March 19, 2008

HOUSE OF ASSEMBLY PROCEEDINGS

Vol. XLVI No. 5

The House met at 2:00 p.m.

MR. SPEAKER (Fitzgerald) : Order please!

Admit Strangers.

The hon. the Government House Leader.

MR. RIDEOUT: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Before we proceed with the regular business of the day I would like to draw

to your attention, Your Honour, the fact that normally today, Wednesday, would

be Private Members' Day and it would be the government day but with

concurrence of the Opposition, we have agreed that this will not be Private

Members' Day but be a government business day. After we get through the

routine orders of the day we will be calling government business.

MR. SPEAKER: The Chair understands, by looking at the members opposite,

that consent has been reached. So we will do government members' business

today.

Today I would like to welcome representatives sitting in the gallery from the

Grand Bank Town Council, obviously from the District of Grand Bank. The

representatives present here today include Mayor, Rex Matthews; Councillors, Mr.

George Cooper, Mr. Howard Bonnell; and the Town Manager, Mr. Wayne Bolt.

Welcome to the House of Assembly.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

Statements by Members

MR. SPEAKER: Members' statements today are from: the hon. the Member

for the District of Cartwright-L'Anse au Clair; the hon. the Member for the

District of Lewisporte; the hon. the Member for the District of Signal

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

the Member for the District of Port de Grave, and the hon. the Member for the

District of Labrador West.

The hon. the Member for Cartwright-L'Anse au Clair.

MS JONES: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I rise in this House today to congratulate the Junior Canadian Rangers of the

Community of Cartwright. Mr. Speaker, they were recently selected as the top

Junior Canadian Ranger Patrol for the 2007 training year. This represented the

second consecutive year the patrol has earned this accomplishment.

The Cartwright patrol of the Junior Rangers was established in 2003 and is

sponsored by the local Canadian Ranger Patrol and the community. It is open to

membership by all youth between the ages of twelve and eighteen, both male and

female, and its mandate is to provide structured activities in remote isolated

communities across Canada where no other cadet organization exists.

Mr. Speaker, the Cartwright Patrol is one of twelve Junior Ranger Patrols in

our Province, nine of which are based in Labrador and three on the Island who

compete in a variety of activities, including: setting up a prospector tent, air

rifle marksmanship and military drill. Attendance records and support from the

community are also factors in determining the winner.

Mr. Speaker, I would like, for the record, to congratulate the twenty-one

members and the three patrol leaders of the Cartwright Junior Canadian Rangers

on their accomplishments and I would like to read their names into the record.

They include: Samantha Anthony, Nicki Brown, Daniel Clark, Kellie Ann Clark,

Shannon Clark Holwell, Marcus Curl, Jonathan Davis, Shannon Davis, Cody Dyson,

Devon Dyson, Lindsey Jane Dyson, Victoria Gatehouse, Dylan Green, Cheryl

Greenleaves, Jacob Knee, Hillary Learning, Brandon Morris, Brittney Morris,

Chelsea Morris, Brandon Sainsbury and Roy Sainsbury. Their patrol leaders also

include Master Corporal Anthony Elson, Corporal Monica Williams, and Ranger

Scott Turnbull.

I ask the Members of this House of Assembly to join with me, not just in

recognizing, but also extending our congratulations to the Cartwright Canadian

Junior Rangersteam on this milestone, Mr. Speaker.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

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

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. VERGE: Mr. Speaker, I rise in this hon. House today to recognize the

great accomplishments of a Grade 5 student, from Lewisporte Academy in my

district. The young man I am referring to is Dante Hiscock.

Many of you may have read about his accomplishments as he was recently

featured on the front page of The Telegram in an

article called Dante's

Peak.

Dante has released two albums to date. He received an ECMA nomination for his

debut album I'm Free , and he received another ECMA nomination this year

for his second album Calvary's Cross - The Only Bridge to Eternal Life .

Dante performs at many public events, including church events, summer

festivals and sporting events.

He is currently planning a benefit concert in support of an endowment fund

for a young child in our area who recently lost his mother due to tragic

circumstances.

Despite the demands on his time, Dante still performs exceptionally well in

school.

Members of the House of Assembly, please join with me and Dante's family in

recognizing this remarkable young man, Dante Hiscock.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

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

MS MICHAEL: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I rise today to let the members of the House know about an exceptional young

woman in the District of Signal Hill-Quidi Vidi.

Cailee Carroll is a fourteen-year-old Grade 9 student at St. Paul's Jr.

High School. Cailee is also an author. She has received a great deal of support

from her mom, Gail Carroll, and the fantastic teachers and principal at St. Paul's

who have all encouraged Cailee's literary aspirations.

Original Girl is her first novel, written when she was twelve. It is an

insightful journey into the teen world of school friends, frienemies, teen

fashion, teen romance, and the inner workings of the teenage mind. It challenges

the young reader to think about today's issues, such as school bullying, peer

pressure, and the world of modern teens.

The launch of Original G i rl took place at St. Paul's Jr. High

on last November 23. Cailee has also had a book launch at Chapters. She has been

on the CBC Morning Show, on Out of the Fog and in Newfoundland Herald .

She also appeared on the NTV Evening News during Bullying Prevention Week in

Cailee has been invited to present and read for the junior and senior high

school students on Bell Island, and she will be doing a formal presentation to

the Bell Island Library in her Great-Grandfather Caroll's memory.

Cailee is creative and self-determined. It is so vital to support young

people like her to live their dreams. She has the potential to have an

exceptional career as a writer.

The first printing of Original Girl was a sellout, and there are many

requests still coming in for the book.

I ask the members of the House to congratulate Ms Cailee Carroll on her

magnificent accomplishment.

Thank you.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

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

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. CORNECT: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I rise today in this hon. House to pay tribute to Ms Jackie Deaves, ne Simon,

of Cape St. George on the beautiful Port au Port Peninsula.

Mr. Speaker, Jackie joined the RCMP in 1982 and has been posted in the

communities of Gasp, Montral, Ottawa, Vanier, Port aux Basques and

Stephenville.

She has worked in the Drug, VIP, Spousal Assault, Fraud and Child Protection

Sections of the RCMP. Mr. Speaker, she was often a bodyguard or driver for

former Governor General Jeanne Sauv, former Prime Ministers Pierre Trudeau and

Brian Mulroney. She was involved in the security

section of the visits to our

country by Pope John Paul the Second, Prince Philip and Princess Sarah Ferguson.

In 2006, she did a six month tour of duty in Jordan, a Multinational

operation, as a Police Instructor, training Iraqi Police Cadets.

Mr. Speaker, in February of this year, Jackie retired from the RCMP after

twenty-six years of service. I ask all members of this hon. House to join with

me in wishing Jackie and her family happy retirement and to thank her for years

of service to our Province and Country.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

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

MR. BUTLER: Mr. Speaker, I rise today to extend belated birthday

greetings to two very special constituents, both former residents of Coley's

Point, Mrs. Mary Dawe and Mr. Cecil Llewellyn Greenland.

Mrs. Mary Dawe of Clarke's Beach celebrated her birthday on July 19, 2007.

Mr. Cecil Greenland of Spaniard's Bay celebrated his birthday on October 4,

Mr. Speaker, Mrs. Dawe and Mr. Greenland celebrated their 101 birthdays. Both

enjoy very good health and are able to carry out their daily routines on a

regular basis, a blessing I am sure we would all like to achieve at the age of

I ask all hon. members to join with me in extending belated birthday

greetings to Mary and Cecil and I can assure you, Mr. Speaker, I look forward to

being a part of their 102 birthday celebrations later this year.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Member for the District of Labrador West.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. BAKER: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I rise in this House today to recognize a young athlete from Labrador City,

Kyle Power.

Kyle, a seventeen-year-old high school student, emerged as the number one

cross-country skier for this Province in the junior boys division after a great

showing at the eastern championships in Quebec earlier this month. This standing

earned him the chance to represent our Province at the national championships

being held in British Columbia at the Whistler Olympic site from March 14-23.

This season has also seen Kyle place first at the Labrador Open, the Atlantic

Championships and the Provincial Championships.

In addition to being a top notch athlete, Kyle is a high achiever at the

academic level, having consistently placed on the principal's honour roll

during his high school years.

Mr. Speaker, I invite all hon. members to join me in congratulating Kyle

Power for his outstanding accomplishments.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER: Statements by Ministers.

Statements by Ministers

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

MR. RIDEOUT: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I rise today to inform hon. colleagues and the people of Newfoundland and

Labrador of a new opportunity for Grand Bank Seafoods that bodes extremely well

for that facility and, indeed, the Grand Bank region of our Province.

A new licence for the secondary processing of masago, or capelin roe, has

been approved by my department for the Grand Bank operation. The company has

been involved in the processing of masago for over seven years outside of

Newfoundland and Labrador and this operation is now moving to Grand Bank.

Product for processing will be shipped to Grand Bank from Iceland. At the

outset, this new segment of the operation will provide jobs for approximately

twenty individuals. These individuals will benefit from six months of work each

year at competitive wages. Indeed, this new product line will provide increased

stability for an already stable workforce.

Mr. Speaker, the company is hoping to expand the operation as the supply from

Iceland increases, which would generate additional employment opportunities and

benefits for the company, its workers and the community.

My department is pleased to provide funding of $40,000 to assist the company

with the purchase of the equipment necessary to operate this new product line,

as well as with the necessary refurbishing of the Grand Bank facility. This is

another example of how the Newfoundland and Labrador fishing industry is

benefiting from the Fisheries Technology and New Opportunities Program which was

established under our Fishing Industry Renewal Initiative.

At present time, there is masago in storage at the Grand Bank plant and

processing officially began on Monday past. The company has completed the

necessary renovations and the Canadian Food Inspection Agency has approved the

facility's Quality Management Program for this species.

Indeed, this addition to the Grand Bank operation is certainly tremendous

news for the company and for the community. At present, approximately 275

individuals are employed as a result of the Grand Bank operation, including

those associated with processing, harvesting and administration. Furthermore, it

speaks to the growth of secondary processing within the fishing industry in our

Province.

Mr. Speaker, I ask all members to join with me in wishing Grand Bank Seafoods

well in this new endeavour.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

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

MS JONES: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I certainly want to thank the minister for an advanced copy of his statement

today and pleased as well to welcome the mayor and the representatives of Grand

Bank Seafoods who are here in the House of Assembly today.

It is always good news in this Province when you hear of new opportunities or

new jobs being created in the fishing industry. God knows, we have had enough

bad announcements in this industry of plants closing and workers being displaced

and, certainly, the Burin Peninsula is one of those areas that have been hit

hard over the last number of years when it comes to the fishery. So, any time

you can create new jobs in this industry, whether it is ten jobs, twenty jobs or

200 jobs, whatever the case may be, it all has a positive impact. I am sure the

impact of this commitment today by these processors will certainly be felt in

the community of Grand Bank and be welcome news.

