project demonstrates the progressive, cutting edge approach
to governance which the City of Mount Pearl is so well known for throughout this
Province. I would therefore ask all members of this hon. House to join me in
congratulating the City of Mount Pearl on this significant achievement and
commend them on their outstanding commitment to environmental sustainability.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Member for the District of Fortune Bay Cape
la Hune.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MS PERRY: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
I rise in this hon. House today to congratulate Mr. Donald Stewart of Harbour
Breton for receiving the Herbert D. Brett Lifetime Achievement Award.
It is quite an honour to be recognized for one's outstanding contributions,
and Mr. Stewart has indeed been a strong leader within Fortune Bay Cape La
Hune. From his early beginnings founding the South Coast Regional Development
Association through to his roles today, he has made a meaningful difference in
the lives of many.
Mr. Speaker, Donald Stewart also served in this hon. House as our member from
1979 to 1985, and he served us exceptionally well during that time. He was
instrumental in establishing our local newspaper, known today as The Coaster ,
and has served on numerous local committees and boards, including six years as
Mayor of the Town of Harbour Breton.
Since the 1960s, he has been a successful business person, and today he
serves as Chair of the Regional Board, Chair of the Harbour Breton Investment
Corporation, member of the Central Newfoundland Rural Secretariat, and
councillor. He is truly an honourable man who continually gives of his time and
skills in a volunteer capacity. He is always looking for and analyzing new
opportunities for the region, and is indeed an economic development asset to the
Coast of Bays.
It would be impossible to put a dollar figure on the countless hours, weeks,
months, and years he has dedicated to making our home a better place
economically stronger and socially stable. We all look forward to many more
years of great leadership to come.
Mr. Speaker, I ask all members of this hon. House to join me in recognizing
Mr. Donald Stewart for his outstanding contribution to the betterment of rural
Newfoundland and Labrador.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Member for Baie Verte Springdale.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. POLLARD: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
I count it a privilege to stand in this hon. House today to applaud the
outstanding volunteer work that the King's Point-Rattling Brook firefighters
provide to the residents of the area. The extraordinary service and commitment
that they display is greatly appreciated and respected by the entire community.
Whether it is a motor vehicle accident, a burning house, flooding, or some other
emergency, the King's Point-Rattling Brook firefighters are there, on call,
24-7.
Mr. Speaker, with strong support from the mayor and council, and in fact,
from the whole town, these unsung heroes will continue to serve with passion,
with pride, and with courage. Not going unnoticed is their time, energy, and
effort expended to keep the fire department running smoothly and efficiently.
Today, more than ever before, various emergencies come their way, and in each
case, sometimes not knowing what to expect, but with boldness and an unusual
courage, they bravely meet the challenge.
Mr. Speaker, I ask all hon. colleagues to join me in conveying our
appreciation and gratitude to King's Point-Rattling Brook firefighters for
serving so unselfishly in their capacity as firefighters.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Member for Port au Port.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. CORNECT: Monsieur le prsident, je prends la parole aujourd'hui
l'honorable Chambre d'assemble afin de reconnatre le Centime Anniversaire de
la Paroisse de Lourdes.
The history of Our Lady of Lourdes Parish, Mr. Speaker, has made it unique in
that it has not only been a place of worship, but it has been a source of
strength and guidance to the communities it serves.
There are many activities planned throughout the Centennial year that will
celebrate the past, the present, and plan for the future.
Mr. Speaker, it is also a time to congratulate and say thank you to all the
parishioners of Our Lady of Lourdes Parish for their commitment and dedication
to making a valuable contribution to their communities.
Mr. Speaker, I ask all hon. members of this hon. House of Assembly to join
with me in congratulating Our Lady of Lourdes Parish on its 100th anniversary.
Merci, monsieur le prsident.
Thank you.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Member for Lake Melville.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. RUSSELL: Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to rise today to recognize and
congratulate a dear friend of mine and a very well-known individual in
Newfoundland and Labrador, and more specifically, the great District of Lake
Melville, Mr. Alton Best.
This past September, Mr. Best was inducted into the Order of Newfoundland and
Labrador in recognition of being an outstanding individual who has greatly
contributed to the preservation of traditional music of Labrador as one of the
founding members of the musical group, The Flummies.
Mr. Speaker, anyone who knows Alton knows that he is certainly no stranger to
charity work and that he has given freely of his time and his music for decades
whenever he is called upon. I would like to give mention to the warmth and
overall presence of this man; whether it is a smile or handshake in passing, a
great conversation over a cup of tea, or a boat ride to the Mud Lake Fair, you
can be sure when you ran into or visited with Alton you came away feeling as if
you had just spent time, even if just a moment, with a truly great man.
I know that Alton right now and his wife Ena are going through some difficult
times. I would like to wish them all the best as they fight to overcome this
latest challenge.
Mr. Speaker, on October 11 last year, I stood in front of a packed campaign
headquarters to give my election victory speech; as I spoke to the support of
the different communities in my district, I came across the smile and the look
of pride of Mr. Alton Best, and I was humbled once more.
With pride I now ask this all members of this hon. House to join me in
recognizing a true son of Labrador, Mr. Alton Best.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER: Statements by Ministers.
Statements by Ministers
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Premier.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
PREMIER DUNDERDALE: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Mr. Speaker, I rise with sadness today to acknowledge the passing of Mr.
Lanier W. Phillips and to offer condolences to his loved ones and to the many he
formed lasting friendships with here in our Province.
In the darkness of the morning of February 18, 1942, as the USS Truxtun
and the USS Pollux were being battered by heavy seas in a blinding
snowstorm, little did the people of St. Lawrence and Lawn know that they would
be called upon to respond to one of the worst sea disasters in US naval history.
They answered that call, Mr. Speaker, with courage and unflinching resolve.
While approximately 200 men were lost that day, 186 survived due to their heroic
actions.
One of those survivors was a young man who was just shy of his nineteenth
birthday. Lanier Phillips, as he has so eloquently expressed, was overwhelmingly
impacted by the way he was welcomed and cared for following the disaster. Many
of the women of St. Lawrence were involved in the care of the sailors as they
recuperated. It was Mrs. Violet Pike who undertook to take Mr. Phillips, the
only black man to survive, into her home to provide the care and nourishment he
needed. Mr. Speaker, I often think of Mrs. Pike and the women of St. Lawrence,
who by their simple yet profound gestures, revealed to Mr. Phillips the
existence of equality and human kindness, regardless of skin colour. They
changed his life and ours, Mr. Speaker. His ability to become all that he could
be in the years that followed was rooted firmly in the community and in the
people of St. Lawrence. Our lives changed because of Violet Pike and Lanier
Phillips. We all have a deeper and richer understanding of the impact and
importance of simple acts of kindness and respect for our fellow human beings.
I had the honour of meeting Mr. Phillips when he was inducted into the Order
of Newfoundland and Labrador last fall. Lanier Phillips embodied the true spirit
of the order through his eloquence in promoting Newfoundlanders and Labradorians
as compassionate, generous, and brave. He holds an important place in the
history of this Province and on behalf of all Newfoundlanders and Labradorians,
I offer my deepest sympathies to his loved ones.
I will close with the words of A.L. Bristol, Rear Admiral in the US Navy at
the time of the disaster who expressed in his letter of gratitude to the people
of St. Lawrence, "Memories of such acts can never die, and the total of almost
two hundred men and officers saved on this occasion will stand as a monument to
the people of St. Lawrence and all Newfoundland, in the hearts and minds of all
who know the story."
Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Leader of the Official Opposition.
MR. BALL: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
I thank the Premier for the advance copy of the statement. Certainly, we
offer our condolences to the family, to his loved ones, and to the friendships
that were made in our Province
When we think of this young eighteen-year-old who grew up in a time when
racism was prevalent in the US at the time, and was part of the marine disaster
that claimed the lives of 203 men on February 18, as I thought of this
eighteen-year-old young man who was fighting for his life, I am sure he really
did not know what to expect if indeed he did make it ashore. What happened on
that night changed his life forever and was a new beginning for him. It was an
experience that changed, as I said, his outlook on life but also his philosophy
on life.
We have to recognize the people of St. Lawrence and Lawn for their heroic
efforts, but, in particular Mrs. Violet Pike for the work that she did in
nursing him back to health. What it did is when he went back home he began a
very successful career and, indeed, led his own and became an activist in his
own right.
He had the opportunity, as was said, to return to Newfoundland on a number of
occasions, and we are certainly privileged and honoured that he is recognized as
a recipient of the Order of Newfoundland and Labrador.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Leader of the Third Party.
MS MICHAEL: Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker.
I, too, thank the Premier for the advance copy of her statement. I was very
sad yesterday to hear of the passing of Lanier Phillips. I express my
condolences to his family and his friends on behalf of our caucus.
It was so good that he was able to come for the seventieth anniversary of
this disaster. The event on February 18, 1942 was very significant, both for him
and certainly for the people of St. Lawrence and Lawn. I know that he will be
remembered by them every year as they commemorate the disaster that actually
served to prove their mettle as communities.
Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker.
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, in Newfoundland and Labrador, we are home to some
well-established co-operatives that have contributed greatly to community and
business developments. We are also home to newer co-operatives that hold
tremendous promise.
In Southern Labrador, when the Bank of Montreal withdrew its operations,
residents stepped up, mobilized their resources, and formed the Eagle River
Credit Union. It was a collective effort and ensured that the delivery of
financial services would continue, and today it has accumulated more than $79
million in assets.
By pooling valuable resources so that it could better access equipment and
expertise, the Newfoundland Independent Filmmakers Co-operative has helped grow
the sector to $30 million up from $2 million just a decade ago.
More recently, Seed to Spoon has emerged as a co-operative that sells locally
grown produce to restaurants, residents, and the St. John's Farmers'Market. It
is proving to be a positive relationship among co-operatives, local farmers, and
community members, directly linking products with consumers.
In January, I accompanied representatives from local co-operatives at the
Canadian launch of the International Year of Co-operatives. Just last week, I
was pleased to join several local co-operatives in formally proclaiming 2012 as
the Year of Co-operatives in Newfoundland and Labrador.
