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March 12, 2020

HOUSE OF ASSEMBLY PROCEEDINGS

Vol. XLIX No. 33

The House

met at 1:30 p.m.

MR. SPEAKER (Reid):

Order,

please!

Admit

strangers.

In the

Speaker's gallery today, I want to welcome Alex Saunders, Inuk author and sea

captain from Labrador.

Welcome,

Sir.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear,

hear!

MR. SPEAKER:

In the

public gallery, I welcome level II students from Gonzaga High School,

accompanied by their teachers, Gillian Browne and Cynthia Manning.

Welcome

today.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear,

hear!

Statements

by Members

MR. SPEAKER:

Today we

will hear Members' statements by the hon. Members for the Districts of Exploits,

Windsor Lake, Grand Falls-Windsor - Buchans, Lake Melville and Harbour Main.

The hon.

Member for Exploits.

MR. FORSEY:

Thank you,

Mr. Speaker.

Mr.

Speaker, on Saturday, March 7, I had the opportunity to attend the retirement

party of Gerald Ellis after 38 years of service with the Bishop's Falls

Volunteer Fire Department.

Mr.

Speaker, commitment from these volunteers is important 24 hours a day. These

firefighters attend many emergencies such as house fires, forest fires and

accidents. The department also partners with other community groups for

fundraisers and awareness.

Mr. Ellis

was an excellent member of the fire department who has given his time and

dedication. This certainly is recognized by his fellow firefighters.

Mr.

Speaker, I ask all Members of this House of Assembly to join me in

congratulating Mr. Gerald Ellis on his retirement from the Bishop's Falls Fire

Department and thank him for his service.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear,

hear!

MR. SPEAKER:

The hon.

the Member for Windsor Lake.

MR. CROSBIE:

Thank you,

Mr. Speaker

Myles

Murphy has been an advocate for the deaf community in Newfoundland and Labrador

for decades. He was one of the first deaf students from the province to study at

Gallaudet University for the deaf in Washington, DC. In 2005, he established,

coordinated and instructed the first literacy program for deaf adults in St.

John's.

Mr. Murphy

provides an essential connection between the deaf community and the health care

system in Newfoundland and Labrador, and recently collaborated with Memorial

University's school of medicine on two groundbreaking research studies: one

focused on palliative care for deaf people and the other explored how deaf

people express physical pain.

Mr. Murphy

is heavily involved with local and national disability organizations, including

the Provincial Advisory Council for the Inclusion of Persons with Disabilities,

Golden Jubilee Medal, the Queen's Diamond Jubilee Medal, the Newfoundland and

Labrador Association of Deaf Leadership Award and Award of Merit from the

Canadian Association of the Deaf and a National Award from the Council of

Canadians with Disabilities.

Thank you.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear,

hear!

MR. SPEAKER:

The hon.

the Member for Grand Falls-Windsor - Buchans.

MR. TIBBS:

Thank you

very much, Mr. Speaker.

I rise to

recognize a group that is near and dear to my heart: the Exploits Hurricanes. I

recognize all the athletes and coaches from my district but one group has

definitely stood out this year: the Exploits Hurricanes curling team.

Last year,

the team won at the Newfoundland and Labrador Games held in Grand Falls-Windsor;

a weekend filled with fun and competition. After winning the gold there, the

Exploits curling team practised every week above and beyond their regular time

at the curling club. They did so with pride and excitement.

February 23, the team received the most amazing jacket from NL Curling, a

surprise that gave them the confidence and put them in a wining frame of mind.

On February 24 the team attended the opening ceremonies at the National Games in

Thunder Bay, Ontario. The team was so pumped and ready to get going. Their hard

work earned them a Special Olympics National gold medal performance and memories

for a lifetime.

February 29, 2020, my good friends from Team Newfoundland and Labrador: Tony

Kyritsis, Margaret MacNeil, Kimberly O'Neill, Gary Wicks, skip Joshua Gardner,

along with their coaches Sarah Pinsent and Joe Tremblett, were presented with

the gold medals.

I ask

Members to join me today to congratulate these hometown heroes as they rocked

this country like a hurricane. Go guys.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear,

hear!

MR. SPEAKER:

The hon.

the Member for Lake Melville.

MR. TRIMPER:

Mr. Speaker, as our province recently recognized International Women's Day and,

yesterday, our Legislature stood up to violence against women and children

through the Moose Hide Campaign, I am therefore proud to pay tribute to Jean

Crane, an Indigenous elder who has led the charge for equality and respect of

women in Labrador.

Over 40

years ago, Jean helped establish the Mokami Status of Women Council, an

organization that supports women through advocacy and front-line services. In

1985, she was instrumental in the creation of Libra House, a shelter protecting

women and children from abusive situations. Prior to its operation, Jean would

often provide a home to those fleeing abuse. She faced everything from anger to

loaded weapons, to support women.

Last

January, she addressed the Speakers of Canada and provided the opening prayer at

the Presiding Officers Conference in Lake Melville. Jean has served on Memorial

University's Board of Regents and other committees to lobby for women or counsel

others dealing with addictions through healing circles.

I would

ask this House of Assembly to thank Jean Crane for always having her door open

to anyone in need, and as she turns 91 today, wish her a very happy birthday.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear,

hear!

MR. SPEAKER:

The hon.

the Member for Harbour Main.

MS. CONWAY OTTENHEIMER:

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The Angel

Fund is a registered charity comprised of a small group of women from Conception

Bay North and led by Elizabeth Pilgrim of Cupids in the District of Harbour

Main. These women come from varied professions and are social workers, nurses,

accountants and business owners, each volunteering their time and experience to

raise funds to help breast cancer patients.

Breast

cancer diagnosis and its treatment bring significant financial strain. The Angel

Fund assists with expenses as it relates to transportation, medication, child

care, wigs, prosthetics, nutritional supplements, grocery and food gift

certificates and accommodations. The charity serves over 45 communities in the

Conception Bay North area, including many communities in the District of Harbour

Main from Marysvale to North River.

The Angel

Fund has organized many social events, such as fashion shows, Mother's Day teas,

musical concerts, charitable runs and other fundraising events, raising

approximately $325,000 and helping over 300 women since its beginnings in 2009.

The fund is committed to providing social and emotional support for patients and

lovingly remembering those who have been lost.

These

women are to be commended for the invaluable service they provide to those

diagnosed with breast cancer in their time of need and the support they provide

to their patients.

Thank you,

Mr. Speaker.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear,

hear!

MR. SPEAKER:

Statements

by Ministers.

Statements

by Ministers

MR. SPEAKER:

The hon.

the Minister of Service NL.

MS. GAMBIN-WALSH:

Mr.

Speaker, I rise to recognize the 11th anniversary of the crash of Cougar Flight

491 which occurred on March 12, 2009. This day marks a tragic anniversary in our

province of lives lost and others changed forever. We will forever remember the

15 passengers and two crew members who were lost that day and offer our deepest

sympathies to their families and friends.

Mr.

Speaker, all these years later the crash of Cougar Flight 491 still resonates

with residents of the province. I'm certain we can recall the profound sadness

and shock felt when we heard the news about this devastating loss. It serves as

a stark reminder of the historical dangers associated with working on our ocean.

Safety is

a top priority for the provincial government and our partners in the offshore.

We continue to work together to strengthen the regulatory regime and provide the

safest working conditions possible.

It is

important to ensure a strong health and safety culture for all offshore

industries. We will continue to make necessary improvements to enhance safety –

so family and friends can have peace of mind as their loved ones leave for work.

Thank you,

Mr. Speaker.

SOME HON.

MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER:

The hon.

the Member for Ferryland.

MR. O'DRISCOLL:

Thank you,

Mr. Speaker.

I thank

the minister for the advance copy of her statement.

Mr.

Speaker, we in the Official Opposition also extend our sincere sympathies to the

families and friends of those who lost their lives in Cougar Flight 491.

Mr.

Speaker, the anniversary of this tragedy stirs memories in us all as we recall

that faithful day. I knew several passengers and their families, including three

young people from the communities in my district. The sense of sadness and loss

was far reaching and continues to be felt today.

Mr.

Speaker, we must do everything possible to ensure the safety of our offshore

workers and indeed every worker in our province. Everyone deserves to go home

safe each day.

Again, Mr.

Speaker, our thoughts today are with all those impacted by Cougar Flight 491.

Thank you.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear,

hear!

MR. SPEAKER:

The hon.

the Member for St. John's Centre.

MR. J. DINN:

Thank you,

Mr. Speaker.

I, too,

thank the minister for the advance copy of her statement. On this side, this

party, we offer our condolences to the loved ones of the men and women who died

on that terrible day.

The

minister speaks of the dangers associated with working on the ocean. We remind

the minister there is work still to be done on this.

Eleven

years later, the key recommendation of the Wells report – the creation of an

independent offshore safety authority – has yet to be done. Eleven years later,

the S-92 helicopters still do not have a 30-minute run-dry capacity and workers

are still worried government will permit risky flights.

Thank you.

MR. SPEAKER:

Further

statements by ministers?

The hon.

the Minister of Natural Resources.

MS. COADY:

Thank you,

Mr. Speaker.

I recently

had the pleasure of joining representatives of the Professional Engineers and

Geoscientists Newfoundland and Labrador for the proclamation of National

Engineering and Geoscience Month in the province.

This is an

annual event that highlights the importance of engineering and geoscience to the

daily lives of residents. These professionals are helping advance major resource

development projects in our offshore petroleum, in mining industries and

ensuring that pieces of critical public infrastructure are being built and

maintained. Their work greatly contributes to our economic development.

Minister of Natural Resources, I am proud of our engineers and geoscientists and

the invaluable contributions they are making. Their work is evident throughout

the province as we drive over a bridge, walk into a newly constructed building

or hear about the success of a new mine or offshore development project.

Mr.

Speaker, we are positioning Newfoundland and Labrador globally as a preferred

location for oil and gas and mining development, and the strength and growth of

these industries is due in part to the highly skilled professionals that are

working on these projects, including the engineers and geoscientists.

Thank you,

Mr. Speaker.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear,

hear!

MR. SPEAKER:

The hon.

Opposition House Leader.

MR. BRAZIL:

Thank you,

Mr. Speaker, and I thank the minister for an advance copy of her statement.

On behalf

of the Official Opposition, I would like to extend our appreciation and

congratulations to all engineers and geoscientists on the occasion of National

Engineering and Geoscience Month. I would also like to extend my encouragement

to the post-secondary students who are actively studying engineering and

geoscience. While studying may seem like a challenge, I am confident these

students will graduate and bring a prosperous future to our province.

Today, I

would like to encourage all Members of this hon. House to thank an engineer or

geoscientist for the work they do as they are truly making our province a better

place.

Thank you,

Mr. Speaker.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear,

hear!

MR. SPEAKER:

The hon.

the Leader of the Third Party.

MS. COFFIN:

Thank you,

Mr. Speaker, and I, too, thank the minister for an advance copy of her

statement.

During

this month, engineers and geoscience professionals across Canada will hold many

events to introduce young people like these to the diverse opportunities in

these fields. I'd like to commend the engineers and geoscientists here who are

so essential to our industries and our everyday lives. I would also like to

recognize the contribution made by Memorial's faculties of engineering and

geoscientists to the province and our economy.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear,

hear!

MR. SPEAKER:

Further

statements by ministers?

Oral

Questions.

Oral

Questions

MR. SPEAKER:

The hon.

the Leader of the Official Opposition.

MR. CROSBIE:

Mr.

Speaker, first I'd like to express my deepest sympathies to the families and

friends of those impacted by the Cougar 491 tragedy; something already spoken to

by hon. Members today. An inquiry, led by Justice Wells, recommended an

independent safety regulator.

I would

ask the minister: Why hasn't this been done?

MR. SPEAKER:

The hon.

the Minister of Natural Resources.

MS. COADY:

Thank you,

Mr. Speaker.

It is

indeed a solemn day and we do pass on, from the people of the Province of

Newfoundland and Labrador and the entire House of Assembly, our sincere

condolences. It's a very difficult day for many, many people, Mr. Speaker. I

think we all take pause to remember those who have lost their life to the sea

and who have lost a life in this tragedy.