Mr. Speaker, I want to also take the opportunity to say to the minister that

any time we have announcements of resource coming into the Province for

production is good news as well. We have had lots of product in recent years,

and I suppose throughout our history, that has been exported out of Newfoundland

and Labrador without any processing and always with that goes a number of jobs

and opportunities that is lost to our own people and our own communities. So,

that is indeed a positive step. I certainly want to encourage the government to

move forward with their strategy to establish a strong marketing arm in this

Province. I think with the devolution of FPI we probably lost one of the

greatest marketing arms we have had in the global community and with that

absence, obviously, comes some difficult times for smaller processors. I think

that a marketing arm would -

MR. SPEAKER: Order please!

I ask the hon. member to conclude her response.

MS JONES: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I think a marketing arm would certainly help strengthen the viability of a

lot of those companies and allow them to move into different unique production

of -

MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!

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

MS MICHAEL: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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

recognize the good news in this statement and I am very happy for the people in

Grand Bank, both those who work in the plant itself and for the community of

Grand Bank in general. I am very happy to see that there is a source from

outside that can be brought in. I also, though, would encourage the minister

that this is good, short-term news. In the long term I would like to see us

investing as well in a recovery strategy.

The government has talked about more money from this Province, provincially,

going into research. I would like to see more money going into research as part

of a recovery strategy of our own marine ecosystem so that in a few years time

it will be our own capelin roe that will be going to the plant, not from

outside. It is good in the short term to supplement our own resource but

research into how we can, in the long term, be using our own resource in our

plants I think is called for.

Thank you.

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Minister of Finance and President of Treasury

Board.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. T. MARSHALL: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, as hon. members are aware, the Public Service Commission last

year successfully hosted its first Career Expos to promote the provincial

government as an employer of choice, and of course to attract new employees.

I am pleased to announce today that the Public Service Commission will hold

Career Expos again this year: at Corner Brook on April 1; St. John's on April

3; Grand Falls-Windsor on April 9, and Happy Valley-Goose Bay on April 30.

Mr. Speaker, these Career Expos highlight the provincial public service as a

preferred employer and this valuable initiative supports government's

strategic human resources planning process. The Career Expos give us an

opportunity to attract talented professionals to strengthen our already dynamic

and skilled public service.

Thus far this fiscal year, Mr. Speaker, government has conducted in excess of

1,400 government competitions to fill various public service employment

opportunities throughout the Province. We will continue to be proactive in

promoting available positions.

These Career Expos will provide those who are interested in a career with the

provincial public service with information on the Public Service Commission's

hiring process, as well as on current and anticipated employment opportunities,

departmental and occupational profiles, position qualifications, salary ranges

and employee benefits.

Mr. Speaker, I certainly would encourage our citizens to consider a career

with the Newfoundland and Labrador Government and I would encourage all those

who are interested in a career with the provincial public service to visit one

of the Career Expos and discover the opportunities that are available, right

here, at home.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

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

MR. PARSONS: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I appreciate the minister's advance copy of this statement. This certainly

is a good initiative. The public sector jobs in this Province are some of the

best jobs in this Province, and whatever we can do as a government to let people

know what the opportunities are and what the skill sets that are required, the

better. God knows, we have had enough people leaving this Province for

employment opportunities. So, anything we can do to let the opportunities that

exist here be known to these potential employees, we are certainly all in favour

of it.

I guess of course, the minister, no doubt, is well aware that, besides just

having the opportunities, we have to know what kind of wages and benefits go

with these opportunities, because that is a big piece as well to making sure

that we keep these individuals here within our Province.

Hopefully the government, of course, this time around in their bargaining

process, will learn that lesson. Unfortunately, from what we see happening with

the nurses' union already, that may not come to be.

In any case, we are pleased with the initiative and we hope that the Minister

of Finance and the government will see it in their package, when it comes to the

benefits and wages, to make sure there are enough incentives and enticements to

not only have the opportunities but to make sure the people do, in fact, stay

here.

Thank you.

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

MS MICHAEL: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I thank the minister for the advance copy of the statement.

I, too, am glad to see that we had over 1,400 job competitions. I remember

when the Career Expos began, so I am delighted to see this. We do have, as we

know, down the road, some mass retirements coming up, so these are essential

things that are going on; these hirings are really important.

I would also encourage the minister - and I was not aware that the Minister

of Finance was responsible for the Public Service Commission. I guess he is, so

I speak to him in saying - encourage him to see what kind of a mentoring program

is going on. I am hoping that many of these people coming in are young people.

That would be something I would like to know: What is the age of those who are

being hired? I would also like to know how many women are being hired, and is

there a mentoring system going on so we do not lose our knowledge base in the

public sector?

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker.

MR. SPEAKER: Further statements by ministers.

The hon. the Minister of Aboriginal Affairs.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MS POTTLE: Mr. Speaker, I rise today to inform hon. members of the third

Annual Aboriginal Women's Conference that took place last week in St. John's.

The Path to Economic Prosperity was the theme of this year's

conference, which focused on economic opportunities. Forty Aboriginal women from

across the Province gathered to hear from Aboriginal, government and business

leaders, community groups and others on the growing opportunities for aspiring

entrepreneurs. As well, information sessions were held on post-secondary

education possibilities and current developments in several government sectors,

including natural resources and tourism.

The first Province-wide Aboriginal Women's Conference, The Path to the

Good Life , was held in March 2006 in Happy Valley-Goose Bay. It focused on

education, youth, employment, violence and health care. The second conference, The

Path to the Good Life: Moving Forward, Building Strength , was held in

Stephenville in November 2006 and discussed issues relating to the justice

system and poverty reduction.

Mr. Speaker, this government firmly believes in a Newfoundland and Labrador

where everyone is treated as equal and all persons have the opportunity to

advance the way of life for themselves and their communities. In that spirit of

equality, the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador is committed to hearing

directly from Aboriginal peoples on the issues and challenges that are important

to them.

The provincial government recognizes the importance of the Aboriginal Women's

Conference. It provides a venue for Aboriginal women to voice concerns, listen

to ideas, and discuss options for a more prosperous future.

Mr. Speaker, the Williams' government has worked to advance a number of

recommendations made at past conferences. For example, in Budget 2007, funding

for violence prevention grants to Aboriginal communities was doubled to $200,000

annually and funding for the Aboriginal conference was increased from $30,000 to

$60,000 annually.

The Aboriginal women of Newfoundland and Labrador are strong and proud. While

their contributions may not always have been recognized, I am pleased to say

that this is changing because of events such as the Aboriginal Women's

Conference. Aboriginal women have long contributed and will continue to

contribute to the success of all of Newfoundland and Labrador.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

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

MS JONES: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I thank the minister for an advance copy of her statement today.

The movement of Aboriginal women, and drawing attention to their issues, is a

very important part of any government's mandate. In our Province, it is

probably even more significant when you look at the number of issues that face

Aboriginal women in our communities.

I was actually part of the first conference that was held in Happy

Valley-Goose Bay and was somewhat disappointed that - I don't think any of the

women here attended the full session of the conference this weekend, but I

certainly didn't get invited and I certainly would have loved the opportunity

to hear from those women first-hand as to what their issues were.

Notwithstanding that, Mr. Speaker, the conference focused on a pathway to

economic prosperity. While I know many Aboriginal women in this Province who

have prospered both in business, in municipal leadership, in professional jobs,

in non-traditional trades and so on, we all know that real self-reliance for

these women will come with a strong social fabric in their community.

When many of these women no longer have to face the fact that they have the

highest suicide rates in the country existing in their communities, when they no

longer have to deal with extreme alcoholism and abuse, when they no longer, Mr.

Speaker, have to look for the services to make themselves and their families

healthy in order to welcome their children back into their home and into their

communities, only then will full economic prosperity avail to these women and

their families, and I ask the minister to keep that in mind as she moves forward

in her portfolio.

MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!

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

MS MICHAEL: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I thank the minister for her advance copy.

I was pleased to be invited to the dinner, and was very happy to be there to

meet women whom I have known for a long time and to make the acquaintance of new

women. I did not consult with my colleague from the Official Opposition but I

share a lot of what she said: that the women in Aboriginal communities work very

strongly in community, and their efforts are community based, so I would be

interested in seeing the government - and I encourage the minister, with her

colleagues at the Cabinet table, to push for this - to put more money into this

annual conference so that there can be a broader group of women.

I am aware of Aboriginal women who would have liked to have been at it but

were not invited; they were not in a context where they got to be able to

attend, so I think broadening the base of the women who are attending these

conferences would be really good for the communal growth of the communities that

they come out of.

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker.

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

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. KENNEDY: Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate the first

graduating class of Aboriginal Legal Interpreters. This eight week course was

recently completed in Happy Valley-Goose Bay and is a major step forward to

further the understanding and engagement of Innu and Inuit people in the justice

system.

This inaugural graduating class is proof positive of our commitment to

enhance Aboriginal understanding of the justice system. The graduates, who are

from Innu and Inuit communities, have just completed their work terms and are

now available for employment in the justice system as legal interpreters.

Mr. Speaker, the seventeen students were given instruction on interpreting

skills and key terms in Innu-aimun and Inuktitut used in legal matters so they

can interpret these terms for Aboriginals during court proceedings. In

conjunction with this course, handbooks containing a translated glossary of 500

key criminal justice terms have been published in both Innu-aimun and Labrador

Inuktitut.

The last two weeks of the course involved a combination of on-the-job

experiences within various sectors of justice, and on-going group learning

activities. Students have been assigned to placements within Provincial Court,

Corrections and Community Services, Crown Attorney's Office and the RCMP.

These placements were in Happy Valley-Goose Bay, Sheshatshiu and circuit court

in Natuashish.

Mr. Speaker, the interpreter's coarse was developed as part of a series of

interpretative service improvements under our government's Northern Strategic

Plan and has been a collaborative undertaking with the Department of Education,

the Linguistics Department at Memorial University, the College of the North

Atlantic, the Public Legal Information Association of Newfoundland and Labrador

and interpreters from Labrador.

Mr. Speaker, these initiatives demonstrate our government's commitment to

Labrador Aboriginal justice matters and I ask all members of this House to join

me in congratulating the inaugural graduating class of the Aboriginal Legal

Interpreters Course.

Thank you.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

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

MR. PARSONS: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I thank the minister for an advanced copy of his statement. This certainly is

a very positive initiative. It does not say how many graduates, by the way, but

no matter what it is, even if it is one, it is certainly an improvement. Over

time, of course, these types of initiatives are going to help the Aboriginal

community. It started quite some time ago, I believe, before this minister came

on watch, but it is good to see that it did happen and it does happen. The

justice system is complicated enough as it is but when you do not understand the

language, how can one ever decide what opinion is best for him or her and what

your rights are? It is only when you have these types of interpretative

services, of course, that you get rid of that complexity and that doubt.

I congratulate the department on this initiative. It certainly is needed. In

fact, we would certainly hope, as an Opposition, that we would see a similar

initiative when it comes to the health care system because many people in the

Aboriginal community as well do not - they need to make informed decisions.

