VOL. 2 SECOND SESSION O.E' THE • THIRTY-NINTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NEWFOUNDLAND PRELIMINARY UNEDITED TRANSCRIPT HOUSE OF ASSEMBLY FOR THE PERIOD: 3:00p.m. - 6:00 p.m. THURSDAY, MARCH 3, 1983 NO. 1 .. ·.·· . ..

March 3, l983, Tape No. l, Page l -- apb The House met at 3:00 p.m. Mr. Speaker in the Chair. MR. SPEAKER{Russell): SERGEANT-AT-ARMS: Order, please! Mr. Speaker, His Honour the Lieutenant-Governor has arrived. MR. SPEAKER: Admit His Honour the Lieutenant-Governor. HON. W.ANTHONY PADDON (.Lieutenant-Governor)_: Mr. Speaker and Members of the hon. House of Assembly: It is my privilege and pleasure to welcome you to this Second Session of the Thirty-ninth. General AS'5embly of the Province of New.foundland. This year marks the lSOth anniversary of the opening of the House of Assembly of Newfoundland.

The first Throne Speech was delivered by Sir Thomas Cochrane on January l, 1833. Since there was no public building in St. John•s large enough to hold the Assembly, the First Session of the Colonial Parliament was held in a tavern located on the corner of King's Road and Duckworth Street. The first statute of Newfoundland was passed in March of that year. This year also marks the 400th anniversary of the landing of Sir Humphrey Gilbert on our shores to take possession of the Island of Newfoundland in the name of Queen Elizabeth l.

In June, Newfo~dlanders :j and Labradorians will welcome their Royal Highnesses, Prince Charles and Princess Diana to celebrate with us this historic occasion. We look forward to their visit and extend to them our heartfelt wishes for a pleasant and friendly sojourn in our Province. The past year has been a very difficult one for many of our people. The economic problems which have plagued the world in the last several years were most severe in our Province in l982. Lowered world demand for newsprint, iron ore, asbestos and other 1

March 3, ~983, Tape~. Page. 2 -- apb HON. W.A.PADDON (Lieutenant-Governor): minerals had a depressing effect on local industrial activity. High interest rates and depressed u.s. markets played havoc with the fishing industry. In spite of the great potential of our natural resources, these cumulative factors resulted in high unemployment levels. Notwithstanding the current economic circumstances, Newfoundlanders looked to the future with hope and optimism. At our doorstep lay the greatest offshore petroleum resource ye .t discovered in North America.

In addition, we have the immense water power resource of Labrador. Unfortunately, in both instances Newfoundland has been forced to resort to the judicial process to achieve fair and equitable treatment in relation to these great resources. Mr. Speaker and Members of the han. House of Assembly: It was with bitter disappointment that my Government received the judgement of the Court of Appeal of Newfoundland. That judgement was a crushing blow to my Government's attempt to see our offshore resources treated the same as the resources of other provinces.

We await the Supreme Court of Canada's decision on our Water Rights Reversion Act and my Government's attempts to receive fairness and equity from the Upper Churchill development. It is unfortunate, if not tragic, that this Province has been forced to use the Courts of this land for protection. In a country built on compromise and co-operation, such time consuming, legal actions should have been unnecessary. Newfoundland and Labrador's long march to prosperity is once again fDus~te~ a painful journey is ahead of us and without the certainty of success. 2

- ___ _. -·------ March 3, 1983, Tape l, Page 3 - apb Han . W.A. Paddon (Lieutenant-Governor) : Mr . Speaker and Members of the hon . House of Assembly: My Government maintains its constitutional position that this Province mus t have a major say in the di.r.ection of i t .s fishing industry. Ne.wfoundland is the only Province in the Confederation that does not have a major say in its chief industry. It is an enligh.tening fact that while Newfoundland has two thirds of the fishery 3

March 3, 1983 Tape No. 2 NM- 1 HON. w. A. PADDON (Lieutenant-GOvernor)_: resource of Eastern Canada, two thirds of the employees of the Federal Fisheries Department work in the Provinces of N~~·; ~=:.IDswick a11d ~:::.. ~-;;:, Scotia. Furthermore, it is strange that the Province of Quebec enjoys powers over fis4eries that no other province enjoys. Notwithstanding these facts and also that we have not as a province been successful in realizing our constitutional goals, the Province has attempted to lead in fisheries policy matters.

In addition to our Royal Commission Report an the Inshore Fishery, my Government made a detailed presentation to the Kirby Task Force entitled: The Fishery: A Business and a Way of Life. While our constitutional position remains firm, several policy goals are critical to any comprehensive fisheries policy and we must have action now.. They include: 1. A commitment to an ongoing technologically advanced inshore fishery. 2. A decision by the Federal Government to include the Nose and Tail of the Grand Banks in Canada's jurisdiction. A 'firm, unequivocal affirmation of these two principles is imperative.

Once these have been accepted, it is equally important that the following principles be agreed: 3. The present offshore fish company problem must be solved immediately. 4. Quality and marketing are key to a fishery revival. 5. Effective management must be implemented in the processing sector. 6. Northern cod allocations offshore must satisfy Newfoundland's needs first. Mr. Speaker and Members of the House of Assembly: My Government views our present circumstances with grave concern. The ability of the Province to chart a course that, on the one hand helps our Nation, Canada, and on the other 4

March 3, 1983 Tape No. 2 NM 2 HON. w. A.· PADDON (Lieutenant-Govenor): hand allows Newfoundland and Labrador to grow and prosper, is in jeopardy. In the gracious Sp"'r::l; o:F , 0 7~ +-~e follc~.~:-:; ·:-L11.+-ement was made: "The great question posed today is whether we in this Province are ready to move away from a paternalistic centralized federalism. Are we ready to trust more in our own abilities as a society than in Federal transfer payments?

We are further .cha.ll.enged by. the need to. ensure that -Such a decentralization be accomplished without impairing national unity or affecting the level of social services in a so-called "have-not" Province. Can we, in a great historic act of self-reliance, break tbe vicious cycle in which we now find ourselves? Can we build an economically and culturally vibrant society in which, while private initiative is the keystone, social justice remains an even higher goal?" That question remains just as valid today, if not more so, than it did four years ago.

All three of the major resource issues remain unresolved and have put severe strains on the relation­ ship between the Federal Government and the Provincial Government. Coupled with these disagreements over large issue~ between the two Governments, there have been two other major Federal initiatives which have not only aggravated our relationship but also imposed both economic and financial hardship on our people. First, is the Federal Government's announced position to-refraiii:as far as possible from signing joint agreements with the provinces. It wishes to ignore the Province and deliver the programs directly.

This has seen embarrassing situations 5

March 3,1983 Tape No. 3 ah-1 HIS HON.-W.A. PADDON (Lieutenant- Governor): arise in the Trans Canada Agreement, Fisheries College and Industrial Parks, all of which were delayed as a result and have shown how unworkable this policy really is. Secondly, the Federal Government has announced that it intends to reduce its financial cornmitiDPn+ to post secondary education and health services. This is a severe blow to "have not" provinces like Newfoundland and Labrador. Mr. Speaker and Members of the Honourable "House of Assembly: Let us look at the many proposals for joint action that have been affected by the first Federal initiative: (

a) Offshore Negotiations My Government has tried valiantly to reach a fair and reasonable agreement in this vital issue. Court action only means that the Governments have failed and governments must not fail. In the last round of negotiations, my Government did everything humanly possible to achieve a satisfactory agreement. Throughout these discussions, my Government indicated that it understood that national goals of self-sufficiency and security of supply must be met.

My Ministers went so far as to agree that if these goals were placed in jeopardy because of provincial concerns, then the national goals must come first. It is a matter of record that My Government broke off from these negotiations when my Ministers were faced with proposals for settlement which were significantly different from what had earlier been agreed to and were less than.--- the Nova Scotia Agreement. My Government firmly believes that there 6

March 3,1983 Tape No. 3 ah-2 HIS HON. W.A. PADDON (Lieutenant-Governor): must be a political settlement to this long standing issue. It must be recognized that Newfoundland brought this resource into Canada in 1949 and that without Newfoundland's entry into Confederation, Canada would have no claim to it. My Government fails to understand why this issue must be a legal one at all.

Given the decisions made in Canada's history when the Western Provinces were given their resources by the Federal Government in 1930~ one would think that a parallel exists today for Newfoundland and Labrador to be treated in the same fair and equal manner. My Government has even indicated it is prepared to agree to less and sign an agreement without the matter of ownership being decided. My Government remains firm in its resolve that the principles of fair revenue sharing and joint management must be the fundamental basis of any resolution of this issue.

Fair revenue sharing will give Newfoundland an opportunity to reach national standards of wealth. Joint management will give Newfoundland a say in the mode of development, without infringing upon national goals. (

b) Hydro Power While my Government has been forced to seek judicial measures to correct the Upper Churchill development arrangement, it has pressed the Federal Government to redress the unfair situation which allows the Province of Quebec to be the broker for the sale of Labrador power. After repeated efforts by my Government, the Federal GoverBrnent finally agreed to initiate changes to permit the transmission of electricity across provincial boundaries with the same freedom as oil and gas are transmitted inter-provincially. Unfortunately, the proposed changes are 7

....._. - -- - -- March 3,1983 Ta pe No. 3 ah-3 HIS HON. W.A. PADDON (L ieutenant-Governor): arranged in suc .h a way that it will still be virtually impossible to transmit Labrador power through Quebec so that Newfoundland and Labrador can reap a fair share of the economic rent. A pondero1;1s process of public hearing .s within the Province of Quebec, in addition to the National Energy Board hearings, with final authority by the Federal Cabinet, makes the prospect of Newfoundland gaining substantial benefit from the Federal change remote indeed. 8

March 3, 1983 Tape 4 HON. W. A. PADDON (Lieutenant-Governor): (

c) Regional Development EC - 1 My Government views with deep concern the substantial drop in Federal funds being used in this Province to assist in developing the infrastructure essential for growth and prosperity. In the last three years, my Government has seen the Federal Government contribution in this field drop from over $70 million a year to this year's total of approximately $35 million. At the same t£me, my Government has made detailed proposals to the Federal Government totalling approximately $550 million. They include:

(1) Secondary Highways Upgrading

(2) Industrial - Commercial Development

(3) Nordco

(4) Corner Brook Harbour Development

(5) Mineral Development ( 6) Land Surveying and Mapping

(7) Forest Economic Stimulati~n Program

(8) Fisheries Development Proposal

(9) Rural Development Agreement

(10) Agriculture It is my Government's view that Newfoundland's position relative to the other provinces will actually fall if this trend in Federal regional development projects continues. My Government is eager to develop with the Federal Government a strategy for short, medium and long term infrastructure development for the Province. There is, at the present time, a lack of sensitivity and, therefore, a lack of understanding of the Newfoundland condition. For example, the Federal Government does not seem interested in signing a new Rural Development Agreement. Newfoundlanders and 9

March 3, 1983 Tape 4 EC - 2 HON. W. A. PADDON (Lieutenant-GOvernor): Labradorians know that the lifeblood and very essence of this Province is our rural personality. (

d) B~~ 1 0~~ert Development My Government is acutely aware of the large number of our people looking for productive work. We remain the province with the highest unemployment rate in all of Canada. My Ministers view with concern the Federal Government's rejection of this Province's position that long term resource deve.l.opment prqjects .are ±he ccrners:to.ne o.f a. jab, creation program.

My Government has demonstrated that all of the Federal allocation for Newfoundland and Labrador under the "New Employment Expansion and Development Program" (NEED) could be used to fund long term resource related projects in the forestry, mining, fishery, agriculture, and transportation sectors. My Government stands ready to co-operate to achieve the maximum benefits possible for our people concerning employment development. (

e) Search and Rescue and Defence My Government has been attempting to have our search and rescue and defence facilities improved in this Province. Many Commissions of Inquiry have demonstrated the acute need for upgraded search and rescue facilities. No one need be reminded of the Ocean Ranger tragedy of just over a year ago and the need clearly identified from that tragic disaster. More recent events that led my Government to order a stop to winter offshore drilling further underline this need for upgrading search and rescue facilities.

