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May 6,

HOUSE OF ASSEMBLY PROCEEDINGS

Vol. XLVII No. 22

The House met at 1:30 p.m.

MR.

SPEAKER (Wiseman):

Order, please!

Admit strangers.

MR.

MCGRATH:

point of order.

MR.

SPEAKER:

The

hon. the Minister of Transportation and Works, on a point of order.

MR.

MCGRATH:

Yes, Mr. Speaker, thank you.

Yesterday, during our Question Period I committed that

I would table some documents today, and I would like to table those now, please,

on Humber Valley Paving.

MR. SPEAKER:

Order, please!

There is no point

of order. There is a place on the

agenda for tabling of documents, but there is no point of order.

Statements by Members

MR.

SPEAKER:

Today we will have members' statements from the Member for the District of

Lewisporte; the Member for the District of Baie Verte Springdale; the Member

for the District of Lake Melville; the Member for the District of Bay of

Islands; the Member for the District of St. John's North; and the Member for the

District of Mount Pearl South.

The hon. the Member for the District of Lewisporte.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR.

VERGE:

Mr.

Speaker, I rise today to recognize an outstanding athlete and citizen of

Lewisporte. Michael Austin is a

Special Olympian who began life with many physical challenges.

Over the course of his lifetime he has undergone in

excess of sixty operations. Sports

became the love of his life as he competed in bowling and track and field,

accumulating over 100 medals. He has

received a Newfoundland Athlete of the Year award, the Male Athlete of the Year

award, and too many sportsmanship awards to count.

He has competed in regional, provincial, and national Special Olympic

events.

Mike specializes in the 100, 200, and 400 metre races,

the shot put, the long jump, and also in snowshoe racing.

Michael earned the name Awesome Mike for his kind team spirit, and for

his uncanny ability to help pick up teammates when they are discouraged or they

need some extra cheer to get them going.

In 2013 I had the privilege of presenting Michael with

the Queen's Jubilee for outstanding contributions to his community.

Recently, Michael was chosen to represent Newfoundland and Labrador at

the National Summer Olympics in Vancouver.

Honourable colleagues, please join with me in

congratulating a wonderful athlete, a terrific individual, and a great example

for all of us to follow Mike Austin.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR.

SPEAKER:

The

hon. the Member for Baie Verte Springdale.

MR.

POLLARD:

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I rise in this hon. House today to recognize the

Springdale Pee Wee I hockey team.

They captured the gold medal at the provincial championships, hosted by

Stephenville on Easter weekend by edging Conception Bay Regionals 2-1 in the

heart-stopping championship game.

Springdale went undefeated in the six-team tournament.

Teams vying for the coveted title were: Bay d'Espoir,

Stephenville, Clarenville, Lab West, Conception Bay Regional, and Springdale.

Members of the teams include: Colton Boyde, Alex

Oxford, Joey Sparkes, Madison Tizzard, Jake Tizzard, Jake Matthews, Isaiah

Shears, Riley Burt, Mitchel Downton, Lucas Mercer, Robbie Thomas, Josh Andrews,

Erin Butt, Kyle Tuck, Christian Morgan, Victoria Hobbs-Regular, and Aaron Hull.

Coach Jason Sparkes and Manager Lori Spurrell are to be

commended for their dedication and commitment to the development of these young

hockey players. All teams displayed

skill, hard work, and team play throughout the tournament.

In the championship game, fans were treated to a very

intense and entertaining brand of hockey as the young budding players displayed

their sizzling shots, precision passing, and super skating.

I invite all hon. members to join me in applauding the

Springdale Pee Wee I hockey team for capturing the provincial title.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR.

SPEAKER:

The

hon. the Member for the District of Lake Melville.

MR.

RUSSELL:

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I rise today, Mr. Speaker, to recognize the graduating

class from Eric G. Lambert School in Churchill Falls.

This past weekend, Mr. Speaker, I had the pleasure to

attend their graduation in Churchill Falls.

I got to meet a group of young adults who are certainly some of the

brightest individuals you will ever meet.

Each one has a great sense of humour, not to mention a down-to-earth

personality that the community of Churchill Falls is well known for.

This year the graduating class consisted of Denika

Blake, Kelsey Burry, Catherine Flynn, Kelsey Kent, Mark Marshall, Brooke

Philpott, as well as Emily-Jane Clark Philpott and Nicholas Cheeseman who were

this year's valedictorians. After

meeting the class, Mr. Speaker, I am more than confident that they will go on to

be great ambassadors of their town and make their friends and families very

proud.

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

join with me in recognizing the graduating class from Eric G. Lambert School in

Churchill Falls.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR.

SPEAKER:

The

hon. the Member for the District of Bay of Islands.

MR.

JOYCE:

Mr.

Speaker, I rise in this hon. House today to recognize eleven-year-old, Jamie

Hickey, of Benoit's Cove.

Jamie, a Grade 5 student at St. Peter's Academy in

Benoit's Cove, won a gold medal in the Bantam Boys Singles Division of the 2014

Youth Bowling Canada Nationals held in Winnipeg this past weekend.

He finished with an average of 186.21 over twenty-one games during the

three-day championship.

Earlier this year, Jamie won the provincial boys

singles with 878 five-game set earning him the opportunity to represent the

Province at his first national's championship.

Mr. Speaker, Jamie practices twice a week and his

passion and commitment to his sport is an example for all young athletes.

Jamie's motto is that it is all about having fun, meeting new friends,

and doing his personal best every time he plays.

Jamie is a great ambassador for the Town of Humber Arm

South and St. Peter's Academy and he has demonstrated at a young age what can be

accomplished when you work hard and are committed to what you do.

Mr. Speaker, I ask all members to join me in

congratulating Jamie on his gold medal win and wish him continued success in the

future.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR.

SPEAKER:

The

hon. the Member for St. John's North.

MR.

KIRBY:

Mr.

Speaker, I stand in the House today to recognize someone who at a relatively

young age has accomplished much more than most.

Nineteen-year-old Caighlan Smith from St. John's has

Newfoundland.

Caighlan is also a published author of some note.

Her debut novel, a supernatural fantasy called

Hallow Hour , was released just last

September. Her second novel,

New Year , will be released this month.

This gives Caighlan the rare distinction of having not one, but two

novels published before the age of twenty.

Caighlan has been a featured author at the Halifax Word

on the Street Book Festival and an invited delegate at the Canada Council's

National Forum on the Literary Arts.

Caighlan has also been invited to be a guest author at

the Emerging Writers Festival in Melbourne, Australia, which takes place at the

end of this month.

Caighlan decided she wanted to be a novelist at the age

of nine. Ten years later she is

living her dream.

I ask all hon. members to join me in congratulating

Caighlan Smith who teaches us that, with hard work and dedication, dreams do

come true.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR.

SPEAKER:

The

hon. the Member for Mount Pearl South.

MR.

LANE:

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

It is a privilege to stand in this hon. House to speak

about a great event which took place in my district this past Sunday evening.

This event was hosted by the Kinsmen Club of Mount Pearl of which I am a

proud member and was promoted as Celebrity Karaoke.

This was a very successful venture which raised significant funds for

three great charities: the K-Rock Children's Trust, the MS Society, and Cystic

Fibrosis.

A big thank you to some wonderful corporate partners:

Steele Communications, Tols Timeout Lounge, the Print Shop, and Browning Harvey

Limited, as well as to the many community-minded businesses who donated prizes

for ticket draws and the silent auction.

Also, a special thank you to all of the local celebrities who took

part

in entertaining the crowd including a number of media personalities, local

entertainers, city councillors, community activists, as well as a number of

members of this hon. House.

Finally, a huge congratulations and thank you to the

members of the Kinsmen Club of Mount Pearl for the significant role they play in

my community. Their efforts

certainly do not go unnoticed and they are community heroes, each and every one.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR.

SPEAKER:

Statements by Ministers.

Statements by Ministers

MR.

SPEAKER:

The

hon. the Minister of Innovation, Business and Rural Development.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

SULLIVAN:

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in the hon. House today to

recognize Innovation Week 2014, the first week of its kind in the Province.

Innovation Week brings together both private and public partners to share

ideas and build upon the outstanding atmosphere of innovation in Newfoundland

and Labrador.

Innovation has a tremendous influence on our Province's

social and economic development.

Greater creativity invites new opportunities, new industries, and new

accomplishments.

Mr. Speaker, yesterday I had the pleasure of opening

Innovation Week at Common Ground, a unique space created by local entrepreneurs

for local entrepreneurs to increase collaboration and share small business

energy. Later this week I will

attend the Innovation Outlook Conference, these events allow me to meet with the

people who are making innovation happen, the creative minds behind so many of

our Province's success stories.

It was for these innovators and those they inspire that

we created the Innovation Lives Here

campaign. There are so many

incredible stories emerging from all over the Province that demonstrate

creativity and tenacity, and through the

Innovation Lives Here campaign, our government has created a platform to

celebrate those successes and acknowledge those who are excelling.

Mr. Speaker, since 2005, our government has invested

approximately $210 million to advance business and regional development and

support growth and diversification.

We also know that venture capital is critical for the development of innovation.

Through Budget 2014, we announced we will invest in two Venture Capital

Funds with $10 million to support Build Ventures, and a commitment to establish

a Venture Newfoundland and Labrador fund with angel investors and other venture

capital shareholders.

By fostering innovation among young people, small and

medium-sized businesses, research institutions, and traditional industries, we

are making important investments in the future of Newfoundland and Labrador,

especially in rural communities where the strength of ventures is key to

anchoring youth and driving population growth.

Mr. Speaker, this is an exciting time to live, work,

and do business in Newfoundland and Labrador and innovation is a big part of

that momentum. I invite all my hon.

colleagues to congratulate all those involved in this year's Innovation Week.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR.

SPEAKER:

The

hon. the Member for The Straits White Bay North.

MR.

MITCHELMORE:

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I thank the minister for an advance copy of her

statement. Newfoundlanders and

Labradorians are natural innovators, finding local solutions to many complex

problems. We congratulate, as the

Official Opposition, the partners who have worked hard to put together

Innovation Week: the Newfoundland and Labrador Association of Technology

Industries, StartupNL, TEDxStJohns, CNA, NEIA, Genesis Centre, CME Newfoundland

and Labrador, Common Ground, and others.

The events provide a great opportunity to showcase

products such as the DemoCamp and expose youth to technology careers at a

day-long conference for 400 Grade 9 students, as well as the NATI Knowledge

Summit.

NATI has stated that the industry in Newfoundland and

Labrador, the technology sector, has 165 companies employing 3,990 people, at

one point $6 billion in revenue annually.

That is quite significant.

There are lots of opportunities and we have to celebrate the innovation in

technology we have out there.

Government has a role to place greater emphasis on

advancing our telecommunications, such as rural broadband, promoting further

entrepreneurship in the tech sector, and encouraging everyone to work in greater

collaboration so we can find solutions and do things better.

Congratulations.

Thank you.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR.

SPEAKER:

The

hon. the Member for St. John's East.

MR.

MURPHY:

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker.

I would also like to thank the minister for the advance

copy of her statement here today. I

was quite pleased to see the government pushing ahead with the two initiatives

in question: the Build Ventures program, as well as Venture Newfoundland and

Labrador. I know these monies are in

the Budget and I want to wish government all the luck in the world in pressing

these things forward.

We are innovators in this Province, Mr. Speaker, and

there is no finer example I can think of right now within the City of St.

John's, a small example, if you will, but not very small in the extreme.

It started off with three people at the Genesis Centre at MUN, and I am

talking about Verafin; right now, 115 employees.

We know we can do it here in Newfoundland and Labrador.

We know the government is trying to supply those tools.

We will keep an eye on it to see exactly how it works out in the end, but

I encourage everybody to get out there in Innovation Week and express your ideas

to government, and government would be the matching partner in all this.

I want to wish the government, again, all the luck in

the world with this, and express the sentiments of everybody that is out there.

If you have an idea, approach government; they are there.

Thank you.

MR.

