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March 2 0 ,

HOUSE OF ASSEMBLY PROCEEDINGS

Vol. XLVII No. 5

The House met at 1:30 p.m.

MR. SPEAKER (Wiseman):

Order, please!

Admit strangers.

Statements by Members

MR. SPEAKER:

Today we will start with members' statements from

the Member for the District of Kilbride; the Member for the District of Torngat

Mountains; the Member for the District of Exploits; the Member for the District

of Humber West; the Member for the District of Harbour Main; and the Member for

the District of Baie Verte.

The hon. the Member for the

District of Kilbride.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR. DINN:

Mr. Speaker, on December 19, 2013, Bishops

College held its graduation exercises and presentation of awards.

There were 124 graduates in the class of 2013, thirty-one of whom

graduated with honours and twenty-four students graduated from French Immersion.

There were well over fifty scholarships and awards given out in the

ceremony.

Natalie Griffin received the

Governor General's Medal, the Campbell Macpherson Scholarship, and Electoral

District Scholarship plus a few other awards.

Sarah Winsor was presented

with the Electoral District Scholarship for Kilbride along with several other

scholarships and awards. Joshua Lehr

received multiple awards. Another

twenty-five to thirty students were presented with one or more scholarships or

awards.

Sydney Ezekiel was named the

female athlete of the year and David Grainger was the male athlete of the year.

The valedictorian was Natalie Griffin who praised parents and teachers

for all the efforts put forth in the education of this 2013 class.

Many of the students have moved on into institutes of higher learning;

some have entered the workforce.

Mr. Speaker, I ask all hon.

members to join me in congratulating all the graduates in the 2013 class of

Bishops College and wishing them all the best in the future.

Thank you.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER:

The hon. the Member for Torngat Mountains.

MR. EDMUNDS:

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Two days after this hon.

House put all politics aside and unanimously voted to lobby the federal

government to conduct a public inquiry into murdered and missing Aboriginal

women, I rise today to pay tribute to all the victims.

I especially want to

remember Loretta Saunders whose family I grew up with in Hopedale.

Unfortunately, Loretta was the success story we did not know we had until

we lost her. I will be meeting with

Loretta's professor next week to discuss all of the valuable research she has

done on this important issue.

Mr. Speaker, I also want to

remember Henrietta Millie from Nain who went missing right here in St. John's

over thirty years ago. This Inuit

lady had dreams of becoming a nurse and was only twenty-five when she

disappeared. This remains one of the

oldest missing person cases in Newfoundland and Labrador.

Mr. Speaker, I am very

pleased to hear that the Nunatsiavut Government has fully endorsed the call for

a public inquiry.

I ask all hon. members to

join me in paying tribute to the 825 murdered and missing Aboriginal women

across the country and to continue to strive for justice on their behalf.

Thank you.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER:

The hon. the Member for Exploits.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR. FORSEY:

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, on Thursday,

February 20, the Exploits Regional Chamber of Commerce held its annual dinner

and Business Excellence Awards presentations.

Two businesses from Bishop's

Falls in the District of Exploits were very deserving award recipients.

Morgan Printing, owned and operated by Leo and Carolyn Morgan, received

the Small Business of the Year Award.

Morgan Printing was founded in 1929 by Walter Morgan and is still

operated by family members today.

Mr. Speaker, King's

Transport received the Helping Hands Award.

Incorporated in 1975, King's Transport consistently offers equipment and

financial support to volunteer organizations in the area.

It has been said they put the good in good corporation.

Mr. Speaker, I ask all

members of this House to join me in expressing sincere congratulations to Morgan

Printing and King's Transport on receiving these Business Excellence Awards.

Thank you.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER:

The hon. the Member for Humber West.

MR. GRANTER:

Mr. Speaker, I stand in this hon. House to

congratulate third year physics student from Corner Brook, Jessica Strickland,

who has become the first student in Newfoundland to be awarded the prestigious

Institute of Particle Physics' Summer Student Fellowship at the European

Organization for Nuclear Research.

Jessica will spend two

months in Geneva, Switzerland, working in the field of subatomic physics.

Prior to this venture she will work on a subatomic physics project, and

will spend fifteen weeks on research over the course of the program.

Jessica is only one of five Canadian Undergraduates in Physics awarded

this lifetime opportunity.

Jessica will be a part of an

international group of select students who will work with research teams in

experiments at the facility where, last year, the first conclusive evidence for

the Higgs Particle was found. Her

work will include a set of specific lectures, visits to accelerators and

experimental areas, and discussion sessions and workshops.

Jessica is a student at

Grenfell Campus, Memorial University of Newfoundland and hopes to complete

Masters and Doctorate Degrees in Physics.

Honourable members, please

join me in congratulating Ms Strickland on being awarded this prestigious

internship and wish her well in her future academic pursuits.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER:

The hon. the Member for the District of Harbour

Main.

MR. HEDDERSON:

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, it is with

great pleasure that I rise in this hon. House to congratulate Ms Amy Furey of

Harbour Main on receiving the National Professional Caregiver of the Year Award

for 2013 from Canada Cares.

This non-profit organization

has a vision to create a sense of community for family and professional

caregivers by increasing awareness, providing encouragement, and showing

appreciation. In 2013, Canada Cares

launched a recognition program throughout Canada.

Amy was nominated by her

client, Jeremy Cross, whom she has assisted as a caregiver, post-secondary

student assistant, and job coach for the last six years.

Jeremy is a graduate of Academy Canada College, having successfully

completed the Therapeutic Recreation Program.

He is currently employed at Easter Seals assisting verbally and

physically challenged individuals communicate by assisted technology.

Amy is the first recipient

of the National Professional Caregiver of the Year Award, a testament to her

unselfish devotion and attention to Jeremy, allowing him to lead an independent

fulfilling life. His parents refer

to Amy as the Pot of Gold to Jeremy's rainbow.

Both Amy and Jeremy are with

us today, Mr. Speaker, and I ask all members of this House to join me in

congratulating Ms Amy Furey on receiving this prestigious award.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER:

The hon. the Member for the District of Baie

Verte Springdale.

MR. POLLARD:

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Volunteers are the lifeblood

of a vibrant community. I rise in

this hon. House today to congratulate a very special, energetic, tireless,

unselfish community volunteer who loves to serve.

Born March 20, 1939 at

King's Point, daughter of George and Edith Rideout, Ada Maude Noble now lives in

picturesque Middle Arm, where she and her husband, Lester, raised three

children.

Maude knows how to serve her

community and give of her time, talent, and energy with a heart and a half.

In her fifty-five years of community service, Maude has done it all:

Mayor, Deputy Mayor, Councillor, organizer, chairperson, fundraiser, director,

entrepreneur, postmistress, business owner, superintendent, teacher, musician,

choir member, caterer, and the list could go on.

In recognition of her

outstanding contributions to her community, back in November 2001, Maude was

awarded the Newfoundland and Labrador Volunteer Service Award.

When her town and other towns are in need of a helping hand, you can

count on Maude Noble.

Honourable colleagues,

please join me in recognizing and thanking Maude Noble for her extraordinary

involvement in volunteer work and by the way, Maude, happy seventy-fifth

birthday!

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER:

Statements by Ministers.

Statements by Ministers

MR. SPEAKER:

The hon. the Minister of Child, Youth and Family

Services.

MR. DAVIS:

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I am proud today to rise in

this hon. House to recognize March as National Social Work Month.

The theme for National Social Work Month 2014 is Social Workers:

Promoting Equity for a Strong Canada.

I want to sincerely thank all of our Province's social workers for their

dedication to the social work profession and for the vital services they

provide.

Each year, March is

designated as Social Work Month in order to highlight and observe the positive

impact social workers have in communities throughout the Province.

During this month, social workers have the opportunity to participate in

a variety of activities taking place in their regions, such as networking

events, professional development sessions, and career events.

Currently there are over

1,500 registered social workers practicing in diverse settings throughout

Newfoundland and Labrador with the provincial government being the largest

employer. Social workers practice in

settings such as youth corrections, child protection, adoptions, addictions,

mental health, community-based centres, government departments and universities,

as well as private practices and consulting businesses.

Mr. Speaker, social workers

are at the very core of the mandate of the Department of Child, Youth and Family

Services, which is to ensure the safety and well-being of children and youth.

They are not only the front line of the services and programs we provide,

but also the leaders we rely on to help create and implement legislation and

guide policy decision making.

There have been many

significant accomplishments since the Department of Child, Youth and Family

Services was created just five years ago, and our social workers have played a

fundamental role in how far we have come in such a short period of time.

We are very fortunate to have social workers not only as part of the

department, but as part of the public service as a whole.

Once again, Mr. Speaker, I

would like to thank all social workers throughout the Province and the country

for the positive impacts they continue to make in the lives of children, youth,

families, and seniors.

Thank you very much, Mr.

Speaker.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER:

The hon. the Member for Burgeo La Poile.

MR. A. PARSONS:

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I thank the minister for an

advance copy of his statement.

National Social Work Month is an opportunity to give much deserved recognition

to social workers. Their work is

selfless, and often thankless. They

have devoted their careers to helping people when they need it most.

I honestly do not know what we would do without them.

The Canadian Association of

Social Workers choose the theme, Promoting Equity for a Strong Canada, to

reflect the profession's growing concern at the rising social, economic, and

health inequities in Canada. For a

government celebrating the contribution of social workers, I would be remiss if

I did not point out that this government underspent it CYFS budget in 2012 by

$25 million, when social workers struggle with severe burnout due to workload.

Then in Budget 2013, they cut the budget by $15 million.

In every investigative report from the Child and Youth Advocate, workload

and worker turnover plays a significant role in each and every tragic outcome.

In the latest annual report

from the Advocate, she highlighted limited staff resources required for

investigative work which is impeding the offices ability to engage in proactive,

systemic advocacy. One of their

three directors was eliminated in the last Budget.

We need more proactive, systemic advocacy to prevent more tragedies like

those detailed in the Advocate's report.

We need greater resourcing, and certainly this government needs to give

them greater support.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

MR. SPEAKER:

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

MS ROGERS:

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I thank the minister for an

advance copy of his statement.

Social workers play a crucial role in our Province, often under the most

difficult circumstances. The

Newfoundland and Labrador Association of Social Workers pre-budget consultation

paper said: Government needs to ensure that Newfoundland and Labrador has a

strong public sector, a competitive minimum wage, accessible and high-quality

child care, and progressive employment incentives.

They recommended government

focus on investments in social policy, program development, and service delivery

in the same regard as economic planning and development.

They warned: With continued talks of economic restraints, deficits and

departmental cutbacks, now is not the time to cut social programs.

I urge every member in this

House to read their paper. Social

workers are experts in their area and I hope the government is listening, really

listening to their expertise.

Thank you, social workers,

for your commitment, your passion, your compassion, your expertise.

Bravo.

MR. SPEAKER:

The hon. the Minister of Fisheries and

Aquaculture.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR. HUTCHINGS:

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I rise in this hon. House

today to discuss the success of the provincial delegation that attended Seafood

Expo North America in Boston from March 13 to 18.

Mr. Speaker, this expo is

one of the largest seafood trade events in the world, involving 19,000 industry

representatives from more than 100 countries.

In addition to facilitating hundreds of international trade opportunities

for provincial seafood companies, the expo also provided the opportunity to

engage my federal and provincial fisheries counterparts and various industry

leaders on matters of mutual concern.

Participants included Ocean

Choice International, the Fogo Island Co-op, the Newfoundland Aquaculture

Industry Association, and Green's Seafoods, to name a few, and all noted the

tremendous networking and new business relationships made possible by the expo,

and expressed appreciation for the support they received at the provincial

government's Newfoundland and Labrador pavilion.

