Newfoundland and Labrador Hansard — Members' Statements; Statements by Ministers — 29 April 2010 (46th General Assembly, 3rd Session, Vol. XLVI No. 13)
2010-04-29
Newfoundland and Labrador — Debates (Hansard)
April
29, 2010 HOUSE OF ASSEMBLY PROCEEDINGS
Vol. XLVI No. 13
The House met at 1:30 p.m.
MR. SPEAKER (Fitzgerald): Order, please!
Admit strangers.
Statements by Members
MR. SPEAKER: Today the Chair welcomes the following private members'
statements: the hon. the Member for the District of Signal Hill-Quidi Vidi; the
hon. the Member for the District of Humber Valley; the hon. the Member for the
District of The Straits & White Bay North; the hon. the Member for the District
of Mount Pearl North; the hon. the Member for the Cape St. Francis.
The hon. the Member for the District of Signal Hill-Quidi Vidi.
MS MICHAEL: Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker.
Mr. Speaker, on April 10, I had the pleasure of attending the Avalon Dragon's
fundraising Gala Dinner a major event to support the Avalon Dragon Boating
Association. It was a great show of support involving a tremendous number of
enthusiastic volunteers.
The Avalon Dragon consists of breast cancer survivors, their friends,
families and interested individuals who share the goal of supporting dragon
boating on the Avalon Peninsula.
Their goals, as survivors, are: to support each other, improve their
physical, emotional and spiritual health, celebrate life and have fun. As well,
to support their friends, families and communities by showing them that there is
vibrant, active life despite a diagnosis of cancer, and to raise awareness about
the role of exercise and a healthy lifestyle in preventing breast cancer and its
recurrence.
Avalon Dragon Boating has come a long way from when they "unleashed the
dragon", in October 2006.
They built their own boat in 2007. They moved into a new home on Octagon
Pond, Paradise in August 2008 and after just a few weeks of practice, they took
part in their first festival competition in New Glasgow, Nova Scotia where
they came second in one race.
On September 14, 2008, they launched their dragon boat with music, speeches,
dragon dancing by members of the local Chinese community, and a traditional
ceremony to awaken the dragon with at least 500 supporters in attendance. It was
a very moving moment and splendid to watch.
Mr. Speaker, I ask all members of the House to join me in wishing the Avalon
Dragon Boat Association continued success in their work and in their lives.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Member for the District of Humber Valley.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. KELLY: Mr. Speaker, I rise in this hon. House today to formally
recognize the Winter Carnival Patron for the Town of Pasadena for 2010.
Mr. Speaker, this year's carnival ran from February 12 to February 22 and
contained a balance of activities for all age groups. Each year the patron is
selected based on their overall contribution to the community. This year, Madge
Rolls was selected based on her extensive involvement in the community.
Mr. Speaker, Madge has been extensively involved with several volunteer
organizations in Pasadena. She was involved with the Girl Guide movement for
eight years. Her other voluntary efforts also included the O'Connell Centre,
Pasadena Elementary School Breakfast Program, Pasadena Ski Lodge and Nature
Park, Pasadena Lions Club, and she is quite active with the St. David's Anglican
Church serving in a number of capacities.
Mr. Speaker, Madge felt honoured to be selected Winter Carnival Patron. She
was definitely a wonderful ambassador for the carnival and I saw her in
attendance at many carnival functions.
Mr. Speaker, I ask all members of this hon. House to join me in
congratulating Madge Rolls on being selected as Pasadena's Winter Carnival
Patron for 2010.
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.
I rise in this House today to once again recognize successful hockey in St.
Anthony, this time by congratulating the members of the St. Anthony Polars Atom
Hockey Team on winning the Atom I' provincial championship at a recent
tournament in Botwood.
I would like to congratulate the players who pulled of a stellar win, going
undefeated in their six-team tournament to pull off their gold medal finish.
Their hard work, relentless effort and attention to detail certainly helped led
to their team's success.
I also wish to extend my congratulations to coaches Jim Pilgrim, Eddie
Woodford, Todd Taylor and Kerry Decker. Their hard work and dedication to the
team has certainly contributed to their victory. Sports are very important to
the youth in my district and I commend the individuals who dedicate their time
to coach them.
Mr. Speaker, I ask all members of this House today to join with me in
congratulating this team and their coaches and wish them all well as they
participate in future competitions.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Member for the District of Mount Pearl North.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. KENT: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
I rise in this hon. House today to congratulate the Town of Paradise on
another successful Snow & Ice in Paradise Winter Carnival.
This year the carnival was based on Olympic theme. As I have been in previous
years, I was very impressed with the variety of events organized by the
committee. With the carnival running concurrently with the Winter Olympics being
hosted in British Columbia this year, it was quite fitting to see so many
Olympic themed activities.
Winter can be a downtime for many people. I think it is important to engage
the community and offer families the opportunity to participate in various
events and activities. Regardless of age, the Snow & Ice in Paradise Winter
Carnival had something for everyone. Special thanks to the Town Council, and in
particular to Jason Collins and Pat Silver, the Town's events and recreation
team. I look forward to attending Snow & Ice in Paradise again next year, and
invite all residents to join me. There truly is something for everyone!
Mr. Speaker, I ask all members of this House to join me in congratulating the
Town of Paradise, as well as the organizing committee of the Snow & Ice in
Paradise Winter Carnival in hosting a truly wonderful winter event.
Thank you.
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 the Torbay Volunteer Fire
Department on thirty-six years of service to the Towns of Torbay and Flatrock.
Mr. Speaker, the Torbay Volunteer Fire Department responded to 190 calls last
year. They put in 2,016 hours of on-the-job work and 2,793 hours of training. At
this year's Annual Firefighters Ball, they recognized Mr. Bob Webber for his
twenty-five years of service with the Town of Torbay. In my days as the Mayor of
the Town of Flatrock, I had the honour to work with Mr. Webber. He was in charge
of inspection of the town buildings. I was always impressed with his
professionalism and the thorough job he did. Mr. Webber is highly respected
among his colleagues. They look to him for guidance and advice. He is well known
for his commitment and dedication to the fire department.
Mr. Speaker, I would also like to congratulate Mr. Rudy Bragg for being name
Firefighter of the Year for the Town of Torbay.
Mr. Speaker, I ask all hon. members in this House to join with me in
congratulating Mr. Bob Webber, Mr. Rudy Bragg and the Torbay Volunteer Fire
Department for their service to the Towns of Torbay and Flatrock.
Thank you.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER: Statements by Ministers.
Statements by Ministers
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Minister of Innovation, Trade and Rural
Development.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. SKINNER: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Coming together and working together toward a common interest has many
benefits.
To quote the Newfoundland and Labrador Organization of Women Entrepreneurs,
or NLOWE as it is more commonly known, "the greatest opportunities arise from
pooling resources and working together to better export to international
markets."
As a government, we share this view and are working with partner
organizations like NLOWE to create new international business opportunities for
companies from across this Province.
Central to the approach of encouraging partnerships and collaboration is our
Business Networks Program. It is administered by the Department of Innovation,
Trade and Rural Development, and this program is advancing the export agenda of
local businesses. Through it, companies across a variety of sectors including
aerospace and defence, aquaculture, and manufacturing are working collectively
to improve their competitiveness.
Currently, the Department of Innovation, Trade and Rural Development is
working with NLOWE on a network of women business owners who have joined forces
to pursue export markets for their products and their services.
Through this network, business owners can leverage the advantages of being
certified as a woman-owned business by WEConnect Canada.
This internationally recognized certification can lead to increased access to
the supply chain of larger corporations and public sector organizations with
supplier diversity policies. Members can also acquire valuable skills related to
export readiness, market entry strategies, matchmaking, and contract
negotiations.
Ms Bernice Walker from Corona College in Grand Falls-Windsor believes that
networks and greater collaboration provide entrepreneurs with the keys to a
world of opportunities. Collaborating with other businesses and thinking beyond
the Province's borders has led it to generating business in Northern Canada,
United States, and as far away as South Africa. Corona College is one of several
network members, which also includes companies such as Applecore Interactive,
Pilot Communications and TeleLink.
In June, representatives of the network will be participating in a trade
mission led by NLOWE that will take them to Baltimore for the National
Conference and Business Fair. This conference will provide network members with
the opportunity to connect with global corporate buyers through a series of
one-on-one meetings. While in the Capital Beltway area that encompasses the
Washington, D.C. and Baltimore loop, members will also meet with other
businesses to explore potential linkages.
Mr. Speaker, I wish the network of women business owners the best of luck as
they proceed forward. I am confident that through greater collaboration and
partnerships they can capitalize on any and all opportunities to realize their
success.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Member for The Straits & White Bay North.
MR. DEAN: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
I would like to, first of all, thank the minister for an advance copy of his
announcement. I am glad I have to speak to the Chair because I find a glare from
that tie he is wearing today.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. DEAN: Nevertheless, I would like to say to the minister that this is
a good announcement and we want to recognize that today and certainly would
praise NLOWE for helping women get started in business, and helping grow and
giving advice and so on.
Women owned businesses shows equality and it shows a competitive strength in
our Province. Certainly, we would want to support the Business Networks Program
and so on, and supporting the export agendas for exporting their products and
services created by female entrepreneurs.
I would congratulate the conference on being a success and I look forward to
more good announcements as well.
Thank you.
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. 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 his statement.
As he has pointed out, NLOWE is a not-for-profit organization that fosters
women in business through their network of community-based business development,
co-ordinators, members, clients and partnerships in business. They have a women
helping women approach which guarantees that there is an understanding of the
unique challenges and opportunities facing women entrepreneurs. I am glad to
hear that the Business Networks Program is supporting this trip and I hope it
will be a successful one for the Women's Business Network.
In my past life, before being in this House, I did a lot of work with women
going into various aspects of work and did meet quite frequently with women
entrepreneurs. I know some of the barriers that they face. One of the barriers
that often prevent women from entering the workforce or starting a business is
lack of child care. So one of the best things this government can do to
encourage more women to enter the workforce is to implement a meaningful child
care program and I encourage them to continue looking at this issue, which I
continue to speak to, Mr. Speaker.
I want to congratulate NLOWE for playing a leading role in assisting women
entrepreneurs develop and grow successful leading edge businesses. Good luck to
all those participating.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
MR. SPEAKER: Further statements by ministers?
Oral Questions.
Oral Questions
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Opposition House Leader.
MR. KELVIN PARSONS: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
My question is for the Minister of Natural Resources. Minister, on Tuesday of
this week in Question Period when responding to a question regarding Abitibi and
how you found out about the blunder government made in expropriating the mill,
you referenced Enda, a searching company here in St. John's.
Will you undertake to release to the public immediately and table in this
House the report and the supporting documents provided to you by that searching
company?
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Minister of Natural Resources and Deputy
Premier.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MS DUNDERDALE: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Yes, Mr. Speaker, we did hire Enda Searching to do the land consolidation
registry, to move the land from Abitibi's name to the Crown. Mr. Speaker, I will
go back and I will get the documents and whatever can be tabled here in the
House, I will be more than glad to do it.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Opposition House Leader.
MR. KELVIN PARSONS: Thank you.
Mr. Speaker, the minister refused in the Estimates Committee the Minister
of Natural Resources that is - and here in the House of Assembly recently, to
provide details about the $8 million government has spent so far with respect to
the Abitibi issue. The minister advised, at that time, the Opposition to file an
FOI request, which we have done.
In the public interest and for openness and transparency, will you at least
undertake to disclose immediately the name of the law firm or lawyers who
provided advice to government regarding the NAFTA implications of Bill 75 prior
to Bill 75 being introduced in this House in December of 2008?
