May

6, 2009

HOUSE OF ASSEMBLY PROCEEDINGS

Vol. XLVI No. 16

The House met at 2:00 p.m.

MR. SPEAKER (Fitzgerald): Order, please!

Admit strangers.

Statements by Members

MR. SPEAKER: Today the House welcomes the following members'

statements: the hon. the Member for the District of Cartwright-L'Anse au

Clair; the hon. the Member for the District of Humber Valley; the hon. the

Member for the District of Port de Grave; the hon. the Member for the District

of Port au Port; the hon. the Member for the District of Kilbride; and, the hon.

the Member for the District of Placentia & St. Mary's.

The hon. the Member for the District of Cartwright-L'Anse au Clair.

MS JONES: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I rise in this House today to congratulate three Patrols of Junior Canadian

Rangers and three individual Junior Canadian Rangers from my district who

recently won awards at the first-ever JCR Provincial Air Rifle Marksmanship

Competition.

This event took place at 5 Wing Goose Bay and participants travelled from all

thirteen Newfoundland and Labrador JCR patrols. The competition was a great

opportunity to demonstrate their skills and would qualify two patrols to attend

the national competition to be held this month.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to congratulate all three groups and individuals as

follows: the first place in rifle marksmanship went to the newest patrol in Mary's

Harbour; the second place in rifle marksmanship went to the Labrador Straits,

and the third place to Port Hope Simpson. The top shot for the competition was

awarded to Brett Clarke of the Port Hope Simpson Patrol, the second shot to

Derek O'Brien of the Labrador Straits Patrol, and the third shot was awarded

to Dillon Layden also of the Labrador Straits Patrol.

The Mary's Harbour and Labrador Straits Patrols will now go on to represent

the Province at the upcoming national meet, and I would like to wish them every

success and look forward to their performance at that meet.

I ask my colleagues in the House to join with me in extending our

congratulations to all of the participants from all regions of the Province.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Member for the District of Humber Valley.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. KELLY: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

As the MHA for the District of Humber Valley, I stand in this hon. House

today to sincerely congratulate Ruth Legge, patron of Pasadena Winter Carnival

2009. Of all the decisions made by the committee planning the 2009 Pasadena

Winter Carnival, the choice to appoint Ruth Legge as patron was unanimous.

Ruth moved to Pasadena when she was just three months old, and except for a

short period after marrying her husband Edgar Legge, she has lived in Pasadena

all her life. Legge and her husband have also raised their daughter Marilyn and

son Jamie in Pasadena.

Legge worked in Pasadena starting at the Pasadena Co-op, moving onto Pike's

Groceteria and lastly with Royal LePage, where she served the residents

of Pasadena for over twenty years. She is heavily involved in the community and

has served on the recreation committee, is a long-standing member of the Lions

Club, and is an active member of both the seniors' club and the Humber Valley

United Church. She was also actively involved with the Girl Guide movement in

her community. Legge said that she was honoured to be chosen as the 2009

Pasadena Winter Carnival Patron.

Mr. Speaker, winter carnivals and festivals generally are a significant

economic generator in communities throughout Newfoundland and Labrador. They

also provide an opportunity for communities to formally recognize the dedicated

efforts of volunteers through the selection of carnival patrons.

I would ask all members of this hon. House to join me in saluting Ruth Legge,

Pasadena Winter Carnival Patron for 2009, an outstanding community volunteer.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Member for the District of Port de Grave.

MR. BUTLER: Mr. Speaker, on Sunday, May 3, 2009, District 2 of The Royal

Canadian Legion Newfoundland and Labrador Command, held the sixth annual Battle

of the Atlantic Ceremonies. This year's event was hosted by the Royal Canadian

Legion Branch 65 in Brigus.

Veterans, legionnaires, cadets, bands and the general public paraded through

the winding streets in the picturesque Town of Brigus. A sombre wreath-laying

ceremony was held at the Cenotaph while hundreds looked on. Royal Canadian

Legions from Blaketown, Carbonear, Upper Island Cove, Spaniard's Bay, Bay

Roberts and Brigus placed wreaths, in addition to federal and provincial

representatives. The parade then proceeded to the peaceful harbour where a

wreath was placed in the Atlantic Ocean and towed out to sea by a fishing boat.

It was a pleasure to take

part in the service with the Minister of Tourism,

Culture and Recreation, the Minister of Fisheries and Aquaculture, and other

dignitaries.

I ask all hon. members to join me in extending congratulations to District 2

of the Royal Canadian Legion and to encourage them to continue their act of

remembrance.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Member for the District of Port au Port.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. CORNECT: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I rise in this hon. House today to congratulate the winners and nominees at

the recently held Premier's Athletic Awards Ceremony in St. John's. These

athletes were recognized for outstanding accomplishments.

Mr. Speaker, I am extremely proud of the fact that four athletes from my

District of Port au Port were honoured and recognized for the success and the

achievement in their respective sport.

I would like to congratulate William Forsey for his dedication, hard work and

endurance in athletics. I convey my sincerest accolades to Para Olympian

Katarina Roxon, for her accomplishments in swimming. Also, Mr. Speaker, I want

to congratulate and applaud Emily Alexander and Gillian Forsey for their

commitment and excellence in the sport of badminton.

As everyone knows, it takes a lot of professionalism and athleticism to excel

in your sport, but it also demands enthusiasm, perseverance and stamina. They

must also have the training opportunities to allow them to perform to the best

of their abilities.

Mr. Speaker, these athletes and all athletes have certainly done us proud as

a region and as a Province as they make their way to being the best athlete they

can be.

Mr. Speaker, I ask all hon. members of this hon. House of Assembly to join me

in congratulating all the award winners, and best of luck in the future.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

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

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. DINN: Mr. Speaker, I stand in this hon. House today to recognize and

pay tribute to the Waterford Valley Softball Association.

Waterford Valley Softball Association was started in 1981 and has provided

recreational programs to several thousand children over its twenty-eight year

history. These programs are slow-pitch and fast-pitch softball for kids ages

four to eighteen. Each summer, an eight-week program is offered that focuses on

fun and training.

In 2008, 150 children were registered and approximately 250 games and 250

practices were held. The association participated in a number of slow-pitch and

fast-pitch tournaments. The squirt teams in slow-pitch and fast-pitch won the

provincial championships.

Recently, one of the graduates of the Waterford Valley softball program, Mike

Noftall, was named the St. John's Athlete of the Year.

This summer, the association hopes to offer a basketball program on a new

outdoor asphalt court.

Mr. Speaker, during this past winter, a new executive was elected to the

Waterford Valley Softball Association. Executive members include: President,

Paul Healey; Vice-President, Don King; Treasurer, Paul Heffernan; Secretary,

Geoff Heffernan.

I ask all hon. members to join me in paying tribute to the Waterford Valley

Softball Association, its participants and volunteers.

Thank you.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

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

Mary's.

MR. COLLINS: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in this hon. House to congratulate Tacamor Inc. of

Argentia. Tacamor provides a live, twenty-four-hour-a-day, seven-day-a-week,

phone, e-mail and Web chat support for clients.

One of its clients is Thumb Play Inc., a large and fast-growing mobile

content provider in the United States. On February 9, Thumb Play was the winner

of the Customer Service Leader of the Year Award at the Stevie Awards Gala at

Caesar's Palace in Las Vegas, one of a number of awards for that company for

its business model and customer service.

Mr. Speaker, the voices heard at the end of Thumb Play lines come from

Argentia, through Tacamor, which has been the voice of Thumb Play for the last

two-and-a-half years. Tacamor received high praise at the awards gala from the

vice-president of Thumb Play for their outstanding service.

Mr. Speaker, this is a great boost for this new company, which is another

Made Right Here In Newfoundland and Labrador product.

I ask all members of this hon. House to join with me in congratulating

Tacamor CEO, Ken Hann, an its sixty employees for the delivery of this

outstanding service and in reaching this significant milestone in such a short

period of time.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER: Statements by Ministers.

Statements by Ministers

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

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. KING: Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to have the opportunity today to

highlight for my hon. colleagues an exciting event that students across the

Province will be planning over the next several months.

Last Friday, I was joined by Olympic gold meal winner Mark Nichols. and the

Olympic and Paralympic mascots, at Holy Cross Elementary in St. John's to

announce special activities for Newfoundland and Labrador Day during the 2010

Olympics in Vancouver.

These activities will incorporate the annual Living Healthy Commotions which

are part of the Healthy Students, Health Schools initiative. Commotions include

events such as walks or hikes, healthy community breakfasts, skipping

competitions, fruit and vegetable scavenger hunts, or healthy menu contests, to

name a few. They are used to highlight for students the important of active

living and healthy eating.

Next February 26, which is Newfoundland and Labrador Day at the Olympics,

schools across the Province will hold Olympic-sized commotions focused on the

values of the Olympic and Paralympic Games friendship, fair play and the

pursuit of excellence.

These commotions will be video-taped and one school from each district will

be part of a warm-up show in Vancouver prior to the medal ceremonies. They will

be featured on a jumbo screen, demonstrating for the world how our students

celebrate the Olympic spirit.

Mr. Speaker, over the past several years, government has made significant

investments designed to promote increased activity and healthy food choices for

our children and our youth. For example, $3.2 million has been invested to

provide new physical education equipment to every school in the Province. School

food guidelines, introduced in 2006, have been updated and will be sent to

schools in the near future.

Approximately $1.2 million has been invested to date for the purchase of new

cafeteria equipment to allow for the healthier preparation of foods. And this

year, Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to report that $1.5 million has been allocated

for our Healthy Students, Healthy Schools initiative.

While we cannot force students to eat certain foods, Mr. Speaker, we can

promote activities and help increase awareness of the benefits of making healthy

choices. The Living Healthy Commotions of the past number of years have been a

great success and indicate that all initiatives to promote healthy living are

well worth the effort. I am confident that students and teachers will go the

extra mile next year to produce some Olympic-sized commotions to highlight

Newfoundland and Labrador Day in Vancouver.

Thank you.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Member for the District of Port de Grave.

MR. BUTLER: Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker.

I thank the minister for a copy of his statement, and to say that no doubt

this is a wonderful initiative and I am sure the students right throughout this

Province of Newfoundland and Labrador will be looking forward to this and to

know that they will be taking

part in the various competitions.

Only recently another type of games was announced in our area, the Baccalieu

Games, which will take part from three or four provincial districts, so the

young people become physically active. The only thing is, and I do not want the

minister to get up and answer this, but when he said each district I did not

know if he meant each provincial district or each school district.

It is good to know that this initiative is ongoing. Hopefully, with this

active living and healthy eating, joined with the poverty strategy, that the day

will come when we will see programs such as Kids Eat Smart programs and so on,

may be eliminated from our schools.

Mr. Speaker, like I said, this is a good initiative and we want to extend to

all students to take

part in this program so that we can showcase our Province

to the world.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Member for the District of Signal HillQuidi

Vidi.

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

I, too, thank the minister for the advanced copy of his statement. It is

always good to hear about initiatives of this type. What is particularly good

about this is that we see something like the Olympics, which will be happening

out in Vancouver, an international event having a direct impact on the lives of

children here in Newfoundland and Labrador, and when the Olympics open they will

have a sense of being part of the Olympics and that is good.