There have been several instances where, in the health care system, Aboriginal

peoples have not had the information and the proper understanding and the

language in order to make these informed services.

So, we applaud this particular initiative in the justice system and we would

hope to see it extended a bit further so that in the health care system they

also have that type of interpretative services available to them.

Thank you.

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

MS MICHAEL: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I thank the minister for his advanced copy. I, too, am delighted with this

initiative and I was very happy when I heard that it was going to happen. I see

there were seventeen students. I am hoping that all seventeen graduated. That

would be great if that happened.

The government is doing a very good thing here because what it is doing is

not just helping with

interpretation, being sure that things that are going on

in the court or in the health care system - if this were to be advanced, as has

just been asked. It is not only important that we are helping things move more

smoothly inside the systems, but we are also taking action to support the

cultural heritage of Aboriginal peoples so that they can feel comfortable

remaining in their own first languages and not feel forced to have to deal with

this initiative.

Thank you very much.

MR. SPEAKER: Oral Questions.

Oral Questions

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

MS JONES: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, today is the start of the judicial inquiry into what is the

biggest tragedy to ever take place in our health care system, the faulty breast

cancer testing that has affected so many women and their families in this

Province. This inquiry, originally scheduled to start in January, was delayed

because of a court application by Eastern Health to prevent the release of peer

reviews, a case that they eventually lost in the courts.

I ask the Minister of Health today: Why he did not intervene as the lead

government department to ask Eastern Health to withdraw their application to the

courts which unnecessarily delayed this inquiry by almost two months?

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Minister of Health and Community Services.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. WISEMAN: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I think what is important here today is that the inquiry has started today with

its first witnesses. Justice Dymond made a ruling on an application before the

court with respect to the information that has been referenced and some

evaluations that were done of a laboratory at Eastern Health. I think today

marks the beginning of a very revealing process, I say, Mr. Speaker. Today, as

the member opposite has referenced, is a time when the inquiry will start to

hear witnesses from individuals who have been impacted by, family members who

have been impacted by, individuals who have been involved with ER/PR testing

between 1997 and 2005 and the subsequent administration of that file since then.

I look forward to Justice Cameron's report at the end of all of this because I

think it will be a very revealing report and I think we will all learn something

from that, I say, Mr. Speaker.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

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

MS JONES: Mr. Speaker, ten months ago in the House of Assembly we asked

the Minister of Health why information regarding the number of people impacted

by faulty testing was not released publicly and in a timely manner. On the eve

of the judicial inquiry the minister finally released a statement acknowledging

that 108 women who received inaccurate results are now deceased. This is a

shocking and disturbing acknowledgement that should have been disclosed much

earlier.

I ask the minister: Why did he wait until the start of this inquiry to make

the startling information public?

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Minister of Health and Community Services.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. WISEMAN: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I, too, would acknowledge, it is startling information. As I said last year,

as information became available I would make it available to the public. I had a

press conference in November where I announced the early findings of a special

unit we had put together. We had brought in the Centre for Health and

Information, a unit of individuals to put together, to reconstruct the data

basis; to tell us exactly how many people we were dealing with. We realized last

year, in May and June, that the information we had was inaccurate. So, in

November I provided an update of information at that particular time. In

February, I provided another update of the information. The concluding work of

that group of people from the Centre for Health and Information, they were

wrapping up their analysis and I provided an update at that time. At that time

there were a couple of critical questions that we did not have the answers to,

and I said then that when it became available I would release it. Last week we

found out what that information was, and as true to my word, I released that

when we knew it at that time.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

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

MS JONES: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Hundreds of women received inaccurate test results, many of whom are now

deceased, as we know, and they will not get the answers to what went wrong with

their tests. However, their families will be forced to relive memories and sit

through testimony that will be very difficult and emotional in order to get the

answers that they seek and to find closure in this travesty.

I ask the minister: What is his department or Eastern Health doing to provide

support services and counselling to these families and victims as they go

through this inquiry?

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Minister of Health and Community Services.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. WISEMAN: Mr. Speaker, the member opposite raised an interesting

question and an important one, as she just identified individuals and their

families will relive a period of their lives where many of them are trying to

forget it and put it behind them. Many of those individuals who are providing

evidence today and will be providing evidence in the future and witnessing the

evidence being provided by others, will, in fact, be going through a very

traumatic time in their lives. I would assume, Mr. Speaker, that those

individuals currently being followed by a physician are being provided with the

necessary support that they would need through this period. Those individuals

who are currently being supported by the Cancer Treatment Centre would have a

network of social workers and others available to provide counselling services

to them, but I suspect, Mr. Speaker, and I suggest that if any individuals are

finding themselves in this very precarious spot that they may find themselves

in, a very challenging time, that working through each of their authorities -

because many of them live in various parts of the Province, I say, Mr. Speaker,

and as they find themselves having some difficulty coping with what they will be

witnessing in the coming weeks, I suggest that they would deal directly through

their family physician to work with the respective authorities to provide the

necessary supports to help them work through this issue.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

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

MS JONES: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

A very difficult issue for everyone involved, I say to the minister, and I

will try to switch gears now to actually direct some questions to the Premier.

Mr. Speaker, the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador signed a Memorandum

of Understanding with the Hebron consortium back in August 2007. At the time,

the Premier said it would take several months to execute the final agreements.

Then the date was pushed to March 2008. Just this past February, the Premier was

quoted in the media that the final legal language would be completed by June.

My question, Mr. Speaker, is to the Premier, and that is: What is the status

of those negotiations, and will they be completed by June?

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

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MS DUNDERDALE: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I am happy to report that the negotiations are going very well, but they are

complex negotiations, Mr. Speaker. We are very hopeful that we will have them

done in the near future, and hopefully they will be done by June. I can only

report that they are going well and we look to a positive announcement in the

very near future.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

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

MS JONES: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Government's insistence on a 4.9 per cent equity stake has committed this

Province to a payment to the Hebron-Ben Nevis consortium of a minimum of $110

million. Since that time, construction costs have ballooned and oil prices have

climbed to record levels.

I ask the minister: Is the $110 million still a firm number, or has that sum

changed since the MOU was announced?

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

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MS DUNDERDALE: Mr. Speaker, the number of $110 million for our 4.9 per

cent equity is firm, and a good price by any standard anywhere in the world

today.

SOME HON MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

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

MS JONES: Mr. Speaker, we all realize that $110 million is still a lot of

money, good price or not, especially for a Province with many demands being

placed on it, both in its health care, education and infrastructure programs.

My question to the minister is: What account will this money be charged

against? Will it be coming from the new energy corporation that has been set up?

Will it be drawn down from the surplus budget that we know exists in the

government today, or will it be borrowed on the capital market?

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

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MS DUNDERDALE: Mr. Speaker, the money will be drawn down from the new

energy corp. that will handle all of the provincial government's interests in

oil and gas here in the Province.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

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

MS JONES: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Well, then, my next question would be: Does the energy corp. have the monies

available or will they be borrowing it using their legislative borrowing power

that was passed when the corporation was established?

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

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MS DUNDERDALE: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The funds will be transferred from the government to the energy corp. to

purchase the equity in Hebron as well as in the White Rose extension.

SOME HON MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

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

MS JONES: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

As the minister knows, when you are in business you are legally liable when

things go wrong. In oil projects, when things go wrong, they go wrong in very

expensive ways oftentimes.

For example, if you want to look at the Exxon Valdez accident, it spilled, I

think, some 250,000 barrels of oil and it cost Exxon something like $6 billion

to clean it up, plus the punitive, compensation and court charges and everything

else that went with it.

If the Province had a 4.9 per cent of that particular deal, the people of the

Province would have been liable for almost $300 million in expenditure.

My question to the minister is: Who will be ensuring the risk and

responsibility associated with our 4.9 per cent equity position in the case of a

spill, an accident, or another environmental catastrophe?

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

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MS DUNDERDALE: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

We will have all of the rights and responsibilities of other partners in

these projects, and we will have all of the protections that are available to us

that are provided by services to the industry. This is a very positive move for

Newfoundland and Labrador.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MS DUNDERDALE: We, for the first time, will sit at the table and have a

voice in decision making with regard to our resources in oil and gas in this

Province. The federal government has been there since Hibernia and it has been a

very lucrative position for them, of which they have realized a great return to

the people of Canada from their investment. We will do the same for Newfoundland

and Labrador.

SOME HON MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

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

MS JONES: Mr. Speaker, there is no need for the minister to get her

knickers in a knot. We are not saying that this may not be a good thing.

SOME HON MEMBERS: Oh, oh!

MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!

MS JONES: We are simply -

SOME HON MEMBERS: Oh, oh!

MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!

The hon. the Leader of the Opposition.

MS JONES: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

We simply asked some questions to seek some answers and so far, Mr. Speaker,

we are still looking for some answers.

SOME HON MEMBERS: Oh, oh!

MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!

MS JONES: In a letter received by the Opposition, Mr. Speaker, on

September 17, the Premier stated that government estimated that - and this is a

direct quote - as much topsides work as fabrication yard facilities and

workforce can reasonably accommodate will be completed here in the Province.

Mr. Speaker, we all know that when it comes to deals like this, the devil is

always in the details.

MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!

I ask the hon. member to pose her question.

MS JONES: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I am getting to the question, and the question is: Who will be making the

assessment, Minister, and what is reasonably accommodated? Will that be done by

the oil companies or will it be done by government?

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

SOME HON MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MS DUNDERDALE: Mr. Speaker, we are on the cusp of such development in

this Province that we have never seen before in our history. We have a number of

potential projects lined up here. Any one of them, any one of those projects,

will fill up just about every bit of capacity we have in this Province.

What a wonderful challenge we have to see how much work we can get in this

Province, because it will be more than we ever dreamed of.

SOME HON MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MS DUNDERDALE: We have been very careful in our negotiations, Mr.

Speaker, and we are going to ensure that every piece of work that can be done

here will be done here, and the government, as well as our energy corp., will be

monitoring that very carefully.

SOME HON MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

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

MS JONES: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

A critical part of the economic benefits related to oil projects is the

technology transfers, the minister knows. We want to ensure that the people of

the Province not only do some of the detailed engineering work, but we want to

ensure that they are the designers and the engineers of these projects, and that

has certainly been expressed by local suppliers in the industry and the

engineering community. In fact, Mr. Speaker, they took a position that all

front-end engineering and design for oil projects should be done right here in

this Province.

So, Mr. Speaker, I ask the minister today: Will you provide the details to

the House on what front-end engineering work design will be completed in the

Province and what will be outsourced to offshore engineering companies?

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

SOME HON MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MS DUNDERDALE: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

All of that information is not available to us at the moment. As it becomes

available, I will be happy to make it known.

We absolutely want every piece of work done here. We want technology

transfers. As part of our negotiations, where work cannot possibility be done in

the Province, we have made available a fund where businesses can travel to where

the work is being done and can be mentored and taught in those places, how to do

the work and where they can carve off pieces of the work for their own companies

here in the Province.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

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

MR. PARSONS: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

My question is for the Minister of Fisheries and Aquaculture.

