May 30, 2011                       HOUSE OF ASSEMBLY PROCEEDINGS                  Vol. XLVI   No. 32


The House met at 1:30 p.m.

MR. SPEAKER (Fitzgerald): Order, please!

Admit strangers.

Today the Chair would like to welcome twenty-two members from the Turks Gut Heritage Seniors Group from the District of Harbour Main and they are accompanied by their driver, Mr. Gerry Lush.

Welcome to the House of Assembly.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

Statements by Members

MR. SPEAKER: The following members' statements will be heard: the hon. the Member for the District of Ferryland; the hon. the Member for the District of The Straits & White Bay North; the hon. the Member for the District of Humber Valley; and the hon. Member for the District of Mount Pearl North.

The hon. the Member for District of Ferryland.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. HUTCHINGS: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, on Saturday evening, May 28 I had the pleasure of attending the grand opening of the Regional Arts Centre in the Bernard Kavanagh Premises in Ferryland. The event included a host of performers including an accordion session, Ferryland Dinner Group, singers, piano session, fiddlers and the session was closed by Ferryland's own Ron Hynes.

Actor Kevin Lewis, who did a recital as part of the event, called the facility the best in Atlantic Canada. These premises have a long and storied connection with the Southern Shore Commerce as this building once operated as a former salt fish processing facility, general store, wholesale warehouse and now a Regional Arts Centre. These premises will be a venue for the Southern Shore Folk Arts Council Dinner Theatre, cultural events, public arts displays, a new museum and other social gatherings for the general public of the Southern Shore.

Ferryland is one of the most historic communities in North America enriched with Irish culture and heritage. The development of the Regional Arts Centre has given the region the opportunity to ensure that our culture and heritage will be kept alive for years to come.

This facility will provide the space needed for our growing arts community to perform their talents and display their works. The Southern Shore Folks Arts Council is a non-profit organization operated by a volunteer board of directors committed to preserving and promoting the unique culture and heritage of the Irish Loop region.

The restoration of these premises comes as a result of thirteen years of complete devotion by the Executive Director, Mr. Keith Mooney, as well as the office administrative staff and all past and present volunteer directors.

Mr. Speaker, I ask all hon. members to join me in congratulating the Southern Shore Folk Arts Council, the many volunteers, funding partners and corporate sponsors involved in making this project a reality and wish them every success in the future.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

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

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. KELLY: Mr. Speaker, I am so pleased to rise today in this hon. House to recognize the graduating class of Hampden Academy for 2011. Their graduation ceremony was held in their school auditorium on Friday, May 13, and it was indeed a pleasure for me to be in attendance as their MHA.

Mr. Speaker, four students made up the graduating class and included Robbie Davis, Bradley Penton, Travis Pittman, and Melanie Osmond. It was an outstanding program, and the decorations for the event were phenomenal. Beverly Parsons did an outstanding job as their Master of Ceremonies. The guest speaker was Pearce Penton, a post-secondary student and older sibling of Brad Penton, the event's valedictorian. They both did a commendable job indeed.

Mr. Speaker, the school principal, Catherine House, and her staff, the parents, graduates, and the community deserve the highest accolades on the success of the event. The theme for the occasion was, Here Comes the Rest of Our Lives. In this regard, Mr. Speaker, I ask all members of this hon. House to join me in wishing Hampden's graduating class of 2011 all the very best as they embark on their dreams and goals on their journey through life. In the words of Dr. Seuss: "Today is your day! Your mountain is waiting. So…get on your way!"

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Member for the District of Mount Pearl North.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. KENT: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I rise in this hon. House today to congratulate a resident of Mount Pearl, and a great friend of mine, who was recently named the 2010 Mount Pearl Citizen of the Year, Mr. Andrew Ledwell.

Andrew has been a volunteer with numerous groups in Mount Pearl over many years, some of which include the Frosty Festival, where he recently served as Chair of the Board of Directors, St. Peter's Parish Council, where he also serves as Chair, Mount Pearl Special Olympics, the 1st Mount Pearl Scouting Group, again serving on the executive as Group Commissioner, and that is just to name a few.

I have known Andrew for a long time. Growing up, we were both involved in Scouting in Mount Pearl, and we have been volunteering together in some capacity ever since. I can certainly attest to Andrew's dedication first hand. He is the first person to offer assistance when there is a real need. His generosity and compassion toward others is truly amazing.

I would like to extend a sincere thanks to the Mount Pearl Kinsmen for hosting the Mount Pearl Citizen of the Year Awards, and congratulate all of the nominees for 2010, including Doug Chaytor, Sandi Hoysradt, Michael Hussey, Louise Noseworthy, Geraldine Sceviour, and Sharon Upshall. Their volunteer efforts in Mount Pearl certainly do not go unnoticed.

Mr. Speaker, I ask all members of this House to join me in congratulating Mount Pearl's 2010 Citizen of the Year, Andrew Ledwell, and wish him all the best as he continues to make our community a great place for others.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER: Statements by Ministers.

Statements by Ministers

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Minister of Education.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MS BURKE: Mr. Speaker, twenty years ago, best-selling children's author Robert Munsch and his son made a visit to the town of Rigolet in Northern Labrador.

He visited the school, rode a snowmobile, and went ice fishing with Roger Shiwalk and his daughter Cheryl. While he did not catch a fish, Mr. Speaker, the master narrator did turn his adventure into a storybook which, two decades later, was instrumental in bringing Mr. Munsch back to Labrador last week.

In the fall of 2010, Scholastic Canada decided to hold a contest to celebrate Munsch's thirtieth book published by that company. They asked fans to help decide which of the three possible books would be published. The three stories were set in Fort McMurray, Alberta; Brussels, Ontario; and Rigolet. The battle was on, and by the time the on-line voting was over, the story set in Rigolet, Give Me Back My Dad, was the clear winner with 170,000 votes.

The contest prize was the promise of a personal visit from Mr. Munsch, who would visit the community where the book was set to celebrate its launch.

Mr. Speaker, this past Friday, Mr. Munsch was at Northern Lights Academy in Rigolet to make good on that promise. He also took the opportunity on Thursday to visit Peacock Primary and Queen of Peace Middle School in Happy Valley-Goose Bay. Students from other area schools, including Lake Melville School in North West River, École Boréale in Happy Valley-Goose Bay, Mud Lake School, Sheshatshiu Innu School, and St. Lewis Academy were also in attendance. Students at A.P. Low Primary in Labrador City and J.R. Smallwood School in Wabush were hooked up via video link.

What a thrill for the young students in Labrador, Mr. Speaker, to have an international best-selling author visit their schools, tell them stories, and serve as an inspiration.

I invite my colleagues in this House to join me in congratulating the Northern Lights Academy school community in Rigolet for their work in helping to secure the on-line win which, in turn, enabled many of their fellow students in Labrador to have the opportunity to meet the popular children's author.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Member for the District of The Straits & White Bay North.

MR. DEAN: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I would like to thank the minister for an advance copy of her statement. I am sure it was very exciting for the children who go to those schools in Labrador, who live in Rigolet. I know from listening to the radio that some of the students who were there travelled from the South Coast of Labrador and other areas, some by bus to Goose Bay which was their first trip over the road. Our childhood memories would suggest that these are important and things that the children will remember for a long time.

Mr. Munsch is an awesome author for kids and has been for years. It is great to see him visit with so many children in Labrador. We certainly would want to join with the minister in congratulating the students at Northern Lights Academy in Rigolet for winning the contest and the initiative they took part in, Mr. Speaker.

I have tremendous respect for him, as does every parent I am sure in this House of Assembly. I recall as a parent reading some of his stories to my children way back when, The Paper Bag Princess in particular. So it is great to see this award coming to Newfoundland, and I am sure it is a lifelong memory for the children involved.

Thank you.

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

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

I, too, thank the minister for an advance copy of her statement. I am happy to join with others in celebrating with the children of Northern Lights Academy and other schools in Labrador who had the wonderful experience of receiving a visit from Robert Munsch. This is something they are never going to forget, I am sure of that.

I would especially like to congratulate Roger Shiwak who is a staff member at Northern Lights Academy, his daughter Cheryl, and all the other people in Rigolet who made Munsch's trip such a memorable experience, even though there was no catching of fish this time. It is a fantastic experience for them, Mr. Speaker.

It is an opportunity also for us to encourage parents and young children to become book readers and local library users. It is an opportunity for me, once again, to remind the government of the need to increase funding for libraries so they can offer more reading sessions with small children around the Province and to continue to promote reading at a young age.

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. KING: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Last summer the provincial government launched a collection of twelve video testimonials by immigrants who reside in Eastern and Central Newfoundland. At that time, we began work as well on additional testimonials featuring individuals from the Western and Labrador Regions of our Province. I am pleased to report today that these videos have now been completed and have been posted to our immigration Web site.

Mr. Speaker, video testimonials provide personal insight into what attracts newcomers to our Province and their experiences living and working here. They also help in promoting the Province as a warm, welcoming, safe, and inviting destination for prospective immigrants.

It is with no surprise, Mr. Speaker, that a recent study of newcomers who entered via the Provincial Nominee Program found that over 80 per cent have remained here in Newfoundland and Labrador. Clearly, Mr. Speaker, not only are more immigrants choosing Newfoundland and Labrador as their new home in Canada, but more are opting to stay in the Province and contribute to our booming economy and are helping create more opportunities for all.

Mr. Speaker, immigrants work in a variety of sectors, bringing critical skill sets to local employers and helping them make connections to the global marketplace. These stories are truly inspirational and we should all be very proud that we have opened our communities to immigrants from around the world.

The Provincial Immigration Strategy, Diversity-Opportunity and Growth, which was launched in 2007, laid the framework for our government to promote Newfoundland and Labrador as a destination of choice for prospective immigrants to Canada. The complement of twenty-four immigration videos serves as a great recruitment tool for the future. Immigration, Mr. Speaker, is critical to our long-term economic success.

These videos can be viewed at www.nlimmigration.ca. Mr. Speaker, I encourage everyone to visit the Web site and see these videos. You will truly be inspired by their messages and proud of what our Province is providing - a wonderful place to live, work and raise a family.

Thank you.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

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

MR. KELVIN PARSONS: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I thank the minister for the advance copy of his statement. It is good to hear an update of course on the Province's Immigration Strategy, particularly about these videos and testimonials from Western and Northern Newfoundland and Labrador. There is no better place, of course, we are absolutely biased. There is no better place in the world to live than here in our Province of Newfoundland and Labrador. Any tool that is going to help put that message out there through video testimonies and Web sites, for example, to help reach more potential immigrants is indeed a good thing to be doing. That being said, of course, we still have a ways to go.

There is some statistical variation, I guess, from what the minister said here. The study I was aware of from the Interprovincial Mobility of Immigrants in Canada indicated that we did not fair too well, certainly between 2000 and 2006 when it came to attraction and retention. I believe our percentages were like 43 per cent compared to Ontario which had 91 per cent, and Quebec which was 86 per cent. Now, hopefully, those trends have turned around. When people come here, of course, they just do not come for a short stay, because they bring a lot of skills with them and they certainly add to our cultural mix as well.

It is great to see their skills and their figures; their information and their skills add to our economy that we do have here. The attraction and retention of immigrants, of course, is going to be absolutely essential for our Province on a go-forward basis, as it is for every Province. We face an aging population, a declining population, coupled with an increase in demand for highly skilled and educated workers. Whatever strategy and tools we can use, such as video testimonials, for example, to expedite that and promote that is certainly beneficial.

Thank you.

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

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

I, too, thank the minister for the advance copy of his statement. I am glad to know we are doing a better job at retaining immigrants here in our Province, it is extremely important. I note that it is those who have arrived under the Provincial Nominee Program where we get that increase.

The reality is we do have one of the lowest rates of immigration in the country. This is very timely, Mr. Speaker, because on the weekend I was speaking to an immigrant, a person who is a landed immigrant, is working here in the service sector in a restaurant but who is a resident nurse trained in his own country. He spoke to me deliberately because he said he really believes the Province is not doing enough to help people like him, and there is a whole group of them that he referred to, with various expertise and degrees and diplomas. We do not have enough here in our Province to help them gain the equivalency in their profession so that they can start working in their professions here in the Province, Mr. Speaker.

I say to the minister, things like these videos are great but we have to make sure our post-secondary institutions have programs there to help immigrants who are coming in to gain equivalency in their profession so that a person who is an RN is not serving tables in a restaurant downtown.

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker.

MR. SPEAKER: Further statements by ministers?

Oral Questions.

Oral Questions

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

MS JONES: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Minister of Natural Resources. In the Estimates hearing just before the Easter break the minister promised to consider providing us with copies of the studies that Nalcor concluded on alternatives to Muskrat Falls. To date, we have not received the information.

I ask the minister today, if he can tell us what studies actually exist for cost alternatives of power, and if he can provide that information to us and to the public?

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Minister of Natural Resources.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. SKINNER: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, in the Estimates there were a number of pieces of information requested by the members opposite. A number of questions were asked, a number of areas of clarification were asked for. All of those I indicated I would provide to the members opposite. I told them I would have a letter written to them outlining what it was I understood they were asking for. Assuming they agreed with what I had in that letter, we would then get ready to turn that information over to them.

