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April

15, 2014

HOUSE OF ASSEMBLY PROCEEDINGS

Vol. XLVII No. 19

The House met at 1:30 p.m.

MR. SPEAKER (Wiseman):

Order, please!

Admit strangers.

Before we start the

proceedings today, I want to welcome some special guests to our galleries.

Today we have eleven students who volunteer from Holy Cross Junior High.

They are accompanied today by their teacher, Lisa Saunders.

Lisa is also the co-ordinator for the school's eat-smart breakfast

program.

Welcome to our Chamber.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER:

I also want to introduce to the members of the

House today a new Page, Matthew Drodge.

Matthew is going to be joining us from here out through to replace

Michael Cook. Michael had to leave

earlier than planned. He has a work

term that takes him out of the Province as a part of his continued studies.

Michael, congratulations to you, and best wishes.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

Statements by Members

MR. SPEAKER:

Today we will have members' statements from the

Member for District of Cape St. Francis; the Member for the District of

Lewisporte; the Member for the District of Fortune Bay Cape La Hune; the

Member for the District of Baie Verte Springdale; the Member for the District

of St. John's Centre; and the Member for the District of Lake Melville.

The hon. the Member for the

District of Cape St. Francis.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR. K. PARSONS:

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I rise in this hon. House

today to congratulate John Slaney for being inducted into the AHL Hockey Hall of

Fame.

John Slaney was first-round

draft picked by the Washington Capitals in 1990; however, something all hockey

fans will remember each year as the World Junior Championships comes along was

one of the most memorable goals ever scored.

In 1991, in the final game of the series, John scored the tie-breaking

third period goal to give Canada the win against the USSR, giving Canada the win

in the game and the tournament. This

goal made him one of the most prominent names among hockey heroes.

On December 30, 2005, John

became the all-time leading scorer among defensemen in AHL history with 454

points, and then he went on to win the Calder Cup with the Philadelphia Phantoms

of the AHL in 2005.

John Slaney played in the

NHL with the Washington Capitals, Colorado Avalanche, Los Angeles Kings, the

Phoenix Coyotes, the Nashville Predators, the Pittsburgh Penguins, and the

Philadelphia Flyers. A career from

1992 to 2011, he played both AHL and NHL with class and have the respect of all

associated with the game. John is

currently Assistant Coach for the Portland Pirates of the American Hockey

League.

I ask all hon. members to

join with me in congratulating John Slaney, the first Newfoundlander and

Labradorian to be inducted into the AHL Hockey Hall of Fame.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER:

The hon. the Member for the District of

Lewisporte.

MR. VERGE:

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I rise today to recognize an

outstanding and incredibly busy lady from my district.

Maisie Roach was born in Port Blandford, graduated high school in Gambo,

and attended Memorial University.

She began her career as a

teacher and eventually married Major Robert Clark and, as a military wife, lived

in various parts of Canada, the USA, and Europe.

She began volunteering early in her life and went on to become involved

in local government. In the past,

she has been a drug and alcohol counsellor, a guider, an editor of a local

newspaper, a church layperson, a chairperson of various committees, and a member

of various boards.

Since 2001 Maisie has been

the Mayor of Campbellton. She is the

past President of the Lewisporte and area Chamber of Commerce, a board member of

the MMSB, a member of the Lewisporte Area Economic Development Committee, and

the Finance Chair of the Lewisporte and Area Co-operative.

In 2013, Maisie was honoured

with the Queen's Jubilee Medal and a Senior of Distinction Award from the

Province.

Honourable members, please

join with me in recognizing Maisie Clark, an outstanding volunteer and a great

citizen who continues to make an invaluable contribution to our Province.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER:

The hon. the Member for Fortune Bay Cape La

Hune.

MS PERRY:

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I rise in this hon. House to

congratulate the St. Jacques-Coombs Cove Recreation Committee and Fitzgerald

Academy for the tremendous accomplishment of their New Beginnings Community

Park.

I commend the recreation

committee, its Chair Craig Blagdon, Principal Krista Baker, Vice-Principal

Adonna Hickey, and all the committee members and residents who made this project

such a huge success.

Through the spirited

determination of residents, eight communities will benefit from year-round

access to a fabulously equipped, beautiful playground.

Thanks so much to this determined group of individuals for their success

in obtaining this much sought after funding from the Let Them Be Kids

organization. Thanks also to those

residents who supported this project, and special thanks to the Osbourne family

for donating the land on which the playground was built.

On build day it was great to

see so many happy faces working together to create this wonderful playground

that will be enjoyed by children for decades to come.

I ask that all hon. members

join me in congratulating and thanking the St. Jacques-Coombs Cove Recreation

Committee and Fitzgerald Academy and all their community partners for their

outstanding contribution to ensuring our children have the best recreation

facilities, comparable to anywhere in Canada.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER:

The hon. the Member for Baie Verte Springdale.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR. POLLARD:

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

It is indeed a pleasure for

me to rise in this hon. House today to recognize a husband and wife team from

Baie Verte for their outstanding volunteer efforts.

Ed Hennebury has ridden his bike for Ride for Sight for thirty

consecutive years, while his wife has over twenty-five years.

The Ride for Sight supports

the Foundation Fighting Blindness, which is the only organization in Canada that

only focuses on researching blindness caused by retinal degenerations.

Ed and Wilma said that

besides their love for motorcycles, the money raised for research is a big part

of their motivation for taking part every year.

They said they would never be able to raise the amounts they have raised

without the support of residents, businesses, and organizations in the area.

Regardless if it was rain, sleet, snow, or hail, Ed and Wilma have been

there every single year. In fact,

they are the only ones remaining from the original group.

The Ride for Sight faithful

directors, with their outstanding efforts, and caring hearts are indeed making

miracles happen.

I ask all members to join me

in applauding Ed and Wilma for their outstanding commitment to Ride for Sight

that makes success stories possible.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER:

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

MS ROGERS:

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I am thrilled to celebrate

all the folks who make breakfast for hundreds of students every year at Holy

Cross Junior High. Every morning at

7:30 a group of volunteer students and volunteers from the community set

everything up, they cook a scrumptious, healthy breakfast, they serve it and

then they clean up.

It is a perfect way for many

students who would not otherwise start the day well-nourished and ready to get

down to work. I have helped out with

breakfast and I am so impressed with the students who come to school early and

help. They are true leaders.

They give of their time, and in turn they learn their way around the

kitchen. They have joined us here

today, Mr. Speaker: Nick Nolander, Nick Evans, Mohamed Haziri, Rabije Haziri,

Ricky Harding, Brandon Hurley, Emily Newman, Amy Tremblett, Zach Dunne, Terry

Lundrigan, Dylan Callahan, and their marvelous teacher, Lisa Saunders.

Staff and parents who

volunteer at Holy Cross are also a crucial part of making the breakfast program

a huge success and it is generously supported by Kids Eat Smart, and all of this

is under the fabulous leadership of Principal Linda Hart.

Congratulations, Holy Cross

Junior High School for creating a caring, inclusive community.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER:

The hon. the Member for Lake Melville.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR. RUSSELL:

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I rise today to recognize

the Lake Melville Xtreme female under-20 hockey all-stars who were victorious at

the Lab Cup, held March 21-23 at the EJ Broomfield Arena in Happy Valley-Goose

Bay.

The Lab Cup, Mr. Speaker, is

a preparatory tournament for the provincials that were held this past weekend.

The female under-20 team played their championship game against the

Labrador West Lakers, winning 6-3.

The team used their momentum

from winning the Lab Cup to bolster their effort and win the bronze medal at the

Ladies U20-B Tournament held in Springdale.

Bringing hardware back, Mr. Speaker, from a tournament is something to be

proud of, and this team can certainly be proud.

The team consisted of

Crystal Michelin, Nicole Kennedy, Jenna Turner, Caleigh Ivany, Maddy Cahill,

Sabrina Warr, Andrea White, Jodi Loder, Katlyn Winters, Laura Baikie, Julia

Hutchings, Brittany Patey, Anna Hutchings, trainer Hooker Broomfield, and coach

Mr. Garry Dove.

Mr. Speaker, I ask all

members of this hon. House to join with me in congratulating the Lake Melville

Xtreme female under-20 all-stars in winning the Lab Cup and a bronze medal at

provincials.

Thank you.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER:

Statements by Ministers.

Statements by Ministers

MR. SPEAKER:

The hon. the Minister of Innovation, Business and

Rural Development.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR. FRENCH:

Mr. Speaker, I rise in this hon. House today to

speak about the excitement that is building in the Province's ocean technology

sector as we prepare to host OCEANS'14, which will be held in St. John's this

coming September.

Themed,

Oceans: Where Challenge Becomes Opportunity , OCEANS'14 will provide

an international platform for Newfoundland and Labrador's ocean technology

sector. The conference will bring

greater awareness to the Province's research and development in emerging

technologies and extraordinary marine infrastructure, as well as bring attention

to local leading-edge companies operating in this sector.

A forum of scientists and business leaders to exchange their knowledge,

OCEANS'14 is expected to attract over 1,200 delegates.

Mr. Speaker, OCEANS'14 is

jointly sponsored by the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers and

the Ocean Engineering Society, as well as the Marine Technology Society.

Previous conferences have been hosted in California, Virginia, Hawaii,

and Washington.

Our government recognizes

that our success in ocean technology is a result of strong collaboration among

industry, academia, and all levels of government.

Newfoundland and Labrador is home to leading ocean technology education

and training, cutting-edge research and development initiatives, and unique

infrastructure.

Through Memorial University,

Canada's leading oceans research facility, we are privileged to have one of the

most respected centres for marine learning and applied research, the largest

flume tank in the world at the Marine Institute, and the leading national centre

of excellence in cold ocean technologies and harsh environment operations at

C-CORE.

Mr. Speaker, at last year's

conference in San Diego, the Department of Innovation, Business and Rural

Development's Ocean Technology Branch was awarded the prestigious Compass

International Award. The award is

presented for outstanding achievement in the advancement of ocean technology and

is granted to organizations that have demonstrated exemplary contributions to

the industry. I am very proud of our

Ocean Technology Branch for being recognized in this manner.

As a government we are proud

to be hosting OCEANS'14. I look

forward to welcoming delegates so they can see first-hand the world-class

capabilities we have in Newfoundland and Labrador and the extensive potential we

have in the ocean technology sector.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER:

The hon. the Member for The Straits White Bay

North.

MR. MITCHELMORE:

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I, too, thank the minister

for an advance copy of his statement.

These conferences are indeed great opportunities to share knowledge, make

contacts, and promote the industry and Newfoundland and Labrador.

We know the importance the ocean plays in our Province and welcome the

opportunity to help those who earn their livelihoods from ocean industries,

whether it is from the fishery, whether it is in oil and gas, or whether it is

in advanced technologies.

We understand we really need

to move forward in fostering the entities we have in the Province to build an

economic growth cluster around ocean technology, utilizing the Marine Institute,

C-CORE, MUN, the College of the North Atlantic, RDC, and other industry

associations like NATI. We can

foster that and increase and share that information.

If we look at the ocean

technology initiatives funded by the Department of IBRD, the sector that is

implementing the strategy only spent two-thirds of its budget last year, which

amounted to just over $500,000. We

need to see initiatives announced from this strategy, Mr. Speaker.

British Columbia is building

the world's smartest coastline. The

federal government is contributing money.

