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April

21, 2015

HOUSE OF ASSEMBLY PROCEEDINGS

Vol. XLVII No. 1

The

House met at 2:00 p.m.

MR. SPEAKER (Verge):

Order, please!

Admit

strangers.

Please

be seated.

SERGEANT-AT-ARMS:

Mr. Speaker, the Justices of the Supreme Court have arrived.

MR. SPEAKER:

Admit the Justices of the

Supreme Court.

SERGEANT-AT-ARMS:

Mr. Speaker, His Honour the

Lieutenant Governor has arrived.

MR. SPEAKER:

Admit His Honour the

Lieutenant Governor.

SERGEANT-AT-ARMS:

All rise.

[Mr.

Speaker leaves the Chair].

[His

Honour the Lieutenant Governor takes the Chair].

SERGEANT-AT-ARMS:

It is the wish of His Honour

the Lieutenant Governor that all present be seated.

HIS HONOUR THE LIEUTENANT

GOVERNOR (Frank F. Fagan, CM, ONL, MBA):

Honour 100, Our History and

Our Culture

Mr. Speaker and

Members of the House of Assembly:

One

hundred years ago, marching proudly in their blue puttees towards ships that

would ferry them to a war-torn Europe, young Newfoundlanders and Labradorians

could not imagine what awaited them or what would be asked of them.

A century later, we honour the far too many whose young lives were cut

brutally short and the many more whose bodies and memories were scarred by what

they endured. Through the Honour

100 First World War Commemorations, we are telling the story of our men and

women who served in the Royal Naval Reserve, Newfoundland Regiment, Newfoundland

Forestry Corps, and Volunteer Aid Detachment, as well as those who support the

war effort at home. We will soon

mark the centennial of the Regiment's landing at Gallipoli, Turkey on September

19. The Honour 100 initiative will

include opportunities for our students and veterans to participate in the annual

Trail of the Caribou pilgrimage with the Royal Canadian Legion.

This year, a new Ambassador Program will provide opportunities for more

youth to commemorate Newfoundland and Labrador's role in the First World War by

visiting the memorials at Beaumont-Hamel and other solemn sites where the

remains of our loved ones rest. Like

others before them, they will return with fresh perspectives and stories that

all of us need to hear stories to remind us of the unbearable sadness of war

and the debt we owe to those who served.

As students throughout our Province hear those stories, they will also

benefit from curriculum enhancements that tell about the people whose sacrifices

we honour.

Our

government has also celebrated the contributions of the women and men who served

in this war and other conflicts by naming the new provincial ferries that will

service Bell Island, Fogo Island, and Change Islands the

MV Legionnaire and the

MV Veteran .

recent decades, Newfoundlanders and Labradorians have served on battlegrounds

from Sarajevo to Kandahar. Although

those devastated frontiers were far removed from the shores of Green Bay, it was

there in her quiet Springdale home that Gladys Osmond started handwriting

letters to the troops, one by one.

She organized a Granny Brigade of like-minded seniors, eager to spread some

downhome cheer, well-wishes and prayers with soldiers who were serving in harm's

way. Time and again, the soldiers

wrote back to say how touched they were that she would reach out to lift their

spirits. Gladys passed away in

January at the age of 91; but before passing away, she was presented with the

Canadian Forces Medallion for Distinguished Service, granted an honorary

Doctorate of Laws degree by Memorial University and inducted into the Order of

Newfoundland and Labrador. Today, we

honour Gladys Osmond and the Granny Brigade for exemplifying the very best

qualities of Newfoundlanders and Labradorians and for reminding us to keep in

our hearts the women and men who serve to protect us at home and abroad.

Despite

the distances and differences that separate us, Newfoundlanders and Labradorians

stand by one another in hard times and good times alike.

In the history of Newfoundland and Labrador, there are thousands of

people like Gladys whose stories need to be shared.

Whether in Them Days magazine or on CBC's Land & Sea, in novels or

history books, in folklore research or songs or films, these stories must be

gathered and disseminated among our young people to show them who they are and

from whence they've come. In towns

from Glenwood to Nain, from Natuashish to Port au Port, from Conne River to

Northwest River, we encourage people to capture and chronicle the tales of folk

heroes that more of us really ought to know.

To showcase the richness of our diverse Inuit, Innu and Mi'kmaq heritage,

our government is now preparing the terms of reference for an Aboriginal

Education Advisory Committee to enhance school curriculum so it will continue to

reflect this heritage to all Newfoundlanders and Labradorians.

Our

government will also continue to consult with Aboriginal organizations,

including when development decisions have the potential to impact asserted

rights. We will continue to

implement the Labrador Inuit Land Claims Agreement, continue to negotiate the

Innu Nation's final land claims and self-government agreement and the Miawpukek

First Nation final self-government agreement, continue to participate in the

Innu Roundtable, continue to develop a land claims and self-government agreement

Implementation Policy, and continue to ensure that Aboriginal people benefit

fully and fairly from major developments like the Muskrat Falls.

Across

the vast stretches of the Big Land, the camaraderie that unites people of

diverse communities is an inspiration for all of us.

Guided by the Northern Strategic Plan and other investments targeting

Labrador, by the end of the 2014-15 fiscal year our government allocated a total

of $4.9 billion in Labrador since 2004, and opened up the region as never before

with the Trans-Labrador Highway. We

will consult with northern stakeholders to develop a new Northern Strategic Plan

to raise new opportunities on the foundation we have already built.

In 2016, we will once again support Labradorians who gather for the

Labrador Winter Games, a triennial celebration of sports as diverse as the

Snowshoe Race, the Snowmobile Race, the Dog Team Race, the Labrathon, the One

Foot High Kick, and Over the Rope.

In recognition of the uniqueness of Labrador and the love Labradorians share for

their flag, our government will proudly fly the Labrador Flag at our

Labrador-Quebec border crossings.

Our

multifaceted heritage not only enriches us as a people, but it also forms the

backbone of our billion-dollar tourism industry in which thousands of people are

finding employment and opportunity in more than 2,500 enterprises, 83 per cent

of which are small businesses. Our

government has invested directly in businesses and infrastructure to help

strengthen our tourism industry. It

has invested in marina developments, boardwalks, trail ways, airport

improvements, the St. John's Convention Centre, and various enterprises, all

with the goal of strengthening Newfoundlander and Labrador's image as a

destination for leisure and for business travellers.

By continuing to invest in our award-winning, trendsetting marketing

campaign, we will showcase Newfoundland and Labrador to the rest of the world

with a goal of further developing this essential industry.

Our government will continue to support growth through our Cultural

Economic Development Program, the Newfoundland and Labrador Arts Council, our

community museums, heritage organizations, archives, and Provincial Historic

Sites. The just-concluded

Republic of Doyle series complemented

our marketing ads by showcasing our uniqueness around the world.

In this year's budget, our government will announce initiatives to build

on that success.

Innovation, Education and

Economic Growth

Mr. Speaker and

Members of the House of Assembly:

For a

decade, our government has been fostering innovation and diversifying the

provincial economy, supporting start-up businesses, emerging growth sectors and

regional development activities. We

are committed to making local companies globally competitive, strengthening

employment opportunities and driving economic diversification in Newfoundland

and Labrador. Through our Department

of Business, Tourism, Culture and Rural Development, we are enabling more than

fifty companies to increase their competitiveness through the implementation of

industry-leading lean manufacturing practices.

For some firms, the shift has been transformational.

One central Newfoundland small business has more than doubled production.

Others have seen delivery times cut in half, significant reductions in

defects, and have improved safety and morale.

Our government will drive the use of lean manufacturing techniques by

more enterprises while helping them collaborate and learn from one another

through our support of business networks.

Newfoundland and Labrador's major industrial projects have fueled the growth of

a supply community that is more than 600 strong.

These enterprises, in turn, represent the development of an extensive

knowledge base and skills inventory that can be marketed beyond our provincial

boundaries. The expertise we draw

here for those industrial projects will remain and fuel growth long after the

projects have been completed.

International business growth opportunities for local enterprises are off the

charts because of free trade, international partnerships, supply chain networks,

and other fundamental shifts in the global marketplace.

But the global marketplace is complex and competitive.

To help industries meet the increasing rigorous demands and secure their

niche, our government will provide targeted trade-focused assistance for small

and medium sized enterprises pursing international business opportunities.

We also

recognize that building a strong diversified economy is based upon a strong

private sector comprising a mix of smaller, nimble firms working alongside large

multi-national companies that are entrenched in global markets.

That is why attracting foreign direct investment and attracting companies

with international reach to the Province continues to be one of our trade and

investment priorities.

Prospects for growth in the knowledge-based economy, in particular, are

incredible. By providing support for

business incubation and acceleration, we are helping advanced-technology firms

with high growth potential to tap into new markets and connect with venture

capital opportunities that will propel them to global success.

In no

area of technology are Newfoundlanders and Labradorians better positioned to

lead than in ocean technology. Here

on the North Atlantic, we have nurtured a culture of innovation that has enabled

us to make breathtaking advances in the oil and gas sector, fisheries and

aquaculture, transportation, environment, marine recreation, tourism, security

and defence industries. We have

built infrastructure and expertise second to none, and are now partnering with

other businesses in the largest ocean technology markets in the world.

Our government will be even more aggressive in driving ocean technology

growth to meet demand abroad and draw opportunities and profits home.

With

unsurpassed expertise in taming the harsh ocean environment, Newfoundland and

Labrador is well-positioned to take a lead role in developing technology to

provide solutions to operational challenges in the Arctic.

Our government is focusing on three strategic directions under the Arctic

Opportunities Initiative: first, positioning the Province as a path to the

Arctic; second, building capacity; and third, fostering economic development and

business opportunities for local players.

Newfoundland and Labrador is strategically located on international and

northern sea shipping routes, with world-renowned industrial infrastructure plus

centres of excellence in safe and sustainable resource development already in

place. That makes us uniquely

positioned for leadership in Arctic-related activities.

Our government will continue to strengthen relationships among

stakeholders, promote partnerships involving local and Aboriginal players, and

forge strategic alliances with northern jurisdictions with which Newfoundland

and Labrador can partner for success on this emerging frontier.

We have

strengthened our positon for leadership in R&D.

Through our Province's Research & Development Corporation, we will

continue to invest in R&D projects that maximize the impact on our economy and

attract leveraged investments from collaborative partners, particularly our

innovative business community.

Memorial University and College of the North Atlantic engage in world-class

research activities, researchers from at home and abroad are focusing their R&D

activities on local industries and putting them into practice both here and

around the globe. As an example,

with the government's support, Memorial University's Holyrood Marine Base is now

giving students hands-on experience in marine environmental studies, marine

biology, marine ecotourism, diving and oil spill response.

ensure Memorial University has space to grow, our government has approved the

construction of a new Core Science Facility to replace aging infrastructure.

This facility will house state-of-the-art teaching and research

laboratories to support MUN's faculties of Science and Engineering and Applied

Science. It will also contain space

for R&D collaboration with industry to help them compete, grow and diversify our

economy. The Province's $125 million

contribution will come from the settlement for Hebron fabrication work.

Tomorrow's leaders are today's youth!

To position Newfoundland and Labrador's young people to be the leaders of

the pack, we will support innovative projects that engage youth in meaningful,

experimental learning opportunities focused on the fields of science,

technology, engineering and math, but also in the creative world of the arts.