That information, Mr. Speaker, is being compiled. They should have that in their possession very shortly and the information will be provided to them.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

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

MS JONES: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

While we await the letter from the minister to see what information will follow it, maybe he could tell the House and tell the people of the Province today: What alternatives were looked at, that were costed by Nalcor, and if he will commit at the end of the day to provide all of that to us?

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Minister of Natural Resources.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. SKINNER: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, there were a number of options that were looked at. We will provide the information, as I committed to do in the Estimates. I have spoken to that here in the House before. I have indicated that we looked at bringing in power from Quebec. I indicated that we looked at bringing in power through Nova Scotia. We looked at the isolated Island option. We looked at recall power. Things like wind, diesel, and hydro were looked at. There were a whole bunch of things that were looked at, Mr. Speaker, and that information is available and will be provided so the members opposite can have a look at it.

Thank you.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

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

MS JONES: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The Premier also indicated in the House of Assembly there had been two audits completed on the Muskrat Falls Project.

I ask if you are prepared to table those audits and make them available to the people of the Province.

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Premier.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

PREMIER DUNDERDALE: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, Nalcor has had two external audits done on the methodology. They have used a gaited process around decision making with regard to the development of the Lower Churchill, Mr. Speaker. I will check with Nalcor to see if those audits can be made available to you. I certainly do not see any reason, personally, at this point in time, why they might not.

Now, Mr. Speaker, in terms of another piece of work that Nalcor has undertaken, they have now gone to a external consultants to do an evaluation on whether or not Muskrat Falls is the least-cost option for electricity generation here in the Province. Mr. Speaker, an RFP has been called and we hope to have that report and make it available to the people of this Province by the end of July or early August.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

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

MS JONES: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I would like to ask the Premier why Nalcor and her government would choose to go to external consultants when we have the Public Utilities Board, a process in place in this Province, and we have our own Auditor General.

I ask you, Premier: Why are you not referring the deal to those two bodies?

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Premier.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

PREMIER DUNDERDALE: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, we are so thorough in what we do, we are doing both. As part of Nalcor's gaited decision process, this is part of their due diligence. Mr. Speaker, what we are doing as a result of their decision to get this third party audit, we are asking Nalcor to make it available to the people of the Province. They have agreed to do so.

Mr. Speaker, the question that is being put to the PUB is: Is this the least-cost option? Is Muskrat Falls the least-cost option to meet the future energy needs of the people in Newfoundland and Labrador? Mr. Speaker, that is the question the Opposition has posed since day one of the announcement of this project. The PUB is going to give us the answer.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

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

MS JONES: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

We have no problem with external consultants. The only issue here is that Nalcor and the government chooses the external consultants. You define the terms of reference, you give them the information that you want them to have, and that defines what the outcome is. I say to you, Premier, it is not independent.

I ask you today: Will you refer this to the Auditor General of our Province, and will you refer it to a full review of the Public Utilities Board in Newfoundland and Labrador?

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Premier.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

PREMIER DUNDERDALE: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, the Leader of the Opposition is nothing if not predictable, and that is why the question is being referred to the PUB. We absolutely understood that when Nalcor went to external consultants, the criticism we just heard was what was going to come out of the Leader of the Opposition, Mr. Speaker. That does not invalidate the work that Nalcor is doing, it needs to do it as part of its own due diligence process, and we will make that information available to the public of this Province, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, she keeps asking for reports. She wants report after report after report, but she does not believe or accept any of them. So, I am not sure why we have to go through that exercise; however, to answer her criticism, the very same question will be put to the PUB.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

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

MS JONES: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

If I had a report to look at, a report to read, some information, some documentation, to back up anything that you say in this House, Premier, maybe we might have a different opinion. To date, it has been secretive, it has been controlled, it has been left out of the public, and no one wants to disclose the information.

When you say you are referring it to the Public Utilities Board, why are you misleading people in this Province to think that it is going to be a full and open process? Why are you not allowing the Public Utilities Board to hold full public hearings right across this Province, and to launch this under the full regime of the act, which is what should happen?

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Premier.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

PREMIER DUNDERDALE: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Now, Mr. Speaker, this is coming from the same people who exempted the full development of 3,000 megawatts of the Lower Churchill from review by the PUB. From the very same people who kicked the Auditor General out from auditing the House of Assembly. So again, we have: don't do as I did, but do as I say. That will not work, Mr. Speaker. We have always had the highest standards of openness and accountability. Mr. Speaker, document after document has been filed, tabled here in this House of Assembly. Mr. Speaker, any number of briefings has been provided to the members of the Opposition, and will be every time they ask for one. Go to the site of the environmental review panel, Mr. Speaker, all of that information is logged there. She can go to Nalcor's site, Mr. Speaker, and now the PUB is going to review whether or not Muskrat Falls is the least-cost option because once that answer comes, Mr. Speaker, every other question is answered.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

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

MS JONES: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I inform the Premier we went from site to site to site to site and I will tell you the conclusion is the same; you are going to double up the price of electricity for people in this Province. You are going to add to the debt of this Province –

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Oh, oh!

MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!

MS JONES: You have no guaranteed sale for power. You are not prepared to invest money back to bring down the cost to ratepayers in Newfoundland and Labrador and you are hiding the information to the people of this Province.

Mr. Speaker, in a letter to the editor over the weekend, the Minister of Natural Resources stated that rates on the Island have gone up because of the increased use of Holyrood. That is interesting, Mr. Speaker, because Nalcor's own figures indicate that Holyrood required two million barrels less of oil last year than it did in 2001.

I ask the minister: Why are you telling the public that we are using Holyrood more –

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Oh, oh!

MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!

MS JONES: – and more each year when in fact the complete opposite is true?

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Minister of Natural Resources.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. SKINNER: Mr. Speaker, there are a number of factors that are driving up the price of electricity in this Province. We have proven with the review of the bills that people have been receiving – I have stood in this House and have said that I reviewed my own bill over the last ten years – and the rates have gone up 36 per cent, 38 per cent and we project that they will continue to do that between now and 2017. The price of oil is impacting the cost at Holyrood. The amount of hydrology that is out there, the amount of water that we have in our rivers is impacting it. All people need to do is look, Mr. Speaker, at what has happened over the last ten years and they will see that it will continue to happen. The price of oil is going up and therefore the price of our electricity rates is going up. If we do not do Muskrat Falls, Mr. Speaker, the rates will continue to rise 4 per cent to 6 per cent per year. Muskrat Falls, as I have said before, is the solution; it is less than 1 per cent increase once we have Muskrat Falls on stream.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

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

MS JONES: Mr. Speaker, the numbers just do not add up and the minister knows it. In 2001 there were two million barrels of oil less used at Holyrood. Last year 11 per cent of our power came from Holyrood. Mr. Speaker, the numbers are not adding up and the minister knows it.

Mr. Speaker, I had several inquiries from the people in Labrador as to when the Apollo will be taken out of service for the identified repairs on its propeller. The people in Labrador are making plans for summer travel and the tourism season is about to swing into high gear.

I ask the minister today: Have any decisions been made as to when the ferry will come out of service and, if so, is he prepared to share that with us today?

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Minister of Transportation and Works.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. HEDDERSON: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I appreciate the question from the member opposite. The Apollo is now running on one propeller. We had her brought into dry dock, did an inspection. Basically the parts are on order and upon receipt of the parts that boat will come out of service for about a week. The exact date I cannot say, depending on when the parts do come in, Mr. Speaker.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

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

MS JONES: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I know when the minister meets with the Labrador business network committee this week he is going to hear these issues as well. When the Apollo was taken out of service earlier in the season, the Astron was used to transport vehicles, there was an aircraft used to transport passengers and, Mr. Speaker, the service was very inadequate. We fear that with the increased traffic that is on that service – tremendously more traffic this time of the year than there was a few months ago.

I ask the minister: What is the plan for the replacement of this service and what will be done to enhance it over and above what happened in the last few weeks when the Apollo was taken out?

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Minister of Transportation and Works.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. HEDDERSON: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

In response to the question opposite, again, the contingency that we put in place the last time involved the Astron and an airplane flying back across the Straits. That contingency still will work this time, we are looking at a more adequate plane.

Again, the Bond will come back in service at that time as well. So we are working now to see what can be arranged and perhaps the Bond being used, but again that is a contingency. We are working with the provider and fully cognizant of what the member opposite has said. This is an important crossing and we will do everything that we can to make sure that this delay in getting the Apollo back will be done in a proper manner.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Member for the District of The Straits & White Bay North.

MR. DEAN: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, the ongoing issue of the plant in New Ferolle still not ready for this year's fishing season is back on the news again. The plant committee met with the owner on Friday and still did not really get any real answers as far as they are concerned. This morning we listened to the minister on Open Line hoping that something will be done soon; it has been three years of hoping, Mr. Speaker.

I ask the minister now that the owner has basically bluffed his way past the crab season: Has the minister set any conditions if he does not begin to process turbot when the season opens in the next week or so, as he committed to do?

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Minister of Fisheries and Aquaculture.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. JACKMAN: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

As I said before, we have had staff on top of this issue right from the beginning pressing Mr. Mullowney to move in and see what he can do to make it operational. Mr. Speaker, the last that we got, as late as this morning, is that the plant is ready to go. As the member indicated, he did meet with the committee there on Friday. He has boats arranged. The turbot season is scheduled to open on June 6. Mr. Speaker, Mr. Mullowney has hired a new manager on site.

So, Mr. Speaker, as far as we know he has boats lined up. We should see operations within that plant very shortly. To my knowledge right now, there are some ten to twelve people who are working in the plant. I think our efforts in trying to get Mr. Mullowney to move along have been successful and we hope the people who work there will have a successful season for the rest of it, Mr. Speaker.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Member for the District of The Straits & White Bay North.

MR. DEAN: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I know the minister was baffled and bewildered on Friday, as were a lot of us, on the broadcast. Mr. Speaker, I want to ask the question again because it is important, and I would like for the minister to give us an answer.

Are you willing, or have you set, or are you willing to set any conditions to this plant on the turbot fishery when it is supposed to open in the next week or so, if it does not open?

MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!

The hon. the Minister of Fisheries and Aquaculture.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. JACKMAN: Mr. Speaker, Mr. Mullowney owns the plant. We cannot do anything from that perspective, we face the legal challenges. As I outlined just previously, we have been pushing the issue, having our inspectors in there. There were Canadian Food Inspection Agency standards that had to be met, we pushed them until that was successfully completed. Our inspectors have been on site, and, Mr. Speaker, the operation is ready to go and we look forward to workers being in there as of June 6.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Member for the District of The Straits & White Bay North.

MR. DEAN: Mr. Speaker, we have heard that since March. We will wait and see, I guess.

Earlier this month I requested from the minister information relating to the species and the minimum processing thresholds attached to the plant, and indeed, if any of these species had lapsed from the licence. The minister did provide a listing of licences, as well as the threshold. The information did not disclose if any of these licences has been rescinded. I know that the owner did not meet the crab processing requirement.

I ask the Minister: Has the owner of the New Ferolle plant met the processing requirements of the seven other species attached to the plant?

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Minister of Fisheries and Aquaculture.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. JACKMAN: Mr. Speaker, I did provide the information to the hon. member. If there is something that he needs additional, he well knows that he can get the information from us.

Mr. Speaker, in terms of us working with this community; in fact, we have gone beyond our means to do what we can for this facility.

AN HON. MEMBER: Oh, oh!

MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!

MR. JACKMAN: The crab licence, for example, Mr. Speaker, would have expired as of April 1, but we have given the plant, Mr. Mullowney, and the community every opportunity. Mr. Speaker, anything we can do to keep continuing and supporting that community and that plant, we will.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Member for the District of The Straits & White Bay North.

MR. DEAN: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

My question is for the Minister of Transportation and Works. The Budget has $223 million earmarked for road and bridge work this year. This comes just four months ahead of this fall's election. In previous years, the then Premier had a staff person in his office to portion out the road money.

I ask the Minister today: Will you table in the House a list of all road and bridge projects that will be done this year?

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Oh, oh!

MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!

The hon. the Minister of Transportation and Works.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. HEDDERSON: Mr. Speaker, where do I start?

All I am saying to you is we came down with a Budget not too long ago. As a matter of fact, the Budget is still on the floor of this House. I can guarantee the member opposite that we have looked at the priorities of roads from one end of this Province to the other, that we have allocated according to priorities, and the tenders are now in the hopper and ready to go out. I cannot see what his problem is, but if you have a problem, come see me.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

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

MR. KELVIN PARSONS: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Oh, oh!

MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!

MR. KELVIN PARSONS: Mr. Speaker, last week I asked the Premier if she would consider senatorial elections for this Province. She replied she had more important business of the Province to consider and this matter rested entirely with the federal government. However, it is of course the job of the provincial government to address the federal government on issues related to the people of the Province, regardless of jurisdiction.

I ask the Premier: Will you consider holding this fall, elections in conjunction with the provincial election to name a provincial senator elect for consideration by the Prime Minister in filling vacant provincial Senate seats?

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Premier.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

PREMIER DUNDERDALE: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, I can only think that I must be doing such a good job with my colleagues of running this Province that they want to expand my reach onto the federal government.