The provincial government

released its Seafood Industry Year in Review document prior to the expo so

national and international buyers could access vital statistics regarding the

performance of the provincial seafood industry.

I am pleased to note that our Province continued to be a strong

competitor in global seafood markets in 2013.

Provincial seafood is exported to more than forty countries, and the

total value of provincial seafood production increased by 8 per cent from the

previous year to approximately $1.1 billion.

The gains this government

achieved through CETA negotiations, as well as the recent trade agreement

between Canada and the Republic of Korea, will create tremendous new opportunity

to grow business in new markets and add value to the industry.

Combining these trade achievements with this government's ongoing

investments in research and development, science, marketing, and quality

control, will position the provincial fishing and aquaculture sectors to build

on this success in the years to come.

Seafood industry

representatives throughout the world learned a great deal about our Province's

fishing and aquaculture sectors during Seafood Expo North America, and I

encourage people in this Province to do the same by reviewing the Seafood

Industry Year in Review. Working

collaboratively with industry, we are securing a strong future for our fishing

and aquaculture sectors, and creating benefits for rural families and

communities.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER:

The hon. the Member for Carbonear Harbour

Grace.

MR. SLADE:

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I thank the minister for an

advance copy of his statement on the Seafood Expo in Boston, formerly known as

the Boston Seafood Show, which as the minister said is a huge show.

Mr. Speaker, marketing is the name of the game in the world of the

seafood market. It seems, however,

this government has not been able to make any significant headway on marketing

despite a decade at the helm.

Year after year, a

provincial delegation goes to these shows, yet we get no report of progress and

no accountability for the money spent.

This is the same government that sold off the lucrative marketing arm of

FPI, and now High Liner is reaping the huge profits.

Again in 2010, government

announced they accept all marketing recommendations of the MOU, and still no

headway. Now we have the new

$400-million fishery investment fund.

I, for one, am not confident

that under this government they will be able to capitalize on the marketing

opportunity.

Mr. Speaker, this is a

government not of action, but of smoke, mirrors, and secrecy, in spite of their

farce today at our taxpayers' expense.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER:

The hon. the Leader of the Third Party.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MS MICHAEL:

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker.

I, too, thank the minister

for an advance copy of his statement.

It is great to hear all the good news about the Seafood Expo and its

benefits to our fishing industry, although the minister is very short on details

about the latter. It is the details

people look for, Mr. Speaker.

This morning, government

promised they were going to strive to be more open.

The minister claims gains through CETA that they recently signed, yet we

have yet to see the document or learn any details about the $400 million fund

which came along with the signing and how it will be spent.

I would like the minister to

tell us finally who will benefit from this funding and how it will be spent in

the new spirit of open government.

We are waiting, Mr. Speaker.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER:

Oral Questions.

Oral Questions

MR. SPEAKER:

The hon. the Leader of the Official Opposition.

MR. BALL:

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

This morning the Premier

hosted a little party in the lobby of the House of Assembly to claim that

government is now listening and open, but really no new information was made

available. After eleven years, they

are finally calling themselves open.

I ask the Premier: Now that

you claim to be open, will you tell the people of the Province how much money

you spent on your little party this morning?

MR. SPEAKER:

The hon. the Minister of Municipal and

Intergovernmental Affairs.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR. KENT:

Mr. Speaker, we would be happy to make that

information available to the Leader of the Opposition and everybody else who

wishes to have it in the spirit of openness.

It is disappointing and frustrating to hear members opposite refer to our

Open Government Initiative as a farce.

We have undertaken a review

of the ATIPP legislation. We are

going to advance whistle-blower legislation.

We have launched an open information Web site to make more information

available to the public than ever before.

We have launched a new open data portal that is going to allow people to

use and reuse data free of charge.

We have adopted an open data licence, and I could go on and on.

All of this is what we have done.

In the months ahead, we are going to do even more, Mr. Speaker.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER:

Order, please!

The hon. the Leader of the

Official Opposition.

MR. BALL:

Talk about being accountable, he does not even

know the price of his own party. He

just threw the people's credit card out there and said you can pay for it.

Mr. Speaker, government had

a fancy launch for a new Web site, complete with professional lighting, sound,

and backdrops. We know it had to

cost thousands of dollars. Do you

realize that $1,000 gets you about seventy-eight hours of home care?

Why did you choose to spend

taxpayer money on really a PR stunt?

Could you not have used the money on something better?

MR. SPEAKER:

The hon. the Minister of Municipal and

Intergovernmental Affairs.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR. KENT:

Mr. Speaker, what we did this morning was

demonstrate how committed we are to changing the way we do business, to making

more information available to the public than ever before, and engaging the

citizens of Newfoundland and Labrador in a way that has never been done before.

Not only will I give the member opposite the total cost, I will him

copies of the invoices if he wishes.

There were some audiovisual

costs, of course, associated with this morning's event.

It is money well-spent as we launch an initiative that has the potential

to transform how we govern in Newfoundland and Labrador.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER:

The hon. the Leader of the Official Opposition.

MR. BALL:

For the last eleven years, this is what we have

been getting right here, Mr. Speaker.

This is the kind of information that we have been getting.

Maybe we will get a little more, I would say, now.

Mr. Speaker, this morning

the invited guests and now that you claim to be open, at the same time, the

same Cabinet that defended Bill 29 for the last two years, this is the same

government that continues to withhold reports and information.

I ask the Premier: Now that

you claim to be open, prove it; commit to the people today to release all

reports and reviews that you have been withholding from the people of

Newfoundland and Labrador.

MR. SPEAKER:

The hon. the Minister of Municipal Affairs.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR. KENT:

Mr. Speaker, this government has demonstrated it,

we believe in the public's right to know, and we want to release as much

information as possible, wherever possible.

There are reasonable limits, Mr. Speaker, and we have to respect those.

We have to respect the

Access to Information and Protection of Privacy legislation that exists as well;

but through this new initiative, we are going to go out and find out exactly

what kind of information people want and expect, and we are going to make it

available in a format that makes sense to them.

That is part of the Open Government Initiative, and there is certainly

much more to come in the months ahead.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER:

The hon. the Leader of the Official Opposition.

MR. BALL:

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Well, the minister is right;

people do have a right to know and they have a right to know not at their

cost. Now that we have asked this

self-proclaimed, open government how much taxpayer money they did not answer

you spent on today's campaign, will you now admit that you spent money on a

marketing and advertising campaign and to release that information you needed

$1,600 in order to release it?

If you are truly open, why

are you charging $1,600 to release the information to the ratepayers, taxpayers,

of Newfoundland and Labrador?

MR. SPEAKER:

The hon. the Minister of Municipal Affairs.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR. KENT:

Mr. Speaker, it should not come as any surprise

to anybody in this House that we are only a few days into a new session of the

House of Assembly and the Liberals are already recycling questions.

I answered the member's

question last week related to that request for information about marketing and

advertising. There were thirteen

requests made related to marketing and advertising.

We clarified what the applicant wanted.

We recognized that based on the detail that was desired, it was a broad

request that would require over sixty hours of work and there has to be a fee

charged for that work.

As I said last week, Mr.

Speaker, in the vast majority of cases for access to information requests, there

are no fees charged. This is an

extreme request. We are happy to

provide the information, but it is a broad request that requires a significant

amount of work.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER:

The hon. the Leader of the Official Opposition.

MR. BALL:

Marketing and advertising is an extreme request

really?

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Oh, oh!

MR. SPEAKER:

Order, please!

MR. BALL:

Mr. Speaker, not only is this government charging

$1,600 to reveal how much taxpayer money they spent on marketing; they have also

demanded $19,000 to release aquaculture reports.

I ask the Premier: It is the

first day of spring, now that you are open, now that you are listening to the

people of Newfoundland and Labrador, why are you continuing to charge thousands

of dollars for information that should be publicly available?

MR. SPEAKER:

The hon. the Minister of Municipal and

Intergovernmental Affairs.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR. KENT:

Mr. Speaker, last week when the members opposite

were asking questions about the marketing and advertising expenditures which

relate to all kinds of different budget categories, they referred to it as

propaganda, things like our Foster a Future campaign to recruit foster parents,

which has been very successful I might add.

Advertising to promote our

tourism industry to bring millions of dollars to Newfoundland and Labrador on an

annual basis, that is propaganda according to Liberals, Mr. Speaker.

Campaigns to promote violence awareness and to ensure that our

communities are safer for women and children, that is what they call propaganda.

These are important investments.

We will continue to make investments in those areas that make sense and

that are beneficial to the people of the Province.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER:

The hon. the Member for Burgeo La Poile.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER:

Order, please!

The hon. the Member for

Burgeo La Poile.

MR. A. PARSONS:

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

One of our members placed

questions on the Order Paper regarding autism in the fall of 2013.

He followed up with a letter in November asking for answers since none

were given. In January, the minister

wrote our MHA and said the request would need to go through ATIPP.

I ask the minister: Why

would you make our office jump through hoops to get this information, given that

you are an open government?

MR. SPEAKER:

The hon. the Minister of Health and Community

Services.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MS SULLIVAN:

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, I stood in the

House yesterday and answered four or five questions on autism and I am quite

prepared to do it again today.

Whatever the questions are, let's have them.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER:

The hon. the Member for Burgeo La Poile.

MR. A. PARSONS:

The minister spoke yesterday but answers might be a different way of

putting it. The requested

information about autism asked for six numbers, it did not ask for reports, it

did not ask for briefings. You can

answer them now if you want.

He asked at that time for

information on the number of children on a wait-list, the number of

pediatricians working in the Province, and the number of patients sent outside

the Province. A self-proclaimed open

government could not answer these simple questions in a timely fashion.

Now that you claim to be

open, will you continue to release this information, instead of forcing us to go

through ATIPP?

MR. SPEAKER:

The hon. the Minister of Health and Community

Services.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MS SULLIVAN:

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, I do not have

those exact numbers here with me but I would be happy to have those and to give

them to him on the next day.

MR. A. PARSONS:

(Inaudible).

MS SULLIVAN:

Mr. Speaker, if I do not have them here with me,

I do not know how he expects me to give him the exact numbers today.

As I said, I am happy to get him those numbers and I will certainly

respond to the question on the next day.

MR. SPEAKER:

Order, please!

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER:

The hon. the Member for the District of The

Straits White Bay North.

MR. MITCHELMORE:

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

During 2012 Estimates, the

Department of IBRD was asked

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Oh, oh!

MR. SPEAKER:

Order, please!

MR. MITCHELMORE:

for a list of government buildings without access to the government

broadband initiative. Government

responded in this very House, yes, we can provide that list, who has access and

who does not right now.

I ask the minister: Since

you claim to be open, why are the people of the Province still waiting for this

information nearly two years later?

MR. SPEAKER:

The hon. the Minister of Tourism, Culture and

Recreation.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR. FRENCH:

Mr. Speaker, when it comes to our Rural Broadband

Initiative we have been very clear and open on everything.

We have done a significant piece of work, Mr. Speaker.

Let me fill the member in.

Rural broadband one, 2012, Mr. Speaker, twenty-four communities affected,

11,858 households serviced.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR. FRENCH:

In 2013, Mr. Speaker, rural broadband two,

fifty-four communities, 3,344 houses.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR. FRENCH:

Rural broadband number three, Mr. Speaker, in

2014, proposals have been in, the date closed the end of February,

I say to the hon. member, stay tuned, there is good news ahead.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER:

The hon. the Member for The Straits White Bay

North.

MR. MITCHELMORE:

Mr. Speaker, I know the minister is

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Oh, oh!

MR. SPEAKER:

Order, please!

MR. MITCHELMORE:

- new in his role, but the information was requested two years and still

has not been provided.