Such support and mentorship will open doors for local youth while

ensuring that Newfoundland and Labrador secures a sustainable, dynamic, and

diversified economy for generations to come.

Our

government is preparing for the release of its Population Growth Strategy, which

will support residents to attach to the labour market and align the workforce

with local job opportunities; enhance supports for families of all sizes and

ages; support community well-being and economic development; and increase the

attraction and retention of immigrants to the Province.

To support the strategy, the government will be launching a series of new

labour market information tools to better inform Newfoundlanders and

Labradorians, and those interested in moving to our Province, about where job

opportunities exist in Newfoundland and Labrador.

Increasing the availability of skilled trade workers has been a top priority for

our government since the release of the Skills Task Force report in May 2007.

Through a series of apprenticeship forums, the government has engaged

employers, educators, students, and graduates to chart the way forward.

The results have been phenomenal: an investment of more than $100 million

in apprenticeship support, which is a 94 per cent increase in the number of

registered apprentices, and a 122 per cent increase in the number of

journeyperson certificates issued.

In 2014, Atlantic Premiers signed the Memorandum of Understanding on Atlantic

Apprenticeship Harmonization to enhance consistency.

Together, over the next four years, we are working to harmonize ten Red

Seal trades, representing over 60 per cent of apprentices in the Atlantic

region. The government is also

engaged in developing an Atlantic Apprenticeship Mobility initiative and a

Pan-Canadian Mobility Apprenticeship Protocol to make it easier for apprentices

to move between provinces and territories while they complete their

certification. This will enable

local industries to meet their labour demands while greatly expanding the region

in which local apprentices can work.

Our government has repeatedly consulted with stakeholders to ensure our

apprenticeship system continues to respond to industry needs.

We will build on this approach through additional stakeholder engagement

sessions organized in consultation with the Provincial Trade Advisory

Committees. The apprenticeship

renewal initiatives under discussion will include implementation of an online

application and registration process, alternate approaches to apprenticeship

training and exam accommodations, youth apprenticeship programming, enhanced

apprenticeship supports, enhanced processes for updating files, and an enhanced

pre-apprentice tracking system. We

will ensure our approaches are relevant and responsive to each specific trade in

Newfoundland and Labrador.

better prepare our young people for post-secondary education and employment, we

Language Arts, Science, Health, Social Studies, and French programs.

We will develop a 21 st -century curriculum, employing methods

that integrate innovative and research-driven teaching strategies, modern

learning technologies, and relevant resources and contexts, and focusing on

learning skills that address the needs of a new generation of students.

We will also convene a group of educational leaders to review Math

performance. To support teaching

with the requisite infrastructure, our government will unveil a multi-year K-12

infrastructure development plan to prepare in a proactive way for projected

growth.

These

efforts in K-12 will be complemented by the initiatives we are taking to follow

through in the area of early childhood development.

The Early Childhood Learning Framework, entitled Navigating the Early

Years, will be released in the year ahead.

The Framework outlines a pedagogical approach to holistic early childhood

learning and development, with specific emphasis on play-based learning, the

important role of adults in supporting children's learning and development, and

the inclusion of children with exceptionalities across a variety of

environments, which include home, child care settings, the community, and the

school.

When

today's children grow up, they will find a Province very different from the one

we live in today, and a large part of the reason for that difference will be the

transformation we experience as we bring Lower Churchill power on stream and

complete the transition to a renewable energy economy.

That transition has been made possible because of our government's

commitment to embrace the opportunities created by offshore oil, and channel the

returns into renewable energy development.

Muskrat Falls is a power source that will flow in perpetuity, long after

the last of the oil and gas have been drawn from beneath the ocean floor.

But the

days of oil are not ending any time soon.

The 2013 Bay du Nord discovery was the largest conventional oil discovery

that year in the entire world. Our

government is working with Statoil and Husky to negotiate an agreement to bring

this project to development. Our

government is also working to conclude a new generic royalty regime to maximize

revenues from offshore oil development.

Our government's optimism is also buoyed by the successful Call for Bids

in the Flemish Pass Basin, the significant growth of reserve estimates for the

Hibernia field, and the opportunities created by the new scheduled land tenure

system.

March, the Canada-Newfoundland and Labrador Offshore Petroleum Board issued the

very first Call for Bids under the scheduled land tenure regime in our offshore

area. It consists of eleven parcels

totaling 2.5 hectares in the Eastern Newfoundland Region, and the minimum bid of

each parcel is $10 million in work commitments.

The new land tenure regime means transparency and predictability for

companies interested in doing business in our offshore industry.

It was developed through consultation with industry leaders and is based

on the best practices of leading exploration jurisdictions around the world.

The new regime is a huge step forward in the Province's offshore

industry.

In every

region, we take steps to ensure our environment is protected.

This year, we will receive the report of the expert panel reviewing the

environmental and socio-economic implications of hydraulic fracturing in Western

Newfoundland. We will also enact

legislation this year to strengthen the Province's oil spill liability regime to

ensure even greater diligence to prevent spills and their consequences.

Since

2012, our government has been working with other provinces and territories to

develop a pan-Canadian Energy Strategy.

Our government's primary focus has been to achieve open-access,

non-discriminatory electricity transmission.

To that end, we will continue to press for the establishment of east-west

energy corridors so that all provinces and territories have the unfettered

ability to transmit electricity within Canada.

Our Premier has met with government and industry leaders both nationally

and in the United States, where interest in new clean-energy sources is strong.

remain on track to produce first power at Muskrat Falls in late 2017 with full

power in 2018. Through the new

oversight processes implemented last year, the government is taking a hands-on

approach to ensure the project remains on course.

Construction of the Maritime Link Project to bring our surplus power to

market has commenced, and industrial and employment benefits agreements have

been signed. In advance of first

power two years from now in late 2017, our government has taken steps to ensure

the existing infrastructure is adequate to meet domestic needs.

The government will soon complete its electricity review of all aspects

of our Province's current system, including governance and regulation,

generation, transmission, and distribution.

As Muskrat Falls comes on stream, our government will continue to look

further ahead to opportunities to add Gull Island power, Upper Churchill power,

wind power, and other power sources to the mix and maximize the potential of our

vast energy warehouse. To complement

this green energy initiative, our government will also bring forward other

measures to promote greenhouse gas reduction.

Let no

one minimize the economic impact the Muskrat Falls Project is having on

Newfoundland and Labrador, even before power flows.

The project is expected to generate value and cash flows in excess of $30

billion. The number of

Newfoundlanders and Labradorians employed on the project rose in 2014 to 3,274,

representing 81 per cent of the project's workforce.

In 2014 alone, the project brought investments of $394 million to 500

Newfoundland and Labrador businesses.

This was just the beginning.

We are

developing clean energy, not primarily to export, but to give Newfoundlanders

and Labradorians access to a sufficient supply of clean power at costs that are

both low and stable, and also to use that new power to grow and diversify the

economies of our regions with new and expanding industries.

One of those industries, the mining sector, is currently experiencing the

impacts of the downside of cycling commodity prices.

This is difficult news for impacted workers, their families, and local

businesses. Through the strong

relationships we have built with industry and municipalities, supported by our

participation in the Labrador West Regional Task Force, we are standing by and

working with affected communities and families during this critical period.

Programs and services are already in place, along with assistance to

support new business opportunities.

But as in the past, commodity prices will rebound and growth in our mining

sector will resume its upward trajectory.

Our government is developing a Minerals Strategy to maximize the value of

resource development in the Province.

We will continue to support the mineral industry through the mineral

incentive program, public geoscience, and promotions.

We have taken advantage of opportunities to enhance the benefits of one

of the largest mining and processing operations in the Province at Voisey's Bay

and Long Harbour. Thanks to that

work, Newfoundland and Labrador will benefit from an estimated additional $200

million in compensation and a $30 million commitment for community initiatives

in the Province. The Long Harbour

nickel processing plant is now producing, and Vale has committed to proceed with

underground mining after its surface operation advances at Voisey's Bay.

Mining

has been sustaining local communities for generations, but no industry has

sustained us longer than the fisheries.

Today, the entire Newfoundland and Labrador seafood industry is valued at

approximately $1 billion and employs approximately 18,000 people in harvesting,

processing and aquaculture, while generating indirect benefits for many more

individuals and enterprises.

In 2014,

our government took unprecedented steps to improve markets for cod harvested

from the St. Pierre Bank area. They

included temporarily relaxing minimum processing requirements to test fresh

markets in the United States and authorizing outside buyers.

These measures complemented efforts by the harvesting and processing

sector to establish quality grading for cod, resulting in significantly improved

prices. Cod landings increased, and

the overall landed value increased.

Our government will continue these efforts to prepare for the shift from

shellfish to groundfish over the coming years.

The

policy on shrimp allocations. Last

year, we sent an All-Party Committee on Northern Shrimp Allocations to Ottawa to

deliver the message that the Province will not stand by and watch the

devastation of the inshore shrimp fleet, onshore shrimp processing plants, and

the hundreds of communities that depend on the Northern shrimp resource.

Recent analysis has confirmed that the federal government's Last In,

First Out allocation policy has had a disproportionate detrimental impact on

this Province's inshore fleet and onshore processing.

The Committee will continue to press the federal government to abolish

the inequitable LIFO policy being used for the Northern shrimp industry.

Our

government also continues to be resolute in demanding that the Government of

Canada respect its agreement with Newfoundland and Labrador to provide fully

$280 million as its share of a $400 million fisheries investment fund for

industry development and renewal.

Ottawa agreed to provide fully $280 million for the fund as a condition of our

acceptance of the elimination of minimum processing requirements in order to

facilitate the Canada-European Union Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement,

known as CETA. Our government

demands that Ottawa honour its covenant with Newfoundland and Labrador.

The

future of the fishing industry in Newfoundland and Labrador is bright.

Our government will continue to work closely with the seafood industry to

market local seafood internationally, leading delegations to major trade

missions in the United States, the European Union and Asia while bringing buyers

here. We will also continue to

support local awareness of our seafood products in collaboration with the

Province's Restaurant Association and the Association of Chefs and Cooks.

We will continue to disseminate information on market prices, trends,

market conditions, supply and demand, currency exchange rates, inventory levels

and more. To assist the processing

and harvesting sectors in negotiating raw material prices for various fish

species, we will continue to work with the industry to ensure timely and

relevant market information is available to all parties in the collective

bargaining process.

Our

government is also proud to be supporting the sealing industry as it capitalizes

on opportunities associated with seal processing.

There is a reason to be optimistic about the future of this sustainable

and humane harvest, given the long-standing role of Carino Processing and the

introduction this year of PhocaLux International as an additional player in the

industry.

Last

year, the government released the five-year Aquaculture Sustainable Management

Strategy reflecting extensive consultations on the future of the aquaculture

industry. The strategy confirms the

Province's commitment to work co-operatively with all stakeholders to ensure the

industry's long-term growth through sustainable management, capacity support,

and Research & Development. In the

ten years from 2003 to 2013, employment in the aquaculture industry grew

fourfold to nearly 900 person years, and the GDP generated by the industry grew

tenfold to more than $100 million.

With the strategy in place, that growth is just the start.

Our

government also remains strongly committed to initiatives that will drive

further growth in the agriculture and forest industries, which employ large

numbers of people and generate significant economic activity.

To promote food security in line with the vision of the Growing Forward

initiative, our government will work with agrifoods producers to explore

opportunities to make our Province more reliant on local crops.

