PDF Version

May 12, 2025 HOUSE OF ASSEMBLY PROCEEDINGS Vol. L No. 113

SPEAKER (Bennett): Order, please!

Admit visitors.

Before we begin this afternoon, I'd like to welcome in the public gallery Mithun Mathew. Mithun is joining us this afternoon for a Member's statement.

Welcome.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

Statements by Members

SPEAKER: Today we'll hear statements by the hon. Members from Mount Pearl - Southlands, Mount Pearl North, Cape St. Francis, Exploits and St. John's Centre.

The hon. the Member for Mount Pearl - Southlands.

P. LANE: Mr. Speaker, today I rise to recognize Mr. Mike Torraville, a social studies teacher at O'Donel High School, for his dedication to providing valuable and creative hands-on experiences for students to learn our history and help keep our Newfoundland culture alive.

On Friday, March 28, I visited O'Donel High School and enjoyed a traditional Jiggs' dinner prepared by this Newfoundland studies class. This was an awesome initiative to introduce students to a timeless Newfoundland tradition and, of course, the meal was delicious.

Mr. Torraville said: "There is no better way to pass on a tasty Newfoundland tradition than to take students through the process."

Along with Mr. Torraville's class, interns from Memorial University and a great team of O'Donel staff and teachers helped serve up the delicious Jiggs' dinner.

From engaging in a demonstration by a master boat builder on how to use traditional tools used in boat building, touring our local museums, enjoying a walking tour of old St. John's, to cooking up traditional Newfoundland dishes, Mr. Torraville is providing students with fun learning experiences and a wealth of historical knowledge.

Please join me in commending Mr. Mike Torraville for his ongoing efforts to preserve our Newfoundland history and culture through meaningful educational experiences.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

SPEAKER: The hon. the Member for Mount Pearl North.

L. STOYLES: Speaker, today I rise to recognize another successful young man who grew up in my District of Mount Pearl North. Justin Simms is a graduate of the Niagara film school and the director's program at the Canadian Film Centre.

Justin has made a career in the film industry, right here in Newfoundland and Labrador. His first feature film was Down to the Dirt which won the Best Atlantic Film Award. His second film, Away from Everywhere premiered at the Cannes Film Festival in 2016.

He also has documentary credits in Hard Light and Hand.Line.Cod. His most recent film is a documentary called Sons which addresses the issues of what it means to be a man.

He is very excited about his current project, which involves comedian Andy Jones. This will be out within the next year.

Speaker, I ask all Members to join me in saying congratulations to Justin Simms on his success and wish him all the best in his future career.

Thank you.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

SPEAKER: The hon. the Member for Cape St. Francis.

J. WALL: Thank you, Speaker.

Speaker, on Sunday, April 27, the Town of Torbay hosted the Best of Torbay Awards Night 2025. I am pleased to share today, in this hon. House, the recipients of the following awards:

The Chief Mike McGrath Award: the elementary recipient, Jagger White; the junior high recipient, Maisy Pritchett; and senior high recipient, Patrick Moores.

The Young Entrepreneur Award, Heidi Luby; Volunteer of the Year, Ross Thornhill; Volunteer Group of the Year, 50+ group.

The Customer Commitment Award, Mary Brown's; Economic Impact Award, Elite Kitchens & Design; Senior of the Year, Mr. Fred Newell; New/Emerging Business Award, Kryptonian Ink.

The Ward Gosse Coach of the Year Award, Danielle Stamp; Business of the Year, Made to Move Physio + Wellness; and Lifetime Achievement Award, Ms. Madonna Galway.

Speaker, I extend my sincere appreciation to all individuals and businesses in the Town of Torbay for their dedication to community and thank them for their contributions that are felt not only in the Town of Torbay, but throughout the entire district.

I ask my colleagues of this 50th General Assembly to join me in congratulating the 2025 Best of Torbay awards recipients for their outstanding achievements in business, volunteerism and entrepreneurship.

Thank you.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

SPEAKER: The hon. the Member for Exploits.

P. FORSEY: Thank you, Speaker.

Speaker, today I would like to recognize Mr. Trevor Mills of Botwood. Trevor has been a steadfast leader in the Botwood Lions Club, making a lasting impact. With a deep commitment to service, he has been recognized as a top president in multiple District N, which covers all of Atlantic Canada, a testament to his dedication and leadership.

In recognition of outstanding contribution to the Lions mission, Trevor received the Melvin Jones Fellowship award, one of the highest honours bestowed upon a member. Trevor was elected district governor of District N3 overseeing all Lions Clubs operations across the Western half of Newfoundland and Labrador.

Through his passion and dedication, Trevor remains a driving force in his Lions Club and his district, which is shaping a brighter future for communities across the province.

Speaker, I would like all Members of this House of Assembly to join me in recognizing Mr. Trevor Mills for his dedication, service and leadership.

Thank you, Speaker.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

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

J. DINN: Thank you, Speaker.

Speaker, variety is the spice of life, and the essence of SpiceX Blackmarsh Superette. For owner Mithun Mathew, his passion for authentic Indian cuisine connects him with his roots, his mother's recipes and friends.

SpiceX fuses traditional homestyle Indian cuisine with local dishes. Everything from pizza, cod bites, Jiggs' dinner and chicken fingers to jeera rice, samosas, dragon chicken and even butter chicken poutine. Or buy ingredients to make your own Indian dish from scratch.

Mithun moved from India to Halifax in 2017 to study aircraft maintenance. He moved to Newfoundland and Labrador in 2019 to work full-time with PAL. However, he soon opened SpiceX on Empire Avenue and a Churchill Square food truck.

Business grew. Mithun acquired Blackmarsh Superette in 2024 and rebranded it. He retained staff, preserved local staples, and blended in the rich flavours of India.

Staff enjoy the variety of customers and food the most. One employee admitted she'd never eaten Indian cuisine before. Since SpiceX took over, however, she's tried nearly the entire menu and proudly recommends her flavourful favourites to regulars and newcomers alike.

Please join me in congratulating Mithun Mathew on his entrepreneurial spirit and for adding his own vibrant twist to a beloved local landmark.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

SPEAKER: Statements by Ministers.

Statements by Ministers

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

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

F. HUTTON: Thank you, Speaker.

I rise in this hon. House today for the very first time as Minister of Tourism, Culture, Arts and Recreation on a sad note. Today, I would like us all to pay tribute to a favourite son of Newfoundland and Labrador, acclaimed musician Mark Hiscock.

Mark was a founding member of the band Shanneyganock and was one of the finest and most celebrated button accordion players in this province, if not the entire country of Canada. Mark's untimely passing has left a gaping hole in our musical community – one that may never be filled.

Mr. Speaker, from the time he was a very young man, Mark was drawn to music. As his passion and artistry grew, so did his contributions to our province. He had a love for traditional Newfoundland and Labrador music and told the stories of this place and our people throughout his soulful voice and instrumental talents, and he did so with great ease. He has helped to preserve the heritage and culture of our province as we've seen generation after generation connect with his music. Last week, I saw with my own eyes, at the East Coast Music Awards, as many artists paid tribute to Mark's legacy, including his bandmates Shanneyganock who performed the opening act.

I think I can speak on behalf of all people of this province when I say our thoughts are with his wife, his family, his friends, and of course his close friends and bandmates in Shanneyganock.

Speaker, I respectfully ask that all Members of this hon. House join me in a moment of silence. May he rest in peace.

SPEAKER: I ask all Members to rise for a moment of silence.

(Moment of silence.)

SPEAKER: Thank you.

The hon. the Member for Placentia West - Bellevue.

J. DWYER: Thank you, Speaker, and I thank the minister for an advance copy of his statement.

The Official Opposition extends its sincere condolences on the passing of Mr. Mark Hiscock, a mainstay in the music industry of Newfoundland and Labrador. Our deepest sympathies go to his family, friends and his bandmates of Shanneyganock.

Mark was born and raised in Fort Amherst, a true ambassador for our province. A multi-instrumentalist and gifted performer, he became a beloved figure through his longstanding contributions to the traditional music scene.

His warm demeanor and mastery of the accordion resonated with audiences for decades. Especially during the time with Shanneyganock and through his solo work, including the heartfelt album, The Old Fishing Schooner .

Mark's love of music was evident from a young age, and he often drew inspiration from the rich cultural heritage of Newfoundland and Labrador. His songs reflected personal experiences and cherished memories and captured the spirit of our community.

As we remember Mark, we celebrate his vibrant legacy and the joy he brought to countless lives through his music.

Mark Hiscock, a true gentleman that will be sorely missed but his melodies will continue to inspire future generations.

Rest in peace, my friend.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

SPEAKER: The hon. the Member for Labrador West.

J. BROWN: Thank you, Speaker, and I thank the minister for an advance copy of his statement.

We also send our condolences to Mark Hiscock's family, his friends and his bandmates in Shanneyganock.

Newfoundland and Labrador has lost a great talent. His absence will be profoundly missed. Not only for his music, but also for his work to preserve our musical heritage. His work to pass on our musical traditions to the next generation will never be forgotten.

I echo the minister's words; may he rest in peace and thank you for his contribution to our heritage and our province.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

SPEAKER: Are there any further statements by ministers?

Oral Questions.

Oral Questions

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

T. WAKEHAM: Thank you, Speaker.

Speaker, residents of Small Point, Adam's Cove, Blackhead and Broad Cove are returning to their communities to find devastation and homes burned to the ground. Firstly, I would like to acknowledge the work of all first responders and volunteers for all their efforts during this difficult time.

In the fire evacuation in Labrador West and following Hurricane Fiona, residents were provided with emergency compensation payments.

I ask the Premier: Can these residents expect the same?

SPEAKER: The hon. the Premier.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

J. HOGAN: Thank you, Speaker.

I'm very pleased to rise today in this House as the Premier for Newfoundland and Labrador to thank everybody for their hard work over the last few days in that part of the province.

Of course, we've seen devastation with forest fires a lot more recently over the past year or so, and, unfortunately, we've seen it earlier in the season as well. I had a chance to speak to the mayor on Saturday, and I spoke to the fire chief as well on Saturday. I thanked them for all their hard work and their services they provided and advised them that the province will be there for them over the course of the next few days when they figure out the damage that has been done.

I know the Member for the area, the Minister of IET, has been out to that area as well. We'll continue to talk to them and make sure that we are there for them after they gather their thoughts and get together and see what they need in terms of help from us.

Thank you very much.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

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

T. WAKEHAM: Thank you, Speaker.

Now that the Premier has made almost everyone in his caucus a Cabinet minister, creating new departments with new mandates, I ask the Premier: Will you be amending the budget to reflect your new Cabinet structure?

SPEAKER: The hon. the Premier.

J. HOGAN: Thank you, Speaker.

The Member opposite is right, I have organized the departments in government and, of course, I've done that to make sure that this government is there to serve Newfoundlanders and Labradorians (inaudible).

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

J. HOGAN: I think what's important for us, as elected Members in this House of Assembly, is to deliver on priorities that Newfoundlanders and Labradorians – what they tell us are their priorities. This is what the departments are reflecting.

For example, Families and Affordability, there's a new department and minister responsible to make sure that families feel that they have heard from their government Members. Of course, seniors are a very important issue in this province; there is now a minister responsible for seniors.

Those are the priorities of Newfoundlanders and Labradorians; that's the priorities of this government.

Thank you, Speaker.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

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

T. WAKEHAM: Speaker, unfortunately, we've heard this song many more times before. Lots of announcements, but the fact is that they're simply lengthening the names of departments in order to make it look like they're doing something different when the Estimates prove there's nothing new. That's the challenge we have here but let me keep going for a second about some other commitments.

