PDF Version

December 9, 2014

HOUSE OF ASSEMBLY PROCEEDINGS

Vol. XLVII No. 53

The

House met at 1:30 p.m.

MR. SPEAKER (Verge):

Order, please!

Admit strangers.

Statements by

Members

MR. SPEAKER:

Today we have members'

statements from the Member for the District of Mount Pearl South; the Member

for the District of Bonavista South; the Member for the District of Port de

Grave; the Member for the District of Labrador West; the Member for the

District of Signal Hill Quidi Vidi; and from the District of The Straits

White Bay North.

The

hon. the Member for the District of Mount Pearl South.

MR. LANE:

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr.

Speaker, this past Saturday I had the pleasure to participate in the Mount

Pearl Lions Santa Claus Parade.

The parade began at Mount Pearl Senior High and travelled down Ruth and Park

Avenue, ending at Mount Pearl Square where participants were treated to a

hot chocolate, Timbits, pop, and hotdogs by the Lions Club members and other

community-minded volunteers.

There were numerous participants in this year's parade including

cheerleaders, floats, marching bands, animated characters, community

organizations and dignitaries from various levels of government.

The weather was absolutely wonderful for parade participants and

onlookers alike which was evident by the large number of families present

along the route who were there to enjoy the festivities and catch a glimpse

of good old St. Nick. An event

such as this certainly would not be possible if not for the commitment and

support of many community volunteers, organizations, the city, and the

corporate community.

ask all members of this hon. House to join me in congratulating the Mount

Pearl Lions Club and all of its community partners in hosting another

successful Santa Claus parade in the City of Mount Pearl.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER:

The hon. the Member for

the District of Bonavista South.

MR. LITTLE:

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Honourable colleagues, I rise in this House today to recognize the Elliston

Root Cellar replica, started on May 13, 2014 and displayed at the Canada

Agriculture and Food Museum in Ottawa.

Information was gathered from the Agricultural History Society, the

Intangible Culture Heritage, the Historical Society, the Heritage

Foundation, and Memorial University to recreate the replica cellar.

The museum staff used photos of Elliston root cellars to make it look

authentic as part of the new exhibit on food preservation.

Described in the exhibit is how microorganisms and enzymes break down

food, and why food is stored in cool, dark places like root cellars do not

decay as quickly.

Root

cellars were important places that made self-sufficiency possible for

outport Newfoundland. The

exhibit is called Food Preservation, The Science You Eat.

Incorporated in the exhibit are audio interviews of Newfoundlanders

and Labradorians describing their memories of root cellars.

The display also includes potatoes as they would have been in the

nineteenth century Newfoundland and Labrador.

Mr.

Speaker, hon. colleagues, please join me in recognizing the Elliston Root

Cellar replica, part of Newfoundland and Labrador heritage being displayed

at the Canadian Agriculture and Food Museum in Ottawa for the next five

years.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER:

The hon. the Member for

Port de Grave.

MR. LITTLEJOHN:

Thank you, Mr.

Speaker.

rise today in this hon. House to pay tribute to the Helping Hand, an

interdenominational church organization run by a board from twelve churches

in the area. Through the years,

the Helping Hand has clothed and fed thousands of residents in my district.

The

Helping Hand is located on Patterson Street in Bay Roberts in what once was

the Little School of Amalgamated school before its closure.

This building now houses food, clothing, used furniture and toys

dropped off by residents near and far.

Under the direction of manager, Darlene Kearley, this organization

caters to those less fortunate by offering quality clothing and other goods

at a minimal cost to help generate revenue for its food bank.

Darlene says many people find it more difficult during Christmastime so we

always get more requests. They

have about 120 regular clients.

These clients get a once-a-month issue unless it is deemed an emergency.

Many local organizations support the food bank with food drives of

their own throughout the year to ease the burden on the staff and

volunteers.

ask all hon. members to congratulate the Helping Hand for over twenty years

of dedicated service to our communities.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER:

The hon. the Member for

Labrador West.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR. MCGRATH:

Mr. Speaker, I stand in

this House today to welcome thirty-five new Canadians to the District of

Labrador West. On October 29 of

this year, I was very pleased to be able to join over 100 guests who

gathered to recite the Oath of Allegiance to Canada and welcome these new

Canadians to our beautiful country.

These thirty-five applicants from seven different countries proudly sang

their new national anthem at the end of the ceremony.

Being witness to such a momentous occasion reminded me of how

fortunate we are to be citizens of Canada and, even more, citizens of this

beautiful Province.

have had the privilege of getting to know most of these new citizens over

the past few years and admire the many skills they have to offer to our

society. From clergy to medical

professionals, engineers, skilled trade persons, and various other

occupations, they have so much to offer.

Mr.

Speaker, Labrador West has a new population of over 450 residents who are

proud to call this home, and I look forward to standing with many more of

them as they take their oath.

ask all hon. members to join me in welcoming our new citizens.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER:

The hon. the Member for

Signal Hill Quidi Vidi.

MS MICHAEL:

Thank you very much, Mr.

Speaker.

rise today to commend the leadership and the congregation of historic

Cochrane Street United Church in my district.

Faced with a 100-year-old building and skyrocketing upkeep costs

not the least of which is the monthly oil bill the people at Cochrane

Street could have made the decision to close.

Instead, they looked at the community they are part of, consulted

extensively, and developed a solution that would work for that community, as

well as for the church and congregation.

They have developed a plan to transform the church's annex into ten

units for supportive living, as well as an arts and community centre.

This will provide more homes in the city's centre, as well as

recognizing that Cochrane Street in downtown St. John's is the hub of the

city's creative zone.

applaud their consultative process in reaching out to others with expertise

in transforming church communities and neighbourhoods, and look forward to

the eventual results.

ask all members to join me in congratulating Rev. Miriam Bowlby and the

congregation for their vision and courage, and wish them well with their

innovative proposal.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER:

The hon. the Member for

the District of The Straits White Bay North.

MR. MITCHELMORE:

Mr. Speaker, the

Great Northern Peninsula continues to showcase its talents with literary

works of fiction and non-fiction produced from those connected to L'Anse aux

Meadows, Savage Cove, and Roddickton.

Gina

Noordhof published a children's tale,

A Puffin Playing by the Sea The

Twelve Days of Christmas in Newfoundland and Labrador , providing a

perfect balance for both children and adults to be captivated by the

illustrations and authenticity of our traditions, culture, heritage, and

history

Megan Coles, co-founder of Poverty Cove Theatre Company and

Our Eliza playwright, has recently written her first collection of

short stories, Eating Habits of the

Chronically Lonesome . Her

storytelling ability gives a portrayal that every character from Montreal to

Thailand encounters problems, providing the reader a realization that it is

their troubles that make them human.

Earl

Pilgrim, army serviceman, retired forest ranger and wildlife officer,

Canadian Light Heavyweight Boxing Champion, master storyteller and

best-selling author has now written eighteen books.

His most recent, Josephine ,

tells the tragic story of Josephine O'Brien of Cape Broyle.

ask all hon. members to join me in congratulating Gina, Earl, and Megan on

their literacy accomplishments for sharing their talents of the Great

Northern Peninsula with the world.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER:

Statements by Ministers.

Statements by

Ministers

MR. SPEAKER:

The hon. the Minister of

Municipal and Intergovernmental Affairs.

MR. HUTCHINGS:

Thank you, Mr.

Speaker.

Mr.

Speaker, I rise today in this hon. House to speak to an ongoing review of

the Protected Road Zoning regulations.

The

Department of Municipal and Intergovernmental Affairs is currently

undertaking a review to modernize and update regulations regarding zoning

for protected roads. This review

is taking place from November 17 to December 22 and will ensure that all

views are captured to inform the development of modernized regulations.

The

Protected Road Zoning regulations are designed to keep roads safe, to allow

traffic to flow properly, and to provide for consistent development

throughout the various areas of the Province.

Mr.

Speaker, over the next couple of weeks I encourage residents throughout the

Province to engage with the department to provide feedback on ways to

enhance the Protected Road Zoning regulations.

As a

government, gathering insight from stakeholders and residents is always a

top priority. In this particular

case, it will allow us to enhance the Protected Road Zoning regulations to

better reflect the needs of all stakeholders.

Letters have been sent from the department to respective MHAs, as well as

municipalities and local services districts that have protected roads in

their jurisdictions.

Municipalities Newfoundland and Labrador and other professional

organizations, which have expressed interest on this issue in the past, have

also been sent correspondence to make them aware of the consultation and to

encourage participation.

Information about the consultation, including background information about

the Protected Road Zoning regulations as well as a listing and maps showing

the location of the protected roads throughout the Province is available on

the department's Web site.

outlined on the Web page, interested parties can choose to submit their

feedback to the provincial government in writing either electronically or by

regular mail.

When

the consultations are complete, a What We Heard Document will be released

on the Department of Municipal and Intergovernmental Affairs Web site.

Mr.

Speaker, as a department, we are always reviewing legislation to ensure it

meets the needs of residents and stakeholders.

Reviews are needed periodically to ensure the regulations remain

appropriate and certainly in keeping with best practices.

again encourage all interested stakeholders to provide feedback to the

department and draw their attention to the deadline date of December 22.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER:

The hon. the Member for

Bay of Islands.

MR. JOYCE:

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

thank the minister for an advance copy.

These new proposed protected road regulations will have an impact on

local development and will override the right of towns to do their own

development. The level of that

impact is being determined by the towns right now.

The

minister wants input by December 22.

A lot of the towns and local service districts do not have the

planning staff to supply this information by that time, and they are asking

to have it done in a little over a month.

Mr.

Speaker, what we hear from local towns is that, yes, it is great, but we

need time to participate. We

need time to provide the information to the minister.

The approach is good, but I think you should extend the period of

time to give more municipalities a time to review it because a lot of the

small municipalities, Mr. Speaker, as I mentioned earlier, do not have the

staff in place to have the information at their fingertips and a lot of

residents.

So I

encourage the minister to review that.

I will be writing today asking for an extension to give people time

to do it.

Thank you.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER:

The hon. the Member for

St. John's East.

MR. MURPHY:

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

also thank the minister for the advance copy of his statement.

There is no doubt that protected zoning regulations need change and

modernization. To add to that,

the siting regulations need to come in line also with the rest of Canada.

Both pieces work hand in hand.

I would also invite the minister to look at making changes to the

Highway Traffic Act as well, to make the act come in line with the rest of

the country.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

MR. SPEAKER:

The hon. the Minister of

Advanced Education and Skills.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR. O'BRIEN:

Mr. Speaker, I rise in

this hon. House today to talk about a job fair that was recently held for

inmates at Her Majesty's Penitentiary.

This is the first time the Workin' It Job Fair has been held at the

Penitentiary and was organized by the HMP Mental Health Working Group, which

included representation from the Community, Career and Employment

Partnership Project.

This

successful job fair provided inmates the opportunity to access information

to help plan for the future after their sentences are served.

The job fair featured thirteen organizations that inmates could speak

with to discuss their options.

Mr. Speaker, the Department of Advanced Education and Skills was one of the

participating partners along with representatives from the Department of

Seniors, Wellness and Social Development, and joined groups, such as the

John Howard Society, Stella Burry and post-secondary training institutions.

Inmates provided positive feedback on the job fair and were very eager to

learn about the opportunities for retraining and employment that are

available to them. Most

questions focused on the trades, Adult Basic Education, post-secondary

education, Employment Insurance and resume writing.

Mr.

Speaker, the job fair sent a positive message that there are services

available and organizations to help inmates when returning to school or

work.

Our

government is committed to removing barriers, Mr. Speaker, to obtaining an

education, employment and training, which is integral to achieving long-term

success for all individuals throughout Newfoundland and Labrador.

The job fair demonstrates what can be achieved when we all work

together and I would like to take this opportunity to recognize the valuable

work of the HMP Mental Health Working Group on their very successful job

fair. It was a great example of

the provincial government and community partners collaborating for a common

goal.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER:

The hon. the Member for

Cartwright L'Anse au Clair.