Our

government will continue to leverage the strengths of our rural and urban areas,

as well as our highly skilled workforce and well-developed infrastructure, to

strategically market Newfoundland and Labrador as a great place to live, work

and do business. We will continue to

use our strategic attributes to attract foreign investment and encourage

companies to expand to our Province.

Health and Safety

Mr. Speaker and

Members of the House of Assembly:

Following the success of the Premier's Summit on Health Care, our government

will continue to work with stakeholders, including health care professionals,

patients and our regional health authorities, to improve the health and wellness

of Newfoundlanders and Labradorians.

We will explore ways to ensure our residents have better access to the services

they need and are supported to make healthy decisions to enhance their physical

and mental well-being by improving our health care system.

A great focus will be placed on primary health care, particularly in the

areas of health promotion and prevention, chronic disease management, mental

health and addictions, and supports for our seniors as they age.

We will

increase access to health services and improve both patient and health care

provider satisfaction by working with our health professional governing bodies

to facilitate all of our health care professionals working to their full scope

of practice. In particular,

following upon the recent expansion of the pharmacist's scope of practice to

include the ability to administer medication via injection, we will work towards

allowing pharmacists to prescribe for some defined minor ailments.

The

mental and physical well-being of our population is a top priority.

That is why we invest in health promotion and disease prevention

initiatives, such as our publicly funded immunization program, which provides

vaccines for children at no cost to their families.

Our childhood vaccination program boasts a coverage rate of 95 per cent,

the envy of other jurisdictions in the country.

We will continue to offer cost-effective vaccines to help protect our

children from childhood diseases.

Our

government is acutely aware of the challenges some of our citizens face with

mental health and addictions issues, and is committed to ensuring programs and

services are in place for those who need them.

Over the past five years, we have invested an additional $60 million for

mental health and addictions services.

Because money is not always the answer, we need to look at all aspects of

mental health and addictions services, including the prevention-to-aftercare

continuum, and assess how best to improve the system for the future.

That is why our government has established the All-Party Committee on

Mental Health and Addictions and its review of the system.

Recommendations from the Committee will inform a new provincial Mental

Health and Addictions Strategy. Our

government continues to ensure innovative ways of accessing services.

Our e-mental health program will be improved to help support families and

children by reducing wait times for children with mild-to-moderate behavioural

problems through the use of technology.

Health

system effectiveness and sustainability are directly linked to the quality and

efficiency of the health workforce.

We are fortunate to have well-trained and competent health professionals who

deliver safe, quality care to the people of our Province.

We will implement a strategic health workforce plan to consolidate

existing initiatives and programs, including workforce projections, into a

unified and strengthened provincial approach.

The plan will help enhance the stability of the health workforce and

improve the health care services provided to the residents of the Province.

remain more committed than ever to a fair and just society to care for those

who are vulnerable and to support those who face barriers to living full,

equitable and healthy lives.

Reducing poverty will continue to be among our government's highest priorities.

Since the Province' first Poverty Reduction Strategy Action Plan in 2006,

our government has invested more than a billion dollars in poverty reduction

initiatives to give people a step up from poverty to self-reliance.

In just eight years, this approach has helped Newfoundland and Labrador

reduce reliance on income support to the lowest level in our Province's history.

We have engaged more than 1,000 people province-wide and followed with a

Poverty Reduction Summit to gather recommendations that will inform our second

Poverty Reduction Action Plan, which we will bring forward this year.

Our

government is also developing an Inclusion Action Plan to deliver on the

objectives of the Strategy for Inclusion of Persons with Disabilities.

The Action Plan will outline concrete initiatives in five areas: changing

how we think about disability, engaging people with disabilities, removing

barriers from the built environment, enhancing access to disability-related

supports and delivering services with dignity and respect.

Our

government is focused on promoting healthy aging across the lifespan and

fostering a healthy society which honours, listens to and includes seniors and

older persons in building stronger, more dynamic communities.

We are living longer lives, and we also want to live better lives.

Through our provincial Healthy Aging Policy Framework, we are identifying

actions we can take to address the particular needs that seniors face.

The

Department of Seniors, Wellness and Social Development will take the leadership

role in developing an integrated, horizontal approach to wellness through the

new Provincial Wellness Plan. Having

taken a range of actions on matters from nutrition and fitness to tobacco

control, our government will work with the Provincial Wellness Advisory Council

and other partners on this new Provincial Wellness Plan.

It will complement our primary health care system and build a

co-ordinated provincial government approach across departments and sectors to

advance the wellness of our population's health and to reduce disparities.

Healthy

living means access to housing. Our

government has received the independent consultant's report on homelessness

entitled A Road Map for Ending Homelessness in Newfoundland and Labrador.

The report offers a series of recommendations to consider.

A steering committee representing the government and community-based

organizations has been established to thoroughly review its recommendations and

to map out an action plan. Our

government will also continue to invest in affordable housing under a new

five-year federal-provincial agreement.

Our

Foster a Future campaign has been extremely successful since its implementation,

and continues to create awareness surrounding the need for more foster parents

who can provide safe and nurturing environments for our most vulnerable children

and youth. To date, the campaign has

focused in the approval of 175 new placements in 115 foster homes.

The government has worked to provide programming and residential

placement for children and youth with complex emotional, medical, and/or

behavioural needs. We will build on

this work in the year ahead.

Some

families in Newfoundland and Labrador have complex needs.

It is incumbent on the Province to intervene to protect children who are

being maltreated or abused by their parents.

Our government recognizes the importance of ensuring that children and

youth in out-of-home residential placements receive the best services possible.

The protection and healthy development of our children and youth is

paramount. Through the Continuum of

Care Strategy, our government is striving to ensure children and youth in need

of out-of-home care are being matched with placement options that best meet

their specific needs. In the coming

year, CYFS will continue to strengthen its policies and programs to ensure this

Province has one of the best child protection systems in the country.

Our

Province has been participating in a Provincial/Territorial Aboriginal Children

in Care Working Group to work on ways to address the disproportionate number of

Aboriginal children in care across the country.

The government has reached out to local Aboriginal governments and

organizations for input on this initiative.

A report will be presented to Premiers this summer when the Council of

the Federation meets in Newfoundland and Labrador.

Our

government is very encouraged by the positive results of the one-year pilot

project that brought two experienced child protection social workers into the

Sheshatshiu office to serve as peer-support mentors.

We are encouraged by the results of the Community of Natuashish Service

Enhancement Program (CONSEP), which sees social workers flying into Natuashish

on two-week rotations, and by Planning Circles, through which our officials and

Aboriginal community leaders work together on strategies for the communities.

A collaborative approach with community leaders is improving service

delivery in Aboriginal communities as well as planning for the safety and

well-being of children and youth.

Challenges remain, and our government will be a willing partner to address

substance abuse challenges that deeply concern all of us.

Our government will continue to strengthen partnerships with the leaders

of Aboriginal communities, particularly in Labrador, to deliver innovative

approaches to child, youth, and family services.

We will continue to adapt our foster families training to better reflect

Aboriginal communities and culture.

We will work to identify additional foster homes that will enable children in

need of out-of-home placement to remain within their communities or closer to

their home or community, to ensure continued connections with their culture.

Public

safety in our communities and for our residents is a top priority.

In January 2015, our government demonstrated its commitment to enhancing

public safety through the creation of the Premier's Advisory Council on Crime

and Community Safety. This Council

will examine all aspects of crime in Newfoundland and Labrador and recommend new

strategies to prevent and reduce criminal activity and enhance safety in the

Province.

Every

member of our society has the right to live free from the fear of violence.

Intimate partner and domestic violence is a very real and complex

societal challenge impacting vulnerable women and children throughout

Newfoundland and Labrador. This past

year saw the establishment of the Intimate Partner Violence Initiative with

Royal Newfoundland Constabulary and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police through

additional dedicated resources. Our

government has evaluated the piloted Family Violence Intervention Court that was

in St. John's and intends to roll out a new court this year that will have a

broader provincial reach.

2014-2015, we invested significantly in the Sheriff's Office.

As a testament to our commitment to safety, we introduced Point of Entry

Security Screening at Family Court in St. John's and at the Corner Brook

courthouse. Work will continue in

the year ahead in keeping with recommendations of the Sheriff's Office Review,

to implement new Point of Entry Security Screening at Supreme Court Trial

Division in St. John's.

The Roil

Review commissioned by our government in 2014 recommended numerous amendments to

the Legal Aid Act , including

provisions relating to the size of the Board of Commissioners of the Legal Aid

Commission, and prescribing a tariff rate by regulations.

In keeping with our commitment to fully implement the Review

recommendations, my government will introduce these and other improvements to

the Legal Aid Act in the coming weeks.

In his

2013 report entitled, Access to Justice A Roadmap for Change, Supreme Court

of Canada Justice Thomas Cromwell noted a strong need to improve access to civil

and family justice in Canada, particularly for the most vulnerable in our

society. As a means of improving

access to justice for all participants in the court process in this Province,

our government will ensure that the Supreme Court of Newfoundland and Labrador

is properly resourced to revise its Rules of Court in 2015-2016.

These have not been modernized since 1986.

The outcome will be a more simplified court process; faster, more

user-friendly access to court services; and a resolution process proportionate

to the complexity of the matter before the court.

Self-represented litigants, in particular, will benefit from revisions in

the Rules of Court when engaging on their own behalf in the court process.

Responsible and Responsive

Governance

Mr. Speaker and

Members of the House of Assembly:

There

are many other things the government might have chosen to do this year if it

were not faced with the unprecedented and unanticipated drop in revenue caused

by the precipitous drop in the price of oil.

But responsible governance demands fiscal prudence.

In this year's Budget, our Finance Minister will present a plan to return

Newfoundland and Labrador to a balanced budget in 2020-2021.

Having

negotiated a solution to provide stability to the Public Service Pension Plan,

our government will follow through with the Newfoundland and Labrador Teachers'

Association on the agreement in principle to bring financial sustainability to

the Teachers' Pension Plan.

Having

consulted with more than 500 stakeholders, our government this year will

announce a new Provincial-Municipal Fiscal Framework to provide efficient and

effective ways for sustainable services to be delivered, paid for, and shared in

the Province.

Our

government is preparing to modernize the

Lands Act , and make the Crown lands application process simpler and the

service delivery model more effective.

This will be informed by a comprehensive review, the consultation

component of which is nearing completion.

Our

government is committed to ensuring that the Province's youth and the agencies

that serve them have opportunities to inform the government's programs,

services, policies, and decisions.

Building on a number of interactive learning events, workshops, town-halls,

schools-based activities, and online engagement sessions held across the

Province in recent years, our government recently re-launched the Premier's

Youth Advisory Committee.

Twenty-three high school, post-secondary and workforce-aged individuals were

appointed in early 2015 after a Province-wide expression of interest process

generated 71 applications. The newly

mandated Premier's Youth Advisory Committee is tasked with developing policy-

and decision-making advice and submitting it directly to the government.

Our government is eager and determined to work collaboratively with the

people it serves.

Better

collaboration is the key to promoting provincial and regional prosperity.

Our government's Office of Public Engagement will launch a new Social

Innovation/Collaboration Incentive Fund to bring together diverse partners

across all sectors business, labour, community, academia and government to

collaborate on innovative projects that demonstrate new and effective ways of

working together on common or complementary goals.