In November of 2024, in response to questions on the shingles vaccine, the Premier said – quote – we'll continue to rely on experts rather than make decisions here because they've been raised in the House. On March 12, this year, he voted against a resolution to provide the shingle vaccines to all seniors.

So I ask the Premier: Why did it take a Liberal leadership to change your mind on the vaccines for shingles and will you provide full coverage in this budget?

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

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

S. COADY: Thank you very much, Speaker.

The premise of the question was around budget and what's new in budget, and I'm very pleased to say there's a lot new in this budget. We've put a major focus on education. I think if the Member opposite was listening to educators in this province, he would have heard the Newfoundland and Labrador Teachers' Association, educators, Memorial University, all of them stating how important those additional supports – we're going to hire over 400 new educators and teaching assistants –

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

S. COADY: Speaker, that is significant. There's more money for health care, for example. As you know, we've put a big focus on the Health Accord in ensuring it.

I would say to the Member opposite if he looked at what we're doing in the business community for industry and energy, it is significant.

SPEAKER: The minister's time has expired.

S. COADY: Thank you.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

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

T. WAKEHAM: Speaker, my question had nothing to do with that. My question had to do with providing the shingles vaccine to seniors of our province –

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

T. WAKEHAM: – which this Premier committed to doing.

So I simply ask the Premier: Will you honour your commitment, amend your budget and pay for the shingles vaccine for seniors?

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

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

S. COADY: Thank you very much, Speaker.

I wasn't finished with the answer to my question. I mean, look at the amount of money that we're doing to grow our economy.

The premise of the question, the first part of that question, the

preamble to the first question was all about there's nothing new in budget, merely having the opportunity to tell the people in this House and the people in this province, what's new in the budget: $90 million to grow our oil and gas industry; $10 million to grow our technology industry. There's $10 million to support our restaurants.

Speaker, there's a tremendous amount of money in this budget, including money for vaccines for seniors for shingles, Speaker. That is included in this budget. There are tremendous tens of millions of dollars placed in this budget to support seniors and making sure they have the shingles vaccine.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

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

T. WAKEHAM: Speaker, once again, we have to stand here and ask the Leader of the Liberal Party, who is now the Premier of Newfoundland and Labrador, who publicly stated that he was supporting a seniors' vaccine free for anyone over the age of 50 – he now sits in the Premier's chair – will he not stand up in the House of Assembly and say yes, I intend to do that, and I will do it in this year's budget?

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

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

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

K. HOWELL: Thank you, Speaker.

It is indeed a pleasure to answer questions on behalf of the Department of Health and Community Services and on behalf of the Premier.

As we have heard over the course of the past few months, the shingles vaccine is something that's very important to seniors in this province and we've been able to build a plan that's reflective of providing that vaccine for individuals who are 65 to 70 and those who are immunocompromised.

That is the very first step in what is to be a plan that this Premier has identified as a priority for him, where we will provide this vaccine for all individuals who are identified as seniors, and we can continue to build on what has already been a good base plan.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

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

T. WAKEHAM: Speaker, the people of the Province of Newfoundland and Labrador can really clearly understand that there is nothing new here. That a commitment made is not a commitment kept.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

T. WAKEHAM: That a promise made is not a promise kept. That what you say on the campaign trail is not what you do when you have a chance in the House of Assembly to actually stand up and do something about it.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Oh, oh!

SPEAKER: Order, please!

T. WAKEHAM: So again, we have no answers.

So let me try another one. The sugar tax was brought in by this Liberal government to modify behaviour and reduce consumption. It hasn't worked.

I ask the Premier: Will you commit to the elimination of the sugar tax?

SPEAKER: The hon. the Premier.

J. HOGAN: Thank you, Speaker.

We will deliver vaccines to everybody over the age of 50 for shingles.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

J. HOGAN: As I said, affordability is a very important issue to Newfoundlanders and Labradorians and I've already written a letter to the Finance Minister to ask her to repeal the sugar tax to deal with affordability issues in the province.

So those are commitments, Speaker, and we will do what we are committed to doing, because that's what's important to Newfoundlanders and Labradorians.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

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

T. WAKEHAM: Speaker, I'm glad to hear that the Premier is finally going to get rid of the sugar tax. All of us in Newfoundland and Labrador, finally, finally –

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

T. WAKEHAM: Of course, we'll make sure that it actually happens. We'll be there to follow it.

But, Speaker, I simply ask the Premier again: When it comes to the shingles vaccine, which is so important, when will it be free for all the seniors over the age of 50?

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

K. HOWELL: Thank you, Speaker.

As I said in my last answer, this is a process that will take some time to unfold. There are a number of individuals in this province who already qualify for the vaccination. And we'll continue to build on that plan as we can expand it. Then, in time, introduce it to all seniors in Newfoundland and Labrador.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

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

T. WAKEHAM: Speaker, I don't think it takes a lot of time; it just takes a commitment. And that's what we need, a commitment.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

T. WAKEHAM: Speaker, the Comfort Inn is in the Premier's own district and it's expected to cost $13 million annually, and by the time the three-year lease is up, it is somewhere close to $40 million.

We've heard now that they're in negotiations to actually extend the contract.

So I ask the Premier: Is this true?

SPEAKER: The hon. the Minister Responsible for Newfoundland and Labrador Housing Corporation.

J. ABBOTT: Thank you, Speaker, for the opportunity to respond.

I want to congratulate the new Leader of the Liberal Party and our Premier –

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

J. ABBOTT: – a formidable foe and a wonderful colleague.

In terms of Horizons at 106, that program continues. There is no change at this point, and we are not in negotiations on any extension or renewal at this point.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

SPEAKER: The hon. the Opposition House Leader.

B. PETTEN: Thank you, Speaker.

Again, I guess there's no plan for that as well.

An LPN in Central Newfoundland who temporarily stopped working while her child was in pre-school is now seeking to rejoin the nursing workforce in a casual position to start. She was advised that only retired LPNs and students can work casual.

Minister, is this correct?

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

K. HOWELL: Thank you, Speaker.

I would remind the Members of this House of Assembly that every effort is made to make sure that anybody who wants to work in Newfoundland and Labrador in any of our health care professions, we are interested, we want to hear from them and if the Member opposite has a specific name that he's referencing, we would be happy to look into that.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

SPEAKER: The hon. the Opposition House Leader.

B. PETTEN: This is a trend, Speaker. This is not the first time we bring in personal stories and that's a great way for government sometimes to deflect it, but that's not the answer. These people are going through the process. My next question will lead into where it's gone.

This same nurse has since obtained employment as a travel nurse, while casual nurse positions continue to be advertised in her own area.

Why is it that this local nurse can work as a travel nurse at a higher cost to the province but NLHS will not hire her as a casual employee? This is factual, Minister.

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

K. HOWELL: Thank you, Speaker.

Again, I don't know the specifics of this individual or their case, but I would ask the Member opposite to present that information to me and the department and we can certainly reach out to see what type of employment there may be or what issue might have come up.

I will remind Members that we have done a tremendous amount of work to reduce the reliance on travel nurses here in Newfoundland and Labrador, and there are times when travel nurses are going to be required. I know that specifically in my district that if we did not have that resource, then we might have to cancel some services, and that's not something that we feel is appropriate as a government and we want to continue to provide services to the people of Newfoundland and Labrador.

So in times when travel nursing is the only option, we will have to avail of it but make every effort to move away from that reliance.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

SPEAKER: The hon. the Opposition House Leader.

B. PETTEN: Thank you, Speaker.

We've been hearing that forever. This is a broken system when I have to stand up in the House of Assembly and bring up personal stories and the minister is going to look into it. Imagine how many days in the House of Assembly we would have to bring up everyone's story – because this is not uncommon. Too bad we're not there more often, maybe we could bring in more stories.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

B. PETTEN: Residents in Lewisporte are hearing rumours of a shift to virtual care, while seniors are being forced to travel to Gander just to see a doctor.

Minister, where is the urgent care centre for Lewisporte?

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

K. HOWELL: Thank you, Speaker.

I would remind the Member opposite that he continues to bring up specific cases that he is aware we cannot address on the floor of the House of Assembly. So maybe if he brought those offline and used his time in the House to bring forward more important issues, then we could have actual debate about those issues.

Right now, I would remind the Members of this House and the Member opposite that we are continuing to work on resourcing rural health care centres –

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Oh, oh!

SPEAKER: Order, please!

K. HOWELL: – and I know that Lewisporte is one that has gotten some conversation over the last number of days. The reliance on virtual care has been important in some areas, and again, it's not the holy grail that we wish to operate by, but it is a viable option that works for some people. But in the event that it's not the most appropriate avenue, we'll continue to find appropriate human resources.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

SPEAKER: The hon. the Opposition House Leader.

B. PETTEN: Thank you, Speaker.

I want to remind the minister, these are important issues, and I will continue to advocate for people of this province and bring those issues into this House of Assembly every day of the week.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

B. PETTEN: The minister might discredit that they're not important. They're very important to those people, and they're very important to us, Speaker.

How can the Liberal government justify its silence while primary health care services in Lewisporte erode? Physician vacancies mounting, after-hours clinics disappearing and not even a location secured for the so-called Family Care Team announced over a year ago.

How can you explain that to people, Minister?

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

K. HOWELL: Thank you, Speaker.

First, I would like to address my previous comment. I did not mean that these issues were not important, so I retract that comment. But I do want to say that there's a time and place for those discussions, and because of privacy complications, we can't discuss that in a public forum.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Oh, oh!

SPEAKER: Order, please!

K. HOWELL: So if the Member opposite has issues, then they can definitely bring them to the department.

In terms of the HR plan and how that unfolds, we are working on our recruitment and retention efforts. We have recruited 140-plus physicians. We've recruited 1,100 registered nurses over the last number of years, and we're continuing to find ways to fill vacancies that exist in some of our more difficult-to-fill positions.

That's a plan that has been enacted as part of the Health Accord, and we'll continue to build on that work.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

SPEAKER: The hon. the Member for Torngat Mountains.

L. EVANS: Thank you, Speaker.

The priority of the Liberal government is non-resident travellers.

I ask the minister: Why did your government leave Labrador out of their provincial subsidized air travel loop? Not only are Labrador residents being discriminated against, but you have extended your discrimination to our tourists as well.

SPEAKER: The hon. the Premier.

J. HOGAN: Thank you, Speaker.

I realize that this is a very important issue to the people in Labrador. I've heard about it throughout the leadership campaign over the last little while about affordability. When I was in Labrador, in Happy Valley-Goose Bay and Lab West as well, they brought it up affordability issues, which is not just limited to, of course, air access and transportation.

I will be reaching out to people in Labrador to have conversations about how we can improve affordability and access issues over the next coming days. I'm very much looking forward to those conversations and working with people in Labrador (inaudible) –

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

SPEAKER: The hon. the Member for Torngat Mountains.

L. EVANS: Speaker, we've raised the issue of travel costs for Labradorians for years. I've been advocating since 2019.

Residents of Labrador are paying thousands of dollars for essential travel to St. John's. Travel costs are simply unaffordable. In June, a round-trip cost to St. John's for a resident in Nain or anywhere on the North Coast will cost one person over $2,000. It's shameful.

None of the $15 million supports essential air travel in Labrador, so why are tourists on the Island more important to this Liberal government than the residents of Labrador?