I certainly applaud our Province getting involved in this huge project that

is on the go. It should be a time for us though to reflect on something that we

all know, that we do have a serious child obesity problem in this Province and

we need to continue to put resources into the kinds of things that the minister

has spoken about. I look forward to his being minister and to giving leadership

in making sure that we get a Province-wide school meal program for children and

to really reinstate full physical education programs in every school in our

Province. This will go even further in addressing the problems that we are

dealing with.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

MR. SPEAKER: Further statements by ministers?

The hon. the Minister of Aboriginal Affairs.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MS POTTLE: Mr. Speaker, I rise in this hon. House to inform my colleagues

about a Youth Justice Camp in which I participated. The Camp, held in Nain, May

2 and 3, was organized by the Public Legal Information Association of

Newfoundland and Labrador, and designed to educate youth about the legal system

in a style that is fun and innovative.

Mr. Speaker, the Public Legal Information Association of Newfoundland and

Labrador is a non-profit group dedicated to educating people about the law. This

was the first time in the twenty-five year history of the association that a

Youth Justice Camp was held in a Coastal Labrador community. It was impressive

to see several young people give up a beautiful weekend of Coastal Labrador

spring weather to attend this important event.

Mr. Speaker, the Youth Justice Camp teaches valuable information about the

legal system, fosters an environment to network, advances leadership skills and

is an excellent opportunity for youth to explore new learning experiences. Some

notable events that took place during the camp were a visit to the local RCMP

detachment and a mock trial that showcased what young people learned over the

course of the weekend. I was pleased to learn that organizers plan to hold more

of these camps in isolated Aboriginal communities.

Mr. Speaker, I was honoured to address participants during my visit and I had

the opportunity to note some important investments the Williams government is

making as we work to enhance the administration of justice in Labrador. For

example, in Budget 2009 we allocated $2 million for the construction of a new

pre-trial detention centre for women and youth in Happy Valley-Goose Bay,

$206,000 to pilot an Innu Healing Path Program, and $57,300 to make permanent

the position of the Inuit court clerk in Happy Valley-Goose Bay.

Mr. Speaker, the proper administration of justice is very important to the

Government of Newfoundland and Labrador and we have made great strides in

improving our justice system for people throughout the Province. In Labrador,

much has been done to address Aboriginal justice issues. This was a message I

was pleased to deliver to the young people of Nain who attended the Youth

Justice Camp.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Opposition House Leader.

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

I thank the minister for an advanced copy of her statement. It is indeed nice

to see that these young people did gather in the District of Torngat, in Nain,

on May 2 and 3.

This was a program, of course, that started some years ago, these youth

justice camps, and it is great to see that it is continuing. The fact that it is

the first time they went to Labrador and the Aboriginal community of Nain I

think is even more important because we have had all kinds of interaction

between youth in the Island piece of the Province, but to go to Torngat, because

there is quite a substantial difference, of course, sometimes between the

Aboriginal justice issues and non-Aboriginal issues and even sentencing

patterns, for example, sentencing circles, restorative justice programs and so

on.

So it is great to see that the kids throughout the Province have been exposed

to both systems of justice and how it works for everyone here. Hopefully, of

course, the ultimate aim is that these people would return to their communities

and they would become young ambassadors and educators themselves because all of

these people are typically members of other community groups. They are not just

interested in justice. In my experience, I have found that they are in fact very

involved kids in their communities and youth, and it is great to see that this

took place and hopefully will continue in the future.

Thank you.

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Member for the District of Signal HillQuidi

Vidi.

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

I thank the minister for the advance copy of her statement. I congratulate

all the youth who participated in the camp and I congratulate, too, the Public

Legal Information Association for their work. It is a worthy exercise and I am

glad to see they finally have come to Labrador. It is a wonderful thing.

It is interesting that the minister notes the construction of new facilities

in Labrador and new initiatives, because the other day in Estimates the Minister

of Justice noted that Aboriginal people are over-represented in Labrador

corrections, and we all know that. He noted that 90 per cent of the current

population incarcerated there were Aboriginal. We know this is a statistic that

we do not want to continue, we want to change, and this camp is a step in the

right direction.

I look forward to the day, Mr. Speaker, when we are not talking about new

money for investments in corrections for Aboriginal people but money for

facilities to accommodate Innu, Inuit and Metis lawyers, judges and peace

officers.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

MR. SPEAKER: Further statements by ministers?

Oral Questions.

Oral Questions

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

MS JONES: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker we learned earlier today that one of four operating schedules for

surgery at the Janeway has been cancelled because of the nursing shortage. This

includes all of today's scheduled orthopaedic surgeries for children.

I ask the minister, if he can confirm that is indeed the case and if he can

tell me how many children would have had their surgeries cancelled today as a

result of this shortage.

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

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. WISEMAN: I would not know exactly how many patients would have been

impacted as a result of scheduling changes but I will undertake to find out the

exact number and report to the House tomorrow.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

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

MS JONES: Mr. Speaker, I am sure the minister knows that this is a

serious issue that causes stress for families and for the children affected.

I ask him, if he can indicate to us today how long the orthopaedic surgeries

at the Janeway will be cancelled and how long it will take to have the original

surgeries rescheduled?

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

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. WISEMAN: Periodically, in many of our hospitals throughout

Newfoundland and Labrador unfortunately O.R. schedules are disrupted for a

variety of reasons, sometimes because of emergencies that would have come

through the emergency department that had to bump another scheduled surgery out,

it is more elective potentially. So sometimes that changes the scheduling

patterns. Sometimes the availability of a physician who is doing the surgery or

the availability of an anaesthetist may impact that. Sometimes the availability

of beds, to be able to accommodate the patient after the surgery is over,

sometimes becomes an issue.

In terms of how that impacts this particular case today and when those

individuals will be rescheduled, would be apart of the rescheduling process

within that particular program area at the Janeway. Those individual patients as

they have been contacted today, or their families would have been, in this case,

contacted, they would have probably been advised when those surgeries would be

rescheduled.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

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

MS JONES: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The information we received indicated to us that the cancellations today were

directly due to the nursing shortage.

On April 8, 2008, minister, you stated here in - this was your statement: In

recent days there has been some pressure in the emergency department of our

hospitals because of increased activity. You also indicated at the time that

this was an isolated incident and not the norm.

I ask you today: In light of the reports that are out there and the problems

that are being reviewed in the St. John's emergency rooms, do you still feel

that this is an isolated incident or is it more systemic in our system?

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

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. WISEMAN: Mr. Speaker, it is interesting how the member opposite

cherry picks certain words. If at any time in this House I would have said

something that would have happened in an emergency department in this Province

at any given day of the week was an isolated example that would have been a

response to a very specific question.

One thing we all would recognize, Mr. Speaker, we all would recognize that

emergency departments are very difficult to predict by their very nature. We

have no control over what emergencies will happen. I cannot tell you today, I

cannot tell you at this moment whether there is going to be a motor vehicle

accident on the parkway in the next ten minutes or not, but if there is, there

is going to be an emergency and there is going to be an ambulance arriving at

the Health Sciences Centre in all likelihood and that the physicians and the

nurses and other people will have to respond to it. So at no time, Mr. Speaker,

would I have ever said, unless it was in response to a very specific question,

that emergency workloads, emergency department workloads are always fluctuating,

I say, Mr. Speaker.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

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

MS JONES: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I certainly would not expect this minister to make any kind of predictions.

After all, he hardly knows what is going on at a minute in time in his own

department.

Mr. Speaker, it is no secret that a year ago we raised in this House of

Assembly issues regarding the ER departments in St. John's hospitals when

there were up to fourteen patients on stretchers in the waiting rooms. At that

time, the minister said that he did not think it was a serious problem.

I ask the minister today: Have you since investigated the problems around the

ER in St. John's hospitals, and do you have a plan to address these concerns a

year later?

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

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. WISEMAN: Mr. Speaker, there is an organization called Siemens, global

international, I think is their name or the title of the company; they are in

Eastern Health as we speak. They started to do a piece of work on April 1. It is

about a six-month exercise that they will have concluded some time in early

September, and they are looking at total workflow, patient flows in the

emergency department, in our ORs, and in our intensive care units.

Those areas tend to be linked together because they tend to be the source of

some of the issues that we deal with in the OR, and they tend to be the source

of issues we deal with in the emergency department, because they are

interrelated. That piece of work is ongoing, Mr. Speaker.

What we hope to achieve from that is a better understanding of how we can

actually improve the efficient flow of patients as they enter the emergency

department, through that department, if necessary, into ICU, where many of the

critical people will end up, as well as the operating room.

Those are the three areas that we need to better understand patient flows.

Then, and only then, can we correct the problem.

MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

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

MS JONES: Mr. Speaker, it was a year ago now, or longer, that the

government allocated the $1 million to do the acute care study. We learn through

the Estimates that this study is not even due to be completed until the end of

this particular year.

I ask the minister: Why is it taking so long, when you know what the

seriousness of this issue is? Why is it taking so long to get this study

completed?

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

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. WISEMAN: Mr. Speaker, we are not assessing the production of

hamburgers at McDonald's. We are talking about acute care services in the City

of St. John's, where we have the Health Sciences Centre, where we have all our

provincial tertiary programs. We have the Waterford Hospital, our provincial

mental health hospital. We have all of the programs and services at St. Clare's.

We have all the programs and services at our rehab centre out on Forest Road,

again a provincial program. It is a complex piece of work, Mr. Speaker.

We announced it in last year's Budget around this time. We immediately put

together a working group to identify an appropriate consultant to do this,

because this is a complicated piece of work. We need to understand how health

care works. We need to understand the acute side of health care, and we need to

understand the interrelationship between those three or four program areas we

already have in the city.

The organization is in place now; the piece of work is under way. Agnew

Peckham, I think, is the name of the company involved, and they have been given

a direction to have this piece of work done by the end of this year.

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

MS JONES: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

According to the Canadian Institute for Health Information, the average wait

time in an emergency room is approximately two hours in Canada. Reports from

patients in St. John's hospitals indicate that waiting periods are double and

triple, and even longer.

I ask the minister: Why are the people of our Province being forced to accept

such excessive wait times, those that exceed the national average?

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

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. WISEMAN: I want to go back to the member's previous question,

because when you talk about doing a massive study of acute care, an emergency

department is a piece of that acute care evaluation. We want to make certain

that the plans that we lay down today - this is a comprehensive piece of work -

we are committed to doing the redevelopment of acute care in St. John's, but

we want to do it right. We want to understand not only what is taking place

today, but we need to understand what we need to do to prepare for tomorrow,

next year, five years, ten years out. This is going to be a major investment in

acute care services in the City of St. John's to service not just the

Northeast Avalon but the entire Province in the case of our provincial programs,

and we want to do it right.

We need to understand what has taken place, and that is what this review will

do for us. It will include, as I said earlier, an evaluation of what has taken

place in our emergency departments.