SPEAKER:

The

hon. the Minister of Tourism, Culture and Recreation.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR.

S. COLLINS:

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in this hon. House to recognize the

individuals honoured recently at Sport Newfoundland and Labrador's Stars and

Legends Awards gala. The annual

event welcomes the newest members into the Newfoundland and Labrador Sports Hall

of Fame and also acknowledges athletic achievements in the Province over the

past year.

It is an honour to congratulate this year's

Newfoundland and Labrador Sports Hall of Fame inductees Colin Abbott, Lee

Churchill, Max Kirby, Gerry Rideout, Andy Sullivan, and Ray Will.

Mr. Speaker, this group has set a wonderful example for our Province's

up-and-coming young athletes and our sports community in general, and I

congratulate each of them on receiving this well-deserved honour.

In addition, Sport Newfoundland and Labrador also

recognized the Province's top athletes for 2013.

As highly accomplished athletes, coaches, and executive members, these

women and men continuously strive to reach their goals through dedication and

perseverance. Cross-country runner

Jillian Forsey, swimmer Owen Daly, soccer player Malorie Harris, rugby player

Ciaran Hearn, soccer executive Jeff Babstock, volunteer David Coates, soccer

coach Jack Stanford, and the St. John's Under 18A girls soccer team were all

recognized as the best in their sport in 2013 and are to be commended for their

passion and commitment to sport.

Mr. Speaker, the provincial government is committed to

supporting athletic excellence. We

provide our provincial athletes, in particular our emerging young men and women,

with opportunities to explore their potential in sport performance.

We continue to provide support through the Premier's Athletic Awards

Program, as well as the Elite Athlete Assistance Program, and the National

Travel Subsidy Initiative.

Since the launch of

Active, Healthy Newfoundland and Labrador: A Recreation and Sport

Strategy for Newfoundland and Labrador , approximately $192 million has been

committed to recreational sport and infrastructure, programming, and athlete

development throughout our Province.

Continued investment helps our athletes compete at their best elite level.

I invite all members to join me in congratulating this

year's award recipients and inductees for their achievements, and applaud them

for the vital role they play in the advancement of sport in Newfoundland and

Labrador.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR.

SPEAKER:

The

hon. the Member for the District of Bay of Islands.

MR.

JOYCE:

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I thank the minister for the advance copy, and

congratulations on the first Ministerial Statement as the new Minister of

Tourism, Culture and Recreation.

Good job.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR.

JOYCE:

Mr.

Speaker, people on this side of the House, also the Opposition, would like to

congratulate all of the Hall of Fame inductees this past weekend.

We know of a lot of their accomplishments over the years.

It is great to be recognized by your fellow peers.

To all the athletes who won the Athlete of the Year

Awards, congratulations, team sports congratulations.

It shows a lot of hard work and dedication to get to that level in

Newfoundland and Labrador.

I also would like to throw out a bouquet to a lot of

the coaches, and a lot of the volunteers who help make these events happen, to

the parents who bring the athletes back and forth.

I too agree with the government that we need to support our young people

in athletics. Anything we can do to

keep people more active in sports.

On the national stage, we are very competitive.

Mr. Speaker, I am glad to say that pretty soon we may

have some great elite athletes out of McIver's.

The former minister just sent out the $15,000 capital grant recreation to

the town of McIver's.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR.

JOYCE:

thank the former minister for that because it is a great with 110 students and

athletes ready to go with the playground, Mr. Speaker, and all the parents,

thirty-five parents ready, I say congratulations.

It is what we need to do, is keep our young people active.

Congratulations to the minister.

Good job to the new minister and keep up the work.

Thank you.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR.

SPEAKER:

The

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

ROGERS:

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I too thank the new Minister of Tourism, Culture and

Recreation for an advance copy of his statement, and congratulations.

Bravo to all those honoured by their induction into the Hall of Fame and

for those recognized for being the best in their sport.

How wonderful to celebrate the passion, commitment, and

excellence. They make us all proud.

It is important to honour achievement but it is also important to ensure

that all people have access to facilities and support to establish and reach of

our own individual goals.

Most of us will never be the provincial best or get

into a hall of fame but we can all find ways to stay active and benefit from

that healthy activity. Access to

fitness opportunities is a measure of a modern, healthy society.

Government must support the many recreational facilities available in our

Province so that everyone can benefit.

I myself play hockey on Sunday afternoon on a women's

hockey league. We duke it out at St.

Bon's arena. The last game I scored

two goals with a little help from my friends two.

Bravo!

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Bravo, bravo!

ROGERS:

course, with a little help from my friends.

No hall of fame for me, Mr. Speaker, no awards, but boy do I have fun.

Bravo to our great athletes.

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR.

SPEAKER:

Oral Questions.

Oral Questions

MR.

SPEAKER:

The

hon. the Member for St. John's South.

MR.

OSBORNE:

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The Minister of Transportation and Works has been in

the media and in this House saying that there was a bond totalling $9.5 million

returned to Humber Valley Paving. In

fact there were two bonds, Mr. Speaker, a performance bond and a labour and

material bond totalling $19 million plus HST.

I ask the minister: Minister, you either did not know

that there were two bonds totalling $19 million or you chose to paint a totally

different picture, which is it?

MR.

SPEAKER:

The

hon. the Minister of Transportation and Works.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR.

MCGRATH:

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, when I was referring to the bond, I

referred to the performance bond only because that was the bond that was brought

up in the media, so that is the one I reacted to.

There are two bonds, which I will be tabling later today.

One is a labour and materials bond, the other is a performance bond.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR.

SPEAKER:

The

hon. the Member for St. John's South.

MR.

OSBORNE:

That is funny, Mr. Speaker, because yesterday I asked him about both bonds and

he still referred to the bond for $9.5 million.

Mr. Speaker, it is obvious he did not know there were

two bonds totalling $19 million. In

fact, in Estimates last night, I asked the minister about requirements under

tenders issued by his department that contractors must complete a defined number

of kilometres by September 30 of this year.

He was not aware of that either and his officials had to come to his

rescue.

I ask the minister: Don't you think that the lack of

knowledge on bonds, the lack of knowledge on tenders is a clear display of your

incompetence?

MR.

SPEAKER:

The

hon. the Minister of Transportation and Works.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR.

MCGRATH:

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Again, the numbers that the member from across the way

is using are still baffling me. I do

not know where he is getting his numbers.

MR.

SPEAKER:

The

hon. the Member for St. John's South.

MR.

OSBORNE:

Mr.

Speaker, the minister shows incompetence on bonds, he shows incompetence on his

tenders. A performance bond is one

thing and it is issued to ensure that work is completed.

A labour and materials bond is entirely different.

I ask the minister: Do you now agree that, considering

I asked the same questions yesterday, the labour and materials bond would

protect suppliers and subcontractors of Humber Valley Paving?

MR.

SPEAKER:

The

hon. the Minister of Transportation and Works.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR.

MCGRATH:

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Now I will give the hon. member across the way a little

lesson in bonds and what is in place and is still in place for the small

businesses that deal through private enterprise.

It is called a mechanics lien holdback, and that is still in place.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR.

SPEAKER:

The

hon. the Member for St. John's South.

MR.

OSBORNE:

Mr.

Speaker, I can tell you one thing, he did not read the labour and materials bond

either because written right in there it says that subcontractors will be

protected if the contractor defaults.

I ask the minister again: Is he going to read the

labour and materials bond, and will he now confirm that bond would, in fact,

have protected the subcontractors who are begging for payment from Humber Valley

Paving?

MR.

SPEAKER:

The

hon. the Minister of Transportation and Works.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR.

MCGRATH:

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, the mechanics' lien holdback is in place

to protect small businesses and if they choose to put a lien on a business, they

do that on their own, and government has made sure that is in place.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR.

SPEAKER:

The

hon. the Member for St. John's South.

MR.

OSBORNE:

That is also what the Labour and Materials Bond is for, and would have provided

greater protection.

Mr. Speaker, the minister obviously felt it was

important to protect Humber Valley Paving, cancelling the contract and returning

the bonds, also propping up the value of that company, I may add; but the

minister certainly did not think it was important to protect the suppliers of

Humber Valley Paving, which the Labour and Materials bond would have done.

I ask: Why not?

MR.

SPEAKER:

The

hon. the Minister of Transportation and Works.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR.

MCGRATH:

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, as I stated yesterday, I stated in the

media and I will state again, first and foremost the first goal of this

government was to protect the people of Newfoundland and Labrador.

The decisions that we made through my department, I think, did exactly

that in protecting the people of Newfoundland and Labrador.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR.

SPEAKER:

The

hon. the Member for St. John's South.

MR.

OSBORNE:

Mr.

Speaker, the first goal of that minister was to protect Humber Valley Paving and

the reasons are obvious.

I ask him why he did not protect the suppliers and the

subcontractors using the Labour and Materials bond.

MR.

SPEAKER:

The

hon. the Minister of Transportation and Works.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR.

MCGRATH:

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Again, I will say that the mechanics' lien holdback is

in place and if the small businesses choose to utilize that, that is what it is

there for.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR.

SPEAKER:

The

hon. the Member for Virginia Waters.

C. BENNETT:

Mr.

Speaker, the minister said yesterday that one of the reasons he cancelled the

contract was to protect the future of Humber Valley Paving.

I ask the minister: Will he now provide a list of all

contracts and bonds that have been cancelled by his government in the last five

years?

MR.

SPEAKER:

The

hon. the Minister of Transportation and Works.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR.

MCGRATH:

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, I did not say that I was protecting Humber

Valley Paving. I said that in the

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Oh,

oh!

MR.

SPEAKER:

Order, please!

MR.

MCGRATH:

interest of the priorities

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Oh,

oh!

MR.

SPEAKER:

Order, please!

MR.

MCGRATH:

The

interest that we have is to protect the people of Newfoundland and Labrador,

employ the people of Newfoundland and Labrador, and protect Newfoundland and

Labrador companies.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR.

SPEAKER:

The

hon. the Member for Virginia Waters.

C. BENNETT:

Mr.

Speaker, the minister acknowledged cancelling the two bonds, worth over $19

million, to Humber Valley Paving as well as the contract.

Does he recognize the fact that by cancelling these

bonds

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Oh,

oh!

MR.

SPEAKER:

Order, please!

C. BENNETT:

and the contract he has improved the financial position of Humber Valley Paving?

MR.

SPEAKER:

The

hon. the Minister of Transportation and Works.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR.

MCGRATH:

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, once again, and as I stated yesterday,

when I was making the decisions to terminate the contract, in mutual agreement

with the contractor, the interest for the people of Newfoundland and Labrador

was our first and foremost priority.

We had a small window of opportunity to bundle some tenders together, and that

is what we have done.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR.

SPEAKER:

The

hon. the Member for Virginia Waters.

C. BENNETT:

Mr.

Speaker, the minister has acknowledged that there are two bonds that have been

cancelled and a contract that has been cancelled, and these have improved the

financial position of Humber Valley Paving.

There is no arguing that.

I would ask him: Does he agree that improving the

financial position now gave that company a competitive advantage over other

companies in Newfoundland and Labrador?

MR.

SPEAKER:

The

hon. the Minister of Transportation and Works.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR.

MCGRATH:

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, my role as the Minister of Transportation

and Works is to exactly govern the Transportation and Works issues within the

Province. That is what I will

continue to do.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR.

SPEAKER:

The

hon. the Member for Virginia Waters.

C. BENNETT:

Mr.

Speaker, I ask the minister: Does he agree that cancelling the bonds and the

contract, giving the company a competitive advantage, and improving their

financial position has all resulted in increased share value for shareholders in

Humber Valley Paving?

MR.

SPEAKER:

The

hon. the Minister of Transportation and Works.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR.

MCGRATH:

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, I will say again that my first goal is to

protect the people in Newfoundland and Labrador, do what is best for the people

in Newfoundland and Labrador, and that is exactly what I have done in this

particular case.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR.

SPEAKER:

The

hon. the Member for Burgeo La Poile.