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

SPEAKER: The hon. the Minister of Labrador Affairs.

L. DEMPSTER: Thank you, Speaker.

I want to remind the hon. Member that it's not $15 million, that's for the whole provincial marketing program. I do agree with the Member that this is a real issue in Labrador, affordability. Last year was a difficult year on the access side, when often flights were being cancelled and we didn't have a plane. That has gotten better, but affordability is a big issue.

We're not new to the game on this. Speaker, just over the last few months, I have met with federal ministers, written federal ministers. I submitted to the Competition Bureau. I went before the standing committee and I'm really pleased to hear that the new Premier of Newfoundland and Labrador has agreed that he's going to met with folks like GBAC, he's going to met with the Chambers and I believe, Speaker, that we will find a path forward that will help us get to a better place in Labrador.

Thank you.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

SPEAKER: The hon. the Member for Torngat Mountains.

L. EVANS: It is $15 million including marketing, but for essential travel to Labrador you don't need a market because we want to fly. We need to be able to fly. It's essential travel.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

L. EVANS: It's not just Labrador that the Liberals have left behind. St. Anthony is excluded as well. Even a former Liberal Tourism minister has publicly urged the government to add both St. Anthony and Labrador to this loop for direct access to St. John's and Deer Lake.

So will the Liberal government finally admit that leaving Labrador out was a mistake?

SPEAKER: The hon. the Minister of Labrador Affairs.

L. DEMPSTER: Thank you, Speaker.

I'm not going to speak for the Minister of TCAR around the piece of work that was done on the Island. I am focused on Labrador and helping the people of Labrador get to a better place.

We recognize that we live far from services, a small population over a large land mass. Speaker, on the affordability note, that is why important programs like medical transportation that came under Labrador Affairs in budget '23, we have more than doubled the budget for medical transportation in the last three budgets.

AN HON. MEMBER: It's essential travel.

L. DEMPSTER: It is essential travel.

We recognize that the Northern Peninsula is also in a difficult situation here. That is why, Speaker, when we put in place the voucher program of 100 per cent of the first $1,000, we expanded and went back to the old Labrador-Grenfell zone and included the Northern Peninsula in that piece.

We have increased the school sport subsidies –

SPEAKER: Order, please!

The minister's time has expired.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

SPEAKER: The hon. the Member for Harbour Main.

H. CONWAY OTTENHEIMER: Thank you, Speaker.

Yes or no – will the minister create a disability advocate for persons with disabilities?

SPEAKER: The hon. the Minister Responsible for the Status of Persons with Disabilities.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

J. KORAB: Thank you, Speaker.

It's an absolute pleasure to rise here in the House of Assembly for the first time as the minister. I appreciate the question. We've got a lot of people in Newfoundland and Labrador that identify as having a disability.

Justice Robert Fowler, in a review, looked through and said that the Office of the Seniors' Advocate should also include people with disabilities. So that's something going forward when we look at how we do the advocacy groups, we'll look at how that folds into it.

So I'm looking forward to speaking with stakeholders, Speaker, and getting up to speed on this. I'm about three days into this. I look forward to it.

Thank you.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

SPEAKER: The hon. the Member for Harbour Main.

H. CONWAY OTTENHEIMER: Speaker, that review was completed in 2023 – 21 months ago. This government has had it in their possession, yet there's no movement, no action.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

H. CONWAY OTTENHEIMER: In recent Estimates meetings, the minister said – quote – we need to give priority to an advocate for persons with disabilities. He also said – and this is his quote – I've been trying to move this file along as a quick as I can.

If the minister was trying to create an advocate for persons with disabilities, why have we not seen any action on this issue?

SPEAKER: The hon. the Minister Responsible for the Status of Persons with Disabilities.

J. KORAB: Thank you, Speaker.

I appreciate the question. It is one that's very important to the people of Newfoundland and Labrador, certainly people with disabilities. As I said, brand new into this role. I wasn't at that Estimates. I look forward to getting up to speed on this, and it's something we can certainly talk about later.

Thank you.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

SPEAKER: The hon. the Member for Harbour Main.

H. CONWAY OTTENHEIMER: Speaker, there needs to be speed on this; that is true. The 2021 mandate letter directed the minister to establish an advocate for persons with disabilities. That was a decision that was made four years ago, to create an advocate, so why is there still no advocate?

We need to know when the timeline for that disability advocate is. When will it happen?

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

SPEAKER: The hon. the Minister Responsible for the Status of Persons with Disabilities.

J. KORAB: Thank you, Speaker.

Again, I'm looking forward to getting u p to speed on this, talking with stakeholders, talking with other organizations and staff.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Oh, oh!

SPEAKER: Order, please!

J. KORAB: It's a very important issue, Speaker, and it's one that needs to be addressed, we need to look at. So I'm committed to doing that, and that's what we'll do.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

SPEAKER: The hon. the Member for Ferryland.

L. O'DRISCOLL: Thank you, Speaker.

Just move around the ministers so we don't get an answer, that's what it seems like.

Last November, the minister did not know how many elevators had expired inspection certificates, and now we learn today, 65 per cent of inspections across the province still haven't been completed.

How can the minister justify leaving thousands of people using uninspected elevators every single day?

SPEAKER: The hon. the Minister of Government Modernization and Service Delivery.

S. STOODLEY: Thank you, Speaker.

In the Estimates this morning, that did come up, but one of the public servants, Speaker, did talk about how elevator inspections work. Every year, the organization or the building or the building manager has to get a certificate.

Currently, Speaker, we have three full-time elevator inspectors, so I just want to thank those public servants for their hard work across Newfoundland and Labrador. We are working on a system whereby contractors or companies can engage with a private contractor to get that yearly elevator inspection done, Speaker.

We do, Speaker –

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Oh, oh!

SPEAKER: Order, please!

S. STOODLEY: Thank you, Speaker.

Happy to discuss this further.

Thank you.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

SPEAKER: The hon. the Member for Ferryland.

L. O'DRISCOLL: Thank you, Speaker.

I guess 65 per cent is not alarming? So somebody should be asking that question, why they're not done. Okay, we're waiting on inspections, then hire more people to get them done. I mean that's obvious.

These elevators are used in schools, shopping centres and hospitals every single day. Thousands of people are using hundreds of unsafe elevators.

When is the minister going to take action to ensure public safety?

SPEAKER: The hon. the Minister of Government Modernization and Service Delivery.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Oh, oh!

SPEAKER: Order, please!

S. STOODLEY: Speaker, I do feel it important to clarify for anyone watching that the characterization of the elevator inspections is completely inaccurate. There are regular, routine inspections required, and we are changing the system so that people who operate elevators can have a private contractor, one of the elevator experts, do that inspection.

Speaker, our department, we prioritize, we have a risk-based approach to prioritize the elevators that our team inspects. Any elevator at risk is inspected, Speaker. Any elevator installed for the first time, Speaker. Any elevator that's been fixed and placed back on the market is prioritized, Speaker.

At the moment, we are doing a good job of inspecting elevators in terms of the priority and where the biggest risk is.

Thank you, Speaker.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Oh, oh!

SPEAKER: Order, please!

It's getting hard to hear Members speak.

The hon. the Member for Ferryland.

L. O'DRISCOLL: Sixty-five per cent is still a bad number – still a bad number. If it's not done, they just take down the inspections out of the elevators and put them in a security office. That's not acceptable.

Now that engineering drawings for the new breakwater on the lower coast in Trepassey are complete, can the minister confirm when the project will be tendered and will it be in time to prevent another costly winter for the Town of Trepassey?

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

SPEAKER: The hon. the Minister for Transportation and Infrastructure.

E. LOVELESS: To the question from the hon. Member, my understanding is that is very close. I believe it's in the vicinity of $900,000 of work that's going to be done, and that'll be happening very soon in terms of awarding.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

SPEAKER: The hon. the Leader of the Third Party.

J. DINN: Thank you, Speaker.

Speaker, in February 2024, the former premier appointed the Member for Conception Bay East - Bell Island as minister for a newly established separate Department of Housing to elevate the debate of Cabinet and give housing even closer attention.

I ask the Premier: Are we to assume that by reversing that separate status –

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Oh, oh!

SPEAKER: Order, please!

J. DINN: – he is signalling that homelessness and affordable housing are no longer priorities for this government?

SPEAKER: The hon. the Minister Responsible for Newfoundland and Labrador Housing Corporation.

J. ABBOTT: Speaker, thank you for the opportunity to respond.

It's unfortunate the way the Member ended up with his question. Housing and homelessness is a priority of this government and will continue to be so. Obviously, we have a new federal government who's also identified housing as a key priority. So we will be working very closely over the weeks and months and years ahead to make sure we address to the full extent the housing and homelessness challenges in this province.

We're currently building new homes. We are currently expanding our shelters and supportive housing programs. We will continue to make sure housing and homelessness are a priority for this government for years to come.

Thank you, Speaker.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

SPEAKER: The hon. the Leader of the Third Party.

J. DINN: Speaker, a little over a year ago, the Premier's newly appointed Minister Responsible for Newfoundland and Labrador Housing criminalized homelessness by forcibly evicting unhoused individuals from the grounds of the Colonial Building and making it illegal to set up tents on the government property. There was no plan to make sure that the residents out of Tent City had a place to live.

So I ask the Premier: Why should the people in this province have confidence that this minister will now act any differently?

SPEAKER: The hon. the Minister Responsible for Newfoundland and Labrador Housing Corporation.

J. ABBOTT: Again, Speaker, thank you for the opportunity.

I mean, you can reduce events of last year in terms of the tent encampments here in the city. I believe the work we did with the community to address those issues stood the test of time.

Tent encampments are not a solution to homelessness. There is no reason why we should have or do have tent encampments in this province. And I, as minister, will make sure to the degree that is humanly possible that there will be none.

Now, what does that require? It requires investment in housing, it requires investment in supportive housing, and that is exactly what we are doing. We will continue to do that.

For the Member to say that that's our focus in terms of tent encampments (inaudible) absolutely not.

SPEAKER: Order, please!

The hon. minister's time has expired.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

SPEAKER: The hon. the Leader of the Third Party.

J. DINN: Just to be clear, I object to tent encampments too, and the lack of a plan by this government.

Speaker, a recent ATIPP shows the number of non-profit shelters has increased from 521 in 2019 to 1,134 in 2025, and the number of private shelters from 243 to 362. In that same time frame, spending on shelters tripled from just over $4 million to almost $15 million.

I ask the minister: What is his plan to get people into deeply affordable homes and reduce spending on shelters to pre-2019 levels?

SPEAKER: The hon. the Minister Responsible for Newfoundland and Labrador Housing Corporation.

J. ABBOTT: Again, Speaker, thank you for the opportunity.

Of course, quoting certain facts doesn't necessarily tell, obviously, the full story. I think we can all appreciate, through the COVID period and subsequently, the housing and homelessness situation in this province, in this country and in North America, changed significantly.

I think we are in a very good place here in Newfoundland and Labrador in grasping the issues, addressing them head-on and making sure we got the right programs and services in place. The Minister of Finance has continued to provide funding to the Housing Corporation, and for housing programs to address the issues that the Member has identified, and we will continue to do that.

We are bringing down those numbers, and we will continue to do so. We have reduced our wait-list at Newfoundland and Labrador Housing Corporation and we will continue to do that as well.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

SPEAKER: The hon. the Leader of the Third Party.

J. DINN: Thank you, Speaker.

To summarize, we have a government that criminalized homelessness, overspent leasing of the airport inn from their friends, increased shelter spending by millions, refuses to implement rent control on large financialized landlords to deal with skyrocketing rents, misinformed the public on the amount of houses built and have now deleted the housing department.

