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March

9, 2017

HOUSE OF ASSEMBLY PROCEEDINGS

Vol. XLVIII No. 66

The House met at 1:30 p.m.

MR.

SPEAKER (Osborne):

Order, please!

Admit strangers.

We welcome to our public galleries today

representatives from the St. Lawrence Town Council and the Canada Fluorspar Inc.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR.

SPEAKER:

also welcome members of the Newfoundland and Labrador Association of Social

Workers: their board president Glenda Webber, Annette Johns and Lisa Crockwell.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

Statements by Members

MR.

SPEAKER:

For

Members' statements today we have the Members for the Districts of Baie Verte

Green Bay, Stephenville Port au Port, Terra Nova, Conception Bay South and

Topsail Paradise.

The hon. the Member for the District of Baie Verte

Green Bay.

MR.

WARR:

Mr.

Speaker, it gives me great pleasure to rise in this hon. House today and

recognize three individuals who live in the Central region.

March 5, 2017, was a stormy day in Grand Falls-Windsor.

Snow was falling and the wind was strong. At around 12 p.m., Tyrone Lush,

originally from Triton, and his wife Nicole Lush were driving on Lincoln Road

when they spotted a woman lying in the snow.

Without hesitation, Mr. Lush jumped out of his vehicle

and rushed to the woman's side. Finding the woman unresponsive and with no

pulse, Tyrone started CPR while Nicole called for an ambulance. They were soon

joined by another passerby, Mike Perry, who also offered to help. For

approximately seven minutes they took turns administering CPR until the

paramedics arrived and were able to take over.

These three individuals were the right people, in the

right place, at the right time, and with the right training.

So I ask all hon. Members of this House to please join

me in thanking Tyrone Lush, Nicole Lush and Mike Perry, for stepping up, when

needed, and saving a life.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR.

SPEAKER:

The

hon. the Member for the District of Stephenville Port au Port.

MR.

FINN:

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, yesterday, March 8, marked International

Women's Day and the Canadian Association for the Advancement of Women and Sport

announced their list of Canada's Most Influential Women for 2016. Kippens native

and Paralympic gold medalist Katarina Roxon was named to this prestigious list,

alongside some of Canada's top female athletes.

The organization's list highlights the leadership and

inspiration that women bring to sport and physical activity in Canada. Katarina

first made waves on a local level at the Regional Aquatic Centre in Stephenville

and has since gone on to make national, provincial and international headlines

through her achievements.

Though her fame has continued to grow here at home and

across Canada, Katarina has never lost sight of her roots. Demonstrating her

commitment to her community, she continues to train in her hometown and also

acts as the assistant coach of the local Aqua Aces Swim Club, inspiring a new

generation of swimmers.

Promoting healthy living and the importance of sport to

both youth and adults, Katarina has been invited to speak at various engagements

across the country. She is a true role model and inspiration to us all.

I ask all Members to join me in congratulating Katarina

for this well-deserved honour.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR.

SPEAKER:

The

hon. the Member for the District of Terra Nova.

MR.

HOLLOWAY:

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The Royal Canadian Legion has a long history in this

province, being here since 1926. That is why I have great pleasure rising in

this hon. House today to pay tribute to the members and volunteers of Royal

Canadian Legion Branch 48.

For more than 55 years, the members and volunteers of

Branch 48 have dedicated their time, energy and talents to promote the interests

and benefits of veterans and their families, the community and those who have

served this province and country with pride and dignity.

On January 28, 2017, I had the pleasure of attending

the first ever Honour and Awards Recognition Ceremony held in my home community

of Port Blandford. During the event, Legionnaires honoured the contributions of

26 of its founding fathers and 47 individual members receiving service pins,

medals and awards.

Special recognition went to Mr. Sidney Matthews and

Mrs. Monnie Hann, as each received their Lifetime Achievement Award and 55-year

service pin.

Congratulations to Legion President Bramwell Churchill

and committee members Phoebe White, Lynette Pardy and Anne Harris.

As a long-standing volunteer organization, I wish to

commend Branch 48 for its leadership and support of veterans and the community.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR.

SPEAKER:

The

hon. the Member for the District of Conception Bay South.

MR.

PETTEN:

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, recently I had the pleasure of attending

the Salvation Army Conception Bay South Corps Volunteer Appreciation Night. The

event featured an evening of song, prayer and good food in thanking the

volunteers who helped throughout the year.

The third Annual Riley Mercer Memorial Toy Drive was

held in December at the Long Pond Citadel. This year's toy drive surpassed all

expectations and was a complete success.

Today the CBS Corps is led by Majors Lorne and Barbara

Pritchett who has been with the CBS Corps since July 1, 2011, and who play an

active role in our community. The congregation remains vibrant throughout the

town helping families and individuals in need.

They are involved and contribute to the CBS/Paradise

food bank, school lunch program within CBS schools, and have a thrift store at

the Villa Nova Plaza in CBS.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to give a special thank you

to the Salvation Army Corps in Long Pond for their continued support in our

community, their Christmas spirit, strong faith and hard work throughout the

year to help so many unfortunate people, and I want to commend them.

Thank you.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR.

SPEAKER:

The

hon. the Member for the District of Topsail Paradise.

MR.

P. DAVIS:

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I rise today to acknowledge Mrs. Helen Hood, who is

celebrating her birthday today. Mrs. Hood was born to Alfred and Lillian

Worrall, attended Prince of Wales College in St. John's and worked in the family

grocery store; their business was on New Gower Street in St. John's. She married

Daniel Hood in 1940 and, together, they had three children.

Mrs. Hood was born with a hearing impairment. She took

She had learned several poems which she was well known to be able to recite for

entertainment around the city, and I've enjoyed listening to her poems myself.

Being very active, Mrs. Hood drove until she reached

the age of 90 years old. She enjoyed a very serious game of bridge until she was

96 years old, when her sight began to fail her.

Mrs. Hood currently resides at Glenbrook Lodge where

she enjoys the company and the care that she receives. Celebrating her birthday

today are her son, daughter, four grandsons and four great-granddaughters.

Mr. Speaker, I ask all hon. Members to join me in

wishing Mrs. Helen Hood a very happy 102nd birthday.

Thank you very much.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR.

SPEAKER:

Statements by Ministers.

Statements by Ministers

MR.

SPEAKER:

The

hon. the Premier.

PREMIER BALL:

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I rise today to acknowledge the anniversary of one of

the most tragic days in the history of our province. On March 12, 2009, Cougar

Helicopter Flight 491 fell into the cold Atlantic Ocean as it was en route to

the oil fields off our East Coast. Of the two crew and 16 passengers on board,

just one person survived.

An anniversary such as this reminds us of the risk that

men and women face as they work offshore in a variety of industries in

Newfoundland and Labrador. But it also serves as a reminder that while we have

come a long way in mitigating those risks, we must also and always be vigilant

and seek opportunities to improve safety.

The anniversary of the crash of Cougar Flight 491 also

allows us to reflect on the tremendous and unselfish work that our first

responders do when they come to the aid of those in desperate need in one of the

most difficult and harshest and more unpredictable environments on earth. That

courage was on display again earlier this week as members of the Royal Canadian

Air Force and the Canadian Coast Guard were dispatched to rescue five men who

had to abandon a fishing vessel that was disabled in 10-metre waves.

Mr. Speaker, there will be a memorial service for those

who passed away as a result of the crash of Cougar Flight 491 on Sunday at 7

p.m. at Corpus Christi Church on Waterford Bridge Road here in St. John's. I

encourage all residents to attend in remembrance of those who perished and to

offer condolences to the families and friends that must deal with their loss

every day.

In closing, I ask all my hon. colleagues to join me in

a moment of silence as we reflect on those that lost their lives eight years

ago.

Thank you.

(Moment of silence.)

MR.

SPEAKER:

The

hon. the Leader of the Opposition.

MR.

P. DAVIS:

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I thank the Premier for an advance copy of his

statement today. The 12th of March will always be remembered as a tragic day in

our province's history, when Cougar Flight 491 went down offshore from our

province. The helicopter was travelling to an offshore platform where so many

Newfoundlanders and Labradorians continue to travel on a daily basis.

Sunday's anniversary is a sombre reminder that with all

the benefits which come from our sea, so come risk, tragedy and loss associated

with working in the offshore.

Mr. Speaker, we need to be always diligent of our

safety in our offshore environment. Although we have come a long way in

mitigating risks, the cold Atlantic is a very dangerous work environment. All

the men and women who risk their safety to work offshore deserve our deepest

respect.

My colleagues on this side of the House wish to join

the government in remembering all those who were involved March 12, 2009,

including those who lost their lives. And we, as well, send along our deepest,

heartfelt condolences to the families of those who were tragically lost on that

day.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR.

SPEAKER:

The

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

MS.

MICHAEL:

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker.

I too thank the Premier for the advance copy of his

statement. Because of this disaster that occurred eight years ago, it's

important that we recognize it and encourage people to attend the service. I

notice the Premier mentioned safety in the offshore; because of the seriousness

of this event, it is important to note, Premier, that two recommendations of the

Wells inquiry have not been implemented; a permanent ban on night flights and

the creation of a safety and environment agency separate from the C-NLOPB. I ask

you to look into those recommendations.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR.

SPEAKER:

Further statements by ministers?

The hon. the Minister of Tourism, Culture, Industry and

Innovation.

MR.

MITCHELMORE:

Mr.

Speaker, I am pleased to rise in this hon. House to announce a $17 million

dollar repayable loan to Canada Fluorspar Inc. Newfoundland and Labrador.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR.

MITCHELMORE:

This funding will assist with the reactivation of the St. Lawrence fluorspar

mine, which is an exciting venture that will benefit the community, the region

and the province.

This financial support will help diversify our economy

and strengthen rural development on the Burin Peninsula and the province as a

whole. It will create upwards of 1,000 person years of employment in the

construction phase. In addition, approximately 3,000 person years of employment

in mining and milling is anticipated through the first 12 operating years.

Later today, I will be tabling documentation to

transfer the funding from the Contingency Reserve to the Department of Tourism,

Culture, Industry and Innovation. While construction has been ongoing at the

site, this funding will assist the company in advancing the project.

Mr. Speaker, I invite all hon. Members to join me in

congratulating Canada Fluorspar, the Town of St. Lawrence and all involved in

this significant milestone that will help strengthen and diversify our

provincial economy.

Thank you.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR.

SPEAKER:

The

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

MR.

KENT:

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I thank the minister for the advance copy of the

statement. We join with government in congratulating all involved in this very

worthwhile project. It's one that will benefit the region and the province, as

the minister said. The project has been in the works for some time, with cash

for a $17 million dollar government loan to assist development set aside back in

I'm pleased to see the corporate partners and investors

are finally ready to proceed. It's been a long process, and I'm glad to see it

moving forward. We were committed to this, and happy to see the current

government following through with the plan. With the potential for 300 to 400

construction jobs in the beginning, going to 200 full-time once up and running,

this will have a huge impact for people in the area. And hopefully locals will

indeed be hired for this project, as reports in the media recently state

otherwise, as concerns are raised by residents in the area.

We wish the company and local residents all the best,

and by working together we can ensure a successful and profitable project.

Thank you.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR.

SPEAKER:

The

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

MS.

MICHAEL:

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker.

I too thank the minister for the advance copy of his

statement. This mine is good news for the region and I'm sure the people will

appreciate the addition of several hundred jobs over the next 12 years; however,

given the negative imagine of fluorspar mining in the province, it would have

been helpful to have an update on what health and safety measures are in place

for the new mine to prevent the occupational diseases of the past. I'm sure

there are, but it would be good to know what they are.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR.

SPEAKER:

Further statements by ministers?

The hon. the Minister of Children, Seniors and Social

Development.

MS.

GAMBIN-WALSH:

Mr.