As a government, we view co-operatives as being integral in community and
economic developments. Co-operatives serve a key role in developing industry
sectors and addressing market demands.
In the coming weeks, the provincial government will be renewing its
Memorandum of Understanding with the Newfoundland and Labrador Federation of
Co-operatives. We want to build off the progress made from our 2007 agreement,
which positioned this Province as a leader in Canada for our working
relationship with the provincial co-operative business association.
Mr. Speaker, the door is open to further strengthen and develop
co-operatives. This MOU is one important step in that process. Co-operatives are
good for communities, they are good for industry growth, and they are good for
the Province. Over the course of 2012, I encourage all members of this hon.
House to join in celebrating the value of co-operatives in their own districts.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Member for Cartwright L'Anse au Clair.
MS JONES: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
I want to rise and acknowledge the work that is being done by the
Newfoundland and Labrador Federation of Co-operatives in this Province, but more
particularly, Mr. Speaker, to recognize the work that has been done by many
prominent co-operatives throughout Newfoundland and Labrador.
The one that comes to mind that the minister did not mention is the Labrador
Fishermen's Union Shrimp Company, which is one of the longest standing
co-operatives ever established in this Province. Although he alluded to the
Eagle River Credit Union, he should realize it was the Labrador Fishermen's
Union Shrimp Company that actually put up the money to start the second
co-operative, which was the banking system in that area. Not only today is the
Shrimp Company a co-operative that owns and operates five fish plants on the
Coast of Labrador, two offshore vessels, offshore licences, but, Mr. Speaker,
they employ over 1,500 people in coastal, rural Labrador. That is a success
story in the co-operative movement. The other success story is the Eagle River
Credit Union have seen a small banking operation in the community of
L'Anse-au-Loup spread out and set up seven branches throughout Northern
Newfoundland and throughout Happy Valley-Goose Bay.
Mr. Speaker, I would suggest to the minister and his government when they
look for solutions for Marystown and OCI, maybe they should be looking to the
success of co-operatives in this Province and what they have done for the
fishing industry in employing people as opposed to spending $20 million to bring
a couple of dozen jobs to Newfoundland and Labrador at a cost of $360,000 a
person. If you want a real success that works, look at the co-operative model.
MR. SPEAKER: I ask the hon. member to conclude her comments, please.
MS JONES: Spend your money at home and create the jobs at home, I say to
the government.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Member for The Straits White Bay North.
MR. MITCHELMORE: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
I would like to thank the minister for the advance copy of his statement
today.
Mr. Speaker, I am delighted to see the government allocate some attention to
co-operatives. Mr. Speaker, I would like to highlight a sector that the minister
in his statement had missed, and that of course is our fisheries. In 1967 the
Fogo Island Co-op started operations and today the co-op has sales of over $15
million. When communities come together, such as they do when creating a co-op,
we see profound economic, social and cultural benefits. This is a business model
governments should encourage and nurture, especially in rural areas of our
Province.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Minister of Justice and Attorney General.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. F. COLLINS: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Mr. Speaker, at the Department of Justice we recognize that it is important
to think of new ways to help inmates and show that they have much to offer for
the community from within the correctional walls.
The canine therapy program is a prime example of innovative programs which
help both the community and the inmate. Now, Mr. Speaker, corrections have not
gone to the dogs. This program was first offered last July at the Bishop's Falls
Correctional Centre and the West Coast Correctional Centre in Stephenville and
it has grown in leaps and bounds, pardon the pun. It has expanded to the
Labrador Correctional Centre in Happy Valley- Goose Bay and the Newfoundland and
Labrador Correctional Centre for Women in Clarenville with great success.
Mr. Speaker, the program provides dogs with care and attention while giving
inmates the opportunity to be responsible for a dog and its training. Some of
these animals have had difficult experiences and require special attention in
regaining trust. The dogs are assigned to particular inmates, who have to go
through a screening process. Inmates are responsible for exercising, walking,
grooming, cleaning, feeding and teaching the dogs positive and healthy
behavioural habits with the hopes of the dogs being adopted in the community
upon completion of the program.
Since the start of the program, Mr. Speaker, over thirty-five dogs have been
successfully adopted. This success has been all the more rewarding when you
consider the therapeutic benefits of the relationship between the dogs and their
trainers. We have seen positive impacts on the individual inmates and in their
relationships with correctional officers.
Mr. Speaker, I especially want to thank the Society for the Prevention of
Cruelty to Animals in the communities of Stephenville, Bishop's Falls,
Clarenville, and Happy Valley-Goose Bay, who have embraced this initiative
wholeheartedly, and have been instrumental in providing dogs for the program. In
addition, I want to thank the correctional staff at the facilities, and the
inmates for their enthusiasm and dedication. They have made the Canine Therapy
Program the success that it is.
Mr. Speaker, since the 2009 release of Decades of Darkness: Moving Towards
the Light , the Department of Justice has invested $7 million into
revitalizing the Newfoundland and Labrador correctional system. This program is
one example of innovative and successful programming that is part of that
revitalization.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Member for Burgeo La Poile.
MR. A. PARSONS: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
I would like to thank the minister for an advance copy of his statement.
Canine therapy is indeed a mutually beneficial program for both inmates and
dogs. The dogs are employed for therapy in many realms for the physical aid they
provide to people with physical disabilities, as well as the unconditional love
they provide to those deprived of acceptance and social interaction. Reviews of
such programs have certainly shown the benefits to inmates, and certainly shown
the benefit to the many groups that take
part in this.
These dogs in need of extra training are, in many cases, saved from
euthanasia, as shelters simply do not have the space or the funding to take care
of them. I would point out that the City of St. John's animal care facility,
which is the envy of every other animal shelter in this Province, is actually in
far better condition than Her Majesty's Penitentiary.
Innovations in animal sheltering and in corrections are both positives. What
we would now like to see from this government is the Animal Health and
Protection Act be proclaimed during this sitting of the House. Until the act
becomes law, it cannot be implemented by law enforcement and other animal rescue
groups. In the meantime, these companion animals sit and languish in neglect and
cruelty. So I would like to congratulate those animal activists that have
brought this creative program to our Province.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Member for St. John's Centre.
MS ROGERS: Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank the minister for his
advance copy of his statement.
I am happy to hear of the success of the Canine Therapy Program in the
correctional centres in our Province. The excellent care the dogs are receiving
is commendable. However, we know that inmates do not get outside, inmates do not
get regular exercise, and they themselves do not have access to training
programs and teaching programs. It is unfortunate that the minister does not see
that therapy and rehabilitation are as important for our inmates as they are for
canine companions.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER: Oral Questions.
Oral Questions
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Leader of the Official Opposition.
MR. BALL: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Yesterday, the Premier, when we asked about the looming budget cuts for the
fourth straight time, she provided a different answer. First it was 3 per cent
across the board; then it was something less than $100 million; then it was
temporary or contract employees, plus the 3 per cent; then yesterday it was
about one third of the temporary employees.
So I ask the Premier: Will you finally tell the people of Newfoundland and
Labrador how many jobs are on the chopping block, and what services will be cut?
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Premier.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
PREMIER DUNDERDALE: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Mr. Speaker, in questioning about the Budget and our approach to the Budget
and how we are going to manage the current deficit, I provided information to
the people of the Province about some expectations they could have. What I have
asked my Cabinet to do, Mr. Speaker, is do a complete review of core mandate, in
that, to look for 3 per cent savings across the board, with the exception of a
number of services that have been ring fenced, such as education, health,
policing, and income support, Mr. Speaker.
As a result of that exercise, there will be, we expect, some job losses. We
have absolutely capped it at one third. Mr. Speaker, we will make the number,
the exact number, known when we announce the Budget.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Leader of the Official Opposition.
MR. BALL: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Yesterday, the Premier stated in the media that she was reviewing all
temporary employees the same way that you review permanent employees. There was
also a comment made that typically, when you review programs, it means cuts.
So I ask the Premier: What do you mean by this statement? Are permanent
employees subject to job reviews also?
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Premier.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
PREMIER DUNDERDALE: Mr. Speaker, I respectfully suggest to the Leader of
the Opposition that if he is going to quote me out of a scrum, that you actually
should attend it. Then you will hear that I said nothing about a review of
permanent employees. I have stated quite clearly in this House and outside this
House that there will be no permanent employees to lose their jobs as a result
of this exercise.
In terms of temporary employees and contractual employees, those positions
are always under review and will they be looked at in this exercise?
Absolutely, Mr. Speaker
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Oh, oh!
MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!
PREMIER DUNDERDALE: and we will be able to clearly say to the people of
the Province the number of those jobs that will be affected when we announce the
budget.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Leader of the Official Opposition.
MR. BALL: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
The comment I was speaking to was actually made to the Leader of the Third
Party when we were talking about health reviews.
So, Mr. Speaker, the Premier has said that people need to relax while she
performs her spending review to relax while they wonder if they will lose
their jobs.
So I ask the Premier: How can you ask people to relax when you have no plan
on how you are going to impose these cuts, and how public comments you have made
all over the map?
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Premier.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
PREMIER DUNDERDALE: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Mr. Speaker, I point out to the Leader of the Opposition that the Budget is
the plan. Mr. Speaker, anybody in this Province who is under the illusion that a
temporary job is a permanent job, or that a contract lasts for a lifetime, is
misinformed. By the very definition of a temporary job means it is not
permanent; it is there for a certain period of time.
Mr. Speaker, when we did hire the former Auditor General in a contractual
position, Mr. Noseworthy his contract is for one year; one year, not for five
years, not for ten years, not for two years. That is the definition of a
contractual employee or a temporary employee, Mr. Speaker. We will be able to
give the definitive numbers at the Budget, and I think the people of the
Province will be very relieved to know that number is going to be very small.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Leader of the Official Opposition.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. BALL: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Now that the Premier has mentioned the former AG, Mr. John Noseworthy, I
would ask the Premier: Are you prepared to table the contract and the Terms of
Reference, immediately?
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Minister of Advanced Education and Skills.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MS BURKE: Mr. Speaker, as the Premier had indicated, all departments are
asked to review their core mandates. Having a new department of Advanced
Education and Skills certainly brings together the post-secondary division of
the former Department of Education, as well as some of the components of the
former Department of Human Resources, Labour and Employment.
