Newfoundland and Labrador Hansard — Members' Statements — 6 December 2010 (46th General Assembly, 3rd Session)
2010-12-06
Newfoundland and Labrador — Debates (Hansard)
December 6, 2010 HOUSE OF ASSEMBLY
PROCEEDINGS XLVI No. 44
The House met at 1:30 p.m.
MR. SPEAKER (Fitzgerald): Order, please!
The Chair would like to welcome members and staff of the House of Assembly
for the continuation of the Third Session of the 46th General Assembly.
The Chair would also like to welcome and offer congratulations to
Newfoundland and Labrador's first woman Premier, the hon. Member for Virginia
Waters.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER: Also, to welcome the hon. Premier's family and friends who
are visiting here today.
The Chair would also like to welcome and congratulate Mr. David Brazil, who
is accompanied by his wife Alice, who has recently won the right to represent
the District of Conception Bay East & Bell Island and will take his seat in the
Chamber twelve days after the official ballot count, which happened December 5.
Congratulations and welcome.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER: The Chair would also like to welcome a new Page who has
joined us for this session of the House of Assembly, Mr. Andrew Furneaux.
Welcome to the House of Assembly.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
Statements by Members
MR. SPEAKER: The following members' statements will be heard: the hon.
the Member for the District of Port de Grave; the hon. the Member for the
District of Ferryland; the hon. the Member for the District of The Straits &
White Bay North; the hon. the Member for the District of Cape St. Francis; and
the hon. the Member for the District of St. John's East.
The hon. the Premier, by leave?
Does the hon. the Premier have leave?
SOME HON. MEMBERS: By leave.
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Premier.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
PREMIER DUNDERDALE: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Mr. Speaker, on November 25 the hon. Danny Williams announced that he would
be stepping down as Premier, as Leader of the Progressive Conservative Party of
Newfoundland and Labrador, and as Member for Humber West district, on December
3, Friday past.
This is our first opportunity here in this Chamber to pay tribute to our
former colleague who served as our Province's ninth Premier from November 6,
2003 until December 3, 2010, and was a Member of the House of Assembly since
August 2, 2001.
Please join me in thanking Danny Williams, on behalf of all Newfoundlanders
and Labradorians, for his enormous contribution and his unwavering dedication to
the people of Newfoundland and Labrador.
In announcing his retirement from these posts, he also announced that I had
agreed to serve as Premier and PC Party Leader during the interim period until
our party elects a new leader in the spring of 2011. On Friday morning, December
3, I had the honour and privilege of taking the Oath of Office to become the
tenth Premier of Newfoundland and Labrador, and the first woman to hold this
post in the history of our Province.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
PREMIER DUNDERDALE: Mr. Speaker, my predecessor never failed to state how
important it was to have a good team of caucus members around him, and I, as
Premier, am blessed to have inherited, and to have surrounding and supporting me
now, one of the most dedicated and talented caucus teams in the history of our
Province. You are a credit to your Province.
We, as a team, are blessed to have surrounding us and supporting us many
thousands of people in communities throughout the Province who share our
commitment to a brighter future for Newfoundland and Labrador, and are willing
to work with us co-operatively to advance us toward our goals, region by region,
initiative by initiative. This is the approach that underpins the unparalleled
success we have achieved to date.
The initiatives our government has taken, and the achievements we have made
for the people of our Province since November 6, 2003, are absolutely phenomenal
and they have already transformed Newfoundland and Labrador into a Province that
is stronger and more confident going forward than it has ever been before. We
stand on this rock-solid foundation of accomplishments; we look forward to
raising Newfoundland and Labrador to the next level of opportunity and growth.
We have barely even scratched the surface of our potential. As far as we have
come since 2003, the best is still before us.
Challenges remain; as the Opposition does its job we are sure to hear about
some of them in the House this afternoon. Rather than run and hide from them, we
are determined to acknowledge and address them so we can move beyond them to
something better.
Whatever issues we face, we are up to the challenge of meeting them head on,
together, as a team and as a Province.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
PREMIER DUNDERDALE: We are stronger, we are better positioned, and we are
better prepared right now to achieve the full measure of our potential than we
have ever been before in our history. We are more determined to succeed and we
are more confident than ever that we can achieve our goals.
What I pledge, Mr. Speaker, as Premier, and what we pledge as a government,
is to follow through on what we have started, to meet the challenges vigorously
and to leave no stone unturned in pursuing opportunities that will open even
wider the doors to jobs and growth, prosperity and self-reliance for our youth,
for our families, for our communities, for our regions, and for all of us as
Newfoundlanders and Labradorians.
I am truly humbled by all of the expressions of support and co-operation I
have received from people around the Province in recent days, and I also
sincerely appreciate the congratulations I have received from across the aisle.
A great deal of attention is being paid across the country to the fact that
Newfoundland and Labrador is the first jurisdiction in Canadian history in which
the leaders of all political parties in the Legislature are women.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
PREMIER DUNDERDALE: At the same time, all of us are also cognizant of the
fact that the Leader of the Official Opposition, the Member for
Cartwright-L'Anse au Clair, is unable to be here today because she is battling
courageously to gain victory over a significant health care challenge, and I am
confident that she will. I speak for all members of our caucus, and also for
hundreds of thousands of people throughout our Province, in saying we wish her
well and sincerely hope to have her back here in this House healthy and
re-energized very soon.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
PREMIER DUNDERDALE: Finally, Mr. Speaker, I pay tribute to my colleague
and friend, Dianne Whalen, who passed away on October 3 following a courageous
battle with cancer. She served her constituents in Conception Bay East & Bell
Island with tremendous passion and heartfelt compassion for others. She served
all of us, first as Minister of Government Services and Lands and Minister
Responsible for the Strategic Social Plan, then as Minister of Transportation
and Works, and finally as Minister of Municipal Affairs, Minister Responsible
for Emergency Preparedness, and Registrar General of Newfoundland and Labrador.
Dianne was an extraordinary individual whose genuine love for Newfoundland
and Labrador will never be surpassed nor ever be forgotten.
Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER: Does the hon. the Acting Leader of the Opposition have
leave?
AN HON. MEMBER: By leave.
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Acting Leader of the Opposition.
MR. KELVIN PARSONS: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
I would like to take this opportunity on behalf of Ms Jones, my colleague,
who is off ill, as was indicated by the Premier, to personally congratulate the
Premier upon this historic occasion. It is indeed the first woman Premier we
have had in this Province. We have been a long time getting here, to recognize
full equality in our country and in our Province, but it is great to see that we
have made another significant, major and momentous stride in that direction.
Congratulations, Premier.
I am sure as time goes on in the House, this session and in the spring, if
she is still the Premier at that time, we will have our disagreements. That is
our job, to keep her feet and the feet of the ministers to the fire, and we look
forward to doing that, as we have done for the past number of years. Maybe not
too longer in the future, hopefully, but that is what we will be doing in the
short term for sure.
I would also like to pay tribute to the late Dianne Whalen. Ms Whalen was
Minister of Municipal Affairs and she was, besides being hard-working - and I
think her work ethic was recognized by all without question - more importantly
than that, she was seen by everybody who ever dealt with her as being a very
fair-minded person. She always dealt with everybody equally, and she had the
respect and admiration of every person in this House and who she dealt with. We
would like to pass on our condolences to her family as well.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
MR. SPEAKER: Does the hon. the Member for the District of Signal
Hill-Quidi Vidi have leave?
AN HON. MEMBER: By leave.
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Member for the District of Signal Hill-Quidi
Vidi.
MS MICHAEL: Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker, and to the members of the
House.
It is a privilege today, Mr. Speaker, as Leader of the Third Party to stand
and recognize the special moment that we have here today. I congratulate Premier
Dunderdale on being the first woman in the history of our Province to fill this
position. It is, indeed, an historic moment.
We are in a unique situation in this Province today, in that the leaders of
all parties sitting in the House are women, as has been noted. Nowhere else in
Canada has this happened; it is a tremendous tribute to the women of
Newfoundland and Labrador who, from 1890 to 1925, in different configurations,
worked tirelessly to gain the right for women to vote. Like all women in
Newfoundland and Labrador, they never gave up. No matter how many noes they got,
they went back and they fought.
Today, here we are, eighty years after Lady Helena Squires became the first
woman to sit in the House of Assembly; it was 1930. Indeed, we have come a long
way on the political stage. The one sad note today is that the Leader of the
Official Opposition, and Member for Cartwright-L'Anse au Clair, and the other
leader of the political parties in this House, cannot be here so that visually
we would see the three women who are the leaders of the House. I want to take
this opportunity to wish the Leader of the Official Opposition all the best and
a speedy return to her seat in the House. We all look forward to that.
I also would like to mention Dianne Whalen, especially in this context,
because she believed so much in women running for office. We all know the
campaign that she led as Minister of Municipal Affairs to get more women
running, so she would have been so proud, I think, to be sitting here today with
us.
It is also significant today that this historic moment is occurring on
December 6, the National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against
Women. We do not sit in this Legislature alone, the women or the men. We sit
here representing the many women who have spoken out and struggled for women's
rights, and the many women who have suffered violence and even death for
believing in those rights.
As we now move forward to work together and we do work together, even when
we disagree for the good of this Province, for the women, men, and children in
this Province, we do so under the mantle of the legacy that these women, the
ones I have mentioned, have given through their lives and deaths and passed on
to us.
Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER: Members' statements.
Statements by Members
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Member for the District of Port de Grave.
MR. BUTLER: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Recently, I had the honour of attending the forty-sixth Charter Anniversary
of the Bay Roberts Lions Club. This event took place on Friday, October 29, at
the Lions Club building. What an achievement! One can only imagine the hours of
dedication and the service provided for the past forty-six years to those who
are less fortunate. Mr. Walter Baggs, a Charter and Life Member of this club,
also attended the celebrations.
The last line of the Lions Invocation states, "To Help the Weak and Right the
Wrong". Mr. Speaker, this club has truly kept that promise. The Bay Roberts
Lions Club have supported the Lions Max Simms Camp, diabetes, speak-outs,
special needs dogs, scholarship funds, the Trinity Conception Placentia Health
Foundation, Janeway Children's Wish Foundation, plus all sports activities, to
mention a few. Guest speaker for the evening was Mr. Frank Antle of Victoria, a
Lion himself, who praised the club for the tremendous work they are doing.
A major event for all Lions Clubs in the 170-plus countries is that they take
part in a peace poster contest. If we are to achieve total peace in this world,
the youth can play a huge role in discouraging war in their various countries.
Mr. Speaker, I ask all hon. members to join me in extending congratulations
to the Bay Roberts Lions Club and Mr. Walter Baggs on forty-six years of serving
their community and its residents.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Member for the District of Ferryland.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. HUTCHINGS: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Mr. Speaker, on Saturday, October 16, I had the pleasure of attending the
twenty-third Annual Firefighters' Ball of the Witless Bay Volunteer Fire
Department. I rise today to recognize and congratulate the Witless Bay Volunteer
Fire Department on this occasion.
The Witless Bay Volunteer Fire Department consists of twenty-three members
and serves the area from Bay Bulls to Bauline. The contribution that has been
made by volunteers, both past and present, over the last twenty-three years is
indeed commendable.
Rural Newfoundland and Labrador, in many places, faces challenges with
recruiting new volunteers and maintaining past levels. It was indeed encouraging
to see a good mix of young men, women and experienced firefighters in the
volunteer fire brigade that now make up the fire department. It certainly bodes
well to the future fire protection services in the area. I would also like to
recognize Crystal Kelly who was named Firefighter of the Year, and congratulate
her on her dedication as a volunteer.