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

MS JONES: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I have to say to the minister, it gets really tiresome when you hear

ministers stand up and commit to a program. This money has sat on the books of

the government for over a year. There must be some reason why this study could

not have started back a year ago when the commitment of funds was made.

I ask the minister today: What has been the delay? Is the delay in Eastern

Health? Was the delay in getting a consultant, or was it just the fact that you

guys dragged your feet on it in the Department of Health?

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

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. WISEMAN: This is a unique day; the member opposite and I agree. I am

getting tired as well; tired of her questions, tired of her suggestions that we

are not taking any action as a government, tired of her fear mongering when it

comes to the health care of the people of Newfoundland and Labrador.

Mr. Speaker, this is the third time I will attempt to answer the question, so

I will ask her to pay attention this time so she will understand the answer.

Very clearly, last year around this time we passed the Budget in the House of

Assembly. That Budget allocated some money to do an acute care study in the City

of St. John's. We then engaged the process immediately to identify an

appropriate consultant. We identified two or three groups of organizations who

were capable of doing this piece of work, because not everybody can handle this.

We need a certain amount of expertise, so we had to look outside the Province

for that expertise. We had a committee in place, led by the chief of the

emergency department at the Health Sciences, a process in place to identify an

appropriate consultant. That piece of work has been done and now we are

embarking on that evaluation.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

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

MS JONES: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I say to the minister, I am getting a little tired of his condescending

attitude too. If you don't want to answer questions on health care in this

Province, I would suggest you take yourself right out of the portfolio,

Minister, because there are a lot of questions to come, not just from me but

from the public as well.

Mr. Speaker, there has been significant discussion regarding a woman's case

in Clarenville who mistakenly received chemotherapy medication. This morning we

heard from an oncologist, Dr. David Saltman, who stated he had previously sent a

letter to the minister warning that these systemic errors could happen in

smaller centres like Clarenville and that changes should be made.

I ask you today, Minister: Can you confirm whether you received and reviewed

this letter and what action you took upon reading it?

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

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. WISEMAN: Let me just clarify a point, Mr. Speaker.

The member opposite would suggest that an isolated incident in Clarenville is

a reflection of a systemic issue. As I said to the reporters yesterday, Mr.

Speaker, outside this House, the situation we had in Clarenville is an isolated

case where an individual didn't follow appropriate protocols and we now know

what ended up happening.

With respect to the letter she is referring to, yes, we did receive a letter

from an individual who had some suggestions as to how it was a two or three

page letter we might make some changes in the cancer care program in the

Province. An official with my department met with that individual to further

discuss some of the details. Follow-up discussions are planned. He has made some

suggestions for improvements and I am always receptive to and look forward to

hearing from and meeting with people who have suggestions for improvement. We

will follow through with a second meeting with that individual to better

understand the basis for his suggestions.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

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

MS JONES: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Obviously, another situation where an important issue was raised, not just by

an individual but by an oncologist who works in the system every day in this

Province, raised with the minister and not acted on.

Mr. Speaker, now that the minister is aware of the problem, aware that it

exists, which he has been for some time, I ask him: What are his plans to

address the situation, and address the issues that have been raised by this

oncologist?

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

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. WISEMAN: The member opposite may have a series of questions, and I am

sure she has to follow the sequence, but then she ignores the answers.

Clearly, I indicated, Mr. Speaker, I have had some correspondence from an

oncologist who provided some recommendations as to how we might improve cancer

care in the Province, and I welcome those. I invite them, in fact.

Immediately then we had an official from the department meet with the

individual to better understand the basis for the recommendation, and follow-up

discussions will be held because he has made some significant recommendations as

to how we may make some improvements.

I would like to be able to explore those with him personally, Mr. Speaker,

because we, too, are anxious to make sure that we are aware of the kinds of

things we need to do

MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!

MR. WISEMAN: - to improve the systems that we have in the Province and

this individual has made some very tangible suggestions as to how we might make

some suggestions to improve, and I welcome the opportunity to sit down with him

and have that discussion.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!

I ask members for their co-operation.

The hon. the Leader of the Opposition.

MS JONES: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

It is disappointing that the minister did not review the letter and act when

he received it, but I ask him today if he would table a copy of the letter from

the oncologist, Dr. Saltman

AN HON. MEMBER: (Inaudible).

MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!

MS JONES: - in the House of Assembly and make it available to us?

MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!

I ask members for their co-operation. Did the hon. minister hear the question

that was directed?

The hon. the Minister of Health and Community Services.

MR. WISEMAN: Mr. Speaker

AN HON. MEMBER: (Inaudible).

MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!

Order, please!

MR. WISEMAN: Mr. Speaker, I have acknowledged that I have received the

letter. In all fairness and out of respect to the individual who wrote the

letter, I have indicated that I had officials from my department meet with them

to have this discussion. The intent is to have a follow-up discussion that will

include myself, and until I have had an opportunity to have that discussion with

him I will respect his interest in the system, and out of respect for him I am

not prepared to table that letter until I have had a chance to meet with him so

I better understand it.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

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

MS JONES: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Yesterday we raised an issue in the House of Assembly of some crab processors

refusing to buy product in the Province and issue bait and ice, Mr. Speaker, as

of last evening.

Mr. Speaker, I ask the minister today

AN HON. MEMBER: (Inaudible).

MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!

Order, please!

MS JONES: - if he has now been briefed on this issue and if he can tell

us the number of processors who are shutting down in the Province and for how

long this shutdown will continue?

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

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. TAYLOR: Five months as Minister of Fisheries; $70,000 -

MR. HEDDERSON: Mr. Speaker, I just

MR. SPEAKER: I ask the hon. member for his co-operation.

I ask the hon. member for his co-operation.

The hon. the Minister of Fisheries and Aquaculture.

MR. HEDDERSON: Mr. Speaker, just in response to the question from the

Leader of the Opposition.

We have done a phone-around as best we could under the circumstances and we

certainly have at least 20 per cent that are still in business, still taking

crab, and we fully expect that with the number of enterprises that are on the

water right now - and we also found out that there was a lot of icing that took

place yesterday. We fully expect that, certainly throughout this week and maybe

even into next week before any, I guess, full shutdown would take place.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

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

MS JONES: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I wonder if the minister can tell me how the harvesters will be impacted. Are

there enough plants going to remain open that they will be able to buy the

amount of product that is going to be landed in the Province or will we have a

shutdown of some of these enterprises as well?

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

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. HEDDERSON: Mr. Speaker, I am just getting some prompting from my

colleagues, and perhaps that answer is floating across because it does depend on

who is out there, the number that is out there, how many pots are pulled.

Really, it is very difficult, I say to the Leader of the Opposition, for me to

quantify where they would be, except that we fully anticipate activity over the

next week for sure.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

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

MS JONES: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

While the former RMS minister may think he has all of the answers, we have

gotten a number of calls from harvesters in the Province

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Oh, oh!

MR. SPEAKER: Order please!

I ask the hon. member to my left, for the final time, for his co-operation

during Question Period.

The hon. the Leader of the Opposition.

MS JONES: Sorry, Mr. Speaker, I think I may have gotten his title wrong.

The former Minister of RMS, I think it was, is prompting the new minister,

trying to give him the answers over there.

Mr. Speaker, we have been contacted by harvesters that are concerned. They

are concerned that they may not have somewhere to sell their product. Mr.

Speaker, both the processors and the union have expressed some frustration over

the current price setting panel and whether it is the best approach to deal with

their interests.

I ask the minister: Has either side made representation to you to change the

price setting mechanism and, if so, does government have any plans to entertain

those proposals?

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Minister of Human Resources, Labour and

Employment.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MS SULLIVAN: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I have had representation from one group, one group of stakeholders only at

this point in time. That request is under consideration right now, but I stress

again, it is only one group that has made representation.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

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

MS JONES: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Maybe the minister can tell me if that suggestion is being entertained, if

there has been meetings organized around it? Maybe she already answered it and I

missed the answer. If I did I do apologize.

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Minister of Human Resources, Labour and

Employment.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MS SULLIVAN: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

As I just announced in the former answer, we certainly are giving

consideration to that request.

AN HON. MEMBER: You just said that.

MS SULLIVAN: I did.

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

MS JONES: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The crab fishery in area 3K opened on April 1 but unfortunately, due to

intense ice conditions around the Province many fishermen and their crews have

been unable to fish. I think we have received something like 300 e-mails in our

office already in response to a request to the federal government to extend the

EI benefits for fishing enterprises in the Province.

I ask the minister today: Have you had any discussion with the federal

government around this issue and can you expect there will be an EI extension

for fishing people in this Province?

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

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. HEDDERSON: Mr. Speaker, those e-mails have also came into myself and

I have responded to them and basically, as well, written to the appropriate

federal minister asking that their concerns be addressed and that action as

quickly as possible be taken.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Opposition House Leader.

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

The Minister of Tourism and the Minister of Government Services recently made

an announcement about the Province's planned implementation of a new highway

signage system known as Tourist-Orientated Directional Signage, TODS model.

I ask the Minister of Tourism, Culture and Recreation: What groups did you

consult with other than Hospitality Newfoundland and Labrador in making the

decision to adopt this particular signage model?

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Minister of Tourism, Culture and Recreation.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. JACKMAN: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I cannot give the Opposition member an outlined list but there were thirteen

consultations held across the Province. They were well attended and the

stakeholders that came forward brought forward their suggestions, and as a

result, we have decided to move ahead with this policy.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Opposition House Leader.

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

We understand that implementing the TODS model will require every highway

I ask the minister: Were tourism operators given an explanation of this new

signage policy prior to the government announcement of it? Was there any -

besides taking their input as you say in a consultation session, were there any

distributions, literature, explanations to the public before you announced your

policy?

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Minister of Tourism, Culture and Recreation.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. JACKMAN: Certainly, Mr. Speaker, there were discussions. It is hard

to ignore information when you go out and seek input. One of the top issues

raised by the travelling public and the industry is signage being problematic.

So discussions were held. People are familiar with the TODS system.

One thing that we do need to be clear on though, Mr. Speaker, is that at this

particular point what we are addressing are the illegal signs, those that are

not compliant, those that have been put up without permission this year. An

advisory committee has been set up. They will be discussing further with the

industry and stakeholders. As a result, then, the plan will be made to move

forward with the full TODS implementation.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Opposition House Leader.

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

The minister informed the public that all signs that were not compliant with

government policy, as I understand it, were to be removed by June 9 and the

remainder would have to be removed within two years. I happened to read about

this on the Web site.

I am wondering, has the department planned any concentrated media

announcements around this June 9 date? Because I believe not everybody in the

public who might be impacted by this are aware of it. I am just wondering if you

have any planned media blitz on making that announcement widely known.

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Minister of Tourism, Culture and Recreation.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. JACKMAN: Yes, Mr. Speaker, as was indicated earlier, the Minister of

Government Services and I did hold a news conference. Public notices have been

already produced and they will be ongoing until June 8, I believe it is.

Mr. Speaker, our intent is to give the operators who have these signs up the

opportunity to take them down and use them as they might see fit. This is in no

way punitive measures; this is a system whereby we see more effective signage

going along our highways and a better service for the travelling public, Mr.