IBM is leveraging federal money for ocean networks for their Smart Oceans

program. We need to be doing similar

things. We need to see what we are

doing.

I look forward to what is

going to come out of OCEANS'14 and I congratulate all the people involved in

that committee.

Thank you.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER:

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

MR. MURPHY:

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I would like to thank the

minister for the advance copy of his statement.

Congratulations to the Ocean Technology Branch on their award, the

prestigious Compass International Award.

We are the leaders in our industry here; we are born of the ocean, so the

ocean is ours. We can pretty much

share in the technologies that we are learning about.

We also have to keep in

mind, Mr. Speaker, too, that along with advancements in technologies and getting

into deeper water, we have to make sure that we are going to be looking after

issues like worker safety, we have to make sure that we are going to be able to

clean up a spill if we are going to be drilling into deep water; but, most of

all, a big case for humanity right now that should be looked at, not only by

government, but industry alike, is the case for climate change.

More work has to be done to

make sure that technologies can help us change what is happening out there in

the environment so that we can become stewards of our environment at the same

time. I am looking forward to

everything that is going to be happening with this conference in September, and

am looking forward to hearing exactly what some of the results are going to be

in future advancements.

Thank you very much.

MR. SPEAKER:

The hon. the Minister of Advanced Education and

Skills.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR. O'BRIEN:

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to update the members

of this hon. House on the latest addition to infrastructure at Memorial

University's Grenfell Campus. I

recently joined Premier Marshall for the official opening of Grenfell Complex in

Corner Brook, and had an opportunity to tour this world-class new residence and

meet some of the students attending Grenfell Campus.

The Grenfell Residence

Complex provides safe, affordable, and accessible living options on campus for

about 200 students, increasing residence capacity to 600 students.

The residence was built with $23.3 million in funding from the provincial

government, and is a home-away-from-home for students while they complete their

post-secondary studies, establish their career goals, and ultimately secure

long-term employment in this Province.

Mr. Speaker, this modern,

state-of-the-art building has five floors with 200 rooms.

Each floor includes a kitchen and other areas where students gather for

meals and to socialize. A

partnership between Grenfell Campus and the College of the North Atlantic allows

twenty-three of those rooms to be available for College of the North Atlantic

students.

This government has made

strategic investments to support post-secondary infrastructure with a total

commitment of $88.3 million for the construction of the new Grenfell Residence,

and two new residences at the St. John's Campus of Memorial University.

In addition to providing affordable on-campus student housing, these

residences help alleviate rental housing pressures in both cities.

The word is spreading that

this Province is an ideal place to get an advanced education that is both high

quality and affordable, which was certainly referenced in an

article on CBC this

morning, both here and national. We

are making it easier for students to begin their careers with as little debt as

possible. As announced in Budget

2014, the provincial government is providing $14.7 million over two years to

eliminate provincial student loans, with a projected investment of approximately

$50.6 million over five years. Since

2005, we have invested more than $282 million to freeze tuition fees for our

students.

Because of our continued and

significant investments in programming, infrastructure and other needs,

post-secondary institutions in this Province have been able to further support

students in such areas as housing, Mr. Speaker, in Corner Brook, and everywhere

I go, students tell me how these investments are having a positive impact on

their lives, and I am proud to say that our students are the envy of the

country.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER:

The hon. the Member for Cartwright L'Anse au

Clair.

MS DEMPSTER:

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I thank the minister for an

advance copy of his statement. Mr.

Speaker, having worked with students for nearly two-and-a-half decades, I can

certainly speak to the challenges of students securing affordable housing.

Our vast geography means

that not all students experience the same financial burden while completing

post-secondary education. Many

students have to move hundreds of kilometres from home to attend school.

Increasing residence space is key to helping these students achieve their

education.

I am relieved to also hear

the Minister Responsible for Newfoundland and Labrador Housing finally

acknowledge a rental housing crisis in the Province.

I find it curious he will cite this crisis to tout investments in student

housing, but will wash his hands of any responsibility on housing issues beyond

their social housing program.

This government lacks a

comprehensive housing plan. The

minister's selective referencing of housing shortages illustrates this.

In fact, Corner Brook has the lowest rental vacancy rate in the Province.

Students at Grenfell will pay roughly $400 per month to secure a place at

residence with phone and Internet access.

I do applaud the government

for investing in student housing. I

also encourage them to consider how to help others who do not have access to

safe or affordable housing.

Thank you.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER:

The hon. the Leader of the Third Party.

MS MICHAEL:

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker.

I thank the minister for an

advance copy of his statement. I am

glad that the Grenfell Campus students have a new residence providing affordable

and accessible units for more students.

Adequate student housing is so important and was neglected for so long in

this Province that it became a critical need and contributed to the overall

housing crunch.

It is too bad that when

government decided to commit to more university housing, it did not think of the

housing needs of College of the North Atlantic students in Labrador West, where

many students still have inadequate housing.

Government talks about wanting graduates to stay in the Province but

success will depend on making sure there is affordable housing for young people

after they graduate, not just while they are in school.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER:

Oral Questions.

Oral Questions

MR. SPEAKER:

The hon. the Leader of the Official Opposition.

MR. BALL:

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The CEO of Nalcor admitted

today that the cost of Muskrat Falls is under pressure and that it will go up

due to labour and material costs.

I ask the Premier: Have you

had any discussions with Nalcor about these increasing costs?

MR. SPEAKER:

The hon. the Premier.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

PREMIER MARSHALL:

Mr. Speaker, as part of the oversight that government has put in place

for Nalcor obviously, we have discussions with the CEO and other officials of

Nalcor to discuss costs. As Mr. Ed

Martin, the CEO of Nalcor has indicated, the cost of the project there is a

construction cost, there is the financing cost, and there will be the cost of

operations.

Nalcor is owned by the

people of the Province, Mr. Speaker, and we want Nalcor to complete that project

in a way that will lead to low-cost electricity for the people of the Province;

and to ensure that in the future, based on the investments that they are making

in oil and gas and in electricity and in fabrication, that they will create much

in the way of wealth that will come to the people of the Province to create,

hopefully, a heritage fund someday, reduce debt, and be part of our general

revenues to build hospitals and schools that the people want.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER:

The hon. the Leader of the Official Opposition.

MR. BALL:

I say to the Premier what I asked was about the

discussions with Nalcor about this and that is important that you do provide

that oversight, but Nalcor is only one year into construction of the Muskrat

Falls Project and already reporting that costs are rising.

I ask the Premier: What is

the magnitude of these increases, and will it increase the amount that you plan

to borrow next year?

MR. SPEAKER:

The hon. the Premier.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

PREMIER MARSHALL:

Mr. Speaker, Nalcor files a monthly report which clearly indicates the

total amount of money that they have spent to date; I think the last report was

for January. I know the Leader of

the Opposition has said in this House on a number of occasions that Nalcor has

spent $5 billion, and, of course, that is incorrect.

Nalcor has spent around a billion dollars.

We are going to see what the

costs will be. There are still a

number of contracts to let. We know

that with respect to the financing they had budgeted a number, a cost of the

financing, and that has come in substantially less, around $300 million less

than they anticipated it would be.

There are pressures in our

economy which is very hot right now.

There is so much employment. It is

hard to get workers. The cost of

workers has gone up. Those pressures

will continue to exist but, overall, we expect that the project will be one that

will be to the benefit of the people of the Province.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER:

The hon. the Leader of the Official Opposition.

MR. BALL:

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

What I did not hear the

Premier say is if the project would come in on budget.

What I have said in the past is not about how much the $5 billion spent

on it was $5 billion in total of committed and spent are usually the words

that I use, I say, Mr. Speaker.

The CEO of Nalcor said this

morning that first power at Muskrat Falls is likely to be delayed.

I ask the Premier: When do

you expect to see first power and how much will this impact cost?

MR. SPEAKER:

The hon. the Minister of Natural Resources.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR. DALLEY:

Mr. Speaker, what the Opposition Leader is

referring to today is the independent engineer's review that was committed by us

and we wanted this to be made public.

It was made public today and there is a tremendous amount of information

in there. It is a great report, very

technical, very detailed, and provides good oversight.

I certainly appreciate the opposite member's comment that it is important

to provide oversight, exactly what we did when we set up the government

oversight committee.

Mr. Speaker, within that

there are tremendous positive statements about the work of Nalcor and the

project. Added to that, there are

some comments in there that certainly are important for Nalcor in strengthening

the project as we go forward over the next three to four years.

Built in around that are some discussions about cost and about

scheduling, and it is important to stay on

schedule and make sure the project is

delivered, as we said it is going to, to the people of the Province.

MR. SPEAKER:

Order, please!

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER:

The hon. the Leader of the Official Opposition.

MR. BALL:

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

It is important to stay on

schedule and it is important to provide oversight, although the minister did not

feel that way just a few weeks ago.

I ask the minister one more

time: When do you expect to see first power and how much will this impact the

cost of this project?

MR. SPEAKER:

The hon. the Minister of Natural Resources.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR. DALLEY:

Mr. Speaker, the target date for first power is

2017 and it is highlighted in the report.

I am sure the Opposition Leader will get a chance to take a look at it.

It has been clearly indicated by the independent engineer that we are

still on target and on schedule.

There is a range in this

type of project, Mr. Speaker. There

is a range of time frame.

Admittedly, we are in the low range.

It is an aggressive management commitment that Nalcor has made on behalf of the

people of the Province around cost and around scheduling.

We are still on schedule. We

are in the low range. There is some

flexibility, but any change in scheduling will be around how we can save money

in that process, which again is a commitment we have made to the people of the

Province and that Nalcor has made.

This will be the least-cost

project. This will address our needs

for power in the future, Mr. Speaker.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER:

The hon. the Leader of the Official Opposition.

MR. BALL:

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

In 2012, government said

that a one-year delay in Muskrat Falls construction will increase costs $300

million.

I ask the Premier: Is it

still accurate today to suggest if you miss this project, if this project is

delayed by one year, that the cost is still $300 million?

MR. SPEAKER:

The hon. the Premier.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

PREMIER MARSHALL:

Mr. Speaker, no one has talked about a one-year delay.

From time to time when you have plans in terms of deadlines and

scheduling, sometimes it makes sense to extend the

schedule if you can possibly

save costs. That happens.

Obviously we want the project to be built at the lowest-possible cost so

that the rates to the people of the Province will be low.

Sometimes you have to pay a little more if you want the reliability of

certain equipment.

We are confident that Mr.

Martin and his team will make the necessary decisions, and they will provide the

necessary oversight, as we will also, to ensure we have a project that is a

credit to the people of the Province.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER:

The hon. the Leader of the Official Opposition.

MR. BALL:

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The Premier said that he has

met and discussed costs.

I ask the Premier: Has the

CEO of Nalcor given any number of how much this project will be increased?

MR. SPEAKER:

The hon. the Minister of Natural Resources.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR. DALLEY:

Mr. Speaker, a project of this nature, as most

people would understand $6 billion-plus project, thousands of workers coming

and going, contracts coming and going there are various aspects that you will

need to nail down to get an exact figure.

We have discussed that publicly and Mr. Martin of Nalcor has.

In terms of a budget for the

project and where we are, there has been tremendous work done in the DG 3

numbers, Mr. Speaker, the early numbers in projects and planning.

That work has been validated by the independent engineers as being good,

solid work by Nalcor.