MR.

A. PARSONS:

Mr.

Speaker, I ask the minister: Will he provide that list of contracts and bonds

that have been cancelled by his government in the last five years?

MR.

SPEAKER:

The

hon. the Minister of Transportation and Works.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR.

MCGRATH:

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, I can certainly look into putting that

together and I would have no problem once I get all of that information tabling

it here in the House.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR.

SPEAKER:

The

hon. the Member for Burgeo La Poile.

MR.

A. PARSONS:

Can

the minister indicate a time period for which we can expect that information?

MR.

SPEAKER:

The

hon. the Minister of Transportation and Works.

MR.

MCGRATH:

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I will get it done as soon as possible.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR.

SPEAKER:

The

hon. the Member for Burgeo La Poile.

MR.

A. PARSONS:

Mr.

Speaker, Gene Coleman approached the Minister of Transportation on March 13 and

asked him to cancel the contract and forgive over $19 million in bonds.

I ask the minister: What was your understanding of

Frank Coleman's relationship with Humber Valley Paving at that time?

MR.

SPEAKER:

The

hon. the Minister of Transportation and Works.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR.

MCGRATH:

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, the contractor, HVP, through Gene Coleman,

who was the spokesman at the time, did speak with my department and talked about

terminating the contractor.

I have to say, just to clarify yesterday, that the

words were minced around a little bit and I did not hear the member from across

the way say the word prior. He used

that to insinuate another thing. The

first meeting I had with the Premier, the present Premier Marshall, concerning

this contract was on April 28. I

would like to clarify that.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR.

SPEAKER:

The

hon. the Member for Burgeo La Poile.

MR.

A. PARSONS:

Mr.

Speaker, there is no mincing of words; the minister chose not to listen.

The questions were very clear.

I ask him again: What was your understanding of Frank

Coleman's involvement with Humber Valley Paving on March 13?

MR.

SPEAKER:

The

hon. the Minister of Transportation and Works.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR.

MCGRATH:

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, when we enter into tenders and contracts

with companies, I really do not care who the owners or the shareholders are.

I had no idea who Frank Coleman was, nor do I care what association he

had with the company. I was dealing

with a contractor.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR.

SPEAKER:

The

hon. the Member for Burgeo La Poile.

MR.

A. PARSONS:

Mr.

Speaker, it is a fact that the same day Gene Coleman approached the minister to

cancel the contract and forgive over $19 million in bonds; Frank Coleman

announced his intention to seek the leadership of the PC Party which, if

successful, would automatically make him the Premier and the minister's boss.

I ask the minister: Did it make you uncomfortable that

the son of the future boss was seeking over $19 million of forgiveness?

MR.

SPEAKER:

The

hon. the Minister of Transportation and Works.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR.

MCGRATH:

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, number one, fear mongering does not work

with me, and I do not feel I was fear mongered.

Number two, I think that the member across the way should check his dates

because March 13 was not the date that Mr. Coleman announced he would be seeking

the leadership.

MR.

SPEAKER:

The

hon. the Member for Burgeo La Poile.

MR.

A. PARSONS:

What date did Mr. Coleman announce that he was seeking the leadership?

MR.

SPEAKER:

The

hon. the Minister of Transportation and Works.

MR.

MCGRATH:

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I suggest that you go back and check that out.

MR.

SPEAKER:

The

hon. the Member for Burgeo La Poile.

MR.

A. PARSONS:

is absolutely astounding, Mr. Speaker.

Despite all the negotiations and discussions between

March 13 and March 21, does the minister still stand by his statement yesterday

that there was no written documentation whatsoever relating to these

discussions?

MR.

SPEAKER:

The

hon. the Minister of Transportation and Works.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR.

MCGRATH:

Yes, Mr. Speaker.

MR.

SPEAKER:

The

hon. the Member for Burgeo La Poile.

MR.

A. PARSONS:

Mr.

Speaker, I have to just put this out there again, so the minister is telling the

House of Assembly here today and the people of this Province that there was a

deal concerning $20 million in taxpayer money and the minister has nothing on

paper to evidence this nothing?

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Oh,

oh!

MR.

SPEAKER:

Order, please!

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Oh,

oh!

MR.

SPEAKER:

Order, please!

The hon. the Minister of Transportation and Works.

MR.

MCGRATH:

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to clarify that.

It is $19 million in bonds.

There were discussions that took place and then there was a formal letter

terminating the contract.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR.

SPEAKER:

The

hon. the Member for Burgeo La Poile.

MR.

A. PARSONS:

Mr.

Speaker, I would ask the question: Is it common practice in this government to

conclude business deals involving millions of dollars of taxpayer money with no

written documentation?

MR.

SPEAKER:

The

hon. the Minister of Transportation and Works.

MR.

MCGRATH:

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, there is a contract that was in place that

addresses the millions of dollars.

That contract is a written document.

MR.

SPEAKER:

The

hon. the Member for Burgeo La Poile.

MR.

A. PARSONS:

Mr.

Speaker, does the minister have any written documentation to provide documenting

and showing the work that was actually completed by this company that he can

show here to the House today?

MR.

SPEAKER:

The

hon. the Minister of Transportation and Works.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR.

MCGRATH:

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, there is a documentation actually in

The

Telegram , on the weekend there was a

list of the work that has been completed and the documentation will be in

invoices.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR.

SPEAKER:

The

hon. the Member for Burgeo La Poile.

MR.

A. PARSONS:

Mr.

Speaker, the minister negotiated for eight days before letting this company off

the hook for over $19 million. He

did nothing to protect the suppliers, the subcontractors, and the taxpayers.

He showed preferential treatment to the company involving his future

boss. He disadvantaged other

Newfoundland and Labrador companies.

There is evidentially no paper trail whatsoever to show this, and he is

expecting the public to believe that this was all above board.

This is nothing but incompetence.

I ask the minister: Will you do the right thing and

resign?

MR.

SPEAKER:

The

hon. the Minister of Transportation and Works.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR.

MCGRATH:

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, I will go back to my opening statement,

that the first decision when we were making this decision was to make sure that

the people of Newfoundland and Labrador were protected, and that is exactly what

I will continue to do.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR.

SPEAKER:

The

hon. the Member for Carbonear Harbour Grace.

MR.

SLADE:

Mr.

Speaker, nearly three years after the government promised new stadiums to the

Towns of Harbour Grace, Paradise and CBS, only Harbour Grace is still waiting

for construction to begin. The town

has provided all the necessary information to government, yet no tenders have

been called.

I ask the minister: Do you still intend to keep your

promise to the people of Harbour Grace?

If so, will the construction start on that facility this summer?

MR.

SPEAKER:

The

hon. the Minister of Municipal and Intergovernmental Affairs.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR.

KENT:

Mr.

Speaker, I guess the MHA has read the

article that was in his local paper or

online over the last number of days.

I received a request from the Town of Harbour Grace

about a week ago to meet to discuss this project.

A couple of days later I met with the mayor and a member of council.

We had a very positive discussion on the status of the project.

For some time we have been gathering information from the town.

We need to be certain that the town can afford not only to build the

facility but to operate it as well.

We have committed to have that assessment completed by the end of May, and we

look forward to working with the town to move the project forward.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR.

SPEAKER:

The

hon. the Member for Carbonear Harbour Grace.

MR.

SLADE:

Mr.

Speaker, the minister knows very well that it was a committee struck by a member

of government there some time back and one of the members from his office sat in

on that committee.

Mr. Speaker, the minister is well aware of this file.

The funding was in place, the site selection has been approved, and there

should be nothing technically stopping this rink from being built.

I ask the minister: Who is asking for the review and

the analysis of the project, government or the Town of Harbour Grace?

MR.

SPEAKER:

The

hon. the Minister of Municipal and Intergovernmental Affairs.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR.

KENT:

Mr.

Speaker, in recent months the Town of Harbour Grace expressed some concerns

about its ability to sustain the operational cost and it wrote me back at the

end of February to say, instead of building a dual ice-surface facility, they

would like to proceed with a single ice rink.

That is certainly acceptable to us.

We still need to complete the important financial analysis.

The mayor and the council member I met with fully

understand that. We have a positive

working relationship. The funds are

still in place to move this project forward.

We just have to be certain we do not place an unfair or unreasonable

burden on taxpayers. I believe the

Mayor of Harbour Grace understands that.

It is unfortunate the MHA does not.

However, it is positive, Mr. Speaker, that for the first time since being

elected he is raising this issue with me.

MR.

SPEAKER:

Order, please!

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR.

SPEAKER:

The

hon. the Member for The Straits White Bay North.

MR.

MITCHELMORE:

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

In 2009, residents north of Hawke's Bay were told they

will not have to worry, sawmills will not close, people will not have to leave,

and the economy will be more stable than it has been for years.

Five years and $10 million of taxpayers' money later, the people are

questioning government's commitment.

I ask the minister: Are you committed to ensuring the

forestry resources on the Great Northern Peninsula mean local jobs and

value-added products, or are you content with another white elephant?

MR.

SPEAKER:

The

hon. the Minister of Natural Resources.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR.

DALLEY:

Mr.

Speaker, I think I could go around this House and speak to every member and

every single member in this House would welcome a $10 million investment from

government.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR.

DALLEY:

think it speaks to our commitment, our investment, and our support for the

economy of the region. There have

been some challenges with that investment.

On the other hand, Mr. Speaker

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Oh,

oh!

MR.

SPEAKER:

Order, please!

MR.

DALLEY:

we have made significant investments in forestry as well, in silviculture, and

in roads.

The member opposite knows full well that we are fully

engaged in a new company that has a keen interest in furthering the development

on the Northern Peninsula with respect to the forestry development, Mr. Speaker.

We are working towards that.

We are working with companies. We

are working with the large industry there in Holson Forest Products and we are

optimistic we are going to have a good outcome.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR.

SPEAKER:

The

hon. the Member for The Straits White Bay North.

MR.

MITCHELMORE:

Long-term jobs in the economy are key.

Mr. Speaker, on May 1, Rentech announced it acquired

the largest producer of wood pellets for the US heating market.

Rentech already has significant assets in Ontario, and long-term port

facilities in Quebec. The minister

has confirmed they are the sole company for the former Abitibi lands, and are in

negotiations with Holson Forest Products.

I ask the minister: With millions invested in the

Roddickton pellet plant, what actions are you prepared to take to ensure that

our public resources can capitalize on growing market demands?

MR.

SPEAKER:

The

hon. the Minister of Natural Resources.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR.

DALLEY:

Mr.

Speaker, long-term jobs and the economy are key.

What a statement, Mr. Speaker.

Take a look at what our government has done.

Take a look at the investments we have done around the Province.

We can take a look at the forest industry, with 5,500

people working in the forest industry.

As well, Mr. Speaker, a struggling industry we have supported in many

different ways. Now we are on an

upturn in the forest industry. We

are optimistic about its future. We

are working with a major company, Mr. Speaker, with major assets to come in and

help stabilize the forest industry.

Not just for the Northern Peninsula, but for the entire Province.

Mr. Speaker, that is a goal we have had.

We are working towards that.

We are going to do everything we can to make that deal work, not only to benefit

the Northern Peninsula but to benefit the long-term stability jobs and the

economy with respect to the forest industry.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR.

SPEAKER:

Order, please!

The hon. the Member for the District of St. Barbe.

MR.

J. BENNETT:

Mr.

Speaker, last week an enlarged Cabinet welcomed a new Justice Minister.

Welcome, minister.

I ask the minister: Was he provided with the customary

briefing book prepared at taxpayers' expense so he could become acquainted with

his new department? If so, will he

provide a copy to the Opposition, as was the case before Bill 29?

MR.

SPEAKER:

The

hon. the Minister of Justice.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR.

FRENCH:

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I want to thank the hon. minister for welcoming me to

the Department of Justice.

HON. MEMBER:

Member.

MR.

FRENCH:

Member opposite. I could call him

one of my learned friends, but I am not to that point yet in my Justice

Minister's career. I certainly want

to thank him.