MS DEMPSTER:

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

thank the minister for an advance copy of his statement.

Kudos to the HMP Mental Health Working Group on arranging this job fair.

We know that only one in three adults, and one in four children who

need mental health services in Canada actually receive them.

One of the sad outcomes of a lack of access to mental health care is

incarceration. One of the

principles of sentencing is rehabilitation.

Government could and should do more to prepare inmates for their

release through education.

Government says it is committed to removing barriers.

We need more supportive employment opportunities to help people with

barriers find and maintain employment.

There should be more opportunities for training for inmates to

maximize their time, even employment, so inmates can save money prior to

release. Equipping inmates with

skills and connections will reduce recidivism rates and improve quality of

life for these people trying to start anew.

Thank you.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER:

The hon. the Member for

St. John's Centre.

MS ROGERS:

I thank the minister for

an advance copy of his statement.

Mr.

Speaker, bravo to the HMP Mental Health Working Group on their job fair, but

I am astounded that the minister can stand up in this House today when we

have the most antiquated prison in the country.

It is detrimental to both staff and inmates.

The majority of inmates have mental health and addictions issues.

Our

prison has become our new asylum.

Inmates are not getting the treatments they desperately need.

They cannot find housing when released, let alone a job.

There is no continuity of care when they are released into the

community, because back to the community they come, Mr. Speaker, back to the

community they come.

Thank you.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER:

The hon. the Minister of

Environment and Conservation.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR. CRUMMELL:

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr.

Speaker, I rise today to provide hon. members with the third annual update

on implementing the 2011 climate change and energy efficiency action plans.

These plans outline our government's strategic approach for adapting to the

impacts of climate change, improving our Province's energy efficiency and

reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

Mr. Speaker, this fall we released a detailed report outlining the

progress and the seventy-five commitments contained in these plans.

Since the launch of the action plans in 2011, our government has taken

significant steps to improve our Province's resilience to the impacts of

climate change. This includes

continuing to develop flood risk maps for communities and expanding coastal

erosion monitoring to 112 sites throughout the Province, including nine in

Labrador. Mr. Speaker, with

projected increases in precipitation and extreme weather, this work ensures

our communities can factor climate change into their planning and

development decisions.

Additionally, we are improving our preparedness for extreme weather events

as 97 per cent of Newfoundlanders and Labradorians now live in areas with

Emergency Management Plans and we have an alert system that notifies at-risk

communities of potential flooding.

Mr.

Speaker, we have also continued our Residential Energy Efficiency Program.

This program provides grants to low-income households to complete

energy-efficient upgrades to their homes.

By March 2015, over 5,400 Newfoundlanders and Labradorians will have

benefited from this program, saving an average of $720 each year on their

energy bills.

Demonstrating leadership on energy efficiency remains a priority for our

government, Mr. Speaker. In

addition to energy efficiency retrofits in government buildings, we have two

ongoing pilot projects that raise awareness about energy conservation.

In October, we launched HotShots an exciting new initiative for

teachers and students that has included sending over 850 resource packs to

263 schools in the Province. We

are also working with Newfoundland and Labrador Hydro to provide 500

households with real-time energy monitors to determine whether they help

individuals conserve electricity.

These initiatives complement our award-winning

Turn Back the Tide campaign, Mr.

Speaker, which received two Pinnacle Awards this year from the International

Association of Business Communicators of Newfoundland and Labrador.

Mr.

Speaker, these are some of the many highlights of our government's work to

implement our climate change and energy efficient action plans.

Our government is committed to continuing to drive forward the

delivery of its remaining commitments and consider what future action needs

to be taken in pursuit of our 2020 targets.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER:

The hon. the Member for

St. George's Stephenville East.

MR. REID:

I thank the minister for

the advance copy of his statement.

Mr. Speaker, climate change is one of the most pressing issues facing

our globe today. It is already

having a significant impact on our ecosystem, economy, and our communities.

It is important that our Province place high priority on this global

issue, not just in words but in actions because we are especially

vulnerable, given our many coastal communities.

While I compliment the government on some of the initiatives they have

undertaken, we can and must do much more.

One area where the minister did not mention is the failure of

government to create the culture of conservation that they talked about in

the 2007 Energy Plan. Also, it

is important to note that government cut funding to the program that he

mentioned in relation to increasing home energy efficiency.

Mr.

Speaker, to conclude, we all have a role to play in working together to find

solutions to global warming, and there is much more that government can do

in this regard.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER:

The hon. the Member for

St. John's East.

MR. MURPHY:

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

thank the minister for the advance copy of the statement here today.

We encourage government to carry on with energy efficiency measures

and enhance them. With energy

prices sinking, it still does not negate our responsibility to future

generations in preserving our environment and the air we breathe.

Government also needs to promote alternative energy development, Mr.

Speaker, and they can help by repealing Bill 61 and let everybody

participate in adding alternative energies to the grid.

Thank you very much.

MR. SPEAKER:

Oral Questions.

Oral Questions

MR. SPEAKER:

The hon. the Leader of

the Official Opposition.

MR. BALL:

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Well, back on December 9, 2013, one of the questions I asked in this House

of Assembly and I have asked it many times since that was the evaluation

of MPRs, Minimum Processing Requirements, in our Province.

These requirements, these MPRs, were negotiated away, and at the time

there was no value given by this government on what they would be.

As a matter of fact, they were so valuable that the former Premier

slammed the phone up on Stephen Harper in the federal loan guarantee on

Muskrat Falls.

Today, do we have an evaluation on those MPRs?

MR. SPEAKER:

The hon. the Premier.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

PREMIER DAVIS:

Thank you, Mr.

Speaker.

Minimum Processing Requirements on the fishery in Newfoundland and Labrador

is one of the two very important aspects of what we have here in

Newfoundland and Labrador that keeps the fishery alive in rural Newfoundland

and Labrador, Mr. Speaker MPRs, and we also have licensing.

It is important to people in the rural part of the Province, it is

important to fish harvesters, and it is important to fish processors as

well.

When

the federal government came to the Province and asked for the removal of

MPRs for the purposes of the Comprehensive Economic Trade Agreement with the

European Union, there was a discussion, and it has been an ongoing

discussion on the value of the MPRs.

To us, it is important that we ensure the long-term sustainability of

the fishery for our Province. It

is important that we create opportunities for fishery in rural Newfoundland

and Labrador for not only years to come, for decades to come.

That is the value. That

is the value on MPRs for us as a government, Mr. Speaker.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER:

The hon. the Leader of

the Official Opposition.

MR. BALL:

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The

Premier said that the MPRs are very important to the fishery.

It keeps many small and rural communities in our Province alive.

The federal government is putting a price tag on that.

Why

do you not know that value? If

you are willing to negotiate it away for what would have been $280 million

or something less now, why did you not put a value on that?

MR. SPEAKER:

The hon. the Premier.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

PREMIER DAVIS:

Mr. Speaker, we do

not believe that the removal of MPRs as part of the CETA agreement is going

to have a negative impact on fish processors in Newfoundland and Labrador.

We do not believe that.

What

we believe is that the CETA agreement that is under negotiation between the

It is going to be a longstanding agreement between the European Union

and Canada.

wanted to make sure that we have an opportunity to benefit fish plants and

fish processors throughout Newfoundland and Labrador for decades to come

because we realize the value of MPRs is historic.

It is almost cultural for us as a Province to have an agreement, so

that when vessels land at the wharf, they offload their catch and it is

processed right here in Newfoundland and Labrador.

We firmly believe, Mr. Speaker, there will not be a negative impact

because of our CETA agreement on those aspects of MPRs.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER:

The hon. the Leader of

the Official Opposition.

MR. BALL:

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I am

not so sure what the Premier meant by that.

On one hand he is saying it is an important part of keeping rural

Newfoundland and Labrador alive, and on the other hand he is saying MPRs

will not have a negative impact.

It seems to me it is like A Tale of

Two Cities here. There is an

historic and cultural impact to it.

ask the Premier: During the negotiations and the discussions, how did you

and this government arrive at the $280 million?

MR. SPEAKER:

The hon. the Premier.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

PREMIER DAVIS:

Mr. Speaker, I can

tell you that officials in the government have been directly and very

intensely involved with the CETA negotiations.

They have represented the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador

very well. They have represented

the people of Newfoundland and Labrador very well.

It has been a very complex piece of work that has been led by

ministers and also by officials.

The

value of MPRs for us as a Province is the value of the future of the

fishery. They wanted us to give

up MPRs. For us, we said, well,

we wanted to benefit from that.

We wanted to be able to have an opportunity for that because MPRs are

important to us.

should clarify for the members opposite, too, it is only for the CETA

agreement that MPRs are on the table.

They are not on the table on fishery products to go to the United

States, for fishery products to go to China, for fishery products to go to

Russia. That is not part of the

deal, Mr. Speaker. It is only

for the CETA agreements; it is only for the European Union.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER:

The hon. the Leader of

the Official Opposition.

MR. BALL:

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Well, yesterday and a few days prior to that, the Premier was saying that we

had reached the stage in this agreement where we are literally dotting the

i's and crossing the t's.

Obviously, that was yesterday, something happened last night.

ask the Premier: Could you explain to me and to the people of Newfoundland

and Labrador what happened with the meeting with Minister Moore yesterday to

change this agreement?

MR. SPEAKER:

The hon. the Premier.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

PREMIER DAVIS:

Thank you, Mr.

Speaker.

When

you talk about agreements and negotiations, you have to look at the big

picture of what is taking place.

In recent days, in the past week, Minister Moore was here in the Province

twice. He came with a group last

week. He met with ministers in

our government. They had lengthy

discussions. They expressed a

desire to conclude the agreement, but they also have added a condition on

the agreement that is simply not acceptable to me and it is simply not

acceptable to our government.

When

Minister Moore left last week, he expressed an interest in coming back and

having a further discussion. He

flew into the Province Sunday night.

We met yesterday morning.

I sat with him for an hour, and ministers stayed with him for ninety minutes

and had a lengthy discussion about how we move this forward.

He suggested that officials then have meetings; officials, we made

them available.

have not been able to make progress, Mr. Speaker, and that is why we need to

elevate this beyond Minister Moore and bring it to the Prime Minister of

Canada.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER:

The hon. the Leader of

the Official Opposition.

MR. BALL:

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

There seems to be a lot of meetings that have occurred after a celebration

that took place in November 2013.

Will you explain to the people of Newfoundland and Labrador, what

were you celebrating in November 2013?

MR. SPEAKER:

The hon. the Premier.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

PREMIER DAVIS:

Mr. Speaker, very

simply, I can tell you what we were celebrating last year.

We were celebrating a deal that was had in good faith, Mr. Speaker.

That is what we were celebrating.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

PREMIER DAVIS:

It is a deal that

allows for the future of the fishery, and that is what we are standing by

over on this side of the House, Mr. Speaker.

It is an opportunity for the future of rural Newfoundland and

Labrador. It protects the best

interests of rural Newfoundlanders and Labradorians.

It protects the men and women who go to work in processing facilities

and fish plants around this Province, Mr. Speaker.

That is what we celebrated last year, a $400 million fund to ensure

that the sustainability of the fishery is going to last for decades to come.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER:

The hon. the Leader of

the Official Opposition.

MR. BALL:

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

You

celebrated a $400 million fund and you are off to Ottawa tomorrow to see if

that fund is still available, is what has happened here.

Mr.

Speaker, has there ever been a signed agreement with the federal government

guaranteeing $280 million to Newfoundland and Labrador?

Has there ever been an agreement signed?

