May 8, 2007 HOUSE OF ASSEMBLY PROCEEDINGS Vol. XLV No. 9


The House met at 1:30 p.m.

MR. SPEAKER (Hodder): Order, please!

Admit strangers.

This afternoon we are very pleased to welcome eighteen Level III students from St. James Regional High School in Port aux Basques, in the District of Burgeo & LaPoile. These students are accompanied by their teachers, Ms Joanne O'Brien and Mr. Ian Adey, and their chaperone, Mr. Paul Graham.

Welcome to the House of Assembly.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER: Before we begin routine proceedings this afternoon, the Speaker wishes to comment on a matter which was brought before the House late Monday afternoon, May 7, by the Opposition House Leader. Specifically, the question raised on a point of order was the procedures to follow with regard to Standing Order 55 and the methodology that would be required for the member to place two substantive motions on the Order Paper.

Since the House has not used Standing Order 55 in its routine proceedings as a methodology for the placement of substantive motions on the Order Paper and, although the Speaker is aware of similar provisions in other Legislatures, he wished to consult with both the Table Officers and other jurisdictions before making a decision. These consultations occurred, in part, over the past few hours. However, the advice has been less than consistent.

The Speaker can find no examples in our House since Confederation in 1949 that give clarity as to the correct manner to interpret Standing Order 55. I therefore wish to inform the House that I am not ready today to decide the issue raised by the Opposition House Leader and that my discussions will continue. In the meantime, the Opposition House Leader has the option to place his notice or notices under the routine proceedings to have them stand as per Standing Order 63.

Statements by Members

MR. SPEAKER: This afternoon we have members' statements as follows: the hon. the Member for Burgeo & LaPoile, the hon. the Member for Ferryland, the hon. the Member for Port de Grave, the hon. the Member for Labrador West, the hon. the Member for Carbonear- Harbour Grace, and the hon. the Member for Trinity-Bay de Verde.

The Chair recognizes the hon. the Member for Burgeo & LaPoile.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. PARSONS: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

On Thursday past I had the pleasure of attending a ceremony at the Health Sciences Complex here in St. John's called a Celebration of Courage. It was sponsored by Eastern Health, the Kidney Foundation, and the Organ Donor Program.

I was there as a guest of Mr. George Short and his family of Port aux Basques. The Short family were being honoured for the gift of life given by their son Stephen who died suddenly in March, 2005, at the age of thirty-one. Stephen received his post-secondary education at the University of St. Anne in Nova Scotia and returned to teach in Port aux Basques in 2001.

Mr. Speaker, Stephen was enthusiastic, committed and made significant contributions to his students and his profession in his brief time. The Organ Donor Program is a unique and necessary program. Stephen donated several of his vital organs, including his heart to a lady in New Brunswick. George has met the lady in question who received and now lives with his son's heart and is very pleased to know, even through his pain with the loss of Stephen, that another person is enjoying a healthy life.

Congratulations to the Organ Donor Program, not only for the valuable service they perform but for the thanks and respect they show donors and donor families.

Thank you to George Short and his family for the decent and human traits they themselves have and have instilled in their children. Thank you George for allowing me to be a part of this wonderful experience.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Member for Ferryland.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. HUTCHINGS: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I rise today to recognize and congratulate the Southern Shore Breakers Pee Wee B Team for capturing the All-Newfoundland and Labrador Championship on April 14, 2007. The tournament was held at the Southern Shore Arena in Mobile and saw teams visit our region from St. John's, Gander, Labrador West, Bay Roberts and Clarenville.

The Southern Shore has long been recognized for the athletic abilities of our residents and the participation and competitive nature of our hockey teams. Over the past number of years, the Southern Shore Senior Breakers teams have won the Herder Championship five times and represent the highest level of competitive senior hockey in the Province which allows our young Breaker players to see the results of years of dedication and hard work.

In addition, Mr. Speaker, any young hockey player dreams the ultimate dream of competing for the pinnacle of hockey supremacy in the world, Lord Stanley's Cup. Young hockey players from the Southern Shore, and all regions of our Province, have cheered on our own native son from the community of Fermeuse on the Southern Shore, Ryan Clowe, who until last night was competing in the Western Conference Semi-Finals of the NHL with the San Jose Sharks.

Mr. Speaker, such an individual like Ryan Clowe is a tremendous role model for our young hockey players, and he is living proof that: if you can dream it, you can become it.

I want to recognize each individual player and congratulate the coaches and team staff of the Southern Shore Breakers Pee Wee B Team who give so freely of their time to help in teaching our young people to compete in sport and develop skill sets that they will use in all facets of their lives.

The members of the Pee Wee B Breakers All-Newfoundland and Labrador Championship Team are: Keegan Aspell, Rebecca Bidgood, Colten Breen, Josh Carey, Jordon Carter, Carl Fennelly, Ryan Grech, Liam Hynes, Colten Kavanagh, Peter Kavanagh, Brianna Mulcahy, Andrew Oates, Terrence O'Brien, Jacob Power, Ryan Swain and Jeffery Walsh, and coach Loyola O'Driscoll, and assistant coaches Darrel Carey and Megan Frizzell.

Mr. Speaker, I would ask all hon. members to join me in congratulating the Southern Shore Breakers for winning the All-Newfoundland and Labrador Pee Wee B Championship and as well to congratulate all of the teams who participated, and for the exciting tournament held at the Southern Shore Arena.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Member for Port de Grave.

MR. BUTLER: Mr. Speaker, the Battle of the Atlantic began on September 3, 1939 and ended on May 8, 1945, lasting a total of 2,075 days. The Royal Canadian Legion District # 2 held the Battle of the Atlantic Parade and Wreath Laying Ceremonies at Dildo in Trinity Bay on Sunday past.

Mr. Speaker, 85,000 ships in 2,900 escorted convoys carried the lifeblood of the British war. Thirty thousand merchant seamen and 70,000 men of the Royal Canadian Allied Navies lost their lives during that battle. Over 7,100 Newfoundlanders and Labradorians were involved in that particular battle.

Mr. Speaker, I was honoured to lay a wreath on behalf of the federal government in memory of those who paid the supreme sacrifice. My hon. colleague from the District of Bellevue, Mr. Barrett, laid a wreath on behalf of the provincial government. The names of the ships that were lost were read as a solemn bell tolled.

Mr. Speaker, I ask all members of this House to join with me in extending congratulations to The Royal Canadian Legion District # 2 in recognizing the Battle of the Atlantic. Remembrance, Mr. Speaker, pass it on.

Thank you.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Member for Labrador West.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. BAKER: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

In honour of National Nursing Week, I rise today to recognize the vital role that our nurses play in the Province's health care system. They are essential to our hospitals and long-term care facilities; they are active in our communities and schools; they provide counselling and advocacy aimed at preventing illness; and they involve themselves in a variety of social issues and the promotion of healthy child development. Nurses truly are the heart of health care.

This year's theme, Take a Closer Look at How Nursing is Part of Your Community, is very appropriate, particularly within the Province of Newfoundland and Labrador. Given our vast and often challenging geography, nurses working in our rural communities play an expanded role in providing a broad scope of health care services for people.

Mr. Speaker, in Labrador in particular, it is often the nurse practitioner or regional nurse who provides many health care services that are customarily supplied by a physician in our more urban areas. Our nurses work hard to ensure that care of only the highest quality is given to the residents throughout our Province.

I ask all members to join me in commending our nurses for the invaluable and outstanding service they provide each day to the people of Newfoundland and Labrador.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Member for Carbonear-Harbour Grace.

MR. SWEENEY: Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate St. Francis School from Harbour Grace, who recently won second place in the Alliance Expo at the World Festival in Atlanta, Georgia.

Mr. Speaker, with a second place finish in the Alliance Round, four teams were grouped together in Alliance Expo where all four teams competed against each other at that competition. Teams from Alaska, India, Maryland and, of course, Newfoundland and Labrador, were in the final stage of the competition.

At the end of the competition, St. Francis was awarded second place for a score of 368 out of a possible 400 points. This was an outstanding performance and one that gave St. Francis a trophy of which there is only one like it in Canada and only four of its kind in the world. This unique trophy is made from Legos, from the Lego Corporation in Denmark.

Mr. Speaker, at the closing ceremonies, St. Francis was given an honourable mention, fourth place in the world, in the Innovative Solution Award. A special bonus this year saw the St. Francis team participating in the Opening Ceremonies representing Canada in a Robot Parade of approximately 500 teams.

Mr. Speaker, I ask all members of this House to join with me in extending congratulations to St. Francis school from Harbour Grace who won second place in the Alliance Round at the World Festival in Atlanta, Georgia.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Member for Trinity-Bay de Verde.

MS JOHNSON: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, I wish to extend congratulations to Cassandra Sellars, a Grade 12 Canadian Law student of Baccalieu Collegiate in Old Perlican, who recently was one of three winners in Canada in the Law Day 2007 Competition. Cassandra is the daughter of Selby and Penney Sellars of Western Bay.

Mr. Speaker, this competition is hosted by the Canadian Superior Courts Judges' Association in recognition of students enrolled in high school civics, law, and/or social studies. Students submit an essay, poem, poster, et cetera, depicting their interpretation of the role of the judge in Canada.

As a result of her success, Cassandra and her teacher, Mr. David Barrett, will be flown to Ottawa from May 13 to May 17 and meet with Chief Justice Beverley McLachlin, tour the Museum of Civilization, and have a special seat in the gallery at the House of Commons during Question Period.

Mr. Speaker, I ask that all hon. members join with me in congratulating Cassandra on this wonderful achievement.

Thank you very much.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER: Statements by Ministers.

Statements by Ministers

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Minister of Environment and Conservation.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. JACKMAN: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I rise today to advise my hon. colleagues that Drinking Water Week is May 6-12 and the theme this year is: Only Tap Water Delivers. During this week, I encourage all Newfoundlanders and Labradorians to reflect on the fact that we are all responsible for protecting our drinking water supplies.

Mr. Speaker, water plays a vital role in our daily lives. This government is fully aware of the importance of protecting our water supplies to ensure clean and safe drinking water. While my department works closely with other government departments and municipalities to protect our water supplies, it is imperative that we all do our part to preserve this natural resource.

Approximately 40 per cent of the world's population presently faces water shortages. However, this Province is fortunate to have an abundant supply and we must act in ways to preserve the precious resource for future generations. Drinking Water Week is an opportunity to promote public awareness and encourage everyone to be more conscious of how we use water.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to mention a few of the ongoing activities undertaken by my department to provide safe drinking water to the people of our Province.

We continue to sample tap and source water and test them for chemical and physical parameters and report the results to municipalities and the public; we are continuing to protect new water sources, especially in the area of groundwater supplies; we held a drinking water safety workshop in Gander in March and the theme was Emergency Preparedness Planning and Preparation; we continue to provide operator training and certification programs; we issue permits to construct all new water distribution and treatment facilities, as well as upgrades, to existing systems; we have undertaken numerous website enhancements including a list of accredited labs, chlorination equipment selection guidelines and a list of protected water supply areas; and we have developed geographic information system (GIS) based tools for the management of data related to drinking water safety.

Mr. Speaker, as you can see, my department is working hard with municipalities and stakeholders to protect our water supplies. A safe, reliable water supply is critical to any community and provides for the health and welfare of its residents. Drinking Water Week reminds us all of the need for safe, clean and reliable sources of drinking water. A healthy future depends on a safe and reliable water supply.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Member for Fortune Bay-Cape la Hune.

MR. LANGDON: Thank you.

I want to thank the minister for an advance copy of his ministerial statement.

There is no doubt about it, that water does play a vital role in all of our lives.

In the second line of the ministerial statement that the minister just read it says: Only tap water delivers. I am not sure if that caption means that all tap water in the Province delivers good drinking water. I would like to know first of all, if that is the case, do we have any municipalities now that are still on boil order. We did and I believe that we still do.

The thing that is very important to remember here is that a few years ago we recognized the problem for the THMs and government brought in a program called Disinfection Assistance Program, or DAP as the acronym, where we paid out to small rural municipalities up to $100,000 grants to fix their chlorination systems because they could not afford it. It is my understanding that program does not exist in government today. Probably government should reconsider those small rural communities that are still on boil orders and cannot drink the water from the taps because it is not passed by Health Canada to do so.

MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!

The hon. member's time has lapsed.

MR. LANGDON: Just a minute to -

AN HON. MEMBER: By leave.

MR. SPEAKER: Leave has been granted.

MR. LANGDON: As the minister said in the second-last paragraph, a number of initiatives that government is doing to protect water supplies, that is good. Some of them, for the first time I believe it was, that we did the chemical testing but it is good to see that they are continuing and that there are workshops, there need to be, and on Web sites so that people can see the importance of having clean drinking water. Nevertheless, if small rural municipalities do not have the money whereby they can upgrade their chlorination systems and have the money to buy the chlorination to protect it for the people in the region, then that is a different story that I think government should address, and in time they probably will.

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Member for Signal Hill-Quidi Vidi.

MS MICHAEL: Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker.

I thank the minister for the advanced copy of his statement. Yes, we do not have anything I think any more precious in our society or here in Newfoundland and Labrador as our clean water. I feel confident there are actually places we could go in the Province where the lake water, we could actually drink it. Not many places can say that.

As my colleague has mentioned, we still have places in the Province where we have communities on boil orders. In the drinking water annual report for 2005-2006, the latest report, there were 222 communities that year. So I hope that the efforts the minister has outlined will show us in the report for 2006-2007 that we have improved. If not, then we will have to look at what we are doing and beef it up, but we cannot take this for granted. We always have to be on top of it, and the more work we can do in public education with people the better. Also, we have to look at how our industries affect our water -

MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!

The hon. member's time has lapsed.

MS MICHAEL: By leave, Mr. Speaker?

AN HON. MEMBER: By leave.

MR. SPEAKER: Leave has been granted.

MS MICHAEL: Thank you.

I do not think we can take our water for granted. Therefore, I do not think that we can take any body of water in Newfoundland and Labrador and allow it to become polluted by industry or by anything else that may cause the pollution. So, I just ask the minister to also take that into consideration in his department when thinking about our clean water.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

MR. SPEAKER: Further statements by ministers?

The hon. the Minister of Health and Community Services.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. WISEMAN: Mr. Speaker, I rise in this House today in recognition of Mental Health Week, which takes place from May 7-13, 2007. The theme of this year's Mental Health Week is Work-Life Balance: It's a Matter of Time.

Mr. Speaker, often individuals are so overwhelmed with work, family and other responsibilities that finding an appropriate work-life balance becomes a challenge. This year's Mental Health Week serves to remind us that it is important to take time for ourselves. It is also important for employers to recognize that a good work-life balance results in enhanced productivity and reduced absenteeism in the workplace.

Government recognizes that a person's mental health is as important as their physical health. When we have good mental health we are able to enjoy life to the fullest and become more productive, creative and capable citizens. That is why we are making investments to create a stronger mental health and addictions services system in our Province.

During the past three years, we have invested $5.7 million to assist persons with mental health and addiction issues in leading healthier lives. In 2005, we officially released a new policy framework which sets out a comprehensive strategy for the mental health and addictions system. A new Mental Health Care and Treatment Act, scheduled to be proclaimed later this year, will focus on the protection and treatment of people living with a severe mental illness.

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to say that Budget 2007 builds on our commitment to an improved mental health and addictions system. We are investing $1.6 million this year to implement both the policy framework and the new legislation. We are also introducing a new provincial eating disorders program so that the majority of patients will no longer have to travel outside the Province to receive treatment.

In recognition of the importance of providing appropriate infrastructure for mental health and addictions services, we are investing another $1.3 million this year, as part of an overall $4.8 million project, to redesign and redevelop the forensic developmentally delayed units at the Waterford Hospital. And, we will continue the construction of a new provincial addictions centre in Corner Brook.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to remind my colleagues in this hon. House of the importance of the appropriate work-life balance by asking them to fill out a very quick work-life balance quiz that the Pages will distribute a little later, that has been provided by the Canadian Mental Health Association, but I caution them not to be surprised if you fail.

Furthermore, I ask my colleagues and residents of the Province to join with me in recognizing Mental Health Week in our Province.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Member for Humber Valley.

MR. BALL: First of all, Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank the minister for the advanced copy of the ministerial statement. Of course, Mental Health Week from May 7-13 and their theme of: Work-Life Balance: It's a Matter of Time.

I challenge any of us who has not been, from time to time, challenged with finding a balance between the responsibilities of work, family and, I guess, life in general. I think we all realize, too, that we do feel better when our mind is clear. Physically, we do feel better. I think that is kind of natural. Even though we have made advancements, we still have huge gaps, though.

This Budget in 2007, as the minister suggested, did make some advancements in mental health, but I think of the people now who suffer from diseases, like schizophrenia, who still today cannot easily access the proper treatments and the treatments of choice. So I think of those people. I also think, as the mental health sufferers themselves, that as a society we have come a long way in breaking down some of those walls but there are still lots of walls to come down yet.

As the minister said, I would encourage my colleagues, too - although I do not expect anybody on this side of the House to fail the quiz, I would encourage you to fill out that quiz as well. I think we will be surprised with some of the results we see.

Thank you.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Member for Signal Hill-Quidi Vidi.

MS MICHAEL: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I, too, thank the minister for his advanced copy of the statement.

Being Mental Health Week, I would like to use this opportunity to congratulate the staff of the Canadian Mental Health Association in this Province for the great work that they do, both on an advocacy level and the practical work that they do. We will remember that they did co-operate, along with other groups, but especially the CMHA co-operated with government in working on the new mental health care and treatment act that we will be passing before this year is out.

They also do wonderful work with regard to training. It comes to my mind that just as we have gender sensitivity training going on within government and departments being offered the ability to get training on gender sensitivity, that it might be very good -

MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!

The hon. member's allotted time has expired.

MS MICHAEL: By leave, Mr. Speaker?

AN HON. MEMBER: By leave.

MR. SPEAKER: Leave has been granted.

MS MICHAEL: Thank you.

It might be good if we also had training sessions within the government on the work-life health balance and get the CMHA to work with us in doing these training sessions, because it is one thing to do a quiz, but it is another thing to become aware of, practically speaking, how to live by that quiz.

Just one more point, how to live and work with people who do suffer from mental illness. The CMHA could help us, I think, in those training sessions. I recommend that to the minister.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

MR. SPEAKER: Further Statements by Ministers.

The hon. the Minister of Human Resources, Labour and Employment.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. SKINNER: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to inform this hon. House of the significant investments being made by government in the development of the Province's labour market. This government is firmly committed to improving opportunity for our people, providing them with the tools to succeed and access to the means to achieve their goals.

That is why in Budget 2007 close to $4 million is being invested through my department to expand career and employment services and strengthen connections for people and employers in the labour market. Let me outline the approach.

For our K-12 system this means $500,000 to hire ten career information officers to work with our teachers -

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. SKINNER: - to work with our teachers, guidance counsellors and students to provide them with current and accurate career and labour market information and insight into the many diverse opportunities available within our Province.

For our post-secondary students, Mr. Speaker, this means a $1 million investment and doubling of our commitment under the Graduate Retention Program -

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. SKINNER: - doubling of our commitment under the Graduate Retention Program so that an additional 100 graduates will have access to that critical first job in this Province.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. SKINNER: For job seekers, Mr. Speaker, this means approximately $1 million to expand career and employment services into rural areas with the establishment of five new career information centres across this Province.

For communities this also means over $1 million in new funding to direct employment and business development projects. Our government is committed to providing our people with the tools they need to directly and successfully participate in today's labour market.

As a province we need to reach the point where our people are not only highly skilled but right-skilled, and that employment and career programs and services are widely available, relevant and targeted to meet their needs.

That is why government recently launched LMIworks, the most comprehensive job and training website ever to be established in this Province, so that everyone can now access the same labour market information and make more informed decisions regarding their work and their training prospects.

This government recognizes the tremendous opportunities on the horizon as well as those that are happening now. We will not waiver, we will invest in areas that matter to people and together with our community partners, Mr. Speaker, will continue to work hard and ensure a prosperous and self-reliant future for all Newfoundlanders and Labradorians.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Member for Port de Grave.

MR. BUTLER: Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker.

I want to thank the minister for the advance copy of his Ministerial Statement and to say that we on this side of the House, I can assure you, Mr. Speaker, commend the government when any money goes into help with training of young people or what have you.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. BUTLER: We know that career information officers is a way to go. The Graduate Retention Program is a good program, and the five new career information officers around the Province is a wonderful thing. Mr. Speaker, it is wonderful to train the people, but this government has failed in this Province to hang on to our young people.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Oh, oh!

MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!

MR. BUTLER: What are we training them for? To see them in the long lineups here in St. John's to head out West? The Premier himself travelled out West and he said: Our people are prepared to come back.

Mr. Speaker, we have hundreds of thousands of skilled labourers but all they need is a one-way ticket back home. We commend the government on putting the money in there, but what has to be done, the economy in this Province has to turn around so they can work here in their own Province.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Member for Signal Hill-Quidi Vidi

MS MICHAEL: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I know government does not want the second person from this side of the House saying what my colleague just said, but I am afraid it is true.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Oh, oh!

MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!

MS MICHAEL: There is no sense. We can have all the career specialists we want, we can have all the centres we want, but unless we have jobs for our young people they will not be staying here.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Oh, oh!

MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!

The Chair is having difficulty hearing the hon. member.

The Chair recognizes the hon. the Member for Signal Hill-Quidi Vidi.

MS MICHAEL: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I will say just one more thing, Mr. Speaker, that I hope that the LMIworks will do more with regard to keeping people here. I hope that it is magically going to come up with jobs to have on that Web site, jobs in this Province. Maybe that is what is going to happen, so that the next time there is a job fair in this city we do not see thousands of people in a lineup.

MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!

The hon. member's time has lapsed.

MS MICHAEL: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

MR. SPEAKER: Further statements by ministers?

Oral Questions.

Oral Questions

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Opposition House Leader.

MR. PARSONS: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

In March, the Premier tabled information related to the fibre optic deal in this House of Assembly. We have completed our review of that information and we feel the documentation in the boxes confirm that this deal and the process used was flawed from day one. We will begin unfolding that information today, and in the days to come, to show the people of this Province how the decision to spend $15 million of taxpayers' money was made.

Mr. Speaker, in this Province we have laws that outline a process that must be followed when awarding public money for contracts. That process usually takes the form of the Public Tender Act and the Request for Proposals.

I ask the Premier: Why was neither the Public Tender Act nor a Request for Proposals used in this instance?

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Minister of Innovation, Trade and Rural Development.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. TAYLOR: Mr. Speaker, I do not know how many times and in how many forums or how many ways you have to explain to the Opposition House Leader and members of the Opposition why the Public Tender Act was not utilized, why there was no Request for Proposals. It was spelled out quite categorically last fall on any number of occasions in this House and outside by EWA and by others, that the only reason you go for an RFP was if there were other people who had come forward and could conceivably bid on this project or offer to build this project in conjunction with government.

It was determined that nobody else would do it. It was determined that it would cost us hundreds of thousands of dollars, if not into the millions of dollars, to develop a prospectus to be able to offer up in a Request for Proposals in order to do the technical work and the engineering work that was needed in order to do it, Mr. Speaker.

That explanation was given in November. It was given in December. It was given over the course of the winter. It was in the papers that they have been provided with. It was given to the Auditor General. Mr. Speaker, I do not know what more they require.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Opposition House Leader.

MR. PARSONS: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Unfortunately, the excuse to avoid those laws was only developed after the project was approved by Cabinet, I say to the minister, and that will be proven in the e-mails.

Mr. Speaker, in e-mails and briefing notes in the boxes tabled by the Premier, it confirms that government was planning a Request for Proposals but cancelled it upon the objections of officials at Persona Communications. As a matter of fact, the Deputy Minister of Industry discussed this issue with both Paul Hatcher and Dean MacDonald of Persona who suggested they would not participate in this project if it went to public tender.

I ask the Premier again: Why did the government change its policies regarding public tendering on the advice and objections of Persona, who submitted an unsolicited proposal to government?

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Minister of Innovation, Trade and Rural Development.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. TAYLOR: Mr. Speaker, Memorial University, the College of the North Atlantic, the Board of Trade, the Newfoundland and Labrador Association of Technology Industries, various people involved with the call centre business, people involved with our research facilities, people involved with our health and educational facilities, the wide range of people involved in technology industries in Newfoundland and Labrador, everybody who has any interest whatsoever in this industry, Mr. Speaker, has commended the government for the initiative of building a second fibre optic link in this Province.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. TAYLOR: We have had praise heaped on us from people outside of the Province, in New York City - in New York City, Mr. Speaker - telling us that this was a good deal, that this was absolutely required if we were going to move forward on research and development and economic development in Newfoundland and Labrador.

In the face of all of this praise, Mr. Speaker, for this deal, the Leader of the Opposition and the Opposition members continue to diminish it.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Opposition House Leader.

MR. PARSONS: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Long on talk, short on answers.

Mr. Speaker, it is very apparent that government was concerned with the media spin that was going to be put on this project. We will get into that in the coming days as well; however, after the deal was announced, the following e-mail was sent by Mr. Robert Parsons in the Department of Industry to Mr. Paul Hatcher of Persona, "What has the consortium spent so far in engineering studies or environmental studies?" Now, this was after the project was approved. "We might be able to put our decision..." - that is the decision not to go RFP - "...to tender in perspective of the cost of preparing an RFP and then assessing it."

I ask the Premier: If this project was so well thought out and squeaky clean, why are officials trying to make excuses for the media on why there was no public tender call?

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Minister of Innovation, Trade and Rural Development.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. TAYLOR: Mr. Speaker, EWA started their assessment in June, I believe it was, in June or July - I am not sure exactly when it was, Mr. Speaker - but well in advance of a decision being made on this project. Along the way, Mr. Speaker, in the year-and-a-half, roughly, that this type of project was being contemplated, from the time that it initially surfaced, there were discussions with Industry Canada. I personally had a conversation with one of the senior people with Industry Canada, here in the Province, who absolutely thought that we should pursue this initiative, Mr. Speaker.

The Leader of the Opposition knows full well why Industry Canada did not put any money into it: because they did not have any budget to do so, Mr. Speaker. He knows full well why the federal government did not go into it: because, Mr. Speaker, there had to be an extensive environmental assessment and business case analysis done, just like is done with the Torbay Bypass Road, just like is being done with the Team Gushue Highway and any number of initiatives here, Mr. Speaker, that were recommended almost two years ago August coming, two years ago August coming, and still no decision from the feds.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!

The Chair recognizes the Opposition House Leader.

MR. PARSONS: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Others in the Public Service were also concerned about the lack of details regarding this deal. Last fall, we questioned in this House: Was there a report compiled by the Department of Finance that, as we were told, did not paint such a rosy picture of this fibre deal?

Let's talk about openness, accountability and transparency. Mr. Speaker, the Assistant Deputy Minister of Financial Planning and Benefits Administration, Donna Brewer, asked a host of questions regarding this deal in an e-mail dated June 16, 2006, and raised concerns about what the Province would be getting from this deal. Instead of addressing the concerns of the finance officials, this was the response from the officials in the department, quote, "I was going to give the info out to Donna et al, but on second thought I figured that would only throw a monkey wrench in things." The Deputy Minister responded: "Yes, keep her out."

I ask the Premier: Upon whose advice were these officials in the departments making a decision to freeze senior public servants out of the meetings because they were asking too many questions?

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Minister of Innovation, Trade and Rural Development.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. TAYLOR: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, it is not uncommon for questions to be answered from department to department. At the same time these questions were being asked, there was a contract, or an arrangement being made with EWA and the associated company, (inaudible) I believe is the name, to do an extensive review of this proposed development to see how many strands were required in order to get our $15 million worth, if this was a good economic development initiative. There was consultations with people in the College of the North Atlantic.

Furthermore, Mr. Speaker, when it comes right down to it, it is not the responsibility of the Department of Finance to determine economic policy in this government or in this Province, it is the responsibility of the line departments. Once we decide on what the economic policy objectives of the government are, it is up to the Department of Finance to find the money and the appropriate way to fund it.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Opposition House Leader.

MR. PARSONS: I say to the minister, that is part of the problem. Your department might make a decision of what is economic development but this lady here, Donna Brewer, who was the Assistant Deputy Minister in the Department of Finance, has an obligation under our laws to see that the law is followed, and you show very little respect for that in the fibre deal, sir.

Mr. Speaker, let's follow a time line here. Government received an unsolicited proposal. A decision was made not to put it out to public tender on the advice of the company involved. Officials were raising too many questions on the weak business case. The project became tangly for government at that point. What did they do next? In late June or July, 2006, they decided the project would go through the back door. Instead of going through government, they decided to put it through Memorial and College of the North Atlantic.

I ask the Premier, my question is to the Premier: Why was the decision made to take this project out of government's hands and attempt to force the post-secondary education systems, MUN and CONA, to take the lead to flow the money to Persona? Why was the decision made to flow the money to -

MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!

The Chair recognizes the hon. the Minister of Innovation, Trade and Rural Development.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. TAYLOR: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, my father used to use a phrase a long time ago when he was alive that I think applies to the hon. member opposite. He is more holy than righteous, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, the fact of the matter is, we had discussions with the College of the North Atlantic and Memorial University of Newfoundland and Labrador to see if there was an appropriate way, yes, of providing funding for this project if they deemed it necessary for their research needs. It was determined upon -

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Oh, oh!

MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!

MR. TAYLOR: Mr. Speaker, could you please quiet down the Leader of the Opposition? If he wants to have anything to say, why doesn't he ask the Opposition House Leader to sit down and he can stand up and ask the questions?

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. TAYLOR: If not, Mr. Speaker, I suggest he do the hon. thing and keep quiet.

MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!

The Chair asks the House for its co-operation. We are trying to keep the questions and the answers to approximately a minute. There are about fifteen seconds left to the hon. the minister.

MR. TAYLOR: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Yes, Mr. Speaker, it was determined, subsequent to that, that there was a need. There was a further utilization of this fibre optic that could be accomplished as part of governments broadband initiative and it would be in the public interest if the government owned it and accommodated Memorial University and the College of the North Atlantic's needs as part of government's broader requirements for IT.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER: The Chair recognizes the Opposition House Leader.

MR. PARSONS: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

It is very obvious when the minister gets into defensive mode and cannot have the answers, he bellows and screams and accuses others of being righteous.

I have another one for the minister - and this is all factual, by the way. On July 17, 2006, Donna Brewer, Assistant Deputy Minister of Finance, raised concerns on the MUN and the CONA proposal. Again, from Ms Brewer. She stated that she had fears that pushing MUN and CONA into this deal would draw the attention of the Auditor General and would break the Financial Administration Act. Now, that is from within this government.

I ask the Premier again: Why would government place our post-secondary institutions in this difficult position against the will and against the advice of officials in finance?

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Minister of Innovation, Trade and Rural Development.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. TAYLOR: Mr. Speaker, I do not know what the point of the Opposition House Leader is. He says that our officials raised these concerns. He knows full-well that we never did put the College of the North Atlantic or MUN in any type of a predicament where they would -

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Oh, oh!

MR. TAYLOR: Mr. Speaker, will you please quiet them down?

MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!

MR. TAYLOR: Mr. Speaker, the fact of the matter is, the concerns of finance officials, the concerns of senior officials in INTRD and Justice and the relevant departments were dealt with in the course of the evaluation of this project. And, Mr. Speaker, as I said previously, and I will say it until the day I go to my grave, that this project has been defended by everybody in the information technology industry, research and development institutions in this Province and outside, as being a good deal for economic development and for the people of Newfoundland and Labrador, and I do not know why they cannot answer, why they have a problem with it, Mr. Speaker.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!

The Chair recognizes the hon. the Opposition House Leader.

MR. PARSONS: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Not only Ms Brewer, but another senior government official, Ms Rachelle Cochrane, Assistant Deputy Minister of Education, raised concerns in an August 15 e-mail about what was happening here. A whole host of issues about breaking the Public Tender Act and the lack of funding available to these two institutions to do this project.

Mr. Speaker, the project never did go through MUN or CONA. As a matter of fact, it remained uncertain. There was no future for the project, Mr. Speaker, until a fire took place at the Aliant facilities on Allandale Road in October. Once the fire took place the whole process ramped up once more and brought the program back into the public view. Cabinet papers were prepared within two days. However, here is how one PR person in government described those events. "Couldn't have thought of a better way to get an initial positive spin on this if I had thought of orchestrating the outage myself." I ask the Premier -

MR. SPEAKER: I ask the hon. the member if he could put his question now.

MR. PARSONS: Mr. Speaker, I certainly would.

I ask the Premier: Was the Aliant fire a convenient way for you to sneak the deal through the backdoor of government and give out the $15 million of taxpayers' money? It is obvious.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Oh, oh!

MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!

The Chair recognizes the Minister of Innovation, Trade and Rural Development.

MR. TAYLOR: Yes, Mr. Speaker, and with the course that the Opposition House Leader is on right now the next thing you know he will be up suggesting that I dodged down on Allandale Road with a gallon of gas and a pack of matches in my hand and caught her on fire, Mr. Speaker.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. TAYLOR: What foolishness! What drivel coming out of the Opposition House Leader, Mr. Speaker.

Now, Mr. Speaker, does he have a problem? If he does -

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Oh, oh!

MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!

Colleagues, the Chair is having difficulty hearing hon. members. There is about thirty seconds left in the hon. minister's time.

The hon. the Minister of Innovation, Trade and Rural Development.

MR. TAYLOR: Mr. Speaker, if you follow that, I suppose the next thing he will suggest is that Wally Young, the Member for St. Barbe - I apologize, the Member for St. Barbe - in order to get a bit more construction in his district this year, was up with a pick and shovel knocking the bank down in Daniel's Harbour. Now, that is the nonsense that is coming out of the Opposition members.

Mr. Speaker, the fact of the matter is - and I will say it again - what is the problem with this deal? The only problem with this deal is, no, it did not go through the Public Tender Act; but, Mr. Speaker, the Public Tender Act says that if you do not tender you have to table an exemption to it, and that is what we are doing.

No, Mr. Speaker, it does not comply with the Agreement on Internal Trade, but you are allowed again to file an exemption there.

These things have to be done. This thing is done legally and, Mr. Speaker, it is a good deal for the Province.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER: The Chair recognizes the Opposition House Leader.

MR. PARSONS: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

All of which justifications were created by this government after the fire and without giving the answers to their own government officials to do it, all of which - you cannot deny the evidence and the facts.

I say to the minister who knows so much, I do not know what he knows about gas, but this is the same minister who talked here last fall about the fibre being kept together with duct tape. The minister of duct tape.

On October 26 the project was finally approved. Officials in the department stated, and I quote: We have our instructions. It is no longer hypothetical. We had been instructed to prepare a submission, substantially along the lines of the first option.

Now, that was to the deputy minister at the time. I ask the Premier: Did you give this instruction to the deputy minister in that department, and was the first option referred to here the same option that the Finance officials had vis-B-vis the Public Tender Act?

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Minister of Innovation, Trade and Rural Development.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. TAYLOR: Mr. Speaker, the first option and the only option that made any sense in this has been articulated by me and others consistently over time since we started down this road last October or November when we had the press conference on this initially. The only option that made sense was an untendered contract because it made no sense, as was evident in the EWA report, for us to pursue an RFP. There were only the companies that were involved and the incumbent, Aliant, who could conceivably come forward to build this infrastructure, and obviously Aliant was not going to do it.

As well, Mr. Speaker, he wants to talk about the fire on Allandale Road. Well, that fire on Allandale Road, plus two cuts two years before, so two failures in the fibre optic communications of this Province, I think that is justification enough for spending $15 million to restore investor confidence in Newfoundland and Labrador.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Opposition House Leader.

MR. PARSONS: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

My final question for today - we have a whole pile more of these. This box was loaded - just a few. I will leave with this question today.

Even after Cabinet approved this deal, there are many important financial details that were not finalized. As a matter of fact, on November 6, Paul Hatcher of Persona wrote government and stated the following - now, we have agreed to put $15 million bucks into this, and you talk about the term sheet - quote: I have not really discussed the routine maintenance number that they would have to pay after they started to use the fibres. Let's propose $750,000 a year. As was pointed out by government officials, accepting this would be a public relations disaster for government, as the cost would balloon to $30 million.

I ask the Premier: Why was this deal possibly approved when simple financial deals were not even finalized and the deal was absolutely still in flux?

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Minister of Innovation, Trade and Rural Development.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. TAYLOR: Never let the facts get in the way of a good argument; that is the view of members opposite.

The fact of the matter is, Mr. Speaker - and they can go and talk to the Auditor General if they want to find out what is in the Cabinet Paper, or they can go and get the transcript from where I read it, on VOCM one day. It is not much trouble for them to find out what was -

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Oh, oh!

MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!

MR. TAYLOR: Mr. Speaker, maybe he should be quiet. How would you know what -

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Oh, oh!

MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!

Colleagues, time is passing.

I ask the hon. the minister to complete his answer.

The hon. the Minister of Innovation, Trade and Rural Development.

MR. TAYLOR: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, what Cabinet decided on was an agreement in principle to proceed with this project subject to a long list of conditions being met. Over the course of the past number of months, we have been working to address those conditions that were laid down by Cabinet.

As the Auditor General knows, and as everybody else has been told in this Province, until those conditions are met, until there is a final agreement that is able to be brought back to Cabinet for final approval, there will not be any money put forward, there will not be any cash flow.

Mr. Speaker, the consortium can carry on building, but until they meet the requirements that were provided to me, the Minister of Finance, the Minister of Justice and the Clerk of the Council as part of the MC in October, then they will not be getting their $15 million.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!

The hon. the Leader of the Opposition.

MR. REID: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

My questions are for the Premier.

Yesterday, I asked the Premier if he had an ownership position in either Persona or Bragg Communications. At that time, he said he did not know but he would check with the trustee of his blind trust to ascertain that information.

Mr. Speaker, I ask the Premier if he could provide us with that information today?

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Premier.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

PREMIER WILLIAMS: Mr. Speaker, the hon. the Leader of the Opposition continues to try and imply that there is something wrong with this. On a daily basis he leans over, when the mikes are down, and says: You are trying to hide something here.

We are not trying to hide anything. He has tried to disparage business people in this Province, people like Mr. MacDonald, Mr. Hatcher, and other people who are involved, people who I have had a business relationship with for over thirty years. It is a low, scurrilous, rotten tactic that is being used.

From my perspective, I can say quite clearly there is no interest in my blind trust in any of these transactions, as I said yesterday. I had to confirm that with the trustee because it is truly a blind trust. There is no interest in Bragg Communications, no interest in Persona, and no interest in anything else that is involved in it.

It is beneath the Leader of the Opposition to conduct himself in such a manner in this House of Assembly, Mr. Speaker. When it becomes personal attacks, he not only demeans himself but he also demeans the process and he demeans the people of Newfoundland and Labrador.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Oh, oh!

MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!

PREMIER WILLIAMS: I suggest he take an audit. With all of the important things that are going on in this Province, all the good things that are being done, and all of the important things that need to be addressed, he should leave Persona alone and accept the fact that this is, in fact, a good project.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Leader of the Opposition.

MR. REID: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I find the Premier's answer amusing, talking about the personal attacks I launch against him. I say to the Premier: Look at yourself in the mirror sometimes.

Mr. Speaker, yesterday I asked the Premier who the trustee of his blind trust was. He looked at me and said it was none of my business. I ask the Premier: Is your trustee -

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!

MR. REID: I say to those opposite, it is the business - when he is spending taxpayers' money - of the public of this Province.

I ask the Premier: Is your trustee in any way associated with any of the proponents of the fibre optic deal or Bragg Communications?

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Premier.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

PREMIER WILLIAMS: Mr. Speaker, I said it yesterday and I will say it again: It is none of your business.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Leader of the Opposition.

There is time for one short question.

MR. REID: Mr. Speaker, for the last two days in the House we have been debating whether or not Mr. Paul Reynolds will be appointed the Chief Electoral Officer and Commissioner of Members' Interests. In the meantime, advertisements are appearing throughout the Province in the newspaper advertising for returning officers for various electoral districts. These ads also state that Mr. Paul Reynolds is the Chief Electoral Officer for Newfoundland and Labrador. It states, underneath that: a non-partisan office responsible for the conduct of provincial elections.

I ask the Premier: How can Mr. Reynolds be on the payroll and calling himself the Chief Electoral Officer when he has not been officially appointed by this House?