These individuals give freely of their time to the residents of our
communities so we can have someone to rely on in the event of an emergency. The
volunteer firefighter never knows what awaits when the alarm sounds, but they
respond without a moment's hesitation - day or night.
Mr. Speaker, much more can be accomplished by co-operating and working
together in our rural communities. Joining together, taking up a common cause,
working as a unit for the benefit of others, is what it means to be a
firefighter, and no doubt the members of the Witless Bay Volunteer Fire
Department have done so for the past twenty-three years.
I ask all hon. members to join with me in thanking the Witless Bay Volunteer
Fire Department for the contribution they are making to our communities.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Member for the District of The Straits & White
Bay North.
MR. DEAN: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Mr. Speaker, I rise in this hon. House today to congratulate Noah Coish, a
nine-year-old resident of St. Anthony who took home the gold medal in the Grade
4 boys Cross-Country Provincial Championship Game that was held in Stephenville
on November 6. Noah finished first in the Grade 4 category and fourth overall in
the elementary division, placing behind three Grade 6 students.
Noah is well known in St. Anthony for his love of sports. In addition to
cross-country running, Noah plays baseball, soccer, softball, tennis, and
hockey.
Mr. Speaker, I ask all members of this House to join with me in
congratulating Noah on this achievement and wish him well in his future
endeavours.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Member for the District of Cape St. Francis.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. KEVIN PARSONS: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
I rise in this hon. House today to congratulate a young lady for her
outstanding service to her community and for being presented with the 2010
Canadian Red Cross Young Humanitarian Award.
Mr. Speaker, Kristina Roche is presently in her third year of studies at MUN
pursuing a degree in biochemistry.
In the summer of 2009, Kristina travelled to Nepal to volunteer at an
beyond her duties and assisted the children in all aspects of their daily care.
Since returning, she has remained in contact with her young friends.
Mr. Speaker, Kristina Roche has been involved in various community
organizations in the Town of Torbay and surrounding communities. She
participated in the Winter Lights Committee to raise money for Young Adult
Cancer Canada and is a member of the Young Adult Advisory Board. She volunteers
at both the Health Sciences and the Janeway. She is a tutor at the Association
for New Canadians. She was one of the winners for the U-Rock award last year.
She is also a 2010 Duke of Edinburgh gold award winner.
Mr. Speaker, I ask all members in this House to congratulate, with me,
Kristina Roche for being named the 2010 Canadian Red Cross Young Humanitarian
Award winner, and I am sure we will hear from her in the future.
Thank you.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Member for the District of St. John's East.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. BUCKINGHAM: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to an old friend who recently passed
away.
This past November 11, St. John's lost a very dedicated volunteer and teacher
when Mr. Jeff Steiner, director of the world renowned St. Pat's Dancers, passed
away. Jeff dedicated his time to helping keep the tradition of Newfoundland
step-dancing alive by providing opportunity and guidance to many children from
inner city schools.
He and his wife, Yvonne, have been with the group since 1991. Over those
nineteen years, the group performed for many dignitaries such as Queen Elizabeth
II and the Prince and Princess of Wales. They performed across Canada, including
a memorable performance in 1997 when the dancers participated alongside Great
Big Sea during the Canada Day celebrations on Parliament Hill in Ottawa, in
front of the entire country.
I first met Jeff in 1986 when he joined us as part of the original staff of
the Brother T. I. Murphy Centre as our science teacher. Jeff seemed to have a
soft spot for the youth whose needs could not be served by the regular school
system. Why became clear when I later found out that he had been a bit of a
rogue himself at some of the best private schools in Upper Canada before coming
to Newfoundland to get his university education. It was here he met Yvonne, and
together they raised seven children. Of course, when you marry a Critch from St.
Mary's Bay that was bound to happen!
Jeff will be forever missed by all the present and past members of the St.
Pat's Dancers, as well as the students and his colleagues from the Murphy
Centre.
Mr. Speaker, I ask all members of this hon. House to join me in recognizing a
life well lived, and in extending condolences to Jeff's family.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER: Statements by Ministers.
Statements by Ministers
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Minister Responsible for the Status of Women.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MS SULLIVAN: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Mr. Speaker, I rise in the House of Assembly today to honour the memory of
fourteen young women who were killed during what we now refer to as the Montreal
Massacre.
Twenty-one years ago today, as they were studying for their futures, the
lives of these women were taken at Montreal's cole
Polytechnique , simply because they were women.
In 1991, in memory of these women, the federal government designated December
6 as the National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women.
More than two decades after it occurred, this horrific event is a chilling
reminder of the devastating effects of violence against women.
Mr. Speaker, far too many women in our Province live with violence every day.
Our two police forces reported over 8,600 incidents of violence against women
between 2006 and 2009.
Equally alarming is the fact that of the 217,900 women over the age of
fifteen residing in Newfoundland and Labrador, approximately 108,950 will
experience at least one incident of sexual or physical violence throughout their
lifetime; however, only 10 per cent will report these incidents to police.
These facts represent a huge societal issue that we all have a responsibility
to address. Through a six-year, $12 million Violence Prevention Initiative, our
government is proactively working with communities and volunteer organizations
to identify long-term solutions to preventing violence against women.
Our Respect Women Campaign includes a Web site of information and resource
materials, as well as print and television advertisements. In this campaign, we
are using positive messages to encourage men to teach young boys how to respect
women, and we are addressing the very root of violence: inequality.
As well, the Purple Ribbon Campaign can now be seen throughout our Province.
Wearing the ribbon, like the one every Member of the House of Assembly is
wearing today, shows support for the need to prevent violence against women, and
the need to make it a topic we can openly discuss in our society. I am so
pleased that our Province is the first in Canada to officially support such a
campaign.
Mr. Speaker, let this ribbon also symbolize the hope that comes from our
collective efforts to end inequality and violence against women. I encourage
everyone to learn more about how they can help bring an end to violence against
women.
As a reminder to all of us of the events of December 6, 1989, I want to read
into the record of the House of Assembly the names of those fourteen women who
died that day: Genevive Bergeron, Hlne Colgan, Nathalie Croteau, Barbara
Daigneault, Anne-Marie Edward, Maud Haviernick, Barbara Klucznik-Widajewicz,
Maryse Laganire, Maryse Leclair, Anne-Marie Lemay, Sonia Pelletier, Michle
Richard, Annie St. Arneault, Annie Turcotte.
At this time I would like to ask that we all observe a moment of silence to
remember these women and all the women whose lives have been affected by
violence.
MR. SPEAKER: Please rise.
[A moment of silence is observed]
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Leader of the Opposition.
MR. KELVIN PARSONS: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
I thank the minister for an advance copy of her statement. We take several
occasions, of course, throughout our year to recognize and pay tribute to
various people who have been in our society. For example, November 11, we pay
tribute to our veterans and our fallen, as is quite appropriate, and likewise
here.
This particular tragedy is a black mark in our history. It was specifically
directed towards women, and absolutely unnecessary and horrific. We have come a
long ways in this country sometimes, when you look at it and think about where
we have come and advanced ourselves as a society with respect to constitutional
rights and equality provisions. We still have a long ways to go. There is no
point in having these rights enshrined in our legislation if we, as people, do
not learn to accord those rights and these equality provisions with the respect
that has to go with them to make them truly functional. This was a very
unfortunate event, as I say.
The Purple Ribbon Campaign is indeed a very worthy campaign. It is not only a
campaign which recognizes the significant and invaluable contributions that
women make to our society, but it is also educational and we need to continue to
educate ourselves as people to get to that point where eventually we will see a
complete eradication of violence towards women.
Thank you.
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Member for the District of Signal Hill-Quidi
Vidi.
MS MICHAEL: Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker.
I, too, thank the minister for the advance copy of her statement.
It is always a very solemn moment on December 6 when we stand here in this
House and recognize, along with people across Canada, the significance of what
happened in 1989. Certainly the Canadian government made sure that we do that by
marking this as a National Day of Remembrance, and, as has already been noted by
my colleague from the Official Opposition, that puts it in the same
classification as what we do on November 11 when we remember the wars, and what
we do on July 1 when we remember Beaumont Hamel. It is fitting that the federal
government did put it in that class, because this significant moment of women
being killed because they are women is something we can never forget.
We do know that violence continues. In the past twenty years we have had
twenty-one women who have been murdered by spouses or partners in this Province
alone. So we know that the violence is so much more serious than a word here and
there. The work that we have to do is significant work that we have to do, and I
know that we are all committed to doing that work together.
So, as we remember, we plan our actions; we plan how we can make sure that we
have zero tolerance for all violence against women in this Province. I think one
way to do that is to mark what is happening today with other members of the
community. So, Mr. Speaker, I humbly encourage the members of the House to
attend the vigil tonight at Memorial University in the Engineering Building,
because we join then with the whole community in making our statement: that we
no longer want to have women suffering the violence that they suffer in this
country.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
MR. SPEAKER: Further statements by ministers.
The hon. the Minister Responsible for the Volunteer and Non-Profit Sector.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. DENINE: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Mr. Speaker, today I rise to recognize Newfoundland and Labrador's Volunteer
and Non-Profit Sector, given that Sunday, December 5, was International
Volunteer Day. In 1985, the United Nations General Assembly established the
International Volunteer Day to commemorate the contributions and dedication of
volunteers worldwide. Volunteers from this Province, Mr. Speaker, are major
contributors to organizations that do work all over the world. This year's
recognition day is also significant as it marks the launch of the tenth
anniversary of the 2001 International Year of the Volunteer.
Our Province, Mr. Speaker, has approximately 197,000 volunteers who give
thirty-five million hours of their time each year to their communities. This
government appreciates the tremendous contributions of the volunteer and
non-profit sector. That is why, this past summer, we launched a campaign to
recognize their efforts called the Who Cares? Campaign.
Mr. Speaker, this campaign profiles and celebrates the incredible work being
done by men and women, young and old, in communities large and small all across
the Province of Newfoundland and Labrador; work that makes our neighbourhoods
stronger, that defines our communities and makes our Province the wonderful
place it is.
Like International Volunteer Day, the Who Cares? Campaign is designed to give
the community based and non-profit sector the recognition they deserve, and to
say thank you to the thousands of volunteers and workers who make a difference
in our communities every day. It shows how the volunteer and non-profit sector
positively impacts each and every one of us. Furthermore, it will educate the
public about the real value and importance of the sector to our society.
Mr. Speaker, the campaign is aimed to reinforce the importance of the
Volunteer and Non-Profit Sector in people's minds and motivate them to act
either volunteer themselves or to thank someone who does. On the Web site,
WhoCaresNL.ca, we have been profiling volunteers from across the Province as
well as giving visitors to the site the opportunity to thank a volunteer or
non-profit organization for their contributions.
The Volunteer and Non-Profit Sector is instrumental in our Province's
prosperity and overall community health. It is filled with amazing people who
work tirelessly and proudly to strengthen our communities. It is an amazing
story, Mr. Speaker, that needs to be told, one that needs to be shared more
often. Recently we have heard many stories of communities coming together after
this Province was devastated by Hurricane Igor this past September. Mr. Speaker,
volunteers were crucial in the recovery efforts in the affected communities. I
would like to say a huge thank you to all those who volunteered their time,
talent, and hearts during this time. Mr. Speaker, they are true heroes.