MR. SPEAKER:

The hon. the Premier.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

PREMIER DAVIS:

Mr. Speaker, the CETA

negotiations that involved all provinces in the country, with Canada leading

negotiations with the European Union, as I have said earlier, it is a very

complex piece of business, a very intense piece of business that has

continued on for some time. As

part of that process, there has been a significant amount of documentation

that has gone between the Province and the federal government.

tabled last year I think it was eighty-two pages of documentation that was

tabled here in the House last year.

If you read through that documentation, that documentation supports a

deal was done, Mr. Speaker.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER:

The hon. the Leader of

the Official Opposition.

MR. BALL:

I say to the Premier: Are

you saying last year the deal was signed committing $280 million to

Newfoundland and Labrador, and since your meetings this week with Minister

Moore that deal is now changed?

MR. SPEAKER:

The hon. the Premier.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

PREMIER DAVIS:

Mr. Speaker, we

reached an agreement on the elements of CETA.

We reached an agreement on a fund that was going to be 70-30

cost-shared.

AN HON. MEMBER:

(Inaudible).

MR. SPEAKER:

Order, please!

PREMIER DAVIS:

There was agreement

AN HON. MEMBER:

(Inaudible).

PREMIER DAVIS:

It has already been

tabled, I say to the member opposite.

There has been lots of documentation, up to December last year, that

were tabled in the House. If you

read through the documentation, it supports that agreement was reached on

the terms of the Fisheries Innovation Fund.

can tell you, not only is that supported by our government, I can tell you

the FFAW supports it, Mr. Speaker.

Just recently we heard the federal Leader of the Liberal Party,

Justin Trudeau, supports it.

Maybe the hon. member opposite can tell us, does he support the deal or not?

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER:

The hon. the Leader of

the Official Opposition.

MR. BALL:

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Well, if the Premier went back in time, we actually did support the CETA

deal, but what we said we would do is we would make sure during a

negotiation what we were negotiating away, we would know what the amount

would be. That is the mistake of

this government right now. You

walked away from the table. You

had no idea what you walked away from, I say to the Premier.

ask the Premier: Last week there was some mention of advanced spending on

this particular fisheries fund; how much money has been spent of the $400

million fisheries fund? Where

does that stand now?

MR. SPEAKER:

The hon. the Premier.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

PREMIER DAVIS:

Thank you, Mr.

Speaker.

The

hon. member should have a review of the documents, because he will see we

did not negotiate anything away in our discussions with the federal

government, Mr. Speaker. We

negotiated the future of the fishery for this Province.

We negotiated an opportunity to build on the good work that is done

by people throughout rural Newfoundland and Labrador.

want to build on the fishery science and the work that we have done in the

fishery science. We want to

build on research and development.

We want to build and emerge infrastructure for rural Newfoundland and

Labrador so the fishery can be sustainable for the long term, Mr. Speaker.

did not negotiate anything away, Mr. Speaker.

We negotiated for the people of the Province and the people who work

in the fishery in our Province.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER:

The hon. the Leader of

the Official Opposition.

MR. BALL:

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The

Premier did not answer about the advanced spending.

As a matter of fact, clearly he said he did not negotiate anything

away.

Based on that comment, are the MPRs still intact for Newfoundland and

Labrador, I say to the Premier?

MR. SPEAKER:

The hon. the Premier.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

PREMIER DAVIS:

Yes, Mr. Speaker, I

can tell you MPRs are still intact for Newfoundland and Labrador.

What we have come to an agreement with last year with the federal

government was that if they want MPRs as part of CETA, it was going to cost

them $400 million, a 70-30 fund for the sustainability of our fishery and

nothing has changed.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER:

The hon. the Leader of

the Official Opposition.

MR. BALL:

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The

Premier, I guess he should get his numbers right if he wants to be attacking

me as Leader of the Opposition.

You did not get $400 million from the federal government.

You got $280 million based on a 30-70 arrangement, and you do not

have that yet.

Mr.

Speaker, government promised to provide the people of the Province with a

mid-year economic update by December 8, but missed the deadline.

Yesterday, the Premier was not clear on when this update would even

be announced.

say to the Premier: Will you commit to announce the mid-year update before

the House of Assembly closes this year?

MR. SPEAKER:

The hon. the Minister of

Finance and President of Treasury Board.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR. WISEMAN:

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

is important when members ask questions in the House that they are very

precise on their question. He

indicated that I was going to release an update by December 8.

I have never mentioned December 8 any time.

Any comments I have made in this House or outside, I have never

mentioned the date December 8.

What

I have said, Mr. Speaker, and what I have said very clearly

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Oh, oh!

MR. SPEAKER:

Order, please!

MR. WISEMAN:

I have said very clearly,

Mr. Speaker, that I would provide an update on the Province's fiscal

position for this fiscal year ending March 31, when OPEC had their meeting,

and we had a sense to understand how prices were going to stabilize and what

the reaction of the markets would be after that announcement.

I said recently there has been a tremendous amount of volatility in

the market since that announcement.

is still not settled. We still

do not know exactly where that may happen.

I have committed to make sure the people of the Province have an

understanding of where we are going to be the end of March.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER:

The hon. the Leader of

the Official Opposition.

MR. BALL:

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

went back and did a review of volatility in oil prices.

Interestingly enough, in a twenty-year period between 1949 and 1969

we had seen like an 18 per cent change.

In four or five years shortly after that, we have seen over a 300 per

cent change. Volatility in oil

markets is not anything new to this world, this global economy.

Will

you commit that before the House of Assembly closes that you will release

the mid-year update?

MR. SPEAKER:

The hon. the Minister of

Finance and President of Treasury Board.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR. WISEMAN:

Mr. Speaker, again, let

me repeat, so I am abundantly clear, so there is no misunderstanding in the

future. I have indicated that I

will provide an update to the people of Newfoundland and Labrador as to

where we will be at the end of March 31, 2015 when we are able to get a

really good feel for where the prices will be for the remaining part of the

year.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Oh, oh!

MR. SPEAKER:

Order, please!

MR. WISEMAN:

We have seen, Mr.

Speaker, a lot of change in oil prices since July of this year, but since

OPEC had their meeting a little while ago we have seen tremendous

fluctuations, even within a twenty-four hour period.

we will continue to monitor oil prices.

We are having some consultation with a number of people who are

providing advice economists who do this for a living, Mr. Speaker.

So we will commit, as a government, that we will provide an update to

the people of Newfoundland and Labrador before Christmas.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER:

The hon. the Member for

Burgeo La Poile.

MR. A. PARSONS:

Mr. Speaker, in the

summer of 2011, government discovered that compensation practices at the

Newfoundland and Labrador Centre for Health Information were not in line

with the rest of government. Two

years ago, the AG issued a report saying there were big pay raises and a

lack of job competition within the centre.

The minister at the time said the centre needed to snap in line and

assured the public they would.

So I

ask the minister: Why hasn't this issue been fixed?

MR. SPEAKER:

The hon. the Minister of

Health and Community Services.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR. KENT:

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Discussions with the Newfoundland and Labrador Centre for Health Information

have been ongoing, and we want to make sure we put a solution in place that

meets with the objectives outlined by the Auditor General and is also fair

and respectful of employees involved.

I am confident that we will reach a solution over the next few

months.

MR. SPEAKER:

The hon. the Member for

Burgeo La Poile.

MR. A. PARSONS:

Mr. Speaker, last

year taxpayers funded the Centre for Health Information to the tune of $20

million about $10 million spent in salary, another $3 million spent in

consulting. This government has

known for over three years that it could be saving money with reduced

salaries.

So I

ask the minister: You are telling us here it has been months, but you have

not done it in the last three years.

Can you confirm that you will have this done and have it done soon?

MR. SPEAKER:

The hon. the Minister of

Health and Community Services.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR. KENT:

Mr. Speaker, I would like

to point out to the member opposite that the centre has revised the majority

of its human resource policies so that they are aligned with government

policy, so there has been progress.

We have clearly communicated with the centre that they must align

their policies and compensation practices with the provincial government.

I anticipate a full resolution over the next few months.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER:

The hon. the Member for

The Straits White Bay North.

MR. MITCHELMORE:

Mr. Speaker, the

former Minister of IBRD in the media and other members of your government

caucus have stated that providing cellular service is a federal

responsibility.

ask the minister: Do you agree with your own government members that cell

service is strictly federal?

MR. SPEAKER:

The hon. the Minister of

Business, Tourism, Culture and Rural Development.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR. KING:

Mr. Speaker, as the

member opposite would know, cellular service is indeed a federally regulated

responsibility. It has nothing

to do with provincial government or provincial jurisdiction, but I would

remind the member opposite that we do believe there are opportunities for

the provincial government to participate in programs to move forward in

supporting local private companies in advancing cellular service in

Newfoundland and Labrador.

have done that, as we have with broadband initiative, Mr. Speaker, to

hundreds of communities in this Province.

We will continue to do that where the opportunity presents itself,

but I will remind the member once again that it is indeed a federal

responsibility, the regulation of cell phone services.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER:

The hon. the Member for

The Straits White Bay North.

MR. MITCHELMORE:

Mr. Speaker, not $1

of the funds that have been provided have gone towards expanding cell

coverage, and the Government of BC signed an agreement that within five

years 1,716 kilometres of highway will see cell coverage.

ask the minister: Why does your government have no plan, leaving commuters

and communities without a cellular connection?

MR. SPEAKER:

The hon. the Minister of

Business, Tourism, Culture and Rural Development.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR. KING:

Mr. Speaker, I guess we

are starting to see the differences in how we develop the economy and

develop the Province between the two parties, because as I have said many

times in this House we do not believe that it is government's role to do

many of the things the member opposite is talking about.

We believe in creating a climate where businesses are encouraged to

develop the economy and to develop initiatives such as this.

is only the last call that we did for broadband services, Mr. Speaker, that

we also called for private investment in cellular services in the Province.

We will continue to do that, but we do not see it as our role to do

that. It is our role to support

the businesses that want to do that.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER:

The hon. the Member for

The Straits White Bay North.

MR. MITCHELMORE:

Mr. Speaker,

proposals have been put forward but none funded.

ask the minister: When will he and this government get serious about the

consequences as to what is happening in the shrimp fishery, and what action

is in place? What plan do you

have to address this pending crisis?

MR. SPEAKER:

The hon. the Minister of

Fisheries and Aquaculture.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR. GRANTER:

Mr. Speaker, we have done

some research with regard to a study on the importance of the shrimp fishery

in the Province. When that

report is available, we will make it public and we will address that with

the federal government.

With

regard to LIFO, Mr. Speaker, this government has been against LIFO with the

federal policy since 2010. It is

something that I have advocated against with the federal minister.

It is something I look forward again to speaking with the federal

minister on, as are other fishery opportunities and problems in the fishery

in the Province.

will sit down with the federal minister in the days and the weeks ahead and

look at the issues and the opportunities that are available to the fishers

of Newfoundland and Labrador.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER:

The hon. the Member for

The Straits White Bay North.

MR. MITCHELMORE:

I ask the Minister of

Fisheries: Why have you not had any face-to-face discussions then with the

federal Minister of Fisheries and Oceans, given the broad fishery issues and

challenges that we have and the current drop in shrimp quota?

MR. SPEAKER:

The hon. the Minister of

Fisheries and Aquaculture.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR. GRANTER:

Mr. Speaker, I spoke to

the Minister of Fisheries at an opportunity in Prince Edward Island.

I have been advised by the officials in the department to establish

meetings with the federal minister.

I look forward to sitting down with the federal minister and looking

at the opportunities that are available in the fisheries in the Province of

Newfoundland and Labrador, and addressing the concerns that fishers have in

the Province with regard to shrimp and shrimp allocation.

Again, I say to the member opposite, LIFO is a policy that the Government of

Newfoundland and Labrador stands against.

We stand firmly against that, Mr. Speaker.

It is a policy that we stood against since 2010.

Numerous ministers in Fisheries and Aquaculture have addressed it.

Numerous letters have been sent to the federal department.

Numerous letters have been sent directly to the minister.