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Deputy Premier.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MS DUNDERDALE: Mr. Speaker, some of the problem we have in dealing with
the Opposition is they have such difficulty in getting information correct. I
have not done my Estimates yet, Mr. Speaker, so it would be very difficult for
me to refuse to provide information in Estimates when they are not due to take
place until May 17. However, Mr. Speaker, I will undertake to make available
whatever information that we have in terms of the $8 million professional fees.
Mr. Speaker, I have said time and time again we are not trying to cover
anything up here. We are being completely straightforward. We are saying what
happened and what the circumstances were that led to the circumstances we find
ourselves in at the moment.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Opposition House Leader.
MR. KELVIN PARSONS: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Minister, the Department of Justice routinely, every year, gives a listing
when asked by the Opposition of all legal fees that are paid to any lawyer for
work outside of the Department of Justice, no questions asked. We asked it last
year and received it, asked this year again and the minister is in the process
of compiling that information.
Why are you refusing in your department to release the information about the
$8 million that you paid to lawyers for Abitibi so far?
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Minister of Natural Resources.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MS DUNDERDALE: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Mr. Speaker, I just undertook to make available all of the information that
we could without interfering in any kind of way with proprietary information or
whatever. Whatever can be released, we are going to release.
Mr. Speaker, all of the $8 million are not legal fees. Enda Searching is part
of the $8 million, which I told the Leader of the Opposition during Question
Period this week. CRA, which did work around environmental remediation,
particularly as it pertained to Buchans, is part of that $8 million. So it is
certainly more than legal fees. Again, Mr. Speaker, whatever we can make
available we will certainly make available.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Opposition House Leader.
MR. KELVIN PARSONS: My final question for this minister: Minister, can
you confirm that there was indeed legal opinions requested and obtained by your
government with respect to the implications of NAFTA prior to introducing Bill
75 in this House in December of 2008?
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Minister of Natural Resources and Deputy
Premier.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MS DUNDERDALE: Yes, Mr. Speaker, we asked a variety of questions. Let me
point out once again to the Opposition House Leader, Mr. Speaker, that we shared
what we had learned up to that point with the Members of the Opposition when we
were about to introduce the legislation. Whatever we had, what we had been
advised that NAFTA implications might be, in our briefing meeting with officials
that took place in the Opposition caucus room, Mr. Speaker, we shared whatever
information that we had at that time.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Opposition House Leader.
MR. KELVIN PARSONS: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
For the record, at no time during any briefing was the Opposition provided
with copies of any legal opinions that this government had obtained with regard
to NAFTA. I just want that on the record, for the record.
Mr. Speaker, my next question is for the Minister of Education. Minister,
earlier this week the President of CNA resigned. There has been some confusion
given the multiple explanations as to what precipitated this action. We were
first told that CNA has mismanaged their payroll and benefits to the tune of $5
million. We are later told that last month the college signed a one-year
extension to the Qatar contract without proper authority and authorization.
Would the minister explain how these two items are related, and were they
both involved in the sudden resignation of the president?
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Minister of Education.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. KING: Mr. Speaker, I do not think the confusion is in the
explanations I have provided, it might be in the
interpretation the Opposition
has put on the explanations I have provided. I have been very clear on what has
transpired.
In the first instance, the issue of the one-year contract extension, I made
it very clear last week, or last Question Period, when I talked about our
relationship in working to support the college. I provided that as an example of
an issue that we encountered as a government, and we worked and provided support
to the college president and to the college executive team in spite of protocols
not having been followed by the president at the time. In spite of the president
doing this of her own accord, against the protocols and the expectations of
government and the college board, we worked with them to resolve the situation.
I offered that, Mr. Speaker, as an example of the kind of support that this
government has provided to the college system.
The second item, Mr. Speaker, I have also been very clear upon, is that the
resignation came to me at approximately 4:00 o'clock Sunday past and I received
it while I was en route back from my district to here. There was no discussion
with me, between me and the college president. I have been very clear about
that. There is no confusion from this side of the House on what transpired there
and we announced it shortly thereafter.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Opposition House Leader.
MR. KELVIN PARSONS: Thank you.
Mr. Speaker, earlier this week the Minister of Education challenged the
Opposition to go to the former president and find out from her what caused this
resignation. As you well know, minister, the former president of CNA is subject
to a gag order which you placed in her employment contract.
I ask the minister: In the public interest and to ensure complete openness
and transparency, would you agree to remove the gag order and allow Ms Madill to
tell her side of this resignation?
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Minister of Education.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. KING: Mr. Speaker, certainly I do not have to stand here and talk to
the Opposition House Leader about contracts and about legal law and how you
interpret legal law. Certainly, Mr. Speaker, I do not have to stand here and
explain that in Question Period today to the hon. member opposite, I am sure of
that, but I will, if you would like me to, Mr. Speaker.
Let me give a little quick history lesson, the senior contracts that are
signed by officials with this particular government, with senior bureaucrats and
officials of the College of the North Atlantic or school boards or health boards
or any other organizations, Mr. Speaker, that we are engaged with, are no
different than they have always been. We did not invent the wheel on that. There
have been many previous governments who have employed senior officials with the
same kinds of contracts. So certainly, Mr. Speaker, a former Minister of Justice
ought to recognize why that clause is put in place and why it will stay there.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Opposition House Leader.
MR. KELVIN PARSONS: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
I remind the minister that it is not me he has to explain anything to it is
the people of this Province. I guess from his answer, the answer is no, he is
going to keep the gag order on the former president.
Mr. Speaker, minister, you had told us that CNA overcharged the Qatar
government $2 million for administration and there was a $3 million salary
overpayment. What, and who, caused these overpayments, and why are we not
seeking reimbursement of the $3 million salary overpayment?
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Minister of Education.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. KING: Mr. Speaker, I hate to have to repeat myself over and over in
the House of Assembly here but the member opposite keeps asking the questions
that require the same answer. This government has taken a very proactive step in
calling for an external review. If I had the answers to all the questions that
the member is posing, there would be no need to do a review. As a matter of
fact, Mr. Speaker, we would have all the problems solved. We do not know why the
events occurred. This government did not make the decisions that put us in this
situation. Under the leadership of the former President of the College of the
North Atlantic, that group made the decisions that put us where we are today.
Now I will gladly, gladly share with the public, as I have already said,
anything that we find out that we can do to rectify this problem and correct it
so that it does not happen in the future. The member opposite is quite welcome
to that information when I become in possession of it, Mr. Speaker, but I do not
have that. That is why we have called for an external review to look at the
whole situation.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Opposition House Leader.
MR. KELVIN PARSONS: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
The minister cannot speak out of both sides of his mouth. He says on the one
hand, we are doing a review and we will give you the answers. He has already
publicly announced that we will not seek reimbursement of this $3 million. So
you have obviously made some conclusions already, before you get back the very
report you are talking about.
Now, minister, we have seen this government chase people for workers'
compensation overpayments, social service overpayments, and school tax that have
been outstanding for decades, yet you are refusing to go after this $3 million
which you acknowledge should not have been paid. Would you explain the logic of
this decision and why it is okay to write-off $3 million of the taxpayers'
money?
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Minister of Education.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. KING: Mr. Speaker, let me say this, that I will gladly stand here
today and use logic in my explanations if I thought the member opposite would
actually understand logic. What is very clear from the last three days' line of
questioning, Mr. Speaker, that logic is not the rule of the day here, and
leadership on the other side is not the rule of the day.
Perhaps, Mr. Speaker, that is why they are coming back from the political
grave today in the name of a former Premier who lost to the leadership on this
side of the House in the election of 2003, because they did not have what it
takes to provide leadership to this Province. Well that is what we are doing.
That is why we are reviewing the situation, and it is why we are going to get to
the bottom of it, and it is why we will fix it!
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Opposition House Leader.
MR. KELVIN PARSONS: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Now maybe that we are past the rhetoric, maybe the minister would like to
give the people an answer to my question.
Why are you not seeking repayment of $3 million, which you acknowledge should
not have been paid out to this staff in the first place? Maybe we can have a
straightforward answer, without the rhetoric.
MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!
The hon. the Minister of Education.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. KING: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
I will try to be as straightforward in my answer as I always am. It becomes
very challenging when you provide a straightforward answer and it is not
understood by the member opposite, Mr. Speaker.
What I have said are the facts as we know them today. The $3 million the
member references, for the record, let me just say that it is a very, very
unfirm' number. I have talked about $3.5 million, $4.5 million but I have also
said, Mr. Speaker, we have shared those numbers to give people of the Province
an idea of the magnitude of this problem, to make sure that the whole issue,
from my perspective, is very open and very transparent.
I could easily do what the Leader of the NDP wanted me to do three or four
days ago, washed my hands of it, abdicate my responsibility, walk away, pretend
it never happened, write-off the $5 million and perhaps do as my colleague the
Minister of Tourism would say, add it to the NDP debt clock. I could have done
that, or I could have done what the Leader of the Liberal Party asked me to do
which was the complete opposite.
Well, Mr. Speaker, we are taking a responsible action here and when we
determine what exactly has transpired here, and when we determine the
appropriate actions that need to be taken; we will take them. Until such a time
as we have the information to draw the appropriate conclusions, I am not
prepared to stand here and speculate for a bit of political posturing on the
other side of the House.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Opposition House Leader.
MR. KELVIN PARSONS: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
It is nice to see that the Minister of Education thinks letting $3 million go
down the tubes is a bit of political posturing. It looks like he is not prepared
and will not give the people of this Province an answer. We will find the
answer; we will find out why. This is not over yet.
I will move on at this point, Mr. Speaker. The Premier was in Ottawa this
week for meetings. While he was there, we certainly hope he visited suite 1604
on Metcalfe Street, also known as the empty office of the Province's Ottawa
representative, as the empty space is costing the taxpayers of this Province
almost $100,000 a year in rental expenses.
I ask the Premier, the position of the Ottawa representative has been vacant
since January: Is there any necessity to be throwing tax dollars away for the
position that has proven to be totally ineffective?
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Premier.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
PREMIER WILLIAMS: Mr. Speaker, during that trip I really did not have
time to put my feet up and have a cup of coffee in the office, to be quite
honest with you. From the time we landed until the time we left, we were very,
very busy. We went through an extremely successful group of meetings.
I met with Minister Strahl with regard to Aboriginal issues and actually
dealt with the Innu issue and the lands claim agreement and facilitated an
upcoming meeting between the Innu Nation and the federal government. That will
take place, hopefully, within the next couple of months.
Then, we left there and went to the House of Commons where we were very
well-received, favourably received by all parties in the House of Commons which
is very nice. Then proceeded to an in-depth meeting with the Prime Minister and
discussed a broad range of issues commencing with the fisheries, and the Lower
Churchill, and Coast Guard and rescue and a host of issues.
Mr. Speaker, because of his time frames, we then moved on to another meeting
and moved to the meeting with the Minister of ACOA, Keith Ashfield, and
discussed funding for the Province with regard to the Atlantic Gateway, the
Northern Gateway and a lot of other issues. Then, met with the minister
responsible for the Province, Peter MacKay, and started with discussions on
Labrador, 5 Wing Goose, Search and Rescue, and, again, another host of issues,
and then finished up with a very, very fruitful meeting with the Minister of
Finance with regard to the acquisition of the eight point five interest in
Hibernia.
So, no, I did not have time to stop at the Ottawa office.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Opposition House Leader.
MR. KELVIN PARSONS: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
I appreciate the Premier's update as to who he did see there. Obviously, he
did not go by 1604 Metcalfe.
