Newfoundland and Labrador Hansard — Members' Statements; Statements by Ministers — 28 March 2006 (45th General Assembly, 3rd Session, Vol. XLV No. 3)
2006-03-28
Newfoundland and Labrador — Debates (Hansard)
March 28, 2006 HOUSE OF ASSEMBLY
PROCEEDINGS Vol. XLV No. 3
The House met at 1:30 p.m.
MR. SPEAKER (Hodder): Order, please!
Admit strangers.
Statements by Members
MR. SPEAKER: This afternoon, we have members' statements as follows:
the hon. the Member for the District of Bellevue; the hon. the Member for the
District of St. John's Centre; the hon. the Member for the District of
Cartwright-L'Anse au Clair; the hon. the Member for the District of Lake
Melville; the hon. the Member for the District of Fortune Bay-Cape La Hune; and
the hon. the Member for the District of Mount Pearl.
The Chair recognizes the Member for the District of Bellevue.
MR. BARRETT: Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to rise today to congratulate Mr.
Roger Jamieson, who has been awarded the 2005 Doug Wheeler Tourism Award. This
award recognizes outstanding efforts to promote or develop the tourism industry
in Newfoundland and Labrador.
Mr. Speaker, Roger Jamieson is the owner of Kilmory Resort, located in Swift
Current. Opened in 1991, Kilmory is one of the most successful resort operations
in the Province and has expanded four times in the last ten years. Roger has
been a board member of Hospitality Newfoundland and Labrador for fourteen years
and served a two-year term as president. He currently sits on the Canadian
Tourism Commission board of directors and is an executive member of the
Newfoundland and Labrador Tourism Marketing Council.
Mr. Speaker, I ask all members of this House to join with me in
congratulating Mr. Roger Jamieson, the recipient of the 2005 Doug Wheeler
Tourism Award.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Member for the District of St. John's Centre.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. SKINNER: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
This past Saturday, Sport Newfoundland and Labrador held its Annual Athletic
Awards Banquet. The ceremony recognizes the achievements of our Province's
elite athletes, coaches, and executives. There are seven awards presented and
they are given to individuals and groups who have shown outstanding contribution
and performance for various sports categories. Each of the awards is also named
after an accomplished sports figure in Newfoundland and Labrador sporting
history.
The winners for 2006 were: the Junior Female Athlete of the Year; the
Margaret Davis Memorial Award went to Katarina Mirabelle Roxon, a swimmer. The
Junior Male Athlete of the Year Award; the Joseph P. Mullins Memorial Award was
Joey Russell, figure skating. Coach of the Year; John Drinkwater Memorial Award
went to Pat Parfrey, for rugby. The Executive of the Year; the Graham Snow
Memorial Award went to Brian Murphy, soccer. The Team of the Year Award; the
Edward P. Browne Memorial Award went to the Brad Gushue curling team. Senior
Female Athlete of the Year; Elizabeth Swan Memorial Award, was Julia Howard of
track and field, and the Senior Male Athlete of the Year was Ford Hayward
Memorial Award, Brad Gushue, curling.
I ask all hon. members to join with me in congratulating the achievements of
our sporting community.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Member for the District of Cartwright-L'Anse
au Clair.
MS JONES: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
I rise today to congratulate a resident from Charlottetown, Labrador, Cherie
Lee Campbell Oram, who was awarded the Atlantic Centre of Excellence for Women's
Award.
Cherie Lee has been employed as a regional nurse for ten years and has worked
in many small, rural communities in Northern and Southern Labrador. For the past
five-and-a-half years she has worked in her hometown of Charlottetown. The
clinic provides health services to two other nearby communities.
Mr. Speaker, Cherie Lee has been a strong advocate in the areas of health
promotion and prevention in women's health. She has worked diligently with
other committee members to establish a multi-purpose building to house a family
resource centre, as well as a youth centre. Also, she co-leads the senior's
group and takes great pride in educating elderly in health promotion. She has
been trained in train the trainer' for HIV and AIDS awareness and
prevention. She is the mother of three young children and she finds the time to
enhance her studies as a nurse practitioner to better meet the needs of her
community and the needs of women.
The Atlantic Centre of Excellence for Women's Health is one of four
national Centres of Excellence for Women's Health and is funded by Health
Canada. Their awards recognize leadership on the part of individuals who have
made a significant contribution to the improvement of women's health
throughout Atlantic Canada.
So, Mr. Speaker, I ask all members today to join me in congratulating Cherie
Lee Campbell Oram on receiving this prestigious award.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Member for the District of Mount Pearl.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. DENINE: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Today, Mr. Speaker, I would like to congratulate the students and staff of O'Donel
High School in Mount Pearl on their recent musical production AIDA. This is a
production with a musical score by Elton John and Tim Rice, - a timeless love
story.
The show ran from March 16 to March 19 at the Arts & Culture Centre and
was well attended. I must add, that a great number of schools in the surrounding
area also went to see the students during the day to see this musical. This is
another fine example of the support received by their peers.
Mr. Speaker, this is also the twentieth anniversary of O'Donel High and the
pride of the patriots can be seen in AIDA. O'Donel is well-known for
portraying great musicals and displaying talent of young people in our Province.
The sets, the costumes, the students were outstanding.
Mr. Speaker, at this time I would like to thank the staff, parent volunteers
and sponsors of this event. Without their help and financial assistance, events
like this would not be possible. I am very proud of the energy and enthusiasm
shown by the students of O'Donel High in Mount Pearl.
Mr. Speaker, I ask all members of this House to join with me in
congratulating them on a job well done.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Member for the District of Fortune Bay-Cape la
Hune.
MR. LANGDON: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today to acknowledge the tremendous contribution of Ms
Doreen Vallis as a devoted volunteer to her community. Ms Vallis was recently
named Citizen of the Year for Harbour Breton.
Mr. Speaker, Doreen is currently the president of the hospital auxiliary,
treasurer for the Harbour Breton recreation commission, member of the Chamber of
Commerce and a former member of the economic development committee.
Mr. Speaker, Doreen has been an enthusiastic volunteer for over twenty years
and is well-known throughout the region for her tremendous involvement with the
hospital auxiliary. During her presidency, tens of thousands of dollars has been
raised for the local hospital. Doreen says volunteering is all about helping
someone and with the hospital auxiliary they have the chance to reach out to so
many people.
Mr. Speaker, we can all learn important lessons from people like Doreen. As
everyone in Harbour Breton struggles with the economic realities facing the
community, Doreen still believes that by volunteering it is her way to give back
to a community that has given so much to her. Although honoured for the
recognition of Citizen of the Year, Doreen did not forget to recognize the
hundreds of volunteers in the region that contribute to their respective
communities.
Doreen Vallis is an asset to her community and the Coast of Bays region. Her
dedication and perseverance to make health care more comfortable for those in
need is remarkable. I wish her much success in the future and may she continue
to provide her guidance and support to all those around her.
Mr. Speaker, I ask that all members of this House join me in congratulating
Ms Doreen Vallis for her outstanding volunteer efforts and her strengths for
continuously helping others.
Thank you.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Member for the District of Lake Melville.
MR. HICKEY: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
I rise in the House today to give deserved recognition to the Melville Mantas
Swim Club of Happy Valley-Goose Bay who, this year, is celebrating their
twenty-fifth anniversary.
Mr. Gord Wheeler, former manager of the Labrador Training Centre, started the
Melville Mantas Swim Club in the late 1980s and the club has been active ever
since. When Mr. Wheeler moved to Gander in 1982, Mr. John Baird and a succession
of other volunteer coaches took over. Today, Paula Dawe, Kerry Rideout, Gail
Thorne and Andrew Rowsell are the dedicated volunteers for the Mantas.
Throughout the years, the Mantas Swim Club has been a strong competitive
club. It has earned the respect of the provincial swimming community through its
sportsmanship, involvement at the provincial meets, and high standard of good
behaviour from the swimmers.
Mr. Speaker, the Melville Mantas has had representation on the Canada Games
Swim Teams, Provincial Summer Games Teams, East Coast Championships and various
university teams. The strength of the club lies in the strong parental
involvement, the high level of commitment from volunteer coaches, and indeed the
dedicated hard work of swimmers.
Mr. Speaker, I ask all members of this hon. House to join me and to
congratulate the Melville Mantas Swim Team on their twenty-fifth anniversary,
and to wish them every success in the future.
Thank you.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
Statements by Ministers
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Government House Leader.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. E. BYRNE: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
I am pleased to rise in the House today to inform members and the people of
the Province, particularly those on the Northern Peninsula, that Corner Brook
Pulp and Paper has agreed to reverse their decision to not purchase pulpwood
from the area this year.
Officials in my department and myself as minister, in consultation with my
colleagues from The Straits & White Bay North and St. Barbe, entered into
discussions immediately last week, on Wednesday and Thursday, with Corner Brook
Pulp and Paper. We clearly impressed upon the company that if fundamental
changes are required in the industry, it needs to be done over the longer term
and from a strategic point of view. This decision, if not reversed, would have
effectively put an entire industry in a region into a tailspin overnight.
Mr. Speaker, myself and the MHA for The Straits & White Bay North and the
Member for St. Barbe met with twenty-five representatives of the logging
industry in Plum Point on the Northern Peninsula on Sunday afternoon, to inform
them of the outcome of government's discussions with the company. Government
and the loggers in the area know the challenges facing the pulp and paper
industry and the necessity for a long-term plan for moving the industry forward.
We have reached a short-term agreement for this year with Corner Brook Pulp
and Paper that will see them continue to purchase approximately the same amount
of fibre or pulpwood from the Northern Peninsula this year as they did last. In
exchange, the Province has agreed to look within its existing budget and
programs to see what can be done to mitigate the costs to the industry of fire
suppression, spray, silviculture and access roads programs.
Government has also reached an agreement to purchase the Main River Bridge
from the company for the benefit of the people in the area and for recreational
and tourism development. The company no longer has use for bridge and planned on
relocating it to some other aspect of its enterprise. The replacement cost of
the bridge is $300,000 and funding will come from savings in this year's spray
program as result of lower than projected costs relating to dealing with the
hemlock looper.
Mr. Speaker, the decision by Corner Brook Pulp and Paper on Tuesday of last
week, if implemented, would have been devastating for loggers in Forest
Management Districts 17 and 18. It would have potentially resulted in the loss,
immediately, directly, of 250 jobs.
The company originally made the decision because of the surplus of wood in
the Maritimes, which is available today at a lower price. This surplus is a
result of the closure of the Stephenville mill, the UPI Mill in New Brunswick,
and the labour dispute currently at STORA Industries in Nova Scotia. The
forestry industry throughout Canada is re-positioning itself to reflect high
energy costs and fibre costs and, equally important, the impact of a strong
Canadian dollar and a declining North American demand for newsprint.
Mr. Speaker, today I am announcing that we are responding to these challenges
by undertaking a complete review of the forest industry in Newfoundland and
Labrador. This initiative will assess the current state and structure of the
industry and provide a path for a new and sustainable forest industry that is
responsive and meets the challenges of the global economy. This initiative will
occur over the next six to eight months and will include a fairly extensive
public consultation process, which we will outline in several weeks.
Additionally, we will immediately complete an assessment of the short-term
competitiveness issues that face the forest industry today. We will evaluate
management programs such as silviculture, forest protection, road construction,
inventory and other programs where the residents of the Province benefit to
share the costs on management.
Mr. Speaker, the forest industry, little known or little promoted, provides
the most jobs and the most returns for rural Newfoundland and Labrador. For
example, last year the industry was worth $1.2 billion and employed, directly
and indirectly, some 12,000 people.
Mr. Speaker, I guess, from our point of view, we have committed to working in
consultation with the logging industry to identify the needs that we need to
have a look at, so that we can move this industry forward from a strategic
long-term sustainable point of view.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Opposition House Leader.