Around the operations, Mr.

Speaker, around the financing and around the capital costs, these are three

important areas that will collectively make up the project costs.

We are continuing in the early stages to get those numbers.

When we are ready, we will certainly make them available to the people of

the Province.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER:

The hon. the Leader of the Official Opposition.

MR. BALL:

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Some things around a project

the size of this is justified as being commercially sensitive.

Blacking out how much power Muskrat Falls will produce, just does not

make any sense.

I ask the Premier: You

stated many times in this House that Muskrat Falls will produce 824 megawatts of

power, so why is this information blacked out in the engineer's report?

MR. SPEAKER:

The hon. the Minister of Natural Resources.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR. DALLEY:

Mr. Speaker, there is no question that has been

the general number that has been out there to the public, recognizing we are

going to have a great need for power in this Province.

That is a commitment we have made to the people of the Province.

This is a great project, Mr. Speaker, and I know the Leader of the

Opposition supports the project.

With respect to some of the

information and details, we have been very clear to the people of the Province

and Nalcor has been clear. Any

information that would have any financial harm or potential on the awarding of

contracts and the value of contracts, it is best we hold onto that to protect

the people of the Province and the ratepayers of the Province.

The issue around the power,

Mr. Speaker, quite frankly is around supply and demand and specific numbers.

There is a concern as we go forward that will have a negative impact on

contracts, awarding of contracts, and value of contracts if it is made public.

We do commit, when we are in a better position to do so, we will make it

public.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER:

The hon. the Leader of the Official Opposition.

MR. BALL:

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I will make it very simple,

because 824 megawatts is how you supported and financed this project.

Is that number less today

than it was when you sanctioned this project?

MR. SPEAKER:

The hon. the Minister of Natural Resources.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR. DALLEY:

Mr. Speaker, the number publicly made is 824

megawatts. That is our commitment

for 824 megawatts. When you get into

the smaller details of the available power, it has been redacted.

It is not made public at this time because of the sensitivities around

that, Mr. Speaker.

The negotiations that are

ongoing, not only in the awarding of contracts, Mr. Speaker, but, as well, we

have clearly indicated that this project will bring renewable value to the

people of the Province, rather than spill the water, as has been often suggested

by the other side. Mr. Speaker, we

are going to sell that power through Emera, to the link and get it out into the

North American markets so it will add value to the people of the Province, so

that as long as the water flows we will have money coming in to the people of

the Province.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER:

The hon. the Member for Torngat Mountains.

MR. EDMUNDS:

Mr. Speaker, the

Motor Vessel

Northern Ranger , which provides

service to the Coast of Labrador, went dead in the water many times over the

last two seasons due to engine problems.

It is a dangerous situation for any vessel, especially with passengers

onboard. There have been at least

three engine room fires on board the vessel last summer.

I ask the minister: What

refit work has been done to the Northern

Ranger to ensure such serious breakdowns do not occur during the next two

seasons?

MR. SPEAKER:

The hon. the Minister of Transportation and

Works.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR. MCGRATH:

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, the

Northern Ranger is in for refit now,

and there are two engines that are going to be replaced in the

Northern Ranger . We have

purchased two new engines for that.

They will be replaced and the Northern

Ranger will be out again this year.

MR. SPEAKER:

The hon. the Member for Torngat Mountains.

MR. EDMUNDS:

Mr. Speaker, every season there is an issue with

getting service started because of ice conditions.

There was a delay last year, even though Cartwright, Black Tickle and

Rigolet were ice free and vessels steamed into Lake Melville while the

Northern Ranger and the Astron

sat idle in Lewisporte.

I ask the minister: Last

year it took three weeks before air service was provided as an alternative.

Will the minister commit to immediate air service, if required, as he has

done elsewhere in the Province?

MR. SPEAKER:

The hon. the Minister of Transportation and

Works.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR. MCGRATH:

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, I have been

talking with the different Aboriginal groups on the North Coast who depend on

this service for their supplies. We

do have a contingency plan in place, and if the air service is necessary due to

ice conditions, we are already working on that and it will be provided.

MR. SPEAKER:

The hon. the Member for the District of Bay of

Islands.

MR. JOYCE:

Mr. Speaker, the Premier claims to have a new

approach to government by being open and transparent and listening to the people

of the Province. With Bill 6, there

were no consultations with Municipalities Newfoundland and Labrador.

I ask the Premier: Now that

you claim to be open, transparent and listening, why are you not listening to

Municipalities Newfoundland and Labrador who are asking to stop this piece of

legislation?

MR. SPEAKER:

The hon. the Minister of Municipal and

Intergovernmental Affairs.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR. KENT:

Mr. Speaker, we are a government that is deeply

committed to ensuring that young people have more opportunities than ever before

to be engaged in their communities.

Let me say that first and foremost.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR. KENT:

Secondly, I would say to the member opposite,

there have been multiple opportunities for Municipalities Newfoundland and

Labrador to have input into this important issue, dating back as far as 2012.

Our discussions with MNL are ongoing.

We had a great discussion with the board of directors just yesterday, and

we are committed to working together to advance youth engagement in communities

around this Province.

This is a high priority for

me; it is a high priority for this government.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER:

The hon. the Member for the District of Bay of

Islands.

MR. JOYCE:

Mr. Speaker, MNL will be holding its Municipal

Symposium on May 1-3. This would be

a great opportunity to consult with MNL and its members on Bill 6 and have input

from the people mostly affected.

I ask the Premier: With your

commitment to being an open and listening government, will you withdraw this

bill and commit to holding consultations with MNL and its members of

municipalities at the Municipal Symposium?

MR. SPEAKER:

The hon. the Minister of Municipal Affairs.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR. KENT:

Mr. Speaker, from Pouch Cove and Paradise and

Witless Bay, all the way to Wabush and Happy Valley-Goose Bay, there are

municipalities speaking out in support of Bill 6.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR. KENT:

I value and respect the relationship that we have

with Municipalities Newfoundland and Labrador.

I look forward to discussing this issue and many more issues when I

attend the symposium in Gander. We

are working co-operatively on a whole bunch of important issues to communities

in this Province, including our new fiscal framework, and I look forward to

working with MNL to advance youth engagement as well.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER:

The hon. the Member for Burgeo La Poile.

MR. A. PARSONS:

Mr. Speaker, government provides ABA therapy to children up to Grade 3.

The problem is many children are aging out of this service, sometimes

even before diagnosis but the fact remains they need ABA.

So I ask the minister: Why

has this service not been extended this year so children can get the help they

require?

MR. SPEAKER:

The hon. the Minister of Finance and President of

Treasury Board.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MS JOHNSON:

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, Budget 2014 had

very many meaningful improvements for people in the entire health care sector,

especially for children with autism and other developmental conditions.

This is an issue that I heard from many of my caucus colleagues, my

Cabinet colleagues, I heard through pre-Budget consultation.

Mr. Speaker, we have

listened. In this year's Budget, we

have committed $2 million, going to $3.9 million next year for autism services

so that we can reduce the wait times and get more people diagnosed and into the

ABA system. So, our commitment is

solid and this is an issue that we all agree on this side of the House that we

cannot afford not to do for our children, especially children with autism.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER:

The hon. the Member for Burgeo La Poile.

MR. A. PARSONS:

Mr. Speaker, government says they are listening, but I heard an awful

lot of people outside Confederation Building today talking about this issue and

saying that there is still more that needs to be done.

We are the only Province in

Canada without teaching assistants.

Schools are sending children with autism home because they do not have the

resources to deal with them. Parents

are having to give up their jobs to home-school these children because they have

no other choice.

I ask the minister: How does

this fit with your theme of inclusive education?

MR. SPEAKER:

The hon. the Minister of Education.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR. JACKMAN:

Mr. Speaker, one of the first requests that the

board submitted this year to the Budget process was about increased student

assistant time. Mr. Speaker, that is

about providing supports for the student and for the teachers who are working

with those students on a daily basis.

We invested $1 million, Mr.

Speaker, in that this year. Our

commitment to the children with autism is as it is with all other children.

We want to provide them with the service, and our commitment in the

Budget this year speaks exactly to that.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER:

The hon. the Member for Burgeo La Poile.

MR. A. PARSONS:

Mr. Speaker, the minister must not have heard what I said because I said

we are the only Province without teaching assistants and he mentioned student

assistants, a completely different thing.

Autism is affecting one in

sixty-eight children in our Province.

We have a wait-list with about 400 children just waiting to see a

specialist. We have children who

need ABA but cannot receive it and a school system that cannot deal with it.

I ask the minister: If this is not enough proof that we need a provincial

strategy on autism, what is?

MR. SPEAKER:

The hon. the Minister of Education.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR. JACKMAN:

Mr. Speaker, there is one thing that myself and

the Minister of Health have done now on several occasions; we have met with the

Autism Society. We have met with

them to discuss their concerns. Will

there be continuing issues? Indeed,

there will and we will continue to work with them to find resolutions.

Mr. Speaker, our commitment

this year for early diagnosis: twenty-two additional positions coming in; after

next year, thirty positions. That is

for the sole purpose of diagnosing early and intervening early, Mr. Speaker.

It is about commitment to the children with autism.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER:

The hon. the Member for Burgeo La Poile.

MR. A. PARSONS:

Mr. Speaker, we have community care homes in the CBS area that take care

of residents with severe and persistent mental illness.

We have been advised that a twenty-bed home in the program is closing its

doors as of May 23. The reason they

are closing the doors is because government does not provide them with enough

funding to cover the staff required.

The owner has essentially been working twenty-four hours a day and is simply

burnt out.

I ask the minister: Are you

aware of it, and what are you planning to do to fix this?

MR. SPEAKER:

The hon. the Minister of Finance.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MS JOHNSON:

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

We certainly as a government

are aware of the excellent service that these community care homes and personal

care homes provide to people who reside in them.

That is why, Mr. Speaker, in this year's Budget we committed to increase

the subsidy to personal care homes from $1,850 a month to $1,950 a month.

That shows our commitment to homes.

I am not aware of that

particular situation, but I can follow up.

I am careful of following up with him; he was rather cute last week in

one of his questions. If the

information is there, I will certainly provide it to him.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER:

The hon. the Member for Carbonear Harbour

Grace.

MR. SLADE:

Mr. Speaker, in 2009 government sold the fish

plant in New Ferolle for $1. Workers

have since been getting very little work, but they have not given up hope.

They are now petitioning government to help them find a trusted local

operator.

I ask the minister: What

plan does he have to ensure those workers can get back to work this season?

MR. SPEAKER:

The hon. the Minister of Fisheries and

Aquaculture.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR. HUTCHINGS:

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, we work with

industry and rationalization has gone on over the past number of years.

Where there are opportunities, we have demonstrated quite clearly that we

will work with industry, whatever means it needs to be to ensure activity in

rural Newfoundland and Labrador.

Whether that is our very successful aquaculture industry which this year has

grown to $200 million or our wild fishery and what we are seeing this year in

terms of last year's report that collectively there was over $1.1 billion in

production value.

If there are issues out

there in regard to specific operations and you want to come forward and have

discussions on, we are open to that.

It is about rationalization and making sure those involved in communities, in

processing, harvesting, and all of that sector, have the capacity to have good

enterprises and they have incomes that are reflective of what they need to live

in rural Newfoundland and Labrador.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER:

The hon. the Member for Carbonear Harbour

Grace.