Mr. Speaker, last December I

wrote the Minister of IBRD for a list of communities without full access to

broadband Internet. In January, the

former minister confirmed that her department has the information, however, was

unwilling to disclose it.

I ask the minister: Now that

you claim to be open, will you provide a list of communities without full access

to broadband Internet?

MR. SPEAKER:

The hon. the Minister of Tourism, Culture and

Recreation.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR. FRENCH:

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I am delighted to talk about

communities with the hon. member. If

the hon. member would be kind enough to listen this time I will certainly fill

him in a little bit on communities.

When we took over government

in 2003, Mr. Speaker, there were 113 communities serviced in this Province.

Today, Mr. Speaker, there are in excess of 500 communities in

Newfoundland and Labrador serviced.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR. FRENCH:

I will also remind the hon. member, that this is

a government that has invested $29 million, Mr. Speaker, in Rural Broadband

Initiatives. Because of that $29

million, it has helped leverage another $115 million for rural broadband in this

Province, Mr. Speaker. This is a

priority for this government. It

always has been since 2003, and our numbers speak for themselves.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER:

The hon. the Member for St. Barbe.

MR. BENNETT:

Mr. Speaker, it has been almost a year since this

government made savage cuts to the justice system.

Under a storm of protests, many of these cuts were reversed and the

government ordered a review of legal aid and the Sheriff's Office.

Government has had the final version of both of these reports for over a

month and is refusing to release them.

I ask the minister: Now that

government claims to be open, will the minister immediately release these

reports he has been sitting on for the past month?

MR. SPEAKER:

The hon. the Minister of Justice.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR. KING:

Yes, Mr. Speaker.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER:

The hon. the Member for the District of St.

Barbe.

MR. BENNETT:

Mr. Speaker, we know that a crushing workload is

an issue for Crown attorneys in the justice system and likely the reason behind

resignations in Happy Valley-Goose Bay, where the backlog of cases continues to

grow.

I ask the minister: Now that

government claims to be open, will he tell us how much the backlog in Happy

Valley-Goose Bay is caused by the crushing workload he has placed on all

front-line justice workers?

MR. SPEAKER:

The hon. the Attorney General.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR. F. COLLINS:

Mr. Speaker, in response to the hon. member's question, and a similar

question he asked yesterday, we have examined the data with respect to caseloads

in the courts in this Province and I am happy to advise that the caseloads in

the Labrador courts have been met with.

The cases have been completed in the same level and same speed as other

courts around the Province. So we

are quite happy with the way the workload has been taken care of in the Labrador

courts.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER:

The hon. the Member for the District of Bay of

Islands.

MR. JOYCE:

Mr. Speaker, the Humber Valley regional land use

draft plan was presented to government three years ago by the advisory

committee.

I ask the minister: Now that

you claim to be an open government, can you update the House on the status of

this plan?

MR. SPEAKER:

The hon. the Minister of Municipal and

Intergovernmental Affairs.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR. KENT:

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to report since the

last session of the House we have made considerable progress on the Humber

Valley regional plan. It was just in

recent weeks that a comprehensive response was sent to the chair of the

committee outlining the concerns and recommendations of government.

We look forward to working with the committee to move the process

forward.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER:

The hon. the Member for Bay of Islands.

MR. JOYCE:

Mr. Speaker, I said from day one that this

advisory plan was nothing more than payback for some political friends.

Mr. Speaker, is the minister

aware of this letter you sent out, which I have a copy of here?

Are you aware that Don Downer is not the chair anymore?

He resigned over a year and a half ago.

Are you aware, Mr. Minister, that there has not been a meeting in three

years for this committee? Are you

aware, Mr. Minister ?

MR. SPEAKER:

Order, please!

I ask the member if he could

direct his comments to the Chair.

MR. JOYCE:

I ask the minister: Is he aware that they are now

phoning out trying to get people who were off from losing elections to try to

get people to fill the committee to have a meeting?

Who is running your department, Mr. Minister?

MR. SPEAKER:

The hon. the Minister of Municipal and

Intergovernmental Affairs.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR. KENT:

Mr. Speaker, my department is making all kinds of

progress in the Humber Valley region and in every region of this Province.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR. KENT:

When it comes to the Humber Valley Regional

Planning Advisory Authority, we look forward to receiving a draft plan from the

authority and we will work with them to move it through the process.

We have provided comprehensive feedback from government departments, and

we will continue to work with all communities on the West Coast in the Humber

Valley region to advance this work.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER:

The hon. the Member for the District of Bay of

Islands.

MR. JOYCE:

Mr. Speaker, I ask the minister: In the spirit of

openness and accountability, will you confirm that $650,000 was spent on the

committee for the draft plan, only to be drafted and sent back by government and

sent to a defunct committee; and, will you confirm how much Mr. Don Downer,

Premier Marshall's former co-campaign manager, received as Chair of the Humber

Valley land use committee and how much he is now being paid as Chair of the

Western management committee?

MR. SPEAKER:

The hon. the Minister of Municipal Affairs.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR. KENT:

Mr. Speaker, the information that the member

opposite is requesting is information that we would be happy to provide.

It is information that we would be happy to make publicly available.

What is frustrating, though,

is that there are lots of people leading communities and leading regions in this

Province who give of their time and their talent to support the growth and

development of regions, to have their characters attacked and questioned on the

floor of this House is absolutely shameful.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER:

The hon. the Member for the District of Bay of

Islands.

MR. JOYCE:

Mr. Speaker, I will tell you what is shameful:

$650,000 paid, as part of the Premier's co-campaign manager, for a report

$650,000 and the report sent back to a defunct committee.

I ask the minister: Is it

shameful that there are people who cannot get enough food to eat, cannot get

enough medical transportation, yet we are paying money out I ask the minister:

When will I receive that information of how much was paid to Mr. Downer?

MR. SPEAKER:

The hon. the Minister of Municipal Affairs.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR. KENT:

Mr. Speaker, the behaviour of the member opposite

speaks for itself, so I will speak to the facts, and it does speak volumes as

well. I will be happy to provide

whatever information the member opposite is requesting.

The planning process is a

complex one. We consider many

aspects of urban and rural regional planning in developing a new plan for an

entire region. There are all kinds

of considerations related to transportation and land use, and agricultural

lands, and the list goes on. All of

that has to be considered. It does

require time; it does require resources.

There are people who have done some good work.

We have gotten some great input from various government departments, we

provided that input, and we will work with the Humber Valley region to advance

that work.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER:

The hon. the Member for the District of St.

John's South.

MR. OSBORNE:

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The Residential Tenancies

Act that governs both tenants and landlords in our Province was written over a

decade ago. Government has been

reviewing this act for two years, but there is still no commitment to change.

I ask the minister: Now that

you claim to be an open government, will you release the results of the review

to say whether or not the minimum standards will be included?

MR. SPEAKER:

The hon. the Minister of Service NL.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR. CRUMMELL:

Mr. Speaker, the Residential Tenancies Act is

well underway, the revisions that we are looking at.

We already did some consultation in public about a year-and-a-half ago;

that is on the SNL Web site now, Mr. Speaker.

You can have a look at what we heard from the people of the Province when

it comes to proposed changes in the act, what they are thinking about and what

they are doing.

We are going through a

legislative review now, Mr. Speaker, as well.

We are also doing a jurisdictional review.

We are getting very close to putting things on paper and having a look

and see where we need to go for the future of the people of the Province when it

comes to these issues.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER:

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

MR. OSBORNE:

Six months ago, I asked the same question and

they were very close to putting things on paper.

Mr. Speaker, Newfoundland

and Labrador, unlike most other provinces, do not have public health legislation

related to minimum housing standards for rental properties.

In the House of Assembly last November, I asked the Minister of Service

NL to protect tenants with minimum standards, as they do in other provinces.

His response was: When the time is appropriate.

In light of recent issues

with regard to rentals in this Province, I ask the minister: When do you deem it

appropriate to protect our tenants?

MR. SPEAKER:

The hon. the Minister of Service NL.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR. CRUMMELL:

Mr. Speaker, when anybody in this Province who

rents a place for their family, they expect to live in a healthy and safe

environment. Certainly, the

Residential Tenancies Act that exists today makes sure that this is indeed the

case.

If there are problems within

the relationship between landlords and tenants, there are remedies in place that

will help tenants, in particular, when you are dealing with bad landlords.

I may say, Mr. Speaker, not all landlords are bad.

There are many good landlords out there.

There are many good tenants out there.

We are talking about a small minority of landlords in the Province.

We are aware of the issues.

We are aware of the problems.

There are remedies in place within the act, within the regulations, and I

encourage anybody who is having difficulties to contact the residential

tenancies division of SNL and they will have the answers to the question and how

to go about it.

MR. SPEAKER:

Order, please!

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER:

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

MR. OSBORNE:

Mr. Speaker, one direct, pointed question at the

minister: What is the remedy for bedbugs that we have heard several cases of in

this Province? His department has

done nothing.

MR. SPEAKER:

The hon. the Minister of Advanced Education and

Skills.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR. O'BRIEN:

Mr. Speaker, the hon. member across the House

just referenced a very complex issue in Newfoundland and Labrador.

The first thing I want to clarify is that complex issue is not just an

issue that will be indicative of low-income people.

Actually, it is a problem for ourselves here in this House of Assembly,

because anybody who has travelled could be subject to bedbugs.

So it is a very complex issue.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Oh, oh!

MR. SPEAKER:

Order, please!

MR. O'BRIEN:

What I have done as the Minister Responsible for

Newfoundland and Labrador Housing is that we have created a committee of deputy

ministers from several departments and we are going to have a look at it.

We invite, actually, as well the City of St. John's, and participation

from any other of the stakeholders; because, I say again, this is not just about

low-income people and Newfoundland and Labrador Housing, Mr. Speaker.

MR. SPEAKER:

Order, please!

The hon. the Member for

Cartwright L'Anse au Clair.

MS DEMPSTER:

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The ferry service between

Blanc-Sablon and Corner Brook has been ongoing nightmare for people because of

the increased delays, inability to make reservations, scheduling, and the whole

ordeal of being at sea for more than fifty hours on repeated trips.

I ask the minister: Now that

you claim to be open, why won't you tell us why you refuse to provide air

service to the people of Labrador who are subject to constant and prolonged

ferry disruptions?

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Oh, oh!

MR. SPEAKER:

Order, please!

The hon. the Minister of

Transportation and Works.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR. MCGRATH:

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I will tell you one thing

that is not open today, and that is the Straits of Belle Isle, with the ice at

four-and-a-half feet deep.

Mr. Speaker, we are very

familiar with what is happening in the Strait of Belle Isle with the ferry

service, and this year the ice conditions in the Strait of Belle Isle, as well

as everywhere else in the Province of Newfoundland and Labrador that depend on

ferry service are dealing with ice conditions that have been unprecedented and

worse than the last twenty-five years in our history.

We monitor it on a daily basis.

To provide an air service is

not just a matter of calling up and having a plane.

We have invested over $500 million in the Trans-Labrador Highway in the

last ten years. The whole purpose of

building the Trans-Labrador Highway was to open (inaudible)

MR. SPEAKER:

Order, please!

The hon. the Leader of the

Third Party.

MS MICHAEL:

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker.

This morning, government

announced its plan to be more open and accountable.

So I ask the Premier: Will

he tell the House about the organizational changes that we hear are coming today

to government's large and unwieldy Department of Advanced Education and Skills?

MR. SPEAKER:

The hon. the Minister of Advanced Education and

Skills.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR. O'BRIEN:

Mr. Speaker, my department was created in 2011 to

address the growing labour market demand in Newfoundland and Labrador.

