March

24, 2011 HOUSE OF ASSEMBLY PROCEEDINGS Vol.

XLVI No. 4

The House met at 1:30 p.m.

MR. SPEAKER (Fitzgerald): Order, please!

Admit strangers.

Today, the Chair would like to welcome to the public galleries two members

representing the Epilepsy Society, Ms Mary Beth Thistle, who is accompanied by

her mother, Ms Patti Thistle; also, Ms Gail Dempsey and Ms Pam Anstey,

representing Epilepsy Newfoundland and Labrador.

Welcome to the House of Assembly.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER: The Chair would also like to welcome Ms Faith Atkins and her

classmates from Mount Pearl Intermediate School who are accompanied by their

teacher, Mr. Brett Langdon.

Welcome to the House of Assembly.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

Statements by Members

MR. SPEAKER: The following members' statements will be heard: the hon.

the Member for the District of Mount Pearl North; the hon. Member for the

District of Signal Hill-Quidi Vidi; the hon. Member for the District of

Bellevue; the hon. Member for the District of The Straits & White Bay North;

and, by leave, the hon. Member for the District of Torngat Mountains.

Does the hon. Member for the District of Torngat Mountains have leave?

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Yes.

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Member for the District of Mount Pearl North.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. KENT: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I rise in this hon. House today to congratulate the Frosty Festival

organizing committee and the City of Mount Pearl on celebrating the twenty-ninth

Annual Frosty Festival last month.

The Frosty Festival was again a huge success this year. I would like to

extend my congratulations and special thanks to the Frosty Festival board of

directors, led this year by Chairperson Andrew Ledwell. Andrew has been involved

with the festival for many years and his experience was a great asset in this

role. I also would like to thank all of the sponsors and volunteers, as well as

the City of Mount Pearl, for contributing to the festival's success.

After twenty-nine years, there is no doubt that this festival has become a

tradition in our community. I attended so many of the events this year, as I

have in the past, and can only say that they keep getting better and better. I

think this year I saw more new faces than ever before. There is truly something

for everyone at Frosty Festival.

I was also pleased that our Premier could join me and fellow MHAs from

Topsail and Mount Pearl South for the festival's opening ceremonies.

The Frosty Festival has been named one of the best winter carnivals in

Canada. This is a great honour, but to me, it is no surprise. It is a wonderful

week of events for our community, our region, and indeed our Province.

Mr. Speaker, I ask all members of this House to join me in congratulating the

Frosty Festival board of directors and the City of Mount Pearl in hosting

another tremendous winter carnival.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

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

Vidi.

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

I stand in this hon. House today to recognize and congratulate the staff,

volunteers, and students of Virginia Park Elementary School on another

successful year for the Breakfast Program.

Mr. Speaker, as I am sure all hon. members are aware, a healthy breakfast is

extremely important for children to start their day. The benefits of quality

nutrition are many, but most important, it ensures children have everything they

need to learn and grow. The Virginia Park Breakfast Program provides children

with a tasty and nutritious breakfast that regularly includes whole grain

cereal, yogourt, fruit, cheese, and other nutritious breakfast foods.

I have seen first hand what a difference this program makes in the children's

morning, as I and my staff volunteer at the school once a month to help serve

breakfast. The smiles and energy of students create a wonderful way to start

one's day. My staff and I very much look forward to our designated day each

month.

Mr. Speaker, one of the great aspects of the breakfast program is that it is

truly a community effort. The program would not exist without the hard work of

Virginia Park Elementary staff and volunteers. I would like to personally thank

each and every one of them as well as the community sponsors which include the

Kids Eat Smart program who is the primary sponsor, the Rotary Club of St. John's

North West, St. Paul's Council Knights of Columbus, St. Mark's Anglican Church

and of course family members and school staff, especially Lorraine Williams and

Patricia Emberley.

Mr. Speaker, I would ask that all hon. members join with me in sending a big

thank you to the staff and volunteers at the Virginia Park Elementary Breakfast

Program on their second successful year and wish them continued future success.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. PEACH: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I rise in this hon. House today to recognize the Community 5 Lions Club 2011

Speak Off held in Dildo on March 2.

This year, Mr. Speaker, I had the great privilege of attending the Lions

community speak off. The contestants delivered speeches that were outstanding.

Each contestant captivated the attention of every individual in the hall. There

was no doubt that the three judges were presented with a difficult task when

asked to select just one individual from a group of competitors that presented

all qualities of a winner.

First place was awarded to Stephanie Warren who delivered a speech titled,

"It is in us to give" (blood donations). Second place went to her twin sister

Natasha Warren from Chapel Arm. Third place went to Shawna Reid from Dildo and

fourth place to Sarah Olford from Green's Harbour. All four students were from

Crescent Collegiate, Blaketown.

It was stated that Crescent Collegiate students over the past few years have

delivered exceptional speeches and that the commitment, dedication and coaching

of the teaching staff is what contributes to such success.

Mr. Speaker, Stephanie and Natasha will both represent their region in

Placentia on May 27, 2011, at 2:00 p.m. I ask all hon. members to join me in

congratulating all four winners in the 2011 speak off and extend good luck to

both Stephanie and Natasha as they compete in the speak off in Placentia on May

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Member for the District of The Straits & White

Bay North.

MR. DEAN: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in this hon. House today to congratulate Ian Warren and

Ashley Green of St. Anthony on being selected as the Winterfest Ambassadors for

the thirty-first St. Anthony Winterfest Celebrations that is presently taking

place

The Winterfest Gala is one of the many events that occur during the ten-day

annual festival, and one that I had the privilege of attending this past

Thursday evening. Six youth from St. Anthony and the surrounding area vied for

the title and were judged on personal interviews, questions, and collages. Each

contestant displayed great talent, style, and fashion and I would like to extend

congratulations to all that participated.

Ian and Ashley will be attending the remaining events as youth

representatives, which I believe they will do proudly.

Mr. Speaker, I ask all members of this House to join with me in

congratulating Ian and Ashley and to wish them well in their future endeavours.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Member for the District of Torngat Mountains.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MS POTTLE: Mr. Speaker, it is with a heavy heart that I rise and inform

my hon. colleagues of the passing of a provincial icon, Mr. James Andersen or

better known as Uncle Jim.

For over fifty years, Uncle Jim documented the everyday lives of people in

and around his community of Makkovik. He was his own time capsule, capturing and

storing photographs and videos he would take on a daily basis. He amassed an

extensive archive that showcased everything from hunting, fishing, going to

church, various community events, and everyday living.

So impressive was Uncle Jim's collection, that The Rooms Provincial Archives

honoured him with a showcase of his work in 2008. It was a joint project between

The Rooms and the Nunatsiavut Government, which was curated by Rhonda Buckley

who, as well, presented a documentary on the life of Uncle Jim.

Mr. Speaker, while we are saddened with Uncle Jim's passing, we are very

thankful and deeply humbled by his contribution to record moments in time that

showed life on the Coast of Labrador, way back then. Sam Kula, an archival

consultant said it is the "largest collection of photographs from a single

community in Canada."

When you think of all the great photographers who captured their

surroundings, like Ansel Adams and Freeman Patterson, Uncle Jim was always with

a camera and he can rest peacefully knowing his work has been persevered and

protected for generations to come.

Labrador has lost one of its most prestigious sons and he will always be

remembered.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER: Statements by Ministers.

Statements by Ministers

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Premier.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

PREMIER DUNDERDALE: Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to stand in this House

today, joining people around the world who will wear purple this week to promote

awareness of epilepsy. March 26 is designated as International Purple Day.

Mr. Speaker, I was asked to wear purple in observance of this special day by

two young ladies who want people to know more about epilepsy.

Patti Thistle wrote to me on behalf of her fifteen-year-old daughter, Mary

Beth, asking me to support efforts to raise awareness of epilepsy by wearing

purple. I am happy to have Mary Beth and Patti Thistle joining us today.

Mr. Speaker, twelve-year-old Faith Atkins, a student at Mount Pearl

Intermediate School and an Ambassador for Purple Day wrote to me about Purple

Day. She has been actively promoting Purple Day in her school. Faith and some of

her classmates have joined us today in the gallery. In addition, Gail Dempsey

and Pam Anstey from Epilepsy Newfoundland and Labrador have joined us.

There are various activities, Mr. Speaker, planned for Purple Day, including

purple poster contests and community activities. Faith herself has organized a

Wackiest Purple Outfit contest at her school. Mr. Speaker, I was not striving to

have the wackiest outfit today, but I am very proud to be wearing purple and I

may win the contest.

International Purple Day began in 2008 when a nine-year-old Nova Scotia girl,

named Cassidy Megan, asked her principal if they could plan a purple day at her

school. Lavender is the internationally recognized colour associated with

epilepsy and seizures. For Cassidy, lavender is just another shade of purple so

she called her campaign Purple Day for epilepsy. They set the date for March 26,

and the event has grown to a worldwide movement, observed in dozens of countries

by politicians, schools, municipalities, and individuals.

The aim of the Purple Day Campaign reflects Cassidy's original intent: to

raise awareness of epilepsy, which is captured in a letter Cassidy wrote to

supporters, and I quote, "I started Purple Day because when I first found out

that I had epilepsy I was afraid and embarrassed of what other people would

think. I also thought I was the only kid in the world with epilepsy. I wanted to

have one day where everyone in the world could show support for people with

epilepsy and teach people about epilepsy."

Mr. Speaker, epilepsy affects over 10, 000 people in Newfoundland and

Labrador, and more than 50 million people worldwide. I am so pleased to bring

Purple Day to the attention of this House and my hon. colleagues as I invite all

Newfoundlanders and Labradorians to wear purple on March 26.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

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

MS JONES: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I thank the Premier for an advance of her statement.

I am certainly very proud today to rise in the House of Assembly in our

Province and to recognize fifteen-year-old Mary Beth and her mom, and certainly

Faith as well, for the actions they have taken in promoting epilepsy in our

Province, making people more aware of this disease, and creating awareness

around it at all different age levels. I think that is so important.

Mr. Speaker, I want to mention Cassidy Megan because I think it is an

inspiring story of how one child can actually make a difference in a big world.

I think this young girl has made a difference. It is quite obvious by the

followers that she has in the gallery today and by many others all around this

Province and around the country who have come to join with her in celebrating

International Purple Day.

Mr. Speaker, I think it is important to point out that the Premier talked

about 50 million people worldwide who are affected by epilepsy. That is more

than multiple sclerosis, cerebral palsy, muscular dystrophy, and Parkinson's

disease combined affects people in our world. That is quite an alarming

statistic.

Mr. Speaker, each day in our country there is an average of thirty-eight

people who learn that they have epilepsy. In one year, an average of fourteen

people will learn that they have this disease; 60 per cent of these new patients

are young children or senior citizens. That is why I find it so enlightening

today that it is young people who are bringing this message forward in our

society.

Mr. Speaker, I want to congratulate them and I also want to recognize the

epilepsy society of Newfoundland and Labrador, because it is many of these

groups and organizations that people turn to as their first point of contact

when they learn that they have a disease like this or someone in their family

does. These service groups and organizations of professionals provide an

invaluable service to all of those who need to use it. So I want to certainly

pay tribute to them as well in the work that they do.

