Newfoundland and Labrador Hansard — Members' Statements; Statements by Ministers — 6 December 2004 (45th General Assembly, 1st Session, Vol. XLV No. 52)
2004-12-06
Newfoundland and Labrador — Debates (Hansard)
December 6, 2004 HOUSE OF ASSEMBLY
PROCEEDINGS Vol. XLV No. 52
The House met at 1:30 p.m.
MR. SPEAKER (Hodder): Order, please!
Admit strangers.
This afternoon we are very pleased to welcome some distinguished visitors to
the Speaker's gallery. We wish to welcome the following persons: William
Andersen III, a former member of this House and President of the Labrador Inuit
Association.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER: Tony Andersen, Vice-President of the Labrador Inuit
Association.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER: Toby Andersen, Director of Land Claims, Labrador Inuit
Association.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER: Gus Dicker, Director, Labrador Inuit Association.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER: Ben Ponniuk, Director, Labrador Inuit Association.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER: Zippie Nochasak, Director, Labrador Inuit Association.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER: I am also pleased to welcome Jim MacKenzie the chief
Agreement.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER: Senator William Rompkey, together with his wife Carolyn.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER: In the galleries as well, we have a fifteen member
delegation of the Labrador Inuit Association and also, I do believe, we have
some members from other groups in Labrador, including the Metis.
Welcome to our House.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
Statements by Members
MR. SPEAKER: This afternoon we have members' statements in the
following order: the hon. the Member for the District of Carbonear-Harbour
Grace; the hon. the Member for the District of Port au Port; the hon. the Member
for the District of Bellevue; the hon. the Member for the District of Bonavista
North; the hon. the Member for the District of Grand Falls-Buchans.
The hon. the Member for Carbonear-Harbour Grace.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. SWEENEY: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
I rise today to recognize a truly exceptional volunteer fire department from
my district.
Mr. Speaker, the Harbour Grace Volunteer Fire Department recently held its
Annual Firefighter's Ball at the Harbour Breeze Lounge in Harbour Grace. This
was an opportunity for the over 150 volunteer firefighters, junior firefighters,
and the ladies auxiliary to come together to pay tribute to the men and women
who volunteer their time to ensure the safety of the Harbour Grace region.
Mr. Speaker, it was also pointed out at this dinner that the Harbour Grace
Volunteer Fire Department, which was founded in 1830, will next year celebrate
its 175 th Anniversary. It also remains the oldest volunteer fire
department in the Province.
Mr. Speaker, fire prevention is another way in which the department helps to
keep the community safe. Due to their efforts in fire prevention, the town has
continued to see decreases in the number of fires year after year. This past
year the brigade responded to forty-six calls, a decrease of twenty calls. Mr.
Speaker, this is indeed tremendous work.
Mr. Speaker, two students were also provided with scholarships at this event.
Tara Snow of Harbour Grace was this year's winner of the $500 Harbour Grace
Volunteer Fire Brigade Scholarship. Tara is currently a student at Memorial.
Bradley Hunt accepted the Charles G. Pitcher Scholarship from the Newfoundland
and Labrador Association of Fire Chiefs and Fire Fighters. Bradley is a student
at the College of the North Atlantic.
Mr. Speaker, I ask all members of this hon. House to join me in honouring all
members of this Province's oldest volunteer fire department, the Harbour Grace
Volunteer Fire Department.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Member for Port au Port.
MR. J. HODDER: Mr. Speaker, I rise to pay tribute to Mrs. Anastasia
Lainey, who passed away at the age of 103 years, on November 24 of this year.
She was a wonderful lady who had twenty-nine grandchildren, fifty-one
great-grandchildren, and twenty-three great-great-grandchildren. She was born in
Mainland-La Grande Terre (in French) on July 21, 1901 and has lived there ever
since. Her husband, Louis, died in his forties, leaving her with eleven
children, the youngest being four years of age, to raise on her own.
Mr. Speaker, she was much revered in her community. She was known to all as
"Nana" and she served the area as a midwife for twenty-five years
delivering a total of 202 children.
I attended the funeral in Mainland, in their new church. They had a wonderful
life. The residents of the community will miss her, as well as her three
surviving children: Norman, with whom she lived, and her daughters Agnes Moores
and Mercedes Hinks.
She was indeed a mother to the whole community and she will be deeply missed
by all.
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Member for Bellevue.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. BARRETT: Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honour two constituents of mine
who exemplify the words dedication, caring and commitment.
Mr. Speaker, Clayton and Laura Johnson celebrated their seventieth wedding
anniversary on November 16, 2004. Mr. Speaker, they were married at Jacques
Fontaine in 1934 and have remained committed together since that time.
Mr. Speaker, Mr. and Mrs. Johnson have four children, ten grandchildren and
fourteen great-grandchildren. Many were happy to join them as they celebrated
their anniversary at the Blue Crest Seniors Home where they currently reside.
Mr. Speaker, the dedication that Mr. and Mrs. Johnson have shown to each
other is tremendous, and is truly a testament to the celebration of marriage.
They are truly an example of the spirit of sharing love and togetherness, and
I wish today that they continue to show their love for another seventy years.
Mr. Speaker, I ask all members of this hon. House to join me in
congratulating Mr. and Mrs. Clayton Johnson of Jacques Fontaine on their
seventieth wedding anniversary.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Member for Bonavista North.
MR. HARDING: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Last week, Hockey Canada officially announced the roster of Team Atlantic for
the World Under Seventeen Hockey Challenge. The event will take place in
Lethbridge, Alberta, from December 29, 2004 to January 4, 2005. This year, Team
Atlantic will boast six players from Newfoundland and Labrador.
While I congratulate each of these outstanding young men, I would like to
make special reference to Sam Hounsell of Pound Cove, New-Wes-Valley. Making
this team is a great accomplishment for any young player, but when the player is
from a community the size of Pound Cove it is certainly an achievement worthy of
recognition.
The Under Seventeen Hockey Challenge is the first step in Hockey Canada's
Program of Excellence. This program identifies potential prospects for the Under
Eighteen and World Junior teams, and achieving success at this level of sport is
an admirable feat that should not go unnoticed.
Sam began his playing career in the Beothic Minor Hockey system in
New-West-Valley. When he was just thirteen years old, he played as a regular
with his high school team. He also played in the Central Triple A League in
Grand Falls and the Tri-Pen Triple A League in Harbour Grace where he was
classified as one of that league's top defencemen.
Sam's success is due in large part to the tremendous commitment of his
parents, Roland and Beverly Hounsell. Realizing Sam's talent at an early age,
they made every effort to foster his development and provide opportunities that
would enable him to achieve his goals. Never losing sight of the larger picture,
they were always conscious of instilling in their son values that would allow
him to face all opportunities with a sense of maturity and strength. Now, his
success is a reflection of their devotion and hard work.
Sam is currently living and attending school in Victoriaville, Quebec. He is
now an under aged junior defenceman playing for the Victoriaville Tigers of the
Quebec Major Junior Hockey League. The demands associated with playing hockey at
this level are great. Young players must train, travel and, of course, many are
forced to move away from home and loved ones.
MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!
The member's time has expired.
Does the hon. member have leave?
AN HON. MEMBER: By leave.
MR. SPEAKER: Leave has been granted.
MR. HARDING: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Despite all of this, Sam continues to be a straight A high school student. He
is an ambassador for his team, his community and this Province. He is someone
whom we should all be proud of. This exceptional young man is living proof that
with talent, hard work and a positive attitude, anything is possible. Sam should
serve as an example for us all.
Mr. Speaker, I would ask all members of this House to join with me in
offering congratulations to Sam Hounsell and wish him, and his team, the best of
luck in the upcoming World Hockey Tournament.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Member for Grand Falls-Buchans.
MS THISTLE: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
I rise today to recognize a constituent of mine who has recently been
acknowledged for his accomplishments in the field of music.
Mr. Speaker, Michael Snelgrove, a resident of Grand Falls-Windsor and music
teacher at Exploits Valley High School, was recently admitted, on his first
attempt, as an Associate Composer to the prestigious Canadian Music Centre.
Acceptance as an associate composer to the Canadian Music Centre involves a
rigorous screening process to which Mr. Snelgrove can attest. Very rarely has
anyone been admitted on their first attempt and according to Mr. Snelgrove, he
has attained his greatest musical achievement.
Mr. Speaker, Mr. Snelgrove is only the second resident of our Province to
ever achieve this honour.
Mr. Speaker, there is more good news. Mr. Snelgrove has also been selected as
the winner of the Centennial Song Contest held by the Town of Grand
Falls-Windsor. His song, Celebrate 100 Years , will become the
theme song for the town over the next year, when Grand Falls-Windsor celebrates
100 years. Celebrations are planned throughout 2005 and I encourage everyone to
come and join in the festivities. It will truly be a memorable year.
Mr. Speaker, I ask all members of this hon. House to join me in
congratulating Mr. Michael Snelgrove on his accomplishments and extend to him
sincere best wishes for his continued success.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER: Statements by Ministers.
Statements by Ministers
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Minister of Government Services.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MS WHALEN: Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize December 6 as the
National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women. Established in
1991 by the Parliament of Canada, this day coincides with the sad anniversary of
the death of fourteen young women who were tragically killed on December 6, 1989
at L'Ecole Polytechnique in Montreal. These women were targeted because they
were women and had chosen to study engineering, a field traditionally dominated
by men.
The Women's Policy Office is often asked why they focus on violence against
women when violence against anyone is unacceptable. However, women represent the
majority of sexual assault victims and spousal assaults experienced by women
tend to be more severe overall, more frequent and cause more serious physical
injury and psychological harm.
Violations against woman can take many forms. The most common categories are
psychological violence, physical violence, sexual violence, and financial or
economic abuse and spiritual abuse. The consequences of this violence and abuse
are dealt with by both the women and society in general. Including health care
costs, policing, legal fees, imprisonment, lost earnings and psychological
costs, violence against women costs an estimated $1.2 billion annually. Health
Canada calculates a cost of $1.1 billion just for the direct medical costs of
violence against women.
It is worth noting, the Women's Policy Office also oversees the Violence
Prevention Initiative, a government-community partnership to develop and
implement long-term solutions to the problem of violence against those most at
risk in our society. These include women, children, the elderly and others who
are victims of violence because of their race, ability, ethnic background,
sexual orientation or economic status.
By collaborating with community partners, government continues to work
towards reducing violence, improving the coordination and delivery of government
services and programs for victims and enhancing violence prevention initiatives
at the community level.
Mr. Speaker, today is a day to think about those who live each day with the
threat of violence. It is also a time to reflect on the concrete actions that we
as a government and that each individual can take to prevent and eliminate
violence against women. As a memorial to these fourteen young women, and to all
those who have lost their lives to violence, the flags outside of Confederation
Building will be flown at half mast.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Member for Cartwright-L'Anse au Clair.
MS JONES: Thank you, Mr. Speaker, and I thank the minister for an
advanced copy of her statement.
Unfortunately, Mr. Speaker, violence against women is still very prevalent in
our society today and we all have a responsibility to take action against
violence in our communities, in our homes, and in our Province. There are many
women and children who are still inflicted with violence. We have to ensure that
we provide a safe haven for these people and provide the safety and the programs
that they need to be able to make that transition as a victim back into society.