Mr. Speaker, in doing that, we certainly feel that the skills Mr. Noseworthy
can bring to that department for a one-year period, to help us review the core
mandate and make sure that the programs and services that the new department
delivers, are able to assist people in the attachment to the labour market.
Mr. Speaker, the whole labour shortage, looming labour shortage and what we
need to do to assist the people of this Province to attach to the labour market,
has been the impetus for the development of this new department.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Leader of the Official Opposition.
MR. BALL: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Yesterday in the House, the Minister of Natural Resources contrived what was
really a media stunt by tabling eight boxes of information on Muskrat Falls.
This information, as we know, was already available on the Public Utilities
Board Web site. Since the House opened
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Oh, oh!
MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!
MR. BALL: we have asked the minister to table any report or studies
that have been related to LNG, or natural gas pipeline, from the Grand Banks. We
have also asked for five-year cash flow projections from Nalcor, and we have
asked for the power purchase agreement between Nalcor and Newfoundland Hydro.
None of these documents that were requested have been tabled, so I ask the
minister: Are you prepared to table those?
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Minister of Natural Resources.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. KENNEDY: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Mr. Speaker, Mr. Ed Martin, the President of Nalcor, outlined in great detail
the steps that they had taken in terms of looking at the options for Muskrat
Falls, Holyrood refurbished. They indicated that at the Decision Gate 2 process,
liquefied natural gas was screened out. Mr. Speaker, as Mr. Martin indicated, it
was a fairly easy decision at that point because the viability of building a 350
to 650 kilometre pipeline from the Grand Banks just did not work. I am not aware
of any LNG study.
Mr. Speaker, I have indicated on several occasions, I have met with experts,
notably Wood MacKenzie in New York, PIRA in New York, and Ziff Energy of Calgary
and discussed natural gas. I have indicated that the opinions given to us
unanimously are that natural gas is not going to work. There are no studies or
reports that I am aware of. If there are, they are in the eight boxes and I
suggest that the Opposition go through them.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Leader of the Official Opposition.
MR. BALL: Well, they are not in the boxes. There was a comment made in
this House last week, though, that it was kind of conclusive, the impression I
had from that.
Mr. Speaker, the government's 2007 Energy Plan clearly states that our
Province will receive the full benefit of the Upper Churchill in 2041; however,
the Manitoba Hydro report states that Nalcor has not considered sourcing Upper
Churchill power because of the uncertainty of what will happen in 2041.
I ask the Premier: Can you explain why Nalcor is uncertain of what will
happen with Upper Churchill power after 2041? Are there concerns that we may not
gain control of this resource?
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Minister of Natural Resources.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. KENNEDY: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Mr. Speaker, I am glad the member opposite mentioned the Energy Plan. The
Energy Plan is the platform in which we lead to 2041 and the return of the Upper
Churchill. What we are doing, Mr. Speaker, we are taking our non-renewable
resource monies, our oil money, we are building schools, infrastructure and
hospitals leading with Muskrat Falls and Gull Island, hopefully, to the
development of a renewable resource economy. What we are always looking for, Mr.
Speaker, is looking towards that day for our children and grandchildren when the
Upper Churchill will be returned.
There are other issues, yes, certainly, Mr. Speaker. CF(L)Co is owned 65 per
cent by the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador and 35 per cent by
Hydro-Quebec. It is not simply a matter that there will be free power upon the
return of the Upper Churchill in 2041. There are issues that have to be worked
out, the CF(L)Co board has fiduciary obligations upon them. Mr. Speaker, we are
always looking towards 2041, and Muskrat Falls is an important first step.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Member for St. Barbe.
MR. BENNETT: Mr. Speaker, OCI sent a trawler to sea last month crewed by
scab labour, displacing the trawlermen who have worked with the company for
upwards of forty years.
I ask the Premier: Do you support collective bargaining in the Province or is
this your way to crush and destroy the Fish, Food and Allied Workers Union?
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Minister of Environment and Conservation.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. FRENCH: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Mr. Speaker, the role of government, and indeed the role of the Minister of
Labour and the Department of Labour are to provide conciliation services. In
December, Mr. Speaker, in the current labour dispute that the member refers, I
was written, I provided the conciliation services. That conciliation service
remains. I encourage both parties to come and meet with the conciliator and find
that common ground, Mr. Speaker, and to get an agreement.
Thank you.
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Member for St. Barbe.
MR. BENNETT: Mr. Speaker, the Government of New Brunswick announced at
the Boston Seafood Show that they plan to fly seafood from Moncton to Europe at
top dollar for their province.
I ask the Premier: When our Minister of Fisheries gets back from the same
show, hopefully enlightened, does she still intend to let OCI barge our fish to
China at rock-bottom prices?
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Minister of Education.
MR. JACKMAN: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
I cannot say as to what discussions took place at the Boston Seafood Show,
Mr. Speaker, but the minister will be back this afternoon. I will certainly
undertake to speak to him about it, and if there is something to be announced, I
am sure the minister will announce that.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Member for Cartwright L'Anse au Clair.
MS JONES: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
My questions are for the Minister of Education, and it pertains to the school
in my district, in Charlottetown, that has been closed. Mr. Speaker, parents and
students are very frustrated over the continuing delays and closure of their
school which has reached three weeks now. They are not happy with the fact that
air quality testing has been taking so long. In fact, the remediation work that
has been done was not adequate and suitable to allow them to go back into the
facility, and more air quality testing has been ongoing.
I ask the minister today: When can we expect to see the final air quality
test and inspection reports from this school, and can he tell me what the
government's plan is for the full replacement of that school in Charlottetown?
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Minister of Education.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. JACKMAN: Mr. Speaker, let me be clear right up front. The safety of
our students will not be compromised in any way. That comes first and foremost.
This is about identifying what exactly the problem, and then putting in place
the solution.
Mr. Speaker, the Western School District did bring in an independent
consultant, they carried out tests last week, and there were elevated levels of
mould found. The second set of testing is being conducted today. When the report
comes back, Mr. Speaker, those results will be provided to the school community.
I would ask the school community to co-operate with us, and we will find our way
through this, and there will be a facility that these students will return to
that will be safe.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Member for Cartwright L'Anse au Clair.
MS JONES: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
The problem in this community is that there are no suitable temporary
accommodations to school the children in. The community centre closed down a
year ago. They have an application before the government now for a new community
centre in that community for the same reasons. Mr. Speaker, the parents and
teachers, it is an understatement when I say they are frustrated because they
are beyond that. The school they are in is forty-seven years old. The ceilings
have fallen in, there has been numerous oil spills in the school. There have
been problems, Mr. Speaker, with circuit breakers tripping and so on.
I ask the minister and the government: Will they consult with the Western
School Board and look at making the replacement of this school a priority for
the children in the community of Charlottetown?
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Minister of Education.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. JACKMAN: Mr. Speaker, we have consulted with the Western School
District; as a matter of fact, for about two hours this morning staff were
discussing this particular situation with the Western School District.
Mr. Speaker, I cannot determine yet as to what the students will return to,
but, Mr. Speaker, we will not play any politics with this at all. The member
knows that in the last number of years there have been two new schools that have
gone into her district. We will do an assessment of this situation and we will
turn this around as quickly as we can in conjunction with the Western School
District and the school council and the community. Again, we will not compromise
student safety and when these students return to a facility, whatever that
facility will be, it will be a safe one.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Member for Burgeo La Poile.
MR. A. PARSONS: Mr. Speaker, last year we questioned this government on
its hiring of their PC friend Roebothan McKay and Marshall to pursue tobacco
litigation. Yesterday, the Canadian Press reported that six provinces have
retained a national legal team to prosecute Canadian tobacco companies and this
Province was not listed among them.
I ask the minister: Why are we not part of this national litigation team?
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Minister of Justice and Attorney General.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. F. COLLINS: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Mr. Speaker, we are familiar with the court case that the hon. member refers
to, it started in Montreal. It has nothing to do whatsoever with our action, Mr.
Speaker, in litigation against tobacco companies; that action is ongoing, Mr.
Speaker. We have filed our statements of claim. We are into affidavit stage. A
case management judge has been appointed. Our case is proceeding, Mr. Speaker,
very well.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Member for St. Barbe.
MR. BENNETT: Mr. Speaker, yesterday I asked the Minister of Innovation,
Business and Rural Development about his program of paying $360,000 for each job
created.
Today, I ask the minister: Can you table a breakdown of who received the
jobs, where were they created, what were the companies involved, and did
employers contribute to those jobs?
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Minister of Innovation, Business and Rural
Development.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. HUTCHINGS: Mr. Speaker, the funding referenced was funded through the
former Department of Business and certainly looked at sustaining, attracting and
creating new jobs. The total was approximately 348, but outside of that, all of
the programs we are doing now through the former INTRD and IBRD now, we are
creating hundreds of jobs throughout Newfoundland and Labrador, in rural
communities across Newfoundland and Labrador. Seventy-five percent of the funds
that are used through my current department go into rural Newfoundland and
Labrador. We are creating jobs; we are assisting small- and medium-sized
businesses. We continue to do that, Mr. Speaker. As we go forward, if we see
policy and direction that we need to go in is somewhat different, we will
certainly do that, but we will do that with stakeholders and working with the
communities to make sure we maximize the benefits for Newfoundlanders and
Labradorians.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Member for St. Barbe.
MR. BENNETT: Mr. Speaker, will the minister table the documents
requested?
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Minister of Innovation, Business and Rural
Development.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. HUTCHINGS: Mr. Speaker, yes, I will certainly take under advisement
what the hon. member has asked for and provide what I can to the House in the
near future.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Member for St. Barbe.
MR. BENNETT: Mr. Speaker, there are many other obscene examples of
wasteful spending by this government. Can the Premier confirm that this type of
waste will be targeted before her 3 per cent Budget cuts are inflicted on our
people?
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Premier.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
PREMIER DUNDERDALE: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Mr. Speaker, I suggest they have a caucus meeting and get their questions
straight.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Oh, oh!
MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!
The hon. the Premier.
PREMIER DUNDERDALE: Mr. Speaker, I have one member of the caucus
chastising me for doing any kind of cutting, and then I have another member of
the caucus telling me to cut because there is waste. You really should get
together and decide what your questions are going to be in Question Period.