Minister, I have obtained a copy of a letter dated February 29, this year,

which you sent to the Minister of Fisheries and Oceans federally, the hon.

Loyola Hearn, regarding the approval of a transfer of 1,650 ton quota of OB

turbot from Seafreeze Foods, which is Bill Barry, to Clearwater Seafoods, which

is Mr. Risley.

Mr. Speaker, this quota in question was initially allocated to Mr. Barry with

the rationalization that the resource would bring benefits to the people of

Burgeo as part of an underutilized species allocation. The commitment was that

at least 40 per cent of that allocation had to be landed and processed in

Burgeo. That did not happen. Once again, the people of Burgeo were left in the

cold, slapped in the face. The town suffers while Mr. Barry makes off with

millions from the sale of the quota.

I ask the minister: What did you mean in your letter to Mr. Hearn when you

said, and I quote: This transfer was done without adequately consulting the

Government of Newfoundland and Labrador or the provincial fishing industry. What

do you mean by adequately? Was there any consultation, and, if so, when and with

whom?

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

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. RIDEOUT: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I thank my hon. friend for his question. To be to the point, what did we mean

by adequately in the letter that I wrote to Minister Hearn expressing our

displeasure at this transaction was very simple. There had been none, N O N E;

no consultation, none with the Province, with the Government of Newfoundland and

Labrador, with the industry in Newfoundland and Labrador, as far as I know. We

found out about the event and the transaction after the fact, and were made

aware of it, I guess, by some due diligence and rumour that goes on in this

industry, as everybody in this House is aware of.

So, there was absolutely no consultation, prior to the event happening, with

the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador; no discussions with us. Our advice

was not sought. There was no transparency whatsoever.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

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

MR. PARSONS: Thank you.

I appreciate the minister's very clear, unequivocal answer to that question

because the letter left some room that there may have been some form of

consultation but not proper.

I noticed, minister, that your letter of February 29 was not cc'd to the

Town of Burgeo, even though I believe the Town of Burgeo was mentioned about

six, seven times in that particular letter. The residents of Burgeo have

suffered deeply over the past seventeen years, since 1991, mainly due to this

injustice and the transfer of quotas to the benefit of someone else. First, it

was the redfish quota, which was part of that deal which was taken by Mr. Barry

from Burgeo to Canso, Nova Scotia, and now we have the turbot quota off to Nova

Scotia.

I ask the minister: What can be done to reverse this process so that the

people of Burgeo, who have been making their case for years for their survival

and their historical attachment to the fishery, what can be done to get them

their just rewards?

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

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. RIDEOUT: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, there was no malice, I suppose - if that is a good word - in not

cc'ing the Town of Burgeo or the Mayor of Burgeo. The letter was written in a

more general way, objecting and taking offence, really, and displeasure to the

had been assigned to a company in this Province for processing in Newfoundland

and Labrador, 40 per cent of it happened to be assigned to Burgeo. All of that

fish, with the exception of 250 tons - which I believe was sold to the Labrador

Union Shrimp Company. All of that fish has now gone from Newfoundland and

Labrador, Burgeo included, to no benefit to the people of Newfoundland and

Labrador, except to the financial coffers of a company in the Province. There is

no benefit to the people of this Province and that is what we took objection to,

that happening without our consent - not without our consent but without at

least our involvement.

MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!

I ask the hon. member to conclude his answer.

MR. RIDEOUT: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Without our involvement, at least without having the courtesy of making us

aware of it, and having us find out about it through the back door rather than

the front door.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

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

MR. PARSONS: Mr. Speaker, as we all know, the relationship between the

federal government and the provincial government has reached an all-time low.

I ask the minister: Is Burgeo, a hard-working, rural Newfoundland and

Labrador town, suffering due to the consequences of this intergovernmental feud?

Can other communities in rural Newfoundland and Labrador also expect to be

causalities in this dispute between your government and the feds?

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

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. RIDEOUT: Mr. Speaker, it is difficult to answer that question, but

let me attempt an answer by saying this. The people who were adjacent to that

resource - we had historic presence and usage in it then there had been an

assignment to Newfoundland and Labrador. The people who were adjacent to that

resource, the inhabitants of Nunavut, were not consulted. They had no knowledge

that this was happening.

They, Mr. Speaker, the people of Nunavut - I do not know if the Government of

of Newfoundland and Labrador has, but you would think they do, the way they were

dealt with in this particular instance.

I would have to say, Mr. Speaker, no, I do not think that is the case, but

Canada. They do not care where you are, what you do, whether you fight with

them, whether you do not fight with them, they are going to deal with you in the

way that they want to deal with you anyway.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

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

MR. BUTLER: Mr. Speaker, in May of last year the government received a

client services officer's report in relation to the Workplace Health, Safety

and Compensation Commission.

I ask the minister: In light of this government's commitment on the timely

release of reports and transparency in government, can he tell the House when

this report will be released to the public?

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Minister of Government Services.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. O'BRIEN: Yes, Mr. Speaker, as a matter of fact, I did a media

interview on Friday. I made a commitment to release such reports as

expeditiously as we possibly can, taking into account that we have to treat each

request separately. It depends on the scope of the actual request. It depends on

the number of requests that is made to our department.

We are in the process of having a look at enhancing our data system, but

right now we are dealing with paper and that takes time and resources. So, yes,

we will certainly release them in an expeditious manner.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

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

MR. BUTLER: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I say so much for the thirty day turnaround. This is going on close to a year

now since this report was released and the public has yet to know what is in it.

Mr. Speaker, another issue being raised by injured workers is the need for a

client fairness officer. Such a position already exists in other provinces, and

while in Opposition, the current Premier called for the appointment of a public

defender for injured workers.

I ask the minister: What is government's view on the need for such a

position, and will government be moving forward with anything like this to

protect injured workers in this Province?

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Minister of Human Resources, Labour and

Employment.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. SKINNER: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, as this House is aware there are a number of recommendations

before the government through the Statutory Review process which is the formal

process we have in place to look at issues regarding injured workers and the

Workplace Health, Safety and Compensation Commission. That report will be spoken

on in the near future by this government, and at that time members opposite will

see the recommendations that come forward.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

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

MR. BUTLER: Mr. Speaker, it has come to our attention that injured

workers are experiencing delays in the review process at Workers Health, Safety

and Compensation Commission because there has only been one of the three review

commissioners in place recently.

I ask the minister: Can he tell us how many cases have been delayed and when

are you going to address this problem by putting more commissioners in place?

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Minister Responsible for Persons with

Disabilities.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. SKINNER: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, we have a number of commissioners who sit on the review

commission, we have a number who have recently expired and we have a number of

recommendations that we will be making, bringing forward, to put people on this.

In some cases we have to make sure that we contact the individuals for some

information that we need from them, but in the very near future the number of

positions that have expired will be filled and we will have a full complement of

review commissioners.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

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

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

Mr. Speaker, my question relates to the hormone receptor testing. On Tuesday,

the Minister of Health and Community Services released the information that 108

of the 322 deceased announced on February 22 had changed ER/PR test results.

That is 33 per cent of patients with changed results.

In the minister's release on Tuesday past he was downplaying the fact that

these patients may have died of cancer. He also said that some of the patients

may actually have received the correct treatment in spite of having false

negative test results. He has not presented proof to backup either of these

statements. Surely there are records indicating why people died and what

treatment the patients received.

I ask the minister why he didn't dig further and investigate this issue

fully instead of giving us half answers.

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Minister of Health and Community Services.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. WISEMAN: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, I have never, in this House or outside this House, downplayed

the significance of the issues in and around ER/PR, nor would I ever dismiss the

significance of having to report that 322 people are dead.

What I did this week was I provided an update on those individuals who had

their tests changed. Now, to take from that - and this is the point I was

making: we cannot conclude that because 108 people had their test changed, or

because 275 people had their test changed, that caused their death.

The issue that I reported on was a statistic. I didn't deal with the cause

of death of 108 people, nor the cause of death of 320. Nor did I say the 275 who

had their tests changed, that their course of treatment would have changed had

something else happened.

I was providing an update on a set of statistics, I say, Mr. Speaker. The

cause of death - and if the member opposite wants to jump to a conclusion, that

is somewhat irresponsible. What I was trying to do -

MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!

I ask the hon. minister to conclude his answer.

MR. WISEMAN: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

What I was trying to do, Mr. Speaker, in my commentary, was to be

responsible, to responsibly report the information that we had available to us;

not to jump to conclusions, not to make assumptions.

SOME HON MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

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

MS MICHAEL: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The minister is getting at the heart of what it is I am looking for. It is

not sufficient for databases to only have pure statistics. They also can include

the reasons and causes for, and this is what I am asking: why the database is

not including it.

So, I am asking the minister: If such information - because this information

is important to the families in the present and in future - if such information

is not yet part of the database, will steps be taken to ensure that such

important information is included?

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Minister of Health and Community Services.

SOME HON MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. WISEMAN: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

What I have said before, and I will repeat it again in this House today, the

individual families of those 322 people should make contact with Eastern Health

to find out exactly what happened with their respective family member. That

information would be available to the individuals and their family the

family members of those individuals - if they make contact with Eastern Health.

Officials of Eastern Health will be available to have that kind of conversation

on an individual basis, I say, Mr. Speaker. So, the individual family members of

those deceased individuals need to make contact with Eastern Health, through

their family physicians or through the contact number provided by Eastern

Health, to discuss what happened with their family member, I say, Mr. Speaker.

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

MS MICHAEL: A quick supplementary, Mr. Speaker.

The public deserves to know how many people died, may have died, because of

cancer, and how many did or did not get tamoxifin. We are not asking for the

personal information, but the public deserves to know those numbers.

Is the minister willing to give those numbers to the public?

MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!

The hon. the Minister of Health and Community Services.

MR. WISEMAN: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, I think the Member for Signal Hill-Quidi Vidi needs to take a

lesson from the page of the Leader of the Opposition when she acknowledged that

this is an extremely sensitive issue. Trying to play politics with it in the

House of Assembly or in any other forum is totally inappropriate.

We have a commission of inquiry that started hearings today. That commission

of inquiry has a mandate to look at what happened with ER-PR testing between the

period of 1997 and 2005. They have a mandate to look at what went wrong, what

happened. They have a mandate to consider what took place with respect to how

people got advised of what happened, the communication process between patients,

their families and the health authorities, who knew what when, and what should

have happened, so that we will learn some things from this, Mr. Speaker, so that

in the future what we witnessed between 1997 and 2005 should never, ever happen

again in this Province.

The 1,013 women who were impacted by this particular event should never, ever

- the lesson we should learn: we should never, ever have any other women who

have to go through what they went through, as a result of the recent work that

we are now doing. This commission should lead us to some conclusions. This

commission should give us some sound advice.

MR. SPEAKER: Order please!

I ask the minister to conclude his answer.