Thank you.

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

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

I thank the Premier for bringing us to this moment here today, and I thank

her for the advance copy of her statement. I think what we are doing here today

is extremely important.

I, too, want to recognize Epilepsy Newfoundland and Labrador on supporting

this effort of young people who have epilepsy. I think it is extremely important

that the association is there giving them their support, and I welcome Gail

Dempsey and Pam Anstey from the association.

I especially want to congratulate Mary Beth and Patti Thistle for

participating in the awareness raising opportunity for Purple Day and epilepsy

that they are doing today. They took a challenge that was raised by Cassidy in

Nova Scotia and they have brought it here and have made an extremely important

moment here in the House of Assembly this afternoon. We alone here in this

Province have 10,000 people living with epilepsy, and it is very important that

they feel that they are not alone, and not only feel it, they need to know that

they are not alone.

Many efforts are going on this week. I know of one young boy, for example,

Nicholas, who is participating with his friends at Mes

Amis day care to raise money in their bunny hop this

weekend for epilepsy. So there are some wonderful events happening. I would

encourage people in the Province, beyond wearing purple this week, and visit the

epilepsy Web site to see the different programs they offer, the stories they

tell, also here in St. John's, to frequent Previously Loved Clothes and Things,

the store where they raise money for the work of the Epilepsy Society. I think

in that way we will show them that we really do care about furthering their

cause.

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker.

MR. SPEAKER: Further statements by ministers?

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

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MS JOHNSON: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the significant contributions of

social workers across Newfoundland and Labrador during National Social Work

Month, and I am pleased to see some members of the social workers' society in

the gallery here today.

Social work is an established profession in Newfoundland and Labrador, with

1,350 registered social workers practicing throughout the Province. Within the

Department of Child, Youth and Family Services, these professionals work with

individuals, families, and communities in a variety of program areas, including

regulated child care, protective intervention, youth corrections, adoptions, and

foster care.

This year's theme for National Social Work Month is Social Workers for

Dignity and Inclusion: Upholding Human Rights. The theme is extremely important

and succinctly encompasses their overall role.

Mr. Speaker, social workers, in particular child protection social workers,

are sometimes portrayed negatively with respect to the work they perform, when

on the contrary, Mr. Speaker, they are working on behalf of the public interest

to ensure the safety and well-being of children and youth.

Since assuming the role as Minister for the Department of Child, Youth and

Family Services a little over two months ago, I have been out meeting social

workers within the department, and Mr. Speaker, I can tell you that they are

some of the most caring, socially conscious people I have ever met. They are

working hard on the front lines, making difficult decisions in the best

interests of our most vulnerable population.

The general public is not always fully informed about the imperative role of

social workers and I encourage everyone, particularly during National Social

Work Month, to learn more about these highly ethical and skilled professionals.

As Minister for the Department of Child, Youth and Family Services, I would

like to take this opportunity to commend social workers for their dedication and

commitment to the children and youth of Newfoundland and Labrador. They

certainly play an essential role in society and March provides an opportunity to

recognize and celebrate their important contributions to the people of this

Province.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

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

MS JONES: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I want to thank the minister for the advance copy of her statement and to say

that we are very pleased to stand and recognize National Social Work Month.

Mr. Speaker, we are also equally as appreciative to stand and to recognize

our social workers here in Newfoundland and Labrador. Mr. Speaker, to say that

they work on the front lines is almost an understatement. If there is a child in

need in this Province, the first rate of response lies with them. They have a

huge responsibility placed on their shoulders each and every day as they provide

the care for our children and nurture them along in society in this Province.

They have stressful jobs that often take them into certain family situations

that are difficult, that take them into our medical system, Mr. Speaker, and,

yes, right into our court system.

It is a job, Mr. Speaker, that can only be handled by some of the strongest

people that we have in our society and I certainly want to recognize them for

the work they do. In recognizing them, Mr. Speaker, I also want to raise my

voice to some of their issues. The issue of the shortage of social workers in

Newfoundland and Labrador today is a glaring example of where we have not given

real leadership to our children.

Mr. Speaker, the statistics released only a short time ago showed that in

October of 2009, forty per cent of the vacancies in this Province in social work

were in Child, Youth and Family Services. This year, in 2010, sixty-eight per

cent of those vacancies are in Child, Youth and Family Services. Mr. Speaker,

these statistics are alarming and they need to be addressed. We need to ensure

that we have a good compliment of social workers out there working in our system

so that those who are currently there do not have to carry the burden and the

workload beyond what they are expected of or capable of in many days.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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

Vidi.

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

I, too, thank the minister for the advance copy of her statement. I am very

pleased to stand with her and with the Leader of the Official Opposition in

recognizing the contributions made by the social workers in this Province,

especially during National Social Work Month. It is an understatement to say

that social workers provide a critical service in our society. Our society

cannot operate without them and they really are the unsung heroes dealing with

the many problems that a lot of us do not even see.

We need to recognize, not only in name, the work that these men and women do.

We also need to show that we care about them by making sure that there are

enough supports in place for them as they do their work. They suffer from high

levels of stress, there are high levels of overwork and burnout happening among

social workers and we do have a chronic shortage of social workers.

More than ever before we need to make sure that we are increasing the number

of social workers in this Province, giving them the supports that they need

the administrative supports and to have enough people doing casework that the

workers themselves can take the time to do the paperwork that only they can do.

There is work that can be done by support workers working with them, but there

is also work that only they can do as the person working with the children.

I encourage the minister and I encourage the government to look at the full

situation of the social workers in this Province, especially in Child, Youth and

Family Services and make sure that they have everything they need to do their

work and do it while remaining healthy themselves.

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker.

MR. SPEAKER: Further statements by ministers?

The hon. the Minister of Environment and Conservation.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. WISEMAN: Mr. Speaker, each of us has a responsibility for the

sustainability of our planet and every action, big or small, collectively helps

to make a difference. That is why I rise in this hon. House today to draw your

attention to Earth Hour 2011 taking place this coming Saturday at 8:30 p.m.

when every resident of our Province from every walk of life is asked to join

together in solidarity for our Earth and turn off their lights for one hour.

Earth Hour is organized by the World Wildlife Fund, a leading conservation

organization whose mandate is to stop the degradation of the Earth's natural

environment and build a future where people live in harmony with nature. Since

Earth Hour first began as a single-city event in Sydney, Australia, in 2007, it

has now grown to be a global phenomenon, with a record of 128 countries and

territories participating in Earth Hour 2010. It has quickly carved its place in

history as the largest ever voluntary action whereby people, businesses, and

governments come together to celebrate a commitment to a common cause the

Earth.

While Earth Hour has helped raise the profile of sustainability issues since

its inception, Mr. Speaker, we must all pledge to do more when we switch off our

lights for one hour each year. That is why, this year, the organizers are asking

all participants to go beyond this one act, take action for the planet, and

share their planned activities beyond the hour with them at earthhour.org.

Mr. Speaker, there are many sustainable practices we can adopt beyond this

coming Saturday evening. We can ensure we turn off lights when they are not in

use, recycle whenever possible, ensure vehicle tires are inflated properly,

compost and install water-saving devices, just to name a few. These actions,

from a worldwide perspective, can positively affect the future of our planet.

They can help us extend our commitment to our planet long after the lights are

turned back on this Saturday evening.

I encourage every household throughout Newfoundland and Labrador to join the

worldwide movement at 8:30 p.m. local time on March 26 and share in one hour of

darkness for the earth. Together, our actions do make a difference for our

environment.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

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

MR. BUTLER: Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the minister for an advance copy

of his statement and to say that we encourage every household in this Province

to take

part in Earth Hour 2011.

Mr. Speaker, I have to say, what a far cry from yesterday. Here we are having

the minister ask us to conserve our energy; yesterday, the Premier was telling

us we are going to double it and we have to watch out what we are doing with our

plasma TVs.

Mr. Speaker, having said that, it also states that we should encourage and

build a future where people live in harmony with nature. Mr. Speaker, there are

many people in this Province who are wondering what this government did with the

Bill of Rights that they were supposed to bring in so many of those issues could

be looked at.

The minister goes on to say that we should be concerned about how we have our

tires inflated. I say to the minister and government: You should be concerned

about the two million tires you have kicking around out in Dunville. You should

be concerned about your prospects of burning tires in our Province.

Mr. Speaker, only recently, the Auditor General said there are 621

contaminated sites in this Province; 252 of them are the responsibility of this

government. No comprehensive plan, no timelines to see that those sites are

remediated. It is time for this government to do more than talk the talk, they

should walk the walk.

Mr. Speaker, I encourage all those to get involved in Earth Hour 2011 this

year, and hopefully government will see to it that they carry out what they

think.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Oh, oh!

MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!

The hon. the Member for the District of Signal Hill-Quidi Vidi.

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

I, too, thank the minister for the advance copy of his statement.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Oh, oh!

MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!

MS MICHAEL: Certainly, Earth Hour is an extremely important symbolic act

going on around the world and I really do encourage everybody in the Province,

where they can, to observe this hour.

The minister, in his statement, names a lot of things that people can do as

individuals or as families and that is all well and good. I encourage all of us

to do the things that the minister spoke about, but we also need to look at

things that government is responsible for.

In the Speech from the Throne this week, the government talked about a new

energy efficiency program. I would point out to the minister that we need a

launch of the new energy efficiency program sooner rather than later. When we

did have a call for applications to the program that exists, our program was

closed rather quickly because of so many applications that came in. That demand

for an energy efficiency program is going to go up with our consumers and

businesses in this Province.

In looking at energy efficiency in our Province I would like us to cover

three targeted groups just as they do in New Brunswick. They have a program for

residential need, a program to cover small business and a program to cover

industrial need. I look forward to seeing the program that our government is

going to come up with, recognizing that while there are some things we can do as

individuals, we have a much bigger picture that has to be faced with energy

efficiency.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

MR. SPEAKER: Further statements by ministers?

Oral Questions.

Oral Questions

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

MS JONES: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, the Premier claims growing demand is one of the reasons we need

to develop Muskrat Falls. I am tabling today three documents from Nalcor which

shows her projections. You will notice that Nalcor is projecting a 50 per cent

rise in energy usage from what was forecasted in 2009 to what we will use this

year in 2011. That is an astounding increase, given that our population is the

same and that there have been no industrial developments during that time.

I ask the Premier: How did you arrive at these numbers, or are they simply

just being created to justify the Muskrat Falls Project?

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Premier.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

PREMIER DUNDERDALE: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, I am glad she is tabling documents. I hope that she has taken

the time to read them, Mr. Speaker, because I tabled a document here on December

9, 2010, on Generation Planning Issues 2010 July Update, and, Mr. Speaker, they

rose in the House yesterday and told me they did not have it, could not find it,

were not familiar with it. Mr. Speaker, I brought another copy with me today and

at the appropriate time I will table it again.

Mr. Speaker, Nalcor is required to do forecasting to present that information

to the PUB, who verifies the information that is put forward. They also have to

provide to the PUB a plan to deal with the forecast. That is the process, Mr.