Mr. Speaker, I ask all Members of the House of Assembly of Newfoundland and
Labrador to take the time to register a thank you to those who volunteer in our
communities, day in and day out.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Leader of the Opposition.
MR. KELVIN PARSONS: Thank you, Mr. Speaker, and I thank the minister for
an advance copy of his statement.
According to a June 2009 Canada survey of giving, volunteering, and
participating, almost one half 46 per cent of Canadians volunteer their time
in one capacity or another. On average, volunteers contribute 166 hours each to
our society and our communities. Of course, Newfoundlanders and Labradorians are
world renowned for their sense of community and generosity. Across the Province,
our volunteers accumulate millions of hours of volunteer time, whether it be
firefighters many of whom are in a volunteer capacity food banks, soup
kitchens, schools, hospitals, libraries, sports and recreation groups, church
groups, service clubs, animal shelters. It is a selfless effort, all to help
their own communities in which they live. Without their help, of course, many
important services and programs would not be able to function.
We thank and congratulate the thousands of volunteers from across the
Province who take the time to make a difference, because their contributions to
our community and to our Province only improve the quality of our life here in
our Province.
Thank you.
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Member for the District of Signal Hill-Quidi
Vidi.
MS MICHAEL: Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker, and I thank the minister
for the advance copy of his statement.
I am very happy to stand with him and recognize and congratulate the
thousands of Newfoundlanders and Labradorians who give their time and their
skills for the benefit of their community and the Province. Like the minister,
and many others of us here in the House, long before we became elected to
political office, many of us spent our own hours working as volunteers and
working with volunteers, so we have a very personal knowledge of what the life
of volunteers is all about. We do not often get the opportunity to thank them en
masse, as we are doing here today, and I think it is good that we do that.
I, too, toured the damage that Hurricane Igor wreaked across the two
peninsulas. I went to the Bonavista Peninsula and learned first-hand the crucial
role that volunteers played in meeting the immediate needs of the neighbours and
community. In actual fact, because of the nature of that storm, and the way in
which people were cut off, without volunteers I do not know what would have
happened at that time.
We do have to remember, though, that volunteer groups are organizations. They
have to have infrastructure, they have to have staff, and we have to make sure
that we really thank the volunteers and honour them by ensuring that they have
everything they need to do the work that they do. There is a role for them but
there is also a role for money, to give them the staff that they need to do that
work.
Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker.
MR. SPEAKER: Further statements by ministers?
Oral Questions.
Oral Questions
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Leader of the Opposition.
MR. KELVIN PARSONS: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Mr. Speaker, this government has been trying to negotiate a deal with our
Province's doctors for almost two years and have been unsuccessful. We have been
asking that the doctors' issue be sent to binding arbitration, as early as March
23 of last year, and the government has flatly refused this request. The doctors
of this Province, we feel, have made a very fair offer. They are willing to give
up their right to strike if government is prepared to give the doctors binding
arbitration to resolve any such disputes and to have it enshrined in
legislation.
Mr. Speaker, I ask the Premier: Are you finally prepared to take the
recommendation of binding arbitration, give the doctors such, and entrench this
right in legislation, the same as you did with respect to firefighters in this
Province and the Royal Newfoundland Constabulary?
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Premier.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
PREMIER DUNDERDALE: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Mr. Speaker, as I have stated publicly earlier, both of my ministers, the
Minister of Finance and the Minister of Health, met with the head of the NLMA
and Mr. Ritter on Friday. There have been subsequent conversations with Dr.
O'Shea since that time.
Mr. Speaker, what the doctors have asked us to do is to respect their
ratification process, which we are absolutely happy to do. We have created, I
think, a very healthy environment for discussions. We are talking about a
process which we can engage in that will bring this hopefully to a satisfactory
conclusion for the NLMA and for the people of the Province.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Leader of the Opposition.
MR. KELVIN PARSONS: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
We are all aware in this Province, Mr. Speaker, about the meetings that took
place on Friday and the commentary from the NLMA this past weekend and today.
The question is quite simple, Premier, and it narrows down to this, as the
doctors have said. We are going to have a crisis and a catastrophe on our hands,
and it comes down to one simple question. You have obviously switched gears when
it comes to how you treat the doctors now, or at least the minister seems to
have had a personality transplant in that regard. I ask you, Premier, a simple
question: Are you prepared to give the doctors of this Province binding
arbitration, the same as we have done with the other essential services in this
Province, such as police and firefighters? That is a pretty simple answer and it
is a pretty simple question or question and answer.
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Premier.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
PREMIER DUNDERDALE: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Mr. Speaker, the doctors who serve the people of Newfoundland and Labrador
are respected and valued, as is their work in this Province. They are important
members of our communities.
Mr. Speaker, both of my ministers are fully engaged with the NLMA. Together
we will work out a process that is satisfactory to both of us. Then, Mr.
Speaker, we will share that with the Leader of the Opposition and with the rest
of the people in the Province. Hopefully, through that process, we will be able
to come to a conclusion of our contractual negotiations that works for the NLMA
and works for the people of Newfoundland and Labrador.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Leader of the Opposition.
MR. KELVIN PARSONS: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Well, we have already seen the two ministers, the Minister of Finance and the
Minister of Health, swallow themselves whole on this position in the last week
or so, and I guess we have to wait to see the Premier do the same.
In May of 2008 this government made a side deal with the Province's
pathologists and oncologists. This was done against the advice of the NLMA, the
group that represents doctors in this Province. It created a two-tiered pay
system; salaried specialists working side by side are not receiving equal pay
for equal work. As a result, at least fourteen specialists have threatened to
I ask the Premier: Are you willing to pay the doctors, these specialists,
equal pay for equal work?
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Premier.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
PREMIER DUNDERDALE: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Mr. Speaker, with all due respect to the Acting Leader of the Opposition,
equal pay for work of equal value is a concept that I am very familiar with and
have dedicated my life to, and, with all due respect to him, do not need any
lessons on.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
PREMIER DUNDERDALE: What I do commit to doing, Mr. Speaker, is continuing
discussions in an atmosphere that is conducive to bringing a satisfactory
resolution to the challenges that face the NLMA and the Government of
Newfoundland and Labrador, maintaining a balance between meeting their needs and
being fiscally responsible. Both of my ministers are firmly committed to that,
Mr. Speaker. We are not going to do the negotiation here on the floor of the
House of Assembly, Mr. Speaker; we are going to do it, and continue to do it,
with the NLMA.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Leader of the Opposition.
MR. KELVIN PARSONS: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Everybody in this Province knows by now and accepts that binding arbitration
is the proper and the sensible solution to the resolution of this impending
crisis. We have been saying it for months, the doctors have been saying it now
for quite some time, and the people of the Province are saying it through the
media.
If this government is not prepared to give binding arbitration to resolve
disputes for doctors, and we certainly had no indication from the Premier today
that she is prepared to go down that road, given this government has been
adamant about the doctors' dispute and not sending it to binding arbitration, as
all of the messages we have gotten so far from this government and the Premier
need not waste her time giving me any lessons - could you tell us what you have
done yourself to prepare a Plan B? Because if you do not resolve this thing, and
you do not resolve it quickly, the Province is going to be in crisis.
MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!
MR. KELVIN PARSONS: What is your Plan B, Premier, if you do not give
binding arbitration?
MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!
The hon. the Premier.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
PREMIER DUNDERDALE: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Mr. Speaker, let me say again: We have engaged with the NLMA in a very
respectful process where we understand what it is they need to be able to
operate and provide service to the people of Newfoundland and Labrador. We have
also created an environment where they understand what our responsibilities and
liabilities are. In that environment, Mr. Speaker, we have agreed to find a way
forward.
Now, Mr. Speaker, the people of the Province do not want any more of a
commitment than that from their government. We are going to pursue, we have set
timelines, and hopefully sooner rather than later, Mr. Speaker, we are going to
be able to resolve this issue.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Member for the District of Port de Grave.
MR. BUTLER: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
There are fifteen striking workers on the Burin Peninsula who are job coaches
for people with intellectual disabilities. They have been on strike for over a
year and this government now, Mr. Speaker, wins the award for the longest public
sector strike in the Province's history. I have to say, Mr. Speaker, it is
absolutely shameful! A rally was held in the region two weeks ago trying to
encourage government to settle this dispute. Government already settled a strike
similar to this on the West Coast of the Province where there are workers who
are helping other people with disabilities.
I ask the minister: Will government finally step up to the plate, make a
deal, and end this strike before Christmas?
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Premier.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
PREMIER DUNDERDALE: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Mr. Speaker, I am happy to report to the House of Assembly that our
negotiators met this morning and we are working hard to resolve this issue as
quickly as it is possible to do it, Mr. Speaker.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Leader of the Opposition.
MR. KELVIN PARSONS: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
The new Premier is on record as saying that power produced at Muskrat Falls
will cost in the neighbourhood of $143 per megawatt hour.
Will the Premier provide us today with a breakdown of that cost? Does it
include, for example, transmission cost and financing cost, or any other
associated cost? Is that $143, which translates into 14.3 cents per kilowatt
hour, just the charge for generation of the electricity at Muskrat Falls, or is
that the end cost to the consumers in their homes?
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Premier.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
PREMIER DUNDERDALE: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Mr. Speaker, when we talk about costs, either the cost to Emera to buy power
from Muskrat Falls, or the cost to the people of the Province to have access to
power from Churchill Falls Muskrat Falls, specifically we talk about the
total cost. Mr. Speaker, we gave the members of the Opposition, during the time
of our announcement, a technical briefing on all of the elements of this deal
with Emera. I understand that these issues are very complex, and you may not get
them on your first sweep of all of the information.
If it would help the members opposite understand what we have agreed to with
Emera better, then I am prepared, Mr. Speaker, to talk to Nalcor and to the
Department of Natural Resources to prepare further briefings for the members of
the Opposition.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Leader of the Opposition.
MR. KELVIN PARSONS: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Our fear is that the briefing on the Muskrat Falls term sheet might turn out
like the briefing from the same Mr. Ed Martin that we got on the Abitibi and
we know what a fiasco that was, so do not talk about how thorough your briefings
are, I say to the Premier. We have been down that track once before with the
very same individual.
Mr. Speaker, the Premier is reluctant to tell us exactly how it is broken
out. Do you notice that? Pretty cagey. She does not say exactly how it is broken
out here, and what it is going to cost the rate payers. At the end of the day,
that is going to be one of the significant decisions and deal breakers in this
deal, if you cannot explain to the people: are they going to pay the 9.5 they
are currently paying, are they going to pay 14.5 after this is done, or what is
the real cost on this, Mr. Speaker.
I ask the Premier: Can you be a little bit more detailed and tell us exactly
what is included in your $143 per kilowatt hour? Just give the people of the
Province some indication of what is in that.
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Premier.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
PREMIER DUNDERDALE: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
What is included in that $143, Mr. Speaker, is the cost that is charged off
to the Province in terms of our investment in the development of Muskrat Falls;
in the building of the generating capacity at Muskrat Falls, Mr. Speaker, of
which we will own 100 per cent; of the infrastructure that is required for
transmission in Labrador from Muskrat Falls to the border, Mr. Speaker; the cost
of the Labrador link, Labrador-Island link, and the transmission throughout the
Island of Newfoundland, Mr. Speaker. That is what is included to bring power
from Muskrat Falls to offset Holyrood. Once we take all of those costs into
account, Mr. Speaker, we arrive at the sum of $143 per megawatt hour.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Leader of the Opposition.