Mr.

Speaker, regarding the question, I will say that Justice Wells did a very

comprehensive report. All recommendations have been implemented.

Justice

Wells did have 29(

a) and (

b) of the recommendations. It was a choice between an

independent regulator or, of course, doing what has been done, which is having

an independent chief safety officer, as well as an independent chief

conservation officer. Mr. Speaker, these report directly to the board. They are

independent and do keep safety and environmental concerns paramount.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear,

hear!

MR. SPEAKER:

The hon.

the Leader of the Official Opposition.

MR. CROSBIE:

Mr.

Speaker, some would differ that that's what was intended by the Commissioner.

I suggest

to the minister that we should do everything in our power to ensure safety in

the offshore environment. As we know, the Bay du Nord development is poised to

be the next frontier and will be in deeper waters and further offshore.

I would

ask the minister: Have safety regulations been revised to apply to the Bay du

Nord installation and any others that may be installed in deep water?

MR. SPEAKER:

The hon.

the Minister of Natural Resources.

MS. COADY:

Thank you,

Mr. Speaker.

Indeed in

December of 2013, Justice Wells reviewed the implementation of his

recommendations and was pleased to see action on all fronts. He did indicate

that he was satisfied with the fallback position of 29(b), Mr. Speaker,

especially considering the size of our offshore.

To address

the question, Bay du Nord has yet to pass decision gate 3. Hopefully it will

pass these decision gates and get to sanctioning, Mr. Speaker. One hopes that

will occur.

As this

project progresses, I am confident, Mr. Speaker, that the C-NLOPB and the chief

safety officer will make the right recommendations.

Thank you,

Mr. Speaker.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear,

hear!

MR. SPEAKER:

The hon.

the Opposition Leader.

MR. CROSBIE:

I take

from the minister's answer that the question of safety in such deep water has

not yet received comprehensive review.

Mr.

Speaker, public statements by top government officials about police involvement

can prejudice the right to a free and fair trial.

Did the

Premier and the Minister of Natural Resources act responsibly and take legal

advice before making a public announcement that they're referring the Muskrat

inquiry report to the police for criminal investigation?

MR. SPEAKER:

The hon.

the Minister of Natural Resources.

MS. COADY:

First

allow me to answer the safety question. Obviously, every day there are reviews

and concerns around safety and we do have a chief safety officer responsible for

offshore.

Regarding

his question, as I indicated the day we released to the public the entire

report, we were acting on advice to place this before the police departments,

Mr. Speaker. They will make their reviews; they will make their judgments and

move accordingly.

It is in

police hands at this particular moment, Mr. Speaker, and of course we had a

legal review of that.

Thank you,

Mr. Speaker.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear,

hear!

MR. SPEAKER:

The hon.

the Official Opposition Leader.

MR. CROSBIE:

Mr.

Speaker, one would have to wonder, if they received legal advice, why it is they

chose to make a circus out of the police involvement in this matter.

Criminal

lawyers are now saying publicly that the Premier's and the minister's public

discussion of police involvement has complicated any criminal proceedings and

created grounds for dismissal of charges due to prejudice to the right of free

and fair trial.

Did the

Premier and the minister disregard legal advice for the sake of political gain?

MR. SPEAKER:

The hon.

the Minister of Natural Resources.

MS. COADY:

I charge,

Mr. Speaker, the only one trying to make political gain here is the Member

himself.

I would

say, Mr. Speaker, that we acted responsibly. We indicated to the public that we

will turn the document over to the police departments involved. They will make

their review of the documentation, they will make review of the evidence and

they will act accordingly.

Thank you,

Mr. Speaker.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear,

hear!

MR. SPEAKER:

The hon.

Opposition House Leader.

MR. BRAZIL:

Thank you,

Mr. Speaker.

In the

last 24 hours I've been contacted by a number of constituents and people who

watch the proceedings here asking that the House give a daily update on

COVID-19.

I ask the

minister: Can he provide an update to the House on the number of people in this

province who have been quarantined or isolated and if there are any confirmed

cases in this province?

MR. SPEAKER:

The hon.

the Minister of Health and Community Services.

MR. HAGGIE:

I'm happy

to provide that update, Mr. Speaker. Very shortly our chief medical officer of

health will be doing another media availability as she did yesterday.

There are

no confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Newfoundland and Labrador. None, despite what

there have been 52 samples sent out to the National Microbiology Laboratory. All

of these were screened negative by our Public Health Laboratory here.

As I've

said before, the definitive test, we all agreed, would come from the National

Microbiology Laboratory. They do the genotypes and the such. Thirty-three of our

negative results have been confirmed by NML; 19 are still pending.

With

regard to the issue of self-isolation, it seems there are a lot of people who

are actually doing it themselves. They have all been in contact with Public

Health, but it's difficult to get numbers because they change hour by hour.

Thank you,

Mr. Speaker.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear,

hear!

MR. SPEAKER:

The hon.

the Opposition House Leader.

MR. BRAZIL:

Thank you,

Mr. Speaker.

Yesterday,

the federal government committed $500 million to assist provinces to combat the

COVID-19 virus.

I ask the

minister: Do we have any indication what resources will be allocated to

Newfoundland and Labrador?

MR. SPEAKER:

The hon.

the Minister of Health and Community Services.

MR. HAGGIE:

Thank you

very much, Mr. Speaker.

The reason

I missed your parade was I was actually talking to Minister Hajdu about our own

needs in this province. The federal minister's view is that the money is simply

there as a down payment; spend what you need and if you need more, come back for

more. It hasn't been allocated on anything other than a needs basis. I have

clearly stated what I believe our priorities are and my officials have fed that

into the strategic advisory committee.

Thank you,

Mr. Speaker.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear,

hear!

MR. SPEAKER:

The hon.

the Opposition House Leader.

MR. BRAZIL:

Thank you,

Mr. Speaker.

Mr.

Speaker, the federal minister of Health stated yesterday that it's safe to

assume that between 30 to 70 per cent of the population could acquire COVID-19.

This statement is alarming as it would mean somewhere between 11 million to 26

million Canadians could contract the virus. This is a very concerning issue.

What

specific areas does the minister feel that additional funding could be used to

help offset this pandemic here in our Newfoundland province?

MR. SPEAKER:

The hon.

the Minister of Health and Community Services.

MR. HAGGIE:

Thank you

very much, Mr. Speaker.

I take

advice from our logistics advisor who actually co-chairs the national logistics

advisory committee. Our need that we have identified immediately is around

personal protective equipment, or PPE. Unfortunately, the global centre for

manufacture of PPE just happens to be Wuhan in China, so we have been actively

pursuing other avenues for this.

Currently,

we are actually better placed than a significant number of provinces in terms of

supply. We also have a cross-jurisdictions – a mutual aid agreement which has

been triggered. So if we find ourselves in difficulties, we can go to provinces

that are better off. We have applied to the National Emergency Strategic

Stockpile in case we need that too.

Thank you.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear,

hear!

MR. SPEAKER:

The hon.

the Opposition House Leader.

MR. BRAZIL:

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr.

Speaker, the federal government has now opened up the EI program to compensate

those that are quarantined and are removing the typical EI waiting period. While

there is no commitment to assist those individuals and businesses impacted by

the state of emergency.

We all

recall the photo ops and promises of help to come, yet it has been almost two

full months and we have not seen a penny from the government or their good

Liberal friends in Ottawa. Mr. Speaker, why the double standard?

MR. SPEAKER:

The hon.

the Minister of Tourism, Culture, Industry and Innovation.

MR. DAVIS:

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I'd just

like to thank the hon. Member for the question. As I've said before in this

House of Assembly, we've reached out to both ministers responsible federally for

the state of emergency funding opportunities. We've reached out to both of them;

we're waiting their responses. We look forward to that. We're going to continue

to lobby our federal colleagues and as the hon. Member mentioned before, we look

forward to that response.

Thank you,

Mr. Speaker.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear,

hear!

MR. SPEAKER:

The hon.

the Member for Bonavista.

MR. PARDY:

Mr. Speaker, as the coronavirus has now become a pandemic, other provinces are

moving to properly protect their school populations. Specifically, as the

popular Easter break approaches, other provinces, such as New Brunswick, have

indicated that any child who goes away must self-isolate for 14 days when they

return.

Will the

minister be putting in place similar protections?

MR. SPEAKER:

The hon.

the Minister of Education and Early Childhood Development.

MR. WARR:

Thank you, Mr. Speaker, and I thank the hon. Member for his question.

Mr.

Speaker, yes, COVID-19 is a rapidly evolving situation throughout the country.

In fact, yesterday, our deputy minister had a conference call with all deputy

ministers across the country assessing the situation. It is a good question.

I want to

refer the Member to the fact that our Easter break will come four weeks after

the Maritimes, which gives us an opportunity to see what's happened. It gives us

a little bit more time to react. Certainly, Mr. Speaker, I will say that it is

paramount. The health and safety of our students, our teachers and our school

communities is so important to us.

I thank

the Member for the question.

Thank you.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear,

hear!

MR. SPEAKER:

The hon.

the Member for Bonavista.

MR. PARDY:

Mr.

Speaker, I would suggest that we not wait for others, but at least to plan and

coordinate our own policy and practices.

We now

have the first case in Canada of a child testing positive, following

confirmation at a Calgary daycare. Parents are concerned that a child could

unknowingly get off a contaminated cruise ship, fly home on a packed plane,

board a crowded school bus and then walk straight into one of our classrooms.

Will the

minister update this House on the school board policy or initiative regarding

safeguards for such situations in the very near future?

MR. SPEAKER:

The hon.

Minister of Health and Community Services.

MR. HAGGIE:

Thank you

very much, Mr. Speaker.

I'm going

to take this just to elaborate a little bit on some of the steps that the Member

opposite outlined. Firstly, it is recommended by the Public Health Agency of

Canada that Canadians avoid cruise ships for the foreseeable time being. Those

people who have been on cruises are actively screened by CBSA and they are

informed of their risk profile as a result of that.

Should

they have symptoms, they are managed at that stage. Should they not have

symptoms, they are given advice and under the situation hypothesized by the

gentleman opposite, they would come to the province. Should they develop

symptoms while here, 811 is the number to call unless they are so sick that a

hospital visit is required, in which case 911 is the number to call. In each

case, they should advise the recipient of the call that they have been

potentially exposed to COVID-19.

Thank you.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear,

hear!

MR. SPEAKER:

The hon.

the Member for Topsail - Paradise.

MR. P. DINN:

Thank you,

Mr. Speaker.

As we

heard in the House and we're all aware, the coronavirus has been deemed a

pandemic. We and the university here have hundreds of students working abroad,

hundreds of students studying abroad doing internships, working on work terms

and such.

I ask the

minister responsible: What update has he received from the university on how to

deal with these students in the event that they have to come home?

MR. SPEAKER:

The hon.

the Minister of Tourism, Culture, Industry and Innovation.

MR. DAVIS:

Thank you,

Mr. Speaker.

I just

thank the hon. Member for the question. He's correct, COVID-19 is a global

pandemic. Memorial University has an active Pandemic Preparedness Committee that

is meeting and working very closely with Health and Community Services on a

daily basis, maybe even an hourly basis, Mr. Speaker.

I know the

Department of Advanced Education, Skills and Labour is working very closely with

all of our post-secondary institutions and in constant contact with the

administrators to ensure that we're ready and willing to accept the changes that

are required, based on the best evidence we have at the time.

Thank you

very much, Mr. Speaker.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear,

hear!

MR. SPEAKER:

The hon.

the Member for Topsail - Paradise.

MR. P. DINN:

Thank you,

Mr. Speaker.

It's

timely that earlier today I got off the phone with one of my daughters who's

studying away. She indicated that a particular med school just down the road

from her, or her neighbouring community, had suspended studies and were sending

students home. Memorial has a campus in Harlow; our College of the North

Atlantic has a campus in Qatar.