Speaker. It is one they should be familiar with.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

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

MS JONES: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Looking at the 2018 projections and onward, the Premier is claiming that

energy usage on the Island is going to more than double in the next two decades

after Muskrat comes on stream. In order for that to be even remotely possibly,

we will have to see a double in population or a double in the number of mines

and refineries and double in the amount of industrial activity that is currently

going on. We will have to do all of that, Mr. Speaker, with the fastest aging

population in the country and the smallest rate of population growth.

I ask the Premier again today: Where are you getting your numbers from, or

are you just putting these figures out there today to justify the Muskrat Falls

Project?

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Premier.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

PREMIER DUNDERDALE: Mr. Speaker, Nalcor provided a briefing to the

members of the Official Opposition this morning, so I was living in hope for the

better part of the day that we would have a more informed debate here today.

Yes, Mr. Speaker, they have asked for further briefing and I have encouraged

Nalcor to give them one every day if that is possible to see if we can get them

to where they need to be.

Mr. Speaker, the government, through either the Premier's Office or the

Department of Natural Resources, are not the ones for determining the

forecasting of load. We have experts, resident within Nalcor, who do that, Mr.

Speaker. That information is tested at the PUB.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

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

MS JONES: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

You need briefings from Nalcor just to untangle the answers that the Premier

gives each day in the media, Mr. Speaker, around the issue.

Let me ask her this question, because when we talked to Nalcor this morning

about where their numbers were coming from on the demand, the only thing they

could indicate to us in terms of take-up on power is what is currently going on

in the Province today. All the information that documents demand in power load

apparently came from the Department of Finance, Premier, from your government.

I ask you today, if you are going to be as keen to table that information in

the House of Assembly?

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Premier.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

PREMIER DUNDERDALE: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, Nalcor provided to the members of the Opposition this morning a

number of assumptions that have to do with load and forecasting of load. They

talk about industrial development here in the Province, and they talk about such

things as a paper mill, as Vale Inco, as other industrial developments

throughout the Province, Mr. Speaker.

As I said here yesterday, our load is forecasted to grow at about 0.7 per

cent a year up to 1.7 per cent a year. Now, Mr. Speaker, that talks about growth

in population; it speaks to further industrial development here in the Province.

The problem with the Opposition, Mr. Speaker, is they have no vision. They have

no belief in our capacity to grow and they certainly do not have a plan.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

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

MS JONES: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

We have lots of vision, I say to the Premier opposite. In fact, Mr. Speaker,

we have so much vision that we are already projecting what the light bills are

going to be for the people in this Province when you get finished with them.

That is what I say to you, Premier.

Let me ask you this question, because out of all of the adjustments that

Nalcor gave us this morning we are meeting our power commitments to those

customers, with the exception of Long Harbour today. We already know we have

enough power to look after Long Harbour if it was to come on stream tomorrow or

next year, or whatever the case may be. In fact, where the glaring omission was,

Premier, is that their assumptions are based on information I say it again

from your government, from the Department of Finance. I know you talked about

plasma TVs yesterday, but it would be a lot of plasma TVs.

MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!

I ask the hon. member to pose her question.

MS JONES: I ask you, Premier, to table that information in the House of

Assembly.

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Premier.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

PREMIER DUNDERDALE: Mr. Speaker, they are desperate for somebody to do

their research for them. I suggest you do it yourself because the sources you

are relying on now are clearly failing you.

Mr. Speaker, projections around economic outlooks and economic indicators

from the Department of Finance are in the public domain. All they need to do is

look at them, this is not secret information.

Mr. Speaker, as I said, there is an expertise within Nalcor; there is an

expertise within the PUB to test the information coming out of Nalcor. Yes, Mr.

Speaker, we have the capacity now to deal with the current issues. We do not

have the capacity, Mr. Speaker, to deal with growth; we do not have the capacity

to deal with an incident that would take capacity offline.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Oh, oh!

MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!

PREMIER DUNDERDALE: Mr. Speaker, this is comprehensive, sensible planning

for the future.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

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

MS JONES: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Maybe if we could get a few less insults flying from the Premier and a few

more answers from across the House we might be able to move on a little bit

quicker.

Mr. Speaker, she says there is nothing secret here; however, the

environmental review panel that is examining the proposed Muskrat Falls Project

is looking for the very same information. In fact, Mr. Speaker, in a letter to

Nalcor this past week they have indicated that thus far they have not been

provided with the adequate information on financial benefits and detailed

analysis of project alternatives. Mr. Speaker, they have given Nalcor until the

end of the month to bring that information forward.

I ask the Premier today: If there is nothing secretive here, why was the

information not given to the environmental panel on March 7 and 8, and why are

you not prepared to table it for the people of the Province today?

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Premier.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

PREMIER DUNDERDALE: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, all of the information required by the environmental review

panel will be provided by Nalcor. Mr. Speaker, this is an important

AN HON. MEMBER: (Inaudible).

MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!

PREMIER DUNDERDALE: - step in the whole review of this project. We have

spent considerable time getting ready for that review, providing information to

the panel, Mr. Speaker, providing funding to different stakeholder groups so

that they can be prepared to ask penetrating questions in this whole process.

Mr. Speaker, this is a good project for Newfoundland and Labrador, there is no

need to hide anything with regard to it.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

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

MS JONES: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

We are just trying to get to the bottom of whether it is good or whether it

is bad. The quicker the information comes, the more of an opportunity the public

will have to examine it, I say to you, Premier.

Nalcor also indicated that Gull Island would not proceed unless energy

markets are secured for 100 per cent of its energy output; however, Muskrat

Falls, is looking at only 40 per cent of its power output which has been

identified right now, and that is us here in this Province who will pay for it.

Mr. Speaker, this being the case, why are you determined to proceed with

Muskrat Falls when you have no buyers for the power and no contracts in hand?

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Premier.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

PREMIER DUNDERDALE: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, we need power to supply the needs of the people of Newfoundland

and Labrador.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

PREMIER DUNDERDALE: Mr. Speaker, their plan is to sell all the power to

Quebec and take whatever crumbs we could get from it. Mr. Speaker, this is the

best solution for the energy needs of Newfoundland and Labrador. It is the most

cost-effective way to replace Holyrood and to meet our energy needs here on the

Island, Mr. Speaker. It is also the most effective way to provide energy for

industrial development in Labrador.

Mr. Speaker, when people come to invest in Labrador, we are not going to say

to them: Hang on now, put your billion dollars in your pocket and give us five

or six years to develop an energy supply for you. We have more vision than that,

Mr. Speaker.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

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

MS JONES: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

If that is the approach the Premier wants to take, because I think that may

be a good approach, I say to you, Premier -

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!

MS JONES: Let me just say this, if that is the case, why is the Premier

and the government giving away our power to Emera Energy, paying for half the

cost, running a transmission line where there does not need to be one when we

can keep that power right in Labrador for industrial development?

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Premier.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

PREMIER DUNDERDALE: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, when Muskrat Falls is completed there will be over 500 megawatts

of power available for industrial development in Labrador. Mr. Speaker, that is

a wonderful thing. Mr. Speaker, they do not want power for industrial

development in Labrador, they and their supporters want to bring it all to the

border and let Quebec do industrial development in its province or make money by

selling it within Canada or in the United States.

Mr. Speaker, first of all, Muskrat Falls works for the people of the

Province. It is the most cost-effective way to meet our power needs. Their plan

that they are recommending to the people of the Province will cost ratepayers $2

billion more than Muskrat Falls.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

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

MS JONES: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Unfortunately, I do not have time to get into the math, but if there are

500-and-some-odd megawatts in Labrador and an 864 megawatt project, I think we

better crunch the numbers again.

Mr. Speaker, yesterday it was announced that the federal government and

Quebec have reached an agreement for offshore resource management. This

agreement would allow Quebec to develop the Old Harry oil field, which

potentially contains twice the oil of Hibernia; however, a large portion, or

perhaps the entire well, rests within our Province's jurisdiction.

I ask the Premier: Now that Quebec has an agreement in place, will you

pressure the federal government for a tribunal to finally establish a certain

offshore boundary between Quebec and Newfoundland and Labrador?

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Premier.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

PREMIER DUNDERDALE: Mr. Speaker, up to this point we have not had a

mechanism with the federal government and Quebec to resolve the border issue on

Old Harry. Mr. Speaker, we have talked about this too a number of times here in

the House, so we will do it one more time.

Mr. Speaker, we were able to settle our boundary issues with Nova Scotia

because they have an Atlantic Accord, the Nova Scotia accord with the federal

government, and we had a Newfoundland and Labrador accord with the federal

government. Mr. Speaker, Quebec needed a similar authority process, and now, I

understand, such a process will be in place, they will initial the documents

this afternoon. Once that is in place, Mr. Speaker, we will have the capacity to

work together and the means and process to settle the boundary issues on Old

Harry.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

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

MS JONES: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

We also know that there was a proposed boundary that existed in 1964. In a

tribunal headed by the Supreme Court in 2002, there was a ruling that that

boundary is no longer in existence.

I ask the Premier today, in respect to this 1964 boundary - because I

understand that that is the boundary that we are respecting the Province today

in carrying out seismic work and exploration work in that particular area. I ask

her why she has not taken more clearly assertive action on this particular issue

to ensure that there is a boundary set. I ask her again: What does this

agreement today mean between the federal government and Quebec, in terms of who

owns what percentage of this particular area?

MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!

The hon. the Premier.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

PREMIER DUNDERDALE: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, I have been quite clear in this House, and outside of this

House. If you paid any attention to the media at all, all last summer there was

a weekly reference to the debate between ourselves and the Province of Quebec

with regard to Old Harry. We do not accept the 1964 boundary, Mr. Speaker. It

was never ratified. The information is fifty years old. The boundary still needs

to be resolved. Hopefully, after today, Mr. Speaker, we will have a mechanism

where we can do just that.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Member for the District of The Straits & White

Bay North.

MR. DEAN: Mr. Speaker, on September 21, 2010, Hurricane Igor devastated

many homes and communities in our Province. Six months after the disaster, we

hear absolute frustration from communities who are trying to secure proper

funding for displaced families.

Two seniors in Bonavista were originally allocated $32,000 to repair their

home. When the contractor arrived to begin repairs, they realized there were

more extensive damages. Volunteers in the community had to tear the house down

and rebuild it. To rebuild the house, they were only given $22,000. A group of

volunteers are in the process of rebuilding it right now, and they know the

supplies will cost more than what government has offered.

I ask the minister: Are you aware of this situation and, if so, can you

justify short changing these families who are trying to get their houses rebuilt

following this terrible disaster?

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Minister of Municipal Affairs.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. O'BRIEN: Yes, Mr. Speaker.

First, I have to say upfront that we are very proud of this government's

response in regard to that terrible disaster Igor. We have, at this point in

time, about 75 to 85 per cent of our claims closed in regard to that

(inaudible), which is unprecedented in any province in Canada. We have responded

very, very well.

In regard to the issue at hand, when we go in and have the adjusters and the

structural engineers assess the damage to a household it is assessed at what

they see at that particular time. They are made two offers: one is a contract

offer that includes labour cost, the other one is a settlement for materials

only and then they can do the work themselves. They have to make that choice. We

are guided by the federal guidelines in regard to those offers and we cannot

offer anything above those guidelines and specifications that are in those

guidelines provided by the federal government.