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Government House Leader

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. RIDEOUT: Mr. Speaker, I do not know about the Leader of the Opposition, but I know the Opposition House Leader would know that there is provision in the act for the government, through an Order in Council, to appoint a person to that position when the position becomes vacant; pending, of course, a resolution by the House of Assembly confirming that appointment. That is what has taken place here, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Reynolds has been legitimately appointed, according to the law and according to the process, and legitimately holds the job. Mr. Speaker, we have every confidence on this side of the House that Mr. Reynolds will do his job with honour, integrity and unbiased towards anybody.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Member for Signal Hill-Quidi Vidi.

MS MICHAEL: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

My question is for the Minister of Environment and Conservation.

Mr. Speaker, our energy poverty rate is the highest in Canada. The poorest 20 per cent of our households pay 16.5 per cent of their income on energy, three times what the average household pays. Non-energy efficient housing is one reason for the difference.

Mr. Speaker, when the federal government cut its energy retrofit programs, all other Atlantic provinces introduced energy efficiency measures to make up for the loss but this government cancelled its program even before it began.

My question for the minister is: When will the government decrease dependency on providing home heating rebates that do nothing to save money in the long term by reintroducing the home energy refit program to help households, especially those on low incomes, to save up to 30 per cent on energy costs in the long run?

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Minister of Environment and Conservation.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. JACKMAN: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I thank the member for her question. We are partaking in several initiatives in that regard. First and foremost, it is something that we are very disappointed with in the federal government that they saw fit to revamp their program and, in fact, does very little for the low-income family. We have expressed our concern in that regard.

Secondly, through the poverty reduction, we are addressing issues around that. Also, through the energy plan, we are working through that process to develop more efficiencies within the home, therefore saving homeowners more in the long run.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Member for Signal Hill-Quidi Vidi.

MS MICHAEL: Mr. Speaker, let's look to what some of the other provinces - well, our three Atlantic province partners are doing. New Brunswick has a program that subsidizes energy audits, provides grants and industry loans, including low-income discounts. P.E.I. sends contractors into low-income households to do simple things like weatherstripping and insulation. Nova Scotia offers grants to householders for retrofits after they pay a small amount on the initial audit. All of these programs are also creating local jobs and expertise.

My question for the minister is: Will the long overdue energy plan include measures of this type for energy efficiency, as well as energy generation, and when will it be released?

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Minister of Environment and Conservation.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. JACKMAN: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Through our poverty reduction initiatives we have seen and we will see more unfold for low-income families.

Secondly, I would just like to inform the member that this Thursday past, I met with Elizabeth Weir of New Brunswick and spoke to her about the things they are doing and to see if we can engage in some of those types of initiatives, recognizing what she has pointed out across the country. This government is very proactive in addressing the needs of low-income families around energy efficiency. We will continue to do that, and across the government spectrum, we will continue to address the needs of low-income families.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the member has time for about a thirty-second question.

The hon. the Member for Signal Hill-Quidi Vidi.

MS MICHAEL: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I, too, met with Ms Weir and I am delighted that the minister did. So I am going to ask the minister then - I was very impressed with her: Will this government consider sitting up a similar corporation to the one they have set up in New Brunswick to really deal with energy efficiency?

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Minister of Environment and Conservation.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. JACKMAN: We are open to any suggestions, Mr. Speaker, and we will continue to work in that regard. Anything that we can bring forward to help people in low incomes, we certainly will do.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!

The time allotted for Question Period has expired.

Presenting Reports by Standing and Select Committees.

Tabling of Documents.

Notices of Motions.

Notices of Motion

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Opposition House Leader.

MR. PARSONS: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

You caught me off guard there. Unusual.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. PARSONS: Unusual, but you did.

I would like to give notice of a substantive motion, one of the motions concerning the Reynolds appointment. I move the following motion:

"Be it resolved that Mr. Paul Reynolds be appointed Chief Electoral Officer and Commissioner of Members' Interests only after it is verified that he meets the requirements for the appointment equivalent to a DRO under section 21 of the Elections Act."

I appreciate your comments earlier, Mr. Speaker, that you had to check out and see what the standard is, or the procedure should be, vis-B-vis section 55 and its application and so on, but I do understand there is no question of this being in order since it was the number one amendment that I put forward on the Reynolds motion, and as part of your decision you said even though it did not meet an amendment qualification it did meet the criteria in terms of a substantive motion.

Thank you.

MR. SPEAKER: Further Notices of Motions?

Answers to Questions for Which Notice has been Given.

Answers to Questions for Which Notice has been Given

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Minister of Health and Community Services.

MR. WISEMAN: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

In the House yesterday, and again last week, the Member for Signal Hill-Quidi Vidi was asking some questions around the number of child care spaces that our government has created. I said I would be very proud to table those results in the House. I have that report today. I do, indeed, stand very proud to be able to table this report that shows a significant growth in the number of spaces created, but also reflects a significant investment and growth in that investment since we formed government in 2003.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER: Further Answers to Questions for Which Notice has been Given?

Petitions.

Orders of the Day.

Orders of the Day

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Government House Leader.

MR. RIDEOUT: Mr. Speaker, motion 4, the first reading, I guess, pursuant to the motion of An Act To Amend The Income Tax Act, 2000.

MR. SPEAKER: Motion 4. It is moved and seconded that the hon. the Minister of Finance and President of Treasury Board shall have leave to introduce a bill entitled, An Act To Amend The Income Tax Act, 2000. (Bill 3)

Is it the pleasure of the House that the hon. Minister of Finance and President of Treasury Board shall have leave to introduce this bill?

All those in favour, ‘aye'.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Aye.

MR. SPEAKER: All those against, ‘nay'.

Carried.

Motion, the hon. the Minister of Finance and President of Treasury Board to introduce a bill, "An Act To Amend The Income Tax Act, 2000," carried. (Bill 3)

MR. SPEAKER: It is moved and seconded that Bill 3, An Act To Amend The Income Tax Act, 2000, be now read a first time.

All those in favour, ‘aye'.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Aye.

MR. SPEAKER: All those against, ‘nay'.

Carried.

CLERK: A bill, An Act To Amend The Income Tax Act, 2000. (Bill 3)

MR. SPEAKER: Bill 3, An Act To Amend The Income Tax Act, 2000 has now been read a first time.

When shall this bill be read a second time?

MR. RIDEOUT: Tomorrow.

MR. SPEAKER: On tomorrow.

On motion, Bill 3 read a first time, ordered read a second time on tomorrow.

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Government House Leader.

MR. RIDEOUT: Motion 5, Mr. Speaker, leave to introduce a bill, An Act To Amend The Retail Sales Tax Act And The Tax Agreement Act. (Bill 4)

MR. SPEAKER: It is moved and seconded that the Minister of Finance and President of Treasury Board shall have leave to introduce a bill entitled, An Act To Amend The Retail Sales Tax Act And The Tax Agreement Act. (Bill 4)

It is the pleasure of the House that the hon. the Minister of Finance and President of Treasury Board shall have leave to introduce said bill?

All those in favour, ‘aye'.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Aye.

MR. SPEAKER: All those against, ‘nay'.

Carried.

Motion, the hon. the Minister of Finance and President of Treasury Board to introduce a bill, "An Act To Amend The Retail Sales Tax Act And The Tax Agreement Act," carried. (Bill 4)

MR. SPEAKER: It is moved and seconded that Bill 4, An Act To Amend The Retail Sales Tax Act And The Tax Agreement Act, be now read a first time.

All those in favour, ‘aye'.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Aye.

MR. SPEAKER: All those against, ‘nay'.

Carried.

CLERK: A bill, An Act To Amend The Retail Sales Tax Act And The Tax Agreement Act. (Bill 4)

MR. SPEAKER: Bill 4, An Act To Amend The Retail Sales Tax Act And The Tax Agreement Act, has now been read a first time.

When shall this bill be read a second time?

MR. RIDEOUT: On tomorrow.

MR. SPEAKER: On tomorrow.

On motion, Bill 4 read a first time, ordered read a second time on tomorrow.

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Government House Leader.

MR. RIDEOUT: Mr. Speaker, Motion 6, that the Minister of Finance and President of Treasury Board ask leave to introduce a bill, An Act To Amend The Public Service Pensions Act, 1991. (Bill 5)

MR. SPEAKER: It is moved and seconded that the hon. the Minister of Finance and President of Treasury Board shall have leave to introduce a bill entitled, An Act To Amend The Public Service Pensions Act, 1991. (Bill 5)

Is it the pleasure of the House to adopt the motion that the Minister of Finance shall have leave to introduce said bill?

All those in favour, ‘aye'.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Aye.

MR. SPEAKER: All those against, ‘nay'.

Carried.

Motion, the hon. the Minister of Finance and President of Treasury Board to introduce a bill, "An Act To Amend The Public Service Pensions Act, 1991," carried. (Bill 5)

MR. SPEAKER: It is moved and seconded that Bill 5 be now read a first time.

It is the pleasure of the House to adopt the motion that Bill 5 be now read a first time?

All those in favour, ‘aye'.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Aye.

MR. SPEAKER: All those against, ‘nay'.

The motion is carried.

CLERK: A bill, An Act To Amend The Public Service Pensions Act, 1991. (Bill 5)

MR. SPEAKER: Bill 5 has now been read a first time.

When shall this bill be read a second time?

MR. RIDEOUT: On tomorrow.

MR. SPEAKER: On tomorrow.

On motion, Bill 5 read a first time, ordered read a second time on tomorrow.

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Government House Leader.

MR. RIDEOUT: Mr. Speaker, Motion 7, that the Minister of Finance and President of Treasury Board have leave to introduce a bill entitled, An Act To Amend The Income Tax Act, 2000 No. 2. (Bill 10)

MR. SPEAKER: It is moved and seconded that the hon. the Minister of Finance and President of Treasury Board shall have leave to introduce a bill entitled, An Act To Amend The Income Tax Act, 2000 No. 2. (Bill 10)

Is it the pleasure of the House that the Minister of Finance shall have leave to introduce said bill?

All those in favour, ‘aye'.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Aye.

MR. SPEAKER: All those against, ‘nay'.

Carried.

Motion, the hon. the Minister of Finance to introduce a bill, "An Act To Amend The Income Tax Act, 2000 No. 2," carried. (Bill 10)

MR. SPEAKER: It is moved and seconded that Bill 10 be now read a first time.

It is the pleasure of the House to adopt the motion that Bill 10 be now read a first time?

All those in favour, ‘aye'.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Aye.

MR. SPEAKER: All those against, ‘nay'.

Carried.

CLERK: A bill, An Act To Amend The Income Tax Act, 2000 No. 2. (Bill 10)

MR. SPEAKER: Bill 10, An Act To Amend The Income Tax Act, 2000 No. 2, has now been read a first time.

When shall this bill be read a second time?

MR. RIDEOUT: On tomorrow.

MR. SPEAKER: On tomorrow.

On motion, Bill 10 read a first time, ordered read a second time on tomorrow.

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Government House Leader.

MR. RIDEOUT: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Motion 8, that the Minister of Justice have leave to introduce a bill entitled, An Act Respecting Safer Communities And Neighbourhoods. (Bill 9)

MR. SPEAKER: It is moved and seconded that the hon. the Minister of Justice shall have leave to introduce a bill entitled, An Act Respecting Safer Communities And Neighbourhoods. (Bill 9)

Is it the pleasure of the House to adopt the motion that the Minister of Justice shall have leave to introduce said bill?

All those in favour, ‘aye'.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Aye.

MR. SPEAKER: All those against, ‘nay'.

The motion is carried.

Motion, the hon. the Minister of Justice to introduce a bill, "An Act Respecting Safer Communities And Neighbourhoods," carried. (Bill 9)

MR. SPEAKER: It is moved and seconded that Bill 9 be now read a first time.

Is it the pleasure of the House to adopt the motion that Bill 9 be now read a first time?

All those in favour, ‘aye'.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Aye.

MR. SPEAKER: All those against, ‘nay'.

The motion is carried.

CLERK: A bill, An Act Respecting Safer Communities And Neighbourhoods. (Bill 9)

MR. SPEAKER: Bill 9, An Act Respecting Safer Communities And Neighbourhoods, has now been read a first time.

When shall this bill be read a second time?

MR. RIDEOUT: On tomorrow.

MR. SPEAKER: On tomorrow.

On motion, Bill 9 read a first time, ordered read a second time on tomorrow.

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Government House Leader.

MR. RIDEOUT: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Motion 9, that the Minister of Government Services have leave to introduce a bill entitled, An Act To Repeal The Certified Public Accountants Act And The Chartered Accountants And Certified Public Accountants Merger Act. (Bill 7)

MR. SPEAKER: It is moved and seconded that the hon. the Minister of Government Services shall have leave to introduce a bill entitled, An Act To Repeal The Certified Public Accountants Act And The Chartered Accountants And Certified Public Accountants Merger Act. (Bill 7)

Is it the pleasure of the House that the hon. the minister shall have leave to introduce said bill?

All those in favour, ‘aye'.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Aye.

MR. SPEAKER: All those against, ‘nay'.

Carried.

Motion, the hon. the Minister of Government Services to introduce a bill, "An Act To Repeal The Certified Public Accountants Act And The Chartered Accountants And Certified Public Accountants Merger Act," carried. (Bill 7)

MR. SPEAKER: It is moved and seconded that Bill 7 now be read a first time.

Is it the pleasure of the House to adopt the motion that Bill 7 be read a first time?

All those in favour, ‘aye'.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Aye.

MR. SPEAKER: All those against, ‘nay'.

Carried.

CLERK: A bill, An Act To Repeal The Certified Public Accountants Act And The Chartered Accountants And Certified Public Accountants Merger Act. (Bill 7)

MR. SPEAKER: Bill 7, An Act To Repeal The Certified Public Accountants Act And The Chartered Accountants And Certified Public Accountants Merger Act, has now been read a first time.

When shall this bill be read a second time?

MR. RIDEOUT: On tomorrow.

MR. SPEAKER: On tomorrow.

On motion, Bill 7 read a first time, ordered read a second time on tomorrow.

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Government House Leader.

MR. RIDEOUT: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Motion 10, that the Minister of Government Services have leave to introduce a bill entitled, An Act Respecting The Transfer Of Securities. (Bill 12)

MR. SPEAKER: It is moved and seconded that the hon. the Minister of Government Services shall have leave to introduce a bill entitled, An Act Respecting The Transfer Of Securities. (Bill 12)

Is it the pleasure of the House to adopt the motion that the hon. the Minister of Government Services shall have leave to introduce said bill?

All those in favour, ‘aye'.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Aye.

MR. SPEAKER: All those against, ‘nay'.

Carried.

Motion, the hon. the Minister of Government Services to introduce a bill, "An Act Respecting The Transfer Of Securities," carried. (Bill 12)

MR. SPEAKER: It is moved and seconded that Bill 12 be now read the first time.

Is it the pleasure of the House to adopt the motion that Bill 12 be read a first time?

All those in favour, ‘aye'.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Aye.

MR. SPEAKER: All those against, ‘nay'.

Carried.

CLERK: A bill, An Act Respecting The Transfer Of Securities. (Bill 12)

MR. SPEAKER: Bill 12, An Act Respecting The Transfer Of Securities, has now been read a first time.

When shall the said bill be read a second time?

MR. RIDEOUT: Tomorrow.

MR. SPEAKER: On tomorrow.

On motion, Bill 12 read a first time, ordered read a second time on tomorrow.

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Government House Leader.

MR. RIDEOUT: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Motion 11, that the Minister of Justice have leave to introduce a bill entitled, An Act To Amend The Human Rights Code. (Bill 8)

MR. SPEAKER: It is moved and seconded that the hon. the Minister of Justice shall have leave to introduce a bill entitled, An Act To Amend The Human Rights Code. (Bill 8)

Is it the pleasure of the House that the hon. the Minister of Justice shall have leave to introduce said bill?

All those in favour, ‘aye'.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Aye.

MR. SPEAKER: All those against, ‘nay'.

The motion is carried.

Motion, the hon. the Minister of Justice to introduce a bill, "An Act To Amend The Human Rights Code," carried. (Bill 8)

MR. SPEAKER: It is moved and seconded that Bill 8 be now read a first time.

Is it the pleasure of the House to adopt the motion that Bill 8 be read a first time?

All those in favour, ‘aye'.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Aye.

MR. SPEAKER: All those against, ‘nay'.

The motion is carried.

CLERK: A bill, An Act To Amend The Human Rights Code. (Bill 8)

MR. SPEAKER: Bill 8, An Act To Amend The Human Rights Code, has now been read a first time.

When shall the said bill be read a second time?

MR. RIDEOUT: Tomorrow.

MR. SPEAKER: On tomorrow.

On motion, Bill 8 read a first time, ordered read a second time on tomorrow.

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Government House Leader.

MR. RIDEOUT: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Motion 12, where I seek leave to introduce a bill entitled, An Act To Amend The Internal Economy Commission Act. (Bill 11)

MR. SPEAKER: It is moved and seconded that the hon. the Government House Leader shall have leave to introduce a bill entitled, An Act To Amend The Internal Economy Commission Act. (Bill 11)

Is it the pleasure of the House to adopt the motion that the hon. the Government House Leader shall have leave to introduce said bill?

All those in favour, ‘aye'.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Aye.

MR. SPEAKER: All those against, ‘nay'.

The motion is carried.

Motion, the hon. the Government House Leader to introduce a bill, "An Act To Amend The Internal Economy Commission Act," carried. (Bill 11)

MR. SPEAKER: It is moved and seconded that Bill 11 be now read a first time.

Is it the pleasure of the House to adopt the motion that Bill 11 be read a first time?

All those in favour, ‘aye'.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Aye.

MR. SPEAKER: All those against, ‘nay'.

The motion is carried.

CLERK: A bill, An Act To Amend The Internal Economy Commission Act. (Bill 11)

MR. SPEAKER: Bill 11, An Act To Amend The Internal Economy Commission Act, has now been read a first time.

When shall this bill be read a second time?

MR. RIDEOUT: Tomorrow, Mr. Speaker.

MR. SPEAKER: On tomorrow.

On motion, Bill 11 read a first time, ordered read a second time on tomorrow.

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Government House Leader.

MR. RIDEOUT: Mr. Speaker, Motion 1, resuming the Budget debate.

MR. SPEAKER: Motion 1 is that this House approves in general the budgetary policy of the government.

I do believe, by rotation, the Chair recognizes the hon. the Member for Port au Port.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. CORNECT: Mr. Speaker, I am very honoured and privileged to speak on this Budget: touted as the greatest Budget for everyone in the history of the Province.

Monsieur le Président, laissez-moi d'abord, je vous prie, remercier les gens de la merveilleuse circonscription de Port au Port qui m'ont investi de leur confiance en me permettant de les représenter B la Chambre d'assemblée.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. CORNECT: First, let me thank the people of the great District of Port au Port who have placed their trust and confidence in me to represent them in the House of Assembly.

I also want to thank my campaign workers for their support, commitment and hard work. I thank my family, relatives and friends for their support. To the Premier and caucus members, thank you for your encouragement and your endorsement. To my wife Stacey and son Marcus, thank you for your patience, understanding and love.

I also want to congratulate the hon. members for the Districts of Kilbride, Ferryland, Labrador West and Humber Valley for their victories and the right to represent the people of their districts in this honoured institution.

Mr. Speaker, the District of Port au Port is rich in history and culture. We are a very proud and friendly people. In the Stephenville, Kippens, Port au Port areas, we have an active French, Acadian and Mi'kmaq culture. Our people, like the pitcher plant, are a resilient people. We have endured the weathering storms and now are alive and well, and we are very proud of our heritage and our history.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. CORNECT: The district can boast to have the only bilingual municipality in the Province. We have come a long way in securing our future in this Province and country. Encore une fois merci au premier ministre et le gouvernement pour votre support avec les célébrations de la 400e anniversaire de notre présence B Terre-Neuve et Labrador.

Mr. Speaker, in 2003, our government was elected in a time of great challenge to chart a course for economic prosperity in our Province.

Since initiating our eight year blueprint for the Province, we are now on the journey to self-reliance.

This Budget spends wisely and carefully public money while making major impacts on the social and economic climate in this Province.

Mr. Speaker, we are investing in our people. This government and our Premier have always said that our greatest resource is our people. This is why, Mr. Speaker, this Budget invests for a healthy climate, infrastructure, resource development, and new strengths through innovation.

With our vision and action, our people will be able to avail of the skills to seize the opportunities that lie ahead.