Yes, Mr. Speaker, whatever I have we just had

Estimates this morning, he is more than welcome to that.

He spent three hours asking questions.

I do not have a book per se but I have all kinds of notes that he is more

than welcome to, Mr. Speaker.

I would also say, Mr. Speaker, I am still trying to

find my way to the bathroom up there, so when I find out that, he is more

welcome to have those directions as well.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR.

SPEAKER:

The

hon. the Member for the District of St. Barbe.

MR.

J. BENNETT:

Mr.

Speaker, the minister admits to not having a briefing book or not bothering to

read a briefing book.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Oh,

oh!

MR.

SPEAKER:

Order, please!

MR.

J. BENNETT:

ask the minister: Does this mean the new minister does not think Justice is

important enough for a briefing book, or does he not think he will be in this

role long enough to bother to read up on the issues?

MR.

SPEAKER:

Order, please!

The hon. the Minister of Justice.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR.

FRENCH:

Mr.

Speaker, no, I do not have a book per se.

As the hon. member would notice, I do not bring books but I do bring

files, and I am trying to come up to speed on all the files in the department,

and anything that I have in writing the hon. member is more than welcome to

read, Mr. Speaker; it is public knowledge.

As a matter of fact, there was one book that I read on

the weekend; it was the layout of the department, Mr. Speaker.

He is more than welcome to have that booklet.

It is a considerable length.

It is in a binder form. I would be

more than happy to provide it for him.

He can go through it, and he might even learn a few things about the

Department of Justice.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR.

SPEAKER:

The

hon. the Member for the District of St. Barbe.

MR.

J. BENNETT:

Mr.

Speaker, the Family Violence Intervention Court was welcomed and endorsed by the

police, courts, prosecutors, and defence counsel one of the few successes of

this government. Sadly, the former

Minister of Justice did not believe that reducing family violence was worth $1

per person, per year, and cancelled it.

I ask the new minister: Will he reinstate the Family

Violence Intervention Court to curb the cycle of family violence in our

Province?

MR.

SPEAKER:

The

hon. the Minister of Environment and Conservation.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

SHEA:

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, this government takes violence prevention

very seriously. We have our Violence

Prevention Initiative. We feel that

as we go through the Violence Prevention Initiative, we need to ensure that

awareness is something that people are able to understand the issues regarding

family violence or other forms of violence.

If we truly want to have a Province where people are

not subject to violence, we need to ensure that they understand the roots or the

reasons for violence in our society.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR.

SPEAKER:

The

hon. the Member for St. John's East.

MR.

MURPHY:

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Released bonds doubled, alleged ties to the PC

leadership, the questions swirling around Humber Valley Paving smell like a

Trout River whale.

Why did the government give back the people's money for

uncompleted work?

MR.

SPEAKER:

The

hon. the Minister of Transportation and Works.

MR.

MCGRATH:

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I think the question was: Why would government give

back money for uncompleted work? So

that is what I will answer. The

government did not give back any money for any work that was not completed.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR.

SPEAKER:

The

hon. the Member for St. John's East.

MR.

MURPHY:

Mr.

Speaker, the government is not being able to clearly show why it released Humber

Valley Paving from the bonds. If

there is nothing untoward, then government has nothing to worry about.

I ask the minister again, I ask the government: In the

spirit of openness and accountability, will government bring in the Auditor

General to look at Humber Valley Paving contract and everything connected with

it?

MR.

SPEAKER:

The

hon. the Minister of Transportation and Works.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR.

MCGRATH:

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, again, as I said yesterday, a decision was

made mutually between the contractor and government to terminate the contract.

That was done in the best interest of the people of Newfoundland and

Labrador and to make sure that the work is done on time and on budget.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR.

SPEAKER:

The

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

ROGERS:

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Oh,

oh!

MR.

SPEAKER:

Order, please!

ROGERS:

Last night I attended a meeting initiated by the parents of Holy Cross

Elementary school who are concerned about the closing of their school.

Students are to be moved from their school of 130 students to a school of

over 500 with room to expand to 700 students.

I ask the minister: Will he reconsider the closure of

this fantastic community school?

MR.

SPEAKER:

The

hon. the Minister of Education.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR.

KING:

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I appreciate the member raising the issue in the House

of Assembly. I think all of us who

have been a part of education at least recognize the tremendous emotion and

strain that goes with any discussions around school closures.

I am sure that this one we are talking about here, Holy Cross, is no

different. I have gone through many

in my previous life as a CEO of the school board.

Mr. Speaker, I am not sure the gist of the question

asking me to reconsider. I did not

consider any issue in the first place around the closure; it was the school

board. There is no issue for me to

reconsider.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR.

SPEAKER:

The

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

ROGERS:

Mr.

Speaker, I ask the minister: Will he meet with the parents who are concerned?

MR.

SPEAKER:

The

hon. the Minister of Education.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR.

KING:

Mr.

Speaker, I have meetings with groups all the time, particularly school

councils are the groups that are duly legislated to represent parents and

members of a particular school community.

If a group is looking to have a meeting with me, I have no issue

whatsoever in making myself available to hear what they have to say.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR.

SPEAKER:

The

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

ROGERS:

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker.

I am sure the parents will be very happy to meet with

the minister.

Mr. Speaker, the minister has chosen a private,

for-profit corporation to care for the Province's most vulnerable children,

letting go of forty-five experienced staff with hundreds of thousands of hours

of experience in favour of inexperienced staff who will be making $13 an hour.

Mr. Speaker, I ask the minister: As a former board

member of one of these well-established homes, does he think this is in the best

interest of these children?

MR.

SPEAKER:

The

hon. the Minister of Child, Youth and Family Services.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR.

JACKMAN:

Mr.

Speaker, first and foremost in any decisions of this nature, we consider what is

in the best interest of the youth and children who are in care.

There was a competitive process that was entered into.

The proponents who put forth proposals were people who have experience in

these fields.

Through that process, Mr. Speaker, these workers and

these proponents were chosen. I have

no doubt that quality care will be provided to these children.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR.

SPEAKER:

The

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

ROGERS:

Mr.

Speaker, youth in the Stephenville home are scheduled to be moved by May 19, yet

we are told the house that Blue sky has purchased has not been approved by town

council for rezoning or renovated according to code yet.

Mr. Speaker, I ask the minister: What is the plan for

these youth if a new house is not ready for them for the move?

MR.

SPEAKER:

The

hon. the Minister of Child, Youth and Family Services.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR.

JACKMAN:

Mr.

Speaker, it is my understanding that the proponent here is meeting with the

council in the particular area to address these issues.

We certainly hope and look forward to that coming to a positive

resolution. If something different

should happen, we will deal with it at that particular time, and that proponent

will deal with it at that time.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR.

SPEAKER:

The

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

ROGERS:

Mr.

Speaker, many of these youths are very, very concerned, they are very worried.

They do not know what the outcome will be.

It is not likely that the home will be ready by May 19.

There does not seem to be a backup plan.

Mr. Speaker, the youth in Grand Falls-Windsor and Burin

group homes will be moved before school is out, actually during exam week.

These people do not know where they are going and who is going to care

for them.

Mr. Speaker, I ask the minister: What is the plan for

these youth?

MR.

SPEAKER:

The

hon. the Minister of Child, Youth and Family Services.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR.

JACKMAN:

Mr.

Speaker, as the former Minister of Education one of the things that I did ask

when I came in the department was what impact this might have on exam schedules.

Look, it is quite simple; we are going to do what is right by these

children. If there is an extended

time that is needed I am not saying here that we are going to extend it until

another five or six months or something like that.

What we will look at is we will support these children

as they are being supported through the transition.

This is about doing what is in the best interest of the children first

and foremost.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR.

SPEAKER:

The

hon. the Member for St. John's Centre, time for a quick question without

preamble.

ROGERS:

Okay.

Mr. Speaker, I ask the minister: What exactly is he

going to do to support these children who are being moved before the school year

is over?

MR.

SPEAKER:

The

hon. the Minister of Child, Youth and Family Services, for a quick response.

MR.

JACKMAN:

Mr.

Speaker, I do not know if she heard me or not.

I have just said that if there are students who have challenges with exam

schedules or something of that nature, we will ensure that they are supported

through that effort. We will provide

for them.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR.

SPEAKER:

The

time for Question Period has expired.

Presenting Reports by Standing and Select Committees.

Presenting Reports by Standing and Select Committees

MR.

SPEAKER:

The

hon. the Member for the District of Exploits.

MR.

FORSEY:

Yes, Mr. Speaker, the Government Services Committee have considered the matters

to them referred and have directed me to report that they have passed, without

amendment, the Estimates of the Department of Finance, Public Service

Commission, Service Newfoundland and Labrador, the Department of Transportation

and Works; and from the Executive Council, the Estimates of Labrador and

Aboriginal Affairs Office, the Human Resource Secretariat, and the Office of The

Chief Information Officer.

MR.

SPEAKER:

Tabling of Documents.

Tabling of Documents

MR.

SPEAKER:

The

hon. the Minister of Transportation and Works.

MR.

MCGRATH:

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, I have four documents that I would like to

table. Yesterday in Question Period

I committed to tabling three documents.

The first document I would like to table is a tender book, Project

1-12PHP. That is the contract

between the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador and Humber Valley Paving.

I would like to table that document.

The second document I would like to table is a labour

and material payment bond CCDC222-2002, and that is the labour and material

payment bond. The third document I

would like to table is the performance bond, and that is CCDC221-2002.

The fourth document I would like to table, Mr. Speaker, is a letter

making the mutual termination of the contract between the Government of

Newfoundland and Labrador and Humber Valley Paving.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

MR.

SPEAKER:

Notices of Motion.

Notices of Motion

MR.

SPEAKER:

The

hon. the Minister of Natural Resources.

MR.

DALLEY:

Mr.

Speaker, I give notice that I will ask leave to introduce a bill entitled, An

Act to Amend the Mineral Act, Bill 15.

MR.

SPEAKER:

Further notices of motion?

The hon. the Minister of Advanced Education and Skills.

MR.

O'BRIEN:

Mr.

Speaker, I give notice that I will ask leave to introduce a bill,

An Act to

Amend the Student Financial Assistance Act, Bill 16.

MR.

SPEAKER:

Answers to Questions for which Notice has been Given.

Petitions.

Petitions

MR.

SPEAKER:

The

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

ROGERS:

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker.

To the hon. House of Assembly of the Province of

Newfoundland and Labrador in Parliament assembled, the petition of the

undersigned residents of Newfoundland and Labrador humbly sheweth:

WHEREAS the Family Violence Intervention Court provided

a comprehensive approach to domestic violence in a court setting that fully

understood and dealt with the complex issues of domestic violence; and

WHEREAS domestic violence continues to be one of the

most serious issues facing our Province today, and the cost of the impact of

domestic violence is great both economically and in human suffering; and

WHEREAS the Family Violence Intervention Court was

welcomed and endorsed by all aspects of the justice system including the police,

the courts, prosecutors, defence counsel, Child, Youth and Family Services, as

well as victims, offenders, community agencies and women's groups; and

WHEREAS the recidivism rate for offenders going through

the court was 10 per cent compared to 40 per cent for those who did not; and

WHEREAS the budget for the court was only 0.2 per cent

of the entire budget of the Department of Justice;

WHEREUPON the undersigned, your petitioners, humbly

pray and call upon the House of Assembly to urge government to reinstate the

Family Violence Intervention Court.

Mr. Speaker, I am standing yet again to present

petitions about the Family Violence Intervention Court.

I can stand in this House every day for the next five years with the

number of people who want to see the Family Violence Intervention Court

reinstated. This is absolutely

ridiculous.

I sat through Justice Estimates today where there were

hundreds of thousands of dollars that were not spent last year in that Justice

budget hundreds of thousands of dollars.

Do you know what happened to some of that money?

Some of it went to buy a car here, some of it went to buy a car there,

and some went for this. Mr. Speaker,

that money could have been spent, $500,000, to protect women and children in

this Province and to help men who could have gone through the Family Violence

Intervention Court have rehabilitation about diverting people from

incarceration. It would have saved

the government money.