MR. PARSONS: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
I would like to thank the minister for an advance copy of his statement.
It is very pleasing, indeed, to see that government, and in particular the
minister, has responded in an up-front fashion and in a very timely manner, I
might say, with regard to this urgent issue on the Northern Peninsula.
It is easy to be negative. Someone could say, you know, there are all kinds
of ways to give away resources, whether you do it through bad deals or you do it
through subsidization, but I say sincerely here, I think the minister has dealt
with this issue in a proper way.
It seems many companies in this Province, as of late, have taken a
confrontational approach when it comes to governments, and in dealing with
government, and they seem to try to put government's back to the wall a lot of
times, and it puts government in a reactionary position rather than in a
position where they could have some forethought, assessment and proper planning
in order to deal with the issues.
I can appreciate, and the minister was right up front again and said, this is
a short-term solution, and he realizes, and I think he has taken the proper
steps to see that there has to be some long-term planning and assessment. So, I
say, hats off to him for dealing with the short-term issue. It is important not
only to those loggers on the Northern Peninsula, but it is also important to the
industry in general, but far more significant that it get dealt with in the
long-term so that we do not have these situations reoccurring and people's
lives are tossed in turmoil and governments have to react rather than be
proactive.
Thank you.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Member for Signal Hill-Quidi Vidi.
MR. HARRIS: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
We are certainly pleased to hear that the minister and his government have
been able to alleviate this problem on the Northern Peninsula with respect to
the 250 loggers whose jobs were at risk as a result - and not only their jobs
but also others in the forestry and in the lumber industry on the Northern
Peninsula at stake - but there is another problem, Mr. Speaker, and I know the
minister is aware of this as well.
In addition to the Northern Peninsula loggers, there are another 60,000 cubic
metres of wood that Corner Brook Pulp and Paper plans to import from the
Maritimes this year, resulting in between twenty and twenty-five loggers not
being recalled to work this year from their unionized workforce and another 250
loggers who will have five or six weeks less work this year as a result of
importing word from the Maritimes.
Mr. Speaker, this is a significant problem, not directed towards one or two
communities such as we have had on the Northern Peninsula, but it is a serious
problem indeed. I hope the minister is able to achieve similar results for that
workforce as they have been able to do for the Northern Peninsula workforce.
This is a significant problem, Mr. Speaker. If they are, for short-term reasons,
able to get cheaper wood from the Maritimes than cutting it here on the Island,
the big question has to be asked - the forest resources in many cases are owned
and managed by these companies and we would like to see them use them and
utilize them to the maximum benefit of the people of Newfoundland and Labrador.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
MR. SPEAKER: Further Statements by Ministers?
Oral Questions?
Oral Questions
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. The Opposition House Leader.
MR. PARSONS: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
My question is for the Minister of Fisheries and Aquaculture.
Minister, there is a lot of confusion in the public domain as to whether or
not FPI broke the law. In your rant from the back of the pickup truck last week
you said: They shipped and they shipped and they shipped and they broke the law
and they will be charged. Then on Friday, your press release says that your
investigation was not complete and no decision had been made regarding charges.
Are you admitting, by your Friday statement, that your Tuesday comments were
indeed inaccurate and unjustified and just an emotional rant?
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Minister of Fisheries and Aquaculture.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. RIDEOUT: Not in the least, Mr. Speaker! Not in your wildest dreams!
Even if you wanted me to I wouldn't do it.
The fact of the matter is, what I said the early part of last week is that,
as a result of information that had come to me indicating that FPI had shipped
out greater quantities of unprocessed fish than they were alleged to have
approval for, which we found out during the course of our investigation there
was no approval for but they shipped out in excess of what they allegedly had
approval for - our audit showed that they shipped out significantly in excess of
what they had requested permission for. On that basis, we had given instructions
that an investigation be carried out, and when the results of that investigation
are available then decisions will be made accordingly. That is what I said, Mr.
Speaker, nothing less, nothing more, and I stand by that.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Opposition House Leader.
MR. PARSONS: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
I think it is quite clear, minister, exactly what you said for the media:
they will be charged. Now, minister, would you at least agree that this was a
serious mistake of judgement on your part as a Minister of the Crown and Deputy
Premier up in the back of a pickup truck with a union toque on telling the whole
world that an internationally, publicly traded company was going to be charged
and you did not have your homework done? Now, minister, you made these shocking,
and I would suggest irresponsible, accusations about the company. You said in
this House that the company has not given you important financial information
that you require. Don't you think that you have poisoned the well enough now
that someone else, other than yourself, should be dealing with this most serious
issue?
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Minister of Fisheries and Aquaculture.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. RIDEOUT: Mr. Speaker, I make no apologies for jumping up in the back
of a pickup truck and speaking to people in this Province who invited me to
speak to them. No apologies whatsoever, Mr. Speaker.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. RIDEOUT: And, Mr. Speaker, I make no apologies for - I did not put on
a union toque, by the way, somebody put it on my head, but I do not apologize
for that either, Mr. Speaker. Those are union people. They deserve to - they
asked me to come speak to them, they deserve for us to do that.
Now, getting back to the substantive matter of the question, if there was
one, Mr. Speaker. If there is any well poisoned here, Mr. Speaker, it is done by
the company. I choose to say nothing about the proposals that FPI were putting
forward until the union choose to make them public. The government said not a
word about them, Mr. Speaker, even though we had been aware of them for a few
days prior to that happening, but we didn't poison any wells.
This company, Mr. Speaker, on the weekend before this event happened, changed
all of their positions that they had in front of government and came back with
other positions that they wanted us to consider. They change in the sand, Mr.
Speaker, almost every other day and they expect us to take that, say nothing and
be good boys and girls about it. Not on your life, Mr. Speaker!
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. RIDEOUT: This company has responsibilities to their workers, to the
people of Newfoundland and Labrador, and if they need to be told that, Mr.
Speaker, I will tell them. I don't care whether it is in this House, from the
back of a truck or from the top of Confederation Building.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!
I would ask for the co-operation of members to keep their questions and their
responses within the usual one minute.
The Chair recognizes the hon. the Opposition House Leader.
MR. PARSONS: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Minister, I think we have seen enough, and the people of the Province have
seen enough of your bluster and rhetoric and ranting. This is a serious
situation that calls for level heads and rational thought. Be sure, there are no
apologists over here for FPI either, but at the end of the day, all parties have
to go back to that table and find a solution to this complex and devastating
problem. I think your actions have seriously compromised government's role in
that process.
Wouldn't you agree that you made a very serious error in judgement and you
ought to step back from this situation because you created it?
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Minister of Fisheries and Aquaculture.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. RIDEOUT: Mr. Speaker, I make no apologies for the way I answer
questions or the way I make a speech. As I said to this House before, I only
know one way to do it and I do it in the way that I am comfortable with. I am
passionate about it and I share that passion, and I don't make any apologies
for that.
Now, if there are people who are engaged in business in this Province who
cannot stand the government, or a minister, or a union taking a different public
stand than they want to take, then I cannot help that either. This government
has said that we are quite prepared - I have said, that we are quite prepared to
facilitate a return of FPI and the FFAW to the table with government if they
want us. We are quite prepared to do that through ministers or through the
Labour Relations Agency or whatever it takes. But no, Mr. Speaker, I do not
think we have soured anything. We have dealt with this company in an open and
accountable way. We will continue to do it - point out when they change their
minds in positions that they put the government, then we are not going to sit
back, Mr. Speaker, and say nothing about it.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Opposition House Leader.
MR. PARSONS: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Minister, to say nothing of the possible defamation action that you have
opened this government up to and this Province up to, given your confrontational
approach with FPI, given FPI's refusal to give you certain financial
information that you have requested, given the ongoing dismantling of FPI, as we
speak, obviously without government's approval and involvement, would you now
agree more than ever that we do need a public inquiry into FPI, and at the very
minimum, we need the FPI Act brought back here so that we can put some teeth in
it and it is not just a piece of toilet paper as displayed by The Independent ?
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Minister of Fisheries and Aquaculture.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. RIDEOUT: Mr. Speaker, the slowness or the tardiness, whatever the
right word is of FPI in providing financial information to the auditors that we
have in there, there was no connection between that and any other comment I made
about FPI last week. That is something which happened long before that, so you
cannot attribute that to that particular situation. Whether or not the FPI Act
is not worth any more than a piece of garbage -
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Oh, oh!
MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!
MR. RIDEOUT: Whether or not the FPI Act is not worth any more than toilet
paper, Mr. Speaker, the FPI Act that we are dealing with today was the FPI Act
that was last amended by this Legislature when the hon. gentleman and ladies
opposite were the government. Now, if we come to the conclusion that we need to
amend that -
MR. PARSONS: You created it, we amended it. (Inaudible).
MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!
MR. RIDEOUT: That is the last piece of amendment that was done to the
act.
Now, Mr. Speaker, if we come to the conclusion, as a government, that we need
further amendments, we will be back in this House looking for them.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Leader of the Opposition.
MR. REID: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
My questions are also for the Minister of Fisheries.
Mr. Speaker, on Friday FPI circulated an internal memo that stated that Mr.
George Armoyan, was now going to take over, or head up, the American division of
FPI - that is the secondary processing and the marketing division that exists in
Danvers, Massachusetts.
Mr. Speaker, given that FPI was created by the Government of Newfoundland and
Labrador and is governed by the FPI Act in this Legislature, I ask the minister:
Were you consulted or advised of this significant restructuring and if so, what
were your comments?
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Minister of Fisheries and Aquaculture.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. RIDEOUT: The answer to the question was no, Mr. Speaker.
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Leader of the Opposition.
MR. REID: I think that is the point that my colleague was trying to make,
that you do not know what is happening with FPI.
Mr. Speaker, under the direction of Mr. -
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Oh, oh!
MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!
MR. REID: Mr. Speaker, under the direction of Mr. Armoyan, FPI is now
dividing its American assets into four separate parts. This is the most
profitable portion of the company and it has traditionally subsidized the less
profitable groundfish operations.
I ask the minister: Have you been advised of why this restructuring is taking
place, why it would be good for the company and, more importantly, what impact
might this have on the people who work for FPI in this Province?
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Minister of Fisheries and Aquaculture.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. RIDEOUT: Mr. Speaker, as I said in response to a question earlier in
Question Period, the FPI Act as amended, that we are dealing with today, that
FPI is bound by today, was last amended in this Legislature by the hon.
gentlemen and women opposite when they were the government. So there is nothing
different in that act today, in terms of their requirements to the Government of
Newfoundland and Labrador, than it was then.
There is nothing in the FPI Act, Mr. Speaker, that requires FPI to consult
with the government in terms of management restructuring or anything of that
nature. Nothing, Mr. Speaker. What is in the FPI Act is control over the amount
of shares an individual can hold and a prohibition on them selling off all, or
substantially all of their assets. That is what is in the FPI Act, Mr. Speaker,
and we will make sure, as a government, Mr. Armoyan or no Mr. Armoyan,
restructuring or no restructuring, that the FPI Act is lived up to and, as I
said earlier, if we require further amendment then we are prepared to consider
that too.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Leader of the Opposition.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. REID: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
I beg to differ with the minister. A lot has happened since we amended that
act in 2002. We see two communities closed down: Harbour Breton and Fortune. We
see approximately 1,500 people whose futures are in jeopardy.
Mr. Speaker, when the current board of directors divided FPI into three
divisions, it said that each division will sink or swim on its own merit. We now
see the groundfish operation sinking, with plant closures and hundreds of
layoffs. Armoyan is now going to divide the American division into four parts.
I ask the minister: Are you concerned that some of these parts may also sink,
including the newly-formed Canadian division, which includes the secondary
processing plant in Burin?