Mr. Speaker, we are always mindful of the responsibility we have as a
government for good fiscal management. That is what we are doing all the time.
That is what we are doing now in a very targeted process of reviewing of core
mandates to make sure that we are living up to our responsibility to provide
services to the people of Newfoundland and Labrador as efficiently and as
effectively as we possibly can.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Leader of the Third Party.
MS MICHAEL: Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker.
Mr. Speaker, the Premier is not clearly communicating government's intentions
regarding the review of services and cutbacks and it is causing great anxiety in
the public service. The Premier has said that she is asking departments to do a
review of their spending, but we have not heard a clear explanation of what her
government is planning.
Mr. Speaker, I ask the Premier: What are the criteria that she will be using
to determine who will stay and who will go?
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Premier.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
PREMIER DUNDERDALE: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
I would suggest to the Leader of the Third Party that my plan is a lot
clearer than her blanket statement in her orange book, I guess, that she was
going to cut 1 per cent right across the board. Mr. Speaker, we are going to
look to find 3 per cent savings, and we are going to do that by reviewing core
mandates to make sure that the services that are being provided to the people of
the Province are first of all relevant and effective, and that we are doing that
as efficiently as possible.
Mr. Speaker, I have been absolutely clear, there will be no loss of jobs to
permanent employees, but we are going to use attrition; we are going to have a
look at attrition to try and manage growth in the public service. We are also,
in this process, going to review temporary jobs and contract jobs, but we do not
expect any great job loss in that process either.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Leader of the Third Party.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MS MICHAEL: Mr. Speaker, for clarification from the Premier, I wonder,
could I ask what her definition of a temporary employee is, because we are aware
through Estimates of people who have been in temporary positions for ten,
fifteen and twenty years.
Are they temporary, Mr. Speaker, I ask?
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Premier.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
PREMIER DUNDERDALE: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
A temporary employee, Mr. Speaker, is somebody who does not have permanent
understood by government and by people in the public service.
Yes, we have circumstances in which jobs have been deemed temporary and
deemed temporary too long, in my estimation, Mr. Speaker. We are reviewing that
also to find if there is a way to bring balance to that situation, Mr. Speaker.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Leader of the Third Party.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MS MICHAEL: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
In the spirit of trying to get some balance, let me try the next one. Over
the past eight years, government has hired over 2,100 people.
Is the Premier now telling us that there are 800 jobs among those people that
really do not need to be done and that public service does not need?
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Premier.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
PREMIER DUNDERDALE: No, Mr. Speaker, I am not saying that. I have never
said that there are going to be 800 job losses. Do we put a cap do we put a
cap? We certainly did talk about a cap yesterday, that you would not consider
going anywhere near a third or above a third of temporary employees.
I was very clear in my statements yesterday in my scrum; in fact, I said
three times that the numbers will be nowhere near that. As we do our review, Mr.
Speaker, we become more and more comfortable with the fact that there is going
to be a very small number associated with any job loss because of this 3 per
cent review.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Leader of the Third Party.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MS MICHAEL: Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker.
I suggest to the Premier that if she had not opened up this topic publicly
and put bargaining issues out in the public, she would not be in the trap she is
in now, not knowing what to say.
Mr. Speaker, the budgetary process is well known. Departmental budgets are
prepared well in advance and are prepared in line with government directives.
Mr. Speaker, government kept this House closed for five months; the Premier said
at the time her new government needed time to prepare for the opening. Mr.
Speaker, knowing government has had departmental budgets for months, I ask the
Premier why government waited until the days after the Throne Speech to decide
they needed a review of spending.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Premier.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
PREMIER DUNDERDALE: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Mr. Speaker, if the Leader of the Third Party thinks I am going to engage in
an exercise and not be straightforward with the people of the Province about
what is happening inside government, I have news for you, I am not going to do
that.
The people of the Province have a right to know what their government is
engaged in, in terms of determining the services that are required by the people
of the Province and how they are going to be delivered. That is all part of the
Budget process. With all due respect, the Budget process has been ongoing within
this government since we were sworn in, in late October. It is a long, arduous
process, Mr. Speaker. We are dealing with almost $8 billion hundreds of
millions of dollars in programming. It is a long process and we will have a
wonderful product to produce next month.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Leader of the Third Party.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MS MICHAEL: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
I do not think the Premier needs to insult the intelligence of the people in
this Province, but it has been nine months since the House was open. They were
re-elected in October, without changing any of their mandates; they could have
had a Budget ready by the end of March, which she said in the Throne Speech was
going to happen, Mr. Speaker.
Former Auditor General, John Noseworthy, has been hired to review the mandate
of the newly-minted Department of Advanced Education and Skills. The Premier
tells the media one of his duties will be to look at the role of temporary
employees. Mr. Speaker, in his March 31, 2011 report, the Auditor General
criticized government for the number of temporary employees now employed in that
and other departments across this government.
I ask the Premier: Can temporary employees in all departments expect similar
reviews of their roles and positions as Mr. Noseworthy will be doing about the
department he is hired by?
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 suggest the Leader of the Third Party come along to the scrums
with the Leader of the Opposition. Never have I said anything about Mr.
Noseworthy reviewing temporary positions. What we have is a brand new department
that is mandated to make sure that Newfoundlanders and Labradorians are able to
take advantage of the opportunities that are abound in this Province, Mr.
Speaker, and will continue to be here for the next number of years.
We need to make sure that everybody in this Province has an opportunity to
benefit from this prosperity, Mr. Speaker. Just in grants alone, there is $82
million that go out of this department on a yearly basis. We need to know that
these programs are effective, efficient, responding to the real needs of
Newfoundlanders and Labradorians.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Leader of the Third Party.
MS MICHAEL: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Mr. Speaker, daily we hear from constituents that they can be on hold for up
to an hour waiting for someone in the department, that Mr. Noseworthy will be
working with, to answer their call. It is especially true in that department.
So, Mr. Speaker, I ask the Premier: How would cutting jobs from that
department help the backlog that already exists?
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Minister of Advanced Education and Skills.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MS BURKE: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Mr. Speaker, within the Department of Advanced Education and Skills we want
to do a thorough review of our mandate and how we deliver services.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Oh, oh!
MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!
MS BURKE: Mr. Speaker, if we feel there are needs that we can address to
help improve the flow of services, we will certainly do that.
Mr. Speaker, I also want to indicate to the hon. House here that we do have
some very efficient employees in our department who do their jobs very well, and
they are not idiots.
Thank you.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Member for St. John's North.
MR. KIRBY: Mr. Speaker, last week this government said it was still
reviewing a proposal to legislate the use of strike breakers in this Province
out of existence once and for all. The minister downplayed the use of anti-scab
legislation in Canada, saying it was only in existence in British Columbia and
Quebec, but he chose to overlook the fact that those two provinces make up over
one third of the population of Canada.
Mr. Speaker, I ask the Premier: Why is this government dragging its feet on
bringing in anti-scab legislation to protect our workers?
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Minister of Environment and Conservation.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. FRENCH: Mr. Speaker, the hon. member is referring to a couple of
incidents, but the hon. member has two jobs, as we all know here in the House,
and he is an academic in his real job. So, Mr. Speaker, to speak to him being an
academic, I would like to challenge him to read some of the work that some of
the academics have done throughout this country and throughout the world, and he
will quickly discover that there is a great divide on the usefulness of
replacement worker legislation.
Just the other night, Mr. Speaker, I was reading from two different
academics, like himself, with two different opinions two very varying
opinions. The first academic said, yes, that it increased the likelihood of
strike or labour unrest by 50 per cent, but it reduced the number of days that
it lasted. Mr. Speaker, the second academic said absolutely there should never
be replacement worker legislation because it lengthens (inaudible)
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Member for St. John's North.
MR. KIRBY: Mr. Speaker, last month the Premier said she was absolutely
troubled by the arrests of two dozen Newfoundland Lynx trawlermen in Bay
Roberts. The Premier went on to say that she believed that negotiated
settlements are in the best interests of good labour relations in the Province.
I come from a fishing family in a fishing community, Mr. Speaker, and the
Premier does as well. She and I both know how hard these trawlermen have worked
over their thirty or forty years of service.
Mr. Speaker, I ask the Premier: Is she sufficiently troubled by this to take
some responsibility and appoint a special mediator to meet with the parties and
help resolve this labour dispute?
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Minister of Environment and Conservation.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. FRENCH: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
As I referenced earlier, Mr. Speaker, as a government and as a Department of
Labour, our role is to provide that moderator and provide the conciliation
services. Mr. Speaker, in late December one of the parties had written me asking
for that service; I think it was early January the conciliator was appointed.
The conciliator remains in place. I encourage both parties to work through that
conciliator.
These are very, very professional people, Mr. Speaker; they have great
success rates in bringing parties together and working out agreements.
Unfortunately, there are times when this does not work out, but I certainly
encourage both parties to get together and to iron out an agreement. We have the
professional people in place, they have been appointed, Mr. Speaker, and I
encourage them to use them.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER: There is time for one quick question.
The hon. the Member for St. John's North.
MR. KIRBY: Mr. Speaker, a May 2007 press release from this government
announced that the quotas formally held by Fishery Products International were
transferred to a holding company owned 49 per cent by the provincial government
and 51 per cent by Ocean Choice International.
Mr. Speaker, I ask the Premier: Is she sufficiently troubled with the
treatment of the crew of the Newfoundland Lynx to initiate a meeting of
the shareholders of the quota holding company and seek resolution to this labour
dispute?
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Minister of Education.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. JACKMAN: Mr. Speaker
MR. SPEAKER: (Inaudible) to comment, just a quick comment. The time for
Question Period has expired, but I will allow you one quick comment.
MR. JACKMAN: Mr. Speaker, we have people in the gallery today who I am
certain would rather be fishing rather than being here. Mr. Speaker, as
indicated, the way a solution has to be found here is for both parties to get to
the table, and as was already said, and I would encourage and our government
would encourage, that the parties get back to the table and find a solution
here.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER: The time for Question Period has expired.
The hon. the Leader of the Third Party.