Speaker.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Opposition House Leader.

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

We know that some business owners, of course, have put considerable financial

resources into their promotional signs.

I ask the minister: Will those persons who are design compliant at the

present time under the current policy but they do not have a permit - so design

wise they are okay but they do not have the actual permit - will they be

permitted now, before June 9 or at any time, to purchase the permit so that they

can at least get the two more years out of what they have already invested in?

So, if they are design compliant, can they simply now get a permit so that they

at least get the benefit of two years with those signs?

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Minister of Tourism, Culture and Recreation.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. JACKMAN: Mr. Speaker, as has been indicated, we want to deal with

illegal and non-compliant signs. If there is someone in that situation, I would

certainly hope that we would be able to work with them to arrive at a

satisfactory solution around that.

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Opposition House Leader.

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

Many municipalities, in addition to tourist operators and businesses, of

course, have put signs on highways in a lot of cases to help divert tourists off

the highways and into their communities to take advantage of their businesses

and so on, and subsidize their businesses; one example being Stephenville.

I understand the Town of Stephenville invested some $60,000 or $70,000 to put

highway signs on to try to attract people off the highway. What consultation has

there been with municipalities, I am wondering, and will the municipalities who

have that type of signage, what is in the works for them in terms of complying?

Will they fit within this TODS program that will be the law here shortly?

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Minister of Tourism, Culture and Recreation.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. JACKMAN: Mr. Speaker, consultations would indicate that anybody who

wants to attend could be attending. Throughout our consultations municipalities

did attend; we sought their input. The welcoming signs will still be permitted,

I indicate that.

Within the jurisdictions of municipalities, they have their own by-laws and

such that they will abide by, but we would certainly hope, and we are getting

indications from some municipalities that the direction that we are moving in is

a very positive one. In fact, the Federation of Municipalities have come out and

supported us in this initiative. Therefore, we would hope that other

municipalities would fall in line with our proposal.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Member for the District of Signal Hill-Quidi

Vidi.

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

My questions today have to do with the adverse event that took place in

Clarenville hospital last week. Yesterday, the Minister of Health and Community

Services said, even before the results of an investigation by Eastern Health had

been released, that the incorrect administering of treatment, quote: speaks to

the individual performance of an individual and not a systemic issue.

Mr. Speaker, the best practices in adverse event management indicate that

adverse events should not be blamed on human error. Human error is a result of

flaws in the system that contributes to errors taking place.

Mr. Speaker, I ask the minister: Given all that has happened in the health

care system, why does this government continue to refuse to see that we have

systemic problems?

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

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. WISEMAN: Mr. Speaker, we do have systemic issues, and I spoke to one

of them earlier today. I indicated that we had an organization called Siemens -

I forget the last part of their title that have been in Eastern Health since

April 1, looking at patient flow issues in our emergency department, in our ORs,

and in our ICU in that facility because there is a systemic issue there. Within

that area there are some systemic issues that we need to get to the root of.

When we find and understand that there are some systems issues that are not

working well, we want to better understand, and that is what we have done here.

So we acknowledge as a health system, Eastern Health acknowledges, and we are

acknowledging as a government, that in that particular area there were some

systemic issues that we do need to address. It is not a matter of not

acknowledging that we have systemic issues. We do.

My answer the other day to your question was with respect to a particular

incident that happened in Clarenville last week. There was a human error made,

and that is not a systemic issue.

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Member for the District of Signal Hill-Quidi

Vidi.

MS MICHAEL: Mr. Speaker, I have to ask the minister: If it was so

definite that it was a human error made, why is Eastern Health bothering to do

an investigation, since the minister is so sure about that?

Dr. David Saltman, an oncologist, has said, in reference to what happened in

Clarenville, that the administration of the wrong chemo drug was an accident

waiting to happen. Mr. Speaker, I have stood in this hon. House in the past and

asked this government to commit to a full evaluation of our health care system;

not just part of the health care system, as the minister has just referred to,

but the full system.

In light of this most recent event, and concerns of people like Dr. Salzman,

I will ask the minister again, Mr. Speaker: Will you put in place an external

review of our entire system?

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

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. WISEMAN: Mr. Speaker, I will answer once again.

The member opposite has been asking this question for seven or eight months

now and I have indicated to her, and I will indicate again - and if you keep

asking for another six or eight months I will keep indicating the same thing -

when we have systemic issues, when we have areas like I just described a moment

ago, where we know we have a problem, then we want to examine what has taken

place there. We will start looking at the systems issues that we need to improve

upon, and when we find them we will make the necessary changes, but to engage in

a wholesale evaluation of our entire health system, that is not appropriate at

this time, Mr. Speaker. However, we are reaching a time, and I think all of us

as Newfoundlanders and Labradorians need to start engaging in a discussion

around the kind of health system that we need to have.

Clearly, we have some areas that we need to come to grips with in terms of

how we deliver services, where we deliver them, the human resource challenges

that we may have in the future. We need to have that kind of dialogue as members

of this House, as members of society, people who are providing services to the

people of Newfoundland and Labrador, but to have a wholesale evaluation is not

appropriate at this time, Mr. Speaker.

MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER: The time allotted for questions and answers has expired.

Presenting Reports by Standing and Special Committees.

Presenting Reports by Standing and Special Committees

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Member for the District of Conception Bay

South.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. FRENCH: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The Government Services Committee have considered the matters to them

referred and have directed me - and I might say they were absolutely delighted

to be able to direct me - to report that they have passed, without amendment

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Oh, oh!

MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!

MR. FRENCH: - the Estimates of Expenditure of the following departments:

the Department of Finance; the Public Service Commission; the Office of the

Chief Information Officer; the Department of Government Services; the Government

Purchasing Agency; the Department of Transportation and Works; the Newfoundland

and Labrador Housing Corporation; the Intergovernmental Affairs Secretariat; the

Volunteer and Non-profit Secretariat

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Oh, oh!

MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!

The Chair is having great difficulty in hearing the hon. member who has been

identified to have the floor, and I ask members on both sides of the House for

their co-operation.

The hon. the Member for the District of Conception Bay South.

MR. FRENCH: Mr. Speaker, I am going to have to bawl in order for you to

hear me; that is all I can figure.

I think I will start off here: the Intergovernmental Affairs Secretariat; the

Volunteer and Non-Profit Secretariat; the Department of Labrador Affairs; and,

the Department of Aboriginal Affairs.

I would also like to thank the Committee members: the Member for Port de

Grave; the Member for Cartwright-L'Anse au Clair; the Member for Topsail; the

Member for Signal Hill-Quidi Vidi; the Member for Burgeo & LaPoile; the

Member for Kilbride; the Member for Exploits; and, the Member for St. John's

East.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Member for the District of Conception Bay

South, Chair of the Government Services Committee, reports that the Committee

have considered the matters to them referred and have approved certain

Estimates, and recommend that the report be concurred.

When shall this report be received?

MS BURKE: Now, Mr. Speaker.

MR. SPEAKER: Now.

On motion, report received and adopted.

MR. SPEAKER: Further reports by standing and select committees.

Tabling of Documents.

Tabling of Documents

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Minister of Finance and President of Treasury

Board.

MR. KENNEDY: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Pursuant to

section 26.(5)(

a) of the Financial Administration Act, I am

tabling one Order in Council relating to a funding pre-commitment for the

2010-2011 fiscal year.

MR. SPEAKER: Further tabling of documents.

Notices of Motion.

Answers to Questions for Which Notice has been Given.

Petitions.

Petitions

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Opposition House Leader.

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

I take this opportunity to present another petition with respect to the

dialysis, or the lack of dialysis service provision in the Southwestern part of

the Province. The communities impacted, of course, would be LaPoile, Grand

Bruit, Rose Blanche, Burnt Islands, Isle aux Morts, Margaree-Fox Roost, Port aux

Basques, Cape Ray, the Codroy Valley area. We have currently about nine, I

believe it is, as I speak today, people who constantly need dialysis services.

They travel right now from that area to either Stephenville or Corner Brook

for the service, and that involves three days a week. They leave home in the

morning. They leave very early, sometimes well before sun-up, in order to get

there in time to arrive at Corner Brook. They are hooked on to the machines, and

they stay there for numbers of hours. Then they get returned to their home

again, usually after dark again.

That is the process. We all know that it takes its physical toll on the

individual. We know that there is an emotional toll, as well, on them and their

families. We also know that there is a financial toll, because it is not just a

case of slipping in and getting in to Corner Brook and hopping on the machine.

Many of these people need someone to go with them for support and guidance,

particularly if they are elderly people. Of course, anyone who is familiar with

the geography and the weather here knows that they do this 365 a year. That

involves some pretty nasty weather when it comes to the Wreckhouse area. It is

nationally known for what happens.

These people cannot play around with the weather. If they are supposed to be

in there on a Monday and a Wednesday, if they know that the forecast calls for

Wednesday to be nasty they generally end up having to stay. It is unfortunate

that they have to do that, and there is no need for them to do it.

Dialysis could be placed in the Charles LeGrow Centre. It involves an

equipment purchase and it involves trained personnel. The people of that area

have pledged to provide, at no cost to government, the equipment. The hospital,

the new doctor who is there right now, I have a clipping that he has already

made a proposal to the Nephrologist at Corner Brook. There is space available in

the hospital there. The people are prepared to raise the funds for the

equipment, and the nurses who are there are prepared to undergo the training to

administer the treatment. Now, I don't know what else government needs in

order to move.

There is a proposal currently on route to the minister, as we speak, whereby

the Nephrologist at Corner Brook is saying, yes, this can be done. Once you have

those three components, you have the equipment, you have the staff trained

it takes about six weeks, by the way. The people out there were a little bit

perturbed when they found out. They thought training to do this kind of thing

was some kind of university course that would have taken a couple to three

years. We find out that apparently this training can be done in six weeks, so no

big deal in terms of the training. We have the long-term nurses there who intend

to stay in the community for years on end, finish their careers out there

actually. They are married and raising their families there.

We have the staff prepared to go through the training and we have the pledge

on the equipment. Nobody need question that, because over the years, in the last

ten, fifteen, twenty years, that area has contributed thousands of dollars to

the Western Health Care foundation. The people out there certainly do their

part. That money doesn't go into just the Port aux Basques Facility. They

money goes into the Corner Brook Western Regional Hospital, if they have a major

initiative and drive on.

There is on question around the money issue and there is no question on the

training issue. It just takes some good will and the minister to become aware

and get tuned into this. Everybody else, even the crowd at Western Health, even

though there is a proposal as we speak being put together by the Nephrologist

and the Chief of Staff from Port aux Basques hospital

MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!

I remind the hon. member that his time for speaking has expired.

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

Orders of the Day

Private Members' Day

MR. SPEAKER: It being 3:00 p.m., and this being Private Members' Day, I

now call on the hon. Member for the District of Exploits to deliver his private

member's resolution.

The hon. the Member for the District of Exploits.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. FORSEY: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, on Monday of this week I introduced a private member's

resolution to the House calling on the federal government of today, or any

national party that may be elected in the future, to increase federal

decision-making executive decisions in the Province of Newfoundland and

Labrador.

Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the opportunity to speak on this motion today, on

the private member's resolution, however, I have to say that it is not a

pleasure because when I look at the federal cuts that have been made in this

Province it is not only disheartening, I think it is an injustice to the people

of Newfoundland and Labrador.

Mr. Speaker, just a reminder to the House and the people of the Province, I

would like to touch on some of these cuts briefly today. In May, 2007 the

provincial government calls on the reversal of federal decisions on student

employment programs.

On May 18, 2007, Mr. Speaker: "Provincial Government Standing Up for

Students and Affected Groups. The Williams government is taking immediate action

to offer real support and find tangible solutions for students and groups

adversely impacted by federal government cuts to student summer

employment."

Mr. Speaker, we just witnessed today here in the lobby of the Confederation

Building what this Province is doing for students. I commend the Minister of

Intergovernmental Affairs and the Minister Responsible for Volunteer and

Non-Profit Sectors, because today the youth were recognized for their

contribution. I was really impressed to listen to them speak today and how they

stated that they had the power of youth.

Mr. Speaker, I just mentioned what the federal government did and the cuts

that they made to the student summer programs. Well, this government decided

that that should stop, that we still had to invest in our youth. That is why

that department was created by the Premier of this Province.

Mr. Speaker, in 2006 the federal government slashes funding to community

access programs. In 2008, the provincial government will cover the impact of

federal cuts to arts programming, which the federal government had cut again. In

2006, the provincial government released Creative Newfoundland and Labrador, the

blueprint for development and investment in culture which included a commitment

of $17.6 million over three years to preserve and promote the arts and culture

sectors. We are at a point now where we evaluate the initiatives launched as

part of our cultural strategy in determining how we can build on the success we

have had to date, said Premier Williams, ensuring the artists can continue to

bring our culture, our stories to the world, will certainly be a priority.

Every time there is a cut by the federal government, Mr. Speaker, the Premier

and this government has had to react to it because we do not want to see our

youth and other people suffer because of irrational decisions by the federal

government.

Mr. Speaker, again in 2008, a release, continued disregard for 5 Wing Goose

Bay. The release says: during and since the 2006 federal election the federal

government has made and reaffirmed plans for 5 Wing Goose Bay in the context of

new federal priorities to protect Canadian sovereignty and security. The federal

government committed to a new rapid reaction army battalion and a new long range

on staffed aerial vehicle squadron for 5 Wing Goose Bay. None of these

commitments have been fulfilled by Prime Minister Harper's government.

Mr. Speaker, I guess it is all fine and dandy that right now Mr. Harper is

able to do what he wants but back in the election of 2006, Mr. Jack Layton,

Leader of Canada's New Democratic Party wrote a letter to our Premier and he

spoke on equalization and Labrador fisheries and so on. One of his statements

was federal presence. He said the disproportionate loss of federal employment,

wages, salaries and spending in this Province over the past twenty-five years is

unacceptable. As the Harris Centre report points out, the greatest loss is that

of the senior staff who can make decisions and represent provincial interests in

Ottawa.

He further went on to say, Mr. Speaker: the New Democratic Party is disturbed

by the number of jobs and services that have been reduced in Newfoundland and

Labrador. We are committed to reviewing federal government policies that have

resulted in this situation with a view to ensuring fairness and full access to

federal government program delivery and services in this Province.

Mr. Speaker, fairness and full access is what we have been looking for. If

the federal government realize that we are a part of this federation of Canada I

think fairness would come into play. Mr. Speaker, back in 2007, February

actually of 2007, the Leader of the National Liberal Party of the day, Stephane

Dion, spoke with one of the local papers here and talked about his vision for

Newfoundland and Labrador. He says the Province will play a central role in what

he calls a new industrial revolution building on a sustainable economy. He spoke

on equalization, the Lower Churchill, Hibernia, the fishery and he ended by

saying: if there are ways to be more effective in putting the headquarters and

the decision-making process closer to where the resource is, I will be a strong

Prime Minister for that, he said. This is what we are saying. It is the

headquarters, the decision-making people, the executive people that can actually

make the decisions, the decisions that are going to be beneficial to the people

of this Province, the people of Newfoundland and Labrador.

Mr. Speaker, the Harris Report released in August, 2006 identified cuts in

federal offices in Newfoundland and Labrador which led to the elimination of

federal executive positions. These employees would have played an important role

in decision-making for the benefit of Newfoundland and Labrador. In the Harris

Report, Mr. Speaker, it certainly talks about the federal offices and the

federal employees. It goes on to say: federal employees are of course associated

with specific federal government departments, agencies and institutions. In some

cases the downgrading of an office has been the cause of job losses. For

instance, consider the Canadian Forestry Service: since 1995, Canadian Forest

Service personnel in the Province has declined about 70 per cent. Prior to the

federal government's program review initiative, that office was a regional one

located in St. John's with a regional director-general and approximately

eighty staff.

With the downsizing and the relocation to Corner Brook, which was completed

in 1998, there were twenty-two permanent positions left, Mr. Speaker. The Corner

Brook location does not have anyone as senior as a director general. The

regional director general is in New Brunswick, where a much large Canadian

Forest Service operation is based.

Mr. Speaker, in the report other offices are referenced in regard to the

downsizing and one, of course, was the fate of the Statistics Canada office, and

more recently the Public Service Commission office, each of which had its

functions transferred to Nova Scotia.

One thing about it, Mr. Speaker, if the offices and the positions were moved

or taken out, they were definitely put somewhere else; they were never put back

in this Province, the Province of Newfoundland and Labrador.

Mr. Speaker, the report also went on to say the total annual payment of wages

and salaries for federal government employees in Newfoundland and Labrador in

real terms declined from 1992 until 1998. It increased, actually, but by 2005 it

was still less than the year of 1995.

Wages and salaries as paid to federal government employees and to employees

of federal government business enterprises have each declined as a proportion of

the respective nationwide amounts. The average payment per employee in this

Province is less than the national average.

Mr. Speaker, it is rather disturbing when you read the Harris report, because

there is so much information in there about the cuts that the federal government

has made in this Province of Newfoundland and Labrador.

Some of the main findings go on to state, Mr. Speaker, many federal offices

in Newfoundland and Labrador were either downgraded or closed during the past

ten years. Few, if any, existing federal government or federal Crown corporation

offices in this Province have mandates that extend beyond its boundaries.

Headquarters and major offices with national mandates are heavily concentrated

in the National Capital Region, and none of those outside that area are in

Newfoundland and Labrador.

Mr. Speaker, right here - that came out of the Harris Report - is a list and

a total number of federal offices with national mandates. I totalled them up,

Mr. Speaker, and there are a total of 118 offices for the federal offices with

national mandates. How many are in the Province of Newfoundland and Labrador?

None, Mr. Speaker, zero.

I will just name a couple: Canadian Forces Personnel Support Agency, Ontario;

Canadian Tourism Commission, British Columbia; Federal Labour Standards Review,

Quebec; Freshwater Fish Marketing Corporation, Manitoba; National Energy Board,

Alberta; National Search and Rescue Secretariat, Ontario; Veterans Review and

Appeal Board, Prince Edward Island.

That is a total of 118 federal offices with national mandates and not one

located in the Province of Newfoundland and Labrador, Mr. Speaker.

When I started this today, in support of this motion, I said how

disheartening it was, and certainly frustrating, when we start reviewing the

cuts of the federal government, because there are so many of them there would

not be time in fifteen minutes to do what you need to do just to show the cuts

that the federal government is after making in this Province.

The final thing I will touch on in the report, Mr. Speaker, two outstanding

facts of the employment picture beyond the magnitudes of the declines were the

very low numbers of federal government executive positions and the extremely

meagre military presence in Newfoundland and Labrador. The overall conclusion is

that the most significant decline in federal presence has been the

disproportionate reduction in jobs and the associated office downgrades and

closures.

Mr. Speaker, my time is nearly up. I would have liked to have touched on a

few more; however, Mr. Harper and the federal government would be well-advised

to take just a page and not the book - just a page - of the fiscal framework

developed by the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador, Mr. Speaker.

I will end by saying this: Did the Premier and our government cut jobs in

Newfoundland and Labrador? No. Did we cut services? Of course we did not. Did

this government invest across the Province of Newfoundland and Labrador in

services, offices and infrastructure? You had better believe we did, Mr.

Speaker, and that is what this government is all about, spreading it across the

Province and everybody being treated fairly across Newfoundland and Labrador.

Thank you.

MR. SPEAKER (T. Osborne): Order, please!

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Member for Port de Grave.

MR. BUTLER: Thank you very much Mr. Speaker.

I want to say it is a pleasure to stand today on the private member's

motion put forward by my hon. colleague from the District of Exploits. I want to

say to him right from the outset that I will be supporting your private member's

motion; however, just one little correction, I guess, on the last couple of

sentences.

He wanted to know, did this government cut any services? I have to say, I

think there were twenty or twenty-two HRLE offices that were closed throughout

the Province and it did make an impact on areas, yes. It did make an impact.

Like I said, I just wanted to make that correction but I do stand in support

of this because I believe that there are many positions, many offices that are

under the federal jurisdiction that should be here in our Province. To elaborate

on that, I believe that many times when the federal government - regardless of

who are the administrators in Ottawa, Canada ends, on many people's minds,

right in North Sydney. We are here on the Island and many times we are not

looked at, even though I know government has received funding for various

programs and so on.

Mr. Speaker, all we have to do is look at the letter that the Premier

received, dated January 4, 2006. There are many issues noted in that letter, but

I am just going to touch on a couple of comments that were made. One was in

relation to the federal presence here in the Province. The Premier asked them,

would they look at changes to this way things were looked at? In general, one of

the questions at that time was the Gander weather office. Now, we know that has

been corrected. He went on to say that there is an over-concentration of certain

federal government services in some areas of the country and an effort must be

made to ensure that there is a fair distribution of federal government presence

across the country.

That is what the Prime Minister said back in 2006. That was just prior, if I

am not mistaken, to the federal election that this letter was received, and the

people of this country put this gentleman and his Administration in power, and

no doubt the Administration here in this Province totally supported him at that

time; however, we all know things did not unfold the way they were outlined in

that letter.

Also in my hon. colleague's private member's motion, he references the

two other parties, the New Democratic Party and the Liberal Party. He states

that the leader at the time, prior to the 2008 federal election, made comments

as to what stand he would take here in the Province when it came to this issue.

I cannot speak for the former Leader of the Liberal Party in Canada, neither can

I speak for the new leader that was only recently acclaimed, I guess, by the

party in Opposition in Ottawa now, one of the Opposition parties, but I can

assure you from what we have heard, I believe that once he takes over as Prime

Minister of this country, I believe that we will see a total change in the

relationship between this Province and the federal government. I believe he is

an individual that will listen to the concerns, regardless of what political

party is in power in the other provinces. I know probably other parties who are

in Opposition today will feel the same way because we know what they stated in

their letters.