I ask the

minister responsible: What contingency plans are in place to address faculty and

staff, in getting them home or to look after them in the event of this pandemic.

MR. SPEAKER:

The hon.

the Minister of Tourism, Culture, Industry and Innovation.

MR. DAVIS:

Mr.

Speaker, I thank the hon. Member for the question and I, too, share his concern.

Absolutely.

When we're

in a situation like we are facing globally right now with COVID-19, I think it's

incumbent upon all of us to take the precautions outlined by our Minister of

Health and Community Services. I know the university and post-secondary

institutions are working very hard on their emergency preparedness with respect

to this pandemic.

I know

that we're working, in our Department of Advance Education, Skills and Labour,

very closely with them to maintain an open and transparent line of

communication, because it's very important. Communication is key to making sure

that everyone is apprised of what's happening in this by the minute and even by

the hour. I understand his concern for sure.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear,

hear!

MR. SPEAKER:

The hon.

the Member for Topsail - Paradise.

MR. P. DINN:

Thank you,

Mr. Speaker.

Just a

very quick follow-up: Are there any distinct plans in place that you can tell us

today?

MR. SPEAKER:

The hon.

the Minister of Tourism, Culture, Industry and Innovation.

MR. DAVIS:

Thank you,

Mr. Speaker.

I can

highlight that CNA-Q over in Qatar has suspended classes and is doing distance

learning. I know that's one of the options that's been utilized in Qatar to

protect our facilities that we have in those places.

One of the

things that Memorial University has prepared is a precautionary Pandemic

Preparedness Committee that's meeting on a regular basis and working very close

with Health and Community Services. I know they're taking the best advice they

can from the health care providers that are providing an up-to-the-minute

response on where we should be, both from an international standpoint and a

national standpoint, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you

very much.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear,

hear!

MR. SPEAKER:

The hon.

Member for Mount Pearl North.

MR. LESTER:

Mr.

Speaker, following Snowmageddon and the lessons learned of what could happen to

our people and their food security, I ask any minister: What has been done to

ensure there is an inventory of food and there is a means to get that food to

our people?

MR. SPEAKER:

The hon.

the Minister of Children, Seniors and Social Development.

MS. DEMPSTER:

Thank you,

Mr. Speaker, and I thank the hon. Member across the way for the very important

question.

Any time

we talk about food insecurity, Mr. Speaker – I guess coming from a remote area

of Labrador we could talk about it two ways. I lived in a community where for

months we had no access to outside; we would stock supplies in the fall.

Mr.

Speaker, once I moved in here I discovered that sometimes when the boats don't

go in Port aux Basques, you can actually look for a ham in St. John's, so

there's that bigger picture. But when we bring it right down to in the

communities and in the homes, food insecurity is a concern. We saw some of this

with Snowmageddon.

We are

working with groups like Food First NL. We're working with partners out there,

Mr. Speaker, to make improvements to this issue that we're dealing with day to

day.

Thank you.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear,

hear!

MR. SPEAKER:

The hon.

the Member for Mount Pearl North.

MR. LESTER:

Mr.

Speaker, as many of us realize, we are the last place in North America to

receive the delivery of food, and it's often highlighted how little food

security our province has.

With the

very real and possible impact of a pandemic in our country and province, I ask

any minister: In the event of a provincial quarantine or the extended disruption

of service, has the government identified a plan to ensure there will be an

adequate food supply for our people?

MR. SPEAKER:

The hon.

the Minister of Children, Seniors and Social Development.

MS. DEMPSTER:

Thank you,

Mr. Speaker.

What I can

say is that food security continues to be a priority for this government, Mr.

Speaker. That's why you've heard my colleague, the Minister of Fisheries and

Land Resources, stand many times.

We're

making moves to create more food self-sufficiency, Mr. Speaker, with community

gardens, through agriculture. We have a number of programs that we run across

government like the breakfast program, Kids Eat Smart, that my department

provides annual funding to – over a million dollars a year. They're in most

schools.

We have

the Mother Baby Nutrition Supplement. Mr. Speaker, we have things like our Low

Income Tax that's giving people more income. We'll continue to work across

departments and government and with community partners to address this issue.

Thank you.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear,

hear!

MR. SPEAKER:

The hon.

the Member for Placentia West - Bellevue.

MR. DWYER:

Thank you,

Mr. Speaker, and, Minister, that sounds like there's not an immediate plan in

place.

understand that the construction of the wharfage and lay-down area at the

Marystown Marine Industrial Park is awaiting final go-ahead after being taken

from the Department of Tourism, Culture, Industry and Innovation to the

Department of Municipal Affairs and Environment. The wharfage and lay-down area

is vital to completing this project, which is very important to the area.

Minister,

when do you expect this to be approved?

MR. SPEAKER:

The hon.

the Minister of Municipal Affairs and Environment.

MR. BRAGG:

Mr.

Speaker, I thank the Member opposite for the question.

Just for

information purposes for that Member, we met with the Town of Marystown this

past week and we discussed that exact same situation. Work is ongoing. The Town

of Marystown – as you realize, this has been a project they've undertaken some

time ago, but the process is moving in an area and a direction that they're

pleased with.

Thank you

very much, Mr. Speaker.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear,

hear!

MR. SPEAKER:

The hon.

the Member for Placentia West - Bellevue.

MR. DWYER:

Hopefully,

Minister, with this being a time-sensitive issue we can get that moved along,

where it's already passed environment.

There are

a number of vacant Newfoundland and Labrador Housing units in my district and

there is an extensive list of people waiting for an available unit.

Can the

minister explain why these units are sitting vacant, not being prepared for

occupancy, when there are so many people waiting for affordable housing?

MR. SPEAKER:

The hon.

the Minister of Children, Seniors and Social Development.

MS. DEMPSTER:

Thank you,

Mr. Speaker, and I thank the hon. Member for the question.

As he

would know, a new agreement was signed back in April with the feds; a

$270-million agreement. The nine-year agreement will be rolled out into three

3-year action plans, Mr. Speaker, and we're just sort of at the beginning stages

of that now.

When we

look across our inventory in this province, Mr. Speaker, we have a lot of places

where there has been low demand. The hon. Member references an area where we've

had low demand. We have a number of units in the Marystown area that have been

standing vacant for many years.

We have a

very short wait-list and those units that are needed are under renovations. That

process has begun right now. Once those repairs are done, Mr. Speaker, it's my

understanding we will have no wait-list again in Marystown in the very near

future.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear,

hear!

MR. SPEAKER:

The hon.

the Member for Placentia West - Bellevue.

MR. DWYER:

There are

many issues surrounding adequate cellphone coverage on the Burin Peninsula and

in other parts of my district. With a burgeoning economy, the value of

communication services is very important.

Minister,

what is your plan to improve cell coverage for all the residents, businesses and

tourists of the Burin Peninsula?

MR. SPEAKER:

The hon.

the Minister of Tourism, Culture, Industry and Innovation.

MR. DAVIS:

Mr.

Speaker, I'd first like to say thank you to the students at Gonzaga for the

preamble and the opportunity for a Q & A session beforehand to prepare me for

today.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear,

hear!

MR. DAVIS:

Mr.

Speaker, the hon. Member makes a great point. Cellular service across our

province is important to this government; we've been committed. I've worked with

the Member on a number of occasions already.

We've

established a cellular pilot project. That started last year. We've done 10

projects. We've put in $1.5 million and leveraged $4.4 million in that project.

Some of those communities are completed. As of yesterday or day before, St.

Lunaire-Griquet was turned on and ready to go, as well as last week, Raleigh.

We're

quite happy with where we are right now. Is there more to be done? Absolutely. I

encourage the hon. Member to work with his community. I look forward to seeing

that application and making that announcement in the coming years or weeks and

months.

MR. SPEAKER:

The hon.

Member's time has expired.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear,

hear!

MR. SPEAKER:

The hon.

the Member for Harbour Main.

MS. CONWAY OTTENHEIMER:

Mr. Speaker, the Moore's contract was terminated last year in Clarke's Beach. At

the time, the minister said that the new provider will provide the same number

of vehicles staffed to the same level in the same locations they are currently.

I ask the

minister: Did he do any consultation with the residents of Clarke's Beach and

surrounding area before he made the decision to transfer the ambulance service

to neighbouring locations?

MR. SPEAKER:

The hon.

the Minister of Health and Community Services.

MR. HAGGIE:

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker.

The

changing demographics in the area of Harbour Grace, Harbour Main and Bay Roberts

have demonstrated quite clearly a need to redistribute the resources that

existed originally based in Clarke's Beach. The gentleman and the company who

took over Moore's ambulance was keen to fill that need.

We had

discussions with the Combined Councils and various representatives from the

community. My understanding is that from an operational point of view, it is

better for the communities involved to have the ambulances distributed in the

way he proposes, between Bay Roberts and Clarke's Beach.

Thank you.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear,

hear!

MR. SPEAKER:

The hon.

the Leader of the Third Party.

MS. COFFIN:

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr.

Speaker, Nalcor's CEO Stan Marshall said that the Muskrat Falls Project was a

gamble that went against us. I think he meant we lost.

Government

is now poised to gamble again on oil prices with a $110-million investment in

equity shares in Equinor's Bay du Nord project.

I ask the

Premier, or whomever is in charge: With Brent crude at $33 a barrel, will he

stop betting with our money and commit the $110 million to our more immediate

and urgent needs?

MR. SPEAKER:

The hon.

Minister of Natural Resources.

MS. COADY:

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Indeed,

investing in our offshore oil has been something that the Province of

Newfoundland and Labrador has done for the last number of years. It has brought

great returns to the province, Mr. Speaker. It also shows an investment on

behalf of the people and the future of our oil and gas industry.

Mr.

Speaker, the project that the Member opposite is referring to is not finished

being sanctioned yet; it's still going through its decision gates. Indeed,

everything will be considered as it moves through those gates, going towards

sanction.

We do hope

the project is sanctioned, but these are difficult times in the industry, Mr.

Speaker, with the plunge in oil prices. So we'll see how this progresses over

the next number of months.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear,

hear!

MR. SPEAKER:

The hon.

Leader of the Third Party.

MS. COFFIN:

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr.

Speaker, a general election will cost the Treasury about $4.5 million. No one in

this province, outside of a handful of individuals, wants or needs another

election right now. That money is needed on more pressing issues – $4.5 million

in Interim Supply in the event that the new Liberal leader wants a snap

election.

MR. SPEAKER:

The hon.

the Minister of Finance and President of Treasury Board.

MR. OSBORNE:

Thank you,

Mr. Speaker.

The answer

to that is quite simply, no, I'm not anticipating an election this spring. We

haven't put it in Interim Supply; we haven't made any plans.

I will

take this opportunity, Mr. Speaker, to voice my concern again. I know we voted

yesterday on an amendment to reduce it to a three-month Interim Supply. I voiced

my concerns yesterday – as I did previously, as I will again today – with

COVID-19 and the uncertainty. I'm not sure we're making the right decision on

that but I will live by the will of the House.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear,

hear!

MR. SPEAKER:

The hon.

the Member for St. John's Centre.

MR. J. DINN:

Thank you,

Mr. Speaker.

Mr.

Speaker, for the second time in as many weeks we have seen resignations from

organizations meant to advise government – first, two members of the Wilderness

and Ecological Reserve Advisory Council Committee and now the president of the

Federation of Agriculture – all citing one common denominator: frustration with

the non-collaborative nature of the Minister of Fisheries and Land Resources.

I ask the

Minister of Fisheries and Land Resources: Why does he persist in driving people

away from advisory organizations rather than collaborating and working with them

in a spirit of co-operation?

MR. SPEAKER:

The hon.

the Minister of Fisheries and Land Resources.

MR. BYRNE:

Thank you,

Mr. Speaker.

The

Newfoundland and Labrador Federation of Agriculture is an independent body; it's

independently governed. It's made up of constituent assemblies of associations

of other agricultural producers.

I regret

that I have to inform the House that there have been issues internally within

the organization that I've been generally aware of for the last two years;

problems of consultation, problems of representation within the federation, its

leadership and the constituent organizations. This is an internal matter within

the federation.