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Minister of Fisheries and Aquaculture.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. RIDEOUT: Mr. Speaker, if the hon. gentleman is going to quote me,
then he should make sure he does so accurately. I did not say nothing has
changed with FPI; I said nothing has changed with the FPI Act since it was last
amended by this House when the hon. people opposite were the government. That is
what I said, Mr. Speaker, and that is a fact.
Now, in terms of the other parts of his question, Mr. Speaker, we will see.
We believe we have plenty of legislative authority to make sure that the
interests of the people of this Province are protected, and we will not be
hesitant to use it, Mr. Speaker, if we have to.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Leader of the Opposition.
MR. REID: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
He says: If he has to. Three hundred and fifty jobs gone in Harbour Breton,
three hundred and fifty jobs gone in Fortune, potentially another three hundred
going out of Marystown, when are you going to bring the act back in here and
amend it, I say to the minister?
Mr. Speaker, my final question. Mr. George Armoyan and Mr. John Risley are
very close personal and business friends, and have close business ties. Between
Mr. Armoyan and Mr. Risley, they now own approximately 30 per cent of FPI. Both
of these individuals sit on a number of boards together and, in fact, Mr.
Armoyan, upon until recently, sat on the Board of Directors of Clearwater Fine
Foods - a company, I might add, which is owned by John Risley.
I ask the minister: Given the close personal and business relationships
between those two individuals, do you believe that the spirit and intent of the
FPI Act may be compromised with regard to the share restriction?
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Minister of Fisheries and Aquaculture.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. RIDEOUT: Mr. Speaker, the politic rhetoric in the hon. member's
question, that is just what it is. The hon. member knows that when the act was
last looked at for amendment by this Legislature, when they were the government,
the all-party committee recommended that there be nothing put in the act
regarding closures of plants, layoff of workers, or things of that nature. So,
it is not in the act. There is nothing in the act that speaks to that. We may or
we may not want to do it, but it is not there now, and the reason why it is not
there is that those hon. gentlemen and ladies opposite chose not to put it there
when they were the government, Mr. Speaker.
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.
My questions are for the Minister of Health and Community Services.
The former federal Liberal government created a national early learning and
child care program for provinces, allowing for quality, affordable, universal
child care programs, something that we have lobbied for in this country for many
years. The agreement first signed here in Glenwood in May of last year allowed
for, I think it was approximately $50 million in investments for child care in
our Province. I would like to ask the minister how this money has been invested
in the last year.
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Minister of Health and Community Services.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. T. OSBORNE: I will look into that for you. I cannot tell you at this
point how that money has been invested over the past year. I can say that we are
preparing for the changes that the federal government are making to their early
learning and child care plan, and we are making arrangements internally within
our own department to come up with our own early learning and child care plan.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Member for Cartwright-L'Anse au Clair.
MS JONES: Mr. Speaker, from what I know, there hasn't been a cent of it
invested to date into child care centres in the Province, but I will certainly
wait for the minister's response.
My next question is for the Premier, because the present Conservative
government is now threatening to dismantle the entire child care program as we
know it, and erode services to families. All other provinces have opposed to
this new federal Conservative approach to child care, and your government has
received opposition already to the plan from both the Nurses' Union, the FFAW,
the Dietitians Association and others. I have to ask: Why have you been silent
on the issue? Why are you not adding your voice to the voices of other premiers
across the country and oppose this ridiculous move by the Harper government?
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Premier.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
PREMIER WILLIAMS: Mr. Speaker, we are going to use the same approach that
we used with the Atlantic Accord and other issues that we had with the last
government. We are going to pick our spots, pick our fights, and decide on the
issues that are of the most importance to Newfoundlanders and Labradorians. This
is an extremely important issue.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Oh, oh!
MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!
PREMIER WILLIAMS: I am not acknowledging that it is not, but I have asked
for a meeting now with the Prime Minister. I will be meeting with him. I will be
discussing that issue with him.
From my perspective, it is a matter of prioritizing what are the most
important needs for Newfoundlanders and Labradorians that, at the end of the
day, will give us the greatest return so that we can do the things that are
necessary, the kind of things that we have been doing over the last couple of
days: our innovation strategy and our strategic cultural plan, initiatives in
education which we have announcing over the last week.
From our perspective, we get -
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Oh, oh!
MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!
PREMIER WILLIAMS: - significant monetary assistance from the federal
government.
Like I said, I like to pick my spots. Our government, our Cabinet, our caucus
likes to pick our spots, so I have been silent on this, but when I sit down and
I have a face-to-face meeting with the Prime Minister I certainly will be
discussing it with him.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Member for Cartwright-L'Anse au Clair.
MS JONES: Mr. Speaker, in February of last year, when the Minister of
Health was going off to federal-provincial discussions on this issue, he made a
statement that this national child care program is of the utmost importance to
the people of Newfoundland and Labrador.
Here today we have a Conservative government in Ottawa that is prepared to
dismantle the entire program as we know it today and, as a result, this
Province, in the next year, could lose as much as $23 million in investment in
child care centres and could also lose up to 3,000 new places for children in
our Province.
Mr. Speaker, I have to ask the Premier again: Will he intervene immediately?
Will he take a strong stand to protect the integrity of this program and ensure
that the benefits go to children in Newfoundland and Labrador?
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Premier.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
PREMIER WILLIAMS: First of all, Mr. Speaker, this is a minority
government and this government cannot do this by themselves, so it will be in
co-operation with one or two or three other parties, whatever is done or
whatever is decided at the end of the day. I think that should be pointed out.
This is not a majority government.
Secondly, from our perspective, this is a priority for me, there is no
question, but I do not necessarily feel, on this issue, it is one that we should
be negotiating in public, in the press, as others are doing.
What we will do is, we will negotiate it -
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Oh, oh!
MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!
PREMIER WILLIAMS: - when we do have a meeting with the Prime Minister. We
will discuss it with him, we will bring it to his attention, and (inaudible).
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Member for Cartwright-L'Anse au Clair.
MS JONES: Mr. Speaker, my next question is for the Minister of Health.
It has been brought to my attention that the West I unit of the Harbour Lodge
in Carbonear, which is the Alzheimer's unit, is scheduled to close, and that
six residents will be transferred outside the region. I would like to ask the
minister if this is indeed true. If it is, can you tell me where the patients
are being transferred and, most importantly, why that unit is being closed?
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Minister of Health and Community Services.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. T. OSBORNE: Government takes the issue of seniors and long-term care
very seriously. The residents at Harbour Lodge in Carbonear, there are three of
them that are being transferred to St. John's. Government are working with the
other two families that are being affected. Harbour Lodge will continue to offer
care for dementia and Alzheimer patients, but patients who are high risk and
have special needs obviously cannot be looked after at Harbour Lodge because of
the low number of patients who are out there requiring those services.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Member for Signal Hill-Quidi Vidi.
MR. HARRIS: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
My question is for the Premier and is also regarding child care.
Mr. Speaker, his government has a signed agreement with the Government of
Canada on child care giving the Province an additional $55 million to support
early learning and child care over five years. The new Conservative government
threatens to cancel child care agreements, yet Premier Charest has gotten
assurance that Quebec's plan will continue. Mr. Speaker, a signed agreement
with government should be as good as an election promise from Paul Martin.
Why hasn't he, as the Premier, spoken out on this issue which is so
important to the 49,000 women with young children in our workforce who only have
access to 4,800 regulated child care spaces? Why isn't he more out front on
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Minister of Finance and the President of
Treasury Board.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. SULLIVAN: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
I actually was a signatory to the agreement last year, and, in fact, $11.5
million has already flowed to our Province. In 2005-2006, $5.5 million, and $6
million in fiscal year 2006-2007 is flowing from that agreement. As the Premier
already indicated, there is a minority government. It is an issue of funding by
the federal government to flow that money through. Two separate governments have
had two different stances on delivery of that. It is a minority government in
both instances in the House of Commons. We will see what happens over the next
while. The Premier will make our position clear on where we stand on that
particular issue, so we will see what happens in the House of Commons.
It is one of the five priorities campaigned by the Conservative government.
There are two sets of campaign platforms out in the public. I am not sure if the
their own set, but we will see. Our government will make representation on that.
I must say about 20 per cent of that has flowed already and will be utilized
here in our Province for the benefit of early learning and child care.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Member for Signal Hill-Quidi Vidi.
MR. HARRIS: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
On the Atlantic Accord issue, the Premier didn't sit back and let the NDP
do all the work although they certainly had our help. Why is he doing it with
this issue?
Mr. Speaker, equally important to economic development in Newfoundland and
Labrador is the participation of women and young people and young families in
the workforce. He should know, and his government should know, that a quality
day care and child care program is essential to the development of our workforce
to take advantage of the opportunities that are here.
Why isn't this front and center and just as important to the development of
Newfoundland and Labrador? One half of the workforce, Mr. Speaker, relies on
child care to be possible to work, and this is something he should be placing
more attention on. Why has he given this the back burner as compared to other
important issues?
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Minister of Health and Community Services.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. T. OSBORNE: I thank the Member for Signal Hill-Quidi Vidi for his
question.
We are looking at making child care more affordable in rural Newfoundland. We
are coming out with our own plan. There will be announcements in the upcoming
budget. We are looking at making training available for child care providers,
making it more affordable for child care providers. We are looking at providing
subsidies to some of the child care centres in rural areas of the Province, in
addition to the $1,200 that will go on an annual basis to the mothers of
children throughout the Province for children under six years of age.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Opposition House Leader.
MR. PARSONS: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
My questions are for the Minister of Health.
I preface my question by saying, I have never asked questions in this House
of an individual concern. In fact, I have never found it necessary to do so
because I have always had very reasonable co-operation from officials and
ministers. It is unfortunate, I cannot say the same about the Minister of Health
- to date. Perhaps by asking in a public forum with the citizens in question
listening and watching we might get an answer, at least an acknowledgment from
the minister, that he has received my correspondence and that the concern has
been passed on to him.
My question, Minister - I wrote to you on March 14, on behalf of seniors and
representatives of the Status of Women in the Port aux Basques area, asking if
Port aux Basques could be added as a site for the public consultations on
healthy aging. Could you acknowledge if you got my correspondence, not
necessarily that you got an answer, but that you at least got my correspondence
that I have asked about?
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Minister of Health and Community Services.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. T. OSBORNE: I can say to the member opposite that I have not
personally seen your correspondence. You were a minister at one point as well;
you know how the system operates. Oftentimes, letters such as those go through
the system, responses are prepared.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Oh, oh!
MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!
MR. T. OSBORNE: One of my colleagues, I say to the member opposite, is
looking after the consultations on that, and it is quite possible that letter
has gone to him.
We are looking at doing consultations on aging and seniors throughout the
Province. We will take Port aux Basques into consideration - I can give him that
assurance - but, no, I have not seen your letter.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Opposition House Leader.
MR. PARSONS: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Minister, I hand-delivered a letter to you dated March 21, last Tuesday, in
this House. I subsequently sent you three notes across this House concerning a
gentleman in my district who was stuck in the QEII hospital in Halifax, having
had two heart attacks while outside of the Province and needing help with his
ambulance cost.
Could you tell me if you have read the letter, that you received my notes,
and are we entitled to more than a mere shrug of your shoulders and throwing the
notes in the garbage? Can you acknowledge that you have them, Minister?
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Minister of Health and Community Services.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Oh, oh!
MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!
MR. T. OSBORNE: Mr. Speaker, the actions of the member opposite are
absolutely deplorable. He did send me a letter last Tuesday in the House. Ten
minutes later he sent me a letter saying: Did you solve this problem for me yet?
I had not even had a chance to bring the letter upstairs and speak to officials.
On Thursday, in this House, he sent me another letter asking if I had it
solved. I looked across and said no, but I am working on it. That is the fact of
the matter. We are working on it.