Mr. Speaker, with careful and prudent investments, with decisive and strategic spending and with an open and honest dialogue with our stakeholders, we will become masters of our own house.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. CORNECT: I am especially happy to be part of a government that has spent, invested and well planned and still record a $76 million surplus and reduced net debt by $70 million in this Province.

Monsieur le Président,

Ce budget est tenu pour celui qui comporte les plus importantes réductions d'impôts de l'histoire de la province. Les Terre-Neuviens et les Labradoriens bénéficieront de diminutions de l'impôt sur le revenu des particuliers qui leur feront réaliser des économies. Dans ma circonscription de Port au Port, les gens en sont heureux. Ils me disent que grâ ce B ce budget ils auront de l'argent dans leurs poches.

Mr. Speaker, this Budget is regarded as a budget with the largest tax reduction in the history of the Province. Newfoundlanders and Labradorians, through decreases in the personal income tax, will be saving money. In my district alone, Mr. Speaker, in the district of Port au Port, people are very happy. They are telling me that this Budget will put money in their pockets.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. CORNECT: As fortunes continue to grow, Mr. Speaker, the healthier and greener our environment will be.

Again, Newfoundlanders and Labradorians are a buzz with the reduction or elimination of over 170 fees. This government knows full well the impact that these savings will have and we are prepared to continue working with others to realign the remaining fees.

Mr. Speaker, we all know that having more money in our pockets is just not good enough. People in the Province have been asking for improvements to health care and we have delivered.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. CORNECT: For the past three years, our government continued the increase for the provincial drug program, adding new therapies while expanding the number of people covered through a new low-income drug program. Enhancement to the Newfoundland and Labrador Prescription Drug Program will make drugs more affordable and cover more new drug therapies.

Mr. Speaker, this government is investing $1.4 million to provide children under eighteen diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes with insulin pumps and supplies.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. CORNECT: We are also expanding dental health services for children between the ages of thirteen and seventeen by offering dental coverage for children in low-income families.

Investments to telehealth services, Kids Eat Smart Program and the launching of a Recreations and Sport Strategy and Action Plan to name some of the great initiatives and investment in personal health.

Mr. Speaker, one initiative very important and very well received in my district is the investment of a CT scanner or CAT scan machine for Sir Thomas Roddick Hospital in Stephenville.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. CORNECT: Again, Mr. Speaker, it demonstrates government's commitment to rural Newfoundland and Labrador, and in particular, the Stephenville-Port au Port-Bay St. George areas.

L'engagement de notre gouvernement envers l'éducation depuis 2003 est remarquable. Monsieur le Président, pour la premiPre fois dans l'histoire de notre province, l'investissement dans l'éducation B Terre-Neuve-et-Labrador a maintenant dépassé le milliard de dollars. Merci Monsieur le premier ministre et merci Madame la ministre.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. CORNECT: Our government's commitment to education has been tremendous since 2003. Mr. Speaker, investment in education alone in the Province has now exceeded $1 billion for the first time in the history of our Province.

Thank you, Mr. Premier! Thank you, Madam Minister!

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. CORNECT: We will see investments in new school constructions, maintenance and repairs, additional information technology support specialists, computer software and funding for provincial libraries, and we are only now on the roll.

Mr. Speaker, although student enrollment is on the decline, our government is committed to retaining 137 teaching positions in the system, and in fact, creating an additional thirteen positions.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. CORNECT: This will certainly benefit rural schools in the Province.

Mr. Speaker, to ensure that all students in the Province are on the same level and to alleviate financial burdens, our government and our minister again, will extend the provision of free textbooks in core courses to include all students from Kindergarten to Grade 12 in this Province.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. CORNECT: We are enhancing the curriculum to include Cultural Connections Strategy, Futures in Skilled Trades and Technology programs, extension to the Physical Education Equipment program for K to 6 and a commitment for a review of the Grades 7 to 9 programs.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. CORNECT: Mr. Speaker, what a Budget for post-secondary students again this year. The tuition freeze is maintained at Memorial University of Newfoundland and the College of the North Atlantic. This government is implementing an upfront, needs-based grant to offset student's borrowing costs and, Mr. Speaker, the interest rate charged on provincial student loan debts will be decreased to prime.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. CORNECT: Mr. Speaker, since taking office and come April 2008, minimum wage in this Province will be $8 an hour. This government is committed to review the minimum wage in consultation with stakeholders, and this will be concluded by early 2008 - next year, Mr. Speaker.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. CORNECT: These are huge gains, as it was about $6 in 2003. It is forecasted, Mr. Speaker, that employment will increase by 1.2 per cent and the unemployment rate will decline, again.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. CORNECT: Last year, our government invested over $60 million in road work initiatives and again this year the Provincial Roads Improvement Program will increase to $66.5 million.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. CORNECT: I am proud and happy to announce that my district will see an investment of $1 million for the paving of roads in Cape St. George, Port au Port West and Port au Port East. We will see road cut-overs improved and road protection in Fox Island River.

Mr. Speaker, the impact of this budget will be great for every Newfoundlander and Labradorian and I can tell you that the policies and investments of our government has been very positive for the residents of the District of Port au Port.

Monsieur le Président, Les gens de ma circonscription et de la Province savent trPs bien dans quelle voie s'engagent notre premier ministre et ce gouvernement et ils partagent notre vision et appuient nos actions. Monsieur le Président, nous serons maîtres chez nous.

Mr. Speaker, the people of my district and this Province know full well the course of our Premier and this government is charting and they share our vision and endorse our actions. Mr. Speaker, we will be masters of our own house.

Merci. Thank you. Way La Lin.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Member for Bay of Islands.

MR. JOYCE: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Oh, oh!

MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!

I am sure that all members, as we always do here, want to offer congratulations to the hon. member on his first introductory speech; however, we do wish to proceed with the proceedings of the House.

The Chair recognizes the hon. the Member for Bay of Islands.

MR. JOYCE: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I congratulate the Member for Port au Port on his maiden speech. It is always exciting to hear someone on their maiden speech here in the House of Assembly. I guess I can say that it was nice to hear; but, Mr. Speaker, now that his maiden speech is over, as we say, he is fair game in everything that he is after saying.

My thing is, it is too bad we did not hear his mouth going so big when they closed down the mill out in Stephenville with 300 workers out of work.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Oh, oh!

MR. JOYCE: It is too bad, Mr. Speaker, he wasn't up touting the government then, 900 jobs gone, Mr. Speaker, 900 jobs.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Oh, oh!

MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!

The Chair asks that the House give the Member for Bay of Islands the courtesy of being able to speak without undue interruption.

The Chair recognizes the hon. the member.

MR. JOYCE: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I know the truth always hurts.

The Member for Port au Port, a great job, a good speech. Welcome into the House of Assembly, and welcome to your first speech.

Mr. Speaker, we have a Budget here in front of us, and there are some good things in the Budget. There is absolutely no doubt there are good things in the Budget.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. JOYCE: I have always said that you always give credit where credit it due, and I will be the first person - I know there are members opposite who know I have always given credit where credit it due. I always work with the government to improve the lives of the people of Bay of Islands, and I will not stop now.

MR. DENINE: Will you vote for the Budget?

MR. JOYCE: Mr. Speaker, the Member for Mount Pearl is saying: Will you vote for the Budget?

I ask the member: How can I vote for something that is putting $15 million in one of the Premier's friends pocket? Tell me, how?

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Oh, oh!

MR. JOYCE: Untendered.

The Group Telecom, once you look at the Group Telecom, the exact same thing was done then. Before the deal was even signed they had it sold, they had an agreement to sell the company, not one job kept in Newfoundland and Labrador. Why don't you look at the history of it?

AN HON. MEMBER: Say something positive (inaudible).

MR. JOYCE: I will say positive things, if you want to keep on heckling and have no idea what you are talking about, just like a little puppet over there, told to hit your hands. That is fine, you just sit down.

Mr. Speaker, I know you want to be fair, and I know you usually ask people if they could give you the courtesy of speaking, so I ask that you give me the same courtesy as you ask us to give the people opposite.

MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!

MR. JOYCE: We have a major Budget here, and the increased spending with it all, but the question is: How are you going to sustain this? How are you going to sustain the high level of spending that you are giving? How are you going to sustain it?

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Oh, oh!

MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!

The Chair's attention is drawn to members to his left. Some members are interfering with the hon. member, in his presentation, and the Chair asks hon. members for their co-operation. Every member has a right to speak in the House and not to be interfered with unduly.

The Chair recognizes the hon. the Member for Bay of Islands.

MR. JOYCE: Mr. Speaker, I just remind you, as the Speaker, that this is the fourth time I have been interrupted and you have had to stand, so I ask that you start carrying out your duties by starting to name people if I have to stand again.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Oh, oh!

MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!

The Chair will handle all manners as they occur. Therefore, the Chair has recognized the hon. the member and I ask him to go ahead with his speech.

MR. JOYCE: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Interrupted again.

Mr. Speaker, my question is: How are you going to sustain this? If you keep looking at the projects that bring us to this level with our revenues - look at Hibernia, White Rose, Terra Nova - all initiatives set out by the former Liberal government.

I remember Voisey's Bay, the big discussion on Voisey's Bay, when the people opposite were over this way. One of the deals they committed to do was to cancel Voisey's Bay as soon as they get in, that they were going to cancel Voisey's Bay. In the Premier's statement - we have it in Hansard - you could drive a Mack truck through it. As one of my colleagues said: The only Mack truck that is driving through this is the one bringing the money down to the Treasury here in St. John's - $300 million in minerals. Three hundred million dollars.

Look at the Voisey's Bay newsletter that was sent out, the demonstration plant - done. They are in the process now of setting up their smelter here. Name for me one step along the way that Voisey's Bay Nickel did not do as they committed in the deal. How come the members opposite, when they were over here, were going to cancel the project - cancel it, drive Mack trucks through it?

The question is: How are you going to sustain? Now, we just heard from the Member for Port au Port and the Member for Stephenville East. When the Premier was out there during the election: This will not close under my watch - to the mill out in Stephenville - this will not close under my watch. Did you hear any words from him since?

The Premier also went out and he met with the executive out in Stephenville. He said to the members of the executive in Stephenville: I will expropriate the assets of the mill for the Town of Stephenville for this region. He told the executives; they have it in their minutes. There were eleven people present, and here is the Premier, once again, commitments made, going up to the federal government - if you want to talk about the Budget - going up to the federal government talking about: you have made a promise, you have to keep your promise.

Here we are, people on the opposite side now in government, how come Voisey's Bay is not cancelled? How are you going to sustain the high levels? How are you going to sustain it? By driving every company, every business possible, driving them out? You cannot sustain it because you do not have the ability to negotiate and create projects here in Newfoundland and Labrador.

In this Budget here we have $15 million for fibre optics, just like the Group Telecom deal. I can assure you, I will show you documents, it was in Discovery up in Toronto where it was admitted by Dean MacDonald, in Toronto, that before this deal to sell the assets, before it was done, that they had to sign the telephone contract with the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador and they had to come back and sell it.

I asked the media and I asked every member opposite, ask any member in Cabinet here, when they split that contract to keep it for Newfoundland and Labrador companies, to create jobs here in Newfoundland and Labrador, were any of them - any of them - ever told that the Premier and Dean MacDonald were up there and they had that contract already sold up in Ontario?

Not one of them knew it, that the deal was done, not one of them.

AN HON. MEMBER: Talk about (inaudible).

MR. JOYCE: So, you want to talk about the $15 million? Because it is in the Budget. I say to the Member for Mount Pearl, it is in the Budget.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Oh, oh!

MR. JOYCE: Mr. Speaker, you have to exercise your right. This is the fourth time, or the fifth time, that I have been interrupted.

So, you want to talk about what is in the Budget. We have the Group Telecom. We hear the minister today, that we set out a bunch of guidelines for Persona for this fibre optics. The minister said it himself here today. He said it himself, that we set out a bunch of guidelines, and before we finalize the final deal they have to meet a bunch of criteria.

So, here they are selling their company, part of the $15 million contract, which again is going to be about a $200 million contract if they ever go through rural Newfoundland and Labrador, if they ever do. Here is Group Telecom, here it is, Persona, just like the Group Telecom deal, before it is even signed on the dotted line, got the company sold. DéjB vu all over.

Before this government, as the minister said today -

PREMIER WILLIAMS: Yogi Bear over there.

MR. JOYCE: The Premier is singing out Yogi Bear. At least, Premier, if you want to spend some more of your foundation money during the next election like you did the last election, you go right ahead, Mr. Premier.

MR. SPEAKER (Fitzgerald): Order, please!

MR. JOYCE: You go right ahead during the election. You go right ahead and spend some more of your foundation money during this election like you did the last election.

When you want to stand up here and you want to criticize me, let's put all the facts on the table, I say to the Premier and I say to the Government House Leader. You go right ahead. If you want to talk about the Budget and things going on with the election, let's talk about it. Let's talk about it. The Premier stood in this House and said there was no money spent and no money committed from his foundation during the last election. Do you want to talk about it? Let's talk about it. I have no problem with it. Absolutely, no problem with it.

If the Budget is so good and the economy is so good in the Province of Newfoundland and Labrador, if it is all so good, why were 9,000 people lined up at one job fair? Everything is so rosy, the big rosy outlook. Everything is going just fine. Everything is doing fine; 9,000 at one job fair; 7,000 people at another job fair. At the next job fair there were 4,000, and the most condescending statement that was made -

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Oh, oh!

MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!

The Chair is having great difficulty in hearing the Member for the Bay of Islands deliver his speech here. I ask members to my left if they would be kind enough to show co-operation and allow the member to speak. Every member will be recognized who wants to stand here and be identified by the Chair and have a chance to talk about whatever it is that is called in Orders of the Day. Right now the Member for the Bay of Islands has been recognized. I ask members for their co-operation.

The hon. the Member for the Bay of Islands.

MR. JOYCE: Mr. Speaker, that is the fifth time that the Speaker had to stand, so it is time to take action. If you are going to be fair about it, it is time to take action. That is the fifth time, Mr. Speaker.

MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!

MR. JOYCE: The most condescending statement that was made was by the Premier when he was up in Fort McMurray. He said they are like homing pigeons. Can you imagine a Premier of this Province saying that the residents away are like homing pigeons? It may take ten or fifteen years but they will find their way home. What a statement to make, a Premier of a Province, when you are down here touting how everything is all good, everything is all fine. What a statement to make, that we are all like homing pigeons; that we are going to come home.

If you want to make a statement that Newfoundlanders and Labradorians are like homing pigeons, that they are going to come home in ten or fifteen years, and then you get every member opposite saying how everything is so good in Newfoundland and Labrador; how everything is so rosy; how everything is so sweet; everything is just fine; what a wonderful budget; everything is going great. Yet, we have the Premier out saying that in ten or fifteen years time we may be able to bring the people back home, they may be homing pigeons, they may find their own way home. So, you cannot have it both ways. You cannot have the Premier out in Alberta saying one thing and have the members saying another thing here in Newfoundland and Labrador. You have to speak the way it is. If things are not going good, fine. If things are going good, let's speak it. Let's speak the way it is. Like I said earlier, there are good things in this Budget. I will be the first to admit it. There are things - I commented on ministers with positive things in their budgets.

Mr. Speaker, once again we see the Member for Mount Pearl who will not stand on his feet but he always - I ask you again, Mr. Speaker, to honour your duty as Speaker of the House. I ask you, Mr. Speaker, once again.

Mr. Speaker, look at the projects. Hebron Ben Nevis, what happened there? They are gone south, as if now they are going to come back on bended knee to the Premier of this Province. Any time you bring any comment up about it: Oh, we are selling out Newfoundland and Labrador. We are not allowed to go ahead - we are not allowed to talk about it. We are not allowed to speak about it. We are not allowed to say one word about it. We are selling out Newfoundland and Labrador.

Can I guarantee you will get a deal if you are sitting down with the government of this day? No. Can I guarantee you are going to get a great deal? No. But I can guarantee you one thing, here is one thing I can guarantee you. If you do not sit down and negotiate there will never, ever be a deal. One of the things you have to do, if you are going to work on any project, you have to sit down and negotiate. At the end of the day, if you do not come up with a deal, a proper deal, that is fine but I can guarantee you, if you are not sitting down face to face and trying to work something out, there will never be a deal. You can stand up and beat your chest and say no giveaways, while all of our youth are moving away.

A big trend is happening here now, Mr. Speaker, in Newfoundland and Labrador. It is not only our youth moving away, we are getting our grandparents moving away because their kids and grand kids are out west. That is the phenomenon that is moving in rural Newfoundland and Labrador. That is the saddest part of it all. Here are grandparents who hopefully keep their kids home - if they cannot do that, that is fine, we all understand that. There are people going to move for different reasons, no problem with that, but now the grandparents are starting to move away. That, again, is an erosion from rural Newfoundland and Labrador.

I look at the Stephenville Mill. Once again, the Stephenville Mill is a prime example of how this government here had everything under control when they were in Opposition; never going to close under my watch. My personal guarantee. The Premier made his guarantee. How many members opposite stood up against the Premier and said, fulfill your commitment? How many? Not one. Not one member opposite stood up and said, Premier, you made a commitment out there, stick to it. Not one! How many members opposite stood up to the Premier when he went out and met with the union executive - and the Member for Port au Port and go ask and see the minutes of the meetings - when the Premier made a personal commitment to the union executive: I will expropriate the mill assets for the Town of Stephenville and for the Port au Port Peninsula? When he didn't do it, how many members opposite stood up against the Premier? Not one.

I just want to let the residents of the towns and the town councils know - we hear of Stephenville doing so well. I mean, sure Stephenville got some jobs brought in from government and got other things. There are about twenty-three or twenty-five businesses after being shut down. Last year they gave a one-shot deal; not a problem, a one-shot deal. Six hundred thousand dollars they gave in a grant for the taxes to the Town of Stephenville; $600,000. Fine, the mill shut down, they had the flood; not a problem. Guess what, Mr. Speaker? Again this year the town has put in a deficit of $600,000, and the minister himself said they are in negotiations as to how much they are going to give them. That is how good they are doing.

When the members opposite get up, oh, Stephenville is doing great, it has rebounded - how many towns in this Province, as we speak right now, are even allowed to put in a deficit budget? How many are allowed? Ask the mayor in Marystown. Because your revenues are low, because there is no work in Marystown, are you allowed to put in a deficit budget and ask the government to bail you out? Ask Harbour Breton. Did you know that the Town of Stephenville got $600,000 last year? That is fine, a one-shot deal, a lot of circumstances there. This year they are putting in another $600,000. Did the mayor of Harbour Breton know that, I wonder. How about Fortune? How about the rest of the rural communities in Newfoundland and Labrador?

When you talk about how great the Port au Port Peninsula is doing, fine. It is going to take time, but at least say it the way it is. When you are getting a town with a $600,000 deficit coming back, considering how much of that $600,000 - I mean, they can't be doing that well there if they have a $600,000 deficit. They just can't be. When the Premier is out now saying, oh, the Port au Port Peninsula is fine, and the Member for Port au Port saying, oh, everything is fine out there, everything is rosy, let's not forget the $600,000 deficit they are putting in; in the minister's own words, that they are out negotiating.

Look at FPI, another prime example, FPI here in this Province again, and the minister himself knows that they can force FPI to do a lot of things, but do you know what? They are not doing it. The destruction of rural Newfoundland and Labrador.

Even, Mr. Speaker, you yourself, is the new crab plant being built down in Bonavista this year that was committed to under the Income Trust? I bet you there is no tractor tearing up any ground down there. That was a commitment that was made to this Legislature. There is no new crab plant being built down there. You know it, I know it, and again this government is just letting....

So, is everything rosy in Newfoundland and Labrador? Of course not, so don't stand up and say this is the best Budget going, rural Newfoundland is doing well, and Newfoundlanders and Labradorians are doing just great. Why is out-migration the highest ever? Why? Just tell me, why? This is the problem that you run into. If you do not realize that there are major problems....

We went to the Estimates last night with the Minister of Business. The Minister of Business went through the Estimates last night. I have to give the minister credit; he was forthright in his answers and we had a great conversation back and forth with it. The Premier set this up four years ago, in 2003; that was his little baby. He is after spending, what? Millions upon millions of dollars in this department.

I asked the minister last night: Name for me one job that the Business Department created in Newfoundland and Labrador. Do you know what he told me? I said: Name me one job, one business. Do you know what he told me? Can't do it. That is what the Minister of Business said last night. Millions and millions and millions of dollars after being spent in this department, the Premier's own little baby - that is the one the Premier was going to set up - the Business Department, and I asked him, point blank: Name me one job. He couldn't do it.