We wanted to make sure that Newfoundlanders and Labradorians had the

opportunity to become well educated, to have the opportunity to seek prosperity,

to be settled in Newfoundland and Labrador.

To do that, we have to streamline the department.

We have to deliver our services to the best ability for Newfoundlanders

and Labradorians to avail of that opportunity, Mr. Speaker.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER:

The hon. the Leader of the Third Party.

MS MICHAEL:

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker.

I have heard a very

dangerous word, they have to streamline.

I am asking the Premier:

What will these streamlining changes do to assist desperate people who, thanks

to the drastic staffing cuts in last year's Budget, are waiting five to eight

weeks or more for assistance?

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER:

The hon. the Minister of Advanced Education and

Skills.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR. O'BRIEN:

Mr. Speaker, I am proud of the people who work in

Advanced Education and Skills, delivering those services to the people of this

Province. A lot of them have low

income, Mr. Speaker, and they are very vulnerable people in this Province.

I am very proud of my staff

and the way they deliver, how they execute, get the answers to them and the

services to them as fast as they possibly can.

This will streamline that service.

This will consolidate the service.

It will provide the services that these people require.

As well, in regard to addressing the labour demand issues, the skilled

people we have in our Province and the opportunity that aligns them in the

fastest growing economy in Canada.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER:

The hon. the Leader of the Third Party.

MS MICHAEL:

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker.

The minister has not told us

what this is, so I am expecting a news release to tell us what this is.

Mr. Speaker, parents of

school board is destroying their school in order to deal with a crowded school

situation elsewhere in the area.

Parents believe that the most logical solution is the addition of a modular to

Mount Pearl Senior High. The board

has resisted this option.

I ask the Minister of

Education, if he is prepared to support the call of the parents with this

logical solution?

MR. SPEAKER:

The hon. the Minister of Education.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR. JACKMAN:

Mr. Speaker, over the past while the

representation of the MHAs in that particular area has been heard; the call for

a review of that entire system. The

school board is conducting that review, Mr. Speaker, and we are not going to

interfere with that process. We will

let that process unfold and then what comes out of it we will make a decision

from there.

Understand, Mr. Speaker, and

I will tell the hon. member, we are very supportive of that entire community and

we will find a successful resolution there.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER:

The hon. the Leader of the Third Party.

MS MICHAEL:

Mr. Speaker, then I ask the minister: If they are

not going to be satisfied with the answer from the school board who have passed

the resolution saying they will reorganize Mount Pearl Intermediate, will he

intervene to make sure that the pleas of these parents, which are coming to me,

will be heard? Really concretely, I

would like the answer.

MR. SPEAKER:

The hon. the Minister of Education.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR. JACKMAN:

Mr. Speaker, we are going to be as supportive of

these parents as we are of the ones in Virginia Park.

We are going to put a school in her district.

Mr. Speaker, I am not going

to intervene. Are we going to

satisfy all parents here? Not likely

will we satisfy all parents, but we will hear what parents have to say.

The board is conducting these discussions and out of that will come a

decision.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER:

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

MR. MURPHY:

Mr. Speaker, where is the 2013 Drinking Water

Safety Annual Report?

MR. SPEAKER:

The hon. the Minister of Environment and

Conservation.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MS SHEA:

Mr. Speaker, any annual reports, like the

drinking water annual report, will certainly be released publicly.

In saying that, next week there is a conference in Gander regarding

drinking water in Newfoundland and Labrador.

Unfortunately, I will not be able to attend because I will be here in the

House of Assembly.

Mr. Speaker, drinking water

and testing of water is something this government has made as open data we

release so every community can monitor where their water situation is.

AN HON. MEMBER:

Open government.

MS SHEA:

Open government.

Mr. Speaker, the fact that

we post this information long before this initiative today certainly shows that

our commitment to open government has been there for quite some time.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER:

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

MR. MURPHY:

Mr. Speaker, World Water Day is March 22 and

studies show that our drinking water does not have compulsory sourced water

protection of all water sheds, unlike in other provinces.

Will the government commit

itself to extending the protection of drinking water sources for the welfare of

all Newfoundlanders and Labradorians?

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER:

The hon. the Minister of Environment and

Conservation.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MS SHEA:

Mr. Speaker, the Department of Environment and

Conservation, along with the Department of Municipal Affairs and all our local

service districts and town councils throughout Newfoundland and Labrador, are

committed to safe drinking water. We

have a history of working with our communities to ensure they are able to avail

of the services to help them provide the drinking water to their communities,

and we have never fallen down on that commitment.

We will continue to work with the communities in this Province.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER:

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

MR. MURPHY:

Mr. Speaker, the project of exploration

undertaken around the Big Triangle Pond project puts the backup water supply for

nearby communities at risk of pollution.

Will the government please

tell the House why such an exploration project can be allowed to happen where

people would depend on their water source?

MR. SPEAKER:

The hon. the Minister of Environment and

Conservation.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MS SHEA:

Mr. Speaker, the hon. member is wrong.

The environmental assessment process and the environmental protection

review report that is being completed is done so that all aspects from an

environmental perspective can be reviewed and analysis can be done.

Projects will only proceed if they are deemed as safe.

So until the information is in and the analysis is done, this project has

not been released from the environmental assessment process.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER:

The time for Question Period has expired.

The hon. the Member for

Burgeo La Poile.

MR. A. PARSONS:

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

During Question Period, upon

questioning by the Member for Bay of Islands, the Minister of Municipal Affairs

clearly pulled out a document from which he read.

According to Bosc and O'Brien, page 433, Any document quoted by a

Minister in debate or in response to a question during Question Period must be

tabled. Indeed, they are not at

liberty to read or quote from a despatch or other state paper without being

prepared to table it....

We have seen this before,

Mr. Speaker. I think the minister

clearly read from the document and I think he should be forced to table it.

Thank you.

MR. SPEAKER:

The hon. the Government House Leader.

MR. KING:

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

If you look at the desks of

any minister over here, mine included, you will see multiple papers.

Any time we stand we have papers in our hand that we often refer to.

Sometimes we hold them for the sake of holding them.

I do not think the member

actually read from a document. The

section in Bosc and O'Brien that the hon. Opposition House Leader is referring

to states specifically if a minister reads directly from notes.

The minister referred to notes on any number of occasions, as we all do.

MR. SPEAKER:

The hon. the Member of Burgeo La Poile to the

point of order.

MR. A. PARSONS:

In response to the comments from the Government House Leader, I would

note that the minister answered four questions and he did not pick up a piece of

paper during each question. In fact,

some he did not have any paper in his hands.

He specifically, in this case, raised the paper to which he had to read.

I am going by Bosc and O'Brien.

I think the minister read

from the paper. I will leave it to

the discretion of the Speaker to review the video and make his ruling.

Thank you.

MR. SPEAKER:

The Speaker does not need to review the video, I

was observing during Question Period.

I am not sure what member of the Opposition posed the question, but the

very first question answered by the Minister of Municipal Affairs today, I have

deemed that he had read from a paper.

I would ask him to table that particular document.

Presenting Reports by

Standing and Select Committees.

MR. KENT:

A point of order, Mr. Speaker.

MR. SPEAKER:

The hon. the Minister of Municipal and

Intergovernmental Affairs on a point of order.

MR. KENT:

Mr. Speaker, during Question Period, the Leader

of the Opposition posed a question related to the precise cost of the launch

this morning.

MR. SPEAKER:

Order, please!

Is the minister responding

to the ruling already made by the Speaker?

MR. KENT:

No.

MR. SPEAKER:

Okay.

There is no point of order.

MR. KENT:

Thank you.

Mr. Speaker, the total cost

involved and I would be happy to provide the Leader of the Opposition with the

invoices was $4,566.

MR. SPEAKER:

Thank you.

Tabling of Documents.

Tabling of Documents

MR. SPEAKER:

In accordance with

section

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Oh, oh!

MR. SPEAKER:

Order, please!

In accordance with

section

19(5)(

a) of the House of Assembly Accountability, Integrity and Administration

Act, I hereby table minutes of the House of Assembly Management Commission

meetings held on September 18 and December 11, 2013, and March 5, 2014.

Notices of Motion.

Answers to Questions for

which Notice has been Given.

Petitions.

Petitions

MR. SPEAKER:

The hon. the Member for Bay of Islands.

MR. JOYCE:

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I present a petition today.

To the hon. House of Assembly of the Province of Newfoundland and

Labrador in Parliament assembled, the petition of the undersigned residents

humbly sheweth:

WHEREAS we wish to raise the

concern regarding the recent delay of the construction of the new hospital in

Corner Brook, Newfoundland and Labrador; and

WHEREUPON the undersigned,

your petitioners, humbly pray and call upon the House of Assembly to urge the

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

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

announced, without further delay.

Mr. Speaker, I present this

petition and I am going to present a lot more in the near future.

Over 4,000 people signed petitions about the delay of the hospital in

Corner Brook, about the rightsizing of the downsizing of the hospital in Corner

Brook. I heard Mr. Frank Coleman

mention yesterday that the only policy he made was that the hospital in Corner

Brook should have been built by now.

Mr. Speaker, don't he know that was a fourteen, fifteen-year project?

Mr. Speaker, I would just to

let you know that the people here are looking for a full-scale hospital which

includes a PET scanner and a radiation unit.

Mr. Speaker, I spend half my time in this House disputing the facts that

are being presented by this government on a radiation unit.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Oh, oh!

MR. SPEAKER:

Order, please!

MR. JOYCE:

I fully support the action committee in their

drive for their PET scanner and radiation unit.

Mr. Speaker, I hear the Minister of Health over there the Minister of

Health someday should stand and tell us about the poll she did out in Grand

Falls. Tell us about the poll that

was done, Mr. Speaker. That is one

of the things and about how it is $40 million for a PET scanner, $40 million,

which the minister said in this House.

That is the kind of information that I have to go and disprove on a

regular basis.

I have asked for it on a

regular basis. I asked the Premier

on a regular basis. Let's have an

informed decision. I understand that

the Premier is out himself this is encouraging, Mr. Speaker, and I tell the

people this is encouraging. He does

not even believe the information of the Department of Health; he is out getting

his own facts. I say

congratulations, Premier, because I do not believe the facts that were put forth

either.

I encourage the people to

keep signing the petitions. Premier,

keep getting the facts because you will get the same answers I have, and it is

not the same information that the Minister of Health and the Department of

Health is putting out.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

MR. SPEAKER:

Order, please!

The hon. the Leader of the

Third Party.

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 of Newfoundland and Labrador humbly

sheweth:

WHEREAS violent workplace

incidents involving convenience store clerks and gas station attendants are a

serious health and safety issue; and

WHEREAS many public and

private sector employees are being left in vulnerable situations, especially in

the opening and closing of their buildings and establishments; and

WHEREAS all workers deserve

protection from danger and harm; and

WHEREAS current government

regulations are woefully inadequate in providing even basic protection for these

vulnerable workers; and

WHEREAS it is the

responsibility of employers to keep workers safe and the responsibility of

government ensure employers adhere to regulations;

We, the undersigned,

petition the House of Assembly to urge government to immediately enact

legislation and regulations to protect workers in hazardous workplaces,

including late-night shifts in convenience stores and gas stations.

This legislation must direct employers to have a minimum of two workers

on site after 10:00 p.m. and before 6:00 a.m., or have a secure barrier between

the worker and customer in place between these hours.

As in duty bound, your

petitioners will ever pray.

I am pleased, Mr. Speaker,

to have an opportunity once again to represent the voice of people in the

Province who are concerned about the lack of safety for people working

throughout the nights in convenience stores and in gas bars.