MR. WISEMAN: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

This commission, we are looking to it to provide us with some sound advice

and some direction for the future so we do not have to have this discussion ever

again in this House.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER: The time allotted for Oral Questions has expired.

Presenting Reports by Standing and Select Committees.

Tabling of Documents.

Notices of Motion.

Answers to Questions for which Notice has been Given.

Petitions.

Petitions

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

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

I just want to rise again today with a petition similar to what I had last

week, but different signatures. That is the petition on doctor shortages, not

only in our Province but I speak specifically to the district that I represent,

and the Conception Bay North area.

Mr. Speaker, quite a few of our local clinics out there have a shortage of

doctors. We know that is being experienced right throughout this Province, but I

just want to make a note of it because it was mentioned in the Throne Speech

that the retention of doctors and other professionals would be possibly looked

at this year, in this year's Budget, and we are looking forward to that, Mr.

Speaker.

For clarification I want to bring to the public's attention, and to

government's attention, some of the issues that people encounter and the

system encounters by there being a shortage of doctors.

We know what burden it places upon the emergency units in the various

hospitals, and I speak for the Carbonear General Hospital. When someone has an

incident happen, they cannot get a general practitioner; or, if they do not have

one, they head immediately to the emergency unit, and that is understandable.

They have to go there, it is an emergency to those people, but the people then

are stretched to the limit in those units at emergency in Carbonear Hospital,

and are unable to look after - like I said, they are stretched to the limits and

unable to carry out their duties probably like they should, Mr. Speaker.

Some people do not even have a doctor. People have called and they have seen

a specialist in St. John's and they do not have a general practitioner to send

their reports to, so someone can advise them what is going on and so on.

Only recently we hear more about it in the media. I believe it was Dr. Ritter

- I could be wrong - from the Newfoundland Medical Association, who this week

spoke out on the same issue. He made it very clear that not all the time is it

the issue of finances or wages. Many of those people are stretched to the limits

in the rural areas as well as the urban areas and they just move on. They cannot

carry the caseloads that they have, and it is becoming a major problem, Mr.

Speaker.

Only last week we brought up about the audiologists at the Janeway Hospital.

There are many cases, Mr. Speaker, and I have one in my area, there are

audiologist there carrying out the work that they are compelled to do in the

hospitals but the referrals that are put forward by the guidance counsellors

from the various schools on problems that some young people are encountering

cannot be done. It is the central auditory processing test that we are referring

to. We were told that there are three positions vacant at the Janeway now and

those tests cannot be done, Mr. Speaker.

So, on behalf of the constituents, I just want to say to the minister and to

government that hopefully when the Budget comes down there will be some good

news on the retention of doctors and this issue will be resolved sooner rather

than later.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

MR. SPEAKER: Further petitions?

The hon. the Leader of the Opposition.

MS JONES: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I present a petition today on behalf of the people of Newfoundland and

Labrador, and they are petitioning the government to look at a long-term drug

and alcohol addictions treatment facility for the residents of this Province.

Mr. Speaker, there are some short-stay programs that do exist in Newfoundland

and Labrador, but they are inadequate in meeting the bigger needs of addicts

that we have out there in our society.

Mr. Speaker, this petition is being spearheaded by Ron Fitzpatrick and the

group at Turnings. This is a group, Mr. Speaker, that has tried to draw

attention and awareness to the drug problems that exist in our communities,

especially here in the capital city, and they have done so with very limited

funding. In fact, Mr. Speaker, I understand that they receive no funding from

the provincial government at this particular time but they do get some grants

from the federal government to carry out the work and the programs that they do.

Mr. Speaker, anyone who thinks that drug addiction is not a problem in

Newfoundland and Labrador are not facing up to the real problems that exist. We

have seen that not only are addictions on the rise but as a result of these

addictions we have seen more violence in our communities, we have seen more

break and enters, we have seen more vandalism. All of these things will continue

if the problem and the source of the problem are not treated. Not only does it

cause havoc in families and homes and in communities, but it also causes a

tremendous amount of expenditure for the provincial government when these

particular drug addicts are continued to be out there and not be treated in the

community. Not only do we see convictions and the cost of these convictions, but

we see the cost of the courts, the cost of holding them in penitentiaries, and

as we know, those costs are escalating on an annual basis. I think incarceration

now in this Province can cost you anywhere from $65,000 to well over $100,000 a

year. I do not think that we need to be continuing to see the rise of the cost

of treating addictions in our health care sector and in our court system and in

our penitentiaries when we should be out there taking action to prevent the use

of drugs and to educate people.

Mr. Speaker, one of the things that is becoming alarming to me is the amount

of drugs that are appearing in our schools throughout the Province and the

number of children who are engaging in drugs. It seems to be happening at a

younger age. It seems to be more available. In fact, one of the RNC reports, and

I think it was the chief of the RNC who made the statement, that getting drugs

on the street in this city today is easier than getting a cup of coffee. When

you have the chief of police out making those kinds of statements, I think it

should give you some idea of how this problem has escalated in our society, how

it deserves to have the attention of government and people who make laws and

make decisions and facing the reality that if these people are not treated their

addictions will continue. At the present time we do not have adequate addiction

facilities to treat those long-term needs of people who are in the Province that

require those kinds of in-depth interventions and long-term stays.

I support this petition. We have a number of names. We will be bringing

forward a number of more petitions as we come back to the House after Easter.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

MR. SPEAKER: Further petitions?

Orders of the Day.

Orders of the Day

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

MR. RIDEOUT: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Motion 1, that the Minister of Health and Community Services have leave to

introduce a bill,

An Act To Provide For The Protection Of Personal Health

Information. (Bill 7)

MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!

It is moved and seconded that the hon. the Minister of Health and Community

Services shall have leave to introduce a bill entitled,

An Act To Provide For

The Protection Of Personal Health Information.

Shall the hon. minister have leave to introduce the said bill?

All those in favour, 'aye'.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Aye.

MR. SPEAKER: All those against, 'nay'.

Carried.

Motion, the hon. the Minister of Health and Community Services to introduce a

bill, "An Act To Provide For the Protection Of Personal Health

Information", carried. (Bill 7)

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

MR. RIDEOUT: Mr. Speaker, is it now appropriate that we would have first

reading of Bill 7?

MR. SPEAKER: It is moved and seconded that Bill 7 be now read a first

time.

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 For The Protection Of Personal Health

Information. (Bill 7)

MR. SPEAKER: This bill has now been read a first time, when shall the

said bill be read a second time?

MR. RIDEOUT: Tomorrow.

MR. SPEAKER: Tomorrow.

On motion, Bill 7 read a first time, ordered read a second time on tomorrow.

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

MR. RIDEOUT: Mr. Speaker, Order 1, Committee of Supply.

MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!

It is moved and seconded that I do now leave the Chair and the House resolve

itself into a Committee of Supply to consider the said bill.

Is it the pleasure of the House to adopt this motion?

All those in favour, 'aye'.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Aye.

MR. SPEAKER: All those against, 'nay'.

Carried.

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

Speaker left the Chair.

Committee of the Whole

CHAIR (T. Osborne): The hon. the Member for Grand Bank.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. KING: Good afternoon, and thank you, Mr. Chairman.

It is, indeed, a tremendous privilege to rise in the House this afternoon and

have the opportunity to address hon. colleagues. Before I begin, I would like to

recognize, as the Speaker did, the delegation from my home community of Grand

Bank, Mayor Rex Matthews and Town Manager Wayne Bolt are here with us this

evening. I certainly want to say welcome to them.

I also want to start out, first of all, by congratulating all of the newly

elected members who I have joined here today to sit in the House. As well,

certainly, I pass along my congratulations to those returning from the last

session. As well, I would like to acknowledge the first-time speakers, like

myself, thus far. Some tremendous words of wisdom have been conveyed and I want

to congratulate everyone on a job well done. There is something a little

intimidating about standing for the first time in the House here, I think, for

all of us. So, hopefully I will do as well as my previous colleagues.

First, I would like to say how appreciative I am to my constituents for

supporting and entrusting me with the opportunity to represent them here in the

House of Assembly. There are certainly many exciting things happening in the

Province in the last number of years and the last number of days even. I think

my constituents, like many in the Province, recognize there has been much

accomplished but certainly much more work needs to be done and we need to build

on our successes.

Particularly to the constituents that I represent, I want to say thank you.

For those of you who I have known for some time, you will remember that this is

not my first time running to try and gain a seat in the House. I ran in 2003 and

lost by forty-three votes. Unfortunately, at that time some of my colleagues -

who have in excess of four years - got to come and join some exciting times in

government and to make some tough decisions, but some very good decisions for

the future of the Province.

While I missed out on that, Mr. Chairman, I did have a great opportunity

myself to take

part in the consolidation of school boards in the Province. I

spent four years, one year with the Burin board and three years with the new

Eastern School District, and had the opportunity in a different manner to

influence significantly, I hope, government policy and direction through my role

as CEO with the school district.

It was certainly a good time for me, and a good learning experience, and

hopefully some of the skills and experiences I had in education will assist me

in representing my constituents here; but, of course, in 2007 I was humbled,

really, Mr. Chairman, that I won the seat with 83 per cent of the popular vote

in the Grand Bank district. I am told by those in authority, who know, that the

Grand Bank seat was actually the highest margin of victory in turnaround seats -

that is seats that we did not hold prior to the last election - we had the

highest margin of victory. Certainly I am pleased with that, but I also

recognize with that comes great expectations for me, as their representative,

and I will certainly do my best.

I want to acknowledge the many volunteers as well who worked so hard on my

behalf. Many of them, of course, worked with me through two elections. I heard

one hon. colleague - Ms Marshall, the Member for Topsail, I believe - who said

there is nothing like getting elected the second time to appreciate it.

There is nothing like getting defeated and then elected to appreciate it.

SOME HON MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. KING: I look around the room here. There are many colleagues here -

including the Speaker, who is not here right not, and my colleague from

Twillingate - many of us here have faced defeat and then went on to victory, so

it is indeed great.

I want to offer thanks as well to, of course, my family: my mom and dad and

my sister, Denise - I have one sister - who have been tremendously supportive of

me in my career over the years. They were heavily involved, of course, in the

election campaign, everything from cutting pickets and putting up lawn signs to

driving me around, to taking a lot of heat when the time came because it was

their son who was being insulted.

I especially want to say thanks to my wife, Colleen, and my two children. I

have two children, one in Grade 8 and one in Grade 4. All they have known in

their life is public life with me; because, prior to getting elected, I served

for nearly twelve years with the school boards, both the Eastern School District

and the Burin Peninsula School Board. All they have ever known, really, is the

life of somebody in the public eye, and that is not always for very favourable

reasons, as you know, so I want to thank them.

I especially, though, want to say thanks to my wife, Colleen. She has been a

tower of strength for me, and I know you will all appreciate this here: any of

our successes is certainly limited only by the support we get from our spouses.

My wife is a great teacher who has probably sacrificed a number of career

opportunities for her own self to help me move forward in my career, so I want

to say thanks to her today publicly.