I look forward to sitting down and advocating for the fishers of

Newfoundland and Labrador.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER:

The hon. the Member for

Mount Pearl South.

MR. LANE:

Mr. Speaker, government

has an obligation to regulate and enforce occupational health and safety.

The establishment of the Fish Processing Sector Safety Council was

meant to protect those who work in seafood processing.

Government identified this as a priority in 2007 and funding has been

set aside for four years.

ask the minister: What have you done to follow up on the establishment of

the Fish Processing Sector Safety Council?

MR. SPEAKER:

The hon. the Minister of

Service Newfoundland and Labrador.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR. CORNECT:

Mr. Speaker, when it

comes to the Fish Processing Sector Safety Council, as the hon. member is

asking over there, the commission has been meeting with the fish processing

industry to review safety performance with an emphasis on industry safety

statistics and injury prevention.

Mr.

Speaker, the commission has allocated approximately $500,000 to create the

new safety sector council for high-risk industries and is willing to accept

proposals. In fact, the

commission and its advisors, with the Newfoundland Federation of Labour and

the Newfoundland Employers' Council, remain available to sit down with

industry when it is ready to continue to discuss creating the new sector

council.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER:

The hon. the Member for

Mount Pearl South.

MR. LANE:

I say to the minister,

four years and nothing done.

Mr.

Speaker, we recently heard from a constituent who borrowed $600 at the

beginning of the month and had to repay $900 at the end of the same month.

This is the equivalent of a 600 per cent interest rate.

Unfortunately, more and more people are using these services and

government is well aware of it.

Therefore, I ask the Minister of Service NL: Will you bring forward payday

loan legislation to protect consumers, a mandate of your department?

MR. SPEAKER:

The hon. the Minister of

Service Newfoundland and Labrador.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR. CORNECT:

Mr. Speaker, that is one

of the mantras of this government, to protect the people of Newfoundland and

Labrador.

Service NL, after significant research and consideration, we looked at

regulation of payday loans and payday loan companies.

It is complicated area, with a number

of policy considerations as well.

Mr. Speaker, payday loan companies need to comply with

section 347 of

the Criminal Code of Canada in order to operate in this Province.

This

section states that it is a criminal offence to charge more than

60 per cent interest per year.

This would amount to a maximum charge of $2.30 per $100 for a fourteen-day

loan.

So,

we see the seriousness of this.

We always review our legislation, we always look at it, Mr. Speaker, and we

will continue to do that.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER:

The hon. the Member for

Torngat Mountains.

MR. EDMUNDS:

Mr. Speaker, winter has

definitely arrived in Northern Labrador, and freeze-up is well underway.

The Motor Vessel Astron has

already made its final trip to some communities who are still awaiting

supplies.

So I

ask the minister: Why was the freight not delivered, and will those

communities eventually receive their much needed supplies?

MR. SPEAKER:

The hon. the Minister of

Finance and President of Treasury Board.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR. WISEMAN:

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Obviously, transportation to the North Coast presents some real challenges

in the winter months, and government has obviously been very cognizant of

that since we have been in government, actually, we have acknowledged that

has been a huge issue facing the North Coast.

We have always made a commitment to ensure that the service is

effective and services the needs of the people who live on that Northern

Coast.

say, Mr. Speaker, it is an interesting question the member has asked.

I do not have a very specific answer for him, and when the minister

returns tomorrow I am sure he will be able to answer it for him

MR. SPEAKER:

The hon. the Member for

Torngat Mountains, for a very quick question.

MR. EDMUNDS:

Mr. Speaker, Hopedale is

waiting for their entire winter supply, and it looks like the

Astron may not make it there

because of ice.

So I

ask the minister: What contingency plan is in place if the

Astron is unable to reach Hopedale?

MR. SPEAKER:

The hon. the Minister of

Finance, for a very quick reply.

MR. WISEMAN:

Mr. Speaker, as always,

we have made a commitment in the past, and we will continue to make

commitments to the people who live on the North Coast that we will respond

to their need to have freight delivered in a timely fashion, and we will do

the same thing this year.

MR. SPEAKER:

The hon. the Leader of

the Third Party.

MS MICHAEL:

Thank you very much, Mr.

Speaker.

Government partnered with Municipalities Newfoundland and Labrador to hold

Province-wide consultations on a new fiscal formula.

ask the Premier: Will government sit down with municipalities and work with

MNL to implement their recommendations?

MR. SPEAKER:

The hon. the Minister of

Municipal and Intergovernmental Affairs.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR. HUTCHINGS:

Thank you, Mr.

Speaker.

Mr.

Speaker, as I mentioned yesterday in the House, we engaged in a process

committed in 2013 to recognize there was a requirement for a new fiscal

framework, with all of the municipalities working collectively together.

We have started that process.

Actually, the consultations are complete.

Over

500 consultations took place, culminating in recommendations by Municipality

Newfoundland and Labrador. It

was an opportunity to meet with them at their AGM in the fall, and municipal

leaders. Certainly, there are

many recommendations there. We

are reviewing those as part of the budget process, and we certainly hope to

respond in the budget coming up in 2015.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER:

The hon. the Leader of

the Third Party.

MS MICHAEL:

Yes, Mr. Speaker,

government's Municipal Operating Grant formula is unworkable,

incomprehensible, and unfair.

ask the minister: When will government create an open and transparent MOG

formula based on population and services provided?

MR. SPEAKER:

The hon. the Minister of

Municipal and Intergovernmental Affairs.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR. HUTCHINGS:

Thank you, Mr.

Speaker.

Mr.

Speaker, we enhanced the MOG formula just a few years ago.

It was increased. I think

it was $6 million to $22 million.

In addition, everything we heard from municipalities we are

supportive of that. We also

looked at larger municipalities in terms of them wanting access to municipal

capital works funding, which was more important to them than the actual

MOGs. They were allowed to drive

infrastructure spending.

well, it was this government in 2008, I believe, who brought in the new

funding ratios which saw municipalities spend less dollars on municipal

infrastructure, with the Province kicking in from the revenues we generated

to build their infrastructure.

It is probably the first time in history that amount of money has been

spent. We continue to work with

municipalities, and we will continue to do that through the new formula

coming up in the budget of 2015.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER:

The hon. the Leader of

the Third Party.

MS MICHAEL:

I ask the minister: Will

he put the MOG on a five-year cycle and index it to the cost of living like

they are asking?

MR. SPEAKER:

The hon. the Minister of

Municipal and Intergovernmental Affairs.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR. HUTCHINGS:

Thank you, Mr.

Speaker.

Mr.

Speaker, we continue to listen to municipalities.

Just in last year's Budget we went with a three-year commitment in

terms of municipal capital works.

In regard to larger municipalities, it was $160 million which secured

funding for them for three years, which they were looking for to give them

sustainability.

There was $60 million that went to the smaller municipalities; $20 million a

year which give them stability in terms of financing for infrastructure.

Again, those are all good things we have done with municipalities.

There has been a list of recommendations through the MNL report.

We are reviewing all of those and we will certainly look forward to

announcing some initiatives for next year in the 2015 Budget.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER:

The hon. the Member for

St. John's East.

MR. MURPHY:

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Taxpayers in St. John's got lucky yesterday when their tax bills did not

increase. Other communities here

in Newfoundland and Labrador, Mr. Speaker, will not be so lucky.

When

will the minister sit down with Municipalities NL and let them know what

government is proposing in the next Budget of 2015-2016 so that they can

plan?

MR. SPEAKER:

The hon. the Minister of

Municipal and Intergovernmental Affairs.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR. HUTCHINGS:

Mr. Speaker, to the

hon. Gentleman, I have met with the Executive Director of Municipality

Newfoundland and Labrador. I

have met with staff there. It

was just yesterday the gentleman was here in the House.

I went out and met with him outside.

Good discussions and updates in regard to the recommendations for MNL

in terms of the infrastructure and what is happening.

We have good dialogue, a lot of dialogue in terms of municipal

leaders. I continue to talk to

municipal leaders.

As I

said, I was out at the AGM. Some

members on the opposite side wanted me to sit down with municipal leaders in

their communities. I did that.

I heard what their concerns were.

If there are more who want me to do that, I am certainly more than

willing to do that. I look

forward to the discussions and continuing the good work that this government

has done with municipalities in Newfoundland and Labrador.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER:

The hon. the Member for

St. John's East.

MR. MURPHY:

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Part

of the problem of funding and running any municipality is that they never

know how much they are going to get, Mr. Speaker.

Can

the minister ensure, this time around, there will be predictability on the

part of the new funding formula that will be coming out?

MR. SPEAKER:

The hon. the Minister of

Municipal and Intergovernmental Affairs.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR. HUTCHINGS:

Mr. Speaker, again, I

am not sure the hon. gentleman understands.

We brought in a new Municipal Operating Grant program which is

predictable, which demonstrates to them what that MOG would be.

When we did refine it, I think the results were I think 80 per cent

had an increase in terms of the overall MOG.

So there certainly is sustainability and there is predictability in

them.

Again, as I said, with our three-year initiative we did in 2013 in the

Budget in regard to municipal capital works that gave predictability and

sustainability in terms of the amount of money that is flowing into these

communities. The new funding

ratio we brought in in 2008 allowed heavy investment in municipal

infrastructure. All of those

recommendations are in the report.

We look forward to talking about them in Budget 2015, Mr. Speaker.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER:

Order, please!

The

time for Question Period has expired.

MR. A. PARSONS:

A point of order, Mr.

Speaker.

MR. SPEAKER:

The hon. the Member for

Burgeo La Poile on a point of order.

MR. A. PARSONS:

Yes, Mr. Speaker.

During Question Period, upon questioning from the Member for Mount Pearl

South, the Minister of Service NL clearly read from his documents.

So I would ask that he table those documents, please.

MR. SPEAKER:

I ask the Minister of

Service NL to table his documents.

MR. CORNECT:

Yes, Mr. Speaker.

MR. SPEAKER:

Presenting Reports by

Standing and Select Committees.

Tabling of Documents.

Notices of Motion.

Answers to Questions for which Notice has been Given.

Petitions.

Petitions

MR. SPEAKER:

The hon. the Member for

St. John's Centre.

MS ROGERS:

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

the hon. House of Assembly of the Province of Newfoundland and Labrador in

Parliament assembled, the petition of the undersigned residents humbly

sheweth:

WHEREAS mental health programs and services are crucial to the health of

individuals, families, and communities; and

WHEREAS despite mental health services being delivered by government,

community-based organizations and informally by families and friends, there

are still large gaps in services and programs in the Province; and

WHEREAS despite these efforts, stigma remains a significant barrier for

people needing to access mental health services, and participate in society;

and

WHEREAS new directions and priorities are needed for mental health programs

and service delivery, especially for unique groups such as youth, Aboriginal

people, immigrants and refugees; and

WHEREAS deep fiscal cuts in the last budget have placed a great strain on

organizations delivering mental health services in the Province.

WHEREUPON the undersigned, your petitioners, humbly pray and call upon the

House of Assembly to urge government to immediately strike an all-party

committee on mental health which, through extensive public consultation,

will review the current state of provincial mental health services, receive

expert testimony on best practices in mental health care delivery, and

report their findings with the intent to provide guidance and oversight in

redesigning mental health programs and services to better serve the needs of

all the people of Newfoundland and Labrador.

in duty bound, your petitioners will every pray.

Mr.

Speaker, once again, these petitions keep coming into my office.

They are coming into my office from all over the Province.

These people who are signing these petitions know what they want.

The Community Coalition 4 Mental Health knows what they want.

They are calling specifically for a select all-party committee to

look at the issue of mental health services in the Province.

The

Minister of Health has said, oh, no, no, I am going to do something better.

I am going to do a Province-wide consultation.

Mr. Speaker, we know that is not better.

This

government has been in power for eleven years and the issue of mental health

and the services have gotten worse, not better.

The waiting times are horrendous.