Mr. Speaker, it has been reported by The Telegram on a recent visit to
Ottawa that newspapers were piling up by the door and there was no presence at
this office. Meanwhile, there is $378,000 budgeted for this office this year,
including a support worker making $54,000 a year.
I ask the Premier: What is the current status of the office? Is there anyone
still on the payroll there, and if so, what are they doing when we do not have a
representative in Ottawa?
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Premier.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
PREMIER WILLIAMS: Mr. Speaker, we still have a presence on the ground in
Ottawa, as the office is staffed. We are maintaining that office because that
office has been very useful for meetings when ministers attend in Ottawa; they
use it on a frequent basis.
I had conversations in Ottawa whereby people in Ottawa on the ground spoke
extremely very, very highly of Dr. FitzGerald, who is referred to as Dr.
Feelgood by the Opposition. I refer to him as Dr. Sealgood because of all the
fantastic work he has done with regard to promoting the sealing industry in
Ottawa.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
PREMIER WILLIAMS: So we intend to maintain that office. We intend to keep
it there. We think it is very, very important that we have a connection. We
think it is also very, very important that when ministers go to town that they
have a place where they can operate out of. In fact, we will be looking in the
very near future then to recruiting to have that position refilled.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Opposition House Leader.
MR. KELVIN PARSONS: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Both New Brunswick and Manitoba closed their offices in Ottawa. It is
certainly obvious that our office has had very little impact as the past few
years have represented the most strained relationship our Province has ever had
with the federal government.
I ask the Premier: Are you prepared to follow the lead of these other
provinces, let the Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs do his job, save the
taxpayers of this Province some $400,000 a year, finally admit the experiment
did not work, and close down the office?
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Oh, oh!
MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!
The hon. the Premier.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
PREMIER WILLIAMS: Mr. Speaker, I can tell the hon. member opposite what I
am not prepared to do. I am not prepared to give up fighting for the interests
of the people of Newfoundland and Labrador.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
PREMIER WILLIAMS: Time and time again we have aggressively challenged
Ottawa on major issues of importance to the people of this Province. The first
round that we had with the former Liberal government, we came back with a cheque
for $2 billion, so I would think
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
PREMIER WILLIAMS: I would think our balance sheet is in pretty good shape
at this stage, but we do intend to fight for the interest of the people of the
Province, but at the same time we have also proven during the last round, which
we consider to be a goodwill round, met with all the senior representatives of
the federal government, all of the ministers were made available to us on
reasonable notice, they were prepared to discuss any issues of importance to
Newfoundland and Labrador, so I think at this stage, as a result of our efforts
in fighting for Newfoundlanders and Labradorians we have the respect of Ottawa.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Opposition House Leader.
MR. KELVIN PARSONS: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
I say to the Premier, I would not crow too loudly about the Accord money
these days. By the time we get Abitibi settled there might be none of it left.
Mr. Speaker, we requested travel claims for the former Ottawa representative
through FOI and we were charged significant fees; however, we did pay for his
2007 travel claims to get a glimpse of his activities. As outlined in the
documents, the former Ambassador charged the people of this Province seventy-two
taxi trips from his private residence to work. There is nothing in his
employment contact that permits such claims and no other public servant is
permitted to claim travel to and from work each day.
I ask the Premier: Why did your office sign off on these travel claims, and
do you consider it an appropriate expense to be reimbursed by the taxpayers?
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Premier.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
PREMIER WILLIAMS: Mr. Speaker, now that the hon. member opposite has
raised it let's talk about the Abitibi exercise and let's talk about what we
have done with regard to Abitibi.
The hon. member opposite knows, he is a lawyer, he is trained, he knows what
the consequences would have been if we, in fact, had not acted on the Abitibi
file. If, in fact, we had stood back and had not stepped in when we did and had
not expropriated the property, one of two things would happened, either the
property would have been sold and the assets would have gone outside the
Province, and the people of the Province would have no say or no interest, or
otherwise they would have entered into a receivership, or a bankruptcy, or a
consumer protection. At that point as well, the assets of the people of
Newfoundland and Labrador, our timber, our land, our water and our
infrastructure would have been gone. We would have been left, however though,
with the environmental responsibilities and we would have been left with the
responsibility that we had to the workers in Grand Falls-Windsor, Botwood and
all the surrounding areas.
What we did, Mr. Speaker, because we had those assets, we, in fact, will be
in a position, if we have to, to do the environmental cleanup. We have put
nearly $50 million into severance and the hon. member opposite has stood up and
has knowing the difference said that dealing with Grand Falls and dealing
with the Grand Falls mill we have incurred liabilities, environmental
liabilities of over a couple of hundred million dollars. That is just absolutely
untrue untrue.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Opposition House Leader.
MR. KELVIN PARSONS: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
I guess we will see at the end of the day when all the court dust has settled
on the court cases as to what we actually are going to be on the hook for.
I will just ask the Premier: Would you like to give us an answer to my
question about the taxi fares of Dr. Feelgood?
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Oh, oh!
MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!
The hon. the Premier.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
PREMIER WILLIAMS: Mr. Speaker, it is obvious the priorities of the
Opposition. You know, we are here today we have a fishery that is being dealt
with, that is very, very important to all the people of this Province, to all
the communities in the Province. Have we heard a question on the fishery today?
Not a question.
AN HON. MEMBER: No, not one.
PREMIER WILLIAMS: Do you know what the hon.
AN HON. MEMBER: (Inaudible).
PREMIER WILLIAMS: Maybe you will make some up now. Well, good for you if
you make some up out of it after.
What the hon. member opposite is concentrating on today is the Ottawa
representative getting a drive in bad weather from his office to the House of
Commons where he does his business. Now if you want to concentrate on taxis,
then fill your boots, but I have more important things to do.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!
The hon. the Member for the District of Port de Grave.
MR. BUTLER: Mr. Speaker, we have been speaking to concerned residents of
Bell Island relating to the disruption of their ferry service in recent weeks.
While there are a number of issues being raised, the immediate question of
residents is when will the Beaumont Hamel be returning to service?
I ask the minister, Mr. Speaker, when will the refit be completed and will
the Beaumont Hamel be returning to the Bell Island run?
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Minister of Transportation and Works.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. HEDDERSON: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
In response to the question from the member opposite, the Beaumont Hamel
right now is into the last inspection stage. She will be back within the next
couple of days and back on the Bell Island run.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Member for the District of Port de Grave.
MR. BUTLER: Mr. Speaker, the motor vessel Captain Earle W. Winsor ,
which currently services Fogo Island, Change Islands is apparently due to go on
dry dock for maintenance at the beginning of May. This is causing significant
concern for many people, considering that the crab fishery only started a couple
of weeks ago in that area and tourist season is about to begin. The spring and
summer months, Mr. Speaker, would be the absolute worst time to take the
Winsor out of service.
I ask the minister: Why is the Winsor being pulled out of service at a
time that is particularly disruptive to the ferry users and will you consider
delaying the refit to the fall months?
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Minister of Transportation and Works.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. HEDDERSON: Mr. Speaker, I am well aware of the challenges that we as
a government have in dealing with the current ferry fleet that we are managing,
and managing as well as we can. Again, it just kind of irks me a little bit, Mr.
Speaker, to get up and to have someone from across the way talk about ferries
when the last ferry that was built, the last two really, were under the Peckford
Administration. For fifteen years this former Administration ignored this fleet
and left us with a legacy of trying to manage. We are doing as best we can under
the circumstances. Of course, you also know on the other side that we have made
significant investments. As a matter of fact, $55 million in this particular
Budget to try to deal with the issues that we have.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. HEDDERSON: So, I say, Mr. Speaker, I am working very closely with the
people in Fogo to make sure that we are doing everything we can with what we
have to ensure, not only service to the people, but that economic piece as well.
We have worked out with the Fogo committee a
schedule that will certainly
address their particular concerns.
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, in January, Eastern Health informed the public that they had
developed a plan to deal with the rheumatology outpatient wait-list because of
the impending loss of a doctor in May which will bring them down to four. As a
result, 1,000 people with chronic non-inflammatory symptoms were dumped on
family doctors who do not have the expertise or time to deal with these
individuals. Rheumatologists say this is not a good change. Though there are
four rheumatologists at present, in practice the rheumatologists say there
really are only 2.5 of them doing full-time clinical work because of teaching
and research commitments. Also, their workload will increase astronomically
because we have a rapidly aging population.
Mr. Speaker, I ask the Minister of Health and Community Services: What
immediate action is he taking to recruit rheumatologists?
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Minister of Health and Community Services.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. KENNEDY: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
As I have indicated on many occasions in discussions in this House about
health care, it is a very emotional issue, it is one that affects people's
lives; it affects everyone on a daily basis. The issue, Mr. Speaker, also
relates to politicians and the people who serve in this House.
We know from what has gone on with the air ambulance again, the height of
the emotion. I say to the Leader of the NDP, I understand that in a Facebook Web
site that was put up in St. Anthony, in talking about the Premier, that an NDP
candidate of record suggested that the symbol for the Web site should be a black
heart with a bullet hole in it. Is this the kind of action that is supported by
the Leader of the NDP or is she going to do something about that? That would be
my question to her, Mr. Speaker.
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, I asked a question of the minister and he has not answered it.
Mr. Speaker, there are 89,000 people in the Province suffering from some form
of arthritis. The outpatient wait times are 9.6 months for someone with an acute
inflammatory condition or forty-two months for chronic non-inflammatory
condition. Successful management of this debilitating disease needs prompt
treatment. Delays mean peoples' conditions will worsen. Mr. Speaker, we have a
serious situation with regard to people suffering from the various forms of
arthritis.
This minister has not answered my former question, so I have to ask him: How
can he continue to do nothing in the face of the suffering of so many people in
this Province?
MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!
The hon. the Minister of Health and Community Services.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. KENNEDY: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Mr. Speaker, on March 30 I met with Brenda Kitchen, the Executive Director of
the Arthritis Society and we discussed this issue of the shortage. We had an
appointment set up with Dr. Hamilton, one of the rheumatologists, but he could
not make it that day. So, Mr. Speaker, we are taking steps.
In relation to an allegation we are doing nothing, is what is the Leader of
the NDP going to do about that candidate of record who made this comment that
the Premier should have a - the symbol should be a black heart with a bullet
hole in it? Do you support that position?
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!
I remind the hon. members again to address their comments to the Chair, not
to individuals.
Further questions?
The hon. the Member for the District of Signal Hill-Quidi Vidi.
MS MICHAEL: Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker.
Mr. Speaker, governments across the country, including our own, are starting
to expand
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Oh, oh!
MS MICHAEL: Mr. Speaker, I want to make one comment before I go on with
my question. I am not responsible for the behaviour of people outside of this
House of Assembly. I am responsible for myself, and I will not
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Oh, oh!
MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!
The time for Question Period is getting nigh. If the hon. member has a
question I ask that she pose it now.
MS MICHAEL: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Mr. Speaker, governments across the country - including our own - are
starting to expand medical schools now after years of ignoring the problem of
doctor shortages. The unfortunate thing, Mr. Speaker, is that these new spaces
will not produce doctors for another ten years, and in the case of
rheumatologists it is twelve years.
I ask the minister: Considering the toxic environment government has created
around the doctors' negotiations, what are his department's plans for being able
to recruit doctors to this Province?
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Minister of Health and Community Services.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. KENNEDY: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
I am glad that the Leader of the NDP mentioned the expansion to the medical
school. That is a very important step that we have taken, and one that I
understand Dean Rourke was on with Randy Simms today speaking very positively
about.