Any of us listening to the news know that we continue to have break-ins

happen, not just in St. John's or on the Northeast Avalon but throughout the

Province.

Some of the people who have

signed this petition are students, and we know that many students cannot afford

to be here in St. John's attending the university or college without holding

down jobs. Of course, because of

daytime classes and their studies, one of the jobs that a lot of them hold down

are jobs in convenience stores and gas bars and are working at night.

I have spoken to a number of

them, actually and, in each case, they were young women.

In some cases, they are in situations where they are the only person

working at night. We have a duty to

our young people to protect them. We

have a duty to make sure that as they go to university, they are going to be

able to get their education without fear.

It is bad enough that they have to hold down jobs I did not have to,

Mr. Speaker, because my education was free.

When I was in university, we did not have to pay for it; but, in order

for them to get through, they have to hold down the jobs.

It is our responsibility to make sure they and other workers at night are

safe.

So I really encourage the

House to listen to this petition.

Thank you very much, Mr.

Speaker.

MR. SPEAKER:

It is like a jack-in-the-box today.

The hon. the Member for

Mount Pearl South.

MR. LANE:

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

To the hon. House of

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

the petition of the undersigned residents humbly sheweth:

WHEREAS there are many

individuals within our Province who have mobility issues; and

WHEREAS it is extremely

important, as an inclusive society, to ensure appropriate access to both public

and private facilities and institutions; and

WHEREAS a key component in

the provision of access for a person with mobility issues is the provision of

regulated blue zones; and

WHEREAS our provincial

government implemented new blue zone regulations two years ago and has not only

failed to adequately enforce them on private parking areas, but has failed to

ensure compliance with these regulations at all government facilities,

hospitals, and agencies;

WHEREUPON the undersigned,

your petitioners, humbly pray and call upon the House of Assembly to urge the

Government of Newfoundland and Labrador to lead by example and ensure that all

government facilities, hospitals, and agencies are in compliance with its own

blue zone regulations.

As in duty bound, your

petitioners will ever pray.

Mr. Speaker, this is an

issue I have raised on a number of occasions, and I will continue to do so.

As we know, two years ago, the government passed blue zone regulations

and all members of the House of Assembly, on all sides, voted for them

unanimously.

The problem we have, Mr.

Speaker, as I have said on other times I have spoken on this, is that the

regulations are not being enforced.

Government has certainly failed in that regard miserably.

Not only are we not enforcing regulations upon private premises, as we

are supposed to see happening and should have happened long ago, the government

is not even leading by example when it comes to implementing these regulations

on its own properties.

We have seen it at the

Health Sciences Centre, St. Clare's hospital, Workplace Health, Safety and

Compensation Commission, Newfoundland and Labrador Housing, the Newfoundland

Liquor Corporation outlets, AES offices, and the Department of Natural

Resources. Mr. Speaker, there are a

number of government facilities, corporations, and so on where they are not even

compliant with their own legislation.

I am calling upon the

minister and the government obviously, they are now claiming to be open and

accountable, they are going to save a lot of money in toner on these ATIPP

requests, and I suggest they invest in blue paint and signs.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

MR. SPEAKER:

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

MS ROGERS:

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

To the hon. House of

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

the petition of the undersigned residents of Newfoundland and Labrador humbly

sheweth:

WHEREAS the Family Violence

Intervention Court provided a comprehensive approach to domestic violence in a

court setting that fully understood and dealt with the complex issues of

domestic violence; and

WHEREAS domestic violence

continues to be one of the most serious issues facing our Province today, and

the cost of the impact of domestic violence is great both economically and in

human suffering; and

WHEREAS the Family Violence

Intervention Court was welcomed and endorsed by all aspects of the justice

system including the police, the courts, prosecutors, defence counsel, Child,

Youth and Family Services, as well as victims, offenders, community agencies and

women's groups; and

WHEREAS the recidivism rate

for offenders going through the court was 10 per cent compared to 40 per cent

for those who did not; and

WHEREAS the budget for the

court was only 0.2 per cent of the entire budget of the Department of Justice;

WHEREUPON the undersigned,

your petitioners, humbly pray and call upon the House of Assembly to urge

government to reinstate the Family Violence Intervention Court.

As in duty bound your

petitioners will ever pray.

Mr. Speaker, I have

presented this petition, I do not know how many times in the House of Assembly.

On Tuesday, this week, when we were talking about everybody here in

this House stood up and unequivocally supported the resolution to urge the

federal government to launch an inquiry on murdered and missing Aboriginal

women. One of the ministers on the

other side of the House said, I believe it was the Member for St. George's

Stephenville East: It is not about if we are going to have an inquiry, but when.

The need is not going to go away.

Mr. Speaker, the need for

the Family Violence Intervention Court is not going to go away.

The last time I spoke to this petition I talked about how much money it

would take to reinstate the court and where there are pockets of money far

greater than that being spent.

I would also like to look

at, really, what would it take to reinstate the court?

Well, the courtroom is already there, so we do not have to come up with a

new courtroom. It is only half a

day, twice a week, so that courtroom is already there.

The specialized judge is still at the bench, and this is a judge who has

had specialized training in the area of domestic violence.

Why waste this expertise? He

is ready to go.

The Crown prosecutor, the

current one that was there has gone; however, there are Crown prosecutors who

can take up this cause. Legal Aid

defence, that is all there.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Oh, oh!

MR. SPEAKER:

Order, please!

MS ROGERS:

A new Legal Aid lawyer would not have to be

hired. We would have to hire a risk

assessor, Mr. Speaker, but that would have been part of that budget.

Victim Services is still there and operating in the Province.

A bail supervisor is still there.

We need a new court liaison; that was a very important role.

John Howard Society is still there.

Mr. Speaker, the Premier and

the Minister of Justice are telling me that John Howard is still doing the

training program with offenders, but they are not because the money for that was

cut. Mr. Speaker, I believe that

this can be reinstituted without a whole lot of additional funds.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER:

The hon. the Member for The Straits White Bay

North.

MR. MITCHELMORE:

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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 government has a

responsibility to ensure that Internet access is broadly available so people

have the right to be able to access the Internet in order to exercise and enjoy

their rights to freedom of expression and opinion and other fundamental human

rights; and

WHEREAS the Town of Goose

Cove still remains without broadband services; and

WHEREAS residents rely on

Internet services for education, business, communication and social activity;

and

WHEREAS wireless and wired

technologies exist to provide broadband service to rural communities to replace

slower dial-up service;

We the undersigned, petition

the House of Assembly to urge the government to assist providers to ensure the

Town of Goose Cove is a recipient of broadband Internet service in Newfoundland

and Labrador.

As in duty bound your

petitioners will ever pray.

Mr. Speaker, I guess to make

clear, the Town of Goose Cove is one of those up to 200 communities that do not

have access to broadband Internet.

We are not able to get a clear list from the government on this

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Oh, oh!

MR. SPEAKER:

Order, please!

MR. MITCHELMORE:

It is very important to acknowledge and know where the communities are

that do not have access to broadband Internet.

The mapping model has been done by the department.

Why will they not make that publicly available so we can get the best

investment from providers, from those people working there, so that we can

ensure people in rural communities, especially municipalities that really

struggle to provide service and operate their town, like Goose Cove, have access

to broadband Internet? That is quite

key. We really need that in terms of

moving forward to building a knowledge-based economy.

My constituents have put

forward this petition. I am

encouraged by it. With the Rural

Broadband Initiative that is there, I would hope that we will see a number of

more communities moving forward and have broadband Internet.

It is vital, it is essential.

We have to build a ubiquitous network.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

MR. SPEAKER:

The hon. the Member for Burgeo La Poile.

MR. A. PARSONS:

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I have a petition to the

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

Parliament assembled, humbly sheweth:

WHEREAS hundreds of

residents of the South Coast of the Province of Newfoundland and Labrador,

including residents of the communities of Burgeo, Ramea, Grey River, and

Franois use Route 480 on a regular basis for work, medical, educational and

social reasons; and

WHEREAS there is no

cellphone coverage on Route 480; and

WHEREAS residents and users

of Route 480 require cellphone coverage to ensure their safety and communication

abilities; and

WHEREAS the Department of

IBRD recently announced significant funding to improve broadband; and

WHEREAS the residents and

users of Route 480 feel that the Department of IBRD should also invest in

cellphone coverage for rural Newfoundland and Labrador;

WHEREUPON the undersigned,

your petitioners, humbly pray and call upon the House of Assembly to urge the

Government of Newfoundland and Labrador to support the users of Route 480 in

their request to obtain cellphone coverage along Route 480.

Mr. Speaker, this is a

petition I have entered numerous times in this House before.

The facts do not change; it is a service that has come a long way.

I bring this up today in response to the new Minister of IBRD stood up

today and talked about broadband and when it comes to the government tea party

today on openness and transparency.

I am putting this forward

again now. I do not know the process

of how I would have to do this. I

asked the previous Ministers of IBRD there were a couple of them for a

coverage area on where there is cellphone coverage and where there are cellphone

gaps. I have never, ever gotten an

answer ever.

What I am doing is there is

a new Minister of IBRD and I am going to put the question to him.

I do not know if I have to rewrite the letter or take the old letter.

I see the old Minister of IBRD, and there was another one there.

They never wrote back.

Now that this government has

found their openness and their transparency, I am putting it out today.

It is on the record. I would

like a map of the coverage areas of cellphone coverage in the Province and where

there is a lack of cellphone coverage.

I asked it before in numerous letters and I never received anything.

I can put it through ATIPP,

but I figured where you are open and transparent I could get it for free if I

asked about it. I do have residents

asking. I put that on the record

today. I am hoping we can get that.

Then once I get that information I can come back and ask more questions

on this. Cellphone coverage is

necessary, we need to have it for various reasons.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER:

The hon. the Member for Cartwright L'Anse au

Clair.

MS DEMPSTER:

To the hon. House of Assembly of the Province of

Newfoundland and Labrador in Parliament assembled, the petition of the

undersigned humbly sheweth:

WHEREAS Route 510 from

L'Anse au Clair to Red Bay is in deplorable condition and requires immediate

upgrading; and

WHEREAS the condition of the

highway is causing undue damage to vehicles using the highway and has now become

a safety hazard for the travelling public; and

WHEREAS both residential and

commercial traffic has increased dramatically with the opening of the

Trans-Labrador Highway and increased development in Labrador; and

WHEREAS cold patch is no

longer adequate as a means of repair;

WHEREUPON the undersigned,

your petitioners, humbly pray and call upon the House of Assembly to urge the

Government of Newfoundland and Labrador to immediately allocate resources to

Route 510 from L'Anse au Clair to Red Bay that allows for permanent resurfacing

of the highway.

As in duty bound, your

petitioners will ever pray.

Mr. Speaker, what we are

talking about is a seventy-six kilometre stretch from L'Anse au Clair to Red

Bay. I know when you talk about

roads and ferries, the response you get is you will never have enough money for

the ferries and there are road problems everywhere.

I would challenge everybody

in this House to come down and drive what we have to drive in my district.

You will be hard-pressed to find anything worse.

There is a picture that many of you have seen, a very tall gentleman who

lies down on the side of the road and the hole in the road is bigger than the

gentleman. Last week, we had four

accidents four accidents last week.

Who is going to take the responsibility when somebody is killed?

In the spirit of openness

and transparency, I would love to see the cost.

Every summer you see ten, twelve, or fourteen transportation workers all

putting in cold patch. We call it

now the Dalmatian highway because there are more patches than there is the

original pavement. It is all these

black spots everywhere. It is

absolutely ridiculous, Mr. Speaker, what we have to drive on.

I know the minister said

earlier that he knows one thing that is not open today and that is the ice in

the Labrador Straits. If he knows

that, why are we being treated differently once again than other parts of the

Province that have ferry disruptions?