Another issue that came forward in that particular letter at the time, and I

guess it plays a great deal to the way we feel about the relations that we have

with the federal government, and that was several topics that surfaced with

regards to the fishery: One of them was early retirement, where the Premier of

the day asked them would they take

part in an early retirement package for

people involved in the fishery, both harvesters and processors on a 70-30 basis,

seventy federal and thirty provincial? The reply came back, they felt that there

should be retraining. That is all fine, but when certain people get to a certain

age in the industry, retraining is not an option for them. Early retirement

would be a part of that program. He stated very clearly that they would not have

anything to do with an early retirement program. I know the provincial

government said that they would, but this year in the Budget I do not think

there is any funding there as well for an early retirement program.

The other issue that questions were asked on was custodial management.

Custodial management is one of the key factors, I believe, to the recovery of

our fish stocks. The Prime Minister at the time, and I think they were on the

lines that they would put other offices we know that DFO has an office here,

but the governing powers who make the laws and the rules and the regulations in

relation to the fishery are all sitting in large offices on Parliament Hill. He

agreed that he would support extending the continental shelf beyond the 200-mile

limit, to the Nose and Tail of the Grand Banks and the Flemish Cap.

Mr. Speaker, we know that has not happened. We know there has been very

little action and that is only one department where jobs, high paying jobs, and

even extra offices could be open here in our Province. The comments that he made

in the letter to the Premier, he felt that the problem with the fishery was

twelve years of Liberal mismanagement. Well, I say, Mr. Speaker, today, we are

looking at a situation where there is no management. There is very little being

done to protect the fish stocks, to help with the recovery of them even. Those

issues have been totally ignored. I have to say that I believe there has to be a

better federal-provincial relationship. Regardless of who is at fault, there is

too much at stake here in this Province that we do have to sit down, regardless

of who is in power. The day may come when that office may change but at the

present time I believe that we have to sit down and really size up the situation

and see what is best for this Province.

Another issue that was mentioned in the letter from the Prime Minister at

that time was 5 Wing Goose Bay, and we all know what expectations we had for

what was going to happen in Happy Valley-Goose Bay, but that did not unfold

either. Whatever reasons, I mean the federal government as far as I am

concerned, that was another key issue that would see people come to this

Province and create more jobs here, but this government has failed to do that as

well.

Mr. Speaker, there are many issues that could be done to see that jobs are

provided here in this Province, to see that new offices are opened up. Back in

September, 2006, a Dr. James Feehan, a professor of economics through the Leslie

Harris Centre, did a federal presence here in Newfoundland and Labrador and his

findings and his presentation are worth noting. Now I know this was back in

2004, but it is stated that only seventy-six positions were here in this

Province, two more than P.E.I. Then we go to New Brunswick who had 127

positions, Nova Scotia with 290 and our share of the executive positions that

were laid out by the federal government was 0.8 per cent. This report examines

federal presence in a physical sense, the employees, the offices and the

spending. It did not deal with the policy presence at all and the policy

decisions that affect this Province's social and economic well-being. There

had been a substantial reduction in employment in the federal government

directly but we saw a major change and a lack of positions here in our Province

as versus others. The downgrading and closing of offices seem to play a major

part in the Atlantic region but from the figures that I just announced, I think

they are fairing far better than we are.

I guess it comes back to what I said a little while ago: Does Canada really

end in North Sydney? I think when it comes to some of those issues, that is

where it takes place. Two outstanding factors of the employment picture found at

that time were very low numbers of federal government executive positions, and

an extremely meagre military presence here in our Province. The overall

conclusion at that time, the most significant decline in federal presence has

been the disproportionate reduction in jobs and the associated office

downgrading and closures.

Mr. Speaker, I guess I do not have too much more to say, only that I agree

totally with the private member's motion. I believe that, regardless, I know

they are referring to the Conservative Party during the 2006 federal election on

the commitments that were made, and they are also calling upon the leaders of

the other parties to keep their commitments that they made.

I know one of those individuals is still in his position, another one the

hands have changed, but hopefully they will, and I believe they will, do what is

right for this Province.

Having said that, Mr. Speaker, I just want to say that I totally support this

position put forward, and look forward to when the vote comes.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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

Verte-Springdale.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. POLLARD: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I am pleased today, and certainly honoured as well, as the MHA for the

District of Baie Verte-Springdale, to second the motion that was moved by my

colleague, the Member from Exploits. Mr. Speaker, we call on the federal

government to increase their presence in Newfoundland and Labrador.

According to the Harris report, which is an independent study, there has been

a steady erosion of federal job loss, closure or downsizing of high-profile

offices and senior executive positions. This is a very disturbing trend, Mr.

Speaker. It is abundantly clear that the federal government has moved away from

maintaining any presence in Newfoundland and Labrador, leaving us to sink or

swim on our own - and we have been doing just fine, I might add, Mr. Speaker -

an attitude of complete abandonment, absolutely no regard for us as a people or

for us as a Province.

What prompts me to make such a statement about a government that was supposed

to have a pan-Canadian view or approach when governing an entire country? When

doing my research, Mr. Speaker, I discovered some startling trends.

One, the local office for ACOA in Plum Point was closed on April 1, 2009,

after serving that area since 1995. This seriously jeopardized the successful

development of business and job opportunities for that entire region.

Two, consider the downsizing at the Canadian Forest Service research lab in

Corner Brook. Since 1950 it has been active on the forest scene of Newfoundland

and Labrador and recognized as one of the leading authorities in many priority

areas identified by the federal government. Created in 1996 to bring science and

researchers closer to its partners in Corner Brook, and with thirty employees

anticipated, this centre also experienced the axe of the federal government.

Since 2002, the Professional Institute of the Public Service of Canada, a

national union representing professionals employed by the federal government,

has watched both science research and support positions decline at the centre.

The level of foreseen staffing was never reached. Seasoned researchers who

retired were not replaced, and the budget authority for the lab has been shifted

from Corner Brook to Fredericton.

Just listen to this, Mr. Speaker, what the union has witnessed: two senior

research positions retire, no replacements hired; two senior technical support

positions retire, no replacements hired; one administrative support position

transferred to another government department, no replacement hired; four vacant

research positions eliminated; transfer of control for the budget allocation

from the Corner Brook manager to the full control of the Fredericton office.

Mr. Speaker, what does this say about the commitment to Corner Brook and to

research and science of the federal government? This blatant downsizing is an

affront to science and to the people of Newfoundland and Labrador.

Mr. Speaker, other offices have been closed entirely. That was the fate of

the Statistics Canada office and the Public Service Commission office, all

transferred to Nova Scotia. No national headquarters, head offices, specialized

centres or unique government entities such as tribunals, penitentiaries or Bank

of Canada offices are located in Newfoundland, according to the Harris report.

The Leslie Harris Centre of Regional Policy and Development, in their report

of August 2006, reports the following, as indicated already by my colleague:

many federal offices in Newfoundland and Labrador were either downgraded or

closed during the past ten years. Few, if any, existing federal government or

federal Crown corporation offices in this Province have mandates that extend

beyond its boundaries. Yet,

section 49 in the 1985 Atlantic Accord explicitly

possible, regional offices with appropriate levels of decision-making for all

departments directly involved in activities related to the offshore area.

Let me continue on federal presence in the Province. The Harris Centre's

final report also indicated that federal employment in the Province has

decreased by almost 25 per cent since 1981 compared to a 5 per cent decrease

nationwide. What a disturbing trend, Mr. Speaker.

In 2003, the Royal Commission on Our Place in Canada reported that federal

employment in Newfoundland and Labrador was cut by 38 per cent, the highest

proportion of cuts of any Province in Canada. Are we the forgotten Province, Mr.

Speaker? No wonder the people of Newfoundland and Labrador feel a sense of

abandonment. The Harris Report also shows that even while supplying Canada with

about 8 per cent of its military personnel, Newfoundland and Labrador's number

of military personnel or presence is disproportionately low.

Another key indicator of the federal government lack of interest is the

limited presence of senior level employees in the Province. They have the power

to make decisions and directly influence government policy on a national level

which would impact our Province's well-being. Did you know, Mr. Speaker, that

Newfoundland and Labrador has the lowest number of federal executive employees

in the country? That is totally unacceptable. Also, Newfoundland and Labrador

has almost the same number of executive positions as P.E.I., although we have

four times the population. On the other hand, Nova Scotia, with just twice the

population of Newfoundland and Labrador, has four times the number of senior

federal staff.

It is interesting to note, Mr. Speaker, during the January, 2006 federal

election, Prime Minister Stephen Harper spoke as if he was in support of

increasing federal presence in Newfoundland and Labrador. This is what he

stated: I think the secret will be to identify particular functions and

operations that should be here as opposed to putting a few jobs here and a few

jobs there. There should be some specific things that are headquartered here.

Empty words, Mr. Speaker. Increasing federal presence is just not about

increasing jobs. It is also about increasing the level of federal decision

making occurring in this Province to ensure our unique challenges and

opportunities are duly considered in the development of federal policies. This

would ensure commitments made by the federal government would be honoured and

fulfilled, but right now that is not happening. This is not the way a national

government should govern. There is no evidence of a Prime Minister who has a

pan-Canadian approach or a pan-Canadian view. On the other hand, it is evidence

of a narrow approach.

Despite the repeated efforts of our Premier and other government officials in

the past, the federal government has not changed its course. Research bears out

the fact that Newfoundland and Labrador has lost its disproportionate share of

federal presence when considering job loss, office closures and senior executive

positions. This trend is unacceptable, Mr. Speaker. This trend has to stop. It

and Labrador and begin, in the words of former Liberal Leader Stphane

Dion, to establish priorities for effectiveness on the ground. This

mean-spirited, short-sighted, narrow approach by our federal government is in

complete stark contrast to the approach of our provincial government.

What is our approach, Mr. Speaker? Our provincial government has taken a

pan-provincial approach, which is one of taking into account all regions of this

Province, not just one particular region and making investments strategically

and wisely. This approach by the federal government is the same approach taken

by the Opposition. When they question why our government would put a new

residential treatment at Grand Falls-Windsor, it gave us the impression that

rural Newfoundland did not deserve such an investment.

Mr. Speaker, I am proud that I am a rural MHA. I am proud that the 2009

Budget has invested $40 million for Central Newfoundland. I am delighted that

the Home Heating Rebate Program will be administered at Central Newfoundland. I

am delighted that the Parental Benefits Program will be administered at Central

Newfoundland. I applaud our government's decision to invest in a residential

treatment centre at Grand Falls-Windsor. Furthermore, Mr. Speaker, I applaud our

government's decision to locate the fish health diagnostic facility on the

South Coast, which will materialize shortly, this summer we hope. Moreover, Mr.

Speaker, I am pleased that the provincial headquarters for Marine Service was

stationed in Lewisporte.

In 2009 Budget, I am also pleased that there is a $130 million investment

made in Labrador to increase economic activity and improve infrastructure.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. POLLARD: Such as, Mr. Speaker, $9.5 million for CONA campus in

Labrador West; a $4.7 million health care facility; $19 million for a new

francophone school in Happy Valley-Goose Bay, and two K-12 schools in Port Hope

Simpson and L'Anse-au-Loup.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. POLLARD: That is what we mean by investing in all parts of our great

Province, Mr. Speaker.