In the same way, ~y Government has been pressing for a larger share of Federal defence expenditure in our Province. Because of the severe economic hardship being 10

March 3, 1983 Tape 4 EC - 3 HON. w. A. PADDON (Lieutenant-Governor) : experienced in the Happy Valley - Goose Bay a.rea, my Goverrunent has been unceasing in its efforts to persuade the Federal authorities to provide Canadian defence facilities in this area of our Province. We remain the province which gets the lowest percentage of the defence dollar on a per capita basis. 1 1

March 3, 1983 Tape No. 5 MJ - 1 HON. W. A. PADDON (Lieutenant-Governor): Just recently the Federal Government announced the closure of the Shoe Cove Satellite Tracking Station. This Station had the capability to provide quick up-to-date information on weather and . __ conditions off our shores. My Government has been tireless in its efforts to have this closure cancelled. The Governments of the other Eastern Provinces and the scientific community have all supported my Government on this issue. Tragically, we have not been successful.

My Government has learned that a £a~ity in M4Ditoba .is supposed to serve our area but we have discovered that the areas offshore Newfoundland, now being explored, are not covered by this facility. At the same time, information has become available that the Federal Government is spending $600,000 on a similar facility in Thailand. (

f) Transportation A province cannot develop unless it has a well developed transportation system. -At present the standard of our Trans Canada Highway is the lowest of any province in Canada. Recent Federal-Provincial agreements have not been sufficient to raise the standard to Canadian levels. The Government of Newfoundland and Labrador has repeatedly proposed signing larger agreements so that significant improvements can be realized. My Government proposed a Secondary Roads Agreement over a year ago. One major component of that proposal was the start of construction of the Trans Labrador Highway.

The key to Labrador development is transportation. There is no other action that can act as a catalyst to stimulate growth and development of this important part of our Province. Without this key transportation project, Newfoundland's ability to capture maximum spinoffs from new developments that will surely occur will continue to be unacceptable. 12

March 3, 1983 Tape No. 5 HON. w. A. PADDON (Lieutenant-Governor): (

g) Nordco MJ - 2 In 1975, both Governments entered into an agreement to establish a corporation entitled the Newfoundland Oceans Research and Development Corporation. Its chief function was to act as a research and development arm to help lead the way in cold ocean research. It was to complement the work being done at Memorial University. It became a valuable tool for this Province in marine related activity. When the agr€ement expired .in ~ch l979. the Federal Government decided it would not continue to participate.

My Government, cognizant of the critical role this Corporation could play in the pursuit of our fisheries development and offshore mineral development, decided that it must not let this important inf~nt corporation die. The Province, therefore, provided a generous plan whereby the Corporation could purchase a suitable building. The Province has also provided over $3 million in deficit financing. Mr. Speaker and Members of the Honourable House of Assembly: The second Federal action strikes at the heart of social development in Canada.

The five year agreement between the provinces and the Federal Government from 1977 to 1982 provided a level of funding to provinces for Health Care and Post Secondary Education. While the allocation did not provide the total spent by a province, it was a significant sum and greatly assisted this Province,especially recognizing that legitimate expansion in physical infrastructure was needed to improve the quality of these services.

Within the Canadian context, the health and education systems have become models for many parts of the world and as a result, increasing expectations of our people in Newfoundland have been no different than in other parts of the Nation. My Government, therefore, like the 13 ··.

March 3, 1983 Tape No. 5 MJ - 3 HON. W. A. PADDON (Lieutenant-Governor): Governments of the other provinces, was dismayed during negotiations for a new five year agreement covering the years 1982-1987, when the Federal ~ 14

March 3, 1983 Tape 6 PK - 1 HON. w. A. PADDON (Lieutenant-Governor): Government revealed that provinces could expect less of an increase in the Federal contribution to these areas than we had been led to expect. 'J.:::.. •• .;; the fcr.;.ul~ .:;..:..::: the previous agreement as a guide and theinescapable fact that costs are growing higher in these fields than in ot~ers, my Government calculates a loss of revenue from the new five year plan of $125 million as compared with the formula of the previous five year agreement. Mr.

Speaker and Members of the Honourable House of .Assemb~y: .~t .is against this hackdrop .of forced legal maneuvers, unsigned agreements, and insenstive decisions, that the people of Newfou.l'ldland and Labrador find themselves this day. In the face of this unfortunate circumstance and a world-wide recession, my Government has steadfastly discharged its responsibility during this past year. Being an export oriented society, our resource industries were put under severe strain and are still experiencing soft markets.

My Ministers have held a number of meetings with Wabush Mines and the Iron Ore Company of Canada to assess the level of activity in their operations for this coming year. The Province has impressed upon the resource companies working here the social disruption that such an economic downturn creates and that Government and companies must work together to ease the negatfve impact that has been caused. The Province is encouraged by the positive attitude of our two iron ore companies. They are committed to continue operations in Labrador West and are ready to meet the demands of an economic recovery.

My Government remains concerned about our mining industry on the Island part of our rrovince. Severe problems continue to face the Burhans area and the 15 . _,.

March 3, 1983 Tape 6 PK - 2 HON. · w. A. PADDON (Lieutenant-Governor): Flintkote operation of the West Coast. As well, the Baie Verte asbestos operation is still attempting to find markets for its products, while the Rambler operation remains inoperative. My Government remains committed to doinn all in its power to assist these areas through difficult economic times. In a similar way, the forest industry has been subjected to hard economic times.

Corner Brook has been dealt a severe blow and my Government has been working closely with leaders of the community to ensure that measures are taken to ease the shutdown of number seven paper machine, and just as importantly, to work now to protect and enhance the paper mill for the future. In this regard, my Government has announced that provincial Forestry personnel will be moving to Corner Brook. My Ministers look forward to similar Federal action, in the same way as both Governments worked together in the Baie Verte mining venture.

Various logging areas of Western and Central Newfoundland will be negatively affected by the Bowater decision, Government is keenly aware of the problems in these areas and is working with the local people to provide solutions. While the Grand Falls and Stephenville areas are not experiencing the same hardship as Corner Brook, Government is in constant touch with the Abitibi Price Company. It is hoped that both companies will see gradual improvement as the year progresses.

MY Government has provided generous assistance to the fishing industry and the saw mill industry and has continued its program of assistance to resource based industries in rural Newfoundland. 16

March 3, 1983 Tape No. 7 SD - 1 HON. W.A. PADDON (Lieutenant-Governor): My Government has continued to increase its commitments to education with implementation of the reorganized high school program and to the health field with its five year hospital program. It is a little known fact that the teachers' salary bill of this past year equals the whole budget of the Province in 1967-68 and the health budget of this past year equals the whole budget of the year 1969-70. My Government continues to improve the condition of our senior citizens through new facilities and expansion of community based services.

In the fields of culture and environment my Government has moved swiftly to protect and enhance these vital areas of our society. Mr. Speaker and Members of the Honourable House of Assembly: While a society may be able to significantly protect its environment, and to some extent its cultural integrity, by legislation and regulation, the social policy field also demands a commitment of financial resources, particularly in Health, Education and Social Services.

The tragic irony in Newfoundland's situation is that at the same time as we are failing to generate additional revenues, primaril y due to Federal Government insensitivity on offshore resources and hydro development, this same Federal Government is also 'reducing its commitment to social programs through Established Program Financing, especially in the areas of health and post secondary education. rn the face of this reality, my Government is extremely concerned with the ongoing legitimate social and cultural needs that must be addressed. It is not enough for Government to maintain existing levels.

We must attempt to satisfy the expectations of Newfoundlanders and -Labradorians · to reach Canadian standards! · Mr. Speaker and Members of the Honourable House of As·sernbly; It has · l:>een said many times in the past, but bears repeating, that no society can grow and flourish through transfer payments. At best, transfer payments 1 7

March 3, 1983 Tape No. 7 SD - 2 HON. W. A. PADDON (Lieutenant-Governor): provide minimum standards and, tragically, over time produce an apathetic, uncreative, docile society . Since 1979, my Government has firmly stated that our .Province must adopt policies which will allow Newfoundland and Labrador to break out of tnis transfer payment dependency status. In 1949, at the time of Confederation, Newfoundland's per capita earned income was 48.8% of the Canadian average. Today, 34 years later, it is only 54.1% of the Canadian average.

Newfoundland and Labrador has aggressively pursued the idea that Canada must provide the same opportunities for growth and prosperity here in this part of Canada that have been provided to other areas of this Nation. It is not being ungrateful to suggest that Newfoundland society wishes, through its resources, to better our own lot, thereby reducing the Federal Government's contribution through transfer payments and at the same time to pay into the Canadian economy and treasury, wealth that can as ·sist other areas of the Nation which have not been blessed with the same degree of nature's bounty.

In all parts of Canada it seems this idea has been followed and as a result Canadians have built one of the more advanced, progres·sive and democratically dynamic societies on earth. Why is it then, that it is so difficult for Newfoundland to have thi~ same opportunity? Is it fair and right for Quebec to have more say over its · fishery, a minor industry there, than Newfoundland and Labrador, a major industry here?

Is it fair and right that Newfoundland's ability to transmit electrical energy · must continue to be frustrated wh.ile, for generations -, oth .er Canadians have been permitted to transmit their oil and gas · and thereby to earn the valuable economic rent associated the:t'ewith? 18

March 3, 1983, Tape No. 8, Page 1 JV HON. W. ANTHONY PADDON (Lieutenant-Governor): Is it fair and right for Newfoundland and Labrador to be told that even though you brought the vast mineral resources of the Continental Shelf into Canada you can have no meaningful say over how it is to be developed, and that fair revenue sharing, allowing ~.? to :t;each ~ational average levels of wealth, is unacceptable? Mr. Speaker and Members of the hon. House of Assembly: This year will be perhaps one of the most important in Newfoundland's long and turbulent economic and political history.

My Government embarked upon a course which, if successful, could see our Province rise to the sunshine of prosperity and wealth, based upon the development of our renewable and non-renewable resources and through these developments create a socially just and culturally dynamic society. My Ministers were unable to accept the opposite - a continued wasteland for our people based upon transfer payments, with our resources used primarily to improve the economic condition of others.

Given the events of recent weeks concerning offshore resources and our frustrated attempts to achieve a greater degree of control in fishery and hydro electric matters, there is a body of opinion held by some which says we have fought the good fight and now we should surrender. My Government has listened carefully to this approach to our future and the arguments in favour of it. Therefore, my Government wishes to make its position very clear. It will continue to pursue its reasonable position on offshore negotiations. It will continue to pursue its constitutional position on the fishery.

It will continue to use all measures to see that the Upper Churchill deal is changed. Much of the history of our Province has been one of struggle. Many of the struggles have been difficult and, some would say, impossible to win. But when our people have united as one, we have 19

March 3, 1983, Tape No. 8, Page 2 JV HDN. W. ANTHONY PADDON (Lieutenant-GOvernor): succeeded against all odds. Newfoundland needs now the same unity of purpose that united our forefathers, in 1857, when England and France were going to change the British-French Treaty, which would have increased France's fishing rights here.

Then the new House of Assembly passed a resolution saying in part - "As our fishery and territorial rights constitute the basis of our commerce and of our social and political existence, as they are our birthright and the legal inherjtance .o£ .o.ur chil.dre.n, we can not, under any circumstances, assent to the tenus of the convention." We need that kind o£ resolve now so that our people can look forward to levels of wealth presently enjoyed by most Canadians. Newfoundlanders and Labradorians must peak as one voice as we did then.

A fractured Newfoundland society on these crucial issues will delay the outcome and could eventually be our defeat. A united one 'can mean our victory! - - Mr. Speaker and Members of t~e han. House of Assembly: The Public Accounts for the period ending March 31, 1982, will be placed before you for your usual thorough review. You will be asked to grant supply to Her Majesty. ~ invoke God's blessing upon you as you commence your labours in this Second Session of the Thirty-ninth General Assembly. May Divine Providence guide you in your deliberations. 20

March 3, 1983 Tape No. 9 SD - 1 MR. SPEAKER (Russell): The han. the President of the Council. MR. MARSHALL: Mr. Speaker, I give notice of the following bill, "An Act To Establish An Economic Council For The Province", and I now ask that this bill be read for a first time. On motion, a bill, "An Act To Establish An Economic Council For The Province," read a first time, ordered read a second time on tomorrow. MR. SPEAKER: His Honour the Lieutenant- Governor has been pleas·ed to make a s·peech to the members met in General Assembly and for greater accuracy I have obtained a copy of the speech.