Mr. Speaker, the Montreal massacre is a sad reminder to all of us of the
hatred that is sometimes fostered and the violence that is sometimes fostered
against women. I think that we, as a government and as a Province, have to
continue to fund the violence prevention initiatives that we have in our society
today, to ensure that we have the safety and the peacefulness that is warranted
to all of our women and all of our children, who have to suffer every day at the
hands of violence in our society.
Thank you.
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Member for Labrador West.
MR. COLLINS: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
I would like to rise to say a few words in response to the ministerial
statement today concerning the fifteenth anniversary of December 6, the Montreal
Massacre, the fourteen women who were killed simply because they were women and
women studying in a non-traditional female profession, the dreams and their
futures cut short for them and their families, Mr. Speaker, on that day.
I want to ask the minister: How much have things changed since 1989 when in
Quebec alone, between 1995 and 2000, ninety-five women were murdered by a spouse
or ex-spouse?
It is very troubling also, Mr. Speaker, to know that 80 per cent of the
legislators in this country are male, and yet we have failed to find a solution
to what is largely a problem for all of us in this society. In our own Province,
during the year 2001 - the latest stats I could find, Mr. Speaker - shelters in
our Province received 3,907 calls directly related to the abuse of which 1,282
women and children were admitted to shelters.
As a society, Mr. Speaker, we have to set the tone to wipe out such abuse.
When we look today and see women's roles still defined as traditional, when we
see women being paid less than their male counterparts, it is very disturbing
when we see our courts allow governments to violate women's rights because of
fiscal conditions. I think it is a wake up call to all, Mr. Speaker, just how
much more needs to be done.
Tonight in my district, Mr. Speaker, there is a vigil to take place organized
by the Labrador West Status of Women and the Hope Haven Crisis Shelter, 7:00
p.m. at the Carol United Church to honor and pay tribute to those who lost their
lives on December 6, 1989, but also, Mr. Speaker, to remind people how much work
is needed to still be completed in removing abuse from our society.
Thank you.
MR. SPEAKER: Further Statements by Ministers.
The hon. the Minister of Health and Community Services.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. OTTENHEIMER: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today to address the serious issue of tobacco use in
Newfoundland and Labrador, as it continues to be the leading cause of
preventable illness and death in our country.
More than 45,000 people will die prematurely this year in Canada due to
tobacco use and at least 1,000 of them will be non-smokers exposed to
second-hand smoke. This year in our Province, 112 deaths will be attributed to
the effects of second-hand smoke. This year, second-hand smoke will result in
784 hospitalizations and cost our health care system some $11.9 million.
In 1994, through the Smoke-Free Environment Act, smoking was banned in public
places such as daycares, schools, hospitals and recreational facilities.
Incremental progress has been made since 1994 to expand our smoke-free spaces to
include restaurants, shopping malls and libraries, just to name a few.
A decade later, the time has come to launch a more aggressive attack on the
fight against tobacco and preventable illness. This fall, organizations such as
the Newfoundland and Labrador Medical Association, the Federation of
Municipalities, Alliance for the Control of Tobacco, and the provincial Cancer
Society have all said the time has come for a smoke-free Province.
Municipalities including the Cities of St. John's and Mount Pearl and other
municipalities in the Northeast Avalon have also endorsed the move to ban
smoking in the last remaining public smoking places - bars and bingo halls. In
addition, we have heard from over 120 private citizens in support of a
smoke-free Province.
Your government has heard you and has listened. Today, Mr. Speaker, I am
announcing our government's commitment to, "Shutting the Last Door on
Second-Hand Smoke". Our government is moving forward with a smoking ban in
bars and bingo halls, and will introduce legislation to create a 100 per cent
smoke-free Province in all indoor public places and workplaces as early as the
Spring of 2005.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. OTTENHEIMER: Beginning in January, there will be consultations which
will allow individuals and organizations to offer their perspective and provide
input on the best approach to achieve our goal. Consultations will also assist
government in determining target dates for implementation.
As a result of further smoke-free legislation, we hope to continuously
improve the health and wellness of the people in our Province, and to offer more
protection for our hospitality workers who are routinely exposed to the harmful
effects of second-hand smoke.
It is my hope, Mr. Speaker, that all members of the House will endorse the
leadership government has demonstrated today and work with us toward a
healthier, smoke-free Newfoundland and Labrador.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Member for Cartwright-L'Anse au Clair.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MS JONES: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
I rise today to congratulate my hon. colleague across the House, Mr. Speaker.
This is indeed a good move for government and a good move for the people of
Newfoundland and Labrador. There has been a long time lobby for the Alliance for
the Control of Tobacco in our Province, and that lobby has been joined and
supported by a lot of voices from around Newfoundland and Labrador, including
the Federation of Municipalities, the Federation of Labour, and many others.
As well, I, myself, brought a resolution, a private member's resolution, to
the floor of the House of Assembly in this session asking for the government to
look at this particular legislation and to implement it in our Province. I am
pleased to see that they are responding.
I am also pleased, Mr. Speaker, that they will take an approach of
consultation, because over the last number of weeks in this Legislature we have
asked the government to look at consultation with regards to the FPI Act, and to
look at consultation with regard to the snowmobile legislation that is presently
before the House. We have not seen the consultation, we have not see a select
committee of the House, so I am pleased that the minister is prepared to consult
on this particular issue, but I am even more pleased, Mr. Speaker, to see that
government is intended and willing to move towards a smoke-free Newfoundland and
Labrador for the protection of our citizens and those who are harmed every day
by second-hand smoke.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Member for Signal Hill-Quidi Vidi.
MR. HARRIS: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
We, too, are very pleased to see that government has adopted this policy and
made the commitment for a smoke-free Newfoundland and Labrador. I congratulate
them on doing so, but I have to recognize, of course, that is a commitment that
they were not prepared to make when directly asked to do so by the Newfoundland
and Labrador Medical Association in the last election.
I am very glad that they have listened to what people have had to say, and
responded to the lobby by the Newfoundland and Labrador Medical Association, by
the Alliance for the Control of Tobacco, and by the very positive and important
lobby and effort by the Newfoundland and Labrador Federation of Municipalities,
who took up this challenge individually and collectively.
I think it is a very, very important step. It is going to provide for
significant public health protection for people who are exposed to second-hand
smoke in public places, but also, and just as significantly, Mr. Speaker, for
the occupational health and safety of those people, those workers, in these
place who have been, for many, many years, subject to second-hand smoke. Given
the number of deaths that the minister has talked about, the 112 deaths
attributed to the effects of second-hand smoke, and the 784 hospitalizations,
this is a policy that is long over -
MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!
The time allocated to the hon. member has expired.
Does the member have leave?
AN HON. MEMBER: By leave.
MR. SPEAKER: Leave has been granted.
MR. HARRIS: Given the 112 deaths that the Minister of Health has
acknowledged would be related and attributed to the effects of second-hand smoke
in this Province this year, and the 784 hospitalizations, this is a piece of
policy, and hopefully legislation very quickly, that is long overdue in
Newfoundland and Labrador. We support it fully.
MR. SPEAKER: Further statements by ministers. Oral Questions.
Oral Questions
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Leader of the Opposition.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. GRIMES: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Mr. Speaker, today is a very historic occasion for the Labrador Inuit
Association as their Land Claims Agreement comes before this House of Assembly.
Unfortunately, in advance of a most significant debate of the LIA Land Claims
Agreement, the legislation was not tabled in this House, and on Friday afternoon
we had to go ask for a copy of the legislation, this legislation with its
seventy clauses and not inconsequential, as you can see, so we could prepare for
the debate today.
The Premier brought forward the openness and transparency act on Thursday of
last week, and I ask: Why is he not providing the elected members of this House
with legislation on a timely basis before it is introduced and debated in this
House of Assembly?
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Government House Leader.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. E. BYRNE: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Mr. Speaker, I spoke to the Opposition House Leader about this, this morning.
The process is very simple. When first reading is introduced - and we read first
reading on Thursday - there has been no attempt, and I want to repeat, no
attempt by government, whatsoever, no instructions have ever been issued, nor
would they be issued about when to table bills. The fact that a process is in
place, that when a bill is read the first time the legislation is normally
tabled. So, the question that the Leader of the Opposition has asked, from its
premise, is fundamentally wrong, because he has assumed that the Premier is not
providing legislation. That is, fundamentally, not the case. I will say, and I
think, that we have had a very good relationship in providing legislation.
For example, last week we were scheduled to discuss the Transparency and
Accountability Act, and it came to my attention that the bill was not tabled at
an appropriate time. What did we do? We delayed the debate until some time after
until everyone had the opportunity to discuss it. So, there has been no attempt
by this government to not table legislation.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!
The hon. the Leader of the Opposition.
MR. GRIMES: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Most members of the Legislature are seeing this document, for the first time,
as they sit right now.
Mr. Speaker, on Thursday morning past this government made public their
openness and transparency legislation at a media briefing and our members were
asked to comment on legislation they had never seen and never reviewed. It is
ironic, this government says they are going to try to be open and accountable
and then they do not provide advanced copies of legislation for Opposition
members and others to research.
I ask the Premier, again, Mr. Speaker: Will he commit today, in this
Legislature, to providing copies of legislation at least one day - not a lot to
ask - at least one day in advance of their tabling in the House of Assembly to
ensure that Opposition members can review the legislation and solicit input from
stakeholders outside the House of Assembly?
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Government House Leader.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. E. BYRNE: Mr. Speaker, we have always provided legislation, normally,
in advance of one day. We try to get it to the Opposition in the week before.
First of all, the legislation that the Government House Leader refers to as
being debated today emanates from an agreement that his government signed in
August, 2003.
AN HON. MEMBER: Made public
MR. E. BYRNE: Made public in 2003. Secondly, Mr. Speaker, I am really
perplexed by the Leader of the Opposition talking about the Transparency and
Accountability Act when over eight days ago I offered the Opposition House
Leader and the Leader of the NDP a technical briefing on that piece of
legislation or any other piece of legislation and up until today they have not
taken advantage of that.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Leader of the Opposition.
MR. GRIMES: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
I appreciate the answers from the Premier to the questions that I am asking
of the Premier.
Mr. Speaker, with respect to Bill 45, the changes to fees for snowmobilers,
the new legislation tabled in this House that introduces those fees for groomed
trails, it again was brought forward without any advanced copy being given to
the Opposition and little or no consultation, obviously, with stakeholders in
the Province. Our office, Mr. Speaker, has been bombarded with complaints from
outdoor enthusiasts who are outraged with this flawed legislation.
Mr. Speaker, as I ask the Premier this question, the Premier personally, I
ask the Premier this question who personally promised the Wildlife Federation
for Newfoundland and Labrador and outdoor user groups that an outdoor bill of
rights would be developed by the government. The question for the Premier is:
When will the people of the Province see this outdoor bill of rights and why are
the snowmobile changes not part of this overall plan to protect outdoor rights
that he personally promised?
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Government House Leader.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. E. BYRNE: Mr. Speaker, that is it. I am gone beyond perplexed by the
Leader of the Opposition's questions. This must be free-for-all Friday.
Let me quote for Hansard. For example, his own critic, the official
spokesperson for the party said that his side would be supporting this on
Thursday. The fact of the matter is that there is a piece of legislation before
the House, we are debating it. Nobody -
MR. JOYCE: (Inaudible).
MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!
MR. E. BYRNE: People on this side of the House will support this bill,
quote unquote, the Member for the Bay of Islands. That is what I see, Mr.