Speaker, March is National Social Work Month, and I rise today in this hon.

House to pay tribute to our province's social workers.

The theme of this year's National Social Work Month is

Social Work: Rooted in Diversity Cultivating Change and the focus is on

celebrating the diversity of the social work profession and the valuable

contributions social workers make in enhancing the health and well-being of

individuals, families and communities in our society.

Mr. Speaker, in Newfoundland and Labrador, there are

more than 1,500 registered social workers who are committed to improving the

health, safety and social well-being of residents through direct service

delivery, health promotion and providing social programs.

Throughout the month, social workers are engaged in

many professional development networking events in all regions of the province

to promote and celebrate their profession. This provides an opportunity to

highlight the importance of social work in governments, organizations and

communities throughout Newfoundland and Labrador.

Mr. Speaker, I ask all hon. Members to join me in

recognizing social workers throughout our province, the rest of Canada and

indeed the world for their ongoing dedication and support in the delivery of

professional social work services.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR.

SPEAKER:

The

hon. the Member for Fortune Bay Cape La Hune.

MS.

PERRY:

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I thank the minister for an advance copy of her

statement. On behalf of my colleagues here in the Official Opposition, I thank

the over 1,500 registered social workers in this province. I also wish to

encourage all those who are in Memorial's Faculty of Social Work as they prepare

to embark on a sometimes challenging but very rewarding career.

Social workers help us in all sorts of ways. They

provide members of society with direct supports, they help us with our personal

challenges and health promotion and they also organize programs and services.

Having witnessed first-hand the work they do, I can attest they are truly

special people.

Social workers support all ages, all genders, all

families and all members of society. For their dedication and commitment, we

thank them.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR.

SPEAKER:

The

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

MS.

ROGERS:

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Fifteen hundred registered social workers: a love army

of brilliant problem solvers, change makers, lifesavers, working with the people

of Newfoundland and Labrador. Often, as front-line workers, they have to work

with policies that are weakened because of poor budget decisions, but they

continue to work in spite of that, helping people to navigate often complex

systems, advocating for change, empowering and strengthening people, helping

them live fully.

Thank you social workers of Newfoundland and Labrador.

Bravo! Keep pushing us in this House to do the right thing.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR.

SPEAKER:

Further statements by ministers?

Oral Questions.

Oral Questions

MR.

SPEAKER:

The

hon. the Member for Mount Pearl North.

MR.

KENT:

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

According to Statistics Canada, unemployment levels

since the Liberals have come into office are the highest they've been in years.

I ask the Minister of Tourism, Culture, Industry and

Innovation: What specific actions have you taken to help boost business

confidence?

MR.

SPEAKER:

The

hon. the Minister of Tourism, Culture, Industry and Innovation.

MR.

MITCHELMORE:

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Just earlier in the House of Assembly I announced that

government has issued a repayable loan to Canada Fluorspar that's going to

create

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR.

MITCHELMORE:

3,000 person years of employment. As well, we have a very competitive small

business tax rate in Newfoundland and Labrador at 3 per cent. If we look at our

tourism sector, there are 18,000 jobs for over 2,000 businesses here in the

economy. We have in The Way Forward

document, our vision for the province, strategic ways to grow and look at

accelerated companies.

We're actually looking at specific companies and

finding ways to scale them up because there are companies here who are invested,

where they can adapt technology and productivity analysis to create more jobs,

create inward investment and look at export as well.

So there's a tremendous amount happening of which we're

taking action, working with my colleagues in Natural Resources and Fisheries and

Land Resources and other departments so that we're creating jobs here in

Newfoundland and Labrador.

Thank you.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR.

SPEAKER:

The

hon. the Member for Mount Pearl North.

MR.

KENT:

Mr.

Speaker, non-resident investment is slated to decrease by 57 per cent this year

and will continue to decrease until 2020-2021. I appreciate the minister's

little history lesson, but what is your government doing new or differently to

attract new investment from outside our province?

MR.

SPEAKER:

The

hon. the Minister of Tourism, Culture, Industry and Innovation.

MR.

MITCHELMORE:

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I'm very happy to answer that question. It was just a

few weeks ago that the Premier and the Minister of Fisheries and Land Resources

announced thousands and thousands of acres where we're going to unlock Crown

land for agricultural use, for new economic development

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR.

MITCHELMORE:

that was not achieved or done by the government previously. We've also announced

initiatives that are going to create construction jobs here in this province,

such as the long-term care facility in Corner Brook, the Western Memorial

hospital.

In last year's budget, there was a significant

announcement of infrastructure. When you talk to the Minister of Transportation

and Works by getting tendering contracts out earlier, it's creating more work.

We've had more roadwork done, better value, it's good for the economy.

We're good financial managers, we understand that there

are financial strains and challenges, and we're making best use of the financial

resources that we have to create jobs and get best value. We're good financial

managers.

Thank you.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR.

SPEAKER:

The

hon. the Member for Mount Pearl North.

MR.

KENT:

Mr.

Speaker, the Conference Board of Canada recently reported that Newfoundland and

Labrador is headed into a recession the only province in the entire country.

We know from the minister's unusual Twitter feed that he believes a long line at

a coffee shop indicates a strong economy, but the Conference Board disagrees.

Minister, what actions are you taking to help take

Newfoundland and Labrador out of recession?

MR.

SPEAKER:

The

hon. the Minister of Tourism, Culture, Industry and Innovation.

MR.

MITCHELMORE:

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

We all know the track record of the previous

administration when they had $25 billion of oil royalties and the Atlantic

Accord, and the direction they set this province by their overspending and their

poor fiscal management, their inability to be courageous and make change

legislatively.

We've seen where the Minister of Municipal Affairs when

he was responsible for government procurement, brought in a new procurement act;

when, in the former administration, their hallmark piece of legislation, Bill 1,

was their procurement thing that they let die on the Order Paper.

We changed the procurement act to unlock opportunities,

unlock for local value, look at the social value as well. There's so much good

that can come from our procurement legislation that's going to create jobs and

opportunities for local companies. And we're not going to stop there, Mr.

Speaker.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR.

SPEAKER:

The

hon. the Member for Mount Pearl North.

MR.

KENT:

While recession-battered Saskatchewan and Alberta is on the upswing,

Newfoundland and Labrador continues on a download spiral.

We know that the Premier's promise of a stronger

tomorrow was misleading. So far, the government has only increased taxes, begun

mass layoffs, crippled business confidence, driven off investment and taken away

hope.

Why is this government content in simply managing

decline?

MR.

SPEAKER:

The

hon. the Minister of Tourism, Culture, Industry and Innovation.

MR.

MITCHELMORE:

Mr.

Speaker, we've been working with boards of trade, chambers of commerce. We've

been seeing companies in the tech sector that are scaling up, that are actually

growing in the economy right now. I don't know where the Member opposite's been

in the last few weeks, but you see IOC and where they're going and the

investment, the 79 construction jobs that's going to be created. There's

tremendous positivity.

The Minister of Natural Resources has been talking to a

number of mining companies. There is lots of optimism in mining. As I mentioned

earlier, Rambler and Anaconda on the Baie Verte Peninsula

the only gold mine east

Wabush and what's happening, the potential; there's a lot of interest in our

economy. There was hundreds of millions of dollars last year in the budget for

infrastructure that's creating a significant amount of jobs. We've invested in

rural Newfoundland and Labrador in the last year. Through our Regional

Development Fund, we've put $9 million into the economy and levered $35 million

additional in spending.

Thank you.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR.

SPEAKER:

remind all hon. Members the volume of the Legislature is getting a little louder

than I would like to hear. The only individual I wish to hear from is the

individual recognized to speak.

The hon. the Member for Mount Pearl North.

MR.

KENT:

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Not one of the items mentioned by the minister is a

result of anything new or different that the Liberal administration has done

since coming into office.

The Conference Board of Canada blames the incoming

recession in Newfoundland and Labrador on lack of jobs, increased taxes and a

significant drop in investment. Obviously, the Liberal layoffs, tax increases

and lack of support for local business have done little to help.

Can the Minister of Industry give us details on his

government's plan to actually deal with these upcoming challenges?

MR.

SPEAKER:

The

hon. the Minister of Tourism, Culture, Industry and Innovation.

MR.

MITCHELMORE:

Mr.

Speaker, I don't know where the Member opposite is getting his information

because he's been putting a lot of things out there and he's not had the

opportunity to look at government's vision and the 50 initiatives in

The Way Forward document.

Some of the things that I'm responsible for as Minister

of Innovation as well, we're resetting the innovation agenda here in the

province; we're looking at social enterprise. We're looking at all ways of which

we can unlock capital, different ways of financing, looking at ways to make sure

that there's inward investment and I think we're doing an excellent job in terms

of looking at the opportunities that present us. We're taking advantage of

those, Mr. Speaker.

We have competitive tax rates in Newfoundland and

Labrador. We also have the smallest business tax rate. We've seen investment in

the aquaculture industry, in Northern Harvest. We've seen a lot of good things

happen.

Whereas the Member opposite, he needs to look at his own track record

where he's talked about a bloated government.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR.

SPEAKER:

The

hon. the Member for Mount Pearl North.

MR.

KENT:

Mr.

Speaker, the size of the public service grew far more under Liberal

administrations previously than it did under the Progressive Conservative

administrations.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR.

KENT:

the minister wonders where I'm getting my information, I'm referring to reports

from the Conference Board of Canada. And he may think he's doing an excellent

job, but the people of the province would argue otherwise.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR.

KENT:

The

Conference Board of Canada isn't the only group warning of hard times.

BuildForce Canada has indicated that the decline in the province's construction

activity will cost 21 per cent of workers to leave the construction industry

over the next 10 years. That's 5,000 less jobs in Newfoundland and Labrador.

I ask the minister: What is this government doing to

help people in Newfoundland and Labrador get back to work?

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR.

SPEAKER:

The

hon. the Minister of Tourism, Culture, Industry and Innovation.

MR.

MITCHELMORE:

Mr.

Speaker, we've outlined a number of plans in our

The Way Forward document that provide certainty and consistency,

unlike the previous administration. When you look at the Minister of

Transportation and Works with his five-year road plan, when we talk about the

infrastructure and the predictability that's happening, unlike previously when

the Auditor General went looking for their infrastructure plan couldn't find

it, couldn't prepare it, go to the Department of Finance and go find the cheques

or whatnot and make up something about it, right?

What we're doing is we're providing predictability;

we're being very consistent on that. When you look at their legacy and why the

Conference Board of Canada may be putting forward things, is the amount of debt

that they're causing Newfoundlanders and Labradorians to take by a bloated

project of the biggest make-work project, the Muskrat Falls Project, which will

double electricity rates here in the province. That's the PC legacy. That's his

legacy as the previous administration.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR.

SPEAKER:

The

hon. the Member for Mount Pearl North.

MR.

KENT:

Mr.

Speaker, I remind the minister that today there are 4,500 people working at

Muskrat Falls. In addition to that we've seen tremendous growth, as the minister

points out, in tourism, mining, tech sector, aquaculture. These are all as a

result of initiatives and leadership provided by the previous administration

nothing new, nothing innovative from the crowd opposite.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR.

KENT:

Insolvency trustees are saying that bankruptcies are growing in alarming numbers

in Newfoundland and Labrador. People simply cannot afford these high taxes,

especially when they are concerned for their job security.

I ask the minister: Where is the jobs plan that you

promised? Can we actually see it?

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR.

SPEAKER:

The

hon. Minister of Tourism, Culture, Industry and Innovation.

MR.

MITCHELMORE:

Mr.

Speaker, we're very cognizant of the impacts in the economy. We've done things

in our budget to support low-income families and seniors through our

Newfoundland and Labrador Income Supplement, which is paid out quarterly, as

well as the Enhanced Seniors' Benefit, which helps support a significant amount

of people in the economy through $75 million.