We know this government has done nothing to assess the

financial impact of what the court had on the justice system, nor did it do

anything. This government did

nothing to assess the financial impact on the justice system after closing the

Family Violence Intervention Court.

There was so much money that was moved around last year that could have funded

the Family Violence Intervention Court ten times over.

Mr. Speaker, this goes to show where this government's

priorities are. Why will they not

reinstate the court when they know it is the right thing to do?

Is it simply about saving face?

Are the lives of women and children being bargained for simply so this

government can save face for the inadequate job they did in cancelling that

court?

MR.

SPEAKER:

Order, please!

Your time has expired.

The hon. the Member for Carbonear Harbour Grace.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR.

SLADE:

the hon. House of Assembly of the Province of Newfoundland and Labrador in

Parliament assembled, the petition of the undersigned residents humbly sheweth:

WHEREAS the Town of Harbour Grace has been promised

provincial funding for a regional stadium since August 2011 and there has been

no progress on this facility since that time; and

WHEREAS the stadiums announced at the same time for the

Towns of Paradise and CBS are under full construction; and

WHEREAS the Harbour Grace town council has indicated

that they have secured financing and has approved the entire site

recommendations as suggested by a government-appointed building committee; and

WHEREAS the residents of the District of Carbonear

Harbour Grace feel that their proposed stadium is not receiving government

attention and priority, and they are duly concerned that continuous delays will

lead to a cancellation of the promised project

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Oh,

oh!

MR.

SPEAKER:

Order, please!

MR.

SLADE:

WHEREUPON the undersigned, your petitioners, humbly pray and call upon the House

of Assembly to urge government to recommit to this project and commence

construction immediately, so as to provide the people of Carbonear Harbour

Grace District an opportunity to strengthen their commitments to a healthy

lifestyle and use the facility for sports, concerts and trade shows.

As in duty bound, your petitions will ever pray.

Mr. Speaker, I do not understand what is taking place

here. The Town of Harbour Grace has

a financial commitment to support the $21 million.

I take note, the Member for Port de Grave District is

over there taunting. Mr. Speaker, I

am doing the same thing as he is doing for his district.

I am standing up and speaking for the people of my district.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR.

SLADE:

would like for him to stay still there for a little bit, Mr. Speaker, so that I

can get my point out.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Oh,

oh!

MR.

SPEAKER:

Order, please!

MR.

SLADE:

They are totally committed, Mr. Speaker.

The Harbour Grace Town Council is totally committed to it.

Government knew they were going to get the $21 million.

Now they are coming back to a single ice service.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Oh,

oh!

MR.

SPEAKER:

Order, please!

MR.

SLADE:

This group over here, Mr. Speaker, do not want to allow the Town of Harbour

Grace and the residents of Harbour Grace that stadium.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR.

SPEAKER:

Order, please!

MR.

SLADE:

can tell you, Mr. Speaker, I am going to stand up every day and fight for the

people in my district.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR.

SPEAKER:

The

hon. the Member for St. John's South.

MR.

OSBORNE:

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, this petition is regarding the meeting I

attended at Holy Cross last night.

It is:

WHEREAS Holy Cross School is a small, family orientated

school that gives all the children the highest education possible; and

WHEREAS Holy Cross School helps support the many

students who have difficulty and/or learning disabilities to reach their highest

potential; and

WHEREAS the school has a friendly atmosphere for

children and parents, the staff knowing all the children and parents by name;

and

WHEREAS the teachers at Holy Cross bring the extra

supports that would not be present in a larger school or larger classroom;

WHEREUPON the undersigned, your petitioners, humbly

pray and call upon the House of Assembly to urge government to consider keeping

Holy Cross open and to allow the children of the area to attend a neighbourhood

school as was promised by education reform.

Mr. Speaker, I presented a similar petition yesterday.

The reality here is government had announced all-day Kindergarten in this

year's Budget. That was not taken

into consideration a couple of years ago when the decision was made to close

Holy Cross Elementary.

I think the schools will require additional classroom

space as a result of that announcement, a good announcement, I say.

It is something this party has called for, for some time, but the

announcement that government will introduce all-day Kindergarten will certainly

require additional classroom space.

I ask government, I ask the school board and the trustees of the school board,

to reconsider the closure of Holy Cross Elementary taking into account the fact

that we now need additional classroom space as a result of all-day Kindergarten,

taking into consideration the fact that parents and students were promised a

neighbourhood school under education reform and the fact that Holy Cross school

is a smaller school.

I am familiar with the smaller schools, Mr. Speaker,

having a couple of them in my district.

I can say that it is a much, much stronger community feeling within the

smaller school than it is in a larger super school.

The students, I believe, receive a better one-on-one experience with the

teachers, and the students have a better opportunity to receive help from

teachers if they require it than they would in a larger super school.

I do ask government to reconsider the decision to close

Holy Cross Elementary.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

MR.

SPEAKER:

The

hon. the Member for the District of Bay of Islands.

MR.

JOYCE:

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I rise again in this House, to the hon. House of

Assembly of the Province of Newfoundland and Labrador in Parliament assembled,

the petition of the undersigned residents humbly sheweth:

WHEREAS we wish to raise concerns regarding the recent

delays of the construction of the new hospital in Corner Brook in Newfoundland

and Labrador;

WHEREUPON the undersigned, your petitioners, humbly

pray and call upon the House of Assembly to urge the Government of Newfoundland

and Labrador to commit to the planning and construction of a new hospital in

Corner Brook as previously committed to in a timely manner as originally

announced and without further delay or changes.

Mr. Speaker, I have another petition here today.

I look at the people all around Corner Brook; we look at people here from

Irishtown. Once again this petition

is calling upon the government to start this new hospital as soon as possible.

From my understanding there have been some changes to

the design. There have been some

amendments made to the hospital, Mr. Speaker.

I do not have a copy of them yet, but I will shortly have a copy of them

to see if in that fact the radiation and PET scanner radiation units, not just

radiation unit, units will be in the design of the hospital.

Mr. Speaker, I was actually sad to hear that the

current Premier, who is the Member for Humber East, made the announcement back

in 2011 when I said the hospital is delayed, there is no construction, that he

would not resign until steel is built on the site in hospital.

Mr. Speaker, he is trying to get out of that now faster

than anyone you can ever imagine trying to get out of politics.

This hospital has been delayed upon delayed upon delayed.

I said, Mr. Speaker, the only one I will say this honestly to the

people of Western Newfoundland, of Corner Brook, and Labrador the only one

that ever gave me the answer, the up-front answer, is the Parliamentary

Assistant to the Premier. He is the

only one in Estimates who gave me an up-front answer of exactly where is the

standing of the hospital, what stage it is at.

That is the only person that, out of all the questions I asked, gave me

an up-front answer, Mr. Speaker.

Even the former minister was out saying it is only 35

per cent the former Minister of Health out saying 35 per cent.

Mr. Speaker, I fought tooth and nail, the Opposition here fought tooth

and nail, and now the Premier saying it is not one machine, but two machines.

So, Mr. Speaker, we have to ensure that this is done in

a timely manner. We have to ensure

that other services in the hospital will not be taken out to make room for this.

Those are the kind of things that we have to ensure, Mr. Speaker.

That is why I am presenting this petition, because

MR.

SPEAKER:

Order, please!

Your time has expired.

MR.

JOYCE:

will have another chance, Mr. Speaker.

MR.

SPEAKER:

The

hon. the Member for The Straits White Bay North.

MR.

MITCHELMORE:

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

We, the citizens, serviced by Curtis Hospital located

in St. Anthony, Newfoundland and Labrador, petition the Government of

Newfoundland and Labrador and Labrador-Grenfell Health to retain the midwives

and allow them continue to perform all of their duties at Curtis Hospital.

Our midwives offer services that cannot be duplicated,

and which cannot be replaced. The

level of care they offer and the knowledge and training they have in the area of

obstetrics is immense. It will be a

great disservice to the people of this area if midwives are no longer available

to care for the people here.

Privatizing midwifery or waiting five to seven years for regulation, as stated

by government, is unacceptable. We

have an operational model of midwifery here in St. Anthony that has been

delivering outstanding care for over ninety years.

We urge the House of Assembly to implore the Government

of Newfoundland and Labrador and Labrador-Grenfell Health to preserve midwifery

services at Curtis Hospital.

Mr. Speaker, the Health Professions Act was passed in

2010, which had stated there that seven health professions would be

self-regulated, and six of the seven have already completed the regulations.

Government has waited and dragged its heels, and at this point, no longer

will allow the midwives that were operating in a publicly-funded setting to

continue the service that they offered in St. Anthony.

This is something that petitioners, citizens of my

district, from Southern Labrador, as well as the North Shore of Quebec, and the

District of St. Barbe they are all serviced by this health facility and

received immense care from midwives.

So, I put this forward to the new Minister of Health

and Community Services to see the immense value that midwifery can have in a

publicly-funded setting, and that we need to move much quicker than five to

seven years. These regulations

should be established. Women

experience less pre-term births, less assisted deliveries, and greater

satisfaction with care under midwifery.

The world needs more midwives.

Yesterday was the International Day of the Midwife, and

we have not seen further progress to having midwifery implemented in a

publicly-funded setting. We have

actually turned the page backwards under this government, under this current

Administration, when it comes to the role of midwifery and how women and

families can utilize this service in Newfoundland and Labrador.

It is unacceptable, Mr. Speaker.

I urge the House to urge government to make those changes.

MR.

SPEAKER:

The

hon. the Member for Mount Pearl South.

MR.

LANE:

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

To the hon. House of Assembly of the Province of

Newfoundland and Labrador in Parliament assembled, the petition of the

undersigned residents of Newfoundland and Labrador humbly sheweth:

WHEREAS current government regulations deny busing

services to students who live closer than 1.6 kilometres from school;

WHEREAS parents have expressed concern that children

living within 1.6 kilometres of school face dangers in walking to school, such

as congested streets, busy intersections, and no sidewalks, especially during

winter weather conditions;

WHEREAS the $75,000 review of the school transportation

system completed by Deloitte recommended that the Department of Education

consider reducing the 1.6 kilometre eligibility zone for Kindergarten and

elementary students;

WHEREAS the $75,000 Deloitte report also noted that

only 10 per cent of those surveyed for the school transportation system review

agree that the 1.6 kilometre policy is reasonable for students and families; and

WHEREAS parents are continuing to demand more flexible

policies to meet the current needs of school children;

WHEREUPON the undersigned, your petitioners, humbly

pray and call upon the House of Assembly to urge government to change the

outdated 1.6 kilometre school busing eligibility policy in order to ensure safe

travel to school for primary and elementary school children in the Province.

As in duty bound, your petitioners will ever pray.

Mr. Speaker, this is a very important petition and it

is really about protecting our most precious resource our children.

It truly is a safety concern.

I know in the past I have brought forth petitions, I have spoken in the House of

Assembly, and I have questioned the former Minister of Education on very

important matters as it relates to our children and as it relates to our school

system. The former Minister of

Education unfortunately did not see fit to listen to what I had to say and to

listen to what some of his colleagues on his side of the House had to say about

school issues, as we know. I am

hoping this is going to be a fresh start and that the new Minister of Education,

unlike the minister before, is going to start listening to the parents, to the

families, and to the students within our school system.

I will be having a lot more to say as it relates to the

Mount Pearl school system in days to come, but in terms of this issue today,

also a very important one as it relates to the safety our children in getting to

school, particularly the young children, particularly the K-6 kids, particularly

in busy areas. I know certainly in

Mount Pearl and in the greater St. John's region in particular we see a lot of

traffic, busy four-lane roads, and so on.

Snow clearing is an issue and it is a safety concern.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

MR.

SPEAKER:

The

hon. the Government House Leader.

MR.

KING:

Mr.

Speaker, I move, seconded by the Minister of Environment and Conservation, that

we move to Orders of the Day.