The case that you presented is a very complex case of somebody who had gone
to Prince Edward Island, had gone to New Brunswick, for care and is looking for
this government to pay ambulance services back from New Brunswick to Prince
Edward Island. It is not a simple case to solve. That is the fact of the matter.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Opposition House Leader.
MR. PARSONS: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
I am not concerned about whether the minister is discourteous to me,
personally. That is not my concern, but when I pass concerns on to anyone,
whether it is an official or a minister, at least the courtesy of a reply that
you got my correspondence and that someone will look at it sometime is enough to
get the ball rolling.
Minister, another case in point - this has all happened within a week - on
March 22, I wrote a letter to the minister. A seventy-five-year-old lady, in my
district again, had applied for assistance under the provincial drug card
program. She is seventy-five years old, she has all of her own teeth, and her
dentist recommends fillings which cost $510.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Oh, oh!
MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!
MR. PARSONS: MCP refuses to pay $510 for fillings, but the government
will pay $1,500 to extract all of her teeth and give her dentures.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Oh, oh!
MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!
The Chair asks members for their co-operation.
I do believe that the microphones were turned off for the question that you
were placing. Could you repeat your question and then I will ask the government
to give a reply.
MR. PARSONS: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Again, these matters are of urgency. We have the seventy-five-year-old lady.
Why would government not be prepared to spend $500, which it would cost to do
fillings, but government, under another policy, is prepared to spend $1,500 to
extract her teeth and give her dentures?
Her dentist is recommending it is cheaper, it is better, it is more healthy,
it is more hygienic, to have her own teeth filled. Can we have an answer from
government?
MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!
The Chair recognizes the Minister of Health and Community Services.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. T. OSBORNE: Again, Mr. Speaker, I find the actions of the member
opposite somewhat incredible. I have never received a phone call from you on
your first letter. I have never received a phone call from you on this letter. I
haven't read this letter yet, and to bring this - why didn't you call me? I
mean, I would certainly take your call.
Mr. Speaker, any member of this House, on either side of the House, who has a
concern with a constituent, I would be more than happy to help them with those
concerns. Likewise with this, I will be more than happy to try and help the
member opposite with this particular issue. There is no need to grandstand and
to put on this type of a show in the House of Assembly on an issue of this
nature.
He says he sent the letter on March 22. I have not yet seen the letter. He
was a minister once himself. He knows how the system works. It is often five or
six days between the time a letter is received in a minister's office and the
time the minister gets to read the letter himself.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!
The time allocated for Question Period has expired.
Presenting Reports by Standing and Select Committees.
Presenting Reports by Standing and Special Committees
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Member for St. John's Centre.
MR. SKINNER: Mr. Speaker, on behalf of the Select Committee appointed to
draft a reply to the Speech of His Honour the Lieutenant Governor, I am pleased
to present the Report of the Select Committee as follows:
To His Honour the Lieutenant Governor, The Honourable Edward Roberts, Q.C.
May it please Your Honour: We, the Commons of Newfoundland and Labrador in
Legislative Session Assembled, beg to thank Your Honour for the Gracious Speech
which Your Honour has addressed to this House.
Signed: Member for St. John's Centre; Member for St. John's West; and
Member for Bay of Islands
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER: Further reports being presented by standing and select
committees.
Tabling of Documents.
Tabling of Documents
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Minister of Finance and President of Treasury
Board.
MR. SULLIVAN: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
I am pleased to table before this hon. House, the Annual Report of the
Government Money Purchase Pension Plan for the Year ending December 31, 2004.
The Government Money Purchase Pension Plan provides pension coverage for
part-time employees of government and its agency. As of December 31, 2004, they
had 23,640 participating members, and assets totalling $168.9 million.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
MR. SPEAKER: Further tabling of documents.
Notices of Motions.
Notices of Motion
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Opposition House Leader.
MR. PARSONS: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Under Standing Order 63.(3), normally we would give notice on a Monday of the
following Wednesday's private member's motion, but due to the storm
yesterday, the House of Assembly was closed, of course, and we were unable to do
that. Tomorrow, Wednesday, is private member's motion. I spoke to the
Government House Leader and I believe we have an understanding that we will be
doing that today, in which case the Member for Grand Bank would move the private
member's motion, if everything is consented to.
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Member for Grand Bank reading the private
member's motion.
MS FOOTE: Mr. Speaker, I move the following private member's motion:
WHEREAS FPI was established by this Legislature to strengthen the fishing
industry in this Province into ensuring maximum employment stability;
WHEREAS the provincial Minister of Fisheries and Aquaculture admits that he
is having trouble obtaining information on all FPI operations;
WHEREAS the provincial minister has said that FPI broke the laws of this
Province in shipping out fish with no authorization;
WHEREAS the provincial minister says charges will be laid against FPI;
WHEREAS there are widespread allegations and suspicions involving the overall
operations of FPI;
WHEREAS the livelihood of thousands of people in this Province are being
thrown into turmoil as a result of the actions being taken by FPI;
BE IT RESOLVED that this House of Assembly calls on the government to
establish an independent public inquiry into the operations of FPI.
We are going to try it again, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you.
MR. SPEAKER: Further notices of motion?
The hon. the Minister of Finance and President of Treasury Board.
MR. SULLIVAN: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
I give notice that I will on tomorrow move that the House resolve itself into
Committee of the Whole on Supply to Consider Certain Resolutions Relating to the
Granting of Supplementary Supply to Her Majesty. (Bill 3)
Further, I give notice that I will on tomorrow move that the House resolve
itself into Committee of the Whole on Supply to Consider Certain Resolutions
relating to the Granting of Supply to Her Majesty. (Bill 4)
Further, I give notice that on tomorrow I will move that the House resolve
itself into Committee of the Whole on Supply to Consider Certain Resolutions for
the Granting of Supply to Her Majesty. ( Bill 5)
Finally, I give notice that I will on tomorrow move the following motion:
That the House approve in general the budgetary policy of the government,
referred to as the Budget Speech.
MR. SPEAKER: Further notices of motion.
Answers to Questions for which Notice has been Given.
Petitions.
Orders of the Day.
Orders of the Day
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Government House Leader.
MR. E. BYRNE: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
I move that the House resolve itself into Committee of the Whole.
MR. SPEAKER: It has been moved that this House resolve itself into
Committee of the Whole and that I do now leave the Chair.
All those in favour?
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Aye.
MR. SPEAKER: All those against, nay'.
Motion carried.
On motion, that the House resolve itself into a Committee of the Whole, Mr.
Speaker left the Chair.
Committee of the Whole
CHAIR (Fitzgerald): Order, please!
The Committee is ready to hear debate again on Bill 2,
An Act For Granting To
Her Majesty Certain Sums Of Money For Defraying Certain Expenses Of The Public
Service For The Financial Year Ending March 31, 2007 And For Other Purposes
Relating To The Pubic Service.
The Committee is ready to hear debate on that particular bill and the
resolution accompanying that bill.
The hon. the Member for Placentia & St. Mary's.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. F. COLLINS: Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Mr. Chair, and members of this hon. House, it is a distinct honour and
privilege for me today to rise in this House for the first time as a newly
elected representative for the great District of Placentia & St. Mary's.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. F. COLLINS: Mr. Chair, when I contemplate and reflect on the great
legacy of this Assembly, of the esteemed legislators of Newfoundland and
Labrador who have taken their place in this House, and of the legacy that is
reflected by the portraits that adorn this House, that I am humbled and deeply
honoured to take my place here today in this illustrious House of Assembly.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. F. COLLINS: Mr. Chair, I am pleased, and in fact delighted as well,
to have been given the opportunity to join this great team, this Progressive
Conservative Government under the tremendous and inspirational leadership of our
Premier, Danny Williams.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. F. COLLINS: My timing could not have been better, Mr. Chair, because
I share the opinion and sentiment of so many people in my district and so many
Newfoundlanders and Labradorians who are saying we are in for some exciting
times in the next few years under this government.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. F. COLLINS: Mr. Chair, this has been manifested and reflected by the
several good news announcements made by this government in the last couple of
weeks.
Exciting times brought on my a leader, Mr. Chair, who enjoys unparalleled and
unprecedented popularity in this Province, whose ratings have soared to over 70
per cent, and that was even before the McCartney affair, and dare I say it, Mr.
Chair, even before my great election in Placentia & St. Mary's area.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. F. COLLINS: Mr. Chair, my first duty today is to thank those people
who gave me the opportunity to join this exciting team, the voters of Placentia
& St. Mary's. The by-election campaign was a very exciting experience for
me because it occurred in a district where my colleagues, friends and relatives
live, people I worked shoulder to shoulder with for so many years, for most of
my life, and where I developed friendships and relationships with these people;
friendships and relationships that have served me in great stead in the last
by-election.
I am humbled and I am grateful for the tremendous show of support and
confidence they have given me and I rise today publicly in this House to thank
them for it.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. F. COLLINS: Mr. Chair, no victory is possible without the support and
direction of a capable and hardworking campaign team. I take this opportunity
today to thank my campaign team for bringing it together and bringing it home
for me; to my campaign manager and all the hardworking members of her team - and
there were dozens of them - those who contributed in any way, and a sincere
thank you to them.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. F. COLLINS: They had just come off a grueling two-month federal
election campaign, Mr. Chair. They had achieved a monumental result in turning
the District of Avalon around in favour of the Conservative Government of
Canada. It was a campaign that left them emotionally drained and physically
drained but after a couple of days rest they came back at it for me and that
speaks volumes for their dedication.
Going one-on-one against any challenger for an office like myself is an
uphill battle, especially when you are doing it for the first time, but we had
to take on three challengers, Mr. Chair. With the leadership and direction of
that campaign team, even though there were the naysayers who said the government
could not retain that district, we won it and we won it handily, and I thank
them for it.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. F. COLLINS: I would also like to thank the Premier, his ministers and
the members of this House who came out and helped me in this campaign, who
campaigned for me, went door-to-door in Placentia & St. Mary's. Those of
you who have gone through a by-election will appreciate the help that your
colleagues give you in a by-election. They came out in great numbers. In fact,
the members for the other side came out in support of their candidate as well.
Placentia & St. Mary's is a formidable district geographically and you
need all the help you can get. One of the advantages of a by-election, Mr.
Chairman, one of the advantages of having the Premier and his ministers and the
members come out for you, is that they become familiar with the needs and
concerns of the district. Mr. Chairman, I hope the District of Placentia &
St. Mary's can capitalize on that and reap the benefit of that in years to
come.
I want as well, last but not least, to thank my family, my good wife, Janet,
my three children, Lisa, Paul and Jonathon, for their support and inspiration.
In the early days when I was waffling on whether or not I really wanted to take
this on at this stage in my life, they all, individually and in chorus, said,
Dad, go for it, and I want to thank them for that.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. F. COLLINS: Mr. Chairman, this by-election had a number of quirks in
it that were unique to this by-election: the nomination drew out 2,000
supporters; there were four challengers for the nomination, and after the
nomination was closed the challengers keep coming out of the woodwork to run in
the election; a 71 per cent turnout in the by-election; and media attention that
was unique and certainly media attention that was akin to a general election.
The quirk that I want to speak to today, Mr. Chairman, is that all the
candidates were good friends, and for some of us not just casual friends. Even
though we campaigned hard against each other we kept it clean and above board,
and I want to thank Tom Hickey, Nick Career and Kevin Power for that and the
fact that -
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. F. COLLINS: - at the end of the day, Mr. Chairman, politics did not
supercede friendship.
Mr. Chairman, I would like to say a few words about my district. The District
of Placentia & St. Mary's has three geographical components to it, St.
Mary's Bay, the Cape Shore and the Placentia region. As a district, it is no
different from any of the other rural districts of Newfoundland. It has its
fishing villages, it has its commuters who go outside to find employment, it has
scenic beauty, it has hospitable friendly people, it has the same concerns as
rural Newfoundland with respect to roads, an aging population and out-migration;
nothing much different than any other rural districts in the Province.