MS MICHAEL: Mr. Speaker, just now in Question Period the Member for
Conception Bay South made comments with regard to the Member for St. John's
North that I think are quite questionable. The Member for Conception Bay South
referred to the profession of the Member for St. John's North, indicating that
he had a full job in that profession and implications being that as a member of
this House he is not in a full job.
Mr. Speaker, according to our legislation, any Member of the House of
Assembly, unless that person is a Minister of the Crown, is able to continue
other works besides being a Member of the House of Assembly. The important issue
is that the person fulfills his or her job to the full. Mr. Speaker, to make
reference, I believe in this
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Oh, oh!
MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!
MS MICHAEL: To make reference in this House to the profession of another
person is something that should not be happening on the floor of this House, Mr.
Speaker. I ask you to look at this issue. I do not think it is acceptable, and I
really do not want to hear it happening again.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Oh, oh!
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Minister of Environment and Conservation, to
the point of order.
MR. FRENCH: Mr. Speaker, if I were an academic, I encourage people to
become academic. I think it is a wonderful profession, Mr. Speaker. I salute the
hon. member. On his Web site www.dalekirby.com he promotes himself as having two
professions, Mr. Speaker. I acknowledge it and I congratulate him. I think it is
wonderful when a member has the time to work in this House and be an academic
besides, Mr. Speaker. I congratulate him and salute him for being able to carry
out two jobs.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Leader of the Third Party.
MS MICHAEL: First of all, Mr. Speaker, the Member for Conception Bay
South knows well that we do not refer to each other by our proper names here in
this House. He should not have referred to the Member for St. John's North in
the way that he did.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Oh, oh!
MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!
The hon. the Leader of the Third Party.
MS MICHAEL: I would like to say, Mr. Speaker, that the way in which the
member pointed out that the Member for St. John's North had a full-time job as
an academic undermines the issue that he is a full-time MHA in this House of
Assembly, Mr. Speaker, doing the work for his constituents day in and day out. I
really look for a ruling from the Speaker with regard to these kinds of things
happening here on the floor of the House, Mr. Speaker.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Oh, oh!
MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!
To the point of order, the hon. the Government House Leader.
MR. KENNEDY: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Mr. Speaker, the words used by the Minister of Environment was that the
member opposite had two jobs. That is all he said. He did not say anything more
than that. He referred to him being academic. I think he referred to him as
having a part-time job. The Green rules are clear that you can have a second job
as long as it does not interfere with your primary role as an MHA. Obviously, I
do not see where the point of order arises. It is simply a reference to what is
a fact.
Mr. Speaker, earlier today the Opposition House Leader said I am lawyer; I am
not a lawyer or something. People are referred to all the time by their
professions. I do not see the issue.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Leader of the Third Party, to the point of
order?
MS MICHAEL: Yes, Mr. Speaker, just to say I do not think it is for either
one of us on the floor to decide on the point of order. I leave it to you to
make a ruling.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Minister of Environment and Conservation made
an observation in his comment that one of the members of the House is employed
in another profession, which is public knowledge. I think many of us in this
House would have read that in many forums and heard comments in the public
domain to that effect and it has not been denied. I do not see there is a point
of order as raised by the Leader of the Third Party.
MR. KENNEDY: Mr. Speaker?
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Government House Leader.
MR. KENNEDY: Mr. Speaker, I want to raise a real point of order now.
Earlier today the Member for St. Barbe referred to the fact that the Minister of
Fisheries, when he got back from the Boston Seafood Show he could perhaps answer
a question or he would deal with an issue. Mr. Speaker, Bosch and O'Brien
are clear at page 614, "Allusions to the presence or absence of a Member or
Minister in the Chamber are unacceptable. Speakers have upheld this prohibition
on the ground that there are many places that Members have to be in order to
carry out all the obligations that go with their office'."
It seems to me, Mr. Speaker, that whether advertently or inadvertently the
member did breach that rule.
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Member for St. Barbe, to the point of order.
MR. BENNETT: Mr. Speaker, I withdraw that.
MR. SPEAKER: Presenting Reports by Standing and Select Committees.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Oh, oh!
MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!
Tabling of Documents.
Notices of Motion.
Notices of Motion
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Government House Leader.
MR. KENNEDY: Mr. Speaker, I move, seconded by the hon. the Minister of
Finance and President of Treasury Board, to ask leave to introduce a bill
entitled,
An Act To Amend The Liquor Control Act, Bill 11, and I further move,
Mr. Speaker, that the said bill be now read the first time.
MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!
Any further notices of motion?
MR. KENNEDY: No, Mr. Speaker.
MR. SPEAKER: I would ask the Government House Leader to re-enter that
motion when we get to the Orders of the Day.
Answers to Questions for which Notice has been Given.
Petitions.
Petitions
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Member for Cartwright L'Anse au Clair.
MS JONES: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
I stand today to present a petition on behalf of people in the Province with
regard to home care. It says:
WHEREAS home care allows the elderly and people with disabilities to remain
within the comfort and security of their own homes. Home care also allows people
to be discharged from hospital earlier; and
WHEREAS many families find it very difficult to recruit and retain home care
workers for their loved ones; and
WHEREAS the Conservative Blue Book 2011 as well as the 2012 Speech from the
Throne committed that government would develop a new model of home care and give
people the option of receiving that care from family members; and
WHEREAS government has given no time commitment for when government plans to
implement paying family caregivers;
WHEREUPON the undersigned, your petitioners, humbly pray and call upon the
Government of Newfoundland and Labrador to implement a new home care model to
cover family caregivers in the 2012-2013 Budget.
Mr. Speaker, this is an issue that has been talked about for quite some time
in the Province. It is a commitment that the government opposite made actually
going back four years now we are into the fifth year in which they committed
to do a long-term care strategy for the Province of Newfoundland and Labrador.
We still have not seen that strategy; however, Mr. Speaker, in the middle of the
election campaign, the government opposite did go out and make a commitment to
the people of the Province that they would look at paying family caregivers.
People in the Province are now waiting to be paid for the services that they do
in providing home care to their loved ones.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Oh, oh!
MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!
MS JONES: Mr. Speaker, I have dozens of e-mails which I could stand up in
this House and read from districts all over the Province, not just my own, from
people who are now providing care to elderly parents, to adult children, to
spouses and so on in their own homes. People have had to give up their jobs to
care for those who they love and provide that care, Mr. Speaker, in the absence
of no other home care program available to them or no long-term care facilities
available to them. There is an expectation that they will be paid for the
services that they provide.
We would encourage the government, Mr. Speaker, to bring that program into
effect to ensure that family members are paid for the care that they provide to
those that they love at home and that, that be done in the Budget that we are
hoping to see in the next month or so.
Mr. Speaker, in terms of cost, I will just give you one example. I tried to
get a constituent relocated to the hospital in Goose Bay last week only to find
out that every bed in the hospital was full, the nursery in the hospital was
filled, the emergency was filled, and there were no beds available. Mr. Speaker,
nine of those twenty-five beds were taken up with long-term care residents
because there is no where in Labrador to put them, yet we have the Paddon Home
that is sitting there not being used. We cannot get that opened, we cannot get
the family caregiver program activated, but long-term care is continuing to be a
serious problem in all parts of Newfoundland and Labrador.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Member for St. John's North.
MR. KIRBY: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
I rise again today to present a petition on behalf of the residents of
Newfoundland and Labrador. I spoke on this petition twice last week. This is a
petition that has been circulated throughout the Province regarding needed
changes to the Department of Education school bus transportation policies, and
it reads something like the following:
WHEREAS school district restructuring has resulted in longer bus travel times
and more hazardous winter travel for rural students of all ages; and
WHEREAS due to recent school closures, children living within 1.6 kilometres
of school face increased barriers of congested streets and busy intersections in
the walk to school, and parents without cars are having more difficulty getting
children to different schools on foot; and
WHEREAS only those child care centres outside the 1.6 kilometre zone and
directly on bus routes are included in kindergarten noontime routes, causing
hardship for working parents; and
WHEREAS the 1.6 kilometre policy has been in place since 1975, and student
transportation policies have not been reviewed through public consultation since
1996; and
WHEREAS parents are expressing the need for more flexible policies for
student transportation and school restructuring to meet the current needs of
school children;
We, the undersigned, petition the House of Assembly to urge the government to
conduct a review of school bus transportation policies and school restructuring
to ensure safe and quality education for all school children in the Province.
As in duty bound, your petitioners will ever pray.
I took on this petition, Mr. Speaker, for a review of school busing
regulations in response to a constituent in my district. I just want to explain,
this is a single mom who lives on Thorburn Road, or in the Thorburn Road area,
and that is a busy street these days, because we have a lot of people coming in
from outside St. John's who are commuting to work. This young woman has two
children. She is a single mom; she has one elementary school age child, and she
has another child who is a newborn. She said to me, Dale, what am I going to do
I guess I should not say my own name, should I she said, what am I going to
do; I need to get my child to school, but I have a newborn that I have to care
for as well. So it is causing her great difficulty. It is because of the 1.6
kilometre rule that has been in place since 1975. Things get more problematic on
that street, as I said earlier, this time of the year when sidewalks are covered
with snow, and it is slippery out and so on.
So, we started this petition. As we started it, I started to receive calls
and e-mails from people from all around the Province. This petition here today
has petitioners from the Gander area included, and I just hope that the
government will see fit to heed this request from the petitioners.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Member for Cartwright L'Anse au Clair.
MS JONES: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
I rise today to present a petition on search and rescue. This is a petition
similar to what I have presented in the House already. These are ones that I got
yesterday from Happy Valley-Goose Bay. They say:
WHEREAS Labrador is a vast land mass with many isolated communities; and
WHEREAS unfortunately, search and rescue assets were not adequately deployed
during the search for Burton Winters; and
WHEREAS it is clear that permanent search and rescue assets are required in
Labrador;
WHEREPON your petitioners call upon all members of the House of Assembly to
urge government to do a full investigation into the Burton Winters tragedy, and
search and rescue in Labrador, and lobby the federal government to establish
permanent search and rescue capability at 5 Wing Goose Bay.
As in duty bound your petitioners will ever pray.
Mr. Speaker, I rise to present this petition
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Oh, oh!
MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!
MS JONES: on behalf of people in Labrador. As I said, this petition was
sent to me by people in Happy Valley-Goose Bay, because this is an issue that
not just concerns the people of Northern Labrador or in the Makkovik area, but
all of Labrador, and I would say all of Newfoundland, Mr. Speaker.
People really believe that more needs to be done with search and rescue
services, and there needs to be a stronger commitment by the federal government.
They are calling upon the Province, Mr. Speaker, to be the ambassador for that,
to be the person who leads this particular initiative with the Government of
Canada to ensure that we get improved search and rescue services in Labrador and
in the Province as a whole. They are asking, Mr. Speaker, that 5 Wing Goose Bay
be looked at as a base for search and rescue for Labrador, and that the
equipment that is there be available to service the needs in the case of an
emergency.
When the incident happened with Burton Winters in Makkovik, the two Griffon
helicopters that were in the hangar in Happy Valley-Goose Bay were broken down.
We need to know the answers to that. We need to know why they were not
effectively in use and we need to know why the federal government is not making
that a first line of call and response for search and rescue in Labrador. There
is absolutely no reason why it cannot happen.
That is the reason people are coming to the House of Assembly. They want the
government to lead this file; they want them to put pressure on the feds to
ensure that is done and that service is provided, but also to ensure that the
Maritime Rescue Sub-Centre in St. John's stays open.
I was absolutely astounded yesterday to hear the responses in the House of
Commons to the questions that were being posed by the Newfoundland and Labrador
Members of Parliament on search and rescue. If that is the kind of response that
we are going to continue to get, it is going to require more action than just
petitions coming to the House of Assembly, I suggest to the government.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Orders of the Day
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Government House Leader.
MR. KENNEDY: Okay, we are now, Mr. Speaker, in Orders of the Day.
MR. SPEAKER: Exactly.
MR. KENNEDY: Mr. Speaker, I move, seconded by the hon. the Minister of
Finance and President of Treasury Board, to ask leave to introduce a bill
entitled,
An Act To Amend The Liquor Control Act, and I further move that same
bill be now read the first time.
MR. SPEAKER: It is moved and seconded that the hon. Minister of Finance
and President of Treasury Board have leave to introduce a bill entitled,
An Act
To Amend The Liquor Control Act, Bill 11.
Is it the pleasure of the House that the minister shall have leave to
introduce Bill 11, and that the said bill be now read a first time?
All those in favour, aye'.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Aye.
MR. SPEAKER: All those against, nay'.
Motion carried.
Motion, the hon. the Minister of Finance and President of Treasury Board to
introduce a bill, "An Act To Amend The Liquor Control Act", carried. (Bill 11)
CLERK: A bill,
An Act To Amend The Liquor Control Act. (Bill 11)
MR. SPEAKER: This bill has now been read the first time. When shall the
bill be read a second time?
MR. KENNEDY: Tomorrow, Mr. Speaker.
MR. SPEAKER: Tomorrow.
On motion, Bill 11 read a first time, ordered read a second time on tomorrow.
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Government House Leader.
MR. KENNEDY: On the Order Paper, Mr. Speaker, if I could call Motion 2.
MR. SPEAKER: Motion 2.
MR. KENNEDY: Mr. Speaker, I move, seconded by the Minister of Advanced
Education and Skills, the following resolution:
WHEREAS
section 7 of the House of Assembly Accountability, Integrity and
Administration Act provides that the Sergeant-at-Arms of the House of Assembly
is to be appointed by the Lieutenant-Governor in Council on a nomination by the
House of Assembly;
NOW THEREFORE
BE IT RESOLVED that Mr. William J. Brown be nominated for
appointment as the Sergeant-at-Arms of the House of Assembly.
MR. SPEAKER: The motion is that Bill Brown be nominated for appointment
as the Sergeant-at-Arms for the House of Assembly.
Is it the pleasure of the House to adopt the motion?
All those in favour, aye'.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Aye.
MR. SPEAKER: All those against, nay'.
Carried.
The hon. the Government House Leader, speaking to the motion.
MR. KENNEDY: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
It is my pleasure to rise to speak to the resolution of appointing a new
Sergeant-at-Arms for the House of Assembly. First, though, Mr. Speaker, I would
like to recognize and thank Elizabeth Gallagher who dedicated fourteen years to
this role.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. KENNEDY: Indeed, Mr. Speaker, Elizabeth has become something of an
icon around here. I can remember in the first session of the House I did
something I was not supposed to do, and I was asked to apologize. I did not
realize if you do not apologize right away, well, Elizabeth comes and gets you.
I can remember, Mr. Speaker, I was sitting down there and she was coming toward
me, and she had a look in her eyes, so I quickly apologized because I certainly
did not want to have to tangle with her.
Ms Gallagher's attention to detail and respect for this Chamber, as well as
her deep commitment to the security and the order of the House of Assembly are
well known and deeply appreciated, Mr. Speaker, by all those who had the
opportunity to sit here. As she moves into a well-deserved retirement, Ms
Gallagher can reflect with satisfaction on her service to the people of
Newfoundland and Labrador. People like Ms Gallagher spend so many years of their
lives giving to the Province and oftentimes it goes unnoticed, so I think it is
very important that as a Chamber today we recognize and say thank you to
Elizabeth Gallagher for all the work she has done over the years.
Mr. Speaker, I am also pleased today that we will welcome another experienced
and well-qualified person to fill the position of Sergeant-at-Arms. Mr. William
Brown brings to the role a wealth of experience and training in law enforcement.
I was reflecting, Mr. Speaker, this morning, trying to remember when myself, as
a defence lawyer, and Mr. Brown had first encountered each other in the court
system. My first memory is around 1990, and I was a bit of a crackie at the
time. I always remember being struck by Bill's calmness and how he did not rise
to the bait, Mr. Speaker, of the old defence lawyer tricks of trying to get the
police officer upset.
Mr. Brown then moved through the ranks of the Royal Newfoundland Constabulary
and was instrumental in guiding the RNC to through that Lamer Inquiry where so
many changes were made in the way that the Royal Newfoundland Constabulary does
business. He moved to that of Deputy Chief of Police where, along with the
retired Chief Joe Browne and current Chief Bob Johnson, they certainly brought a
high degree of professionalism and integrity, Mr. Speaker, to the leadership at
the Royal Newfoundland Constabulary.
We heard my colleague yesterday, the member for Paradise
AN HON. MEMBER: Topsail.
MR. KENNEDY: the Member for Topsail partly Paradise talk about the
changes that have been made in the Royal Newfoundland Constabulary over the
years. One of the reasons for that, is when you have individuals like Mr. Brown
who start out at street patrol, work in the various duties throughout their
careers as policemen and then move to the Deputy Chief of Police, what they
bring with them, Mr. Speaker, is the experience that comes with being a
policeman on the beat, for lack of a better term, but also it brings out that
respect within the other members of our force.
Mr. Brown was there, Mr. Speaker, in that crucial time frame as referred to
by the Member for Topsail yesterday when 50 per cent of the new employees coming
into the Royal Newfoundland Constabulary are female, whereby we adopted the
Memorial University course, and that high level of training, Mr. Speaker, that
comes with being a policeman.
While we go back a long ways, Mr. Speaker, it is good to see him here in this
role, and again, like Elizabeth, I just hope that some day he does not have to
come and get me. I think that now I know the rules well in terms of apologizing,
which I had to do yesterday.
Mr. Speaker, Mr. Brown has extensive knowledge and experience in security,
administration and leadership, along with an impressive record of community
involvement. Mr. Speaker, I can say, personally, on behalf of the government we
are delighted to have such a high quality candidate taking on the role of
Sergeant-at-Arms in our House of Assembly.
I invite all members of this House, Mr. Speaker, to join me in congratulating
Mr. William Brown on his appointment and wish him many years of productive and
enjoyable service to the venerable institution of the Newfoundland and Labrador
House of Assembly.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Opposition House Leader.
MS JONES: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
I am pleased to speak to Motion 2. Like my colleague opposite, I want to
first of all take the opportunity to recognize Elizabeth Gallagher. Obviously,
Elizabeth was working in the precincts of the House of Assembly when I was first
elected and one of the first people that I met, and is certainly a lady of
tremendous knowledge when it comes to the history of this Province, the history
of the Legislature, and everything in and around this particular place.
Mr. Speaker, I want to recognize her commitment and her loyalty to all of us
as MHAs, to the House of Assembly in the work that she did. Even, Mr. Speaker, I
think for all of us, as MHAs, she was very valuable when we would bring students
in from our district. She would meet them in the foyer of Confederation Building
and give them tours of the House of Assembly, of the galleries, and so on and so
forth. There was no one I knew that was any more knowledgeable to be able to do
that.
I remember going on the first tour with her, myself, as a young MHA, and
coming into this House. She started pointing out to us who gave us the chairs
when we entered Confederation, and who gave us different signs, and who gave us
the Table when we moved into the new House of Assembly and the gifts from all
the provinces across Canada. She could just stand there and give you the full
story and the full scope of what it was all about. You knew when you brought
people to the House of Assembly and set them up with a tour with Elizabeth that
they were going to get full insight into what we were all about as a Legislature
and as a Province.
Mr. Speaker, I want to wish her well in her retirement. She was also a good
personal friend to me, having battled breast cancer herself, and continued to
work while she did so in the House of Assembly. She was an inspiration to many
women like myself, and she was certainly a support and an encouragement on many
a day through those particular times. I would be remiss if I did not mention
that.
Mr. Speaker, it is always a pleasure to welcome new people to our House of
Assembly, but especially pleased to welcome our new Sergeant-at-Arms, Mr. Brown,
who I might say is very, very good at his job. The first day I came in here I
did not have a headset, and within a minute I had two sets.
Mr. Speaker, the day the Member for Humber West got up to speak in the House
of Assembly I asked for earplugs. Sure enough, Mr. Speaker, I have my own
earplugs now in my drawer; not because I did not want to listen to the member, I
say to you, I wanted to listen very attentively. I can still hear every word you
say, absolutely.