Mr. Speaker, in the last year, in 2009-2010, we had nineteen family practice
residents, of which seventeen are going into practice. Fourteen are practicing
in this Province, so we have retained fourteen of them. Twenty-seven
specialists, Mr. Speaker; and, of the twenty-five going into practice, seventeen
are practicing in this Province, so we are retaining specialists.
Mr. Speaker, again, when she asks what the government is going to do about
things, what is she going to do about that site and the allegation or the
insinuation that the Premier should have a bullet hole through his heart? Is
that the kind of policy supported by (inaudible)?
MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!
Time allotted for questions and answers has expired.
Presenting Reports by Standing and Select Committees.
Tabling of Documents.
Tabling of Documents
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Minister of Finance and President of Treasury
Board.
MR. MARSHALL: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Pursuant to
section 5 of the Local Authority Guarantee Act, 2005, I wish to
table the attached list of loan guarantees provided to local governments to
enable them to arrange interim financing for their capital projects. The total
of these guarantees is $6.5 million, and the projects financed include: water
and sewer, $6 million; street paving, $0.3 million; and, municipal buildings,
$0.2 million.
Mr. Speaker, the last report under this act was tabled on April 28, 2009 and
includes guarantees usually up to and including 31 March 2009. The current
listing covers the period from April 1, 2009, to March 31, 2010.
MR. SPEAKER: Further tabling of documents?
The hon. the Minister of Finance and President of Treasury Board.
MR. MARSHALL: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Pursuant to
section 49.(2) of the Financial Administration Act, I wish to
table the attached list of temporary loans that were raised under
section 48 of
the act since our last report to the House on April 28, 2009.
Pursuant to
section 55.(3) of the Financial Administration Act, Mr. Speaker,
I wish to report there were no guaranteed loans paid out by the Province since
the last standard report also on April 28, 2009. While there are none to be
tabled, it is necessary to indicate that in a report to this House.
In addition, Mr. Speaker, pursuant to
section 55.(1)(2) of the act, I wish to
report that there has been no guaranteed debt of any Crown corporation or agency
assumed by the Province since April 28, 2009, (inaudible) report.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
MR. SPEAKER: Further tabling of documents?
Pursuant to
section 10 of the Public Tender Act, I hereby table the Report of
the Public Tender Exceptions for March 2010 as presented by the Chief Operating
Officer of the Government Purchasing Agency.
Further tabling of documents?
Notices of Motion.
Answers to Questions for which Notice has been Given.
Petitions.
Petitions
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. Member for the District of Port de Grave.
MR. BUTLER: Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker.
I stand today and present another petition on behalf of the residents of
Hickman's Harbour, Clarenville, Lady Cove, Random Island, Monroe, Milton,
Georges Brook, Pilley's Island, Elliott's Cove, Lower Lance Cove, Britannia and
Shoal Harbour.
I have to say, Mr. Speaker, I think mostly all of those are in my hon.
colleague's district, or just about all of them anyway.
Mr. Speaker, for the record, I would have to read it in again. I think that
is the practice.
WHEREAS we, the residents of Newfoundland and Labrador, have always built
cabins or tilts away from our homes for hunting, fishing, berry picking or just
spending time up in the country, or places around our shores, sometimes just to
get away from the stress of everyday living, a place to relax and enjoy the
great outdoors; and
WHEREAS your government has come down hard on the thousands of cabin owners
and trailer owners that are out on our land with eviction notices, and forcing
them to move without providing them with an alternative; and
WHEREAS Kruger Inc. has timber rights to approximately one-third of all
forested land on this Island and is refusing the vast majority of applications
for cabin development;
WHEREUPON your petitioners call upon all Members of the House of Assembly to
urge government to have compassion on the citizens of this fair Province and
allow them the right to enjoy what is rightfully ours. We were born on this land
and should have the right to enjoy it.
And as in duty bound your petitioners will ever pray.
Mr. Speaker, that is just another of many of the petitions that I have. What
those people are saying, Mr. Speaker, is that they have enjoyed the great
outdoors in various ways for the last forty or fifty years. Their families have
grown up since they went out, whether it is in cabins or trailers, and enjoyed
the great outdoors. It is a long-standing tradition. Mr. Speaker,
notwithstanding, if there are environmental issues, those people, what they are
telling me, if there are environmental issues then let's deal with them, but sit
down with us. Do not just go through the process that happened last year.
Mr. Speaker, I receive phone calls each day after I present those petitions,
from other areas of the Province and they are saying: Look, explain to the hon.
House of Assembly that we cannot afford to pay $45 or $50 to spend a night in
Pippy Park. We cannot afford to pay the $25 in many of our parks.
Now, since this has happened and they know what is happening around this
Province, there are parks in Central Newfoundland where the annual fee was
$1,500 a year for those senior citizens and now the fees have gone up to $1,800
a year. They are just saying, Mr. Speaker, we cannot afford it. We are asking
government to reconsider what they are doing, and sit down with us before they
just tell us to take our trailers away, or our cabins away, and destroy them
like the ones I mentioned yesterday.
Mr. Speaker, it is a pleasure to be able to present those petitions on behalf
of those residents.
Thank you.
MR. SPEAKER: Further petitions?
The hon. the Member for the District of Port de Grave, on another petition?
MR. BUTLER: On a different petition.
MR. SPEAKER: On a different petition, the hon. the Member for the
District of Port de Grave.
MR. BUTLER: Mr. Speaker, I stand today to present a petition on behalf of
104 residents of Beachside, 80 residents of Little Bay, and 130 residents from
St. Patricks. I will read it:
WHEREAS the road from Little Bay turnoff to Little Bay, and from Little Bay
to Beachside, was paved approximately forty years ago, and since that time very
little has been done to upgrade the road, the road is in a deplorable condition;
WHEREUPON the undersigned, your petitioners, humbly pray and call upon the
House of Assembly to repave the road from Little Bay turnoff through to
Beachside.
And as in duty bound your petitioners will ever pray.
Mr. Speaker, this petition was collected and supported by the Town Council of
Beachside, the Town Council of Little Bay, and the Local Service District of St.
Patricks. They are saying they are just disgusted with how bad this road is, Mr.
Speaker, and how it has deteriorated over a period of time.
I understand, Mr. Speaker, where they are coming from. They are saying they
are in constant repair of their vehicles because of the major potholes and
everything that is happening in that road.
My understanding is, I think it is approximately ten kilometres from Little
Bay turnoff to the RC church hill in St. Patricks, and from Little Bay to
Beachside is another seven kilometres. Mr. Speaker, this road needs repairs
immediately.
The former member for that area, I do not know if that is what he was fired
over, but I know it had to do with something where he went looking for money for
pavement of roads in his district. I think that is what happened to him and he
left this hon. House.
AN HON. MEMBER: A former Premier.
MR. BUTLER: A former Premier, that is correct.
Mr. Speaker, some people might say, why are you presenting this petition?
Well, Mr. Speaker, we all heard in this House about the "we care" speech. When
they asked me would I present it, I said yes, we care; we will bring this
forward on behalf of your residents.
I am sure the hon. member, when he stands to speak, either in Budget debate
or whatever, will bring up the issues on behalf of those residents. Hopefully
government will I understand; I spoke to one gentleman today - they may, if at
all possible, get a kilometre of this road done this year. That is a start, and
they appreciate that, but, Mr. Speaker, they are asking government to really
take action and see that this road is completed.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
MR. SPEAKER: Further petitions?
Orders of the Day.
Orders of the Day
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Government House Leader.
MS BURKE: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Mr. Speaker, I move, seconded by the hon. Minister of Justice and Attorney
General, for leave to introduce a bill entitled,
An Act To Amend The
Commissioners For Oaths Act. (Bill 7)
I further move that the said bill be now read a first time.
MR. SPEAKER: It is properly moved and seconded that the hon. the
Government House Leader shall have leave to introduce a bill entitled,
An Act To
Amend The Commissioners For Oaths Act, Bill 7, and that the said bill be now
read a first time.
Is it the pleasure of the House that the said bill be now read a first time?
All those in favour, aye'.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Aye.
MR. SPEAKER: All those against, nay'.
The motion is carried.
Motion, the hon. the Minister of Justice and Attorney General to introduce a
bill, "An Act To Amend The Commissioners For Oaths Act", carried. (Bill 7)
CLERK: A bill,
An Act To Amend The Commissioners For Oaths Act. (Bill 7)
MR. SPEAKER: Bill 7 has now been read a first time.
When shall Bill 7 be read a second time?
MS BURKE: Tomorrow, Mr. Speaker.
MR. SPEAKER: Tomorrow.
On motion, Bill 7 read a first time, ordered read a second time on tomorrow.
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Government House Leader.
MS BURKE: Thank you.
Mr. Speaker, I move, seconded by the hon. Minister of Justice and Attorney
General, for leave to introduce a bill entitled,
An Act To Amend The Notaries
Public Act, Bill 8, and I further move that the said bill be now read a first
time.
MR. SPEAKER: It is properly moved and seconded that the hon. the
Government House Leader shall have leave to introduce a bill entitled,
An Act To
Amend The Notaries Public Act, Bill 8, and that this said bill be now read a
first time.
Is it the pleasure of the House that the hon. the Government House Leader
shall have leave to introduce Bill 8 and that the said bill be now read a first
time?
All those in favour, aye'.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Aye.
MR. SPEAKER: All those against, nay'.
The motion is carried.
Motion, that the hon. the Minister of Justice and Attorney General to
introduce a bill, "An Act To Amend The Notaries Public Act", carried. (Bill 8).
CLERK: A bill,
An Act To Amend The Notaries Public Act. (Bill 8)
MR. SPEAKER: Bill 8 has now been read a first time.
When shall Bill 8 be read a second time?
MS BURKE: Tomorrow, Mr. Speaker.
MR. SPEAKER: Tomorrow.
On motion, Bill 8 read a first time, ordered read a second time on tomorrow.
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Government House Leader.
MS BURKE: Mr. Speaker, I move, seconded by the hon. Minister of Finance
and President of Treasury Board, for leave to introduce a bill entitled,
An Act
To Amend The Income Tax Act, 2000 No. 2, Bill 9, and I further move that the
said bill be now read a first time.
MR. SPEAKER: It is properly moved and seconded by the hon. Government
House Leader to ask leave to introduce a bill entitled,
An Act To Amend The
Income Tax Act, 2000 No. 2, Bill 9, and that the said bill be now read a first
time.
Is it the pleasure of the House that Bill 9 be now read a first time?
All those in favour, aye'.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Aye.
MR. SPEAKER: All those against, nay'.
The motion is carried.
Motion, the hon. the Minister of Finance and President of Treasury Board to
introduce a bill, "An Act To Amend The Income Tax Act, 2000 No.2", carried.
(Bill 9)
CLERK: A bill,
An Act To Amend The Income Tax Act, 2000 No.2. (Bill 9)
MR. SPEAKER: Bill 9 has now been read a first time.
When shall Bill 9 be read a second time?
MS BURKE: Tomorrow, Mr. Speaker.
MR. SPEAKER: Tomorrow.
On motion, Bill 9 read a first time, ordered read a second time on tomorrow.
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Government House Leader.
MS BURKE: Mr. Speaker, I move, seconded by the hon. the Minister of
Justice and Attorney General, for leave to introduce a bill entitled,
An Act To
Amend The Small Claims Act, Bill 11, and I further move that the said bill be
now read a first time.
MR. SPEAKER: It is moved and seconded that the hon. the Government House
Leader shall have leave to introduce a bill entitled,
An Act To Amend The Small
Claims Act, Bill 11, and that Bill 11 be now read a first time.