The han. the member for Carbonear. SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear! MR. PEACH: Mr. Speaker, it is my honour and privilege today to move that a committee of this hon. House be appointed to draft an Address in Reply to the gracious Speech from the Throne. r would begin my brief remarks today by expressing my s·incere appreciation to the people of Carbonear district for their continuing support and encouragement. It is not only a positive endorsement of my own personal commitment to the district, but also to our Premier and to my colleagues in government with whom I am very pleased to be associated.. SOME HON.

MEMBERS: H:ear, hear! MR. PEACH: I feel sure that each member of this Legislature has a genuine aim and desire to enhance our social, cultural, and economic development, to ensure that Newfoundlanders and Labradorians, wherever they live, have a standard of living which is equal to other Canadians across this great nation of ours ·. SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear! 21

March 3, 1983 Tape No. 9 so - 2 MR. PEACH: Surely this is a reasonable and indeed a most urgent goal, and I would assure you, Mr . Speaker, that I, as well as my colleagaues on this side of the House, wi ll continue to work tirelessly to ensure that our Province is wrested from the bottom rung of Confederation's lauoer. we deserve better, we are entitled to better given our vast and rich natural resources, 22

March 3, 1983 Tape No. 10 MJ - 1 MR. M. PEACH: and, Mr. Speaker, we shall not only endure, but we shall,I am sure,succeed and prosper. The most immediate key to our future :-:-::~;:-~r::_'::,: ~~,.~!Jts in tl::2 :::..::_::: :::.:td equitable settlement of the offshore oil and gas reserve which is in abundance off our shores.

The very gracious Speech from the Throne echoes the disappointment that al.l Newfoundlanders and Labradorians felt when encouraging signs for an offshore agreement fell apart after our provincial government negotiators were faced with proposals for settlement which were di££erent signi£icantly from what had previously been agreed to, proposals which were in essence less than the discredited Nova Scotia agreement. Mr. Speaker, not so long ago we heard our Prime Minister, Prime Minister Trudeau,sound the battle cry that co-operative federalism was dead.

Following thi_s the former federal Minister of Energy, Marc Lalonde, was on the media sounding the threat that if Newfoundland did not rush back to the bargaining table and sign the so-called Nova Scotia deal, then we as a people could not even expect equal treatment and that our arrangements would be substantially worse. Despite arguments to the contrary by the present federal Energy Minister, Jean Chretien, this position has not changed, If the position had indeed changed, why does Mr.

Chretien continue to refuse to place in writing areas of agreement, or understanding, that are crucial to the settlement of the offshore? Why does the federal government continue to refuse to put in place an adequate Search and Rescue facility in this Province, refuse to afford this Province a real say in its chief industry - the fishery? And the list, Mr. Speaker, goes on and on. Mr. Speaker, I hope that before too long there will be elected a new federal government in Ottawa.- SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear! 23

March 3, 1983 Tape No . 10 MJ - 2 MR. M . PEACH: federal government, Mr . Speaker, that truly understands all the regions of this nation, a government that is sensitive to our needs and our aspirations . Mr. Speaker, Canada, 't- c '?'"!' .. -~ C' ) 1 :· 1\lewfounc : ~- ~ :-:-. 4 Labrador, can no longer afford this federal government. Thus we hope that someday soon that Liberal yoke will be taken from us. SOME BON . MEMBERS: Hear, hear! MR. PEACH: Mr.

Speaker, I would be somewhat remiss in my duty if I did not take the opportunity to .£ami13arize you with i:he.district that .I .have.J:h.e.hononr 6~ representing in this House, the histdric district of Carbonear. My district, like many others in rural Newfoundland, faces similar basic problems pertainin~ to the fishery, transportation, health care, education, social services and employment. The Carbonear district, Mr. Speaker, revolves around the fishing industry. Every community from Lower Island Cove i along the North Shore to the town of Carbonear is directly involved in the inshore fishery.

The one single fish plant and fish meal facility 24

March. 3, 1983 Tape No. 11 NM- 1 MR. PEACir: owned and operated by a family with a deep heritage in Carbonear - and I refer to the Earle Fisheries - provides directly employment to approxLmately 7:::; ;;:.....,_;.:::.e during ;.~ • ., J?ed.k SUlliiD.er inshore fishery, and I am pleased, Mr. Speaker, to note the emphasis and direction placed on this, our chief industry, in the Throne Speech. read here t_oday. Mr. Speaker, transportation is of a major concern as well to my district, and in particular the completion of the long-awaited and desperately needed Carbonear by-pass road.

This road is essential to the Trinity and Conception Bay area if it is to benefit from the spinoffs from oil development that will surely occur on the Avalon Peninsula. Health care, Mr. Speaker, is another area that is basic to the Carbonear district, as I am sure all members are aware that my district has a regional hospital that serves the whole of Trinity and Conception Bays· and has one floor left yet to be completed.

I am confident that the commitment this government has made and continues to make to health care in our Province, which is clearly indicated in the Throne Speech toda~will see that goal realized soon. My district also presently has th.ree senior citizens homes, and again the Throne Speech re~terated the government's concern for improved conditions and expansion to these type of facilities. so that our senior citizens are accommodated in the manner that they so justly deserve.

In the field of education, I am again encouraged by this government's ongoing commitment, and Carbonear district is no exception with respect to its demands for improved high school facilities. In particular, I refer to the already recognized need for funding for construction of a proposed new high school in the Carbonear rntegrated school system. Mr. Speaker, when I address the social and employment needs of the Carbonear district, I do so with a 25

May 3, 1983 Tape No. 11 NM - 2 MR. PEACH: note of extreme concern. The unemployment and lack of job opportunities is frightening, to say the least. Yet I am confident that the people of the Carbonear district would wish for me t~ ~pea~ ~q one vo;~~ ~or +hem and say that they look forward with great enthusiasm to the future when they too will be an integral part of this great Province in enjoying an improved economic future. Mr. Speaker, I have listened with great interest to the gracious Throne Speech today, and I, for one, am .r.eady .to beed the cal.J. .:to vic.t.o.zy.

Tbs .n.e.x::.t few months wll~ be challenging and difficult times for all those interested and concerned with the future of our Province. Newfoundlanders, however, are no strangers to struggle, and with a single- minded sense of purpose and faith in ourselves, we have always triumphed in the face of adversity, and, Mr. Speaker, Newfoundland and Labrador shall have her deserving place in the sun, a place which has too long eluded us, but which is now within our grasp. Mr. Speaker, I look forward to the upcoming session, and I noted with pleasure, in:the appendix "j:o the Throne Speech, :3 26

March 3, 1983 Tape 12 PK - 1 MR. PEACH: a number of progressive bills which will be considered in the weeks and months ahead. I sincerely hope that this session will produce discussion which will serve this Province and the people who live here. After all 1 we are debating about our home and its future. History has again placed rc in the role of protecting our birthright and the inheritance of our children. We shall be diligent inthis recognition to ensure that future generations of Newfoundlanders and Labradorians may enjoy the same standards of living now enjoyed by other ··canadians.

As the member for Carbonea~ I have the honour of moving that a committee of this hon. House be appointed to draft an Address in Reply to the gracious Speech from the Throne. SOME HON. MEMBERS : Hear, hear! MR. SPEAKER (Russell): Placentia West. SOME HON. MEMBERS: The hon. member for Burin- Hear, hear! MR. TOBIN: Mr. Speaker, I consider it a great honour and privilege to second the motion so ably presented by my colleague,the hon. member for Carbonear (Hr. Peach).

The hon. member and I share many things in common; we are both members representing districts in rural Newfoundland, each with a firm commitment to the preservation of our Newfoundland way of life,andwe share the same determination to make our Province an equal partner in Confederation. Mr. Speaker, I am indeed grateful to the people of that great and historic district of Burin­ Placentia West for giving me the honour to represent them in this han. House. SOME HON. MEMBERS : Hear, hear! MR.

TOBIN: I say historical for many reasons, not the least because I represent the heart o:f this Province's deep~sea fishery, which today, Mr. Speaker, this very s~~e 27

March 3, 1983 Tape 12 PK - 2 MR. TOBIN: fishery is in real trouble. Mr. Speaker, the gracious Speech clearly indicates Newfoundland is the only Province in Canada that does not ::;ave a major say in its chief industry. This happened, Mr. Speaker, after Newfoundland's entry into Confederation when control of the deep sea fishing was trans­ ferred from St. John's to Ottawa. Unfortunately, the significance of this industry was not recognized by the Canadian qoyernment and the fishery was totally neglected.

For hundreds of years Burin . :Peninsula fisheTJD"'..Il . voyaged ~o. the Grand Banks A;o .reap .the rich harvest of the deei', and,otoqether with the women folk who toiled long and hard on shore to process the fish, laid the foundation for the prosperity which has built and developed so many of the famous peninsula fishing communities. It was those same people who pioneered the deep~sea fishery as we know it today. The fish plant at Burin began 28

March 3, 1983 Tape 13 EC - 1 MR. TOBIN: processing frozen filets for export in the early 1940s. This marked the beginning of a new and higher level of prosperity and it saw the introduction of the deep-sea trawlers which replaced the stately banking schooners. Today, Mr. Speaker, Burin's future is uncertain to say the least. Fishery Products has made it clear that they no longer w~t the people of Burin to work at Burin.

If this is to happen Burin,will perish despite the fact that ~urin enabled the name of Fishery Products to be synonymous with the deep sea fishery and despite the fact that this community, these same people through years of hard and dedicated work enabled Fishery Products to expand to other areas of the Province, Mr. Speaker, with the end result being thousands of other Newfoundlanders being employed elsewhere in the Province. What is being now proposed for Burin, Mr.

Speaker, is a resettlement programme, resettling trawler crew members and fish plant workers in other parts of the Province such as Catalina, Trepassey and Marystown. Well, Mr. Speaker, the philosophy of resettlement, that poisonous programme that invaded this Province in the 1960s, I thought became extinct with the extinction of the Liberal Government. SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear! MR. TOBIN: I would say it should never be permitted in this Province again. SOME HON. MEMBERS : Hear, hear! MR. TOBIN: Never again, Mr.

Speaker, should Newfoundlanders and Labradorians be forced to leave their birthplace because of the greed of multinational corporations or because of the selfishness of governments. 29

March 3, 1983 Tape 13 EC - 2 MR. TOBIN: The people of Burin were told to wait for the Kirby report. They waited, and what did they receive? They received a message loud and clear that the people on the South Coast of this Province do not have in Ottawa the same voice as do the people of St. Anthony. SOME HON • MEMBERS : Hear, hear! MR. TOBIN: Mr. Speaker, I also represent another town with a fishing industry, Marystown, one of the largest and one of the most prosperous towns in this Province. The operators of this plant, again Fishery Products Limited, saia they have plans to expand,and ~ believe they should.

And furthe.=ore, Mr. Speaker, I will do everything in my power to assist Fishery Products with an expansion plan for the Burin operation. Right now in Marystown,and indeed in the entire district of Burin - Placentia West from Monkstown to Corbin, hundreds of people are unemployed who would jump at the opportunity of employment. I believe this plant should be operating at 100 per cent of its capacity and I hope the restructuring programme will address itself to the situation. However, I want to make it abundantly clear that no one believes in order for Marystown to expand Burin must die. I believe, Mr.

Speaker, that Marystown must and should expand and Burin must 30

March 3,1983 Tape No. 14 ah-1 MR. TOBIN: be permitted to continue as the viable operation that it always has been. Mr. Speaker, my district is one that '1\'i 1, 1:-enefit ;::- .:=atl:· -From the offshore oil. We have established in Marystown a reputation in the shipbuilding industry, a reputation, Mr. Speaker, as one of the greatest work forces in all of the world.

This government fully recognizes the abilities of the worl;. force and has demonstrated their concern by providing the financing for supply vessels to be built on specu.lation. ~ide. £rom continued . s~pport from the Province,what the Marystown Shipyard needs is some sort of a shipbuildi~g subsidy programme to make it possible for bur aging trawler fleet to be replaced. What we need, Mr. Speaker, what we need is a programme such as that introduced by the federal Progressive Conservative government in 1961 which provided, I believe, up to SO per cent of the capital costs of new trawlers.