Now, Mr. Speaker, my own personal view is if anybody goes to represent the people of this Province then they should have the blessings of the people of this Province.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Oh, oh!

MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!

PREMIER DUNDERDALE: Now, Mr. Speaker, anybody who read The Globe and Mail this morning knows where the federal government is and the fact that they are going to introduce legislation. We have been aware of that for some time. Mr. Speaker, there are still a lot of questions that need to be answered. For example, who is going to fund it? Who is going to pay for it? Mr. Speaker, when we get the answers to those questions, then we will say whether or not we are in favour of elected senators.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

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

MR. KELVIN PARSONS: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Each day we are hearing more and more reports of moose sightings and, sadly, moose-vehicle accidents. It is unfortunate that this government continues to drag its feet on this very serious issue. They seem to think that some brush cutting and public awareness campaigns are sufficient but, obviously, it clearly is not. We have had over 768, I believe, moose-vehicle collisions in this Province last year.

I ask the minister: What else are you prepared to do as a government to finally try to help reduce moose-vehicle collisions in this Province?

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Minister of Transportation and Works.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. HEDDERSON: Mr. Speaker, we will continue to try, as best we can, to ensure the safety of the travelling public on our highways. As the member is well aware, we have been, for over the last number of years, doing adequate brush cutting in the sense of going to areas where we feel we need to, doing the proper brush cutting, as well as following up with vegetation control to keep that under control for many, many years to come, and the public awareness that you have mentioned. We had presented to us something like seven areas that we could go into, which we have now looked at and have under investigation as to see the exact places that we need to go.

Most importantly, we are looking at our data management system that we are upgrading to make sure that we understand not only about moose-vehicle accidents but accidents in general, and we will continue to invest money to try to keep our highways as safe as we possibly can.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

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

MR. KELVIN PARSONS: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The government promised a five-year moose management plan over a year ago, and we are still waiting to see it. They have flat out denied meetings with some groups and businesses interested in preventing moose-vehicle collisions. We are not seeing much leadership and direction on this, other than saying an educational program and a bit of brush cutting.

I ask the minister: Where is the moose management plan that was promised? It was over a year ago. We have seen no sign of it yet.

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

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. WISEMAN: The moose management plan and moose-vehicle accidents - the reason we have undertaken the moose management plan is partially, yes, related to motor vehicle accidents, but moose are a tremendous resource in Newfoundland and Labrador. They are a tremendous attraction for tourists, a tremendous benefit for outfitters in the Province, and, as a sport, many people like to hunt moose, Mr. Speaker.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Oh, oh!

MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!

MR. WISEMAN: Our moose management strategy will be focusing on many aspects of the moose population in Newfoundland and Labrador. We have the concern about the habitat that moose travel in, that is another big consideration. A moose management strategy is not just a matter of determining how many licences we will issue, how many people will hunt moose, how many motor vehicles accidents we want to try to control, it is a pretty comprehensive view of that resource. That is a piece of work that is in progress. When we are further along, we will be able to start engaging in some very informed dialogue with the general public.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

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

MR. KELVIN PARSONS: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

This from a minister who is part of a government who in the last six, seven years have had 268 strategies, yet moose has been on the radar in this Province as a nuisance problem for years and you are just getting around now to trying to do a piece of work on this.

Well, Minister, this question is also for the Minister of Environment. Last month, we asked the minister if he would take some action and implement a ban on cosmetic pesticides in this Province. We are now into the spraying season and we have not seen any action by government to date.

I ask you, Minister: You have known the details of this issue since back when you were Minister of Health, why have you stalled on making any decisions with pesticides and they are still continuing to be sprayed today? When are we going to see a decision?

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

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. WISEMAN: We are obviously getting to the end of this session of the House. We are obviously getting to the end of this session because members are forgetting what they said in the first part of the session.

Throughout this entire last session of this House of Assembly, we have been constantly criticized for not having a vision, not having an understanding of where we are going. No plan, no vision, and no sense of direction. Now, we learn today we have 268 strategies. So, I cannot think of any government in this country that would have approached –

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Oh, oh!

MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!

MR. WISEMAN: - their goal and approached their responsibility more prudently and more strategically than we have to have developed that many strategies.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. WISEMAN: I thank the member opposite for bringing that to the public's attention on these closing days, as they compliment us for the great work that we do in having a clear vision for the future and having 268 clearly articulated strategies for the future I say, Mr. Speaker. I thank you very much for pointing that out.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!

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

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

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Oh, oh!

MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!

MS MICHAEL: Mr. Speaker, last week an economist from Carleton University presented a report to provincial MHAs at a breakfast sponsored by the Newfoundland and Labrador Nurses' Union showing that this Province could save as much as $166 million on administration and the cost of drugs and medical supplies if we had a national public pharmacare program.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Oh, oh!

MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!

MS MICHAEL: Mr. Speaker, unfortunately the Minister of Health and Community Services was not at the presentation, though I trust he has seen the report.

So I ask the minister: What is he doing to push for a national public pharmacare program?

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

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. KENNEDY: Yes, thank you, Mr. Speaker.

By definition, a national pharmacare program would be the equivalent of our medicare program, Mr. Speaker, in terms of a universal, publicly funded and administered drug program for all. We currently in this country, Mr. Speaker, spend $25 billion a year on drugs. In this Province alone, Mr. Speaker, we have our Newfoundland and Labrador Prescription Drug Program. Although this thought of universal pharmacare sounds good in theory, Mr. Speaker, there is a practical reality to this: There is not a lot of interest in this throughout the country.

At the health ministers' meetings here in St. John's on September 13, Mr. Speaker, I can tell the member opposite, we had discussions on group purchasing and generic drugs. There was no discussion on national pharmacare, Mr. Speaker. The federal government has to buy into this program. At this point, there is certainly no interest on the part of the federal government that we can see.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

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

MS MICHAEL: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Well, with the new Official Opposition in Ottawa, perhaps they will be pushing for this on the agenda.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Oh, oh!

MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!

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

MS MICHAEL: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I am glad the minister referred to the meeting on September 13 –

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Oh, oh!

MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!

MS MICHAEL: – because it was my understanding that at that meeting on September 13 of the ministers from across Canada they committed to work together on the purchasing of drugs and supplies to get value from money through lower unit costs.

So I am asking the minister –

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Oh, oh!

MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!

MS MICHAEL: He said they talked about it. My understanding is they committed to do something.

What steps have been taken since then on the joint purchasing of drugs and medical supplies with the other provinces?

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

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. KENNEDY: Yes, thank you, Mr. Speaker.

At the health ministers meetings, there was discussion of the sustainability of the health care system, Mr. Speaker, from a financial perspective.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Oh, oh!

MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!

MR. KENNEDY: One of the things we had to look at, Mr. Speaker –

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Oh, oh!

MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!

The Chair is having difficulty hearing the hon. minister when he provides his answer and the questions being asked are being drowned out by conversation on both sides of the House. I ask members for their co-operation and respect to the person who has been identified by the Chair.

The hon. the Minister of Health and Community Services.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. KENNEDY: So, Mr. Speaker, we did discuss how we can save money by working together as provinces. We know that in western provinces there are group purchasing alliances. We recently in this Province, Mr. Speaker, entered into HealthPRO with a view to saving money. So we are looking at ways we can save money. There is a major difference between entering into group purchasing opportunities, looking at how we can save money with generic drugs, as opposed to a universal pharmacare program, Mr. Speaker.

In this Province, we have not waited for a national pharmacare program. We have our Access Plan, Mr. Speaker, which has 30,000 beneficiaries. We have our Assurance Plan which has 6,700 beneficiaries. In Budget 2010, Mr. Speaker, we spent $142 million on the Prescription Drug Program.

MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

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

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

I am glad the minister knows the difference between a pharmacare program and joint buying. I understood that joint buying would be while they continue planning towards a pharmacare program.

Mr. Speaker, the Canada-EU Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement negotiations that are currently going on could lead to costly changes to our prescription drug system in Canada. The European Union wants to lengthen the period of time that brand name drugs have exclusive monopoly in the marketplace before a generic drug is allowed, potentially raising drug costs in this Province alone by $46.4 million a year.

Mr. Speaker, I ask the minister: Is he concerned about this EU proposal and has he made any representation to the federal government about it?

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

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. KENNEDY: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, what we are doing in this Province, we are providing drugs to the people of our Province who need them, Mr. Speaker, and cannot afford them. What we have, Mr. Speaker, our Access Plan is formerly known as the Low Income Drug Program. As I indicated earlier we have 31,000 beneficiaries of that program. Budget 2010, Mr. Speaker, provided $142 million –

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Oh, oh!

MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!

MR. KENNEDY: Budget 2010, Mr. Speaker, provided approximately $142 million from the Newfoundland and Labrador Prescription Drug Program. This includes approximately $16.2 million for the Assurance Plan and almost $8.9 million for the Access Plan. What we are doing, we are providing drugs to the people of this Province from cancer drugs to insulin pumps, Mr. Speaker, to providing dialysis throughout this Province. We are using our money, we are spending it wisely and if there are ways we can save money we certainly will but it will not be at the cost of rural Newfoundland and Labrador like she wanted to last week in shutting down private ambulances.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!

The time allotted for questions and answers has expired.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Oh, oh!

MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!

The Chair is always reluctant to interrupt routine proceedings during Question Period, considering there is thirty minutes left to provide questions and answers but I call on the Leader of the Opposition to withdraw a remark that she made during Question Period when she stated to the Premier: Why are you misleading the people of the Province? Clearly unparliamentary and I ask the hon. Leader of the Opposition to withdraw the remark.

MS JONES: I withdraw, Mr. Speaker.

MR. SPEAKER: Presenting reports by standing and select committees.

Tabling of Documents.

Notices of Motion.

Answers to Questions for which Notice has been Given.

Petitions.

Petitions

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

MS JONES: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I stand today to present a petition on behalf of women in this Province who are calling upon the government, Mr. Speaker, to reduce the age for breast screening in Newfoundland and Labrador. These are women from all over the Province who have signed petitions and sent them to the House of Assembly.

I will read the prayer of the petition for you:

WHEREAS breast cancer is the most common cancer among Newfoundland and Labrador women excluding non-melanoma skin cancer, with approximately 370 women to be diagnosed with breast cancer in Newfoundland and Labrador this year; and

WHEREAS we have one of the highest mortality rates from breast cancer and breast cancer in young women tends to be more aggressive; and

WHEREAS the benchmark for Newfoundland and Labrador's organized breast screening program is age fifty; and

WHEREAS women aged forty to forty-nine are not eligible to participate in Newfoundland and Labrador's organized breast screening program, while women aged forty to forty-nine are eligible in the provinces of British Columbia, Alberta, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, Northwest Territories and the Yukon; and

WHEREAS there is evidence that routine mammography screening of women in their forties can reduce mortality from breast cancer by at least 24 per cent, but Newfoundland and Labrador still does not allow women in that age group to self-refer into their breast screening program;

WHEREUPON the undersigned, your petitioners, humbly pray and call upon the House of Assembly to allow women aged forty to forty-nine to be eligible for breast screening to begin at age forty and that all women be able to self-refer through Newfoundland and Labrador's screening program.

Mr. Speaker, this petition has been circulating throughout the Province. We have hundreds and hundreds of signatures on this petition alone. Most of this petition comes from the Gander area. From places like Glenwood, Gander, Wings Point, Gander Bay area – I am just reading through it, Mr. Speaker – Norris Arm, from all different areas, Lewisporte, Frederickton, Gambo, Glovertown, Port Blandford, Appleton.

Mr. Speaker, there are people from all over, women mostly but men as well, who are signing these particular petitions because they see this as an important issue, an important issue in the Province. They think the age of breast screening should be reduced for women in Newfoundland and Labrador.

As is outlined in the petition, it is already being done in places like British Columbia, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, the Northwest Territories, the Yukon and Alberta. It is now going to be done in Ontario. We are one of the few provinces in the country that still does not provide that service for women.

Everyday, Mr. Speaker, I get e-mails from women who were diagnosed at a younger age. This morning I received an e-mail from a woman who was forty-one years old when she was diagnosed with breast cancer. We know, Mr. Speaker, early diagnosis means that we save lives in this Province. We can reduce the mortality rate by nearly 25 per cent through early diagnosis. Why is it that the government will not bring in this policy? Why will they not provide for screening for women under the age of fifty so that they can self-refer into their system and not have to go begging the doctors to get referrals? I think it is time for the government to take this seriously. The evidence out there supports it, and all of these women are sending petitions to the House of Assembly asking the government to do that. I appeal to the Premier today, I appeal to her government, on behalf of women in this Province, please, do something to lower the benchmark to save lives of women through early diagnosis of breast cancer.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

MR. SPEAKER: Further petitions?

Orders of the Day.

Orders of the Day

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

MS BURKE: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

From the Order Paper, we will go to Order 1 and continue the Committee of Supply.

With that, Mr. Speaker, I move, seconded by the hon. Minister of Natural Resources, that the House resolve itself into Committee of Supply to debate the Estimates for Executive Council, the Legislature, and the Consolidated Fund Services.