As well, we're very focused on growth sectors and

finding ways, working with the Department of Advanced Education, Skills and

Labour, unlocking our post-secondary institutions like the College of the North

Atlantic, creating incubators and accelerators and opportunities which are

tapping into the greatest potential of these well-educated Newfoundlanders and

Labradorians and other students, and looking at immigration, looking at ways in

which we're really unlocking the talent pool and creating opportunities.

We're not stopping, Mr. Speaker. We're willing to look

at any economic opportunity that's out there for Newfoundland and Labrador.

MR.

SPEAKER:

Order, please!

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR.

SPEAKER:

The

hon. the Member for Cape St. Francis.

MR.

K. PARSONS:

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The Premier specifically stated in the Minister of

Fisheries mandate letter that he expects the minister and the federal government

to finalize an agreement on the Fisheries Investment Fund.

I ask the minister: What actions have you taken to

finalize this agreement?

MR.

SPEAKER:

The

hon. the Minister of Fisheries and Land Resources.

MR.

CROCKER:

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I thank the hon. Member for the question. It is indeed

a good question because the reality is we are facing some challenges in the

fishery that are unprecedented, and I think probably and the hon. Member would

agree

back to 1992.

I can assure the hon. Member that I speak regularly

with my federal counterpart, and I can assure you that transition in the fishery

and innovation in the fishery is the number one priority for this government.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR.

SPEAKER:

The

hon. the Member for Cape St. Francis.

MR.

K. PARSONS:

remind the minister, the CETA agreement is signed.

The minister knows there's a drastic decline in the

shrimp and snow crab stocks and we need this fund now for what's happening in

our fishery today.

Is the minister going to ensure that Prime Minister

Trudeau lives up to his pre-election promise and honours his commitment on the

$400 million fishery fund?

MR.

SPEAKER:

The

hon. the Minister of Fisheries and Land Resources.

MR.

CROCKER:

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Again, I thank the hon. Member for the question. Yes,

Mr. Speaker, as a province, we're going to make sure that our counterparts in

Ottawa and the conversations we have with our colleagues in Ottawa are open

conversations to ensure that we are able to ensure that we transition our

fishery as we go forward.

The Member is right, we are faced with a circumstance

in the fishery and that is quite unfortunate. Mr. Speaker, I can tell the hon.

Member, I share his concerns. I talked to fish harvesters just last weekend when

I was in my district and we talked about some of the reductions that are

happening this year in shrimp and, unfortunately, in crab as well.

Mr. Speaker, I can assure the hon. Member, we'll make

sure that we're there for the transition for the fishermen in our province.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR.

SPEAKER:

The

hon. the Member for Cape St. Francis.

MR.

K. PARSONS:

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Given the recent comments by the federal Minister of

Fisheries: Can the minister confirm that Newfoundland and Labrador's $400

million Fisheries Investment Fund is dead in the water, the money is going to go

to Atlantic Provinces and Quebec instead?

MR.

SPEAKER:

The

hon. the Minister of Fisheries and Land Resources.

MR.

CROCKER:

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I'm not sure of the article, actually. I did see the

article that the Member is referring to, but all I can tell the hon. Member

opposite is as a government we are extremely concerned for the harvesters and

processors and the people involved in the processing industry in this province.

We're going to continue to advocate for our harvesters and our processors when

it comes to our federal counterparts. I can assure him that's something we're

going to doing.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

MR.

SPEAKER:

The

hon. the Member for Cape St. Francis.

MR.

K. PARSONS:

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker.

Minister, this is a desperate time in our fishery in

this province.

I'm asking you: Have you done anything with the

investments in the $400 million fund that was promised by Prime Minister

Trudeau? Have you done anything?

MR.

SPEAKER:

The

hon. the Minister of Fisheries and Land Resources.

MR.

CROCKER:

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, I think I said in my first response to the

hon. Member opposite, we are working with our federal government and with the

federal minister. I speak with the federal minister on a weekly basis.

I can assure the hon. Member I come from a district

in this province that's heavily reliant on harvesting and processing. I can

assure that hon. Member that we will stand up for the fish harvesters and

processors in this province.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR.

SPEAKER:

The

hon. the Member for Cape St. Francis.

MR.

K. PARSONS:

So,

obviously, there's no progress on that.

Minister, we know that employment in the fishing

industry will be hit hard this year. With no action from this government and

still no advisory council in place, the strategic action plan for the cod

revitalization is nowhere to be seen and it seems now that the investment in the

Fisheries Investment Fund is gone elsewhere.

You're in the office now 15 months, what have you done?

MR.

SPEAKER:

The

hon. the Minister of Fisheries and Land Resources.

MR.

CROCKER:

What have we done, Mr. Speaker? Well, that's pretty good of a government that

was in power for 12 years and grew the fishery, practically, nothing, Mr.

Speaker, 900 million, one billion, 900 million, one billion. Mr. Speaker, that

was the legacy that we found when we came into the Department of Fisheries.

Mr. Speaker, you look at aquaculture; look at how we've

advanced aquaculture in this province. Look at how we've advanced aquaculture in

just the year that we've been here in this province. Aquaculture this year, Mr.

Speaker, will reach an all-time high level.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR.

CROCKER:

Our

wild fishery will have the greatest contribution to its GDP ever this year.

Mr. Speaker, we respect the fisher people of this

province, harvesters and processing jobs, and we'll be there for them.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR.

SPEAKER:

The

hon. the Member for Cape St. Francis.

MR.

K. PARSONS:

Mr.

Speaker, last week the minister stated that it's too early to do anything. I

tell the minister it's too late. It's going to be too late in a couple months

when you don't do anything. The fishery is ready to start in a lot of parts in

this province and people are wondering where they're going to get work in the

plants and everywhere else.

I'm asking the question: What have you done to help our

fishery? Our shrimp fishery is in decline, our crab fishery is in decline, and

our harvesters are wondering what the stocks are going to be like and where they

are going to be able to catch fish to. What have you done?

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR.

SPEAKER:

The

hon. the Minister of Fisheries and Land Resources.

MR.

CROCKER:

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I appreciate that question, Mr. Speaker, because about

a week ago the crab science came out, and the hon. Member and I have had this

conversation with regard to how this process actually works.

So last week, Mr. Speaker, the science came out. This

week DFO is travelling this province to consult our harvesters. He wants us to

make decisions before our harvesters have had an opportunity to be consulted? I

understand that's how they operate. I understand that point, Mr. Speaker, but

we're letting the harvesters of this province in meetings that are happening all

around this province this week have their say in what the science is, what the

final numbers are going to be.

It's important that we listen to science, but it's even

equally important we listen to the harvesters of the province. Mr. Speaker, when

we came in to government a year ago, 15 months ago, we still had a LIFO policy

and we did work with an all-party committee, but

MR.

SPEAKER:

Order, please!

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR.

SPEAKER:

The

hon. the Member for Conception Bay South.

MR.

PETTEN:

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, in recent restructuring the Liberal

government announced that it would be moving the Crown Lands Branch to Corner

Brook.

Will the minister confirm for us which building will

house the Crown Lands Branch in Corner Brook?

MR.

SPEAKER:

The

hon. the Minister of Fisheries and Land Resources.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR.

CROCKER:

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

For those watching at home and never saw what happened

a water incident.

Mr. Speaker, where Crown Lands will be actually,

physically located in Corner Brook will be in the agriculture and Lands Branch

of government. The geographic physical location, Mr. Speaker, I think one of the

things that we are looking at as government is how we lease space and where we

lease space. But Crown Lands will now be a part of the agriculture and lands

division of government.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR.

SPEAKER:

The

hon. the Member for Conception Bay South.

MR.

PETTEN:

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I guess there's a lot of planning when they haven't

figured out where it's going and they're going to move them.

Crown Lands is currently located in a government-owned

building in St. John's. We understand that in order to move the Crown Lands

Branch to Corner Brook government will now have to lease space out there. Can

the minister confirm this?

MR.

SPEAKER:

The

hon. the Minister of Fisheries and Land Resources.

MR.

CROCKER:

Mr.

Speaker, my colleague in the Department of Transportation and Works has

undertaken a review of leased space in our footprint in this province. At this

point in time it's going to be in Corner Brook. That's the simple answer to

that, Mr. Speaker. The reality is July 1 is when this part of the department

will move, and I can assure the hon. Member that we'll have affordable space for

this division.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR.

SPEAKER:

The

hon. the Member for Conception Bay South.

MR.

PETTEN:

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I pointed out in my first question that it was going to

Corner Brook, so I guess I tipped him off.

Minister, if you own a property, why would you leave it

and go lease one?

MR.

SPEAKER:

The

hon. the Minister of Fisheries and Land Resources.

MR.

CROCKER:

Sorry, Mr. Speaker, if I over simplified it for the Member but sometimes you

have to be very simple with the Members opposite.

Mr. Speaker, there is lots of government space in

Corner Brook. Until the move happens, we'll decide which best fits the footprint

of the new Crown Lands Division in the agriculture and lands division of this

government.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR.

SPEAKER:

The

hon. the Member for Conception Bay South.

MR.

PETTEN:

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

There's already a regional lands office in Corner Brook

in another separate building. Actually, I might add, I think it's a

government-owned building.

Will the two Crown Lands offices in Corner Brook be

merged?

MR.

SPEAKER:

The

hon. the Minister of Fisheries and Land Resources.

MR.

CROCKER:

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The current office in Corner Brook is already in a

government building, Mr. Speaker. One of the things that's important to point

out here when we talk about how Crown Lands is being restructured, Mr. Speaker,

Crown Lands will still retain its regional offices. So there will still be Crown

Lands offices around the province to supply the regional office service.

As for the Crown Lands Division, because of the

importance this government sees in agriculture, Crown Lands will now become a

part of the agriculture and lands division of government. So we're putting our

priorities where we need growth in this province.

One of the things we've identified in

The Way Forward , Mr. Speaker, is that

we need to grow our agriculture business in this province and that's one of the

reasons why the Crown Lands Division is moving in with the agricultural lands

division.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR.

SPEAKER:

The

hon. the Member for Conception Bay South.

MR.

PETTEN:

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I guess I tipped him again, but I guess I'll provide

some good information here today and I'll get a better answer the next time

around.

In the same announcement, government said 30 positions

in Crown Lands would be moved to Corner Brook. We understand that government

will have to pay all travel and moving expenses for employees who will now have

to move.

Can the minister tell us the financial implications of

moving these 30 positions? How much will this move cost?

MR.

SPEAKER:

The

hon. the Minister of Fisheries and Land Resources.

MR.

CROCKER:

Mr.

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

The reality is, Mr. Speaker, these are, like he stated,

positions, and until people have made their decisions decisions that we will

respect because these decisions are decisions that obviously impact people. So

we're going to give the people an opportunity to decide if they want to move to

Corner Brook and then we will be able to give a figure of what the actual cost

is; but remember, these are positions, so we're not sure what people will

decide, if they want to make this move or not. So we won't have that number

until we have the number of people who decide to make the move.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR.

SPEAKER:

The

hon. the Member for Conception Bay South.

MR.

PETTEN:

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I ask the minister: What have you budgeted for this

move? Obviously, you planned the move so you have to have money budgeted. What

is in your budget for this move?

MR.

SPEAKER:

The

hon. the Minister of Fisheries and Land Resources.

MR.

CROCKER:

Well, Mr. Speaker, the hon. Member would know that this move will offer savings

for government.

Just some simply examples, Mr. Speaker, currently, the

department that I'm involved in today has four mapping divisions. So by

relocating the Crown Lands Division of the 30 positions to Corner Brook, we're

going to be able to consolidate four mapping divisions into one.

When you look at GIS, for example, it's a service that

many, many departments of government use. So these are reductions of parts of

the department that we're going to be able to break down some silos, Mr.