Speaker.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. E. BYRNE: The fact of the matter is this, Mr. Speaker, we are in
Committee stage of debate. There is nobody rushing the piece of legislation
through. There are no closure motions put in place. The Leader of the Opposition
again fundamentally is trying to purport or leave an impression that we are
trying to ram things through or rush things through. My advice to the Leader of
the Opposition is this: The parliamentary process will continue. In the interest
of that, tell him to talk to his own critic over there.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Leader of the Opposition.
MR. GRIMES: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
It is unfortunate that the Premier refuses to speak for himself about
commitments that he personally made to the people of Newfoundland and Labrador.
Mr. Speaker, the Premier also made other promises to the people of
Newfoundland and Labrador. He promised, in writing, that his government would
not introduce additional fees for outdoor recreational activities, and that his
government would form committees and consult before decisions of this type were
made.
I ask the Premier again, if he is in the Legislature, why has he broken these
promises and decided to introduce user fees without forming a committee that
represents all sectors of the snowmobiling population in Newfoundland and
Labrador?
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Premier.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
PREMIER WILLIAMS: Mr. Speaker, obviously our policy of openness,
transparency and accountability has struck a nerve with the hon. members
opposite.
MR. SULLIVAN: They're not used to that.
PREMIER WILLIAMS: They are not used to that. They do not recognize what
it is all about, because they never had any of it when they were in government.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Oh, oh!
MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!
PREMIER WILLIAMS: We have a transparency and accountability act. We have
a new purchasing act. We are going to put in fixed terms. We are going to clean
up government. That is what we intend to do, and obviously hon. members opposite
do not want us to do that. Well, the people of Newfoundland and Labrador want us
to do that.
As well, what we inherited from you, Sir, was an absolute mess. You
understand that and you know that. We inherited a fiscal mess, and we are in the
process of cleaning that up as well. We are going to clean up the finances and
we are going to clean up government, and at the end of the day the people of
Newfoundland and Labrador will be a lot better off for our efforts.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Leader of the Opposition.
MR. GRIMES: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Oh, oh!
MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!
The Chair recognized the Leader of the Opposition. The shouting is occurring
from both sides of the House, and the Chair is having difficulty hearing the
Leader of the Opposition. I ask him now to continue with his question.
MR. GRIMES: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
What the people of the Province want from the Premier is to keep his
commitments that he made, in writing, that there would be no fees.
Mr. Speaker, it is obvious again that Bill 45, the changes for snowmobile
use, is not acceptable to a large number of outdoor users in the Province. Once
again, government attempted to rush through a piece of legislation without any
considerable debate or public consultation as promised personally by the
Premier.
I ask the Premier again, now that major concerns have been raised, will the
government commit to withdrawing the current piece of legislation and holding
consultations like they are going to do for the smoking changes, to ensure that
the changes that finally come forward are well thought out and have broad based
support by snowmobilers in Newfoundland and Labrador?
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Government House Leader.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. E. BYRNE: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Again, fundamentally, the Leader of the Opposition is absolutely, totally,
incorrect in his assumption that government is trying to rush something through.
Nothing could be further from the truth.
The minister responsible, who has brought forward the legislation, said last
Thursday in this House, so everybody could be aware: Take all the time
necessary. We will answer any questions that are put forward. There is nobody
trying to rush through legislation.
The fact of the matter is, there was an impression left by a member of the
Opposition that they were supportive of the bill. So, in the absence of any of
that, let me provide the assurance that the minister has already given. If the
Leader of the Opposition wants us to reaffirm it for his own peace of mind and
comfort, let me reaffirm it again: We are in Committee stage. You have an
opportunity to discuss and debate the bill, to put forward any amendments that
can be discussed, but let me be unequivocally clear - and you already know it -
that the impression you are trying to leave, that we are trying to ram or rush
something through, nothing is further from the truth. It is not happening.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Leader of the Opposition.
MR. GRIMES: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Mr. Speaker, a couple of other quick topics for the Premier.
Today is a very important day for Labrador, so I would like to ask a couple
of other issues concerning commitments made by the Premier personally - not by
his House Leader, but by the Premier personally. I ask the Premier: When can the
people of Labrador expect to see the Labrador office of the Premier established,
that he promised in all of the public media after he did not name anyone from
Labrador to the Cabinet and closed out the office of the Minister of Labrador
and Aboriginal Affairs in Labrador? He promised a Premier's office over a year
ago. When can we expect it to open in Labrador?
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Premier.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
PREMIER WILLIAMS: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Mr. Speaker, we are now in the process of program renewals, as the members of
government and hon. members opposite are aware. We have had discussions with
people in Labrador about some of the confusion that has arisen in the past with
regard to Aboriginal Affairs, Labrador Affairs, the setup in Labrador, the
process for getting information through, to and from, Labrador.
As a result, we did not want to sort of precipitously just set up an office,
just go and put it in place for the sake of doing it. We will be setting up that
office. We will be setting it up in the very near future, but not until we have
gone through a proper process within government; because, when we do it - unlike
the hon. members opposite when they were in government - we just want to do it
right.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER: A supplementary, the hon. the Leader of the Opposition.
MR. GRIMES: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
It has taken over twelve months so far, so I expect they might get it right
some time soon.
Mr. Speaker, another commitment of this government and this Premier was to
hire a Deputy Minister for Labrador and Aboriginal Affairs to be situated in
Labrador. The position has been vacant for almost a year. Can the Premier update
us as to when he might get around to actually filling the position and situating
it in Labrador as he promised?
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Premier.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
PREMIER WILLIAMS: I do not know where the hon. Leader of the Opposition
gets his information. As I said, he must be talking to himself, because every
time he stands up his information is absolutely incorrect, Mr. Speaker.
The portfolio has been in place. There has been a deputy minister there. The
position has been vacant. We have advertised for another deputy minister. That
process is in place, and when it is completed we will be appointing a deputy
minister. The process is in place.
Whatever kind of impression he is trying to give to the public here is
absolutely erroneous, it is misleading, and it is wrong for you to do that. You
know the difference. You were Premier of this Province, you were in control of
the government, and you know how the process works. We are doing it and we are
playing by the rules. We cannot do any more than that. You know that; you
understand it. Why do you try and mislead the people of this Province and
mislead the people in this gallery? That is absolutely wrong and it is
irresponsible of you to do that.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Leader of the Opposition.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. GRIMES: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
I appreciate the lectures from the almighty Premier but I will speak for
myself, as I have always done in fifteen years in politics.
Mr. Speaker, he did not take the time to advertise for his new Commissioner
for the Public Service Commission, his lifelong friend, who was appointed just a
couple of days ago, over the weekend.
Mr. Speaker, over a year ago, in the Blue Book, before the election, the
Premier committed to establishing a senior position from the Mines Division of
the Department of Natural Resources to be situated in Labrador West - fourteen
months ago, Mr. Speaker. When are they going to get that right and finally put
that position in Labrador West?
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Premier.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
PREMIER WILLIAMS: Mr. Speaker, we have been extremely busy. Nobody knows
better than the people on this side of the House just how busy we have been as a
government since we took office. We simply have not stopped. We are working day
and night, seven days a week, twenty-four hours a day.
With regard to Labrador issues - the hon. member shakes his head over there.
It is very unfair for the Member for Torngat to shake his head. We have devoted
a lot of time and a lot of interest to Labrador. You know, we did a trip
together ourselves this summer at your request. We went up and I saw firsthand
the concerns of the people in Labrador, and, quite frankly, it broke my heart.
There were issues up there that were very sensitive and very serious. I thank
you, Sir, for inviting me up on that trip and I thank you for accompanying me.
Labrador is a huge priority for this government. I will state it here, and I
will state it now, we will deliver for the people of Labrador. I make no
apologies. We were doing absolutely everything we could, but we had to deal with
the absolute mess that you left us in this government. It was a disgrace, the
way you left it.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!
The hon. the Member for Cartwright-L'Anse au Clair.
MS JONES: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
I am going to give the Premier lots of opportunity to deliver for Labrador
right now.
The government has now combined the Labrador Health Board with the Grenfell
Regional Health Services Board. This new board will take the responsibility of
serving the large geographic area of the Northern Peninsula and all of Labrador.
This board will also have a debt that reaches almost $14 million.
I ask the minister: Will he and his government agree to pay down the debt or
will this board be forced to cut medical services in Labrador and on the
Northern Peninsula in order to pay the $14 million bill?
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Minister of Health and Community Services.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. OTTENHEIMER: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
The hon. member knows that we are in the midst of organizational change and
structural change. We have just recently appointed our chair's designate, we
are presently undergoing the process with respect to the hiring of CEOs and that
will be announced during the month of December, and in due course, as well, and
in the very near future, we will be naming the remainder of our board
membership, all four boards, I say to the hon. member, in due course. When these
individuals, I say to the hon. member, are in place, we will meet with these
individuals who will then have the opportunity, on behalf of their respective
boards, to make decisions in conjunction with government and to work with
government as we work towards the rationalization of the changes that will be
put in place.
Mr. Speaker, when that process is complete, and in due course, we will work
with issues in terms of future planning and in terms of deficit issues, whether,
for example, this government will pay off the entire deficit -
AN HON. MEMBER: (Inaudible).
MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Member for Cartwright-L'Anse au Clair.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MS JONES: Mr. Speaker, many of the people in Labrador have only the bare
essentials in health care services in their small communities. Most of them are
provided through small clinics, and all other primary health care services are
offered through Happy Valley-Goose Bay and through St. Anthony.
Minister, I know there is a process that you are looking at under program
review, but can you give your assurances today that they will not have to make
any cuts to that essential medical service and that government will, indeed, pay
down their debt?
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Minister of Health and Community Services.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. OTTENHEIMER: Mr. Speaker, this government will, as it always has
been, will and continue to be sensitive to the needs of all Newfoundlanders and
Labradorians. In due course, Mr. Speaker, the appropriate decisions will be
made. In due course the appropriate decisions will be made when the appropriate
individuals are in place. We will move forward, as a government, in conjunction
with these new individuals to ensure that the decisions that are in place, are
in the best interest of all Newfoundlanders and all Labradorians.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Member for Cartwright-L'Anse au Clair.
MS JONES: Mr. Speaker, last week I asked the minister about the Labrador
Medical Travel Program and the new dollars that the Premier says we are going to
receive from Ottawa, but the minister did not give me any details. Mr. Speaker,
this money was announced two months ago. Since then dozens of more residents in
Labrador were referred for treatment to St. John's and Corner Brook and had to
resort to fundraising in order to afford the cost of an airline ticket.
I ask the minister to please tell us today: When will money be available to
help cover the medical costs of patients from Labrador? Because we know there is
more federal money coming, and I have confirmed it with our MP for Labrador as
well. When can you tell us when the money will be available to cover the medical
costs of patients from Labrador who are being referred to the capital city and
to Corner Brook for serious medical treatment?
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Minister of Health and Community Services.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. OTTENHEIMER: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
A similar question was asked several days ago and at that time I identified
and recognized the priority areas that were identified by my colleague, the
Premier, during the Health Summit in September, 2004. And, yes, I concur with
the hon. member when she mentions transportation of the North as a priority
issue. It is, and I assure the hon. member that it is a priority issue along
with issues such as wait times, wait lists, home care, Aboriginal health, issues
of health concerns in the North, generally. I can assure the hon. member, the
matter that she raises will be included in those priority issues that have been
identified by the First Ministers of this country and the appropriate decisions
will be made in due course.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Member for Twillingate & Fogo.
MR. REID: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
My questions are for the Minister of Fisheries and Aquaculture.