In fact,

just recently, about a month ago, three major associations resigned from the

federation giving notice of their intent to withdraw. Those included the Egg

Farmers of Newfoundland and Labrador, the Chicken Farmers of Newfoundland and

Labrador and the Dairy Farmers of Newfoundland and Labrador. I think that the

resignation of the president may have something to do with the fact that those

organizations resigned from the federation –

MR. SPEAKER:

The

minister's time has expired.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear,

hear!

MR. SPEAKER:

The hon.

the Member for St. John's Centre.

MR. J. DINN:

Thank you,

Mr. Speaker.

Mr.

Speaker, I want to follow up on a question from the Member for Bonavista. As of

March 8, 2020, the New Brunswick Department of Education and Early Childhood

Development requires not only children, but students, staff, volunteers and

family members who have returned from international travel, to avoid any public

school, early learning facility or school district offices for 14 days from the

date of their return to New Brunswick. That's in addition to cancelling all

school-related international travel for the year.

I don't

know if we can wait but we ask the minister: Will he consider similar

precautionary measures for our province now?

MR. SPEAKER:

The hon.

the Minister of Education and Early Childhood Development.

MR. WARR:

Mr.

Speaker, thank you, and I'm certainly aware of the situation that happened in

New Brunswick.

Mr.

Speaker, again, we have consultations daily with – not daily, but often with the

Public Health authority of Canada, along with the chief medical officer of

Newfoundland and Labrador, along with our Department of Health and Community

Services. We converse on a daily basis.

Mr.

Speaker, it's paramount about the health and safety of our students and our

staff at our schools. We will take all the precautions that we can in this

coronavirus issue.

Thank you.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear,

hear!

MR. SPEAKER:

The time

for Question Period has expired.

Presenting

Reports by Standing and Select Committees.

Tabling of

Documents.

Notices of

Motion.

Notices of

Motion

MR. SPEAKER:

The hon.

Minister of Natural Resources.

MS. COADY:

Thank you,

Mr. Speaker.

I give

notice that I will on tomorrow move the following motion:

That, for

the duration of the winter-spring 2020 sitting, during any time that the House

is adjourned as provided for in Standing Orders 8 and 9, the government may

advise the Speaker that it is in the public interest that the adjournment

continue, a. to a specified date; or b. until further notice is given to the

Speaker, and that the Speaker, following consultation with the Opposition House

Leaders and unaffiliated Members, shall cause the House to remain in adjournment

accordingly.

MR. SPEAKER:

Further

notices of motion?

Answers to

Questions for which Notice has been Given.

Answers to

Questions for which Notice has been Given

MR. SPEAKER:

The hon.

Minister of Health and Community Services.

MR. HAGGIE:

Thank you,

Mr. Speaker.

I wish to

rise just to provide a little bit of context to three questions – well, two

questions and a

preamble from the Question Period. We, the Department of Health

and the business community, have had some correspondence around business

continuity plans in the event of significant community-acquired or

community-based illness.

There are

contingency business continuity plans in place, as far as I am aware, for both

Marine Atlantic and for Oceanex. I would assume – and it's subject to

verification – that chains such as Loblaws, Sobeys and Coleman's would have

similar plans as well.

From out

point of view, as a Department of Health, it is not our responsibility as such

to engage in providing direction to them, but we would happily act as a

resource, should they wish to avail of public health expertise.

Thank you,

Mr. Speaker.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear,

hear!

MR. SPEAKER:

Further

answers to questions for which notice has been given?

Petitions.

Petitions

MR. SPEAKER:

The hon.

the Member for Topsail - Paradise.

MR. P. DINN:

Thank you,

Mr. Speaker.

WHEREAS

the current means of transportation for persons who are unable to access

inefficient, expensive and inadequate; and

WHEREAS

the availability of suitable transportation is crucial to enhancing the

participation in all aspects of community life. Accessible, affordable

transportation must be provided in a dignified and respectful manner; and

WHEREAS

throughout the province individuals living with mobility challenges identify

transportation as one of their greatest needs.

Therefore,

we petition the hon. House of Assembly as follows: We, the undersigned, call

upon the House of Assembly to urge the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador

to take a more proactive approach to ensuring affordable and inclusive

challenges.

Mr.

Speaker, I've met with a number of groups in my district and they all talk to

affordable and accessible transportation – more accessible, than anything – to

getting around to everyday events that we take for granted. I've attended and

spoken to people in conferences where we've actually blindfolded ourselves to

give us an understanding of what it's like day to day to have visual impairment.

I've played wheelchair basketball with young kids in Special Olympics to give me

a sense of what it's like to be in a wheelchair.

Both of

these instances were under controlled environments. They weren't trying to get

up a snowbank out to a bus stop or to a cab, or find your way along a street

where the sidewalk is covered in snow. I was sitting at a conference table and

in the other instance I'm in a gymnasium. No real obstacles for me to challenge

what I was doing.

Until we

get a handle on or are able to put ourselves in the shoes of those who have

these challenges, we really are unable to speak to the issue, but that doesn't

mean the issue is not there. The issue is certainly there. Throughout this

issues and it's not just our seniors. Many of these are young individuals who

want to be active and producing individuals in their communities.

I will

tell you, up in my District of Topsail - Paradise, when I sat down with some of

these groups, it was unreal the numbers that I was told who needed this

transportation, because they were not evident to me.

So I do petition the

House on behalf of these individuals to take a more proactive approach to

accessible transportation.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER:

The hon. the Minister of Education and Early Childhood Development.

MR. WARR:

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I appreciate the

petition from the hon. Member. Certainly, I can only speak to the schools, and

alternate transportation is provided in circumstances where accommodations are

required to support students who may have mobility issues or other needs, Mr.

Speaker.

I can certainly tell

you, while there are policies in place, every effort is made to further

accommodate and document the needs of students, with safety always being a top

priority.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

MR. SPEAKER:

Further petitions?

The hon. the Member for

Placentia West - Bellevue.

MR. DWYER:

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The background to this

petition is:

WHEREAS there are no current, long-term operations at the Bull Arm

Fabrication site; and

WHEREAS the site is a

world-class facility with the potential to rejuvenate the local economy and the

provincial economy; and

WHEREAS residents of the

area are troubled at the lack of employment in today's economy; and

WHEREAS the operating of

this facility would encourage employment for the area and create economic

spinoffs for local businesses; and

WHEREAS the site is an

asset to the province, built to the benefit of the province and a long-term

tenant for this site would attract gainful business opportunities; and

WHEREAS the continued

idling of this site is not in the best interest of the province;

THEREFORE we, the

residents of the area near the Bull Arm Fabrication site, petition the hon.

House of Assembly as follows: We, the undersigned, call upon the House of

Assembly to urge the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador to expedite the

process to get the Bull Arm Fabrication site back in operation. We request that

this process include a vision for a long-term viable plan that is beneficial to

all residents of Newfoundland and Labrador.

FURTHERMORE we request

that the government place an emphasis on all supply, maintenance, fabrication

and offshore work for existing offshore platforms as well as new construction of

any future platforms, be they GBS or FPSO in nature.

This is not my first

time presenting this petition. It is, however, the first time I'm presenting it

in this session of the House. I've presented this on numerous occasions prior to

the last session, and there seems to be lots of activity, exploration-wise with

Orphan Basin and stuff like that. So with BP getting that contract, at this

point, I think it would be incumbent, really, on the government of the day to

start those talks and to see if we can bring this world-class facility back to a

world-class facility that can be utilized to the benefit of the people of

Newfoundland and Labrador.

Having this facility

going is obviously something that we can bolster the government coffers in order

to bring those services and roads and all that kind of stuff that everybody is

looking for. Right now, we're in a situation of economic stabilization, I guess,

but more an a decline than a stabilization, but with bringing in outside money,

I think it's incumbent on us, as a province, to be attracting that new money

instead of recycling the money that we already got.

With that being said, I

think after talking with the unions, 16 different unions, there is a possibility

there that they can come together and negotiate collectively as one unit. That's

something we would probably be looking for in order to know that everybody can

work together and we can bring this facility back to world class.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

MR. SPEAKER:

The hon. the Minister of Natural Resources.

MS. COADY:

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker.

I support this petition,

but I would say that I believe the Bull Arm Fabrication site is world class. Not

bring it back to world class; it is world class, Mr. Speaker.

As the Member opposite

knows, the people of the province know, we've been utilizing that particular

site for both cold stacking and warm stacking drilling rigs. This is a new

industry for the Province of Newfoundland and Labrador and we're pleased to see

thruster change outs happening at the site and some additional work. We're

pleased to be able to retain the rigs in the Province of Newfoundland and

Labrador; very important for our exploration. So we're pleased to be able to

utilize that site.

The Member opposite

spoke of the possibility of future work at the Bull Arm site. We're trying to do

more exploration offshore, make more discoveries so there would be potential

opportunity offshore. We've spoken many times today in Question Period about the

opportunity that Equinor brings to the Bay du Nord Project and the fact that

they're going through decision gates now, hopefully getting sanctioned on a

project. All that fits into the Bull Arm site, Mr. Speaker. There's a lot of

opportunity for fabrication there, a lot of opportunity for development in the

Bull Arm site, so I'm completely supportive of continuing to ensure that we have

work there.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

MR. SPEAKER:

The hon. the Member for Ferryland.

MR. O'DRISCOLL:

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Route 10 on the Southern

Avalon forms a large

section of the Irish Loop. It is a significant piece of

infrastructure and is the main highway through the Irish Loop. This highway

plays a major role in the commercial and residential growth of our region.

Therefore, we petition

the hon. House of Assembly: We, the undersigned, call upon the House of Assembly

to urge the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador that immediate brush cutting

is required on Route 10 of the Southern Shore Highway for the safety of

commuters and prevention of moose-vehicle accidents. Reasons are due to the

volume of vehicles travelling this highway daily.

Just to speak on this, I

visited Trepassey in September to go up – some complaints from some of the

residents within the town, not even on the main highway but within the town and

absolutely where moose-vehicle accidents can happen. When I drove through the

town, there were four signs that were totally covered with alders along the

sides of the road. That's just the alders, not even the tree cutting. It's a

safety issue for sure.

Again, if you travel the

Witless Bay Line – well, seeing from the pictures the minister sent me

yesterday, you won't have to worry about trees in there this time of the year

because they're covered in snow. They're hanging up around the snow and

absolutely need the brush cutting in there for vital reasons, for travelling

that highway.

When you're driving in

there in the nighttime and you meet vehicles and you see the trees are just

coming in around you, you don't have time to react when you're on that highway

if a moose pops out in front of you, especially if you're meeting a car. I

haven't had that instance, but I'm sure that it's happened in there and it's

vital that we – I have a minister pointing to me, that happened to him. I'm sure

this is across the Island, but I would certainly like to focus on my district.

I'm not sure how they

get that done, if they do it from the depot part or if they contract that out.

When I went there in September and asked the question, they were on summer

hours; by the time they got the answer, they were on winter hours and now it's

gone, so they had to go back and start it all over again. I would love to see

that addressed in my district.

Thank you.

MR. SPEAKER:

The hon. the Minister of Transportation and Works.

MR. CROCKER:

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker, and I thank the hon. Member for the petition.

I can tell the hon.

Member that right now we're actually starting to compile the data for brush

cutting for the 2020 construction season.

I certainly can have a

chat with him on a sidebar, a little bit later this afternoon, about the

priorities as he sees them in his area. We'll continue to do brush cutting; we

invest about $2 million a year in brush cutting. It's an ongoing issue, but I

certainly assure the Member that as we evaluate that is one of the areas that we

can certainly look at for the coming brush-cutting season.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER:

Further petitions?

MR. LESTER:

I'd like to rise on a point of order.

MR. SPEAKER:

The hon. the Member for Mount Pearl North.

MR. LESTER:

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I'd like to rise on a

point of order,

section 49, in relation to the Minister of Fisheries and Land

Resources reply to the Member for St. John's Centre. I find his comments

particularly offensive and disingenuous as it is purely his speculative personal

opinion.