Mr. Speaker, I want to make a few comments about Mr. Brown, because anyone
who has lived in this Province will know him from his years of service to the
Royal Newfoundland Constabulary. He has had a long term of service with them and
he was very highly regarded by the Royal Newfoundland Constabulary of this
Province, by his fellow officers and cadets. From the people I have talked to
and the stories I have heard, they have all been very good, I say to him. Mr.
Speaker, we also know he worked on very high profile investigations in the
Province of Newfoundland and Labrador, earning him tremendous respect and
credibility for his work as an investigator and as a police officer, and
certainly giving all of us the feeling of being safe in this Province and
knowing that the Royal Newfoundland Constabulary was surrounded by good people
who were giving it good guidance and good direction.
Mr. Speaker, Mr. Brown was very highly thought of by his colleagues in his
time of service there, and I am sure it will be no different in this Chamber, in
the House of Assembly. So, Mr. Speaker, in saying that, I certainly want to
welcome him as our new Sergeant-at-Arms. I want to say that he looks really
young to be retired and coming to start a new job, but I guess their loss at the
RNC is our gain in the House of Assembly. I just hope he never has to exercise
his policing responsibilities in the Legislature of the Province. I am sure he
will not because we all are very hon. men and women in this Chamber, Sir, so I
am pretty sure you will have absolutely no problem, and I wish you all the best
as you carry out your new duties and your new service to the people of this
Province.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Leader of the Third Party.
MS MICHAEL: Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker.
I am quite delighted to be able to stand today and speak to Motion 2 on our
Paper with regard to the appointment of Mr. William Brown as the new
Sergeant-at-Arms.
I know he fully understands why we are all starting first in thanking Ms
Elizabeth Gallagher for the tremendous work that she did here in the House of
Assembly. Indeed, a friend to us all. As the Opposition House Leader has
mentioned, we all get to know each other pretty well. We all went through her
illness with her when Ms Gallagher was ill, and we are all so delighted she was
able to beat the cancer that she suffered and now is enjoying a healthy
retirement. We all have our stories, and she was just a delight to be here. She
had a knowledge of the history of this place that I do not know if anybody
around can equal. I am sure if Mr. Brown ever has a question, she would be there
to answer that question for him. I cannot help but think with Mr. Brown in
place, with some humour I say this, that his past experience as a keeper of the
peace and law and order might stand him in good stead, though I do hope he will
never have to use the Mace in the way it was in the very beginning meant to be
used, to physically protect the Speaker of the House from the House. Let's hope
it will only have to be laying it on the Table and taking it off the Table, Mr.
Speaker.
Certainly, Mr. Brown is not new to the kind of thing that happens in this
room. There is a lot of ceremony. There is a lot of protocol that happens. With
the background that he has, he certainly understands and values and honours what
it means to have protocol and what it means to behave in certain ways in certain
circumstances. I think he must probably be finding himself very comfortable, I
hope, here in the House with us. He certainly has shown himself to be that way
over the last six days that we have been here together.
I do welcome him, and I actually do have a little problem with my headset
today, so I will be seeing him after that and I am sure I will get the same
speedy service that the Opposition House Leader has received as well.
Welcome, Mr. Brown, and thank you, Mr. Speaker.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER: Is it the pleasure of the House to adopt the motion?
All those in favour, aye'.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Aye.
MR. SPEAKER: All those against, nay'.
Motion carried.
Welcome to our new Sergeant-at-Arms.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Government House Leader.
MR. KENNEDY: Yes, Mr. Speaker, under the Orders of the Day, I call Motion
1, Committee of Supply.
MR. SPEAKER: It is moved and seconded that we now move to the Committee
of Supply and that I now leave the Chair.
All those in favour, aye'.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Aye.
MR. SPEAKER: Contra-minded?
Carried.
On motion, that the House resolve itself into a Committee of the Whole on
Supply, Mr. Speaker left the Chair.
Committee of the Whole
CHAIR (Verge): Order, please!
We will resume debate in Committee of the Whole on Interim Supply.
I recognize the hon. the Member for Exploits.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. FORSEY: Thank you, Mr. Chair, for the opportunity to speak on the
Supply Bill.
Before I do, I probably understand that the Opposition House Leader is
probably somewhat disappointed and probably somewhat lonely this time around
sitting in the House because the seating arrangements have changed somewhat. I
guess she misses some of us from where we were last year. Just for her
information, in that she does represent Cartwright L'Anse au Clair, I am
planning a trip down there this year. I hope to go across on the Apollo,
travel down through Southern Labrador, down to Lake Melville, and up to Lab
West. I have been down there many a time and I cannot wait to get back to view
again the rock cuts in Lodge Bay always a nice piece of scenery when you are
driving Southern Labrador.
AN HON. MEMBER: Not in the wintertime.
MR. FORSEY: Not in the wintertime.
I remember going down there one time, I think it was around the last of June
or the first part of July, and I did not know if I was going to make it to Red
Bay or not. I made it to Red Bay, but then I had to make it down to
Charlottetown after that, because I had to get through the rock cuts.
Just the same, I will be traveling down there. Maybe I will see her along the
way.
Mr. Chair, I would like to follow the trend of some of my colleagues from the
past few days in expressing they have expressed their appreciation to the
people of their districts for electing them, and I would like to do the same
thing, Mr. Chair. I would like to thank the people of the District of Exploits
for electing me for a third time
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. FORSEY: Thank you and giving me the opportunity to represent them
in this wonderful House of Assembly again, Mr. Chair. It is certainly, indeed, a
privilege to do so.
AN HON. MEMBER : Three times lucky.
MR. FORSEY: Good support from the district, I say to the Member for Mount
Pearl North.
It is greatly appreciated.
Also, Mr. Chair, I would like to welcome all of the new members to the House
of Assembly. I think it was one of the members from the Opposition yesterday
talking about the backbenchers speaking. Let me say to the general public, Mr.
Chair, that last year it was difficult enough trying to get up to speak with
forty-odd members, forty-two, forty-three members. This year we have thirty-six,
thirty-seven counting the Speaker, so we have thirty-six members sitting over
here; so it is almost somewhat as difficult to get the opportunity to speak
again. However, we have done fairly well and it is nice to see a lot of our new
members getting up and speaking in the House and speaking on the Supply bill,
which is so important to the Province and so important to the Minister of
Finance to make sure that all of our commitments are met and that is why we are
here today.
Mr. Chair, last but not least, congratulations to our Premier for being the
first female elected as Premier of this great Province in Newfoundland and
Labrador.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. FORSEY: Mr. Chair, she was also the Minister of Natural Resources.
She played an instrumental role, I would say, in negotiating in the developing
process of Muskrat Falls.
Also mentioning Muskrat Falls, Mr. Chair, I would like to say as some of my
colleagues said yesterday I believe the Member for Port de Grave and I do
believe the Member for Mount Pearl South that they were supporting this
project, just let me say to the Opposition and the people across the way, I am
certainly supporting it as well. Let there be no doubt about the backbenchers
and what they are doing and what they are supporting. I can only speak for the
ones who have already spoken and I am sure that the rest will follow trend.
Mr. Chair, I would like to speak on some of the benefits of Muskrat Falls,
but before I do I would like to go back to a question or a statement that was
made by the Member for St. Barbe. I am talking about one of the members from the
caucus number two and not the caucus number one, because apparently it was
identified today they have two caucuses there. I am actually referring to a
statement made by the Member for St. Barbe when basically he said last week that
he referred to the expropriation of the Abitibi assets as somewhat of a blunder.
Just let me say, Mr. Chair, for the information of the Member for St. Barbe,
the people of the Province of Newfoundland and Labrador supported that bill,
supported that expropriation. I can guarantee the member that the people in
Central Newfoundland supported the expropriation. This was what the people
wanted and not only that, but the members opposite also supported it because it
was unanimous when that bill was passed, Mr. Chair.
For the information of the Member for St. Barbe and in fairness he was not
here during the time of the Liberal reign prior to 2003, if you want to talk
about blunders, and there are many that came up in that particular fifteen years
I am sure; I could name a few, but I will just name one. It is to do with the
hydro generating station that was allowed to go ahead and be developed on Star
Lake, Mr. Chair. At that time, it was the Liberal Administration and they
allowed Abitibi and their stakeholders, their partners, to build this particular
generating station on Star Lake with zero benefits to the Province of
Newfoundland and Labrador nothing, no return for the Province, go ahead and
build it, and walk away every year with $10 million to $12 million in your arse
pocket and bring it back to Quebec, send it back to Quebec again, like they
always did. If you want to talk about blunders, Mr. Chair, I would advise, for
the information of the Member for St. Barbe, there are many. If wants to go down
that road, I am sure we can be kept here all day doing so.
Mr. Chair, I have been involved and privy to a lot of, I do not know about a
lot but a number of detailed briefings, especially by Nalcor and other people on
Muskrat Falls, as I guess most of colleagues here and including the members
opposite. This particular project, which is already supported by Nalcor and
supported by well, actually the project is supported by Nalcor but there were
two questions there that we needed answered. Of course, we know what those two
questions were: Do we need the power? Is it the lowest cost option?
We have identified that fairly plainly. It is clear. It was clear to
Navigant, it was clear to Manitoba Hydro, and it was clear by Mr. Wade Locke. If
I am not mistaken, and somebody can correct me, but I think it was supported and
said that it was a good project by a potential Liberal Leader. Mr. MacDonald
said this was a good project, and the Consumer Advocate as well. There are lots
of knowledgeable people with the skills to identify this project as a good
project.
Also, Mr. Chair, with Muskrat Falls, we do need to identify the domestic
supply requirements. Muskrat Falls'surplus power will be available for domestic
use and export sales. The key to this project, Muskrat Falls, is that it will
stabilize the rates for customers. I think this is important, rather than
getting out there and speculating and trying to put fear in the people of
Newfoundland and Labrador, Mr. Chair.
I see my time is running out. I had some information for the Member for
Torngat Mountains but I will have to leave it for another day. Mr. Chair, I
would just like to say, here are another couple of reasons facts - that we
need to support Muskrat Falls. It will provide economic and environmental
benefits to the Province, it will provide a reliable service, and will provide
sufficient capacity for future industrial development in Labrador, Mr. Chair.
CHAIR: Order, please!