We cannot afford - and I stress, Mr. Spea~r- we cannot afford the continuation of the Liberal Government policy as it relates to shipbuilding because it has been nothing short of disastrous. SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear! MR. TOBIN: Mr. Speaker, just to emphasize the point one little bit further 1 Canada is the only major fishing nation in the world which does not offer substantial financial assistance to its shipbuilding industry for the construction of modern low-cost trawlers. Mr.

Speaker, let me say that,having spent ten years in the district as a social worker,I understand why the people of Petit Forte and South East Bight so desperately need a road connection that was given to the people of Monkstown just a few short 31

March 3,1983 Tape No. 14 ah-2 MR. TOBIN: years ago. I understand why the people of Brookside, Boat Harbour, Baine Harbour, Parkers Cove and Rushoon as well, Mr. Speaker, as Red Harbour, Jean De Baie, Spanish Room and Rock Harbour,and not forgetting Epworth, Corbin, Port au Bras and all the other communities in my district need improvements in road work , Mr.Speaker. I understand why Winterland, Lewins Cove, Fox Cove-Mortier and Baine Harbour should have improved fire fighting equipment. I understand why the people of Mooring Cove, Mr.

Speaker, Little Bay and ~rin , Marystown ana all the other communities deserve improved water and sewer facilities. These are the services that people have the right to expect from their government and theseare the services that their government want to provide and are providing, Mr.Speaker, to the best of our economic ability. But therein, Mr. Speaker, lies the crunch. The future can be bright for the Province if we are permitted to have a say in our economic destiny. And I say to you 'if we are not permitted to have. this say then our future is not that bright.

We will continue to be "have not", we will continue to depend on other regions of this country for sheer existence. Mr. Speaker, I am especially pleased to hear in this gracious Speech from the Throne that government has addressed itself to its commitment of the hospita .l programme. 32

March 3, 1983 Tape No. 15 SD - 1 MR. TOBIN: It is encouraging to recognize that we on the Burin Peninsula this year will witness some visual construction of this badly needed facility. The start of the construction of this hosoir.al will inneed be WAlcn~Pn news. Mr. Speaker, that is unlike the philosophy of the Liberal administration by in the '60s. Mr.

Speaker, I noted with interest in the Speech that there while two-thirds of th.e fishery resource of Eastern Canada rest in Newfoundland waters, two­ t.h.i.r~ of .. the .. ~~ 0yees of the federal Fisheries D~partment work in the Provinces of New · Brunswick and Nova Scotia. We all know ·, Mr. Speaker, of similar situations which the federal government equally tolerates, that is the Upper Churchill situation in which we own the resource and the Province of Quebec receives the benefits ·. Mr.

Speaker, at every turn Newfoundland is frustrated through the ongoing decisions of the federal government which . do not permit this province to control the economic lever necessary to lift us out of the present 'have not ' status. Mr. Speaker, a more reasonable and sensible philosophy is clearly outlined in the Speech from the Throne.

It is a philosophy of Canada which permits· provinces a real say in how its society and culture is to grow and prosper, recognizing divergent differences and concerns on a ph ilosophy of an all-powerful central government which decides on the national interest, often revolving around Central Canada Mr. Speaker, I and my colleagues subscribe to the former philosophy which allows each distinct province to have a major say in its economic and cultural life.

Are we as . a people to be given the opportunity to secure the meana to become equal Canadians or are we forever to be the poor cousins in Confederation, content with federal hand-outs and little involvement in resource development? 33

March 3, 1983 Tape No. 15 SD - 2 MR. TOBI N : Mr. Speaker, as one of a very few to ever sit in this hon. House as a Canadian born in the Province of Newfoundland, I want to say loud and clear that I support the positio~ taken by the Premier of this Province and his administration on the issues that are so vital to the future development of our Province. So, Mr. speaker, it is a pleasure and an honour fo .r me to second the motion that a committee be appointed to draft a reply to the gracious Speech from the Throne. !~:SOME .liON • . MEMBERS: Hear., hear! 34

March 3, 1983 MR. SP~ (Russell) : Opposition. MR. S. NEARY: Tape No. 16 MJ - 1 The hon. the Leader of the Mr. Speaker, first of all it gives me great pleasure to welcome the dignitaries to the House of Assembly today, representatives of church and state. It is nice to see that so many of them turned out to maintain the tradition as we have come to know it in this hon. House. I do notice 1however, Mr. Speaker, that the galleries are rather empty today.

I am rather dismayed and discouraged by the fact that there are .so many -empty seats in .the galleries because so many Newfoundlanders and Labradorians have been waiting for this date with bated breath. I do not know if they are losing interest, if they have become discouraged and disillusioned with the way things are going in this Province, Mr. Speaker, but it would seem there must be a justifiable reason for so many vacant seats in the public galleries today . I also want to commend the two hon. gentlemen, the mover and seconder of the motion, I want to say to them, Mr.

Speaker, that this is about the twenty-fourth or twenty-fifth Throne Speech that I have listened to in this hon. House. There was a time when, as hon. members will recall, and I notice sitting in the Speaker's Gallery anhon. gentleman who was a member of this House when I first got elected, who sat in the Opposition; a gentleman from whom I learned quite a lot when he was a member of this Legislature- aridthat hon. gentleman will recall that it was a great privilege and an honour in those days to be selected to move and second the Address in Reply.

As a matter of fact there was fierce competition on the government side as to who should be selected to move and second the Address in Reply. There does not seem to be that enthusiasm on the government benches at this moment, 35

March 3, 1983 Tape No. 16 MJ - 2 MR . S. NEARY: Mr. Speaker, to move and second the Address in Reply. And I might say that ther~ has been a slight departure from tradition. On opening . day, as hen. - members will recall 1the proceedings were kept on rather a • high plane, members .were discour ·aged from making partisan political speeches, or district speeches on opening day. We seem to have gotten away from that,. Mr, Speaker. Maybe before I am finished I may be accused of making a partisan political speech myself, but I just throw these f-ew ,th.oaghts -out. •. Mr • .Speaker ,, .for . hon • . -gentlemen. t.o.consider in the future 1but nevertheless 36

March 3, 1983 Tape No. 17 NM - 1 MR. NEARY: I want to commend the two hon. gentlemen for the fine job that they have done. Now, Mr. Speaker, when His Honour was reading thP ~~rone Speech there were a couple of things that I observed in his reading of the twenty page document. I noticed, for instance, that there were twenty-five outright attacks on the federal government, twenty-five. Remember, Mr.

Speaker, that this is a provincial government plan, it is designed to announce the provincial government's plans J:o .deve.l.op :this Province, and there are twenty-five outright. attacks on th .e federal government, and three outright attacks on the Province of Quebec. It does, however, Mr. Speaker, mention the Search and Res ·aue fiasco, and Shoe Cove. There are no statement of plans of development in any part of the document. It has no specifics regarding legislation. It says it wants to continue to create a culturally dynamic society: very odd, Mr.

Speaker, when you consider the treatment of the Conne River Indians who have almost had to starve to death to get federal monies due them. MR. WARREN: That is right. The same thing with the native people in Labrador. MR. NEARY: It says, Mr. Speaker, as we were reminded by the hon. gentleman who seconded the motion, that the government wants improved marketing and quality of fish, butimplies that the feds must do this. It says the present offshore fish company problem must be resolved, but again mentions the fact that the federal government. must do this. It says there must be effective 37

March 3, 1983 Tape No. 17 NM- 2 MR. NEARY: management implemented in the processing sector. Mr. Speaker, this is a provincial responsibility. It falls under provincial jurisdiction, yet th"l. ~~, irnplo!".; '1-:J the fe=.:::.::;l s=-'.·ernrnent to do something about the restructuring of the processing sector of the fishing industry. Mr. Speaker, why?

Why have they waited until the fishery was on its knees before drawing attention to this very serious matter in various communities .~ugh.cu.t this P.rovi..n.ce2 And,.Mr • .Speaker. the hen. gentl.eman who seconded the motion got his little dart in for the re­ settlement programme. But we have another kind of resettlement programme in Newfoundland and Labrador at the present time, Mr. Speaker, I want to remind the hon. gentleman and his colleagues that 20,000 Newfoundlanders have left this Province since 1976. Now if you do not call that a resettlement programme under Tory managment, Mr.

Speaker, what would you call it? Mr. Speaker, 569,000 Newfoundlanders and Labradorians have been waiting for this day with bated breath. Today was the day 1 they were told, and they fully expected their government to chart a new economic course for this Province. 38

March 3, 1983 Tape 18 PK - 1 MR. NEARY: ~.he fact, Mr. Speaker, that this opening was delayed until today caused a lot of people in this Province to speculate that the Premier and his colleagues were busy putting the final touches to a brand new plan of action in this Province. Instead, Mr. Speaker, of such a blueprint what we heard t9day was a lecture on world P~ono~ics, abstract Tory philosophy 1 and a handful of lame excuses for the administration's incompetence. SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear! MR. NEARY: Mr. Speaker, that document that we just heard is an epistle of neg~igence and grief. Mr.

Speaker, the government, the administration have done it again. It has issued a statement totally irrelevant and totally devoid of any connection to the real world. Mr. Speaker, let me ask you this: Will the people of the communities who lives in areas that I have listed on what I called the Premier's misery list find hope in this document? Will they feel, Mr. Speaker, that their prayers have been answered now that they have heard the content of the gracious Speech from the Throne? Will the people, for instance, in Fermeuse, Harbour Breton, Gaultois, Rarnea, St.

Lawrence, Burin, Grand Bank, Fortune, Buchans, Baie Verte, Corner Brook, Labrador City, Wabush, Happy Valley and other communities in this Province ravaged by the economy and abandoned by this administration so far, will they find shelter, Mr. Speaker, in this document? Where is the fishery policy in the document that was just read in this House by His Honour? Where is the fishery policy that will see the eventual recovery of the fishery in this Province, Mr. Speaker? I acknowledgerthat this government has no control over stock allocations, but it does have centro~, Mr. Speaker, over processing and marketing.

Yet this document is virtually silent on this important industry 39

March 3, 1982 Tape 18 PK - 2 MR . NEAR.Y: and its struggle at the moment to survive. The provincial debt , Mr . Speaker, has tripled since the Tories took over in this Province back in 1972 7 and where is the plan articulated in that document that we just heard to address itself to this s-~agge;:ing · figure? ~ - In view co.f. the statements made yester .day by MoodY ,~!i 1 which sets the credit rating for this Province, that figure now; Mr. Speaker, is close to $4 billion. The only real industry we have seen started by the administration in the l<iSt several years in this l'/rovince is the re .tail sales tax.

Where is the "Province, s 'industrJ..aJ.' development strategy'? ·'This speech does not mention what industries the Province is looking at, what the Province is trying to attract here. The only one we know of, Mr. Speaker, that the administration has gone after is a mythical aluminum · smelter, and that has been going on for years. 40

March 3, 1983 Tape No. 19 JV- 1 MR NEARY: The Minister of Development (Mr. Windsor) has spent millions of dollars in taxpayer money in travel and has not yet produced one single industry in this Province. What is he developing,Mr. Speaker, if he is the Minister of Development? When is he going to start producing? We have forty or fifty thousand Newfoundlanders and Labradorians out of work in this Province, Mr. Speaker. Are the Premier and his Cabinet burning the midnight oil night and day trying to find ways of easing their plight by coming up with new ideas, new plans, new hope? No, Mr. Speaker.

I think the Province, quite frankly, would go into te~inal shock if the news media ever reported that the Premier had called a news conference to announce a new idea. Just irnagine,Mr. Speaker, the reaction the people would have if the Premier or hi's Energy advisor (Mr. Marshall) or the Mirtister of Fisheries (Mr. Morganl or the Minister of Development (Mr. Windsor) went on radio and television and did not attack the Federal government or Quebec or Nova Scotia or someone else. Why our hospitals, Mr.

Speaker, would be swamped with Newfoundlanders and Labradorians who would not be able to believe what they are hearing, who just would not be able to handle the shock, the sudden change of attitude by this Administration. Is there a new idea in the Speech from the T.hrone Mr. Speaker? Is there a new thought, a new direction? ts there anything there that has not been said before and said a thousand times over? Mr. Speaker, this is the Throne Speech of a washed-up, worn-out, confused, befuddl~, unarmed, over-baked, uninspired and over-the-hill Administration. Mr.