Mr. Speaker, last week we learned that the FPI plant in Harbour Breton was
closing, throwing 350 people out of work in that town. A month prior to that we
learned that North Atlantic Sea Farms was going into receivership, putting in
jeopardy anther 200 jobs in that region. We understand that the assets of this
company have now been offered for tender.
I ask the minister, can he tell us if the assets of North Atlantic Sea Farms
will remain in Bay d'Espoir and the jobs associated with them protected?
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Minister of Fisheries and Aquaculture, and
Labrador Affairs.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. TAYLOR: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Mr. Speaker, as the member knows - and most people would know, I guess -
there is a receivership process that is taking place as it relates to North
Atlantic Sea Farms. The closure date for the Request for Proposals was November
26. My understanding is there have been a number of offers made by various
companies to receivers to take over the assets of North Atlantic Sea Farms.
As for whether they will stay in Bay d'Espoir or not, I can only say that I
am reasonably confident that the assets of North Atlantic Sea Farms will remain
intact in Bay d'Espoir, but, of course, that is something which the receiver
will determine at the end of the day. I can say that the initiative which
government took back a couple of months ago and announced on November 2, that
there would be a feed financing program available for fin fish aquaculture in
this Province, will certainly go a long ways towards securing the future of
aquaculture production on the South Coast.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Member for Twillingate & Fogo.
MR. REID: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
He mentioned that program, and my second question will be pertaining that.
Mr. Speaker, this minister led the people of the Province and us, on this
side, in particular, that the new Aquaculture Working Capital Loan Guarantee
Initiative program would actually save North Atlantic from bankruptcy. It is my
understanding that North Atlantic Sea Farms actually applied for funding under
this program and were denied. Can the minister tell me why they were denied
funding?
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Minister of Fisheries and Aquaculture, and
Labrador Affairs.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. TAYLOR: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Mr. Speaker, I most certainly did not lead anybody to believe that North
Atlantic Sea Farms is going to get access to this program. We put a program in
place that was modeled, specifically, on a New Brunswick program. If the member
wants to, he can go outside and talk to the media afterwards who were in the
media centre in this building when I did the press conference. The question was
asked directly: Will this help North Atlantic? And I said: It may help North
Atlantic but I cannot guarantee that North Atlantic will access this program. I
said that to the people on the South Coast and said it to the people of North
Atlantic and the aquaculture industry. What we said is: There is a program here.
There is a criteria that will apply. If any company, regardless of who the
company is, meets the criteria they can have access to the program. In this
case, North Atlantic did not meet the criteria. It is not my place to tell why
they did not meet the criteria. This is private information related to a
business. If the people at North Atlantic want to divulge why we said they could
not access the program, they can but I cannot.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER: A supplementary, the hon. the Member for Twillingate &
Fogo.
MR. REID: Mr. Speaker, the minister, when he announced his new program on
November 2, stated: "The aquaculture industry in Newfoundland and Labrador
is strengthened by today's announcement." It is our understanding that,
to date, North Atlantic Sea Farms is only one of two companies that have applied
for funding because the guidelines are so stringent that no existing aquaculture
operation can qualify.
Can the minister confirm that this information is correct, and is he willing
to change the criteria of this program so that it will indeed strengthen the
aquaculture industry in this Province?
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Minister of Fisheries and Aquaculture, and
Labrador Affairs.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. TAYLOR: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Mr. Speaker, you strengthen an industry by giving a program that allows
strong companies to grow, not by watering down a program to the point where we
lose the millions of dollars that the member knows was lost in the aquaculture
industry over the past number of years.
The program that we have developed, Mr. Speaker, is a very strong program. It
was brought about by us at the request of the Newfoundland and Labrador
Aquaculture Industry Association. They told us what they wanted to see in a
program, the people at North Atlantic Sea Farms told us what they wanted to see
in a program, the people in the aquaculture industry from outside the Province
told us what they wanted to see in the program and we delivered exactly that
program, the New Brunswick program, Mr. Speaker. The program is solid. The
criteria is solid. We have done - in the program that we have implemented - a
service to the industry by providing them with a good program. We have also
protected the taxpayers of Newfoundland and Labrador so that we do not take
their money and flush it away.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Member for Labrador West.
MR. COLLINS: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
My question is for the Premier, and it concerns video lottery machines in the
Province. The fact the Premier, I think, understands - and all residents
understand - the damage that they have caused to our citizens in a few short
years. People have taken their lives, many families have been destroyed
financially and other ways. Last spring when I raised this with the Premier he
seemed to understand - I think he was genuine - when he said that he knew people
himself who are faced with these problems.
I want to ask the Premier today a question that I asked last spring. Will he
commit, in the September municipal election, to having the issue of whether or
not the people of this Province want to have VLTs in their communities or in
their Province? Will he commit to having that placed on the ballot next
September as a referendum vote?
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Premier.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
PREMIER WILLIAMS: I thank the hon. member for that question and for
continuing to raise that issue. It is an issue that is very important to all of
us. I think we see it everyday. We see it in our own families and friends, and
we know some of the severe hardship cases that have been created throughout the
Province, and indeed throughout the country as a result of VLTs. It is something
that we, as a government, are very concerned about.
The Minister of Health has spoken on this particular issue. The Minister of
Finance has spoken on this particular issue. A big part of it, of course, is
looking at where the problems are, and trying to solve the problems, and trying
to treat the addiction and making sure that the remedies are available
throughout the Province for people who have been afflicted by this.
We both know, of course, that there was a referendum held in New Brunswick
some time ago, and I was quite frankly very surprised by the results of that
referendum, which actually supported keeping VLTs in the Province.
I do not necessarily want to go ahead precipitously to do that and find
ourselves in that position with the same kind of result, so hopefully we can use
the process of program renewal now to do a proper assessment of exactly where
the situation is, just how bad it is, to get some good criteria and some
research and some data on this particular issue to get the magnitude of the
problem.
We know it is serious. I would like to see some empirical data now to see
exactly what the affliction is, and then we will move on from there, but your
point is very well taken.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER: A supplementary, the hon. the Member for Labrador West.
MR. COLLINS: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
I say to the Premier, the programs that may be offered, these VLT machines
are spread into every nook and cranny of our Province. It is not possible to put
treatment centres in every community in this Province where people are
experiencing the problems.
I do want to ask the Premier: When can we expect a more vigorous campaign
against restricting the use of VLTs, against providing the 2 per cent of
revenues taken in by them, that the Finance Minister said he would commit when
they made government.
Again, the problems created by VLTs in our Province, I do not think we need a
study. I think the personal testimony of people who have been affected is clear.
Because the referendum vote may have failed in one province, I do not believe
that is a reason for not doing it here.
Again, I ask the Premier, when can the people expect some help? Again,
(inaudible) referendum.
MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!
The hon. the Premier.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
PREMIER WILLIAMS: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Mr. Speaker, as the hon. member knows, this is a priority for this
government. There is absolutely no doubt about it. We are very sensitive to it
and very much aware of it. In the last Budget, with the limited means that we
had, and with the limited resources, we did put additional funding in it. If I
remember correctly, it was $100,000 that we added on. We would hope to increase
that funding.
I also had a meeting with the Chair or the President of the Atlantic Lotto
Corporation, I guess probably a couple of months ago, and specifically said to
her that I felt there was a need for them to step up and put more money towards
addiction.
It is a priority for this government. It will not fall off the priority list,
I can tell you right now. We will be looking at increased funding. It is a
problem that we have to deal with and we should deal with it, and we owe it to
the people of the Province to deal with it.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!
We have time for a fifteen second question and an equally short answer.
The hon. the Member for Labrador West.
MR. COLLINS: To the Minister of Finance, when can the people of Labrador
West look forward to the day when they are not discriminated against in
receiving transportation subsidy to access health care in Happy Valley-Goose Bay
that other residents of Labrador are receiving. and have received for many, many
years?
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Minister of Finance and President of Treasury
Board.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. SULLIVAN: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
The Department of Health and Community Services actually has a program on
medical transportation assistance that is non-discriminatory, for anybody who
has a particular need, in assisting them to receive medical attention in their
particular area.
The Department of Finance does not run any such programs at all. The
Department of Health is the one that runs the programs. We are very cognizant of
the costs of people trying to access health care in most parts of the Province;
Labrador, too, in particular, but many other remote isolated communities too.
The Department of Health has a program in place, and certainly if the minister
wants to speak to that, but there is no program under my department to deal with
that.
MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!
The time for Question Period has expired.
During Question Period, the Chair received a note notifying the Speaker that
Mr. Todd Russell of the Labrador Metis Nation, and five other members from his
organization are also in the gallery today, and we also want to welcome them in
particular.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER: Presenting Report by Standing and Select Committees.
Notices of Motion.
Notices of Motion
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Minister of Fisheries and Aquaculture, and
Labrador Affairs.
MR. TAYLOR: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Mr. Speaker, I give notice that I will on tomorrow ask leave to introduce a
bill entitled,
An Act To Amend The Fish Inspection Act. (Bill 57)
MR. SPEAKER: Further notices of motion.
The hon. the Member for Signal Hill-Quidi Vidi.
MR. HARRIS: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
The private members' motion under Standing Order 63, standing in my name on
the Order Paper, is proposed to be debated on Wednesday coming. It is related to
the public automobile insurance and the formation of a select committee.
MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!
Did I hear the hon. member correctly? He said that the motion standing in his
name now on the Order Paper will be the motion that we shall debate on
Wednesday?
MR. HARRIS: That is correct, Mr. Speaker. Standing Order 63 does not
provide an exact procedure for motions, other than those by the Official
Opposition or government in private members. So, in keeping with our discussion
last Thursday, I am just giving notice that the motion that we would propose to
have debated on Private Members' Day is the motion standing in my name as it
relates to public automobile insurance.
MR. SPEAKER: As per the statements made on Thursday last, that would be
the motion that would be discussed on Wednesday.
Answers to Questions for which Notice has been Given.
Petitions.
Petitions
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Member for Cartwright-L'Anse au Clair.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MS JONES: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
I rise today on behalf of my constituents in the District of Cartwright-L'Anse
au Clair as it relates to government's decision, Mr. Speaker, not to clear
snow on the road between Red Bay and Lodge Bay.
Mr. Speaker, this is a very essential piece of the highway system in Southern
Labrador. It joins the region from the Labrador Straits and the Coast of
Labrador. Prior to the last few years, there had never been a road connection in
that particular area. Since then, hundreds of millions of dollars have been
spent to build roads right throughout the district in connecting a number of
communities. The government opposite has chosen not to clear snow on this
section of road for almost four months of the year, simply because they are
unwilling to invest the dollars that are needed to correct the problems that
exist with this piece of highway, and are unwilling to spend the money that is
essential to keeping the roads open in that region.
Mr. Speaker, nowhere else - nowhere else - in this Province would you see an
essential piece of highway closed to the public. The communities in my district
depend upon this piece of road. They depend in the greatest sense of the word,
because they use it to be able to access services, access airports, access fuel
supply, and that is going to be cut off from them.
Prior to the road being constructed, many of these communities had storage
tanks in their communities where they could store fuel for extended periods of
time, but when the highway went through they took out those storage tanks
because they did not want to have any future risk to the environment by storing
tanks that were unnecessary to them.
Mr. Speaker, the businesses had warehouses where they could order in freight
shipments and store them for extended periods of time in the winter months, and
when the road went through they took out those warehouses because they did not
have a need for them.