MR. SLADE:

Mr. Speaker, this government should be ashamed of

how they failed the people and communities of New Ferolle, Shoal Cove West, and

Reefs Harbour since they sold this community plant for $1.

All the people want is to get up in the morning and go to work.

I ask the minister: What do

you intend to do to work with these people to help find a local operator, or

will you continue to starve them out of work?

MR. SPEAKER:

The hon. the Minister of Fisheries and

Aquaculture.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR. HUTCHINGS:

Mr. Speaker, the fishing industry, like any other

industry, is driven by private investment.

It is driven by capital, like any other industry.

There are investors who invest in processing operations.

Harvesters invest in their enterprises.

All of that is driven by investment.

If there is an opportunity and the business model works, that works.

Our investment in the

fishery is second to none. We have

talked about the inventory we have done in the past number of years, technology,

science, tens of millions of dollars, made a further investment in regard to

CETA of $120 million.

We do not hear from the hon.

member talking about whether he agrees to it, whether he thinks it is a good

investment of the taxpayers' money.

We believe it is, because the fishery is just as important to any other industry

in Newfoundland and Labrador and we support it.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER:

The hon. the Member for Mount Pearl South.

MR. LANE:

Mr. Speaker, overcrowding problems in our schools

did not occur overnight, especially in the Mount Pearl area.

It has been ongoing for years under this government.

I ask the minister: Why did

you not take a more proactive approach when these issues were brought to your

attention years ago rather than waiting until it contorted into a full-blown

crisis?

MR. SPEAKER:

The hon. the Minister of Education.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR. JACKMAN:

Mr. Speaker, this issue was brought to my

attention by three MHAs who were on this side of the floor, probably about a

year and a half or so ago. I said

yesterday this is a very emotional issue, there is no doubt about it, and I as

minister cannot intervene in this particular issue.

The board has made their decision.

Mr. Speaker, I would ask the

member to consider this. What makes

a good school are the staff, the teachers, and the parent community who come

together to offer quality education to the students.

That is what I would ask everyone involved to do.

MR. SPEAKER:

The hon. the Member for Mount Pearl South for a

quick question without

preamble.

MR. LANE:

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Knowing that these problems

still plague

MR. SPEAKER:

Order, please!

A quick question.

MR. LANE:

This is the question.

Mr. Speaker, what are your

plans to add full-day Kindergarten

MR. SPEAKER:

Order, please!

The hon. the Leader of the

Third Party.

MS MICHAEL:

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker.

Parents of children with

autism gathered outside this building today pleading with government to pay

attention to their needs. They

wondered why no one from government was there to listen.

I ask the Premier: Why is

this government afraid to hear the real stories from people that we heard?

MR. SPEAKER:

The hon. the Minister of Finance.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MS JOHNSON:

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

We are certainly there to

listen. We have met regularly with

the Autism Society, both the Minister of Education and the Minister of Health.

Mr. Speaker, this is an issue we take very seriously.

These are children we are talking about; these are children with

developmental concerns. That is why

we showed our concern this year in this year's Budget.

When you hear that a child

who goes into the intensive ABA program and 30 per cent of those children can be

incorporated into the regular school stream, we cannot afford not to do that for

our children. There is no better

investment we can make in our children, especially children with autism.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER:

The hon. the Leader of the Third Party.

MS MICHAEL:

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I suggest the minister does

not hear the real story and she does not know what is happening with the

so-called inclusion because there are not enough resources for them to fit in

well and to really have their needs met.

I ask the Premier: When will

this government put in place all the resources needed to see that children with

autism in this Province get the same excellent care as in other provinces?

Because believe me, they are far ahead of us.

MR. SPEAKER:

The hon. the Minister of Finance.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MS JOHNSON:

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, I also saw the

press release that the Autism Society put out post-Budget 2014 commending

government for their investment into autism.

Mr. Speaker, we are putting

twenty-two positions into autism this year for early diagnosis and intervention;

going to thirty positions next year.

We have clearly listened. We are

putting in one more developmental pediatrician, twenty child management

specialists, one social worker, one clinical lead, three occupational

therapists, and four speech language pathologists.

The Autism Society was supportive of our announcement.

Everywhere I have gone

around the Province since the Budget, the one thing that they talk about a lot

is our investment in to children both from a full-day Kindergarten perspective

to early learning, to autism, and everything in between.

MR. SPEAKER:

Order, please!

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER:

The hon. the Leader of the Third Party.

MS MICHAEL:

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Parents and professionals at

the demonstration today are saying that is not sufficient, and that is what my

question was about.

Mr. Speaker, today we

learned that Muskrat Falls is over budget and very likely it will be behind

schedule. Last December we asked

about overspending based on concerns of massive cost overruns of a similar

project in Manitoba. The Natural

Resources Minister told us at the time to trust the experts at Nalcor.

I ask the Premier: Can we

trust them now?

MR. SPEAKER:

The hon. the Premier.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

PREMIER MARSHALL:

Without reservation.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER:

The hon. the Leader of the Third Party.

MS MICHAEL:

I am so glad he has such confidence.

Government's plan is to give Nalcor more money in this Budget.

What is government doing

about the overspending, keep giving Nalcor more money?

MR. SPEAKER:

The hon. the Premier.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

PREMIER MARSHALL:

Mr. Speaker, the Leader of the Third Party does not see what the vision

for Nalcor is and what it was set up to accomplish.

It is owned by the people of the Province.

They are not a foreign monopoly coming from somewhere.

They are not the mafia or something like that.

They are a company set up to take the assets of the people of the

Province, owned by the people of the Province, to develop wealth for the people

of the Province in oil, in electricity, in fabrication.

We are investing.

You cannot stand on the

wharf wanting your ship to come in when you did not send a ship out.

We are investing, and that investment will come back to the people of the

Province through revenues in the future and there will be wealth for the people

of the Province that we have not seen in the past.

MR. SPEAKER:

Order, please!

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER:

The hon. the Leader of the Third Party.

MS MICHAEL:

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker.

I do not think the Premier

is that sure of himself.

I ask the Premier: When did

he know about the cost overruns? The

government has been sitting on this report since November, 2013, why have we not

heard about it before?

MR. SPEAKER:

The hon. the Premier.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

PREMIER MARSHALL:

Mr. Speaker, there is a plethora of oversight and documentation that is

filed every week that comes from Nalcor.

Here we had the CEO and the head of the Muskrat Falls Project out talking

to the media, telling them what is going on.

Documents come out every month.

There are tons of reports, and the reports say exactly each month how

many people are hired, how many people are working, how much money is being

spent. It is all there, and that

information will be made available to the people of the Province.

It is their project, they are entitled to know.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER:

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

MR. MURPHY:

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Facility Association

Insurance Rates for taxis are going to increase if the recent application

through the Public Utilities Board is approved.

Mr. Speaker, if commercial vehicles get tagged, then consumers are going

to be next.

Will government step in and

protect taxi drivers and consumers from this outlandish and outrageous increase

they are asking for?

MR. SPEAKER:

The hon. the Minister of Service NL.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR. CRUMMELL:

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

We are certainly aware of

the situation, I say to the hon. member.

Protecting consumers is certainly a priority for our government, but he

does understand the process.

The PUB is an independent

board that oversees and regulates pricing, Mr. Speaker, as well as rates when it

comes to insurance. We are concerned

when we hear about rates going up, just like everybody else is, but we need to

let the process unfold, Mr. Speaker, and we will find out what that decision is

shortly. We are keeping an eye on

the situation and our concerns are out there.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER:

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

MR. MURPHY:

Mr. Speaker, this has been unfolding for a long

time now. Almost every morning the

media is filled with reports of drivers being nailed with no insurance, no

licence, no registration. Huge fines

are not getting these drivers off the road.

I ask the minister: As

consumers now we pay, what is government going to do to address the present

situation?

MR. SPEAKER:

The hon. the Minister of Justice.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR. KING:

Thank you.

Mr. Speaker, I am actually

amazed that the NDP are presenting the position on the House of Assembly they

want government to interfere with the Public Utilities Board.

I cannot believe that position has been articulated here today.

After all the debate we have had back and forth here about the

independence of the Public Utilities Board, in all other issues we have

discussed here, and the positions put forth by the member opposite that

government should stay away from the Public Utilities Board and let them do

their job, because it was convenient for the discussion of the day.

Mr. Speaker, today it is

more convenient because of the issue he is putting forward that he wants us to

interfere. Well I say that is just

shameful for the hon. member to stand in this House and get on with the likes of

tripe of that.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER:

Order, please!

The hon. the Member for St.

John's East for a very quick question.

MR. MURPHY:

Mr. Speaker, the problem is easily solved.

Government knows it. Why

don't you just ask the

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Oh, oh!

MR. SPEAKER:

Order, please!

The hon. the Minister of

Justice for a very quick response.

MR. KING:

As I was saying, Mr. Speaker, it is shameful that

the member flip-flops all the time on the policy positions of the NDP here in

the House of Assembly when we have more important issues to debate.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER:

The time for Question Period has expired.

Presenting Reports by

Standing and Select Committees.

Tabling of Documents.

Tabling of Documents

MR. SPEAKER:

The hon. the Minister of Transportation and

Works.

MR. MCGRATH:

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, I am very proud

to stand here today and table two documents.

One document is a letter awarding the tender for the roadwork in Bay

d'Espoir, a two-year contract.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR. MCGRATH:

The other one that I would like to table today is

for the Fleur de Lys and La Scie tender that has been awarded.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER:

Notices of Motion.

Answers to Question for

which Notice has been Given.

Petitions.

Petitions

MR. SPEAKER:

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

MR. KIRBY:

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

To the hon. House of

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

the petition of the undersigned residents of Newfoundland and Labrador humbly

sheweth:

WHEREAS autism spectrum

disorder has been estimated to occur in as many this says one in eight-eight

children, Mr. Speaker, but that actually has been updated to one in sixty-eight

since then; and

WHEREAS individualized and

intensive early interventions are important for improving outcomes for children

with autism; and

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Oh, oh!

MR. SPEAKER:

Order, please!

MR. KIRBY:

WHEREAS long wait-lists are forcing parents to

wait up to two years before their children receive needed pediatric assessment

and diagnostic services; and

WHEREAS the Intensive

Applied Behavioural Analysis Program is not available for children after Grade

3, while research supports the use of applied behavioural analysis throughout

the lifespan; and

WHEREAS a co-ordinated,

multi-agency approach amongst key government departments and agencies is needed

to ensure that individuals with autism spectrum disorder are provided with

services that will promote independent living; and

WHEREAS a comprehensive

Province-wide strategy for autism spectrum disorder will decrease lifetime costs

of treating and providing services for persons with autism;

WHEREUPON the undersigned,

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

government to develop a comprehensive Province-wide strategy for autism spectrum

disorder in consultation with parents, advocates, educators, healthcare

providers, and experts in the autism community.

As in duty bound, your

petitioners will ever pray.

Mr. Speaker, we have been

talking about a variety of issues related to autism spectrum disorder here in

the House of Assembly. We met a

bunch of parents, children, and other professionals who work with people with

autism spectrum disorder in front of the House of Assembly today to talk about

some of this.

There are really three key

issues, I think, we really have to think about addressing.

One is the elimination of the wait-list for pediatric diagnosis.