MR. KELVIN PARSONS: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
We all know that the Upper Churchill Falls agreement was probably the worst
deal ever signed in the Province. We all know that under the terms of that deal
Hydro-Quebec gets to buy our energy at an unfair rate, far below market cost.
Mr. Speaker, in light of our history with the Upper Churchill, why is
government agreeing to give Emera Energy of Nova Scotia free power for
thirty-five years? How does the Premier justify giving free power to a Nova
Scotian company for thirty-five years when the taxpayers of this Province not
only are they going to be put on the hook for the $4.5 billion which gets added
to our public debt, but we are also financing it through higher electricity
rates in their homes. Why the sweet deal for Emera, I say to the Premier?
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Premier.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
PREMIER DUNDERDALE: Mr. Speaker, we never needed a better example of how
much trouble we escaped in 2002 when we did not sign onto the Grimes deal.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
PREMIER DUNDERDALE: Mr. Speaker, how $1.2 billion translates into zero
dollars for electricity is something that I am unable to wrap my mind around.
Mr. Speaker, we have costed the power we are selling to Emera at $95 per
megawatt hour, escalating to $125 over the thirty-five years. Mr. Speaker, that
works out to be $1.2 billion.
What we have said to them is: Instead of giving us the $1.2 billion over
thirty-five years, give it to us all now, we will build the Maritime Link with
it now, and we will save the people of Newfoundland and Labrador hundreds of
millions of dollars in financing costs by doing it that way.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Leader of the Opposition.
MR. KELVIN PARSONS: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
It is amazing the spin that one can put on something. The fact is, Mr.
Speaker, $1.2 billion -
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Oh, oh!
MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!
MR. KELVIN PARSONS: - being invested by Emera is to build their link for
their purposes. They are going to put $600 million into the so-called
Labrador-trans Island link, and they are going to receive in return 29 per cent
ownership in perpetuity, forever. Not only are they going to get thirty-five
years of free power, they are going to get 29 per cent of the profits generated
on the transmission in this Province on the backs of the ratepayers of this
Province in perpetuity.
I ask the Premier
MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!
If the hon. member has a question, I ask him to pose it now.
MR. KELVIN PARSONS: I ask the Premier: How can you justify, in addition
to the free power, giving them 29 per cent of the profits that the people of
this Province have to pay for the rest of time?
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Oh, oh!
MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!
The hon. the Premier.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
PREMIER DUNDERDALE: Mr. Speaker, first of all to the Maritime Link which
Emera will own 100 per cent of for their investment of $1.2 billion, they will
own that Maritime Link for thirty-five years, at which time they will sell it to
the Province of Newfoundland and Labrador for $1.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Oh, oh!
MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!
PREMIER DUNDERDALE: Mr. Speaker, on that link for thirty-five years they
have exclusive rights with regard to one terawatt of power. All other rights on
the Maritime Link, beyond the one terawatt of power, are owned by Nalcor.
Mr. Speaker, in terms of their investment in energy infrastructure here in
the Province, they are investing $600 million. That is a regulated activity that
companies all over the world have an opportunity to invest in. It is governed by
the PUB. They get a regulated rate of return of 8.25 per cent, the same as
Nalcor and Newfoundland Power get.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Member for the District for The Straits & White
Bay North.
MR. DEAN: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Mr. Speaker, one of our greatest renewable resources, the fishery, has been
neglected by this government for seven long years. An MOU was signed in July
2009 and the steering committee was to report no later than December 15, 2009.
Yet, seventeen months later, this much anticipated report still remains hidden
from the people and the communities that will be profoundly impacted.
So I ask the minister today: Have you yet received this report and, more
importantly, when are you going to share it with the people and the communities
that are still waiting for some word on their fate and their future?
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Minister of Fisheries and Aquaculture.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. JACKMAN: Mr. Speaker, the hon. member opposite is alluding that
government has not looked into the fisheries in this Province. Mr. Speaker, I am
hoping, on February 8, he will join us down at the waterfront and we will get
him to walk aboard a vessel that we are leasing for research within our own
Province.
We announced, this year, $14 million into science research within our
Province - one of the latest announcements, Mr. Speaker, that we have made.
Mr. Speaker, specifically to the MOU
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Oh, oh!
MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!
MR. JACKMAN: Mr. Speaker, specifically to the MOU, the parties at the
table are the FFAW, the ASP, and government. Since last February these groups,
together, have met on seventy occasions.
Mr. Speaker, this MOU is quite different than other reports, because in other
reports what happens is we have a particular individual who goes out, he is
commissioned to do a report
MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!
I ask the hon. minister to conclude his answer.
MR. JACKMAN: I will, Mr. Speaker, thank you.
In this particular case, rather than having somebody coming to us and
presenting us with a document, what we have in this document, Mr. Speaker, is a
report on behalf of the industry and government, and Mr. Speaker
MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Member for the District of The Straits & White
Bay North.
MR. DEAN: Mr. Speaker, it is such an important question that I will ask
it again. Probably we can get through all the
preamble and he can go directly
into the answer.
I would ask the minister: Have you received the report and, more importantly,
when will it be available to the people of this Province?
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Minister of Fisheries and Aquaculture.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. JACKMAN: I thank the member for asking his question again.
Mr. Speaker, I do expect that the report will be at the office tomorrow,
receiving just a final technical review. I expect that I will have the report in
my hands by this coming Friday.
Mr. Speaker, as I have said publicly as recently as Thursday on the
broadcast, up until the Christmas season and a little into the New Year, I will
be reviewing that report myself. I have not been involved in the development of
the report because I did not want the people opposite to accuse us of skewing it
or having involvement in it.
This report will be provided by industry, an independent chair that
government paid for, a process that is $800,000 that we put into this. We want
to do a good job around this MOU.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Member for the District of The Straits & White
Bay North.
MR. DEAN: Mr. Speaker, this government has been promising reform on the
fishery since the infamous fishery summit in the spring of 2006, nearly five
years ago.
I ask the minister: Can we stop the rhetoric, give the people of the Province
assurances that this report will be made public and indeed debated by the public
ahead of the election next fall, or is it something that we are trying to hide
as a government?
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Minister of Fisheries & Aquaculture.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. JACKMAN: Mr. Speaker, apparently he has not been listening to the
media.
Mr. Speaker, I have said, on occasion, that the context of this report is so
important to all of Newfoundland and Labrador, and in particular rural
Newfoundland and Labrador, that there is going to have to be a larger engagement
of the entire Newfoundland and Labrador population.
If he was tracking the media, Mr. Speaker, I have said that right now, as of
today, on two occasions, I have met with Municipalities Newfoundland and
Labrador to indicate to them that we certainly hope that we might have their
engagement and their support as we get the message out as to what needs to
happen in the fishery in this Province, Mr. Speaker.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Member for the District of The Straits & White
Bay North.
MR. DEAN: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Mr. Speaker, this past Sunday morning, at approximately 3:00 o'clock, two
people were found lying in a street in Wabush, the apparent victims of a hit and
run. I know all the members of this House join with me in praying for the
well-being of those individuals today.
Mr. Speaker, my question today is in regard to the response of air ambulance
to assist these two people. According to media reports, the air ambulance took
close to twenty-four hours to get these two seriously injured people to the
Intensive Care Unit in St. John's. This new and improved air ambulance service
based in Happy Valley-Goose Bay first had to fly to St. John's to pick up a
medical flight service team and fly all the way back to Wabush to retrieve the
accident victims.
Mr. Speaker, this is totally unacceptable, and I would ask: When is this
government going to recognize that when it removed the air ambulance from St.
Anthony it failed to recruit and put in place a properly trained medical flight
service team, as it had promised to do some years ago?
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Minister of Health and Community Services.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. KENNEDY: Yes, Mr. Speaker, I certainly would like to pass my best
wishes on to the people injured in this accident.
Mr. Speaker, there is one thing that I would also like to say: It is
unacceptable that the member opposite not try to get the facts before he puts
them before this hon. House and puts them out in the media.
Mr. Speaker, a call was received at the Medical Communication Centre at 6:15
o'clock. The Happy Valley-Goose Bay plane was in St. John's. The medical flight
service team got on the plane, went immediately to Lab West, and at 10:15
o'clock arrived in Labrador City. They were at the patients' side before the
doctors were even finished with the patients, Mr. Speaker. So, right away we
have two inaccuracies in terms of the time frame and also where the plane was
located.
Mr. Speaker, it took two-and-a-half-hours then to stabilize the patients and
to transport them to the airport. At 1:00 o'clock, the plane left Labrador City
and arrived in St. John's at 3:15 o'clock. Now, whatever math you use, Mr.
Speaker, when a call is received at 6:15 o'clock and the plane arrives in St.
John's at 3:15 o'clock, it is certainly a lot less than twenty-four hours. I
would certainly ask the member opposite to get his facts straight.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Member for the District of Signal Hill-Quidi
Vidi.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Oh, oh!
MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!
The hon. the Member for the District of Signal Hill-Quidi Vidi.
MS MICHAEL: Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker.
Mr. Speaker, we have just come off a by-election campaign in the District of
Conception Bay East & Bell Island. I and others were out on the doorsteps many
of us were out on the doorsteps - over the last few weeks, including members of
Cabinet, who must have heard the same concerns about health care that I heard.
Citizens, whether they were medical professionals or users of the system, on
their doorsteps, needing no prompting, said that health care is a mess, it is a
shemozzle and it is dysfunctional, and I use their words. They are the words
that were said to me.
Mr. Speaker, I ask the Premier: When is this government going to wake up to
what is happening in our health care system and embark on a full review process?
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Minister of Health and Community Services.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. KENNEDY: Yes, Mr. Speaker, as I have said in this hon. House on many
occasions, health care, involving the lives of people, evokes an emotional
response and is certainly something that we have to look at in terms of the
delivery of services; however, there are a lot of good things happening out
there. There are a lot of issues which do not get reported in the media because
of the incidents that occur.
Mr. Speaker, I will give you an example: This summer and fall alone, we
travelled to rural Newfoundland and Labrador, visited various health facilities,
and put over $25.5 million out there in capital equipment and in repairs and
renovations.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. KENNEDY: We are building new health care facilities, Mr. Speaker, in
Corner Brook, Flower's Cove, St. John's redevelopment; the long-term care
facilities in Lewisporte, Carbonear, and the new health care facility in
Labrador West.
Mr. Speaker, we are spending $2.7 billion on health care and there are a lot
of good things happening. It is really, Mr. Speaker, unfortunate when we hear
the Leader of the NDP make comments like that.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Member for the District of Signal Hill-Quidi
Vidi.
MS MICHAEL: Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker.
It is a wonderful list that the Minister of Health and Community Services has
just touted. All of that is true, but, Mr. Speaker, the things that were said to
me on the doorsteps of people in that district were horrendous stories; two in
particular with regard to people not being able to see specialists when they
need to see them, having to leave the Province; ER wait times, because we do not
have ERs that are set up, well functioning ERs; lack of resources so that they
can be the kind of ERs we should have, and concerns about what is going to
happen to children who are at the Janeway. Mr. Speaker, these are realities that
are not being dealt with.
Again, I ask the Premier: When is this government going to review our system
and get us a first-class system like other places in Canada?