In this case in question we will then push it off to two organizations, the

Salvation Army or the Red Cross, which will address those issues that are not

covered under those guidelines.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Member for the District of The Straits & White

Bay North.

MR. DEAN: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, Reverend Squires, on behalf of the affected families, has gone

back to government to try and obtain additional funding for the rebuilding of

their homes. All the labour is being provided completely by volunteers and the

only labour being paid is for the contractors who are doing foundation work.

These people are simply asking for the cost of supplies to be covered so that

the church does not have to foot the bill. This, Mr. Speaker, is certainly not

too much to ask for.

I ask the minister: Is your government willing today to commit to properly

providing funding so that those affected people can get back in their homes?

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Minister Responsible for Emergency

Preparedness.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. O'BRIEN: Yes, Mr. Speaker, in regard to the federal guidelines we can

only address issues pre-existing Igor. We cannot deal with issues that

pre-existed or went before Igor in regard to structural damage, maybe rot in

the foundation, et cetera. In that case, we would address the issue in regard to

the homeowner. We would tell the homeowner to contact the Red Cross or Salvation

Army. The Red Cross or Salvation Army has to address those issues in other

areas.

I would advise this particular couple, and Reverend Squires for that matter,

to get in contact with those people. They are on the ground, they are absolutely

good to deal with, and they have done well in regard to the issues that fall

outside the federal guidelines. In this case it falls outside the federal

guidelines.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Member for the District of The Straits & White

Bay North.

MR. DEAN: Mr. Speaker, we would recognize Reverend Squires as being

somewhat of a godsend to the people of Catalina and the region in leading the

effort to help the people. Over the past three weeks he has called several times

to Fire and Emergency Services to express his concerns about the recovery

effort. As of today he is still waiting for a response.

I would ask the minister, if he can tell us: Why, in three weeks, have they

not received a call back from that department?

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Minister Responsible for Emergency

Preparedness.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. O'BRIEN: I am certainly pleased that you asked me that question in

the House. As a matter of fact I was on the way to my office this morning and I

listened to that interview and I just about went off the road when I heard that

remark. I came in; I checked the logs as you know in every ministry every call

is logged as it comes in.

There have been no calls to my office from Reverend Squires. If there was, he

would get a call because I pride myself, as all ministers pride themselves, in

responding to the needs of the people of Newfoundland and Labrador.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. O'BRIEN: I stand here today and I ask Reverend Squires, if he called

my office, please produce his telephone bills because they are long-distance

calls and they would be recorded. They are not recorded in my office, nor are

they recorded at Fire and Emergency Services.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Member for the District of The Straits & White

Bay North.

MR. DEAN: Mr. Speaker, I am sure that Reverend Squires will produce

records if that is what he needs to do confirm the fact that he has called

government looking for assistance.

Mr. Speaker, yesterday I asked the Premier about recent developments in

government's attempts to deal with the challenges in our fishing industry. She

chose not to answer it and the minister really did not answer the question. I

asked three or four questions, he danced all around them and so on and threw it

back across the floor.

Mr. Speaker, a lot of people in this Province are asking for government's

leadership; to show leadership in terms of the MOU report, and not only that, in

terms of restructuring our fishery in this Province; it is so vital and so

important to us. So far this minister, the Premier it has come up blank, the

government is not offering any answers.

I want to ask a very clear, a very simple question this afternoon to the

Minister of Fisheries. I ask: What do you plan to do to ensure the future of the

fishing industry in this Province and the future of rural Newfoundland and

Labrador?

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

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. JACKMAN: Mr. Speaker, the words in the Speech from the Throne: we

will not cut rural Newfoundland and Labrador adrift. I can assure everyone in

this House, everyone watching, we will not abandon rural Newfoundland and

Labrador.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. JACKMAN: Mr. Speaker, we set out a process here of $800,000 whereby

there were three parties in it. Mr. Speaker, we received the report. I have said

that the restructuring part of it was not there. We have written back to both

parties and asked them now to submit what they might see as how we can move

forward with the restructuring, Mr. Speaker. Clearly it cannot always be the

responsibility of government. Industry has a key role here, Mr. Speaker.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. Member for the District of The Straits & White Bay

North.

MR. DEAN: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, it has been eight years, it has been twenty months with the MOU,

and it has been $800,000 as the minister just acknowledged. There are three

groups: one of them is government, one of them is the processors, and one of

them is the union. When we ask industry to give us their recommendations, I

believe we can only expect to get what we got.

The question is: How many more months do we need as a government to bob our

heads up and down, so to speak? How many more consultations?

The time has come to give the industry and the people involved in this

industry some idea as to where we are going.

So I ask again: Mr. Minister, what is your government's plan for our fishing

industry, for its workers, and the challenges it is facing?

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

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. JACKMAN: Mr. Speaker, my point exactly: the Vardy Report, 1998; Vardy

on shrimp, 2002; Gregory/Broderick Report, 2003; Dunne Report, 2003; and

Cashin's report on RMS and collective bargaining, 2005. I think we have bobbing

up and down long enough, Mr. Speaker. It is time that we get on with the

business.

I finally ask him I ask the member opposite and I ask the Leader of the

Opposition

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Oh, oh!

MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!

MR. JACKMAN: Do you support the MOU report?

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Oh, oh!

MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!

The hon. Member for the District of The Straits & White Bay North.

MR. DEAN: Thank you.

Mr. Speaker, the minister has stood on so many occasions and asked if I

support or if the Opposition supports the MOU. We have been very clear in saying

that we support the process of the MOU and going through the process. Now, are

there things

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Oh, oh!

MR. DEAN: I have not

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Oh, oh!

MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!

I ask the hon. member to pose his question.

MR. DEAN: - (inaudible) and said implement all that is in the MOU. As a

matter of fact, we have been very clear in saying that would be devastating. It

would not be correct.

Our question to the government is: What are you going to do with the MOU?

What is your plan? If it is Plan A, Plan B, where is it you are going with the

fishery in this Province?

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

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. JACKMAN: Mr. Speaker, it

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Oh, oh!

MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!

I ask the hon. members for their co-operation in allowing the minister to

answer his questions.

MR. JACKMAN: Mr. Speaker, I am going to lay it out quite clear to them.

Who took the next step? We as a government; we as a department. We have written

both parties. We have even outlined things that I would ask them to consider as

to how

AN HON. MEMBER: (Inaudible).

MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!

MR. JACKMAN: I can't answer it, Mr. Speaker.

MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!

The hon. the Member for the District of Signal Hill-Quidi Vidi.

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

Mr. Speaker, the Premier yesterday spoke about meeting with both federal

Natural Resources Minister Paradis and the Prime Minister, about her

government's support for an independent offshore safety authority. She also

expressed the hope that the federal government would concur with the provincial

government's position of acceptance of Commissioner Wells' recommendation for an

independent safety board for the offshore.

Mr. Speaker, I ask: Does the Premier have anything in writing between herself

and the federal government on this issue, and if so, would she table it in the

House?

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Minister of Natural Resources.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. SKINNER: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, as I have indicated before, there have been discussions between

officials. There has been correspondence back and forth that we have engaged

with the federal government. We have indicated to the federal government that we

support Commissioner Wells' report. We support, in particular, Recommendation

29, which recommended the establishment of a separate safety agency, and we are

still engaged with the federal government on encouraging them to concur with the

report's recommendation and to concur with the view of the provincial government

that we should move forward in that direction.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

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

Vidi.

MS MICHAEL: Mr. Speaker, the minister made reference to correspondence.

Could that correspondence be tabled here in the House, I ask the minister?

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Minister of Natural Resources.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. SKINNER: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, the normal route would be, I would suggest, that they make a

request through the department, and if she makes a request through the

department I will certainly respond to that.

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

Vidi.

MS MICHAEL: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I hope the response will be that we will get copies.

Mr. Speaker, yesterday, the Premier told the media that negotiations around

loan guarantees from Muskrat Falls will not be affected by a possible upcoming

federal election because she is dealing with a working group designated by the

Prime Minister and work will go on.

Mr. Speaker, the Premier said if a federal election does occur she will be

asking federal party leaders to publicly state their support for a loan

guarantee for the Muskrat Falls Hydro Project.

Mr. Speaker, today I ask the Premier: Would she also ask the federal party

leaders to state their position on an independent offshore safety authority?

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Premier.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

PREMIER DUNDERDALE: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, I indicated yesterday there were a number of things that we will

be asking for the positions of political parties. I would be happy to add her

suggestion to the list, Mr. Speaker.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

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

Vidi.

MS MICHAEL: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I look forward to seeing the letter that I am presuming the Premier will be

writing to the three parties.

Mr. Speaker, on Tuesday, the Minister of Natural Resources brought up Captain

Turner's report on the legislative and regulatory regimes capabilities and

practices in place in the Province for prevention and remediation of oil spills

which we have not yet seen. It was supposed to be released in August of last

year but received an extension at that time.

Mr. Speaker, I ask the minister: When will we receive this report, and does

the minister know at what stage the report is?

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Minister of Natural Resources.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

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

Mr. Speaker, the report has been received by the department and the

department officials. There has been a review of that report. As I understand

it, Captain Turner is making some final editing to the report and I expect very

soon I will have that report in my hands and I will be able then to bring

forward the recommendations from my review of the report.

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

Presenting Reports by Standing and Select Committees.

Tabling of Documents.

Tabling of Documents

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Premier.

PREMIER DUNDERDALE: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to table Generation Planning Issues 2010, July

update.

MR. SPEAKER: Further tabling of documents?

The hon. the Minister of Government Services.

MR. HARDING: Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to stand today to table the

2010-2011 Annual Report and Financial Statements of the Architects Licensing

Board of Newfoundland and Labrador.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

MR. SPEAKER: Further tabling of documents?

Notices of Motion.

Notices of Motion

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Minister of Justice and the Attorney General.

MR. F. COLLINS: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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

An Act

Respecting Correctional Services. (Bill 9)

MR. SPEAKER: Further notices of motion?

The hon. the Minister Responsible for the Labour Relations Agency.

MR. KING: Mr. Speaker, I give notice that I will ask leave to introduce a

bill entitled,

An Act To Amend The Labour Relations Act. (Bill 10)

MR. SPEAKER: Further notices of motion?

Answers to Questions for Which Notice has been Given.

Petitions.

Petitions

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

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

I would like to present a petition on behalf of the residents of La Poile and

those residents who live in the District of Burgeo & La Poile, particularly the

communities of Rose Blanche and Harbour Le Cou as well.

Speaking of movies the other day - who came to dinner with us - this is

another movie; it is called Porta-Potty II. This is the sequel. You will all

recall when we had the situation in Burgeo where the residents of Grey River and

Ramea had no washroom facilities, for example, when they waited for the ferry.

We have a similar situation for the residents of La Poile, whenever they travel

from La Poile to Rose Blanche, an identical situation, actually. They have to go

to catch the ferry, and of course the ferry is not always on time, sometimes it

is late and so on. People have to virtually, literally in this day and age, get

out and use the washroom out in the open air behind the old fish plant that is

there and so on. That is just totally unsanitary, indecent and not proper in

this day and age.