Speaker, and become more consistent in our delivery. So, Mr. Speaker, the

savings achieved there will certainly offset any cost of the relocation.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR.

SPEAKER:

The

hon. the Member for Conception Bay South.

MR.

PETTEN:

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I have a very short question. The minister just said

there will be savings.

Can you tell us, what will the savings be?

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR.

SPEAKER:

The

hon. the Minister of Fisheries and Land Resources.

MR.

CROCKER:

Mr.

Speaker, the hon. Member poses a good question, but I would have to suggest for

him that we're in a budgetary process as we speak, and the savings will be seen

in Budget 2017-2018.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR.

SPEAKER:

The

hon. the Member for Conception Bay South.

MR.

PETTEN:

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I want to go back to that point. A Minister of the

Crown stands up in this House and tells the province there will be savings, when

asked what the savings are he can't answer the question. I think it's incumbent,

if you come out and say there are savings, tell us, tell everyone here what will

the savings be. Tell the people that are getting shifted to Corner Brook that

want to stay in St. John's. Tell us what the savings are? Mr. Speaker, a simple

question.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR.

SPEAKER:

The

hon. the Minister of Fisheries and Land Resources.

MR.

CROCKER:

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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

but I think we quite clearly said last week when we released our Flatter and

Leaner document that these savings will be $25 million across government.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR.

SPEAKER:

The

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

MS.

MICHAEL:

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker.

It took our questioning this House to extract from the

Premier an acknowledgement that Emera's equity share in Muskrat Falls

transmission had increased from 29 to 59 per cent.

I ask the Premier: When did he first know this, why

didn't he promptly notify the people of this province, and what has he still not

told us?

MR.

SPEAKER:

The

hon. the Premier.

PREMIER BALL:

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Well, when you look at the Muskrat Falls Project, this

project, of course, is always evolving as price changes and prices within the

Maritime Link in this particular case, as that all changes it can mean that the

various equity positions in the Labrador to Island Link could actually change.

Mr. Speaker, what we know with the pace it's on, the

most troubling thing that I find is that this will lead to doubling of

electricity rates in this province. This is a serious situation. We need to look

for mitigating initiatives that we will need to put in place. We know that the

people of Newfoundland and Labrador, our communities, our recreation centres,

our churches, Mr. Speaker, they cannot afford doubling of electricity rates in

this province.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR.

SPEAKER:

The

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

MS.

MICHAEL:

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

We all know that; yet, he still doesn't give a really

full explanation of what's going on and why he doesn't keep the people informed

about what's going on in this province.

Mr. Speaker, the terms of the disastrous Muskrat Falls

deal require ratepayers to foot the bill for a guaranteed 8.8 per cent annual

return on equity in the project.

I ask the Premier: With the doubling of Emera's equity

share, how much money annually will go out of the pockets of ratepayers in this

province and into the pockets of the private Nova Scotia company Emera?

MR.

SPEAKER:

The

hon. the Premier.

PREMIER BALL:

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Well, I made it quite clear a few days ago that this

was not my idea, and I will say that again. This was not my idea. This was not

the idea of anyone on this particular side of the House, Mr. Speaker. While the

Members of the Official Opposition, the PC Party continue to support this

initiative, there were a number of opportunities.

The best thing that could have been done is not to be

in the situation that we're into today. It's the increasing costs, the

construction at the Muskrat Falls Project that is leading to the doubling of

electricity rates, Mr. Speaker. We've made it publicly known now for quite some

time that we are exploring all the options that we have available to us to put

in mitigating initiatives to keep energy costs down in this province. Seniors

can't afford it, middle-income families can't afford it, Mr. Speaker, residents

of this province cannot afford a doubling of electricity rates.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR.

SPEAKER:

The

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

MS.

ROGERS:

Mr.

Speaker, I ask the Premier: Did government or Nalcor, or both, ask Emera to

provide additional equity?

MR.

SPEAKER:

The

hon. the Premier.

PREMIER BALL:

Mr.

Speaker, government certainly did not. As you know, the way this project is

structured, the three transmission lines there is an arrangement of what the

cost-share of that arrangement would be. As we see escalating costs and price in

one particular piece of the transmission, Mr. Speaker, it allows for what

happens in this particular case Emera, as the partner that was determined by the

PC Party it was the PC Party that signed the partnership agreement with Emera.

This is not Emera's fault, Mr. Speaker. Let me be very

clear, this is not Emera's fault. Emera is doing what someone gave them the

opportunity to do. So it's an equity position right now.

The Member opposite is right, 8.8 per cent rate of

return, Mr. Speaker. We all know that based on the contracts that are put in

place by the PC Party, that it's the residents of Newfoundland and Labrador that

will burden that cost and see the doubling of electricity rates.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR.

SPEAKER:

The

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

MS.

ROGERS:

Mr.

Speaker, the Premier did not campaign on the slogan Muskrat Falls is not my

fault. He campaigned on a platform of offering our people better management and

real openness and transparency, and we have seen little of either to date.

I ask the Premier: Whether it's Ed Martin's severance

or the latest revelations of Emera, why do straightforward facts have to be

dragged out of him in Question Period?

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Oh,

oh!

MR.

SPEAKER:

Order, please!

The hon. the Premier.

PREMIER BALL:

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Well, in all due respect to the Member opposite, this

is a contract that had been put in place by the previous administration.

If she is suggesting right now, Mr. Speaker, that

contracts will be going out and just ripped to pieces without consequence, Mr.

Speaker

HON. MEMBER:

She

doesn't understand.

PREMIER BALL:

Yeah, you would have to understand the terms of the contract that was put in

place, and before anyone on this side of the House just goes and rips up

contracts, even the ones we may not particularly like, Mr. Speaker, there is a

cost to do that.

As well, Mr. Speaker, we did offer better management

and we are providing better management.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR.

SPEAKER:

The

time for Question Period has expired.

Presenting Reports by Standing and Select Committees.

Tabling of Documents.

Tabling of Documents

MR.

SPEAKER:

The

hon. the Minister of Tourism, Culture, Industry and Innovation.

MR.

MITCHELMORE:

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Pursuant to

section 5(2)(

b) of the Supply Act, 2016, I

am tabling one Order in Council relating to usage of the Contingency Reserve for

the 2016-17 fiscal year.

MR.

SPEAKER:

Further tabling of documents?

Notices of Motion.

Answers to Questions for which Notice has been Given.

Petitions.

Petitions

MR.

SPEAKER:

The

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

MS.

ROGERS:

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

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

WHEREAS government has removed the provincial

point-of-sale tax rebate on books, which will raise the tax on books from 5 per

cent to 15 per cent; and

WHEREAS an increase in tax on books will reduce book

sales to the detriment of local bookstores, publishers and authors, and the

amount collected by government must be weighed against the loss of economic

activity caused by higher book prices; and

WHEREAS Newfoundland and Labrador has one of the lowest

literacy rates in Canada, and the other provinces do not tax books because they

recognize the need to encourage reading and literacy; and

WHEREAS the province has many nationally and

internationally known storytellers, but we will be the only people in Canada who

will have to pay our provincial government a tax to read the books of our own

authors;

WHEREUPON the undersigned, your petitioners, humbly

pray and call upon the House of Assembly to urge government not to impose a

provincial sales tax on books.

And as in duty bound your petitioners will ever pray.

Mr. Speaker, again, what we are seeing here is that the

people who get the worst deal regarding books are our own people. We actually

have to pay more to read the books of our own authors than the people in the

rest of Canada. This is a recurring theme that this government isn't looking out

for the needs and the rights of the people of the province. Everybody else is

getting a much better deal than the people of the province are.

When we look at Muskrat Falls, when we look at what's

happening at Emera, when we look at a number of issues that the people of the

province are getting hit again and again and again. Their pockets are getting

picked. That's what's happening, Mr. Speaker. Those people with the least deep

pockets are the ones whose pockets are getting picked again and again and again.

We haven't seen the end of it. Goodness knows what we're going to see in this

upcoming budget, but there's not much left in the pockets of a lot of the people

here in our province.

Again, I raised in the House yesterday, or the day

before yesterday, how many people are applying for bankruptcy protection; 158

per cent increase over last year. Mr. Speaker, this kind of action flies in the

face of anything that is reasonable, flies in the face of anything that is just,

flies in the face of anything that strengthens our people, that makes our people

able to weather this storm.

We know the best solution to poverty and economic

downturn is education, strengthening our people through education. Our students

in university are paying hundreds of dollars in extra taxes on their school

books.

Mr. Speaker, this is one of the worst taxes imposed on

the people of the province.

Thank you.

MR.

SPEAKER:

The

hon. the Member for Fortune Bay Cape La Hune.

MS.

PERRY:

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I'm going to echo the comments of my hon. colleague

from St. John's Centre; great job.

To the hon. House of Assembly of the Province of

Newfoundland and Labrador in Parliament assembled, the petition of the

undersigned residents of Newfoundland and Labrador humbly sheweth:

WHEREAS Budget

2016 implemented a regressive tax on books in this province; and

WHEREAS Newfoundland and Labrador is the only province

in the country to have such a tax; and

WHEREAS a tax will undoubtedly affect literacy rates in

this province as well as negatively impact local authors and publishers;

WHEREUPON the undersigned, your petitioners, humbly

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

cancel this ill-conceived book tax.

As my colleague just stated; the Liberal solution to

the challenges which face us as a province and which have faced the globe is

tax, tax, tax. And what has the result been? The worst time our economy has ever

been in the history of the province. The highest record number of bankruptcies;

students who struggle to get to university as it is, particularly those from

rural Newfoundland and Labrador, now having to pay hundreds of dollars extra per

semester just because of a book tax, Mr. Speaker.

And this government likes to call itself innovative.

Well, get innovative; introduce something like a junk food tax. Take the tax off

the books; education is very important to our children. Our children deserve

better, the Liberals promised better, and we want to see in Budget 2017 the

reversal of this ill-conceived tax.

Thank you very much.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR.

SPEAKER:

The

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

MS.

MICHAEL:

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker.

To the hon. House of Assembly of the Province of

Newfoundland and Labrador in Parliament assembled, the petition of the

undersigned residents humbly sheweth:

WHEREAS Newfoundland and Labrador has the greatest

percentage of the workforce earning the provincial minimum wage in Canada, with

women, youth and those from rural areas making up a disproportionate number of

these workers; and

WHEREAS in 2012 the minimum wage review committee

recommended an increase in the minimum wage in 2013 to reflect the loss of

purchasing power since 2010 and an annual adjustment beginning in 2014 to

reflect the Consumer Price Index;

WHEREUPON the undersigned, your petitioners, humbly

pray and call upon the House of Assembly to urge government to legislate an

immediate increase in the minimum wage to restore the loss of purchasing power

since 2010 and an annual adjustment to the minimum wage beginning in 2016 to

reflect the Consumer Price Index.

And as in duty bound, your petitioners will ever pray.

I'm pleased, once again, Mr. Speaker, to stand with

this petition in my hand. I haven't any more come recently, and I'm glad to have

this one, especially the day after International Women's Day, because women are

so badly affected by the low minimum wage, which keeps people living in poverty.

The information or the word that sometimes you hear

from people is that increasing minimum wage is going to be bad for the economy.

In actual fact, studies by many economists and by researchers show that this

isn't the case.

It's interesting; I have read and actually have here

in my hand a study that's been done by a capitalist, by somebody who's

involved in creating business in Seattle, specializing in early-stage start-ups:

Nick Hanauer. He says that people who say a higher minimum wage will hurt the

economy are wrong. As a business person, as a person who makes his money through

businesses, he says they are wrong.

The study that he has done shows that raising the

minimum wage to $15 an hour would inject about $450 billion more into the

economy now that's the economy of the United States each year. But the basic

principle that the economy gets strengthened by a minimum wage that gives people

a living wage where people are more independent and, as consumers, have more

money to spend, helps the economy. Having workers who are better off, having

workers who are well, who have better working conditions, are going to be good

for the economy.