As well, I want to say thanks to Premier Williams and all of you who are here

today with caucus for everything that you have done to assist me in getting

elected. As I said, it has been a long road; but many, including the Deputy

Premier, assisted on a number of occasions to knock on doors, some of it in

pouring rain conditions, and I am really grateful for that. It does take a team

to get elected, there is no question about it.

Many of you I have known for a long, long time, back to even when we were in

government last, pre-1989, and I was involved with the party at that point in

time.

With respect to the Grand Bank district, certainly I am very proud to be

associated with the district. We have a proud history, one certainly associated

with hard-working people and one attached significantly to the fishing industry,

as anybody who knows the geography of the Burin Peninsula will certainly

recognize. It has certainly been the more dominant area of employment, although

we did have a significant attachment to the mining industry for many years in

St. Lawrence.

Of course, I am from Fortune and, given our proximity to France, I believe

there are some who even engaged in the import-export business, although more

importing at times.

AN HON. MEMBER: I believe you are right.

MR. KING: I believe I am right - and some are still at it.

Mr. Speaker, certainly in the bigger picture of things, as we talk about

government and, I guess, where I hope we are going to go, and my contribution, I

want to recognize the era that we have really moved into.

Members who sat in the House during the last session had a lot of tough

decisions to make, and I think all of us who have been elected for the first

time recognize that the first four years in government were not easy but we did

create a climate, I think, of a focus on prosperity for the Province, one of

sustainability and, as the Premier and all of us hope to strive for, one of

self-reliance where we no longer depend on the federal government and all those

who might have handouts to give us.

The Grand Bank district and my constituents, I think, recognize that as well,

and I think it is echoed in the margin of victory that we achieved in the

election, and I think the message for me was very clear, that they wanted to be

a part of government. They support the vision that we are trying to move

forward, and they support the direction that we are trying to move in.

I would like to talk for a moment, Mr. Speaker, about some challenges in my

district and also some, what I will term as, opportunities and successes.

Certainly the biggest challenge for us for the last twenty years or so has

probably been employment. My hon. colleague, Minister Jackman, as well as MHA

Peach from the Bellevue district, of course, we share the Burin Peninsula, and

it is difficult to talk about the Grand Bank district without talking about the

Peninsula and the region as a whole.

Certainly, the downturn in the fishery has had a significant impact on the

way of life for people on the Burin Peninsula and people in the Grand Bank

district. We have seen a number of plant closures, traditionally in the Grand

Bank district. The community of Grand Bank has had a strong attachment to

Fishery Products over the years. The community of Fortune had a fish plant. St.

Lawrence had a strong operation for many years, in addition to the mine. Of

course, the mine closed out many years ago and took with it some 300-plus jobs,

a significant amount of money to the local economy, but all of that, of course,

along with the Marystown Shipyard and, for anyone who has followed politics

whatsoever, you will recognize the ups and downs we have had with the many

operators in the Marystown Shipyard and the many efforts by many governments to

try and get it on the straight and narrow, to put work in there and to get the

yard up and running and create employment opportunities; however, I don't want

to spend a lot of time on the challenges because I believe there are some good

things happening and I want to highlight some of those.

As I talk briefly, Mr. Chairman, about the direction the Province is taking,

and the investments that have been made in infrastructure in particular, there

have been strategic investments on the social sector, in education and health,

and expanding programs. It is my view, and the view of my constituents, that all

of the decisions that government has made to date have certainly positioned us

well to take advantage of the future that lies ahead.

Let me share with you some of the good things happening in the District of

Grand Bank. Some of this will overlap, Mr. Chairman, with the Peninsula as a

whole and my colleague Minister Jackman's district; because, while the

districts are distinct, there are residents, for example, from my district, who

attend school in Minister Jackman's district, and there is a lot of crossover

there.

I want to highlight first the NeWind windmill project that is happening in

St. Lawrence. That was a tremendous project. It started last year with the

support of this particular government. The Minister of Natural Resources was on

the Peninsula for the launch of the project. There are a number of jobs there in

the construction season which, pending weather changing from what it is today,

will hopefully get up and running again soon and see the continued construction

of the many windmills that will be there. There will also be, Mr. Chairman, a

number of permanent jobs at the site when the construction is completed.

In the aftermath of the closure of the mine and the closure of the fish plant

in St. Lawrence we have seen, with Ocean Choice in particular in there, steady

and increased employment levels for the community of St. Lawrence, and that has

made a significant impact not only to St. Lawrence but to the surrounding area

of Little St. Lawrence up through Lewin's Cove and back the other way in my

district around to Lawn and Lord's Cove.

The mine at St. Lawrence, as well, in spite of the closure, Mr. Chairman,

there is still continued optimism. There has been work ongoing for the last

many, many years and government has continued to support that in a number of

ways. Of late, there have been some discussions that hopefully lead me to

believe we may see something a little better happening there over the next

period of time, a lot of hoops to jump through and a lot of T's to be crossed

and I's to be dotted, but certainly for the first time in a dozen years, there

is a reason to sort of open your eyes and have a look at the St. Lawrence mine

and what might be happening.

Marystown Shipyard, of course, we are all struggling and hoping for work

there. Minister Jackman and I, on a regular basis, the two of us in particular,

are dealing with constituents, (inaudible) crossover, but we are hopeful.

There is the JSS Project, the provincial ferries and where that contract may

go, the Hebron project and many other initiatives alluded to in Question Period

by the Minister of Natural Resources. So, we are extremely hopeful. As goes the

Marystown Shipyard, goes the Burin Peninsula; there is no question about that. I

would suggest, Mr. Chairman, that close to 50 per cent of the workers employed

there come from my district, from Grand Bank around the St. Lawrence and back

through to Garnish. So, it is a significant industry that we are very hopeful on

and we have seen some good things happening.

The Fortune fish plant, which is probably the biggest challenge we have been

facing in my district at the present time, is still a challenge; although we are

hopeful. There has been some interest expressed from a number of different

sources. We are still hopeful that in the long term perhaps Ocean Choice might

see a role for the Fortune plant, who knows, maybe in 2009. We continue to

advocate, regular discussions with the Minister of Fisheries and Deputy Premier.

I have regular contact with the municipal council and Ocean Choice. Certainly,

that is going to be a challenge that will probably take most of our attention on

the economic side, and we will continue to work on that.

Two others I wanted to mention here, very quickly, on economic development.

Dynamic Air Shelters is a small to medium-sized company operating in Grand Bank,

predominately owned and managed by an individual out of Calgary. Just as of

today, I believe, Mr. Chairman, we hired just about twenty new employees to add

to the complement of thirty-five that are there currently. I did attend and

participate in meetings within the last two weeks which could see that number

increase significantly over the next three to four months with, of course, some

assistance and support from government and some good luck on our side.

Certainly, there have been some good things happening there.

I want to, as well - of course, I talked about the Grand Bank seafood

operation and the challenges there. The flip side, of course, is that we have

had Clearwater in there and it has been a very stable and good operation for

Grand Bank for some time now. I want to acknowledge the minister's

announcement today that the investment will create another twenty jobs for the

community. Twenty jobs, Mr. Chairman, for the Town of Grand Bank is extremely

significant for a community like that in rural Newfoundland. I cannot underscore

enough the importance of that, when we can take another twenty people, put them

to work in a community like Grand Bank in my district. Certainly, that is

tremendous news today, minister, and thank you for that.

I want to touch on a couple of other sectors, Mr. Chairman. First of all, the

tourism sector continues to be a big one for us on the Burin peninsula. I hope I

will not anger some of my colleagues here, but certainly soccer in St. Lawrence

continues to be a mainstay for us. We continue to build upon our successes

there, in spite of my colleagues who represent districts where Mount Pearl and

other soccer teams compete with us.

As a matter of record, and not opinion, Mr. Chairman, we are the Provincial

Challenge Cup Champions of 2007. We are the national bronze medal champions for

2007 and we are the Provincial and Eastern Canadian Masters champs for 2007.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. KING: I am sure there will be a side conversation with Minister

Denine after this speech.

I do want to recognize that on a serious note because that is a significant

attraction for soccer fans. Many people come to the Burin Peninsula regularly to

take in the soccer games and, of course, once we bring people to the Peninsula

then we have the opportunity to entice them to take in other events.

We also have the Miners Museum in St. Lawrence, and we have two other things

that are fairly significant for St. Lawrence. One is the 3L Training &

Employment Board, where we have individuals employed on a seasonal basis making

jewellery and other figurines from fluorspar from the mine there. As well, of

course, many of you - hopefully all of you - are familiar with the disaster of

the Truxton and the Pollux. A s a result of that, there is the

Echoes of Valor Remembrance Memorial and the Annual Remembrance Ceremony for all

of the lives that were lost during that tragic event. That draws a lot of people

to the Peninsula and to St. Lawrence as well.

In Fortune we have a number of good things happening as well, particularly on

the harbour side. In spite of my previous comments around the fish plant, we

have a really strong harbour authority there. We have a project just finished up

with floating docks installed for pleasure craft as well as marine traffic. In

my view, Mr. Chairman, and it is shared by many, Fortune Harbour is second to

none in the Province for what it offers to boat owners and sea goers.

As well, some of you may be aware of the Fortune Head Ecological Reserve and

the fossil find. It is a significant attraction for the Burin Peninsula as a

whole. We are working with a good committee there to build upon that find and to

actually, Mr. Chairman, incorporate some of the activities occurring at the

interpretation centre there as part of the local school curriculum to develop

field trips, curriculum studies, units of studies and those kind of things.

As well, on the tourism side, of course, the Town of Grand Bank, we have a

number of good things happening there. The Grand Bank Theatre Festival - my

colleague, Minister Jackman, we met this morning on this particular issue - we

have a strong theatre festival there that employs, Mr. Chairman, upwards of

thirty people on a seasonal basis. Those individuals are not all from Grand

Bank. They come from Marystown, they come from Burin and they come from other

parts of the Province. It is really serving as a good training ground for those

who go on to pursue further studies in the acting and artistic fields and it is

a good economic generator for Grand Bank and the local area. We bring a lot of

tourists in on an annual basis.

As well, the Grand Bank Summer Festival continues to be a strong annual

event, but one I want to highlight for Grand Bank today is the Mariners Memorial

Project. As many of you will recall, government contributed a lot of support to

that in the past number of years. It was opened last year.

I just want to read this piece from text to you because this is very

significant for us today. Two of the delegation who were here from the town have

departed the galleries. As of 3 o'clock today, the Grand Bank Mariners

Memorial Project, Mr. Chairman, was being awarded the Manning Award for

excellence in the public presentation of historic places in recognition of the

fine work being done across the Province by community-minded groups, and that is

the Grand Bank Heritage Society, received today at 3 o'clock.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. KING: The Greater Lamaline Area Development Association, Mr.

Chairman, is the last group I want to mention on the tourism side for doing some

great work to preserve the history of what we call the loop on the Burin

Peninsula, when you leave Fortune and go around to St. Lawrence, and the great

tidal wave of many years ago and those kinds of things.