Mr. Chairman, what I found, as I went door to door in my district, was that
the requests and concerns of the people were not unrealistic, they were very
reasonable. What they told me, for example, in St. Mary's Bay, was: We don't
expect this government to build plants in each community and provide jobs for
everybody. We don't expect government to build big shopping centres, medical
clinics and hospitals. We don't expect government to be able to keep our
people from leaving. Our young people have left for decades and will continue to
leave. They have always pursued their fortunes somewhere else, where the
opportunities lie. My own children, incidentally, Mr. Chairman, are scattered
between Ontario and Alberta, and I do not live in rural Newfoundland; but there
is something else they did tell me, though, in St. Mary's. They said: We are
prepared to commute outside of our district for our medical services, for our
shopping needs and so on. We are prepared to do that - it is only an hour away -
but what we don't want, they told me, is to come back to our homes with a
$2,000 repair bill when our vehicle is hurt or destroyed or broken on the
highway. We want decent roads to drive on. That is not an unreasonable request,
and not unrealistic.
They said: We need cellular phone service. Telephone companies are not
reluctant to sell us telephones, but what good are they when we cannot use them?
I found that out first-hand during my campaign, as many of you did. We need
high-speed Internet. Even though we live in small rural Newfoundland
communities, these are not luxuries any more. Decent roads and proper
communication systems are not luxuries any more. What I am saying to this hon.
House is, that a request such as these from rural Newfoundland and from my
district are not unreasonable; they are genuine, simple and sincere requests
and, if responded to, they can go a long way towards improving the quality of
life in Placentia and St. Mary's, and indeed the quality of life in
Newfoundland and Labrador.
These are necessities not only, Mr. Chairman, essential to the quality of
life, but they are also essential to the growth of tourism in my district.
Placentia and St. Mary's includes the Irish Loop. It extends from St. Shotts
throughout St. Mary's Bay, one of the most scenic places in this Province. It
includes Salmonier, the Salmonier Nature Park and other parks on the Salmonier
Line. It extends through the scenic communities of St. Catherine's, Mount
Carmel, Mitchells Brook, Harricott, Colinet, North Harbour, Branch and Point
Lance, to the renowned bird sanctuary at Cape St. Mary's, and then along the
scenic Cape Shore from St. Bride's into the historic French capital of
Placentia.
Mr. Chairman, this area is ripe for the plucking as far as tourism is
concerned, and there are several groups and agencies that work in the district
fostering and promoting the growth of tourism. I have already met with some of
them, and I am impressed with their enthusiasm and dedication.
Mr. Chairman, decent roads are essential to this development of tourism, and
essential to the quality of life for the people in my district. The people there
could not impress on me more the need to address this problem - not unrealistic,
not unreasonable.
Mr. Chairman, dare I say that one of the reasons I am here today is because
my constituents, being rational and intelligent voters, felt that their
opportunity to best have these needs addressed was with this government.
With respect to Placentia, the Placentia region has depended on Argentia ever
since the great base was established there in 1941. With employment from the
base, the phosphorous plant in Long Harbour, Come By Chance Oil Refinery, two
fish plants and employment from government services, Placentia was one of the
most affluent areas of this Province for a long time. We always took comfort
from the fact that we did not have all our eggs in one basket. When one employer
failed, we had backup; but, Mr. Chairman, when the bottom fell out of her, it
fell out of her in its entirety, and Placentia today is feeling the effects.
The people of Placentia have always looked at Argentia as their saviour, as
their hope, and when the Towns of Placentia, Dunville, Jerseyside and Freshwater
amalgamated in 1992 - amalgamation which I worked diligently for, as Mayor of
Placentia at the time - one of the conditions precedent in that was that
Argentia would be included in the new boundaries of the municipality, because
Argentia was its hope. We have marketed Argentia since the phase down of the
base in the late 1960s. We pursued oil and gas industry, offshore supply bases,
fabrication shops, numerous other commercial ventures. Since 1994, the Argentia
Management Authority has been set up to market Argentia. It was on everybody's
plate. Argentia was on everybody's plate. It was described by former Premier
Peckford as being one of the apexes of the great golden triangle of Placentia
Bay. It had everything going for it: deep sea, deep water port, ice-free port,
built-in infrastructure, access to runways, roads and rails, and acres and acres
of developed land. You could not miss; prosperity was always around the corner,
but no commercial development of any great significance ever occurred.
The residents of Placentia have rode a roller coaster of expectations and
defeats and disappointments over the last forty, fifty years, and it surprised
no one, Mr. Chairman, that when Inco, in 1996, announced its project for
Argentia, that there was dancing in the streets in Placentia until the wee hours
of the morning.
Now, people in Placentia do not need any reason to dance in the streets in
the wee hours of the morning, but this was a special occasion. Our ship had
finally come in. Our ship had finally come in.
Well, Mr. Chairman, unfortunately, the higher you fly, the further you fall;
and, within short months when Inco put everything on hold because of the nickel
markets, we fell and we fell hard. As a result, a skepticism and a cynicism
crept into Placentia that, to some extent, still exists today. The hopes and
dreams were crashed. It was reflected in the devaluation of real estate, in the
leaving of small businesses, in the out-migration and the sudden disappearance
of potential investors in the Placentia-Argentia area.
Now, we were relieved somewhat in 2002 when Inco re-announced the hydromet
testing facility was built and in operation; but, as we now know, the future of
the commercial plant is uncertain - another dip in the roller coaster. Inco has
made, and continued to make, for many years, commitments to Argentia. As late as
October, 2005, the Chairman and CEO of Inco stood on the ground in Argentia and
said: the commercial plant will be built, and it will be built here in Argentia.
Within a short month, there was a proposal on the table of this government for
Inco to relocate elsewhere.
It is understandable that the people of Placentia are concerned and feel
somewhat betrayed by what has happened, but the people in Placentia, at the same
time, though, Mr. Chairman, are pleased that the government has not accepted
Inco's argument outright and has told Inco that, before we make any decision
on this, you have to give us a heckuva lot more information and documentation;
and, that information and documentation has been forthcoming. The government is
analyzing it, and I am pleased to say that, before this week is over, we will be
meeting with the stakeholders in Placentia and going over that information with
them.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. F. COLLINS: Inco has filed its EIS for Long Harbour, but the people
in Placentia have been advised not to read anything into that. That has been
filed for time-schedule purposes. This government is not giving up on Argentia.
Inco is going to have to put up a strong argument, and the stakeholders and
people in Placentia are resting their hopes on this government to keep Inco's
feet to the fire with respect to its commitments for Argentia. That issue is
crucial to Placentia, and the people of Placentia are confident that this
government will do everything it can to make sure that a solution is found that
is in the best interests of Placentia.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. F. COLLINS: In closing, Mr. Chairman, I want to reiterate that I am
very excited to be part of this great government, this great team.
I was told during the campaign, by one of the Open Line hosts: A politician
should, and tend to, blow their own horns. From my brief observation of this
House over the last few weeks, I am inclined to believe that there might be some
truth to that.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. F. COLLINS: Well, Mr. Chairman, I am prepared today to take some
personal credit for my victory in Placentia & St. Mary's. In fact, at the
risk of being egotistical, I am prepared to take considerable credit.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. F. COLLINS: Having said that, I must also say that throughout the
district I did find tremendous support for Premier Williams and for this
government, and an overwhelming endorsement of this government's policies.
There was no doubt in the mind of the voters, and they expressed it strongly and
willingly. As one senior, elderly man said to me - and I don't think this
gentleman had ever voted PC in his life - he said: My son, listen here; Mr.
Williams is the man for us now. And that reflected the sentiment in a lot of the
parts of my district.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. F. COLLINS: I don't mind, Mr. Chairman, if there are those who
might suggest that my credibility as a candidate played second fiddle to the
Premier's popularity. I am reluctant to believe it -
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. F. COLLINS: - but I don't mind it at all, if there are those who
say I rode in on his coattails, because I am prepared and I look forward with
great enthusiasm to working with him and with his government as part of his team
for the great District of Placentia & St. Mary's.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. F. COLLINS: Mr. Chairman, it is one thing to experience the elation
of victory, but victory is always followed, as you all know in this House, by
the reality of the tremendous obligations and expectations that that victory
places on you. I am cognizant of those obligations. I am cognizant of those
responsibilities. I accept the challenge that the voters of Placentia & St.
Mary's have given me. I accept it readily, I accept it willingly and, Mr.
Chairman, members of this House, I accept it proudly.
Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
CHAIR: Order, please!
The hon. the Member for Carbonear-Harbour Grace.
MR. SWEENEY: Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
I, too, will try to blend in a little bit of humour as well, as my colleague
from Placentia & St. Mary's.
Mr. Chairman, while I am on my feet I would like to congratulate the Member
for Placentia & St. Mary's and acknowledge the great amount of wit that he
seems to have brought to this House. At times here it seems to get a little bit
humdrum and dry, but at other times it is nice to see a new member come in with
his hopes and expectations - like the rest of us did at other times in our
careers when we first came into this hon. House and sought to take our seat and
represent the people who put us here.
Time tends to mellow all of that, I say to the Member for Placentia & St.
Mary's, because as we all work towards satisfying the various needs of our
constituents - and I will say to you, after being here since 1999, the needs of
your constituents will vary from day-to-day, in not only demands but also in
quantities. Being all things to all people, I think is something that a lot of
us politicians try to be here, but the best thing to do - I will give you some
very honest advice - is to be honest with your people, work for them as hard as
you can and I am sure you will have a long and happy career here in this hon.
House.
Mr. Chairman, while I watched with great interest over the past couple of
weeks the leaves falling off the great money tree that the Province seems to
have found here, there are also a lot of places where the money leaves have not
fallen. While I notice that there is a new innovation document released today by
the Premier - and it is easy to know when there is good news and the polls show
that this stuff should be good because the Premier is here front and center.
That is the remarkable part of it. When there is money to be given out or credit
to be taken the Premier is there, lo and behold, with the big grin on his face,
cameras flashing, lights blazing, but the other part that I noticed, and it is
quite noticeable, when the people of Harbour Breton ran into trouble the Premier
was not there. The people of the Burin Peninsula, the Premier was not there.
Every now and then he will stand to his feet and he will say: I am all over that
file. I keep thinking to myself: Well, so was Tweety Bird all over the paper in
his budgie cage. But what do the people get by the Premier being all over the
file?
When we turn on the TV and watch the news, like last night on CBC, and we saw
those people, those men, separated from their families in Alberta, working for
$10 to $11 an hour, dragging cables through the snow out in the wilderness. Then
the camera flashes back to Burgeo where the wives and kids are left on their own
for what can be the harshest times in their lives here in this Province, the
dark and dreary months of winter. You cannot help but think all is not right,
all is not right in this Province. The money tree is not that abundant,
obviously. There has not been any great accomplishments done. You share that
feeling with some and you say: Well don't forget now, the Premier got over $2
billion from the Atlantic Accord. Interesting enough there, too. I think anybody
at all would have had that money because here was a Prime Minister who was in
dire straits of trying to form a government and the couple of seats here in this
Province that he needed and the couple of seats that he would have needed in
Nova Scotia was enough there to help him through it.
AN HON. MEMBER: You are not funny yet, George, when are you going to
start?
MR. SWEENEY: I will get there now, seeing as I have the Minister of ITRD
there sputtering, grumbling amongst themselves. I will start now. I may even
have to ask the Minister of Government Services to call in the boiler examiners
to check her pressure. She may bust there in a minute if she keeps going.
The very problem when you start idolizing people, as is after happening -
AN HON. MEMBER: (Inaudible).
MR. SWEENEY: Oh, no - as is after happening here to the Premier, this
great idolization process that is after taking place, the unfortunate thing
about that, I have seen idols before. I have seen them before.