People are desperate. We

need the clout and we need the legislative ability of an all-party committee

on a select committee which has a beginning, a middle, and an end because we

must use every tool at our discretion, at our disposal in this House in

order to come up with effective solutions.

select committee will use an open, transparent, and thorough process to

review the current state of mental health services in the Province.

An all-party committee will contribute to debate in this House,

because certainly, Mr. Speaker, that is what we need to do.

We need to contribute to debate on mental health services.

Thank you very much.

PREMIER DAVIS:

A point of order, Mr.

Speaker.

MR. SPEAKER:

Order, please!

The

hon. the Premier on a point of order.

PREMIER DAVIS:

Thank you, Mr.

Speaker.

Earlier today I commented publicly that I would table documents pertaining

to discussions between the Province of Newfoundland and Labrador and the

I would like to table those documents now.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

MR. SPEAKER:

Does the hon. the Premier

have leave to revert to the Tabling of Documents?

AN HON. MEMBER:

Leave.

MR. SPEAKER:

Leave.

Further petitions?

The

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

MR. KIRBY:

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

the hon. House of Assembly of the Province of Newfoundland and Labrador in

Parliament assembled, the petition of the undersigned residents of

Newfoundland and Labrador humbly sheweth:

WHEREAS the lack of services and supports in the school system is a serious

obstacle to learning for children and youth with autism spectrum disorder;

and

WHEREAS long wait-lists for pediatric assessment and diagnostic services are

preventing many children with autism spectrum disorder from receiving needed

early diagnosis; and

WHEREAS the Intensive Applied Behavioural Analysis Program is currently not

available for children after Grade 3; and

WHEREAS applied behavioural analysis has been shown to be effective for many

individuals beyond Grade 3; and

WHEREAS there is a lack of supports and services for children and youth with

autism spectrum disorder after they age out of the Intensive Applied

Behavioural Analysis Program; and

WHEREAS it is unacceptable to expect parents in Newfoundland and Labrador to

pay thousands of dollars out of their own pockets to cover the costs of

privately delivered applied behavioural analysis after Grade 3;

WHEREUPON the undersigned, your petitioners, humbly pray and call upon the

House of Assembly to urge government to extend eligibility for the Intensive

Applied Behavioural Analysis Program beyond Grade 3 in consultation with

parents, advocates, educators, health care providers, and experts in the

autism community.

in duty bound, your petitioners will ever pray.

Mr.

Speaker, I have been presenting this petition in the House of Assembly for

maybe a little over a year now.

There are over 100 names on this petition today, people from St. John's,

from around St. John's, from communities outside St. John's, from Conception

Bay South, from Marystown, North West River, in Mount Pearl, a variety of

different communities from around the Province.

I do not know how many signatures we

have presented to date, but it has been quite a number.

I have spoken to people from all across Newfoundland and Labrador

about the need for this.

One

of the phenomena that we have unfortunately in the Province today is the

fact that children are not getting diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder

in time for them to fully avail of the publicly-funded services that they

would otherwise be able to take

part in, particularly the applied

behavioural analysis program. It

is an unfortunate circumstance that government continues to not act to

ensure that children are diagnosed at an early enough age to take

part in

the program. They subsequently

age out as a result.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker, I will end it there.

There are lots more petitions.

MR. SPEAKER:

The hon. the Member for

Cartwright L'Anse au Clair.

MS DEMPSTER:

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

the hon. House of Assembly of the Province of Newfoundland and Labrador in

Parliament assembled, the petition of the undersigned humbly sheweth:

WHEREAS Labrador's coastal communities already pay extremely high hydro

rates; and

WHEREAS small businesses are struggling to stay in operation against rising

costs of operation; and

WHEREAS Nalcor, a Crown corporation, is proposing an 11.4 per cent increase

to residential hydro rates and a 20 per cent increase to business rates;

WHEREUPON the undersigned, your petitioners, humbly pray and call upon the

House of Assembly to urge Government of Newfoundland and Labrador to work

with Nalcor to establish rates that are fair and consistent to the whole

Province

in duty bound, your petitioners will ever pray.

Mr.

Speaker, back in 2013 there was a rate application that was filed with the

PUB and that was going to see coastal communities have an increase of 0.9

per cent, I believe it was.

There were some other areas of Labrador that were going to see an extremely

high increase, 25 per cent or 26 per cent.

That would not have been fair either, Mr. Speaker, but that was

either pulled off the table or rejected.

The new application right now being proposed is that isolated

communities where most of the people who live in those communities are

people on a fixed income, old age pensioners is all that is left in a lot of

these small communities, and now they are going to be hit, if this is

accepted beginning in February, with an 11.4 per cent increase.

Businesses that are struggling are going to be hit with a 20 per cent we

just heard my colleague in Question Period.

We have communities that by the time the boat gets back, five, six

weeks without any goods; they are paying more for everything, the service

that they do have. Now it is

acceptable to hit them with an extra 20 per cent, Mr. Speaker.

couple of weeks ago, I showed actual hydro bills from very small businesses,

small businesses that have a small profit margin that are paying $6,000

already just for heat and light, homes that are paying $300 or $400 a month.

This is going to cause financial hardship and they are going to pay

in other ways. When people have

to start choosing between their heat and their pills and they are saying no

to their pills, we are going to be paying for that in other departments.

is very disappointing to hear that this government supports that very

disappointing. There has to be a

fair way to evenly distribute.

If hydro wants to double their rate of return on equity, Mr. Speaker, I say

that application needs to be pulled back and there needs to be a fair way to

do that, not balance it on the backs of the most vulnerable people in our

society.

will continue on behalf of the people in my district and the people on the

North Coast of Labrador and isolated communities to stand and urge this to

be relooked at.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

MR. SPEAKER:

The hon. the Member for

Carbonear Harbour Grace.

MR. SLADE:

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

the hon. House of Assembly of the Province of Newfoundland and Labrador in

Parliament assembled, the petition of the undersigned humbly sheweth:

WHEREAS the town council of Bryant's Cove has applied for funding of

$958,403 from the provincial government over the past three years, 2011,

2012, and 2013 for the upgrades of the paving of Point Road, but has not

been successful; and

WHEREAS Point Road has deteriorated to the point that council can no longer

maintain the road; and the residents and businesses are complaining about

the cost incurred to the upkeep of their vehicles due to the condition of

the road and the risk to their personal safety; and

WHEREAS school bus operators are expressing concerns about the condition of

Point Road and are indicating that there is a possibility the buses will not

operate on this road in the upcoming school year; and

WHEREAS Point Road has the highest population of traffic than any other

municipal road in the town, with seven side roads branching off; and

WHEREAS residents are stating they will not be paying property taxes until

the upgrades are carried out on the road;

WHEREUPON the undersigned, your petitioners, humbly pray and call upon the

House of Assembly to urge the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador to

provide a funding application to the town council to have Point Road

upgraded and paved this year.

in duty bound, your petitioners will ever pray.

Mr.

Speaker, I have brought this petition here before and I guess many more will

come behind it. Imagine having

to use this kind of a process to recognize the need of a town that is out

there and has many issues. They

had their share of the funding and yet nothing is done with it.

The

group on the other side there, they say we are concerned about communities,

we want them to grow and we want them to prosper.

Mr. Speaker, for the people to have to use this forum here to get

their point across and for people on that side over there to listen, it is

just unacceptable absolutely unacceptable.

The people across the way should be ashamed that people have to use

this forum. Ashamed, I am

telling you ashamed. It is

absolutely ridiculous.

Mr.

Speaker, I am going to sit down after that note.

I will continue to bring those petitions.

I will work on behalf of the people of my district and that is what I

will do here.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER:

The hon. the Member for

St. George's Stephenville East.

MR. REID:

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

have a petition to present related to health care in the Heatherton to

Highlands area. To the hon.

House of Assembly of the Province of Newfoundland and Labrador in Parliament

assembled, the petition of the undersigned humbly sheweth:

WHEREAS there has not been a permanent doctor at the clinic in Jeffrey's for

almost a year; and

WHEREAS this absence of a permanent doctor is seriously compromising the

health care of people who live in the Heatherton to the Highlands area and

causing them undue hardship; and

WHEREAS the absence of a doctor or nurse practitioner in the area leaves

seniors without a consistency and quality of care which is necessary for

their continued good health;

WHEREUPON the undersigned, your petitioners, humbly pray and call upon the

House of Assembly to urge the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador to

take action which will result in a permanent doctor or other arrangements to

improve health care services in the Heatherton to Highlands area.

Mr.

Speaker, I have presented other petitions on this topic as well, about the

lack of a doctor in Jeffery's and the problems it is causing.

It is important to note, this is not a new position.

It is a position that has been in place for a long while.

The people are not asking for a new expenditure.

It is something that has been budgeted in last year's Budget, and

budgeted in previous years as well.

The

problem in St. George's is also developing as well, as the doctor in there

is about to leave soon. That

will be another community in the area that is left without a doctor or a

nurse practitioner to provide the immediate care that people need.

This

situation also causes problems for the Stephenville hospital, as people who

are unable to get care in either the Jeffery's clinic or St. George's have

to come to the hospital in Stephenville to get care.

They have to wait long times, adding to the waiting times at the

hospital in Stephenville.

have talked to people at Western Health.

I have talked to the minister about this issue.

Everyone is aware of it, I think.

It is a serious problem that needs to be addressed soon.

It has gone on for too long.

I look forward to some solution soon.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

MR. SPEAKER:

The hon. the Member for

The Straits White Bay North.

MR. MITCHELMORE:

Thank you, Mr.

Speaker.

the hon. House of Assembly of the Province of Newfoundland and Labrador in

Parliament assembled, the petition of the undersigned residents of

Newfoundland and Labrador humbly sheweth:

WHEREAS Route 432, Grenfell Drive, is the primary highway for residents on

the Great Northern Peninsula East; and

WHEREAS prior to 2012s repaving in patches, Route 432 had a twenty kilometre

rough road sign; and

WHEREAS without repaving on the remaining

section of Route 432, the past

investment will rapidly erode; and

WHEREAS Route 433 connects Roddickton-Bide Arm, Englee and Conche and it too

is in deplorable condition; and

WHEREAS it is government's obligation to provide basic infrastructure to all

Newfoundlanders and Labradorians; and

WHEREAS an improved road network is needed to enhance road safety, and will

help local commerce, enhance tourism, and create new business opportunities

surrounding this

section of the highway;

the undersigned, petition the House of Assembly to urge government to

allocate funds under the provincial roads program to pave this

section of

Route 432-433.

in duty bound, your petitioners will ever pray.

Mr.

Speaker, today's petitions are primarily from residents of Croque, as well

as Englee, Main Brook, and there are some as well I believe from the

community of Roddickton. These

particular communities when we look at the amount of municipal upgrades in

infrastructure. We have seen

repaving happen in the Town of Conche and the Town of Roddickton-Bide Arm

where the municipal road infrastructure is quite good in those two

particular towns.

When

we look at the main highways leading to the towns, these hubs and the

economic engines that are happening around the Northern Peninsula East and

the level of activity when it comes to the forest industry, potential

mining, the fishing activity that is there, and the tourism and outfitting

industries, if we do not have that main access point taken care of, then it

is going to be very difficult to build on the level of revenues that comes

back to the Province in the form of business taxation to be able to support

and sustain municipalities like Roddickton-Bide Arm, Conche, Main Brook,

Englee.

is so critical that you have primary highways in good condition.

Doing things in patches sometimes can help provide that band-aid

solution, but if it is done and it is not addressed in future years and

this was done in 2012 and now we are approaching 2015 well then that

investment will certainly be eroded.

That

is why I would like to see some form of priority listing as to roads and

their condition and how they get done.

My petitioners are certainly asking for that when it comes to Route

432-433.

thank you for the time today, Mr. Speaker.

MR. SPEAKER:

The hon. the Member for

St. John's East.