Ontario announced yesterday that, in fact, they have a multi-year plan

now to entirely eliminate the wait-list for a diagnosis for speech language, for

occupational therapy, and those sorts of things.

They will entirely eliminate that.

We also need to look at the

Intensive Applied Behavioural Analysis Program.

We know that many children are getting diagnosed too late to participate

in it. Some of the parents today

said if you do not get the diagnosis early enough, then why doesn't the

government let those children get an equivalent number of years as it would be

in the case where they got the early diagnosis?

That is something else to consider.

Last year, government was

generous enough to recognize we needed to extend the eligibility requirement so

it was extended. People are asking

why we did not do the same this year.

MR. SPEAKER:

Order, please!

MR. KIRBY:

These are some of the issues.

MR. SPEAKER:

The member's time has expired.

The hon. the Member for The

Straits White Bay North.

MR. MITCHELMORE:

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

To the hon. House of

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

the petition of the undersigned residents of Newfoundland and Labrador humbly

sheweth:

WHEREAS government has a

responsibility to ensure that Internet access is broadly available so that

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

enjoy their rights of freedom of expression and opinion, and other fundamental

human rights; and

WHEREAS Pines Cove still

remains without broadband services, despite both adjacent communities of Shoal

Cove East and Green Island Cove have service; and

WHEREAS residents rely on

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

and

WHEREAS wireless and wired

technologies exist to provide broadband service to rural communities to replace

slower dial-up service;

We, the undersigned,

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

ensure Pines Cove is in receipt of broadband Internet services in Newfoundland

and Labrador.

And as in duty bound, your

petitioners will ever pray.

Mr. Speaker, this petition

is signed by all residents of Pines Cove.

Pines Cove is a community that has a major project happening right in its

own backyard with multimillion dollar contracts awarded for the cable crossing

as part of the Muskrat Falls Project going across the Strait of Belle Isle.

We have seen where those who

would be economically impact such as scallop fishers in that area receive

compensation upwards of $3 million for their loss.

We are seeing a lot of activity happening right in Pines Cove's backyard.

They are being left behind by this government when it comes to providing

Internet services.

The option of providing

broadband to Pines Cove is a very simple solution.

It is very cost effective. It

is a matter of changing the telephone exchange from 456 to 475 to tap into the

capacity of Green Island Cove. It is

simple and very low cost. It should

be done. We could provide high-speed

Internet to another community in Newfoundland and Labrador.

I hope that under the Rural

Broadband Initiative, or working with Nalcor and other developers happening in

the Pines Cove region, that they will see broadband Internet come 2014.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

MR. SPEAKER:

The hon. the Member for the District of Signal

Hill Quidi Vidi.

MS MICHAEL:

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker.

To the hon. House of

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

the petition of the undersigned residents of Newfoundland and Labrador humbly

sheweth:

WHEREAS the US Centers for

Disease Control now estimates that autism spectrum disorder affects one in

sixty-eight children, which represents a 30 per cent increase from the estimate

two years ago; and

WHEREAS early diagnosis of

ASD is essential because there is a critical developmental period when early

intervention is vital for future success of children with ASD; and

WHEREAS there are

approximately 380 children on a two-year wait-list for an ASD diagnosis, which

in this Province can only be made by a developmental pediatrician and there is

only one available at the Janeway Children's Hospital; and

WHEREAS although Budget 2014

announced that another developmental pediatrician will be recruited, more must

be done to reduce the wait-list for a diagnosis so that children can get the

early treatment they need; and

WHEREAS in other provinces

an ASD diagnosis can be made by specialists certified and trained in ADOS;

WHEREUPON the undersigned,

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

government to allow other specialists trained and certified with ADOS to make

the autism spectrum disorder diagnosis.

As in duty bound, your

petitioners will ever pray.

Mr. Speaker, there were

parents outside of this building today at noon with their children who have

autism spectrum disorder and they told us their stories, parents who signed this

petition, parents who have met with government, and parents who are trying to

get government to listen to them.

They have told their stories. They

told their stories to the media.

Government was not there to hear.

I hope they are going to

follow the news this evening and hear what these parents said as they talked

about that wait-list, a wait-list for diagnosis, which is not going to be

affected by just one more person put in place to do those diagnoses.

That wait-list is going to go on and that wait-list means, Mr. Speaker,

children are not getting the treatment they need because by the time they are

diagnosed they are not eligible for the treatment they require.

This government goes on

talking about the money it is spending, but it has not put a full plan in place.

They need integration. You

have the Department of Education and the Department of Health and Community

Services, each playing a role with regard to children and persons with autism

spectrum disorder, Mr. Speaker, and they are in their silos.

We do not have a holistic program working together for the good of these

children. The parents are so

frustrated. It is painful to meet

with them, because of the frustration they express.

This government refuses to listen to them, to even see that frustration

because they do not want to be touched by it.

Thank you very much, Mr.

Speaker.

MR. SPEAKER:

The hon. the Member for Bay of Islands.

MR. JOYCE:

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I stand today to present a

petition concerning Route 440, Hughes Brook hill:

WHEREAS we are concerned

over the deplorable condition of the pavement on Hughes Brook hill, Route 440;

and

WHEREAS many residents of

the Towns of Hughes Brook, Irishtown-Summerside, Meadows, Gillams, McIver's and

Cox's Cove travel this road on a daily basis; and

WHEREAS after repeated

requests for repairs to the pavement, the road has continued to deteriorate; and

WHEREAS the ruts in the

pavement are creating a safety hazard; and

WHEREAS we feel that the

condition of this road presents an accident waiting to happen;

WHEREUPON the undersigned,

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

Government of Newfoundland and Labrador to give serious consideration to making

repairs to this road.

Mr. Speaker, we have

residents here from Irishtown, Cox's Cove, and Meadows who signed the petition.

I say to the minister and to the residents, there has not been a tender

let for this portion of the road.

Mr. Speaker, I noticed today

there was one tabled in the House for Fleur de Lys and for the Bay d'Espoir

highway. I cannot wait for the one

that includes this hill to be tabled also, to see how much is done; how much of

this Hughes Brook hill.

It is good to see the

minister was listening to the residents for this

section of the road.

Again, Mr. Speaker, I am glad the minister was listening but before I can

stand up and say this is done, I need to see how much is being done exactly.

I look forward to the minister tabling the tender as he did for the other

two PC districts here today.

The people in this area

heard about it

AN HON. MEMBER:

(Inaudible).

MR. JOYCE:

Pardon me?

I say to the minister, pardon me?

Do you want to table it now?

AN HON. MEMBER:

(Inaudible).

MR. JOYCE:

Oh, okay.

I just thought the minister might want to table it now.

MR. SPEAKER:

Order, please!

Direct your comments to the

Chair, please.

MR. JOYCE:

I just thought the minister wanted to table it

now because he was saying something.

I need to see the exact number of kilometres that is going to be done, Mr.

Speaker, because it is a very serious condition, as are other parts.

Mr. Speaker, I am going to

read today a letter from the Towns of Lark Harbour-York Harbour about the

deterioration of the roads. There

are three major and I know the minister is aware of it.

There is engineering work being done, and I thank you, Minister, for

that, for the three major areas.

There is major work that needs to be done with that, but there are other areas.

As I told the minister,

between Blow Me Down Brook and York Harbour there are some major areas, Mr.

Speaker, that need to be fixed, but I need to see this tender.

So I ask the minister, with all due respect, and this is in no way being

disrespectful, seeing he tabled the tenders for the two PC districts, I ask for

the same privilege as a Member of the House of Assembly for the Bay of Islands,

that hopefully by tomorrow we will have this tendered for what is going to be

done in Hughes Brook.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

MR. SPEAKER:

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

MS ROGERS:

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker.

To the hon. House of

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

the petition of the undersigned residents of Newfoundland and Labrador humbly

sheweth:

WHEREAS the Family Violence

Intervention Court provided a comprehensive approach to domestic violence in a

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

domestic violence; and

WHEREAS domestic violence

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

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

human suffering; and

WHEREAS the Family Violence

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

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

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

and women's groups; and

WHEREAS the recidivism rate

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

for those who did not; and

WHEREAS the budget for the

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

WHEREUPON the undersigned,

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

government to reinstate the Family Violence Intervention Court.

As in duty bound, your

petitioners will ever pray.

Mr. Speaker, I am happy, but

saddened at the same time, to stand and present this petition yet again.

I am not sure what else there is to be said about the situation of the

Family Violence Intervention Court.

It has been established time

and again that it was an effective court.

The Minister of Justice said that himself.

The Minister Responsible for the Status of Women said that herself: that

it was not a policy decision, that in fact the court was doing what it was

intended to do. We all know that.

This court was keeping women

victims of violence safer and keeping their children safer.

We know that the judiciary supported it, the police supported it,

prosecution supported it, defence supported it, Victim Services supported it,

Child, Youth and Family Services supported it.

It was all supported all the way around.

Now government is saying it

was a budgetary decision. Mr.

Speaker, we know there were a number of programs that were cut back in the

Justice budget last Budget and the money came back.

We know for instance in the Department of Tourism, Culture and Recreation

in last year's Budget they were cut by $4 million.

In this year's Budget they are getting another $2 million back and

another $2 million back the following year.

This is half a million

dollars, Mr. Speaker, to protect vulnerable women and children in the Province.

This is inexcusable to cut this very important program.

Thank you very much, Mr.

Speaker.

MR. SPEAKER:

The hon. the Member for Mount Pearl South.

MR. LANE:

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

A petition to the hon. House

of Assembly of the Province of Newfoundland and Labrador in Parliament

assembled, the petition of the undersigned residents humbly sheweth:

WHEREAS there are extreme

overcrowding issues in St. Peter's Elementary and Mount Pearl Senior High; a

direct result of poor planning by the Department of Education; and

WHEREAS the solution imposed

devastating impact on many students, families and teachers in Mount Senior High,

Mount Pearl Intermediate, St. Peter's Elementary and Newtown Elementary; and

WHEREAS there are other less

disruptive solutions which can be introduced to alleviate this overcrowding

issue including capital investment as a preferred option, as well as catchment

area realignment; and

Board was not provided with the financial flexibility by the Minister of

Education to explore other more suitable options; and

WHEREAS the government has

intervened in board decisions in the past, such as in 2005 in Bishop's Falls,

reversing the closure of Leo Burke Academy;

WHEREUPON the undersigned,

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

Government of Newfoundland and Labrador to intervene in this matter, commit

more suitable options.

As in duty bound, your

petitioners will ever pray.

Now, this is the first

petition that I am presenting on behalf of the students, parents, and teachers

of Mount Pearl, but I can assure you, Mr. Speaker, and I can assure the Minister

of Education, that it certainly is not the last.

district, he is sadly mistaken.

If he thinks that because

tomorrow is the last day before the Easter break in this House of Assembly, that

this is all going to go away over Easter, I can also tell the Minister of

Education he is sadly mistaken. This

is not going away. As a matter of

fact, this is ramping up. I have

spoken to many parents, students, grandparents and so on, and they are very,

very angry. That is putting it

mildly.

I would suggest that the

Minister of Education is going to be very busy over the Easter break responding

to e-mails, Facebook messages, tweets and so on.

I can assure you that is going to happen because I have spoken to a lot

of people and that is what they intend to do, to fill his e-mail box.

We are going to get petitions going.

This is going to be ramping up big time because this issue is too serious

to be swept under the rug, Mr. Speaker.