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker.

MR.

SPEAKER:

The

hon. the Member for Ferryland.

MR.

HUTCHINGS:

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, I'm pleased to rise today in the House to

present a petition.

The hon. House of Assembly of the Province of

Newfoundland and Labrador in Parliament assembled, the petition of the

undersigned residents of Newfoundland and Labrador humbly sheweth:

WHEREAS an extension was announced to the Robert E.

Howlett Highway on March 25, 2014; and

WHEREAS the environmental assessment, design and

engineering of this project was under way; and

WHEREAS continued residential and commercial growth has

increased traffic on the Southern Avalon;

WHEREUPON the undersigned, your petitioners, humbly

pray and call upon the House of Assembly to urge government to continue with the

extension to the Robert E. Howlett Highway to enhance and improve traffic to the

Southern Avalon.

And as in duty bound, your petitioners will ever pray.

Mr. Speaker, in regard to route 10, going south to the

Southern Shore from St. John's

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Oh,

oh!

MR.

SPEAKER:

Order, please!

MR.

HUTCHINGS:

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

A number of years ago the Robert E. Howlett was built,

basically from Bay Bulls-Big Pond, extending to Ruby Line and then to various

accesses into the City of St. John's and to Mount Pearl. Since that time,

obviously it's been heavily used, and since that time we've seen tremendous

growth and development in parts of the Southern Shore, certainly in regard to

Bauline to Bay Bulls region.

Just recently, Statistics Canada looked at that and

recognized that growth in some of the largest growing communities in the region.

From a residential point of view, it's very important; but as well, from a

commercial point of view, in terms of fabrication facilities. In Cape Broyle,

Bay Bulls, we have the offshore base. Pennecon base in Bay Bulls just recently,

you've heard media clips of the highway being closed in regard to moving

enormous pieces of equipment to Muskrat Falls.

As well, we've got three processing facilities related

to the fishing industry, related to the crab industry; we've got professionals

that move back and forth into the urban centre of St. John's. You're 40 minutes

and, in some respects, you're just outside of the City of St. John's.

We're seeing a lot of growth, a lot of sub-divisions

and a new school that was cancelled last year in the budget. These are

initiatives that drive economic growth. If this government is serious about

economic growth, you need to acknowledge where that growth is to, and that there

are opportunities for expansion and you support that on a long-term basis that

allow the region to grow.

So again, this is a significant piece of

infrastructure; I certainly call on government and the Minister of

Transportation and Works to review this, work with the parties concerned, let's

get this highway extension started, continue to grow the Southern Avalon, the

economy, and for the benefit of all those that live in the region.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

MR.

SPEAKER:

The

hon. the Government House Leader.

MR.

A. PARSONS:

call Orders of the Day, Mr. Speaker.

MR.

SPEAKER:

Orders of the Day.

Orders of the Day

MR.

SPEAKER:

The hon. the Government House Leader.

MR.

A. PARSONS:

Mr.

Speaker, I would move, seconded by the Minister of Natural Resources, that the

House resolve itself into a Committee of the Whole to consider Bill 71, Interim

Supply.

MR.

SPEAKER:

The

motion is that the House resolve itself into a Committee of Supply.

All those in favour, 'aye.'

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Aye.

MR.

SPEAKER:

All

those against, 'nay.'

Carried.

On motion, that the House resolve itself into a

Committee of the Whole, the Speaker left the Chair.

Committee of the Whole

CHAIR (Warr):

Order, please!

We are considering the related resolution and Bill 71,

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, 2018 And

For Other Purposes Relating To The Public Service.

Before we go ahead, I just wanted to render the

decision on the point of order yesterday with respect to the point raised by the

Leader of the Official Opposition respecting a comment by the Member for the

District of Harbour Grace Port de Grave. I have reviewed the

Hansard , and there's no point of

order.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

Resolution

That it is expedient to introduce a measure to provide

for the granting to Her Majesty for defraying certain expenses of the public

service for the financial year ending March 31, 2018, the sum of

$2,703,698,200.

CHAIR:

Shall the resolution carry?

The hon. the Member for Labrador West.

MR.

LETTO:

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

It's a pleasure for me today to rise in this hon. House

to speak to Interim Supply. Of course, we were all here yesterday morning in the

debate and we all heard about the doom and gloom of this province and how we

were going down the tubes, and we heard it again today from the Member for Mount

Pearl North in his questions to the minister.

But, Mr. Chair, I can assure you that nobody nobody

has felt the downturn in the economy worse than the people of Labrador West. We

have suffered greatly since 2014 and by the way, 2014 was the year February,

actually that we saw the closure of Wabush Mines. That wasn't under our watch

that wasn't under our watch. What we've done since then is work with industry

to try to mitigate the impact it has had on the residents and try to find a way

forward.

But before I get into Wabush I know I only got 10

minutes, and I'll try to get through this as quickly as possible. We've seen in

the past year some rebound in the iron ore industry. As you know, Labrador West

is totally, totally at the mercy of the iron ore industry and the prices of iron

ore and the world markets.

So we heard just last week, of course, from IOC that

they were going to move in and expand Wabush 3. Now, I'm going to give a little

bit of history and I guess no disrespect to anybody, but when they hear Wabush

3, they automatically assume that's Wabush Mines.

Well, I'm going to use an analogy to try to explain to

the people opposite and to the people who are not familiar with the region; I'm

going to use the analogy of Mount Pearl and Southlands. Southlands is right next

to Mount Pearl, but Southlands is not a part of Mount Pearl; it's a part of St.

John's. Wabush 3 is much the same. It's probably next to the Wabush Iron Ore

it is not as close as it is to IOC, but it's the same thing. It's not part of

Wabush; it's a part of IOC.

They're moving ahead with this development because they

see this as the way forward for the company; it's the future of the company.

It's the shining star in the future because it is a great deposit of iron ore,

and they're going to move forward with the development that will provide 70 jobs

in the development stage and will give the mine 12, 15 years of extra life.

It shows that people like the Rio Tintos of the world,

which own IOC, have confidence in the iron ore industry and they have confidence

in Labrador West. Labrador West, Mr. Chair, is rebounding and will be a great

contributor as it has been since 1960 to the economy of this province, because

we have given our fair share. We have been a great contributor to this province

and we continue to be, and we will in the future.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR.

LETTO:

Now, Mr. Chair, as I said earlier, Wabush Mines closed in February 2014. It was

a great blow to the region and the region has suffered tremendously, especially

the workers and pensioners of Wabush Mines.

I guess my first job as an MHA, along with the minister

he was Service NL at the time, now the Minister of Municipal Affairs and

Environment. We had to go to Wabush the same week as we were sworn in actually

to speak to the Wabush pensioners and inform them to save the integrity of the

pension plan, the pension plan that Cliffs failed to contribute to, it had to be

terminated.

As a result of that termination, Mr. Chair, there are

people who've lost 25 per cent of their pension, 21 per cent of their pension. I

have a gentleman sitting in the gallery today who's one of those 25 per centers.

Just imagine how devastating it is to lose a quarter of your pension that you

worked for 30, 35, 40 years, that you feel that you're entitled to and all of a

sudden it's gone.

Mr. Chair, the last couple of years have certainly

taken its toll on the residents and the workers of Wabush. As you know, there

was a court case in Montreal on December 20 that we supported to have the case

moved to St. John's as opposed to Montreal, and we never got a favourable

ruling.

HON. MEMBER:

There was a private Member's motion.

MR.

LETTO:

And

we did do a private Member's motion on that, yes.

In his ruling Judge Hamilton did say, and did leave the

door open for us, as a government, because he said we do have the opportunity to

refer our deemed trust clause in our P ension Benefits Act to the Newfoundland Court of Appeal for an

interpretation.

Mr. Chair, because we wanted, and we should, and we

needed to do something to support the pensioners of Wabush, I am very, very

pleased today to announce and to report that we, as a government, will be

referring to the Newfoundland Court of Appeal the deemed trust clause, which is

clause 32 of the Pension Benefits Act ,

for an

interpretation.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR.

LETTO:

you know what? These decisions don't come easy because there are a lot of

implications. And I want to thank the Cabinet Members and I want to thank

everybody that's been involved in this. I've been working on this for so long.

I'm glad to have the support of my Cabinet, my caucus today, to move this

forward.

There are a couple of people I want to single out: to

the Minister of Justice because when you are referring to court matters, it does

fall under the Minister of Justice. I want to thank the Premier who stood with

me on this. I want to thank the Minister of Service NL who is responsible for

the Pension Benefits Act . I'd be

remiss if I certainly didn't thank the Minister of Municipal Affairs and

Environment who was such a big part of this, and just got moved from the

Department of Service NL.

So there's a lot of work to be put into this. And I

want to thank as well the pensioners of Wabush. There's one person I want to

single out because she's been relentless, and rightly so, because she's a

pensioner as well that's losing a quarter of her pension. I want to single out

Rita Pynn who has done so much work on this file on behalf of the pensioners,

both the unionized and the non-unionized pension because there are two pension

funds. But I want to thank her because she's been relentless and I know the work

and the amount of time that she's put into this. She's been a constant supporter

of this and relentless.

So I want to say to her: Rita, thank you. It's because

of your continued efforts, along with your supporters and your pensioners, that

we are doing this today.

We are doing this because it's the right thing to do,

Mr. Chair. It's the right thing to do. It's something that we need to take to

the nth degree. We need to take this as far as we possibly can. We don't know

what the outcome is going to be, but certainly we have decided today that this

is something we want to do and we're going to do. How long a time it takes, I'm

not sure.

Mr. Chair, I just want to say that Labrador West, and

in particular Wabush, have experienced I guess you could say three years now

because it's March 2017, so it's three years since the closure of Wabush Mines,

and since the 1960s we've seen the ups and downs. We've seen the booms and bust,

and 1982 is the one that comes to mind when we lost 700 people; 700 people in

layoffs. Some of them never, ever returned to their jobs. But today, for

instance, Mr. Chair, in IOC we're at the highest employment we've ever been, and

the future looks bright.

I can also say that we haven't given up on Wabush

Mines, and the minister is right here in front of me. The Monitor issued a

report last week, the Monitor who is in charge of CCAA, giving anybody who's

interested in the purchase of Wabush Mines, until March 27, to have their

proposal in to him with a $750,000 deposit if they're interested in purchasing

Wabush Mines. So we haven't given up. We're working with those people. We know

we have interested people out there that are interested in starting up this

operation. So I say to the people of Wabush, I say to the employees of Wabush

Mines and the pensioners: We are with you.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR.

LETTO:

are with you. It's taken longer than I wanted and taken longer than everybody

wanted and I'm sure the impatience is there, but, Mr. Chair, we are with them

and we will do whatever we can to make this successful.

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

CHAIR:

The

Chair recognizes the hon. the Member for Ferryland.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR.

HUTCHINGS:

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

It's certainly a pleasure to rise on Bill 71, Interim

Supply. As most out there would know, or probably understand, this is related to

the operations of the province and meeting the financial commitments of the

province until March 31 of a particular year before the actual budget for the

Legislature is brought through for Estimates and is approved by the House for

the next fiscal year. So this allows that to take place.

The government of the day, as we did in our

administration, would put forward particular departments and the dollars that

are required for those departments to get us through to March 31. That's why

it's called Interim Supply for the budget process. Within the scope of that

there's the ability to speak to a whole array of issues, and as Members have

when they've gotten up and spoken here today.

I do want to mention the hon. Member who was just up

and spoke about Wabush Mines and the issue with pensioners. I know from my

perspective too, we've brought it up in the House, we've asked questions about

it. I do have pensioners in my district, as well as many of us do I'd say in the

40 districts, who at some point were employed with the mines. Oftentimes that

was a place of employment, and may have retired back to other parts of the

province after that time but still obviously avail of that pension.