MR. MURPHY:

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

the hon. House of Assembly of the Province of Newfoundland and Labrador in

Parliament assembled, the petition of the undersigned residents of

Newfoundland and Labrador humbly sheweth:

WHEREAS Tordon 101 contains the chemicals 2,4-D and picloram; and

WHEREAS the chemical picloram is a known cancer-causing carcinogen; and

WHEREAS the provincial government has banned the cosmetic use of the

pesticide 2,4-D; and

WHEREAS safer alternatives are available to the provincial government for

brush clearance such as manual labour, alternative competitive seeding

methods, and/or the mechanical removal of brush; and

WHEREAS the provincial government is responsible for ensuring the safety and

well-being of its citizens;

WHEREUPON the undersigned, your petitioners, humbly pray and call upon the

House of Assembly to urge government to cease the use of chemicals covered

under its own cosmetic pesticide ban and begin using safer methods of brush

clearance that will not place its citizens in harm's way.

in duty bound your petitioners will ever pray.

Mr.

Speaker, I want to thank the people from St. John's in this particular

petition, who gladly filled this one out and sent it in to our offices.

We keep getting these in from time to time from people who happen to

care about the environment they are living in and care about the future of

the environment they are going to be leaving their children and care about

the environmental legacy. We

have heard about environmental legacy in this House of Assembly before and

the cost to society, and the potential future costs to government as well.

There is a future cost here to health care, Mr. Speaker, in the chemicals we

are using on a day-to-day basis.

One of these chemicals, of course we are talking about picloram in

particular, 2,4-D is another one, but basically the mixture of Tordon 101

being used by government. Most

of these chemicals, of course, are covered under the cosmetic pesticide ban.

Why is government using these chemicals if they expect the citizenry

of the Province not to be using these chemicals because they are dangerous

and they cause these after effects?

Why does government persist in using them?

is an interesting question, Mr. Speaker, that we keep asking, and that the

people of Newfoundland and Labrador keep asking when they fill out this

petition and send it in. They

expect government to be responsive to the request to stop using a chemical

and stop poisoning people's environments.

We know the dangers already of some of these chemicals.

We can take a little bit off our environmental liabilities and our

future costs to health care if we just pay attention sometimes and pay

attention to what the people of the Province of Newfoundland and Labrador

are asking for.

Now

these are probably not the foremost dangerous chemicals, Mr. Speaker, but

these are four chemicals that the Province has already banned.

So one of these days I would imagine people of this Province are

going to be asking for government to further dig into other chemicals at the

same time that are causing some grief to world society these days.

Mr.

Speaker, I will leave this petition with you, and hopefully the government

will listen.

Thank you very much.

MR. SPEAKER:

Orders of the Day.

Orders of the Day

MR. SPEAKER:

The hon. the Government

House Leader.

MR. KING:

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

First of all, Mr. Speaker, I would like to go to Order 2, third reading of a

bill,

An Act Respecting The Atlantic Provinces Harness Racing Commission,

Bill 33. I move, seconded by the

Minister of Fisheries and Aquaculture, that the said bill be now read a

third time.

MR. SPEAKER:

It is moved and seconded

that Bill 33 be now read a third time.

it the pleasure of the House to adopt the motion that the said bill be now

read a third time?

All

those in favour, 'aye'.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Aye.

MR. SPEAKER:

All those against, 'nay'.

Carried.

The

motion is carried.

CLERK:

A bill,

An Act Respecting The Atlantic Provinces Harness Racing Commission.

(Bill 33)

MR. SPEAKER:

This bill has now been

read a third time and it is ordered that the bill do pass and that its title

be as on the Order Paper.

motion, a bill,

An Act Respecting The Atlantic Provinces Harness Racing

Commission, read a third time, ordered passed and its title be as on the

Order Paper. (Bill 33)

MR. SPEAKER:

The hon. the Government

House Leader.

MR. KING:

Thank you again, Mr.

Speaker.

would like to move to Order 3, third reading of a bill,

An Act To Amend The

Provincial Offences Act, Bill 35.

is so moved by me, seconded by the Minister of Health and Community

Services, that the said bill be now read a third time.

MR. SPEAKER:

It is moved and seconded

that Bill 35 be now read a third time.

it the pleasure of the House to adopt the motion that Bill 35 be now read a

third time?

All

those in favour, 'aye'.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Aye.

MR. SPEAKER:

All those against, 'nay'.

Carried.

The

motion is carried.

CLERK:

A bill,

An Act To Amend The Provincial Offences Act.

(Bill 35)

MR. SPEAKER:

This bill has now been

read a third time and it is ordered that the bill do pass and that its title

shall be as on the Order Paper.

motion, a bill,

An Act To Amend The Provincial Offences Act, read a third

time, ordered passed and its title be as on the Order Paper.

(Bill 35)

MR. SPEAKER:

The hon. the Government

House Leader.

MR. KING:

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

now move to Motion 3 to ask leave to introduce a bill entitled,

An Act To

Amend The Social Workers Act, Bill 38.

is so moved by me, seconded by the Minister of Health and Community

Services, that the said bill be now read the first time.

MR. SPEAKER:

It is moved and seconded

that the hon. the Minister of Health and Community Services shall have leave

to introduce a bill entitled,

An Act To Amend The Social Workers Act, Bill

38, 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'.

Carried.

Motion, the hon. the Minister of Health and Community Services to introduce

a bill,

An Act To Amend The Social Workers Act, carried.

(Bill 38)

CLERK:

A bill,

An Act To Amend The Social Workers Act.

(Bill 38)

MR. SPEAKER:

This bill has now been

read a first time.

When

shall the bill be read a second time?

MR. KING:

Tomorrow.

MR. SPEAKER:

Tomorrow.

motion, Bill 38 read a first time, ordered read a second time on tomorrow.

MR. SPEAKER:

The hon. the Government

House Leader.

MR. KING:

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

this time I would like to call from the Order Paper, Order 6, second reading

of a bill,

An Act To Amend The Highway Traffic Act No. 2, Bill 37.

is so moved by me, seconded by the Minister for Service Newfoundland and

Labrador, that the bill be now read the second time.

MR. SPEAKER:

It is moved and seconded

that the said bill be now read a second time.

Motion, second reading of a bill,

An Act To Amend The Highway Traffic Act

No. 2. (Bill 37)

MR. SPEAKER:

The hon. the Minister of

Service Newfoundland and Labrador.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR. CORNECT:

Merci, Monsieur le

Prsident (inaudible).

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Minister of Service Newfoundland and Labrador, it gives me great pleasure to

stand in this hon. House this afternoon to bring forward this important

amendment today to Bill 37,

An Act To Amend The Highway Traffic Act No. 2.

Service NL's mandate is to protect the health and safety of

Newfoundlanders and Labradorians through the development and enforcement of

key pieces of legislation.

One

of these very important pieces of legislation is the Highway Traffic Act

which regulates drivers and the use of all vehicles on roadways, aiding the

enforcement of vital safety standards that protect the public.

It is a significant piece of legislation and is amended on a regular

basis because we are constantly striving to improve highway safety.

We need to ensure the act adapts to changes in our society.

Mr.

Speaker, the amendment I am bringing forward today is critical to the safety

and well-being of all Newfoundlanders and Labradorians who use bicycles on

our roadways. They are among the

most vulnerable road users in our Province.

There have been a number of studies conducted by many reputable medical and

safety groups that demonstrate the effectiveness of helmet use in preventing

or reducing head and brain injuries associated with bicycle collisions and

falls. In reviewing this

considerable body of evidence, we believe it is appropriate for our

government to take action to increase the protection of all bicycle users in

the Province by requiring all cyclists to wear helmets when bicycling on our

roadways.

This

legislation has taken a considerable amount of work, research, and analysis,

as well as collaboration with key partners and stakeholders both within

government and the community. I

am delighted to stand here today and say that we have the full support of

partners such as the Royal Newfoundland Constabulary, the Royal Canadian

Mounted Police, Safety Services Newfoundland and Labrador, the Newfoundland

and Labrador Medical Association, the Newfoundland and Labrador Brain Injury

Association, the Newfoundland and Labrador Public Health Association, and

many others who have a direct interest in protecting vulnerable road users

in our communities. Mr. Speaker,

I would like to recognize their contributions and to thank them for their

efforts.

This

amendment to the Highway Traffic Act will require the use of bicycle helmets

on roadways for bicyclists of all ages in Newfoundland and Labrador.

The legislation also states that parents of children under the age of

sixteen will be responsible if they knowingly allow their children to cycle

without a helmet.

This

legislation will come into effect April 1, 2015, and will allow sufficient

time for people to acquire the necessary equipment.

It will also allow for the development and implementation of an

education and awareness campaign to highlight the importance of bicycle

helmet use.

Mr.

Speaker, I also note that a number of municipalities in this Province,

including the largest urban areas, have already made helmets mandatory for

all ages of riders.

Municipalities Newfoundland and Labrador has made a case to extend this

protection to all areas of the Province.

As such, this amendment also responds to their concerns.

With

this legislation, we will join seven other Canadian jurisdictions four of

which have mandatory bicycle helmet legislation for all ages, including the

other three Atlantic Provinces and British Columbia.

Three others, Mr. Speaker Manitoba, Ontario, and Alberta have

mandatory legislation for cyclists under eighteen years of age.

I must note that the Ontario coroner's office has recommended that

the Ontario legislation be extended to all ages, based on their review of

129 bicycle-related deaths over a period of four years.

know that having mandatory laws also increases the use of helmets.

For instance, a study published by the

Injury Prevention journal found

that helmet use was highest when legislation applied to people of all ages.

It also found that helmets are more widely used when legislation is

mandatory, as opposed to when there is no legislation.

Mr.

Speaker, there is a substantial body of national and international research

on the effectiveness of bicycle helmets in reducing head injuries and

deaths. Most of the studies

reviewed are definitive in these conclusions.

Overall, it is estimated that the use of a bicycle helmet can decrease the

risk of serious head injury by up to 88 per cent.

This would mean that four out of five serious head injuries

associated with bicycle collisions could be prevented if every cyclist wore

a helmet. The rates of these

types of injuries also decrease significantly with the enactment of

mandatory legislation for bicycle helmets.

The research also supports bicycle helmet legislation for all ages of

riders.

provinces where mandatory bicycle helmet legislation exists, there has been

an average 45 per cent reduction in the bicycle related head injury rate.

In 2009, the average hospitalization rate from bicycle injuries for

children in Canada was 25.7 per 100,000 people.

In this Province, the rate was 49.2 per 100,000 people, double, Mr.

Speaker double the national average.

our own Province, the Newfoundland and Labrador Centre for Health

Information indicates that between 2010-2011 and 2012-2013, there were

thirty-two bicycling-related head injuries recorded in the Province.

Of these, twenty-five were for individuals under eighteen years of

age.

This

is a clear need for government to act in order to address this significant

public health risk. The cost of

head injuries does not just include the direct cost of hospitalization or

rehabilitation, but can often represent a lifetime of decreased potential, a

tragic legacy that is, in many cases, preventable.

Mr.

Speaker, the research also shows that adults set very clear role models for

children, and compliance by adults will influence younger riders.

In fact, we know from the Newfoundland and Labrador Medical

Association which completed a survey in 2010, that 87 per cent of

Newfoundlanders and Labradorians believe that bicycle helmet use should be

mandatory for all ages.

As I

had mentioned previously, this amendment will come into effect April 1,

2015. Between now and the

proclamation date, Service NL, the Department of Seniors, Wellness and

Social Development, along with enforcement agencies, and our injury

prevention and safety partners, will work on education and promotional

efforts to ensure people are aware of the new law and are in the best

position to comply with it before the peak summer season for bicycle

activities.

Mr.

Speaker, as I mentioned, the RNC and the RCMP have expressed their full

support for this initiative in the overall goal of reducing injuries and

deaths. They have indicated to

us that they will initially focus on educating the public and promoting the

new legislation as part of their youth initiatives and overall community

safety. Fines for most

bicycle-related offences are a minimum of $25 to a maximum of $180.