As critic for the

Agrifoods sector, I have personally been contacted by members of the federation

and our industry expressing the issue is not Merv Wiseman, it is indeed the

minister.

Mr. Speaker, there is

actually one thing more dangerous than a minister who does not understand an

industry, it is one who thinks he does.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER:

Speaking to the point of order?

The hon. the Government

House Leader.

MS. COADY:

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I will call to your

attention that that is a disagreement between hon. Members and that I do not see

this as a point of order, Mr. Speaker. I see it as a contention between two hon.

Members on a response to a question.

MR. SPEAKER:

To this point of order?

The hon. the Minister of

Fisheries and Land Resources.

MR. BYRNE:

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker.

I think the House needs

evidence and information in which to be able to assess matters which are before

it. The hon. Member for Mount Pearl North has raised a point of order which

entitles me to reply. Allow me to table letters, if there is unanimous consent

to do so, I hope there is.

This letter from the Egg

Farmers of Newfoundland and Labrador; “… EFNL have frequently observed that

policy positions (oftentimes public) being put forward by the NLFA are done so

without full and fair consultations with the entire NFLA Board of Directors but

yet portrayed as NLFA's (and/or industry) policy. This routine and frequent

practice of the NLFA is contrary to Sec 6.5 & 6.9 of your Articles of

Association ….

“As a result, and on

behalf of the EFNL, as per Sec 3.5 of your By-Laws, I” – or we – “… hereby

notifying your organization of our intention to withdraw our membership from the

NLFA ….” This is dated February 21.

The Dairy Farmers of

Newfoundland and Labrador point out: “The Dairy Farmers of Newfoundland and

Labrador … Board of Directors met on February 18, 2020. We discussed at length

the Federation of Agriculture … and in our view your apparent lack to follow

basic board governance practices. We also feel that policy positions put forward

by the NLFA are done so without full and fair consultation with the entire NLFA

Board of Directors but yet portrayed as industry policy.

“As a result, on behalf

of DFNL,” we “… hereby notifying your organization of our intention to withdraw

our membership from the NLFA ….”

This letter, Mr.

Speaker, from the Chicken Farmers of Newfoundland and Labrador. They indicate

that after a meeting of the board of directors of the Newfoundland and Labrador

Chicken Farmers that they intend to withdraw from the Federation of Agriculture.

Mr. Speaker, the

president of the horticultural association of Newfoundland and Labrador, the

vegetable growers, provided a press release indicating that their involvement,

activity and interactions with the current occupant of the office of the

Minister of Fisheries and Land Resources has been a positive and worthwhile

experience. The chicken and egg farmers have done the same.

Mr. Speaker, I can see

where there is a particular desire and benefit that could result from the

politicization of a decision that was taken by someone outside of this Chamber,

someone from outside of this House. I think the evidence is clear; this is an

independent organization that is self-governed. Unless there is a suggestion

that's coming from the floor of this House by any Member that the institutions

and associations that make up the representative bodies of the Newfoundland and

Labrador Federation of Agriculture are incapable of making up their own minds

and governing their own affairs – a position that I don't think is being taken,

but I hope is not.

Unless these letters

that I'm prepared to table today are somehow fraudulent or improperly drafted,

which they are not, I think it's incumbent upon us, as Members of this House, to

respect the will and the expressed opinion of the leadership of the agricultural

industry of this province and respect the fact that they have taken a decision

that has nothing to do with me.

MR. SPEAKER:

To that point of order?

The hon. Opposition

House Leader.

MR. BRAZIL:

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The minister referenced

certain letters. I ask that he table them to the House so that they can be

reviewed by all Members of this House.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

MR. SPEAKER:

The minister's going to table those letters?

MR. BYRNE:

Yes.

MR. SPEAKER:

Okay.

MR. BYRNE:

Thank you very, very much, Mr. Speaker, for the invitation. I believe there is a

requirement of unanimous consent to do so. I believe you may –

MR. SPEAKER:

No.

MR. BYRNE:

No there's not?

MR. SPEAKER:

No.

MR. BYRNE:

Then I'm delighted to table these letters, as I indicated I intended to do. They

are tabled.

MR. SPEAKER:

Okay, I've heard enough on this point of order and I'm going to take the matter

under advisement and report back to the House at a later date.

The hon. the Government

House Leader.

MS. COADY:

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I'm going to ask, by

leave, that I call the motion that was read into the Order Paper moments ago, by

leave?

AN HON. MEMBER:

Leave.

MR. SPEAKER:

The minister has leave.

MS. COADY:

Mr. Speaker, I move, seconded by the Minister of Finance and President of

Treasury Board, to move the following motion: That, for the duration of the

Winter/Spring 2020 sitting, during any time that the House is adjourned as

provided for in the Standing Orders 8 and 9, the government may advise the

Speaker that it is in the public interest that an adjournment continue, (

a) to a

specified date; or (

b) until further notice is given to the Speaker, and the

Speaker, following consultation with Opposition House Leaders and unaffiliated

Members, shall cause the House to remain in adjournment accordingly.

MR. SPEAKER:

The hon. the Government House Leader.

MS. COADY:

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker.

The notice of this

motion this afternoon was done as a precautionary measure in light of the

evolving situation around COVID-19. If circumstances should arise where the

House of Assembly cannot resume in accordance with the Parliamentary Calendar on

March 23, or indeed any adjournment that we have, because we have multiple

constituency weeks during this current sitting, Mr. Speaker, the decision was

made to take a precaution. This is very much a precautionary step following

consultation between all House Leaders and unaffiliated Members.

The situation,

obviously, will be monitored very closely during our constituency week with the

fervent hope that we're back here on March 23, and I'm honest when I say that is

our wish, and further information will be provided as it becomes available.

Mr. Speaker, this is in

an abundance of caution. The Parliamentary Calendar is such, as you well know,

that should the House adjourn today for constituency week, which it is set to

do, and resume again on March 23, should the unfortunate occur over the next

week, and it is prudent and wise that this House not resume on Monday, we now

have a mechanism and a means for the Speaker, in consultation with House Leaders

and unaffiliated Members, will make the decision to not do so.

I'll leave it at that,

Mr. Speaker. I believe we'll have unanimous support of this motion so that we

have the proper mechanisms in place should the necessity arise.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

MR. SPEAKER:

The hon. the Opposition House Leader.

MR. BRAZIL:

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I echo what the

Government House Leader has noted and the intent of this motion that's being put

forward. It's a precautionary approach on a motion to ensure that we have

safeguards for two key components here.

One, the safety of all

Members of the House of Assembly and those who visit it and the staff that are

relevant to it and those civil servants who work in the Confederation Building

and surrounding areas, but also that we would have a mechanism to ensure that

the House of Assembly still has an ability to continue. That authority would be

placed back with the Speaker, in consultation with the House Leaders and Members

of the independents, to determine the best approach forward.

Mr. Speaker, while this

is concerning times, based on the COVID-19 virus, we have to be proactive here.

We have to be responsible in ensuring that three things are done here: people

are safe in our province; that our Legislature has an ability to continue; and

that we ensure that whatever possibly can be done to ensure we move forward in

this province, we do that under proper legislation.

Mr. Speaker, we will be

fully supporting this. Hopefully, it never has to be put into play, but we need

to be prepared, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER:

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

MR. J. DINN:

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

We, too, support this

motion and think it's a wise move. It's important, at this time, when you can

see the elements of panic setting in. There's a fine line, I guess, where you're

trying to balance between panic and being totally lackadaisical, but I think

it's important to have something in place as a backup plan should we require it.

So from our point of

view, this motion basically looks at a backup plan, in the need that this

situation gets worse, we have a way of dealing with it. Secondly, it certainly

deals with the fact that there's consultation involved with the House Leaders of

each of the parties.

I will compliment the

minister for at least having talked to us about this beforehand so that we have

the full rationale behind it.

Certainly, it's

something we will support.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER:

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

MR. JOYCE:

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Again, I'll speak on

behalf of myself and the Member for Southlands. We're going to support this. We

all know the concerns that we all have. I thank the Government House Leader for

consultation with us, also, on this here.

Mr. Speaker, just go a

little step further – and this may be done anyway – but because of the grave

concern and how fast this virus is moving, I'd just like to throw it out that we

should probably approve Interim Supply today because if we have to wait another

10, 12 days to come back to keep the government moving, we may have a major

problem. I'm just going to throw it out there that if we have a major concern

here, that in 10, 12 days we can't come back, how are we going to keep the

government running after March?

I'll just throw that out

there because it is cautionary note. We don't know what's going to happen in

eight, 10, 12 days, but so that we don't have to come back, if there's a major,

major concern, if someone – God bless it never happens – one of our people ends

up getting the virus or someone in the House of Assembly or someone in

government gets it and we have to shut down, if we have to find a mechanism, if

we have to put ourselves and other people in danger to come back and approve the

Interim Supply – which everybody in this House agrees that we're going to

approve anyway, because we debated it for the last 10 days – well, seven days.

So that's just my

recommendation also, that we take that extra step in case we need it.

MR. SPEAKER:

The hon. the Member for Mount Pearl - Southlands.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Oh, oh!

MR. SPEAKER:

The hon. the Member for Mount Pearl - Southlands.

MR. LANE:

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I appreciate the

comments from my colleague. He does speak for me in the sense that I do agree

with what he's saying.

With that said, first of

all, just to make a little point, I don't mean to be too nitpicky, but just so

that we understand the intent, because if you actually read the motion, it says:

the Speaker, following consultation with the Opposition House Leaders and

unaffiliated Members, shall cause the House to remain in adjournment

accordingly.

I understand the intent

of consultation, but I'm thinking what we mean is consultation and concurrence,

because you can consult with somebody and say, here's what we're doing, but that

doesn't necessarily mean that's the way it's going to go.

I would just add that,

that my

interpretation of the intent here is that it's not just to consult by

way of saying here's what we've decided to do, we're consulting with you. It's,

here's what we've decided to do, and we all agree that this is what we're going

to do. So we all concur with it. It might be a bit nitpicky but for the record,

I just want to get that out there.

The other thing, Mr.

Speaker, I just want to throw out there, obviously, we know we're doing this

because of the coronavirus, COVID-19 and so on. I was pleased to see just

recently an email came, gone to all government Members and people working with

the government, about the cancellation of all non-essential travel for

government departments. That is a good thing, I'm glad it's happening. I've had

some people contact me about it.

I just want to throw it

out there, use this as an opportunity to throw it there to all the applicable

ministers, this here, I'm assuming, applies to core government departments, but

if it's not included, and I don't know if it is or not, I'm suggesting to all

ministers when it comes to agencies, boards and commissions, when it comes to

Nalcor and OilCo and so on, Crown corps, health authorities, when it comes to

our public institutions, that this non-essential travel should be mandatory

across all of that.

The reason why I throw

that out there in particular is because I was looking at a story on VOCM before

I came in here that said that even though other universities across the country

have now cancelled all non-essential travel, Memorial University has decided

that they're not going to cancel all non-essential travel. I think that that

decision is absolutely irresponsible, whoever has made it. I don't care what

committee they have in place, that's an irresponsible decision.

I'm going to put it out

to one of the ministers because the minister responsible is in timeout for

another week or so, so I'm going to put it out there that someone needs to get

on the horn with the officials at Memorial University and ask them to also put

the same travel ban in place because we cannot be putting our citizens,

particularly our seniors and most vulnerable population, at risk. Anything we

can do to try to prevent this virus from reaching here, that's what we need to

do and that includes Memorial University.

Again, I say to the

government, somebody get on the phone to MUN and tell them to cancel all

non-essential travel and the same for all other ABCs.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

MR. SPEAKER:

The hon. the Government House Leader, if she speaks now she will close the

debate.

MS. COADY:

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker.

I'm glad to see the

support of the House. This is an important motion, Mr. Speaker, in the abundance

of caution. Hopefully, we won't have to use it, but it is an abundance of

caution. We're being responsible and we're being prudent, and I think that's

very important.