Speaker, this Administration has another four years to go in office. How many more Throne speeches like the one we have just heard can we take~ Are the people of this Province going to accept many more empty~ wasted, abandoned documents, Mr. Speaker,like this one? I am warning the Administration now, Mr. Speaker, that the people of this Province can only take so much. They can only listen to so much 41

March 3, 1983 Tape No. J.9 JV - 2 self-righteous indignation for so long and they can only accept the buck-passing and the. blaming this Government engages in Mr. Speaker for so long. Thls Administration have blamed the Upper Churchill Falls contract on the Federal Goverilll.lent and have blamed the Federal Government for every ill that has occurred in this Province : since time · began ·. For awhi:le, Mr.

Speaker, for a little while ~ the peciple of Newfoundland and Labrador accepted thls childish bluster ~nd name calling anQ., indeed, Mr. speaker, if the .Premier ,,and .:b:is .uam .. .had been . sbor;jpg _'.up . .t.he ... e.c.cJlQllly at :the same time they were issuing all the bl~ on Ottawa and the other Provinces of Canada, then perhaps the peo .ple :might accept it for a little while longer, 42

March 3, 1983 Tape 20 EC - 1 MR. NEARY: they .might accept the childish games that are being played by the Premier and the other childish ministers in the administration.~ut, Mr. Speaker, the administration, the Premier and his colleagues, were not solving the problems of the economy while they were lay~-- blame. They were laying blame and that was it, laying blame, period. They were not doing anything themselves, Mr. Speaker. This administration has driven our economy into the ground and nailed it into place in its own coffin. Mr.

Speaker, the Premier will stand up here in ' a few moments when I take .my seat and he will rant and rave and wave his a~s and rave about how he will not be giving away any more of our resources and about how this poor Province is being tricked and tried by the Government of Canada and about how nasty the people of Quebec are and about how unreasonable the teachers are and how slippery Fraser March is and what a lot of nonsense about a bad economy we in the Opposition are trying to paint. He will stand up over there, Mr.

Speaker, with his well practiced self-righteous indignation and perform for his colleagues and beat his chest and say how only over his dead body will this Province ever give away another inch of its resources. And, Mr. Speaker, what else will he do? What will he say about his plans to save this Province from the drowning pool? Mr. Speaker, he will say nothing at all. He does not have his old ace in the hole to offer now, Mr. Speaker. He can no longer now issue his worn out cliche about how we shall have our day in the sun and 'have not' will be no more because of our vast offshore resources. Oh, no, Mr.

Speaker, the Premier cannot fall back on that cushion now because he tossed those resources away. He trudged over to the Newfoundland Appeals Court and said, 'Here, hen. gentlemen, consider giving these away, 43

_._..a£ ____ -- March 3, 1983 Tape 20 EC - 2 MR. NEARY: will yoq? ' And, Mr. Speaker, much to the hon. gentleman's dismay, he got the biggest jolt of his life when the Newfoundland Appeals Court of this Province did just that. So now, Mr. Speaker, where aoes tnat leave him? His own colleagues are now adltlitting that he ble .w it. His fn~er Energy Minister, the member for MOUnt Scio (Mr.

Barry) who had tQ resign on a matter of principle because he felt the Premier was ruining the offshore talks; has now been on the public airwaves talking ab .out the Premier • s latest and now infamous loss of the ·o'f'fshore game of palter. . This -Premier wi:ll gt) ao:wn in history alright, Mr. Speaker, but not as a fighter, not even as a loser, l:leca~se you fix.st of all have to fight to lose; 44

March. 3, 1983 Tape No. 21 NM- 1 MR. NEARY: Mr. Speaker, th~s Premier did not fight at all. He did not sit down at the bargaining table, the negotiating table, and lose anything by being out-foxed through negotia~innR. HisTn~ians wi Jl "~~ ~~v that he put up a good fight and lost. They will merely record that the man was a media fanatic, and a media bluff, an actor, and cared for nothing except his politics and his own image. Mr. Speaker, even Robin Hood . lla.c:l .to .qe.t out .and do .a . .LLtt.le .thieving every now and then. Mr.

Speaker, even Robin Hood had to do that before he became a folk legend: He had to risk his life in daring robberies, to snatch money from the rich to give to the poor. Our Premier is no Robin Hood, Mr. Speaker. He gave nothing to the poor, and as far as the rich are concerned, well pretty soon ' they will not exist if the hon. gentleman continues to hold the reins of power much. longer. And,Mr. Speaker, Robin Hood lived in the forest, not in Tiffany Towers. And he paid his own rent, Mr. Speaker. MR. YOUNG: That is a low one. MR. NEARY: Yes, Mr.

Speaker, it is kind of low all right, It is a kind of low when you set two precedents in this Province; one 1 you get youself a rent free house - why Mr. Moores did not even do that. Mr . Moores paid $650 a month rent - and then you leave the Rouse and get the taxpayers to pay rent for your apartment, the first time in Newfoundland's history. MR. RIDEOUT: The highest paid Leader of the Opposition in Canada. MR. NEARY: Mr. Speaker, this speech was a waste of time and taxpayer money. MR. MORGAN: He can be partisan but not personal. 45

March 3, 1983 Tape -No. 21 NM- 2 MR. NEARY: This whole day, Mr. Speaker, was a waste of time and taxpayer money, because it accomplished nothing but set the stage for another idle session of this hen. House. Is there ever, Mr. Speaker, going to ne an economic idea from this government? It appears not, Sir. What will we be debating this session, Mr. Speaker? Will we be debating the fishery? Will we be debating the pulp and paper industry? Will we be debating the iron ore markets? Will we be debating the provincial deficit?

Will we be debating, editing r refi-ning r qualifying thiS . govennnent IS ·plan m a:cti:On to deal with the terrible state of the Newfoundland economy, Mr. Speaker? Will we be debating the construction industry? Will we be discussing such startl~ng figures as the ones that I came across yesterday, the fact that in the unionized construction sector of the industry in this Province that there were 1.2 million less man-hours worked last year than over the previous year of 1981. Mr. Speaker, an average unionized worker works about 1300 hours a year, :3 46

March 3,1983 Tape No. 22 ah-1 MR.NEARY: Therefore, Mr.Speaker, this means that 1.2 million man hours of work lost last year translates into a figure that says there were about 800 fewer jobs in that industry last year. And, Mr. Speaker, that is only for the unionized sector of the construction industry. There were 3.3 million man-hours work in 1981 but in 1982 there were only 2.1 million , a drop of 1.2 million man­ hours or 800 jobs lost. Will we be debating that, Mr. Speaker? Is that critical enough to be placed on the Premier's priority list? Not on your life, Mr.Speaker. Mr.

Speaker, historians used to say that Ireland's great tragedy was not the wars in which she was so often embroiled. No, Mr. Speaker, Ireland's great tragedy according to historians was the millions of people she lost during the potato famine. Newfoundland has no potato famine, Mr. Speaker~ but any way you want to describe it we do have a famine in this Province. Webster's dictionary describes famine as any •acute shortage: Mr.Speaker.Can you think of any categories under which our Province might fit into that definition, Sir? MR.WARREN: We are blocked with them.

MR.NEARY: Forty or fifty thousand unemployed, Mr.Speaker: Is that acute enough? But, Mr. Speaker, I was talking about Ireland's great tragedy, the loss of her people during the famine. Well,we have a famine here in Newfoundland and Labrador today. Statistics Canada said on Tuesday of this week that this Province lost 20,000 ~eople over a five year period, from 1976 to 1981, to interprovincial migration. And hon. members have the face and the gall to get up and talk about resettlement! That is about three times the net loss recorded between 1971 and 1976, Mr. Speaker.

These people were driven from this Province by famine, Mr.Speaker, and 47

Tape No. 22 ah-2 March 3,19 .83 MR.NEARY: the Premier and his Cabinet colleagues presided over that famine and nurtured its spread over our land. They can ta~e full blame for the extent of our economic ills not because they had all that much to do with the causes of our economic problems, Mr.Speaker- let us be more than fair about that-but because, Mr.Speaker, they made no attempt to do anything constructive about our misery plagued economy. Do not try to convince me,Mr. Speaker, there is nothing that we could have done.

They could have finished the two tunnels, started on either · side of the Straits of Belle Isle by the former Tory ~remier in tnis Province, Mr. Moores. They could have built a transmission line across Labrador to the coast. They could have built the Trans-Labrador Highway. They could have ',developed the hydro resources of Labrador, the rich hydro resources that we have on the mainland part of ~his Province. They could have negotiated with Quebec to get the surplus power out of this Province.

They could have rebuilt the fisheries processing and marketing sectors so that Newfoundland could produce a better quality fillet in the world. They could have started a seal manufacturing and processing industry in this Province. They could have negotiated a deal with the federal government to develop our offshore resources, Mr.Speaker. They could have done something, Mr. Speaker. But what did they do? All they did, Mr. Speaker, was carry on a public relations campaign. 48

l. March 3, 1983 Tape No. 23 SD - 1 MR. NEARY: Mr. Speaker, this administration is a public relations industry unto itself and nothing else, It is public relations mad. MR. MORGAN: It works well at the polls. MR. NEARY: There we have the answer, Mr. Speaker,'It works well at the polls. ' SOME HON. MEMBERS : Oh, oh. MR. NEARY : They put their Party and politics before the economy and the future of this Province. .MR.. .WARREN: That is right • MR. NEARY: Mr.

Speaker, the biggest failure of this Throne Speech is a simple one and the mast obvious: It does nat pay heed to the people in this Province,including business and industry, including people forced on welfare, including fishermen, farmers, loggers, miners and s:o on and so on who are on their knees begging far an ounce of compassion, begging for a willing ear to listen to their problems and to act on them. This document is deaf, blind and dumb, Mr. Speaker. It is not a people document. There is nothing in it that speaks of humanity. I't i.s devoid of human compassion, it is humanless, Mr. Speaker.

The people need help now and they have been promised nothing and are likely to get nothing from this doomsday document. In the days and weeks ah .ead, Mr. Speaker, my colleagues and ~have a formidable task. We have to force this administration to acknowledge its · responsibility and sacred trust to the people of this Province by getting them to stop trying to figure out ways of embarrassing Ottawa or getting on the cover of · Time and Maclean's magazines and instead address · th .e real misery caused by the mismanagement and the abandonment of the Newfoundland and Labrador people. Mr.

Speaker, I can assure you and members of th.j,s -~ouse that my colleagues and I will meet 49

March 3, 1983 Tape No . 23 so - 2 ~ . NEARY : that challenge hammeF and ton gs and leave no stone unturned to restore social and eco nomic justi ce to our people. SOME BON . MEMBERS : MR. S:PEAKER (.Russell) : SOME BON. MEMBERS ·: Hear, hear ! The hon. the Premier . Hear, bear ! 50

March 3, 1983 Tape No. 24 MJ - 1 PREMIER PECKFORD: Mr. Speaker, first of all let me join with the Leader of the Opposition and others in welcoming to the hon. House the leaders of church and state who are present. As the . Leader of the Opposition (Mr.

Neary) pointed • out, I think it:·:,i·s - ~ - :~ustom and a tradition that should be kept each year as we open the Legislative Assembly to begin our new session for them to be present to listen to the Throne Speech and to listen to the debate that ensues from it by the Leader of the Opposition and myself and the other members who move and second the Address in Reply. Let me also, Mr. Speaker, commend the hon. the member for Carbonear (Mr. Peach) and the hon. the member for Burin - Placentia West (Mr. Tobin) for such excellent presentations from two young. new members of the House. SOME HON. MEMBERS : Hear, hear!

PREMIER PECKFORD: Mr. Speaker, outside of the economic and social problems that we face I _have got another one: That when you look here on this side of the House at the quality of people that are on the back bench, the high quality that we already have in the Cabinet, it is a difficult job for a Premier to decide where he is going to put them all. Mr. Speaker, I have not examined all the members in the House over the years since 1832 or 1833, but I would say that the government of this Province today has on its benches perhaps the highest quality of individuals who have ever served as a group in this hon. House.