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Minister of Health and Community Services.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. KENNEDY: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
I find it somewhat disconcerting. On one hand the Leader of the New
Democratic Party says: Well, it is all true what I just said, and on the other
hand she is talking about a first-class health care system.
Mr. Speaker, to give you an example, we now have 1,098 physicians practicing
in our Province; the most we have ever had. Mr. Speaker, when I became Minister
of Health and Community Services a year ago I looked at the issues out there. We
have addressed mental health and addictions, Mr. Speaker. We are addressing wait
times. I can assure the member opposite, that emergency room is the next issue
that we will be tackling in a big way.
Mr. Speaker, I have already talked about rural health care. Everyone knows
what we are doing with long-term care. Mr. Speaker, we recently announced our
cancer control strategy. We got out there with the colorectal cancer screening
policy. Mr. Speaker, this government is putting enormous amounts of money into
wellness and trying to encourage youth, adults and seniors alike to stay healthy
and thereby improve the quality of life and decrease the cost to the health care
system.
Mr. Speaker, unfortunately, it takes time. We are working hard at it. Is the
system perfect? Certainly not; but, Mr. Speaker, it is a lot better than what
the member opposite would have us believe.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Member for the District of Signal Hill-Quidi
Vidi.
MS MICHAEL: Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker.
Mr. Speaker, professionals inside of the system are saying the approach that
government is taking is not working, it is piecemeal. It is this piece, this
piece, this piece. There is not a vision of how the whole system should work
together.
Why is this government, I ask the Premier, Mr. Speaker, resisting doing a
full review of the whole system? Not a piecemeal, reactionary, kneejerk
approach.
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Minister of Health and Community Services.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. KENNEDY: Yes, thank you, Mr. Speaker.
I, and my officials, work closely with the regional health authorities. They
are responsible for the operations of the health system in this Province, Mr.
Speaker. They come back to me and they indicate how, through the budgetary
process and otherwise, we can improve the system.
Mr. Speaker, we need to increase efficiencies and effectiveness in the
system. We are working at that. We need to increase, Mr. Speaker, the way we
deliver services in a more comprehensive, again, efficient way. We are looking
at, Mr. Speaker, different aspects of the system.
There was recently a pathology review conducted by the University Health
Network. Mr. Speaker, we recently had the radiology review in Gander, and we
have an accreditation process going on. I am in consultation, Mr. Speaker, with
various experts throughout the country. We have relationships with the
University Health Network in Toronto. Mr. Speaker, recently, or as of yesterday,
I met with all of the Boards of Trustees, thanked them for all of their effort
and encouraged them to make positive suggestions.
So, Mr. Speaker, we are doing
MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!
The time allotted for questions and answers has expired.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER: Presenting Reports by Standing and Select Committees.
Presenting Reports by Standing and Select Committees
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Member for the District of Lewisporte.
MR. VERGE: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
On behalf of the Select Committee appointed to draft a reply to the Speech
from 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 John C. Crosbie, 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.
I move the adoption of this report, Mr. Speaker.
MR. SPEAKER: When shall the report be received?
Now?
MS BURKE: Now, Mr. Speaker.
MR. SPEAKER: Further Presenting Reports by Standing and Select
Committees?
Tabling of Documents.
Notices of Motion.
Notices of Motion
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Minister of Government Services.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. HARDING: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
I give notice that I will ask leave to introduce a bill entitled,
An Act To
Amend The Real Estate Trading Act. (Bill 32)
I give notice that I will ask leave to introduce a bill entitled,
An Act To
Amend The Consumer Protection And Business Practices Act No. 2. (Bill 33)
I give notice that I will ask leave to introduce a bill entitled,
An Act To
Amend The Mortgage Brokers Act. (Bill 34)
I give notice that I will ask leave to introduce a bill entitled,
An Act To
Amend The Public Safety Act. (Bill 35)
I give notice that I will ask leave to introduce a bill entitled,
An Act To
Amend The Consumer Protection And Business Practice Act No. 3. (Bill 40)
Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
MR. SPEAKER: Further notices of motion?
The hon. the Minister of Justice and the Attorney General.
MR. F. COLLINS: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Mr. Speaker, I give notice that I will ask leave to introduce a bill
entitled,
An Act To Amend The Judicature Act. (Bill 36)
I give further notice that I will ask leave to introduce a bill entitled, An
Act To Amend The Statutes Act. (Bill 37)
I further give notice I will ask leave to introduce a bill entitled,
An Act
To Remove Anomalies And Errors In The Statute Law. (Bill 38)
I give further notice I will ask leave to introduce a bill entitled,
An Act
To Amend The Justices And Public Authorities Protection Act. (Bill 39)
MR. SPEAKER: Further notices of motion?
Answers to Questions for which Notice has been Given.
Petitions.
Petitions
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Member for the District of Port de Grave.
MR. BUTLER: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Seeing this is the first time, I will read the prayer of the petition.
To the hon. House of Assembly of the Province of Newfoundland and Labrador in
Parliament assembled, the petition of the undersigned residents humbly sheweth:
WHEREAS Coley's Point Primary is a wooden structure built in the early 1960s;
and
WHEREAS a consultant's report recommended that a new school be built to
replace Coley's Point Primary; and
WHEREAS the student population is increasing yearly and constitutes a system
of K-3; and
WHEREAS this forty-nine-year-old wooden structure should be replaced for the
safety of both students and staff;
WHEREUPON the undersigned, your petitioners, call upon all Members of the
House of Assembly to urge government to take action and proceed with the
construction of a new primary school for Coley's Point.
As in duty bound your petitioners will ever pray.
Mr. Speaker, I have to say, this is a friendly petition. I know the Minister
of Education is well aware of the situation when he was in his former position.
He knows full well what that particular school is like; he was there and had
meetings. I know there are officials within that department who know full well
the situation.
Mr. Speaker, all I am doing is presenting this petition on behalf of the
residents in that immediate area. As I say, there was a consultant's report done
back, I do not know how many years, four or five years ago, when the former
Minister of Education was in her place. I know there were some issues in that
consultant's report that did not fare well with other situations in other
schools in the area. I think her comment at the time was the consultant's report
should be shredded. Maybe so, a lot of it should, but the school should not have
been shredded with it, so I am calling upon the Minister of Education. I know we
will soon be getting into the budget process now that the residents of that
area, and like I said, the Bay Robert's area where the people go to that school,
every year now there are fifty to sixty new families moving into the area. The
population of that school is increasing. It was only two or three years ago
and I thank government for the work that they have done on Amalgamated Academy
they had to take the Grade 4 students from that school for space reasons. They
built on classrooms at Amalgamated Academy. This primary school has to be
replaced. All one has to do is go there and see the facility. It is fine now to
carry out for another few months, but all I am doing, Mr. Speaker, is calling
upon members of this hon. House to ask government to consider this petition and
hopefully we can hear an announcement in due course.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
MR. SPEAKER: Further petitions?
On a point of order, the hon. Opposition House Leader.
MR. KELVIN PARSONS: Mr. Speaker, I am checking with the Table Officers.
It was my understanding that this Wednesday, Private Members' Day, was the
government private members, and I notice we have passed on the Order Paper for
today the Notices of Motion which is the slot that we would normally be given
notice of what the Private Members' is for Wednesday.
I am just wondering what the plan is with respect to that.
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Government House Leader.
MS BURKE: Mr. Speaker, we thought according to the Standing Orders that
it would be the Opposition's Private Members' Day on this Wednesday; however, if
it is the government's side we will certainly, before the end of the day, with
leave, introduce our private member's motion.
MR. SPEAKER: Orders of the Day.
Orders of the Day
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Government House Leader.
MS BURKE: Mr. Speaker, I will call the Address in Reply.
MR. SPEAKER: We will now hear debate on the report of the select
committee appointed to draft the Address in Reply of the Speech from the Throne
delivered by His Honour the Lieutenant-Governor.
Is it the pleasure of the House to concur in the report of the select
committee?
The hon. the Member for Lewisporte.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. VERGE: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
It is certainly my pleasure to stand here this afternoon and to speak for the
time allotted, which I think is around twenty minutes, to speak about Address in
Reply.
Mr. Speaker, since we closed the House in June there have been quite a few
changes in the political landscape in this Province. I want to start off today
by recognizing, and also thanking where appropriate, some of these things that
happened since June.
I certainly want to, first of all, recognize the hon. Dianne Whalen, who
passed away since we last met. I had the privilege of sitting next to her, or
right behind her, for a few sessions, and I also had the privilege of having a
few conversations with her and getting to know her. I just want to say that I am
a much better person for having known her and conversed with her, and I know
that she will be sadly missed.
I also want to say thank you to our former Premier, Mr. Danny Williams, who
has recently resigned and moved on to some other things. I want to thank him for
his time that he served in this House, the time he served the people of the
Province. I will also say, Mr. Speaker, that my beginnings in politics, which
does not go back that far, actually I have only been at this a little over
three years but I will say in all honesty that it was the former Premier's
brilliance, his intelligence, his passion and his commitment that inspired me to
get into politics. I wish him all the best in the rest of his endeavours.
I also want to welcome and congratulate the newest Member of the House of
Assembly, the Member for Conception Bay East & Bell Island, and I am sure he
will be sworn in, in due time, and will rightfully take his seat here in the
House among the rest of us.
I also want to offer my sincerest congratulations to our new Premier, who I
have every confidence is going to do a fantastic job. I am sure she has the
confidence of this House and all members and I look forward to working with the
new Premier in her role.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. VERGE: Mr. Speaker, there have also been a number of ministerial
posts that have changed hands, and I will not get into naming those but I
certainly want to offer my congratulations to all of the ministers who have
changed hands and those who have come into Cabinet or changed portfolios. I
certainly look forward to working with them in their new roles.
Mr. Speaker, each year the Lieutenant-Governor gives a Speech from the
Throne. The purpose of that speech is to outline the government's main
objectives that they are going to follow for that year and possibly beyond that.
What I have done in preparing for this speech today, I went back and I looked at
the Speech from the Throne for 2010 and there are I guess one could speak at
length and for a lot longer period of time than you are allotted here today,
taking out some of the main points from the Speech from the Throne and expanding
on them. I really looked at three different areas and I am sure some other
members of the House will look at some other areas in the days that are ahead as
they prepare to talk about the Speech from the Throne.
Of course, we also recognize that in the proceedings in the House it is
customary, when speaking on a money bill, or when speaking in Address and Reply,
that there is a fair bit of latitude given in what we might talk about. So it is
a good time for us, as members, to talk about not only the government's
direction but also to concentrate on some things that might be happening more
specifically within our own districts.
Mr. Speaker, three topics that I pulled out of the Speech from the Thorne are
children, economic responsibility, and the area of research and development. I
want to talk briefly about each of these areas today.
In the first one, the area of children, and I am going to quote from the
Speech from the Throne just briefly here, a
section which says, "There is no
gift more precious than a child, and no duty more important than advancing the
best interests of our children through the choices we make. My Government since
2003 has been focused on creating a family-friendly environment where people can
establish a lifelong foothold; where families can thrive; where children can
chase their dreams, seize golden opportunities and realize their greatest
potential. There is no greater legacy My Government is building for our
Province's children than the renewed sense of pride and confidence that they, as
Newfoundlanders and Labradorians, are feeling as we become masters of our own
destiny".
That particular
section in the Speech from the Throne when on and expanded
and it really emphasized the importance that we, as a government, place on
children, whether it is young children, school-aged children, or even
post-secondary students.