I call upon the Minister of Transportation and Works, pursuant to this

petition, to address that matter. Humbly sheweth:

WHEREAS the people of La Poile must use the provincial ferry system in order

to travel to and from La Poile; and

WHEREAS the people of La Poile and visitors are required to wait at the Town

of Rose Blanche Harbour-Harbour Le Cou from time to time for the ferry services;

and

WHEREAS there is no restroom or waiting room area at the Town of Rose

Blanche-Harbour Le Cou where users of the ferry service may utilize washroom

facilities; and

WHEREAS citizens of all ages including men, women, children, seniors and

disabled persons require washroom facilities as a basic human need in the course

of their travels and particularly while awaiting the transit systems; and

WHEREAS it is an abuse of human dignity as well as health and safety

regulations to allow such degrading and dehumanizing circumstances to continue;

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

House of Assembly to immediately construct and operate a waiting room, restroom

facility at the Town of Rose Blanche-Harbour Le Cou, such that all users of the

provincial ferry service which operates out of La Poile may be able to utilize

such waiting area washroom facilities.

As in duty bound your petitioners will ever pray.

I call this the porta-potty petition, Mr. Speaker, because you will recall

the last time we did this the current Minister of Labrador Affairs was then the

Minister of Works, Services and Transportation. After I entered this petition

the first day, his response was to stick two blue porta-potties out on the head

of the wharf for these people. Now that was the response. I happened to get a

photograph of that sent to me and I introduced it here in the House. It is an

absolutely disrespectful response, to treat the people of this Province, saying

you are okay. If you live anywhere else in this Province you have rules and

regulations you have to live by, but when it comes to the people who live in

some areas in outport Newfoundland, you get a porta-potty. That is what you get

totally unacceptable; inappropriate. I am sure the Minister of Transportation

and Works will deal with the manner in an expedient manner. It is just

unacceptable and we call upon him to have a look at this situation to see if we

can get these people looked after as they properly, humanely, deserve to be.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

MR. SPEAKER: Further petitions?

Orders of the Day.

Orders of the Day

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

MS BURKE: Mr. Speaker, I move Motion 1, pursuant to Standing Order 11,

that this House not adjourn at 5:30 p.m. today on Thursday, March 24, 2011.

Further, Mr. Speaker, I move Motion 2, pursuant to Standing Order 11, that

this House not adjourn 10:00 p.m. today on Thursday, March 24, 2011.

MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!

This motion is that this House do not adjourn at 5:30 o'clock p.m. today,

Thursday, March 24, and be it further moved that this House do not adjourn at

10:00 o'clock p.m. today, Thursday, March 24.

All those in favour, aye'.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Aye.

MR. SPEAKER: All those against, nay'.

Both motions are carried.

Motions carried.

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

MS BURKE: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

From the Order Paper I call Order 1, Committee of Supply, resolution to Bill

2 respecting the Granting of Interim Supply to Her Majesty.

MR. SPEAKER: The motion is that this House resolve itself into a

Committee of Supply, and that I do now leave the Chair.

All those in favour, aye'.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Aye.

MR. SPEAKER: All those against, nay'.

The motion is carried.

On motion, that the House resolved itself into a Committee of the Whole, Mr.

Speaker left the Chair.

Committee of the Whole

CHAIR (T. Osborne): Order, please!

We will continue with debate on granting Her Majesty's Supply.

I recognize the Member for the District of Port de Grave.

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

I want to say it is indeed an honour and a pleasure to be able to stand today

and take a few different occasions throughout the afternoon and evening to speak

on Bill 2, where we are debating Interim Supply.

Before I get into my few comments, first of all I want to say it is a

pleasure to be here on behalf of the people of the great District of Port de

Grave and to say that, as in the past, if there is anything there that I see

that should be brought forward and praise given, I will do that. However, I will

bring the concerns of the people of my district forward, and also of the people

around this Province that I represent as a critic for four or five departments.

Mr. Chair, first of all, I want to welcome the new Member for Conception Bay

East & Bell Island and the Member for Humber West, and to wish them every

success as they carry out their duties serving the people who duly elected them

since the last sitting of this House of Assembly. I also want to mention the

hon. Member for The Isles of Notre Dame who, since we last met, has taken on the

position of Minister of Business. I hope that one of his first obligations will

be to bring some new business forward to the district that I represent.

Mr. Chair, I also had the honour to work with him on the Public Accounts

Committee. I am going to tell you, if anyone wants to go in Cabinet that is the

place to start, the Public Accounts Committee. I think since we took over the

Public Accounts Committee two years ago, there are about six members who have

stepped from Public Accounts right into the Cabinet. They are all across the way

and I can see them there.

Mr. Chair, I also want to wish the new Premier every success in this

Assembly, and also welcome back our leader, the Leader of the Official

Opposition. As someone said yesterday, she is in full form. I want to say to

you, fellow colleagues, she has been in full form; we have known about it before

this House of Assembly opened because we have had to deal with her seven days a

week, twenty-four hours a day since she had her illness.

Mr. Chair, as we know, Interim Supply, which I just stated is Bill 2,

An Act

For Granting To Her Majesty Certain Sums Of Money For Defraying Certain Expenses

Of the Public Service For The Financial Year Ending March 31, 2012 And For Other

Purposes Relating To The Public Service.

That bill, as the minister mentioned when he introduced the bill, outlines

certain sums of money totalling just about $2.7 billion. We know that there are

quite a few dollars going into education, into health care and they are all

listed. I also look forward, even though we have heard the Throne Speech only

recently, I look forward to when the Budget comes down because I guess that is

where we see the details on the plan that this government has for the future. We

will see various items from the various departments unfolding as we go into

that.

We also know that when we are in Interim Supply we cannot put a motion

forward where we say we are going to increase anything or alter anything. It

states very clearly in our Rules of the House that the only motion allowed to be

put forward is amount to be reduced, and I am not standing here today to try to

reduce it because I know the importance of what this has to do to see that the

various departments function and the people who work for government.

Mr. Chair, I cannot help but mention the hon. Member for Lake Melville and

the Minister for Labrador Affairs, because the other day when he closed debate I

have to say he was in full form. It is good to see that he always has the

interest of our party at heart. Every time he stands he tries to lead us in the

right direction. I guess that goes back to the year 2000 when he was supporting

one of the gentlemen for the leadership of our party. He was right full of vim

and vigour at that time in the Glacier in Mount Pearl let me assure you, running

around all-day long with the placards on his back.

He also refers to two other gentlemen who happened to be on our political

stripe; they are the hon. Todd Russell and Mr. Danny Dumaresque. I do not know

what it is, I have heard the rumour that he is probably thinking about running

federally. I do not know why he is doing that unless he afraid of the other guy

who might take him on provincially. I cannot say for sure but I know he has

concerns about it, and hopefully that he will decide sooner rather than later

because the federal election is going to be called fairly soon.

Anyway, Mr. Chair, as it states in the Throne Speech, this is government's

vision and their plan for moving forward. When the Premier stood in her place

the other day and made a few comments after the Throne Speech, she stated that

this was not the full picture. I sure hope so, because what I read into the

Speech from the Throne, I hope there is going to be more detail; there will be

more information and issues brought forward in the Budget so we will be able to

see what it is when she refers to the full picture. I just want to touch on some

of them briefly.

When it comes to the fishery and aquaculture, I am not going to go into the

MOU and where I see things unfolding, what has happened in the past and what is

happening now, but I will probably before this day is over. Really, there was

very little there with regard to the fishery. We know that government has put a

lot of money into aquaculture, and that has been proven over the last few years.

When it comes to the actual fishery as we know it I mean, this is the

mainstay for this Province for some 500 years, and I have to say I think what

has happened down through the years, there has to be a political will to bring

forward the change. Like I said, I will elaborate on that later on. I do not

think that has been done for many years, what has to be done. Whether we like it

or not, we know we have the main resources like the oil and the minerals - I

hope they discover more - but the day is coming when we are going to see the oil

not to the point of what it is today, bringing in the resources that we have

coming today. Let me assure you, I believe, for rural Newfoundland, and not only

rural Newfoundland because the other larger centres benefit from what goes on in

the rural communities in relation to the fishery.

Under natural resources we heard more of the same about Muskrat Falls. I have

to say, I am not familiar with it like the Premier or the Leader of the Official

Opposition when it comes to all the detail with Muskrat Falls, but I have to

say, since the questioning has taken place over the last two or three days, I do

not think I am the only one in this hon. House who has not understood it all;

because people opposite have listened very intently to what is transpiring when

the questions are asked and the answers are given. Hopefully, as time goes on we

will really, really see what will happen, where people are expressing the

concerns that they do about this deal.

Then we go into INTRD. I do not believe there was any major mention of

broadband or the cell service. These are issues that have been brought forward

by the people of this Province. Hopefully, maybe there is something in the

details when the Budget comes down, hopefully, because people are waiting to see

that.

Under Justice, I do not think there is any mention of any plans with regard

to the prison. I know there have been negotiations back and forth. I guess there

were certain uncertainties that were expressed by the minister in the federal

government, but I do not think there is any mention that this would be looked

at. Hopefully, more details along that line will be outlined when we see the

Budget. One thing I know was not there is the whistle-blower legislation. This

is a piece of legislation that government said would come forward. Hopefully, we

will see something on that because there are many departments where I think

should be forward to clarify different issues and let the people, whether it is

in education, whether it is in health, to speak out and not have their voices

not heard.

Under municipalities, one of the things, I guess, that was really mentioned

there was regional co-operation. That is all good and wonderful. We need more of

that, not with regard to the way amalgamation unfolded a few years ago. There

was nothing there of where Municipalities Newfoundland and Labrador talked about

a new funding regime for municipalities. There was no mention of any changes

with regard to the MOGs. There was very little on waste management, only that

they hoped there would be regional co-operation with help to solve their

problems.

Under health care, there is no doubt they are taking the advice, I guess, of

the AG, and others, when finally we see the issue of chronic diseases coming

forward. I hope that will be detailed more to us in the Budget so we will see

where the health care system will go. There was mention of this in their

2008-2011 business plans, but now finally, hopefully, we are going to see the

plan unfold.

Also, they mentioned they will continue to invest in long-term care. That is

one of the issues, I guess, in the area that I represent. Even though it is not

being built in that district, but one thing about it, it represents the people

of the full region.

CHAIR: Order, please!

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

MR. BUTLER: Thank you, Mr. Chair.

CHAIR: The hon. the Minister of Innovation, Trade and Rural Development.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MS SULLIVAN: Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Mr. Chair, I am happy to rise today and have at least ten minutes anyway to

talk about some of the work that has been done in my department. I heard the

hon. member opposite mention some of the things that he is expecting or

anticipating around the Budget. I also heard him mention some of the things that

perhaps have already been done. So, that gives me a nice opportunity now to

stand and talk to some of the issues that we have addressed through Innovation,

Trade and Rural Development. Though I cannot release any of the Budget details,

as we all know, I can certainly make some reference to the vision that we have

and where we intend to go with the Department of Innovation, Trade and Rural

Development.