I ask the Premier: When will you get serious about dealing with the housing crisis?

SPEAKER: The hon. the Minister Responsible for Newfoundland and Labrador Housing Corporation.

J. ABBOTT: Speaker, again, thank you for the opportunity.

Again, the way that the Member has characterized what government has been doing, I think, is totally less than inaccurate. It's really definitely misleading, and to say we're criminalizing homelessness is totally, really, off the charts. That is something we are not doing, we will not do and, obviously, should not do.

Housing is a right and we are making sure that we can meet the needs of individuals where they are. We've expanded the Gathering Place and making sure we have supportive housing there. We have Horizons at 106, which is a transitional housing, which is what the community asked for and that's what we put in place. We have supportive housing in Gander; that's what the community has asked for. We are looking at other –

SPEAKER: Order, please!

The minister's time has expired.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

SPEAKER: The time for Oral Questions has expired.

J. DINN: Point of order, Speaker.

SPEAKER: Point of order.

The hon. the Leader of the Third Party.

J. DINN: I think the minister, in referring to my comments, said that I was misleading.

Now, I think you've ruled on this numerous times that that is indeed unparliamentary. So I would ask, then, that the Member withdraw that word.

Thank you.

SPEAKER: I didn't clearly hear the word being said, but I will review it and review Hansard and report back to the House.

Presenting Reports by Standing and Select Committees.

Presenting Reports by Standing and Select Committees

SPEAKER: The hon. the Member for Grand Falls-Windsor - Buchans.

C. TIBBS: Thank you, Speaker.

Speaker, pursuant to the motion of referral of April 9, 2025, in accordance with Standing Order 72, the Social Services Committee met on five occasions: April 9, 2025; April 11, 2025; April 14, 2025; April 16, 2025; and May 5, 2025.

The Social Services Committee have considered the matters to them referred pursuant to Standing Order 75(2) and directed me to report that they have passed without amendment the Estimates of the Department of Children, Seniors and Social Development; the Department of Education; the Department of Health and Community Services; the Department of Justice and Public Safety; the Department of Municipal and Provincial Affairs; and the Newfoundland and Labrador Housing Corporation.

Further, the Committee recommends that the report be concurred in.

Thank you, Speaker.

SPEAKER: Further reports by Standing and Select Committees?

The hon. the Member for Mount Pearl North.

L. STOYLES: Speaker, pursuant to the motion of referral of April 9, 2025, and in accordance with Standing Order 72, the Government Services Committee met on five occasions: April 10, 2025; April 14, 2025; April 15, 2025; April 17, 2025; and May 12, 2025.

The Government Services Committee has considered the matters to them referred and pursuant to Standing Order 75(2) have directed me to report that they have passed without amendments the Estimates of the Consolidated Funds Services; Digital Government and Service NL; Department of Finance; Department of Labrador Affairs; the Public Procurement Agency; the Public Service Commission; and the Department of Transportation and Infrastructure.

Further, the Committee recommends the report be concurred in.

SPEAKER: Thank you.

The hon. the Member for Bonavista.

C. PARDY: Thank you, Speaker.

Pursuant to the motion of referral on April 9, 2025, and in accordance with Standing Order 72, the Resource Committee met on five occasions in 2025 on the following dates: April 10, 11, 15, 17 and on May 5.

The Resource Committee have considered the matters to them referred and pursuant to Standing Order 75(2) have directed me to report that they have passed without amendment the Estimates of the following: Department of Environment and Climate Change; Department of Fisheries, Forestry and Agriculture; Department of Immigration, Population Growth and Skills; Department of Industry, Energy and Technology; and the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts and Recreation.

Further, the Committee recommends that the report be concurred in.

SPEAKER: Thank you.

Are there any further presenting reports by Standing and Select Committees?

Tabling of Documents.

Notices of Motion.

Notices of Motion

SPEAKER: The hon. the Member for Labrador West.

J. BROWN: Thank you, Speaker.

Speaker, I give notice of the following private Member's motion, which will be seconded by the Member for Bay of Islands:

WHEREAS Labrador is an integral part of the province; and

WHEREAS geography dictates that Labradorians must rely on air travel for many non-tourist reasons such as education, bereavement leave, visiting sick loved ones or medical treatment that is not covered under the Medical Transportation Assistance Program; and

WHEREAS the cost of travel to and from Labrador is prohibitively expensive; and

WHEREAS the cost of living in Labrador is already higher than the rest of the province and these extra travel fees create an additional burden on people's household budgets; and

WHEREAS the differential in travel costs for people on the Island and in Labrador puts the latter at a disadvantage, and

WHEREAS Labrador is a strong economic driver of this province and justice therefore demands that Labradorians should not experience any added economic hardship solely on the basis of geography;

This will be the motion that will be debated on Wednesday.

SPEAKER: Thank you.

Are there any further notices of motion?

The hon. the Government House Leader.

L. DEMPSTER: Thank you, Speaker.

I give notice that I will on tomorrow move the following resolution:

BE IT RESOLVED by the House of Assembly as follows:

WHEREAS

section 7 of the House of Assembly Accountability, Integrity and Administration Act provides that upon nomination by the House of Assembly, the Clerk of the House of Assembly shall be appointed by the Lieutenant-Governor in Council by Commission under the Great Seal.

THEREFORE

BE IT RESOLVED that Kim Hawley George, KC, be nominated for immediate appointment as Clerk of the House of Assembly.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

SPEAKER: Are there any further notices of motion?

Answers to Questions for which Notice has been Given.

Petitions.

Petitions

SPEAKER: The hon. the Member for Ferryland.

L. O'DRISCOLL: Thank you, Speaker.

The background to this petition is as follows:

The breakwater on the Lower Coast in Trepassey is in urgent need of repair. This breakwater is necessary to protect the one and only access road to the lower coast.

Therefore, we petition the House of Assembly as follows: We urge the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador to complete the necessary repairs and install a more durable and sustainable breakwater.

Speaker, I've certainly spoken on this a number of times and had a question in Question Period as well. We met with the former minister back in October. So what do we have, six, seven months ago? The town hasn't heard a word since – not a word.

They got an email the other day – what's today? Today is Monday. I'm going to say Thursday they got an email to say okay, here is the design that they're doing. No talk with the town – they're not engineers – trying to let the town know what's happening up there. They haven't had any person speak to them since October.

The breakwater has been gone since February the previous year, and it's just not acceptable. They were supposed to go up and do temporary repairs up in Trepassey over the winter before the winter started. When we spoke in October, they were supposed to go up and do some temporary repairs as we spoke and nothing has been done. Not a rock turned over, nothing.

And when I met with the Town of Trepassey – where do they stand? They have to go every time there's a storm – it's not winter now, okay, not a very great day out. But if you get a storm surge up there again, and it doesn't have to be a great storm surge, rocks are coming out over the road. They have to go down and clean it off. They have to hire equipment to do it.

I had asked previously when the government was there if they could use the depot that's in the town to go down with the loader and push the rocks back, but no, they couldn't do that. So the town is responsible, a small town, for this infrastructure. They had to put it up there. They put out a tender to say what went wrong with it. They got that back. Now they have it out on tender again, and I think the minister said today that it was a $900,000 project, which is fine, but it would be nice to be able to see the proof in the pudding to explain to the town what they're doing and if they have any questions or concerns with it, but that hasn't happened to my knowledge.

So I'm asking the minister to give us a full update on what they are doing and when the breakwater is expected to start.

Thank you, Speaker.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

SPEAKER: The hon. the Member for Exploits.

P. FORSEY: Thank you, Speaker.

Speaker, residents of the Exploits District are concerned with the lack of police representation in the district. A review in 2019 suggested two additional officers for the region. That didn't happen; it was ignored.

We, the undersigned, call upon the House of Assembly to urge the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador to provide funding to ensure adequate policing in the Central area.

Speaker, I've brought this to the attention of the House before. Lack of policing in the Exploits District, throughout the Central area, it's certainly noticed amongst the residents. I get calls lots of times, and I'm talking to people about the safety they feel in their own homes. Lots of people home now are even scared. Seniors are even scared now in their own homes. Crime is on the rise. If they call for police activity, they're just wondering if they'll show up, when they'll show up, or if they'll show up at all, because of the lack of policing in the district.

Now, with the big geographic area that we have in the Central area and the Exploits District, that area, yes, they do the best they can with the resources they have, and they act promptly and efficiently as they can. But that's not always the case when somebody needs access to police at that time. Because when they call they're afraid, lots of times, by the time the police get to the area that they're supposed to be, the crime has already happened, probably the thieves or whatever re already gone so that there's nothing found.

We certainly need some more attention put on policing in the Central area. We certainly need more officers. We need an adequate supply of resources so that the safety of the general public in the Exploits District is brought up to standards and people in the Exploits District feel more comfortable and safe in their own home.

Thank you, Speaker.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

SPEAKER: Orders of the Day.

Orders of the Day

SPEAKER: The hon. the Government House Leader.

L. DEMPSTER: Thank you, Speaker.

I call from the Order Paper, seconded by the Minister of Industry, Energy and Technology, Concurrence on the Resource Committee.

SPEAKER: First speaker?

The hon. the Minister of Jobs, Immigration and Growth.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

G. BYRNE: Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker, to all Members of the hon. House.

I want to rise on this occasion, Concurrence in our budget, because it is one of the most spectacular budgets that I have witnessed in the 11 years that we have been here, in terms of the investments in things that are required for Newfoundland and Labrador's solid growth.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

G. BYRNE: My Department of Jobs, Immigration and Growth have been greatly impacted to the positive in these investments, but I also want to acknowledge, at this point in time, some of the work that I was able to achieve with an incredible team of professionals, people who are dedicated in the Department of Fisheries, Forestry and Agriculture.

It is now being led by the second ever female Minister of Fisheries in Newfoundland and Labrador. I look at the team within our fisheries community. The president of the Association for Seafood Producers is now a competition, capable woman. The president of the FFAW, a competent, credible and incredibly passionate woman taking the helm of that job and now a woman doing the job as Minister of Fisheries, it shows that this industry is really embracing the future and embracing the fact that women have an incredible capacity to lead, to show progress and are being respected by the leaders of this province.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

G. BYRNE: Mr. Speaker, my appreciation goes out to all of the professional team at Fisheries, Forestry and Agriculture. This is a small group of people, but a mighty, mighty team that has had such a positive impact on the entire province. It's their leadership that has inspired me.

As I think of this department and its impact on rural Newfoundland and Labrador, there's not a community or a region in this province that is not guided, led and listened to by the team at the Department of Fisheries, Forestry and Agriculture. But that goes right to the doorstep of Confederation Building, when I think of O'Brien Farm, when I think of Mount Scio Farm, when I think of Goulds, when I think of all of the agriculture activity that occurs in this province, when I think of all the fisheries activity right down at St.

John's Harbour, when I think of all of the different activities that occur from an investment point of view, from forestry, this is truly a department and a group of industries that impacts the entire Province of Newfoundland and Labrador.

But with that said, and I look back at the tenure and the accomplishments of the last while, when I look at what's happened within the – and I'll start within the Department of Agriculture, the Agriculture branch which includes Crown Lands. For the very first time in five decades, 50 years that a transformative exercise has occurred in looking at the way we administer, the way we promote and the way we provide resolve for good title to Crown lands in our province has taken a fundamental, positive change that has not been seen in five decades, since the Lands Act was first proclaimed on January 1, 1977.