Then I turned around and tried to give him a little way out - because, you know, at times we do get along pretty good, so I tried to give him a way out, to save a bit of face - I said: Name me one business that you helped in the grant subsidy loan somehow through your Minister of Business for the last year. Do you know what he said? Not one. In Hansard: Not one.

So, here we have the Minister of Business admitting last night in the Estimates that his department never created -

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Oh, oh!

MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!

MR. JOYCE: He admitted last night that his department - the Minister of Business has been on the go now for four years - never created one job.

So you wonder why people think that things are not rosy, and it is too bad we don't jump up and down like the members opposite, when you are handed a script; go read a script now and take it easy.

I remember the Member for Terra Nova. I don't know if he remembers when he got on Open Line about Rogers Grimes and the Minister of Transportation and Works about the suing case, and Bill Rowe said to the Minister of Transportation: What did he say? Oh, I don't know. Well, you are saying that what he said was wrong; what did he say? Oh, I don't know what he said. Well, you have to know what he said if you are saying that you don't agree with it.

So, the same thing happened. Someone takes a script -

MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!

I remind the hon. Member for Bay of Islands that his speaking time has lapsed.

MR. JOYCE: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I am sure I will have lots of opportunities to put out the points that this government missed during this Budget.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!

The hon. the Member for Topsail.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MS E. MARSHALL: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Before I get into my discussion on our wonderful Budget, I would like to congratulate our Member for Port au Port on his maiden speech. He did a fine job, Mr. Speaker.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MS E. MARSHALL: Mr. Speaker, I would like to start off talking about the Budget and the area that I am receiving the most comments on from constituents in my district, and that is the area of tax cuts. Everybody is very, very pleased with the tax cuts, and I think that is because it is probably the highest or the largest amount of tax cuts that we have experienced in the history of this Province.

We all know, Mr. Speaker, that we have a very high level of personal taxation, and these changes that were made in th Budget actually change us from the highest personal tax structure in Atlantic Canada - that is where we were, at the highest - and it is now going to make us the lowest in Atlantic Canada, so that is good news for the residents of Newfoundland and Labrador.

Mr. Speaker, this government was very progressive in that they effectively reduced the taxes for the three tax brackets in the Province, so it really did not matter what your income earnings were, that you will feel the impact of these tax reductions.

The other thing that this government did was that they eliminated the surtax on middle and high income earners. That, Mr. Speaker, I feel, was a very progressive step; because one of the things that this government would like to see is that high income earners, we do not want them moving away from this Province. We want them to stay in the Province, pay taxes in the Province, and support the programs in this Province of Newfoundland and Labrador.

One of the other things that the Budget did was index the personal income tax system, and that also was a very progressive step. Even though the tax rates are still high when you look at other provinces in Canada - like, we all know that Ontario, Alberta and British Columbia have lower tax rates and people are attracted to move there - we are moving in the right direction. I can't even say these are small steps, because really this was a big step in the history of this Province.

The other thing that the tax cuts did was, the low income tax reduction threshold has been increased so that low income earners again are feeling the benefits of the tax cut. These tax cuts will become effective January 1, 2007.

Mr. Speaker, I have heard quite a few commentaries now on the Budget, especially as it relates to the tax cuts. There have been quite a few people on the airwaves and also in The Telegram giving the government very positive reviews on this aspect of the tax.

Again, I would like to congratulate the Minister of Finance for implementing the largest tax cut in the history of the Province. As I say, we were the highest taxes in Atlantic Canada; we are now the lowest. Of course, this comes at a cost to the government. This year it will be $111 million, but when it is annualized it will be $160 million, so effectively there is $160 million going back into the pockets of the residents of Newfoundland and Labrador. That is a very positive thing.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to move on now. I am going to touch on a couple of departments and some of their budget initiatives which I think are really good initiatives. The first department I would like to talk about is the Department of Health. That department now has a budget of over $2 billion. One of the things that I would like to comment on is the new diagnostic and capital equipment that was approved in the Budget. There is over $22 million that has been approved for that. Of course, the objective is to improve wait times.

I would like to comment that there was a press release that was issued by the Minister of Health a couple of days ago. We spend extra money on health care, and we can spend money, but I think, as my mother used to day, the proof is in the pudding. We wonder, what impact are these extra expenditures having in the Province? I would like to say that wait times - for example, we spent a lot of money on diagnostic equipment in the past couple of years - wait times are gradually being improved.

As I said, the Minister of Health and Community Services did issue a press release - actually, it was on May 1 - and what it says is that there are straight A's for Newfoundland and Labrador in wait times report. That goes to show that this Province is now on the leading edge of improving our wait times. What the press release says is that Newfoundland and Labrador received an A grade, according to the report card released by the Wait Time Alliance for Timely Access to Health Care. Apparently, the progress report assesses the progress of provincial and territorial governments in achieving wait time benchmarks. It did give the Province an A grade, but I would like to go on and mention something else that was in the press release that maybe some people may have missed. That is, that the report card also recognizes Newfoundland and Labrador as one of only three provinces to report trends in wait times by procedures, and one of the few provinces to consistently report performance on a quarterly basis in terms of the percent of patients treated within the benchmark.

Mr. Speaker, not only are we making the A grade, but actually we are doing a little bit better than that. Of course, now with this additional investment of over $22 million, we will see further improvement. So, I am sure the minister will be keeping us informed. Possibly next year there will be another press release as to how we are doing.

The other area in the Department of Health that I am very interested in, Mr. Speaker, and probably because I worked in the old Department of Social Services and at one point in time that department was responsible for child protection and youth services. There has been quite a significant amount of extra money put into that area this year. It is now in the Department of Health and Community Services, but there is $6.5 million being put in this year for that program, Child, Youth and Family Services. Annualized, there is going to be an addition of $9 million. This additional investment was put into the department because over the last year or so the department has had a number of reviews done which has recommended that additional investments be put into this area.

The three reports, specifically - I will just list them off. Two of the three I have read. The third one, I will confess that I have not read, but I am interested in reading and will make an effort to do so. The Minister's Advisory Committee on the Child, Youth and Family Services Act. There was a new act brought in a number of years ago and it required that there be this review after so many years. Of course, that review has now been offered. The report was released, I believe it might have even been released last summer. It makes recommendations as to improvements that can be made in that area. Of course, we are all familiar with the Turner review and recommendations that came from that review. The third review was the Organizational and Operational Review. Really, what has happened is that these three reviews which have taken place over the last one or two years, that the minister has now used this to determine what direction the department should go in.

Mr. Speaker, that $6.5 million; some of the areas that are going to see improvements as a result of that investment. There is going to be a significant number of new social workers. Also, a behaviour management specialist; also support workers. I know from being in that department a number of years ago, and more recently around 2003, that area is definitely in need of new investments in staff. I see that is quite a progressive step with regard to the Department of Health and Community Services.

The other thing that is included in that $6.5 million, Mr. Speaker, are things like training and professional development. There is no point in hiring 100 additional staff if you are not going to train them and provide for continuing development.

Mr. Speaker, one of the other areas that I would like to speak to in the Department of Health, and I know the Minister of Health and Community Services did rise in the House earlier today and speak to the fact that it is Mental Health Week. There are a few areas in the Budget that I would like to speak to, but before I do, I would like to say that there was a commentary or an editorial in The Telegram on Saturday referring to the Executive Director of the Mental Health Association and referencing how pleased he was with various aspects of the Budget as it relates to mental health.

I spoke on mental health in this House before, Mr. Speaker, and I know over the years there has been a tendency not to put resources into this area, but since this government came to power in 2003 there has been a significant investment into the area of mental health. I would just like to go through a few of them because I feel that these are very positive steps. The first one, Mr. Speaker, there is money there for renovations to the forensic and developmentally delayed units at the Waterford Hospital. I visited that unit on at least two occasions and I agree that it has been a while since that unit has seen some improvements and it definitely needed to be improved. So, I would like to congratulate the minister on that initiative.

There is also an additional $1.6 million for mental health and addictions services. Again, a good move. There is $575,000 there for problem gambling. Another area that was mentioned earlier today, there is $228,000 there for an eating disorders program. Mr. Speaker, I have three children, all in their early twenties, and I was very surprised at how prevalent eating disorders are. So, of course, Mr. Speaker, I was very, very pleased to see that initiative in the Budget.

A couple of other initiatives I was very pleased with. One was the insulin pumps for children with Type 1 Diabetes. The Budget provided funding for both insulin pumps and also for supplies.

The other area I would like to speak to is the dental health program for children. It has now been expanded. Actually, we expanded it in the Budget either last year or the year before. This year we have expanded again, now it is going to include youth from ages thirteen to age seventeen. The budget for that program is now up to about $11 million. I think when this government came to power in 2003, I think the budget was about $4.4 million.

The comment I would like to make on this one is - I mentioned this before in the House. I used to be a teacher. It was many, many years ago. I taught school in Bishop's Falls, and one of the things that I remember quite vividly about teaching in that wonderful community of Bishop's Falls - one of the issues that I remember, one of my most vivid memories of teaching in that school are the children there, because their families could not afford dental health for the children, and the children coming to school with toothaches and problems with their teeth. I am very pleased to be part of a government that has put a program in place to look after the children, look after their dental health, because really dental health is part of your overall health. I think sometimes we do forget that, but it is a very important aspect of our overall health.

Another area I would like to talk about relating to the Budget, Mr. Speaker, is the Royal Newfoundland Constabulary. When we were campaigning before the election in 2003, I had the opportunity to speak with quite a few RNC officers and also RCMP officers. They indicated to me that the resources for the Royal Newfoundland Constabulary was being diminished, that it was being decreased over the years, and the officers were starting to feel quite concerned about this.

One of the things that this government has done is increased funding to the Royal Newfoundland Constabulary and, of course, the RCMP. I will get to that a little bit later on, but we have provided additional funding. Now, most of the funding is going into things like salaries because, of course, it is your manpower. We always look for the presence of a policeman when we are looking at our communities and we are looking at the safety and the protection of the public. So, of course, most of the additional funding is put into salaries.

I think it is very important to acknowledge that there are other areas where the RNC needs funding. For example, training. There was a shortage of training a number of years ago. The vehicles they were driving were quite old and the vehicles actually were spending so much time in the garage that it was having an impact on how much time police officers were having to do their jobs.

Another area where they were having problems was uniforms for new police officers. I remember one RNC officer telling me that when the time came to bring in new recruits and admit them as members of the police force, that everybody would have to scramble to find the new officers a uniform.

So, this government has made a commitment to put additional funding into the Royal Newfoundland Constabulary and, as I said, the RCMP. In 2003-2004 when this government took office there was $25 million a year spent on the Royal Newfoundland Constabulary, and this has now been increased to almost $33 million. Similarly for the RCMP, that we spent about $40 million back in 2003-2004 and this is now increased to about $54 million. Those are really good initiatives, Mr. Speaker.

The other issue I would like to raise with regard to the RNC is that there is funding there to make some improvement to the Royal Newfoundland Constabulary headquarters, where I understand they are having some concerns with regard to the building down there.

Mr. Speaker, whenever I get an opportunity to speak in this House I always speak about the marine vessels, so, of course, I can't let this opportunity go by without having something to say on the marine vessels. Primarily, Mr. Speaker, it is because we spend a significant amount of money on this program and I think a lot of people don't realize how much money is being spent on this program that services rural Newfoundland. The Opposition is always questioning this government's commitment to rural Newfoundland. I say, just look at the marine services program and you can see how committed this government is to rural Newfoundland. That program now spends $80 billion a year.

Since we took office, since this government formed office, there was a commitment that there would be a marine vessel replacement strategy. The commitment was made and the strategy was released, I think it was late last year; a very comprehensive strategy with regard to - actually, there was quite a detailed analysis on the different services and the vessels. There is now a strategy with regard to vessel replacement. Late last year the Minister of Transportation and Works made a commitment that there would be two new ferry vessels designed to be used in the Province of Newfoundland and Labrador. This was because of the age of the vessels because most of them are quite old. I think we have two ferries that are older than four years, I think we have two that are younger than twenty years, and all the rest fall in the middle. I think that the life expectancy of a ferry vessel is about thirty-five years. So some of those vessels have really seen their day.

Of course, the minister made a commitment that they were going to design two new vessels. Of course, Mr. Speaker, when the Budget came out last week I was quite interested to see if there was any money allotted for the construction of the new vessels. Now, I never doubted the minister for a minute, but I was very, very pleased to see that $50 million was budgeted for the replacement of the first two vessels under our vessel replacement strategy.

In addition to the construction of two new marine vessels, there has also been additional money budgeted for refit cost of the existing vessels. That has gone from $9 million up to over $10 million; because, of course, the marine vessels are aging and require more work. Of course, there is $5 million there for the construction and maintenance of terminals and wharves.

One of the other areas I would like to mention with regard to capital, because, really, marine vessels, the construction of two new ferry vessels, is a capital expenditure program, and it is one that we have not really heard a lot about over the last number of years, and that is the Province's water bomber fleet. We all know that we live in a Province that is heavily forested and, of course, during the summer there are, quite often, forest fires. I guess, Mr. Speaker, we really do not think much about protecting our forests, or that we need these water bombers, until there is a forest fire. We always have to be prepared in case there is a forest fire in the Province.

Mr. Speaker, I am old enough to remember there was a severe fire back, I think, around the early or mid-1960s, down around Gander Bay. I can remember that - I was a little girl at the time - and how disruptive that was to the lives of people. I believe there were also some very serious ones back in the late 1970s or early 1980s. Of course, we have to keep our water bombers upgraded and ready to protect our forests.

I would like to make the point, Mr. Speaker, right now we are being serviced by what we call six CL-215s. These are our water bombers, and they replaced the old Canso water bombers some time back in the mid-1980s. I would like to make the point, Mr. Speaker, that the CL-215s came to this Province under a program by the previous Progressive Conservative government. It was the previous Progressive Conservative government that brought in the new CL-215s. I do not think there has been much upgrading over the last number of years, but there is almost $20 million there now for a multi-year strategy to replace the water bombers, and in total that strategy will be, over the last number of years, $100 million.

I would also like to comment on the budget for the Newfoundland and Labrador Arts Council. Yesterday, I had a private member's statement congratulating Mr. Tom Dawe, who is a constituent of mine. He was inducted into the Arts Council; I think it is something like the hall of fame. I might not have the terminology quite right there, Mr. Speaker. The budget, a number of years ago, I think, was around half a million dollars and it has now been increased. It is at $1.6 million. Mr. Speaker, we know that as a Province and as a community we are rich in culture and that it is incumbent on government to support the arts, the culture communities, things of that nature, so I was very pleased to see that budget.

I would also like to make some comment on the education budget which now exceeds $1 billion. What better way for government to spend its money than to educate its residents so that they can go on to lead productive lives? I would like to make some comments on the K-12 system, and I would also like to make some comments on the post-secondary system. I know that the critic for the Department of Finance did make the comment, when talking about education: Oh, well, it was a normal increase and therefore it was really no big deal.

I think that you have to look at it in context, in that the budget for the K-12 system is increasing significantly. The number of school-age children is decreasing, yet our Budget is increasing, so that shows this government's commitment to education.

Also, Mr. Speaker, the number of schools back in the mid-1990s was 432, and the number of schools have now decreased to 294. So, the fact that the Budget keeps increasing, the increase is further impacted by the fact that schools are decreasing and the number of students are decreasing. I think the number of students in our system now has gone from about 106,000 in 1996-1997 to around 70,000 now.

MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!

I remind the hon. Member for Topsail that her speaking time has expired.

MS E. MARSHALL: By leave, Mr. Speaker?

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. member, by leave?

AN HON. MEMBER: By leave.

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Member for Topsail.

MS E. MARSHALL: Mr. Speaker, I would like to make some comments on the additional funding provided to MUN and CONA in the post-secondary system. The first thing I would like to comment on is the extension of the tuition freeze, which I think is an excellent way for us to spend our money. Many of the students coming into the post-secondary institutions find it quite challenging to come up with the money for post-secondary education, so the tuition freeze was welcomed, I am sure, not only by students but also by their parents.

I would like to congratulate the minister also on the Student Loan Debt Relief program which will cost the government just over $10 million this year, and approximately 8,000 students will benefit, and also for reducing interest on provincial student loans to prime. This makes us having the lowest rate on student loans in the country. That is going to cost government about $3.7 million, and that is going to affect around 46,000 students, so that was a great initiative.

Mr. Speaker, I will sit down now and give somebody else an opportunity to speak on the Budget, but I look forward to speaking on it again.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!

The hon. the Member for Cartwright-L'Anse au Clair.

MS JONES: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I rise to participate in the debate today on the Budget. No doubt, there are lots of varying opinions related to the Budget, and there are a number of initiatives in this Budget, I have to say, that will certainly enhance the quality of life of residents in our Province, especially in terms of the coverages that are being afforded under programs like the drug program, and some of the relief that is being afforded under our education system.

As you know, these vital social programs affect each and every one of us either directly or within our families in the Province. I do not think it is any secret to any of us in Newfoundland and Labrador that those in this Province who become ill often find themselves in some very difficult financial positions, whether that is in accessing medication or in accessing health care services. Any way or any time that some of that burden can be relieved from these individuals, I think it is government's responsibility to do that.

Furthermore, having said that, there are still going to be many families and many individuals out there who will be meeting the challenges of being able to access affordable medical care and affordable drugs therapies for the illnesses that they suffer from, so it is our job as parliamentarians to continue to push for programs that will help alleviate that.

Mr. Speaker, I want to talk about a couple of things today. I guess, first of all, I want to start off by congratulating the Member for Port au Port on his inaugural speech in the House of Assembly today. I think, Mr. Speaker, we are soon going to have to get those devices here so that we can translate some of what the hon. member says into English, because not all of us in the Legislature are bilingual. Many days I wish I was. It is important, when any member speaks here, that we be able to understand the context of what they are saying and be able to listen intently. I raise it as a serious point, not as a joking point, I say to my hon. colleagues across.

Mr. Speaker, I want to talk about a couple of things that arise from the Budget. Whenever you have a Budget in the Province, attached to it you have a book which is called the Estimates. What the Estimates do, for those who do not know, is outline the line-by-line expenditure of every aspect of government. Whether that be a government department like the Department of Fisheries and Aquaculture or the Department of Health and Community Services, or whether it be a Secretariat of government like the Rural Secretariat, the Women's Policy Office, all of the line-by-line expenditures in every department are outlined. Not only does it do that, Mr. Speaker, the Estimates also tells us where the revenues of the government comes from; where they are able to announce we have a $260 million surplus and where that revenue comes from. Whenever they have new spending like they did this year in their Budget that reached to, I think somewhere around a billion dollars in new expenditures, it shows you exactly where that money comes from so that the government can have the opportunity and the privilege to spend that money on behalf of the people of the Province.

So, Mr. Speaker, I want to outline a little bit of that today because when you look at the revenue growth through the Estimates in this current Budget, you will find out that new revenue growth came from very few sectors. One being the mining sector, in which this year the Voisey's Bay nickel project, a development, I might add, Mr. Speaker, that was negotiated, signed by a previous Liberal Administration. That particular project alone this year will generate in excess of $100 million in new royalties. I think if you were to get down to look at the actual numbers, it is actually in excess of $140 million in new royalties that will come to the government this year, directly from that project alone.

Now, Mr. Speaker, that deal was a deal that the members opposite voted against. It was a deal that the Premier claimed you could drive a Mack truck through because there were that many loopholes in it. Well, that is the same Administration today who voted down that deal, criticized it, made fun and talked about driving Mack trucks through it. It is the same Administration today that is enjoying the spending of those royalties. Now, isn't that an ironic situation, I say to the members of this Legislature? Very ironic, because the money that you are spending today is coming from the royalties of that particular project.

Let's look at where the other monies are coming from that is being voted in this Budget. A lot of it is coming from the oil and gas sector, especially from new royalties generated on the Terra Nova, the White Rose, and the Hebron projects. Mr. Speaker, it is important to note that, because as you know, the Terra Nova project reached pay out this year which will generate 30 per cent more royalty to the Province than it has in the past. We are going to pump something like 20 million barrels of oil more this year than previous years. We are basing our oil prices in this Budget on a price per barrel of about $56, which, Mr. Speaker, we know can often increase up to $62, $63 a barrel and even to $68 a barrel. So, even those price guesses are somewhat modest in terms of calculating a budget.