Is it the pleasure of the House that Bill 11 be now read a first time.
All those in favour, aye'.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Aye.
MR. SPEAKER: All those against, nay'.
The motion is carried.
Motion, the hon. the Minister of Justice and Attorney General to introduce a
bill, "An Act To Amend The Small Claims Act", carried. (Bill 11)
CLERK: A bill,
An Act To Amend The Small Claims Act. (Bill 11)
MR. SPEAKER: Bill 11 has now been read a first time.
When shall Bill 11 be read a second time?
MS BURKE: Tomorrow, Mr. Speaker.
MR. SPEAKER: Tomorrow.
On motion, Bill 11 read a first time, ordered read a second time on tomorrow.
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Government House Leader.
MS BURKE: Mr. Speaker, I move, seconded by the hon. the Minister of
Tourism, Culture and Recreation, for leave to introduce a bill entitled,
An Act
To Amend The Grand Concourse Authority Act, Bill 12, and I further move that the
said bill be now read a first time.
MR. SPEAKER: It is properly moved and seconded that the hon. the
Government House Leader shall have leave to introduce a bill entitled,
An Act To
Amend The Grand Concourse Authority Act, Bill 12, and that Bill 12 be now read a
first time.
Is it the pleasure of the House that Bill 12 be now read a first time?
All those in favour, aye'.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Aye.
MR. SPEAKER: All those against, nay'.
The motion is carried.
Motion, the hon. the Minister of Tourism, Culture and Recreation to introduce
a bill, "An Act To Amend The Grand Concourse Authority Act", carried. (Bill 12)
CLERK: A bill,
An Act To Amend The Grand Concourse Authority Act. (Bill
12)
MR. SPEAKER: Bill 12 has now been read a first time.
When shall Bill 12 be read a second time?
MS BURKE: Tomorrow, Mr. Speaker.
MR. SPEAKER: Tomorrow.
On motion, Bill 12 read a first time, ordered read a second time on tomorrow.
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Government House Leader.
MS BURKE: Mr. Speaker, I move, seconded by the hon. the Minister of
Government Services, for leave to introduce a bill entitled,
An Act To Amend The
Consumer Protection And Business Practices Act, Bill 13, and I further move that
the said bill be now read a first time.
MR. SPEAKER: It is moved and seconded by the hon. the Government House
Leader to introduce a bill entitled,
An Act To Amend The Consumer Protection And
Business Practices Act, Bill 13, and that Bill 13 be now read a first time.
Is it the pleasure of the House that Bill 13 be now read a first time?
All those in favour, aye'.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Aye.
MR. SPEAKER: All those against, nay'.
The motion is carried.
Motion, the hon. the Minister of Government Services to introduce a bill, "An
Act To Amend The Consumer Protection And Business Practices Act", carried. (Bill
13)
CLERK: A bill,
An Act To Amend The Consumer Protection And Business
Practices Act. (Bill 13)
MR. SPEAKER: Bill 13 has now been read a first time.
When shall Bill 13 be read a second time?
MS BURKE: Tomorrow, Mr. Speaker.
MR. SPEAKER: Tomorrow.
On motion, Bill 13 read a first time, ordered read a second time on tomorrow.
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Government House Leader.
MS BURKE: Mr. Speaker, I move, seconded by the hon. the Minister of
Government Services, for leave to introduce a bill entitled,
An Act To Amend The
Private Investigation And Security Services Act, Bill 14, and I further move
that the said bill be now read a first time.
MR. SPEAKER: It is properly moved and seconded by the hon. the Government
House Leader to ask leave to introduce a bill entitled,
An Act To Amend The
Private Investigation And Security Services Act, Bill 14, and that Bill 14 be
now read a first time.
Is it the pleasure of the House that Bill 14 be now read a first time?
All those in favour, aye'.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Aye.
MR. SPEAKER: All those against, nay'.
The motion is carried.
Motion, the hon. the Minister of Government Services to introduce a bill, "An
Act To Amend The Private Investigation And Security Services Act", carried.
(Bill 14)
CLERK: A bill,
An Act To Amend The Private Investigation And Security
Services Act. (Bill 14)
MR. SPEAKER: Bill 14 has now been read a first time.
When shall Bill 14 be read a second time?
MS BURKE: Tomorrow, Mr. Speaker.
MR. SPEAKER: Tomorrow.
On motion, Bill 14 read a first time, ordered read a second time on tomorrow.
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Government House Leader.
MS BURKE: Mr. Speaker, before I call the order of the day for debate, I
would just like to say that Bills 7, 8, 9, 11, 12, 13 and 14, as we just did the
first reading, if they are ready for distribution, should be distributed at this
time.
For today's order, Mr. Speaker, back to the Order Paper, I call Motion 1.
MR. SPEAKER: The Government House Leader has called Motion 1, the Budget
Speech the Budget motion.
The hon. the Member for the District of Port de Grave.
MR. BUTLER: Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker.
It is a pleasure again today to be able to stand and take
part in the debate
with regard to the Budget Speech. We know that last week we went through the
amendment that was put forward and the sub-amendment, Mr. Speaker.
I have to say, I have not been in the hon. House of Assembly for many years,
but I sat quite a few years in the gallery, and I suppose listened prior to
that, but I have to say last week when we started the debate on the main Budget
and the Government House Leader stood in her place, and rightly so, and asked
that we would vote on the amendment and the sub-amendment, I think it was the
first time in history that I can recall I was trying to find out that when
the motion was put forward and I know it was a misunderstanding but I think
it was the first time in the House of Assembly that the motion that was put
forward to condemn the government's Budget was voted on unanimously by the
government themselves.
MS BURKE: Point of order, Mr. Speaker.
MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!
The hon. the Government House Leader, on a point of order.
MS BURKE: Mr. Speaker, the hon. member that was just speaking, the Member
for Port de Grave, indicated that there was a unanimous vote in the House. Mr.
Speaker, if that was the case, I would like for him to produce the Hansard that
would say that. The vote continued as it should have with the results that
government expected. Mr. Speaker, if there was a unanimous vote that would have
been recorded in Hansard.
MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!
To that point of order, the motions that are put forward here and the motions
that are recorded will clearly show, and Hansard will clearly show, that the
sub-amendment and the amendment that was put forward here on the floor of the
House was voted on and lost by the members that brought forward both the
sub-amendment and the amendment.
The hon. the Member for the District of Port de Grave.
MR. BUTLER: Mr. Speaker, I have to agree with you, but that was the
second vote that was taken.
MS BURKE: (Inaudible) you do not challenge the Speaker.
MR. BUTLER: I am not challenging the Speaker. I am just telling you the
facts of what happened here last Tuesday and we all know what happened. When the
motion was put forward, I said aye and everyone in this House said aye with me
and then we knew what went wrong and it was put forward again.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Oh, oh!
MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!
AN HON. MEMBER: It did not come from this side. It was not everybody.
MR. BUTLER: No, not everybody
AN HON. MEMBER: (Inaudible)
MR. BUTLER: No, Mr. Speaker, I am not challenging you but I guess
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Oh, oh!
MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!
MR. BUTLER: - case closed. My hon. colleagues on this side, on the
government side, said: We did not do it; it was that side. So case closed case
closed, Mr. Speaker.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Oh, oh!
MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!
MR. BUTLER: Your colleague behind you said it.
MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!
The hon. the Government House Leader.
MS BURKE: Mr. Speaker, on a point of order.
It needs to be clarified that the hon. member said there was a unanimous
decision and now he is saying it was from one side or the other. Mr. Speaker,
Hansard will indicate how that vote went, what the results were, and that the
sub-amendment and the non-confidence motion put forward by the members opposite
certainly was defeated by this government.
Mr. Speaker, you just gave a ruling on it; you spoke about that. The hon.
member stood up and indicated he agreed, but - and he had to qualify as if he
did not agree with the Speaker's ruling. Mr. Speaker, I do not think that at any
point in any Legislature, and certainly in the House of Assembly here in
Newfoundland and Labrador, do we challenge the Speaker's ruling.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Oh, oh!
MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!
The hon. the Opposition House Leader, to that point of order?
MR. KELVIN PARSONS: Yes.
MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Opposition House Leader.
MR. KELVIN PARSONS: Yes, Mr. Speaker.
Mr. Speaker, first of all, I do not think it is a point of order. I do not
think the Member for Port de Grave in any way, shape or form - I was here in
this Chamber and heard what he said - challenged any ruling by the Speaker.
Mr. Speaker, Hansard, as we all know, records what happens in this House.
Nobody is disputing that, and the Member for Port de Grave is not disputing
that. All the Member for Port de Gave was pointing out is that what he saw
happen and what he heard happen in the House when those votes were taken. Now,
the fact that the official transcript of this House of Assembly shows what Your
Honour said it shows is absolutely correct and true. It is one thing what is
officially recorded in Hansard, it is something else for an individual to refer
to what the facts are as to what they see and observe in this House.
I would suggest, Mr. Speaker, there is no point of order. There may be a
little bit of embarrassment on the government members but that is about it.
Embarrassment does not a point of order make.
Thank you.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Oh, oh!
MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!
I ask the hon. Member for Port de Grave to continue with his debate. There is
no point of order. The facts are what Hansard shows.
The hon. the Member for Port de Grave.
MR. BUTLER: Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker.
Maybe it was a slip of the tongue when I said unanimous, but I can guarantee
you, Mr. Speaker, it was a majority. Anyway, Mr. Speaker, I will continue on
with the debate, and I am sure we are all hon. members. We all know what took
place and so on, Mr. Speaker. Anyway, I want to just continue on for a while. I
know I have used up five or six of my minutes on that, but continue on with
regard to the Budget issues.
Mr. Speaker, from time to time we talk about
MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!
The hon. the Government House Leader on a point of order.
MS BURKE: Mr. Speaker, I know you have ruled that it was not a point of
order when I stood and said it was not unanimous, but, Mr. Speaker, when we
speak in this House of Assembly it is incumbent upon all members to say what
actually happens or speak to the facts and not try to make up something or say
something that is not real.
Mr. Speaker, when that vote was called and when that vote was taken it was
recorded in Hansard, it is recorded in this House, and the majority indicated
that they defeated that motion. Now for the member to get on his feet and to say
that the majority voted for the sub-amendment and for the non-confidence after
he said unanimous, then goes in and says the majority. Mr. Speaker, that needs
to clarified, because when you get up and you address the people in this House
of Assembly and in the Province of Newfoundland and Labrador, and you know the
difference of what you are saying, it needs to be clarified.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Oh, oh!
MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!
The Chair has already ruled that there is no point of order. The Chair has
already ruled that the printed version of what happened here in this House when
votes were conducted is, as the hon. Government House Leader stated, the
sub-amendment was put forward for a vote and the sub-amendment was defeated. The
amendment was put forward for a vote and the amendment was defeated.
If the hon. Member for Port de Grave interprets that in a different way it
will show that the hon. Member for Port de Grave does not have the right
information, because Hansard clearly shows that what the hon. member is saying
is not actually what Hansard transcribed as happened here in this House.
The Chair is not going to be involved in any more debate on this issue. The
votes have been taken, the votes have been recorded, and I call on the hon. the
Member for the District of Port de Grave to continue with his delivery.
MR. BUTLER: Mr. Speaker, some hon. members are saying: Stop digging, you
are in a hole; stop digging. I say to the government, I would say this past week
you have been down in several holes. Mr. Speaker, everyone in this hon. House
knows what I am saying.