MR. SPEAKER: The motion is that this House do now resolve itself into a Committee of Supply to debate Consolidated Fund Services, Executive Council, and the Legislature and that I do now leave the Chair.

All those in favour, ‘aye'.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Aye.

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

The motion is carried.

MR. KELVIN PARSONS: On a point of order, Mr. Speaker.

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Opposition House Leader, on a point of order.

MR. KELVIN PARSONS: It may not be necessary, but we had a private member's motion there if need be, and Wednesday, we are not certain about what the timelines are going to be. We had it prepared and ready. We skipped so quickly through the Orders of the Day we missed if over here. So, if need be, we can certainly have it ready. We have it ready here now to be –

MR. SPEAKER: Does the hon. the Opposition House Leader have leave to revert to Notices of Motion?

MS BURKE: Mr. Speaker, we have no concerns with going back to Notices of Motion; however, I will indicate it is all of our intentions that the House will adjourn tomorrow, so we will not go to Private Members' Day, but if the Opposition would like leave to go ahead, they certainly can.

MR. SPEAKER: I understand the Opposition has leave to present the private member's motion.

The hon. the Leader of the Opposition.

MS JONES: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

WHEREAS tobacco addiction is the leading cause of preventable disease, disability and death in Canada; and,

WHERAS the prevalence of people smoking in Newfoundland and Labrador is roughly 21 per cent and this percentage has not significantly decreased since 2005; and

WHEREAS Newfoundland and Labrador has one of the highest rates of smoking of any of the Canadian provinces; and

WHEREAS smoking costs the health care system in Newfoundland and Labrador between $300 million and $400 million annually; and

WHEREAS smoking is among the most important of chronic disease risk factors for common chronic diseases such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease, lung disease and cancer which drive health care system costs and outcomes; and

WHEREAS chronic disease is the leading cause of death in Newfoundland and Labrador and diseases of the circulatory system, cancer and respiratory disease account for approximately 75 per cent of all deaths in this Province; and

WHEREAS the Canadian Journal of Cardiology states that tobacco addiction is the most significant of the modifiable cardiovascular risk factors, and its prevention and treatment should be the highest priority; and

WHEREAS international studies show that strategies to help smokers quit, including the use of stop smoking medications are extremely cost effective and double or triple the chances of a smoker quitting; and

WHEREAS smoking cessation aids are considered more cost effective than many other classes of preventatives medications currently funded by the Newfoundland and Labrador Provincial Drug Program; and

WHEREAS the editorial board of the Canadian Medical Association Journal is now calling directly on governments to fund smoking cessation treatments; and

WHEREAS the Lung Association of Canada has called for universally accessible smoking cessation supports for all smokers living in Canada; and

WHEREAS the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada has recommended that governments improve access to programs and aids that help people become smoke-free, including pharmaceutical products, and that aids should be covered under public and private health care plans; and

WHEREAS the funds required to provide full smoking cessation therapy coverage would be generated by an increase in tobacco tax of just over ten cents per pack, or by lowering generic prices which offers millions of dollars in budget savings for this Province; and

WHEREAS the Canadian Agency for Drugs and Technology in Health issued a comprehensive health technology assessment report on pharmacological smoking cessation therapies and found that: medications are effective in helping the general population to quit smoking; cost is a barrier to accessing smoking cessation medications for many people where a coverage plan does not exist; full coverage of pharmacotherapy may increase the uptake of cessation therapies and have an impact on use and success rates;

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that this House of Assembly calls upon this government to consider funding smoking cessation therapies immediately.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

MR. SPEAKER: This House will now resolve itself into a Committee of Supply.

On motion, that the House resolve itself into a Committee of the Whole, Mr. Speaker left the Chair.

Committee of the Whole

CHAIR (Kelly): Order, please!

We are now in Committee of Supply debating the Consolidated Fund Services, Executive Council and Legislature.

The Chair recognizes the hon. Member for St. John's South.

MR. T. OSBORNE: Thank you, Mr. Chair.

I want to talk a little bit today about the contradictions coming from the Opposition in some of the things we are doing and some of the things they did. I will start off with their criticism of this government for putting money into Nalcor; the contradiction, which I find rather amusing in a way.

I remember in their last Budget taking $128 million out of Newfoundland Hydro. They took money out of hydro, including their natural dividends that year. The amount they took out was $61 million, I believe, over and above the dividends that were due to government that year. So, they were taking money out of Newfoundland and Labrador Hydro to fund their deficits and to fund their spending, as governments did in the past taking money out pension funds and so on.

This government has been investing money into Nalcor, trying to invest in this Province's future so we can continue to reap the benefits of royalties from the offshore, from the mining sector, and from hydroelectricity, so our children and our grandchildren will see the benefits of those investments. Mr. Chair, not only have they criticized us for our investment in Nalcor – I want to talk a little bit about that. I find that really interesting, because it is the same party, as I said, that have not only taken millions year after year out of Nalcor for their spending and to support their spending habits, Mr. Chair, they have used it as a cash cow while they were in government.

Mr. Chair, they have also used Newfoundland Hydro as a shell to cover the expenses of trips for the previous Premiers, for their ministers. They spent tens of thousands of dollars on a video to sell their project, their deal that they had with Quebec; the deal that, luckily, government changed. We took office before that deal had a chance to see the light of day. They had all the arrangements made with former Premier Bouchard in Quebec and the Premier in this Province. They spent tens of thousands of dollars on promotional items to promote their deal with Quebec, on propaganda. They had everything set up. Former Premier Grimes and former Premier Bouchard were going to stand on a stage together and talk about how this Province was going to do a deal with the Province of Quebec, and now we are being criticized for going through Atlantic Canada.

Now, there is something very, very funny about that. There is something very funny about that, because I will say, Mr. Chair, that not only did they spend tens of thousands of dollars on a deal that did not happen, producing promotional and propaganda equipment, but when they were in government they wanted to deal with the same company, the same province, the same utility in Quebec that has been taking advantage of this Province for years and years and years. The same province, Mr. Chair, that uses the royalties from the Upper Churchill to attract business and investment away from this Province, but they trust Quebec. I am not sure if the rest of the people of Newfoundland and Labrador trust Quebec, but they trust Quebec. They will say that the deal we have going through the Atlantic Provinces is no good, but they would do a deal with Quebec. They would do a deal with Quebec. They trust Quebec. Mr. Chair, I can see why they trust Quebec, why they condemn ours, of course. Now, that is a bit of sarcasm, for anybody who has not picked up on it.

Mr. Chair, they wanted to do a deal with the same province and the same utility that has shown very little, if any, respect for this Province and the people of this Province. When we went to Quebec, when we tried to correct the injustice and the imbalance on the Upper Churchill deal, we were turned down time and time and time again, not only this government but previous governments as well. Quebec has turned us down time and time and time again on trying to correct the imbalance on the Upper Churchill deal.

Mr. Chair, they have been reaping the rewards of the Upper Churchill. They have shown a great disrespect for our Province's boundary, something that was not only clarified but made concrete, made solid in law by the Privy Council, I believe it was 1929 or thereabouts. That province has continuously shown disrespect for our border. Let me tell you a little story about that.

I went representing this Province to a conference in Quebec back when we were in Opposition. There are only a couple of members still in this House, myself, the Leader of the Opposition and the Speaker, and I think the Member for Harbour Main might have been here at the time and a couple of others, but they gave us a token of appreciation for going to the conference. I got it in a big, cardboard Sonotube. I opened it up and unrolled it, and it was a very nice map. When I looked at the map and started to explore the map in greater detail, to my astonishment there was no Newfoundland-Quebec border on the Labrador portion of our Province. What an insult! What an insult, I say. A map of Canada where there was absolutely no border between Quebec and Newfoundland and Labrador. Yet, the Liberal Party would trust that same province and that same government to do a deal on the Lower Churchill. Now isn't that astonishing, the trust they would put in that province and that utility? Mr. Chair, I find it unbelievable. They wanted to do a deal with the same people who would treat us unfairly.

Let me talk about fair, an indication of fair in how Quebec would deal with this Province. Mr. Chair, we had to go to trial, we had to fight, the Régie I believe it was. We tried to deal on the Lower Churchill and to get wheeling rights, and that province blocked this Province at every possible avenue in trying to get a deal on the Lower Churchill. They blocked us, and we are now taking it - I believe it is in the process of going through the Supreme Court, some of the decisions with the Quebec utility, the Régie, and so on.

They condemn us for not trusting them. The best possible deal for the people of this Province is the deal that is now on the table. Not the deal, I tell you, of 2002 with the very people who have stopped us at every pass, at every avenue in trying to get power from the Lower Churchill through Quebec. Not only in stopping the Lower Churchill through Quebec, Mr. Chair, we gave up on that. We realized that we could not trust dealing with them, that they were not going to play fair ball.

Now, we all remember Hydro-Quebec trying to purchase the utility in New Brunswick in a boldfaced attempt, I say, to prevent this Province from having access through the Atlantic Provinces. Every one of us remembers that. When that failed, the same process that has taken literally years in Quebec to try to get fair and just treatment in Quebec on the Lower Churchill, has taken only months in the Atlantic Provinces. The Atlantic Provinces were ready and willing to deal with us and let us wheel power through their province into the New England states and so on. They stood in the way of this Province as well in wheeling rights through Quebec for decades - for decades - on the Upper Churchill and prevented us on the Lower Churchill.

Mr. Chair, I just want to go back and talk about the Régie decision and so on and our attempts there. When the decision was made on the Quebec utility and our application to go through the province –

CHAIR: Order, please!

I remind the hon. member that his time for speaking has expired.

MR. T. OSBORNE: Just a few moments, by leave?

CHAIR: By leave to clue up?

AN HON. MEMBER: (Inaudible).

MR. T. OSBORNE: Okay. Thank you.

CHAIR: The Chair recognizes the hon. the Leader of the Opposition.

MS JONES: Thank you, Mr. Chair.

It is obvious that the members opposite are a bit testy today. Just listening to the Member for St. John's South getting up, Mr. Chair, he is rehashing everything, going back now. He has just gone back to 1998.

They will not talk about their own deal on Muskrat Falls. They do not want to tell the people of the Province what they are going to do with Muskrat Falls. I can guarantee you the people in Shea Heights in his district are not going to be too happy to get their light bill under Muskrat Falls, I say to the Member for St. John's South. They will not be too happy, Mr. Chair. You go knock on a door in Shea Heights today and you ask a family in Shea Heights if they are prepared to see the light bill that they are paying today at $250 a month go to $500 a month in this Province. Do know what the answer is going to be? No. The answer is going to be no, because the people in this Province are not that silly.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Oh, oh!

CHAIR: Order, please!

MS JONES: The people in this Province are not that silly. They know the difference, I say to the Member for St. John's South.

Now, he is all brave and bold, Mr. Chair. He is standing up today talking about Brian Tobin's era and talking about Roger Grimes' era. Well, let's talk about the current Premier's era. I cannot use her name, Mr. Chair, because I am not allowed. Let's talk about the current Premier's era, Mr. Chair. Let's talk about the deal she is trying to push on the people of Newfoundland and Labrador. Let's talk about that.

Stand in your place today and tell the people of this Province how their light bill is going to increase. Tell them how you are prepared to sell Muskrat Falls power to Nova Scotians, to New Brunswickers, and to Americans on the Eastern Seaboard, Mr. Chair, for cheaper than you are prepared to sell power to the people in your own district. Stand in your place today, tell the people of the Province that, and explain it to them.

Mr. Chair, what is the explanation: because oil prices are going to go up anyway? No one out there has bought the arguments of the Minister of Natural Resources, with all due respect. No one has bought into the arguments because the arguments are not justified I say to you, Minister. They are not justified, just like the arguments on the demand for energy is not justified. The Minister of Finance has yet to stand in his place in this Legislature and tell us where that demand is going to come from in the Province.

People, Mr. Chair, see through this. People in this Province see through this, and they see two things here. They see this proposal is not justified when it comes to the demand, when it comes to construction cost, and when it comes to oil consumption. They know the numbers and the formulas that Nalcor and the government are trying to sell to the people of this Province are unrealistic. Even two former Cabinet Ministers of the Tory government have been out in the media saying it is not justified. Even, Mr. Chair, people in the media themselves who have been following this issue will say it is not justified.

So I say to the government: If you believe what you say, it is time to lay it out. It is time to lay it on the line for the people of this Province, Mr. Chair. It is time to start laying it on the line for the people of this Province and start explaining to them, Mr. Chair, explaining to them what it is that you are trying to do here, what it is that you are trying to do to burden them, the people of this Province, to burden them –

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Oh, oh!

CHAIR: Order, please!

The Chair is having difficulty hearing the hon. member speak and I would ask both sides of this hon. House to respect the person speaking.

Thank you.

MS JONES: Thank you, Mr. Chair.

I was in a room the weekend with nearly 300 people and they were enthusiastic but it was not as much noise, Mr. Chair, as what is in this House of Assembly today. There was not as much noise as what is in this House of Assembly today, Mr. Chair. I can guarantee you that. There was not that much noise there. There were a lot of people in that room, Mr. Chair, and they did not make as much noise as the members in the House of Assembly. Do you know why, Mr. Chair? They were open-minded. They wanted to hear what people had to say. They wanted to know how Muskrat Falls was going to affect them.