So, I would say to the minister again, in closing, that this is not the

end of this issue; this is only the beginning.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER:

The hon. the Member for Burgeo La Poile.

MR. A. PARSONS:

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The petition of the

undersigned residents of Newfoundland and Labrador humbly sheweth:

WHEREAS the lack of services

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

and youth with autism spectrum disorder; and

WHEREAS long wait-lists for

pediatric assessment and diagnostic service are preventing many children with

autism spectrum disorder from receiving needed early diagnosis; and

WHEREAS the Intensive

Applied Behavioural Analysis Program is currently not available for children

after Grade 3; and

WHEREAS applied behavioural

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

WHEREAS there are a lack of

supports and services for children and youth with autism spectrum disorder after

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

WHEREAS it is unacceptable

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

of their own pockets to cover the costs of private-delivered ABA after Grade 3;

WHEREUPON the undersigned,

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

government to extend the eligibility for the Intensive Applied Behavioural

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

educators, health care providers, and experts in the autism community.

As in duty bound, your

petitioners will ever pray.

Mr. Speaker, this is the

second one of these petitions that we have entered on this side today, and I was

very proud, along with many of my fellow caucus colleagues, to stand outside

Confederation Building today with parents and family members of children with

autism who are being let down by this government for their failure to address

the growing epidemic that is autism in this Province.

The numbers have gone from

one in eighty-eight, to one in sixty-eight, and we are hearing about 400 people

on the wait-list, and people, by the time they are being diagnosed, are aging

out of ABA therapy. I talked to many

parents out there today, and I would point out that I saw members from the

Official Opposition. I did not see

anybody from the government side out there today speaking to the parents and

family members out there which I thought was unfortunate even though they

asked for it.

Again, the government can

stand up and talk about the investments they have made, but they are still

playing catch-up; it is still reactive.

We asked questions on this two years ago, and government said, we are

putting all this money into it but it is obviously not doing the job.

They need to come to the recognition that this is a serious issue, it is

a growing issue, and work with everybody.

When you have parents and

advocates outside the Confederation Building on a windy day saying that we

cannot get the supports in the school system, we cannot get the supports in the

health system, we are not being listened to, then it is time to listen.

We have the highest

prevalence in the Country, and this is not going to go away.

When you sit down with a parent who is telling you about the fact that

they had to wait years for a diagnosis, but the good news is we got the

diagnosis; the bad news is we have aged out and we cannot get the therapy we

need and our child is now not talking not talking because they are not allowed

to have the speech therapy; they are not getting the ABA they need.

It is not going to go away.

I appreciate the

opportunity. It is the first of

many.

Thank you.

MR. SPEAKER:

The hon. the Member for the District of

Cartwright L'Anse au Clair.

MS DEMPSTER:

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

To the hon. House of

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

the petition of the undersigned humbly sheweth:

WHEREAS most of the District

of Cartwright L'Anse au Clair does not have cellphone coverage; and

WHEREAS residents of coastal

Labrador require cell coverage to ensure their safety and communications

abilities; and

WHEREAS the opening of the

Trans-Labrador Highway has increased their dependency on mobile communications;

WHEREUPON the undersigned,

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

Government of Newfoundland and Labrador to work with the appropriate agencies to

provide cellphone coverage along the Trans-Labrador Highway and to all

communities in coastal Labrador.

As in duty bound, your

petitioners will ever pray.

Mr. Speaker, almost every

day I am on my feet on a petition in this House and they usually are connected

with the rough roads. Last fall it

was the medical transportation program, it is the calcium, or something like

that. Clearly, you already know we

have many issues in the District of Cartwright L'Anse au Clair.

I think because of the

remoteness and because of the terrible roads, all of that increases the need for

cellphone coverage in the area. It

is a safety issue, Mr. Speaker. Even

if government would come out and tell us what the plan is and where they are

with cellphone coverage are they working with service providers right now?

What area are they looking at to provide cellphone coverage to next?

I mentioned the last time I

was on my feet on this petition one of the things that would help for the

interim when you travelling in the remote area is Transportation and Works has

certain locations where they have satellite phones around.

Every time I have ever gone to get a phone, neither one has been

available because that is being very poorly managed, something that simple.

Every day they have people coming out of Goose Bay and coming from

different ends of the district who could be making sure the satellite phones

stock is replenished.

There are people commuting

every single day for work. We have

teachers moving from town to town in extreme conditions.

We are seeing an increase of moose, Mr. Speaker, on the roadways.

We have students, groups of school students, who are travelling on buses,

ambulances moving along, and mail trucks on terrible, terrible roads in extreme

winter conditions.

Mr. Speaker, it is spring on

the calendar, but when I drive home each weekend, I am still driving through

walls and tunnels of snow, sometimes twenty feet on each side.

I share that picture just to try to create a snapshot in your mind of how

remote it is, how desperately we need cellphone coverage, and how much it could

go. It could go a long way in

ensuring the safety of the residents in that area.

I will continue to petition for this important thing.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

MR. SPEAKER:

Orders of the Day.

Orders of the Day

MR. SPEAKER:

The hon. the Government House Leader.

MR. KING:

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

This time I call from the

Order Paper, Motion 1. It is moved

that the House approves in general the budgetary policy of the government, the

Budget Speech.

MR. SPEAKER:

The hon. the Member for Humber West.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR. GRANTER:

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker.

Indeed it is always a

pleasure to stand in this hon. House to address my colleagues here in the House

on the floor, and also to address the great people of my District of Humber West

and the people of Newfoundland and Labrador, Mr. Speaker.

There are days that are more

exciting than others here on the floor of the House.

We look forward to many days here we have barbing back and forth and

arguing our points of view back and forth from time to time.

It is always impressive to stand on the floor of the House and put your

points of view across.

One of the days that I

always look forward to on this floor of the House since I have been elected is

Budget Day. There is always a little

bit of more pomp and ceremony on Budget Day, a little bit more suspense and

drama, Mr. Speaker, and expectation and anticipation than any of the other days

here in the House.

Through the Throne Speech we

set out a plan for the year and by extension of that, Mr. Speaker, through our

Budget Speech, to lay down the plan for the year for the people of Newfoundland

and Labrador. This Budget Speech

this year was positive in many regards, and I want to take some time this

afternoon to talk about a few of those.

I may not get through them all in the twenty minutes that I have, but I

look forward to another time to stand on my feet to address some of the other

positive things that have come out of this particular Budget.

Mr. Speaker, a Budget in the

Province is very similar to a budget that we have in our own homes.

Each year we sit down and we look at our own budgets.

We know how much debt we have coming in, Mr. Speaker.

We know what we want to purchase for that particular year, whether we are

going to make some new renovations to our home, put new siding on, new windows,

or whether we buy a new car, we look at the debt that we have coming in, the

debt that we are paying off.

The Province is no different

than that. That is exactly what we

do when we sit down, when the Cabinet ministers sit down with the Minister of

Finance to look at all the monies that is coming in, look at the monies that is

going out and we make a plan for the year, Mr. Speaker, and we bring down a

Budget. The Budget for this

particular year is not to say that we cannot do everything in one particular

year because Budgets year after year after year do good for the people of the

Province of Newfoundland and Labrador.

I was extremely excited I

did not go into the lock-up this year, Mr. Speaker, when the Budget was coming

down. I sat out here to listen

directly to the Budget, so I did not know what was in the Budget.

I listened attentively to what the Minister of Finance was bringing down

in her Budget and I listened very closely.

Every time I listened to what she had to say, Mr. Speaker, there were all

kinds of positive things taking place in the Budget for all Newfoundlanders and

Labradorians. I will get a chance to

talk about some of these probably the next time I stand up.

I want to talk about the

$110 million contribution we made to the mill in Corner Brook, and

post-secondary education, and full-day Kindergarten.

I will talk about those. They

are all positive things for the people of Newfoundland and Labrador.

I will also talk about the tax reductions that took place from this

government over the last number of years and the amount of money that is put

back into the pockets of Newfoundlanders and Labradorians.

I will get a chance to do that this afternoon or the next time I get a

chance to get on my feet.

This afternoon I want to

spend a few minutes in particular to talk about health care.

I want to talk about health care here in the Province, in general terms,

but I also want to talk about health care in a more specific term for the West

Coast, for my district in particular, the people of Corner Brook and Western

Newfoundland. Health care in general

in the Province, Mr. Speaker, as you know, nearly $3 billion of money is

allocated this year. Almost 40 per

cent, I understand, of our entire Budget gets dedicated to health care.

I do not have all afternoon

to go down through some of them, but I want to list four or five of those Budget

items reflective of the $3 billion we are spending in health care.

There is $1.8 million to continue implementing the provincial wait time

strategy for hip and knee replacement; $1.5 million to establish hemodialysis in

Bonavista; $1.2 million to address increased growth of hemodialysis, both in

Stephenville and St. John's; and nearly $750,000 to expand the Medical

Transportation Assistance Program which will now increase the monthly cap on

accommodations from $1,500, which was previous, to $3,000 a month.

The rate for private vehicle

use, from sixteen cents to twenty cents a kilometre; change the reimbursement

formula to reimburse 75 per cent of eligible expenses over $3,000 per year; and

decrease the private vehicle kilometre threshold from 2,500 kilometres down to

1,500 kilometres. That will assist

and help any of those people who need to travel outside of their region into a

major centre like St. John's for particular health care needs; $158,000 to

expand the new born screening program to include cystic fibrosis.

Again, Mr. Speaker, the list goes on and on.

I can stand here all afternoon talking about the contributions this

government has made to health care in our Province.

Mr. Speaker, I want to talk

a little bit this afternoon, for the next fifteen minutes that I have, about

more of a personal thing and reflect it to the situation that we talk about with

regard to the proposed new hospital in Corner Brook, the health facilities.

Mr. Speaker, I spent most of the last four months at the intensive care

unit here in the Health Sciences Centre, and the better part of the last six

months in some way visiting a family member either at Western Memorial or here

at the Health Sciences complex.

I want to say upfront, we

have a caring and compassionate, well-trained group of medical professionals,

Mr. Speaker, right across this Province.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR. GRANTER:

They go to work each and every day to make a

difference. There is no doubt of

that, Mr. Speaker, in my mind. There

is incredible work taking place in our health care centres around the clock day

in, and day out. I have had a great

deal of time over the past six months to sit and reflect about what is happening

in health care.

Mr. Speaker, we can view

health care and we can view every department in government through a set of lens

or different lenses. Some look at

health care through an economic lens, the cost of providing services to its

people. Others look at health care

through a purely scientific or medical lens.

I am neither equipped professionally to look at health care either

through any of those lenses. I am

not trained in economics nor am I trained in medicine, so my point of view will

be uninformed.

Mr. Speaker, what I can say

and comment on here this afternoon to the people of Humber West, the people of

Corner Brook and Western Newfoundland, and indeed all residents of the Province

of Newfoundland and Labrador is that I can look at it from a personal experience

that I have experienced over the last six months.

Whether that be here at the Health Sciences or at Western Memorial, or

the many conversations had with other health professionals that I have had with

people on the mainland, that is the lens I look through.

That is the lens by which inform my conversation with the people of

Newfoundland and Labrador here this afternoon.

I believe we can look

through health care through the economic lens or a purely scientific lens.

Most importantly, Mr. Speaker, we need always to look to health care

through how many more years of high-quality life that a patient gains with a

particular intervention, a particular tool, or a particular procedure.