MR. J. BYRNE: (Inaudible).
MR. SWEENEY: The Minister of Municipal Affairs just mentioned somebody
who was idolized by some people. I have always been slow to idolize anyone
because the biggest problem we have in this Province is that people still write
history books and history is the greatest taleteller of how great an idol was. I
tell you, the history book is still being written on this particular idol
because the
chapter that I am most interested in seeing, is what is going to
happen to rural Newfoundland? What is going to happen out there?
Many people in this Province who are associated with the rural development
sector of this Province, the people who are out there as volunteers in the
various communities, they tell me that this Province is being run by a one-man
show and that everything has to go through there. They tell me what the rural
development strategy is -
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Oh, oh!
MR. SWEENEY: And it is interesting to note, Mr. Chairman, that when you
will not sing to the government's songbook they get rowdy with you and they
start shouting and bawling because every now and then their nerves are a little
bit raw. I can understand why some of them are touchy, because we have had three
Cabinet shuffles now already, I think.
The Member for Lake Melville is still out there with his nose pressed to the
glass looking in. The Premier took him down to Goose Bay, and he said: Now,
member, we are going to make some announcements here today and we are going to
have your picture taken and everything is going to look nice and rosy here for
you. He steps back on the plane, pats him on the head and says: Oh, by the way,
member, you are not going in Cabinet again this time. Be content with that. Put
that new suit away. Bring that back to Tip Top and get your refund.
I was going on about the rural development strategy, and the real rural
development strategy here in this Province, as told to me by the people involved
in that sector, that this government has adopted the Wal-Mart strategy. If
anyone does not know what the Wal-Mart strategy is, according to what my sources
in rural development tell me, that wherever there is a Wal-Mart, well that is a
good centre in which we should centralize all the communities around that
particular area. There was a time when it used to be zones, but now they have
gone and concentrated on Wal-Mart, because the Wal-Mart strategy is the one
where you can find the most growth, because Wal-Mart has already done the work
for this government. They have identified the growth sectors in this Province,
the places where a store like that can survive.
AN HON. MEMBER: They are all along the Trans-Canada.
MR. SWEENEY: Lo and behold, most of them are stuck pretty close to the
Trans-Canada. That is why communities like Burgeo, who send their men away every
year to try to get their twelve or fourteen weeks' work, communities like
Salmon Cove, Victoria, Northern Bay, Ochre Pit Cove, and all those other areas
where people are going away, they are the communities who do not have the
benefit of a Wal-Mart, where the growth is supposed to be taking place.
Mr. Chairman, the radio, this morning, had an interesting announcement,
despite what the minister had said earlier last week, that there are 3,000 less
people in Newfoundland right now. They have out-migrated. That sort of answers,
to me - because, every time I go out Kenmount Road, I notice out there is a big
U-Haul depot. I look at it, I look at the trucks coming in, being parked there,
being prepared, and all of a sudden you will start seeing them going out the
highway. My colleague from Bellevue mentioned that there were six that came off
the Burin Peninsula last Friday, loaded, heading west. Those are the telling
things. When you see a company like U-Haul with such a tremendous growth, that
tells you that people are not coming in; people are leaving. This is what the
people of this Province are seeing.
Granted, somebody mentioned there about the polls, the Premier's
popularity. That is interesting, because you can only vote if you are home, I
suppose. For many of the people who are being polled, I guess they are here in
these areas, the growth areas, and everything is going okay.
Like the Member for Placentia & St. Mary's, I, too, knocked on doors
down there during the recent election and, let me tell you, I wasn't told as
much as he was being told. At the end of the day, I guess, many people said to
me: We got nothing from the government before, and if we don't elect them back
again we will get less.
That was the most telling thing, because many people said: I want to send the
Premier a message. That wasn't the message they wanted to send him. That is
what they told me.
Being a member of the Opposition, our job is to bring forward the complaints
of the residents, as the Member for Burgeo & LaPoile did there today, of
people who are not been serviced in this Province.
CHAIR: Order, please!
I remind the hon. Member for Carbonear-Harbour Grace that his time for
speaking has expired.
MR. SWEENEY: Just to clue up, Mr. Chairman?
CHAIR: By leave?
AN HON. MEMBER: Yes.
CHAIR: The hon. member, by leave.
MR. SWEENEY: Mr. Chairman, there are other things I want to touch on. I
want to touch on the deplorable conditions of the roads in this Province. I know
we have a Budget coming down here on Thursday, and hopefully that will be
addressed.
MR. TAYLOR: (Inaudible).
MR. SWEENEY: Minister Taylor, I missed what he said, but I am sure he can
use his ten minutes to get up like anyone else and say a few words.
I will also remind the minister that I was there the day in Carbonear when
you promised the mayor that you would meet with him, and you still haven't had
that meeting yet.
MR. TAYLOR: We met later that day (inaudible).
MR. SWEENEY: No, that wasn't the meeting he wanted.
Anyway, Mr. Chairman, the minister is sidetracking me in what I want to say,
but it is time that we looked after home care. It is time we looked after the
ordinary people of this Province, and I am sure, over the next month or so, I
will have time to bring some of these points forward.
Thank you, Mr. Chairman, for your time.
CHAIR: Order, please!
The hon. the Member for Conception Bay South.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. FRENCH: Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
Before I go any further, I certainly welcome my colleague from Placentia
& St. Mary's. I want to welcome him on board. He is certainly making a
contribution already to our caucus and to our team, and in true St. Mary's and
Placentia Bay wit, fashion and humour. It is good to have him on board and I
want to welcome him. Like I said, I know he will make a valuable contribution,
as he already is. I happened to be out of town, actually, the night he got
elected, but I was proud to hear that he had won the seat. He won it handily. He
is a true credit to his district, and I am sure he will make a difference here
in the House of Assembly. I certainly want to welcome him on board.
Mr. Chairman, we hear all kinds of stuff from the Opposition, and I realize
that we are talking about the Interim Supply Bill here, but I just heard quite a
bit of information there a minute ago and I do not believe any of it, and I
certainly do not believe in the faith of what they are talking about.
I want to refer to an article, an editorial that was written on Saturday,
March 25, 2006. It was an editorial in The Telegram . Most people out
there in the Province, and in TV land, realize that everything that is printed
that was written, I guess, by an editor at The Telegram and they
pinpointed things that I think are worthy of note. The first thing that it talks
about, and I will go into this later on in a little more detail, but it is
"Righting old wrongs", and I want to quote, "...Premier Danny
Williams gave out $24 million to try and close an awkward
chapter in this
province's history. The payment dates back to decisions made in 1991, when the
government instituted the Public Sector Restraint Act, and legislated away
retroactive pay equity payments dating back to 1988."
Now, Mr. Chairman, what we have just seen is the coming together of the five
unions who wrote the Premier on this issue and have agreed on behalf of the
women of this Province - the majority of the women - and this certainly is a
voluntary payment of $24 million. Like I said, the union has accepted this. It
is in recognition of the value and sacrifices that some of these women have made
through the years. Mr. Chairman, this government had heard women's voices
across this Province.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. FRENCH: I can assure you, I have seen caucus hear women's voices on
a regular basis. Me, personally, I live with three women so I hear them quite a
bit at home as well. In this caucus we have some very strong women who sit
around our table, and I take my hat off to them for furthering women's voices
within our caucus.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. FRENCH: If there is anything in this that really gets to me
sometimes, as we read media and we hear people talk, it is that women are
ignored by this government. Mr. Chairman, I can assure you, and assure members
of this House, and assure the people of this Province, nothing could be further
from the truth, and the women who are in this caucus are some of the strongest
people I have ever met, and doing quite a job as well.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. FRENCH: Mr. Chairman, I certainly want to make mention of the unions,
and thank the unions for demonstrating the exceptional commitment that they have
made to these women's issues, and certainly never missed an opportunity to
remind us, to remind government, of what they were duly owed.
Mr. Chairman , if I could, this $24 million is certainly a realistic figure
in light of the current financial position of the Province; and, closing on that
topic, I certainly want to applaud the five unions again for coming to the table
on this. It was certainly remarkable. I have many, many friends who will benefit
from this, many people who live in my district. I know they were glad to hear
about it. I have been approached many, many times by various groups about this
issue, and I am certainly proud that the Premier and Cabinet and caucus have
resolved this issue.
Mr. Chairman, this bill is on Interim Supply. For those out there who do not
realize it, this is not something different or something new. This is something
that happens every year prior to Budget, whereby government brings in the
Interim Supply bill while we are waiting for the Budget to be announced and then
passed.
This particular bill, Mr. Chairman, Bill 2, is Interim Supply. The amount of
money is in the total of $1,509,510,800. Mr. Chairman, what it does, it gives
government the financial resources and the ability to continue on with the
operations of government, to pay public sector salaries, to carry on the
business of government.
One that I would like to speak to, in particular, which was announced
recently, Mr. Chairman - as much as we hear tell of the doom and gloom,
especially I have heard it from a number of speakers on the educational
portfolio. There was recent talk in this House about the school board and how
they were not happy with the school board. Mr. Chairman, I had the opportunity
of doing a presentation after that report came out some time ago. The minister
gave some advice on what she thought should be done with it, and I certainly
support her on it. But then the school board, Mr. Chairman, took the time and
went and met many of the stakeholders. In my district, like many other people,
there were some issues dealing with many of the elementary schools in my
district. I took the time to do up a presentation. We met, actually, at Roncalli
High in Avondale. Me, along with many parents, made presentations. Mr. Chairman,
I have to say, I am delighted with the school board. Very often than not, I have
been known to criticize them in the past as well, but I certainly want to point
out the initiatives of the people who were there that night for sitting and
listening to us, hearing what we had to say. It certainly benefitted the Holy
Cross school in Holyrood and it certainly will benefit the other school in my
district, St. Edwards School.
Just to give you a little bit of a background about some of what is happening
in the schools in my area, to me it is so significant that we are putting this
money into education because, I guess, in my district, fortunately - not like
all the districts in the Province - I have a growth area. What is transpiring in
my area is that you have seen the demographics changing quite a bit and you get
a lot of people moving from rural Newfoundland, who do not necessarily want to
come to the city so they come to Conception Bay South, or they come to Holyrood
because they can get, generally speaking, maybe a little bigger piece of land
and they still have the rural setting. Many of them are employed, certainly, on
the Northeast Avalon or around the Avalon Peninsula. So we have an influx of
population, especially now in the Kelligrews area, Seal Cove area, Upper Gullies
and Holyrood area.
Mr. Chairman, I guess that goes back to the announcement of the CBS Bypass,
which goes now to the Legion Road. There have been hundreds and hundreds of
homes built in that area and because of that, of course, we have hundreds and
hundreds of new young families. Obviously, these kids need a place to go to
school. Right now, for example, at St. Edwards School in Kelligrews, this school
it at 100 per cent capacity and it is projected that - not only at 100 per cent,
but in ten and twelve years out from now their numbers are going to increase, so
they very well could be at 108 per cent to 110 per cent capacity in just a few
short years. So this investment in education is very important to St. Edwards
School. Again, I want to point out that the school board made the right decision
on this item. They have agreed that, with time, they will even expand St.
Edwards School in Kelligrews, and I have to say, Mr. Chairman, it is not without
need. I know of a couple of cases there this year where we have had some big
numbers in classes and hopefully this announcement, that I am going to get to in
one second, will also alleviate some of those problems.