To the Member who raised

the issue of going to a vote, making sure we get Interim Supply, I believe that

is the intent this afternoon, based on discussions with House Leaders and the

unaffiliated Members that we will try to make that happen this afternoon. Again,

responsible and prudent.

With regard to essential

travel, I do know the clerk of the Executive Council has made it a point for

government – and I'll check on agencies, boards and commissions – but made it a

point of government that it is only essential travel and it has to by signoff of

the clerk and the minister responsible, Mr. Speaker.

So with that I'll take

my seat, we'll have our vote and we'll continue on with our work this afternoon.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

MR. SPEAKER:

Is the House ready for the question?

Is it the pleasure of

the House to adopt this motion?

All those in favour,

'aye.'

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Aye.

MR. SPEAKER:

All those against, 'nay.'

Carried.

The hon. the Government

House Leader.

MS. COADY:

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker.

I move, seconded by the

Minister of Finance and President of Treasury Board, that the House resolve

itself into a Committee of the Whole on Supply to consider a resolution and Bill

26, respecting the granting of Interim Supply to Her Majesty.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

MR. SPEAKER:

It is moved and seconded that I do now leave the Chair and resolve the House

into a Committee of the Whole on Supply.

Is it the pleasure of

the House to adopt this motion?

All those in favour,

'aye.'

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Aye.

MR. SPEAKER:

All those against, 'nay.'

Carried.

On motion, that the

House resolve itself into a Committee of the Whole, the Speaker left the Chair.

Committee of the Whole

CHAIR (Lane):

Order, please!

We are now debating Bill

26, respecting the granting of Interim Supply to Her Majesty.

Resolution

“That it is expedient to

introduce a measure to provide for the granting to Her Majesty for defraying

certain expenses of the public service for the financial year ending March 31,

2021, the sum of $2,631,157,300.”

CHAIR:

The Chair recognizes the

hon. the Minister of Finance and President of Treasury Board.

MR. OSBORNE:

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

I have to start by

saying how good it is to see you sitting as the Chair of Committees today.

Mr. Chair, speaking to

Interim Supply, again, I don't want to sound like a broken record, I know it's

the will of the House to move from six months to three months on Interim Supply.

We just passed a motion in the House to allow for a continued recess of the

House, should that be necessary. Mr. Chair, I've said in this House, previously,

that one of the reasons for the six months was COVID-19.

I have to admit, a week

or two weeks ago when my officials suggested that we have a six-month Interim

Supply because of COVID-19 when it started and it could become a pandemic, I

thought the chances of it getting here were very slim, and I mentioned that in

the House. But it seems to me that the chances perhaps are becoming a little

more real. We see eight staff from Natural Resources with a potential impact.

The First Ministers' Meeting today was called off because of this very reason.

I just want to put a

caution to all Members of the House again before we finalize debate on Interim

Supply. We're taking precautions in the House in the event the Speaker needs to

call an extended recess. Interim Supply allows for the continuation of services

for the people of the province in the event of a distribution in the House and

that we're not able to extend it from three months to six months.

I want to put that on

the record again. I want to just make all Members aware that that is my concern.

If it is the will of the House that we move to three months, I will respect the

will of the House. This is a democratic House, but I wanted to put my concern on

the record again today, Mr. Chair.

Mr. Chair, I know when

you're sitting in your legislative seat, as opposed to where you're sitting here

today, you mentioned about cancelling of all non-essential travel in government

departments. I made that call earlier today. Deputy ministers, ministers, and

the clerk have to sign off on all travel. That is to protect the public service

and therefore the extended population in this province, because of what we've

seen with the eight individuals from Natural Resources who travelled to a

conference in Toronto, Mr. Chair.

I think that was a

prudent move. I take your advice on reaching out to agencies, boards and

commissions as well. That discussion has happened internally, but we do have to

reach out to our agencies, boards and commissions. I just wanted to advise the

House, as it was brought up here today, that we're on it. It is a prudent move.

Your suggestion, while it's already being acted on, is a good suggestion and I

wanted to point that out to Members of the Legislature.

I think an abundance of

caution here in terms of public service travel is certainly a wise move to help

reduce the risk for public servants and all people in the province as those

public servants go home to their families and mingle in the communities that

they live in.

Mr. Chair, I think it

goes without saying that that abundance of caution is absolutely necessary and

we will continue to look at ways that we can protect the public service. The

public service notification that went out as well, gives advice to public

servants on self-isolation. It gives advice to public servants who are

travelling to areas that are highly effected, but not only areas that are highly

effected, if they suspect they've come in contact with an individual who may be

showing signs, what types of things they can do.

The public service

notification that went out today talks about the work that's happening between

public health officials, the Public Health Agency of Canada and other provincial

and territorial public health officials.

So it think it's prudent

that every public servant in this province, not only within core government, but

within our agencies, boards and commissions, display caution in what they're

doing, not only with travel, but if individuals are travelling outside of the

province on vacation, that the same precautions are taken to protect, not only

the public service, but their families and other people in the province.

Mr. Chair, I've spoken

on Interim Supply. We know the important of Interim Supply. I'll wait and listen

to what other Members have to say. I know I have some other business to do once

we get into clause by clause in terms of the amount of Interim Supply and the

Schedule, the expenditures in each department and I'll go through that process

when we need to.

Before I sit, again,

I'll put out my concern about the six-month versus the three-month Interim

Supply, I can absolutely give full assurance to all Members of the House that

this is not based on any covert-type of operation that's happening behind the

scenes. It is truly to ensure the public services of the province continue.

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

CHAIR:

The Chair recognizes the

hon. the Member for Terra Nova.

MR. PARROTT:

Mr. Chair, it's always an honour to stand and speak in this great House.

Two days ago, my

colleague to the left, the Member for Bonavista, mentioned a gentleman by the

name of Eric Weinheimer and he said I doubt anyone in the House knows him. So

I'll just go back to why I'm going to say what I have to say.

On June 15, 2007, I was

lying in a hospital bed, had just had my leg amputated and a minister came in to

talk to me. I wasn't in a very good place and I told him I didn't want to speak

to him. He actually brought me in that book about this man. So over the next

several days, I delved into the book and I read it, and it's pretty amazing.

Anyhow, over the course

to time, he came back in several times, and, to be truthful, I didn't want to

talk to him. At that time, I didn't think he was going to help me with anything.

He showed up on a Thursday evening in a pair of jeans and a T-shirt with a pizza

and sat down and we started to talk.

Now, the point he made

to me was you see how people can climb mountains when they're blind or they're

amputees, and they can do all these things. But he said the people that do these

things don't let that define their life. He said we can all climb mountains when

they're blind or they're amputees; they can do all of these things. But he said

the people that do these things don't let that define their life. He said we can

all climb mountains. He said what defines who someone is, is how they react at

the lowest points of their life. That's what shapes us as people, and I think

that's what's going to shape us as a province. Right now, we're at the lowest

point that we've been in a long time and the Minister of Finance highlighted

that a while ago.

After my injury, I

talked to many of my military colleagues and I came up with my own little motto

that my colleagues here in caucus would tell you I put on my emails from time to

time: ad astra per aspera. What that means is through adversity to the stars.

That is what we need to do right now. We need to go through adversity together

in this House and find a way to get where we have to go.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR. PARROTT:

I sit here and I listen to us bantering back and forth. I understand that's a

part of our jobs and we all do it. We like to take blame, we like to cast doubt

and do all those things. The reality of it is right now is the time when we need

to come together, get this interim spending passed, because the people that need

this money are the ones that are going to get us through this COVID-19. They're

the ones that are going to put us in the places where we need to be in order to

do our jobs. Now, whether there's an election in May, June, next September or

next June, that doesn't matter. We need to worry about what's happening right

now and forget about what's happened over the past.

I come in and I listen

to people and I always get great – I don't know if joy is the right word, but

some Members in the House always pick up on what people say. I really have to go

back on one thing that the Member for Lake Melville talked about yesterday. It

bothered me so I have to highlight it, much the same as he said it bothered him:

Wabush, Labrador, pensioners.

Full disclosure, I

worked as a fiduciary for a pension plan and I understand what went on up there.

My mom and dad worked in that mine for almost 40 years. They lost their

pensions. They lost their health care plans. My brother lost his job, totally.

My friends and my neighbours were all put out.

I'm going to tell you

without any certainty whatsoever, if it wasn't for Local 6285 and people like

Rita Pynn, they would be still in the situation they're in. For you to stand up

here and take responsibility for them getting their pensions back is totally

wrong. It is not right whatsoever.

There were people who

killed themselves; there were suicides up there over insolvencies because people

lost their jobs and their pensions. You guys actually lost a seat up there

because of this pension issue. You did not pick these people up. They picked

themselves up. That's what we need to do in this House, is pick ourselves up.

We talk about Bull Arm

and we talk about the things that are going on. There was a real catchphrase

here this afternoon by the Minister of Natural Resources: cold stacking. I'd

like to know how many people here understand what cold stacking is. Not a lot.

It sounds good, we can say it on the news and people think it sounds great, but

when an oil rig gets cold stacked, it means it's no more good. It means it's

coming in from the offshore and they're going to take a bunch of beehive paper,

a bunch of waxes, a bunch of Molykote, all of these lubricants, and they're

going to put it all over this rig so they can shut it down and never use it

again. Cold stacking in this province is not a good thing. It's a death sentence

to that rig. Now, will it go overseas, possibly, and come back to life through

warm stacking? Maybe, doubtful.

Right now, Bull Arm is

sitting out there and it's nothing more than a glorified wharf rental. It's of

no benefit to this province. It's okay to say that the Bay du Nord Project may

come. It's okay to say that there's a rig out there getting thrusters changed.

Miniscule. Most of that work is being carried out by the individuals that work

on that rig on a daily basis. They're there every single day. There weren't

people hired to do it. It's not creating jobs. We need jobs.

I hear people say in

this House all the time: What would we do different? I'm not saying this to my

colleagues across the floor. I'm not telling you that this is what you should

do. I'm telling you, as this gentleman that was here the other day said, this is

what we all need to do. We need to open our ears and start listening. We need to

start listening to each other and we need to start listening to the people on

the street, because I tell you, he wasn't far off. We sit in here and people are

talking, people aren't paying attention and we've got to be better. That's what

we're here to do.

When we ask a question,

we say, oh, listen, mental health is at the best ever. B'ys, have a look around,

we've got the highest suicide rate we've ever seen. So, sure, maybe people are

getting seen first on first visits, but it's not helping where we are with

mental health. We're in a bad place.

Insolvencies at the

highest, we know that, we can't argue it. We're reading from papers that were

written six months or 12 months ago. We've got to start listening to the people

that are suffering. Suffering while people like Carla Foote get a job. Why?

Because she deserves one? Come on. There's a lot of Newfoundlanders and

Labradorians out there that deserve jobs.

What are we doing? We're

in here bantering back and forth like a bunch of children and we're not doing

what needs to be done, and we've got to start doing it. Suffering while we

hiring Scottish consultants and we see – I haven't seen results. Maybe they will

be, but I highly doubt it.

The Minister of Natural

Resources mentioned Bull Arm before she left in response to my colleague's

petition, how it is a state-of-the-art facility and how there's a great way

forward. I know for certain that they received a letter somewhere around

December 22, which they never responded to with anything other than banter; told

them to go to Nalcor and it wasn't their responsibility. It was a letter that

clearly defined and outlined the problems with Bull Arm as defined by the

contractors who want to go there and do the work. It clearly defined why Bull

Arm will not come back to life unless something happens soon.

In the meantime, we sit

here and we listen to talk that Fermeuse is going to come online. Now, I'm all

about private enterprise and the private enterprise is out there and they're

saying their investing their own money and there is no government money going

into it. Alleluia. Let's make it happen. But at the end of the day, this

government owns a facility that's 160 kilometres down the road, that has been

world-class in the past and should be now. We ought to have it working doing

something.

We have two major module

hauls out there where, if we weren't going to use them for offshore oil and gas,

perhaps that's where we should be growing our marijuana. The facilities were

already there. Instead of giving $40-million grants, we could have went out

there and done it.