Our

government is developing Newfoundland and Labrador's first Open Government

Action Plan, reflecting the best 'open government' practices in the world.

The plan will nurture a culture of openness within the government by

promoting access to information and data and enhanced dialogue and collaboration

on initiatives. Under this plan,

Newfoundland and Labrador will become, by 2020, one of the most open and

accessible jurisdictions anywhere in the world.

Our

government will bring forward, as its first Bill, the strongest Access to

Information and Protection of Privacy legislation anywhere in Canada, reflecting

in their entirety the recommendations that the Honourable Clyde Wells, Ms

Jennifer Stoddart and Mr. Doug Letto submitted in March.

Our government commends the review committee members for their

outstanding work.

Our

Premier is driving a process to reform the House of Assembly by enhancing the

roles of individual members, reviewing the compensation of members who hold

special positions in the Legislature, reviewing MHA pensions, reducing the

number of seats, and opening legislation to better scrutiny.

Newfoundland and Labrador led the country in legislative reform following

the publication of Rebuilding Confidence in 2007, and we are ready to do even

more to ensure the people of Newfoundland and Labrador are served by the most

progressive Legislature in the country.

We are

proud of the people of Newfoundland and Labrador.

We are

proud of people like teenagers T.J. Fitzpatrick, Justin Saunders, and James

Stapleton, who came to the rescue when flames engulfed a Marystown hotel and

were instrumental in saving the lives of people caught up in the blaze.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

HIS HONOUR THE LIEUTENANT

GOVERNOR: We are

proud of people like Jiffy Cabs dispatcher Jay Dunn, who calmly talked a

distraught dad through CPR to save the life of his seventeen-month-old child.

We are

proud of people like 911 dispatcher Shelley Kelly, who saved a Labrador West

family suffering from deadly carbon monoxide poisoning by keeping the ailing mom

alert and coaching her to get fresh air into the cabin before help arrived.

We are

proud of people like Desiree Foote, a new recruit with the St. George's

Volunteer Fire Department, who in a blizzard too severe for a fire truck

joined Captain Robbie Tobin on his ATV and sped to resuscitate an unconscious

man who had suffered a heart attack.

There

are no finer people on the face of the earth than Newfoundlanders and

Labradorians, and they deserve nothing but the best.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

HIS HONOUR THE LIEUTENANT

GOVERNOR: Our

government is buoyed with optimism as our people begin to come into their own,

enjoying the highest levels of income ever in our history, employment levels

that are higher than a decade ago, and a vast array of initiatives that enhance

the lives of the oldest to the youngest among us.

Our government is managing the affairs of the Province responsibly,

progressively and sustainably to ensure the incredible gains we have already

achieved are eclipsed only by the phenomenal gains that we are about to bring to

fruition. Newfoundland and Labrador

is stronger today than it has ever been and we are on a course to achieve goals

that will benefit our people for generations.

Our government is filled with confidence and optimism that the prospects

for Newfoundland and Labrador, both in the short term and over the long term,

are incredibly bright. Ours is a

future that knows no bounds, and shall ever remain resolute in defence of this

Province we so dearly love Newfoundland and Labrador, proud and strong.

Estimates of expenditure will be laid before you in due course and you will be

asked to grant supply to Her Majesty.

I invoke God's blessing upon you as you commence this new session.

May Divine Providence guide you in your deliberation.

Thank

you very much.

SERGEANT-AT-ARMS:

All rise.

[His

Honour the Lieutenant Governor leaves the Assembly Chamber]

[Mr.

Speaker returns to the Chair]

MR. SPEAKER (Verge):

Order, please!

Please

be seated.

The hon.

the Government House Leader.

MR. KING:

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

At this

time I give notice and ask leave to introduce a bill entitled,

An Act To Provide

The Public With Access To Information And Protection Of Privacy, Bill 1.

MR. SPEAKER:

Is leave granted?

AN HON. MEMBER:

Leave.

MR. SPEAKER:

Leave.

The hon.

the Government House Leader.

MR. KING:

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I move,

seconded by the Deputy Premier, the Minister of Health and Community Services,

that Bill 1,

An Act To Provide The Public With Access To Information And

Protection Of Privacy be now read the first time.

MR. SPEAKER:

Is it the pleasure of the

House to adopt the motion?

All

those in favour, 'aye.'

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Aye.

MR. SPEAKER:

All those against, 'nay.'

Carried.

CLERK:

A bill,

An Act To Provide The Public With Access To Information And Protection

Of Privacy. (Bill 1)

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.

motion, Bill 1 read a first time, ordered read a second time on tomorrow.

MR. SPEAKER:

His Honour the Lieutenant

Governor has been pleased to make a speech to the members in this General

Assembly, and we shall now take a few minutes to distribute the speech.

[The

Pages distribute the Speech to all members].

MR. SPEAKER:

Order, please!

The

Chair would recognize the mover of the Speech, the hon. Member for Baie Verte

Springdale.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR. POLLARD:

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

It is

indeed a privilege to rise in this hon. House today to represent the people from

the beautiful District of Baie Verte Springdale and to respond to the Speech

from the Throne that was so eloquently delivered by His Honour the Lieutenant

Governor.

First of

all, Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank His Honour for delivering today's

Speech. It was truly encouraging and

inspirational. It charts the course

of our upcoming legislative agenda.

The Speech from the Throne clearly reveals an impressive and a comprehensive

plan that this government has developed for the Province's future.

Our government has a strong track record of initiating valuable public

services for our citizens.

Mr.

Speaker, I was delighted to hear that under the Premier's passionate, decisive

leadership, our government will continue to focus on serving the people, with

the goal of improving the quality of life for all citizens.

Nothing is more rewarding than witnessing, seeing, and making

improvements to the lives of people.

It truly motivates all of us.

Mr.

Speaker, in this Province, we have a multitude of very impressive, caring

individuals who inspire all of us.

As alluded to by His Honour, Dr. Gladys Osmond was one of those individuals.

From the District of Baie Verte Springdale, I might add, Dr. Osmond

wrote over 500,000 letters to members of the Armed Forces.

She recognized the contribution that our former and current servicemen

and women have made and continue to make.

Her compassion for others and dedication is something to which we can all

aspire.

I had

the privilege to visit her and chat with her on numerous occasions.

She always wanted to help people.

She always had a heartwarming story to tell.

If she was alive today, Mr. Speaker, I am confident that she would be in

support of the focus on people which today's Throne Speech reveals.

Through

the Speech from the Throne we heard that our government will continue to provide

quality services in the areas of education, health care, poverty reduction, and

seniors, just to mention a few. Over

the past decade, our government has transformed this Province and opened it up

to new and exciting opportunities.

Under our Premier's focused, genuine, and sincere leadership, the people of this

Province can anticipate more bright days ahead and a government which truly

cares about them.

Mr.

Speaker, our government's commitment to our most precious resources, our

children and students, has never been stronger.

Through our 10-Year Child Care Strategy, we have increased the number of

regulated child care spaces by 70 per cent and have made increases to the child

care services subsidy. We have also

provided our children with every opportunity for success by initiating the early

childhood learning strategy: Learning from the Start.

Mr.

Speaker, our students deserve the very best education we can provide them.

Since 2003, our government has increased investments in the K to 12

system from $591 million to $872 million.

To put

this in perspective, Mr. Speaker, it means the per pupil expenditure at the K to

12 level has increased from $7,412 in 2003 to $13,000 in 2014.

That is a whopping 75 per cent increase.

It is the best in Atlantic Canada and among the best in the country.

That is worth celebrating, Mr. Speaker.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR. POLLARD:

Mr. Speaker, we realized when

we took office in 2003 our education system was not where it needed to be.

Our students were falling behind those from across the country.

They were learning from outdated materials and in outdated mouldy, leaky

buildings.

As a

former teacher, I am very pleased we have addressed both of these issues, Mr.

Speaker. We have ushered in new

curriculums and have built state-of-the-art facilities.

Here is an example, the new K to 12 school in Baie Verte is a

state-of-the-art facility. It serves

many communities on the Baie Verte Peninsula.

Copper Ridge Academy provides a positive, modern environment in which all

of our students can learn and perform to the best of their ability.

Mr.

Speaker, it is well enough to list what we have done, but the education outcomes

speak for themselves. Because of our

focused investments, our students are ranked first in Atlantic Canada in science

and reading, as reported by the 2014 Pan-Canadian Assessment Program.

In addition, mathematics assessment scores have improved by an

overwhelming fifteen points. Is it

worth celebrating? Sure it is, Mr.

Speaker.

Furthermore, just a decade ago a mere 58 per cent of students were graduating at

the academic or honours level. Now,

to date, 70 per cent of our students are achieving these benchmarks.

Mr. Speaker, this means our students now have many more employment and

educational opportunities from which to choose.

Mr.

Speaker, as the youth would say in my day anyway that is totally awesome.

That is worth celebrating.

Our government's investment in education have truly made a difference.

I say a great big thank you to all of our caring, dedicated teachers, and

all of our stakeholders in education, for their outstanding contributions they

make on a daily basis.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR. POLLARD:

Mr. Speaker, another area

which His Honour talked about today is health care.

As Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Health and Community

Services, I am very pleased to hear of the continued commitment to provide high

quality, safe, and accessible services.

Through strategic investments, we have doubled the number of dialysis

sites and have opened new health care facilities in Labrador City and Paradise,

and there are many other projects at various stages.

This

means that more Newfoundlanders and Labradorians can avail of health care

services closer to home. This

minimizes the disruption of people's daily lives which is so important to

every single person, Mr. Speaker. I

am so pleased to stand here in this hon. House and say that access to health

care has incredibly improved.

A recent

report from the Canadian Institute for Health Information has determined that

from 2010 to 2014 wait times for key procedures have been significantly reduced

in our Province. Our wait times

regarding hip replacement, knee replacements, and cataract surgeries have all

substantially improved. We now lead

the country in access to these three services, and other provinces are looking

to us for guidance.

Now, Mr.

Speaker, imagine that. Other

provinces are looking to Newfoundland and Labrador for guidance.

There was a time that just would not happen.

We were far from leaders, but today that has totally changed.

Isn't that worth celebrating, Mr. Speaker?

Sure it is. I do not have

much to celebrate these days, Mr. Speaker.

At least there is golfing.

Mr.

Speaker, we also heard earlier today that mental health and addictions continues

to be a key priority to this government.

Our government has recognized that there are many experienced and

professional and knowledgeable people who have a lot to offer on this subject

matter. We want to engage them.

That is why we have formed an all-party committee, on which I am proud to

serve. Consultation with all

stakeholders is paramount as we attempt to develop a plan to address mental

health and addictions issues and the needs in our Province.

We are on our way to do just that, Mr. Speaker, and hopefully make a huge

difference.

Mr.

Speaker, the old adage that an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure is

applicable to the approach to health care and healthy living which we have heard

in today's speech. As a former

physical education teacher with almost thirty years of experience, I personally

understand how regular physical activity and healthy eating contribute to

overall good health and well-being.

Therefore, I am especially proud of the commitment of our Premier and our

government to promote a healthier, more active Province.

As the

great philosopher Socrates once said: a sound mind equals a sound body yes, a

sound body equals a sound mind. As

noted in the Speech from the Throne, our government will continue to work with

our community partners to advance the well-being of the people of the Province.