MR. FORSEY: Thank you very much.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
CHAIR: The hon. the Member for St. Barbe.
MR. BENNETT: Mr. Chairman, this being a money bill, I would like to talk
about financial matters and I would like to propose a legacy project for the
current government; not Muskrat Falls, because that is not their legacy project,
that is somebody else's legacy project.
The tragedy of Muskrat Falls one tragedy, politically, for this government,
is it really does not matter what they do. If they shoulder the heavy lifting
and go forward on a deal that somebody scribbled out on the back of a placemat
and called it a term sheet, and even if they pull it off, somebody else will say
that was my deal, you did not do it, you just finished it off. Meanwhile, if it
falls apart or has cost overruns, somebody else will say, I had the deal already
done and you could not follow through. So, I am going to suggest that this
government needs its own legacy project which I will get to and in three and
half year's time we will be happy to finish it off, and it will be much easier
for the members of the party opposite to find the time to speak.
Now, one of the glaring examples of the doubletalk that we see on Muskrat
options are proposed, and we are told one is the lowest option. In fact, it is
not the lowest option, it is the lower option. If it were good, better and best,
this would be the better option, if in fact it was good. If it were bad, worse
and worst - in fact, this would be maybe the worst option, but we do not know
that because we have only had two options examined.
The type of legacy project - in fact, the legacy project I would propose that
this government should embark upon was examined in the 2003 Blue Book. That
project was then costed out but never proceeded with. It is a transportation
option and it requires support of a good ferry service across the Strait of
Belle Isle to get started. Not a ferry service that alternates between Corner
Brook and St. Barbe, but a ferry service that says St. Barbe is the principle
place and that Port Saunders is the alternate. Port Saunders is only
approximately four hours to sail in a ferry
whereas Corner Brook is twelve hours
to sail, and then we run into the difficulties in service that we have seen in
the past week or so.
The Province of Quebec is going at pretty much full speed building Route 138
up the Quebec North Shore from Quebec City and will link up the Quebec North
Shore. There is little doubt that project will be finished in the next three,
four or five years. That means that people on the South Coast of Labrador, or in
fact, anywhere in Labrador, now can drive to Quebec and drive to Ontario.
However, without a proper ferry service or without a fixed-link across the
Strait of Belle Isle, the Province will still be surrounded by water. It is
celebrated in song that may be a nice thing, but not a very practical thing.
I would propose that this government talk to their colleagues in the Province
of Quebec and talk to their federal friends who have already agreed to give them
a loan guarantee for Muskrat Falls, and look at the possibility of beginning to
work on a fixed-link across the Strait of Belle Isle from somewhere in the St.
Barbe or Flowers Cove area to somewhere in Blanc Sablon. Given that the Province
of Quebec would benefit at least as much and is a sub-national government, as is
the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador, something that the current
government seemed to overlook when they subjected this nation to a NAFTA
challenge when they expeditiously expropriated but ineffectively expropriated
had to pay for the fine for doing that under the NAFTA challenge. If this
government were to team up with the Province of Quebec and also with the federal
government, then this government could have its own legacy project, and that
legacy project could be, and in my view should be a fixed-link across the Strait
of Belle Isle. This government is already familiar with the Strait of Belle Isle
because the proposal is to ship power by way of a subsea line across the Strait.
Why not go with a fixed link? The proposal that was subsequent to the 2003 Blue
Book said for one tunnel with electric trains, that approximate cost and I may
well be inaccurate, but I think that I am correct of not much more than $1.5
billion, which apparently seems to be chump change nowadays around here, as that
is approximately the amount of the first mistake in the estimates for Muskrat
Falls, somewhere over $1 billion when the interest got rolled in.
The Trans-Labrador Highway is now part of the national highway system, so why
wouldn't the federal government also want to contribute to a subsea link of our
Province to its mainland counterpart, being Labrador. If the federal government
were to fund it at, say, 50 per cent, and the Province of Newfoundland and
Labrador were to fund it by 25 per cent, and the Province of Quebec were to fund
it by 25 per cent, the project would cost relatively small dollars to the
economy of the people of this Province.
That subsea link would then be a fabulous boon for tourism. Instead of being
a disadvantage for Port aux Basques, in fact, it would be an advantage for Port
aux Basques. Instead of people coming from the eastern seaboard and coming as
far as Halifax, or maybe even Sydney, and then turning back wondering if they
come to the Island when will they get back, in fact it would be a significant
bonus for people who be a significant advantage for tourism, because then
there would be a circular route available so that people could drive up the
Quebec North Shore, they could cross to the Northern Peninsula area, they could
drive back down to the South Coast, and leave again by way of Port aux Basques.
I would encourage any members of this House to examine the link that the
United States has created across Chesapeake Bay approximately twenty-three
miles, and in kilometres that would be forty that involves a causeway and two
subsea tunnels. The U.S. navy sails over both of the tunnels.
There is a significant legacy project that this government can embark on, and
if they manage to pull off the Muskrat Falls on time and on budget as Nalcor
says and let me be perfectly clear, everybody wants Muskrat Falls to work if
it is going to go ahead. There should be no doubt about that. If it does not
work then there will be significant financial repercussions for people in this
Province who live off fixed incomes. I think it is easy and open for any of us
to read the Nalcor materials and there is no doubt that whatever the speaking
points are and whatever is the official position, there will be a dramatic and
radical increase in the cost of electricity in this Province when Muskrat Falls
comes online, if it is on time and if it is on budget. If it is neither on time
nor on budget it will cost even more, and I accept that many years down the
road, Muskrat Falls will look like likely a great thing. Will any of us be
alive, fifty years, sixty years who knows?
In 1967, I vividly remember watching the debates on the Come by Chance oil
refinery, and two members at that time opposed the existing government and said
how terrible it was. I think it was the Member for Humber East and the Member
for St. John's West, one of whom went on to become Premier and one of whom went
on to become Chief Justice of the Province, one who is Lieutenant-Governor right
now. Come by Chance was opposed vehemently for many reasons. Come by Chance
ultimately failed and then was rescued. Most people would say now that it is a
success; however, it is more than forty years later and in the case of Come by
Chance, the small consumers and the people on fixed income and small businesses
were not sacrificed. It is clear with Nalcor's presentation that even if Nalcor
is correct, and even if it is successful, and even if it is on time, there will
be a punishing price to pay for the small consumers and the small businesses of
this Province.
I would encourage the government to begin the next legacy project, being the
fixed link, so that when Muskrat is finished, regardless of the outcome, the
financial ability will be here and the trades people will be here and there will
be some measure of expertise which we do not currently have; Nalcor has no
expertise for a project like this, but given their new-found expertise, that
they could do the fixed link across the Strait of Bell Isle.
Thank you.
CHAIR: The Chair recognizes the Minister of Natural Resources.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. KENNEDY: Thank you, Mr. Chair.
I take this opportunity to speak for a couple of minutes about Muskrat Falls,
especially to address a couple of issues raised by the member opposite. I would
encourage the member opposite and members opposite to read the materials that
are out there and not to simply promulgate these theories based on non-facts. I
say to the member opposite, read the materials. Read the materials.
Now, Mr. Chair, let us look at the first fallacy that he put out there today,
that rates are going to go up exponentially with Muskrat Falls. Again, I will
try to break this down very simply, Mr. Chair. In terms of our analysis, we
broke it into three profiles. We know there are 230,000 ratepayers in the
Province. We broke the first one down into ratepayer 1, or profile 1, a customer
who does not use electric heat as the primary source. In other words, they use
electricity. They burn, on average, 775 kilowatt hours per month, and there are
90,000 of them. Mr. Chair, profile 2 is the customer who uses electric heat as
the primary source. In other words, Mr. Chair, they use electric heat and
electricity. They burn, on average, 2058 kilowatt hours per month, and there are
140,000 customers. Then, to try to explain to the average person, Mr. Chair,
what we are looking at here, we looked at profile 3, the average of all Island
customers, being 230,000 customers, they burn, on average, 1517 kilowatt hours
per month.
Mr. Chair, we sat down then with the projections based on what we know now.
There was extensive effort of a couple of months looking at growth. We know, for
example, that 86 per cent of new homes are using electric heat today. We know,
Mr. Chair, that are more households and there are 15,000 more ratepayers,
despite the fact that our population has not increased that much.
So then we looked at, Mr. Chair, what is going to happen with and without
Muskrat Falls. I have used the average Island customer simply because it is the
easiest way to try to explain it. We also know that Labrador has the lowest
electricity rates in Canada right now,
whereas the Island of Newfoundland is the
fourth lowest in the country. So, Mr. Chair, what we are looking at
AN HON. MEMBER: (Inaudible).
MR. KENNEDY: Mr. Chair, I said electricity rates.
What we are looking, Mr. Chair, let us look at the average of all Island
customers. That customer, in 2000, spent $135 on electricity. That went up by 43
per cent in 2011 to $193 brought in the rebate, $179. So it went up $58 or 43
per cent. Now, what happens, Mr. Chair, between 2011 and 2016 is that rates will
go up again $38, but this has nothing to do with Muskrat Falls, this has to with
the reliance on oil. The members opposite and critics of the project have said,
well, Holyrood is not being used at its full capacity nor is it being used,
Mr. Chair, at its full capacity at present. It is used at 15 per cent to 25 per
cent. We have, approximately, capacity in this Province of 2,000 megawatts with
approximately 488 at Holyrood. What has happened, as a result of the mills
closing down, there was extra power available which has been integrated into the
grid, and that power has been now used up.
As we move forward, Mr. Chair, and the need for power increases as
indicated by Nalcor and accepted by Manitoba Hydro International what will
happen is that we will need Holyrood used more 18,000 barrels of oil burnt a
day, Mr. Chair, the price of oil is going up. The Minister of Finance and I have
met separately with oil forecasting companies. We know the price of oil is going
up based on the expert advice given to us because of the volatile situation in
the Middle East. It is a question of supply and demand, Mr. Chair, that we do
not have enough supply to meet the world's demand. Currently 90 million barrels
of oil are burned per day, Mr. Chair, with 20 million in the United States, 10
million in China. China continues to grow at 5 per cent; it will outpace the
United States in a number of years as being the biggest oil consuming country in
the world.
We also, Mr