Mr. Speaker, the Labrador Transportation Fund, which is administered by the
Minister of Transportation and Works, and Aboriginal Affairs, and the Minister
of Fisheries and Aquaculture, and Labrador Affairs, earned $2.9 million last
year in interest. That was what the Labrador Fund earned. Now, no member from
Labrador has input into how that money is spent. No, because the only member
from Labrador on the government side is not part of the committee that
administers the Fund on the Labrador Transportation Initiative, and therefore
the people in Labrador are not being treated fairly when it comes to where this
money is being invested.
People in my district should not have to see the road closed for four months
out of the winter, Mr. Speaker. They should not, and I think that the government
should reconsider its decision. I talked to the minister several times, myself.
I have asked him to reconsider this decision, to leave this road open for as
long as they possibly can during the winter to allow people to have access to
these services. Mr. Speaker, I plead with him today to give this strong
consideration -
MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!
The member's allotted time has expired.
MS JONES: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
MR. SPEAKER: Further petitions?
On petitions, the hon. the Member for Bay of Islands.
MR. JOYCE: A point of order, Mr. Speaker.
MR. SPEAKER: A point of order has been raised by the hon. Member for Bay
of Islands.
MR. JOYCE: The Government House Leader said today that I supported the
bill for the snowmobile legislation, Mr. Speaker. I just want to bring to the
attention of the House, on three occasions I said - and I read from Hansard, Mr.
Speaker: I am sure the Government House Leader would concur that both sides will
try to have this legislation....
Mr. Speaker, I said that on three occasions. I spoke to the Minister of
Tourism, Culture and Recreation. One of the agreements that we had on Tuesday
was, the Member for Cartwright-L'Anse au Clair brought it to my attention, as
the critic, that the roads that have no connection to the main highway receive a
grant now to have the roads groomed.
I spoke to the Minister of Tourism, Culture and Recreation, and he committed
to me on Tuesday that these grants will stay in place.
MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!
While the Chair listens to what the hon. member is saying, a point of order
should relate to some procedural thing that has happened in the House relevant
to our procedures. It is not a time when members can argue between each other as
to who said what on one side, who said what on the other.
I ask the member to get to his point of order. I will give him a few more
seconds to do so.
MR. JOYCE: Mr. Speaker, what I am trying to say is that my comments were
misrepresented, because I was told on Tuesday by the hon. minister that the
grants were in place. On Thursday it was confirmed to myself and to the Member
for Cartwright-L'Anse au Clair that the grants were not going to be in place
after March 31, 2005, and the minister who initiates those grants is the
Minister of Transportation and Works. When the member found out that was the
minister who they had to trust, she said, no, we cannot support this bill, I was
given a commitment.
To the Government House Leader, who is standing up and making false
accusations that I made these commitments, it is just absolutely not true.
Absolutely not true!
MR. E. BYRNE: To the point of order, Mr. Speaker.
MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!
The hon. the Government House Leader, speaking to that point of order.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. E. BYRNE: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
All I quoted from Hansard, and I will quote it again - there are not my
words, these are the hon. members: People on this side of the House will support
this bill. That is all he said, Mr. Speaker, and I will rest my case with that.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!
A point of order is not a time to engage in the resumption of debate. There
will be plenty of opportunity when we next go to Committee of the Whole House on
this particular bill for members to engage in those exchanges and to clarify
points that they might wish to make at that time.
There is no point of order, and the Chair makes that decision on that
particular point.
Further Petitions? Orders of the day.
Orders of the Day
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Government House Leader.
MR. E. BYRNE: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Order 9, Second Reading of a Bill,
An Act To Ratify And Give The Force Of Law
To The Labrador Inuit Land Claims Agreement, Bill 44.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER: It is moved and seconded that Bill 44,
An Act To Ratify And
Give The Force Of Law To The Labrador Inuit Land Claims Agreement, be now read a
second time.
Motion, second reading of a bill, "An Act To Ratify And Give The Force
Of Law To The Labrador Inuit Claims Agreement." (Bill 44)
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Minister of Transportation and Works, and
Aboriginal Affairs.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. RIDEOUT: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Mr. Speaker, it is indeed a pleasure for me to rise today in this hon. House
and introduce Bill 44, the Labrador Inuit Land Claims Agreement. This is a
historic day for all members in this Chamber, it is a historic day for all
members of the Inuit Association, the Province of Newfoundland and Labrador,
and, in fact, the entire Nation, Mr. Speaker.
The passing of this bill will be a significant step forward for all of us,
and it represents the fruition of nearly three decades of long, hard work by a
lot of people. This Land Claims Agreement is the first comprehensive land claims
agreement to be concluded in Newfoundland and Labrador and in Atlantic Canada,
making this a truly significant milestone in our Province, the country and the
history of Aboriginal people in Canada.
The Labrador Inuit vote on this Agreement, Mr. Speaker, took place on May 26,
2004. That was among the highlights of my career in public office; to stand in
this hon. House as the Minister Responsible for Aboriginal Affairs and inform
members and the Province of the overwhelming endorsement that this Agreement was
given by Labrador Inuit.
After nearly thirty years of work on this very important agreement, on the
part of the provincial government, the Labrador Inuit Association and the
federal government, it is truly an honour as minister to introduce this
legislation in this House today.
This past August, Mr. Speaker, I once again visited Labrador. It was an
excellent opportunity for me, as minister, to hear first-hand the concerns of
Aboriginal people in the region.
During my visit, I visited Nain, Natuashish, Hopedale, Postville, Makkovik,
Rigolet, North West River and Happy Valley-Goose Bay. I had meetings with the
Sheshatshiu Innu Band Council, the Innu Nation, the Labrador Inuit Association,
the Mushuau Innu First Nation, and seven town councils located throughout the
region.
During my time in Labrador I saw with my own eyes, Mr. Speaker, how important
this agreement will be to the Labrador Inuit and received representation on just
how badly needed the Agreement was, in fact.
But before I go any further, I would like to take a moment to review the
history of this agreement and exactly how much work has taken place to get us to
the point where we are in this hon. House today.
In 1997, Mr. Speaker, the Labrador Inuit Association filed a statement of
of Canada accepted the Labrador Inuit claim for negotiation, and in 1980 the
Province agreed to participate in those negotiations.
I was a member of the Peckford Administation, Mr. Speaker, which accepted the
basis for this claim back in the 1980s. Little did I know I would be the
minister responsible for introducing this legislation in the House in 2004. I
want to thank the Premier for making that possible.
A framework agreement setting out the matters to be negotiated was reached in
1990. In 1999, the parties initialled the Agreement-in-Principle and it was
signed in 2001.
In August, 2003, negotiators for the Labrador Inuit Association, the
the final agreement that triggered the start of the Inuit ratification process.
This included the appointment of a ratification committee, comprised of a
jointly appointed independent chairperson, Carol Brice-Bennett, and members
appointed by the LIA, the federal government and the Province.
In order for the Agreement to be accepted, Mr. Speaker, 50 per cent plus one
of all eligible voters had to vote to approve the Agreement. As everybody
realizes, that is a very high threshold and I guess a legitimate question is:
Why was the threshold so high? Because a yes vote would extinguish any future
rights for the present Labrador Inuit and generations of unborn Labrador Inuit.
I remind this House that there are approximately 4,300 eligible voters on the
official voters list.
On May 26 of this year, on the day of the Inuit vote, I made a statement in
this hon. House encouraging all Inuit who were eligible to vote for the
Agreement to participate in the ratification process. I was pleased to see that
several hundred individuals had already voted via the advance poll and mail in
ballots. I said then that the ratification vote was the most important decision
that the Labrador Inuit would make for their future.
The endorsement of the agreement can be described by two words: overwhelming
and definitive. It was overwhelming in that individuals who did not vote were
counted as a no vote. The task facing the Labrador Inuit Association was
daunting: not only did they have to convince Inuit to vote for the agreement,
but they also had to ensure that those individuals physically made it to the
polls to ensure the acceptance of the negotiated agreement.
That they were able to get 85 per cent of eligible voters to the polls and
that over 75 per cent of eligible voters cast a ballot in favour of the
agreement, is a definitive endorsement of that agreement. And remember, as I
said previously, there were 4,300 members scattered from Nain to St. John's
and other provinces and territories around the country and, indeed, around the
world.
On that day, Labrador Inuit spoke clearly and they spoke loudly. We in this
hon House, across Newfoundland and Labrador and across the nation, have heard
them.
Mr. Speaker, this brings us to the present day and the next step on this
journey toward the realization of this agreement, and that is the passage of
this bill in our Legislature.
Earlier today at a news conference, the Premier and I, and Mr. Andersen,
President of the LIA, spoke about some of the advantages of a negotiated land
claims settlement. Land claims agreements bring clarity and certainty to land
ownership and management of our resources, benefitting all Newfoundlanders and
Labradorians. This will result in a stable environment for development and
investment.
The costs of a land claims settlement, Mr. Speaker, are much less than the
cost of not reaching a settlement. With a settlement, all the people of the
Province can advance with more certainty along the road to economic development.
Without a settlement, uncertainty and misunderstanding will slow the Province's
economic and social development. Land claims settlements will support greater
self-reliance for the Labrador Inuit. The self-government provisions of the
Agreement will provide Inuit with the ability to control their own affairs and
to forge a new future.
At this time, Mr. Speaker, I would submit that this legislation that we are
voting on here in this hon. House today is met with a single question: What does
it mean? The answer is simple: everything.
The ratification of this legislation means everything to the Labrador Inuit.
It means having a voice, a say, in land and non-renewable resource management,
ocean management, economic development and the Voisey's Bay project, from
which the Nunatsiavut Government will receive 5 per cent of provincial revenues
from the subsurface resources in the Voisey's Bay area, as well as Impacts and
Benefits Agreement with the Voisey's Bay Nickel Company.
The agreement also includes provisions related to national park protected
areas, wildlife and plants, fisheries, archaeology and fisheries matters. In
short, this agreement is everything in terms of having a prosperous and
meaningful future for the Labrador Inuit, this Province and this country. It
means a brighter future for Labrador Inuit and for all of us.
This Agreement will go a long way toward improving living conditions in Inuit
communities. It will go a long way toward giving those communities hope for the
future, Mr. Speaker. As a result of this agreement, the Labrador Inuit will
exercise great responsibility and further autonomy over their affairs. This
includes land and non-renewable resources, self-government, and economic
development.
There are several points I want to highlight in this legislation and
elaborate for the benefit of members in the House and for the people of the
Province. The Labrador Inuit have created their own constitution that comes into
effect with this Agreement. The Agreement establishes two levels of government:
the Nunatsiavut Government, with jurisdiction primarily over Inuit at a regional
level, and five Inuit community governments - one in each of the five Inuit
communities of Rigolet, Makkovik, Postville, Hopedale and Nain.
The Agreement also provides for the establishment of Inuit community
corporations for Inuit who live outside the Labrador Inuit Settlement Area. All
levels of this government, Mr. Speaker, will be democratically elected.
Under this Agreement, the Nunatsiavut Government may make laws to govern
Inuit residents of Labrador Inuit Lands and the Inuit communities for matters
such as education, health, child and family services and income support. The
Nunatsiavut Government will also have jurisdiction over its internal affairs,
Inuit language and culture, and the management of Indian rights and benefits
under the Agreement. The Nunatsiavut Government may establish a justice system
for the administration of Inuit laws.
the Nunatsiavut Government will negotiate a fiscal financing agreement every
five years to provide funding to the Nunatsiavut Government for the provision of
programs and services to the Inuit, and, if needed, to other residents.