Currently, our government provides financial support to forty-seven agencies and

community groups that deliver programs, services, and initiatives to promote

healthy, active living. That is

huge. We have invested in healthy

eating programs, recreational facilities, parks, and school physical fitness

equipment. Mr. Speaker, these

investments have positively impacted the physical, mental, and social well-being

of all participants. I received

positive feedback in my district, and right around the Province, from

individuals who have benefitted from the various supports that are available to

them today.

Mr.

Speaker, when the Premier created the Department of Seniors, Wellness and Social

Development, he not only showed true caring leadership and creativity, but he

also renewed our government's focus on proactive healthy living.

This department also focuses on helping seniors to age gracefully and

enhance their quality of life.

Seniors blazed the trail for us.

Seniors deserve all the attention we give them.

Seniors volunteer, and they are still volunteering.

Seniors are still engaged.

Seniors made us who we are today.

Over the

past four years, Mr. Speaker, we have invested more than $1.2 million to

age-friendly grants to promote healthy aging.

We have also invested almost $1 million for healthy aging research, and

$1.3 million for a three-year age friendly transportation pilot project.

Mr. Speaker, I am proud to be part of a government which has the

creativity and the dedication to promote healthy living for all age groups with

an emphasis on seniors. They are so

dear to us, Mr. Speaker. They are

fountains of wealth and wisdom. We

love them.

Mr.

Speaker, in my district we have several initiatives which are improving the

lives of seniors. We have the Care 2

Ride program which is a multi-community model that provides transportation to

seniors and individuals who have mobility challenges.

We also have the Life Unlimited for Older Adults group in Springdale.

This group engages older adults in the planning and promoting of social,

recreational, and educational activities which encourage healthy, active living.

These are just two of the many examples of community projects right

across the Province which works to increase the quality of life for seniors.

Mr.

Speaker, our government's accomplishments are endless.

We have achieved much over the past decade through focusing on meeting

the needs of the Province's residents, ordinary Newfoundlanders and

Labradorians. As outlined in today's

Speech from the Throne, this focus on serving the people of this Province will

continue, absolutely.

Mr.

Speaker, I now move that a select committee be appointed to draft an Address in

Reply to the Speech from the Throne.

Thank

you, Mr. Speaker.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER:

The hon. the Member for

Fortune Bay Cape La Hune.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MS PERRY:

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

behalf of the people of the beautiful District of Fortune Bay Cape La Hune, it

is indeed a pleasure for me to rise in this hon. House today and second the

motion that a select committee be appointed to draft an Address in Reply to this

year's Speech from the Throne.

I would

like to take this opportunity, Mr. Speaker, to sincerely thank my constituents

for the support they have shown me over the last seven years and for allowing me

the honour of representing them in the House of Assembly.

I would also like to thank His Honour for delivering the Speech from the

Throne which clearly outlines the comprehensive plan this government has

developed for the future of our Province.

outlines the sound management decisions and solid approach of our government to

grow a stronger and more diversified economy for Newfoundland and Labrador.

Mr. Speaker, it is that same approach which has brought us through the

global recession virtually unscathed and will now help us move forward to

overcome the challenges we currently face.

Many

governments all over the world have the same challenges, but I am very confident

that the strong foundation we have built will equip us to advance us on our path

to economic prosperity. To that end,

we will continue to diversify our economy and follow our long-term objectives,

as outlined in the Throne Speech His Honour delivered here today.

This

government has long recognized a pressing need to expand our sources of revenue

generation in order to maintain a fiscally strong Newfoundland and Labrador.

In recent years, we have worked diligently towards achieving this goal

and we will continue to focus on finding and developing new and renewable

revenue streams.

Our

investments in tourism, fisheries, marine innovation, and aquaculture, along

with other renewal resources, have generated revenue in various areas all across

this Province. For example, Mr.

Speaker, as a result of our government's investments in the aquaculture sector,

it has become one of the fastest growing industries in the Province and, today,

employs over 6,500 people in rural communities all across Newfoundland and

Labrador. It generates annual farm

gate revenues of $150 million, and the processing sector has reached revenues of

over $500 million a year. I am very

proud to say, Mr. Speaker, that our government has always appreciated the

importance and potential of the aquaculture industry.

As the

MHA for Fortune Bay Cape La Hune, I speak from experience when I say that

aquaculture has become a key driver of the provincial economic and has

transformed the fortunes of many rural communities.

Aquaculture is helping to grow and diversify rural economies all across

this Province through direct and indirect job creation and benefits to business

both near and far.

You can

see the new economic activity created at the salmon operations in my district

along the Coast of Bays, or at the mussel operations in the New World Island

area, or at the aquaculture hatchery and fish plants across the Province.

Actually, over the past decade, we, as a government, have invested more

than $50 million to put in place the programs and infrastructure that were

necessary to help raise the aquaculture sector to a new level.

As a result of these investments and private sector investments,

aquaculture has grown from a pre-commercial industry worth approximately $3

million in 1995 to a commercial industry that is worth $197 million in 2013.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MS PERRY:

This growth is absolutely

fantastic, Mr. Speaker, and there is more to come.

Truly, aquaculture is creating jobs for residents throughout this

Province and providing brighter futures for the rural towns in which they

operate.

Mr.

Speaker, as our hon. Premier stated in his recent address to the Newfoundland

and Labrador Teachers' Association, our approach to economic diversification in

the tourism sector is paying off in dividends.

In a year when we have had to contend with an unprecedented fall in the

price of oil, we are forecasting that the tourism industry will generate more

than $1.1 billion in revenue, and most of it in rural Newfoundland and Labrador.

Mr. Speaker, through continued investments in this sector, we expect to

surpass $1.6 billion in revenue by 2020.

As you can imagine, this is one of the brightest achievements of our

government, and one of which we are all very proud.

Our

government also realizes the development of renewable energy sources, and we

realize it is essential for Newfoundland and Labrador to maintain sustainable

wealth over the long term. By

developing Muskrat Falls, we are ensuring that our Province has a clean,

reliable, and renewable energy source for many years to come.

Muskrat Falls will help minimize the impact of volatile oil prices in the

future and will become a major revenue generator for the Province.

As His Honour noted in the Throne Speech, economic diversification

remains a priority for this government.

We will continue to look for ways to further diversify the economy and

generate wealth for the people of this Province.

Our

investments in education, child care, youth care, seniors' care, health care,

and associated infrastructure have been unparalleled but essential to meet the

growing needs of Newfoundlanders and Labradorians.

Today's Throne Speech provides the framework for us to invest

strategically in these areas and ensures that we deliver the best possible

services to the residents of our Province.

Mr.

Speaker, we are a valiant people and with the strong, proven leadership of our

Premier, our future has never offered greater potential.

I am confident that our Premier and our government will continue to make

wise investments, attract new business, harness our resources, diversify our

economy, grow our industries, and ensure the health and wellness of our citizens

and our communities. This is the

right approach, and I am proud to be part of a government with a strong leader

at the helm who will responsibly address the needs of our people and continue to

lead us on a course of self-reliance.

Mr.

Speaker, once again, it is a great honour to second the motion that a select

committee be appointed to draft an Address in Reply in response to the Speech

from the Throne.

Thank

you, Mr. Speaker.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER:

The hon. the Leader of the

Official Opposition.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR. BALL:

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I, too,

want to recognize the fact that we were graced today with the presence of His

Honour and, of course, the special guests that we have here on the floor and

those who are in the galleries watching today.

His

Honour started his speech today, the Speech from the Throne, speaking about 100

years ago and the Honour 100 program.

That is a program that I am pleased to say that all members of this House

of Assembly supports. Just this very

weekend in my own District of Humber Valley, I had the pleasure of meeting with

a group of young people who were actually the largest group of young people that

we have had for such a turnout. We

had two young people as a result of the essay, poster, and poem contest, who

will actually be travelling to Europe this year.

When we reflect on where we were 100 years ago, we can be very proud of

our heritage and the sacrifices that our young men and women are making in

uniform.

In the

Speech today it was also mentioned, someone who I know very well and the

Member for Baie Verte Springdale today also mentioned it in his response.

That was a lady by the name of Gladys Osmond, now Dr. Gladys Osmond who

passed away just recently. I, too,

had the privilege of spending time in Springdale, many hours actually, with Mrs.

Osmond and her family over the years.

I can

tell you what; as we had soldiers fighting for what we believe in, all over the

world, this was certainly a soldier in her own right as she was part of the

Granny Brigade right here in Newfoundland and Labrador.

Her letters and the words of encouragement that she sent to her young men

and women in uniform were certainly words of encouragement.

I, too, want to recognize the great achievement of this fantastic lady.

Mr.

Speaker, today's Speech from the Throne is an important opportunity for a

government to set their priorities for the upcoming session in the House of

Assembly. As Leader of the Official

Opposition, this is my fourth reply to the Speech from the Throne.

I am thankful for this opportunity to share my thoughts as we work

together through these challenging times, and as we begin to move our Province

so that we can finally reach our full potential.

The

people of our Province are watching and listening intently today with

expectations that those issues most important to them will drive the agenda.

They have little tolerance for the politics of a tired government.

Newfoundlanders and Labradorians have been let down far too many times

and have grown skeptical of this government and I would say they have grown

skeptical of politicians in general a government that spends more time

justifying their history than accepting accountability and working in the best

interests of people instead of themselves.

For the

past twelve years, people have been looking to this government for strong fiscal

management and economic stability.

They have been asking for a long-term vision and they have been waiting.

They have been waiting for a plan of action that will ensure the best

management of our resources, and create the right conditions to both diversify

and grow our economy.

However,

this government has failed to provide that strong fiscal management.

They have failed to take steps to stabilize our economy.

They have failed to plan on a 10-Year Sustainability Plan that we watched

them roll out just two years ago, a 10-Year Sustainability Plan that lasted just

two years. We know why it did not go

beyond 2015, because the politics of convenience and expediency took over.

They overspent. They did not

plan. They did not plan for the

rainy day, and now Newfoundlanders and Labradorians and future generations must

carry the weight of that burden on their shoulders.

matter how much the Tories scramble to try and undo this mess, the physical mess

that they have created, the damage is done, and the people of this Province are

already feeling the impacts of a government that did not manage and did not plan

for our future.

The

failure to follow through on the sustainability plan is just one of the long

lists of plans and strategies that this government has let fall by the wayside.

So, it is no surprise then that people have lost confidence and become

cynical of this government when it announces a new strategy or another new plan.

Because history has shown us that these plans often result in little or

no action. They are still on the

shelves in departments collecting dust today, I say, Mr. Speaker.

We only

look back as (inaudible) and reflect on the $5 billion infrastructure strategy.

This Tory government announced it, they celebrated it, and they spoke of

it as if it was a formal strategy that was well underway.

Yet, when the Auditor General went looking for this plan, it could not be

found because it did not exist. This

government could not produce a plan detailing the process of which $5 billion

worth of infrastructure spending nor were they even willing to share with the

Auditor General the documents outlining how the infrastructure money was spent.

So it is

this track record that has left people questioning.

Questioning the management, the openness, and the transparency of this

government, because this government has given them lots of reasons a long list

of reasons, I say, Mr. Speaker, why they cannot be trusted to do what is in the

best interest of the people of this Province for the long term.

So when

I say Newfoundlanders and Labradorians are watching and listening intently

today, I expect it is also with a great deal of uncertainty what will be in

the long list of this government's promises and plans that will never

materialize? This government will

soon deliver its twelfth Budget. Mr.