First of all, I just want to outline in general form, particularly for those

who are at home who may not know as much about all of our departments as they

would like to know, and give them some idea of some of the areas that we look at

within INTRD.

First of all, we have a great focus, Mr. Chair, on business development,

certainly of key industry sectors throughout the Province. We also have a great

focus on economic diversification, particularly in regard to communities in

Newfoundland and Labrador that may have been hard hit as the result of industry

downtown, as the result of industry closure, and so on.

We are also, in my department, responsible for the Workplace Skills

Enhancement Program. There is a lot that I could tell you about that program,

but I will just give you the 30,000 foot look today because we only have the ten

minutes to be able to do it, and perhaps focus on one or two of them.

Within my department as well, ocean technology, that particular sector, is of

extreme importance to us. The sector itself has grown from more than $250

million, Mr. Chair, since 2006 to a sector that is now valued at $509 million.

In just that short period of time, from 2006 to now, the growth in that sector

is about 126 per cent, Mr. Chair. That is quite an increase in that sector. So,

that is an area that we are very closely focused on.

As well in my department, as is evidenced in the name of the department, we

have a very clear focus on innovation. We have an innovation strategy that we

have implemented and that we will continue to work towards strengthening over

the next few years.

As well, of course, INTRD is responsible for broadband and issues associated

with improving technology and the Province's communication capacity in that

regard. Of course, while there remains some work to be done, we are

exceptionally proud of the fact that at this point, and in such a short period

of time, we have managed to connect and provide access for 80 per cent of the

population of Newfoundland and Labrador or 80 per cent of the Island portion

of the Province and 95 per cent of Labrador now have access to high speed.

That, since 2003, Mr. Chair, we think is an incredible growth area. As well,

where once there were only 114 communities, there are now 450 communities that

have been given access to high speed. We realize that we still have some work to

do and so that will be part of the strategy that we will continue to work

toward.

We launched several other initiatives around support for young entrepreneurs

and so on. So, at a very high level, those are some of the things my department

is involved with.

Rural initiatives particularly are important to my department. In fact,

nearly $3 billion, Mr. Chair, has been invested in provincial infrastructure

over the last seven years, with more than 80 per cent of that investment taking

place in rural Newfoundland and Labrador.

Since 2003, capital funding of approximately $137 million has been allocated

for major school projects.

I do not intend to get into all of the other departments, but I certainly

want to make the point that across government we have a view to helping rural

Newfoundland and Labrador, Mr. Chair. We do not operate in silos, but my

department takes the lead on rural development. As a result of that, we are able

to at least today highlight some of the investments that have been made. Health

and Community Services would be another area where a huge, huge infrastructure

investment has taken place in rural Newfoundland and Labrador, and I am sure my

colleague will speak to that when he has opportunity. The fishery is another,

forestry and so on, for there are many years.

Mr. Chair, I think it is apropos to say that there has been a tremendous

transformation in the economy of our Province of late, certainly in terms of our

communities and our regions. Where once we were so heavily focused on the

fishery, on forestry and with small manufacturing, there has been a shift. That

has resulted in a shift from how we approach communities in regions of the

Province as well, as we look to the diversification projects that are necessary.

Traditional industries, I would suggest, Mr. Chair, have become much more

innovative and expanded the scope of their business activity as a result of that

innovation and use of technology and so on. We have experienced, Mr. Chair, in

all of our communities I would suggest, a rise in the knowledge base of

industries. There has been a demand that as a department and as a government we

focus on other industry sectors. As I mentioned earlier, ocean technology would

be one of those, life sciences, information, communication, technologies and so

on.

There has been a perception out there as well, Mr. Chair, and I think we need

to clarify this myth, this perception, that progress has been made only on the

Northeast Avalon. Mr. Chair, we do not share that view. We see the emergence of

new businesses and new industries throughout Newfoundland and Labrador, and

there are high degrees of optimism out there as a result of some of the work

that has been done, particularly in the sense of ensuring that investments that

we make are in long-term, sustainable industry and market development. One of

the things that we look to as we see to ensuring that long-term sustainability,

one of the central elements of that, Mr. Chair, has to do with industry

clusters, with clustering a number of different business activities around a

particular sector. We have found that the prospects of achieving success are

significantly strengthened when we do that, Mr. Chair.

Through our many investments, just in INTRD, if I look at the $60 million in

economic business investment initiative, 71 per cent of that $60 million, Mr.

Chair, has been spent in rural Newfoundland and Labrador. We can see this

commitment through the clustering that I just referred to on the West Coast, for

example, which is emerging as a centre of environmental excellence. We can see

it on the South Coast as we position the Province as a leader in aquaculture. We

can see it in Eastern and Western regions when we see hubs for tourism and

cultural tourism springing up; on the Northern region of the Province, which has

massive energy potential, Mr. Chair. In Central Newfoundland where industries

are being clustered around health care and life sciences. I look to my own

district and I want to mention that we have looked at three particular

initiatives there just in the last year; MUN's new research office is located in

Grand Falls-Windsor. At the College of the North Atlantic we have initiated a

new Medical Laboratory Assistant Program and of course the new e-health program

has been funded and set up in Central Newfoundland as well.

The notion, again, is the idea of clustering particular sectors in certain

areas of the Province where it makes sense. Many other communities and regions

are leveraging their cultural heritage as a means of generating revenue as well.

We just need to look to Labrador and the Northern Peninsula where outfitters are

introducing new products and exploring new opportunities. The Town of Tilting,

as an example, has established An Artist in Residence Program. In Battle

Harbour, in Labrador, cultural experiences are offered in remote communities

where they are bringing back to life a former fishing settlement; again,

examples of clustering around a particular sector.

Since 2005, Mr. Chair, more than $34 million has been approved by my

department for initiatives that involve RSDF, the Rural Sector Development Fund.

Seventy percent of that $34 million, as well, Mr. Chair, has been spent in rural

Newfoundland and Labrador. Just to give a few examples so that we understand

those expenditures. In Placentia, more than $450,000 was used to support the

construction of the Placentia Bay Cultural Arts Centre. In Holyrood, close to

$150,000 was approved to support the expansion of the local marina. In

Bonavista, more than $300,000 was injected into the construction of the

Bonavista Institute of Cultural Tourism.

As well, in Burin, the development of an industrial area spanning eight acres

is underway. In Marystown, the new marine industrial park is enabling the local

industry to better accommodate and provide services to the world's largest

vessels. In Lewisporte, Mr. Chair, the marina there is now leading to new

business developments, and a hotel is being built as well. In Grand

Falls-Windsor, which was certainly hard hit and is an example of how we have

supported an area where industry closure has affected the area, more than $2

million was invested on projects through the RSDF fund on industrial trades

facility at the College of the North Atlantic and the redevelopment of the

downtown area.

If we look at the Port of St. Anthony, Mr. Chair, where together with the

federal government we invested more than $5 million, and also in Port aux

Basques where we used monies to convert the fish plant and so on.

CHAIR: Order, please!

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

MS SULLIVAN: Can I just have two seconds to clue up, Mr. Chair?

CHAIR: Does the hon. member have leave?

AN HON. MEMBER: By leave.

CHAIR: The hon. the Minister of Innovation, Trade and Rural Development,

by leave.

MS SULLIVAN: Thank you, Mr. Chair.

I could go on, I have pages and pages here where I can show examples of

investment in rural Newfoundland and Labrador, Mr. Chair, but I think I have

given the gist of it here. We can see that we are spending 70 per cent of our

funds in investing in rural Newfoundland and Labrador through various

initiatives that we have here. In Labrador, for example, I was there just about

a month ago I guess, and announced a $251,000 investment in the College of the

North Atlantic's two Labrador campuses, the one in Lab West and the one in Happy

Valley-Goose Bay.

Mr. Chair, I think we have adequately made the point with just this look at

one of the sections of my department, the RSDF primarily, where we invest in

rural Newfoundland and Labrador, and where the benefits of that investment are

certainly being realized.

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

CHAIR: The hon. the Member for the District of Signal Hill-Quidi Vidi.

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

I am very glad to be able to stand again today during this debate on the

Interim Supply bill and to raise issues of concern that are covered by

government jurisdiction and governance. I started speaking on Tuesday about

concerns with regard to child care, and I have more that I want to speak about,

so we will do that first today.

Just in case there are people in the Province who do not understand what our

child care situation is in the Province, we have quite a mixed bag when it comes

to child care. We have child care that happens in some wonderfully programmed

and regulated centres. For example, child care centres that are attached to the

university, to the College of the North Atlantic, that are attached to the House

of Assembly for people who work in government. We have child care that is

covered by community centres. Some of the family centres around the Province

have child care in them. We have child care that is covered by other non-profit

situations; some that are union controlled, attached to union workplaces. We

have some wonderful not-for-profit centres, and we also have child care that is

covered by individual companies, entrepreneurs, and that is for profit. So we

have quite a mixed bag when it comes to child care in this Province.

One thing is certain: we do not meet the need for child care in the Province,

whether we are talking about child care in urban or rural settings. The needs

are different in both places, but neither rurally nor in the urban setting do we

have enough child care places. We do not have enough child care places: one,

just when it comes to numbers period; and we cannot meet the need, two, because

in many cases the child care is not affordable for people who are working on

lower incomes. If one is on income assistance, one can get help with child care

and on very low incomes one can get assistance, but low-middle income workers

cannot get assistance.

With the mixed bag that we have, we really have an issue in this Province and

we really need to have a full study of our child care program. That is why I am

quite disturbed by the direction in which government is going at the moment. In

the Speech from the Throne on Monday, we certainly did not get any promise of

new child care spaces in the immediate time and neither did we get a sense of

vision from this government when it comes to child care.

We do have in place a program under the Department of Education which is

moving toward a better early childhood education program, and that is wonderful.

We need early childhood education, but early childhood education should not be

seen separately from child care because early childhood goes right back to the

minute a child is born. It is not when a child turns four years of age.

We need much more of a vision in this Province; from the time a child is

born, a child is part of the whole educational system. I really believe, as in

other provinces, our child care should be tied to childhood education and it

should be under the Department of Education. We should not have one part of

taking care of children under our community services and another part under

education because it is all education. It should all come together under

education.

That is why I am really concerned that we do not have any vision coming from

the government and therefore I have no great expectations of what is going to

come out in the Budget when it comes. What was promised in the Speech from the

Throne was the potential of a new initiative that I am waiting to hear about in

the Budget. The potential of that new initiative, creating child care spaces

sometime, potentially. That is not what people in this Province are looking for.

Today, on Radio Noon on CBC Radio, they had their talk show and the theme was

child care. There were quite a number of calls, both from people who need child

care to those who actually run child care facilities about their concerns about

our system. Those who run child care in the private sector and who are

for-profit that is not wrong, it is part of our system have all kinds of

frustrations because they are under the restraint of trying to pay workers

within the parameters demanded by government, and yet finding that they do not

have enough income to help them do that and at the same time get the profit that

they are trying to get.