Let me carry on. In May, 2007, this government of ours opened, in

Stephenville, the Provincial Drug Program which employs fifteen new permanent

staff members. What a move, Mr. Speaker! I also applaud our government, in

making these investments to rural Newfoundland, for creating economic

opportunities for rural areas of our Province. This provides evidence that our

government has a much broader approach to address issues in all areas of our

Province, not just one particular region, unlike the federal government or the

members opposite would like to think.

This government invests in the Avalon. This government invests in the

Northern Peninsula. This government invests in the West Coast, the South Coast,

Labrador, and all points in between, Mr. Speaker. Our approach is one of a whole

picture approach. We believe, unlike the Opposition members and the federal

government, that rural Newfoundland and Labrador has the expertise, has the

supports, has the capacity, has the talent, and has the skilled work force, to

complement any and I repeat, any! government initiatives or projects

that may arise. That includes Grand Falls-Windsor. That includes the Springdale

area. That includes the Baie Verte area. That includes Deer Lake. That includes

Port aux Basques. That includes Gander. It includes any area of this great

Province of ours: St. John's, of course, Mount Pearl, and we can go on, Mr.

Speaker. To say or even suggest otherwise, to me would be an insult to rural

Newfoundlanders and Labradorians.

What is this all about, Mr. Speaker, when we invest in rural Newfoundland and

Labrador? It is about building capacity, individual capacity and community

capacity. What is this all about? It is all about empowering, not only

individuals but empowering communities, empowering regions. Strong communities,

strong regions, equals a strong Province. That is what our government is all

about, Mr. Speaker, increasing capacity, empowering people and regions and

communities to be self-sustainable.

Mr. Speaker, I wholeheartedly second this important resolution and call upon

the federal government to increase its presence regarding senior executive

positions, and also call upon the members opposite to support us in this

important quest of ours.

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker, my time has run out.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Member for Signal Hill-Quidi Vidi.

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

I am pleased to stand today to speak to this motion that is on the floor on

this Private Members' Day, "that the House of Assembly calls on the

form the government, to increase the number of federal decision-making executive

positions and/or national regional headquarters based in Newfoundland and

Labrador."

May I say right from the beginning that I will be supporting this motion. I

am pleased that the motion recognizes that all of the parties who are potential

governments on the federal level should have this motion addressed to them,

because I do not think that the situation we are in today with the current

federal government pertains simply to this federal government that we are now

dealing with, because a lot of the things that we are experiencing now, the loss

of jobs in the executive positions, the loss of jobs in general - federal level

jobs, I mean - goes back before this government. Closures of offices go back

before this government, so it has been an ongoing problem in terms of the

attitude of the federal government to our Province, to our provincial

government, and I would like to say to others in the country as well. It is

something that we do have to speak to, as a Province, and something that we have

to be aware of.

Some of the things that have closed in this Province since 1995 were the

Gander weather office, and people in this Province fought to get it back. What

they got back was good, but it is reduced in numbers in terms of staff. There

was a movement of a number of Department of Fisheries and Oceans positions

outside the Province, the uncertainty surrounding the military base in Happy

Valley-Goose Bay, the announcement of the closure of the Cool Climate Research

Centre, just to name some of the things that have happened in this Province over

the past years. So the attitude of federal governments in recent times,

especially since the 1990s, towards us has not been great. The realization that

they need to contribute to our role in the federal system seems to be

diminishing; because, when we lose a voice from here, nobody else can replace

that voice.

I remember some years ago I forget what year, exactly it was - it was in

the early 2000s when Status of Women Canada did a total restructuring of offices

in Canada, and the restructuring included closing the Status of Women office

here in St. John's and losing that position from here in St. John's. It was

really felt strongly by women in the women's community who were activists and

advocating on a federal level with regard to funding for women's projects, and

that voice was lost forever. Yes, women in Newfoundland and Labrador can go to

the people in the Maritimes who are in those positions still, but they do not

have the same voice at the table, and that is exactly what has happened in other

areas as well. So, having executive positions and having staff people

representing key programs of the federal government here is extremely important.

You know, it is people in Ottawa in particular who divided this country up

into regions. I do not think we see ourselves in Newfoundland and Labrador,

while we know we are part of a group called the Atlantic Provinces, we do not

have an Atlantic Province identity; we have an identity as Newfoundlanders and

Labradorians, but we have put in these categories by federal bureaucrats, so

what we experience here is something that is not acceptable. It is not something

that we have defined for ourselves. It is something that others have defined for

us, so this really bothers me, I have to say.

Speaking today to the executive positions, and how the numbers have declined,

is something that is important to do, but it is only it is a symbol. It is a

sign of the attitude of people in the federal government, for example, and it is

not just politicians. It is part of, I think, the whole bureaucratic mindset

that develops as well in Ottawa that we are dealing with.

I do recognize why this government, when the federal election was on in 2006,

and the federal election prior to that, put out a questionnaire to the leaders

of all three federal parties. I have no idea if the Premier sent one to the

Green Party as well. I do know letters were sent to the leaders of the federal

Liberal, Conservative and New Democratic Parties. It was good that happened

because we now have, in writing, commitments from the leaders of these parties.

Now, I have to say that I am very proud that the leader of the federal New

Democratic Party probably sent in the best response of all leaders, to this

Province, because Mr. Layton was unequivocal in his understanding of the need

for this Province to have, I am going to say, "special treatment." By

special I mean a recognition that we in this Province, for all kinds of reasons

one of which is our history, one of which is our geography - have to have

consideration of those factors when decisions are being made. Our high

unemployment rate, for example, is another reason for having special

consideration when decisions are made about chopping positions, whether they are

positions on the executive level or whether they are positions on any other

level.

I was looking at some statistics, and I am sad to say that the federal

government has been contributing to a dynamic that is going on in our Province,

and that is the high level of growth on the Northeast Avalon Peninsula in

comparison to rural Newfoundland and other towns, larger towns in Newfoundland

and Labrador.

While, overall, executive numbers have gone down, it is interesting to note

that in the St. John's Census Metropolitan Area between 2004 and 2008, in

actual fact, the number of jobs in the federal sector went up by almost 450. So

the federal government, even in what it is doing, is concentrating more and more

in the St. John's area, because I think it is fair to say that federal-level

jobs have not gone up in other parts of the Province.

I do want to come back to what happened when federal leaders received the

questionnaire from Mr. Williams. It was a questionnaire that Mr. Layton took

very, very seriously. I remember well that he contacted the party here. He

contacted Mr. Harris because Mr. Harris was the person who was the leader of our

party at the time, and the local party was involved in giving the federal leader

a sense of what our concerns were. He believed in those concerns and he showed

his commitment both to us as a party, to the New Democratic Party of

Newfoundland and Labrador, and his commitment to the people of Newfoundland and

Labrador. He was just here in St. John's not too long ago. Mr. Layton was in

St. John's on Friday past, last week, when he spoke to the St. John's Board

of Trade. He once again reiterated his commitment to Newfoundland and Labrador.

Mr. Speaker, I am concentrating on the leader of the federal party because,

actually, the resolution that is on the floor is a resolution aimed at the

leaders of the federal parities. That is why I am speaking of Mr. Layton to the

degree that I am.

Last week Mr. Layton said, unequivocally, as he stood in front of the St.

John's Board of Trade: I will never turn my back on the people of Newfoundland

and Labrador. He means that. Not only if he becomes Prime Minister of the

country but even in Opposition he will always be there to speak for Newfoundland

and Labrador. He was so pleased to have an NDP MP in his caucus. He was just so,

so excited about the fact that finally he has a Newfoundlander in is caucus.

Things that Mr. Layton has committed himself to, to show people here, both in

the House as well as in the Province, the level of his commitment: he has

committed to, and he will continue to fight for this, the 8.5 per cent Hibernia

share that the federal government gets from Hibernia, that that share should

come to the Province. He is shocked by the disparity between what the federal

government gets from our resources in the offshore and what we get. He believes

strongly that the 8.5 per cent Hibernia share should come to the Province, as of

course we believe as the New Democratic Party of Newfoundland and Labrador.

He also supports a search and rescue base for St. John's with regard to the

offshore, but in no way taking away from what exists in Gander. What exists in

Gander has one role. Having a cormorant helicopter twenty-four seven here in St.

John's would have a very specific role. While it would not just serve the oil

and gas industry, it would be there in case of any other emergencies that we may

have in that industry. This is something that he is very committed to.

He also is quite committed to an east-west power grid which would benefit not

just this Province, but provinces across Canada. He certainly is open to having

ongoing discussions with this Province around the benefits of the east-west

grid. Now, of course that we have wheeling rights through Quebec this is

something that is becoming even more possible, a dream that could really work

for us.

Some more things that the federal NDP supports and would bring jobs to this

Province is shipbuilding. Mr. Layton believes that we should have a national

shipbuilding program and that that national shipbuilding program would take into

consideration every part of the country where shipbuilding is important to the

economy. One place where we have underscored in the economy here in Newfoundland

and Labrador has been in shipbuilding, not because we do not have the

facilities, we know we have the facilities, but because even we ourselves have

not put enough into that. He really wants to develop a national shipbuilding

program that would see us as equal partners with other parts of the country.

He also wants a national child care program that would bring jobs to our

economy. He also wants a green-collar jobs fund that would stimulate innovation

and train new and displaced workers. You see, having somebody like Mr. Layton as

Prime Minister or as Leader of the Opposition means that ideas would be put in

place that would also involve our having more jobs here, whether they are jobs

in the actual federal government, but jobs in industries that would be created

through the creative thinking of somebody like Mr. Layton.

I see the Minister of Justice smiling over there. I hope he likes everything

that I am saying.

MR. T. MARSHALL: (Inaudible).

MS MICHAEL: You don't, don't you? Sorry about that.

Mr. Layton would be very pleased that I am stood here today, I think,

praising him, but I think it is important that I do it because it is important

for us that we have a strong voice - and when I say us, I mean the New

Democratic Party - that we have a strong voice in Ottawa where I know what I

believe in is being pushed on the federal level; the same issues that I am

pushing here on a provincial level, Mr. Layton and the federal party would be

pushing on a federal level. That is the cooperation I want to see in my party,

working with the federal party pushing the same issues.

One of the things that Mr. Layton said in his letter of 2008, which I think

is really important - and this will have to be my last comment, so I will close

with a quote from him: "We recognize the need for greater fairness in the

distribution of federal jobs throughout the country and also recognize the

economic importance of such a presence. New Democrats continue to be concerned

by the number of jobs and services that have been reduced in Newfoundland and

Labrador. We are committed to reviewing policies that led to such result and we

re-affirm our commitment to working with your Province to ensure fairness and

full access to federal government program delivery and services in this

Province."

That is what I work for, Mr. Speaker, that is what the New Democratic Party

on the federal level works for, and that is why, yes, I can support the

resolution that is put before us today.

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker.

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. DENINE: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I just want to, for the people who are listening out there, go back over the

motion which we are dealing with today that was put forward by the hon. the

Member for the District of Exploits, which was a good one, and seconded by the

hon. the Member for Baie Verte-Springdale.