Speaker, the Finance Minister has already indicated that we can expect what?

We can expect another deficit Budget.

In fact, he has gone on to predict even more worse than that: five

consecutive years of deficits out to 2020.

I say,

Mr. Speaker, we celebrated in 2009 that we were now a have Province, and here we

are, five more deficits. This is the

Tory's legacy of fiscal mismanagement.

After receiving more revenue than ever before in the history of this

Province $25 billion and who would have believed that after $20 billion in

oil royalties alone, another $4.6 billion from the Atlantic Accord, that we

would be worse off.

managed responsibly, that revenue could have helped us weather any any storm,

allowing us to control our destiny, not the other way around.

This government has had more money than ever before, yet here we are

facing the harsh reality of five deficit Budgets delivered under this

government. If you take out the

Atlantic Accord they would have delivered eight Budgets in eleven years.

Taking out the Atlantic Accord, which we knew would expire, if you take

that out that is eight Budgets, eight deficits in eleven years.

So, that is what the people of Newfoundland and Labrador got in return

for this government. They got debt;

they got job losses, and missed opportunities I would say, Mr. Speaker.

The

Minister of Finance is predicting that government will be responsible for

thirteen deficits in sixteen years.

That is spanning from 2004 to 2020 that is thirteen deficits in sixteen years.

That is a track record that speaks for itself and one that carries

long-term impacts on the well-being of our people, our families, and our

communities.

keeping with the Tory tradition, we know that the upcoming Budget will be a

deficit Budget. One that the Finance

Minister has said will contain job losses, tax hikes, and fee increases a

Budget where the people of our Province will continue to pay the price for this

government's poor management and failure to plan.

Mr.

Speaker, the Minister of Finance was asked about the potential for cuts.

When he was asked about the potential for cuts in the upcoming Budget,

this was his answer: We do not have a master plan.

So, in the absence of a plan, here we go, we are now in reaction mode,

looking for cost savings to get us out of this situation, this mess that we are

in. This puts our government and our

Province at risk for long-term ramifications when you become reactatory, when

you start working with band-aid solutions.

Last

November, we saw government implement a freeze on discretionary spending and

hiring, and for months later the Premier refused to reduce the size of this

Cabinet. Despite the need for

further savings, the taxpayers of this Province are still paying for the

salaries of five Parliamentary Secretaries.

This represents hundreds of thousands of dollars that could be eliminated

as an annual expense, but instead this government has decided to look for cost

savings elsewhere.

Most

recently, their focus has been squarely on wallets of who?

Squarely on the wallets of our seniors, looking to collect pension

overpayment pensioners, these are people in their seventies and eighties who

have worked hard, have made important contributions to this Province and now

faced with the stress of being forced to pay from an already modest income from

government. They need to do this,

they say, to recover $930,000. In

all likelihood, I say, Mr. Speaker, government will spend more by hiring a

consultant and trying to collect from those seniors than the value of the

overpayments themselves.

Mr.

Speaker, these misplaced priorities are nothing new for this government.

While they go after seniors, they have allowed millions of dollars of

business loans to be written off, millions in unpaid traffic fines to

accumulate, oil royalties to drag on for years, and let's not forget a $90

million release of bonds for Humber Valley Paving.

The people of Newfoundland and Labrador deserve strong management, they

deserve long-term planning, and they deserve an open and a caring government.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR. BALL:

Mr. Speaker, Newfoundlanders

and Labradorians also deserve an effective and responsible government that is

focused on adding certainty to the budgetary process.

Year over year government misses their mark when it comes to predicting

the price of oil. Here we go today

in the Speech from the Throne predicting a balanced budget in 2020.

In all

fairness, can anyone in this Province believe that could ever be true from this

government when they cannot even predict six months out, let alone five years

out? Year over year government

misses its mark when it comes to predicting the price of oil, so much that the

inaccuracy is expected and losses are the norm.

How can we expect the people of this Province to trust the fiscal

mismanagement of a government who just cannot seem to get it right?

Government's defence for inaccurate budget predictions is always about the price

of oil, always about production. If

that was always the case, then why not just remove the oil revenues from general

budgeting all together? Real

leadership must involve collaboration and openness to recommendations on how to

better manage this fiscal reality.

Because the way things stand today it will not be an easy way forward, it just

means getting smarter and it means working much harder.

A smart

visionary government would separate volatile natural resource revenues from

stable revenues like taxes. A

strategic government would understand that natural resource revenue must be

reserved for one-time spending while using stable revenues for long-term

planning and spending commitments.

It is a simple solution to give some legitimacy to the budgetary process, a

solution that will result in more effective fiscal management.

Our Province needs strong management.

The

people of our Province deserve to be hopeful for their future.

Far too long they have placed their hope in a government only to be shut

down, to be let down, and to be forgotten.

It is time for leadership that is solid, that is grounded, and that is

real.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR. BALL:

It is time for a government

that will use innovative solutions to take on the most serious issues we face

and bring about positive outcomes, because it is for people.

It is for all our people that government must do its work.

This

means overcoming some of the biggest challenges in areas like health care and

education, and delivering the best systems in the country.

It means following through on strategic plans to achieve long-term

economic strength and sustainability.

It means putting in place the kind of strong fiscal management that our

Province needs now more than ever.

Only then can the people of Newfoundland and Labrador reach their full potential

and will we reach our full potential as a Province.

I would

like to take a moment to talk about public inquiries into some of the very

serious events and issues in our Province.

This government has not been open and transparent and we know that they

resist public inquiries. There are a

few public inquiries that are a priority for us.

Today we heard in the Speech from the Throne and the response about the

openness and how by 2020 they would be the most open and transparent government.

Let's

remember that it was only a short time ago they stood in their seats and Bill 29

said the very same thing. Here we

are today with the repeal essentially of Bill 29 because of the work of the

commission. I commend the commission

on their work too I say, Mr. Speaker.

Here we are just a few short years later, after Bill 29, having to revamp

that whole system again.

Mr.

Speaker, we have called for inquiries, if you remember, back on search and

rescue services in our Province.

While this government has the authority to do so under the Public Inquiries Act,

this government refuses and it resists to take actions on this inquiry.

This leaves us to question, and people in our Province it leaves us to

question why. Why, as a Province,

are we not doing these public inquiries?

Our Province has seen more than its share of tragedies.

How could any government possibly be satisfied with our current level of

search and rescue when we can do much better to keep our people safe?

Mr.

Speaker, as the Official Opposition we have also asked government to call an

inquiry into the steps that led up to the cancellation of the Humber Valley

Paving Contract, but it is the same story, resist and refuse.

Why is this government willing to dismiss the concerns about Humber

Valley Paving, a company with close ties, as we all know, to a former would-be

leader, a former would-be Premier without allowing further investigation?

We all

know the Auditor General was not satisfied with a number of the issues,

including why this contract had to be cancelled and why $19 million in bonds had

to be released, ironically, on the day before the PC leadership nominations

closed. Even though the Auditor

General is not satisfied, this government, this Premier, refuses to call an

inquiry into the events of Humber Valley Paving.

Now, Mr.

Speaker, most recently, there was the tragic death of Mr. Don Dunphy.

All members, I am sure, are concerned about the events that led up to and

ultimately resulted in his death. We

believe an inquiry is needed. When

the time comes, let's hope this is not another case of refuse and resist.

Mr.

Speaker, we owe it to the people of our Province to restore faith and confidence

in our justice system. The issue of

openness and accountability continues to be one of this government's struggles

when it comes to giving the people of this Province the information they want

and deserve to know. Mr. Speaker,

that is not where the struggles end.

They have also struggled with creating the right conditions for a stronger

economy.

This

government likes to claim it is focused on the economy, about the promise and

prosperity just around the corner.

They say they are addressing the critical shortage of skilled workers in our

Province, creating jobs through resource development and paving the way for our

youth. Meanwhile, it is under this

same government that our Province is facing seventeen consecutive months of job

losses.

Mr.

Speaker, no other province in Canada has experienced this kind of decrease in

employment over the last year. As a

result, we have thousands of people, 4,500 more in the last twelve months alone

who are out there looking for work.

This government would like you to believe it all has to do with the drop in oil

prices. I want to be clear, before

the drop in oil our economy was already heading in the wrong direction.

We were losing jobs. More

people were leaving the Province.

Housing starts were on the decline, a dramatic drop in capital investment, and

debt rising to pre-oil levels. This

is bad management. This is poor

planning. It is not protecting our

future.

Looking

forward to job vacancies and training our young people with the skills to match

those jobs is critical to our economic success, but today it is evident that

this government has done little to advance those efforts and prepare our

workforce to meet future demands.

Instead of working with our college graduates to access apprenticeships and

obtain journeyperson certification, we continue to hear stories of credentials

not being recognized. It is further

evidence that this government has been satisfied with just doing the bare

minimum. These students are the

workforce that will drive the provincial economy and if we do not do a better

job of setting them up for success and work and raise their families here, we

are at risk of losing them to other provinces and other parts of the world a

story, Mr. Speaker, that we all know too well.

These

students are also our skilled workers, the bright minds and the innovators that

will attract future businesses to our Province and that will drive the potential

for economic development. We need to

do a better job of managing our natural resources and leveraging opportunities

from our large scale projects. This

means ensuring strong benefits agreements that are far reaching and result in

long-term jobs for Newfoundlanders and Labradorians first.

This means trading partisanship for partnerships to strengthen our

traditional industries and opportunities on a global scale.

Mr.

Speaker, just last year I called for an all-party committee on Northern shrimp

to present a united voice to the federal government against harmful cuts to the

industry. I believe in partnerships

and I believe in collaboration, and I am pleased to say that the Committee

continues to present a united voice.

In fact, they are in Ottawa today meeting with the federal fisheries minister.

Mr.

Speaker, I have great pride in our Province and great pride in our people.

Far too much pride to allow Newfoundland and Labrador to be outperformed

by every other province in the country in small business growth.

We need to provide better access to growth capital for small businesses

and entrepreneurs, and invest in our graduates and start-ups across the

Province. We need to keep and work

with our existing businesses and help them expand.

Just

yesterday I met with a young entrepreneur in our Province and I asked: What

would it take for you to hire an extra two, three, or four people?

There were many ideas of how this could work.

We have to work with our small business owners.

We have to work with our youth and our young entrepreneurs to accomplish

this.

The fact

is that in 2015 we still have the lowest rate of small business growth in the

country. Mr. Speaker, this

unacceptable and it is inexcusable.

We need to put the oil money to work and build a labour force to fuel that new

growth, create jobs to keep our young people home, and develop an aggressive

immigration and homegrown training strategy to replace our rapidly retiring

labour pool.

Mr.

Speaker, I have to ask: What plan does this government have to keep youth and

young families in our Province? It

is not the Population Growth Strategy, which I understand they are finally going

to release since 2012 not because that program so far has produced any

results. We are looking at a

declining and shifting of populations in our Province and now, with the fasting

aging population in the country, our ability to retain and attract young people

is not only important, Mr. Speaker, it is urgent.

The

economic outlook and the opportunities in our Province are good.

I am optimistic about our future, but it going to take some work and a

government that is serious about putting a long-term economic plan into action.

This government of twelve years and $25 billion has admitted and they

have admitted this openly that they do not have a plan.

Instead, this is a government intent on mere self-promotion.