MR.

SPEAKER:

has been moved and seconded that we move to Orders of the Day.

All those in favour, aye'.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Aye.

MR.

SPEAKER:

All

those against, nay'.

Motion carried.

Orders of the Day

MR.

SPEAKER:

The

hon. the Government House Leader.

MR.

KING:

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

First of all, I move Motion 6, pursuant to Standing

Order 11, that the House not adjourn at 5:30 o'clock today, Tuesday, May 6,

Further, Mr. Speaker, I move Motion 7, pursuant to

Standing Order 11, that the House not adjourn at 10:00 p.m. today, Tuesday, May

6, 2014.

MR.

SPEAKER:

has been moved and seconded that this House do not adjourn at 5:30 p.m. today,

Tuesday, May 6; and it has been further moved and seconded that this House do

not adjourn at 10:00 p.m. today, Tuesday, May 6.

All those in favour, aye'.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Aye.

MR.

SPEAKER:

All

those against, nay'.

Motion carried.

The hon. the Government House Leader.

MR.

KING:

Mr.

Speaker, I would like to give notice and ask leave to make a change to the

Public Accounts Committee.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Oh,

oh!

MR.

SPEAKER:

Order, please!

The hon. the Government House Leader has the floor.

Go ahead, please, Sir.

MR.

KING:

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I would like to give notice and ask for leave to

introduce a change to the Public Accounts Committee membership, with leave.

MR.

SPEAKER:

Leave?

HON. MEMBER:

leave.

MR.

SPEAKER:

leave.

Please, go ahead.

MR.

KING:

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The Member for Lake Melville will replace the Member

for Fortune Bay Cape La Hune as a permanent member of the Public Accounts

Committee.

Mr. Speaker, at this time I would like to call from the

Order Paper, Motion 1, to move that the House approves in general the budgetary

policy of the government, the Budget Speech.

MR.

SPEAKER:

The

hon. the Member for Exploits.

MR.

FORSEY:

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I appreciate the opportunity to again speak on the

Budget for 2014. Mr. Speaker, a

little earlier today I presented the report of the Government Services Committee

and I would just like to explain to anyone who is not aware of it or is

interested in it that Government Services Committee is one of the Committees

that are made up to review budget Estimates.

The departments that come under the Government Services Committee are:

the Department of Finance, the Public Service Commission, Service Newfoundland

and Labrador, the Department of Transportation and Works; and from the Executive

Council, the Estimates of Labrador and Aboriginal Affairs Office, Human Resource

Secretariat, and the Office of the Chief Information Officer.

That is just one of three Committees, Mr. Speaker.

The Committee is made up of government members, Opposition members, and

the Third Party. The members of the

Government Services Committee, which I Chaired, were: the Member for Mount Pearl

South, the Member for Kilbride, the Member for St. John's East, the Member for

St. John's South, the Member for Cape St. Francis, and the Member for Bellevue.

I would just like to thank these members for their time and their input.

HON. MEMBER:

(Inaudible).

MR.

FORSEY:

The

Member for Bay of Islands was not on this one this year; he was on another one,

I believe.

In the meantime, I would like to thank them for their

input. Usually what happens is it is

a great exercise, Mr. Speaker, when we do budget Estimates, especially we get

the opportunity and some members in Opposition get the opportunity to ask

questions of the minister and the budget items that are there.

Being on the government side, Mr. Speaker, and being a

government member, we have the privilege of, I guess, the opportunity, to ask

questions around our caucus table as well as when we are doing budgets that we

get the opportunity to present our issues and our concerns to our government,

and to our Finance Minister and as well to our Premier.

That works both ways when we are putting forth our issues and our

concerns for the budget and also discussing the budget after it is completed and

we will always look at the budget for the previous year, which of course was

2013, and in a lot of cases when we are doing budgets, especially budget items,

we go down through the budget and we will see a lot of revised numbers there,

and then there will be the budget for this year.

Of course the budget is what it is; it is a budget and

it is estimated. We will always see

quite a few changes, Mr. Speaker, in the revised and the actual budget for the

end of the year because of different changes in the line items throughout the

year.

Also, Mr. Speaker, just for a point of interest, I

think it is important to know the different departments.

We look at Service Newfoundland and Labrador and we look at

Transportation and Works and different departments that came under Government

Services, for argument's sake. What

people do not probably realize is how much is entailed in the different

departments.

For argument's sake, Service Newfoundland and Labrador,

we had three hours of budget Estimates where we discussed line items and budget

items for that department. There are

so many different sections of the department that come under Service

Newfoundland and Labrador.

For argument's sake, the residential landlord and

tenants' office, where we can put in complaints, they provide the mediation of

consumer complaints. Service NL

provides supervision of insurances, securities, real estate, and mortgage

brokers. It also provides for

regulation of all pension plans registered in the Province.

It all comes under Service Newfoundland and Labrador, Mr. Speaker.

What is interesting also is that it provides for the

administration of registered deeds and companies, personal property, and limited

partnerships. All of this comes

under Service NL. There is a cost of

operating, there is a cost of rental, there is a cost of maintenance, and there

is a cost of staffing.

When we go through the budget items we will always see

differences in the budget, Mr. Speaker.

A lot of times it is to do with probably some staffing, there are jobs or

positions that need to be filled, or there was some office rental that was

needed and probably was not acquired at that particular time.

There are so many things that could change the figures.

There could be new positions; there could be professional services and

purchases, all of which is part of the budget.

We also did Transportation and Works.

Transportation and Works comes under Government Services.

That is another department that has a lot of other sectors that we

probably are not even aware of. Some

we are, of course, like snow and ice control.

I know we did Transportation and Works last night and there was a $4

million difference in the snow and ice control, Mr. Speaker.

That was actually budgeted for, but $4 million over.

I guess when you look and when we realize how much snow and ice we had

this year, we can understand why there was extra money spent for things such as

salt.

All of the government buildings, Mr. Speaker, come

under Transportation and Works, such as the hospitals, the schools and other

buildings. You can imagine, along

with the expenses and the operations of the government buildings that comes

under Transportation and Works, you can just imagine the cost to maintain roads

and bridges. The investment we have

had this year was unprecedented to many years regarding road investment, road

infrastructure and bridges. It is

quite an exercise. It is one I was

certainly pleased to be a part of, and while going through it it came out in

the Budget, and there were a lot of communications that came out and a lot of

releases came out about our investments this year, Mr. Speaker, and there have

been many. There have been quite a

few.

I would just like to touch on a couple of different

departments now regarding investments by our government this year.

One in particular and these are some facts and some information I think

that should be out there in the public.

I will start with the forestry and agriculture industries, Mr. Speaker,

$20 million to support a diversified and sustainable forest industry.

This includes $985,000 for an agriculture research initiative to fund

research and development projects related to agriculture.

We are always investing in agriculture.

Even in the past couple of years we have invested heavily into the

cranberry industry. We are hoping to

see some fruits of that particular labour in the very near future.

I know out in the Central part of the Province where I am from, the

cranberry industry is certainly doing well.

They have expanded, and pardon the pun, but we are expecting it to grow.

We also have an $8.3 million investment for

silviculture projects, Mr. Speaker.

Again, in Central Newfoundland, the agriculture and the silviculture, the

forestry is a very big part of our industry and our livelihood in the Province,

especially in the Central region.

We have the tree nursery in Central Newfoundland at

Wooddale. Whenever there is

reforestation and replanting right across the Province, it all comes from

Wooddale, Mr. Speaker. That is only

just a portion of what is going on in the Wooddale region.

There is a lot of agriculture in there, a lot of root crops regarding the

vegetables that are grown there.

Again, investments by our government in forestry and agriculture; $5.9 million

to construct resource roads for timber harvesting, Mr. Speaker.

Right across the Province and in Labrador as well, we

are still into the harvesting of forests, of our timber.

It is big in our Province. We

still have papermaking in Corner Brook.

We also have timber sawmills.

We are big in lumber. We are doing

very well in that industry, Mr. Speaker.

We want to utilize all parts of the forest industry, especially our

fibre.

I know during Question Period the Minister of Natural

Resources was actually questioned on that particular aspect of his department

when it comes to forestry with regard to the timber and the fibre, and what we

are doing with it. We are expecting

it to grow. We are looking at new

ventures and we are very optimistic, Mr. Speaker.

That is why this government is looking towards the future and investing

in the very same.

We have $1.7 million for forest insect and disease

control; $4.1 million for fire suppression; close to $12 million for programs

that will further grow the industry, including $3.3 million for the Growing

Forward 2 program, a Federal/Provincial/Territorial initiative helping industry

become more innovative and cost competitive.

That has been a very good program, Mr. Speaker.

It is one that our farmers have availed of, and that is why we are able

to move forward with innovative ways when it comes to farming and harvesting.

Again, as I mentioned regarding the cranberry industry, it has been a

great investment for that particular industry, and the same will go for other

parts of the forest industry when it comes to lumber and sawmills, the

contractors and the woods contractors and so on, Mr. Speaker.

There is $2.5 million for the Agriculture and Agrifoods

Development Fund to help farmers develop larger acreages of land to increase

forage production. I know right

across the Province actually, we hear more about it, that we are developing more

farmland, and we do need to develop more farmland, Mr. Speaker.

We, as a Province, have come a long way but we still have a long way to

go.

We are self-sufficient in fluid milk.

As a matter of fact, we do so well in the dairy industry, Mr. Speaker,

that we have even industrial-use milk right now, which is beneficial for the

farmers, especially the dairy farmers, because what is not used in the Province

to supply all the needs in Newfoundland and Labrador is shipped out of the

Province. When we say industrial

milk, industrial milk is for export and we ship it out of Newfoundland and

Labrador. So, we are self-sufficient

in the dairy industry.

We are very much the same when it comes to eggs and egg

grading, where we still have a couple of egg grading plants in the Province.

The biggest one, of course, being on the Avalon Peninsula.

Probably running around 85 per cent of the production across the

Province.

We are doing very well in some of the farming sectors,

but we are still using the Growing Forward 2 fund to do better in the

agriculture, in the root crops especially, Mr. Speaker.

I have talked to some farmers out my way and they have expanded.

They have cleared extra acreages of land so they can rotate and increase

their crop. We need to do this, Mr.

Speaker, because it was not very long ago this winter when we could not get the

shipments across the gulf because of ice conditions.

We need to make sure that we can avail of certain fruits and vegetables,

especially vegetables and food security.

I thank the Member for Harbour Main.

Harbour Main?

MR.

HEDDERSON:

Harbour Main.

MR.

FORSEY:

Harbour Main - for getting that right word in there.

MR.

HEDDERSON:

Not

far from Roaches Line (inaudible).

MR.

FORSEY:

Not

far from Roaches Line. Yes, he is

very familiar with the egg grading there, of course.

Another thing I should mention while I am up is that

when we go to the supermarket, you will still see products there locally and

products from outside the Province, but it is always nice to be able to grab the

local product. Look at the label, I

say, and see where it is manufactured, see where it is harvested or see where it

is packaged. You will probably see

something about Newfoundland and Labrador, maybe in Roaches Line.

You can pick up your dozen eggs and they are locally packaged, Mr.

Speaker.

You can still avail of mainland product and, I guess,

we always will. What I am saying is

we need to move forward with our food security.

That is why we are investing in the Growing Forward program.

Mr. Speaker, $2.2 million for the Provincial Agrifoods

Assistance Program to fund activities to improve industry competitiveness and

promote growth and commercialization.

That is what I was just talking about.

It is a bigger investment.

The $2.3 million for the land consolidation is another

good one, too. Sometimes farmers do

it I think they survive in that industry because of their passion for it.

It is not so much the money they make.

They survive; they make a good dollar.

I think it is the passion that they do it, but they also provide a

necessity for us. We do not see it

sometimes and do not notice it.

Mr. Speaker, $2.3 million for the Land Consolidation

Program to provide an opportunity for non-farm landowners and retiring farmers

to sell granted land to the provincial government.