Some of the changes that happened with Cliffs when that

had occurred, as the Member had mentioned, I think maybe a lot of pensioners had

gotten a reduction of anywhere from 25 to 30 per cent. Now, you can imagine, Mr.

Chair, what that means in regard to someone on a fixed income that's retired,

they're settled down and all of a sudden you've got 25 to 30 per cent of that

reduced and what that means to those individuals.

On top of that, some of these individuals also lost

their health care plan in terms of insurance. So you can imagine putting that on

top of that, you lose 25 to 30 per cent of your pension. As you get older,

obviously, you need that health care plan. If you do lose it and try to enrol in

a new one in the private sector, you can imagine what the premiums will be for

that. It's enormous in regard to the results and effects and the worry that it

has on these pensioners. As well, in terms of life insurance for those that are

often left behind, there were also changes to that and that was eliminated as

well. So it has been huge.

I was certainly pleased today to hear from the Member,

because back some time ago in this House there was a private Member's motion, on

May 11 I think it was that he had brought it forward, and that dealt with the

certainly, this government and the seven Liberal MPs in Ottawa working to have

the Companies' Creditors Arrangement Act,

I think it's referred to, have that amended because that would be required to

try and go back and have some redress in some of the issues that the pensioners

were actually having.

When the motion was brought forward it didn't recognize

that it needed to be retroactive. So we're happy to put a motion forward, an

amendment that was adopted that allowed to go back and look at the retroactivity

of the legislation. We haven't heard on that to date, but that would allow some

redress for those pensioners that we're talking about here today.

Nevertheless, we're certainly pleased, and I

acknowledge government and their officials in regard to moving forward based on

what's happened in Quebec court in hearing this issue, and related to the deemed

trust clause and how the Quebec court had indicated that it was necessary. They

wouldn't rule on it, my understanding, but it was necessary to get an opinion

from the courts, from the Appeal Court in Newfoundland and Labrador in regard to

that deemed trust clause.

It was important to get it done quickly because the

court in Quebec could move and rule further on it, but if we were to intervene,

if the Province of Newfoundland and Labrador was to intervene with the appeal

court here, obviously, my understanding is the Quebec court wouldn't move

forward until the appeal was heard here on the deemed trust clause. Then based

on what that determined, I assume the Quebec court would take that into

consideration as they move forward and deeming and moving forward and making

the decision.

So we are pleased that the Member announced today that

the government is going to move forward and pursue that in the Court of Appeal

here in Newfoundland. It's been some time. Obviously, it's not definitive in

terms of what the outcome would be but it's certainly positive that it's being

pursued on behalf of those pensioners in the province, as I said, who are

scattered all over Newfoundland and Labrador and who have concerns in regard to

the reduction that they've seen in their income.

I know speaking of some of those, on top of that, what

we saw last year in the budget in 2016 in regard to things like a levy, in

regard to increases in taxes and fees, personal income tax, all of that as well

comes out of those fixed incomes for those individuals. Which was a double

whammy, if you will, in terms of what they are facing and the struggles they are

having in terms of net dollars and what's available to them. All of that

compounded, no doubt, for pensioners to make it a very difficult year. I

acknowledge the work of the government to move forward now and to seek this

ruling from the Court of Appeal here in Newfoundland and Labrador.

I have a few minutes left. I wanted to speak to, Mr.

Chair, an issue that came up in the House last week, about my colleague, and he

asked about a project that's very important to my region in the Southern Avalon,

is in July of 2016 the UNESCO designation of Mistaken Point as a World Heritage

Site. Over 600 million-year-old fossils; it's something that's been worked on,

developed, certainly I'd say for decades. Certainly over the past 10 years in

regard to the community, the region, local volunteers that have really put their

heart and soul into this to develop this asset that we have.

I know internationally from an academic point of view,

from a university study point of view, it's been world-renowned. A lot of Ph.D.

students come to Mistaken Point, where that is their discipline to study, and

that's been going on for a number of years.

I think just over the past number of years we've

recognized, through the efforts of the region and the people that are involved,

how important it is and what the opportunity is. It's twofold. It's about the

preservation of the site but, second, it's about the economic opportunity that

it holds.

Like many regions of the province, the southern Avalon

was hit hard with the downturn in the ground fishery and what that meant to the

region. You look at somewhere like Trepassey, the plant that was there, the

trawlers that were there, the amount that were employed there, the community and

the region, and just all along that area of the southern Avalon has been hit

very hard.

So this is something that was key in regard to being

able to bring opportunity to the region, very important, a lot of work done, a

lot of investment in our prior administration in terms of human resources, but

as well financial resources to get they call it the dossier ready, which is

the document submit to UNESCO to get reviewed and whether you get that status as

a world heritage site.

Now, this is the first one there are others,

obviously, that we know are UNESCO in Newfoundland and Labrador and they're

operated by the federal government and Parks Canada. This is the first one

that's operated by the provincial government. It's so important that the

provincial government recognize the obligations, the responsibilities and what

is required because within that dossier that was presented to I believe it was

in France UNESCO, within that is a management plan for five years, I believe

it is. It was outlined it's all the responsibilities and requirements that

UNESCO requires to be followed from the date of inscription, which was in July.

So that's why we were very concerned when, over the

past year, we've been seeing that there are issues in regard to staffing, there

are issues in regard to infrastructure, and there are many questions in regard

to operations. Are we ready to meet the world that's basically coming?

Last year in July, we got the designation and my

understanding is about 700 people had called or come and wanted to get the tour

because it's a guided tour, because it's into a reserve and they couldn't

make it. We recognize there are growing pains and there are things we have to

do, but we certainly need the commitment from the current government, from the

ministers, that this is a priority.

I said it's not only about the preservation, but it's

about the economic opportunity for the region and what that brings. That

management plan is very clear on what's needed to be done and the commitment

that needs to be made. So if you're looking for economic development, if you're

looking for strategic development on a regional basis, this is the one. As I

said, the world is coming and we need to be prepared and make sure that

experience, from all over the world people who come because many people in the

world, they seek out UNESCO sites of the world and they visit so many every

year. So there's time in terms of people organizing that, planning vacations to

come. All of that is a complete package that we, and the current government,

need to acknowledge. And certainly based on to date, I don't think, has done

what needed to be done, and that's why our concerns were brought here.

So we look forward to the new minister adopting what's

needed to be adopted and moving this forward for the benefit of all

Newfoundlanders and Labradorians.

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

CHAIR:

The

hon. the Minister of Children, Seniors and Social Development.

MS.

GAMBIN-WALSH:

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

It's a great opportunity to stand here today and speak.

Mr. Chair, we are approaching the end of a fiscal year. It has been a difficult

year in this province; however, each and every one of us here on this side of

the House of Assembly are dedicated to the responsible spending to the public

purse and to help deliver the necessary services to the people of Newfoundland

and Labrador.

Mr. Chair, the District of Placentia St. Mary's has a

land mass of 3,805 kilometres, with homes and cabins on almost every kilometre.

The population is approximately 13,500. With the boundaries being just an hour

outside the capital, you would think that we had the same services as urban St.

John's, but that is not the case. We are a rural area with our challenges but

also our benefits.

The bad news is that the investment in road

infrastructure by the PC government, when the provincial government had access

to the financial resources, was not sufficient in the district. Even though

there are at least 120 or more kilometres of paved road that needs work and

needed work in 2014, the PCs invested in two gravel roads. The tender included

upgrading of more than 20 kilometres of Route 91 to Southeast, Placentia and a

section of Markland Road; however, they never did the worst part of the Markland

gravel road, Mr. Chair. Even though the province was thriving under the revenues

from the offshore oil, the PC government failed at successfully managing the

increased revenue and ended up causing an unstable, economic environment.

As stated by Premier Ball, the declining price of oil

did not cause the current economic situation. It revealed the truth. The good

news is that now we have a Five-Year Provincial Roads Plan that clearly outlines

roadwork for the province and for the District of Placentia St. Mary's.

For this year, 2017, the following projects have been

outlined for the District of Placentia St. Mary's: Route 90, pulverize and

repave with rock cap from St. Joseph's to Riverhead; Route 91, replace Rocky

Island Pond Bridge; Route 100, rehabilitate the Southeast River Bridge; Route

100, pulverize and repave Ferndale Road, and upgrade storm sewer system; Route

100, rehabilitate Veterans Way, which is the back beach in Placentia; Route 102,

pulverize and repave Ship Harbour, from Ship Harbour towards Fox Harbour.

Mr. Chair, we have some projects that are being carried

out from last year also. We have finishing the work on the South Dildo Bridge,

Route 80; pulverizing and paving between Branch and St. Bride's, Route 100;

Point Lance Road Mr. Chair, Point Lance Road is a prime example of the policy

of taking the politics out of pavement.

The community of Point Lance was historically Tory, and

I received nine votes from the residents of Point Lance. I can almost name those

nine votes; however, the road to the community was the absolute worst road in

the District of Placentia St. Mary's. Voting PC certainly didn't help these

residents, but this government did. We recognized the safety hazard, we

recognized the danger to the children travelling over this winding,

potholed-riddled, narrow road in a school bus and the Department of

Transportation and Works issued a tender for paving in 2016.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Oh,

oh!

CHAIR:

Order, please!

MS.

GAMBIN-WALSH:

The

first layer of pavement was put down this past fall and this road will be

completed this spring. Taking the politics out of pavement is a responsible way

to govern.

Mr. Chair, there are a number of projects outlined for

2018-19 season also. For the benefits of those listening from home, I'm

delighted to tell you that Route 91, Old Placentia Highway, from St. Catharine's

to North Harbour Road, also known as the nine-mile road, will be pulverized and

repaved. I can assure you that this will make a significant difference to the

large volume of residents who travel that from the Cape Shore to Salmonier Line

each and every day.

Mr. Chair, the process of taking the politics out of

pavement for the safety and security of the residents of Newfoundland and

Labrador is the right thing to do, and it is precisely what this government is

doing.

A fact to remember is that in 2008-2009 the province

would see a surplus of $2.4 billion under the PC administration and the net debt

would be $7.9 billion; but, in 2010-2011, instead of reining in spending to

assure that the financial future of the province would be accounted for, the

Williams's government ran a deficit of $194 million, with the overall debt

climbing back to $9.2 billion.

The District of Placentia

St. Mary's boasts many positive attributes from

the scenic Cape St. Mary's to Argentia, which is one of the fastest growing

industry areas in Newfoundland and Labrador. It is, however, the fishery that

has been and remains one of the solid, consistent sources of income for the

residents from all three bays that make up the district: St. Mary's Bay,

Placentia Bay and Trinity Bay.

In 1951, factory fishing began with the new super

trawlers and the cod catch peaked in 1968 at 810,000 tons. Approximately three

times more than the maximum yearly catch achieved before the super trawlers.

Approximately 8 million tons of cod were caught between 1647 and 1750, Mr.

Chair, a period encompassing 25 to 45 generations.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Oh,

oh!

CHAIR:

Order, please!

MS.

GAMBIN-WALSH:

The factory trawlers took the same amount in 15 years.

Mr. Chair, all of us in the House of Assembly know the

industry collapsed entirely in the early 1990s, owing to the overfishing and,

debatably, lack of foresight and poor local administration. By 1993, six cod

populations had collapsed, forcing a belated moratorium on fishing. Spawning

biomass had decreased by at least 75 per cent in all stocks and by 90 per cent

in three of the six stocks, and by 99 per cent in the case of the Northern cod,

precisely the largest cod fishery in the world. The waters appeared to be

dominated by crab and shrimp, rather than fish. Some 20 years later, by 2011 it

became apparent that the cod fishery was returning slowly but surely.