I just don't know where

we go if we don't come together. At the end of the day, we are here to do a job.

Interim Supply is the first start of it. The next thing is to get the budget

passed. We have to start working together.

Mr. Chair, in my

district we have bridges that are falling down. I have a ferry system that is

inadequate summertime. The residents are more than fine with it during the

winter. In the summertime, when the population goes from 100 to 250 and there's

a lucrative fishery out there and there are 150 loads of garbage hauled out

there every summer, the ferry runs stay the same. People are stuck. There are

people out there for days; can't get out of it. One more run would change

everything they do. We can't seem to get anywhere ahead with it. I have

residents in Butter Cove that can't get to their house. Oil trucks can't get to

their house; fire trucks can't get to their house because the roads are that

deplorable and they've been that way for a week or more.

It's not acceptable for

us not to listen to the people that are in need. I'm going to tell you, we all

have them, every single one of us. Not one person in this House ran for

self-servitude. Every single person in this House – and I truly believe this –

ran because they don't run away from trouble. We ran because we run to trouble.

We ran because we believe we can fix things. It's time for us to start showing

that. It's time for us to be the leaders.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR. PARROTT:

At the end of the day, if we don't put Newfoundland first, we will not succeed.

And when I say Newfoundland first, I refer to employment; I refer to procurement

AN HON. MEMBER:

And Labrador.

MR. PARROTT:

Newfoundland and Labrador. Nobody loves Labrador more than me.

The other thing people

are worried about is power bills, but what we don't ever discuss is the cost of

goods. Everything in Newfoundland costs double because of an inadequate ferry

system and we need to address that. If we address that, maybe power bills going

up isn't as bad. But we have to look at other ways to do things.

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

CHAIR:

The Chair recognizes the

hon. the Member for the District of Lewisporte - Twillingate.

MR. BENNETT:

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

First of all, I'd just

like to thank the Member for Terra Nova for his service and his comments about

Labrador. I'm quite sure my hon. Member in front me, the minister, would

probably argue the fact that nobody loves Labrador more than you do, but, like

yourself, the Town of Lewisporte has a lot of ties to Labrador also. There are a

lot of members that worked in the mines that have since retired in Lewisporte

and making a great life and I'm very happy that our community continues to grow

because of people that have moved there to retire.

As everybody knows, we

are now speaking on Interim Supply, that always gives us a good opportunity to

speak on some of the great things that has happened within our district. Not too

often do we get a chance in the House of Assembly to do that. It's only when we

talk about bills or money bills and things like that there.

As a sitting MHA, we do

get Member's statements, but there are a lot of things we don't get an

opportunity to recognize and I think it's always important for the people in our

district and important for MHAs to take every opportunity to recognize some of

the great things happening within our district.

Mr. Chair, back in early

January, just at the end of Snowmageddon, there was an event here in the

province, it was the investiture of the potentate for the Mazol Shriners group.

I have to thank my colleague from Mount Scio who attended the event for me. This

year the person that is leading the Mazol Shriners for the province is actually

from my district. His name is Brian Peckford. Me and Brian have been, I guess,

lifelong friends. We grew up in the same neighborhood. Later on, I worked under

him as he was mayor with the Town of Lewisporte and Brian is now serving as the

town manager. I'm quite sure that Brian is going to do a fantastic job as the

potentate for the Mazol Shriners.

I must say, for those

who are not familiar, I'm sure we have all seen the commercials on TV and the

great work that they do internationally. Myself, I had a nephew that was born

with issues that required multiple surgeries, spent several years in a body cast

and that, and it was thanks to the Shriners group that helped to send him to

Montreal for his needed surgeries and things like that. I just want to say a big

shout out for the Shriners and the great work they do.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR. BENNETT:

Also, like I say, what they do throughout the province and internationally.

Over the past week, I've

been wearing this pin off and on. I know I'm not allowed to use props. Most

people see it as Mickey Mouse, Walt Disney and that, but what it is, is the

potentate actually has the opportunity to design their own lapel pin for each

year. They identify the name of the potentate plus their spouse.

I haven't had an

opportunity to speak to Brian on this here, but I can only assume that he

designed this pin with Mickey Mouse as a sign of family. Brian, his wife and

children often went to Florida to share their family vacations. If I'm wrong,

Brian, I apologize. Actually, he's on vacation now as we speak. He left early

this morning. I think I am correct in that. I'm sure, although Brian is not

watching this today, his father, Cyril, faithfully watches the House of Assembly

and also is a great contributor to the Town of Lewisporte.

I'd also like to

recognize another person that is not from my district; however, their family has

resided in my district for years, actually, their family and grandparents. This

person is Mackenzie Rose. Mackenzie actually grew up in Churchill Falls but last

week she won the Nationals championship of powerlifting in her weight class.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR. BENNETT:

Mackenzie is a member of the Newfoundland and Labrador Powerlifting Association

and at the Nationals competition in Winnipeg she took the gold. She also holds

the records for her weight class in lifting competitions for Newfoundland and

Labrador. I just want to do a big shout-out for Mackenzie for all the great – no

doubt, winning such a title comes with a lot of work, a lot of discipline and

things like that.

Mr. Chair, I'm going to

take another quick second – time is slipping by very quickly, but about another

organization that I know is true to your heart, too, and that's the Kinsmen Club

of Canada. On February 22, I had the opportunity to attend the anniversary

celebration of the 100th anniversary of the Kinsmen Club of Canada.

I'm quite sure probably

most people know Hal Rogers was the founder of the Kinsmen Club. When he

returned from war back in 1920, he was going to join another organization;

however, the rules at that time was only one family member permitted in the

organization. He set up his own little organization, and here we are 100 years

later, the Kinsmen Club of Canada have donated over a billion dollars to worthy

organizations throughout the country. On average now they contribute about $19

million, annually.

In my district, Mr.

Chair, we have two clubs, there's the Kinsmen Club of Notre Dame, which I'm

proud to say that I am an honourary member of and a number of my family members

have served the club over the years, and also the Bridgeport Kinsmen Club.

Locally, our Kinsmen

Club of Notre Dame have contributed over $3 million since its inception in 1975.

So I just want to do another shout out to them for the great work they do in

helping families and individuals in need. As the model says, the Kinsmen Club is

serving the community's greatest needs. I'm quite confident that our club in

Notre Dame, Lewisporte and area, have been living up to that model.

Mr. Chair, I know a

number of people have referenced fire protection and fire departments during

Interim Supply and the valuable service that fire departments provide throughout

our province. We, right now in my district, have approximately a little short of

15 fire departments with over 300 volunteers that serve pretty well every

community within the region. This coming weekend myself and the Minister of

Municipal Affairs and Environment will be attending the banquet for the

Lewisporte Regional Fire Department.

Just back only a few

short months ago I attended a celebration where they opened up a new fire hall,

but also it was the 70th anniversary of the fire department for that club. I

have to commend the great work they're doing. They service a great area, not

just only the Town of Lewisporte, but a number of surrounding communities.

Fortunately, in Budget 2019 there was funding for them to get a new fire

truck. Although the funding went to the Town of Lewisporte, particularly, the

truck will actually be stationed in the neighbouring community of Brown's Arm.

That will be done as the regional service. It will also be able to extend their

capacity to fight fires to other communities such as Laurenceton and

Porterville.

As I said, there are 14

fire departments in my area that cover a vast area. Tragically, I guess most

people saw on the media only a month or so ago, a family lost their home in

Michael's Harbour. That tragic fire, unfortunately, there was no fire protection

to that community. I'm proud to say since that there is a mutual aid agreement –

sorry, a memorandum of understanding with that community, now they will have

fire protection.

Also, Mr. Chair, we have

another little area in there. The fire department in Summerford, which is doing

an invaluable service, services 15 communities in that area. They respond to

pretty well every community – except for Tizzard's Harbour, which has their own

fire department – on the New World Island area.

I just want to do a

little shout out for all the firefighters throughout Newfoundland and Labrador.

As I think the Member for Terra Nova referenced, that as MHAs we ran towards

trouble. We knew what we were getting ourselves into as MHAs. A great comparison

for what our firefighters do; when most people are running away from fires or

emergencies and things like that, these are the people that we rely on to

provide the service and protection to the people in our communities. I just want

to say a little thank you for that.

Mr. Chair, like I said

my time is running out, but I'd just like to touch on roadwork and the work that

has been done in my district over the last few years. Like a lot of communities,

brush clearing, roadwork and asphalt were deteriorating and a lack of

maintenance, but we have made good strides in the last four years.

I do thank the Minister

of Transportation and Works for his co-operation, and his full department; also,

all the workers at our Transportation and Works depots. They do a fantastic job

with the resources and everything they have. I do look forward to continuing to

work with our minister and work crews throughout the province.

I just want to say a big

thank you to all the work crews. Over this past winter with the amount of snow

we had, I must say our office has not received a lot of complaints about snow

clearing operations. They do a fantastic job and I thank them for it.

My time has expired. I

thank you.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

CHAIR:

The Chair recognizes the hon. the Leader of the

Official Opposition.

MR. CROSBIE:

Thank you.

I thank the hon. Member

opposite for Lewisporte - Twillingate for his recitation and description of all

the good works going on in his beloved District of Lewisporte - Twillingate.

I'd also at this point

like to put on the record that Commissioner Richard LeBlanc, his commission

counsel and staff deserve the thanks of the people of Newfoundland and Labrador

for the excellent work they have done during the inquiry.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR. CROSBIE:

As premier of a PC government, I would implement all

of the inquiry recommendations. Recommendation number 2 calls for more effective

use of the Public Utilities Board to examine the merits of electrical generation

projects. I am already on the record as calling for this as early as February

2012. If this step had been taken before sanction in November 2013, Muskrat

Falls cost excesses either would have been mitigated or the project may not have

proceeded at all.

I've been from one end

of this province to the other in recent weeks, and the families I talk to are

not interested in looking backward and playing political games. They want to see

action and a credible plan to rein in our out-of-control electricity rates.

In the absence of

credible action from the government, yesterday, I wrote to the prime minister to

make the case that his government must step in to provide direct equity

investment to achieve credible rate mitigation. With a $7.9 billion guarantee on

the project, the federal government is our partner and must make a direct

financial contribution if rates are to be affordable and if our population is to

be rebuilt. Not as much attention has gone on issues that affect the future

production of electricity from the facility and its transmission to its

destination on the Avalon Peninsula and elsewhere on the Island.

As many of us are aware,

there are several serious issues manifesting themselves around precisely the

transmission issue. So what happens if Muskrat is capable of full power but it

can't cross the Labrador-Island Link? The PUB, last week, ordered Hydro to say

what it will do to ensure reliable power if the Labrador Island-Link is not

available until June 2022.

Mr. Chair, the following

is taken from page 2 of the Liberty report. Liberty being the consultant or

organization that the Public Utilities Board has retained to do periodic reports

on the progress of aspects of Muskrat Falls, particularly the transmission

progress. I'm quoting from the report.

“ Lack of Access to

Independent Monitoring Reports: Management has been receiving

independent third party (ITP) oversight reports of General Electric for an

extended period, as our quarterly reports have discussed. We urged this quarter,

as we did last quarter, that the” independent third party – they abbreviated ITP

– “reports be made available for our review. We continue to be denied access to

them, reportedly based on an unwillingness on General Electric's part to waive

confidentiality restrictions associated with them. The continuing inability of

management and General Electric to resolve the issue of access, combined with

continuing extension of the LIL

schedule for reasons those reports address,

makes access to them ever more important in ensuring that confidence in

relatively near term completion of the underlying issues is well placed. Even

so, the descriptions of oversight findings that management has provided are not

encouraging. Many software problems requiring rectification have been found and

more have continued to arise. We consider it necessary to recognize the

potential for even more problems arising during Factory System Testing and we

find steadily more discomfort with management's continuing expressions of

confidence in ever lengthening dates for software delivery.”

Now, just to reiterate,

Mr. Chair. This is in the context of the board last Thursday, a week ago,

ordering Hydro to tell them what it's going to do to ensure reliable power if

the Labrador-Island Link is not available until June 2022. That's more than two

years away.