As well, Mr. Chairman, we have Upper Gullies Elementary. Upper Gullies
Elementary is the closest elementary school to St. Edwards. I guess it is
probably about four to five kilometres west of St. Edwards. That school, they
tell me, is currently at 86 per cent capacity. Mr. Chairman, I have been to
Upper Gullies school. Actually, I went to the school first when it was built
some thirty years ago and had the opportunity to do my Grade 4 and Grade 5
there. Mr. Chairman, I am not one to ever turn down an opportunity to go visit
an elementary school or a junior high or a high school when I am asked, and make
every opportunity to visit. Very often with my colleague, the Minister of
Tourism, him and I cross over on certain occasions and visit on times, and
sometimes I visit with the Member for Topsail on the other end of town. So, I
certainly try to get to schools as much as I can. I am certainly a big believer
in education for the young people of this Province.
Back to the Upper Gullies School, Mr. Chairman. They tell me right now that
it is at 86 per cent capacity and ten to twelve years from now we could be
looking at 101 per cent capacity - which, of course, is overcapacity with an
extra fifty-two students. So it is very, very important and very essential for
my district, the people of Conception Bay South and Holyrood, that this money is
put into education for a number of reasons, which I will get to very shortly.
As well, Mr. Chairman, we have Holy Cross in Holyrood. There was some talk of
maybe closing that facility, and there are many, many reasons why we believe as
a community and as a group and as residents of Holyrood that we should not see
that school closed. But there is no doubt, Mr. Chairman, that development is
happening and is moving west. Like I said to the board that night when we made
the presentation, that as development moves west we certainly have to be ready
for it. So, as it moves we have to be ready, and if they did decide to close the
school in Holyrood and did make that error and did close Holy Cross, what you
would see, in my belief, is that in five or six years time you would see them
wanting to build a new school in Holyrood. So, you know, I certainly see it the
other way around and I am certainly glad that the board made the decisions that
they made and certainly glad they did.
Mr. Chairman, there were three points that were made during the recent
announcement in education. Points that I am very proud of, very proud that our
government has taken the time to make and this relates certainly to my area,
like I said, which is a growth area of the Province. The first one they talked
about was keeping 151 teaching positions that would otherwise have been taken
out of the system. Mr. Chairman, that is a phenomenal announcement. It certainly
bodes well in my area.
This year actually, for whatever reason, I had three Grade 5 classes in my
area of the Province that had excessive numbers in them. Now, I do not know what
was happening ten years ago to this September, but I can tell you that there is
a big influx of Grade 5 students in my area. Not only Grade 5, but many in other
classes, but that was a couple of the areas where teaching units were needed. I
know we managed to help resolve some of the issues. Certainly, you cannot
resolve them all, unfortunately, but I know that there are some very, very big
numbers. So by not taking these 151 teaching positions out of the system,
certainly, it will not make that situation any worse.
Mr. Chairman, the next point that I want to talk about will hopefully correct
this problem. This refers to areas like mine and like our area in the Province
where there is growth in numbers. There is $250,000 that is about to be provided
to review the teacher allocation model. Like I said, that is certainly a big
initiative for an area like mine, an area this year where we had, like I said, a
Grade 5 class with some big numbers in it. We have dealt with them and got some
extra people in to help with the classes and so on, but we have to keep our
numbers down. I guess there is nowhere that feels the pinch, if you will, or the
problems like a growth area. Certainly, in some of the smaller communities they
can maintain the numbers in class sizes. Unfortunately, for all the wrong
reasons. In my area of the Province, like I said, we have a growth area and we
have to be able to deal with this big influx of population as it happens. To say
we have twenty teachers this year and next year we will need another twenty, it
is very difficult to go by that. It has to be looked at on a year-to-year basis
and many times on a month-to-month basis, depending on the movement of people in
and out of your community.
Mr. Chairman, this $250,000 provided to review the teacher allocation model
is certainly money well spent, and I am looking forward to it. I know the
parents and teachers in my area are very much looking forward to it.
CHAIR: Order, please!
I remind the hon. member for Conception Bay South that his time for speaking
has lapsed.
MR. FRENCH: Just a couple of minutes to clue up, Mr. Speaker, by leave?
CHAIR: By leave?
AN HON. MEMBER: Yes, sure.
CHAIR: The hon. member, by leave.
AN HON. MEMBER: Don't give him leave, boys, don't give him leave.
MR. FRENCH: Mr. Chairman, my colleague is riveted to his seat. He wants
me to keep talking. He definitely wants me to have leave.
Mr. Chairman, the third piece of that announcement that I thought, as well,
was very, very significant was the $150,000 to fund an independent assessment of
the process associated with the Pathways models. Again, through my district, on
numerous occasions I have had to deal with people who have special needs kids. I
believe it is very, very important that these children have the proper avenues
to learn in a classroom environment, Mr. Chairman, and again I certainly support
the recent announcements by the minister, and I certainly take my hat off to
her.
Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
CHAIR: Order, please!
The hon. the Member for Fortune Bay-Cape la Hune.
MR. LANGDON: Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
First of all, I would like to congratulate the Member for Placentia & St.
Mary's on his speech today. We go back a long time, friendship over the years,
and I think that is very, very important. One of the comments he made, I just
jotted it down. He said he was humble and grateful for the opportunity to
represent the people of Placentia, and I am sure that he is. Over time I am sure
they will be able to see what a good member he will be and will continue to be.
He also thanked his family and friends for their support, and that is so
important in this particular job right here. The other thing I noted from him,
that I think is a good principle for all of us, is that politics does not
supercede friendship, so that when we leave here we can all be friends
regardless of what political stripe or political things you have in store,
because, in fact, it does change, Mr. Chairman. I thought earlier about the
people in the House. There are forty-eight people here. When I came here in
1989, seventeen years ago, there are only two people from that particular class
who are here, just two people. The Minister of Fisheries didn't run in 1989,
he was here before that, and I think the Member for Port au Port in the same
situation. For the people who ran in the 1989, the 1989 class -
AN HON. MEMBER: (Inaudible).
MR. LANGDON: I am sorry! He did, so there are three of us left. I am
sorry about that.
AN HON. MEMBER: (Inaudible).
MR. LANGDON: That is right. Three of us ran in that particular election,
the Minister of Fisheries and Aquaculture, myself, and the Member for Bellevue.
Mr. Chairman, when we talk about the situation that we find ourselves in
today, as a Province, there is no doubt about it that over the last seventeen
years since I have been here there have been a lot of changes, a lot of changes
for the good and there have also been a lot of changes where people in the rural
part of the Province have probably seen challenges that they never ever saw
before.
I agree with the Member for Placentia & St. Mary's when he talked about
how his family is not living here in the Province anymore, some of them are
scattered all across the country. I can say the same thing for my family. The
thing about it is, it is a little different now in the rural parts of the
Province than it was when I grew up in a small community along the South Coast.
First of all, what we have in the small, rural communities is an aging
population. When my dad and some of the other people left and went away to work
for Abitibi - not Abitibi, it was the AND Company at the time - and worked for
Bowaters, there were young families in the community who stayed behind. These
people worked for five or six months of the year, sometimes even longer than
that, and their families stayed. What we see in many of the rural parts of the
Province today, though, is that there are not a lot of younger people in these
communities because the traditional work that the people did during those days,
fishing, logging, forestry and whatever, has changed dramatically from that
particular time. Anybody who wanted a job could work in the forestry, or anybody
who wanted a job could work in the fishery. That is not there anymore. What we
see happening in many of the rural parts of the Province, many of the smaller
communities, is that many of the younger people who were involved in that are
now finding themselves leaving.
I have a stat here that was given to me sometime earlier today that said,
last year - I think the minister said there were 10,000 people who came into the
Province in 2005, but there were 13,763 people who left the Province. That is
people who change addresses and these are primarily in the rural part of the
Province. We are not looking at the number of people in the rural parts of the
Province who have been going away for a number of years, working for a number of
months, and coming back into their communities. We are talking about 13,763
people who have changed addresses, that no longer reside here in Newfoundland
and have gone to the mainland to work.
One of the communities in my district, over the last year and a half, that
has been struck with a situation that they never had to face before was the
community of Harbour Breton. When the plant closed in 2004, many of the people
who worked there, the 350 of them, never thought, I am sure, that in March 2006
that particular plant would not be open for them to go back to work, and still
it is not. There is a lot of uncertainty in the community. I know there has been
some short-term work for the people. There have been make-work projects, there
has been a severance that has been given to the people who are the union members
in the plant there, but there is a lot of uncertainty. There are twenty-six
people now who are looking to go to work in the crab plant in New Brunswick.
There are people who are leaving to work in Alberta. What many of the community
people are concerned about is that many of these younger people who go from
Harbour Breton when school closes will take their families with them and will
not be coming back to the community again. That can have a devastating affect on
that community and will if that particular thing does happen.
I guess myself, like many of the other people from Harbour Breton, is hoping
and praying that in the foreseeable future, whenever that will be, some months
down the road or a year down the road or two years down the road, that many of
them will indeed find work back in the community of Harbour Breton, and all of
us would be very, very thankful if that happened.
On the Connaigre Peninsula itself, there are some things that are happening
that are positive. We see some expansion in the aquaculture industry. In Pool's
Cove, the week before last, myself and Bill Matthews were there and met with the
council and with many of the different groups, and one of the concerns that they
have is the wharf in the community is not big enough to accommodate the
provincial ferry, the local fishermen and the aquaculture needs, and they are
looking to expand that. There have been thirty or forty jobs in that particular
community in the aquaculture industry, and you have to applaud that whenever
that happens for the people in the region.
There is also another potential opportunity for people in the Belleorum area
through the dimension of stone, and let's hope that will happen. I am sure the
minister and the government are quite aware of that. It is a good prospect and
let's hope that it materializes, and people of that particular coast, the
Connaigre Peninsula, can take advantage of it. The idea for all of us is to see
that wherever an opportunity is possible for employment and so on to take
maximum benefit of it. Then obviously that would be the case.
Mr. Chair, I am somewhat constrained by time today on the Interim Supply, so
that means my twenty minutes, I think it was that I have, I can expand into that
later, at some other time. As for now, I think that there has been agreement
between the Opposition and government that at this particular time we would have
Bill 1 called for passing in the Legislature.
Thank you, Mr. Chair.
CHAIR: Order, please!
Shall the resolution carry?
All those in favour, aye'.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Aye.
CHAIR: All those against, nay'.
The resolution is carried.
On motion, resolution carried.
CLERK: Clause 1.
CHAIR: Bill 2,
An Act For Granting To Her Majesty Certain Sums Of Money
For Defraying Certain Expenses Of The Public Service For The Financial Year
Ending March 31, 2007 And For Other Purposes Relating To The Public Service.
(Bill 2)
Shall clause 1 carry?
All those in favour, aye'.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Aye.
CHAIR: All those against, nay'.
Clause 1 is carried.
On motion, clause 1 carried.
CLERK: Clause 2.
CHAIR: Shall clause 2 carry?
All those in favour, aye'.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Aye.
CHAIR: All those against, nay'.
Clause 2 is carried.
On motion, clause 2 carried.
CLERK: Clause 3.
CHAIR: Shall clause 3 carry?
All those in favour, aye'.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Aye.
CHAIR: All those against, nay'.
Clause 3 is carried.
On motion, clause 3 carried.
CLERK: Clause 4.
CHAIR: Shall clause 4 carry?
All those in favour, aye'.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Aye.
CHAIR: All those against, nay'.
Clause 4 is carried.
On motion, clause 4 carried.
CLERK: Schedule.
CHAIR: Shall the
schedule carry?
All those in favour, aye'.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Aye.
CHAIR: All those against, nay'.
The
schedule is carried.
On motion,
schedule carried.
CLERK:
Be it enacted by the Lieutenant-Governor and House of Assembly in
Legislative Session convened as follows.
CHAIR: Shall the enacting clause carry?
All those in favour, aye'.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Aye.
CHAIR: All those against, nay'.
The enacting clause is carried.
On motion, enacting clause carried.
CLERK:
Whereas it appears that the sums mentioned are required to defray
certain expenses of the Public Service of Newfoundland and Labrador for the
financial year ending March 31, 2007 and for other purposes relating to the
public service.