Mr. Chair, the fishery had been and remains a solid

source of income for my family. Of all the difficulties there are in the

occupation of fishing for a living, I believe one of the biggest frustrations

for a fisherperson is having little say in how the resource they make their

livelihood from is managed.

Declining crab and shrimp stocks are evident, and while

the news of growth in cod is good news, the ground fishery is obviously not

going to have the same value as the shellfish has had.

A fishing enterprise today is a business, Mr. Chair, a

business with a million dollar price tag for many owners and operators. Support

for our fishermen and our fisherwomen are needed, and solutions are needed

sooner; however, fishing has been our livelihood for over 100 years. It is our

bread and our butter. It is our culture. The fishery is a very important

industry in the District of Placentia St. Mary's, and very important for this

government today.

As I go through my second year as a politician, I often

reflect back on why I chose to run for the Liberal Party, why I wanted to become

a politician. I never had any difficulty securing a job, and I knew this

lifestyle was going to be very different than what I was used to. I knew I was

going to have to give up a lot of things I enjoyed but I also knew my years of

experience advocating for my son, who is an individual with a disability, and my

vast volunteer experience empowered me with the skills I needed.

I often reflect back on my days as a MUN Liberal, and

how I went out to work in the social development sector and why it took me down

that path. Prior to running for this political party, I met with the

now-Premier; I knew I had to believe in the person I was standing behind, Mr.

Chair.

Mr. Chair, I left that meeting with absolutely no doubt

that our present Premier was the right person to lead us out of the disaster

that the PC government had placed us in. The provincial government must be

redesigned to address our economic, social and fiscal challenges. We know we

must position our province as a competitive place to live, work, do business and

raise a family. We must think and act in a way that is long term and across

government. We can no longer afford to operate this province as the previous

administration was operating it.

The people of this province can be reassured, Mr.

Chair, that reactionary thinking is a thing of the past. With that said, Mr.

Chair, I shall take my seat.

Thank you.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

CHAIR:

The

Chair recognizes the hon. the Member for Terra Nova.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR.

HOLLOWAY:

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Oh, we got their attention. They're all listening now.

Mr. Chair, it gives me great pleasure to stand up in

the House this afternoon to speak to Interim Supply. For those at home, for

argument's sake, this is really a money bill. I'd like to take a few minutes,

Mr. Chair, to talk about some of the great things that are happening in my

District of Terra Nova, and certainly since I was elected as the MHA for the

district.

Mr. Chair, education is an issue that is certainly dear

to my heart. Prior to being elected in 2015, I had a long career in the

provincial public service. I got to say, for more than half of those 26 years in

the public service, I had worked as a child management specialist. In that role,

I'd visit countless homes and work with families, teaching them and advising

them about early childhood education, early childhood development, and its

principles and techniques, to improve the social, physical, emotional and

cognitive development of their children.

Late in the '90s, with the prevalence of autism and

pervasive development disorders certainly they were on the rise in this

province I moved into a regional senior therapist position. Mr. Chair, I was

one of the very first people to be trained in applied behavioural analysis. I

mention these things today because there is some significance about what is

happening in our education system in this province today.

In the great District of Terra Nova, Mr. Chair, we have

eight schools. We have Glovertown Academy, it's a fantastic school. I've been

there many times. I was there in the last couple of weeks and actually had a

good conversation with the principal, Ms. Cheryl Gordon. Actually, I shared some

time as well in the last two weeks with Ms. Gordon and one of her students who

received a high school award for heritage at Government House, Nicole Chaulk. I

was very pleased to be a part of that ceremony and to be there with her. It's

just a testament of the kind of great things that are happening in the schools

in my district.

Holy Cross School in Eastport; I had the pleasure in

the last, I guess about three weeks ago, to be joined by the Minister of

Education and Early Childhood Development as we launched Education Week. We were

at that school in my district and it was a great opportunity to showcase the

talent of the young students that are there and the teachers and the great

things those teachers are doing.

Charlottetown Primary, of course, is a K to three

school. Riverside Elementary; and I want to talk a little bit about Riverside

Elementary in my time here this afternoon. It's a K to six school. We have

Clarenville Middle School and Clarenville High School; Random Island Academy. I

was actually at their high school graduation last year and that was a great

event. I had the opportunity to present some awards to some of the students that

were graduating from that school.

Southwest Arm Academy; I tend to spend a fair amount of

time at Southwest Arm Academy. It's a K to 12 school as well, Mr. Chair. During

Remembrance Day we were there and unveiled some great story panels of those who

had served in the First World War. That was a great project that was brought

forward by the historical society down there.

Mr. Chair, I just want to talk a little bit about

Riverside Elementary. As I said, it's a K to six school with approximately 730

students. The school was constructed in 1985 but it's had some expansions

because of continuing growth that's happening in Clarenville and the greater

Clarenville area. It's had some expansions in 1989, 1991 and again just a few

years ago in 2011.

Late in October of 2015, mere days before the election

was called in this province, a contract was approved by the previous

administration. It was awarded to SNC-Lavalin to develop an extension to the

school. The design work, Mr. Chair, was to include a new gymnasium and

additional class spaces.

Now, the contract at the time was to a value of

$644,500. Everybody knows that we've had some significant challenges since we

took over government. The previous administration estimated that there was going

to be a deficit of $1.1 billion. We know from the audited statements of March

31, 2016 that it was actually $2.2 billion significantly higher which forced

us as a government to make some significant decisions, some hard decisions.

One of those decisions, Mr. Chair, was that in April

2016, with only 1.6 per cent of that design work being completed, there was a

decision that we had to defer that project. Now, I can tell you that everyone

agrees that this school continues to have an overcapacity issue, especially in

its common areas, its shared spaces.

But I can also tell you that I am an MHA who solves

problems. I'm an MHA who seeks to find a solution, despite the fiscal challenges

that we've been facing. So in May of last year, I, along with the Minister of

Education and Early Childhood Development, met with concerned parents from the

overcapacity issues.

I also lobbied, and we were successful in having two

modular classrooms installed onto the school last summer. That was in addition

to the three modular classrooms that had been installed previously.

Mr. Chair, in last year's budget we allocated $1.6

million to school infrastructure, including the completion of ongoing school

construction projects, school extensions, and repairs and maintenance, like the

addition of modular classrooms, to Riverside Elementary. The discussion

I got to tell you, Mr. Chair, one of the things that

happened I think was solely uncalled for. On October 14, parents decided to keep

over 500 children out of that school on a Friday morning, and staffers from the

Members opposite, in their party, in their office, decided to send some of their

people out to encourage the kids to stay out of school. Even the Member for

Mount Pearl Southlands came along and also encouraged the children to stay out

of school.

Now, I think that's absolutely shameful, Mr. Chair, to

be doing that when they created such a fiscal mess for us in this province. We

had to make some pretty tough decisions and then to go out and encourage

demonstrations and keep children away from learning, in a learning environment

how low can it get?

I can tell you, Mr. Chair, that myself and the Member

for Bonavista, we've worked together. We've engaged the parents. We've tabled a

were concerned because of the overcapacity that there were air quality issues. I

can tell you, Mr. Chair, that air quality study was done and found that there

was no significant harm to the students attending the school.

my time; I wish I had 30 minutes today, Mr. Chair, because there is so much I

wanted to cover. One of the recommendations in the discussion and the report

we would look at a reconfiguration of the school system, so, in January, we

I can tell you, Mr. Chair, from the results, 64 per

cent of the parents said that they would prefer to see a review of the school

system in the Clarenville area. So that not only includes Riverside Elementary

but it also includes the middle school and a high school.

Mr. Chair, I know my time is definitely winding down.

It goes short when you're on your feet. I'd like the opportunity, at some point,

to get up and continue to have this discussion about the great things that are

going on in my district and the things that this side of the government are

doing to address the mess that we were left when we took over government in

November 2015.

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

CHAIR:

The

Chair recognizes the hon. the Member for Exploits.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR.

DEAN:

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

I'd like to first just make some pointers on some of

the background stats and stuff on Bill 71, the Interim Supply bill, and then

I'll close with some personal commentary.

In the report completed by the Auditor General on audit

of financial statements for the year ending March 31, 2016, it shows a deficit

for the year of $2.2 billion the largest in the province's history. Net debt

at March 31, 2016 amounted to $12.7 billion also the largest level in the

history of the province.

Despite this, former Premier Davis stated numerous

times in 2015 that the deficit would be no more than $1.1 billion. The 2015-16

Public Accounts show the continuation of a trend of significantly lower revenue,

mostly the result of lower oil royalties due to the declines in oil production

and pricing.

In 2011-2012, oil royalties accounted for almost 34 per

cent of the provincial revenue. In 2015-16, this has fallen to less than 9 per

cent, proving the instability of volatile commodities. The expected deficit for

2016-17 is now forecasted to be approximately $1.5 billion about $700 million

lower than the previous year.

Tax measures announced in

Budget 2016 have provided a significant boost to revenues. While

this is an improvement from the original forecast contained in

Budget 2016 , it still remains a significant deficit. Relative to other

provinces, the expected deficit in Newfoundland and Labrador is forecasted to be

10 times greater than the average of all other provinces.

Deficit management under the PC government: The

unsustainable deficit that the province faces is due to reckless spending by the

PC government since Danny Williams took office in 2003. Though the province was

thriving under the revenue from offshore oil, the PC government failed at

successfully managing the increased revenue and ended up causing an unstable

economic environment for us all. As stated by Premier Ball, the declining price

of oil did not cause the current economic situation; it just revealed the truth.

Government spending under the Williams's administration

skyrocketing and the reduction in income taxes meant that less money was coming

into the province and more was being spent. In 2007 the following reductions

occurred: tax on the first income tax bracket will be reduced from 10.57 per

cent to 8.7 per cent; tax on the second bracket will be reduced from 16.16 per

cent to 13.8 per cent; and tax on the third bracket will be reduced from 18.02

per cent to 16.5 per cent.

The 9 per cent surtax essentially is a tax on tax

imposed upon middle- and high-income earners will be eliminated. Ultimately, the

PC government focus is tax reductions on the higher classes rather than using

the surplus to aid our struggling people. In 2008-2009, Newfoundland and

Labrador had the lowest income taxes in Atlantic Canada, despite running a

deficit for that year.

Our government, Mr. Chair, delivered 64 pieces of

legislation in 2016 compared with a PC average of 35 in the previous five years.

Inaction on issues that matter to our people was a theme of the previous

administration. We, on the other hand, were left with no other recourse but to

implement difficult and unwanted measures to keep our ship from running aground

that our colleagues opposite were happy to defer. Left with little or no leeway,

compliments of the former government, we passed an ambitious legislative agenda

that pursues for reasons of need to correct the litany of oversights and

inactions by the former PC administration.

Muskrat Falls. Muskrat Falls. Yes, my colleague and our

colleague, the Member for Mount Pearl Southlands, only a brief few days ago

commented that it was

HON. MEMBER:

That he was hoodwinked.

MR.

DEAN:

Yes, that he was hoodwinked. On a more serious note, it wasn't our colleague

across the way that was hoodwinked, or any of us. The worst of it all is that

the people of the province were hoodwinked.

Anyway, the issue continues to come to the floor of the

House, as well as through the news media, and at social events and church

gatherings, and wherever you will find the people of the province, in an effort

to find ways and means of mitigating the forecasted power rate increases soon to

be brought to bear on the backs of the people of our province. Ultimately, the

costing associated with this bottomless pit sees its proposed fix still having

to be drawn down from the people's Treasury. Such projects should within a short

term have the ability and expectations of enhancing the public Treasury, not

positioning us for long-term drainage of the same people's Treasury.

This government and future governments have been

positioned by the former government to have to continue to make hard choices on

a go-forward basis in an effort to sustain programs and services that we need,

never mind what we would like or what we would want. The fallout of finding ways

and means to mitigate were resolved in a reduction of something else in the

system, that's a given. From the feedback I've seen, and we've all seen, it's

becoming more and more difficult for any of us on either side of the House,

regardless of party stripes, to argue that reality. Again, thanks to the former

administration.