That is where the royalties are coming from. Those particular three oil companies alone this year will generate over $600 million in new revenues to the provincial government; new money that never, ever was there before, that this Administration opposite will have the opportunity to spend on behalf of the people of the Province. Mr. Speaker, what you have to look at is, who were the negotiators of these deals? Who were the premiers that signed off on these deals to generate new revenue into the Province? It was not the current Administration, I can tell you that. It was previous governments, previous Liberal governments that signed deals on both Terra Nova, on White Rose and implemented deals on Hibernia that allowed for this government opposite today to enjoy the royalties that are coming forward.

Mr. Speaker, we still have not achieved pay out on the other two oil fields offshore. Once we do, you are going to see the amount of royalty that they contribute to the Province increase as well, increase from what - today they contribute somewhere around 5 per cent to about 30 per cent of the royalty that they will be taking in, which is a substantial amount of money.

Mr. Speaker, what one has to realize is that these profits from oil and gas today and from nickel being produced in the Province are very much windfall profits. They are profits being derived from large scale industry that is non-renewable. What the government is doing is enjoying the spending of these windfall profits on these mega developments in the absence of creating any new opportunity of their own. Any analyst that looks at this will look at it, blink and look again, simply because the government will not be able to maintain that kind of spending and surplus budgets in the absence of new resource development. That has to happen.

When you see projects like Hebron-Ben Nevis, that negotiations were squashed in the previous year and that there was no deal reached by the government, that has a significant impact, a significant impact. Not just in the oil and gas industry in this Province, but it has a significant impact on the overall revenues that the government can generate and forecast beyond the next five years. I want to explain that because a lot of people do not often realize, because when they see a government announcing a surplus budget or talking about royalties that they are achieving on oil and gas because the price of oil is up, or royalties they are getting out of things like Voisey's Bay, they don't stop to realize that, in the absence of new developments, those amounts of royalties that are afforded to the government for expenditure can often change as the economy changes and as the industry sector shifts.

Mr. Speaker, I want to read an article because I think it is important, as well, to know how others view what is happening in the oil and gas sector in this Province. This is an article that was in the Financial Post on May 5. This article is focusing on the fact that the Hebron-Ben Nevis project did not go ahead, and what the implications could be for this Province.

This is what the author of the article says: It was barely a year ago St. John's was a signature away from an Alberta style prosperity with a lineup of big oil and gas projects, a cascade of high-paying jobs, membership in the exclusive club of oil producing hubs feeding off the global energy supply crunch and tantalizing just out of its reach. Instead, a sequence of For Sale and For Lease signs ajar the core of this quantity port city on the rocky shores of the Atlantic Peninsula as Alberta employers host jobs fairs, snaring its youth by the planeload and oil industry operators quietly downsize.

Mr. Speaker, what an ironic comparison. I have never seen such an analogy in the same paragraph and in the same sentence before, in which this writer with the Financial Post is gazing towards Newfoundland and Labrador as being on the verge of being the next prosperous province in this country, next to Alberta, and probably surpassing Alberta in terms of big oil and gas projects that are on the horizon, and then, all of a sudden, switches in that comparison because of a deal that was not negotiated, failed to be negotiated by the Premier and his government, and basically said that what you see in St. John's - and we all know this, we live here - is a sequence of For Sale and For Lease signs all over the city. We see a downsizing of oil industry operators and we see Alberta companies holding job fairs more frequently in the city recruiting our young people, our most knowledgeable resource that we have, to Western Canada.

Mr. Speaker, the author goes on to say that: the business community is highly dependent on offshore development and is feeling the pain of a bitter fight between oil companies and Danny Williams, the Premier, over how to divvy the spoils of future projects. The standoff has wiped out its next meal ticket. For the first time in fifteen years there are no new projects in the pipeline.

Isn't that something, Mr. Speaker? A government today that is prepared to stand and clap their hands, and stamp on their desks and applaud a Budget that offers up $1 billion in new spending, most of which is coming from the oil and gas sector and from the mining sector, yet, Mr. Speaker, we have an analysis out there telling us - and we know this - that for the first time in fifteen years there are no new developments in oil and gas in this Province. Isn't that sad? It is sad.

MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!

I ask members to my left if they would kindly refrain from the conversation. The Chair is having a difficult time hearing the Member for Cartwright-L'Anse au Clair. I ask members for their co-operation.

The hon. the Member for Cartwright-L'Anse au Clair.

MS JONES: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I think it is important to recognize here that when my colleague, the Member for the Bay of Islands, was speaking earlier today, members opposite caused such a ruckus that he was interrupted five times. We have sat and listened to every member on that side of the House give their speeches today without interruption. Mr. Speaker, I think the same courtesy should be afforded. I think that if members want to converse and make noises, they should do so outside the Legislature.

Mr. Speaker, I am going to tell you, debating the Budget is a serious piece of business in this Province because it is money that belongs to the taxpayers. It is not my money and it is not their money. It is money that belongs to the people of this Province, and accountability in how that money is spent is very important. More so, Mr. Speaker, having to answer for how new revenues are going to be generated is equally as important. Maybe, Mr. Speaker, members opposite do not want to hear the facts, and the fact is this: For the first time in fifteen years in this Province there are no new oil and gas developments. That is a fact, Mr. Speaker. Yet, those same members can stand and applaud $1 billion in new funding this year, of which $600 million of it is going to come from the oil and gas industry, and from oil and gas projects that were developed by previous governments and not by their government, Mr. Speaker.

When you look at things like no drilling in the Laurentian Basin for the next two years, what does that tell you? One of the things, Mr. Speaker, that the company says is that the provincial Department of Natural Resources is still developing a natural gas royalty regime and hopes that the regime is an important factor in drilling any well. They are not interested, Mr. Speaker, in running out and starting to drill wells in this Province today and spending their money in the exploration industry in the oil and gas sector when they don't even know what the royalty regime of the government is going to be. They don't want to find themselves in a position like Hebron-Ben Nevis, where they invest millions into this Province and then find out that the tables could be turned on them and there could be an entirely new royalty regime.

Let's talk about this, Mr. Speaker: This year, when Terra Nova hit a payout, 30 per cent of its royalties were pumped into the provincial coffers in this province; 30 per cent. That is a substantial amount of money that is going in. We all know that. We know where the money is coming from. We know that it is from Terra Nova, we know it is from White Rose, we know it is from Hibernia, but, Mr. Speaker, what we don't know is what the members opposite are going to do to continue to grow the oil and gas industry in this Province, when after fifteen years there are no new developments on the horizon. In fact, the exploration industry is shutting down to what it used to be. I should say downsizing to what it used to be.

You have oil companies out there now that are soliciting business in Alberta, because they cannot find business in this Province. You have more Alberta companies in Newfoundland and Labrador holding job fairs and recruiting people because they know they can't find jobs in the industry right here in their own province.

That is sad commentary, I want to say to members opposite, because if you don't want to go through another three-year drought like you just went through in spending in this Province - because that is what happened. That is why they are so excited about this Budget, Mr. Speaker, because for three years there was a drought. For three years they just started reaching into people's pockets and taking money out - and we know that - increasing every fee and every rate and every service that was affordable to the people of this Province.

This is the first year, Mr. Speaker, they have been able to pass a little something back to the people and tell them to put it in their pockets. That is why they are so excited, and I don't have a problem with that, but I think they need to recognize that what they are spending is windfall profits from a non-renewable resource sector like oil and gas and like mining, and they are not doing anything to grow the economy in this Province. That continues to be a problem.

There are a lot of things in this Budget, Mr. Speaker, that I could stand up here today and say are great announcements, because there are things that I have lobbied for, that I have supported, that I know are going to have an impact on the people in the Province in a positive way, but at the same time, Mr. Speaker, I could stand up here and list off just as many other things that were omitted.

One of the things that was blatantly omitted in this Budget is how the economy of rural Newfoundland and Labrador is going to be growing or how people are going to survive in industries in those regions of the Province.

Now, Mr. Speaker, I was in the Estimates Committee this morning for the department -

AN HON. MEMBER: (Inaudible).

MS JONES: Mr. Speaker, the Member for St. John's South will have an opportunity to speak as soon as I am finished. I know that he has a tremendous amount to add to this debate as well, especially the fact that he has just secured some new RCMP officers for his department. I am sure two of them are going in my district. I am almost positive that two of them are going in the wonderful District of Cartwright-L'Anse au Clair. I will be looking forward to when he reads off the list of where they are going to be placed.

Mr. Speaker, I was just going to get to growing the rural economy because you know all of these monies that we are seeing now in windfall profits from oil and gas and from Voisey's Bay nickel could be short lived or they could be there for an awful long time. I would hope it is the latter. Having said that, Mr. Speaker, we have to invest for the long term in rural communities in the Province as well.

When I was doing the Estimates this morning for the Department of Innovation, Trade and Rural Development, one of the things that really stood out for me was the fact that, that department of government in the past year had budgeted $8 million in money for small and medium-sized businesses to be able to grow their business or to start a new business or to expand their existing businesses. Out of that $8 million that was allowed for the whole Province for the hundreds of small businesses in this Province, do you know what the take up on that was? The take up on that was $50,000 last year. That worries me, because when government has money available to invest in these businesses and the proposals are not coming in and the requests are not being made, and you put $8 million out there for investment and the only investment for that year is $50,000 then, Mr. Speaker, there is a message in that, and the message is this. A lot of these medium and small businesses, where are they based? They are based in rural communities around this Province. They are in the Bonavista Peninsula and the Burin Peninsula and the Northern Peninsula and the Port au Port Peninsula and Southern Labrador and Northern Labrador. They are in Trinity Bay and they are in White Bay.

MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!

I remind the hon. Member for Cartwright-L'Anse au Clair that her time for speaking has expired.

MS JONES: By leave, just to clue up, Mr. Speaker?

MR. SPEAKER: Does the hon. member have leave?

AN HON. MEMBER: Yes, by leave.

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Member for Cartwright-L'Anse au Clair.

MS JONES: I thank hon. members for a couple of minutes to conclude my comments.

I will tell you what this tells me, that many of those businesses in small and medium-sized businesses that are operating in rural communities around the Province today are not borrowing that $8 million in financing that is available through the department, simply because they do not have the same confidence in the areas where their businesses are located. I hope that is not true, but if it is true it is a sad commentary because these people need to be able to have some hope in the areas that they live in. They need to have confidence in the local communities and the local economy that they are a part of, and they have to want to be able to invest in those regions themselves and be able to build and expand their businesses.

So, when you have a program of $8 million in a government department and only $50,000 of it is used in one year for small and medium-sized business, that is a problem. I think more needs to be done to invest - government to invest in rural communities in the Province. By government investing, just maybe those small and medium-sized businesses might be prepared to take government up on its investment programs and business programs. When they see government investing in jobs and industry in their community, maybe they will be more prepared to invest as well. So, Mr. Speaker, it works both ways.

There are lots of other comments I would like to make regarding the Budget, but I am sure I will get other opportunities to speak, and I thank hon. members for their time today.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!

The hon. the Member for Terra Nova.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. ORAM: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I am just wondering today if I am at a funeral or not because I have not heard a eulogy like this since the last time I went to a funeral.

MR. REID: You should know all about that.

MR. ORAM: Yes, I say to the Leader of the Opposition, I certainly do know. I probably heard more eulogies than anybody else here in this House, and I can tell you now that I have heard eulogies better and happier than what I have heard today in this House.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. ORAM: I find it so amusing to listen to the Member for Cartwright-L'Anse au Clair when she talks about all the badness going on in the Province, and how bad everything is and how there is no hope and how there is no money put into businesses in rural Newfoundland and Labrador. Well, maybe she needs to take a little walk over here and have a little chat with the Minister of Innovation, Trade and Rural Development and find out how much money he has put into rural businesses in the last number of years. I am sure he will be able to tell you all about the money that we put into rural Newfoundland and Labrador, into small and medium-sized businesses in rural Newfoundland and Labrador every single day of the week.

It is so funny when you listen to the members opposite talking about, we should have done this, or we should have done that, or we should have done something else. The fact of the matter is, that no - look, the fact is, government cannot do it all the one time. There is no question about that. This government cannot move forward and do everything that we would like to do today. Do you know what? There is not one person on this side of the House who would not want to give every Newfoundlander and Labradorian $1 million each. I would vote for it today. If we had the money to do it, I would vote for it today. I am sure every single member on this side of the House would do it. We really would. I would really, really be happy to take a briefcase of cheques out to every person in my district, $1 million each and say: Here you go, guys, you just became a millionaire because the government has lots of money and we do not know what to do with it.

Let me tell you now, Mr. Speaker, the fact of the matter is - I will go back a few years, because do you know what? It is always nice to go back in history. It is really nice to go back in history. Now I am just trying to think for a moment about what had happened back in the previous government's years, in the 1990s and so on and so forth, and I started thinking about how rich everything was then. I will tell you what, in 1986, I say to the Leader of the Opposition, I started a business. Now, I am going to tell you how much money was available to me in 1986. I will tell you how much money was available to me in business when I started in 1986. Very little. There was very little, I say to the minister. Then in 1996, when I bought my first business on my own, how much money did I get, I wonder, from government? How much was available? How much support did I get? Let me tell you how much it was. You can write it down, I say to the members opposite. Zero dollars. There was no money available. No program available to help a small businessperson in rural Newfoundland and Labrador.

I am going to tell you now, and this is a fact, when somebody calls my office from rural Newfoundland and Labrador - I live in rural Newfoundland and Labrador. I have constituents, obviously, in rural Newfoundland and Labrador and when I speak to my constituents each and everyday - many, many, many days we get calls from constituents saying: Paul, do you know what? I am planning on starting a business, is there anything that government can do? Well, guess what? I feel proud and honoured to be able to say: Yes, there is something this government can do. Give our Department of Innovation, Trade and Rural Development a call. In fact, we will even facilitate that. We will ensure that somebody gives you a call to provide some funding, if we can, and help you with trying to progress and putting together a new business. I can tell you today, that we continue to do that. We continue to build rural Newfoundland and Labrador. We continue to support business in this Province, whether it is rural or urban, because we believe in business. The Minister of Business, of course, will certainly speak to that, I am sure, a little later on.

In fact, it was our government that put in place a new Department of Business. It was this government that put in a new Department of Business which now has a minister who is concerned and trying to deal with the issues within this Province to attract business to the Province. Not only that, we also have a department, as I said earlier, INTRD, Innovation, Trade and Rural Development, that is concerned with business; not primarily, but certainly business is a major component of that particular department.

When I listen to the member opposite talk about the fact that this government has no concern, we are not doing anything for small and medium-sized businesses in rural Newfoundland and Labrador, I have to tell you right now, I chuckle. I really do, because I realize the investment that we make every day in small and medium-sized and large businesses in this Province.

I was sitting here listening to members opposite when they were talking about the Budget. The fact of the matter is, it is always good to ask a few questions. I sat down and said, you know, I am going to start listing a few questions that need to be asked today. They really need to be asked to certain individuals, and certainly to members opposite, so I started writing down a few things. I am looking for some answers, so I am going to ask everybody here - it is time for a quiz, now. I am going to ask for some answers from all members of the House, if you would not indulging me just for a minute.

First, the number one question: Did the previous government invest $1 billion in education?

SOME HON. MEMBERS: No.

MR. ORAM: What was that answer?

SOME HON. MEMBERS: No.

MR. ORAM: No.

So, how can you look at and criticize this government when we did invest a total of $1 billion in education?

Number two: Did the previous government have a Poverty Reduction Strategy?

SOME HON. MEMBERS: No.

MR. ORAM: No.

So, far two no's and no yes's.

Number three: Did the members of the opposite side, the previous government, give free textbooks to grades K-12?

SOME HON. MEMBERS: No.

MR. ORAM: Look at that! Three for three. No again. In fact, I think they brought in school fees, if I am not mistaken, which our government, in our previous Budget, took away. We are promoting education every possible way we can.

We have three for three so far. We have asked three questions so far, and so far the answer to those three questions is all positive for this government and all negative for the previous government.

Let's go to number four: Did the previous government invest $15 million to build two new ferries for the Province?

SOME HON. MEMBERS: No.

MR. ORAM: Do you know what? Guess what? I know that for sure. Absolutely. I know that for sure, and I will tell you the reason why: Because, out of four weekends of the month, I probably get three weekends where I am getting a call from the Island of St. Brendan's, which is in my district, which is a great place that everybody in the Province needs to visit, by the way, but I can tell you now that I get calls, the ferry is broke down. Do you know why the ferry is breaking down? Because the previous government ignored transportation to these smaller islands and they ignored - get this, because this is going to be a new one - they ignored rural Newfoundland and Labrador. They did, because they did not invest in ferries. The epitome of rural Newfoundland and Labrador are these small islands, and we supported the small islands by doing what? By announcing two new ferries already. I can tell you what: Not only that, we are also going to be investing in more ferries besides that, I am pleased to say.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. ORAM: As the Minister of Municipal and Provincial Affairs just reminded me, we also reduced the fees on those ferries. That is good news for the Province.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. ORAM: We have four questions answered already, and they are all negative for the other side.

Number five: Did the previous government invest $66.5 million from the provincial roads budget ever?

SOME HON. MEMBERS: No.

MR. ORAM: Never, another no. I cannot believe it. In fact, sometimes they get up and they brag about the fact that we spent $70-odd million in roadwork. Guess what? If you want to do that calculation, this year we will spend $160 million in roadwork, if you want to calculate the federal portion as well, but we do not play those little games. We talk about what we are doing as a Province.

Today, they did not invest $66.5 million. We are pleased, as a government, to do that, and guess where most of that money is being spent? Take a guess. In rural Newfoundland and Labrador, that is where it is being spent. Can you imagine? The people of the Province who are watching this today are starting to be reminded a little bit. You know, I had to sit down, because when you start getting all this information from the other side, sometimes all the negative talk, you kind of get caught up in the negative talk and wonder: My goodness, is there any truth to what they are saying? Is this all real?

Then, when I sat down and started to make a few notes of what was actually done by the previous government, and make a few more notes of what was done by this government, or what is being done by this government, right away, all of a sudden, I realized: Yes, that is right, I am on the right side, there is no question about that. We are doing a good job for Newfoundland and Labrador.

Let's get on to number six. I realize the members on the opposite side probably do not want to listen to this, but this is some good stuff here and I would really like to talk about it just for a few moments. Did the previous government provide money for insulin pumps for diabetics?

SOME HON. MEMBERS: No.

MR. ORAM: Shame.

We went to a diabetic session just last year, down at the Holiday Inn, and I remember when we sat and we listened to what they had said, and what the association had talked about. Right away we, as a government, listened to what they said. We understood the needs of young people. We understood the need for an insulin pump.

The members from the opposite side are laughing and making fun and saying: Well, try to get it. Let me assure you today, members on the opposite side, that our young people will get insulin pumps because of what we have said we are going to do.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. ORAM: I also tell you that diabetes is not a laughing matter, and I will tell you the reason why. My daughter is a diabetic and, I will tell you, it is very difficult to be a young person with diabetes, and this government today realize how difficult that is, and our first step is to provide insulin pumps for young people, and I am proud to be part of a government that has taken that step and brought in that initiative.

I will say, too, so that everybody will recognize this, my daughter is too old to avail of that pump and we will be buying it ourselves. So, we did not do it for my daughter but we did it for everyone in Newfoundland and Labrador who needs it today, and that is good news for this Province. So we have six questions so far and let's go to number seven.

Number seven: Did the previous government provide dental coverage to children up to age seventeen?

SOME HON. MEMBERS: No

MR. ORAM: Of course not.

I remember my little nephew, he had to have some major dental work done, and guess what? His parents had to put aside the money in order to do it. Not everybody in Newfoundland and Labrador can afford proper dental care, and this government realizes this today. We are making a commitment to dental care for our young people in this Province because we realize that it is very important for our kids and our children to have proper dental care.

Okay, so we have six questions answered.

MR. T. OSBORNE: Oram?

MR. ORAM: Yes?

MR. T. OSBORNE: It used to be provided under Peckford..

MR. ORAM: The hon. Minister of Justice just gave me some information. It just keeps coming, the good news. The fact of the matter is that under Mr. Peckford's government we did provide it. I guess the previous Liberal government took that away and I am not surprised by that. That is the way it is.