I want to touch on health care as well because health care tends to get so

much attention in the House, rightly so. I am going to take my few minutes to

talk about it for a moment as well. Government has made significant investments,

in my view, in health care over the past number of years since we have been in

power. In spite of the many challenges we have faced, there are many good things

happening. My district, no doubt, will have their share of challenges that I

could talk about, but we also have our share of success stories.

The first one I am going to mention to you - hopefully, some of you saw the

story in The Telegram last week. A constituent of mine, by the name of

Gerald Alexander - who is a cancer patient from Frenchman's Cove - received

clinical cancer care from the Burin Peninsula without travelling to St. John's.

It was a story where we were availing of the technology and the video

conferencing. I want to mention that one because - and this is the words of Mr.

Alexander: not only does it save money but it saves travel time, it helps

patients emotionally and it saves the wear and tear on their body from having to

drive four hours down the peninsula, into the Health Sciences Complex. That is a

tremendous investment for those of us who live in rural Newfoundland and it

needs to be said. It needs to be celebrated publicly.

I want to also acknowledge the provincial Prescription Drug Program and the

Minister of Health with the Assurance Plan, in particular, which is the newest

piece of that. Many of my constituents have benefited from that program and many

more, even today, are calling to avail of the service. The letters and calls I

have had of thanks for that particular initiative are just too numerous to

mention here, Mr. Chairman, but that is just a wonderful program.

As well, we have talked a lot about facilities and the state of facilities in

the Province, and I want to do the same and talk about what we have in my

district, Mr. Chair. We have invested significantly in the redevelopment of the

Blue Crest Interfaith Home in Grand Bank. We hope to do a reopening of the home,

if you will, sometime in the spring, perhaps early September. The Blue Crest

Home is a sixty-bed facility that is being completely redone and it is going to

be a fabulous facility. I have been there on a number of occasions to tour the

facility and it is just going to make a significant difference not only to the

residents but to the workers in the home as well. In addition to that in Grand

Bank, we also have the new health care facility, the brand new facility to

replace the old cottage hospital that will be ready for occupancy, I think and

we are hopeful, sometime in late August or early September.

Finally, with long-term care we have reopened ten beds in St. Lawrence as a

result of a number of these initiatives, and, of course, that is a significant

investment for what we affectionately call the other side of my district, the

Lewin's Cove-St. Lawrence area. In addition to that, Mr. Chair, we have two

projects on the Burin Peninsula, two long-term care facilities, one in Minister

Jackman's district and one in my district in Grand Bank as well, set to open

some time again late summer.

I want to pay tribute to government for support on those projects.

Finally, the Regional Heath Centre - we have had a couple of significant

investments there both with the CT scanner and the dialysis unit. I had the

pleasure of joining Minister Jackman and Minister Wiseman in December to open

that unit. That is a regional facility that is supported by all communities on

the Burin Peninsula and one we want to work together with to improve upon.

As well, Mr. Chair, I want to touch on the roads budget for a few moments. It

certainly has been a record budget this year, and, Minister Whalen, thank you

for the $73 million, not for the Grand Bank District but for the Province, I

might add. Our share is $2.5 million and that represents somewhere in excess of

150 per cent increase from previous years. There are four or five significant

projects that are going to be done. The approach we have taken and I have taken

with the minister is to look at four years. I said this morning I have four

years because I am elected for four years. The minister says, you never know if

you are going to wake up in the morning so be careful. The plan is going to be

based on a four-year term of office that we have here. The intention is to look

at all the projects in the district and to make sure we hit the priorities over

the four-year mandate of this government as best we can.

I want to reiterate what a number of the releases have said and a number of

my colleagues have said; anytime you invest $2.5 million into a district like

Grand Bank, it has to affect the economy of the district, it has to assist with

not only employment creation but the spin off that comes from that. Of course,

we have commuters who travel from all parts of the Peninsula to Marystown every

single day for work and we have school buses crisscrossing the Peninsula every

single day, so it certainly is great to create safer driving conditions for

those who use the roads so incredibly much.

SOME HON MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. KING: I am going to touch on a couple of general initiatives, Mr.

Chair - I am conscious of the time - a couple of initiatives that I think are

important to me personally, important to my constituents, but they are also

initiatives that affect the entire Province.

In education, in particular, which is the field from which I come, I have to

highlight of course the elimination of school fees and the introduction of free

textbooks. That has had a significant impact on many families in my district, I

can tell you. I recollect my days with the school board over the last seven or

eight years - and I said this the other day to a local reporter when I was

interviewed - school districts focused on four priorities over the last five or

six years and that was the elimination of school fees, the provision of free

textbooks, a review of resourcing of the system and an increase in capital and

maintenance costs. This government has responded to all four of those

priorities; all four.

SOME HON MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. KING: Specific to resourcing the system, Mr. Chair, three schools in

my district, John Burke High School in Grand Bank, St. Lawrence Academy and

Marystown Central High which the minister and I share, each combined about a

quarter of million dollars in investment of new infrastructure and renovations

to implement the Skilled Trades Program that the minister introduced several

years ago.

I also want to touch briefly on the impact of the teacher allocation model

that was introduced not long ago. That is going to have a significant impact on

all schools in this Province. There are going to be quite a number of schools

that will realize the benefits of the class size cap and there are going to be

quite a number of other schools that are going to be able to level and

strengthen the program offerings for students because of the allocation being

based on needs of the school versus strictly numerical formulas. I certainly

want to celebrate that.

As well, while we are with education, I want to highlight the many good

things announced in previous budgets around post-secondary education and in

particular student aid. I am going to highlight a couple because these continue

to be highlighted to me. One is the freezing of tuition fees, Mr. Chair, by this

government. It has been done for the past three years and we are now, as I

understand it, about 41 per cent lower in tuition fees than the national

average. The interest rate on student loans has been decreased by some 2.5 per

cent, putting us at the lowest interest rate in the country. As well, the

minister introduced a needs-based grant where previously students would receive

$140 a week, on average, as a loan; now they continue to receive the $140, but

the first $70 is non-repayable.

SOME HON MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. KING: Mr. Chairman, I am going to conclude with a couple of comments.

Certainly, I want to say that the message coming out of my district, I think,

was loud and clear, at least from my perspective, loud and clear around

constituent support for the vision of government, the leadership of Premier

Williams, and the kind of team that we had in the last mandate and we have put

together here today, and the vision we are trying to pursue and where we are

trying to go in the Province. I do not think there is any question about that

whatsoever.

One of the things that I hope is that we all strive to get elected to public

office because we want to do what is best for the Province, and I am operating

from that premise. I think all of us would recognize, though, that the vision

you follow in trying to do what is best for the Province differs for many

individuals. We often hear on a daily basis, in Question Period, there are

different ways to get, through the same journey, to the same end.

At this point in time my vision, I think I don't think; I know - I

share with the Premier and I share with all of my colleagues here, the path we

are following is the one I want to be on, and clearly the constituents in my

district endorse that vision as the one that they want to be a part of as well

as we move forward as a government.

I am very impressed with the new attitude that I see in the Province, and

even in my district, in spite of the challenges that I have outlined. I sense

more optimism than perhaps I have in a long time for my district. I am certainly

committed to do my best for the constituents of Grand Bank. As I have said many

times before, I am committed to work with Minister Jackman and MHA Peach because

of the regional piece that we need to focus on. We have a lot of good things

happening on the Burin Peninsula. It is only through strengthening communities

in my district, and the services that we are able to provide constituents, and

where required, like the Burin Health Care Centre, focusing on what is good for

the entire region, it is only if we take that approach that we are going to be

able to improve the lot in life for my constituents and my two colleagues who

represent the Burin Peninsula as well.

Thank you very much for the opportunity, Mr. Chairman. I really appreciate

it.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

CHAIR: The hon. the Member for Port de Grave.

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

First of all, I want to congratulate the hon. Member for the District of

Grand Bank on his maiden speech here in the hon. House of Assembly.

I have to pick up on one thing he said, because the Burin Peninsula, you

know, was my hometown in my earlier days, and I am sure the Member for Harbour

Main will agree with me on this one.

We have a gentleman who is teaching in North River at the present time, and I

am not sure if his hometown was Lawn or St. Lawrence, a Mr. Tarrant. We have a

soccer system put in place and, I am going to tell you, the day is coming, not

too long in the future, when the Member for Harbour Main and I will stand in

this House and say that we won the championship for soccer for all Newfoundland

and Labrador.

I also want to say to the member, it is always a joy and a pleasure to return

to the Burin Peninsula, which I do usually two or three weeks every year, to

celebrate the summer season and get back to that area.

Mr. Chairman, the few comments I want to make today, I guess, we are all

speaking to Bill 2 but we usually stray away from it and go into different

comments and what have you, but as I listen to hon. members on both sides of the

House we hear the members on the government side talking about the good things

that are happening, and that is a fact. I, too, stood here and praised the

minister for some of the things that are going on in my district, but being

elected - and I guess we all run to be on the government side, but from time to

time some of us find ourselves in Opposition, and there are members on both

sides of the House who have done that.

I want to say, Mr. Chair, when I listen to some of the members, we hear them

talking about - but all too often we hear talk about what we inherited, what

happened in the past Administration and so on. Just for a second I want to read

a quote that was brought before this House by the Premier when he was Leader of

the Opposition, when he was responding to the Throne Speech in 2003. He used a

quote by the very famous and the late Winston Churchill when he said: I am not

here to assign blame. If the present tries to sit in judgment of the past, it

will lose the future. We must look to the future and not the past.

Mr. Chairman, as I stand here today, I am not standing here to lay blame on

this Administration, on anything that went on over the past four or five years;

however, in the role that I play in Her Majesty's Loyal Opposition, I am here

to bring forward issues and concerns of not only my constituents but people we

receive phone calls from throughout this Province, Mr. Chairman.

This Administration - whether we agree with what I am going to say or not, it

is going to said - when we look back to the past, former Administrations of all

political stripes, former Administrations both provincially and federally, had a

difficult challenge, I guess, to bring us to where we are today. We are very

fortunate, and this government is very fortunate, to find ourselves in the

financial position that we are, and we are all very proud of that. I can assure

you things can be done now and in the recent two or three years that could never

be done in probably the past ten or fifteen years. That doesn't mean to say

that whoever was there, whatever political stripe and we can name all the

administrations that were here. Each and every individual whether male or

female, whether they were in Opposition or on the government side, each and

every one of them tried to do the best they could do for their constituents and

for the people of this Province.

Mr. Chair, as we get closer to the Budget and knowing that there is a

wonderful surplus, there is nothing wrong with bringing issues forward that we

hope will be in the Budget, some issues that people are putting our way; and I

am sure members on the other side of the House will bring issues from their

constituents forward as well. As I said, we enjoy such a surplus it is a

wonderful position to be in.