The fine for not wearing a bicycle helmet will be set within this

range.

Mr.

Speaker, the Highway Traffic Act is an important piece of safety

legislation, and research supports the enactment of this amendment.

We will work closely with the municipalities across the Province,

which have already implemented helmet bylaws to protect their citizens, to

ensure a co-ordinated approach to implementation and enforcement.

closing, Mr. Speaker, I look forward to working with our many community

partners to promote this legislation, to make our roadways safer for our

cyclists, and I look forward to the healthy debate this afternoon.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Merci

(inaudible).

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER:

The hon. the Member for

Mount Pearl South.

MR. LANE:

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

certainly is a pleasure to stand and speak to Bill 37,

An Act To Amend The

Highway Traffic Act No. 2.

Mr.

Speaker, this is a piece of legislation that all of my colleagues in the

Official Opposition support. As

a matter of fact, in reviewing some of Hansard over the last year or so, I

have noted that on November 27 the Member for Burgeo La Poile asked two

questions to the then minister about getting this legislation put into

place. Again, it was brought up

on November 28 with two more questions.

December 2 the Member for Torngat raised the issue; March 13, I

raised it; March 20 we raised it again, the Member for Burgeo La Poile;

and on June 2 we raised it again.

On numerous occasions we have raised the issue.

We have asked the questions, and we have called on government to

initiate this legislation.

addition to that, Mr. Speaker, I also have here a resolution.

This resolution is from June 2014.

It was the annual general meeting of the Liberal Party.

In that particular resolution, without getting into all the

whereases, it says:

IT RESOLVED the Liberal Party of Newfoundland and Labrador calls on the

government to develop and introduce provincial bike helmet legislation.

Mr.

Speaker, quite clearly, on this side of the House, we have been calling for

this legislation. Quite clearly

they heard what we were saying.

We certainly thank the minister for finally listening to something we have

been saying over here and implementing some good legislation that we

actually called for. We view it

as a positive thing, and we will be supporting this piece of legislation.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER (Littlejohn):

The hon. the

Member for Baie Verte Springdale.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR. POLLARD:

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

First of all, as usual, I would just like to thank the people from the

District of Baie Verte Springdale for their ongoing support, for their

continued support. It is

certainly a privilege and an honour to stand in this House again today.

Furthermore, I would like to thank the Minister of Service NL and his

officials for carving out some of their valuable time to give us a briefing

on this piece of legislation, Bill 37,

An Act to Amend the Highway Traffic

Act. What I will do first, like

I always do, Mr. Speaker, is read the explanatory notes and then get into

some explanatory later on.

This Bill would amend the Highway Traffic Act to four things require

all persons riding a bicycle to wear a helmet; prohibit a parent or

custodial guardian from authorizing or knowingly permitting a person under

the age of 16 to ride a bicycle without a helmet; introduce associated

penalties; and provide regulation making authority to the minister to make

regulations regarding standards, specifications, identification and marking

required for bicycle helmets as well as exemptions from the requirement to

wear a helmet while riding a bicycle.

Mr.

Speaker, I like this piece of legislation because I think it is proactive as

opposed to being reactive. I

would like to thank the minister and his officials for doing that.

Getting out in front of a safety issue is very important.

This is all about safety, which will trump all other variables or

arguments for and against this piece of legislation.

The

question was asked, Mr. Speaker, why should cyclists wear a helmet?

It is a good question.

From the research that I have done, I found out that head injuries are the

number one cause of serious injury and death to kids on bicycles.

A head injury can permanently change the way a child walks, talks,

plays, and thinks. The human

skull is only one centimetre thick.

Mine might be a little thicker, Mr. Speaker, because when I was

small, mom had a hard time getting things drilled into my skull.

properly fitted helmet helps to protect our brain from absorbing the force

of a crash or a fall. A properly

fitted and correctly worn bike helmet can make a dramatic difference,

cutting the risk of serious head injury get this, Mr. Speaker by up to

85 per cent. This means that

four out of five injuries could be prevented, Mr. Speaker, if every cyclist

wore a helmet.

With

that in mind, this is a very, very compelling argument that we could amend

the act and introduce this piece of legislation.

Research shows, as pointed out by the minister, Mr. Speaker, that

injuries and fatalities decrease significantly in provinces where there is

mandatory bicycle helmet legislation.

Legislation enhances compliance.

The

question might be asked: Why not use education and a strategy of awareness?

We found out that education alone is not effective.

When you pair education along with legislation, two of them put

together are very, very important; education is important, but legislation

is also important. Couple them

together and we have a two-pronged approach in trying to address safety,

bicycle helmet safety, and the wearing of helmets, Mr. Speaker.

Helmets must be worn properly because if they are not worn properly, really

they are not very effective.

When choosing a helmet I would like to point out a couple of points, Mr.

Speaker you have to consider the fit, which is very crucial.

A loose, sloppy fit of your helmet will not be effective upon impact

or a crash. In essence, as

parents, we have to buy the right size.

The question is asked: Well, how do you know the right size?

What is the proper fit for a bicycle helmet?

Well, it is rather simple.

According to what I have been reading, Mr. Speaker, the helmet should not

wobble from side to side or when you tilt your head front and back, you

should not wobble as well. It

should not move when you shake your head.

It should be snug. It

should be tight. Furthermore, it

is very important the helmet stays level across the forehead, just above the

eyebrows. It is important that

the straps are tight as well.

Make sure you do it up because if you have a helmet on and the strap is not

tight, it is not fastened, it really will not be effective.

So it is very important, Mr. Speaker.

Another point to remember is that it is all about certification, as well,

which is established by the governing bodies who set the impact standards

and do some research on this issue.

Before parents or anybody goes out and purchases a helmet for their

child, it is very, very important to ensure that the certification sticker

from the CSA is shown, so you know what you are getting is approved, it is

put to the test, and you know it will stand up when you are in a crash or

severe impact.

also should remember, when it comes to helmets, that it should be replaced

after five or six years because the material inside will break down after a

while; or if you are in a major crash or one big hit, it is recommended the

helmet should be replaced because the foam in the helmet crushes to absorb

the energy. That foam is there

to reduce the impact of head injury, of course.

Bike

helmets, basically, are designed to protect your head against only one

crash. After a crash, that foam

inside the helmet is compressed; therefore, it should be replaced even if it

does not look damaged. I thought

that would be very important to know, some education when it comes to bike

helmets.

Mr.

Speaker, another question we might ask is: Why now?

Why introduce this now?

Well, you would consider today's age, 2014, that there is an increased

volume of traffic. Bikes are

made more complex. They are

speedier today for sure, and the infrastructure network around the Province

is basically more complex as opposed to when I was growing up in Roddickton.

In my day, all I can remember I had was two wheels in front was a

four-inch nail used as the front axle and I would go around the muddy

potholed road, Mr. Speaker. When

I hit that pothole, bang, I would fall.

I would topple over, and no helmet on at the time.

Probably that is what happened to me.

have come a long way from my days and today.

I never owned a bike, Mr. Speaker.

I remember when I had this crush on this girl across the way,

probably a kilometre or two. I

had a buddy of mine who owned a bicycle.

We paid my friend for a ride and I would take off right across the

harbour to see if I could see the girl I liked.

digress, Mr. Speaker. After all

the research and educational awareness, the time is now to implement this

piece of legislation. We have

the full support it is very important, as the minister alluded to earlier,

that we have all stakeholders involved, the RNC, the RCMP, the Medical

Association, MNL, and nurses.

Everybody involved agree with this piece of legislation.

Furthermore, from my understanding, there are a lot of

municipalities, a lot of communities, and a lot of towns out there that

agree with this piece of legislation.

They have bylaws already put in and they are abiding by it.

From

my understanding the Town of Baie Verte on May 27, 2004 got bylaws in there

for all ages. The Town of Grand

Falls-Windsor on July 21, 2005 implemented the bylaws.

Deer Lake is another example; September 1, 1994 they got bylaws

surrounding bicycle safety.

There are many more across the Province, Mr. Speaker.

was pointed out earlier as well that Newfoundland and Labrador will be one

of five provinces in Canada to have enacted mandatory bicycle helmet

legislation for all ages, Mr. Speaker.

There are three other provinces that make helmets mandatory for under

eighteen years of age.

Also, Mr. Speaker, we have to understand that as adults, we should be role

models. We should be

exemplifying the importance of safety and trying to teach our young

children. I am a poppy now; I

have four. They are going to

grow up one of these days. They

will not have a bike with a four-inch nail in the front.

They will probably have a real one and more modernized one.

will be stressing the importance of safety and making sure they wear their

helmets. As role models, Mr.

Speaker, we certainly have a responsibility and a duty to act accordingly.

We should stress the importance to our children of wearing proper

safety gear at all times.

Before I sit down, Mr. Speaker, and the minister alluded to it earlier as

well, it is important to point out that the amendment to the Highway Traffic

Act, these changes will take place April 1, 2015.

It gives us a little bit of time so that all stakeholders, everybody

involved, will take the sufficient time to carry on an educational awareness

campaign, so that Service NL and all their partners and stakeholders will

develop and implement a public education and awareness strategy.

With

these remarks, Mr. Speaker, I will conclude.

It looks like this piece of legislation, again, will pass

unanimously, and I am looking forward to the dialogue in this House of

Assembly this afternoon.

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER:

The hon. the Member for

St. John's East.

MR. MURPHY:

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

think that the hon. Member for Baie Verte Springdale referred to hitting a

pothole when he was a kid; I think that pothole is still there because of

the roads program. Hopefully

they will fill that pothole for you one of these days.

Mr.

Speaker, I take pleasure in standing up and talking to this piece of

legislation and giving a different perspective on this particular piece

because while we support it, we do have some questions that I hope the hon.

Minister of Service NL will be able to answer, probably when he gets up to

sum up the piece of legislation or perhaps in the Committee stage.

I am

a little bit curious about the educational component on the exact measures

that government is going to be taking.

We know that they are going to be running some sort of an education

program out there. We know that

there are already existing programs out there when it comes to the safety

and use of bike helmets, so that is one component.

The

second thing that I would like to bring up is the fact of enforcement.

I know that there has to be a delicate balance here when we talk

about the whole enforcement mechanism that they are going to be using,

because some areas of this Province, obviously, have a lack of policing

services. We know that is going

to be a challenge on the part of government.

We know that some municipalities, for example, cannot afford their

own municipal police services; they have to depend on the great work of the

RCMP. In some cases, we know

that in the Province, for example, in the federal budget, I think it was two

years ago now, we lost fifty-four RCMP positions.

So that has all to do with the enforcement component as well of the

Highway Traffic Act.

There has to be a direct concern here about the enforcement mechanism and

how government is going to carry this out.

We know that they are going to be undertaking an educational program,

and we think that is great as well.

The real point that I want to make here too, Mr. Speaker, is that I

think government should be looking a little bit outside the box when it

comes to the enforcement mechanism here

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Oh, oh!

MR. SPEAKER:

Order, please!

The

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

MR. MURPHY:

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

One

of the components that I really wanted to talk about is that while we are

talking about helmets and bicycles here, we should be looking a little bit

further beyond that too when it comes to implementation of this particular

piece into the Highway Traffic Act.

I know that every one of the members here I think I can speak

safely on the part of all of the members here that they have also met the

challenges of kids on skateboards who are out there in the middle of the

roads. We have also met the

challenges of kids that are out there on scooters

MR. SPEAKER:

I remind the hon. member

that we are speaking to the amendment of the bill and it is strictly into

bicycles.

MR. MURPHY:

Yes, Mr. Speaker.

MR. SPEAKER:

Thank you.