Mr. Speaker, to continue on with the issues on the Budget Debate, we all
stand here and we reference the good that is in the Budget and we on this
official side did that.
Mr. Speaker, today I want to go back to some issues that this government has
not dealt with and that the people around this Province have major concerns
with. Let's talk about the Newfoundland and Labrador pensioners. My hon.
colleague, the Minister of Business, got up the other day talking about all the
good, and rightly so, but I am going to tell you, several members got up and
spoke on what people were saying, that everyone had an excellent response to the
Budget. Well, I can guarantee you, the gentleman, in response to the Budget when
they were talking about the pension issues, had far from an excellent response.
I am not saying that he was totally negative but what the gentleman had to say,
he said government continues to disappoint pensioners. That to me was not
speaking out in favour of what was in this Budget.
That is only one of several groups, Mr. Speaker. He went on to say about how
government continues to mix pension issues and benefits for seniors. The money
they are talking about is very small and he compared it to somewhere around it
is very small when it comes to a comparison of a $7 million budget. All they are
asking for, Mr. Speaker, is for their pensions to be indexed to the cost of
living. That is all they are looking for.
Then we have the pensioners and senior citizens, the 50+ Federation. They
have many issues that they have brought forward to this government from their
annual conventions each and every year. They talk about the retirement pension
increase that they are looking for. They also referenced that this government
stand up for them and deal with the federal government when it comes to the Old
Age Security, the clawbacks. They even go on and talk about a two-tier medial
system, Mr. Speaker.
Another issue they asked the members of this government, this hon. House, to
deal with is the issue with the ferry crossing the Cabot Strait and the problems
that they encounter and the fees that are being charged. I know we have an
excellent tourism industry in this Province, but I think if you really check it
out, the majority of the tourism that came to this Province last year and the
last several years, has been through the airport system probably here in St.
John's and other centres. I can tell you that tourism with regard to trailers
and motorhomes that travel to this Province are not what they used to be a few
years ago, Mr. Speaker, and anyone who travels on the ferry can verify that.
Some of the other things they want us to have a stronger look at it, Mr.
Speaker, when it comes to health care; they are asking that family members be
able to provide home care for their loved ones. They even used the figures where
it shows that it is far better for someone like that and more cost efficient for
them to look after loved ones at home rather than to have someone come in, or if
that cannot happen, where they have to go to various institutions. Mr. Speaker,
we talk about our health care. I have said it before and generally I think that
we have the best health care system in this world. If you travel outside of our
Province, outside of our country, people will say that to you.
Mr. Speaker, there are many issues that have to be dealt with, many issues. I
know back in the Budget of 2004 there was some $1.39 million that was in the
Budget, 32.3 per cent of the Budget that year went to health care. In 2010, we
have $2.8 billion, 37.4 per cent of the Budget. Mr. Speaker, people are asking
that is a difference of $1.5 billion, and they are saying: Are we better off?
There is no doubt we have some of the greatest health care facilities in the
country, but there are many issues. We have heard the issues that were relayed
by the nurses just a few months ago, and there are many issues that still exist.
Mr. Speaker, I am not saying that because this government is here. I can
remember back to 1984 when we were in Opposition, previous to this time being in
Opposition. The issues that were brought forward at that time were the lack of
beds, shortage of nurses, doctors, specialists, medications not covered. I
remember again in 1989 when we did form the government and the issues that were
brought forward. The issues that were brought forward by the Opposition that are
now in government were the same thing. I remember the former Member for
Ferryland, everyday he would stand on his feet on health issues, and the Member
for St. John's South and others. Mr. Speaker, here we are today in 2010 and the
same issues confront us. What is the answer? Many people say that health care is
in a crisis and people want the issues dealt with.
Mr. Speaker, I have stood in this hon. House and said it before, I guess now
it has been recognized by the doctors themselves. I know in my area many people
- yes, there are many people who have their general practitioner but there are
many people, Mr. Speaker, who do not have a general practitioner. A lot of them
have to come to St. John's. One of the doctors left and moved in here to St.
John's and his patients travelled with him because they cannot get a doctor.
Only recently, a gentleman who worked in my area retired and moved back to
Central Newfoundland, and when he went back to that area he could not get a
general practitioner. He came back to the community where he retied from, stayed
there, got to see his own general practitioner that he had for eight or ten
years, and lo and behold, he had to have his surgery in Carbonear hospital.
Mr. Speaker, that is where people are coming from. Some of them have to
travel to different areas to see a general practitioner. I know much has been
done with the wait list, there is no two ways about it, but I can assure you
many people are still waiting for various time frames to see specialists,
waiting up as high as a year or two years.
Mr. Speaker, it was only recently - and some of my hon. colleagues were here
with me. This is an issue tied with regard to the moose on our highways and the
problems that are encountered throughout this Province. When we attended the
thirty-fifth anniversary of The Hub here in St. John's - and I think there were
four or five hon. members from the government side there, and we attended their
banquet. As a matter of fact, Mr. Speaker was there himself. There was one young
gentleman there in a wheelchair and he relayed the story to me how he has a
moose licence. He said: look, when you get up to speak in the House of Assembly
or wherever, bring my concern forward. He said, I have a moose licence and
someone can go and kill that moose for me, but he said the foolish part of it
all, he says, I have to be within 100 feet of the individual who is going to be
with me to hunt that moose. He said here am I in a wheelchair. It just cannot
happen, cannot possibly happen. He is asking government: Would they consider
looking at this issue?
Another issue, Mr. Speaker, is the recycling program for the used tires. I
know I asked the minister questions last year and all she did, she went back to
two previous contracts that had fallen by the wayside with the former
Administration; failing to acknowledge the two contracts that fell by the
wayside since this Administration took over. She assured me at that time that
the tires are being stored properly. They are stored safely - and she is still
nodding her head today, Mr. Speaker, that that is a fact. Well, I challenge the
minister. I challenge the minister to go to the site in Dunville, because I did.
I went there, and no doubt about it, the tires are stored very neat and tidy,
but the concerns that the people have in the Dunville and Argentia area is not
how the tires are stored, it is how they are protected. The site that they are
on, all that is to that facility is just one swinging gate with a security guy
there. The full site outside of that, there are trails going off the main
highway. There are trails going off one of the side roads where anyone wanting
to get in there can go in and the guy that is on security, all good (inaudible)
to him, but they cannot see them going in there.
I do not know what the minister is saying about a fire, but that is the
concern that the residents have. They are concerned that something would happen,
and I can tell you I have had many phone calls, Mr. Speaker, and they would like
nothing more than to be able to sit down with the Minister of Environment and
Conservation and the Minister of Municipal Affairs to put their concerns to
rest, because they know if something does go wrong, they know they are stored
properly. I can tell you, there is firefighting equipment in the town but there
is not too much firefighting equipment on that site if something should go
wrong. They know the full area. They have even had it investigated to the point
that if something should go wrong there - even Mount Pearl or Conception Bay
North would be under a tremendous evacuation time frame. I mean that is the
concern that they have. We are hoping nothing is going to happen, but that is
where those people are coming from.
Then we talk about agriculture, Mr. Speaker. We know that agriculture is very
important to this Province. In The Economy booklet this year, 2010, it states
that the total from farm receipts declined 4.5 per cent in the first
three-quarters of 2009 as compared to the same period in 2008; the value is
$78.9 million. Fur production down 58.5 per cent, egg production down, and, Mr.
Speaker, the list goes on.
One of the things that is a major concern in my area - and I have spoken to
the Minister of Transportation and I spoke to the Minister of Natural Resources,
and I have to get an e-mail to her on this issue and that is the roads to the
farmlands that the people have in my district, the Class 4 roads. Back a few
years ago the government in their wisdom - and I know they found themselves in a
difficult position. What they did, they said we are not going to do any more
maintenance on Class 4 roads. Mr. Speaker, the roads going to those farms, and I
named the First Pond road in Shearstown. There are four or five farmers in
there. There are two or three farms in there with blueberries, and there are
people in there that also cut the grain and that for their animals.
So, Mr. Speaker, there are many issues that we could talk about. I know my
hon. colleague, the Minister of Human Resources, Labour and Employment talks
about the food banks and the strategy that we have and how it is recognized
around the country. That is true, but, Mr. Speaker, we cannot be third on the
list when it comes to poverty if we know that - I think there was a 10 per cent
increase in the use of food banks in this Province last year. Mr. Speaker, there
are many issues and all I hope is that government will consider all the concerns
that are put forward by the constituents, not only in my area but in each and
every district throughout this Province.
Mr. Speaker, I know my time is just about finished. I just wanted to say that
hopefully government will listen to those concerns and over the next few days we
will be able to resolve some of those issues.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
MR. SPEAKER: Before the Chair recognizes the hon. member for Mount Pearl
North, the Chair would just like to revert to an exchange that took place when
the hon. Member for Port de Grave was recognized to speak. There was some
indication of what happened here in a vote in the House of Assembly. The Chair
made a ruling that the written Hansard would reflect what did happen here and
then a vote took place.
I would like to remind the hon. member and call his attention to our own
Standing Orders as well, Standing Order 49 in the Standing Orders of our own
House of Assembly, which clearly states, "No Member may reflect upon any vote of
the House except for the purpose of moving that such vote be rescinded."
So I ask members to be guided by our own Standing Orders.
The hon. Member for the District of Mount Pearl North.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. KENT: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Mr. Speaker, I am thrilled to rise in this House today to speak to Motion 1
and take
part in this Budget Debate. As you can tell, Mr. Speaker, it is quite a
debate that is taking place here in the House.
Before I get into my remarks that I would like to make about the Budget, I
cannot help but address some of the comments that were just made by the Member
for Port de Grave. I find it astonishing, Mr. Speaker, the attitude and the
approach that this Opposition brings to this hon. House day in and day out.
The hon. member talks he started by talking about what this government is
not doing for pensioners and for senior citizens. Mr. Speaker, maybe the
Opposition has not been paying attention for the last six or seven years as this
government has made significant improvements that benefit older persons in this
Province. We have improved fiscal policies that benefit senior citizens, we have
improved health and income support programs that benefit senior citizens in this
Province, we have introduced a Healthy Aging Framework, and the list goes on and
on and on. Yet, the hon. member has the nerve to suggest that this government is
not paying attention to issues affecting seniors.
Mr. Speaker, the hon. member talked about the Marine Atlantic ferry service
to and from this Province. Surely he is not suggesting that this government has
not been active and vocal in lobbying for improvements to the Marine Atlantic
service, because we are on record year after year advocating for improvements to
that service.
Mr. Speaker, the hon. member talks about health care and home support, yet we
have released countless reports, during my time in this House, addressing
reductions in wait times that have occurred in recent years in our health care
system as a result of investments that this government has made.
In this very Budget that we are debating today, Mr. Speaker, we have improved
subsidies for home support, affecting all kinds of families and senior citizens
in this Province. We have seen consecutive increases in our overall health
budget and we see record investments being made in health care, which I hope to
have an opportunity to address later in my limited time today.
Mr. Speaker, the hon. Member for Port de Grave talked about our lack of
attention to environmental issues, which is astonishing. When you look at the
climate change initiatives that this government has undertaken, when you look at
our investments in green energy, when you look at our investments in wind power,
when you look at the expansion of recycling programs in this Province, it is
just absolutely astonishing that members of the Opposition can stand and make
some of the statements that they continue to make in this House. It is frankly
disrespectful, Mr. Speaker. It is disrespectful to this government. It is
disrespectful to the people of the Province that that is the kind of
representation we see from members of the Opposition.