The importance that we place on children, I guess, was evidenced when
recently I guess a little over a year ago now - our government established a
new department, the Department of Child, Youth and Family Services. In the last
session, the spring session, we passed a new act called the Children and Youth
Care and Protection Act. I was privileged during the last session to have had
the opportunity to speak to that act.
Mr. Speaker, I just want to cover a couple of things, because it really ties
in with the Speech from the Throne and the emphasis that we believe we put on
our children, our future. I have worked with children and youth, I guess most of
my working life, in my time as an educator, as a school teacher and then fifteen
years as a school principal. I worked with children very closely. Mr. Speaker, I
have heard some sad stories, I have seen some sad stories. Our children are
certainly in the group of the most vulnerable citizens. We believe they have the
right to live in an environment that is free from threat, violence, and
emotional, sexual or physical abuse. We also believe they have the right to grow
up in a nurturing and caring environment and to have their needs provided; and
most do, Mr. Speaker. Most do grow up in that type of a caring environment;
however, not all do, and therefore we have the responsibility as government to
provide protection for those children and youth who are in need of our
intervention.
The act that we passed, the Children and Youth Care and Protection Act,
provided the opportunity to intervene when a child or youth is a victim or at
risk of harm or neglect by a parent or some other person. We passed that act
back in the spring session. I think most people would agree that it was probably
the most significant piece of legislation that we dealt with in the spring
session. It was a new piece of legislation. A lot of work was done into bringing
it to fruition and it was certainly a piece of legislation that I was proud to
be a part of and proud to have had the opportunity to speak to it.
I believe that we are fulfilling our commitment, as outlined in the Speech
from the Throne, when it comes to emphasizing the importance of children; not
only the importance, but also making sure they are well protected, nurtured and
cared for. There are many things that we have done along those lines, of course.
If you look at the whole piece around education and tuition, the money we have
put into schools, the infrastructure, and the pupil-teacher ratio. I have talked
to teachers in the last year, year and a half; I have talked to school
principals because I still stay in touch with that a bit, and a lot of my
friends are still involved in that profession. They have said to me, they have
said very clearly, that they believe this government is on the right track when
it comes to education. They see the investment that has been going into
education, into class size and pupil-teacher ratio, and they appreciate it, Mr.
Speaker. It is another example of investment in our children.
Mr. Speaker, another
section in the Throne Speech talked about strengthening
our economy. It says: "Newfoundlanders and Labradorians young and old are united
in their determination to see our province grow to achieve its full potential as
a place of prosperity, self-reliance and opportunity for all. When the global
financial crisis hit a year ago, My Government responded swiftly and powerfully
with an unprecedented program of stimulus measures in a concerted effort to keep
our people working, to keep our businesses growing and to" also "keep our
economy moving forward with confidence and strength. Weeks before last year's
budget was brought down" and I am quoting from the Speech from the Throne
here, this short section. It says: "My Premier announced an unparalleled
increase in infrastructure spending to $800 million in the 2009-10 fiscal year
and a plan to grow infrastructure spending to more than $4 billion over the next
several years. As My Government rolled out one project after another under this
aggressive Infrastructure Strategy, public confidence surged, employers across
the province rolled up their sleeves to ready tenders and, in short order,
workers across the province had their shovels in the ground. By year's end, we
had let tenders for $1.3 billion worth of projects. Not only has this massive
stimulus program fueled economic activity throughout our province, but it has
also prepared our communities to take the lead in seizing growth opportunities
as the world rebounds from the downturn. This is not a time to slow down but a
time to move forward. My government will continue to fuel the fires of economic
stimulus in the year ahead with its unprecedented infrastructure spending
program. This approach is the right approach, not only for the short term but
for our long-term future."
The commitment to not put the brakes on, the commitment to continue to add
fuel to an economy that was growing; that was the commitment that our government
made last year, or 2010, in the Throne Speech. We wanted to keep the economy
hot. We did not want to probably pull back and see things slow down.
When I look around my own district over the last while and I think of some of
the stimulus money that has been spent in my district - and I look at road work,
for example. This is an example of infrastructure money that has been invested
in districts throughout the Province, and certainly in my own district. We have
had a fair bit of work done down in Campbellton and in Horwood. In Gander Bay
this past summer, we had the road paved from Horwood Junction right over to the
causeway, the Gander Bay Road. Myself and my colleague, the Minister of
Government Services, we neighbour districts there. We saw a great piece of
pavement put down there this past summer. I would probably hazard a guess,
probably a $2 million to $3 million investment.
Now branching off that road on Gander Bay Road, I have two communities; one
is Horwood. A couple of years ago we had the road paved through the community of
Horwood, but there is a three kilometre stretch from the main road out into the
community of Horwood. The people of Horwood know that we had planned to have
that done this summer, in this construction season; however, there were some
slowdowns and some things got in the way of that. I have assured those people,
and I will tell them again today, if anybody is listening to the House of
Assembly, that money has been tendered, that money has been committed, and as
soon as the spring construction season starts again, that roadwork will be done.
It is a part of money that is already committed, and it will not have anything
to do it is already in the hopper.
As well, the road going out into Rodgers Cove is in the same boat; it is
leftover money from this year that did not get completed. Again, in conversation
with the Minister of Transportation and Works and his department, I certainly
have been assured that that will be completed in the beginning of the next
construction season.
Then, if we come along, we have done some roadwork in Stoneville. This past
summer, we continued paving through the community of Norris Arm North, and we
have about five kilometres of pavement there that is completed now. There is
still a short
section to get done from Norris Arm North up to the highway, but
the people in that community are very pleased, indeed, to see that done. We have
done a significant piece up on the Trans-Canada Highway in my district: rutting
repair, as well as a full new surface, really, from Notre Dame Park through to
Glenwood.
So there has been a lot of roadwork done, and I am going to move on to
something else now because my time is running out. In terms of infrastructure
spending, the health care facility in Lewisporte, we budgeted $5 million last
year in the Budget to do the groundwork and to get the temporary building and
maintenance building up. That has been progressing quite nicely throughout this
construction season.
Of course, we are looking forward to more money being budgeted for that
project in the upcoming Budget, and for that to be able to continue to build up
into the great, new facility that it is going to be. It is going to be a
facility that will have long-term care homes and a dementia bungalow. It is
going to have a full kitchen. It is going to have a lab and X-ray clinic. It is
going to have an after-hours clinic. It is a beautiful, beautiful concept. We
have shown the drawings to some of the people out in the district, and they are
very, very pleased with the look of that.
So, Mr. Speaker, our responsibility to economic growth, we decided not to put
the brakes on. I am sure members throughout this House of Assembly today can
stand in their own districts and give examples of where the brakes have not gone
on. In fact, there has been an infusion of capital spending. This has kept the
economy hot, kept it growing.
I was very pleased as well last week to be able to attend a press conference
that was held by the Minister of Finance. The Minister of Finance called us
together to give a fall Budget update. A few of the things that he said at that
conference, one was: Newfoundland and Labrador is now expected to post solid
growth with real GDP increase by 5.4 per cent. It was a fall update, but it was
actually figures that were drawn at the six-month mark. That was my
understanding from the information that the minister shared in the press
conference.
Labour income increased by 3.6 per cent in the first half of the year, and
housing starts were up by 30.6 per cent as compared to the same period last
year. Mr. Speaker, the outlook for the remainder of the year is very positive,
so the decisions that we have made around economics, they certainly appear to be
working. The outlook is very positive, and we have a revised forecast.
MR. SPEAKER (T. Osborne): Order, please!
I remind the hon. member that his time for speaking has expired.
MR. VERGE: May I have leave to clue up, Mr. Speaker?
MR. SPEAKER: Does the hon. member have leave?
AN HON. MEMBER: By leave.
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. member, by leave.
MR. VERGE: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Mr. Speaker, Budget 2010 forecasted a deficit of $194.3 million. The mid-year
numbers are in. The fall update tells us we expect an improvement of $206.6
million, thereby having a surplus this year, not a deficit but a surplus of
$12.3 million. That is great news, Mr. Speaker.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. VERGE: Mr. Speaker, out of respect for everybody else's time now, I
did have some other things that I would like to share, but maybe I will get the
opportunity on another time to do that.
I thank you for this opportunity to speak.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Member for the District of Port de Grave.
MR. BUTLER: Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker.
I have to say, I guess to begin with, it is great to be back in the House
again and to see all of our fellow colleagues, and hopefully it will lead us
into the Christmas season until we come back in the new year.
Mr. Speaker, I want to say from the outset - I did it privately with our new
Premier. I did congratulate her this morning and I want to do it publicly. I
know she said that the best is yet to come, and that is what we are looking
forward to, Mr. Speaker. We always look for something good for this Province of
ours. We, in the Official Opposition, yes we have a job to do, but I can assure
you when there are good things done, we give credit where credit is due. We will
bring forward issues when the time comes, when the best is yet to come, we have
some issues that we believe, not just from our own selves, from the people that
we represent and the people throughout this Province of ours.
I also want to congratulate those who took on new duties this morning in the
swearing-in ceremony. My good friend, the Minister of Government Services, I
think it is now, has a new role, one of my critic ministers. Also, to Mr. Brazil
who is in the Speaker's gallery, I want to congratulate him and welcome him to
the Chambers this afternoon.
Mr. Speaker, no doubt about it, last week when the big announcement came that
the Premier was stepping down, I heard some people say: Boy, it changes the
water on the beans. There are other people who will make you believe and think
to believe that some of the beans are probably going to even change with all
this. It really changes the political scene in the Province of ours. That
happens from time to time. We know what it was like to be in the government, we
knew what it was like when we ended up in Opposition, and those things happen.
Mr. Speaker, there is no doubt about it, like the three individuals who made
their statements here today, when the present Premier spoke about the Premier
and thanked him for what he has done in the past and wished him well in the
future, and I am sure we all wish him well.
I know in the front benches there are ministers now, they have some
tremendous amount of duties to carry out, and I cannot help but look at some of
my colleagues over there and I think it should have been shared around a little
bit better. There are members here in this House like the Member for St. John's
West, the Member for Lewisporte, St. John's East, Mount Pearl North, St. Barbe,
I am sure some of those hon. members could have accepted some of those duties to
help those who are burdened so much. Mr. Speaker, I guess it was not in the
cards. Hopefully, one of those days, they will step forward. I am sure they
would love to step forward, but the call has not come yet.
Mr. Speaker, in the few moments I have, I want to make them with regard to my
hon. colleague who was in the Chair in the last sitting of the House, the Deputy
Speaker. When he stood in his place in the last sitting, he was talking about
the election coming up and how the Liberals will be coming around knocking on
your doors and saying this and that about what the government has done. Well,
Mr. Speaker, he brought up some good points, no doubt about it; no argument.
There is nobody going to argue about decreases in taxes and so on. I have a list
here that I am sure when the people of this Province go door-to-door in October
of 2011, I want them to ask every member, think about those issues, think about
some issues I have here that have not been dealt with.
That is not being critical; they are serious issues and the people of this
Province need answers. I will begin by looking at some of the key ones I have:
health care. We know there are millions of dollars going into health care, but
when someone goes knocking on the door in St. Barbe and The Straits & White Bay
North, I think it is only fair to say: What did you do about the air ambulance?
What a question to ask whoever is going door-to-door in that campaign.
Those people have a serious issue. They brought it forward, and whether it
was listened to properly - we had explanations back and forth, but I can assure
you it is not to the satisfaction of the people in both of those districts. That
is not being critical. Like I said, good things are done in those districts as
well. Mr. Speaker, that is an issue that someone will have to answer when they
knock on the doors in those two districts.