Mr. Chair, they are all upset by Winston, but I am going to talk about Winston in a minute now; I am going to talk about Winston, Mr. Chair. First of all, I want to finish addressing some of the comments that the Member for St. John's South made; because, Mr. Chair, the government opposite, if they are taking their lead from the Premier in trying to sell this deal, they are never going to get past first base. She has not provided the information in the House of Assembly. She is not prepared to go through a full review of the Public Utilities Board. She is not prepared to allow the Auditor General in this Province to do a full review of this project. Why not? The reason why not is because they cannot back up the information that they are providing to the public in this Province. They cannot back up the demand. They cannot back up the fuel consumption. They cannot back up the construction costs and they cannot back up the fact that there will be no overruns on this particular development. That is the reason, Mr. Chair, that they want to control the environment that they are calling an external review.

Well, Mr. Chair, we can have an external review on every single thing that we talk about in this House of Assembly but what is the purpose of it if we are going to control the information that goes into it and we are going to control the information it means that we going to control the outcomes. That is exactly what the government is doing in the Province today. All the discussion around Muskrat Falls is external in the Province today I say to the members opposite, but it is external to the point of the information that you want to give people. If you do not give people the information they are not going to be able to make a full decision.

So why are you hiding? Why was the Premier last week hiding from the media? Why is she sending her media personalities out to the lobby, Mr. Chair, to tell them she cannot come out because she is hiding in the House of Assembly or hiding in the caucus room because she does not want to answer questions?

Mr. Chair, what a way to govern in this Province. What a way to govern. To go out and say that we are prepared to borrow $4.2 billion, we are prepared to make Newfoundlanders and Labradorians pay for it, we are prepared to bring a Muskrat Falls line here, but we are going to double up your electricity bill to make it happen. Now what kind of a government is that, Mr. Chair? Irresponsible is what it is; it is irresponsible.

The government opposite, Mr. Chair, is not only – the members do not want to talk about their deal but I do not mind talking about it. It is not only about doubling up the cost of electricity for people in this Province, Mr. Chair, it is about the fact that there is 40 per cent of this power that is going to be sold – we hope it will be sold somewhere. We know today that there is not one power purchase agreement in place – not one power purchase agreement in place that is signed for the sale of that power. If every bit of it was signed today the other issue is the government opposite will not commit to use the revenues from the sale of that access power to be able to subsidize the cost of this project so that the people in Shea Heights, Mr. Chair, and the rest of this Province will not have to pay double the cost of electricity.

Mr. Chair, the members opposite like Winston Churchill – the water drop Winston. I am going to tell you something, Winston, Mr. Chair, has an important message for the people of this Province. Winston, Mr. Chair, is going to deliver that message.

So while you are knocking on the doors, Mr. Chair, out there in those communities, they are going to be signed on to their Facebook sites and Winston is going to be telling them what questions to ask you when you get to that door. Ask you, Mr. Chair, to give them a guarantee that their light bills are not going to double up, that is the guarantee that they want.

When they are logging in, Mr. Chair, to Facebook and you are knocking on that door, Winston is going to be telling them, you go out and say to the member for Mount Pearl, how much is my electricity bill going to cost if I go out and place an X for the Member for Mount Pearl South this time around? The Member for Mount Pearl South is going to stumble, Mr. Chair, he is going to stutter and he may fall over the doorstep before he gets away from the door because he knows that their electricity bill is going to double and he cannot deny it. He knows it is going to double. He can try to justify it however he wants, but the reality in this Province today is the man, woman, and the family who pays $250 a month this month for electricity is going to pay $500 a month, Mr. Chair. That is the reality and they know it.

They have stood in their place, Mr. Chair, and they have admitted that the base cost of power is going to be 14.5 cents. That is the base cost of power. That is ensuring Nalcor gets a profit. That is ensuring Emera Energy gets a profit, Mr. Chair, and then we have to talk about Newfoundland Light and Power.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Oh, oh!

CHAIR: Order, please!

The Chair recognizes the hon. the Member for Humber West.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. GRANTER: Mr. Chair, it gives me great pleasure to rise and speak for a few moments this afternoon. I know the people of the Province must have been wondering what the members of the Opposition have been doing for the last eight or nine weeks. After the weekend, I have it figured out. They have been playing with their Blackberries, Mr. Chair. The people of the Province know this. They have been playing with Blackberries and their graphics programs, and all they could come up with was Winston the Water Drop.

Economists, Mr. Chair, put great store in certain numbers and few are more highly regarded than the Gross Domestic Product. There are other indices, Mr. Chair, but none any more important than the GDP. It is a pleasure to stand in the House and to be able to say and repeat that the real GDP of the Province is at 5.6 per cent, the highest in Canada.

Investment in Newfoundland and Labrador, Mr. Chair, is the cornerstone of present wealth and future prosperity. Investment means that people, organizations, businesses, community, lenders, banks, and economic institutions have faith in our economy. Mr. Chair, the government can stand on our feet and will be proud to go to the doors in October with that record. With investment growth of 32 per cent to over $6.5 billion, no wonder that wherever you travel in this Province they are talking positive about our present economy and future economy.

Mr. Chair, they are talking positively about our economy throughout this great Province. I spoke firsthand in a number of districts during Easter recess. I was in the great District of Bonavista North where people would talk positive about our present and future economy. I was in the District of Gander where people talked positive about our present and future economy. I was in the District of Humber East, the District of The Straits & White Bay North, and in my District of Humber West, Mr. Chair, where everyone is talking positive about the present and future economy.

Real exports in this Province, Mr. Chair, have increased by 4 per cent due to significant increases in mineral output, such as iron ore and higher ore production. Just ask the people of Labrador West about the success that they are having. Mr. Chair, a couple of weeks ago we heard my friend, the hon. Minister of Tourism stand in this House about the value of that industry to Newfoundland and Labrador. Tourism counted for an increase of 7 per cent in 2010, to a total number of tourists of nearly 520,000 people. This is 520,000 people spending money in hotels, motels, restaurants, and boat tours, festivals, bringing millions and millions of dollars into our economy.

Mr. Chair, employment grew by 3.3 per cent to reach nearly 220,000, recouping all the losses experienced during the 2009 recession. I say, Mr. Chair, Newfoundland and Labrador is a shining star in this federation we call Canada. Retail sales grew in 2010 at a rate of 3.7 per cent, to $7.4 billion. People are buying new cars, new trucks, new homes, and making huge investments. That is part and parcel because of the policies of the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador, which allows people to keep more and more of their dollars in their pockets. Mr. Chair, we will continue to allow the people of this Province to keep more of their hard-earned money so they can spend it on goods and services right here at home.

Mr. Chair, we do not need to tell the people that a great sign of economic growth is the number of housing starts. Housing starts in Newfoundland and Labrador increased by 18 per cent to 3,606, the highest in thirty years. The population of this Province is continuing to grow; 2011 is headed to be a positive year for Newfoundland and Labrador.

Real GDP growth; again, it is to increase to 3 per cent, which was just updated last week to 4.6 per cent. Capital investment is expected to increase 27.2 per cent to $8.3 billion; employment growth of 3 per cent to an average of 226,000. Personal income and disposable income growth of 5.5 per cent and 5.4 per cent respectively, Mr. Chair, both aided by wage gains and employment growth; retail sales growth of 4.2 per cent, and an increase in population of 0.3 per cent again this year.

Mr. Chair, members opposite do not want to hear the good news. I have sat in this House for the last eight or nine weeks, Mr. Chair, and they do not want the people of Newfoundland and Labrador to hear the good news. They speak and they live, and they continue to speak and live doom and gloom. Newfoundlanders and Labradorians have had enough of the historical doom and gloom of the political parties that sit opposite us, Mr. Chair.

They have attempted for the past number of weeks to create a feeling of desperation, a feeling of hopelessness, a feeling of loss, agony and anguish, anxiety and desolation, despair and despondency, melancholy, fear and misery, pain and pang, Mr. Chair. Perhaps these names are the people who will be running for the members of party opposite in October.

Mr. Chair, this doom and gloom did not just start in this session of the House of Assembly. In July 2006, the MHA for the District of Burgeo & La Poile and the Opposition House Leader currently said at that time that he is more fearful than ever that a significant downturn in the Province's oil and gas industry may be just ahead. That was in 2006, Mr. Chair, and the history of doom and gloom that they preached in 2006, they continue to preach today and they have continued to preach it all this session.

Mr. Chair, the parties opposite do not want to hear that this government inherited a $12 billion debt back just a few years ago. They do not want to hear that the public buildings where our children attended classes were falling down around their ears. They do not want to hear that the hospitals we used to send our sick were actually sicker than the people who we sent there. They do not want to hear that the roads we travelled on were just not fit to travel on.

When our friends across the House talked about infrastructure and investment, when they were in power, it was merely plaster and paint on our buildings. Labrador West did poorly on their watch because there was no steel needed for the infrastructure programs under their government, Mr. Chair. When this government talked about our plan and when we delivered on our plan, it was about hundreds of millions of dollars spent on real infrastructure investment, more than just plaster and paint. It was about building new highways, building new hospitals, building new schools, building new ships like the Hazel McIsaac and the Grace Sparkes. It was about placing the best equipment in our buildings, in our hospitals, placing the best equipment in our schools, and most importantly, supporting the best people in these facilities to offer the services to the people of this great Province: nurses, doctors, teachers, et cetera.

Let me tell you, Mr. Chair, that the parties opposite do not want the people of Newfoundland and Labrador to know that this government reduced the net debt of this Province from $12 billion in 2004-2005 to now where it sits at $8.2 billion, a reduction of 31 per cent - yes, Mr. Chair, a reduction of 31 per cent.

In addition, Mr. Chair, they do not want the people to know we have just had a surplus of $485 million, the best surplus in six years. That is what we will take to the doors in October, Mr. Chair. They do not want the people to know that we have a forecast of $59 million for this fiscal year. That is what we will take to the doors in October, and we know that is going to grow between now and then.

Let me talk a little about taxation, Mr. Chair. It was unheard of just a few years ago to think that we would be in a position to be able to have a new residential energy rebate of 8 per cent, equal to the provincial portion of the HST. That is in addition, Mr. Chair, to the current and all current rebate programs. This is what we will take to the door in October, Mr. Chair. A new non-refundable child tax credit based on child care expenses. That is what we will take to the door in October; a new non-refundable volunteer firefighters' tax credit, Mr. Chair.

I come from a background - in the last few seconds that I have left - in education. Let me just for a moment talk in real cents what it was like for the last number of years in education. Mr. Chair, the norm from governments from the other side of this House saw physical education teachers going to garage sales in the summer months to purchase second, third, forth-hand used equipment for their programs. It was a real physical education scavenger hunt under the former Liberal governments, Mr. Chair. I can tell you because I lived those days when we did not welcome Budgets from the governments from the other side of the House. Today, Mr. Chair, I can tell you that schools have never been more equipped than they are right now with funding for technology, funding for physical education equipment, funding for fitness equipment and so on.

CHAIR: Order, please!

MR. GRANTER: Thank you, Mr. Chair.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

CHAIR: The Chair recognizes the hon. the Member for The Straits & White Bay North.

MR. DEAN: Thank you, Mr. Chair.

My ears are ringing a little from that, but I will try to get through it. Mr. Chair, it is amazing how you can come in this House day after day and listen to government members brag, as the government member just did as he was just up for the past ten minutes. Mr. Chair, he read off statistics basically that – or Avalon statistics for the most part. If you go back again out into rural Newfoundland where I live, and where most of these members live – where that member lives, Mr. Chair, the last announcement out of Corner Brook was that Oceanex is not coming in there this summer because there is not enough freight to pull in there any more. Yet, the economy is doing well out there, it is booming, everything is up. The Bay of Islands has never been going better, yet there is not enough freight for a boat to run in there once a week throughout the summer.

Mr. Chair, you talk about heads in sand. I just really do not get it. This government has been in power now for eight years. Mr. Chair, you sit back and you think, well, I want to get up and I would like to give the government credit today for the developments they have done because they are always patting themselves on the back. So perhaps I can find something.

Well, if you think about Hibernia, they did not have anything to do with that. If you think about White Rose, they did not have anything to do with that. If you think about Terra Nova, no, they did not have anything to do with that either. One of the most recent developments of course is Voisey's Bay. No, they did not have anything to do with that either.

Yes, you can get up and brag about spending because prior government have done so much in development and bringing deals into the Province and so on that you are lucky you are in there in a moment when the funds are good. Anyone can spend money, Mr. Chair. I would suggest to you that any government can spend it as wisely as this one is as well, Mr. Chair.

To get up and brag about that all day, yet I do not hear government members talking about the developments they have done because there really have not been any, Mr. Chair. In eight long years, there has not been any development. It has just been about spending money, it is about developing strategies, it is about expanding this piece of government or expanding that, or whatever the case is. Mr. Chair, when it comes to good economic development, it just is not there.