Mr. Speaker, as the member concluded, he talked about poverty and what this
government is doing to address poverty. He cited himself that we have gone from
having one of the worst poverty rates in the country to having one of the best
records in terms of addressing poverty. We have one of the lowest poverty rates
in all of Canada; and yet, the member stands in this hon. House and talks about
what we are failing to do to address poverty reduction.
As he points out, Mr. Speaker, yes there are many issues that we have to
address, but the difference between this government, this Administration, and
the past Administrations led by Liberals is that we are doing something about
those issues, that we are actually facing those issues and we are coming up with
real strategies and we are taking real action to address those issues.
Anyway, onward. Mr. Speaker, there is a number of us, including the Minister
of Innovation, Trade and Rural Development that are wearing red ties today. Let
me be very clear that it is in no way a show of support for the Liberal
Opposition. It is a show of support for the Montreal Canadiens, Mr. Speaker.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. KENT: My apologies to Leafs fans, but it was certainly a good night
for our team last night.
Mr. Speaker, now I will talk a little more about the Budget, and intend to
use my time a little differently than the members of the Opposition have done.
The Leader of the Opposition had a full hour earlier this week to participate in
this debate. I only get twenty minutes, so I will use my time wisely. I am
certainly not going to make reckless statements in an effort to create fear in
people in this Province. I am certainly not going to be negative for the sake of
being negative, as we continue to see from the Opposition, and I am certainly
not going be as disrespectful as to twist facts in a feeble attempt to discredit
this government. We all know that this Opposition would never let facts get in
the way of a good story - God forbid.
The people of this Province will not be fooled by the antics of this
Opposition, Mr. Speaker. In fact, many people that I talk to in my travels
believe that this government is the best that this Province has ever had. It is
a lot about leadership and it is a lot about vision, but that is not all. Mr.
Speaker, I think people in this Province have confidence in this government
because we are truly focused on the future. It is a government that is making
decisions that are all about positioning this Province for that future. We are a
government that is not looking as far as the next election, as we have seen from
past Administrations. We are looking as far as the next generation and
generations beyond.
So today in this Budget Debate, Mr. Speaker, I want to talk about the future.
I want to talk about this Budget that we are debating and how the decisions that
we are making are impacting that future. For me, this Budget hits home in many
ways, and in some ways it hits home more than previous Budgets that I have been
here for. It is all about the right investments for our children and our future.
As a new parent, I think my perspective on a number of things in life has
changed. I now look at issues through a very different lens. I am really proud
to stand in this House with confidence knowing that I am part of a government
that is making careful decisions, that is making tough decisions, that is making
bold decisions to secure a future for my son and for generations of
Newfoundlanders and Labradorians that are not even born yet, Mr. Speaker.
What I want to talk today about is the future. You would think the Opposition
would be concerned about the future as well. You would think they would be
making constructive suggestions about issues impacted by this Budget and other
issues that are being raised in this House, issues related to natural resources,
issues related to post-secondary education, issues related to the fishery, but
instead, they want to talk about taxi receipts. Then, they resort to fear
mongering, fact twisting and other antics that actually allow people to see what
they really stand for and what they are really all about.
Mr. Speaker, this government will continue to rise above all of that. This
Budget speaks to the kind of future that I want for Newfoundland and Labrador.
This Budget is all about building that future and making the right decisions,
the right investments in the economy and in society, and having the courage to
tackle tough issues, Mr. Speaker. This Budget speaks to the strong, confident
leadership that this government is providing.
It is unfortunate that the Opposition does not want to have a productive
discussion about the future, about how to further strengthen our society and our
economy. They would rather focus on fear mongering and confusing facts. They
would rather attempt to convince the people of this Province that the sky is
falling. They would rather try and convince the people of this Province that we
are living in an era of doom and gloom. That is really sad, but we have to
continue to rise above that, Mr. Speaker, and ensure that we provide the kind of
leadership that we were elected to provide.
Mr. Speaker, the Member for Port de Grave referenced a non-confidence motion
that took place in this House earlier this week, and that is really ironic
because we are at a time in our history in Newfoundland and Labrador where the
public has incredible confidence in this government, and they have incredible
confidence in the future of this Province thanks to decisions that this
government have made. While the Opposition will continue to attempt to discredit
this government, the confidence of the people in Newfoundland and Labrador has
never been stronger.
I want to talk a little bit about the impact that this Budget has had on my
District of Mount Pearl North. Mr. Speaker, the Opposition would have you
believe that those of us in the backbenches are sitting quietly nodding our
heads. Mr. Speaker, the facts tell a completely different story. I am thrilled
to stand in this House today and make some noise and talk about the impact that
this government has had on my district over the last two and a half years that I
have been a member of this House. I can tell you in no uncertain terms that this
government has invested more in Mount Pearl and Paradise than any previous
government in the history of the Province.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. KENT: Mr. Speaker, for the benefit of my colleagues, this government
has invested more in rural Newfoundland and Labrador than any government in the
history of this Province.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. KENT: Yet, the Opposition will tell you that the sky is falling.
Mr. Speaker, here is what is coming in this Budget for Mount Pearl North. Let
me just give you the quick list: increased roadwork; water and sewer investments
in Paradise and Mount Pearl; the completion of the Team Gushue Highway, which
will benefit all residents of this region; replacing the Kenmount Road Overpass
in Paradise; an expansion to the Glacier; Mount Pearl is getting a new pool and
a new arts centre; improvements to housing units, not only throughout my
district but throughout the Province; two new schools, two new elementary
schools in the growing Town of Paradise; improvements at St. Peter's Junior High
and Mount Pearl Senior High in the City of Mount Pearl; increased funding for
the Paradise Youth Centre. Mr. Speaker, I could take the rest of the time I have
left to talk about specific investments that are being made by this government
in my district, and there are forty-eight districts in this Province that are
all benefiting from the decisions that this government is making.
That is why people have confidence, Mr. Speaker. People have confidence in
this government because we have actually strengthened the economy. The past year
has been difficult, to say the least. We see the entire world coping with a
world-wide recession, a recession that Newfoundland and Labrador has weathered
quite well. So it is almost unbelievable that in the same year Newfoundland and
Labrador celebrates have status for the first time and we also had significant
growth, other provinces are reversing their have status to have-not and they are
facing incredible economic uncertainty.
This Province has had growth, Mr. Speaker, in so many areas; population
growth, personal income growth, labour income increases. We have seen a growth
in retail sales when other provinces have faced some of the worst retail sales
in decades. Our tourism market continues to grow in a time of economic
uncertainty around the world.
Mr. Speaker, our Province was well equipped to deal with this recession. We
have weathered the storm well and we have one of the strongest economies in
North America as a result of decisions that this government has made, and I have
no doubt that the growth will continue, Mr. Speaker. So it is no surprise that
recent polls show significant support and satisfaction with this government. Why
wouldn't people be confident and pleased? We are seeing unprecedented benefits
for families, for seniors, for students, for community groups. The list is
endless, Mr. Speaker, and it is all reflected in this Budget. So people do
indeed have confidence. We are making the right investments and the right
decisions, and I think people know this and I think they see through the antics
of the Opposition.
The Leader of the Opposition spent recent Question Periods this week
unsuccessfully trying to paint the picture that this government is making
mistakes. Mr. Speaker, the people of this Province know that we have a confident
Administration, a government that has incredible credibility. When we encounter
problems, when we encounter challenges within government we have the courage to
work hard and find real solutions that are going to be lasting and long term.
Unlike the Opposition, you will not find this government playing politics with
issues that are important. We will not spread negativity and we will not
complain and not offer any solutions. We are actually going to roll up our
sleeves and continue to solve problems when we come across them.
Mr. Speaker, in the time I have left, just to put into perspective what this
Budget and recent Budgets have done for people in my district and people in this
Province, I want to give you a few real examples. The Member for Port de Grave
just talked about people he has talked to. Well, I want to talk to you now about
some of the people that I am talking to in my district.
AN HON. MEMBER: Yes, real people.
MR. KENT: They are real people, yes, as my hon. colleagues have pointed
out.
Mr. Speaker, the Member for Port de Grave talked about seniors. I want to
talk to you about one senior citizen in my district. She lost her mother this
past December and her husband left shortly thereafter. She was forced to leave
work. She was placed on sick leave for stress related issues. Her medications
were incredibly costly. Her EI sick benefits were not enough to cover her basic
living expenses, Mr. Speaker. Well, this government assisted with her
application for a prescription drug card, and because of improvements we have
made over the last couple of years - she stated categorically that she would not
have been able to continue living. She would not have been able to function if
it were not for the support and the decisions that this government has made and
the support that it has provided.
Mr. Speaker, the previous speaker talked about low-income families and
low-income people in this Province. I want to talk to you about a single mother
in my district who over the last number of months applied for the Home Repair
Program that this government has supported through Newfoundland and Labrador
Housing. She was absolutely thrilled with the results and the response she
received in dealing with officials at Housing and within government. She was
able to replace leaky windows and a deck that was falling off her house, and
siding and a front door; all of which was problematic. She was also able to take
advantage of the Home Heating Rebate Program through the Department of Finance.
She thinks it is a godsend at this time of year, as we have just come out of the
winter months, and it truly did help her deal with high heating costs.
Mr. Speaker, I want to talk about a family with one child who is in high
school in Mount Pearl. Our government was able to assist with their application
for dental work through MCP's dental program at the Janeway. Both parents work.
They were just over the acceptable limit for a prescription drug card, and under
this new Budget, this new Budget that we are debating in the House right now,
Mr. Speaker, they are going to be able to get even more support from this
government. They needed additional assistance, and through the work of this
government and these new programs that we are introducing, they will get the
support that they need.
Mr. Speaker, there are more and more people returning to Newfoundland and
Labrador. A former resident of Mount Pearl who had spent most of her life in
Ontario moved back last summer. She moved back to care for her elderly mother,
which is a reality that many families and many Newfoundlanders and Labradorians
contend with today, given our aging population. She moved home from Ontario and
she needed help from this government to help her mother who was struggling with
Alzheimer's disease get transferred to a suitable home. Our government helped
her, worked with Placement Services at Eastern Health and had everything in
place for their move this summer, and yet another family has successfully
relocated back to Newfoundland and Labrador.
Mr. Speaker, I could tell you many more examples. Another single mother on
income support whose son has chronic health issues. They wanted to move closer
to their family in Central Newfoundland where they could have additional family
support. This government was able to assist this resident in getting additional
support from Human Resources, Labour and Employment to help with expenses and to
ensure that the child was able to get back and forth to the Janeway for
specialist appointments.
Mr. Speaker, it goes on and on and on. So I am quite proud of this
government's commitment to positioning this Province for the future.
Mr. Speaker, earlier in this Budget Debate the Leader of the New Democratic
Party talked about the tax cuts to big bad business, and the Minister of
Finance, from across the House, challenged the Leader of the NDP to reference
which tax cuts she was talking about. I looked back at the Budget, Mr. Speaker,
and perhaps she was talking about the personal income tax rates that are going
to be reduced for the second income bracket and the third income bracket to
benefit thousands and thousands of average citizens in Newfoundland and
Labrador.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. KENT: Perhaps she was talking about the corporate income tax rate
that was reduced effective April 1 for small businesses from 5 per cent to 4 per
cent. Ladies and gentlemen, small business is driving our economy in communities
in Newfoundland and Labrador. Are those the tax cuts that the Leader of the New
Democratic Party opposes? That is all I could find, Mr. Speaker. It is quite
clear that we are making investments. We are putting money back in taxpayers'
pockets to allow them to invest in this economy and ensure that we continue to
have the success that we are enjoying here in Newfoundland and Labrador.