There are other issues ongoing with regard to the doctors. We know there have
been meetings this past week, and that is great; hopefully something good will
come from it. Hopefully government will give in to the binding arbitration and
settle this issue once and for all, so down the road it will not surface again.
There are many heartbreaking situations that we hear. I had a call this past
week from a gentleman in my area who had a serious industrial accident back
twelve years ago. He is receiving workers' compensation at the present time
right up through to whatever age he can receive it.
Back in August of this year he went his doctor sent him in to the hospital
and he had a scan done. It came out that there is an issue they can deal with.
Maybe the man will never get back to work at the job that he already had, but
they are telling him they can improve his lifestyle and maybe be able to do some
lighter work.
Have a guess what! He had that scan done in August 2010; the earliest time he
can get to see a specialist in this Province is September 2011. That is not good
enough, and I know that is not altogether government's fault, but they have to
deal with the issues. I know there is money going into health care, but that is
a tremendous and a serious wait-list.
Mr. Speaker, there are many like that. I have had constituents, and I am sure
there are other people here, with pregnant mothers who cannot stay here in this
Province, and have to be airlifted by air ambulance outside the Province. Many
of them get there and have to wait until someone travels out on air ambulance to
get back in their Province and be hospitalized here again. Simple reason: The
specialist for those particular cases was not here in this Province.
The list goes on, Mr. Speaker: the cost of transporting people out and then,
in many cases, because they cannot travel back by that same means, have to be
transported back again by air ambulance.
We hear talk of the doctors who are saying that they are going to resign and
leave the Province. God forbid, I hope they do not. I hope there is an agreement
that they come to, that those thirteen or fourteen stay here in this Province,
because we need others besides them. I am sure not a member in this hon. House
would want to see them go. Mr. Speaker, can you imagine if those thirteen or
fourteen left, how many other cases would have to be transported outside of this
Province?
Those are questions someone is going to answer at the doors in October 2011,
when we go around.
AN HON. MEMBER: You answer.
MR. BUTLER: No, I will not be answering them. I have already made my
decision, I say to the hon. member. I am going to tell you, I will probably be
to the door with somebody else. I will probably be to the door with somebody
else.
Mr. Speaker, when someone knocks on the doors of seniors in this Province
and we see the advertisements; they have a campaign on, in our local papers,
about the issue about indexing their pensions and so on. Many people in my
district and other districts are choosing between food and heat this time of the
year; maybe not yet, because we have not had cold weather, but it will come up
in January and February and March. Those are issues that are very dear and close
to their hearts.
We have heard stories before, here in the city and probably in Carbonear and
other areas, where there are malls, that people go there and spend most of the
day, and that is unfortunate. I know if their pensions were indexed some of
those people are still going to have problems, but it is a major issue that
those people have to deal with.
Mr. Speaker, there were questions asked today about the MOU, the issue with
the fishery in this Province. I do not know what is in it, and the minister has
not released it. He says he has to spend some time to go over it; there are
three parties that are involved. I can assure you of one thing: The people of
this Province who are involved in the fishery, whether they are harvesters or
plant workers, they have a major concern. I have many of them in my area. There
is one plant in Port de Grave; I think when the going is good there are 350 to
400 people employed there. They are asking the question: Will our plant survive?
What is coming down with this MOU? I do not know if they are getting feedback
from somewhere. I do not know and cannot answer that.
I also know many of the small boat fishermen and there are quite a few of
them in my area and throughout this Province are saying: Where do we stand in
the fishery of the future? Will we be swallowed up by the large boat fishermen?
I know that can happen, but I can tell you one thing, I do not know what is
on the horizon but in the area that I represent there are quite a few big boat
fishermen who are selling their enterprises; they are getting out of the fishery
now. That is happening not only in my area but throughout this Province. That is
sad to see - because I am going to come to rural Newfoundland and Labrador
shortly - because that is what rural Newfoundland and Labrador is built around:
the life that the people spent on the sea; the jobs that they have with the
resources that come from the sea.
Yes, we have many other resources, but I am going to tell you the time will
come when the oil resources that we see now will dry up. Hopefully they will
find new, but some of the wells that we have now, in the very near future, they
are beginning to decline, the resources that we receive from them.
Many people are asking, plant workers are asking, will our plant be there
next year? You cannot answer them that. Hopefully this MOU we had this major
summit here in the Province; it was wonderful, and everybody came together. That
was back a few years ago and we are still dealing with the issues.
As the minister responded today, the government is involved, they put the
chairperson in place, but this also has to go to the federal government. They
have to get approval from the federal government to probably carry out some of
the options that will be announced from this MOU. Then, you have the fishers
themselves; they do not know what is in it, but they are asking questions, and I
can assure you when we or whoever knocks on the doors in this Province, as you
travel throughout rural Newfoundland and Labrador in 2011, you will be asked
that question. Hopefully, the answers will be there before that time comes. That
is what we are all hoping for.
The former Premier said one time that the fishery was so important the
issues about offshore and custodial management he felt that we should have an
office open in Europe. I do not think it ever happened, but maybe it would have
been a good thing. We all complained and I guess laughed at the office that was
in Ottawa. Maybe that is where we should have moved it to, to deal with this
very serious issue that is facing our people.
Then, we talk about rural Newfoundland and Labrador and urban Newfoundland
and Labrador the divide. I know hon. members, and I can understand where they
are coming from when they stand up and say we are doing this in rural
Newfoundland and Labrador. True, there are good things happening with regard to
paving and probably infrastructure; changes to their schools, renovations,
taking care of air quality problems. That is all good, but I am going to tell
you when you look at the unemployment rates by Employment Insurance Economic
Regions here in the City of St. John's, for the period from November 7 to
December 4, 7.8 per cent are here in St. John's. The average throughout our
Province, outside of that area, is 17.9 per cent. There are areas which go
anywhere from the high twenties to the thirties. Let's face it, those are the
figures. You can look throughout the Maritimes - we talk about us being a have
province. Yes, we have advanced a lot, no backdoors about it, but I am going to
tell you, when you look at the figures from the other Atlantic Provinces and
right throughout Canada, there is no one near 17.9 per cent.
The other issue I mentioned today is about the strike on the Burin Peninsula.
I was pleased with the Premier's response. She said there have been
negotiations, and hopefully they are going to come to a settlement. That is
wonderful, but I was shocked last week when I heard two hon. members for that
area, the Member for Grand Bank and the Member for Burin-Placentia West, when
they went up to a demonstration. When they went before the cameras, or the
mikes, they turned around and said: Look, we are going to take your concerns
back to government. Boys, twelve months later: we are going to bring your
concerns back to government.
I hope the Premier today was true to her word, and I know she is true to her
word, that there will be a settlement. Those people up there deserve better than
that, to be on strike for twelve months and for someone to walk in and say: we
are going to bring it back to St. John's - twelve months later? I am not saying
there was nothing brought back before but there could not have been too much for
the members to say that themselves. Those are the questions they are going to
have to answer when they go door-to-door in those two districts.
Mr. Speaker, we talk about poverty in the Province, and I know there is major
investment put into all aspects of poverty. I appreciate that, but there is
something wrong. Why is the use of food banks in this Province gone up another 3
per cent this year? Do you know what I have been told by people who operate the
food banks? It is people who come back to this Province looking for jobs,
looking for the prosperity that is here - and we have it right here on the
Avalon, but in other areas I know of families who came back looking for the jobs
that they were told were back here and ended up going to food banks. That is not
good enough, and I am sure someone is going to have to answer that when they
knock on those people's doors.
We talk about waste disposal and contaminated material removal on sites.
There is an issue that has been ongoing, not in my area but directly affected by
it, on the New Harbour Barrens. It has been ongoing for several years. I think
the hon. member who is in the Chair today, the Deputy Speaker, was minister when
that issue surfaced, to some degree. It is still there. The site is closed, but
there is one gentleman over there who brought this forward many, many times but
he was not listened to by anybody. I guarantee you that gentleman knew what he
was talking about, because now the feds have moved in and there are so many tons
of material that have to be moved from that site. He is still not satisfied,
because he said the site will still not be cleaned up when that is done.
The other issue is waste disposal. There was an
article that appeared in our
local paper recently - and Bay Roberts and that area is a fairly prosperous
area. We live in close proximity to St. John's. They pay $51 a ton, the dumping
fee here in the city. Starting in the New Year they are going to have to
increase that by $14.50, up to $65.50, and they are saying they cannot afford
it. If the Town of Bay Roberts, as prosperous as that is what about all of the
other outlying areas that are covered with the same structure? How are they are
going to deal with it? It is going to be impossible, Mr. Speaker, because the
fees are going up and many people who are suffering now and asking for other
issues to be considered will be unable to do what has to be done.
Mr. Speaker, I know we talked about the tires many times that are stored in
Dunville. I visited that site. I said it last year - and recently I saw an
aerial view of that site. It is a wonderful job the way they are stored but I am
going to tell you, if this government has a plan it is time to bring it forward
now. We know there is an issue ongoing on the West Coast, and I have been told
by the ministers and staff during Estimates meetings that there are other
proposals they were looking at. Well, I suggest they should come forward sooner
rather than later because that is a situation that is waiting to unfold and
could turn out to be something that none of us would want to even consider.
The other thing I want to touch on and I can guarantee you, this will be
when you knock on the doors is the moose situation in this Province. I have
spoken to many families, and I am sure all hon. members here have done the same
thing, no families who have lost loved ones as a matter of fact, I was over in
Trinity-Bay de Verde District this summer, over in the park there, and on my way
back I saw this young gentleman who did not stand a chance. We can say: Look, we
have to be careful; we have to watch out for the moose. That is true. I know it
was started in areas throughout this Province, I commend the minister for that
but it has to continue, and that is the brush cutting further back from the
road. Where that accident happened and where this young gentleman lost his life,
there was no such thing as seeing a moose because he just came out of the trees,
and the trees were tight to the shoulder of the road. That is what has to be
done.
I can give you an instance. Last Thursday when I left this city going out the
Trans-Canada, about 8:00 or 9:00 o'clock in the evening, going eighty to
eighty-five kilometres per hour - and had nothing to do with brush cutting. If
there was a fence there he probably jumped over the fence, but I am going to
tell you when I stopped on the Trans-Canada I was parallel parked between two
moose. Thank God, I did not strike them and they did not strike me, but that is
how close it can be. You have to be very careful. You have to be careful, but I
am going to tell you one thing, more has to be done.
I commend the Minister of Environment and Conservation with the numbers that
they have increased, the numbers of moose that could be shot in a given season.
I am going to tell you, the numbers of moose that are here on the Avalon, the
numbers of accidents that are happening, more has to be done. More licences have
to be issued in those areas. Two weeks ago, three accidents from the Holyrood
cut-off to St. John's, and that is three too many. I do not know how serious the
injuries were but I know there was major, major damage. Those are some issues,
Mr. Speaker, that I am sure when we all go knocking on the doors, that people
are going to want answers to, and rightly so.
I know my time is just about spent. I want to thank you for the opportunity
to have a few words this afternoon and I look forward to future debates.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Minister of Innovation, Trade and Rural
Development.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MS SULLIVAN: Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker.
Mr. Speaker, I am delighted to be back in the House of Assembly first of all,
and delighted to speak in response to the Address in Reply, the Speech from the
Throne from March 22 of 2010.