I can tell you what has happened, Mr. Chair. Again, we have had two paper mills that have closed. We have a forestry that has gone kaput. Mr. Chair, I remember driving the Northern Peninsula and you would pass wood trucks, just one tractor-trailer after another, heading to the mill in Corner Brook with forestry and with pulp and paper. I can assure you there is none of that happening up there anymore.

Mr. Chair, we have a fishery that is in absolute crisis. We have sat through another session of the House of Assembly, we have tossed it back and forth through Question Period every day, and we have debated it. Mr. Chair, we are no further ahead today when it comes to rationalizing our industry, when it comes to restructuring the fishery, when it comes to dealing with the issues, and when it comes to ensuring people in rural Newfoundland and Labrador have a livelihood. We are no further ahead today than we were a year ago. As a matter of fact, I would suggest we are further behind because a year ago we were holding on the promise of this infamous MOU that had been signed the year prior to that and was going to be the answer. So, Mr. Chair, there is an industry in crisis.

If you want to talk about health care, Mr. Chair, I have had today alone – or I should say since yesterday just so I will make sure I am correct – within the past twenty-four hours I have had no less than six e-mails come into me regarding patients who are here in St. John's who want to go back to St. Anthony to have their dialysis treatments done. Most of them are coming from their families, obviously, for parents, older people who need dialysis treatment. Mr. Chair, you know it was announced in the Budget that there was additional money, three hundred and some-odd thousand dollars for four additional units in St. Anthony. Mr. Chair, I would be the first one to applaud that move, along with other locations such as Burin and other places throughout the Province where the dialysis treatment is going to be increased.

Mr. Chair, the best that we can get today, two months later, after the Budget, the best that we can get today is that it might be September, October, hopefully, that people can start going back home. Now, Mr. Chair, when you have been away from your community, when you have been away from your family, when you have been away from the structure that you have had around you all of your life, and when you have to be in a city in St. John's for three or four months straight, probably a seventy year old man, with his sixty-eight year old wife, some people even older, and not being able to necessarily afford to be able to do that, but that is the inconvenience that you have to go through to get medical attention in this Province, today, Mr. Chair, if you are a diabetes patient and you need dialysis treatment. I do not hear anyone up talking or bragging about that.

As a matter of fact, the only members I have ever heard even bring it up in this House of Assembly have been the four of us that sit here in the Official Opposition, and our Member for Signal Hill-Quidi Vidi, as well, the Leader of the NDP. Other than that, it has never been brought up, Mr. Chair. No one talking about the fact that they have people out in their districts that are here in St. John's housed up in apartment buildings or living with relatives or friends, or living with someone else that they have gotten to know. Trying to get through, waiting for this government to deliver, and to meet the need of dialysis care back in their regions.

Mr. Chair, I think it is an atrocity. It is terrible that we, today, cannot plan, cannot see the future further than after eight years of governing a province, and after eight years of having the wealth that we have today in this Province, that the best we can do is put a bit of money into the Budget, and then go out and try and develop it and see what happens, and leave people in limbo for that period of time. Mr. Chair, I think it is terrible.

Muskrat Falls, I think back to the Member for St. John's South, as he spoke, and talking about Muskrat Falls, and the best defence that he could give for Muskrat Falls, today, Mr. Chair, the only thing that I heard him give, basically, was that he talked about prior governments, the millions of dollars out of hydro, talking about it being the cash cow and so on and so forth. Instead of being able to defend where he is, he can only defend it, Mr. Chair, as other government members do, to go back and talk about something that happened ten years or twelve years ago or so on. Well, I have to be honest, quite frankly, Mr. Chair, that is not that important to me.

While there is a history there, Mr. Chair, I am concerned about today. I stand in the House of Assembly and it is great to know what happened ten years ago, but if that is where we are looking, if we are looking back to try to defend our future, I would suggest that we have issues. I would suggest that we have problems that are in front of us. I would suggest, Mr. Chair, that we are not managing the affairs and the finances of our problem in a very acceptable way.

Mr. Chair, the member who just spoke a moment ago from Humber West bragged about the government bringing the net debt in the Province down from $12 billion to $8 billion. It sounds like a great accomplishment and, no doubt, it is, if that were the case. Mr. Chair, we are going to increase that debt again this year according to the Budget that has been tabled by this government. We have it down to $8 billion but instead of taking it down to $7 billion this year we will let it run back up to approximately $8.5 billion. Mr. Chair, you have to be careful of bragging. If it is only a short-term slide, then I would suggest that we probably should not talk about it in any great detail for sure.

I look at the lack of communication of high technology in our Province or of technology and the improvements in technology and the opportunities that technology offers our business communities and our tourism groups and our residents, our young people and so on. Mr. Chair, I have not heard many members in this House stand up in the past two months from rural Newfoundland where there is no high-speed Internet, where there is no access to broadband, and complain or suggest that we should do more.

Mr. Chair, the fact is and the reality is that the inability to access the Internet at high speeds, the inability to go to Web sites and get information, the inability for students to access their school work and so on, it is absolutely terrible. We live in an age where this government really does not have a plan to deal with that. They come back and they say we are working on it and we are going to invest and so on, but it will be another number of years and hopefully we will have it out. I guess we will have to wait and see, but again, there is never anyone speaking about it. We have a cellphone service in some parts of the Province that is absolutely notorious. It is better that we did not even have it, Mr. Chair. You have communities that cannot access cellphones; communities that cannot have high-speed Internet. Mr. Chair, imagine living in that condition today. That is the reality of where many of our residents live, that is the reality of many residents in my district.

I realize the minister does not want to hear that today, but I am going to close with it anyway because it is a message I have given her many times and it is a message I will give again. Instead of bragging about all the good things that we do, sometimes I believe we should stand and talk about some of the initiatives that we are going to do that is going to improve our time and so on.

Mr. Chair, my time has gone. Thank you for the opportunity to speak again today.

CHAIR: The Chair recognizes the hon. the Member for Fortune Bay-Cape la Hune.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MS PERRY: Thank you, Mr. Chair.

It is certainly an honour and a privilege for me to rise here today and speak to Budget 2011 for a few minutes. There are a lot of things I would like to get in but certainly not enough time, and a lot of great news happening in Fortune Bay-Cape la Hune.

Budget 2011 is a progressive, forward-blazing Budget that promises to continue us on the path of strength and prosperity that our government started over eight years ago. Mr. Chair, as I went door to door just four years ago, I was presented with an enormous list of concerns, issues, and needs by the individuals, businesses and organizations of Fortune Bay-Cape la Hune. I am proud to report that through Budget 2011, we are concluding four fantastic years of strategic investment in the Coast of Bays. It is impossible to cover them all in the short time I have today, but I will highlight a few of the major accomplishments.

We now have three Community Youth Networks in the region that service the whole area. That was quite an accomplishment; we only had one when we started out. My very first announcement was a new CYN for Bay d'Espoir - quite a proud day - and, of course, we have a satellite office in Pool's Cove as well.

We have affordable housing units now in Milltown, Harbour Breton, and St. Alban's; over a $1.5 million investment. Water system improvements in McCallum, Belleoram, Gaultois, Hermitage and there is more to come, Mr. Chair; again, over $2 million in investment. Road work: We have gone from investing about $100,000 to $500,000 a year in the roads in the Coast of Bays. Make no wonder I have about forty kilometres of bad roads down there to get done. Since I have been here in office and with the support of my hon. colleagues, we have invested over $12 million in the Coast of Bays region.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MS PERRY: We have roads done in St. Joseph's Cove, in St. Alban's, in Milltown, in Harbour Breton, in François, Pool's Cove, and on the Bay d'Espoir highway, with more to come.

Again, health care, quite another significant investment. For over two decades we had not seen much investment in our facilities down there, Mr. Chair. This year, we have announced renovations to the clinics in Gaultois, Hermitage, Rencontre East, Mose Ambrose and Harbour Breton. We are expanding the clinic in St. Alban's; we are putting on a new emergency entrance, Phase II of that development.

One of our greatest accomplishments, one of the things that I am very proud to have achieved for the people of Fortune Bay-Cape la Hune is a new dialysis satellite service for residents of the Coast of Bays. That was a great achievement.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MS PERRY: For the first time ever, Mr. Chair, regional games are going to be held in the Coast of Bays. We have upgraded forestry roads, we have upgraded provincial wharfs, and we have provided funding to fishers committees. These are just scratching the surface of some of the major accomplishments we have seen down there.

I want to talk a little bit about the fishery, because the fishery is the most important industry, one of them, certainly, in the Coast of Bays region. It defines who we are as a people, it defines why we settled the region in the first place. It is the fabric and number one priority of rural communities in Fortune Bay-Cape la Hune, and I am sure across this great Province. It has always been a complex sector, Mr. Chair, and there is no magic solution, but since I have entered politics – and I have done, through my previous employment, a lot of work and research and interaction with the fishery. I have learned so much from speaking directly to the fisherpersons and speaking with them first hand about what their key concerns are. I can tell you that we are listening, as a government, to their key concerns. By working together, only by working together, can a successful conclusion be reached.

The reason I talked about the fishery a bit is because here in the House I have been very disappointed in some of the speeches, the Budget speeches, particular the Leader of the NDP who has criticized the aquaculture industry and indicates that she does not support aquaculture, which truly, truly, astounds me. She says we are not spending enough on the fishery and putting too much attention on aquaculture. Well, this department has increased its budget, since 2003 over 360 per cent, and this includes a substantial investment in the fishery, Mr. Chair. Unprecedented investment in research, through the Celtic Explorer, $140 million we have invested through the Fishing Industry Renewal Strategy, which includes funding for financing of licence combining, debt refinancing, and an increase in vessel financing limits. All those kinds of initiatives, Mr. Chair, have been introduced by this government, and the fishery remains a key priority. In fact, in 2010 the industry rebounded. It was valued at $942 million, up from only $827 million the previous year. So we are doing something right.

Now, Mr. Chair, I want to talk again, going back to the aquaculture industry and why I am so dismayed to hear that there should not be as much of an investment as what there is in the aquaculture industry in this Budget. Certainly, I would argue there should be even more, and that is what I will continue to advocate as the representative of my people. It certainly is not fair. I see this as playing politics, pitting one industry against the other, which is not fair to the people of the Coast of Bays region. We are very, very fortunate to have this industry in a rural, remote region like the Coast of Bays. It has not only enabled our population to stabilize, we are even seeing substantial growth. The fishery is always going to remain a critical economic generator but we must diversify into other sectors if we are going to sustain the region as a whole and offer meaningful employment to my people.

In Fortune Bay-Cape la Hune these industries include aquaculture, agriculture, tourism, forestry and hydroelectricity as well, Mr. Chair. We are comprised of twenty-two communities from Rencontre East to Francois in the west. Overall, we are seeing great success and great improvements to our economy and well-being because of the aquaculture industry. To see how significant it is, one should visit the region and view it first hand. Back in the 1990s, like many parts of rural Newfoundland and Labrador, the outlook was bleak but today we really are booming. Young people are moving home, children are running around the streets, homes are being built, cars are being bought, and fifty or so loads of freight, fish or feed are travelling up and down that highway every single day, Mr. Chair. New businesses are being established and people are finding bona fide employment. Even some fishers are supplementing their incomes by working as captains in the aquaculture sector when they are not out fishing.

Organizations like fire departments, recreation committees, Girl Guides and seniors groups are thriving, Mr. Chair, because there are people and there is new wealth generation. There are over 700 direct jobs in aquaculture alone. Then you add the spinoffs like diving, trucking, net cleaning, hydraulics and small engine repair, processing. We are well over 1,000 jobs, and that is just in the Coast of Bays alone. If you take that beyond the Coast of Bays, we are seeing a lot of investment in places like the Deer Lake Big Stop with all the trucks coming through, Newfoundland Styro in Bishops Falls, fibreglass boat manufacturers, Mercer's Marine and other industrial suppliers all across this Province, and certainly we are going to see a new hatchery in Stephenville. We are starting to see our wealth spread throughout the Province and there is more to come, Mr. Chair.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MS PERRY: In Budget 2010 the aquaculture industry was valued at $116 million. Now $116 million and 700 direct jobs plus the spinoff is certainly nothing to snuff at and it is certainly an investment that I believe is worth making. It may not be as important as 2,000 jobs in Signal Hill-Quidi Vidi district or some other urban area but in Fortune Bay-Cape la Hune it means the difference in our survival; it makes a difference and it enables us to survive as a region.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MS PERRY: Mr. Chair, one minute the Opposition will say that we have no plan for sustaining rural communities and the next minute they criticize our efforts when we try to do just that, by investing in aquaculture. To not support aquaculture, Mr. Chair, is simply astounding and disturbing. I am going to add another argument to that as well. I believe that this Province is one of the few places in the world and in Canada that has ideal growing conditions for aquaculture. As a Province, I believe we have a responsibility to produce this essential food protein.

There are two simple facts we cannot ignore, Mr. Chair: the world's population is exploding and the world's fish stocks are declining. It is predicted by the year 2040 the demand for fish protein will outweigh supply. Just like it was critical to learn how to farm wheat, cattle, pork, and chicken, so too we must learn to farm fish.