Mr. Speaker, I only have a couple of minutes left, and there is lots more in
this Budget that I would love to have an opportunity to talk about. Some of the
investments that are in this Budget related to Newfoundland and Labrador
Housing, and some of the investments that have taken place over the past year I
would like to particularly note because they directly affect hundreds of
families in my district.
I have received countless letters and e-mails and phone calls from residents
of a couple of neighbourhoods in my district where Newfoundland and Labrador
Housing has recently undertaken work to improve the units. One resident wrote
that she waited so long for other governments to help, and finally this
government came in and looked after the problems.
Residents are telling me that their homes are much better and their quality
of life is much better because of these investments that we continue to make.
Yet, the Opposition would attempt to convince you that we are doing nothing to
address affordable housing issues in this Province. Another resident wrote that
because of the improvements we have made in housing units in my district, since
windows have been replaced, she no longer needs anti-histamines for allergic
reactions caused by mould and leaky windows. Mr. Speaker, this is just yet
another example of the kinds of investments that are making a meaningful
difference in people's lives.
When I look at the record investments that we are making in health care, and
in education, and in poverty reduction, it is amazing to see how well we are
positioning this Province for future success. Mr. Speaker, these are issues that
directly impact people's lives, and I think that they are the reason why people
have such a high level of confidence in this government. I can say with
certainty that the investments that we have committed to in this Budget are
directly going to affect the people I represent, they are going to directly
impact people in every district in this Province.
I know that people are looking forward to seeing many of the changes and
improvements that this Budget will bring. I believe we are on the right track. I
believe we are making significant investments, and we have momentum, and we are
going to continue as a government to fight for the best possible future for our
Province and our children.
Mr. Speaker, this Budget is all about the future. It is about children, it is
about youth, it is about families, it is about communities. I am really proud to
stand and participate in this debate and be part of a government that is so
committed to social development and putting the needs of people first. I am
excited about the future, proud to be part of a government that is doing the
right things for our children and for our future, and I thank you for the
opportunity to say a few words on the Budget this afternoon.
Thank you.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER (T. Osborne): The hon. the Member for The Straits & White Bay
North.
MR. DEAN: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
It is a privilege again today to be able stand and speak for the next few
moments about the Budget and items that are related to it as well. Making
reference to the sky falling in, I would suggest that parts of this Province
feel, today, as though their sky is falling in; there is no question about that.
I want to go back again and speak for a few moments first of all about the
monies in the Budget this year for the air ambulance and the relocation of it
and so on. I presented, in past weeks, as much information as I possibly could
around the issue, an important issue to the Province. I have to say that
yesterday it was very sad to see that not even one member of government that was
here, not even the member for the district next to mine that is being affected
by it so much, was willing to stand in support of the private member's motion to
look for more time to do a further study.
I have a letter that came in this week to me - and I would just like to refer
to a couple of things in it and that sort of thing - from a previous supporter
of this government. He made reference back in 2001 of going on the Northern
Peninsula and spending some ten days involved in two by-elections there in The
Straits & White Bay North and in St. Barbe and attended a couple of public
rallies with our Premier he was the Leader of the Opposition at the time and
he referred to the infamous words of our Premier who said: Give me these two
seats and I will never forget you. Well, those words reverberate in the minds of
all the people on the Northern Peninsula today because, quite frankly, they
would just as soon that the Premier had forgotten them as to do the things that
have happened in the past few years, particularly in health care.
We talk about - someone mentioned legacy there today in some conversation or
some debate. We have one of the greatest legacies of this Province on the
Northern Peninsula in that of Sir Wilfred Grenfell. We began shredding that
legacy by doing away with the health board first of all, and the government has
continued over the past five or six years to just take it and to dismantle,
dismantle, dismantle. Here we have today, we have another great legacy, we have
the air ambulance program for this Province that was started and it was built
upon - a need that was recognized fifty-five years ago by one of the greatest
doctors that this Province has ever had in Dr. Thomas. We agreed yesterday as a
government - the government members agreed - that this no longer services the
Province adequately, that it no longer has a place to play, it no longer has a
role to play and that it is time to take it and relocate it into Happy
Valley-Goose Bay. Certainly, that is a very sad decision. Again, not the fact
that Labrador does not need air medevac services, it is just as important as any
other part of the Province - I have no issue with that but the fact that this
service that served the Province so well for fifty-five years, today, all of a
sudden, after the loss of a by-election just a few months ago, kind of
coincidental I am sure, that this government would decide the service is no
longer essential in the St. Anthony area - very unfortunate.
I would like to just go back and correct something too. The hon. member stood
on a point of order yesterday - the hon. Member for Lake Melville - and
suggested that I was talking off the top of my head and did not know what I was
talking about and so on, and made reference to the fact that the Goose Bay
hospital has an excellent ICU unit were his words.
I want to let the member know today, and I would love to be corrected if I am
wrong, but there is no ICU unit in the hospital in Goose Bay. There is a special
care unit there with two or three beds; basically the same as a general ward for
all intents and purposes. There are no trained nurses in Happy Valley-Goose Bay
that have critical care training and so on. As a matter of fact, I know that
just recently when they did the accreditation of the ICU for the
Labrador-Grenfell board that it had to be completed in St. Anthony for the very
reason that there was no ICU unit in Goose Bay.
Just for the record to make sure that we are straight today, Mr. Speaker, I
would want us to know that I did know what I was talking about basically, as I
was fairly sure I did, and that there certainly is not an ICU unit there. If
that is going to be the point of transporting our medevacs then, obviously, the
government will need to step in and make sure that that loss of service, if you
will, is corrected.
I would like also to refer for a few moments to a letter that the Minister of
Health wrote back to myself and the Leader of the Opposition in response to a
letter that we both wrote. Basically, he sent the same letter back suggesting
that one letter would suffice saying we were kind of asking the same
information.
In his letter he says: Your suggestion that the placement of the air
ambulance in Labrador will result in a diminished service for individuals on the
West Coast and Central Newfoundland is not supported by the air ambulance
statistics. The fact that it demonstrates that the majority it says the
majority of the patient transfers on the Island originate in St. John's, not St.
Anthony. We agree with that. We agree that the majority of the transfers from
Gander and Deer Lake and other parts of the West Coast, they do originate or
they do come from St. John's, but what about the minority that does not? What
about those that do not come from St. John's, are they not just as important as
the majority that do?
For example, in 2009 the minister noted that approximately 61 per cent of the
air ambulance pickups within the Island portion of the Province, with the
exception of St. Anthony, were done from St. John's; 61 per cent, so that leaves
31 per cent that were not. That means the other 31 per cent were done either by
a charter aircraft or they were done by the aircraft in St. Anthony.
In Deer Lake he made note that 68 per cent of the air ambulance transports
were from St. John's and just 21 per cent were from St. Anthony; so 21 per cent.
In Stephenville there is 24 per cent that are transported by the St. Anthony
plane, and in Gander there were 13 per cent. Those are large numbers when you
consider that there are transferred out of Stephenville last year there were
the number is not there, but there were 59 per cent of the calls and there were
24 per cent that were handled by St. Anthony.
These numbers, these 29 per cent that - or 28 per cent that were done in
Stephenville last year that will be done in Stephenville again this year, or
required in Stephenville, assuming the number stays somewhere around the same,
then there will be a delay in the response time because that aircraft will come
out of Goose Bay. I have already made that point, and I believe it is getting
through. People of our Province are beginning to understand that yes, this is
indeed a diminished service.
To suggest then, the minister says, that the residents of the Island will be
negatively impacted by this decision, does not make sense to the minister. Well
I do not know how that can be so, since we are saying that 29 per cent, and 13
per cent, and 21 per cent of the residents are going to be serviced by this
second aircraft because St. John's is not available to come and get them. We
know that it is going to take longer, so how can the minister suggest that these
residents are not going to be negatively affected by this decision? How can
logical minds find a way in which this decision does not negatively impact what
is being done?
The minister says, as he said, that the placement of this aircraft in Happy
Valley-Goose Bay will mean that everyone gets a sixty minute response time of an
air ambulance. You can take that to the bank, so to speak. The minister is
guaranteeing, practically today, that everyone in Newfoundland is going to get a
sixty minute response time on an air medevac because of the decision of
government. Well, you know when that 21 per cent, or that 19 per cent, or that
28 per cent from those other three airports require the air ambulance aircraft
that is in Goose Bay, I want to suggest to you it is not going to be there in
sixty minutes.
Another interesting thing that the minister put in his letter back to me was
that almost in his concluding remarks before he says, I am satisfied that the
placement of the aircraft in Happy Valley-Goose Bay is the right decision for
all residents of the Province, but before he says that, he says: In addition,
residents of the North Coast of Labrador will have the benefit of the medical
flight team travelling on the Twin Otter to these communities. Now, that
is a great benefit. I am not disagreeing with that at all, but if the flight
team is travelling on the Twin Otter medevac that goes off to the North Coast,
then obviously it is not available to respond to medevacs on the King Air. So
what does that mean in terms of delay? What does that mean in terms of improved
service? What does that mean in terms of the time it is going to take for the
aircraft to leave Goose Bay, fly to St. John's, pick up the medevac team, and
then leave and fly back to Wabush, for example, again and pick up the patient
that is there? Obviously, it means an extended delay over and above what it
would mean today.
So this medevac team that we are supposing government will put in place, it
is going to be on the North Coast often, and so it should be. If that kind of
service is needed, that kind of service should be provided, but on those numbers
of calls that are not included in the Drodge report we do not find out for
sure about the numbers and so on there, but the fact is that these numbers, when
the medevac if the medevac team is going to go with the Twin Otter every time
that it goes, then there is going to be a lot of times that the medevac team is
not going to be available to the King Air out of Goose Bay.
So I would suggest to the minister, that that does not seem to be something
that really has come into consideration, either in terms of responding and in
terms of really coming to a sound decision. The more that I look at it, and I
have looked at it often, the more that I study it and try to rationalize it and
so on, I realize just how improper, I realize just how inadequate, I realize
just how flawed that this decision is, and I realize the loopholes that are
there and the unfortunate situations that we are going to see in the delivery of
health care across our Province in coming days. It is very unfortunate.
I would like for a few moments to speak as well, not only to the air
ambulance service throughout the Province, but I would like to speak for a few
moments to the fishery. We realize that our fishery again this year is in
crises. We know today that there has been an offer that has gone out from the
ASP to this price setting board, and we are encouraged by that. We hope this
might be a means of a resolution, a means of a step forward; a means of finding
a way forward into settling this dispute that is affecting so many people in our
Province.
I am amazed, again, as I sit in this House day after day, that I never hear
any government members talking about this issue. I suppose that none of them are
from rural Newfoundland. They must all be from the city, I am not really sure. I
thought the Province was broken down a little bit differently than that, but I
am not hearing anything about the fishery and so on.
There are several things that I would like to mention about the fishery that
affects so many of us here today. Number one, the crab fishery, for the last
couple of years it has been going through this downturn and coming to a head.
Working diligently to head off that crisis is something that has been encouraged
time and time again. Yet, we have left it to the harvesters and left it to the
processors and we do not feel that government has a big role to play here other
than trying to mediate or trying to accommodate the process and so on. I want to
suggest that when there are 20,000 paycheques that are at stake and when there
are people now who are into their fourth week with no income, then I think that
someone needs to speak up, and someone needs to get something done, and someone
needs to find some headway so that we can find a way forward, this fishery can
get on the go.
As I go back to my district on the weekends and as I look at the offloading
facilities in different towns, I look at the boats that are tied up and so on,
as I talk to people around the district