The information I've

been given is that every year in delay of delivery of the power is going to cost

$500 million to $600 million for each year. So, regrettably, to say this

looming, this unresolved problem with the software supplied by General Electric

and General Electric's unwillingness to share third party reports with the

consultant appointed by the Public Utilities Board to do the necessary oversight

is another example of the continuing lack of access to information which has

plagued and surrounded the Muskrat Falls project and Nalcor since day one. It is

continuing. It continues today with very grave consequences for the public, for

rates and for the Treasury of the province at hand if these are not resolved.

This is all in the

context, Mr. Chair, of a much larger issue with energy development in our

beloved country of Canada because we saw the collapse of a $20 billion project

within the last couple of weeks; the Teck project in Alberta for oil extraction,

$20 billion.

The CEO of Teck, Don

Lindsay, wrote that the Frontier mine was “‘squarely at the nexus' of much

deeper-lying tensions in Canada between natural resource extraction and First

Nation land claims.”

He wrote: “The promise

of Canada's potential will not be realized until governments can reach agreement

around how climate” change “policy considerations will be addressed in the

context of future responsible energy sector development.” And added: “Without

clarity on this critical question, the situation that has faced Frontier”

project “will be faced by future projects and it will be very difficult to

attract future investment, either domestic or foreign.”

Then he hit upon the

solution to all the above as he wrote: “Canada lacks a ‘framework … that

reconciles resource development and climate change.'” Now, that's across the

board. That's Canada, and it sure as heck does include Newfoundland and

Labrador. All of these comments of gravity from the CEO of a project worth $20

billion that was just cancelled apply equally to Newfoundland and Labrador. The

absence of a framework that reconciles resource development and climate change.

Mr. Chair, we have the

added complication that we have an Atlantic Accord and the Atlantic Accord Act,

which implements the Atlantic Accord, is federal legislation as well. It's

mirror legislation. The time is going to come – it's not clear when, but soon;

it has to come – that the legislation which is now on the books of Canada that

was known as C-69 is going to compel both of those acts to be amended, the

federal legislation and the provincial.

What's going to have to

be amended concerns joint management and control over the pace and the mode of

development of projects on the offshore, our offshore. That's a special

consideration for us here in Newfoundland and Labrador, is our rights of joint

management and control of the pace and mode of development of our offshore.

There are implications coming down the pipeline when we get asked to make a

myriad of amendments to the Atlantic Accord Act, and that's coming soon. This is

of grave consideration and will occupy much of the attention of the House in the

near future.

I thank you.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

CHAIR:

The hon. the Minister of Service NL.

MS. GAMBIN-WALSH:

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Sunday night past, I

attended the YWCA Women of Distinction Awards.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MS. GAMBIN-WALSH:

Thank you.

Mr. Chair, I was

nominated, and I thank my staff for nominating me. It was quite an honour and a

privilege to be in this room with all these magnificent women. Some of the

categories – I didn't even know what award category I was nominated for, but as

the night went on I kind of figured it out.

With some of the

categories that were there, one was: “Public Sphere: This woman has shown

leadership in public affairs, media, communications, or through political

involvement. She has shown commitment to public service excellence and to

improving the life of citizens.” Leila Beaudoin won that category that night,

and it was amazing.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MS. GAMBIN-WALSH:

As I sat through the night and I looked at the

brochure they had laid out for us, I realized that through the course of my last

40 years I actually had met some of these magnificent women: Debbie Ryan with

the CNIB from my work in the disability community; I knew Charlene Brophy; Kathy

Hawkins from the disability community again. Kathy has done some fabulous work

in the community.

I also met some ladies –

that night I met Karen Walsh, and I knew Lynn Power from my nursing days many,

many years ago. I believe, Mr. Chair, your wife would know Lynn Power also. We

worked together.

So, Mr. Chair, as I went

through the night and each of us read out one of the résumés, I realized why

this was so important. And it's so important to the young girls that were in the

room. You could see them being empowered as we went through the night.

Mr. Chair, one of the

things I noticed was that I often go about my life as a woman, and I grew up in

a family where I had very strong women. My grandmother was very strong. My great

aunts were very strong, and my aunt, Noreen Careen, in Labrador, is a very

strong lady. So, I just grew up in this environment and thought that's the way

everything was in society today.

Since coming into

politics, Mr. Chair, I understand the value of the International Women's Day and

I understand why we need these awards, the YWCA awards. I just want to

congratulate the YWCA for such a fabulous event.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MS. GAMBIN-WALSH:

We've been discussing in this House of Assembly now

for almost two years a harassment-free environment, a harassment-free workplace.

That's a long time to be talking about something that should be just everyday.

Again, the same thing as I thought about women in community. But, Mr. Chair, I

have learned to empower my daughter and I expect my daughter, if she has

children, girls or boys, she will empower them also. Long gone are the days of

the Rosa – I always talk about Rosa Parks.

Rosa Parks is a major

inspiration to me because at the end of the day she was one individual that

changed something because she was so exhausted. Rosa didn't just go to the front

of the bus thinking I'm going to change the world. Rosa got on the bus and she

said, you know what, I'm equal to everybody on this bus and I'm tired and I'm

sitting here. That's what changed it. Rosa took it upon herself to make a

change.

We, as a society,

collectively, in this House of Assembly, men and women in this House of

Assembly, can change the atmosphere in this House. We can do it.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MS. GAMBIN-WALSH:

says: STOMP Out Bullying: Change The Culture. We can do that. That is a good

message: STOMP Out Bullying.

My colleague for Harbour

Grace - Port de Grave recently spoke on behalf of women at Equal Voice. I

congratulate her for her contribution.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MS. GAMBIN-WALSH:

Again, I think – no, I don't think, I know. I know

in this House of Assembly that we can work together and we can change the

culture here.

I'm proud to represent

the District of Placentia - St. Mary's. I was born and raised in the district,

actually born and raised in Placentia; in the flood zone of Placentia, might I

add. I spent my days skating in Argentia, and on November 1, 1998, at exactly 2

p.m., the new arena opened up in Placentia.

I could have walked to

that arena instead of my poor father having to drive to Argentia and wait an

hour, sometimes up to three hours when I coached, for me. I'm sure he sat in the

bar and probably had a beer, but those days you'd have one sociable while you

were waiting. The poor man drove me three days a week to the arena in Argentia.

When the arena opened in 1998, I said just imagine now if this had to be open so

close to me here in Placentia, I could just walk and go in as I wanted.

In Placentia, we do have

a problem with floods. It's evident; we have a great big steel wall around

great ocean flopping in over the steel wall. We have houses so close to that

wall; they're over a hundred years old. The history in Placentia is large.

We have a graveyard not

too far. It has names on the headstones, like Sweetman from Ireland from way

back, Mr. Chair, so the history is big. There's a lot of culture in Placentia

but, unfortunately, we are in a flood zone and it is getting worse with time. We

know there are glaciers. There's melting ice. Things are happening. The

environment is changing, and Placentia is victim to environmental change. It is

inevitable. It is reality.

My mother's house,

actually, is right next to the hospital. Only a few years back we had an alert

one night, and we had to evacuate some residents from the hospital because it

was flooding. I remember when they were building the hospital, because I grew up

with dad singing out: Get the buckets, the water is coming into the basement. It

was non-stop. I remember saying, my God, why are they putting a hospital two

houses out from us when we were flooding all the time, but you keep moving

ahead. It has gotten worse.

Mr. Chair, I was elected

by the people for the people of Placentia - St. Mary's, like everybody else in

this House, and I will work for the people of Placentia - St. Mary's.

Just yesterday, Branch

received their fire truck – not a brand new fire truck – under the new program

Municipal Affairs and Environment, and they're so proud of that fire truck and

they worked so hard for that truck. It's great.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MS. GAMBIN-WALSH:

It's new to them and it will meet the needs of the

residents in Branch, that's what's important. If we can bring forward something

that meets the needs of the people – it doesn't have to be brand new, as long as

it meets the needs. This truck that was delivered yesterday is going to meet the

needs of the people in Branch.

Mr. Chair, the MHA for

St. John's Centre said this week, actually he was referencing the Muskrat Falls

report, and he said: The house burnt down now, where do we go from here?

That's important, where

do we go from here? I just want to say that as the Minister of Service NL and

the Highway Traffic Act ,

I've done some significant work. I thank my colleague across the way

there for his background in the automobile industry and his questions because he

keeps me on my feet over here with the

Highway Traffic Act , I'll assure you.

But there is hope, there

is action, and this is just some of the things we have been doing. We've amended

the act to increase fines using a handheld cellular phone while driving a motor

vehicle, very important. We focused on tougher penalties for impaired drivers in

this province including new rules –

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MS. GAMBIN-WALSH:

– to help steer our young people in the direction of

safe and sober driving habits. We've amended the act to increase penalties for a

number of offences that were previously less than $100. People weren't paying

their fine because they were miniscule fines, but now they're over $100.

Mr. Chair, we made

changes regarding excessive speeding, street racing, stunting and move-over

provisions, and we didn't do this alone. We had groups like STAND for Hannah and

MADD that really helped us. They consulted with us and they literally helped us

write this legislation.

We created a new offence

for driving without due care and attention, or without reasonable consideration

for other persons, causing bodily harm or death – very important to Frankie

Ralph and Sarah, Mr. Chair. We increased fines for the existing offence of

driving without due care and attention.

Mr. Chair, we made

modifications to proof of insurance requirements and we added an appeal process

for certain driver's licence suspensions. Insurance, Mr. Chair, very important.

I can go on and on here,

Mr. Chair. I have lists of things that we have done. We have been moving

forward. We know the house burnt down, Mr. Chair, but we are going to move

forward. We're going to work together in this House of Assembly and we're going

to effect change, and I truly and honestly believe that.

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

CHAIR:

The Chair recognizes the hon. the Member for St.

John's Centre.

MR. J. DINN:

Thank you, Chair.

I just want to go back;

I'm making sure we're still talking about the Interim Supply bill. I'm trying to

keep my thoughts relevant here, which I'm finding is an – the idea of relevance

is very different than my definition of relevance in the past but, nevertheless.

I want to start off with

a comment that I had left off with when my time ran out in presenting my

petition, which is about the fire codes in schools. Basically, in schools there

is a fire – for every student there's 20 square feet, for every person in a

classroom. That's basically the fire code. In other words, you get the area of

the classroom, divide it by 20 square feet, and then you have an idea of what

the load capacity is of that classroom.

Now, I know the minister

has said in many cases the classroom – that not every class is exceeding the

class caps, but I can tell you there are an awful lot of classrooms that are

exceeding the fire code, that are exceeding the load capacity. Now, I know this

because I used to do it as a way of getting – when they started packing people

into my class, here is the fire code, put it in writing, you are now in

violation of it. I can tell you that certainly in the metro area you're going to

find that classrooms are indeed overcrowded. It's a little bit of a back doorway

in trying to get some reasonable class sizes.

Usually the comment was:

Now, Jim, be careful of what you ask for because they might end up putting you

down in the cafeteria where you can teach. And I said, no problem, bring it on,

but then I'll be letting the parents know why I'm down in the classroom

teaching. I got to that point and I used to recommend to teachers, when I was

president, to do that. I got to that point because I realized the whole notion

of class size, the issue of class size was falling on deaf ears.

Recently, I was

contacted by a teacher – last night, actually – who was responding to an

article

School Violence Revealed. In that, this teacher said to me, I'm living it

everyday.

Now that's a teacher

today who's in a school with The Way

Forward , with the new action plan: I'm living it everyday. Her point wasn't

about the violence as much – but I'll come back to that – it's about the comment

there. One line in this

article says: So, the teacher finds herself in the

closet crying over lunch because she is not enough to meet the needs of all the

students. This is the point this teacher was making. It's impossible for one

person to be enough for all the needs, she's pulled in so many directions.

Of course, when the

needs aren't met, and especially at the primary and elementary grades, and I'm

going to say this again, with young children who probably haven't learned to

self-regulate, I can tell you that