The first fiscal financing agreement has been negotiated and will come into
effect once the Agreement comes into effect. The Labrador Inuit will continue to
be eligible to receive federal and provincial programs and services.
This Agreement, and additional agreements to be negotiated in future years,
among the Labrador Inuit, the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador and
Canada, will provide key programs and services such as health care, education
and other social programs and services to be delivered to the Nunatsiavut
Government to Inuit and all residents in each of the five Inuit communities.
Land is a key component of the Agreement. Under the Agreement, two categories
of land were created: The Labrador Inuit Settlement Area, or LISA, and the
Labrador Inuit Lands, or LIL. The settlement area consists of 28,000 squares
miles, or 72,520 square kilometres, of land, and 18,800 square miles, or 48,690
square kilometres, of ocean extending to the limit of Canada's territorial
sea. Inuit will have special rights in all of these areas.
Within the Settlement Area, the Inuit will own 6,100 square miles, or 15,800
square kilometres, of land referred to as the Labrador Inuit Lands. It is in
this area where Inuit have the most rights and benefits.
On Labrador Inuit Lands, Inuit will have the exclusive right to carving
stone, ownership of over 1,500 square miles, or 3,950 square kilometres, of
quarry materials, and a 25 per cent ownership interest in subsurface resources.
The Agreement provides that existing surface interests in Labrador Inuit
Lands, such as cabin owners and outfitters, will continue under their current
will be made to the Nunatsiavut Government.
Mr. Speaker, the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador will, with the
Nunatsiavut Government, and within three years of the effective date of the
Agreement, develop a comprehensive land use plan for the Settlement Area. The
Nunatsiavut Government will approve the land use plan as it applies to the
Labrador Inuit Lands and the Province will approve the plan as it applies to the
Settlement Area outside of Labrador Inuit Lands.
The Nunatsiavut Government may establish other protected areas within
Labrador Inuit Lands. A protected area agreement with the Nunatsiavut Government
will be required for any new protected areas in the Settlement Area outside
Labrador Inuit Lands that may affect the rights of the Labrador Inuit under the
Agreement.
In terms of economic development, impact and benefits agreements must be
negotiated between the Nunatsiavut Government and developers before projects can
proceed in Labrador Inuit Lands and before major developments can proceed in the
settlement area outside Labrador Inuit Lands.
The Nunatsiavut Government is also entitled to receive 25 per cent of
provincial revenues from subsurface developments in Labrador Inuit Lands. In the
Settlement Area outside Labrador Inuit Lands, the Nunatsiavut Government will
receive 50 per cent of the first $2 million and 5 per cent of any additional
provincial revenues from subsurface resource developments.
There are also provisions in the Agreement that pertain to water management
and Inuit water rights, as well as ocean management. In terms of water
management, there is a provision for the Inuit to have the right to use water
for personal and domestic purposes throughout the Settlement Area. Any developer
in the Settlement Area who proposes to use this water resource must first
negotiate a compensation agreement with the Nunatsiavut Government.
Labrador Inuit will have the right to harvest wildlife and plants and fish
for food and social and ceremonial purposes, throughout the Settlement Area . A
co-management board appointed by the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador,
the primary body for making recommendations to government on the conservation
and management of wildlife and plants in the Settlement Area.
With the exception of those interest holders accommodated under the
Agreement, the Nunatsiavut Government will control who may harvest wildlife and
plants in Labrador Inuit Lands. The Nunatsiavut Government will control Inuit
harvesting for food, social and ceremonial purposes throughout the Settlement
Area.
As a result of concerns expressed by non-Inuit harvesters in the Upper Lake
Melville region between the Agreement-in- Principle and the Final Agreement, a
couple of significant changes were made to the harvesting provisions in the
Agreement to provide for greater access for non-Inuit to Labrador Inuit Lands.
The Agreement provides that non-Inuit cabin owners on Labrador Inuit Lands can
continue to harvest for non-commercial purposes in areas where they have
traditionally and currently harvest. Also, non-Inuit harvesters harvesting for
non-commercial purposes in tidal waters may access the shoreline of Labrador
Inuit Lands to establish temporary camps.
The Nunatsiavut Government has the exclusive right to authorize new
outfitting and sawmill operations in Labrador Inuit Lands, and first right to
establish new operations throughout the Settlement Area, Mr. Speaker.
A tripartite co-management board will be established to be the primary body
for making recommendations on the conservation and management of fish.
Existing commercial fishing licenses are not affected by the Agreement, Mr.
Speaker. Inuit will be guaranteed a percentage of new or additional commercial
fishing licenses for specific species within the Settlement Area and adjacent
waters. They will also be granted 70 per cent of the new fish processing
licenses in the Settlement Area.
Furthermore, Mr. Speaker, Labrador Inuit will control who may fish or
establish aquaculture facilities in Labrador Inuit Lands and will have the first
right to establish aquaculture facilities in the Settlement Area.
If I may, Mr. Speaker, I will take a moment to speak about some of the
cultural aspects of this agreement, more specifically archaeology.
The Nunatsiavut government will be the permitting authority for
archaeological activity in Labrador Inuit Lands and the Inuit communities.
Artifacts found in the Labrador Inuit Lands will be owned by the Nunatsiavut
government and artifacts found in the Labrador Inuit Settlement Area outside
Labrador Inuit Lands will be jointly owned by the Labrador Inuit and the
Province.
In our Blue Book, Mr. Speaker, our government made a commitment to not accept
or ignore the unequal socio-economic conditions of Aboriginal communities. We
committed to relationships that were built on equality and respect. Working with
the Aboriginal leaders, we want to assist Aboriginal peoples in fulfilling their
desire to become more self-reliant. This includes resolving Aboriginal land
claims and providing Labrador Inuit with the tools to exercise genuine control
over their own affairs.
Mr. Speaker, this Agreement does that.
The Agreement does not address right for any Aboriginal people of Canada
other than Labrador Inuit, and does not affect the Aboriginal rights that other
Aboriginal people may have in the Labrador Inuit Settlement Area.
As I advised this hon. House last week, the criteria to qualify as a
beneficiary under this Agreement is extremely broad. In fact, more than half of
the beneficiaries live outside the Settlement Area, including anyone with 25 per
cent Inuit ancestry. Those living outside the Settlement Area enjoy many of the
benefits of those living inside, from hiring preferences at Voisey's Bay to
access to federal programs such as non-insured health services and
post-secondary education funding. While the harvesting provisions are only
available within the Settlement Area, the benefits were sufficient to satisfy
the 60 per cent of eligible Inuit voters outside the area, of whom 70 per cent
voted in favour of the Agreement.
This point is important, Mr. Speaker, in light of the concerns raised by the
Labrador Metis Nation with the Agreement. Many members of the LMN may now be
eligible to become beneficiaries of the Labrador Inuit Land Claims Agreement.
This addresses a concern raised by many people, particularly in the Upper Lake
Melville area, who lost their membership in the LIA when the criteria became
more stringent in the mid-1990s. Now, as a result of improvements in the
Agreement, some of the people, and others who were never able to be
beneficiaries before, have an opportunity to enjoy the same benefits as the
majority of LIA members will have - the 60 per cent who live outside the
Settlement Area now, Mr. Speaker. This is an example of why the land claims
process has an Agreement- in-Principle stage so the public can view the
Agreement-in-Principle, consider the likely outcome of the process, offer their
opinions, and negotiators can consider those views in the Final Agreement. That
is exactly what happened here, Mr. Speaker. The people spoke and the LIA and the
two governments listened. It is as simple as that.
An individual can only be a beneficiary of one land claims agreement at a
time, Mr. Speaker, but there may be cases where a person meets the criteria for
more than one claim. If an LMN land claim is accepted in the future, and some of
those people living outside the Inuit Settlement Area also qualify as
beneficiaries of an LMN claim, they may opt out of the Inuit claim and back into
the LMN claim at that time. There is nothing to prevent them from choosing to do
so.
At this point, we do not know whether the LMN claim will be accepted by the
one I have urged them, and this government have urged them, to make quickly. If
the LMN is able to demonstrate that the people it represents form a different
society of Inuit than that covered by the LIA Agreement, it may be able to have
its claim accepted, should it meet the accepted test for comprehensive land
claims in Canada. The LMN has been assured by the federal government that it
will assess their claim on this basis. There is nothing in this Agreement that
will prevent this decision from occurring. This Agreement will have no bearing
on whether or not the LMN claim is accepted. We expect the LMN claim to be
evaluated solely on it merits, and I have every confidence that the federal
government is examining their claim on that basis.
I want to once again, Mr. Speaker, assure members of this House and members
of the LMN that, should the federal government accept the LMN land claim, and
subject to our own independent assessment to ensure it meets the established
criteria, the Province will join with the federal government in settling that
claim. If the LMN claim is accepted, and overlaps with the Labrador Inuit
Settlement Area, then the LIA and the LMN must negotiate an overlap agreement,
as the LIA is doing now with the Innu Nation and the Nunavik Inuit of Quebec.
Furthermore, I say to this hon. House today that even if this Agreement would
negatively impact the Labrador Metis Nation - and we believe that it will not -
this government will not use anything in this Agreement to influence the federal
government in making a decision on the LMN land claim.
This Agreement constitutes the final settlement of the Aboriginal rights of
the Labrador Inuit in Canada, and exhaustively sets out the rights of the
Labrador Inuit, that are recognized and confirmed by
section 35 of the
Constitution Act, 1982. Government has negotiated a fair land claims agreement
for the Inuit, taking into account the general public and third party interests.
It pleases me greatly, Mr. Speaker, to have the support of both Opposition
parties this afternoon, and I am pleased to have an all-party agreement to have
this Legislature deal with this legislation today. The Crown's relationship
with the Aboriginal people of this Province truly transcends partisan politics.
I know that this is particularly significant to the Member for Torngat Mountains
who has worked hard on behalf of the Labrador Inuit for many years.
The next step is for the three parties to sign the Agreement, Mr. Speaker. A
signing ceremony, as I understand it, will take place in Nain early in the New
Year. The federal government will then introduce ratification legislation into
the House of Commons which we anticipate will happen in the spring of 2005. I
encourage our federal counterparts to ratify this Agreement expeditiously.
Mr. Speaker, there are so many people that deserve recognition for this
accomplishment. I have earlier referenced the Inuit ratification committee, but
I would also like to mention the President of the LIA, Mr. William Andersen III,
who is with us this afternoon, and the negotiating teams for the Labrador Inuit
dedication to reaching this Agreement.
In particular, I would like to thank the dedicated public servants who formed
the provincial negotiating team. This Agreement represents the culmination of
many years of hard work, persistence, resilience and creativity. I would like to
acknowledge and thank John Berniquez, Cheryl Brown-McLean, Mark Bugden, Ruby
Carter, Deanne Chafe, Mary Hatherly, David Hughes, Tracy King and Bob Warren who
were recently honoured with the 2003 Public Service Award of Excellence.
I would be remiss if I did not also take the opportunity to recognize the
co-operation and collaboration of countless other officials in government who
have assisted this group throughout the negotiation process.
I would also like to mention the directors and staff at the Labrador Inuit
Association. It would not be complete if I did not also recognize the Labrador
Inuit Association members who have since passed on. Their hard work and
determination is their legacy for the Labrador youth of today and for the
future.