It is the same thing as the road.

I am going to continue to

advocate so that, God forbid, if somebody is killed I will at least have a paper

trail to know that I was lobbying, I was advocating, and being a voice for the

people. I would like to know what

government is going to say in the unfortunate event that happens.

We cannot wait six years until the road is paved from Red Bay to Goose

Bay before something is done with that

section of the highway between L'Anse au

Clair and Red Bay.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER:

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

MR. MURPHY:

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

To the hon. House of

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

the petition of the undersigned residents of Newfoundland and Labrador humbly

sheweth:

WHEREAS the residents of the

Pynn's Brook area are facing dangers in turning their vehicles safely off TCH

Route 1 into their own driveways; and

WHEREAS it is common

practice along TCH Route 1 to impose speed reductions for traffic travelling

through communities such as Badger, Deer Lake, Bishop's Falls, Gander,

Clarenville, and Whitbourne; and

WHEREAS highway traffic

accidents along the stretch of TCH Route 1 through Pynn's Brook have caused

deaths and injuries;

WHEREUPON the undersigned,

your petitioners, humbly pray and call upon the House of Assembly to urge

government to reduce the maximum speed limit on TCH Route 1 through the Pynn's

Brook area from the present 100 kilometres an hour to sixty kilometres an hour.

As in duty bound, your

petitioners will ever pray.

Mr. Speaker, I did stand in

the House in the last session and present a petition from this same area on this

same concern. The residents who have

signed this in this particular case come from Corner Brook, Pynn's Brook, Port

Saunders, Deer Lake, and Pasadena.

This is not just a Pynn's Brook issue; this also has to do and is well connected

to residents on either side of Pynn's Brook who have to travel that

section of

the highway.

I say to the government, the

other side of the House, it would be minimal cost to put in such a safety

measure as this so residents can get in off the highway safely, so they do not

have to run the risk of being rear-ended, for example, by a tractor trailer,

when all they want to do is get into their own homes and get into their driveway

safely, get in off the road and end up not being the victims of a car accident.

Mr. Speaker, as I have

already stated, there are more than enough communities as shining examples as to

reasons why government has already stepped down speed limits going through these

various towns, Gander and Whitbourne

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Oh, oh!

MR. SPEAKER:

Order, please!

MR. MURPHY:

Everybody knows that the speed limits are

well-reduced. Again, they were done

for a reason. Now, government has

already come out and stated with legislation in the last little while that they

have come out with some safety measures to carry out along our highways.

Mr. Speaker, this is so

simple of an item. It is minimal

dollars to do this. We know that

there is a concrete record of accidents and deaths in this area, and I think

that the Minister of Transportation can address this by a budgetary requirement

of probably a couple of hundred dollars and an awareness campaign to let people

know that if the speed limit is going to be reduced so that people can get in

off the highways safely, as in other areas these people, Mr. Speaker, have

rights. They have the right to be

safe while they are residents.

People who are passing through the area have a right to be safe as well when

they are driving through that area, so that coming upon turning traffic

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Oh, oh!

MR. SPEAKER:

Order, please!

MR. MURPHY:

that they do not have to put up with the road

hazard as well that is in front of them.

This one goes two ways as much as the highway does, Mr. Speaker.

I thank you for your time on this, and hopefully government will address

this concern.

Thank you.

MR. SPEAKER:

The hon. the Member for St. Barbe.

MR. BENNETT:

Mr. Speaker, a petition to the hon. House of

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

the petition of the undersigned humbly sheweth:

WHEREAS there is no

cellphone service in the Town of Trout River, which is an enclave community in

Gros Morne National Park; and

WHEREAS visitors to Gros

Morne National Park, more than 100,000 annually, expect to communicate by

cellphone when they visit the park; and

WHEREAS cellphone service

has become a very important aspect of everyday living for residents; and

WHEREAS cellphone service is

an essential safety tool for visitors and residents; and

WHEREAS cellphone service is

essential for business development;

WHEREUPON the undersigned,

your petitioners, humbly pray and call upon the House of Assembly to urge the

Government of Newfoundland and Labrador to partner with the private sector to

extend cellphone coverage throughout Gros Morne National Park and the enclave

community of Trout River.

As in duty bound, your

petitioners will ever pray.

Mr. Speaker, this petition

I keep getting copies of it sent to me, and people keep on circulating it.

Now they have gone through pretty much most of the people in the Town of

River. There is somewhere in the

order of 650 people or so in Trout River, and I see names are coming now from

other areas, Rocky Harbour and various different towns.

I was somewhat encouraged

yesterday by the government's announcement of extending 911 coverage.

The extension of 911 coverage would be a very good thing for the

Province. It would be a great thing;

it would alleviate all sort of safety issues and make people be able to report

emergencies. In the minister's

statement, he was saying how people could use cellphones and they could phone

911. Well, not in Trout River they

will not, because they will not have cellphone service in Trout River.

Also, a first responder coming, based on a 911 call, is going to need a

street name and a street number.

So, in addition to

cellphones for Trout River and for any other communities that do not have

cellphones, I would urge government to continue moving forward, accelerate the

pace, work with private service providers in order to extend cellphone coverage.

Moreover, continue with

Municipalities Newfoundland and Labrador and start extending the naming of

streets and numbering of houses, because for sure this is something that

government could learn from its past oversights and shortcomings.

Instead of bringing on 911 service and saying now we have to get the

streets done, but now we have to get the houses numbered, now we need to put in

place cellphone coverage, why not have all of this move forward in sync and in a

little while, maybe a year or more or less when we have 911 coverage, we will be

able to have everybody in the Province access 911 coverage because we have

already done the groundwork for it?

These petitions urge the

House of Assembly to urge the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador to extend

cellphone coverage, in this case, to Trout River.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

MR. SPEAKER:

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

MR. KIRBY:

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

To the hon. House of

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

the petition of the undersigned residents of Newfoundland and Labrador humbly

sheweth:

WHEREAS the lack of services

and supports in the school system is a serious obstacle to learning for children

and youth with Autism Spectrum Disorder; and

WHEREAS long wait-lists for

pediatric assessment and diagnostic services are preventing many children with

Autism Spectrum Disorder from receiving needed early diagnosis; and

WHEREAS the Intensive

Applied Behavioural Analysis Program is currently not available for children

after Grade 3; and

WHEREAS applied behavioural

analysis has been shown to be effective for many individuals beyond Grade 3; and

WHEREAS there is a lack of

supports and services for children and youth with Autism Spectrum Disorder after

they age out of the Intensive Applied Behavioural Analysis Program; and

WHEREAS it is unacceptable

to expect parents in Newfoundland and Labrador to pay thousands of dollars out

of their own pockets to cover the costs of privately delivered applied

behavioural analysis after Grade 3;

WHEREUPON the undersigned,

your petitioners, humbly pray and call upon the House of Assembly to urge

government to extend eligibility for the Intensive Applied Behavioural Analysis

Program beyond Grade 3 in consultation with parents, advocates, educators,

health care providers, and experts in the autism community.

As in duty bound, your

petitioners will ever pray.

Mr. Speaker, we have been

talking about Autism Spectrum Disorder and some of the problems, in the House of

Assembly for the past couple of days now, in Question Period in particular.

I think one of the most significant issues facing families and children

right now is the whole question of wait-lists.

It really factors into the Intensive Applied Behavioural Analysis

Program.

As many parents will tell

you, their children often age out of eligibility for this program because the

wait-lists are so long. Oftentimes

people do not realize that their children have undiagnosed ASD.

They do not get the diagnosis in time to qualify for this program, or

they get it relatively late and subsequently do not get the level of service.

They do not get the level of attention they need to fully benefit from

this.

Extending the eligibility of

this program is pretty important.

Also, the research does show that this particular therapy is useful and is

effective throughout the lifespan.

There is no hard and fast rule that says we have to end it after Grade 3 because

we know it works throughout people's lives.

I encourage members to think

about this and to get this done. The

Budget period is a good time to think about this.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER:

Orders of the Day.

Orders of the Day

MR. SPEAKER:

The hon. the Government House Leader.

MR. KING:

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I call Motion 1, Mr.

Speaker.

I move, seconded by the

Minister of Service Newfoundland and Labrador, to ask leave to introduce a bill

entitled,

An Act To Amend The Vital Statistics Act, 2009, Bill 3, and that said

bill be now read the first time.

MR. SPEAKER:

Bill 3, you say, Government House Leader?

It is moved and seconded

that the hon. the Minister of Service NL shall have leave to introduce a bill,

An Act To Amend The Vital Statistics Act, 2009, Bill 3, and that the said bill

be now read a first time.

Is it the pleasure of the

House that the minister shall have leave to introduce Bill 3 and that the said

bill be now read a first time?

All those in favour, aye'.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Aye.

Motion, the hon. the

Minister of Service NL to introduce a bill,

An Act To Amend The Vital

Statistics Act, 2009, carried.

(Bill 3)

MR. SPEAKER:

This bill has now been read a first time.

When shall the bill be read

a second time?

I am sorry.

CLERK:

A bill,

An Act To Amend The Vital Statistics Act, 2009.

(Bill 3)

MR. SPEAKER:

I got ahead of myself.

The bill has been now read a

first time.

When shall the bill be read

a second time?

MR. KING:

Tomorrow.

MR. SPEAKER:

Tomorrow.

On motion, Bill 3 read a

first time, ordered read a second time on tomorrow.

MR. SPEAKER:

The hon. the Government House Leader.

MR. KING:

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I move, seconded by the

Minister of Health and Community Services, to ask to leave to introduce a bill

entitled,

An Act to Amend the Mental Health Care and Treatment Act, Bill 4, and

that the said bill be now read the first time.

MR. SPEAKER:

It is moved and seconded that the hon. the

Minister of Health and Community Services shall have leave to introduce a bill,

An Act to Amend the Mental Health Care and Treatment Act, Bill 4, and that the

said bill be now read a first time.

Is it the pleasure of the

House that the minister shall have leave to introduce Bill 4 and that the said

bill be now read a first time?

All those in favour, aye'.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Aye.

MR. SPEAKER:

All those against, nay'.

Motion carried.

Motion, the hon. the

Minister of Health and Community Services to introduce a bill,

An Act To Amend

The Mental Health Care And Treatment Act, carried.

(Bill 4)

CLERK:

A bill,

An Act To Amend The Mental Health Care And Treatment Act.

(Bill 4)

MR. SPEAKER:

This bill has now been read a first time.

When shall the bill be read

a second time?

MR. KING:

Tomorrow.

MR. SPEAKER:

Tomorrow.

On motion, Bill 4 read a

first time, ordered read a second time on tomorrow.

MR. SPEAKER:

The hon. the Government House Leader.

MR. KING:

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I move, seconded by the

Minister of Service Newfoundland and Labrador, to ask leave to introduce a bill

entitled,

An Act To Repeal The Printing Services Act, Bill 5, and the said bill

be now read a first time.

MR. SPEAKER:

It is moved and seconded that the hon. the

Minister of Service NL shall have leave to introduce a bill,

An Act To Repeal

The Printing Services Act, Bill 5, and that the said bill be now read a first

time.

Is it the pleasure of the

House that the minister shall have leave to introduce Bill 5 and that the said

bill be read a first time.

All those in favour, aye'.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Aye.

MR. SPEAKER:

All those against, nay'.

Motion carried.

Motion, the hon. the

Minister of Service NL to introduce a bill,

An Act To Repeal The Printing

Services Act, carried. (Bill 5)

CLERK:

A bill,

An Act To Repeal The Printing Services Act.

(Bill 5)

MR. SPEAKER:

This bill has now been read a first time.