MR. MURPHY:

What I am trying to get

at is about the other components that they could be looking at, too, to put

in this where helmets are concerned, because we know that kids are using

helmets on scooters, skateboards, rollerblades, and that sort of thing.

ask the minister if he can have a look at that as well, or get his staff to

look at that and perhaps come back at the end of the session, or at the end

of the debate here and talk about that particular component as well because

it is very interesting, the change in dynamics, where you have more kids who

are using skateboards and scooters, more so than even bicycles.

say that for a reason because while I was doing the research on this, I did

run into a very pertinent news story when it came to head injuries, Mr.

Speaker. I think that it is

pertinent to the situation here.

The story is out of the States and it says here having to do with the

incidences of injuries that were caused by scooters and children.

It says here, Mr. Speaker, and the story is from the CBC on December

1 of 2014, Overall, the annual rate of injury rose almost 40 per cent

during the 1990-2011 period, from about 19 per 100,000 to 26 per 100,000,

the researchers found.

The

findings highlight the need to increase efforts to prevent injuries

associated with ride-on toys, especially nonmotorized scooters, they said.

'Protective equipment, especially helmets, should be used with ride-on

toys,' the study's authors recommended.

There is plenty of information out there.

If government's ultimate goal is to reduce the number of head

injuries, it should look outside the box as well, not just bicycles.

While we support the legislation, perhaps government might be able to

form a committee or have some of his deputy ministers or something to

actually look at the situation where we can actually change the Highway

Traffic Act, if our ultimate goal is to prevent injuries, to look at

scooters, rollerblades, that sort of thing, to cover those under the Highway

Traffic Act as well because we know and drivers out there will tell you

that they will find the kids out there on skateboards without helmets on; in

some cases, they do.

Myself, I actually think that it is a measure of safety that they will

practice, but I will ask the minister, I will put the question to him and

his department if they will also look at the other safety components when it

comes to this piece of legislation.

Like

I said, Mr. Speaker, we are totally in favour of this, but we are asking

them to look a little bit farther at the same time and perhaps sometime in

the future he will be able to look at that and propose either (

a) an

amendment, or (

b) another piece of legislation to cover the other

'unmotorized' vehicles, for all intents and purposes, the sense of the word,

that are out there.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

MR. SPEAKER:

The hon. the Minister of

Advanced Education and Skills.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR. O'BRIEN:

Yes, Mr. Speaker, I am

happy to stand in my place today to support this important piece of

legislation brought forward by the minister.

I have listened carefully in regard to some of the comments made by

the hon. members on both sides of the House.

would like to speak from the perspective of not in regard to the piece of

legislation itself, but how important it is for us to recognize the need for

the legislation itself, Mr. Speaker. Some

people would argue that it is a person's right to wear or not to wear a

helmet. We have legislated over

the years many aspects of a person's life because it is absolutely in need

to do so. In this case here, I

would think that 90 per cent of the people out there today wear helmets on

bicycles, so do they insist on their families wearing helmets.

That

10 per cent or whatever that number would be is a cost to the Government of

Newfoundland and Labrador, thus the taxpayers of the Province in regard to

expenses that would be incurred if that person were to be injured due to not

wearing a helmet. The same thing

applies, Mr. Speaker, to a person not wearing a seatbelt.

It is the same thing if a person would not install a proper car seat

for their children. The same

thing applies in regard to that.

That

is the reason why this piece of legislation is here on the floor of the

House today. As a matter of

fact, Mr. Speaker, I remember a number of years ago this need being

discussed in caucus back probably and I would not be able to say for sure

in 2007 or so. Then somebody

might say: Well, why did it take so long to get to here?

MR. OSBORNE:

In 2006.

MR. O'BRIEN:

In 2006 the hon.

member, when he was my bosom buddy on this side of the House, reminds me

that it was 2006.

Anyway and he was, no doubt about it.

AN HON. MEMBER:

Not any more.

MR. O'BRIEN:

Not any more, I do not

think, anyway. We do not

frequent the same places; maybe a scattered concert or something of that

sort.

Anyway, it is 2006. Then

somebody might say: Why did it take so long?

Well, it takes a while to develop legislation, even though some

people, even in this House, might think that is a very simple matter.

There are consultations that have to happen.

I am sure the minister has consulted with the RNC, the RCMP.

He has consulted with health care professionals, specialists, and all

that kind of good thing. As

well, in regard to the different advocacy groups we have across the Province

in regard to brain injury and all that kind of thing, it has to happen, Mr.

Speaker.

Then

you have to make sure you look at other pieces of legislation that have been

enacted across Canada and elsewhere in the world, to make sure it actually

works and to make sure you are doing it right in the first instance and

close as many loops as you possibly can in regard to that piece of

legislation. I think in this

case here, all of that has been done.

Now

we are ready to table this piece of legislation.

I am certainly happy to hear already that we are going to have

unanimous consent in regard to this piece of legislation.

That is a good thing, when all parties in this House work together

for a common goal, Mr. Speaker.

I think that is really important.

think I heard one of the members mention about enforcement.

Well, enforcement is the same, Mr. Speaker.

First and foremost, I hope and pray that the RNC or RCMP, none of

them across this Province, will ever have to enforce it, because that is the

proper thing. People need to

wear their helmets. I think

people are responsible enough in Newfoundland and Labrador to make sure they

wear it themselves and they also insist on their children wearing it as

well.

That

is what I believe, but sometimes, absolutely, people forget or they just

ignore it, whatever it may be.

It is no differently than the seatbelts we have regulations pertaining to,

no differently than the toddler seats we have regulations pertaining to, and

so on and so forth, Mr. Speaker.

Then the enforcement will take place.

That is the way it is.

You

cannot say you are going to have a police force that is going to be

dedicated to enforcing these regulations in its entirety, Mr. Speaker.

It just cannot happen.

That is not the way it works, no differently than any other aspect of the

Highway Traffic Act works that way.

Speed limits are broken each and every day, so people do that.

think as MHAs, and members of this House of Assembly, it is incumbent on us

to communicate this piece of legislation to our constituents and make sure

they understand there are regulations in place.

As well, it is incumbent on them to make sure their children, and

themselves, wear their helmets.

well, there might be an issue out there where a constituent might have a

reservation in regard to the cost of buying a helmet, Mr. Speaker, but there

are programs out there to help people of low income purchase a helmet.

One of the corporate citizens we have in this Province, as well as

right across Canada, is Canadian Tire with their Jumpstart program.

They will support a program such as this.

They do so as a great corporate citizen of Canada, and also of this

Province as well. I want to

remind people out there, that program is in place as well if they have a

challenge in regard to buying the proper helmet.

Mr.

Speaker, I am not going to take up too much more of your time, but we do

have those needless accidents and injuries in Newfoundland and Labrador, as

we have in other provinces in Canada.

That is a great cost to the taxpayers of any province.

Our health care system is challenged now in regard to the budget

requirement for health care to provide all the services that Newfoundlanders

and Labradorians demand and certainly deserve.

To take any kind of a pressure point away from that, Mr. Speaker,

would be a good thing.

I am

glad, I am absolutely happy to see there is going to be no division in

regard to this piece of legislation this evening.

That this piece of legislation will pass through smoothly with full

consent, with all the members on both sides of the House, Mr. Speaker.

It has been a pleasure to get up and speak to this piece of

legislation, in support of it and also its importance.

Thank you very much.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER:

The hon. the Member for

St. John's Centre.

MS ROGERS:

Thank you very much, Mr.

Speaker.

I am

very happy to rise and to speak to Bill 37,

An Act To Amend The Highway

Traffic Act. This is all about

bicycle helmets and the mandatory use of bicycle helmets.

I cannot help but think, Mr. Speaker, after speaking with some of the

doctors today, that this is a great big, fat, juicy Christmas gift for

doctors, for parents all over the Province.

One

of the things, Mr. Speaker, being at the press conference this morning where

the minister announced this, is that I think this is also a wonderful

example of citizens' engagement, and that we know citizens are often way

ahead of government, that the reason we have this legislation is because

people have pushed, because the Newfoundland and Labrador Medical

Association has pushed, because the Newfoundland and Labrador Brain Injury

Association has pushed. They

have pushed and pushed and pushed for years begging government, asking

government to enact legislation that requires mandatory helmet use.

This

is a great big, fat, juicy Christmas gift to them.

They are so pleased about this.

I also think, Mr. Speaker, that parents of young children all over

the Province are really excited about this.

They are very happy to see this.

This too is a great big, fat, juicy Christmas gift to parents all

over the Province, or for parents or doctors who celebrate Hanukkah or

Kwanzaa or whatever it is people celebrate over the holiday season.

Why

is it so important? Because it

can protect the lives of our children and of all adults, but also, it can

help prevent or minimize brain damage.

Mr. Speaker, for anybody in this House who has met a young child who

has had severe brain damage because of a fall from a bicycle, or a fall from

a scooter, or a fall from rollerblades, they know how important this is.

is tragic, because a lot of brain injuries, particularly severe brain

injuries, there is no cure for the damage.

It is very hard to manage the side effects and the symptoms of severe

brain damage.

Mr.

Speaker, again what we do is we celebrate and acknowledge this legislation

as life-saving. Also, I would

like to celebrate and acknowledge how important it is for people of

Newfoundland and Labrador to push government to do the right thing.

That

is why we are here today, Mr. Speaker, talking about this bill, because

people, either individuals or organizations such as the Newfoundland and

Labrador Medical Association, or the Newfoundland and Labrador Brain Injury

Association, have pushed and lobbied government to do the right thing.

Sometimes it takes a long time for government to hear what people are

saying and what other experts are saying.

As we know, oftentimes it is not governments that are leaders; it is

the people who are leaders. It

often takes government a while to catch up to the incredible work that

constituents do, that citizens do, and that organizations do.

Mr.

Speaker, I also want to talk a little bit about the pros and cons of bicycle

helmets. Someone stopped me

today and said, well, do you think government should have the right to force

someone to wear a helmet? I

stopped and I listened to what he had to say, but I know for myself that

sometimes this kind of legislation protects us from our own stupidity.

will talk about my own self, Mr. Speaker.

I am a bicycle rider, although one of the issues is that our roads,

particularly in St. John's, are really not built for bicycle riders, that it

is really hard to share our roads with cars and trucks.

Sometimes you almost feel like you take your life in your hands.

I think we are building more and more a culture of bicycle riding for

adults in town, but it is slow.

There are a lot of fantastic groups and individuals out there who are

encouraging us to use our roads for bicycle riding, but it is pretty tough.

Sometimes, Mr. Speaker, I will take my bike and I will have my helmet, and I

am not so sure I want to put this helmet on, so I put my helmet in the front

basket on my bicycle. I am not

going to do that anymore.

think it is similar to what we see with safety belts, with seatbelts.

How many people perhaps still sometimes do not use their seatbelts

all the time? How many of us use

our seatbelts because we know it is the law?

Sometimes the only reason we obey the law is because of the

ramifications if we do not.

Nobody wants to pay a fine, or nobody wants to appear before a judge because

they have broken the law. So

these kinds of laws are the right thing to do.

They are absolutely the right thing to do, particularly when you see

the effect this law may have on bicycle helmet use.

Many

of us, we put on our seatbelts right away, even before we turn on the

ignition in the car. Hopefully

now many of us, or all of us, before we sit on that seat on our bicycle, we

will affix our helmets, properly fitted helmets, adjust them, and then off

we go. I know, Mr. Speaker, that

I will be much more aware of using my bicycle helmet.

The

other thing is I bet you there are a lot of parents who are so happy about

this as well. How many parents

I have been a parent myself, and I have had to push and push and fight with

my son on his bicycle. You are

not getting on that bike unless you wear the helmet.

Oh, I do not want to wear the helmet, it is ugly; or, I do not want

to wear the helmet, it is too hot; or, I do not want to wear the helmet

because it is a bother.

Now,

Mr. Speaker, for many parents who have had to struggle with their children

to wear their helmets, this kind of law helps.

It really helps, because the same as educating us all to wear our

seatbelts, it is about the helmets as well.

Parents can say to their youngsters, you have to wear your helme