I think that is something that the Newfoundland population at large and all of us here can be proud of, that there is a lot of young, dynamic Newfoundlanders who are getting involved in politics and who are obviously having a lot of success at the polls in getting themselves elected. I think this has been borne out today, personified today in the presentations made by the hon. member for Carbonear and the hon. the member for Burin - Placentia 51

March 3, 1983 Tape No. 24 MJ - 2 PREMIER PECKFORD: West. I welcome all of the leaders who are here, especially some of the former Lieutenant-Governors who are present here to my left to the House. It is good to see them turn out like this to listen to the Lieutenant-Governor read the speech and be present here. I am sure that everybody in the galleries and all the members are especially appreciative to see those two gentlemen today. Mr.

Speaker, the Throne Speech, as most people know, is an attempt by the government to explain in detail its philosophy and its idea on the state of the economy - provincial or national, whichever the case - the state of the economy, the state of the province, the state of the nation and that is what this Throne Speech attempts to do. But, Mr. Speaker, it attempts to do something else. I guess it is one of the shortest Throne Speeches in recent years, but it attempts to do something else.

I make no secret of the fact, as I have not in the last several months and in the last several weeks especially, I make no secret of the fact that in my humble, personal view-and the Throne Speech tries to set that tone - in my humble, personal view this Province is today facing a very, very uncertain future. It does not turn me on, Mr. Speaker, contrary to comments either by the Leader of the Opposition (Mr. Neary) or others who have opposed the policies of this government over the last two or three years, or opposed me personally, it j 52

March 3, 1983 Tape 25 EC - 1 PREMIER PECKFORD ; does not excite me as a Canadian and as a Newfoundlander to attack or comment negatively upon any Government in Canada,and especially the national government. I do not relish the thought to have to stand in my place either in this House or in any hall or kitchen or wherever in Newfoundland and have to do that. However, Mr. Speaker, the reality of the situation is simply this, that the relationship that now exists between the Government of Canada and the Government of Newfoundland is very, very bad and, if anything, is getting worse.

So when you look at these major large issues like offshore, like hydro development, like fisheries, and you are trying to, as a government, present proposals and points of view for the development of these resources which will both help Newfoundland and Canada and you are getting nowhere 1and then that is further aggravated by initiatives to reduce the amount that you are going to put into post-secondary education and health by that central government, and as they continue to want to destroy co-operative federalism through regional joint projects, what is a government of a province supposed to do?

And the Throne Speech tries to point out factually, Mr. Speaker, factually, that what has happened in the last two or three or four years in Newfoundland has led us to an extremely delicate position economically. And in the face of all of that adversity, Mr. Speaker, in the face of all of those big issues not being solved and development not occurring, let us remember that in the credit review, which the Leader of -- ----- ·-- the Opposition (Mr.

Neary) referred to today of the great provinces of British Columbia, Nova Scotia, Quebec and Manitoba, two of them, I think already have received credit down-gradings by the international community, by Moodys and Standard and Poor, and the other two have been put on notice. 53

March 3, 1983 Tape 25 EC - 2 PREMIER PECKFORD: And in the face of all the adversities on regional development projects, on hydro resources, on offshore anq on the fishery, in the face of all our problems we have been able to demonstrate to that financial community that we are goo~ ~~agers of the financial resources that we do have in this Province, even ia the face of all that adversity, and we have been confirmed in our credit rating.

The great Province of Quebec up there, look what they are going through with their teachers and with all on the labour side, trying to turn the clock back because they have overspent and overspent. With all the hydro resources they have, with all the money they are getting from us on the Upper Churchill and all the rest of it, it is still not sufficient. Manitoba now is put on watch, put on notice, British Columbia is put on notice, and Nova Scotia, where all the development is supposed to be taking place, where all the great prosperity is supposed to be occurring, what has happened to Nova Scotia this 54

_. March 3, 1983 Tape No. 26 NM- 1 PREMIER PECKFORD: year? They got a credit downgrading, Mr. Speaker! That is the Province of Nova Scotia that is supposed to be grabbing all the riches from Newfoundland and going ahead and doing all the things, while Newfoundland kept its credit rating. I mean, Mr. Speaker, the facts speak legions about who is managing their affairs and who is not managing their affairs in this nation today. It speaks legions. But let me get back, Mr. Speaker, to the core of the Throne ~peech and the core of what I want to say today.

Make no mistake about it: This Province in the next three or four months, because of the decisions that are going to be made, will be forever put on a course that any other government, it makes no difference what its political stripe is, is going to be able to change.

When you look at it, I mean the simple fact of the matter is whether the fisheries jurisdiction should be federal or provincial or whatever it should be, the long and short of it is because of the nature of Confederation, with most of the peo~le living in Quebec and Ontario and so on, just its nature and the geography of the place, that here we have, as the Throne Speech say, two-thirds of the fisheries resources of Eastern Canada and two-thirds of the people who work for that Federal Fisheries and Oceans Department work in Nova Scotia and New Brunswick. I pose the question, Mr.

Speaker, not to attack the federal government, not to attack the Prime Minister I just pose the question: What will happen when the offshore is confirmed for the federal government? Where will all the workers be if this Province does not have . some say in the direction of that development? Will it not follow the same course that the fisheries followed, Mr. Speaker? Will it not? SOME HON. MEMBERS: Sure it will! Sure it will! 55

March 3, 1983 Tape No . 26 NM - 2 PREMIER PECKFORD: Mr. Speaker, I just do not under- stand- I must be stupid- -.: just do not understand how the present federal government can continue to take the positions it takes agai .nst this Prov~-:::.:- . ! j·J:J': ca.:mot un J..:.:...:.:..- • .:. !'low . And anoth er thing I do .. not understand, Mr. Speaker, very well 1 and I am becoming very cynical about it -and I guess Mr. Jackson summed it up pretty well in his

article in The Evening Telegram over the weekend- I do not understand why it is that at this crucial moment in our history 56

March 3, 1983 Tape 27 PK - 1 PREMIER PECKFORD: we have substantial groups of people around this Province in all spheres of leadership who are afraid to speak out and to speak out in favour of this government and-more particularly - forget about in favour of this government - in favour of the issues and the points of views which are irrefutable if ~ are going to have ~ chance to have our day in the sun. AN HON. MEMBER: You will lose. PREMIER PECKFORD: Mr. Speaker, yes, we will lose all right, but we will only have ourselves to blame.

The Throne Speech makes mention of one of the greatest acts even taken by this Legislature. In 1857, when the Newfoundland Government of the day - it had only been set up as a Representative Government in 1832 and as a Responible Government in 1855 - heard about a little meeting that had taken place between Britain and France, where Britain was prepared to strip more fishing rights from Newfoundland and give them to France, this tiny little Legislature, with very little power - just set up, in its infancy -passed a resolution which said, 'Sorry, boys.

You cannot do this to Newfourtdland because you are going to ruin us forever and a day.' And that resolution, with just the weight of the members there and I suppose the population of the Province, forced those two big world powers to their knees and got a dispatch to be issued from the Colonial Office in London saying, 'We will not do it. We will not do it.' Now, Mr.

Speaker, unless and until every single Newfoundlander in a leadership position in this Province, and every single Newfoundlander and Labradorian in whatever position gets united behind a point of view which says we need a reasonable deal on the offshore, that we have to have changes in the hydro policy of this country, and that we have to have some say in fisheries development, as sure as we are sitting here today Newfoundland society as we know it and as most of us want 57

March 3, 1983 Tape 27 PK - 2 PREMIER PECKFORD: it to be, is dead: ~t will die. And we will become a wasteland for people from all over who are going to come in here and who are going to treat us in the s~ way as we have been treated on other resources. we j"~Jst cannot, Mr. Speaker, tne money is no~ being generated in the resources we have, talk about attracting indust:ry. What ipdustry, Mr. Speaker? We should :build on the resources we have here. We do not want any more industries like the way the Leader of the Opposition (Mr. ;Neary) talks about them.

They all closed dawn in the I9'50s .and tne '1.960s. 'lVI! ·Want ;'indusuy '~ ''llPOn .. "tme ·~s we have here. We want industry based upon the aff$ore, we want industry based on hydro power, we want industry based on trees and fish. AN RON. MEMBER: I think it is a sad comm,entary. PREMnR PECKFORD: It is a sad conmentary. I am going to say it, even though I know I am going to be told that I should not say it, that the Prime Minister 58

March 3, 1983 Tape No. 28 SD - 1 PREMIER PECKFORD: of this nation, sitting down in his office with me, laughed at me when I said that our long term future is fish and trees and that I wanted to be able to, with the Government of Canada, direct and mould what we can do with the offshore and put it back into the fish and trees. He laughed at me. It was supposed to be some kind of antiqu~ted idea. SOME HON. MEMBERS: Shame , shame. PREMIER PECKFORD: The Throne Speech, Mr.

Speaker, makes mention of the fact that the teachers' salary bill of this present year was equal to the full budget o~ this Province back in '66-67 or '67-68 - not very long ago; that the health budget this year equals the full budget ,of Newfoundland and Labrador in '69-70 - a startling fact. But, Mr.

Speaker, it will be impossible, and it makes no difference who the government is, for any Government of Newfoundland in the future to continue to be able to finance education, health and social services anywhere even near the Canadian average unless there is a break and a change where a sum of money comes available from somewhere. And I do not know where it is going to come from, Mr. Speaker, I do not know.

I challenge anybody in positions of authority or anywhere else, I challenge anybody in the world to show me on paper how Newf~undland can continue to grow and prosper with some ~ other point of view or policy on offshore or hydro or fisheries. I challenge every single soul to show me how it can be done, how Newfoundland is going to pay its bills just to keep education and health at the present level. It cannot be done, Mr. Speaker, it cannot be done. If the federal government and the provinces want to get together and change the Fiscal Transfer Act, change the 59

March 3, 1983 :rape No. 28 SD - 2 PREMIER PECKFORD: equalization formula so that instead of getting $560 mlllion or $600 million a year we suddenly are going to get $1,200 million or $1,500 million - $1.5 billion - that is one way, I suppose. And, of course, where are they going to get it? But that is one way to do it. But surely, Mr. Speaker, the way to do it, and the way all societies have developed thus far on this planet, is through the proper utili- zation and management o.f their natural res .ources.. That will not change. That idea is a sound way for society to develop itself. And therefore, .Mr.

Speaker, we have, as a government, absolutely no alternative - there is no alternative, there is no other alternative - but to push for some kind of reasonable deal on the offshore. There is no alternative but to try to change the Upper Churchill contract and to do it differently for any new hydro resources. There is no alternative from I the way we are trying to approach the fishery, absolutely none. And so with 60

March 3, 1983 Tape No. 29 NM- 1 PREMIER PECKFORD: the forestry, and the mining and the tourism and the arrriculture and all the other things that can pull us up, there is no-alternative. And, Mr.

C'1"""11"~1 ....... _ '- L. ' you know,I just hope that somebody does not write ten or fifteen years from now that one of the significant contributing factors to why in 2010 we are still in desperate straits is because there was a society called Newfoundland and Labrador in 1979 and '80 and '81 and '82 which was so fractured and disunited at a time when it should have been totally united that .they~~ last Qpportuni~y to really have their day in the sun. That is the great fear that we face: It i.s. ourselves. It is ourselves. And I just do not understand the Leader of the Opposition (Mr.

Neary}, I just do not understand. I noticed in recent days that even the NDP Party is corning more and more to support the positions that we are taken.They have been pretty close to us all along on most of the major positions. But as long- .and it is a cynical thing to say but it is true - as long as the federal government feels as they read the ~apers every day,because that is the way they operate- talk about a government being political, Mr. Speaker! We do not know the alphabet on it compared to the federal government up there right now. It governs every move they make.