I look at those changes, everything from providing a pathway for good title to primary residential properties; for providing a shortened, streamlined, easier approach for

section 36: adverse possession, squatters' right claim; for providing a basis for an appeal. For those who do not feel that the evidence has been properly heard on

section 36 claims, there is now an independent appeal process that will be put in place. When I look at certificates of dispossession, making sure that large areas of clearly disposed land, disposed from the Crown, in communities throughout the Province of Newfoundland and Labrador, there is now a pathway for that clarity. We also look at the fact that the administration process for regular, normal Crown lands applications and administration is now streamlined. That has been a positive, positive change.

So the five keys principles or pillars of Crown lands reform are well under way and I want to thank the team and all the input for making that happen. In my opinion, it's probably the story of all stories of 2024.

Also within the branch of Agriculture is a renewed focus on growing our own food, food self-sufficiency, looking at strategic, targeted ways to be able to do that; but always with a view of supporting incumbent farmers but encouraging new farmers, new entrants into agriculture. Everything from looking at beef cattle production, increasing our beef cattle production, increasing production of varietals, untapped or undiscovered varietals for Newfoundland and Labrador.

But the gem, the true gem in the crown of agriculture in our province, to my mind, will always be Wooddale and the centre for research and development in forestry and agriculture at Wooddale. This is an amazing facility, with an amazing group of professionals and team, that are putting together a program which is unseen anywhere in the entire country, which is our transplant program.

We are producing four million vegetable transplants for distribution to commercial farmers throughout the entire province. We're working with them to use this template, to use this as a pilot project whereby they actually grown their own, increase their own transplant productions while we continue on with maintaining a strong transplant production operation in Wooddale so that we are always thinking of that growth.

Mr. Speaker, when I think of the transformative efforts within forestry, many will call forestry activity in Newfoundland and Labrador a mature, sunset industry. That is far from the truth. We're looking at diversification. We're looking at using our wood fibre not only for its traditional sources in paper and in lumber, but also using it for bioenergy, for alternative projects, everything from stronger and better production of consumer products in Newfoundland and Labrador but also making sure that our waste, we're being more efficient with all of that. All of this comes with support from Budget 2025 .

So when I look at agriculture, I look at Crown Lands, I look at forestry, I look at all of the new initiatives that are coming forward, then I'm left with certain pride and satisfaction with the 2025 fishery of this year and the positive start to the 2025 crab fishery.

We saw a lot of uncertainty, a lot of concern, a lot of discontent in 2024. We were able to work with our harvesters, work with the entire industry to create stability, to create certainty and to get boats out on the water in 2025. That is something that I'm very, very proud of. Using elements of the 10-point plan, increasing competitiveness, putting constraints on corporate concentration and adapting to and embracing free enterprise has been the key and that is integral, intertwined into our 10-point plan.

We've actually gone even beyond the 10-point plan, as many Members will be aware that we introduced a special program, a special processing pathway for additional processing licences in the crab industry.

Never been attempted before, to my recollection, since limited entry or processing licences were put in place, where we brought forward an opportunity, a pathway, that where a group of harvesters who represent 4.5 million pounds of crab quota collectively amongst the group of harvesters, where they bring forward a business plan that informs that their proposal will likely succeed, where they come forward with a business arrangement amongst themselves which is cooperative, which works in partnership with all of its members, they will be granted a primary crab processing licence.

Why do we do that? To even the table. To even the side to of that equation. Where crab harvesters have access to their own quota, who want to be involved to become more vertically integrated into their own business, who could possibly put up a reasonably minded objection to having that occur. Because, I will say this, I think we're all very aware that it's happening on the processor side where the processors have arrangements which provide a certain guiding hand to processors through financial arrangements.

They have that ability to guide harvesting enterprises and have certain levels of control over harvesting enterprises. Well, through HELP, through our Harvester Enterprise Loan Program to harvesters, we are turning the tide on that relationship, creating a greater, a more effective way to create independence. Now, with this additional pathway for a primary processing licence granted to a collective of harvesters who come together in an incorporated body, an incorporated interest, they now create greater independence for their own opportunities.

We're going even farther than that, Mr. Speaker. I just recently announced a program whereby those processors who do not have a primary crab processing licence, who have been involved in value-added crab processing for some time, who have shown their commitment to increasing jobs and value from our fishery, instead of having to go through a middle buyer of the processor, they will now be granted a primary processing licence to the amount to the level that they are creating value added from that crab.

That simply makes sense as well, because if we're going to say we want to encourage not only secondary processing but value-added processing, which creates more jobs from an already pre-established amount of resource – we're creating more jobs using the resources that we have – well then, that makes good sense.

So, Mr. Speaker, I want to say, hats off to all of the professional team at Fisheries, Forestry and Agriculture for guiding me, for providing support, for providing support to this government. I will say this and I'll say this unconditionally and without any, any, any quibble, we're now guided by the best Minister of Fisheries, Forestry and Agriculture in a woman of Labrador, a daughter of Labrador, who has now really taken the helm and making sure that the progress that has been started will be even far surpassed in the future and in the coming days, weeks, months and years ahead. So congratulations to the Member for Cartwright - L'Anse au Clair.

As minister responsible for the Public Procurement Agency, I entered that job at a particularly – that's normally been rather quiet agency in that it's professionally run, rules based, providing incredible professional services. I was responsible for that ministry at a time when tariffs, US tariffs and Chinese tariffs, rose to the fore.

Unanticipated but yet there, and the Public Procurement Agency was there to work with stakeholders to not only use existing provisions within the Public Procurement Act , but also to create new pathways, new opportunities, new ways, administrative ways, to ensure that we buy local and local first where we provide preference to local suppliers, and whereby we create competitiveness, and industry and economic opportunities for us here at home.

So in my former role as the minister responsible for the Public Procurement Agency, I also want to say to everyone within that team, thank you for your hard work, your dedication, but also for the insight and forethought for those who designed the Public Procurement Act some years ago to be able to positively respond to the unanticipated challenge of 2025.

The act was drafted and presented on the floor of this House by this government some years ago and provided us with all of the necessary tools to be able to make the necessary pivots to be able to respond to what has been a totally unprecedented and totally unexpected and unanticipated chain of events with tariffs coming from what was formerly our greatest trading partner and our most trusted ally.

As Prime Minister Mark Carney recently said, as a result of these tariffs, and the threats of them, we will never, ever, ever, ever be able to look with complacency to our relationship with the United States, and as it formerly existed, our trade, political and security relationship with the United States is over. With that said, we'll continue to do business with the United States, but on our terms, promoting our interests, and that's one of the reasons why, Mr. Speaker, I was very delighted to promote, in that process, a greater trade diversification initiative both in forestry and in fisheries to be able to make sure that we look at new markets across the board.

So with that said, we've done an incredible amount of work. More to do. I want to say a special thank you, as well, to all of the harvesters who I've developed a long-tenured relationship with of friendship, but in particular I want to point out to Mr. John Efford, who's no stranger to Members of this House but, also, who's name echoes large throughout this House. The son of the former Fisheries minister, who has always provided great counsel and great leadership to us. His son today, John Efford Junior, is doing exactly that, and I want to say thank you to John Efford Junior for all of his counsel.

I also want to say to Dwan Street, to Jason Sullivan, to Jason Spingle and to all of the inshore council, to all of the members of the FFAW, keep up the fight. Keep up the great work and always keep your eye on the ball as you've always done. The fishery is changing. We need thoughtful, insightful focus to be able to make sure that it changes to the best interests of our communities, our industry and the people who gain their livelihood from our fisheries. As I always say, if the fishermen aren't working, nobody is working in our fishery. I'm always focused on that.

With that said, now with the new Department of Jobs, Immigration and Growth, I'm particularly excited to take on this challenge. For me, it means back to a familiar spot but with a better direction and a renewed focus from our new Premier, who really is focusing on all the opportunities that are available to us; focusing on strategic initiatives in immigration, focusing on strategic initiatives in jobs and growth opportunities, looking at the training opportunities of today and tomorrow.

When I look at all of the things that are happening in the technology sector, the information technology sector, the energy sector, I felt somewhat almost overwhelmed by the opportunities that are there before us, but I also stand and stand firm with the notion that core to our province is also our trades. Our apprentices, our apprenticeship programs, our journeypersons, our trades are the ones who have built the foundations to our province in all sectors of our economy, whether it be in construction, mining or energy.

Across the board, I really will be putting a fine focus and strategic view to getting even greater, stronger access to trades training, trades apprenticeship and trades results; because, when you look at what is before us, not only in terms of some of our huge energy projects from new opportunities that were relatively unheard of just a few short years ago, such as wind and hydrogen and ammonia, but projects that have been before us for a long time but unable to be unearthed, unable to be untapped, unable to be unshackled.

When you look at our Churchill Falls opportunity, time for investment in trades is here and now is the time to plan for it. When I look at mines and critical minerals, the future is nothing but up, up, up, and that's where this government is going. We're responding to the opportunities that are before us, forecasting where they are but acting immediately to get the job done.

When I look at Immigration, I want to salute the Member for Mount Scio who has been steadfast in supporting all aspects of our immigration program throughout the last number of months and years of her tenure as Member of this House. We cracked an incredible glass ceiling when, for the first time in literally decades since the 1970s, the population of Newfoundland and Labrador started to grow from previous years.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

G. BYRNE: A time when new, young children and the enrolment in our K-to-12 system actually increased year over year because of more kids in our communities. At a time when new jobs were being filled with skills that came from outside of our province, skills that were not able to necessarily be filled right now from within our province, joined by an incredible training system to develop those skills in our province.

SPEAKER: Order, please!

The minister's time has expired.

G. BYRNE: Oh no. Say it's not so.

SPEAKER: The hon. the Member for Placentia West - Bellevue.

J. DWYER: Thank you, Speaker.

It's always a great honour to stand in this House and represent the people of Placentia West - Bellevue. In concurrence, my role in the Official Opposition is the shadow Cabinet minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts and Recreation. That will be the topic of my discussion today.

First of all, I'd like to thank the people of the public service that work in the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts and Recreation, in that, their efforts are not going unnoticed. With the new ideas, with having Celebrate NL and things like that, it gives us an opportunity to really market our province in a positive way if we go about it the right way. I really do believe that the $1.2 billion that is currently realized in the tourism sector can easily go to $3 billion given the fact that we have such a unique product and as long as we get it out there in the right fashion, I think that the increase is pretty much a guarantee.

This past week we had the East Coast Music Awards. I was fortunate enough to attend on behalf of the Official Opposition and make some real good connections. To listen to the people that are in these awards shows that are organizing, that are pulling it off and I will commend them because the experience, I guess, at the gala on Thursday night was pretty spectacular. It was a showcase really, of what Newfoundland and Labrador has to offer, and there were a lot of our artists that won awards.

I was so proud of them and, like I said, the performances were second to none, but the guts that Shanneyganock showed to open the show was truly unbelievable. It just shows the resilience and the fortitude that we have as Newfoundlanders and Labradorians. My hats go off to them as well.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

J. DWYER: Thank you.

I also attended, within the last couple of months, the conference for Hospitality Newfoundland and Labrador, and boy, I tell you, it's eye opening every year to realize the tremendous product that we're putting out there and the innovation and stuff that people are coming up with. That's where, I guess as the shadow Cabinet minister, I push the department a little bit to make sure that we're not leaving any stones unturned and no opportunities left untapped.