When shall the bill be read

a second time?

MR. KING:

Tomorrow.

MR. SPEAKER:

Tomorrow.

On motion, Bill 5 read a

first time, ordered read a second time on tomorrow.

MR. SPEAKER:

The hon. the Government House Leader.

MR. KING:

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I move, seconded by the

Minister of Environment and Conservation, that the House resolve itself into a

Committee of the Whole to consider resolution and Bill 2 respecting the granting

of Interim Supply to Her Majesty.

MR. SPEAKER:

It has been moved and seconded that this House do

now resolve itself into Committee of the Whole and that I do now leave the

Chair.

All those in favour, aye'.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Aye.

MR. SPEAKER:

All those against, nay'.

Motion carried.

On motion, that the House

resolve itself into a Committee of the Whole on Supply, Mr. Speaker left the

Chair.

Committee of the Whole

CHAIR (Verge):

Order, please!

The Committee of Supply is

considering the related resolution and Bill 2,

An Act for Granting to Her

Majesty Certain Sums of Money for Defraying Certain Expenses of the Public

Service for the Financial Year Ending March 31, 2015 and for Other Purposes

Related to the Public Service.

I recognize the hon. the

Minister of Tourism, Culture and Recreation.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR. FRENCH:

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

First of all, I guess I

should apologize to the Speaker because not that I disrespect the Chair, I

always respect the Chair of this House, but I was a little disappointed because

I jumped to my feet during ministerial statements to do a ministerial statement

and was very disappointed that the Speaker did not recognize me.

I quickly realized when I went back, the Speaker did not know I had a

ministerial statement today. So I

apologize to the Chair for some dirty looks earlier in the session, Mr. Chair.

I would not normally do

this, but I would like to read out my ministerial statement.

Normally, I would not but it is certainly sensitive for today because it

is a great announcement today. If

you will bear with me just for a couple of minutes.

I am pleased to rise today,

of course, in this hon. House to highlight an initiative that engages youth in

innovative activities throughout Newfoundland and Labrador.

Newfoundland and Labrador's

youth are vital to the Province's future prosperity.

In order for them to grow and contribute, it is incumbent upon us to

provide opportunities to encourage innovation, creativity, and build essential

skills in our young people.

Mr. Chair, I am pleased to

announce that we are seeking proposals for projects that support and promote

youth innovation and contribute to valuable learning experiences for the

Province's students, non-profit organizations, youth organizations,

municipalities, and industry associations.

I am proud to share that since 2009 the provincial government has made

four calls for youth innovation proposals and has invested $1.8 million in 103

projects.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR. FRENCH:

Available funding will be totalling $400,000 and

will support projects that benefit participants by increasing opportunities to

use leading-edge technologies and improve technology skillsets.

These grants will provide

non-repayable contributions of up to 80 per cent of eligible project costs to a

maximum of $15,000 per project. This

year's deadline is April 17 and projects receiving funding will be announced

before the conclusion of the school year.

The grants are designed to

connect youth to science, technology, and engineering and identify opportunities

in a number of strategic sectors such as digital media, ocean technology and the

green economy, all of which reflect our goal of creating awareness among youth

of the tremendous opportunities that exist in our Province.

Mr. Chair, our government is

committed to supporting youth who represent a bright future for Newfoundland and

Labrador. I invite interested groups

and organizations to visit Innovation, Business and Rural Development's Web site

to find out more and apply for our 2014 youth innovation grant.

This is a great program, one

that my predecessors in this department created some years ago.

It is certainly a significant contribution to youth in the tech sector,

in particular, and we have some real exciting new industries out there including

ocean technology, which I mentioned, and the green economy.

Certainly, I want to encourage groups across the Province to apply for

that.

Mr. Chair, another thing I

would like to reference, we are talking about rural broadband initiatives

earlier. The member for the Third

Party Opposition, sorry, I get them mixed up; they move around a little bit

over there, Mr. Chair. This

correspondence could have got lost in the mix because I do not know which seat

he is sitting in from time to time, so I am not sure if he was with the Third

Party or the coalition party. I am

not sure which party he was with.

I just want to remind him he

did ask the previous minister for details on rural broadband and he was

responded to, Mr. Chair. So, to make

an accusation that he did not receive a response, that is not quite accurate.

He did get a response from the previous minister and was assured the

problem that we have is that much of this information that he is looking for is

commercially-sensitive information.

The carriers have this information.

They share it with us if they want to.

If they do, they do; if they do not, they do not; however, it is

commercially sensitive and it is things that they do not want to share with

their competitors. Anybody out there

in the business world would certainly understand that.

I suggest to the hon. member

if he wants specific information, I recommend that he contact the carriers

throughout the Province and he will have to deal with them, whether they will

share the information with them. I

am believer, though, that he will have to keep it confidential.

I do not know I cannot speak for how the companies will deal with the

hon. member, but I would suggest to him that certainly, as a member of the

coalition party, maybe because there are a mix of three now they might have some

input in finding out just who do and do not have the rural broadband.

Mr. Chair, it is not that

the previous minister did not respond to him.

He did respond to him. It is

not that he would not give him the information.

It was certainly commercially sensitive and that is why he did not

provide it when asked about it in the Estimates.

He had to reason to keep it confidential, from our perspective, but

obviously from the businesses perspective it certainly is.

I would like to address

something else too, yesterday in the House I do not know if it was yesterday

or the day before, there was a petition brought to the House by the Member for

St. John's East. I thank the Member

for St. John's East for highlighting an issue in my district, that being the CBS

library.

He brought the petition

forward and I was curious about the petition because I had personally gone to

a public meeting that was attended by some 150 people.

Just last week I met with the committee.

I know that they made representation to the Minister of Finance, and the

Minister of Finance had spoken to me about it, how passionate they were about

the library in CBS, as we all are, Mr. Chair.

What is happening is that

the town provided this building for the CBS library for many years and they

still do; so there is no fear of the library closing.

The building still exists.

There is no fear. I had discussions

the other day with the committee.

Like I said, I have been very open with them, we have had discussions, and we

certainly have no interest in closing a library in Conception Bay South, the

second largest community right now in the Province.

I was surprised to see the

petition because I knew everybody obviously, we are always concerned about the

library, we always want to expand and we always want to make it bigger, but

there was no real threat to the library as I see it today, so I was a little

shocked.

I thought to myself: I think

I will get the petition off the table and I will have a look at it.

I did get the petition off the table and I did have a look at it.

I guess on the petition, Mr. Chair I cannot recall the exact number of

names, but I am thinking there was probably somewhere around twenty or thirty

names. Fair enough, twenty or thirty

names sit on the petition. Mr.

Chair, one of the things that you have to put on a petition when you sign it is

where you live.

The hon. member stands in

this House of Assembly making an issue of Conception Bay South, which is not a

bad thing to do. I raise issues on

behalf of the residents I represent all the time, but there was one thing that

stood out to me. There was not one

individual who signed that petition from Conception Bay South not one.

They were from different

places in the Province. Most of them

from my colleague's district, the Member for Gander.

He must have gone to Gander and asked the

people of Gander what they thought about the people of Conception Bay

South's library.

Mr. Chair, I have never

heard so much foolishness in my life.

The Member for St. John's East leaves inside the overpass and goes out,

fair enough, and he talks about an issue in my District of Conception Bay South.

Fair enough, but he gets people to sign his petition from Central

Newfoundland.

I do not know, I mean, if I

was bringing petitions in this House I can assure you the people who sign them

would be affected by it. It reminds

me of a story years ago, Mr. Chair.

MR. MURPHY:

A point of order.

CHAIR:

Order, please!

The hon. the Member for St.

John's East.

MR. MURPHY:

Mr. Chair, I put it to the

CHAIR:

Order, please!

Will the member wait until

he is recognized, please?

The hon. the Member for St.

John's East, on a point of order.

MR. MURPHY:

I put it to the Chair that people have the right

to sign petitions and have them presented in the House.

It does not matter where they come from.

I believe

CHAIR:

Order, please!

There is no point of order.

The hon. the Minister of

Tourism, Culture and Recreation.

MR. FRENCH:

Mr. Chair, there are only three or four

paragraphs; there is not a lot of fine print in this one I can tell you.

This is pretty straightforward.

It is no wonder the

coalition party picked up another couple from over there it is no wonder, Mr.

Chair. When you have somebody who

stands in this House and brings a petition on another member's district and does

not have one person from the district sign it, it is shameful.

It is somebody who just does not understand this Legislature that we are

in here today. Fair enough, you can

bring issues forward and when people bring them to your attention.

Obviously, this is one that was created simply for the hon. member to be

able to stand on his feet, Mr. Chair, and wag his tongue.

That is all I can figure.

I say to the hon. member I

appreciate him bringing attention to my district; however, I have been meeting

with the groups. I am well informed

of the issues in CBS. If he wants to

find out what is happening in CBS, ask me or at least ask a resident.

He certainly does not have to ask the people from Gander.

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

CHAIR:

Order, please!

The hon. the Member for the

Bay of Islands.

MR. JOYCE:

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

I will show you petitions of

4,000 or 5,000 people from Western Newfoundland who want the hospital that they

deserve and they were promised, Mr. Chair.

It will not be anyone outside of anybody's district.

I am not sure how much this government is going to listen anyway.

AN HON. MEMBER:

Are they all from the Corner Brook area?

MR. JOYCE:

No, they are all from Western Newfoundland.

Mr. Chair, I am going to

talk about the hospital today. My

voice is a bit raspy but I had to stand and speak about the hospital.

Mr. Chair, they have the

wrong mike on. Okay, they have it

now. It took a little while.

I will go back to where I

just started. The minister was just

talking about petitions. I have

petitions from 4,000 or 5,000 people from Western Newfoundland coming in

everyday about the hospital in Western Newfoundland, to ensure we get the

hospital that we deserve, the hospital that was committed to, not right-sized,

which means downsize, Mr. Chair.

I have been on this issue

now for a number of years. I can

remember back in 2011 when the Premier, who was the minister at the time, the

Premier in 2011 made this public announcement with the tractors rolling up there

on the site, that construction would start in 2012.

Four months later, I get my hands on the Stantec report, it said: Stop

any further development of the site because there is no design selected.

You want to talk about how

people can be misled, Mr. Chair.

That was the Premier of the Province, the Member for Humber East who did that,

Mr. Chair. That is the kind of stuff

that I had to battle with and go through.

Mr. Chair, I just want to

make it quite clear, the action committee that is set up in Western Newfoundland

by Israel Hann, Gerald Parsons, Wayne Rose, and the rest of the members and all

the councils, I fully support the action committee.

I fully support to have the hospital that we deserve, that was committed.

I fully support a PET scanner and I fully support a radiation unit.

Now, Mr. Chair, I am going

to go ahead with a few quotes here, and just some of the rumors I had to go and

publicly dismiss on a regular basis.

I want to get back to a statement the Premier made.

The Premier of our Province, who is the Member for Humber East, who

stayed silent on this hospital for years.

He is finally now arousing up a bit and saying: Okay, there is enough

opposition, I better start moving on this.

The Premier said in the

Western Star : People on the West Coast

should deserve the same level of care as the people on the East Coast.

If the Premier of this Province is really committed to his words that he

said in the Western Star out in Corner

Brook to the people of Western Newfoundland, I ask the Premier of this Province

to contact Deidre Dunne. She is a

radiologist at Western Memorial Regional Hospital as we speak, Mr. Chair.

Deidre Dunne was so

frustrated with the information that was being put out by this government, she

went public. What Deidre Dunne said

publicly and I ask the Premier of this Province to call her personally because

they always said give us the experts; here is the expert.

What she said she deals with people in palliative care, end of life.