We can utilize that land as well, Mr. Speaker.

It gives the opportunity for a farmer who spent forty and fifty years

getting out there every morning, 5:00 and 6:00 in the morning, and working from

dawn until dark.

It is great to be able to give them that opportunity as

we have done with the fishery in the past, Mr. Speaker, through buyouts and so

on. It is a very similar process.

That is why we saw the need for that.

We need to invest more and we need to keep an eye on that, but we also

need to bring in, as we said, young farmers as well.

There are some interested right now.

It was only this past week when this House was closed,

in my own district I sat down with a constituent, a resident of the area, who

has now gone through an environmental assessment for farming land there.

He will be going into farming, Mr. Speaker, and he will also be going

into probably dairy, maybe eggs, some animals, and such, which is what we need.

They see the need. They are

young, but they are willing to take that chance and we want to be there to

support them.

There is $411,000 for agricultural limestone programs

so the farmers are able to purchase limestone at a reasonable cost.

Can you imagine, almost $500,000 for limestone?

It seems like could it ever be that much money just for that alone?

You can imagine the cost for the operation for farmers, what it costs,

and the time they put into it, Mr. Speaker.

There are so many good things in the Budget this year.

I am sure I will get another chance.

I wanted to get into some things that are going on in my district but it

affects us provincially. Of course,

it was our investment in education and the number of schools that are being

built and the amount of renovations.

I recall in 2003 when the Opposition Party, or the

government of the day but they became the Opposition Party, wanted to eliminate

school fees. That was their big

platform that time. Well, we have

eliminated school fees, Mr. Speaker.

We brought in free textbooks. We

brought in skilled trades in the high schools.

Today, students do not have to wonder about where they want to go if they

want to go into the trades; they are taught it in the high schools now, which of

course is great. There are better

opportunities than I had at the time when I went to school.

I thank you for your time, and hopefully I will have

another chance to speak on the Budget.

Thank you.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR.

SPEAKER (Verge):

Order, please!

The hon. the Member for Torngat Mountains.

MR.

EDMUNDS:

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I have to say, before I begin, I would just like to

wish all of the candidates in the Nunatsiavut election that is taking place

today the best of luck and the best of a good future.

We are all interested to learn who is going to form the new government in

Nunatsiavut today.

Mr. Speaker, I was certainly glad to hear the Member

for Exploits talking about the need that still remains when you look at this

year's Budget. It is a good Budget.

There are obvious reasons for that; it is because it is probably an

election Budget. It does a lot when

you consider that you had to borrow money, especially coming off of ten years of

the most resources, the most royalties this Province has ever seen, Mr. Speaker.

I find it hard for that government to go back past ten years and still

trying to lay blame for things that happened in the last ten years.

Mr. Speaker, first of all, I would like to talk about

the petition that my hon. colleague, the Member for Mount Pearl South, talked

about which was busing. I think the

law states that at 1.6 kilometres, students have to be bused.

I would like to take that rule and apply it up in Northern Labrador,

where temperatures reach fifty-two degrees sometimes.

I would like to talk about a Kindergarten student because the government

has proposed all-day Kindergarten, something that we pushed for.

In January, Mr. Speaker, a Kindergarten student has to

walk as much as 1.4 kilometres at minus forty-five degrees.

Minus forty-five, walking 1.4 kilometres, Mr. Speaker, if it is further

than 1.6 kilometres down here in the sunny south, they get a bus.

Mr. Speaker, this government has been contacted, I know the former member

has been contacted, about coming up with a plan that will allow these students

to be picked up, these young kids having to walk all this distance in sometimes

clothing that is not good enough to walk to school in St. John's in.

The Nunatsiavut Government minister has tried to make

contact with this government about drafting up a plan.

Now I know that the environment sometimes does not permit roads to be

paved in all the communities on the North Coast, but there are alternatives.

We use snowmobiles all winter.

So, there is room for improvement, Mr. Speaker.

I would certainly like to be able to see a day when a Kindergarten

student can be driven to school in minus forty-five degree temperatures rather

than walk.

Any lower than minus forty-five, the schools have to

shut down and that is the cut-off up there.

I know what it is like to be out in minus forty-five, Mr. Speaker, and so

do a lot of us, but there are many of us who have never seen it.

I am certainly hopeful there can be some contact made and there can be a

plan for students as young as five years old walking around in minus forty-five

degree temperatures.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to go back to the

announcement that was made on upgrading the long-term care facility in Happy

Valley-Goose Bay. I was glad to see

there is a twenty-bed extension in the plan, because I go into the long-term

care facility almost on a weekly basis and it is sad to see a lot of our seniors

who are stuck in the hallways. These

people have laid the foundation for which we live today, and this is the respect

they get. Mr. Speaker, that is

unbecoming. It is unbecoming of any

government. I am looking forward to

an extension.

Just to add to that, Mr. Speaker, we saw the Newman

Building in Goose Bay close down last month.

All of a sudden there were thirty people out on the street.

A lot of these residents who were forced to leave this home were special

needs residents from all over Labrador.

That is the reason I bring this up, Mr. Speaker.

It was good to see there was a prompt response for the short term.

There is even some work being done in the long term.

I would just like to stress that there is a need for

another facility that looks after single, special needs residents who need that

extra little bit of care. It should

be provided. It is provided

everywhere else. A lot of the

reasons for the hardships on these young people, and old people, is the rental

rates in Lake Melville because of the Muskrat Falls deal have skyrocketed.

It has gone to a point where even some middle-income families and

individuals cannot afford to pay their rent, Mr. Speaker.

They just cannot afford it.

You are looking at $3,500 or $4,000 a month.

That is beyond the reach of many, many people and that list is growing as

we speak.

I also saw in the Budget that this government has

installed broadband and Internet capability.

I think the number was 95 per cent of the communities in this Province,

Mr. Speaker, which is good. It is

good to see. It is good to see that

we have come a long way, but there is still a large percentage who do not know

what it is like to have high-speed Internet, cell service.

That need is still out there.

An area that I represent, Mr. Speaker, happens to be

one of those places. I have said it

time and time again to drive this fact home, that when young Burton Winters went

missing he had a cellphone in his pocket, and he was five kilometres from

Makkovik. It would save lives.

It has saved lives. I have

heard many stories up and down the highways of the Province, on both the Island

portion and Labrador, where cell service has saved lives.

We hear petitions on this side almost on a daily basis of how important

that need is.

I have talked to officials at Bell Aliant about the

need to upgrade services for Internet capability.

Many areas in this Province are expanding in terms of development.

My district is no exception.

We have had some major developments over the last ten years, both in the

offshore and in the mining sector, and there is still potential for development,

Mr. Speaker, but what we are not seeing is the services that is required to

deliver those developments.

On the South Coast it is the same problem.

You have a road that is coming up through, and we hear of accidents

almost on a daily basis. Some of

them are near fatal. That just shows

there is need for improvement. It is

just a basic gravel road, Mr. Speaker.

I have seen pictures of the South Coast highway and it is hard to drive

an eighteen wheeler over that let alone a small car.

It is virtually impossible.

That just drives home the need for communications that this government brags

about but we are still waiting for.

As I said earlier, I did talk to officials at Bell

Aliant about the prospects of how you would increase Internet capability and

they actually came forward with a number of options.

I did speak to the Minister Responsible for Labrador Affairs about it

briefly. They have been given

development plans from Bell Aliant.

When Muskrat Falls was being started, Mr. Speaker,

there was no cell service and there was no Internet capability.

What did this government do?

They spent $24 million to pipe a fibre op cable into Muskrat Falls.

The fortunate thing is that the rest of Lake Melville benefitted from

this fibre op link as well. It was

just recently that this government made a $4 million contribution to the Conne

River area, which is a good thing.

It upgraded the Internet capability.

A couple of options are to bring fibre op cable out of

Goose Bay where it is now, either up the coast or down the coast.

If it does not reach all the destinations, what it will do is it will

free up broadband radio signals that can be sent via microwave up as far north

as Nain, Natuashish, and Voisey's Bay for that matter.

There is always room for improvement.

When you look at the fact that Internet capability on the North Coast of

Labrador and on the South Coast of Labrador is totally maxed out, there is no

room, what does that show for support of development?

It shows absolutely no support for development.

This is a region that is progressing in terms of development every year.

I talked to the minister just last night in Estimates.

We talked about the ferry service and the fact that the contract is

delayed. I think one thing that

bothered me the most is the fact that the existing ferry is in need of

replacement engines. We all knew

this, given the service we had over the last two summers.

It is not comforting to know when a ferry with a full

load of passengers goes dead in the water, Mr. Speaker, with a full complement

of crew and passengers aboard. A

multi-engine ship going dead in the water is a danger.

They were lucky they were not in some dangerous area like the rugged

coast in the Cape Harrison area where there is no forgiveness should something

like this go wrong.

Both engines have to be replaced.

It is comforting to know that work has started, it is being done.

To know that the Northern Ranger

is going to run on one engine admittedly this year until they can get the second

one done just shows the lack of timing and commitment.

This work should have been done last fall, not in the spring when

shipping season is coming upon us.

That is another area where we anticipate problems when we are trying to deliver

e-service. Now that Nunatsiavut

Group of Companies has taken over delivery of the service 100 per cent, they

certainly have their work cut out to try to maintain a

schedule and to satisfy

the local passengers as well as tourism, which is another expanding development

area in Nunatsiavut.

Another area that I was glad to see forward movement

was a commitment of $350,000 in a cost-share agreement with the Nunatsiavut

Government, bringing the total up to $700,000 on housing repairs.

It is certainly a step in the right direction, but I would just like to

present some statistics from one housing construction agency in Nunatsiavut.

The cost of a three-bedroom home, and this is when you factor in land

readiness and installation of water and sewer hookups, which is mandatory, is

approximately $300,000 per home. You

take a cost-share agreement and you look at the Province's portion of $350,000,

you have enough to build one home one home and if it is a four-bedroom home

$350,000 would not cover the cost of that one construction.

For new housing, this one housing agency says there are

sixty-seven applications for new homes, and the list is growing.

When you look at applications for repairs, which are what this $350,000

is earmarked for, there are eighty-one applications for repairs.

I am sure the previous minister did visit Nain; he must have seen some of

the conditions of these houses. They

are almost to the point where it is actually better to tear them down and build

new. Anyway, if you took an average

of $20,000 per repair, which is very, very conservative, and you managed to pull

in eighty-one applications, it would not require $350,000; it would require $1.6

million. That is just for repairs.

There is forward movement through the contributions

from this government, and the contributions through the Nunatsiavut Government.

It is good news, it is a small contribution, but I know that over the

last two weeks housing issues in the campaigns of many of the candidates in the

Nunatsiavut election that is actually taking place today did resonate, and

certainly they have made plans to address the housing needs.

I think I would just like to talk a little bit about

the remediation program for Hopedale.

I just have a few minutes and I do know that I will get another chance.

I was glad to see they continued the commitment for the community of

Hopedale that has been stuck with PCBs because of the American base there in the

1950s and where they dumped their waste products.

I guess the environmental guidelines back then are nothing to where they

are now.

The reason I am thankful for this, Mr. Speaker, is

because if you look at the cancer rates in relation to neighbouring communities,

the rate of cancer in Hopedale is marginally higher than any other community.

If you classify Hopedale as an impacted site, like this government has, a

whole different set of guidelines are applied; but if you talk to many of the

experts that have worked on the site, there are portions of Hopedale, the

community itself and nearby areas, that are 100 per cent contaminated with PCBs

100 per cent contaminated, which makes it a contaminated site.

Now, I know that all of the work to remediate the PCBs

or remove the PCBs from this community is not going to happen overnight.

Mr. Speaker, the PCBs have leaked into the harbour where a lot of the

residents actually gather fish for subsistence.

Now they cannot, because it is contaminated; the fish are contaminated.

They struggle through new knowledge, new guidelines,

Health Canada guidelines have kicked in, and they are struggling through this,

Mr. Speaker. To see that there is a

commitment in terms of a site being impacted, I am hopeful that someday that

Hopedale can be designated as a contaminated site.