If we can provide extended quality years to a patient with a particular

treatment, a particular procedure, or a particular tool, that is the lens that

we always need to look through our health care system.

When I was in education I

had twenty-three-and-a-half years as an educator, seventeen or eighteen of

those, Mr. Speaker, as a principal and a vice-principal of a high school.

I always believed in best quality, up-to-date tools for teachers in the

classroom. It was my responsibility

as administrator to provide those tools for the teachers in my classrooms.

Mr. Speaker, if I did not

provide the tools necessary for them to educate our children, I could not

challenge them if something did not happen.

If I provided the tools to my educators and something they were supposed

to do did not happen, then I had grounds to challenge them.

Health care is no different.

That is why this government

has spent hundreds of millions of dollars over the past number of years

providing service and new services and equipment and tools, I might add, to the

people of Newfoundland and Labrador, to all of the health authorities throughout

the Province. Along with that, Mr.

Speaker, health foundations, you and I know, the people of the Province know,

and volunteers in our health foundations know, they have raised millions of

dollars to provide for other tools that are necessary in the Province and in our

health care system for doctors and specialists to be able to provide the kinds

of necessary services for the people of our Province.

Mr. Speaker, there is an old

country song that I know. I know

Merle Haggard sang the song, Mr. Speaker, and others probably sang the song as

well, and I know they did. The first

verse of the song says, It's a way of mine to say just what I am thinking/ And

to do the things I really want to do.

Mr. Speaker, that is what I am going to do in the next few minutes with

regard to health care and as I discuss it here on the floor of the House.

I shall speak to the residents of my district in Humber West, and the

residents of Western Newfoundland.

Government has committed to

building a health care campus in Corner Brook for the residents of the entire

Western Region. Government will

deliver on this infrastructure promise like it has delivered on all of the other

infrastructure promises this government has made over the last ten or so years

in Western Newfoundland, and indeed, in Corner Brook and in my District of

Humber West.

Mr. Speaker, long after all

of us are gone from this House of Assembly, long after we are gone and we are a

part of history, the decisions we make here will follow us and be carried with

us for a lifetime long after all of my colleagues on this side of the House and

that side of the House are gone. I

believe we need to also consider in health care, not only the lenses that I

spoke about a few minutes ago, Mr. Speaker, but as the Premier referenced just a

few days ago. We need to look at the

psychosocial aspects of health care and the benefits of providing care for

patients close to their home so patients can travel back to their place of

residence at night after a treatment, or have a family member visit with

relative ease to lighten the burden of another family member who has been

spending time with their relative who may be sick.

If we did not believe in

that principle, Mr. Speaker, we would not have provided the many hundreds of

thousands of dollars and the advancements we made and provided for dialysis

machines right around the Province that this government has done over the last

number of years. That is a principle

that we believe in.

Mr. Speaker, over the past

six months I have met people at the hospital here in St. John's from every

region of the Province. From the

Coast of Labrador, from the northern part of Labrador, to the southern part of

Labrador, from Stephenville, the Port au Port Peninsula, Port aux Basques, Grand

Falls. I speak every day when I am

at the hospital, to many, many people who are in there from Corner Brook and the

area.

I spoke to people from my

hometown of New-Wes-Valley, from Valleyfield and Badger's Quay, Mr. Speaker, who

have had relatives in the hospital here in St. John's.

Every day I have spoken to many, many people from my District of Humber

West. I have seen numerous people

come through ICU and I notice one thing, Mr. Speaker.

There are many times when some patients who are ICU do not have a family

member with them because they live so far away from St. John's.

Mr. Speaker, we have had family members with my sick relatives every day

for the last six months.

Mr. Speaker, changes in our

medical transportation announced this year in this Budget will go a long way in

assisting others to be able to travel to other regional centres for their health

care, Mr. Speaker. If there is

someone at the ICU in the Health Sciences from Corner Brook and he or she had a

sister or someone from Plum Point, it is very difficult for that person to leave

Plum Point on a Friday afternoon, leave work and to be able to drive to St.

John's and be at the Health Sciences Centre to relieve a family member who has

been there all week or even for two weeks.

Mr. Speaker, when we have

regional health care facilities with the tools necessary to provide the services

to the people of the Province like Corner Brook or Stephenville or for that

matter, Central, and I am talking specifically about Corner Brook, well then

someone can leave a home in Plum Point on a Friday afternoon or after work,

visit the hospital in Corner Brook, relieve that family member who has been

there all week, and then spend the full weekend with that family member who is

sick and get aboard his or her car on Sunday afternoon get back to Plum Point

and be able to go back to work on Monday.

That will be served whether

you are from Port aux Basques, Burgeo, Stephenville or anywhere on the Port au

Port Peninsula, Grand Falls-Windsor, Central, Gander, you have the time to be

able to drive to that particular hospital and get back to work.

That is truly, truly important, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, that is

psychosocial care that we talked about and that is the psychosocial care I

believe that the Premier was talking about, that deserves weight put on it when

we make a decision with regard to health care and, for that matter, when we are

making decisions in government on whatever matters.

Mr. Speaker, technology is

changing rapidly and now we are able to do things with technology that were

unheard of just a few years ago. I

support providing the necessary tools in health care, just as I did when I was

in education that helps the practitioners in the system do the work that they

need to do. That is why that this

government in its Blue Book was the only party, I do believe, that mentioned the

promise to provide PET services, PET service to Newfoundlanders and

Labradorians, and that is a promise that we are well underway to providing here

in St. John's. That procedure is

following along its course.

Mr. Speaker, by the time the

hospital in Corner Brook or the facility in Corner Brook is ready to provide

service to the people of the region, the PET scanner that is now being purchased

for the Province here in St. John's will be either obsolete or quite different,

or even more advanced with the new technologies that will be on stream.

In fact, Mr. Speaker, PET scanner technology has been around since the

1970s and changed so much over the years.

Even last week yes, last

week I say to the residents of Newfoundland and Labrador the US FDA gave

clearance for GE Healthcare, a unit of General Electric Company, for the Q.Clear

technology that can provide up to two times improvement in both quantitative

accuracy and image quality in PET/CT imaging.

This is an innovative new tool for clinicians across the entire care

continuum, including diagnosis, staging, treatment planning, and treatment

assessment.

I understand, Mr. Speaker,

that the current PET interactive reconstructive technologies force a compromise

between image quality and quantitation.

This new technology that was talked about and that I just mentioned and

approved last week, shows the advantages of full convergence PET imaging with no

more compromise between quantitation and image quality.

It is perfect for practitioners in health care.

My point, Mr. Speaker, is

that I can stand here today and say I support a PET scanner for Corner Brook,

but I want to say to the residents of my district, and I want to be very clear,

I support the installation of the most up-to-date technology for the hospital in

Corner Brook at the time it comes into service.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR. GRANTER:

If that be, Mr. Speaker, the PET scanner with

Q.Clear technology or a PET combination MRI combination CT, or PET-CT

combination, or a CT-MRI-PET combination, or something totally different, that

is what I support. That is what I

want for the people of Western Newfoundland and Central Newfoundland.

Mr. Speaker, I also support

the review that the Premier has talked about in the House that will take place

regarding radiation services for the rest of Newfoundland, monies for which have

been provided in this year's Budget.

I support the work of the hard-working individuals in the Department of Health

and the advice and direction that they give to the minister and the

Parliamentary Secretary who sits next to me here in this hon. House.

I also support the monies that were approved in the Budget to look at

radiation services both on the West Coast and indeed in the entire Province.

Mr. Speaker, like many

others I too have spent the last number of months looking at models of radiation

operational services throughout Canada and in other jurisdictions.

I looked at what is happening in Nova Scotia and, in particular, in

Sydney and Prince Edward Island, and other places throughout the country and

services that are provided outside the country.

There are a number of

radiation service models and they have been discussed here on the floor of the

House, Mr. Speaker. I want to say

and I want to be clear that if there is no model out there that can be mirrored

to fit the radiation needs of Western Newfoundland, I ask that we create a

home-grown model such that families needing radiation care can get the necessary

services as close to their homes, Mr. Speaker, in Central and Western

Newfoundland as possible.

If we look at it through

these lenses, Mr. Speaker, all of us can make it happen.

To my Twitter friends and Twitter followers, and to the people of Western

Newfoundland and indeed the entire Province, I believe we can do it together.

I have now stated where I stand with regard to the hospital and the

services we can provide and need to provide for the people of Western

Newfoundland, not only in Corner Brook at the regional hospital, but for all

stakeholders in every part of the Province.

Again, I want to be very clear about where I stood on those two

particular issues and I think this afternoon I have made it very clear for the

listening audience and also for the people here on the floor of the House.

Mr. Speaker, I said I had a

number of other things to say and I am down to about a minute and fifty seconds,

but I will take the minute or two I have left to talk about how important the

mill is to Corner Brook. It was a

$110 million announcement in the Budget and it was something that, as

Parliamentary Secretary for Natural Resources, I had the opportunity to work

with the last three Natural Resources Ministers as this deal was being worked

on.

I am proud to be from Humber

West and proud to represent the people of Humber West, and I was extremely proud

to work with the former Premier, the current Premier, and the three former and

current Minister of Natural Resources over the last sixteen, seventeen, or

twenty months as we worked diligently, Mr. Speaker.

We worked with the mill workers, we worked with the unions, we worked

with the company, and we worked with Cabinet ministers to stand up for the

people who work in the forest industry of Newfoundland and Labrador.

There are 5,500 jobs

directly or indirectly affected by the forest industry of Newfoundland and

Labrador, Mr. Speaker. We stood

strong with the union leadership.

This government stood strong with the union membership, this government stood

strong with current and retired workers, and this government stood strong with

company officials to deliver again a promise we made to work with the company,

work the people, and work with the residents to deliver for the people of

Western Newfoundland and indeed for all residents of the Province.

Mr. Speaker, yes, there is a

lot of work left to be done in the forest industry, as we all know.

There are lots of technology and lots of changes happening within the

forest industry. Do you know what?

The forest industry is a cog in the wheel of the economic engine that

drives rural parts of this Province.

I was proud to stand for those seventeen or eighteen months in Natural Resources

to work with the ministers and work with everyone else to deliver that deal with

Corner Brook Pulp and Paper. When I

speak to the people in my district, they are extremely proud that we did so.

Mr. Speaker, thank you very

much.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER (Verge):

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

MR. KIRBY:

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

It is certainly a privilege

for me to stand here in my place today and offer some comment on the 2014

Budget. I will have three

opportunities to have something to say about it.

I have a variety of comments to make about the good things government has

done and also the problems, the areas we need to address.

First of all, I want to

recognize our leader, the Leader of the Official Opposition, the Member for

Humber Valley, for his strong consistence in stable leadership.

He is setting a standard that is easy for members of the House of

Assembly to follow. That is the

feedback I am hearing from my constituents when I am out in my district talking

to people attending events, as I did all weekend.

I had quite an interesting

weekend last weekend. There are a

lot Easter events around my district with seniors and people who live in

Newfoundland and Labrador Housing, people with young children, people with

children with special education needs, and people who are attentive to the

discussion that is going on here from one day to the next in the House of

Assembly.