Yes, Mr. Chair, the road toward developing this new sector has not been easy for us. We have led the way and we have overcome challenges to reach the point of prosperity we are at today. Mr. Chair, this government has delivered.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MS PERRY: Now, I am running out of time. I wanted to talk about all the wonderful investments we made in aquaculture, but I am not going to get there. I wanted to talk about the advocacy role I have been able to play for my constituents, advocating on their behalf for things like portable oxygen tanks, dialysis services, and increases to the Prescription Drug Program. My colleagues and I have great, engaging debates at our caucus table.

CHAIR: Order, please!

MS PERRY: We all bring forward the issues of our constituents, and we listen and implement policy.

CHAIR: I remind the hon. member her time for speaking has expired.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

CHAIR: The Chair recognizes the hon. Leader of the Opposition.

MS JONES: Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Mr. Chair, the members are all riled up here today. I can tell you now they are feeling the pressure, Mr. Chair. They went back to their districts this weekend and they know they are getting taken on big time come October. Mr. Chair, they are all running scared today.

The Member for Fortune Bay-Cape la Hune was up trying to explain everything she has done since she got elected, saying: Oh, but remember I did this for you and remember I did that for you. She knows, Mr. Chair, her district today has an unemployment rate of 23 per cent, one of the highest unemployment rates in this Province – one of the highest unemployment rates in this Province. Now, that is something to be proud of after you sat in the government, Mr. Chair, for eight years with some of the highest revenues you have ever seen in the Province's history.

They are running scared, Mr. Chair. The members of the Conservative Government are running scared, Mr. Chair. They are standing in the House today, one by one, and they are patting each other on the back, trying to defend their record out there for their constituents.

What else, Mr. Chair, the Member for Fortune Bay-Cape la Hune did not tell you? She did not tell you that the people in her district are having to drive to hospitals, Mr. Chair, in Central Newfoundland and in St. John's for all kinds of treatments, for chronic disease and everything else without a subsidy, without even the provincial government recognizing that there is a medical travel need in this Province for patients. Without them even recognizing, Mr. Chair, that the man, the woman coming out of Harbour Breton today, coming out of St. Alban's today who has to come back and forth to St. John's for health care appointments, are doing it on their own dime. ‘Irregardless' of the fact, Mr. Chair, that they have an unemployment rate of 23 per cent, ‘irregardless' of the fact that they might be working for minimum wage is, the reality is unless they are travelling 2,500 kilometres in this Province for medical care, up until that point they cannot get one dime – not one dime.

If they wanted to do something real, why would the government not do something real for the people of this Province? Why would they not say to the people down in the District of Fortune Bay-Cape la Hune, Mr. Chair, that we are bringing in a medical travel subsidy so that when you have to go back and forth to hospital in Grand Falls, in Gander, in St. John's or any of those communities, that we are going to make sure that there is a subsidy there for you? No, Mr. Chair, they did not allow for that. Let me tell you what they did, they cut out private accommodations. Many of them could drive in, stay with someone, give that someone $20 for letting them stay at their house and claim it under the program.

No, Mr. Chair, the Member for Fortune Bay-Cape la Hune was part of a government who cut that out. Who said no, we are taking that out, we are not putting private accommodations in under the program, Mr. Chair. We are not putting private accommodations in under this program anymore; we are taking private accommodations out. So, Mr. Chair, many of the people in her district who at one time could drive in here and claim private accommodations and claim their meals can no longer do that because she and her government changed it, they took it out. What did they give back? Nothing, Mr. Chair, absolutely nothing – absolutely nothing did they give back.

The member did not get up, Mr. Chair –

MR. WISEMAN: A point of order, Mr. Chair.

CHAIR: The hon. the Minister of Environment, on a point of order.

MR. WISEMAN: I think, Mr. Chair, this is a debate on the Budget and obviously everybody realizes a fair degree of latitude. I think it is important when everybody stands in this House to speak, there has to be some semblance of reality to the comments that are made.

I just want to put some comments the member opposite has made into perspective, Mr. Chair. We have, in fact, in the last four years made magnificent enhancements to the medical transportation program, so much so that we have the best medical transportation program in the entire Nation.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

CHAIR: There is no point of order.

The hon. the Leader of the Opposition.

MS JONES: Nothing changes, Mr. Chair. The Member for Trinity North still likes to hear himself talk, even when he has nothing to contribute. Anyway, he has ten minutes just like I do, and I would appreciate it if he would not interrupt me but stand up when I am finished. I would be happy to listen to what he has to say. I would listen with tremendous courtesy and interest.

Anyway, Mr. Chair, those are some of the things the Member for Fortune Bay-Cape la Hune did not tell you. The other thing she did not talk to you about is home care programs, about the need in her district for home care. Because there is a tremendous need in that area. There are people in that area today, Mr. Chair, who are looking for home care who cannot access the program they need. Where has the strategy been from the government opposite after eight years in government? After Budgets of multi-billions of dollars a year, more money than was ever seen in our history, where are those people today who still need that service and who needed it eight years ago when members opposite came into the House of Assembly?

Mr. Chair, we do not want to talk about any of those issues. I have no problem talking about good things that are happening because you do not spend that much money without making something good happen. You would have to be awfully bad, I say to the members opposite, if you could not take that amount of money and turn some good from it. Obviously, some of the good that has come out have been investments like we have seen in the aquaculture industry. Mr. Chair, if we are going to have an aquaculture industry in this Province, no matter who the government is, where would they invest the money? One of the best areas in the Province is in Fortune Bay-Cape la Hune, although there are other areas, in Triton and Springdale area.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MS JONES: Mr. Chair, I have visited them. I say to the member opposite: I have been in the aquaculture farms in her district. I have been into ones down in Triton, down in that area as well. We know there is potential there and we are prepared to invest in all of that potential.

Mr. Chair, you just cannot sugar-coat the fact that when you represent a district in this House of Assembly that has needs, but you chose for eight years to never talk about those needs, you never talk about them, you never stand up in the House and say: I have people who need home care services. I have people who have housing problems. I have people who are unemployed. I have people who are going to hospital today who cannot afford to get there. When have I ever heard the members, not only the Member for Fortune Bay-Cape la Hune but any other member, standing up and saying that in the House of Assembly? I have not heard it. Anyway, Mr. Chair, these are some of the issues.

Mr. Chair, we are committed to eliminate the gas tax in this Province: the 16.5 cents gas tax. We are prepared to eliminate that 16.5 cent gas tax. I would bet you since Sunday the Minister of Finance has had half his staff called into the Department of Finance over there trying to crunch the numbers on that and how it is going to happen, Mr. Chair.

AN HON. MEMBER: Did you crunch the numbers?

MS JONES: Oh, absolutely.

So the Minister of Finance, Mr. Chair –

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Oh, oh!

CHAIR: Order, please!

MS JONES: - I would say since Sunday when the news broke has had everybody into the department trying to figure out how this is going to happen, where the money is going to be found. Do you know why, Mr. Chair? Because the members opposite never considered for one minute that people in this Province need a break, that people in this Province could do a lot with that 16.5 cents that they would put back in their pocket on a litre of gasoline. Not once did the members opposite think about how much money the people in this Province are paying out of their pocket every single day.

We are a regional economy, our schools are regional, our hospitals are regional, and our industry is regional. People are driving longer distances, people are commuting everywhere today for work. People in the member for Deer Lake's area today, in Hampton, Jackson's Arm, and Pollard's Point, two or three years ago they could work in the logging industry before Abitibi closed. They could work in the shrimp plant two years ago before that closed down. Today, they are driving to Deer Lake and Corner Brook to go to work. Guess what, Mr. Chair? They are paying the tax on gasoline that they cannot afford to be paying.

Mr. Chair, we have become a regionalized economy in this Province, we have become a commuter economy and people need to have a break, they need to have more money put back in their own pocket. The members opposite, like the Member for Grand Falls, they voted to put money into Nalcor, a corporation that profited $77 million last year as opposed to putting it back into the pockets of Newfoundlanders and Labradorians. That is the difference between what they have done, Mr. Chair, in the last eight years and what we will do.

CHAIR: Order, please!

The time for speaking has expired.

The Chair recognizes the hon. the Minister of Finance.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. MARSHALL: Thank you very much, Mr. Chair.

Mr. Chair, I have been listening to this debate and it is like hearing the same debate for eight years. The Opposition has conducted themselves in the same manner for eight years as they are doing here right now. The Leader of the Opposition, no matter who is in that position, comes in, the voice gets up on high decibel and away they go attacking everything that we have ever done.

Mr. Chair, what we are doing is making life in this Province better for the average person in Newfoundland and Labrador. That is what we are trying to do.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. MARSHALL: Mr. Chair, there has been a lot of criticism and, of course, how do you respond to it? I know the Opposition says we have not done anything; we have not done any great projects. They talk about the projects they have done and they talk about the wealth we have today is because of what they have done. It is as if in the middle of the night young Liberals go out and pump oil into the ground or they go and they pump iron ore into the ground. Well, we have done a lot of deals, Mr. Chair, and we have done – the difference between our government and what I am hearing here today is that they say they are going to do things but they never do it. We say we are going to do things and we do it.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. MARSHALL: I remember eight years ago listening to members opposite talking about what they were going to do in the City of Corner Brook. They were going to do a long-term care facility. They never did it. They talked about it for years. They talked about it but never did it. We did it; a long-term care facility $70 million, four protective care units. They talked about the high school. They were going to do the high school but they would not let the gym be done correctly. They talked about it but we did it, and that of course is the difference.

Here is a big difference that is coming, Mr. Chair. Here is a big difference. You know the oil is coming out of the ground. I have talked in this House and I have talked around the Province of the fact that our oil fields are maturing, they are getting older. The oil is coming out of the ground. What is the logical conclusion? The logical conclusion is you are going to have less production; you are going to have less money, but we negotiated deals. We have deals like Hebron. We have deals with Hibernia South, the White Rose expansions and the Terra Nova expansions. In those deals we negotiated higher royalty rates than the previous government did. As a result of that, Mr. Chair, even though the production is going to be lower, the royalties are going to be higher. Now, they are going to be down for two years and then they are going to be higher than they have ever been because of higher oil prices and higher royalty rates, better royalty rates that will bring more revenue into the people of this Province.

Mr. Chair, Muskrat Falls is obviously going to dominate – well, it has dominated the discussion in this session of the House and it is going to dominate the campaign. We are listening to Ed Martin and his team of Newfoundlanders and Labradorians now at Nalcor. They are listening to Winston the Water Drop. They are going to take their advice from Winston the Water Drop. We are going to listen to Ed Martin and we are going to listen to Newfoundlanders and Labradorians who are professionals, people who have made their lives here, who live their lives here, who raise their families here. They, too, do not want to pay higher hydro rates in the future.

That is why Muskrat Falls has to be done, Mr. Chair. We are not doing Muskrat Falls because it is going to drop our greenhouse gas emission target; we are going to meet 60 per cent of our greenhouse gas emission targets. That is an advantage to doing it but that is not the real reason we are doing it. We are not doing Muskrat Falls – it is going to provide thousands of jobs for the people of this Province. At peak construction there will be 2,700 jobs, and in the other years there are going to be about 1,150 jobs on average for six or seven years. That is great news, but that is not why we are doing Muskrat Falls. We are not doing Muskrat Falls because it is going to provide about $220 million a year in taxes to the government here. We are not doing Muskrat Falls for those reasons. We are doing Muskrat Falls for one reason, and that is to have lower electricity bills for the people in Newfoundland and Labrador.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. MARSHALL: Mr. Chair, that is why you do a project of that size; not because we want to do it, not because we want to leave a legacy, but we want lower hydro rates, lower electricity rates for the people of Newfoundland and Labrador, because a significant part of the electricity that is being produced in Newfoundland and Labrador right now is being produced at Holyrood and it is being produced based on bunker C oil.

I will tell you one thing the people of Newfoundland and Labrador know, that oil has gone up to prices that are unbelievable and it is going up even more. If we are producing a significant part of our oil - I have heard the number between 11 per cent and 35 per cent depending on rainfall, depending on hydrology, but if we are producing that significant part of our electricity based on oil, and oil prices are going to go up – just the other day Morgan Stanley in New York and Goldman Sachs in New York, they just raised their estimates of what oil is going to be, up to $130 a barrel. That is for this year and the year after. So what is it going to be in ten years?

They are not making any more oil, it is going up. If we produce electricity based on oil, electricity rates are going through the roof and the people of Newfoundland and Labrador know that. We have to get off oil; we have to shut down Holyrood. We have to stop producing electricity based on oil. We have to shut it down and we have to get to an alternate source that is cheaper and that is cleaner.

We have had Nalcor look at it. We have had the people at the Nalcor, the experts at Nalcor look at it. They are the ones telling us that the way to go is Muskrat Falls. The other one is to do it on the Island, they have said that will be more expensive. The other way is to bring it in from Gull Island, they have told us that is more expensive. They said the other way is to bring it in from Nova Scotia, and they say that is not reliable, and that is too expensive. So, obviously, we want to do it the cheapest way. We want to do it in a way that will lower electricity prices, and the experts tell us that Muskrat Falls is the way to go. If we do not do it, rates are going up anyway. As the Minister of Natural Resources said today, that Muskrat Falls is not going to be the cause of higher electricity rates, it is a solution to higher electricity rates, and the people of Newfoundland and Labrador understand that.