If, in fact, it is a contaminated site, as many experts already say, then

the guidelines for remediation change and it becomes more of a health issue,

more of a focus, and more of a demand for the contaminants in Hopedale to be

removed.

I think I am going to leave it there, Mr. Speaker,

because I do have a number of other issues and I do realize that I will probably

get another chance to address this Budget.

I will take my place for now.

Thank you very much.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR.

SPEAKER:

recognize the hon. The Member for Lake Melville.

MR.

RUSSELL:

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

It is indeed an honour and a privilege to get up in

this House once again and speak to the Budget this year.

First and foremost, if I may, I would like to say thank you to the people

of the great District of Lake Melville for their continued support, their

continued faith in me, and the continuing dialogue where we sit, we talk, we

have a cup of tea, we go to sporting events together and we talk about the

things that matter to us in the Big Land.

Mr. Speaker, I have that same rapport with the members

on this side of the House, and our Cabinet and our Premier; we talk about what

matters. I have always taken the

time to go out and see as many people as I can.

When we are not in the Legislature, we like to get to the various

communities in our districts, see the community events, get out and talk with

the youth, talk with the elders, and find out how we are doing.

All indicators in Lake Melville, of course we are having challenging

times because we are growing so fast, we have so much economic development, so

much prosperity, of course there are going to be stresses with that; but, by all

indictors from the people within my district, they see what we are doing, they

know what we are doing, and they are responding to the amounts of money that we

are putting into the areas of concern that they have.

Mr. Speaker, like my colleague across the House, the

hon. Member for Torngat Mountains, I, too, would like to extend my best wishes

to all those people up in Nunatsiavut and in Labrador who are running in the

elections today. It is also well

known in this House that I served two terms within the Nunatsiavut Government.

It is a very challenging job.

These people, they put themselves out there as well.

I guess anybody who puts themselves out for public office to represent

the best interests of the people that live in their communities, they have to

have a lot of guts. It takes a lot

of strength and fortitude. It takes

a lot of nerve. You have to have

thick, almost rhino-like skin, if you will, to put up with the demands that

people put on you. That is fair.

People want and expect a lot from you as an elected official.

It certainly, at times, takes the good out of you.

It is certainly stressful, but the people want to make sure that you have

the right stuff to be in those jobs, and they want to make sure that you are

going to be there to speak for them and to fight for the things they want.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR.

RUSSELL:

The

best of luck to everybody in the Nunatsiavut Government running for election,

those new candidates out there and those people that are seeking re-election.

I truly wish them the best for themselves and their families.

I wish the Nunatsiavut Government all the best as well, Mr. Speaker.

They have a tough job in terms of administering their trust funds doing

what is best for the Aboriginal communities.

I, being a beneficiary, like my hon. colleague across the way, of the

Nunatsiavut Land Claims Agreement, I want to see them succeed in every aspect of

what they do.

Mr. Speaker, I was certainly glad to hear my colleague

across the way say that he was glad to see the $6.6 million that I have

certainly lobbied and advocated for, for some time, to see the twenty-bed

expansion to the long-term care centre in Goose Bay.

Is it needed? Absolutely.

Did the people look for it when I was even campaigning back in 2011?

Absolutely, Mr. Speaker. Here

we are delivering, responding to the needs of the people.

We know that Happy Valley-Goose Bay is the hub of

Labrador, if you will. People come

from near and far, especially for the opportunities that we have with Muskrat

Falls right now, especially with the boom that is happening with all of the new

businesses setting up shop. With

that, it is guaranteed to have increased demands on our infrastructure.

What we have done here with this government is said okay, we need this

allocation of funds, we need those beds, we need to serve our seniors and the

people who were there for the long haul, those new people who are coming in and

bringing their family with them, we are going to be there to see them through.

I would like to thank the outgoing Minister of Health

for her hard work. It is certainly

not an easy job. I commend her on

everything she has done. She was

certainly responsive to me. Whether

it was allocations of money over the years for new equipment, for new programs

to be offered within Labrador-Grenfell Health up our way, she was always there

to take the time, to spend the time with me in representation of the people of

the great District of Lake Melville, just to talk about our needs and to

respond, to get the gear there, to get the money allocated there.

This is just the latest one, Mr. Speaker, because not only are we

responding to the needs of the people in Happy Valley-Goose Bay and in the great

District of Lake Melville, but also in Lab West.

As you see, the Minister of Transportation too, we have

an allocation of upwards of $14 million to finish up the hospital over there.

It is well needed, Mr. Speaker.

That community is certainly always booming.

I cannot see that there has ever been a slowdown to date in Lab West.

I spent a lot of time there and talked with a lot of people, and we are

responding to their needs as well.

My hon. colleague across the way for Torngat Mountains

also referenced the closing of the boarding home in Happy Valley-Goose Bay.

That was something beyond our control.

I want to commend the Minister of Advanced Education and Skills on his

rapid response to the issue that our community faced.

We put together and the minister put together, representing several

different departments, an action team comprised of officials to look at, to

gauge what needs to be done to respond to the thirty or so residents who had to

be moved immediately.

I would also like to take this time, and I would be

remiss if I did not, Mr. Speaker, to commend the Salvation Army, and to commend

our mayor and our town council for their reaction to this issue as well.

The Salvation Army was there to make sure that nobody was going to go

hungry during the transition. Our

Housing Corporation was there, the Minister of Advanced Education and Skills.

We made sure, Mr. Speaker, that nobody was without a

roof, and nobody was without a meal.

Labrador-Grenfell Health, our officials, was all there.

We had social workers present to make sure that people and he was

indeed right, we do have people who have complex needs.

Our response was there, it was appropriate, adequate, and we are

continuing to work towards a long-term solution to that issue.

To know the people were cared for, everybody and jump

is a good word to say it, Mr. Speaker.

When it became known that this was a problem we were going to face,

everybody jumped. We jumped together

and we jumped high enough to solve the problem.

Everybody is taken care of and I am glad to see that response from not

only the local community, the municipal government, those not-for-profit groups

like the Salvation Army that are there with their hearts on their sleeves making

sure that they are there to support real people in need.

Everybody came together and it was a beautiful thing.

The work is still ongoing, I will say.

Moving on, Mr. Speaker, I would also like to say just a

few comments about the pavement.

Everybody loves pavement no matter where you are.

I will say something

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR.

RUSSELL:

Thanks, guys. I will say something

that I said in this House before; as a young man growing up in Labrador, the

Churchill road was really not much more than a trail.

I hunt, I fished, and I trapped that trail, if you will, with my father.

I can remember crossing some of those places in the

winter where there were just sheer cliffs on either side, Mr. Speaker.

It was an exhilarating yet scary experience.

Back in those days we needed to hunt, we needed to fish, we needed to

trap, and we needed to have gardens.

You needed that in order to sustain your family, in order to supplement your

income, and supplement your diet.

People in Labrador are no strangers to having to rely heavily on the land.

The Big Land certainly offers up all we needed, Mr. Speaker.

My point being is that I remember somebody saying to me

as a young boy: Why don't we have this?

Why isn't this paved? Why

isn't this done? Why are the curves

in the hills so steep? Mr. Speaker,

they said: You will never see it paved in your lifetime.

Here we are, Mr. Speaker and I am going to segue into

why I want to talk about the road right here by my recent trip.

For those who were watching the proceedings in the House today, you saw

me talk about the great people of Churchill Falls.

This past weekend they had a wonderful graduation.

I tell you what, they say it is a company town in Churchill Falls of

course, I had to drive that 300 kilometres to get there, which is how I am tying

this into pavement.

They say that this is a company town, but if you go and

you spend a little time with the people of Churchill Falls and certainly now

they are there to fulfill a purpose, to run the plant, to make sure the power

flows and the water is regulated, and all that good stuff but how intimate and

how beautiful the graduation was in Churchill Falls; it cannot be said enough.

If you have 100 students, Mr. Speaker, in some of the bigger

municipalities, it just would not have the level of personal attention to these

young adults that we did have up in Labrador in Churchill Falls.

Once again, Mr. Speaker and this was my third

consecutive grad that I attended it was an honour and privilege to get up,

bring greetings, and present the certificates of accomplishment on behalf of

Premier Marshall to these eight outstanding individuals.

To see what the town, the people, the volunteers, the beautiful work they

did on the Safe Grad was just a wonderful event for the kids.

To see how the company, Nalcor, of course, comes in there and helps

support the youth in the town and the people was a beautiful thing.

Mr. Speaker, my wife and I of course, my wife wanted

to come to the grad. Her work

schedule and my work schedule, for once in a blue moon, if you will, actually

coincided that we could actually get to an event on the outskirts of my district

at the same time, but we had to drive that 300 kilometres.

I tell you what, everybody is anticipating that sixty or so kilometres in

between Happy Valley-Goose Bay and Churchill Falls that, once done this year,

with the money allocated in this Budget by the Minister of Transportation, will

see us with that full stretch of pavement.

The road was beautiful, the work was top-notch, Mr.

Speaker, and if you have ever driven that road you will know it is beautiful in

terms of the wildlife, the scenery.

In years gone by, those big hills, those dips, those are all gone; we have taken

care of that. What we have now is a

beautiful drive, Mr. Speaker. When

the road is completed both going from east to west and then going from north to

south, it is going to make a difference in terms of people coming in to see our

beautiful communities in the Big Land, spending some money, and helping with the

economic generation within the communities.

So, with that, I would just like to say that

sixty-kilometre stretch is about to be a thing of the past, Mr. Speaker, because

you do have to reduce your speed.

You want to make sure whoever you have in the vehicle with you are safe.

We are on the cusp of finishing the Trans-Labrador Highway from east to

west.

Also in this Budget, and it counts because the branch

to turnoff, Mr. Speaker, is in Lake Melville.

So we have also committed to go eighty kilometres toward Cartwright

Junction, which says, one, we are committed and we are responding to the needs

of the people. In my district, they

are made up of everybody from Cartwright and from the smaller communities on the

South Coast. They are all coming up

my way for the opportunities we have there and they are most welcome, I will say

that.

What you are seeing is a government that responds.

We put the money where we need to.

You look through the Budget documents that are coming, we are not only

spending money in blue districts; we are spending money in districts that are

represented by other stripes in this House, Mr. Speaker.

We are doing what is right by the people of Newfoundland and Labrador and

that is what we do.

Before I stop talking about pavement, Mr. Speaker, and

I know there is a lot of drama going on in the House and all that about pavement

and about paving companies and all this, but I tell you one thing.

If you have not been in Labrador and you have not been up the

Trans-Labrador Highway, you have to understand this: there are no alternate

routes. There is no other way to go.

When there is a forest fire on, that is it.

You have people backed up.

You have vehicles upon vehicles backed up.

They are being escorted through zones that are covered by fire and smoke,

Mr. Speaker. To think that we are

going to be able to engage in laying down asphalt during a time like that, where

pretty much Labrador has been disconnected from itself in terms of the

communities reaching from Labrador West into Lake Melville, it is just not

possible.

Now, in terms of keeping everybody safe, keeping

contractors safe and their workers, that has to be paramount, too.

Everybody has to take their time in crossing that stretch of road, Mr.

Speaker, when you have

an act of God in progress that happens to be a forest

fire that nobody can help. It is as

simple as that. You do not put

anybody at risk, certainly not.

I tell you what; we have $11.7 million, Mr. Speaker, in

new water bombers to help with events like that.

This is response from the government.

If you were in Labrador, you look at our timber stands and you will

realize Labrador is beautiful in its majesty in terms of the wilderness we have

and the resources. The logging is

huge. When a forest fire hits, it

hits; nothing can be done about that.

We had $11.7 million for two new water bombers, and

that only builds on the $40 million or so that we spent in the year before.

This is a government that says, not only are we going to invest in the

safety of people in our communities, but also in terms of our wilderness, our

natural resources. We want to

protect that as well. Sometimes you

cannot help these things but it is nice to know that the gover