I mean, tell me why we had to fight so hard for the Fisheries College, announce · it for Corner Brook, or announce it for some other place other than St. John's? Tell me why? Tell me why we have had to fight so hard for the industrial park~ - and we still have not got anything signed because they unilaterally wanted to do it themselves without any consultation with the Province. Yet we were supposed to then take them over and operate them later, Totally unilaterally. Tell me why these things are happenin~ that the Trans-Canada Highway 61

March 3, 1983 Tape No . 29 NM - 2 PRENIER PECK"FORD : agreement, they would not si.gn it in this building, the headquarters for the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador duly elected, democratically elected? T ~~~~ what everybody says,and the letters to the editor say,and some of the neop le say, "There has got to be a way to get together,"and," Both governments have to get together." Well it is time for people to stop talking about both governments as if we were equally to blame as the federal government, because we are not. Because we _az:e . n.ot: . SOMR HON. MEMBERS: Rear, hear! 62

March 3, 1983 Tape 30 EC - 1 PREMIER PECKFORD: Let us tell it like it is. We have to be twice as good to be equal even on the issue, among our own people. And when they do respond, they will not come back and respond on the issues and intellectually re:.s:...: c~~ :::1c ·.~::~· of it. ;::.~:..: ... ~.::.-.rern­ ments have to if both governments are to blame. And we went from January, 1982, right up until the Fall before they even put one piece of paper on the table as it relates to our offshore proposal. Then what did they do? They insulted us by putting something on the tabl~ like ·the Nova Scotia dea~.

Jfr • .Speaki!r.

I mean, how can the people - I do not understand it and we are seeing it every day now - how can somebody say that the minister responsible for the offshore and the Petroleum Directorate in those negotiations, where we agreed to go into the negotiations without writing everything down because then we could be accused, 'Oh, oh, there is Peckford's stubbornness again now, there is Marshall's stubbornness now; they do not want to do anything,' so you go into negotiations without putting anything in writing, get an agreement in principle between two people - and who will not put anything in writing this day?

I mean, the evidence is overwhelming. Who is it will not put something in writing? How can you have an agreement? What a Newfie joke! What a joke that you have people somehow - how can you scrape up a shred of evidence? - in support of the federal side. Even if you love .them individually, how can you? Who will put something in writing on the offshore and who will not? We will, they will not. SOME HON. MEMBERS : Hear 1 bear! PREMIER PECKFORD: I mean, what are you supposed to do, Mr. Speaker? What is the hon. the minister supposed to do? What is the Government of Newfoundland 63

March 3, 19 .83 Tape 30 EC - 2 PREMIER PECKFQ~; S\ll?IX>sed to do, have a verbal agreement on the Qffshore? And people have to somehow understand what we are talking abQut here, 700,000 square miles - and the Province of ~ewfoundland is 110,000 square miles - 700,000 square miles of offshore territory w~~h massive quantities of gas off Labrador that everybody even forgets about that is going to be developed sOiile day. Hopefully that is going to make Labrador and Newfo .undland prosperous some day.

We are not talking about the thirty-five square miles around H.ibernia, even though it is the largest oil 'fieJ.a in canada • s bistory, ~ are talking aboilt".70'0 ;uou square miles of very geologically prospectiye territory that is for generations and generations and it is going to either make or break this Province. That is what we Q.re talking about. And, Mr. Speaker, we make it very clear, there are those around, there is a body of opinion around which says, ·~rian, you 64

March 3,1983 Tape No. 31 ah-1 PREMIER PECKFORD: fought the good fight.Bill,you fought the good fight. A good fellow,boy, you are, yes, siree. A good job there! I did not come into government to fight. I came into government to try to see-as everybody else did, I guess, witfi the same motivation - to see if I could contribut~ what ability I had to make this place a little bit better off than it is now. That is the primary motive that drives me. SOME HON. MEMBER S: Hear, hear! PREMIER PECKFORD: That is the primary motive that drives us all, surely . It is not a question of fighting.

"It is -a · quest-ion · of trying to make this society a little more pleasant and a little happier than it is today, give it an opportunity to grow in the modern world through a partnership between two governments in a confederation, through a partnership. And that is the kind of deal we have to have between the federal government and the provincial government, there has to be a partnership. Our history is our history, our geography is our geography.

We are who we are and we should be proud of it and we should want to try to keep as much of that as we can, our character and our way of life, and still be able to develop in modern society. You know, it is not very long from now, Mr.Speaker, when perhaps the inshore fishery will be no more. I cannot understand those people who talk about the in .shore fishery as if it has to go the way of the Newfoundland railway. You can have a technology advanced inshore fishery. for the people along the East and Northeast in Labrador. You can. 65

March 3,1983 Tape No . 31 ah-2 PREMIER PECKFORD : There is nothing by definition which stops that . That is not being somehow idealistic, that is not somehow just looking back to the past and trying to drag a whole bunch of garbage and appendages with you into the future. That is possible. That is a practical way to deal with one of our resources . But, Mr .

Speaker , just as sure as night follows day the present policies that are now being pursued and being ta~ked about on the fishery will over time see a gradual-everybody paying lip-service to it, "Oh yes, Sir," we have to have ·an ~ nsho re fishery degradi~g~ nd do wn- grading of the inshore fishery of Newfoundland and Labrador . Over time 66

March 3, 1983 Tape No. 32 SD - 1 PREMIER PECKFORD: So, Mr. Speaker, the course is clear. But to those who say, 'You fought the good fight and now you must surrender', the speech tries to make it clear, Mr. Speaker, we shall not surrender today, :.. v.hL-.t..LUW or ever. SOME HON. MEMBERS : Hear, hear! PREMIER PECKFORD: That is not a romantic notion either. I say that to anyone with total rationality, not just emotion speaking, I say that out of a firm dedicated commitment that what we have said in writing on the offshore is being a 'good Canadian.

"I say that out ·o£ -a ··firm' and deep commitment that what we have said on the fishery is being a good Canadian. I challenge all who want to analytically tear apart our offshore proposal, our ideas on the fishery or our ideas on hydro, to show me rationally, analytically what is wrong with our position, what is inconsistent in our position. So we say, Mr.

Speaker, we are going to continue on the road we are on now on a policy way in offshore and hydro and fishery not out of some romantic, emotional notion that we have but out of a firm and deep commitment that we have done our homework, that we have rationally put forward plans for the development of this Province which are consistent with the plans put forward by other provinces over the last five or six decades for the development of their provinces and for the development of Canada. Fair is fair and we are not being treated fairly, Mr. Speaker, and until we are treated fairly we will continue on this course.

Whether that takes a change in the political stripe in Ottawa or what I do not know. But you cannot let out of your hands perhaps the last opportunity that you will have to drag yourself up by your boot straps and be equal in 67

March 3, 1983 Tape No. 32 SD - 2 PREMIER PECKFORD: North America and in Cqnada. We have no choice but to stay on that course and we will stay on that course.

And I hope that we can look forward, especially over the next couple of months, to a healthy ~1a live~y debate in th~s Province, but one that will see that the positions thi\t we are taking are Canadian positions, Newfoundland positions, and unified behind the positions of this government · so that we can do the same thing as they did -in 1857, force those people who have larger numbers than we do, who have greater economic power than we do, to the table to ·sign deal.s which wi.Il btii.J.d a ·Canada and build a Newfoundland. SOME HON. MEMBERS: Thank you very much. . Hear 1 hear! 68

March 3, 1983 Tape 33 PK - 1 MR. SPEAKER (Russell) : It has been moved and seconded that a Select Committee be appointed to draft an Address in Reply to the Speech from the Throne. Those in favour 'Aye'. SOME HON. MEMBERS : 'Aye'. MR. SPEAKER: r::.ose agair...Q:... . .&.t .... ..t • SOME HON. MEMBERS : 'Nay'· MR. SPEAKER: I am pleased to announce that the members of this Committee shall consist of the hon. ·member for Carbonear (Mr. Peach), the hon. member for. Burin-Placentia West (Mr. Tobin), and the hon. member for Terra Nova (Mr. •' '·''LUSh). NOTICES OF MOTIONS MR. SPEAKER: The hon. member for Fogo. MR.

TULK: Mr. Speaker, I give notice that I will on tomorrow ask leave to introduce the following resolution.

WHEREAS the processing sector of the fishing industry is a provincial jurisdiction under the power and authority of the Provincial Minister of Fisheries; and

WHEREAS the processing and marketing components of the industry are in the worst mes ·s in the history of the Newfoundland fishery; and

WHEREAS the communities of Harbour Breton, Fe~euse, Burin, St. Lawrence, Trepassey, Gaultois, Ramea, Grand Bank and others face social and economic extinction because of the virtual clos ·edown of the fishing industry; and

WHEREAS the real income of those Newfoundlanders and Labradorians engaged in the harvesting and processing sectors of the fishery has been dropping since 1978; and

WHEREAS this plummeting income is particularly conspicuous in the inshore fishing sector; and 69

March 3, 198~ Tape 33 PK - 2 MR. TULK:

WHEREAS the sealing industry, which provides a significant portion of inshore fisherrnens' inco~e is in danger of complete closure for the first time in living memory; and

WHEREAS the Provincial Government could have saved the sealing industry by setting up processing and manufacturing plants in this province; and

WHEREAS t~e Provincial Government has a Fisheries Department and Minister, both of which are functionally invisible; BE IT THEREFORE RESOLVED that this hon. House impress and implore the government and, in particular, the Minister of Fisheries to immediately outline his plan of action for t::e processing sector of the industry. SOME HON. MEMBERS : Hear, hear! MR. TULK: BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that this plan of action be introduced and debated by this hon. House immediately. SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear! MR. SPEAKER: :Placentia West. MR. TOBIN: The hon. member for Burin- Mr. Speaker, I give notice that I will on tomorrow ask leave to introduce the following resolution.

WHEREAS the social and economic fabric of Newfoundland and Labrador has been and will continue to be interwoven with a viable ;fishing industry; and

WHEREAS the fishing industry during recent months has undergone severe economic adversity threatening the very existence of many communities in our Province; and

WHEREAS an exhaus ·tive study of the Atlantic fishery has been carried out by the Kirby Task Force requiring several months to complete; and

WHEREAS the Federal Government exercises most of the jurisdiction and control over our fishing and therefore is obligated to perform its constitutional duty such jurisdiction implies; and 70

March 3, 1983 Tape 33 PK - 3 MR. TOBIN:

WHEREAS it appears that re-structuring of the industry may be necessary to ensure future viability;

NOW THEREFORE

BE IT RESOLVED that this House urges the Government of Canada to exercise without delay its responsibility for ensuring the continued viability of the industry; and BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that such action be taken in co-operation and consultation with the Province and with a view to minimizing the negative social and econqmic impact on our fishing industry. ~.SPEAKER (Russell}; The hen. Leade~ of the ' Opposition. MR. NEARY: Mr. SJ?eake.r, I ask leave to propose the following resolution tomorrow. ~AS on February 12, 1982 the ?remier of this Province announced th .at the ?rovincial Cabinet has referred the offshore ownership issue to the Newf :oundJ.and Supreme Court of Appeals; and

WHEREAS that same Court did on the 17th day of February, 1983 rule t~at •••• the ~esources in question do not fall within the meaning of the Term 37 of; the Te~s of Union and thus do not belong to Newfo .undland;and

WHEREAS this present administration has, by- its own admission, no other reason to exist except tha;t battle for ownership of the offshore 71

March 3, 1983 Tape No. 34 MJ - 1 MR. S. NEARY: now lost by that administration in the Courts; and

WHEREAS this Province still needs an offshore development agreement to boost a desperately failing economy; BE IT THEREFORE RESOLVED that this hon.

House of Assembly fo on record, today, as supporting a negotiated settlement to this question at once which would provide maxium long and short t~ benefit-s ·to ,.this Province and to Canada; and BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the delicate issue of whether or not Winter drilling should be allowed under any circumstances during our storm season should at once be referred to a joint Federal/Provincial Committee which would establish guidelines on this and other related matters that address the subject of human life in a marine work environment. MR. M. PEACH: MR. SPEAKER (Russell) : MR. PEACH: Mr. Speaker.

The hon. the member for Carbonear. Mr. Speaker, I give notcie that I will on tommrrow ask leave to introduce the following resloution.