She said people on the West Coast are not receiving the same level of

care as people on the East Coast.

Because a lot of people are too old and sick to travel in for radiation and

their level of care at the lower end, at the last days, last months of their

life is not of good quality and it is not of the same quality as the people on

the East Coast.

That is who said it.

It is not me saying it. It is

not propaganda. Here is an

opportunity for the Premier to now stand up and follow through on his words to

ensure that the people of the West Coast, the seniors on the West Coast get the

same level of care as he committed to when he had a meeting with the residents

on the West Coast. Here is an

opportunity, Mr. Chair.

Mr. Chair, I will just go

through some of the concerns that were raised and some of the myths I had to, on

a regular basis, disprove, and I will.

One by one, I will. I have

done it now ever since I had to fight to get the Stantec report.

The Stantec report was completely different, completely opposite from

what the government was saying, and as we go through the phase we can see that

the hospital was downsized. We see

commitments that were being made were all being put back on the backburner, Mr.

Chair.

I will just give you one

good example, just one good example, Mr. Chair.

Here in this House of Assembly the Minister of Health stood up when we

were talking about a PET scanner. I

have Hansard for this, Mr. Chair, and I can get Hansard.

That a PET scanner is $40 million.

That is too expensive to put out in Corner Brook.

Now after I had all the

information, the minister finally admitted in Corner Brook, no, it is down to $3

million. That is the kind of myths

that I had to fight with. That is

the kind of false information that is out in the public domain, when you do not

want to do something you just throw enough mud at it.

You throw enough false information that: oh, we cannot do it because of

it.

Mr. Chair, now we know that

the cost of a PET scanner is about one-tenth or even less than what the minister

stood in this House and said. Mr.

Chair, after we got through that, then the isotopes cannot be transferred.

We need a cyclotron in order for isotopes that cannot be transferred.

I will ask you a question,

Mr. Chair. Right now there are

thirty PET scanners in Canada and only ten cyclotrons.

How do they get the other twenty?

They travel. I use the

University of Saskatchewan. When the

minister stood here and a question I asked the minister, the minister stood up

and said: Oh, the University of Saskatchewan is not even open.

You do not even know what I am talking

about.

I produced a document to the

Premier at the time and the Premier said: Oh my God, Eddie, I did not know that.

The document showed isotopes being transferred from Hamilton, Ontario,

2,500 kilometres away. That is the

kind of information, Mr. Chair, I have on a regular basis.

Mr. Chair, the latest one

that was told to the action committee was that the Minister of Health did a poll

out in her district and 70 per cent of the people from her area would not travel

to Corner Brook for radiation treatment.

That is what the action committee now, if anybody here wants to say

that was never said, contact Israel Hann, contact Gerald Parsons, or contact

Wayne Rose. There are three or four

other people at that meeting. Let

them contact them and let them say that was never said with all of those

witnesses there. The number was even

put out that the minister said, 70 per cent.

Now, Mr. Chair, I knew that

was not true, so I wrote the minister.

I put a Freedom of Information on it and I wrote her.

She wrote me back. There is

no such poll. So that is the kind of

information that when you look at it you find out the information that is being

put out there in the domain, hopefully no one is going to get to the truth, but

I will.

Mr. Chair, I will give you

another one, and this is up in Sault Ste. Marie where there is a single unit.

I heard the minister here in this House of Assembly.

She stood up, and I have Hansard, and she said: That is only on a trial

basis; it is a pilot project. That

is just not true. It is an

established unit.

For anybody in this House,

when you hear this type of information, you say: Well, we cannot do it because

of this. You start putting out

information, Mr. Chair, which has no factual basis to it.

When you check into it, it is just absolutely not true.

On a regular basis for the

last two years, I had to do this.

The Member for Humber West met with the action committee.

The Member for Humber West heard all these same false statements being

put out in the public domain on the West Coast.

One thing I am glad of, Mr.

Chair and not very often that I like praising people up.

When I heard the Premier come out and say that he is collecting his own

information, I am glad. I, like him,

do not agree with the information that is coming from the Department of Health.

I had to disprove it on a regular basis.

Like the Premier told the

action committee, he has a file now getting that thick on his own information.

I say congratulations to the Premier; get your own information.

When you get your own information like the digging I had to do, the

research and the calls that I had to make, and the teleconferences that I was on

to disprove the information that the Department of Health was putting out the

Premier and the Member for Humber West will come up with the same conclusion I

did, that it is viable. We should

have an honest, frank, and open discussion on all of this and stop this myth of

putting information out there like $40 million for a PET scanner.

Mr. Chair, I will be back

again. I thank you for the

opportunity.

CHAIR:

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

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR. DAVIS:

Thank you, Mr. Chair, for the opportunity to

speak this afternoon in Committee.

It is good to see the Member for Humber Valley back on his feet.

I know he has not been feeling well over the last few days.

It looks like

AN HON. MEMBER:

Bay of Islands.

MR. DAVIS:

I am sorry, Bay of Islands, my apologies the

Member for Bay of Islands. It looks

like he is getting his voice back because it has been quiet here this week.

He has not been feeling well but his voice is coming back and we heard

him during Question Period in his usual good form.

I know as his voice recovers I am sure we will hear more from him.

I am glad he brought up

Corner Brook hospital by the way, Mr. Chair.

I think it is a fantastic project for Newfoundland and Labrador and

especially for the people in Western Newfoundland and Labrador.

I lived in Western

Newfoundland for a number of years.

I was stationed there in my days in policing many years ago and spent many trips

back and forth to the current Western Memorial Hospital.

What I find about hospitals and facilities, Mr. Chair, quite often is

that we sometimes forget the service that is provided at such important

facilities in Newfoundland and Labrador is provided by the people who work in

those facilities, the employees and staff of health authorities, the employees

and staff of government departments.

We should never lose sight of the great work they do.

We have fantastic people

working in health care in Newfoundland and Labrador.

We have great people working in education.

We have great people working in line departments such as my own in Child,

Youth and Family Services. I talked

earlier today about this being Social Work Month and acknowledged the great work

that social workers do in Newfoundland and Labrador.

In Corner Brook, it is the

people who provide the service. The

hospital is the facility that is used to provide those services, and quite often

contains the equipment that the member opposite is referring to and talking

about. One of the things I really

like about the Corner Brook hospital is the campus design, the campus set-up,

the campus plan that is in place.

Having a campus design where

you will have a combination of buildings in one location and which provides

different varying types of operations and facilities for those operations in one

area, it also allows for expansion, it allows for change in the design and

growth in the future. As technology

continues to evolve, as medicine and research continues to evolve, there will be

new treatment processes, there will be a need for new equipment and with such a

design, it will allow for those types of growth in the future.

As the member opposite likes

to talk about Western Newfoundland, I also like to talk about my district, the

Topsail district. Topsail district

for those who are not aware most of Topsail district is within Paradise; some

of it also is contained, a small amount, in Conception Bay South and a smaller

amount again in Mount Pearl. It

takes in three very busy communities.

They are large communities.

They are busy and active communities.

There is also tremendous growth in Paradise and Conception Bay South in

particular.

Arguably, the fastest

growing area, amongst the fastest growing districts in the Province Cape St.

Francis has had tremendous growth.

We even see in Gander. I know my

colleague for Gander quite often talks about the tremendous growth that is

happening in the Central part of the Island.

We see pockets in Labrador as well where there is growth taking place;

but Paradise, Conception Bay South, Topsail district area is one area that has

seen significant growth over the last twenty years or so, and will continue to

see.

We see subdivisions, we see

new housing development, and we see significant growth in business, especially

in Paradise in the new Kenmount Road extension area.

There is a significant growth and development of new business in that

area. It was an area of development

that was a vision of the previous council in Paradise and they saw to it to be

able to develop road access and network into the area to allow the development

of commercial operations, commercial businesses.

I say, Mr. Chair, that they are growing very quickly in that area.

As that happens, more people

want to live in the area as well.

The residential growth, of course, is also taking place at a very rapid rate.

The results of that, of course, is the need for increased infrastructure

in such a community.

I have talked to people and

MHAs from other parts of the Province in rural areas and in smaller communities,

some where the populations are declining.

They can very clearly articulate the challenges that are faced by MHAs in

areas where populations are declining.

We also have to be cognizant of the fact that our growth areas also come

with tremendous challenges.

In Paradise, with such young

families, there is a demand for schools, as some of the members opposite have

talked about, the need to build new schools.

There is a new elementary school project that my colleague, the Minister

of Education, has been working on with the school board to move that project

forward the new elementary school in the Octagon Pond area.

I am glad to see that there is a commitment there.

I just heard publicly talked

about by the Chair of the school board, Mr. Peach, just recently in the media

about the need for a new junior high and high school.

I have had people talking about the need for a high school and we have

had good discussions about that. It

is good to see the school boards say that they are also reflecting that the

future needs will include a junior high school and high school in that area as

continued growth is experienced and we see more development.

The other part of the

infrastructure that has been very important in my district is the need for

opportunities for families, with the need for recreation.

We know right now there are two significant arena projects underway in

three, actually in each of the communities that I represent.

In Paradise there is a new double arena it will be double, two NHL size

ice surfaces in a facility being constructed partnered funding by municipal

affairs, by the provincial government and the Town of Paradise.

There is also a new stadium

under construction in Conception Bay South, which is part of my district, but

the stadium itself will be located in the Conception Bay South district.

There is also a third major project underway, one in Mount Pearl, where

the new community centre a multi-million dollar centre which is being built in

the area between the Glacier and also the Reid Centre.

I know most people are familiar with that area.

This multi-million dollar centre is going to be the centrepiece for Mount

Pearl for many, many years to come a very important piece of infrastructure

for not only the residents of Mount Pearl, but also for surrounding areas.

Similarly, I would say, that

the new stadium in Conception Bay South will very much be a regional facility,

as will the new arena in Paradise.

Those communities are very open to working with other communities surrounding

the area, with other residents from the greater area, and having them implement

and be part of recreation programs as they can.

The other big one I wanted

to mention is a significant project, and I think hats off to the City Council of

Mount Pearl, as well as volunteers in Mount Pearl and Paradise who represent

Campia Gymnastics an organization in that area that provides a tremendous

amount of benefit to young people in this region and throughout Newfoundland and

Labrador. They have athletes at

Campia Gymnastics I would never have known this unless I had some knowledge of

the work that Campia are doing - they see more children and youth now from other

sports and other disciplines who are coming to Campia to benefit their own

abilities as athletes. It shows that

gymnastics goes a long ways to help develop hockey players and soccer players.

Off season for those sports is a good opportunity for them to continue to

grow and develop their physical capabilities to become better athletes.

Campia is working on a significant project in Mount Pearl, and we look

forward to continued co-operation with them to see that project progress.

As well, a big issue in my

district that is talked about from time to time when I talk to residents is road

infrastructure. As a growing

community, the main road through Paradise, which is Topsail Road, leads from

Mount Pearl through Mount Pearl into Paradise, through Paradise into

Conception Bay South, and carries thousands and thousands of cars every day.

There has been significant investment by the Province, in partnership

with the town, to continue to widen and upgrade Topsail Road.

We know that as soon as the weather breaks there will be further work and

continued investment in the widening and the continuation of that piece of work

on Topsail Road.

There is a significant

amount of funding that was put in through capital works funding through

Municipal Affairs. As well, with

Paradise Road, this is a significant roadway again through Topsail District and

through Paradise, that work is continuing and those investments continue to be

made. There is also a problem early

mornings on Topsail Road and Paradise for residents coming from west of, also

some east of, the Outer Ring Road.

There is a large number of

population from Paradise who travel east on Topsail Road in the mornings to gain

access on the Outer Ring Road. What

government has done through the Department of Transportation and Works and my