This is a day of days for the Labrador Inuit, our Province and our
government. We have all worked incredibly hard and have waited decades for the
realization of this dream. I say to the Labrador Inuit Association and its
members, the Government of the Province of Newfoundland and Labrador and Canada:
congratulations.
Kuruasuriurga Nunatsianit Pitaagasto. I apologize for mangling your beautiful
language, but for those who did not understand what I attempted to say in
Inuktitut, Mr. Speaker, what I said was: I am pleased that you have your
beautiful land.
I am humbled, pleased and privileged to move second reading of this bill.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Leader of the Opposition.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. GRIMES: Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker.
I must say, I take it as quite an honour and a privilege myself to be in the
Legislature of Newfoundland and Labrador on what is one of the rare, but truly
historic days that we encounter as people who are entrusted by the people in the
Province to provide leadership and be involved in these kinds of very
significant advances for the Province.
Mr. Speaker, I will not take a long time. There are other members on our side
who are much closer to this and it is much more near and dear to their hearts
than for me personally. I am just so pleased to see us advancing as a Province
and as a group of people in Newfoundland and Labrador.
I know that the Member for Torngat Mountains and the Member for Cartwright-L'Anse
au Clair would like to speak in this debate. There may even be, as I understand
it, an opportunity to consider a potential amendment in the Committee stage with
respect to one aspect of this particular agreement that we will also participate
in.
Mr. Speaker, these few comments - because we are in second reading agreeing,
in principle, to the whole concept. We have with the Labrador Inuit Association
a group clearly recognized as the distinct Aboriginal Group in Canada, under the
laws of Canada, and their rights protected under the constitution, as was
pointed out by the minister in his commentary. We have now the culmination of
many long years of dedicated effort on behalf of a lot of people to get to where
we are today and where I hope we will be very shortly in the House of Commons,
the Parliament of Canada, so we can bring this process to its rightful and
proper conclusion.
I would mention, if I could at this point in time, one other significant
turning point from my own point of view because I have had the great privilege
of being a member of this Legislature for fifteen years; half the time that it
has taken the people to try to work out this arrangement. I thought I had been
here a long time but it is half as long as the people who have been trying to
bring this to a conclusion. So you can see, it is not simple, it is not easy, it
is very broad based, it is complex, it is comprehensive and it is the right
thing to do. It took a lot of people a lot of time to get it done but I think
there should be an era of celebration in accomplishing it.
One thing that did happen from the 1980s on through, and the time frames that
the minister pointed out when he was introducing the bill for second reading,
was that at points in time, even though there was a negotiation going on, it
stalled. There was not a lot of progress being made. Obviously, that is why it
took thirty years. There were some years when very little happened and some
years when a lot happened.
I think I would be remiss, from this side of the Legislature and representing
this particular party now in Opposition, if I did not acknowledge - because I
know of it from my own personal involvement - of the added impetus that went
towards getting to this point when Premier Tobin was here leading a Liberal
government, because he convened a series of extraordinary meetings in a process
that had stalled. Members of the negotiating committee and others would
recognize, I think, for a period of time at one point in that particular
juncture, there were a group of them, I think, cloistered in hotels in Montreal
and Ottawa for something like twelve or thirteen or fourteen days, and they
finally said: We need to move beyond the framework. We need to make sure we are
really going to make a push here. We are going to give this the extra effort. We
want all the negotiators to commit to getting to the agreement-in-principle,
which happened while he was the Premier. I think as much as could be said
historically, and historians will look at that, it could be said that there may
have been as much significant progress made in a three or four year period
because Premier Tobin believed in it personally and wanted the agenda to move
forward on a timely basis as maybe had happened in ten, twelve, or fifteen years
before that. Sometimes that extraordinary political leadership from the
provincial government, from the federal government, from the Labrador Inuit
Association itself needs to surface over a thirty-year period to make sure that
you do make significant progress and get to a point that we are at today.
We were very fortunate, by the way as well, in that same period of time
because we had the now President of the Labrador Inuit Association in our
caucus, in this Legislature. We were joined afterwards by the now Member for
Torngat Mountains and a retired member, Mr. McLean, from Happy Valley-Goose Bay,
who ended up with the ministerial responsibility for this very issue. They then,
because the leadership was shown by the Premier, knew full-well that they had
the full unfettered support of the provincial government in making significant
progress occur. The staff, of course - many of them I have met and many of them
are here today - have worked tirelessly and endlessly, along with the LIA
negotiators and the federal representatives over the years, but never harder
than they did in that three, four, or five year period getting to the
agreement-in-principle. Once that was reached, then there was still detail to be
done before you got to the final language which is in a document like this. It
is another great piece of work done in a fairly short period of time, compared
to the long history of the whole saga that has now led us to where we are today.
I think that what happened though is this, the representatives of the
Labrador Inuit Association never did get discouraged. They never did give up.
They always believed. I am sure there were times when they were very frustrated.
You would have to be, if you started a claim back in the 1970s and it is 2004,
and you are finally seeing a vote occur in a Legislature. They always believed
and all of their leaders and negotiators stayed true to the task, even through
the ebbs and flows, and we get to where we are today.
The other thing that the representatives of the Labrador Inuit Association
did is that they kept preparing themselves and their members for the new era
that they are about to walk into. A new era for them with, as the minister was
describing, a real opportunity to have a real say and to self-determine, in many
respects of their lives, what the future will be for the Inuit of Labrador.
Again, Mr. Speaker, I would only ask that the Premier today - and I commend
this government, as well, for on a timely basis moving the process to this
stage. Because, again, there are many items on the agenda for a government, and
hopefully will deal with it expeditiously, as soon as it passes this Legislature
and as soon as the signing ceremony is held - a full effort will go forward to
encourage them to do their last part on a timely basis.
I do commend this government for bringing the legislation forward now, in
this particular session, so that we could keep making the progress and getting
to that end date which is now only just a few short months away.
I would suggest as well, if I could, Mr. Speaker, to the Premier and the
government, that the same kind of leadership that I just ascribed to Premier
Tobin during his tenure, with respect to bringing this to this stage, is the
kind of leadership that I think people hope for in Labrador with respect to the
Labrador Innu claim, which again is at a certain stage of development and can be
pushed forward to an Agreement-in-Principle and to final conclusion with another
thrust from the provincial government and their own negotiators; because we have
the same kind of thing, as the minister would acknowledge, that is happening
where a claim that has been around for a long time has come nowhere close to
reaching the finalization that this particular claim rightfully is achieving
here in this Legislature today.
The other thing I would ask, Mr. Speaker, because I do agree with this fully
in principle, having been Premier of the Province in which we initialed the
final documents that are here, and having participated in several different
stages of the negotiations with different committees and different working
groups, I would ask that the assurances given by the minister with respect to
nothing that is happening here being prejudicial or possibly adversely or
negatively impacting the Labrador Metis Nation, that the same or similar words,
and just as strong, would be uttered by the Premier himself on behalf of the
government so that there is no misunderstanding; because I can say this with
absolute certainty, Mr. Speaker, that every single time I was involved in any
one of the issues with respect to this land claim for the Labrador Inuit
Association, there would be a point or a juncture in the session where people
would say, and the question would be asked: Now, are we all sure and confident
that what we are doing here is not going to adversely or negatively impact on
other claims that are also there before us in Labrador - the Innu claim and the
hopes and aspirations that the Labrador Metis Nation have as well?
The answer given to me, and other politicians and other officials who were in
the room, always was, as the minister stated today, that our understanding, the
government that I participated in, was that there isn't anything here that is
being done that would cause a problem for the aspirations and the hopes of the
Labrador Metis Nation or the Innu Nation that are in the process of a legitimate
claim as this point in time.
I think we cannot say that too strongly for the record, because that has been
my understanding of it in a full fifteen years of involvement with a government
in Newfoundland and Labrador and this Legislature that, that is the
circumstance. I think there would be, again, at least some comfort - I think the
Metis Nation, in particular, take some comfort - from the words of the minister,
and I am sure they take comfort if the same words are echoed in some similar
language by the Premier when he speaks to this issue.
The other thing that I would say, Mr. Speaker, and I will not take a long
time, is this: I recognize one particular gentleman who is here today, who is
going to have a role in Ottawa, and that is the Senator from Labrador, Senator
Rompkey. He, along with the Member of Parliament, Mr. O'Brien, will have a
real role to play in that next stage in terms of encouraging the Government of
Canada in that caucus to do in their Parliament what we are going to do here
today.
The reason I mention the Senator in this Chamber and this context is because,
with my father, I worked on election campaigns for the Senator dating back to
1972, when he was the Member for Grand Falls-White Bay-Labrador. So, either as
an elected member or as a Senator, I am saying, in my few comments here today,
that I have been around for half of this while he has been around for all of it.
I can tell you one thing, the Inuit of Labrador know that they have had a
constant supporter and friend in the Senator today, when he was an MP and now as
a Senator - when he was the MP for Labrador alone, the first ever MP for
Labrador separately in the House of Commons for Canada - and I know that they
can count on his support, along with Mr. O'Brien as the Member of Parliament,
same process that we are going through here today.
Mr. Speaker, I will conclude my few remarks, thereby encouraging those like
the Senator and the MP to take the lead from this Legislature today and push for
commend the Premier, the minister and the government, for doing this on a timely
basis here in Newfoundland and Labrador, the right thing to do at the right time
in our history.
I can tell you this: Given the opportunity that they will now seize with both
hands, and firmly, as a people in Labrador, the Labrador Inuit, all of them,
with their own new opportunities, they will stand on their own two feet. They
will seize and control their own destiny in a way they could only hope and dream
about before. I will tell you one thing that I am confident will happen: they
will help all of us build a greater and better Newfoundland and Labrador. I
commend everyone involved in the process.
Thank you for the opportunity to speak in this historic debate.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Premier.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
PREMIER WILLIAMS: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
It is indeed, as well, for me today, a great honour and a privilege to stand
here in this House, in this chair. I think it is appropriate that I spoke as the
third Premier. The former Premier spoke first, the recent Premier spoke second,
and I spoke third because I am the new - I cannot say I am the new kid on the
block - I am the new person on the block. I am delighted to be here. I am very
proud to be here. I am very privileged to be here, quite frankly. I just happen
to be in the right place at the right time, and will ultimately have the honour
of signing this Agreement when it is completed.
I certainly welcome you, Mr. Andersen, and your delegation. I welcome the
Senator. It is unfortunate that Mr. O'Brien is unable to be here with us
today. He played a critical role in this. I also welcome all the members in the
gallery, all the members of the LIA who are here with us today. It is truly an
historic occasion. I think the minister said it was a day of days, and well put.
It is a unique debate. It is a unique opportunity that we have here in this
House today, to talk about something that has never happened here before. It is
a very, very special moment. It is a very symbolic moment.
It is amazing that over a period of twenty-seven years this has happened;
but, again, as the minister said in introducing, or in speaking at second
reading, that it has transcended partisan politics truly. It is interesting that
it started with the Moores' government, and hopefully it will be concluded
quite soon with our government, but it has been the work of all governments.
I thank the hon. the Leader of the Opposition for acknowledging our
contribution, but it has only been a small one. This particular government's -
it has only been a small one. The hon. leader's government has moved this and
made a significant move when that was executed during your term, Sir.
As well, we acknowledge the contribution of former Premier Tobin, who
accelerated it. That is truly acknowledged. It certainly was a cause of his. I
know the work that he put into it. I was aware of it, and he certainly advanced
the file.