What I would ask our government to do, Mr. Chair, is to look at what is

happening right now on Prince Edward Island, this little, tiny province which

certainly does not have the revenue that we have; which is much smaller than us

in both population and in geography that this little province is coming up

with some wonderful initiatives. One that has really caught my eye is the one

that they call the Preschool Excellence Initiative.

PEI, in starting this initiative, is coming from the same type of child care

situation that we have. They had a mixed bag and they still have it they are

moving out of it a mixed bag of different types of child care: the

not-for-profit, the for-profit, the public in terms of being attached to

public institutions, public agencies. They had to deal with that. What they have

done is they have come up with this initiative which will increase government

funding by 60 per cent. There is going to be a 60 per cent increase in

government funding for child care.

What I really like about what they are doing is that they are going to create

non-profit centres called Early Years Centres. These not-for-profit centres,

which are going to be created all over the province some of them are already

existing facilities that are private, for-profit centres. Those private,

for-profit centres that already exist and are owned by individuals are going to

convert to non-profit centres. They will help a conversion from centres that are

already in existence and help them to become centres that will no longer be for

profit. They will also build new centres. Their goal is to make sure that

everywhere in the Province there will be centres that are supported by

government, that are regulated, that have workers who are well-paid, and that

children will be taken care of, not just from the time that they are four years

old, but from the time that they need child care.

One thing that they are doing, which is something that I know this government

is considering as well, which certainly is a movement around early childhood

education right across the country, is to extend Kindergarten through Grade 5 to

a full day. I do know that we are considering that here, and I think it is very

important.

They are even looking at the possibility of having a full day for

your-year-olds. Now, they are not certain about that one but they are looking at

it. What will be important for these Early Years Centres, the Early Years

Centres will put together child care and early childhood education so that it

will not be divided, that you will not have one department looking at child care

and another department looking at early childhood education. It would be the

realization that whether a child is six months or four years the child is in a

continuum of development and learning. There is nothing as wonderful to watch as

a young child seven, eight, nine or ten months old and how they learn how. Their

whole system is there to absorb and to learn because that is what it is all

about at that time.

This initiative that they are using in PEI is going to have a tremendous

impact both for families, in terms of the stability of the families and the

economy of the families; it is also going to make a big difference in women's

opportunities for work and education. Their new Preschool Excellence Initiative

has both of those things as the objective of the centres. The centres are there

for the good of children, for the good of the families, and particularly for the

good of women.

I really encourage

CHAIR: Order, please!

MS MICHAEL: I was just about to clue up, Mr. Chairman.

CHAIR: Does the hon. member have leave?

The hon. the Member for Signal Hill-Quidi Vidi, by leave.

MS MICHAEL: Thank you very much.

Just to say that I really think this is a very interesting model for us to

look at, it is the model of a province that is in Atlantic Canada, the model of

a province that does not have the resources that we have, but that is really

working towards creating quality child care and quality early childhood

education that will help children from all areas and all walks of life. One of

the things that will be so important about the model that they are using is that

when children go into Kindergarten, whether it is at age four for the junior

Kindergarten or at age five for the regular Kindergarten, they will be going

into Kindergarten with a readiness that they definitely would not have if they

did not have this opportunity at the Early Years Centres.

Thank you very much, Mr. Chair.

CHAIR: The hon. the Minister of Child, Youth and Family Services.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MS JOHNSON: Thank you very much, Mr. Chair.

Mr. Chair, I am very pleased to get up and respond to some of the comments

put forward by the Leader of the NDP.

This is my first opportunity to be able to speak in the House, other than the

ministerial statement today, as the new Minister for Child, Youth and Family

Services. If there is one thing that I want to assure the Leader of the NDP,

everybody watching today and everybody in the government and throughout the

Province, if there is one thing that is a top priority for this government, it

is certainly child care.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MS JOHNSON: I can guarantee you that this is one of the top priorities of

this Premier and of this government. Mr. Chair, within one week of being in the

department, the Minister of Education, myself, and the Premier had the

opportunity to have Lana Payne in to discuss this issue. Child care is certainly

an issue when it comes to the labour force, when it comes to our provincial

economy, when it comes to having a skilled workforce. It is absolutely at the

top of our priorities.

Mr. Chair, I heard the Leader of the NDP refer to the PEI model. Early last

month, I did have the consultant in who developed the entire PEI model into my

office for two days of discussion. Some very interesting points there, some

aspects of it were not a good comparison for this Province because in PEI they,

in fact, have excess spaces and, as we all know, that is not the case here, Mr.

Chair.

As you know, last year in the Throne Speech we announced that we would be

implementing a ten-year early childhood care strategy. Mr. Chair, the one thing

that we all have to realize - and Lana mentioned this today herself on the air;

I did get to hear some of that - is that this is not going to happen overnight,

Mr. Chair, it is a ten-year strategy, but we are certainly going to make

progress. We will make it in this year's Budget coming, with a project in this

year's Budget. It is one component of what we are attempting to do; but, by no

means, is it the entire ten-year strategy. That is something that is very

critical and that we are working towards.

Mr. Chair, I do want to give a few facts in terms of numbers. Since coming

into government in 2003 there were 4,381 child care spaces. Today, Mr. Chair, we

are at around 6,500 child care spaces. Since coming into power, Mr. Chair, this

government has increased the number of child care spaces by 41.5 per cent. That

is very significant. That is not to say that we do not have a long way to go,

because we certainly do, but it is quite an improvement. We also have, since

2006, announced seven new child care centres opening. Right now, we have

twenty-one projects currently on the books through our capacity initiative, Mr.

Chair. So, there are going to be great announcements ahead when it comes to

child care spaces.

Certainly, as we all know, spaces are just one issue. Recruitment and

retention of workers, the affordability, all of these things are critical issues

that will be addressed in the ten-year strategy. It is important that we do it

and we do it right, Mr. Chair. We need to do a complete look at how it is being

done, not only in PEI where I have looked but all provinces. Even outside of

this country, Mr. Chair, there are some great models to look at outside of the

Province as well.

Mr. Chair, on Tuesday, the Leader of the NDP - and I am not going to give

away what is in the Budget did have some comments to say about what she thinks

is going to be in the Budget. I have to raise some concerns that have been said

to me by people in the public since she made her comments. The first one, Mr.

Chair, and these are her words: If this is about having money maybe so that

grandparents can take care of a child, Mr. Chair, then I am not going to be very

happy.

Well, I cannot tell you the number of calls and comments that I have had on

this comment, Mr. Chair. For one, many grandparents in this Province take care

of children. I, for one, am very grateful to have my grandparents take care of

my child, because I could not do this job if I did not have my grandparents

helping out.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MS JOHNSON: To even allude to the fact that this would not be something

good for children is absolutely wrong, Mr. Chair. A lot of us in this House were

all raised by our grandparents, and I think we all turned out okay, and lots of

other people who have been raised by their grandparents are fine. I cannot speak

for all of us, hey, Mr. Dean.

Even beyond that, there is nothing with grandparents taking care of children,

but even beyond that, if a grandparent wanted to do an ECE course and work in a

child care centre or set up a family home centre, then what is wrong with that,

Mr. Chair? So, that comment certainly did not go over too well with the public,

and that is the feedback I got back around that.

The other comment that she said was that I will get her exact words here

she says that this "is going to be a focus on infant care. Now that really made

me question, why a focus on infant care?" Well, Mr. Chair, that question speaks

to how little the Member for Quidi Vidi knows about child care. Of the child

care spaces that we have for infants with parents in the workforce, there is

only 1.8 per cent availability. It is one of the critical areas where we need to

improve, Mr. Chair. That is why we put a particular emphasis in the Budget on

infant care. So, for her to question that, I am absolutely bewildered why she

would question that.

So many friends, colleagues, people of my age and some of your children and

grandchildren, one of the difficulties they have is one, when they go back to

work after a year, it is very difficult finding spaces for infants. Perhaps her

confusion is with the definition of infant care because infant is under two

years old so maybe that is her confusion. Even if she was not confused about

that piece, Mr. Chair, it is not correct to assume that everybody takes one-year

leave. There are many professions out there: doctors, lawyers, self-employed

business people, politicians - I was back here after three-and-a-half weeks

myself. People who do not qualify for EI do not take a year. Then you have a

whole segment of the population who do qualify for EI but they cannot afford to

stay home because they cannot afford the amount that they are getting on EI so

they have to return to work. All of these people are faced with the challenge of

finding infant care spaces. I think the direction that we have gone in the

Budget announcement is a very good one and one that needs to be addressed and

one, when I met with Lana Payne, it was her top priority: infant care. I am not

sure why she would be confused about that, Mr. Chair.

As I said, one of the critical pieces of work that we are doing in our

department now is a complete look at the whole child care system that we have

today. It is not to say that the other divisions in my department are not

important. They are extremely important when it comes to children and

protection, and when it comes to youth corrections and adoptions; all of that is

critical. Mr. Chair, I would not want to say one is more critical than the other

because they are all very much inter-related. Having access to early child care

is a preventative measure down the road when it comes to children in protection

or youth correction. Having that early child hood care option is certainly

preventative down the road.

Mr. Chair, we plan to have future meetings. There are already some future

discussions with other organizations throughout the Province where this is

critical. We are still conferring with the consultant from PEI; we are doing a

lot of work with other provinces, Mr. Chair. As I said, the Budget this year is

one piece of that, but we are going to come out with a ten-year strategy that is

going to benefit - probably every single person in this House might be impacted

in one way or another because we all have children or grandchildren, we all have

sisters or brothers; everybody is impacted by child care. If there is one place

where government can put an emphasis, it is certainly on child care. Absolutely,

we have the commitment from our Premier to do this.

Another interesting consultant that we had come in was a child care

development specialist. His name escapes me at the moment, but he talked about

how critical it is to have early childhood learning in the early years, not only

from an economy perspective and a skilled workforce perspective. What really

struck me as interesting was in terms of health down the road, and it shows that

if people have access to early child care and education then there is even less

heart disease. It is absolutely critical how important it is that in the early

years we put this emphasis on child care.

As parents out there know, child care right now is not affordable. We are

looking at options throughout the country and beyond. These are the questions

that we have to look at. Some provinces have regulated rates. Some provinces

have regulated wages for their workers. We have done a tremendous amount when it

comes to the workers in terms of the subsidies that we provide, up to $6,600 a

year to Level II and up to $3,330 for Level I.

We provide supplements for people who have their forty-hour course done but

are committing to continuing in school with their Level I. We have bursaries for

students who have to do their work term placement throughout the year of $1,200,

Mr. Chair. We have operating grants that go to child care centres and equipment

grants that go to child care centres. We have an EQuIP program to improve the

quality in child care centres.

When I say child care centres, Mr. Chair, that is one component of child care

spaces, but we also have a huge contingent of regulated family home care, too.

Mr. Chair, I do not know if there is enough public awareness, but those family

home-based centres are just as good as the child care centres because they are

regulated and have the programming that the child

CHAIR: Order, please!

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

MS JOHNSON: Thank you, Mr. Chair.

I will clue up just by saying, absolutely without a doubt, this is a major

priority for our government, it is a major priority for our Premier, and infant

care is absolutely critical. I suggest that the Leader of the NDP get more

informed and talk to the people out there because infant care is an area that we

have to certainly address.