So to me, Hospitality Newfoundland and Labrador did have a big part really, in the ECMAs. That was the first part of my subject, and it's nice to see that the accommodations and everything, it's the community is the driving force. We have a great product to offer when it comes to lodging and food and amenities that people can avail of.

So it's important, again, to make sure that we're putting our best foot forward, we're marketing our province in the right way and we're tapping into the talent that is here, because I don't think that it's really a sector that needs to have any ivory tower decisions. They need to have support from government and the Official Opposition.

But, in saying that, we can really market our product quite well and the people, artisans, everything, the music, the culture, our heritage alone speaks for itself. We've been here for over 500 years. As the minister prior to me spoke a lot about the fishery, that's really what we were built on, was the fishery. But as we diversify, tourism, culture, arts and recreation is something that we can really build on.

I don't think tourism will ever come to a fruition. We have to keep bringing ideas forward, because nobody has the silver bullet of how everything works or anything. But if we get all the experts together and we work together, then I think that's the whole point, is that we can make it that much more of a better product and a more viable product that people love to come see and come to partake in.

So, like I said, the products speak for themselves. We have from world-renown chefs to very highly sought after accommodations, and when they get here, they're certainly looking to understand our culture and how we do things. The Rooms itself is a tremendous opportunity for anybody that's coming to our province. The Sealers museum also is worth a visit. There are so many different implementations of opportunities for us to – I don't like using the word exploit because that brings a negative connotation, but to avail of and to tap into and make sure that we're giving it every opportunity to succeed, because of the support that we offer.

We can talk about the East Coast Music Awards, the Junos. We can talk about Hospitality Newfoundland. We can talk about all the entities of our province and what we have to offer, and be very, very proud. Because it's significant, compared to the rest of the world, of what we have to offer with such a small population. The talent here in Newfoundland and Labrador is second to none. I can say that first-hand for the simple fact that when I go to other areas of the world, I always want to make sure that I'm taking in aspects of their heritage and their culture. That's the kind of stuff that everybody needs to do.

And we bring that stuff back and accentuate those positives and see how we can improve our industry through that.

But one of the biggest issues for the tourism industry is obviously getting people here. It's about the air travel; it's about Marine Atlantic. Those two things are more costly than anywhere else in the country and I think that it's time, really, for our federal government to realize that Marine Atlantic and air travel is really our extension to the Trans-Canada Highway. No different than it is for somebody from New Brunswick to go to Nova Scotia; no different than it is for somebody from Ontario to go to Manitoba.

So if we're fully booked on Marine Atlantic and we don't have any more berths to offer people, then is there going to be some kind of levy or something put in between the other borders of the provinces in order for them to be on an equal playing field with us when it comes to developing our tourism, culture, arts and recreation?

We can attract everybody we want to come to our shores, including this summer we're going to have the Canada Games. One of the things that I was able to do down at the Hospitality Newfoundland and Labrador conference was I had a chat with the gentleman who runs our Airport Authority, a very astute man, I'm glad he's in place because he understands that industry.

What he would like from us, I guess, as the people who are bringing those things here is more communication in the fact of give us the dates of when we're going to have larger conferences, like the Canada Games, that way they can assure that there are going to be more flights available at that time. It's all part and parcel, to go back to the marketing aspect of our province.

When it comes to Marine Atlantic, I think that's the understanding is that when we joined Confederation, that was put into place. It's a very unique service for the simple fact that some people want to have that travel. I will say that last year at the Placentia Bay Industrial Showcase, I actually met the captain of the Ala'suinu. It's a female from Placentia; she was the keynote speaker – actually, I'm getting goosebumps thinking about her. She is so impressive, just the fortitude and what she's overcome to become a skipper on a big ship like that. I'm not sure if I could do it to be quite honest. I can imagine the amount of fortitude she had to have being in such a male-dominated industry.

But she has no complaints. She's a go-getter. I was so proud to meet her. To listen to her keynote address was really all encompassing when it comes to somebody delving into an industry that's male dominated. We see that everywhere. As the former speaker said about our fishery and the minister and stuff like that, this is an industry that now understands that females can be part of that, too, and I support that. That's the whole point is that I always say – and one of my biggest things for me is that we're all in this together. There's nobody that has the silver bullet or all the answers or anything like that. So that's why I always make myself available to be part of the discussion.

When I get invited to that, I'm firm believer in the fact that the Lord gave us one mouth and two ears for a reason. We should be listening twice as much as we speak. When I go into these meetings, I always have, I guess, something to add on behalf of the Official Opposition, but it's that opportunity to network that, I think, we're missing that we need to really extenuate and tap into.

Because creating a network is one thing but then once we create the network and we have all the right players in the right room, the networking needs to occur where it's not about the one individual or whoever came up with the idea or anything like that. It's not about pats on the back. It's about getting the job done and looking out for an industry that has so much potential.

I mean, it's something that's not new to us but, I think the way we looked at travel for our province was really our opportunities to go elsewhere in the world but then to attract as many as we can seems to be the impetus that we've looked at over the last probably 20, 25 years and really made a stronger focus. Again, when Marine Atlantic has no berths and people are calling to come to our province and they're not able to, then that to me is a bit of an issue.

It's a major issue because if Marine Atlantic is full and we have the opportunity to still bring other people here, I don't want to be turning away anybody. Therefore, I think it'd be very important that Marine Atlantic and the Airport Authority work with each other so that we can bring people into Newfoundland and Labrador and include the Labrador portion of our province to make sure that it's not looked at from years gone past, as I just alluded to, about us getting in and out of our jurisdiction.

It's about being able to attract people because it's not too expensive, or it's average compared to all the other provinces and things like that.

But when we don't have any berths left on the Marine Atlantic, I think there needs to be an opportunity – from our federal counterparts as well – to open up a larger network for air travel that's a little bit cheaper. The thing is that if we have the network and we have the ability to move people into our province, then I don't think it needs to be subsidized for the simple fact that the customers are there. They don't mind paying their way, but when we don't have an available way for them to get here or it's absolutely too expensive compared to going to other jurisdictions even in our own country, then that becomes very prohibitive for our Tourism, Culture, Arts and Recreation Department.

For me, we're going to host the Canada Games this summer. That's a great opportunity for us to network with many people from across this beautiful country, and it gives us an opportunity to find out where Newfoundland can fit in their plan, what their province is doing because maybe we can work together and play off each other.

Instead of holding the cards so close to the chest and looking at competitive advantage, when we open up our cards for everybody to see – and we learned this through coaching in hockey, but the thing is that when you open up and everybody knows your competitive advantage, then the thing is it kind of pushes you to fine-tune it and make it your own. There's nothing wrong with anybody else utilizing that because it's a great idea because it might increase their business.

So that's how we get from our $1.2 billion right now to $3 billion. I think we can do that in short order through marketing, creating a network and doing the networking. If you're going to do the marketing and you're going to create a network, if you're not going to get the networking done, then everything falls flat, and we don't get to really tap in and make a showcase for our great products that we have.

Again, the volunteers that are signing up to do all these major events, like we just witnessed with the East Coast Music Awards, those are the people that we need to make – let them have the information; let them understand what we have to offer from Signal Hill until you get on the boat in Port aux Basques type of thing, and all the way up to the tip of Labrador.

We have so much potential but the whole Tourism, Culture, Arts and Recreation Department is so dependent on our people. I will be honest, it is so appreciative that they get on board and they do volunteer and they do speak so highly of our province, because positivity begets positivity. They get to take that home and do great things with it.

The last thing I'll touch on in my last three minutes is that we talked about how air travel and Marine Atlantic can come together and work together. We're talking about how –

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Oh, oh!

SPEAKER: Order, please!

The level of conversation on the floor is getting really loud. It's getting difficult to hear the Member speak. I ask all Members to try and keep the level down a little bit.

The hon. the Member for Placentia West - Bellevue.

J. DWYER: Thank you, Speaker.

I appreciate that because what I'm talking about actually does deserve everybody's attention. It affects every point and part of our province.

We have a great opportunity here to expand on our tourism product but, again, my real point is that it's the people of Newfoundland and Labrador that are our best ambassadors. When we give them the knowledge – like, all of our volunteers that are going to be there now for the Canada Games, it's so important that maybe we can get some information out to them about the things that Newfoundland and Labrador has been involved in, so that if it's somebody in a taxi or if it's somebody just walking down Water Street and they bump into somebody or whatever, they have a few facts that they can add to it.

When people get information and they can run with it and they can go back to it, then it's a big deal.

Now I'm down to two minutes, and I'm going to make this last point. The thing is that we can create a network and we can do all the marketing we want, but if we don't do the networking, all that falls flat. One of the most important things about networking today is Wi-Fi and cell service. If we don't improve that, we are doing a disservice to our Tourism, Culture, Arts and Recreation Department. It's not about the highest concentration is in here on the Northeast Avalon, the rest of the province is just as important, because outside the overpass, we have all the products, really, to offer that people are coming to see here about our culture and heritage.

There's a lot in St. John's, don't get me wrong, but I think St. John's and the City of St. John's has the budget to be able to do special things on promoting themselves.

I would say that everything that I talked about here today, as the shadow Cabinet minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts and Recreation, is very important to the expansion and the ability to showcase Newfoundland and Labrador for the exact place that it is, because I love this place and our volunteers love this place, ad for the people inside of the department, I say keep doing what you're doing but just make sure that we're always thinking outside the box because that's what attracts people to get here.

They want a unique product that we already have. We just have to make sure that we create the network, we do the marketing, we do the networking and we increase the Wi-Fi and cell service so it's not prohibitive for people to be here.

Thank you, Speaker.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

SPEAKER: The hon. the Government House Leader.

L. DEMPSTER: Speaker, I'd like to move to adjourn debate on the concurrence just momentarily while I do a couple of motions.

SPEAKER: Motion to adjourn debate.

All those in favour, 'aye.'

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Aye.

SPEAKER: All those against, 'nay.'

L. DEMPSTER: The seconder is the Deputy Government House Leader.

SPEAKER: Thank you.

All those against, 'nay.'

Motion carried.

The hon. the Government House Leader.

L. DEMPSTER: Thank you, Speaker.

I call from the Order Paper, Motion 1.

Speaker, I move, seconded by the Deputy Government House Leader, that notwithstanding Standing Order 9, this House shall not adjourn at 5 p.m. on Wednesday, May 14, but shall continue to sit to conduct Government Business and, if not earlier adjourned, the Speaker shall adjourn the House at midnight.

AN HON. MEMBER: (Inaudible.)

SPEAKER: Yeah, t hat should be Motion 5.

L. DEMPSTER: That's what I said.

SPEAKER: No, y ou said Motion 1. It's Motion 5.

All those in favour, 'aye.'

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Aye.

SPEAKER: All those against, 'nay.'

Motion carried.

The hon. the Government House Leader.

L. DEMPSTER: I did have five, Speaker. When I grew up we used to say slip of the tongue, no fault to the mind. I apologize.

Speaker, I call from the Order Paper, Motion 6.

Speaker, I move, seconded by the Deputy Government House Leader, that under Standing Order 11(1) this House not adjourn at 5:30 on Monday, May 12, 2025.

SPEAKER: Is it the pleasure of the House to adopt the motion?

All those in favour, 'aye.'

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Aye.

SPEAKER: All those against, 'nay.'

Motion carried.

The hon. the Government House Leader.

L. DEMPSTER: Thank you, Speaker.

I call from the Order Paper, Motion 7.