For every dollar spent on government propaganda that is one less dollar

to be spent in health care, to be spent in education, and for all the things

that people need in their communities to succeed.

There is

an old saying and we have heard it all before that self-praise is really no

praise at all. So, let me tell you,

Mr. Speaker, people in Newfoundland and Labrador have seen enough of

self-praise. Our Province does not

need self-praise from any government.

It needs strong management, long-term planning, and open and caring

government. It needs a vision that

offers something new; a vision that will underpin a strong plan to move forward

as a people and as a Province; a feeling of hope, change, and new ideas.

Newfoundland and Labrador needs a firm and a steady hand on the wheel, a

sure and confident course ahead.

We know

that the educational performance has a direct impact on not only education but

on health care and economic performance.

At a time when our children are underperforming in school they are

pushed through under this government's no-zero policy we know that an

education system that includes early learning and full-day Kindergarten is

critical. Not only does it give our

children the best possible start in life, but it is an investment in our future.

It is our long-term success.

I am

committed to a task force on improving educational outcomes.

Working in consultation with our educators, the task force will examine

the early learning through K-12 education systems to identify the areas for

sensible, long-term improvements.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR. BALL:

In addition to this, we have

made several other commitments as an Opposition: the seniors' advocacy office;

the reinstatement of the Family Violence Intervention Court; working with the

municipalities to use Crown land for economic development; a Premier's forum on

municipalities; campaign finance reform; a business investment tax credit; a

youth entrepreneur retention program; and something because I have said it

before, taking the politics out of appointments, an independent appointments

commission.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR. BALL:

Mr. Speaker, we have also

introduced our vision for health care.

We are committed to working with health care providers to improve

outcomes throughout our system. We

will not give up on our front-line health care professionals.

Our

health care system today is oversubscribed and failing to meet the needs of

people across the Province. We need

to look at things differently and consider the best model for people at every

stage of life. We need to consider

the changing needs of our population and put action plans in place to address

them.

When we

talk about health, it is not just physical health.

Mental health is just as important as physical health.

We are committed to a provincial mental health strategy to address the

growing need for appropriate resources, services, and support.

I will say that my colleagues from the Third Party, the PMR that we were

happy to support in this House and certainly proud to be part of the All-Party

Committee on Mental Health and Addictions, that is what comes with working

together I say, Mr. Speaker.

colleagues across the floor, they also like some of the ideas that we put out

there too. Just to name a few that

have already been adopted, I have already talked about Bill 29.

They endorsed it, they supported it, yet they are about to essentially

repeal that piece of legislation.

They resisted the call for the radiation facility in the new hospital in Corner

Brook and the PET scanner. After the

research of the Official Opposition, they changed their mind and have now

accepted that. Full-day

Kindergarten, Muskrat Falls oversight, student loan reform, a mental health

strategy, five-year budgeting, multi-year infrastructure planning and tendering,

and after now twelve years in power finally this government we called for this

over ago MHA pension reform.

Mr.

Speaker, confidence and trust in government is vital to encouraging growth and

sustaining prosperity for the future.

When we look to the industries that have provided for the Province such

as the fishery, agriculture, forestry, and small and medium-sized businesses,

they tell us when we speak and meet with them they feel that they are left out

fending for themselves. We see

significant opportunities in these industries.

What we need is a government that will work with them, not against them.

These

have traditionally been areas that have driven the economy in our Province,

especially in rural parts of our Province.

We will not give up on rural Newfoundland and Labrador.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR. BALL:

Mr. Speaker, when you look

north to Labrador and its vast natural resources, the people there tell us that

this government takes them for granted.

In the Speech from the Throne today, we heard talk of flying the Labrador

flag. Well, I can say this is not a

government that did that they did it reluctantly, they resisted, and they

refused to do it for quite some time.

commend the people in Labrador who spearheaded that initiative to actually get

the Labrador flag flying at the entry point in Labrador.

We will ensure the people of Labrador share equally and fairly in those

vast natural resources that contribute to the entire economy of our Province.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR. BALL:

Mr. Speaker, we will build

strong trust relationships with our Aboriginal partners throughout the Province.

Mr.

Speaker, today's Speech from the Throne has given the people of Newfoundland and

Labrador a lot to think about. The

next step in our Province's journey needs to be led by a government that will

listen first, then act, effectively manage risk and leverage opportunities, and

help move beyond today's challenges toward a better future.

The

people of this Province deserve better management from a government.

Mr. Speaker, make no mistake, we have little margin for error.

From here on in we have to get it right.

Every member of this Liberal team knows and believes that to be true.

There is

a choice; b ad

management of the past, strong management for the future.

The people of our Province are asking for strong management.

They are asking for long-term planning.

They need and are asking for an open and caring government.

Newfoundlanders and Labradorians are looking for hope, they are looking

for change, and they are looking for new ideas.

They are looking for a plan to help them reach their full potential.

I know

people throughout our Province have listened intently today to the Throne Speech

because they have felt the impacts of a government who did not manage and did

not plan. People recognize that our

next government will have an historic impact on our Province.

They know and they deserve a government that will listen, plan, and

manage. Something, after today's

Throne Speech, clearly will not be realized with this current government.

Thank

you, Mr. Speaker.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER (Littlejohn):

The hon. the

Member for St. John's Centre.

MS ROGERS:

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I am

very happy to stand and make a very short response to the Speech from the

Throne.

In the

past six months, both the Premier and the Minister of Finance has warned us all,

has warned every person in every nook and cranny of Newfoundland and Labrador of

the dire fiscal situation in which the Province finds itself.

They have warned us of the tough economic situation that we all face in

Newfoundland and Labrador with no clear path forward, except a warning that

things are going to get tougher, except a warning of cuts, except a warning of

shrinkage, except a warning that we are all to bear the brunt of this.

direction in terms of who exactly will bear the brunt or how that will be bared.

No exact idea of what that will mean in the day-to-day lives of

individual citizens, of individual families, and of individual non-profit

organizations and community groups that are doing incredibly vital work on

behalf of the people of the Province.

Mr.

Speaker, what one would expect from the Speech from the Throne is a clear map on

how we are going to weather this storm.

It is a storm that we have been warned about.

Not that perhaps this will happen, but that we are in the middle of it,

that we are in the midst of it.

Really

what one would hope from government is that there would be a plan and a way

forward to show how we will not only survive, stay in place, or perhaps just

move a little bit backward, but how we are going to move forward in spite of

some of the very real economic challenges we face.

We face them because some of them are out of our control when we look at

what is happening on the international stage in terms of the price of oil.

We know that this government has been addicted to oil at the cost of not

developing other ways of sustaining our Province.

People

are worried. People are afraid.

We know that within the public sector people are afraid for their jobs.

People are worried about how they will clothe their children, feed their

children, pay their mortgages, pay their child care, and perhaps help their

aging parents. Particularly, people

in the public service are concerned about this because we know what happened in

2013 in the great cuts to public service.

In this

Throne Speech one would hope that there would be a lot of reassurance.

The words optimism are used a number of times in the Throne Speech, but

one can only have optimism if it is based on reality, if it is based on a vision

of something that will work and that will bring us forward.

What is government doing to relieve some of the fear and some of the

concern? What is government doing to

instill some confidence? It is

confidence that has to be built on something that is real.

We know

that the Budget is coming down in the not-too-distant future.

Then, Mr. Speaker, that will reflect the vision of this government.

The actual Budget with numbers associated to the needs and services of

the people of the Province that will tell us really what the vision of this

government is. Not a Throne Speech

that has platitudes and talks about optimism, but a Budget putting your money

where your mouth is. It is our hope

that the optimism that has been identified in this Throne Speech is based on a

reality that will enable the people of Newfoundland and Labrador to not only

just stay in place or keep their heads above water, but a Budget that will help

people to thrive, a Budget that will help people to move forward.

People

are asking how we are going to move forward in these times.

We know, Mr. Speaker, that we have the highest percentage of seniors in

the country who are in receipt of OAS and GIS.

Which means we have the highest percentage of seniors in the country

living under the poverty line or at the poverty line; seniors who are worried

about their futures, seniors who want to live in their own homes or to live in

rental accommodations, but do not know how they are going to be able to afford

to do that, seniors who know that with a little bit of help, be it from home

care or in other ways, they would be able to stay in their homes.

This

Throne Speech has not talked about the reality of seniors lives, nor has this

Throne Speech given us any indication as to how seniors and the needs of seniors

because we all know, we have all talked about it in this House, Mr. Speaker.

We have all talked about the growing proportion of seniors in this

Province. Again, we have one of the

most rapidly growing proportion of seniors in the country in Newfoundland and

Labrador.

Our

seniors are not victims. Our seniors

are people who have worked hard all their lives to bring us to this point, to

build the prosperity that we all experienced only a few years ago.

These are people who need some concrete information about how they will

be able to live fully, how they will be able to live safely, how they will be

able to live in dignity and respect in their senior years.

There is

nothing in this Throne Speech that indicates the services they will need, be it

affordable housing, be it home care, there is nothing in this Speech to reassure

them. Perhaps we will see something

in the Budget, but in this Throne Speech we see nothing concrete.

We see no vision. Perhaps it

is there perhaps.

Young

working families are telling us all over the Province that they need affordable,

accessible child care. There is

nothing in this Throne Speech that speaks to that.

This is a very concrete need for young working families.

It is also a concrete need for our seniors.

How many seniors are taking care of the children of their children

because their children cannot afford child care, so that people can work without

worrying about how their children will be cared for.

There is nothing in this Throne Speech that is concrete, that will allay

the fears, that will allay the concerns.

It has been told to us so clearly.

Everyone

in this House knows how important child care is in both the economic success of

our Province and is also perhaps one of the most fundamental underpinnings for

population growth. How many times

have we heard young working families cannot afford to have more than one child

because they do not have access to affordable, reliable child care?

I want a

Newfoundland and Labrador that is based on an optimism that is based on reality.

It is very interesting to see the acknowledgement of the role of artists

in our communities, particularly in the area of tourism; yet, we see nothing.

We know we have among the lowest per capita funding for artists in the

country. We see nothing.

We see platitudes on praising our artists for the work they do in

creating our culture and reflecting our culture back to us.

As a

matter of fact, very early in the Throne Speech we see that this government is

calling forth encouraging more people to write books, encouraging more people to

record our culture, to record our history, but there is no indication in this

Throne Speech whatsoever of how artists will be supported to do that.

We have the highest number of artists living under the poverty line,

percentage wise, than anywhere else in the country.

We praise the work they do and the influence they have on tourism, yet

there is nothing concrete in this Throne Speech to show that yes, in fact, that

they should have any optimism.

Again, we will see what the Budget has in store.

We see

there are some victories. Government

has decided to not only reinstate the Family Violence Intervention Court, but to

expand it.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MS ROGERS:

We see another victory in

terms of the establishment of the all-party mental health committee.

These, Mr. Speaker, are victories not only because of what we have done

here in our House of Assembly, not only because of what we may have each and

individually done as MHAs, but they are real meaningful victories because of

real, meaningful civil engagement.

People across the Province have spoken out loudly and clearly on what they see

is necessary.

Mr.

Speaker, I feel entirely buoyed and optimistic not because of what I have seen

specifically in the Throne Speech, but because I see and I think many of us see

a resurgence of civil engagement, of activism, of people contacting us, of

people of Newfoundland and Labrador saying we want to take back our Province, we

want to be fully engaged in how our Province moves forward.