WHEREAS Newfoundland has a moral and historic claim to the resources on our Continental Shelf; and

WHEREAS it is an undeniable fact that Newfoundland brought those resources into Canada upon its entry into Confederation; and 72

March 3, 1983 Tape No. 34 MJ - 2 MR. M. PEACH:

WHEREAS we entered into negotiations on the verbal understanding that the federal government was willing to consider an offshore aqreement for Newfoundland whirh would be better than the Nova Scotia Agreement; and

WHEREAS the federal government has adopted the unacceptable position that Newfoundland must accept an agreement that is no better than, and in some respects worse than, the Nova Scotia Agreement; and

WHEREAS the clear and public position of Newfoundland is that this Province must share in a meaningful way the management responsibility and the revenues associated with offshore resources; and

WHEREAS social and economic justice, and the chance for Newfoundland to become an equal province in Confederation, dicates that the position of the federal government is morally wrong and unacceptable to the vast majority of the people of this Province;

NOW THEREFORE

BE IT RESOLVED that this House demand that the Government of Canada enter into an agreement with this province such that our moral and historic claims with respect to the sharing of offshore management and revenues are recognized. SOME HON. MEMBERS: MR. E. ROBERTS: MR. SPEAKER (Russell) : of Belle Isle. Hear, hear! Mr. Speaker. The hon. the member for the Strait 73

March 3, 1983 Tape No. 34 MJ - 3 MR. E. ROBERTS: Mr. Speaker, we have had two out of two, I do not know if it will be two out of three but may I give notice that I will on tomorrow ask leave to move the following motion.

BE IT RESOLVED that the house re-affirms the principle that it retains the ultimate responsibility for the control and supervision of expenditure by the Government of the Province and its agencies; and BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the House in furtherance of this principle, constitute a Standing Committee on Crdwn Corporations; and BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Standing Committee on Crown _r-- Corporations review and report upon the activities and expenditures of all the Crown Corporations and other agencies of the government in a manner similar to that in which the Public Accounts Committee reviews and reports upon the activities and expenditures of the departments of government, and that the Committee be constituted in the same manner and given the same powers as the Public Accounts Committee.

Mr. Speaker, let me add to that since I see the Chairman of the Board of Regents and the President of the University here 74

March 3, 1983 Tape No. 35 NM- 1 MR. ROBERTS: ~ definition of Crown corporations and other agencies does .not include Memorial University of Newfoundland lest anybody think it does. I think that is a separate matter and should be dealt with in a separate way J in case there is any confus .ion. MR. SPEAKER (Russell) : The hon. member for Grand -Bank. MR. MATTHEWS: Mr. Speaker, I give notice that I will on tomorrow ask leave to introduce the folowing resolution.

WHEREAS our fishermen, mariners, and offshore rig workers .bave to ·:,wor.k llllder .some . c£ .the worst .marine conditions in the world; and

WHEREAS there has been numerous sinkings off our shores and in particular last year's tragic loss of the · ocean Ranger which have demonstrated that the search and rescue facilities located in this Province are totally inadequate; and

WHEREAS a local facility could save lives by shortening the response time in the event of an emergency at sea; and

WHEREAS the events of February 16th. to February 19th. of this year once again showed that without adequate search and rescue facilities, drilling operations off our coasts are totally unsafe during Winter conditions;

NOW THEREFORE

BE IT RESOLVED that this House urge the federal government to establish adequate search and rescue facilities in this Province at the earliest possible date. SOME HON. 1-!EMBERS: MR. SPEAKER: MR. WARREN: Hear, hear~ The han. member for Torngat Mountains. Mr. Speaker, I give notice that I will on tomorrow ask leave to introduce the following resolution. 75

March 3, 1983 Tape. No. 35 NM- 2 MR. WARREN:

WHEREAS the Provincial Department of Fisheries operates the fish plants in Northern Labrador; and

WHEREAS the payroll for the fishermen and fish plant wotkers is the respbris·ibLii.ty of the Provincial Department of Fisheries; and

WHEREAS many fishermen have had UIC contributLons deducted incorrectly by the Provincial Department of Fisheries over the past years and subseque.ntly have caused an overpayment of UIC benefits to fishermen; and

WHEREAS fishermen are no~ required to repay those outstanding amounts to Revenue Canada; BE IT THEREFORE RESOLVED that the Provincial Department of Fisheries be held responsibile for this overpayment and reimburse the fishermen accordingly. MR. SPEAKER (Russell): The hon. member for St. Mary's- The Capes. MR. HEARN: I give notice that I will on tomorrow ask leave to introduce the following resolution.

WHEREAS Winter drilling off our shores has always been a concern of the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador; and

WHEREAS government acted on this concern by implementing strict new Winter drilling regulations for this Winter's drilling activity; and

WHEREAS the Government of Canada has not adopted the intent or the spirit of those regulations; and

WHEREAS recent frightening experiences with regard to iceberg movements and sea state conditions offshore have pointed to the urgent need to study and revise those regulations in order to provide a maximum level of health and safety for offshore workers; 76

March 3, 1983 Tape No. 35 BE IT THEREFORE RESOLVED that this El.ouse support the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador in this initi.ative and demand that the Government of Canada and the offshore operators concur with NM - 3 the "Removal Order" for the period needed to reassess and revise the Winter Drilling Regulations. :3 77

March 3, 1983 MR. SPEAKER (Russell): MR. LUSH: Tape No. 36 SD - 1 The han. member for Terra Nova. Mr. Speaker, I give notice that I will on tomorrow ask leave to introduce the following resolution.

WHEREAS unemployment is the most important problem facing this Province today, and is the highest in Canada; and

WHEREAS more than halt of these now unemployed are in the eighteen to twenty-four year old group; and

WHEREAS the resources already known and available to our Province could if properly used and developed, provide full and permanent employment to everyone in the growing Newfoundland and Labrador labour force; BE IT THEREFORE RESOLVED that a Select Committee of the House of Assembly be appointed immediately to work out a master plan for the orderly economic development of all our natural resource~ including oil and gas, the fishery, forestry, agriculture, minerals and tourism aimed directly towards creating employment for our people on long term projects which will lend some hope and real stability to all Newfoundlanders and Labradorians, and especially to the young men and women who comprise over sa per cent of our jobless.

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. member for St. John's West. MR. BARRETT: Mr. Speaker, r give notice that I will on tomorrow · ask leave to introduce the following res .alution.

WHEREAS the GoveriUilent of Canada has .· apparently made a deliberate deci~ion to penalize ~e people of ~s Province for actions taken on the pe.ople 1 s b.ehalf by their duly elected provincial government; and

WHEREAS the dra~ic decline in spending in this Province PY the federal government on co~-shared programs aided at improving public services is ~ple evidence of this penalizing attitude and actions on the part of the federal government; and 78

·• March 3, 1983 Tape No. 36 SD - 2 MR. BARRETT:

WHEREAS the Province is suffering severe financial and economic hardship as a result of these reductions in funding; and

WHEREAS the provincial government has tried every means at its disposal during the past several months to improve federal/provincial relations and sign cost shared agreements;

NOW THEREFORE

BE IT RESOLVED that this House urge the Government of Canada to reverse its present policy and to return to the Canadian approach of co-operative federalism. SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear! MR. SPEARER (.Russell) : MR. HODDER: The hon. member for Port au Port. Mr. Speaker, I give notice that I will on tomorrow ask leave to introduce the following resolution.

WHEREAS the price of world oil has been decreasing for the past several months; and

WHEREAS the Holyrood Thermal Generating Station is dependent upon world oil as a source of energy; and

WHEREAS the cost to Newfoundland Hydro of operating the Holyrood station will be lessened as a result of the decrease in the cost of world oil; and

WHEREAS the provincial government in 1975 spent approximately $110 million unnecessarily on bath s·ides of the Straits of Belle Isle for political purp~ses; and

WHEREAS there are now two cla~s · amounting t~ approximately $20 million dollars against Newfoundland Hydro projects at Cat Arm and the Upper Salmon as a result of engineering blunders; and

WHEREAS the decis ·ion ~f the provincial government in 197 4 to purchase BRINCO shares in CFLCO was a colossal error in judgement and timing: BE I.T THEREFORE RESOLVED that this Hause give the Public Accounts Committee the responsibility and authority to examine th.e fiscal affairs · of Newfoundland Hydro .; and 79

March 3, 1983 Tape No. 36 SD - 3 MR. HODDER: BE IT THEREFORE RESOLVED that increases in electricity rates be frozen until a report from this committee is made available to the House of Assembly. SOME HON. MEMBERS : Hear, hear! MR. SPEAKER (Russell) : The hon. member for Conception Bay South. MR. BUTT: Mr. Speaker, I give notice that I will on tomorrow ask leave to introduce the following resolution.

WHEREAS a secondary roads agreement is essential to the social and economic development of the Province; and

WHEREAS our present secondary road network is not up to average standards and is currently in bad repair; and

WHEREAS this Province should be given fair treatment in relation to other provinces·; and

WHEREAS the provincial government has tried to reach an agreement ~ to continue upgrading and expansion of secondary roads; and

WHEREAS the provincial government is willing to contribute its reasonable and fair share of the cost of this project; THEREFORE

BE IT RESOLVED that this hon. House insist that the federal government live up to its responsibilities and sign an agreement with the Province as soon as possible. SOME H.ON. MEMBERS: Hear, h.ear! BD

A March 3, 1983 MR. CALLAN: MR. SPEAKER (Russell): MR. CALLAN: Tape 37 EC - 1 Mr. Speaker. The hon. the member for Bellevue. Mr. Speaker, I give notice that I will on tomorrow introduce the following motion.

WHEREAS the provincial government have provided a poor example to employees of both the public and private sector with respect to the entire process of negotiations be they federal-provincial fiscal negotiations or be they provincial public service negotiations; and

WHEREAS the provincial government should assume a responsible leadership role in providing good labour-management relations; BE IT THEREFORE RESOLVED that the provincial government improve considerably public service bargaining and labour-management relations ensuring that mechanisms are firmly established to allow timely discussion, negotiation and if necessary mediation before contracts expire; BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the provincial government establish a consultation body drawn from labour, the business community, the public and the government in a determined effort to bring labour and management together on an industry­ wide basis in order to discuss labour problems and the negotiating process in general with a realistic view towards modifying improving labour management relations and the whole process of negotiations. 81

March 3, 1983 MR. WOODROW; MR. SPEAKER (Russell) : Bay of Islands. MR. WOODROW: Tape 37 EC - 2 Mr. Speaker. The hon. the member for Mr. Speaker, I would like to introduce the following motion.

WHEREAS the Gros Morne national park has been recognized as one of the most attractive areas of Canada; and

WHEREAS the Humber Valley has long been a site for recreation and sightseeing; and

WHEREAS the Marble Mountain ski facility is rapidly becoming one of the most popular ski centres in Eastern Canada; and

WHEREAS the Bay of Islands offers great attractions for marine orientated recreation; and

WHEREAS there exists additional potential for develop­ ment of tourist attractions in the Western region; and

WHEREAS the tourist industry offers great opportunity for year round employment; BE IT THEREFORE RESOLVED that the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador encourage the further development of these attractions and of additional attractions and that every effort be made to promote this area as a major recreational centre. SOME HON. MEMBERS : Hear, hear! 82

March 3, 19.83 Tape No. 38 NM- 1 MR. SPEAKER (Russell}: "The hon. member for Bonavista North. MR'. CROSS : Mr. Speaker, I give notice that I will on tomorrow ask leave to introduce a .resolution, as follows.

WHEREAS the fishing industry is the backbone of our provincial economy; and

WHEREAS it is the basis for our rural economy; and

WHEREAS many of our fishermen are suffering severe hardships as a resul.t .o£ ~ present ,£ede.ra.l fj she.rie.s .licencing policies, causing both confusion and resentment among the Province's fishermen: THEREFORE

BE IT RESOLVED that this hon. House urge the Government of Canada to revise its licencing policy to ensure that the Province's fishermen are dealt with in a fair and equitable manner. SOME HON •· MEMBERS : MR. SPEAKER: MR. MARSHALL ·: Hear, hear~ Any other notices of motion? The hon. President of the Council. Mr.

Speaker, before moving the adjournment of the House I would like to advise the members of the House that on Monday we will be dealing with the Address in Reply and the han. gentlemen there opposite can have an opportunity to address themselves to the questions of is it fair and right on page fourteen and fifteen of the Throne Speech. Having given that notice, Mr. Speaker, I move that the House at its rising do adjourn until tomorrow, Monday, at 3:00P.M., and that this House do now adjourn. MR •. SPEAKER: It is moyed and seconded that the House . do now adjourn until tamorro~, Monday, at three o'clock.

Those in favour "Aye", those against "Nay". Carried. I shall now leave the Chair until three o'clock tomorrow, Monday. 83