It says:

Be it resolved that the House of Assembly calls on the current

government, to increase the number of federal decision-making executive

positions and/or national or regional headquarters based in Newfoundland and

Labrador.

Now, Mr. Speaker, during the debate this afternoon, each and every member,

both on this side of the House and on that side of the House, has brought a lot

of statistics to be aired out here today. I am wondering, and I am saying: Does

the federal government not know we are concerned about the number of jobs here

in Newfoundland and Labrador? Do you not know that we have made representation

to them many, many times? Many letters have gone back and forth?

Then I said: Do you know the problem? The problem, I think, is very simple.

The problem is that when you look at the geography of Canada you break it up

into sections. When you do the geography of Canada you look at it and say: Well

what are the Maritime Provinces? Well, the Maritime Provinces are New Brunswick,

PEI and Nova Scotia. Now someone says: What are the Atlantic Provinces? Well,

the Atlantic Provinces are different because it includes Newfoundland and

Labrador. You can draw a conclusion from that, Mr. Speaker. The problem is that

they do not understand the definition between Maritime and Atlantic. They do not

know their geography, because they said: Well, we give this to the Maritimes.

Let me give you an idea. In Nova Scotia, they have four times the amount of

executive positions. Four times the amount of executive positions in Nova Scotia

than we do have here in Newfoundland and Labrador. P.E.I. has almost the

equivalent amount and only one quarter the size of the population of

Newfoundland and Labrador.

MR. FORSEY: Shame, shame!

MR. DENINE: Absolutely! Absolutely, to my hon. Member for Exploits. Thank

you for the support. That is exactly what it it is a shame, because we are

not asking for any more than equal treatment within the confederation of Canada.

We are not saying that we should have more than Nova Scotia. We are not saying

that we should have more than P.E.I. We are not saying we should have more than

Ontario, or whatever the case may be, because there are certain reasons for all

of that, Mr. Speaker. There are certain reasons why things happen the way they

happen, but what we are looking for is fair and honest treatment; fair and

honest treatment for Newfoundland and Labrador.

All I have to say to the members of the federal government here, and anyone

in Ottawa, is look at the definition of Maritime and Atlantic. From now on in,

when they allocate money, allocate it to the Atlantic provinces - or jobs,

allocate it to the Atlantic provinces.

Mr. Speaker, in 1993 there were 10,250 federal jobs. In 2004, there were

6,790. Now, if you do the math on that and I hope it is correct, someone

gave me the information over 3,200 jobs lost. I mean, that is significant.

Think about it. That in itself is more than four or five industries here in

Newfoundland and Labrador; more than four or five industries. So why do we not

ask for equal treatment? This is not new to the federal government in power now

today. This is not new to them. Our government has written every other leader of

every party up there and asked them for all this. They know that this is an

issue.

Now, Mr. Speaker, I am not going to speak too long, but a couple of more

points. 5 Wing Goose Bay was brought up by some of the hon. members across the

way. I had the opportunity to visit 5 Wing Goose Bay when I first became

Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs. 5 Wing Goose Bay is an absolutely

phenomenal facility. Absolutely, first-class facility; has a lot of amenities

over there that a lot of air force bases that bases would love to have.

Totally, a complete unit.

If any country of this world wanted to go up in Goose Bay and do so some

military activities, military exercises, everything is there for them: housing,

food, target areas and everything there. Now they made a commitment to put

forces up in that base, 5 Wing Goose Bay, a Rapid Reaction Battalion, 650. Can

you imagine what 650 people in Goose Bay, living, operating out of Goose Bay, 5

Wing, what that impact would have on the economy? It would have a significant

impact on the economy and the spin-offs would be significant to everyone else in

Newfoundland and Labrador. So, when we are talking about losing jobs, we are

talking about being treated equally. Again, I say Newfoundland and Labrador

needs to be treated equally. We need to have the equal thing, and I think if

they only look at the definition that I talked about in the beginning of my

speech, the difference between Atlantic and Maritime, that is the problem.

Canada does not stop at Halifax. Look at things.

Now, Prime Minister Harper said: we cannot just go willy-nilly and give out a

job here, a job there, a job there. Look at a resource. Look at a whole picture.

What can we put here in Newfoundland and Labrador? Well, Mr. Speaker, there is a

heck of a lot you can put here in Newfoundland and Labrador. Look at our natural

resources. Why not open a big, huge facility and move all the Department of

Natural Resources here? Armed forces. We are the closest link to Europe, a very

strategic location in the world, global issues, global geography. Why not move

that down? We are in the offshore oil business, significantly, why not move

something down here from that? The fisheries my God, we are surrounded by

water, at least the Island portion is.

AN HON. MEMBER: Thank God we're surrounded by water.

MR. DENINE: Thank God we're surrounded by water. Thank you very much. I

appreciate that.

Mr. Speaker, the fisheries, a centre for excellence in the oceanography. Why

not that? So, if the will is there, the wanting is there, the power is there,

why don't they just do it? Why don't they just make sure that Newfoundland

and Labrador gets its fair share, not only jobs but executive jobs, people who

are here on the ground that are ready to make a decision, not that the decision

has to go from here to Halifax so someone can phone back here and say: yes, go

ahead and do it. Newfoundland and Labradorians are well-trained, a very skilful

force, intelligent individuals that can make things happen in Newfoundland and

Labrador and are ready, willing and able to make decisions.

Now, Mr. Speaker, I am going to wrap up because everything has been said.

Very seldom do I leave time on the clock but I will do that today because a lot

of things have been said. I agree with everyone that has been putting forward,

but we as Newfoundlanders and Labradorians are looking - one, look at the

definition of Atlantic provinces, Mr. Prime Minister, let's not refer to the

Maritime Provinces. Let's give Newfoundland and Labrador its fair share, not

only of jobs but executive jobs.

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Government House Leader.

MS BURKE: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I would certainly like to have a few words this afternoon because this is a

topic that I think is particularly important for the Province of Newfoundland

and Labrador from a number of different fronts. I know we have heard from the

previous speakers this afternoon that we have had commitments from various

federal leaders. Whether it is the Leader of the NDP, Mr. Jack Layton, or

whether it is the former Leader of the Liberal Party Stphane Dion, or other

federal leaders. When we look at the commitments there seems to be some

vagueness within the commitments, but it does lay the groundwork that there is

an acknowledgement that there are issues in Newfoundland and Labrador regarding

the presence of federal positions and things that we need to be able to address.

I also want to address the fact that when I talk about jobs from the federal

government in Newfoundland and Labrador, I am not necessarily speaking about

service delivery positions because I think that if services that are provided to

all the people of Canada are available to the people of Newfoundland and

Labrador, whether it is being able to have access to the EI program or CPP or

the Old Age Assistance or whatever the particular programs are, that I think we

need to have universal access in the most efficient and effective way.

What I am speaking about, Mr. Speaker, is the fact that we need positions in

Newfoundland and Labrador that acknowledge that we have the intelligence or the

intellect and the ability to think and to analyze and to contribute to Canada as

a country. That means being able to have research positions or policy and

development positions in Newfoundland and Labrador, and that is exactly what we

are lacking in this Province.

A number of speakers, as well, this afternoon, have acknowledged the Harris

report, and how the Harris report has outlined that we have a disproportionate

number of federal government jobs in this Province, and the fact that we have

also had the jobs that we did have here, how they had eroded over the years.

Mr. Speaker, it is also interesting to note that where we do have our federal

presence now - and they speak of the jobs being on a regional basis - the region

is defined by the Province of Newfoundland and Labrador, but when you look

beyond the boundaries of Newfoundland and Labrador and you have a regional

office for the federal government, the boundaries, particularly in Atlantic

Canada, include the four Atlantic Provinces. It is like, if we have a mandate of

a region they will call it the province, but if you look elsewhere they feel

that they have the ability to make decisions or contribute to decision-making

that would affect all of the Atlantic Region. We certainly feel we need our

share of positions here in the Province as well.

It is noted as well in the Harris report that the federal entities that have

the most presence in this Province would be Canada Post or the RCMP. What is

interesting to note is, with the Canada Post, that is paid for by the consumers

or the customers of Canada Post, and the RCMP primarily are funded by the

Province of Newfoundland and Labrador. We may have a stronger presence from

those two entities but we certainly pay for it ourselves.

We also have a number of entities of the federal government that have

absolutely no presence in Newfoundland and Labrador, and that would be: Justice

Canada, Industry Canada, Statistics Canada, Defence R&D, and other entities

as well where we have no presence whatsoever.

Certainly in Stephenville, from my own district perspective, we have lost the

presence of the Coast Guard base and the operations that were in Stephenville.

We also have lost the Border Services, or the customs agents that were posted or

working from Stephenville as well. We have lost them over the years. Again, we

want to make sure, as we are recognized and certainly have a place of prominence

within Canada, that we are also recognized that we can do the work that will

contribute to the country as a whole.

Of 183 federal agencies, Mr. Speaker, we have thirty-eight being represented

or having a presence in Newfoundland and Labrador, which means there are 145 not

in Newfoundland and Labrador. Another one of our major employers, certainly, as

a federal entity would be Marine Atlantic. We often have heard the debate that

the headquarters should not be in Port aux Basques because they would not be

able to maintain the headquarters there. There is always an argument that there

is a better place to have the headquarters for Marine Atlantic, other than Port

aux Basques, but that ferry system is set up for one reason only, and that is so

that there is a transportation link between Nova Scotia and Newfoundland and

Labrador, and the primary place where we provide that service is in Port aux

Basques.

There is always the attitude that we can provide that general service

delivery, but when we need that higher level that would contribute to the

decision-making we just cannot have it outside some of the major centres which

are located outside the Province.

Mr. Speaker, we have often been asking recently and saying that we would like

to have a federal penitentiary in Newfoundland and Labrador. We have also

advocated that if we build a new provincial facility that we would certainly

like a significant portion of that to be paid for by the federal government.

There is really inaction on that whole issue.

When we think of where the federal government has invested federal dollars,

and then these provinces certainly benefit from the employment and the spin-offs

from the employment in those areas, we can see how we are being treated very

differently. We would like to have a federal penitentiary. When we compare our

Province, say, to the Province of Ontario, I do not know if people realize but

in one city alone, in the City of Kingston, I believe there are fourteen federal

penitentiaries. We would like to have one. They have fourteen in Kingston alone.

Mr. Speaker, there are other federal penitentiaries. There is another one in

Kingston, as well, and probably others in Ontario, but when we are here asking

for one, and we are not talking about a province, we are talking about a city

that has fourteen federal penitentiaries, there is something seriously wrong

with this.

Mr. Speaker, we have been saying that we are a province of people who are

very strong, very proud and very determined. We can contribute to Canada as a

country, to the decision-making, to the policies, and we should be able to do it

right here from Newfoundland and Labrador. There certainly was an argument at

many times where a lot of these positions had to be located in Ottawa, in the

National Capital Region, with very good reason, because you needed that base to

be able to do the work, but as we have advanced and as we have developed what is

increasingly important is that the transportation links have certainly improved.

Who would have ever heard tell o