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

CHAIR: The hon. the Member for the District of The Straits & White Bay

North.

MR. DEAN: Thank you, Mr. Chair.

I am pleased to be able to stand this afternoon and speak on Interim Supply,

Bill 2, and the $2.7 billion that basically we are debating now in terms of

being able to put that forward.

I will go back to the Throne Speech on Monday. I was most interested to hear

His Honour the Lieutenant Governor of Newfoundland and Labrador talk about the

government's intention, reading from the Throne Speech, to turn "its attention

to chronic diseases", one of them being diabetes. That is what I would like to

speak about for the next few minutes that I have here this afternoon.

He went on in the Throne Speech to mention the fact - the increase in

diabetes sites throughout the Province, mentioning that they have increased

since 2003 I believe it was, from seven to fourteen at present day. The

disturbing thing that has resulted from the establishment of these sites is the

fact that government seems to have really missed the mark in terms of

understanding the needs for those services and in putting them in place. It is

obviously great to see them and other ones that are coming on stream in the next

year or so; it is absolutely great to see them as well of course. It seems like

we have fallen short in terms of ensuring that these sites are properly

supported with the necessary resources so that they can be most effective for

the people in the places where they serve.

Mr. Chair, one of the sites that was put in place is in St. Anthony, and we

are very pleased to have it there. It is operating three days a week and I have

to say, it is a great service for the area of the Northern Peninsula and

Southern Labrador as well who are able to take advantage of that. Mr. Chair, the

problem is that it is falling short in terms of ensuring that the dialysis unit

there has the support and the resources that are necessary to properly provide

that service to the patients of the area. Quite frankly, I find that somewhat

disturbing.

Over the past year I have had calls and I have had letters, I have even

visited homes of constituents who are either using dialysis now or will be using

it in the very near future, who know that within a certain number of months or

within the next year or so they will be in need of dialysis. They have basically

been told by the staff at the Curtis Hospital in St. Anthony that essentially

what is going to have to happen is they are going to have to move to St. John's

for their treatment. I know it is not unique to our area, I realize there are

other areas in the Province that are going through the same problem as well. I

know I have heard about the Burin Peninsula in the news a couple of times and on

Open Line and so on. Yet, it has to be very disheartening for an individual,

usually of an older age and so on, to know that within the next while they are

going to have to make arrangements to leave their home, to leave their families

and so on, and go to St. John's for an undetermined period of time. It is

difficult enough for people to have to travel to the capital city from all parts

of the Province for specialists appointments that we are required to come to

sometimes, but to suggest that patients and families have to uproot their lives

and literally move to the capital city for this unknown period of time is just

unacceptable.

Mr. Chair, it was interesting, because it was August 24, seven months from

today that I wrote the CEO of the Labrador-Grenfell Health Board, Mr. Boyd Rowe,

and I also wrote the Minister of Health to express my concern in terms of the

situation that was developing in the St. Anthony hospital, and to date I am

still waiting for a reply. In those letters I expressed my concern and asked for

specific information regarding the board and the department's plan to address

the problem, and also if I could have a meeting to sit down and discuss it, just

to be certain that all the information was there and so on; any way that you

could positively influence the outcome there, we would all want to do that as

MHAs. Mr. Chair, the problem continues to grow, and at this point it is not

being addressed, at least as far as I know, to the degree where the issue will

be solved in the next little while.

On December 27, 2010, a thirty-one-year-old young man with Down syndrome from

Anchor Point had to leave his home, leave behind his support workers, leave

behind his environment and the support system that was around him and so on, and

move to St. John's for dialysis treatment. This young man, named Rocky, was

accompanied by his mom and dad. Since December 27, right up to this day, they

have been living here in the city, renting an apartment, and at the same time

maintaining their home back in Anchor Point. Of course, it is a very unique

situation; it is a very special case. Very soon Rocky's dad has to go back to

Anchor Point and prepare to go to work for the spring and so on. Also, at the

same time, his mom has health issues of her own. The bottom line is, when they

have to move back, Rocky is going to have to stay here in St. John's because the

dialysis unit in St. Anthony is not able to accommodate his needs at this point

in time.

Mr. Chair, this government's Budget of 2010 is entitled: the Right

Investments for Our Children and Our Future. I would suggest that when we get

into situations where a person, a young man, basically considered a child in a

lot of ways, special needs, that certainly investment for his future is not

meeting his needs today. All I am saying here today is that it is time for us to

realize, it is time for this government to realize that there is a

short-sightedness, if you will, in the approach to dialysis. It is probably a

misunderstanding of exactly what was needed as these units go in place and so

on. There is a gap that needs to be addressed, that is the bottom line that I am

saying, and one that we certainly need to address immediately.

I am not a health professional, but in my understanding of what is in place

is the dialysis unit is there and it is only able to be used three days a week

for different reasons, whether it is because of the human resource piece,

whether it is because of some other things that are necessary. For four days a

week, this particular unit or these units, whatever you want to call them, will

remain idle.

I know that for the three days, the capacity of those machines and these

units is at capacity. Essentially, unless someone moves away or someone dies,

then the service to those units obviously does not change. There are people

there who have been there for years, and some will obviously be there for years

to come. It is very unfortunate.

We have an aging population, especially in rural Newfoundland. In places, the

demographics are such that our population is aging. We have problems with

obesity in our Province and so on, and many other things that affect diabetes.

The need for dialysis is not an issue that we will see a decrease on, certainly

in the coming years, but it is one that we will see an increase in. We can only

expect those numbers to grow.

I know of at least four cases right now of people who are here in St. John's

who are receiving dialysis treatment. They are from my district and, as I said,

I know that they affect other districts across the Province as well, people who

are just as important. I am not suggesting any of that. I know that these people

are away from home and there is no immediate end in sight to that issue. I can

only imagine how discouraging that would be.

When I talked, first of all, to the support workers for this gentleman,

Rocky, in particular and this young man has a special diet that is required

every day. They were such an important and integral part of his life. Every day

they would come and spend hours with him, as support workers do. The parents

would get their break, if you will, for being able to go and do other things

that they need to do as well. Now they have been nearly three months in this

situation where they are here in St. John's and there is no end in sight.

All I am saying is that we cannot expect everyone to pack up and move to the

city. As quickly as possible, I would call upon this government to see that

resources are put in place so that the three days in the unit can be four days

or whatever the case, or it can be five days, or it be enough to accommodate the

dialysis patients who are in the different districts, and that we can see it

going forward and we can plan for it and not have it become a crisis, if you

will, as in the case of this young man with special needs.

Mr. Chair, I appreciate the time this afternoon to stand and just bring this

forward and make government aware, I am sure, of something they were already

aware of. I look forward to a resolution coming forward in next year's Budget in

days to come.

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

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

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. KENNEDY: Yes, thank you, Mr. Chair.

The member opposite certainly raises a very valid issue and one that is

prevalent unfortunately throughout our Province. Mr. Chair, as I have said on

many occasions, health care evokes a very emotional response from all members of

the public. It evokes that response, Mr. Chair, because our families are

affected. Who could sit here in the House yesterday and listen to the Leader of

the Opposition or the Member for Lewisporte and not be affected by what they

have gone through on a personal perspective?

Mr. Chair, decisions have to be made knowing that we affect people's lives.

Our health budget, Mr. Chair, is currently 37 per cent of the Budget, and that

is only because our revenues have risen. Some of our provinces throughout this

country are close to 50 per cent of their health care budget, so we have to

spend the money as best we can.

Mr. Chair, I am pleased to have this opportunity to speak about dialysis

because it is something that we have really, as a government, invested in

significantly. We currently have the second highest numbers of dialysis stations

per capita in the country. Mr. Chair, just to put it in perspective how long it

takes, and the hon. member opposite is talking about an expansion as opposed to

the establishment. The House Leader will tell you that him and I were in

correspondence with the people from Port aux Basques, the woman who had to

travel, I think it was a couple of hours to get to Corner Brook for dialysis.

Mr. Chair, we announced in last year's Budget two new dialysis sites for Port

aux Basques and for Labrador City. The Labrador West one is currently open, Mr.

Chair, and I understand that we will open the Port aux Basques unit in the

spring of 2011. It takes, Mr. Chair, from the time of the announcement eighteen

to twenty-four months for the planning, infrastructure, recruitment and

training. It costs approximately $1 million for the infrastructure, $250,000 for

the staff, and $250,000 operational.

Mr. Chair, we have opened seven new dialysis sites since 2004. They are in

Gander and Carbonear in 2005; Burin and St. Anthony in 2007. Although I

appreciate the comments being made by the member opposite, Mr. Chair, we did

open that dialysis site in 2007. Happy Valley-Goose Bay in 2008. As I have

indicated, Labrador City on March 14, 2011, and Port aux Basques will open soon.

Mr. Chair, we have increased the capacity from 340 patients in 2003-2004 to

approximately, it is either 449 or 494, Mr. Chair, at present. We spent $1.5

million to establish these various dialysis units. We have spent, and this

number again is startling, especially in light of the issue raised by the member

opposite in terms of the prevalence of the need for dialysis, we have spent $150

million as a government since 2003 to deal with this issue. Our annualized

spending is $22,660,000 to deal with dialysis.

Now, Mr. Chair, as I have indicated, the member opposite raises a very valid

point, but do you know something else, Mr. Chair? I currently have requests from

the following communities who do not have dialysis, all of whom have written me,

all who, Mr. Chair, have talked about their personal situation, how it affects

them. I know, Mr. Chair, again having a very close family member who is on

dialysis, as to the effect on elderly people and on families, Mr. Chair. There

is no question of that.

Mr. Chair, in recent months, I have heard from Placentia, Whitbourne, Bell

Island, Ferryland, Bonavista, Harbour Breton, Baie Verte, Flower's Cove, and

Fogo-Twillingate inquiring about dialysis. So, these are communities that do not

have dialysis, Mr. Chair, who do not have any choice at all. We currently have

twelve people from Burin commuting to St. John's. Again, that would be a three

to a three-and-half hour drive on a road that is not a very nice road in the

wintertime, Mr. Chair, but we are currently treating fourteen people in Burin;

it is at capacity. Carbonear, Mr. Chair, currently has thirty-one people on

dialysis with four people commuting to St. John's.

As indicated by the member opposite, there are four people who have

unfortunately, from St. Anthony, had to relocate. We are at capacity there at

twelve people. Clarenville treats twenty people; Gander, thirty-eight. Mr.

Chair, in Stephenville we currently have sixteen people on dialysis with four

people commuting to Corner Brook. I understand, the latest statistics, eight

people are driving from Port aux Basques to Corner Brook for dialysis.

Each one of those people will tell a tale, Mr. Chair, of how difficult it is

on their lives and the effect on their lives. So what we have to do as a

government, Mr. Chair, we cannot make decisions based on individual

circumstances because that just becomes too difficult. Who am I to be placed in

a situation as the Minister of Health, or who are we as a government to choose

if an individual deserves treatment? What we have to do, Mr. Chair, we have to

take an approach that looks at the amount of money we have. We have to look at,

for example, in Harbour Bre