People appreciate the

consistent message they are seeing from our leader, the Leader of the Official

Opposition. A message about more

opportunities for young people and issues that are important to the majority of

my constituents, and I would hazard a guess, most Newfoundlanders and

Labradorians. Opening up our

economy, diversifying our economy, growing new industries, creating new jobs in

a competitive economy, an economy that can be one of the most competitive in our

region of Canada, in Atlantic Canada.

Also, taking care of our

seniors, the people who built Newfoundland and Labrador, those who built our

communities, those who raised and taught our children, who took care of our

sick, who broke new ground in business in the private sector, paved our roads,

kept the lights on and did all of those things that we sometimes take for

granted. We have to be there for our

seniors, as they have been there for us over the years.

Empty promises will not do.

People are tired of empty promises.

Seniors will remember the empty promises that were made by this

government. In particular, when we

had the Budget delivered this year, I could not believe that we have yet to hear

anything further on the government's $100 million strategy it committed for

seniors back in the midst of the last general election.

People who are watching at

home and I would hazard a guess that there are a few seniors who are watching

the broadcast from the House of Assembly today will remember that in early

October of 2011 the former Premier, who has since vacated the post, promised

nearly $100 million of new money for a senior strategy while she was campaigning

in the general election.

That strategy was supposed

to include new measures for long-term care that had not been announced at that

point, community support services as well, access to quality service was

mentioned, services to meet seniors' needs in the best way possible.

That was supposed to be over four years.

As I said, new funding of nearly $100 million for seniors.

They talked about the

implementation of something they called the Close to Home strategy.

Those were supposed to be measures that promote health and wellness,

focusing on person-centred service.

I have not heard anything about that since the general election, certainly not

in that language.

They were going to overhaul

the home care assessment test that was promised.

There was supposed to be an increase in the amount of money that seniors

could have in their savings account when accessing home care.

That was supposed to be from $10,000 increased to $50,000.

There were supposed to be a number of pilot project as well.

As part of that $100 million

senior strategy, the government promised to commission a collective memory

project that would invite seniors to record and archive their important stories,

their recollections of their youth, their work and their social activities in

Newfoundland and Labrador over the years.

That was all supposed to be done in co-operation with our post-secondary

institutions, notably Memorial University of Newfoundland, and I have not heard

a word about that. I do not know

what happened but that is one of the things I think we will continue to hold

government to account on, the absence of any action on the promised $100 million

senior strategy that was trotted out in the midst of the last general election.

I wanted to mention that.

In addition, another group

in Newfoundland and Labrador, and especially in light of the demonstration in

front of the Confederation Building today that I note was not attended by any of

the members of the government side, although they were invited.

I know there were a couple of people, a delegation, who came in to try

and locate a minister of the Crown, a Parliamentary Assistant, or any government

member to go out and bring greetings, and chat with the people from the

organization called FEAT, which is an autism advocacy organization in

Newfoundland and Labrador. No one

came out, although members of the Opposition were there in great number.

Another group that is often

underserved, overlooked, and underserviced continues to be children and students

with special needs. In my role as

the Official Opposition critic for the Department of Education, of course, it is

my role to discuss their challenges in the education system.

Certainly, they have challenges across all of the services delivered by

government. As I said, there was a

protest in front of the Confederation Building today just related to one group.

I will talk a little bit about that later.

Parents are very concerned

about the level of support and services available to children with autism

spectrum disorder, to students with autism spectrum disorder, but also adults

with autism spectrum disorder. It is

a disorder that is too often misunderstood and, as I said, people are too often

underserved and overlooked.

I had the great pleasure to

attend a Federation of School Councils meeting out in Grand Falls-Windsor a

while back, a couple of weeks ago. I

know the Minister of Education was unable to attend because he had a previous

commitment and had previously advised the group he was unable to attend this

year, though I have seen him speak at that meeting in the past.

I wish he had been there this year.

There was one person who

spoke, gave a speech, and addressed the assembly there about the difference

and I think this is an important distinction we all have to come to realize

sooner or later because kids are counting on us between inclusion, including

people, and inclusive education.

There is a distinction. That person

said it is not enough just to have students there in the classroom; their

presence does not provide for inclusion.

That makes a lot of sense.

I think there is a saying

that says: Showing up is half the battle.

Indeed, showing up is half the battle, but there is another half that

needs to be dealt with. That makes a

lot of sense in the context of inclusive education in schools and the difference

between having students included and providing for inclusive education, because

if we are going to have true inclusive education, that is the agenda, there are

a few clear steps that need to be made.

I just want to relate

another story. The day I was driving

across the Island to go to Grand Falls-Windsor and attend the Federation of

School Councils meeting, I called up a friend of mine who is a teacher.

That person was done their work for the day and I was just trying to

catch up with them on the Bluetooth.

I was driving along and chatting. We

talked about the whole idea of differentiated instruction.

That is providing a different type, a level, a different education

service, if you will, by trying to meet the needs of a variety of different

students all in the same classroom.

Because that is the reality we are dealing with today.

This person was saying they

had a child with an obsessive compulsive disorder, a number of children with

autism spectrum disorder, a child who spends a significant amount of time in the

Janeway Hospital because of an anxiety disorder, a child with oppositional

defiant disorder, which is a behavioural issue, a child with a mobility issue,

and a number of children with diagnosed and as yet undiagnosed auditory

processing disorders. Trying to

deliver education to all of those children, plus the rest of their peers who are

not diagnosed with or have not been found to have any particular special

education need. So it is a

significant challenge.

As the Member for Burgeo

La Poile said today, we are one of the few provinces in Canada that does not

have something called teacher assistants.

I noticed there was a member across the way who was saying it is

semantics because we have student assistants.

Well, it is not semantics because it is not the same thing.

Student assistants in our

schools assist students with a very narrow grouping of activities, eating,

hygiene, safety, portering and going to the washroom.

That is pretty well what they are expected to do, by and large.

Some of them go well beyond that, though it is not expected of them.

Sometimes people do not have the necessary training, though they are well

meaning.

That is why other provinces

have something called teacher assistants.

These are people who have instruction in pedagogy, in the delivery of

education, how to help somebody prepare for a test, how to help somebody during

a practical assignment, like a laboratory, who has a disability.

They are trained to assist people with different types of disabilities.

At some community colleges

in Canada there are actually courses you can do, a year or two or longer in

programs. I have seen one called

autism assistant, so helping children with autism.

I would assume that involves instruction in providing applied behavioural

analysis.

There is another one I saw

at a community college in British Columbia called special education assistant.

Again, somebody who is able to assist children with special education

needs in the classroom. They have

some instruction in pedagogy, much like teachers do.

That is different than what is expected for a student assistant.

I think that is really an important thing to mention if we are really

talking about genuine inclusion in schools.

I do not know if the

Minister of Education had an opportunity to read my letter to the editor of

The Telegram newspaper last Saturday

I believe it was last Saturday or the Saturday before where I talked about

some of the things we need to do.

These are things that the Federation of School Councils, the Newfoundland and

Labrador Teachers' Association, and a variety of other advocates in education,

in special education have talked about over the past period of time, increasing

the numbers of instructional resource teachers in classrooms.

Those are special education teachers.

Increasing the numbers of guidance counsellors in schools to help remove

or reduce, or eliminate the backlog for in-school assessments for children with

special education needs.

We know guidance officials

perform a variety of different roles in schools.

We know they are involved in issues of a personal nature, with career

planning. So helping young people

figure out what they are going to do after they graduate.

They are involved with comprehensive student assessments.

That is where we see where we have a shortage of guidance officials, of

guidance counsellors, educational psychologists.

We have a backlog then of children, of students needing assessment.

They also provide

counselling when it comes to scholarship and the post-secondary education

application process, procedures, information, drug and alcohol awareness,

personal counselling. They are

involved in anti-bullying initiatives.

They are involved in a variety of different mediation initiatives as well

when it comes to trying to either troubleshoot conflict between students, or

between staff and students, parents, staff, students; all the various

relationships that you have within the school community.

The current allocation is

one guidance counsellor for 500 students.

That causes a fairly significant problem when it comes to rural schools

because there is often a number of schools in rural areas that only have the one

guidance counsellor who provides services on an almost or virtual itinerant

basis, which really leads to a differential level of support, a different level

of support for students, for children in rural areas versus those in urban

areas. I have said in Question

Period; I have asked the minister about changing that current ratio.

I went back over a number of

historical documents relating to the numbers of guidance counsellors in schools.

At one point the NLTA was talking to government and asking for the ratio

to be cut by half. One guidance

counsellor or educational psychologist per 250 students.

The Federation of School Councils has asked for that ratio to be changed

to one per 333 students. I would be

happy to see either one of those because that would be movement in the direction

that we need to see government moving in.

Back in 2008, in response to

the Teacher Allocation Commission, the minister at the time said the

recommendations regarding guidance services in schools required further research

and analysis. The responsibilities

and the workload of guidance counsellors would be reviewed as part of the

government's response to the ISSP & Pathways Commission and other initiatives

that were in play being implemented and reviewed at the time.

That was a while ago now.

We are talking six years ago that the minister at the time, who is no

longer the minister, suggested that all of this was under review, yet we have

seen little movement. We know that

issues related to violence in schools, bullying in schools, drug use, sorts of

anti-social behaviour, special education needs, assistance with career planning

and post-secondary education planning, all of that is far underserved.

There is another area and

I am not sure I have a whole lot of time to get into it at the moment the

whole question of services for children who require attention from a teacher who

I was in one of my schools

in my district recently in Leary's Brook Junior High and there was a soccer ball

that was fashioned by a child who was a student who had spent some time in a

refugee camp in Africa. He

replicated the ball that they used to play with in this refugee camp.

The ball was made out of torn up t-shirts and plastic bags, and this is

something that they played with while they were waiting to be saved from the

desperate circumstances that they found themselves in in an impoverished African

country.

It says a lot about the

people who are coming here today.

They are from very diverse backgrounds, from all over the world, and a lot of

those individuals are underserved as well.

I guess the next time I have a chance to talk we could talk about this in

the context of the government's purported Population Growth Strategy.

really comes into play when we are thinking about the need to have more

immigrants to Newfoundland and Labrador who are coming to Canada

MR. SPEAKER:

Order, please!

MR. KIRBY:

Mr. Speaker, I will have more time to speak about

that later.

Thank you.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER:

The hon. the Member for Cape St. Francis.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR. K. PARSONS:

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker.

It is a privilege to get up

here again today and to speak for my residents of Cape St. Francis, which I

consider the most beautiful district in the Province great people, great

towns, and great people to represent.

I feel great pride in doing that.

Mr. Speaker, today we are

talking about the Budget and I want to talk about the fishery.

Now, you might say a fellow from down in Flatrock might not know a lot

about the fishery, but we do. I grew

up in a fishing home. I looked at

the news last night and I was watching the seal hunt start.

I have had conversations with my friend for Baie Verte Springdale about

the seal hunt and all the small boats and everything that go up to the seal

hunt. I was actually watching it on

the news last night. It was pretty

amazing when you look at those small boats going through the ice to go up and

get the seals. I am so glad that the

seal fishery is continued in Newfoundland.

I am so glad that we keep it going.

Also, a big thing that I

noticed last night, I know they interviewed a gentleman from Vogue Furriers and

he talked about the increase in sales here in Newfoundland.

That is excellent to see, that we are supporting the seal hunt here.

I see people coming in with the boots on in the House of Assembly.

That is a new thing lately, the seal skin boots.

There are a few guys here I noticed with the seal skin hats.

My colleagu