The emergency service reduction at the Hugh Twomey

Health Care Centre in Botwood, the fiscal restraints we were handed despite our

demographic reality showing long-term care needs at both the Grand Falls-Windsor

and Botwood hospitals, reveal our limited fiscal ability to address these

legitimate needs. Again, thanks to the former administration.

Our people don't deserve and do not deserve to see the

doubling of hydro bills. They need roads that are fit to drive on. They need

good, quality health care and other numerous services that regardless of where

you sit, thanks to the previous government, will become harder to achieve for

our people.

Yesterday being International Women's Day, Mr. Chair,

I'd like to echo the sentiments from a well-known Newfoundland song in that

A Mother's Love is a Blessing but I can tell you and everybody else in this

House that also there's a blessing when it comes to our wives, in particular my

wife. She probably deserves a Member's statement after tolerating and being

abused over the past several months through no fault of hers.

As I said in last spring's budget talks, and I'll stand

by it again, that each and every one of us have to take some of the

responsibility of where we find ourselves today. With that being said, when a

wife sees her husband telling the truth and she's got to tolerate abuse then I'd

like to take my hat off today to my wife.

Thank you and I'll have more to say down the road, Mr.

Chair.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

CHAIR:

The

Chair recognizes the hon. the Member for Cape St. Francis.

MR.

K. PARSONS:

Thank you very much, Mr. Chair.

It's indeed a privilege to get up here a second time

now on Interim Supply. The former Member for Exploits was just up that time, we

all have families and we all do a job in here, and I really if his wife did

take any abuse from some of the constituents or something like that, I think

that's so unfair. I'm sure everybody in this House doesn't need family members

to be attacked or anything else. When we do, we know we're in here trying our

best, sometimes decisions that are made by government do have a large effect on

people, but I hope people outside really realize that we're here trying to do

our best for people and I'd never condone anybody doing anything like that.

I'm only going to speak for a few minutes today, and

it's just one topic. It's a topic I spoke a little bit on in Question Period

today. I want to talk a little bit about the fishery. I know the Minister of

Fisheries today was up on some questions and stuff like that. Actually, I speak

to the Minister of Fisheries on a regular basis. The fishery is a part of

Newfoundland and Labrador, and it's a part of the people of Newfoundland and

Labrador that's gone back for centuries. It's the backbone of our whole society,

as far as I'm concerned. It's what brought people to Newfoundland and Labrador

and it's what I hope, someday, will keep people here.

It's so important that we take it and understand that

the fishery means a lot to a lot of people. I know in my district, and in my

family, the fishery plays a huge role. I go back to the days of my first job.

I'll always tell about it, going along in a fish truck and weighing fish. My

father was a fisherman, and I hauled many a cod trap myself and went out and

jigged lots of fish myself also.

So I understand, and I think that as Newfoundlanders

and Labradorians, the fishery brings a special part to us, just to be able to go

out and catch a cod, or just to be getting involved in the fishery. We

understand what it does to rural Newfoundland and Labrador. I can't even say

really rural Newfoundland and Labrador. Like I said, if you look in St. John's

now and the amount of crab that's landed over in the basin across the way,

because most of the harvesters in the area land their fish there.

The fishery is in a real crisis these days. It's really

in decline. I know last year in the crab the year before, they saw some

declines in some areas. I'm not going to name the area but the area, they call

it, is going to the southward down our way. The quota last year was like 9,000

pounds.

What they normally do, it's one trip. So you go out

with the boat, you throw your pots out, you wait 20 hours, haul the pots back

and usually you get your 9,000 pounds of crab. So you make one trip because of

the cost. It's huge cost to go and fuel your boat the second time to have to

make a trip. But they always could do it in one trip. Last year, that 9,000

pounds was down to 1,500. I know crews that didn't even go because it wasn't

worth their while.

We have to be careful on how we manage stocks. Now,

there are all kinds of reasons for the decline in crab. A lot of people that I

know science will say that it's the warming of water. I believe it's a lot to

do with the revitalization of the cod fishery. I know myself last year catching

cod, we were down in my yard and we were gutting one cod and there were eight

baby crabs in that cod. That tells me that as the cod comes back, obviously,

there's going to be a huge decline in the crab.

It's a scary situation because the crab fishery

people will understand who are involved in the crab fishery really did come

around the right time. I guess that's the way it works. As the cod declined, the

crab obviously grew. And now as the cod are coming back, it's working the other

way. It's important that we have management in place to be able to adjust to

this.

This year when the science came out again, DFO came out

and they talked about a decline in the biomass of 80 per cent, and that's since

2013. The minister was right today in one part that he said about how we have to

listen to the harvesters because what happened last year with the decline, the

decline was more in the 200-mile area that they saw the biggest decline in crab

in 3L.

In that area alone, there are six different sections in

3L that are fished. They're called inshore and midshore and offshore. The

offshore is used with the bigger vessels. Actually those bigger vessels have a

huge investment because most of them have tanks inside that keep the crab alive

because they're gone for so many days at a time.

The midshore is usually another bigger boat that has,

say, something over 42 feet. They just go for a full day but can be gone for a

couple of days. The inshore crab, which is probably from 12 miles and, in

actual fact, if you go down off where I'm from, Flatrock, we can see a lot of

the boys out catching crab. That's the inshore.

Now, last year the inshore crab fishery was really

good. The catches, talking to harvesters, were as good as they were any other

year. Actually, in some cases, they'll tell you they were really good. The

midshore, they saw a bit of decline. But the offshore they saw a real huge

decline in what was caught off there. A lot of trips were going out there,

coming back with boats used to catching 30,000 or 40,000, only caught 3,000 or

4,000. So it's important that the management of these areas be done properly.

Again, it's important that we talk to the harvesters and understand where

they're coming from.

My whole thing with the crab fishery and like I said,

I have family members involved in the fishery so I understand a little bit about

it. This year they're telling me that the price of crab is going to be up. It

goes like this, it goes up and it depends on the markets in the US and Japan.

And if Japan's inventory runs down, apparently the price really goes up high.

For harvesters, this year, if there is a cut which is not a good thing,

because I mean you're going to be cutting for a few years at least the price

will be up high.

But my concern is and I think it should be

government's major concern and not wait too late to do anything is about our

plant workers. If you do a reduction in crab and you reduce it 40 per cent or 30

per cent overall now in different areas it may have a reduction of 10 per

cent, others areas may have 20, but the overall reduction. If you do that and

we've got, I believe, I could be corrected, but I think there's almost 24

processing plants that really handle crab in this province, a lot of plants if

you take 40 per cent or 50 per cent of the crab away from the processing, I mean

our communities are really going to hurt. There's going to be a time that

government's going to have to step in and they've done it in the past, in the

cod moratorium. We saw what happened in '92 when the cod moratorium came in and

the effect that it had on communities in Newfoundland and Labrador.

And the same effect will happen on rural Newfoundland

and Labrador. Most of the plants are definitely in rural Newfoundland. Now, a

lot of it's landed in St. John's and big areas like that, in Port de Grave and

areas like that, in Harbour Grace, but the plants are all over the province.

They are all over the Island. If you look down the Southern Shore, there are

probably three or four plants down the Southern Shore. There are three plants in

the Southern Shore that handles crab.

All I ask the minister today is we've got to get

together, I don't care how we do it, as a government and you've really got

understand that these cuts are coming. It's going to be too late down the road

when we don't look it and see what we can do for people. Because I tell you,

talking to harvesters, talking to plant workers, they're really concerned. And

the effect that the crab industry would have on our economy is unbelievable.

It's millions and hundreds of millions of dollars that it brings in to

Newfoundland and Labrador hundreds of millions of dollars that it brings in to

communities all over this province from one end to the other end.

It is really time we have a process in place. I saw

today the Advisory Council, the chair was done today, but we need someone the

big part of the Advisory Council that government had on their Advisory Council

was the strategic plan on the revitalization of cod. We know that we need the

cod to come back because of the declines that are going to happen in crab.

We really have to understand the markets that are

available. One time when I was involved in the fishery everything was done with

a cod block that was sold to New England and the Boston market, that area, the

States, everything was just cod block, cod block, but apparently that market is

not there anymore. So it's important that we work with industry to make sure we

understand what markets are available.

People are telling me that the new market in the States

right now is the head on and the gut out; it's the whole cod that they want.

Even the fishermen, this year, that were catching their cod, they sold a lot of

cod with the head on and gut out and it had to stay at a certain temperature in

order for the market. Because if they grade it once it got to the fish plant

if you wanted to get 75 cents a pound for it, it had to be grade one. But if it

lost a grade on it and it went to a grade b, it would go down to about 40 cents

a pound.

We have to develop these markets and we have to work

with industry and now is the time to do it. It's not to wait and see what's

going to happen down the road, let's see what the cuts are going to be. There

are markets that need to be developed. There's a lot of work that needs to be

done in our fishery. It's so important to people in Newfoundland and Labrador.

We should be doing it.

Thank you very much.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

CHAIR:

The

Chair recognizes the hon. the Member for Bonavista.

MR.

KING:

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

First of all, I'd like to start off by thanking my

friend for Mount Pearl North for the kind comments he gave to me in response to

the Ministerial Statement on the Tim Hortons Brier yesterday. It was kind of

surprising, but it's amazing what two individuals can come to an agreement with

over a Black Horse.

With that said, Mr. Chair, I do take exception to some

of the words that his colleagues made yesterday directed towards Members of this

side of the House. Comments, I would say, of a sleeveen nature, comments that

are directed here and misleading the general public that we, Members on this

side, were this is not directed toward the Member for Mount Pearl North

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Oh,

oh!

CHAIR:

Order, please!

MR.

KING:

This is directed towards certain Members of that caucus who said that we ran

away after the budget last year, afraid to go to our districts. Mr. Chair, that

person must have been mistaken with their budget from 2013 where you couldn't

find a soul in their districts.

That being said, I for one went to a firemen's ball in

Musgravetown the Saturday night after the budget. We've had Members go to all

their events that following weekend, and for them to say we were hiding away,

Mr. Chair, that's disingenuous. The same Members also said that we don't have a

plan for anything.

Well, Mr. Chair, I'm going to talk about a plan. I know

it's been touched on a number of times the last couple of days, but I want to

talk about the five-year roads plan that was brought forward by the Minister of

Transportation and Works earlier this year. This has been a long time coming and

it puts some stability in road paving here, and road construction and

maintenance here in Newfoundland and Labrador. This five-year innovative plan is

going to invest $77.2 million in road infrastructure this year in 2017-18.

As the Minister of Transportation and Works stated

yesterday, tenders are already out for some jobs. We have some right now that

are being looked at, at the moment, and most will be out by the end of March.

This gets away from the pork-barrel politics of the previous government where

you'd have a tender roll out in September to pave a hundred metres of road. In

some cases putting new pavement over good payments because they saw paving as a

legitimate means to say your MHA is doing something.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Oh,

oh!

CHAIR:

Order, please!

I understand it's Thursday, but I just want to ask for

a sense of respect here in the House. I mean everybody will get an opportunity

to speak. Again, I just ask for respect for the Member who's been given the

opportunity to speak here today.

MR.

KING:

Thank you for the protection, Mr. Chair, I must have hit a nerve.

So getting back to the pork-barrel pavement, we decided

as a government with our five-year plan that we were going to take the politics

out of paving. What a long-term plan does, Mr. Chair, is it gives you more value

for money.

I look at the projects that are going to be done in the

District of Bonavista the beautiful and historic District of Bonavista, I

would say and you're looking at major projects. It's not just the 100 or 200

metres that you'd normally see done, we're looking at four, five, six kilometres

straight going through.