Speaker, I move, seconded by the Deputy Government House Leader, that under Standing Order 11(1) this House not adjourn at 5:30 p.m. on Tuesday, May 13, 2025.

SPEAKER: Is it the pleasure of the House to adopt the motion?

All those in favour, 'aye.'

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Aye.

SPEAKER: All those against, 'nay.'

Motion carried.

The hon. the Government House Leader.

L. DEMPSTER: Thank you, Speaker.

I move, seconded by the Deputy Government House Leader, that under Standing Order 11(1), this House not adjourn at 5:30 p.m. on Thursday, May 15, 2025.

SPEAKER: Is it the pleasure of the House to adopt the motion?

All those in favour, 'aye.'

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Aye.

SPEAKER: All those against, 'nay.'

Motion carried.

The hon. the Government House Leader.

L. DEMPSTER: Thank you, Speaker.

I call from the Order Paper, the Concurrence Debate on the Resource Committee, and move that we continue. That's seconded by the Deputy Government House Leader.

SPEAKER: Thank you.

We'll move into debate again now on the Resource Committee.

The hon. the Minister of Transportation and Infrastructure.

E. LOVELESS: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

It's always a pleasure to rise and talk on budget items but traditionally, it's always to recognize your district. Before I begin, I would like to say congratulations to the new Premier and, certainly, his opponent during the leadership. The Member for St. John's East - Quidi Vidi invested some important time to go across the province and listen to the people of the province, because that's certainly very important. We'll certainly see, in the future, the vision of this new government under the new Premier, that it shows that he listened to the people in this province.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to say as well that I have a new role again now; it's like going home. I would like to say thank you to the deputy minister of Digital Government and Service NL and certainly the staff for the last year of preparing you. The hard work that they do in the department has not gone unnoticed and I would like to say thank you to him and the staff.

Mr. Speaker, in terms of speaking to your district, there's a lot happening in your district that you want to make note of, and the first thing for me is health care. We talk about the challenges of health care. Virtual care, I look at as a level of support because I know when COVID was hitting us, virtual care was, I think, brought to the forefront even more. It was a kind of scary level of health care delivery, but I think people have warmed up to it to realize that it is a support level for health care, especially in rural parts of the province.

There is much discussion around travelling nurses as well. I've had a chat with the current Minister of Health around travelling nurses, and I chat with administrators in my district as well, and without travelling nurses, emergency rooms pose a challenge of closing down. So we do not want that to happen and I think all sides realize that we would love to move away from travelling nurses but, at this time, they are levels of support delivering health care, especially in rural parts of the province.

On seniors, Mr. Speaker, the shingles vaccine: I heard from 50-plus clubs last year when I met with them and we delivered on that in an announcement. A lot of seniors said we didn't go far enough but, thankfully, we are going the rest of the way to support anyone 50 and above and that's certainly welcome news. I heard it from many on a visit to Gander last weekend. That's a welcome announcement and thank you for listening once again, and we'll continue to do more because I believe we need to do more for seniors.

In terms of the fishery, Mr. Speaker: We all talk about the foundation of this province in terms of what the fishery means and no difference in my district. I have lots of buddies that are not in my district but go crab fishing. The catch rates are up and doing very well, but in my district crab is not the focus, lobster is and they're having challenges again this year, in terms of the weather and being out.

The catch rates are not as high but they do have other – I call it a variety of species in order to make a decent living. That's halibut, some crab, lobster being a big focus there, and cod. They work hard. Again, the weather is a big factor in them having a good living. I even know family members that are challenged this year in terms of trying to get their hours for EI for during the winter and stuff but it's very important, and even though it's not a provincial jurisdictional responsibility, that supports harbour authorities and infrastructure.

The other piece of the fishery is in aquaculture. I always talk on aquaculture because it's vital in Fortune Bay - Cape La Hune District, and not just my district but throughout the province. I've said it many times in this House how important it is because we have one town in my district, Hermitage-Sandyville, that about 99 per cent – and the mayor always says he's going to go after the other 1 per cent – are paying taxes in the town.

Not many mayors can stand up and champion about that, and that's a good thing and that's due to the aquaculture industry; not just fish in the water and growing the fish, it's also the supply industry as well. It's huge and lots of investments, and investments in my district are investments in the whole of Newfoundland and Labrador.

That's on the fishery, and I heard the former Minister of Fisheries talk about the idea of a group of harvesters. That if they had a business plan, I think he said something around 4.5 million pounds of crab within their business arrangement – he called it – then that's an idea that I had some harvesters bring to me before even that announcement was made. So I think that's a good move because it's in partnership with harvesters and if the business arrangement made sense, then there would be a primary processing licence issued. That would mean jobs and security and that's a good thing.

During the federal election, too, Prime Minister Carney made sort of an announcement about DFO restructuring, I think was his words. I look forward to it. I don't know what that means because he said we want to bring it closer to the wharf. What does that mean? Nobody really knows what that means but for a federal leader, who is now prime minister, to even say that we need to restructure DFO – because there is restructuring that needs to be done. If you talk to a lot of people in the province, DFO just doesn't work for Newfoundland and Labrador with challenges and stuff.

So it's going to be interesting to see what that means. There will be a Cabinet announced tomorrow, and we'll see who will be representing Newfoundland and Labrador in the Cabinet, but I believe that's a big piece. I'm sure the current Minister of Fisheries will make sure that's on her agenda for discussion with her first meeting with the federal Minister of Fisheries because we know how important it is, and joint management. I've said it every two times I was in FFA in talks to any federal officials. That joint management, let us be involved in the decision-making. We would welcome it and we believe there'd be better solutions if we were involved.

Mr. Speaker, roads investments, whether in local or provincial roads, are very important to the districts. I look forward to more road work in my district, a rural district and that's important, but look forward to getting back to the department and looking at the whole budget around roadwork and what's being allocated for this year.

I always talk about volunteers and support for volunteers. Whether it's fire departments, councillors, youth organizations, we cannot do enough to support volunteers because they are the foundation of our communities. I spoke to Municipalities Newfoundland and Labrador last week, and the Member for Exploits was there as well. I challenged him to come on the stage and sing a song with me, but he wouldn't do it.

But it was a good discussion with mayors, and I had some words to say and then I had a mayor come up and he said you should have talked a little bit more about enforcement and policing. I said, yeah, I should have. I should have had more to say about it but, I said, it's important to this government and we will be doing more because it's necessary. Policing in our communities, especially in the rural – not just rural parts of the province as well.

Whether that's officers, the presence of more officers, but I know I attended MNL back several months ago; it was last fall. There was a presentation by the group from RNC and RCMP there. It was a good presentation and reassured people that the numbers will increase. They're looking at more recruits and people having the choice now to come back to their home province and home communities, which was not before. I think that's a determining factor. I think that will make a difference.

Mr. Speaker, if I can just talk one item in my previous Department of DGSNL, it was around the speed cameras piece. I believe that's a good support as well for road safety in our province because we witness on the news media too often car crashes and sometimes fatalities, and speed is definitely a factor. So that's another $3.9 million investment into road safety in this province to keep people in this province safe, and it's not just DGSNL that's involved as well. It's JPS that's involved and ensuring that staff is ready and available, and I think we're there. It's rolling out as we speak and look forward to what will become of those speed cameras.

To move to some budgetary items and announcements, in terms of the budget that says Smarter. Stronger. Better . I believe it's very fitting words for the budget and just to highlight some, in the budget we talk about jobs. We know the Minister of Jobs, Immigration and Growth will do a good job in terms of attracting employment to the province.

In talking about the increase in employment in the province, it did increase by 2.8 per cent, which equals 6,700 persons in 2024, continuing a multi-year trend in job growth. That's a good news story, and it should be repeated and repeated to those not even in this province who are looking to come to the province for employment purposes. Population is up. It increased 1.2 per cent in 2024, the second largest annual increase since 1975, very important. Retail sales totalled $12.1 billion in 2024, and that's an increase of 6.1 per cent compared to 2023. The trend is positive because it's in an upward trend.

Capital investment, as well, has increased 24.1 per cent from 2023, and that's billions of dollars in estimated investment in the province. The value of Newfoundland and Labrador international exports totalled $13.7 billion in 2024; another increase of over 10 per cent, so very important. We know about the challenges around international now, with the president who, on a daily basis, we don't know which way or what side of the bed he's going to crawl out of. They are challenges for us as provincial government and Canadian government and all provincial governments.

It's concerning, but I'm sure we will right the right path with negotiations with the federal and the president of the United States.

Mr. Speaker, moving back into the Department of Transportation and Infrastructure, it's certainly a pleasure to go there. I look forward to working with the staff that's there. I was there for two years and look forward to going there again and working on some important files.

Just to talk about some of the investment in supports for projects moving forward from the Department of TI: We have $19.3 million to redevelopment of the Martin Gallant Building in Stephenville Crossing; $17.5 million to continue the procurement of the replacement of HMP – very important; and $4.5 million to complete the redevelopment of the Labrador corrections facility.

We talked a lot about health and well-being, and we know that investing in construction of hospitals and the enhancement of existing facilities certainly will help future demands. In terms of modern infrastructure, we have a total of more than $39.5 million in Budget 2025 , and this budget that is Smarter. Stronger. Better. actions a series of health care infrastructure improvement initiatives, including such initiatives as $23 million to support the planning and development phase of the new acute-care hospital campus in Kenmount Crossing.

And, not just the hospital piece, but that announcement alone included the road infrastructure, which I know is very important to the Town of Paradise and beyond, from many, many lenses. You're getting a new health care facility to service all Newfoundland and Labrador. We have road infrastructure that's going to include entrances and exits out of Paradise.

Being a real estate agent there for seven years, I know the challenges of it. This will open up the door for housing prices increasing. If you're a seller, I guess that's a good thing. I know the challenges around buying, but that's market adjustments. I've been there when there was a good market for sellers; I've been there when it's a good market for buyers. A balanced market is better, because it benefits both sides.

So that's an important piece. You talk to anybody in Paradise, anybody, they're extremely excited about that. Not only that, a water tower, because I know in terms of new home construction, I was involved in new home construction, and the water pressure is important to people that are existing there, and they're excited about that because that's going to help with their water pressure issues. So that's, again, good news for them.

We have $7 million for the advancement for the new Health and Well-Being Centre. As I said earlier, health and well-being is crucial, I think, to anybody who's working. Or not just working, seniors or whoever it may be that your health and well-being is crucial.

And $1 million for the replacement of the Bay St. George long-term care facility; $1 million for redevelopment of the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner; and almost $350,000 for continued planning for a new multiplex recreational facility. Because we realize recreation is a piece of therapy for their well-being as well.

That's just a few things on health care. We certainly know the value of education. I don't need to speak to the value of it. We all realize how valuable it is. Budget 2025 includes supports of over $70 million for a number of school infrastructure projects to include Paradise, Kenmount Terrace, Cartwright and Portugal Cove-St. Philip's; more investment for Dorset Collegiate on Pilley's Island; $1.9 million for completion of the redevelopment of École Rocher-Du-Nord; and $150,000 for planning for the potential expansion of L' É cole Bor é ale in Happy Valley-Goose Bay, Pasadena Elementary and some schools in St.

John's. That's certainly a focus on education, which is important as well, Mr. Speaker.

I don't need to say how important the transportation network throughout Newfoundland and Labrador is. I know that's important to all Members in this House of Assembly, but certainly a focus of this government. It certainly will be my focus again, in going back into the Department of Transportation and Infrastructure, and I thank the Premier for that opportunity.