Number eight is a very important question and dear to my heart as well. This is very, very important, and in fact there was a campaign that was started on this. Number eight question is this: Did the previous government provide money for MS patients? We have to say no. That is a shame. I can tell you right now when you listen to the stories of folks in this Province who have this dreaded disease of MS and they have to go out and try to find care - some people are paying up to $2,400 a month, I say, Madam Speaker, up to $2,400 a month for medications to care for themselves, to be able to have a sensible life, to be able to deal with their MS. I can tell you now that this is a great announcement.

I have had several calls from people in my district who are very, very excited about the fact that government has finally provided the coverage for MS patients and they can finally get the care, they can finally get the medications, that they need to try to have a sensible life.

Let me say this as well, Madam Speaker - and I am being honest when I say this - I absolutely do not want to make politics with this issue, but I do want to say this: I know of people in my community who waited until 2007 for these medications to be covered, but unfortunately it is too late for them because the disease has gone too far. That is very, very unfortunate.

I am very pleased today - and, yes, I say to members opposite, I will pound my chest to know that we, as a government, saw the need to cover patients with MS. That is good news for this Province, it is good news for patients. I am not suggesting that members opposite would even consider saying anything negative about that. I am sure they feel the same way. I am sure they are proud of this government for doing this, for providing medication for MS. I am sure of that. I would not think for one moment that anybody on the opposite side would think that is not important, because I certainly thing it is very important.

Madam Speaker, I also just wanted to take a couple of minutes to talk about what we are doing in terms of investing in our skills in the Province. You know, this government has moved forward in such a massive way. In this Budget alone we are putting approximately $1 million, in the 2007-2008 Budget, for five new career information resource centres. I want to applaud the government for doing that. I tell you, one of the issues with young people in this Province, and I am sure this country, is when they get in Grade 12 - in actual fact it is when they get in Grade 10, Level I of senior high, they are asked right away: What are you going to do when you get out of school? What are your plans for the future? What are you going to do in terms of post-secondary education? A lot of students will say: I do not know what I am going to go. A lot of times what will happen is you will see these folks go to university, you will see them go to trade school and you will see them go maybe to private colleges and they are really not sure what they should do and they are not sure what their interest is and so on and so forth, and they end up going through a course that maybe they are not really sure of. They are really not sure if that is what they should do or not. We are going to provide career information resource centres that will help people with their careers. Five hundred thousand dollars to hire ten new career information officers, which again is a fabulous issue that we need to do.

Approximately $3.6 million over three years to implement employment and business development projects in rural areas of the Province. As I said earlier, business provides jobs for people and jobs provide a life for people. Do you know what? There is no question about it, folks, we cannot keep every soul in Newfoundland and Labrador. We cannot make everybody stay in Newfoundland and Labrador and we probably cannot provide a job for every person in Newfoundland and Labrador. I can tell you this, it will not be because we did not try to do it. You can see that we have moved forward in trying to provide a decent life for people in Newfoundland and Labrador.

Here is something else that always came up, and actually the Member for Port au Port alluded to it earlier, and that is the minimum wage. I can tell you, Madam Speaker, that I go around to a lot of small business in my district and certainly all over. We spend a fair bit of time in the Gander district, and in the Bonavista North district, and in the Bonavista South district. In those particular areas, I have been asked many, many times: What is government going to do about the minimum wage? Are they going to try to raise the minimum wage? I can tell you now, Madam Speaker, again I am very pleased to say, as was already said, that since this government became elected the minimum wage has gone from $6 to next year $8 per hour, a $2 per hour increase in the minimum wage in Newfoundland and Labrador. That is good news for our employees who have low paying jobs and who are moving up the scale. We are also fulfilling a promise that we made during the last election. So there is more good news for people.

We have provided $650,000 to increase funding for the Community Youth Network and to expand six new areas of the Province, and an investment of $140,000 to update the Provincial Strategic Literacy Plan. Do you know what? I do not know if people are aware of this, it took me a while to even realize this, Madam Speaker, but there are people in our Province today who have difficulty with literacy. There are folks in our Province today who do not know how to read. They try to get through their life without being able to read.

In fact, I will say today that I had a close relative of mine who had no idea how to read and he went through school and never did have the education that he actually needed to be able to learn how to read. That was a major challenge for him in life. It really was. In fact he would pick up a newspaper and he could not even read a newspaper. He wanted to read a book, but he could not read a book. He could not even read the headings on television. He could not read signs. He could only go by what the picture was. He could not read the words.

This government today has invested even more money into literacy programs that will put together a plan in this Province to deal with that particular situation.

Of course I will have to say this because I cannot help but say it: Who did we see cut back on literacy programs for this country? It was the Conservative government in Ottawa and that is very sad and it certainly shows us where they are going with what we need to do in this Province and what we need to do in this country; very, very important things that are going on in this Province.

I spoke a little earlier about the fact that government invested $1 billion in education. Just getting back to our questions again, because I need to clue up on my questions before I go on. As I went down through my eight particular questions, if I am not mistaken - I am going to ask for some help here again - when I went down through my eight questions I need to know: Was it yes or no for eight? Which side won out on those questions? From what I remember it was government, it was this government that provided funds for eight of those questions and probably more. It was probably -

MR. SKINNER: Eight to nothing.

MR. ORAM: The score, as my good colleague and Minister of Human Resources and Employment just reminded me, would be 8 to 0. What a track record for this government and what a poor track record for the previous government. I can tell you today, this is just the beginning, Madam Speaker, of what we are doing as a government. I have only touched on just a few issues. I just jotted those things down really fast when I was sitting there listening to the Member for Cartwright-L'Anse au Clair. Can you imagine if I had twenty minutes to do it. Imagine if I spent twenty minutes and started jotting down a few things. I could find so much more of the good things that we are doing for this Province.

I can tell you, it is very easy to criticize. There is no question, it is very, very easy to criticize. We all criticize things everyday, but I can tell you now that it is all right to criticize if it is constructive and it is alright to criticize if you have a better plan. I will tell you what the people of Newfoundland and Labrador are saying, and I have heard them say it. I say, I have heard the people of Newfoundland and Labrador say it. They have been very clear on this. They said: You know what, if the members opposite, if the Opposition has a better plan let them come forward and tell us what the plan is. Lets not listen to criticism all day long, lets not hear about all of the negatives, all the things that they did not do. Lets hear what they would do if they were government.

Well, let me tell the people of Newfoundland and Labrador what they would do, They would do exactly what they did when they were in government. They would not be able to answer those eight questions that we answered. They would not be able to provide money for MS. I do not know if they would not be able to, but I am pretty sure they would not; because, when I look at their track record, and when I take their track record and put it up against our track record, and we have only been elected, I say, for three-and-a-half years, I can go on and on.

I remember a lady who used to testify in our church way, way back. We used to have these things called testimony meetings. For those of you who know about Pentecostal churches or Salvation Army churches, and actually the Methodist churches, they had a time when people get up and testify. There was a lady who used to get up, and do you know what she used to say? She used to always say this: I can go on and on talking about the goodness of the Lord.

Well, I am going to change that around today. With all due respect to that lady, I can go on and on and talk about the goodness of this government, and what we have done for the people of Newfoundland and Labrador.

Thank you, Madam Speaker.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MADAM SPEAKER (S. Osborne): The hon. the Member for Port de Grave.

MR. BUTLER: Thank you very much, Madam Speaker.

It is a pleasure to be able to stand today and make a few comments with regard to the Budget; but, before we get into the Budget, I want to say to my hon. colleague from Terra Nova, I bet that lady, when she got up, she called a spade a spade. She told both sides of the story.

The Member for Terra Nova got up and asked eight questions here today, and every one of those questions related to funding. I ask just one question: What has the government opposite done to create the funds that you are bragging about so rightly so? Go the full distance. Go the full distance with it.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Oh, oh!

MADAM SPEAKER: Order, please!

MR. BUTLER: Madam Speaker, I want to take some of my time today to explain to the members opposite exactly where it came from, because it is very easy to explain. I do not condemn the government for the goodness that they are doing, but call a spade a spade and let the people know where the funds came from, what they did in this Budget, and rightly so.

Madam Speaker, I can remember back just prior to 2001 when our now Premier went around this Province campaigning, not only for the by-election, which he spent a lot of time in Port de Grave district, but also -

AN HON. MEMBER: (Inaudible).

MR. BUTLER: No, not a lot, they only spent three full weeks there. The big old motor home never moved out of Port de Grave district. Seventeen or eighteen -

AN HON. MEMBER: It was close.

MR. BUTLER: Very, very close.

AN HON. MEMBER: Only for Johnny Efford (inaudible).

MR. BUTLER: I am going to tell you, Johnny Efford did a lot for it.

All I can say, Madam Speaker, there were eighteen or nineteen individuals out there banging on the doors, day in and day out, and one poor little soul beat the works of them when the results came in.

They are talking about it was close. I am going to tell you, Madam Speaker, eighteen months after it was not very close, and it will not be very close this October, either, I say to the members opposite.

Anyway, let's get back to what happened in this Province, Madam Speaker. Let's get back and talk about the funding that has been made available over the past number of years. We hear the Premier from time to time, and we heard him in the speech after the Speech from the Throne, talking about we are not going back to the giveaways - and rightly so, if he thinks there were giveaways - but let's look at the giveaways that he is referring to. They are all listed in this wonderful book, The Economy 07. When we look at them, the names on those giveaways are: Hibernia, Terra Nova, White Rose, and there is another one there called Voisey's Bay.

I say to the hon. members opposite, with all due respect, when you stand up and brag about what you did in education, rightly so, works, services and transportation, any department, we appreciate what you are doing, but tell the people where the funding came from that you have the opportunity to spend.

You talk about the previous Administrations. You would not know but there was nothing done in this Province until 2003. You go back over the years. Even though there were difficult times, without Hibernia, without Terra Nova, without White Rose, without Voisey's Bay, there were still schools built in this Province, there were hospitals built in this Province. You would not know but this year was the first piece of pavement anyone saw in this Province. Yes, we know the roads are probably deteriorated in areas, but, Madam Speaker, I say to you, this government is very fortunate.

The day that the Budget was read, when I was leaving the parking lot, one of the hon. members opposite, I will not reveal who it was, said to me: What do you think of the Budget? I will tell you what I said. I said to him: Look, there is lots of good in this Budget. Every Budget has good in it. But, he said, Roland, I will tell you something. We are very fortunate.

That is what you have to tell the people. You should be very proud, but tell them where the money came from that you are dealing with from time to time.

Let's go back to 2003. We talk about the royalties from the offshore: 2002-2003, $72,952,000; 2006-2007, $437,400,000; projected for 2007-2008, $1.4 billion. I say, when you size this up, it is not very difficult to find out where the funds came from. It is very easy to figure out.

We are proud that this money is flowing, but the people opposite should be able to stand, when they brag about what is going on, and let everyone know how the funding became available today.

Madam Speaker, when we -

MR. T. OSBORNE: (Inaudible) last year.

MR. BUTLER: Right, and there is not a member in this House, I say to the Member for St. John's South, not a member on either side of this House, disputed the stand that the Premier took at that time, and brought the $2 billion back. I am going to tell you, the $2 billion that was brought back at that time is not what you are talking about in your budget today. We know where the money was placed, and rightly so. It is the money that came from the giveaways, the projects that you could drive the truck through, that is where the Budget money came from this year.

Let's look at the Atlantic report, when we talk about all the goodness and everything, outside of what I am referring to, when it says: Last year, another year of weak economy growth in Newfoundland and Labrador. That is what I am referring to. I don't know one thing - whoever the next speaker is, maybe he can get up and tell me. When we talk about rural Newfoundland and Labrador, we are not talking about, that you are not paving roads out there, that you are not doing the clinics, and rightly so. We know that is happening, and wonderful. I am going to tell you, the growth of the economy in this Province to keep people employed here is not taking place. It is not taking place, Madam Speaker.

AN HON. MEMBER: Come on, Roland.

MR. BUTLER: Never mind come on Roland. I am the Member for Port de Grave District, Madam Speaker. Anyway -

AN HON. MEMBER: Tell the truth.

MR. BUTLER: Tell the truth is right, and that is what I am planning to do.

When we see lineups of people coming to the seminars here in St. John's to travel to look for work outside of this Province, that tells me everything is not rosy in rural Newfoundland and Labrador.

AN HON. MEMBER: A charter left this morning.

MR. BUTLER: Another charter left this morning, my hon. colleague tells me.

We talk about here in the Province - it says, Newfoundland and Labrador's retail sales growth was the weakest in Canada in 2006. Provincial housing is beginning to fall by the wayside, retreating. New starts in urban areas were 15 per cent lower in 2006.

MR. WISEMAN: That is a national trend, by the way.

MR. BUTLER: That may be so, but when this government took over, I say to my hon. colleague for - I am after forgetting the district now - the hon. Minister of Health -

AN HON. MEMBER: Trinity North.

MR. BUTLER: I say to him, yes, it probably is a national trend, but we know that in this Province when this government took over we were supposed to go beyond all national trends I say to the member. We were supposed to -

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Oh, oh!

MR. BUTLER: Listen, Madam Speaker, I appreciate what is being done for poverty in this Province, but when this government took over it was going to be wiped out in ten years. Four years have gone by, now we are into the strategy stage. I say, Madam Speaker, that is the trend that is going on.

This report also states that in manufacturing, in 2006 there were 1,000 jobs lost through the plants in this Province. The bright side, I guess, was the Voisey's Bay project - which we talk about that was one of the giveaways. We know the wonderful things that are going to come from that. Stats Canada tied Newfoundland and Labrador's improvement to the first full year of production at the Voisey's Bay and the White Rose. That is what they were based on, Madam Speaker, the giveaways.

The other day the member opposite, I think it was from Terra Nova, brought forward a private member's motion on the good things in the education budget. Absolutely, I agreed with him that day, but I just went on and elaborated that I thought there were other things that could have been and should have been done.

I want to refer to what my hon. colleague from Mount Pearl said at that time.

AN HON. MEMBER: Another (inaudible).

MR. BUTLER: Yes, sir, and once I read this I will prove your point.

When he referred to it - when he got up to speak he said: I look at this and support that amendment. The answer to that is no, and he said the reason why. He said the reason is that it has our vision. That is our vision. That is what we are doing today. So, why would we support a motion that we have put forward? This is what we are doing. I outlined all the things we are doing, and that is exactly what is in the amendment. Now, if it is something that you are planning and it is your vision, I cannot see why all hon. members opposite stood and voted against it.

MR. DENINE: A point of order, Madam Speaker.

MADAM SPEAKER: The hon. Member for Mount Pearl, on a point of order.

MR. DENINE: Madam Speaker, the hon. gentleman is quoting me verbatim. What was said was, what we had in the motion was exactly what this government was doing. They wrote the vision that we put forward. That was the interpretation. They are over there, they are saying: Well, I am saying they have vision. No, Madam Speaker. What they are saying in their notice of motion was basically what we did. We did increase the function to - you are going to cut me off now, aren't you?

MADAM SPEAKER: I ask the hon. member if he has a point of order to get to it, otherwise there is a disagreement between two members.

The hon. the Member for Port de Grave.

MR. BUTLER: Thank you, Madam Speaker.

I love the Speaker's ruling on that one. She said: If you have a point of order, get to it. He never, ever got to it.

Anyway, I am glad that he made the comment that I did quote him verbatim. I did not go outside of the rules or anything like that.

Really, what I am saying there is when that motion came forward we admitted on this side - we voted for it, as a matter of fact. We voted for the main motion, that there were good things in the Budget, but the amendment to it was a continuation of things that we thought were not available at that time.

Madam Speaker, I guess where I was coming from on that, when you read the letter that was in The Telegram that was put in there by Mr. Kevin Foley. I think, based on the same things, he was referring to the issues of guidance counsellors and so on. He felt there should have been more in the Budget. Not that the Budget was a bad Budget for education, because it was not, but there were things that should have been there, that he felt and knew for a fact that government had the financial means and they could have went further than what they did.

With regard to one of the questions that my hon. colleague asked from Terra Nova: Did the members opposite purchase books for Grade 10 to Level III? That is another good initiative. Like Mr. Foley said, you can have the books there but you have to have the additional resources to go with it. Hopefully, that will come, and that is why we put an amendment to the motion at that time.

Madam Speaker, the other thing I wanted to touch on is in relation to, I guess, where this government stood at the time when they were seeking election to power. One of the strong points that they were making was the issue of federal relations. When you talk about the giveaways - I named the three oil fields and I named the Voisey's Bay deal. A lot of our funding also comes from the federal people. We have to give credit there as well, regardless of who is in power, but the Premier at that time said he was deeply committed to building the relationship with Ottawa. He stated very clearly that there would be no more giveaways. From time to time, the relationship fell by the wayside.

It is all very interesting to note, how back at that time, in January 2006, the Premier was saying about the new Conservative Government in Ottawa. He said: We do not have anything to fear with those people. He felt that he had a good relationship with them and so on. Now, from time to time, we see stories in the paper with regards to our stand with Ottawa. I do not think it helps our relationship when it comes to funding within our Province, even though the Budget that came down recently depends a lot on the financial help from Ottawa. If there is a bad relationship there, those people opposite, they supported this government that is in Ottawa. Now they are saying we are not the same, not the same group of people at all. We do not want to be any part of them, but we do have -

AN HON. MEMBER: (Inaudible).

MR. BUTLER: No, I do not, sir. No, definitely not.

Then again, you have to realize why they are there. You guys put them there. You campaigned for them. I will make a prediction, Madam Speaker, before this is all over you will be out knocking on the doors for this government in Ottawa again. There will be some resolution come to that.

Let's talk about the Budget this year. I will just touch on a few items under Health and Community Services, seeing my hon. colleague is trying to interrupt at every second. I want to go back to long-term care facilities. Conception Bay North area was number one on the list for years for a long-term care facility. All of a sudden, we fell by the wayside. We are not even on the radar screen I am told. Then last year, during Estimates - and I will probably ask the questions again tomorrow morning or tomorrow night. There are three different ministers now, and one minister made it very clear - this was last year. I think the hon. Member for St. John's South was minister at that time, when he said: We have $500,000 or $600,000 there. We are still doing a study to see if we can get a long-term care facility for the Conception Bay North area. That is only one issue.

The other issue, I get e-mails on a daily basis. As a matter of fact, I had one today. That in our area of Conception Bay North there are two, if not three, general practitioners going to be leaving in the next short period of time. As a matter of fact, the concern came from another doctor who is in the area. We have a lot of people in that area now who have to travel to St. John's to see a general practitioner who moved from the area in here. Many people out there today do not even have a general practitioner. What is happening, I say to the minister, when people get sick, for whatever reason, to each and every one of them, whether it is serious or only something minor, it is major to them when it happens. When they call the clinics in that area, if they cannot get their doctor they are advised to go to the emergency unit at Carbonear. What happens then, people who really need the services at the emergency unit, the staff there are really overworked. What happens is the emergency unit is blocked and the proper attention cannot be given to the people who really need that care.

Like I said earlier about the federal-provincial relationships, I guess it all comes down to the one thing: When the next federal election is called, it is going to be very interesting. I cannot believe that I am going to be going door-to-door with my fellow colleagues from Harbour Main-Whitbourne, from Trinity-Bay de Verde, CBS. I will probably even go into Mount Pearl. We are all going to go door-to-door knocking. I do not know who we are going to be supporting. Maybe my hon. colleagues from the NDP Party. I do not know who they are going to go with, but I think a lot of them will come over with us Liberal fellows. They will come over with us, but it is going to be confusing. I am getting concerned about it.

AN HON. MEMBER: (Inaudible).

MR. BUTLER: I know, but when they see the two of us at the door they are going to get confused in October when the election comes. They are really going to be wondering who is who.

The other thing I just want to touch on, and I did this one day before, is with regard to the Department of Transportation. That is, I guess, the closing of the depots at that time. We have been calling, and people have been calling, for the reopening of them, and rightly so, because I just want to - I know the minister is aware of this. I met with his officials and put the concerns forward to them. Hopefully, something can be done.

I know, for instance, an incident that happened in Bay Roberts last August, and it was just through a pothole in the road. The minister's staff is aware of it. Twelve or fifteen cars had a tremendous amount of damage done to them. It has been ongoing since last August. It just happened because the depot in Avondale and other areas were closed. The staff from the Bay Roberts area were going from one place to the other. The roads did not get the proper attention at that time. I think staff admitted that. Hopefully, something is going to come to a successful conclusion for those people so that the damage that they have done to their cars will be compensated.

The other thing I ask the minister to look into is continuing on with the work on the New Harbour Barrens. I know a lot of work was done there, but it is a shame to see half of the road probably finished and the other part not done at all.