I took a few minutes just to leaf through this booklet a few moments ago as I
was preparing a few words to say here in the House this afternoon. I want to
say, it is inspiring to me as I look at that Speech from the Throne of 2010, to
see how much we have accomplished of that for which we purposed that speech back
in March of this year. It truly is inspiring to see how much hard work has taken
place.
Mr. Speaker, before I get into what it is that I really want to address this
afternoon, I, like my colleagues before me, would like to take a few minutes to
look at the political landscape, as my colleague from Lewisporte so eloquently
put it, and offer my congratulations as well to, first of all, the new Member
for Conception Bay East & Bell Island on an outstanding campaign and an
outstanding win out there in the former Minister of Government Services,
Transportation and Works and Municipal Affairs seat, the hon. Dianne Whalen, of
course, who is someone whose loss we all mourn. Those of us who knew her
particularly as a friend, and those of us who served with her here in the House,
all know of the loss that we have suffered there. We continue to miss her here
in this House. We continue to offer condolences to her family.
At the same time, we offer congratulations to Mr. Brazil for retaining that
seat, in some sense, in her honour. We look forward to the time when he can come
and sit here in this House of Assembly and continue the good representation that
I am sure he will do, and the good representation that was brought to the
district before him.
Of course, I also have to mention our former Premier, Danny Williams, who did
such remarkable job in his tenure here ten years as an elected official and
seven years as Premier. We certainly owe him a debt of gratitude for all that he
has given, for all that he has accomplished here. No doubt, his place in history
has been etched, and I think for all of us it has been a pleasure to serve, and
we certainly wish him well as he now takes advantage of some time to do some
other personal things that he might like to turn his attention to as well.
There were a number of other appointments that have been made in the last
little bit of time. Of course, the new Minister of Government Services whom I am
happy to welcome here as a colleague as well. Congratulations to the new
minister.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MS SULLIVAN: Our new Minister of Natural Resources, I am sure, will prove
to be an outstanding addition as well. Not an addition to Cabinet for sure,
because he has been around for some time now. I know that in this role, he will
bring the same diligence that he always does.
Then, of course, Mr. Speaker, I have to talk about our new Premier, the very
first woman to be elected at Premier in Newfoundland and Labrador, and how proud
we are of that.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MS SULLIVAN: Mr. Speaker, we are proud of the fact that she is the first
woman Premier, but we are equally proud of the talents that she brings to this
job. Most of us have known her now for several years, some longer than others,
but in all of this we have all come to be inspired by this woman who has such
great leadership skills, and who has demonstrated those skills to us over a long
period of time. She has such empathy for people, Mr. Speaker, which is what this
government has always stood for.
This is a government of the people, for the people and by the people, and I
can tell you that Premier Dunderdale certainly stands for that. She has such
empathy for people, and we have seen that on a number of occasions. I have had
the pleasure of working with her through the Poverty Reduction Strategy of this
government, and her empathy for people, her knowledge, her understanding of the
needs of the people of this Province, far surpass many of us who sit round that
table. Her knowledge of governance overall, Mr. Speaker, is something that we
all have to recognize and commend. No doubt, it has been her file that has taken
us a long distance to where we are today.
If we look, for example, at the great deals were negotiated during her tenure
as the Minister of Natural Resources, if we look at the oil and gas deals that
were negotiated, if we look at the Lower Churchill deals that were negotiated,
if we look at the expropriation that happened out in my very own District of
Grand Falls-Windsor-Buchans, all at the time when Premier Dunderdale was at the
helm of Natural Resources, then we see that she has had some great influence,
some great skill in those particular areas.
Mr. Speaker, her abilities, her capabilities in her capacity for knowing the
people of the Province go beyond Natural Resources. I would hearken back to the
days, for example, when Minister Dunderdale, now Premier Dunderdale, was known
as the president of the former Municipalities Newfoundland and Labrador. She
brought a great deal of strength to that particular opportunity.
MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!
I remind the hon. member that it is inappropriate to use the name of an
individual. We should all refer to the title or the district that an individual
represents.
MS SULLIVAN: Thank you, Mr. Speaker, referring, of course, to the
Premier.
I also note, with great feel, that her former past is from the social side,
being a social worker. So, I am so inspired, so impressed, and so proud to be
working with Premier Dunderdale because of all she brings to this particular
job.
MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!
MS SULLIVAN: I did it again.
It is hard to change old habits. To the Premier but it is a wonderful thing
to be saying to the Premier, so I thank you for giving me the opportunity to
continue saying it.
However, having said all of that, I want to move forward now and again begin
to discuss the Speech from the Throne as we had talked about, the Address in
Reply. Our government, Mr. Speaker, is one whose primary focus is and has been,
and I believe always will be, a focus on people. Serving, to the best of our
ability, the residents of this Province is what we all agreed to, it is all what
we signed on for, it is what all of us intended to do when we took office, and I
believe that we continue to do that.
Mr. Speaker, our focus and our governance style is clearly one of
consultation, because if we are to govern effectively, then we have to be
governing according to the wishes of the people of this Province, Mr. Speaker.
That is why consultation has been so important to this particular government.
Now, Mr. Speaker, we have been criticized by members opposite for doing as much
consultation as we have done but, I, and this government, offer absolutely no
apologies for going out there and consulting with the people of Newfoundland and
Labrador, asking them what their opinions are, and asking them what they would
like to see, Mr. Speaker.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MS SULLIVAN: We have seen a number of consultations take place over just
these past few months. I refer to the poverty reduction consultation which will
shape the plan for how we continue to address poverty in this Province over the
next four years. A series of eighteen consultations took place, Mr. Speaker, two
stakeholder consultations, and ten to twelve focus groups with people who are
living in poverty or who are vulnerable to poverty. Mr. Speaker, how else can we
govern, how else can we put forward a strategy if we do not ask the people? That
is precisely what we have done through that set of consultations.
I would draw your attention as well to the fact that we did consultations
around the inclusion of persons with disabilities, Mr. Speaker. Within those
consultations, again we went across the Province from one end to the other and
up into Labrador with about fifteen different consultation sessions and two
stakeholder sessions once again. We heard clearly from the people, Mr. Speaker,
what it is that they want us to do, what issues they face every day, what
barriers they face every single day. It is as a result of listening to the
people, Mr. Speaker, that we are going to be able to continue to make the
differences that have already started to happen in this Province. Again, I am
very proud of the fact that this is a government who listens.
We would have seen that there was a consultation as well in terms of
long-term care in this Province conducted by the Minister of Health this summer.
Again, asking the people: what are your issues? We hear from members opposite
all the time that there are issues around health care, that we have to fix this
and we have to fix that, that we cannot do it piecemeal. Well, the Minister of
Health and Community Services went out and asked the people, this summer, what
it is that they would like to see. I am sure when he has the opportunity to have
all of that information collated then there will be a strategy in place that
will address those very issues.
Mr. Speaker, suggesting to us that we can govern without listening is
something that I find absolutely unfathomable; yet, we have heard that. We have
heard that we are doing too much consulting. Well, Mr. Speaker, I, for one, will
continue to espouse the values of standing up and consulting, of listening to
people, and ensuring that we are not out of touch, because it is the only
possibility of good governance. It occurs when we are in touch with the people
who have elected us to serve.
As I leaf through the Speech from the Throne, I saw that our commitments
though, have been met as a result of those kinds of consultations, Mr. Speaker.
I have only named three of them here this afternoon. I could name any number of
other consultations that have taken place over the last six months within this
government, but I will leave that for some other people to do.
In terms of talking about the commitments and what it is that we said in the
Speech from the Throne that we would do, then I think we have lived up to what
it is that we said. I refer, for example, to the Early Learning and Child Care
Strategy. That has come about, again, as a result of listening to people who are
saying to us early learning is a big issue. Early learning and child care
themselves both constitute issues that will affect where we are going as a
Province, that will affect our overall sustainability, and that will affect our
overall ability to move forward as a Province.
The Poverty Reduction Strategy, Mr. Speaker, has been a strategy that has
been met with accolades from right across this country; not just here in
Newfoundland and Labrador, but across the country. When I was in that department
- it seems like a long time ago but it was really only this morning. When I was
in that department I had trouble keeping my staff in the office because from all
over the country people were saying to me: Can we have opportunity to meet with
your staff? Can we learn from you what it is that you are doing, because you are
doing it so well? What I always responded to them was: you absolutely can have
opportunity to meet with them, but the one thing that you should know is that we
have accomplished what we did in terms of reducing, alleviating and preventing
poverty because we listened to the people, Mr. Speaker. We consulted with them.
We asked them what we should do, and that is what is working. That is the
premise for what it is that helped us move forward on the Poverty Reduction
Strategy.
We have invested close to half a billion dollars, Mr. Speaker, in that
particular strategy. We clearly indicate that we have made significant progress,
but we also have indicated, and we heard it from the people, that we still have
work to do. We will continue to put in place initiatives that will help to
address the people who are most vulnerable to poverty and the working poor of
Newfoundland and Labrador, again, because we have consulted, we have listened
and we will move on.
Mr. Speaker, the inclusion strategy for persons with disabilities was
mentioned in the Speech from the Throne as well. The suggestion here was that my
government will listen attentively to the ideas and develop a new provincial
strategy. Well, I can tell you, we listened attentively to all of the needs of
people from throughout this Province. I am happy to report that the collation of
those particular consultations is well in hand and that people in the Department
of Human Resources, Labour and Employment are now in the process of putting
together a strategy with initiatives that will help to address the needs and the
concerns that we heard about, that will help to take down those barriers. The
barriers have been identified for years and years and years. We did not go out
to ask what the barriers were to the inclusion of persons with disabilities, Mr.
Speaker. We knew that. Why would we go and ask that again? We went out to
consult with people, to say: What are the solutions? Tell us how we can make a
difference. We heard some great solutions, Mr. Speaker, and we will now start to
formulate a strategy to address those particular solutions here in Newfoundland
and Labrador.
Mr. Speaker, the Speech from the Throne actually had a speech about
strengthening the local economy and in particular talked about the difficulties
in Central Newfoundland and Labrador. Central Newfoundland, of course, when we
talked about the difficulties and the issues that were out there, referred to my
District of Grand Falls-Windsor-Buchans primarily but to other districts in the
area as well. I can tell you that in listening to the people of Central, great
progress has been made; great progress, Mr. Speaker.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MS SULLIVAN: The Community Development Committee was put in place
specifically so that we could consult with the people in Central Newfoundland to
find out what it was going to take to put that part of the Province back into a
situation where they felt secure and safe, and where their economy could be
re-stimulated and where the economy could be diversified. Mr. Speaker, I have
nothing but great accolades for the work done by the Community Development
Committee that was part of our ministerial task force on the Abitibi file.
I believe that it is as a result of that consultation, I believe that it is a
result of listening on the ground to the people of the Central area, that such
progress has been made. I am happy to report, Mr. Speaker, from my own
experience, about the great things that are happening, particularly in Grand
Falls-Windsor which is, of course, the part of that district that I would know
the best. I can tell you, for example, that retail sales in the area are as good
as or better than they were before the closing of Abitibi. I can tell you that
residential construction has doubled this year, Mr. Speaker.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MS SULLIVAN: Doubled, at a time when they lost their primary industry.
Why has that happened, Mr. Speaker? It has happened because we listened to the
people, we heard what they said and we responded. We responded by investing in
the area; $100 million worth of i