We know in this province we have approximately 10,000 kilometres of provincial highways and roads, 1,300 bridges, 21 airstrips and 14 ferries, with that can bring challenges no doubt. We are continuing to invest to the point of $316.8 million to continue to support thousands of new paving, brush cutting, as well as new culverts and bridges. I'm proud to say the last time I was in TI we made that record investments by the wonderful Minister of Finance that has agreed to give over a billion dollars for roadwork, recognizing how important it was and is. That's listening to the people of the province.

There are millions and millions more in roadwork that I could talk about, Mr. Speaker, but I'll end there because it's not just about transportation. There are municipal works as well under the infrastructure umbrella that is important and there are millions of dollars that go into infrastructure projects, and we know how important that is to rural Newfoundland. I'm proud to say that this government will continue to support rural Newfoundland and Labrador.

Thank you for this time, Mr. Speaker.

SPEAKER (Trimper): Thank you very much, Minister.

I now recognize the Member for Bonavista.

C. PARDY: Thank you, Speaker.

Many of the things we discussed in the House of Assembly supports rural Newfoundland. That's a good segue, what the minister had just finished on.

Before I get into the resource sector, which I'd like to speak on forestry, immigration, population growth and skills and then the fishery, I want to go back to the shingles vaccine. Speaker, we've talked lots about having the shingles vaccine for every person over 50. We had a session here in the House which we introduced that motion to the government in a resolution, a private Member's resolution, and the government did not vote for it at that time. They spoke against it. One step at a time.

The only thing I'd say now, the new Premier has written the Minister of Finance and President of Treasury Board stating that we're going to review it and we're going to now open it up. Timing is everything. If you ask Mrs. V. who's 91 years old, living in Virginia Waters - Pleasantville how her life has changed in contracting shingles that has not left her over the past year, and the medical expenses that she's incurred since then, if you ask Mrs. V. in Bonavista who, three years ago, contracted shingles and it hasn't left her, and that is two of our valued seniors that their lifestyle has been greatly diminished. Their quality of life has been greatly diminished.

I would say let's amend the budget, let's do it, we're all in favour of it, and let's have the shingles vaccine eligible for everyone 50-plus and if the government tracked the data and looked at the data, they might even know that it's advantageous financially to do it, especially on the quality of life and the hospital visits.

Number two is the sugar tax. Just like the new prime minister axed the carbon tax in federal, the new Premier comes in and he's going to follow suit and he's going to axe the sugar tax. I can see a similarity, but I agree. Because we've been asking for the elimination of the sugar tax. We would like for an amendment to be brought in and let's do it this sitting to eliminate the sugar tax.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

C. PARDY: Now, if the government stood up and said we had this idea to tax people in rural Newfoundland, in urban Newfoundland on the sugar tax, we're going to tax them and we're going to reduce the consumption – keep in mind, the consumption was reducing before they ever brought the tax in. It was going down. So if there's marginal decrease, that's the pattern of where the data was headed before they brought the sugar tax in.

But, Mr. Speaker, nobody in the rest of Canada has lined up to follow this government with the sugar tax. And what does that say? There's not even an expression of interest from any other part of Canada on the sugar tax. It ought not to have been brought in. We've spoke about it numerous times not to bring it in, to abort it and abolish it. I would hope that it will be done this sitting.

Mr. Speaker, the resource sector, we went through the Estimates and I'd like just to touch down on the forestry first. I want to acknowledge Gerard Wall in hon. Member for Exploits District, in Bishop's Falls. Gerard is from the forestry region of our district, of where, probably to a big way, a lot of valuable forest products come from Central Newfoundland and the Bishop's Falls area. We don't have a forest management plan. At least we're working on that, like we're working on a lot of things, but we don't currently have a forest management plan.

I want to share a little story with you. I have four children and one Christmas holiday not that long ago, we wanted to return to Terra Nova park during the winter and walk the trail; it wasn't much snow. We walked from the Newman Sound campground down to the wharf. If anybody camps at Terra Nova, they'll know that path and that route. Well, we did it. Then, my kids were saying, this is a complete wasteland. Fallen trees – it was a picture of a forest from Newman Sound to the wharf that was literally dead.

What happens with a dead forest of fallen trees? It releases all the carbon that was captured over the years, over the 60 or 70 years, and releases it back into the atmosphere. I would say, on a forest protection plan, where are we with our environmental strategy when it comes to our forest? The federal government, where are they? Is that where we ought to be?

I have heard now that the last animal life that was in that Terra Nova park was the pine marten, but then some local people said that they're gone too. They don't see as many pine martens now in that element of the Terra Nova National Park going from the Newman Sound campground down to the wharf.

Sexton Lumber is involved with the forestry, one of the big forestry producers in the province. It's the largest employer in the District of Bonavista, 104 jobs – Sexton Lumber – bringing in an annual payroll of $6.7 million. That is a significant industry for the District of Bonavista in forestry. When they harvest the lumber, Mr. Speaker – and you will know about this – and they make it into building supplies, those building supplies capture and maintain the carbon. A fallen tree beyond 60, 70 or 80 years, releases the carbon into the atmosphere. So I know that in the forestry industry, we are capturing that carbon in the products that are being produced.

I want to go on to the next – one of the sectors is the Immigration, Population Growth and Skills. When I attended the Estimates, I had mentioned that back in 2019 they closed the office, which was the immigration and skills office back at that time. We put an announcement out and said for any children that want to attend a job fair, you go to your closest office. Well, the closest office is Clarenville about an hour and 20 minutes away. The last job fair that was held there, there was nobody from my district, a high school student, who attended the job fair.

I would bet if the office was in Bonavista, there would have been lots of students, from the lower part of the Peninsula in particular, that would have been attending the job fair. Now, I thank the minister who sat at the Estimates that time when I spoke because I've since heard that there is a job fair being planned, and I thanked her this morning when she was with her fourth set of Estimates that she was there. I know it's ongoing.

One step further for the new minister would be to reopen the office in Bonavista – reopen the office in Bonavista. It closed in 2019. I approached the then minister and he said, well, we're saving half a million dollars on closing that office, because renting the office space. The math didn't work out, Mr. Speaker. The response went back and said the math doesn't work. The follow-up came back; they had it reduced to less than a quarter of a million.

So we lost a quarter but, still, that's unfair because if you can occupy existing government buildings down there, and the people that now got to drive to Clarenville, the closest office, and back, it would be more productive and feasible for them to stay in that area, especially with that office being one the offices that was in the greatest demand by clients in the province – not the least. It was, if I'm not mistaken, one of the most visited offices in the province.

On the fishery, Mr. Speaker, the previous speaker, the current Minister of TI, stood up and he mentioned joint management, and I thought what a nice time to bring up Hansard from the previous minister of Fisheries and what he had stated. This is back, well, some time ago, when the previous minister was minister in '17, and when joint management came up, here is what Hansard reads.

The question was asked by the Opposition Member about joint management, and here is the answer from our past minister: "Mr. Speaker, of course we always discuss joint management whenever we collaborate; that is joint management.

"When we talk about responding to the crisis in the groundfish fishery and the federal government and provincial government working with each other to make sure that the resource is not only sustainable but available to Newfoundland and Labrador fishermen, when we talk about adjacency, when we talk about historic attachment, when we talk about rules that are established to be able to afford those sharing frameworks, that, Mr. Speaker, is a form of joint management."

Now, I would say that is a form of joint management in its most basic form. When we talk joint management, what we need to do is frame out exactly what you're asking. What are you looking for? We can harvest 98 per cent of the northern cod stock. Are we talking about joint management of the northern cod? Because we don't have to have anybody else sit in joint management, that's our resource. We can't say the same for other species, but we certainly got dibs to 98 per cent of the northern cod. We ought to be the managers of our northern cod. We ought to be able to have joint management with the federal government on northern cod – we, 98 per cent of that species.

A couple of interesting issues that I would say impact our province. We have David Boyd from Twillingate. David have sent messages and emails to all of us. He said we have to worry about the consolidation of fishing licences out there. We have to be worried of it because there are fewer and fewer fisheries out there.

At the Estimates, yours truly asked a question: What do you know about the concentration of fishing licences in Newfoundland and Labrador? Because the Standing Committee had an expert from Quebec who was saying that there have been 465 fewer fishing licences in Quebec. That was between 2012 to '21, 465 fewer licences, representing a decrease of 8 per cent while the number of fishers has increased by 34, or 3 per cent – more licences in fewer hands. So I asked. The answer was, I don't have that responsibility so I can't really speak to it as such. So I asked: You have no data on the concentration of fishing licences? No.

Well, thanks to reaching out to DFO, I have some data on the concentration of fishing licences for snow crab. I'm going to use 3K; we've heard a lot about 3K from my colleague from Baie Verte - Green Bay. In 2016, there were 626 licences for snow crab in 3K. In 2017, it went from 626 to 606. Then, in 2018, it went to 589. In 2019, it went down to 570. Now can you understand what David Boyd was talking about? Data shows that we're putting a stock that was out there with many, in fewer and fewer hands.

Anyway, in 3K where we started off, we started off with 626 in 2016. Well, in 2024, we were down to 523. That is a significant drop in Newfoundland and Labrador. Our department and our government didn't have the data; or that's what they stated.

The second thing I would put out there would be controlling agreements, Mr. Speaker, another thing that we have fishermen who can't access finances in most cases to get their own licence, but they have to get the help of a processor. They're called controlling agreements, and they are illegal – they are illegal. I stated in this House before, Jimmy Lee Foss in La Scie, he was the one who came out and said I'm in a controlling agreement. He was going to be put out of his controlling agreement, but we offered no support to Jimmy Lee Foss. We offered no support to anybody in a controlling agreement.

Even though they're illegal, we want to help them out. We want them to maintain a livelihood and help. What can we do? We can provide them a loan, the Harvester Enterprise Loan Program. Why wouldn't we offer Jimmy Lee Foss and say, you continue on fishing because we know that we didn't have – but now, we have the loan program up and running and we're going to help you out that you can support your family and continue fishing. We've just lost another licence.

What I would say is what we ought to have done was support those, like Jimmy Lee Foss and others, to help them out. So I asked the question, do we have a handle on the number of controlling agreements that we would have in our province? Those agreements, Mr. Speaker, are private agreements between two entities and the department does not police that.

I would say to you, you need the data to be able to look at and forecast where the fishery in Newfoundland and Labrador is going to be. The two significant ones, controlling agreements and concentration of licences, it's data that we ought to be discussing and looking at what can we do to curb it.

The minister spoke before me – as my time runs out – he touted the Harvester Enterprise Loan Program. Nobody in my district could access it. It had to go through the banks. They couldn't get through in order to be able to be considered for a loan. They couldn't get a loan. You had to have the financial resources, I would assume, for the banks to be able to look at you and you to access the interest-free loan. So I would say the program was a little – I shouldn't use the word "misguided" because that's unparliamentary. It fell a little short for those inshore fishermen.

Those are a couple of things from the resource sector that I've drawn from, Mr. Speaker, on those three topics.

Thank you so much for listening.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

SPEAKER: Thank you to the Member.

I now recognize the hon. the Minister of Industry, Energy and Technology.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

S. CROCKER: Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker.

It is certainly a pleasure to stand this afternoon and make a few remarks about the Concurrence debate, but before I get into it and talk about the department I just actually left a few days ago, I wanted to take a few moments just to recognize the first responders, all the volunteers, all the agencies, the fire departments and everybody –

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

S. CROCKER: – who played a significant role last Wednesday, Thursday and Friday in Adam's Cove and the su