Madam Speaker, I know my time is just about up. I want to thank you for the opportunity, and look forward to coming back again.

Thank you.

MADAM SPEAKER: The hon. the Member for Bonavista South and Deputy Speaker.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. FITZGERALD: Thank you, Madam Speaker.

Madam Speaker, before I start to say my few words of wisdom today, I would like to pass along congratulations to my colleague who sits at the other end of the building here, the Member for Port au Port.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. FITZGERALD: As others have said before me, what an enthusiastic speech. What an addition this gentleman is going to make to this side of the House and to this caucus.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. FITZGERALD: Congratulations, I say to the hon. member.

Madam Speaker, it is passing strange what happens here as you observe it over the years. This is my fifteenth time taking part in a Budget Speech, eleven of them from the other side over there. Every time that we stood as Opposition members we had a good reason to stand and we had good reason to talk in a negative way, and we had good reason to point out the shortcomings of the Budgets. Mr. Speaker, this particular Budget, as everybody knows, is probably the best Budget that we have ever seen here in this Province.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. FITZGERALD: It is probably the best Budget that we have ever seen.

Madam Speaker, to show, I guess, and to point out again how the Opposition is finding it so hard to find anything negative to say about this Budget is what they are doing with the debate that is taking place with the Privacy Commissioner and with the electoral commissioner, how they are carrying that debate forward and how they are stalling on allowing that process to take place. That is only because of one reason, and that is this Budget, because they have nothing negative to say and there is nothing that they can say about this Budget -

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. FITZGERALD: - that they know fellow Newfoundlanders and Labradorians will take any comfort in. In fact I believe, Madam Speaker, that what we should do, and each party over there - the New Democratic Party and the Liberal Party, they all have resources; they all have people working for them. You know what I would like to see, Madam Speaker? I would like to see us give them a day to bring down their own budget. That is what I would like to do. It is almost like somebody saying, I am willing to bet who is going to win the Stanley Cup. If somebody picked the Montreal Canadians and every other team had a chance at it then it does not mean anything. That is about what it means. People stand and they criticize over there, but we would like to compare to see what they would do. Give them a day to bring their own budget.

AN HON. MEMBER: They had fifteen years to do it.

MR. FITZGERALD: They had fifteen years to do it, and I know the people would not feel any comfort in going forward with their proposal, but at least we would be able to stand here and be critical of some of the things rather than talking in a positive way all of the time about the good things that are happening.

I find the other thing passing strange when somebody gets up with all of the good things that have happened here and they point their finger and they say: Ah, but we know where the money is coming from.

Is it coming from the sale of drugs? Is it coming from the lotto machines? Are we going and doing something underhanded? Are we laundering money? We know where the money is coming from. Well, I guess you do know where the money is coming from.

MS BURKE: It is public information.

MR. FITZGERALD: It is all public information. It is coming, I say to the Minister of Education, where it should come from: from our resources.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. FITZGERALD: Do you know who is benefitting from it? It is not the Premier of Newfoundland and Labrador, or the Minister of Municipal Affairs. It is Newfoundlanders and Labradorians. It is going into everybody's pocket.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. FITZGERALD: That is what is good about this Budget.

I remember the last year I sat over there in Opposition. We hear some people, especially the Member for Bay of Islands, getting up and talking all the time about how unfair the Minister of Transportation and Works is treating him, and all the roads are bad, and the bridges are falling down. What a deterioration in just three years, I say to you, Madam Speaker.

Do you know what I got for roadwork - I say, and I have always said, that I had probably some of the worst roads in Newfoundland and Labrador - the last year that I sat over there? Eighty thousand dollars is what I got. Do you know what they did with the $80,000? They did one intersection. One intersection, that is what was done.

I am not going to stand here and brag about the money I am getting now. The money that is going into Bonavista South and Terra Nova and Trinity North and all the other areas around the Province is being spent there because it needs to be spent.

AN HON. MEMBER: Well-deserved.

MR. FITZGERALD: Well-deserved, a long time waited for.

When you hear people involved in the tourism industry pick up the phone and give you a call and say: Thank God, our road is finally done. Thank God, now we can expect people to come and play golf in The View Golf Course in Princeton, or visit beautiful Trinity or King's Cove or Bonavista or Elliston, they have a decent road to drive over.

It is almost like, I heard somebody on Open Line there some time ago saying the truck drivers had to take out their false teeth because the roads were so bad. That is the way that I would compare the roads leading to my district prior to this government being formed in 2003.

People would come and they would park their campers up by the Trans-Canada, or they would come down over a few kilometres of road and they would have to get out and buy new dishes; they were all broken on the shelves. They used to have to park their rigs on the side, by a service station or some other piece of private property, and have to go and use the tow along that they were taking behind their vehicles, or even hire a taxi to take them down to see some of the sights that they were coming to visit.

No more, I say to you, Madam Speaker. Now they can drive down the Bonavista Peninsula and enjoy all of the things that we have down there to offer just like they can in every other part of the Province.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. FITZGERALD: Madam Speaker, the last two weekends I have had an opportunity to attend a couple of graduations. Just a couple of weekends ago I attended the College of the North Atlantic. There is one thing I find now in going to those graduations. The one thing that I find is the positive attitude that is being expressed by the students, by the educators and by the instructors. That is what is changing in rural Newfoundland and Labrador.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. FITZGERALD: There is nothing worse in this world than a negative-minded person. Think about it yourself. Who would want to be around somebody who is moaning and groaning all of the time? This is bad. You say hello to them: Well, it is not a good day or the weather is bad or something else is bad. You got to be positive-minded and that is the message that I leave with everybody I talk with.

Madam Speaker, I always refer to a gentleman from Alberta who came down to Princeton and sold his farm out West. Not everybody is moving out West, I say to members opposite. Some people out West are coming here, seeing what we have to offer and seeing that what we have here is not found anywhere else.

We had a farmer come to Bonavista South, down to Princeton, a few years ago. He spent in excess of $1.6 million of his own money and developed a golf course. It is unbelievable the positive attitude that the man has brought with him. He fit right in with people that I know, I say to you, Madam Speaker.

I remember going down there one day and somebody drove in while we were having a conversation and the other person said - not me - he said: Boy, the weather is not good. His comment was: Well, it will get better. Somebody else said to him: Your grass cannot be growing very good this year on your freeways, your thoroughfares, your greens. Oh, he said, but it will grow. That is the kind of attitude that takes us forward. That is the kind of attitude that people need to have in order to generate the positive feeling in this Province, Madam Speaker.

Madam Speaker, the other thing is, people talk about the job fairs that were held in on Kenmount Road and into the Reid Centre. Madam Speaker, it may not have been job fairs but I can assure you that members from this Province - and this is no news - have been leaving for years. This is nothing new. In fact, members opposite talk about how rural Newfoundland is dying. There is nothing happening. That is the biggest disservice that you could ever pay, or ever say, or ever carry out about a rural area.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. FITZGERALD: If we do not believe in rural Newfoundland and if we are going to carry that message, then how can you expect somebody else to think any different.

Madam Speaker, if you look at what is happening in any rural area, you will find that rural Newfoundland is doing much better than rural Ontario or rural Alberta. In fact, 56 per cent of the people in this Province live in rural Newfoundland and the average right across Canada is less than 26 per cent. Rural Newfoundland is not dying, I say to you, Madam Speaker. Well, we have problems, there is nobody going to deny that. I have them in Bonavista and I have them in Port Union and I have them in Catalina and all the other places there. We have challenges and it is going to take everybody thinking together in order to solve them. They are not going to be resolved overnight and nobody has the quick fixes or the major solutions. If they have then somebody should tell us about it so that we could resolve them immediately.

Madam Speaker, we are not the biggest contributors to Alberta, I say to you. Last year or the year before was not the time that the greatest number of people left this Province. Madam Speaker, when you look at the report card that comes from the Scotia Bank, it indicates that 15,500 people left the Atlantic region, and that includes Newfoundland, in 1998. It is not something new that happened since we formed the government, it has been happening for quite a while.

I have to refer to something else that was brought up here quite a few times, and that is the reduction in fees. Last year there was a big joke. Every time the people opposite got up to speak they talked about the polar bear thing. That was the big joke. You fellows are doing a lot over there, you reduced the polar bear licence. Madam Speaker, I never counted the number of fee eliminations or reductions here, but I am sure the Minister of Government Services would know it very well. How many, I say to the Minister of Education?

MS BURKE: One hundred and seventy-three.

MR. FITZGERALD: One hundred and seventy-three eliminations or reductions in fees

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. FITZGERALD: And I have not heard anybody over there give the government or the minister credit in order to allow this to be brought about. All we hear is that, you charge $25 for a death certificate and you did away with the polar fees. It is not in members opposite to talk about the positive things that are happening, what this government is doing, or this Premier is doing.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. FITZGERALD: Madam Speaker, when you look at what is happening here with education. For the first time ever, I say -

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Oh, oh!

MADAM SPEAKER: Order, please!

MR. FITZGERALD: Madam Speaker, it is first time since Confederation that we saw in excess of $1 billion put into education. I say to the Minister of Education, that you must have been a busy lady. You had to have been a busy lady going out -

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. FITZGERALD: -and consulting and listening to people, because everything that is brought about here are things that people heard. The minister listened, the government listened and because of that, Madam Speaker, you see people being able to enter school today from Kindergarten to Grade 12 with school books totally provided for by this government.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. FITZGERALD: Tuition freeze at Memorial University: the lowest tuition cost not only in all of Newfoundland and Labrador, not only in all of Atlantic Canada, but the whole of Canada, Madam Speaker.

Debt relief, Madam Speaker: the lowest cost of debt servicing in all of Atlantic Canada. Madam Speaker, this shows a commitment to education right from Kindergarten to post-secondary education. If we are going to ever get out of the doldrums that we are experiencing today, not only in rural areas, Madam Speaker, but in this Province, then that is where we have to start. When you look at investing in personal health, Madam Speaker, and look at the Reader's Digest version of what has been done in this Budget, I say to you, Madam Speaker, that this is second to none that I have seen.

Madam Speaker, we sat over there a number of years and we saw the Member for Bay of Islands stand on this side and clap his hands in budgets where they had taken one time money. Everybody understands the time they took the money for the south coast ferry services and brought in supposedly a balanced budget. Robbing money from other services that we are continually paying for today.

Everybody knows what happened to Term 29. What happened to Term 29, I say to the Member for Bay of Islands, shouting and hollering over there, what happened to Term 29? Tell us what you did. Tell us what the government that you supported did, Madam Speaker, to call all of the annual payments in order to put us into one year and have the people of Newfoundland and Labrador do without those benefits so as they could portray a budget that was supposed to be budgeted.

Madam Speaker, this is a good budget. This is a budget that I am proud of. It is a budget that I am proud to be part of. It is a budget that we can all go out and say that we did something for everybody. Nobody was missed in this budget. The great innovative way the people from the opposite side had of raising money was tax cigarettes and tax beer. That was their way of raising money. Madam Speaker, this government is more creative. This government holds out, keeps people responsible, makes sure that we are going to get the full amount of revenue and royalties from the resources that we have, and to make sure that they are there for not only this generation but for other generations as well.

The other issue I heard over there is: What are you doing to pay down the debt? You are not doing anything to pay down the government debt.

AN HON. MEMBER: What did they do?

MR. FITZGERALD: What did they do is a good question.

Madam Speaker, yes, we owe a debt of $11 billion. When you see investments into the pension plans and when you see investments into infrastructure then that is paying down the debt, and that is something that our grandchildren and other people will not have to do.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. FITZGERALD: If you can save money on interest rates then you are certainly paying down the debt and you are looking after those who come behind you, and you are being responsible.

I submit, Madam Speaker, that whether this is an election Budget or whether it is not, if it was an election Budget, Madam Speaker, we would have probably been out spending everything that we took in, but we did not. We were responsible. We are still showing a surplus here that will go towards the debt of the Province.

I am very proud to stand here and be part of this government, very proud, when the Premier gets up and talks about the good things that are happening, to be able to sit behind him and give him encouragement. Each minister here, when I look at what they have done for their departments, I know it is a busy place to be.

The Minister of Health came with me on Saturday, took a Saturday off to come down to Bonavista with me. Here is another way that we are spending money, Madam Speaker. Back in 1993 when I got elected, the Liberal government that was sitting over here spent $1.4 million to renovate and refurbish the Golden Heights Manor. By refurbishing that particular facility there were ten extra beds created. I have been fighting for fourteen years to get those extra beds open. I was told by ministers who sat on this side of the House when we were over there, that your waiting list is not long enough. There have to be twenty or twenty-seven or seventeen on a waiting list before we will open any beds. How do you tell somebody who is trying to get their mother or their father in a seniors home that I am sorry they cannot go there because there are still fifteen who have to go on that list yet. What a way to deal with a problem.

Madam Speaker, I am happy to stand here today to say that the seventy beds in the Golden Heights Manor are now fully occupied, open, and will remain open as long as the need is there.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. FITZGERALD: Madam Speaker, let's move up the road to Clarenville, that services another part of the district that I represent. A lot of people from the District of Terra Nova and from the upper part of Bonavista South do their business at Clarenville. They go to Clarenville to do their banking, to access government offices, to access the hospital. Madam Speaker, up until now there has been - I will ask the Minister of Health, seventeen beds? - at the Sunshine Manor, a long waiting list.

The Minister of Health sat over here with the other government. How many times was he promised that something was going to be done in Clarenville to respond to that need? I would suggest a good many times. Promises are easy to come by, and promises are great things, but drive by Manitoba Drive today and look at what is happening on Manitoba Drive next to the hospital there, a major construction job going up to establish forty-five long-term care beds that will not only service the Clarenville area and Trinity North, but also Terra Nova, Bellevue and Bonavista South. Those are the kinds of good things that are happening in rural Newfoundland and Labrador.

We cannot help but be excited. It bothers us when we hear the negativity on the other side, because I can guarantee you that they are not hearing it on the outside. I am not hearing it on the outside, and I do not go home and shy away, or go into my home and close the door and not answer the phone. The things that I am hearing about this Budget are good things. While we cannot be everything to everybody, I say to members opposite, this is not the last Budget, either. There will be other Budgets.

MR. SPEAKER (Hodder): Order, please!

I remind the hon. Member for Bonavista South that his allotted time has expired.

MR. FITZGERALD: (Inaudible).

MR. SPEAKER: Leave has been requested.

AN HON. MEMBER: No leave.

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. member cannot deny leave if he is not in his own seat.

MR. JOYCE: No leave.

MR. SPEAKER: Leave has been denied, I say to the hon. member.

MR. FITZGERALD: Mr. Speaker, the hon. member (inaudible) deny me leave. I will gladly sit and let somebody else (inaudible).

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!

The hon. the Member for Torngat Mountains.

MR. ANDERSEN: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I rise today to speak on the Budget and to speak of a district that is very dear and close to me, and that is the riding of Torngat Mountains.

Mr. Speaker, I say to the hon. members, I know what a good Budget means. In 1996, I sat where the Member for St. Barbe sits now, and I got up in my maiden speech and I spoke of the riding of Torngat Mountains. I talked of a district that was neglected over the years. I talked of all the exploration in Voisey's Bay, where no environmental monitors were there, and that oil spills were taking place. I said, the only benefit the North Coast of Labrador is getting at the present time is, we are losing our beautiful countryside.

Mr. Speaker, following that speech, many people across the Province asked me, was I a Liberal or was I in the Opposition? I can say that I was part of a government that listened. Voisey's Bay has turned out to be a godsend for the people on the North Coast of Labrador, for people in Labrador, and for this Province.

I was part of a government that built four brand new schools in the District of Torngat Mountains. Our schools were old, they were falling apart, they were not fit. The government that I was with built four new schools.

We completed the roads in my community with crushed stone and drainage. Furthermore, we gave each community a grader for the upkeep of their roads.

We built youth halls, fire halls, provided fire trucks, and we built firebreaks around our communities. We built fish plants on the North Coast of Labrador. Mr. Speaker, we built winter trails and provided groomers. We had provincial money for housing. Those are things that I am proud of, that were done by our government.

Most important of all, we gave the people in the riding of Torngat Mountains a land claims deal, and one of the things of which I am most proudest of all was to convince the previous Premier of the day, the hon. Roger Grimes, to agree to do an apology to the people from Okak and Hebron that was relocated many years ago.

Mr. Speaker, following the election of 2003, when this government took over, they carried on and they finished off the land claims deal. I give them full credit for that. The Premier of the day, the hon. Danny Williams, stood in Nain and apologized to the people. Mr. Speaker, that is one of the greatest accomplishments that I feel I have done as a member.

What was not done when I was in government? Mr. Speaker, I will tell you. There was not enough done to stop the suicides that plague our communities. Yet, even today, we lose our brightest and best because of problems they face in their communities. Mr. Speaker, as much as I am proud of the things I mentioned, today that is probably one of the most things that I take to heart and probably one of the biggest disappointments that I will admit to, was not finding answers or ways to stop the suicides on the North Coast of Labrador.

Mr. Speaker, when people travel back - the number of trips I made to say goodbye to young and old alike is something that digs at your heart. Really, when money is not an answer but yet as a government you cannot find ways and means to stop it, Mr. Speaker, that is one part that I regret.

Mr. Speaker, the Budget that was brought down is a good Budget. There is no question, Mr. Speaker. It is a good Budget; $1.6 million to offset the cost of diesel-hydro on the North Coast of Labrador. It is a godsend to the people. The only thing I would ask, and I have raised this in Estimates, is that this government also include the business people on the North Coast of Labrador in this good initiative because, after all, it is the small business people in these communities who sometimes are the largest and sole employer in these communities.

Mr. Speaker, health care and long-term care that they are going to build in the Upper Lake Melville area is going to be a blessing to the people on the North Coast of Labrador. Far too many times we have to see our seniors leave Labrador, not just the Coast of Labrador, but leave Labrador all together and travel to some home on the Island and the only time family sees them, Mr. Speaker, is when they are brought back in a casket or a coffin for burial. So that is welcome news.

I would like to have seen the long-haul freight rates for the North Coast of Labrador announced. People on the North Coast of Labrador depend on the marine services more so than anyone else in this Province.

Mr. Speaker, there are things that have been done by previous governments. There are a lot of things going to be done by this government, good things. Mr. Speaker, I applaud them for the things I just mentioned, the long-term health care for Happy Valley-Goose Bay, the auditorium, $1.6 million. These are things that are going to make living probably better for the people in these isolated communities. Mr. Speaker, if there is anyone who deserves it, I honestly and truly believe that they do. Again, yes, for these initiatives I applaud the government.

I promised the leader across the way that I would clue up early because people do have Estimates. With that, Mr. Speaker, I will say, yes, there are many, many things in this Budget that are good; good for Labrador, good for my riding and for that I compliment the government on these initiatives.

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Government House Leader.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. RIDEOUT: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, before we finish up our business for the day I would like to take the opportunity to advise members that this evening, I believe it is at 7:00 p.m., the Resource Committee will meet here in the House. The Resource Estimates Committee will meet here in the House to consider the Estimates for the Department of Natural Resources.

Tomorrow morning, Mr. Speaker, at 9:00 a.m. the Government Services Committee will meet here in the House to consider the Estimates for the Department of Intergovernmental Affairs.

As well, tomorrow morning at - no, it is the afternoon, I guess. The Social Services Committee will meet - I will confirm that tomorrow, but as far as I know, the Social Services Committee will meet tomorrow evening to deal with Health and Community Services.

In any event, Mr. Speaker, that will be the Estimates Committee business for this afternoon and tomorrow. I thank the hon. Member for Torngat Mountains for concluding his remarks a little bit early.

On that note, Mr. Speaker, I would move that the House adjourn until tomorrow, Wednesday at 2:00 o'clock. The motion for debate tomorrow, of course, will be the - I do not know whose name it stands in - the Leader of the Opposition, relative to FPI.

I move that the House adjourn until tomorrow, Wednesday, at 2:00 o'clock.

MR. SPEAKER: The motion is that this House now adjourn until tomorrow, Wednesday, May 9 at 2:00 o'clock.

All those in favour, ‘aye'.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Aye.

MR. SPEAKER: All those against, ‘nay'.

The motion is carried.

This House now stands adjourned until tomorrow at 2:00 o'clock in the afternoon.

On motion, the House at its rising adjourned until tomorrow, Wednesday, at 2:00 p.m.