CHAIR: Shall the
preamble carry?
All those in favour, aye'.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Aye.
CHAIR: All those against, nay'.
The
preamble is carried.
On motion,
preamble carried.
CLERK: A bill,
An Act For Granting To Her Majesty Certain Sums Of Money
For Defraying Certain Expenses Of The Public Service For The Financial Year
Ending March 31, 2007 And For Other Purposes Relating To The Public Service.
CHAIR: Shall the title carry?
All those in favour, aye'.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Aye.
CHAIR: All those against, nay'.
The title is carried.
On motion, title carried.
CHAIR: Shall I report Bill 2 carried without amendment?
All those in favour, aye'.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Aye.
CHAIR: All those against, nay'.
Bill 2 is carried.
Motion, that the Committee report having passed the bill without amendment,
carried.
CHAIR: The hon. the Government House Leader.
MR. E. BYRNE: Thank you, Mr. Chair.
I move that the Committee rise, report progress and ask leave to sit again.
CHAIR: The motion is that the Committee rise, report progress and ask
leave to sit again.
All those in favour, aye'.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Aye.
CHAIR: All those against, nay'.
Carried.
On motion, that the Committee rise, report progress and ask leave to sit
again, Mr. Speaker returned to Chair
MR. SPEAKER (Hodder): Order, please!
The hon. the Member for Bonavista South and Deputy Speaker.
MR. FITZGERALD: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Mr. Speaker, the Committee of Supply have considered the matters to them
referred and have directed me to report that they have adopted a certain
resolution and recommend that a bill be introduced to give effect to same.
MR. SPEAKER: The Chairperson of Committee of Supply reports that the
Committee have considered the matters to them referred and have directed him to
report that the Committee have adopted a certain resolution and recommend that a
bill be introduced to give effect to same.
On motion, report received and adopted.
MR. SPEAKER: It is moved and seconded that the resolution be now read a
first time.
All those in favour, aye'.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Aye.
MR. SPEAKER: All those against, nay'.
Carried.
CLERK: A resolution: That it is expedient to introduce a measure to
provide for the granting to Her Majesty for defraying certain expenses of the
public service for the financial year ending March 31, 2007 the sum of
$1,509,510,800.
Resolution
"That it is expedient to introduce a measure to provide for the granting
to Her Majesty for defraying certain expenses of the public service for the
financial year ending March 31, 2007 the sum of $1,509,510,800."
MR. SPEAKER: It is moved and seconded that this resolution be now read a
second time.
All those in favour, aye'.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Aye.
MR. SPEAKER: All those against, nay'.
Carried.
CLERK: Second reading of the resolution.
On motion, resolution read a second time.
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Government House Leader.
MR. E. BYRNE: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
I move that Interim Supply, Bill 2, be introduced and read a first time.
MR. SPEAKER: It is moved and seconded that the hon. the Minister of
Finance shall have leave to introduce a bill entitled,
An Act For Granting To
Her Majesty Certain Sums Of Money For Defraying Certain Expenses Of The Public
Service For The Financial Year Ending March 31, 2007 And For Other Purposes
Relating To The Public Service. (Bill 2)
Is it the pleasure of the House that the hon. Minister of Finance shall have
leave to introduce said bill?
All those in favour, aye'.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Aye.
MR. SPEAKER: All those against, nay'.
Carried.
Motion, the hon. the Minister of Finance to introduce a bill, "An Act
For Granting To Her Majesty Certain Sums Of Money For Defraying Certain Expenses
Of The Public Service For The Financial Year Ending March 31, 2007 And For Other
Purposes Relating To The Public Service," carried. (Bill 2)
MR. SPEAKER: It is moved and seconded that Bill 2 be now read a first
time.
Is it the pleasure of the House that the said bill be now read a first time?
All those in favour, aye'.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Aye.
MR. SPEAKER: All those against, nay'.
Carried.
CLERK: A bill,
An Act For Granting To Her Majesty Certain Sums Of Money
For Defraying Certain Expenses Of The Public Service For The Financial Year
Ending March 31, 2007 And For Other Purposes Relating To The Public Service.
(Bill 2)
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Government House Leader.
MR. E. BYRNE: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
I move that the Interim Supply Bill, Bill 2, be now read a second time.
MR. SPEAKER: It is moved and seconded that Bill 2 be now read a second
time.
Is it the pleasure of the House that the said bill be now read a second time?
All those in favour, aye'.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Aye.
MR. SPEAKER: All those against, nay'.
Carried.
CLERK: A bill,
An Act For Granting To Her Majesty Certain Sums Of Money
For Defraying Certain Expenses Of The Public Service For The Financial Year
Ending March 31, 2007 And For Other Purposes Relating To The Public Service.
(Bill 2)
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Government House Leader.
MR. E. BYRNE: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
I move that Bill 2, the Interim Supply Bill, be now read a third and final
time.
MR. SPEAKER: It is moved and seconded that Bill 2 be now read a third
time.
Is it the pleasure of the House that the said bill be now read a third time?
All those in favour, aye'.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Aye.
MR. SPEAKER: All those against, nay'.
Carried.
CLERK: A bill,
An Act For Granting To Her Majesty Certain Sums Of Money
For Defraying Certain Expenses Of The Public Service For The Financial Year
Ending March 31,2007 And For Other Purposes Relating To The Public Service.
(Bill 2)
MR. SPEAKER: Bill 2 is now read a third time and it is ordered that the
bill do pass and its title be as on the Order Paper.
On motion, a bill, "An Act For Granting To Her Majesty Certain Sums Of
Money For Defraying Certain Expenses Of The Public Service For The Financial
Year Ending March 31,2007 And For Other Purposes Relating To The Public
Service," read a first, second and third time, ordered passed and its title
be as on the Order Paper. (Bill 2)
SERGEANT-AT-ARMS: Mr. Speaker, His Honour the Lieutenant Governor has
arrived.
MR. SPEAKER: Admit His Honour the Lieutenant Governor.
Mr. Speaker leaves the Chair.
His Honour the Lieutenant Governor takes the Chair.
SERGEANT-AT -ARMS: It is the wish of His Honour the Lieutenant Governor
that all present please be seated.
MR. SPEAKER: Your Honour, it is my agreeable duty on behalf of Her
Majesty's dutiful and loyal subjects, Her Faithful Commons in Newfoundland and
Labrador, to present to Your Honour a Bill for the appropriation of Supply
granted in the present session.
CLERK: A bill, "An Act For Granting To Her Majesty Certain Sums Of
Money For Defraying Certain Expenses Of The Public Service For The Financial
Year Ending March 31, 2007 And For Other Purposes Relating To The Public
Service." (Bill 2)
HIS HONOUR THE LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR (Edward Roberts, ONL, QC) : In Her
Majesty's name, I thank Her Loyal Subjects, I accept their benevolence, and I
assent to this Bill.
SERGEANT-AT-ARMS: All rise.
His Honour the Lieutenant Governor leaves the Chamber.
Mr. Speaker returns to the Chair.
MR. SPEAKER (Hodder): The hon. the Government House Leader.
MR. E. BYRNE: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
I know, in discussions with my colleagues opposite, the hon. the Opposition
House Leader and the Member for Signal Hill-Quidi Vidi, we gave notice today of
two Supplementary Supply Bills and I think we are going to begin debate on Bill
4, which is,
An Act For Granting To Her Majesty Certain Sums Of Money For
Defraying Certain Additional Expenses Of The Public Service For The Financial
Year Ending March 31, 2006 And For Other Purposes Relating To The Public Service
No.2. (Bill 4)
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Minister of Finance and President of Treasury
Board.
MR. SULLIVAN: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Bill 4 makes reference, in the
Schedule there at the back, Head of
Expenditure, the Legislature for $367,700 and Justice for $2.530 million. These
are expenditures that had to be incurred before year end. A special warrant had
to be issued; it was tabled in the House pertaining to these. The first one -
MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!
I do believe the Minister of Finance is supposed to present a message from
His Honour the Lieutenant Governor.
MR. SULLIVAN: Mr. Speaker, I have received a message from His Honour the
Lieutenant Governor.
MR. SPEAKER: All rise.
The message is signed by His Honour the Lieutenant Governor, Edward Roberts,
ONL, QC, dated 15 March 2006.
As Lieutenant Governor of the Province of Newfoundland and Labrador, I
transmit Estimates of sums required for the Public Service of the Province for
the year ending 31 March 2006, by way of supplementary supply and in accordance
with the provisions of sections 54 and 90 of the Constitution Act, 1867, I
recommend these estimates to the House of Assembly.
Sgd.: ________________________________________
Edward Roberts, ONL, QC, Lieutenant Governor
The hon. the Minister of Finance and President of Treasury Board.
MR. SULLIVAN: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
I move that the message, together with the amount, be referred to the
Committee on Supply.
MR. SPEAKER: It is moved that the message, together with the bill and the
amount, be referred to the Committee of Supply and that I do now leave the
Chair.
All those in favour?
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Aye.
MR. SPEAKER: All those against?
Carried.
On motion, that the House resolve itself into a Committee of the Whole on
Supply, Mr. Speaker left the Chair.
Committee of the Whole on Supply
CHAIR (Fitzgerald): Order, please!
The Committee is about to hear debate on Bill 4,
An Act For Granting To Her
Majesty Certain Sums Of Money For Defraying Certain Additional Expenses Of The
Public Service For The Financial Year Ending March 31, 2006 And For Other
Purposes Relating To The Public Service No. 2, and also the resolution that
accompanies Bill 4.
The hon. the Minister of Finance and President of Treasury Board.
MR. SULLIVAN: Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
This particular bill here looks for supplementary supply for the year ending
March 31, 2006 of $2.897 million. It is broken down into two particular aspects.
There had to be an initiative earlier - a special warrant had to be issued
because the House of Assembly did not have the funding to meet its requirements,
so a special warrant was issued and tabled here in the House. In Justice, about
a $2.53 million overrun on their operating for this year, that has to be tabled
and given approval under supplementary supply.
Just to look at what they were, under the $367,700 under the House of
Assembly, there were over expenditures in three areas. One was in House
Operations, Professional Services, and that was a significant amount - most of
it was for that area, about $275,000, and that came from - I do not have all the
specific breakdowns, but I know the members who sit on the IEC would know the
specific component of that $275,00, but I do believe it was entirely used for
the Turner inquiry, is my understanding in that specific issue. I know hon.
members on the opposite side sit on that, too.
Also, in the Chief Electoral Office, salaries there were about $52,000. There
was about $40,000 for Purchased Services for the Office of the Chief Electoral
Office. So the Chief Electoral Office, around $40,000; about $52,600 for
salaries of the Office of the Chief Electoral Office. So the two of these areas
of the Chief Electoral Office, they were $92,700 short. I do believe the
by-election was one of the reasons that there were extra costs incurred in this
particular area here that caused overrun. Of course the Turner inquiry, that had
to go on, there was significant money expended but that amount of money that was
short was able to be found in the House of Assembly to cover that specific one.
So, that is basically an explanation for that specific one.
Under the Department of Justice, the warrant that was tabled earlier in this
House, warrants for the amount of $2.53 million, that was to cover four specific
areas. The provincial courts needed another $500,000 to meet their financial
commitment for the year. Also, Adult Corrections needed $630,000 extra for
funding to get them to the end of this fiscal year. Under Purchased Services
from the RNC, there was roughly $50,000 under purchased service, and under the
total salary bill with RNC, there was $1,350,000. So, all of these add up to
$2.53 million in those specific areas. There wasn't sufficient funding and
when the House opened - a warrant had to be issued before the House opened. Back
some time it was tabled here and the information was tabled here in the House
with the details on the warrant to allow cheques to be paid out so we could meet
commitments to the people who had worked and were due to get this m