We see

that in the incredible services that are delivered to us by community groups and

non-profit groups all over the Province, and we are hearing from them again.

There has been a few years where community groups and non-profit

organizations have been afraid to speak out, have been afraid that if they were

seen as contrary to government policy, or contrary to government, there was a

fear. There was a chill in the air.

We all know about that, a fear to speak out, a fear to criticize, and we

are seeing a resurgence of that.

That makes me optimistic. That buoys

my optimism.

health care, yes, we have seen that wait times have been reduced, and that is a

good thing. I think there are many

victories in our health care system and many ways that people can be proud, many

ways that government can be proud.

They talk about the focus on primary health care.

One would hope that also means a focus on primary health care clinics.

Again,

it is one thing to talk about platitudes, it is one thing to talk ideas, but,

Mr. Speaker, our optimism has to be grounded on concrete reality.

We know from the consultations that have been done Province-wide, that

one of the issues health care professionals, that the public have talked about

is the need for primary health care clinics.

So one would hope again, we will see in the Budget what will be set

aside.

Also, in

health care; the incredible growing need for seniors in the area of care for

seniors with dementia and Alzheimer's.

We will see once again in the Budget whether or not this Speech from the

Throne reflects something grounded in a reality.

Mental

health; we can celebrate the fact that we have an all-party mental health

committee that will hopefully inform a new mental health strategy, but this

consultation process has to be genuine.

It has to be long enough and thorough enough so that the people of

Newfoundland and Labrador, particularly people who are users of the mental

health system, whether it be individuals themselves or their families, or their

health care providers, actually do have a chance to be heard by this all-party

committee so that any recommendation, again, comes back based on reality, based

on the information that people are dying to give us.

It is not enough to do a precursory approach to consultation; it has to

be based in real time and time for real dialogue.

I look

forward to that, Mr. Speaker. I look

forward to being part of that Committee where we will have the chance to really

listen with the intention to hear.

We have to get this right because it is so difficult for families across the

Province.

Mr.

Speaker, I am going to close; I just have a few more issues that I would like to

raise. It is heartening to see that

there will be a recommitment to the Poverty Reduction Strategy.

It was a strategy that was very progressive in its time, but seemed to

have been abandoned over a period of a few years.

So, I look forward to hearing what the 1,000 people who were consulted

had to say and how that will direct the new Poverty Reduction Strategy.

Although there have been many great gains, we also know how difficult the

lives are for many Newfoundlanders and Labradorians in different parts of the

Province who live under the extreme mantel of poverty.

I look forward to hearing what they had to say, and one would hope that

will see a report that accurately reflects the challenges that people are facing

in their lives.

Mr.

Speaker, our Throne Speech is about values, values that are a foundation of

sound decisions and good public policy.

We will see if the values that may have been pointed to in the Throne

Speech we will see in the Budget whether this government puts its money where

its mouth is. We will see whether or

not there will be decisions based on putting the people of Newfoundland and

Labrador first. We will see whether

or not the Budget will help the people of the Province weather the storm that we

have been warned about.

We need

an approach to governance that is based on a determination that all our

citizens, not just those at the top of a ladder, should be given a fighting

chance to realize their dreams and aspirations.

One will hope, Mr. Speaker, if the optimism that is reflected here in

this Throne Speech is reflected in a Budget that is real, that is concrete, that

will help the people living in poverty, that will help our seniors, that will

help our working families, that will help students, that will help artists so

that we can all fully participate in building a prosperous Newfoundland and

Labrador.

Thank

you very much, Mr. Speaker.

MR. SPEAKER:

The hon. the Premier.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

PREMIER DAVIS:

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Honourable members of the House, I would like to join with my colleagues

opposite in thanking the Lieutenant Governor for his eloquent delivery of the

Speech from the Throne this afternoon.

I also want to thank not only His Honour but also the judges of our

courts; our civil leaders; leaders in business who joined us today;

representatives from labour, academia; church representatives that joined us

here today; the community; cultural leaders; and also citizens of Newfoundland

and Labrador who have either tuned in through the House of Assembly broadcast or

have joined us here in the House of Assembly for the Throne Speech today.

Mr.

Speaker, I want to take a moment to thank the movers and seconders of the motion

this afternoon: the Member for Baie Verte Springdale and also the Member for

Fortune Bay Cape La Hune. I thank

both of them for their very thoughtful words that they shared with us this

afternoon.

listened very carefully to them and they both spoke of investments that were

made in their districts, investments that we, as a government, have made in

their districts; but, more importantly, if you listened carefully to what both

these members talked about this afternoon, they also talked about the impacts

those investments are having on the people of Newfoundland and Labrador.

They talked about it from a district perspective and they also talked

about it from a provincial perspective, Mr. Speaker.

I think it is very important words they brought this afternoon.

I thank both of them for their well-thought-out comments this afternoon,

Mr. Speaker.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

PREMIER DAVIS:

Mr. Speaker, the work we do

as a government is very difficult and challenging on a daily basis.

We would never be able to continue to do the work that we do if it were

not for the support and the work that we do together as a team and as a caucus.

I want to take a moment to express my sincere appreciation to all members

of our caucus on this side of the House for their continued support, their

unwavering support, of not only me but the ministers in our government who work

on a daily basis for all people of Newfoundland and Labrador.

We would not be able to do it without them.

I thank all the members of our caucus for their support.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

PREMIER DAVIS:

Mr. Speaker, this afternoon,

just a short time ago, we heard from the Leader of the Opposition and also heard

from the Member for St. John's Centre on behalf of the Third Party.

I want to thank both of them for putting their thoughts forward this

afternoon and sharing their thoughts with us.

Obviously, Mr. Speaker, I am going to have to take some time today to take some

issue with some of the comments that both the Leader of the Opposition, and

somewhat to a lesser extent, the Member for St. John's Centre, in the comments

they have made this afternoon because I have listened to their message.

I listen

attentively to Members of the House of Assembly on a regular basis, Mr. Speaker.

I am quite pleased in some sense because the Leader of the Opposition,

the Leader of the Liberal Party, this afternoon talked about that he is

optimistic about the future. I say

that is very much a contrast from what we are used to hearing from the Leader of

the Opposition. We have heard him

talk about Newfoundland and Labrador is the worst, the last, and the lowest.

He has used those words. When

he talks about Newfoundland and Labrador as the worst, the last, and the lowest

he is talking about the people of our Province as the worst, the last, and

lowest.

Mr.

Speaker, that may be his belief and has been his belief in the past.

That may be where he likes to position himself and that is where his

thought process is, but I can tell you it is certainly not reality.

It is not reality for me, it is not reality for us on this side of the

House, and I know it is not reality for thousands and thousands of

Newfoundlanders and Labradorians.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

PREMIER DAVIS:

It is also good, Mr. Speaker,

to finally hear some ideas or concepts that the member opposite has because he

has been staying silent. He stayed

silent for many, many months. He has

not been able to present a position.

It is

very interesting this afternoon, Mr. Speaker, because if you listen to what he

said, when he talked about plans and the future for this Province, it is exactly

what we have been doing as a government for the last ten years.

It is the work that we have been doing for the people of the Province

over the last ten years. Now he

comes forward with the same ideas, the same concepts, and the same plans that we

have been talking about for many, many years and we have been doing for the

people of Newfoundland and Labrador for many, many years.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

PREMIER DAVIS:

Mr. Speaker, when we came to

office we came and took over government a decade ago I can tell you the

Province was a very different place than it is today.

Thankfully, we are in a different place today than we were a decade ago.

We have made advancements on so many measures and so many fronts.

We have

advanced employment, Mr. Speaker, with higher levels of employment than we have

seen before. That is a fact.

We have done that. We have

improved incomes. That is a fact.

We have improved incomes for Newfoundlanders and Labradorians.

We have unprecedented capital investment in our Province like we have

never seen before. Retail sales are

higher than they have ever been before, and that is a fact.

The

economic activity in our Province is second to none.

It is the strongest and best we have ever seen.

Access to health care continues to improve by well-guided plans and hard

work by our government over here.

Access to education, and better education, we continue to work on and we

continue to strive to make improvements on, Mr. Speaker, because that is what we

are doing on this side of the House.

continue to tackle child poverty.

The Member for St. John's Centre referenced it a few minutes ago, and yes, we

are still committed to poverty. We

have made better gains in poverty in Newfoundland and Labrador than any other

jurisdiction in Canada can say, Mr. Speaker.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

PREMIER DAVIS:

We have made significant

improvements in the infrastructure in our Province.

We know that ten years ago, Mr. Speaker, when we came to power that we

had significant issues with infrastructure throughout Newfoundland and Labrador,

infrastructure of all kinds and all types.

We have continued to build our infrastructure because that is what leads

to sustainable communities in our Province.

That is what leads to sustainable communities in rural parts of

Newfoundland and Labrador, and urban parts of Newfoundland and Labrador, in all

regions. If you have strong

infrastructure it allows for strong communities, Mr. Speaker, and we continue to

build the infrastructure for Newfoundlanders and Labradorians.

Mr.

Speaker, we have continued to make progress on the access to broadband, and it

is an important matter. It is

important to provide those services to Newfoundlanders and Labradorians, and we

have invested millions. We have

developed partnerships with business, with national business, with local

business, so that we can advance broadband services throughout our Province.

Mr. Speaker, we have made great gains as we have done this in openness

and transparency, and in accountability.

I am going to speak more about accountability because it is an important

part of governance, a very important part.

Newfoundland and Labrador is simply light years ahead of where we were a decade

ago, where we were in 2003. Mr.

Speaker, for the Opposition party to justify a message to say otherwise is

simply not acceptable. It is not

acceptable, and I am not going to stand for it either, because we have done

great things in this Province and we have invested heavily in this Province.

Mr. Speaker, you will hear members opposite and they have done it many

times here in the House of Assembly talk about, where is the money gone, what

have they done. They talk about the

$20 billion in revenues have been squandered.

Well, I am going to tell you, Mr. Speaker, it is simply not so.

Firstly,

let's put this in perspective. A

billion dollars a year of our oil revenues simply displaces, first and foremost,

the billion dollars a year that the previous government was receiving from the

federal government in equalization handouts.

We no longer receive that, because under our watch we became a have

province, Mr. Speaker. The first

thing to go were those transfer payments from the federal government, those

equalization payments.

Everyone

can see where our revenue has been, where our revenue has gone, and where we

have invested it, Mr. Speaker.

Because today we have better health care it is simply the truth.

We know we have more work to do, Mr. Speaker.

We have new and improved hospitals.

We know we have made great improvements, but we have more work to do.

We have

greater access to medical procedures than we have ever had before.

Mr. Speaker, we still have work to do.

We have a state-of-the-art cardiac care program right here in

Newfoundland and Labrador that is being watched by cardiac care programs right

throughout North America and is seen as the best available anywhere in Canada.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

PREMIER DAVIS:

We provide dialysis services

close to where people live, Mr. Speaker.

Life sustaining dialysis services that are important to so many

Newfoundlanders and Labradorians and we have established more dialysis

opportunities than we could ever have imagined a decade ago.

We could never have imagined the advancements we were going to make in

dialysis care so people can stay in their communities and receive this very much

needed treatment.

We are

nation leading in wait times, in wait time reductions.

We have reduced wait times in hip and knee surgeries.

One of the fastest growing demands in our health care service today is

hip and knee replacements and we have l