Mr. Speaker, just to touch on some of the issues that I want to bring

forward: In recent weeks and even just prior to the last election, we in the

Opposition and I am sure members on the government side had opportunity to meet

with the seniors' groups throughout our Province. I know we met with I

think the name is the fifty-plus federation for seniors. I attended a public

meeting in Mundy Pond in St. Theresa's just a few months ago where 700 or 800

people came forward and made their wishes known to the government and to others.

I am sure they also met with the Minister of Finance when he went around this

Province in consultation preparing for this year's Budget.

They had some really good issues to bring forward and hopefully government

will be able to look at some of them so that the problems they have and they

encounter financially, many of them we have heard this before, that all they

receive is their pension and they haven't received an increase. I think they

told us that since somewhere in vicinity of 1989, there hasn't been an

increase since then. They talk about different issues that probably government

can have a look at.

Some of the ones they brought forward to us was a decrease in the licensing

of their vehicles, which is now $180 and they were looking at a different rate,

probably dropping it down to $140. They also brought forward the issue of

relieving the taxes on the insurance. All this would be money going into their

pockets so they can carry out some of the items that they can't do today. They

even spoke about reducing the taxes on home care, which is a burden on many of

them as they get up in years.

Many of them are having difficulty by not being able to afford oxygen. I know

I have two or three residents in my district who are confined to their home

because they can't afford to buy those small canisters of oxygen that they

need when they travel outside their homes, and if they do go out they probably

don't have time to get their groceries picked up before they have to rush back

to their homes.

I will also speak about the home heating rebate, no one complaining about the

issue of the home heating rebate, but it is the timeframe. I have had calls and

been in homes in my district. I have had calls from residents in constituencies

which are neighboring mine where when they turn out the lights at night, they

also turn off the heat. If some of those taxes could be relieved that would mean

for them a difference of wondering what they are going to do in the evenings

with the thermostat or whether they should fill up the oil tank or probably buy

extra groceries.

Mr. Speaker, they also have a great concern with the health care and they

know that many of them don't have a general practitioner. The doctors move

into the local areas and for whatever reasons they move on and they are left

without a general practitioner. I guess it is more of a concern to our seniors

when they find themselves having to go to one of our major hospitals, the report

by the specialist is to be sent out and they are really concerned because they

don't have a general practitioner who the report can be sent to.

I just want to touch on a couple of issues with regard to the education

system. We are hearing wonderful things with regard to the educational system.

Only recently the Minister announced, through the ISSP Pathways, recommendations

that came back and quite a few of them are being implemented. The teacher

allocations that were announced last week, it is my understanding the NLTA and

many other groups and the professionals think it's a wonderful thing. A lot of

them are still reading the report. It is a good challenge to know that the

teachers who are in the system will remain in the system, and we know that there

are other professionals within the educational system who may benefit, when we

find there could be more guidance counselors and what have you for the system.

Only today, I think, the Minister mentioned major changes to the math

curriculum, and many of my constituents and other people throughout the Province

had major concerns with it. The teachers in the schools even had problems with

it. I know I haven't seen the full report but, from what I understand, there

are going to be changes that will make it better for all of our children, from K

to Grade 12. If I am not mistaken, that will go ahead and be of more benefit to

the individuals.

I know from time to time I bring up the concerns of air quality in our

schools, and we will do that from time to time. I want to say that I know when

the issues were put forward the department worked on those. I can reference one

in Upper Island Cove, St. Peter's School, where they had a problem out there.

That school was supposed to be closed but the powers that be listened to the

residents and that school is remaining open, hopefully for the long-term, and

major renovations have been done with that school.

The only thing I want to bring forward, I guess, that I would like to see is

a new school, a new primary school for Coley's Point. Hopefully, there will be

something in the Budget this year, whether it is funds or to see if there needs

to be a new school. The former speaker, the Member for Grand Bank, when he was

head of the school board he attended meetings out there. He is well aware about

this school, well aware of the recommendations that came in that there should be

a new school for Coley's Point. Many of the students, not many, all of the

Grade 4 students had to be moved from Coley's Point Primary to Amalgamated

Academy. Hopefully, an announcement will be made in this Budget. I know it has

been recommended it go ahead, that the extra money would be made available for

the extra classrooms at Amalgamated Academy.

CHAIR: Order please!

I remind the hon. member that his time for speaking has expired.

MR. BUTLER: Just one other thing I would like to bring up.

CHAIR: Does the member have leave?

AN HON. MEMBER: By leave!

CHAIR: By leave.

MR. BUTLER: Just to conclude, Mr. Chair, and I thank you for the leave.

With the Budget fast approaching, I guess we are all looking for money now

through Municipal Affairs, water and sewer and roads work through the

municipalities. I just want to say to, I guess, the minister and through him to

government, the recommendation that was put forth this year by the Newfoundland

and Labrador Municipalities at their convention here in St. John's, when they

asked that government bring back the MOGs to the level that they were back in

the 1990s - I know the hon. minister is listening and he is well aware what I am

referring to.

AN HON. MEMBER: (Inaudible).

MR. BUTLER: I just want to make a quote that I saw in The Compass recently

that was put in by the Mayor from Carbonear. They used to receive $690,000

through their MOGs and at the present time it is down to $153,000. The Town of

Carbonear used to receive $690,000, I say to the minister, now it is down to

$153,000.

MR. DENINE: How much did they receive when the Liberals were in?

MR. BUTLER: Never mind now who was in there. I say to the hon. minister,

he should listen to the quote that I started with. He should listen to the quote

that his Premier stated. Regardless of who cut them this government is in a

position now with millions and millions of dollars that they do not know what to

do with, Mr. Chair, and hopefully some of it is going to go there because this

will relieve the burden on the small municipalities. It will correct some of the

problems they have with their water quality and what have you, Mr. Chair.

Having said that, I call upon the minister, and I know he is going to have it

in this Budget, that there will be additional money for the MOG programs. I can

assure you the residents of this Province in each and every small town and large

community will be very appreciative of that.

Thank you for the opportunity and hopefully we will get back to speak again,

Mr. Chair.

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

SOME HON MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. BUCKINGHAM: Mr. Chair, it is truly an honour and a privilege to rise

in the House today to lend my support to the Interim Supply bill which is before

us. Before I do that I have come to realize I have been a little lax in my

ceremonial duties as the Member for St. John's East. It is my duty as MHA to

welcome each and every one of you to my district when you come to this House

every day. So, on behalf of the constituents welcome to St. John's East.

SOME HON MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. BUCKINGHAM: St. John's East is the home of the House of Assembly,

it is also a centre of education for the Province being blessed with the College

of the North Atlantic, the Marine Institute, Ecole de Grande Vent and much of

Memorial University. It has the flagship Arts and Culture Centre for the

Province and over 95 per cent of the beautiful Rennies River, certainly a crown

jewel of St. John's, runs through my district.

My intention here today as much as anything is to introduce myself to the

House. Mr. Chair, my personal, political experience began at the age of seven

when my father ran for the Progressive Conservatives in the District of Bell

Island against that juggernaut known as Joey Smallwood and his local

representative, Mr. Steve Neary. In conversations many years later my father

acknowledged he was to be a sacrificial lamb for the party but he reasoned that

if you truly believe any party represented your beliefs and values on how a

province was to be run it was your duty to contribute to that party in any way

possible.

Mr. Chair, it has been my good fortune through my involvement in politics to

have been associated with many wonderful citizens who have given of their time

and talent to contribute to the welfare of the historic District of St. John's

East. I cut my own teeth in provincial politics working for Mr. Bill Marshall

who later became a Justice of the Supreme Court. I remember well climbing up

Hepditch Hill in the Outer Battery during my first election, asking residents to

put up window signs as a show of support. Widow signs, a practice long gone from

the politics of St. John's, but one I will truly miss. Only those in

appreciation for the typography of Signal Hill can truly appreciate what a test

of political resolve this was.

Following Mr. Marshall's ascent to the bench, Ms Shannie Duff carried the

banner for the party in a by-election and a general election. Her contribution

to St. John's, particularly in the area of municipal politics, is indeed

significant.

In 1996, I was part of the core team that helped deliver my predecessor, Mr.

John Ottenheimer, to this House. This was no small undertaking, as we defeated a

prominent Cabinet minister who held the area for two previous elections in a

government, a Liberal government, that was destined to be returned. Yet, Mr.

Ottenheimer was put in the House.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. BUCKINGHAM: Mr. Chair, Mr. Ottenheimer's two subsequent

re-elections stand as a testament to his effectiveness in representing his

constituents. However, I must be truthful. I did my best to convince Mr.

Ottenheimer to stay on for another term. I spent hours trying to convince him. I

was putting forward my best arguments but all to no avail. Finally, I was left

with no choice but to play my final ace. I threatened Mr. Ottenheimer that if he

did not run, then I would. He considered this momentarily, but to no avail. His

resolve in his time being done was, unfortunately, too strong. He departed

political life with the same grace and integrity in which he lived it.

This past October I asked the residents of St. John's East to extend the

privilege of allowing me to represent them in this House. It amazes me how

intertwined the full of my life is with this district. I was born, raised and

schooled in the district, as it was prior to the recent redistribution. I

played, and continue to play, all my sports in St. John's East. My entire

teaching career has been in St. John's East. I shop here. My children go to

school here. My wife grew up here. Even today I cannot escape, nor would I want

to, St. John's East; that is now where I am currently working. All of this

leads me to two inescapable conclusions. One, I am truly a representative of the

people of St. John's East, and secondly, I need to get out more.

The Progressive Conservative Party has, for all my years of involvement,

represented the political beliefs that I hold. When it veered too far I made my

views known and worked from within to make change.

In 1987, as President of the PC Association for St. John's East, I rose on

the floor of a provincial meeting to ask then Premier Peckford if he had a

business plan, some projections, anything that I could bring back to the good

people of St. John's East to justify the sinkhole that was known as Sprung

Greenhouse. The Premier of the day was somewhat indignant that anyone would make

such a challenge and told all assembled, not only did he not have that

information but we would just have to take his word for it. My response was to

rise and say: Mr. Premier, with all due respect, sir, that just is not good

enough. Political suicide for a young district president perhaps, for I would

have been better off to say nothing perhaps also, but the important question is:

Do I have any regrets for having so long ago on that sunny day in Lewisporte

having stood up for what I believe? Mr. Chairman, I have none, but I am sure

that had I said nothing I would be kicking myself to this very day. So the

question became: What now? Does one leave the party? That seemed to be an easy

choice, but it was my choice not to leave. Rather, I resolved to make St. John's

East a stronger district, more prepared for whomever the next PC candidate was.

While the PC Party of the day may not have represented the full of my political

value system, it held enough, and let me assure you, Mr. Chair, the alternative

held none.

In October of 2003, the federal PC Party announced its attention to emerge

with the Alliance Party of Canada. I let this development digest for about two

weeks and was finally forced to realize that this turn of events not only caused

me a great deal of discomfort, it made me nauseous.

On September 2, 2003, I resigned from the executive of St. John's East,

stating that this merger is the death knell of the political values that the PC

Party has represented and Peter MacKay is pulling the rope