As the minister, of course, is aware, during the Peckford government this
moved forward, so it is truly a work of all of us and all parties. I think we
should all be proud of that, as well as the members for Labrador. Really, I
probably should have waited to hear the Member for Torngat because I am looking
forward to hearing him speak. He speaks in this House on behalf of his people
with great emotion. I have seen him at times being moved to tears on behalf of
his people. Sir, I admire you and I respect you for that. I am looking forward
to your comments as well.
It has been a collective effort. It is so nice to see this happen. We can
come together on things, and we do come together on things, and things that are
in the best interest of the people of our Province. It is so nice to see it
work. We have done everything we can, as a government, and we made a commitment
to Mr. Andersen that we would try to expedite this and fast-track it and do
absolutely everything that we could in order to bring it to fruition and to
finalize this matter. Twenty-seven years is a long time. I practiced law for
over thirty years. It seems like a lifetime for this negotiation to have gone on
so long, but it is truly a credit to your negotiators, to the negotiators, the
public service, everybody who has been involved in this. It has been and it is a
difficult process. It is a very complex negotiation. What you have achieved here
is something absolutely remarkable. It is historic because it is the last, of
course, in the country, but it is the first in our Province. What has been done
has been a labour of love, I am sure, but there has been a lot of hard work. You
have a very good product here, and I think that everybody is certainly delighted
with it.
What has happened here is fundamental justice. It was interesting this
morning when I heard the remarks of Mr. Andersen. I just took some notes as to
what he said: It is a new era of trust. We have now reached maturity. He talked
about a shared commitment. He talk about unity and hope. He talked about hope
and pride and self-determination.
That is really what it is all about. It is interesting when we speak as a
Province and we talk about our relationship, Newfoundland and Labrador's
relationship with Canada. We talk about self-determination, being masters of our
own destiny, and self-sufficiency, and having pride and having respect, and that
is really what it is all about for you and your people, except to a greater
degree. You were there before the Europeans; you were there before the Vikings.
Your people really have not gotten the respect that they truly deserve. There
has been some social injustice that has been committed with your people, and
that is now finally being corrected. It is wonderful, absolutely wonderful, to
be part of that and see it come to fruition. It must give you tremendous
satisfaction to have done this.
I know this morning you acknowledged the leaders who have gone before you,
and the work that has gone into it, and the dedication and the devotion, but for
your people - and I saw it when I travelled to the North Coast, and again I
mentioned it during Question Period, I do thank the hon. member for inviting me
there. I had been up before, but not on the same type of trip, and you cannot
believe it and you cannot appreciate it until you get to see it first-hand, and
you see exactly what you are doing for your people but also the difficulties
that your people experience. Again, I cannot help but keep repeating it, you see
it in the children. The children have a chance. They are young enough to have a
chance. What you are doing in self-government is now finally giving them that
hope. You even used the word hopelessness; it is now hopefully gone away this
morning, and we remove that by having self-government. Now, there is a whole new
opportunity for a type of independence whereby they can have that self-respect.
I think they can feel, as a people and as young people, that they have a future
and they can work towards the future.
Having done this is a huge step forward, and what it does is creates a
positive relationship between our governments, a positive relationship between
the provincial government, the federal government, and your government, Sir.
Whatever we can do in order to help that, we certainly will.
I must say I was moved, though, by the needs that are there, with the
Aboriginal people and particularly with the Inuit people. I think we have to
address that, the social injustice that has happened over the years and the
price that has been paid by people who are now adults. We do have a chance, we
have a chance as a government and as a people to make a real difference here,
and we cannot just pay lip service to it. Fortunately, we have the strong voices
of people, like the Member for Torngat, who are able to put those issues before
us and keep them in our face, for want of a better term. Mr. Andersen and his
group, the people who work for you, the support staff that you have with you,
the people who are communicating for you, they are getting that message out.
As I said today, as well, there are some interesting relationships that have
developed now in the Province. The former Premier and the Minister of Aboriginal
Affairs have a relationship with Paul Okalik from Nunuvut, who you yourself have
a relationship with. When I am at First Ministers' Conferences, the Premier of
Nunuvut mentions the Minister of Aboriginal Affairs and yourself. We are now,
sort of, having more of a national relationship that is developing and we can
learn from our own experiences and we can do things better and hopefully do them
right and even improve on what has happened before in this country. I am hoping
that your government, Sir, will be a model government for the entire country,
and I certainly look forward to that.
The other thing, of course, is just from an economic perspective. There is an
opportunity here now, there is a lot of funding that is going to be going into
setting up your government. It is a statement to the world that you now have an
economic opportunity, that, as a Province, we are now going to be working in
conjunction. It is, I think, a very positive statement to the rest of the
country, that we will be working together with Nunatsiavut in order to develop
the North. We have tremendous opportunity, we have tremendous opportunity in
Voisey's Bay which is now proceeding and, of course, your government will have
a percentage of that. In fact, we hope through negotiation with the federal
government we can eventually increase that percentage, because your percentage
is a percentage of our percentage, and as our percentage goes up so will yours,
and that will mean a greater return to your people. As well, if there are any
new finds in that particular area, of course, you will get 25 per cent of that.
That will give you an opportunity to get the funding.
What is really is the analogies are the same with our own province, because
as we try to develop Newfoundland and Labrador we are asking, through things
like the Atlantic Accord, to get a bigger piece of our action, to have a bigger
stake in what are our own resources. That is exactly what you are asking for
yourself and that you are receiving as a result of this. It is interesting how
similar we are in a lot of ways. We haven't gone through the same hardship, as
a people, that you have, but we have the same issues of independence, integrity,
respect, dignity, self-determination and masters of our own destiny and just
moving forward. This is an opportunity, I think, for your people to get the
self-confidence that they need, that we all need as a people within this great
country of Canada.
involvement. The Leader of the Opposition spoke very highly of Senator Romkey
and his contribution to Labrador, which has been significant, Sir, and I
certainly commend you for that. He still does it. He is still an advocate. He is
championing our causes now, as we speak, in Ottawa on issues like the Atlantic
Accord. I was away at school in 1972, otherwise I would have worked for you as
well if I had been in the Grand Falls area, but unfortunately I did not have the
opportunity. A great Newfoundlander and particularly, a great Labradorian.
It is people like Senator Romkey and other people in this Province, and the
Member of Parliament, Lawrence O'Brien, who have done wonderful things for
their area, for their districts. That is where the real pride of Newfoundlanders
and Labradorians comes because we all pull together on issues. The fact that we
have gotten over our partisan politics and moved together in such an expeditious
manner, even recently, I think is a credit to all of us.
The other thing I want to mention too, and I mentioned this morning in my
remarks at the press conference. This is not about doing a favour for the Inuit
people. This is not about giving them some undeserved special treatment or
caving into unreasonable demands. This is about giving your people what they are
entitled to. It is fundamental justice. It is long overdue. They will get what
they deserve and it has finally come. It is unfortunate that it has taken so
long to do it, but it is very fortunate that it has happened. In our lifetime we
can see it and hopefully we will see the fruits of your labour and the fruits of
the labour of all the people who have been involved in this process.
I can say, in conclusion, that it will allow us all to move forward
individually and collectively for a stronger, more prosperous and a more
resilient Newfoundland and Labrador, and your government, Sir. As well, we are
all so very appreciative of one anothers cultures, one anothers heritage, one
anothers gifts and what we bring together as a community and as a community of
Newfoundland and Labrador and the new community of Nunatsiavut.
I thank you very much for all your efforts. I thank everybody who has been
involved in this. I commend all governments. As I said, we were fortunate enough
to come in on the end of this very, very important occasion. To be part of it is
just indeed a great honour. My hat is off to you, Sir, and my hat is off to your
people. We look forward to working with you and your new government.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Member for Signal Hill-Quidi Vidi.
MR. HARRIS: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
I, too, am singularly honoured to be present today for what has been referred
to as a historic moment for Newfoundland and Labrador and, in particular, the
Inuit people of Labrador who have achieved an agreement that establishes for
them, and for us, a new government within our Province, the Government of
Nunatsiavut.
For anybody who knows the history of Canada and in particular, the history of
this Province, the advent of Aboriginal rights and recognition of Aboriginal
rights to the extent that they are recognized today has been slow in coming. The
achievement of an agreement after twenty-seven years is one indication of this
but the fact that the past twenty-seven years have been spent in debating,
considering, looking at what might be, have also assisted the parties and in
particular, the Inuit, in achieving a better agreement; an agreement that they
are now satisfied and have ratified and wish to have implemented, because things
have changed.
Even in the last twenty-seven years we have seen the recognition in our
Constitution nationally of Aboriginal rights and the requirement of governments,
recognize Aboriginal rights, and accept and defend and promote the kind of
self-determination and self-government, such as is contained in this Agreement
here today. That is what we are doing today, in addition to acknowledging and
ratifying through legislation an agreement, we are creating in part ourselves,
government that is not provincial, that is not federal, that is municipal.
When you look at the powers set out in the agreement for self-government, it
sets out the powers of the Nunatsiavut government in environmental protection,
in education, in health, in lands, in social family youth and children services,
in housing, intergovernmental affairs and many other aspects of the government
that we, in this Province, in this Legislature, take for granted and pass laws
with respect thereto for the people of Newfoundland and Labrador. So, this is
indeed an historic occasion and I am very fortunate to be a Member of this House
of Assembly and to sit here and participate in seeing this come to fruition.
I do want to also congratulate all those who have been a part of this over
the years in terms of providing the leadership from the very beginning,
providing the assistance and advice that the Inuit have received and that has
been a part of the piece that is extremely important. Because this is a treaty
but it is not the kind of treaty that we have come to disrespect in this country
in the past where the treaty rights and the treaties that were signed were
designed to take things away from Aboriginal people on behalf of the government,
that the treaties are sometimes used to insist that Aboriginals have given up
their rights. This is a treaty reached by a self-governing people who have the
right to decide, through referendum with legal advice, with assistance for many
years, to come to an agreement that they make freely and themselves. I think
that is an important distinction as a modern treaty, a modern agreement that
acknowledges and respects the right of the Aboriginal people, to have the
agreement meet their needs as well as reach whatever compromises that need to be
Labrador.
As an individual, as a member for the Legislature and as Leader of the New
Democratic Party of Newfoundland and Labrador, I am very pleased to endorse this
legislation and to be a part of seeing it come before the House of Assembly and
be passed and go on to be recognized across the country.
As well, looking at this agreement, looking at what has taken place, we have
to recognize that this is something of long-term significance as well. The act
of the Labrador Inuit and the leadership in bringing this agreement about, I
also have to say is
an act of courage. It is
an act of courage to come to an
agreement that is going to have long-term significant impact on the Inuit people
of Labrador. I know that the negotiations, the responsibility for convincing, to
the extent that it was done, the Labrador Inuit people that this was an
opportunity for them to accept is something - that responsibility weighs heavily
on the shoulders of the people who were involved. I think we ought to recognize
that here in this House, as well, and governments ought to recognize that in the
future, that this agreement, we hope, will stand the test of time, and thirty
years from now the Inuit can look back and say this day was a day that started
the process of taking us forward, satisfying our need for self-determination,
being the key that brought about the advancement of the Labrador Inuit people.
We also have to recognize that just as many people in this Province have
concerns about Confederation, have concerns about the Terms of Union, that there
may need to be some adjustments in the future; that if indeed this agreement
does not satisfy the needs and aspirations of the