The Opposition are against the project. They point out a lot of risks. They talk about it is a big project, it is going to cost a lot of money, and they are right. They talk about there could be overruns – but if you do something else, if you do the island project, or if you do some other project, it is going to be even more expensive. You are going to have overruns with those as well.

So, Mr. Chair, I have confidence that the people down at Nalcor, the Newfoundlanders and Labradorians who are there, they are not in it to seek a profit, they are not a private company that is trying to get a profit, they are here to serve the people of this Province, and they want to do it in a way that will keep electricity rates low, which is what we, on this side of the House, and I know even all members of the House want the same thing for the people of the Province.

The Leader of the Opposition objects to $358 million going into Nalcor. That money going into Nalcor is going there to build a project that will provide lower hydro bills, so that people will not be in the dark, and that people will stay warm, because Nalcor tells us that if we do not do Muskrat Falls, rates are going to go up by about 4 to 6 per cent a year, on average. If we do Muskrat Falls, they go up by less than 1 per cent. So that is why we want to do it, and everyone should always remember that it is Holyrood that is the problem, and Holyrood is driving us to Muskrat Falls.

Mr. Chair, with –

CHAIR: Order, please!

I remind the hon. member that his time for speaking has expired.

MR. MARSHALL: Thank you, Mr. Chair.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

CHAIR: We are going to do the vote now on Executive Council first.

CLERK: Subhead 1.1.01.

CHAIR: Shall subhead 1.1.01 carry?

All those in favour, ‘aye'.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Aye.

CHAIR: All those against, ‘nay'.

Carried.

On motion, subhead 1.1.01 carried.

CLERK: Subhead 2.1.01.

CHAIR: Subhead 2.1.01.

Shall subhead 2.1.01 carry?

All those in favour, ‘aye'.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Aye.

CHAIR: All those against, ‘nay'.

Carried.

On motion, subhead 2.1.01 carried.

CLERK: Subheads 2.2.02 to 2.2.07 inclusive.

CHAIR: Shall subheads 2.2.02 to 2.2.07 inclusive carry.

All those in favour, ‘aye'.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Aye.

CHAIR: All those against, ‘nay'.

Carried.

On motion, subheads 2.2.02 through 2.2.07 carried.

CLERK: Subhead 2.4.01.

CHAIR: Subhead 2.4.01.

Shall it carry?

All those in favour, ‘aye'.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Aye.

CHAIR: All those against, ‘nay'.

Carried.

On motion, subhead 2.4.01 carried.

CLERK: Subheads 2.5.01 to 2.5.02.

CHAIR: Shall subheads 2.5.01 to 2.5.02 carry?

All those in favour, ‘aye'.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Aye.

CHAIR: All those against, ‘nay'.

Carried.

On motion, subheads 2.5.01 through 2.5.02 carried.

CLERK: Subheads 3.1.01 to 3.1.06 inclusive.

CHAIR: Shall subheads 3.1.01 to 3.1.06 carry?

All those in favour, ‘aye'.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Aye.

CHAIR: All those against, ‘nay'.

Carried.

On motion, subheads 3.1.01 through 3.1.06 carried.

CHAIR: Shall I report the Estimates of Executive Council carried without amendment?

All those in favour, ‘aye'.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Aye.

CHAIR: All those against, ‘nay'.

Carried.

On motion, Estimates of Executive Council carried without amendment.

CHAIR: We are now voting on Legislature.

CLERK: Subheads 1.1.01 to 6.1.01.

CHAIR: Shall subheads 1.1.01 to 6.1.01 carry?

All those in favour, ‘aye'.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Aye.

CHAIR: All those against, ‘nay'.

Carried.

On motion, subheads 1.1.01 through 6.1.01 carried.

CHAIR: Shall I report the Estimates of Legislature carried without amendment?

All those in favour, ‘aye'.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Aye.

CHAIR: All those against, ‘nay'.

Carried.

On motion, Estimates of Legislature carried without amendment.

CHAIR: We are now voting on Consolidated Fund Services.

CLERK: Subheads 1.1.01 to 2.1.03 inclusive, but excluding statutory items.

CHAIR: Shall 1.1.01 to 2.1.03 carry, excluding Statutory subheads?

All those in favour, ‘aye'.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Aye.

CHAIR: All those against, ‘nay'.

Carried.

On motion, subheads 1.1.01 through 2.1.03, excluding Statutory subheads, carried.

CHAIR: Shall I report the Estimates of Consolidated Fund Services carried without amendment?

All those in favour, ‘aye'.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Aye.

CHAIR: All those against, ‘nay'.

Carried.

On motion, Estimates of Consolidated Fund Services carried without amendment.

CHAIR: The hon. the Government House Leader.

MS BURKE: Thank you, Mr. Chair.

I move that the Committee rise and report having passed, without amendment, the Estimates of the Consolidated Fund Services, Executive Council and Legislature, and ask leave to sit again.

CHAIR: Is it the pleasure of the House to adopt the motion?

All those in favour, ‘aye'.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Aye.

CHAIR: All those against, ‘nay'.

Carried.

On motion, that the Committee rise, report progress and ask leave to sit again, Mr. Speaker returned to the Chair.

MR. SPEAKER (Fitzgerald): Order, please!

The hon. the Member for the District of Humber Valley and Assistant Deputy Speaker.

MR. KELLY: Mr. Speaker, the Committee of Supply have considered the following matters to them referred and have directed me to report that they have passed, without amendment, the Estimates of the Legislature, Consolidated Fund Services and Executive Council, and ask leave to sit again.

MR. SPEAKER: The Chair of Committee of Supply reports that the Committee have considered the matters to them referred and have directed him to report that they have passed, without amendment, the Estimates of the Consolidated Fund Services, Executive Council and the Legislature, and ask leave to sit again.

When shall the report be received?

MS BURKE: Now, Mr. Speaker.

MR. SPEAKER: Now.

When shall the Committee have leave to sit again?

MS BURKE: Tomorrow, Mr. Speaker.

MR. SPEAKER: Tomorrow.

On motion, report received and adopted. Committee ordered to sit again on tomorrow.

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

MS BURKE: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

On the Order Paper we will go to Motion 1.

MR. SPEAKER: Motion 1, the Budget Speech.

The hon. the Minister of Business.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. DALLEY: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I certainly welcome the opportunity to take a few minutes to make some comments on the Budget, the Budget process, on decisions that our government has made particularly for this year but certainly in reference to other years as well.

Mr. Speaker, I think, today, I would kind of like to talk about health care. The Leader of the Opposition has referenced health care a number of times in this House and she specifically referenced, on many occasions, a petition from my own district referencing a specific health care issue. Mr. Speaker, I would like to comment a little bit about that because she is challenging people today as well to talk about those who cannot afford to travel, to talk about those who have medical costs. This whole initiative at the Notre Dame Bay Memorial Health Centre addresses that very issue, yet day after day the Leader of the Opposition has stood in this House and condemned this initiative, through a process of a petition.

Now, Mr. Speaker, it is my understanding that this particular petition was actually drawn up by the Leader of the Opposition's office. That is the source of information that came to me. I cannot confirm that, but a good source has indicated to me that they wrote the petition. I hope that is not the case. Any time out in our districts if you see a petition that reads like this with a statement: WHEREAS the people of the community - in this case Twillingate and New World Island - do not want to see their health care services cut. Mr. Speaker, I applaud the people of my district who signed this petition. Everybody in the Province would sign a petition because nobody wants their health care services cut. That is a fair statement of the people of Twillingate and New World Island because they lived through the cuts; they lived through the Liberal cuts of the 1990s when our hospital was gutted. Anything now, Mr. Speaker, that references cuts, I can tell you it is a pretty sensitive issue in my district, and particularly in my own community. The very hospital that I use, my family uses, and relatives work in.

Mr. Speaker, I applaud the people for signing the petition, but it was out there prior to the facts of what is happening in Twillingate at the hospital. I would like to share some of those facts because I think it speaks to the vision, the interest that this government has in addressing health care issues in rural Newfoundland and Labrador. It certainly speaks to our vision and our plan to address the aging population issue that is ever so popular and prevalent in our Province.

Mr. Speaker, this restorative care unit in Twillingate, it is brand new. It is the only source, the only program, of its kind outside of the Miller Centre that is in rural Newfoundland and Labrador, in Twillingate, Mr. Speaker. The hon. the Leader of the Opposition has referenced that the minister and the MHA went out and made the big announcement. Well, she never had her facts right; we did not go out and make that announcement at all. We were out to announce a $1.2 million investment in rural Newfoundland and Labrador into health care in my district. Change Islands got new renovations to their health care clinic, New World Island got new extensions to their health care clinic, Fogo Island got a new long-term care bus to address the long-term care needs and recreation services, and the Twillingate facility got new money pumped into it, new programming, new cardiac monitors, and the list goes on, Mr. Speaker.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MS JONES: On a point of order, Mr. Speaker.

MR. SPEAKER (T. Osborne): Order, please!

The hon. the Leader of the Opposition, on a point of order.

MS JONES: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I am just reading from a media advisory that went out on March 17 saying there would be an official opening of the restorative care pilot project in Twillingate and it will open the restorative care program pilot project at the Notre Dame Bay Memorial Health Centre.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Oh, oh!

MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!

MS JONES: It does not speak to any of the other issues that the minister is referring, Mr. Speaker.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Oh, oh!

MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!

MS JONES: I just wanted to point out to you that there was a media release went out on that.

MR. SPEAKER: There is no point of order.

The hon. the Minister of Business.

MR. DALLEY: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

What is happening, Mr. Speaker, with this initiative? It is something I would like to point out, for the very reason that particularly in my hometown in Twillingate where the cuts went and went very deep over the years. We have often said that the road goes two ways. Why is it that we cannot get people to come from Central Newfoundland to our facility in Twillingate? We have a tremendous physician group, we have hard-working nurses, we have a strong support staff, and we have a fabulous facility. Why is it that people cannot travel back to Twillingate for services?

Well, Mr. Speaker, we heard the message and it is now in place through the restorative care unit. I can say, even today, there are people from Central Newfoundland at the restorative care unit in Twillingate. People are coming back to Twillingate for services rather than our people having to travel out. That is an extremely positive initiative, Mr. Speaker; yet, the Leader of the Opposition does not recognize the value of what is happening.

Now, this particular facility had seventeen acute care beds available to the residents. The occupancy rates were about 75 per cent. We need to better utilize our beds, we need to cut down on wait times, and we need to provide better services for our aging population. What an initiative to do that, Mr. Speaker. No, we did not cut five beds, as was referenced time and time again in this House. The seventeen beds are still available for acute care beds, but five of those beds have also been designated for restorative care. That is quite a difference than cutting health care service, that is quite a difference than cutting beds, Mr. Speaker. We had seventeen, we still have seventeen.

Now, added to that, Mr. Speaker, I want to point out that some of the services that come with restorative care – there are five new jobs created at the facility in Twillingate; five new jobs in health care, providing a service, in particular, of physiotherapy, Mr. Speaker. People of Twillingate no longer have to travel to Gander to get physiotherapy, Mr. Speaker. It was cut years ago and we have it put back in place. That is a huge investment and improvement in services. That is okay, Mr. Speaker, I have offered time and time again in this House, time and time again to explain that to the Leader of the Opposition because I thought she was truly concerned about health care in our district. It is not the case. She never asked a question about it, Mr. Speaker. I would have guessed that she would have called the facility, perhaps spoke to the facility manager or perhaps spoke to the senior medical officer out there to get some insight about this program and what it does for the community. Did she make the call, Mr. Speaker? No, she did not.

MS JONES: A point of order, Mr. Speaker.

MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!

The hon. the Leader of the Opposition, on a point of order.

MS JONES: Mr. Speaker, I just wanted to point out that I actually sent letters from my office to the CEO of Central Health and also to the Minister of Health and Community Services. I will point out for the member you may not know it is your district. I know you may not know regarding that issue, even though you said that we did not ask questions...

MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!

I would ask the hon. member to get to her point of order, if there is a point of order.

MS JONES: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I have the correspondence here. I would be happy to table it for the House of Assembly, but as the MHA for the area I thought you would know that already.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Oh, oh!

MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!

Before I recognize the hon. the Minister of Business, I think it is fair to say that each member of the House has a certain period of time allocated to speak in Budget debate. The Chair would ask that if members are to rise on a point of order, that a point of order be valid. There is no point of order.

I recognize the hon. the Minister of Business.

MR. DALLEY: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I was fully aware of the letter that was written, but, Mr. Speaker, with the sensitivity of health care it is important to find out what is going on, on the ground. I do that each and every week, and I have to say the restorative care has been very well received. There are some changes. Staff are adapting to it. It is very positive.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to point out, it is a very positive initiative in rural Newfoundland and Labrador in our health system and this government has a vision for dealing with the aging population. I can tell you, the municipal councils, the 50 Plus Clubs, the community advisory, the hospital advisory board and the list goes on, are very supportive of what is happening with our facility in Twillingate and I am proud to be a part of it and proud that our government is supporting rural Newfoundland and Labrador.

Now, Mr. Speaker, another point I want to speak about today in the Budget and particularly about my own department, the Department of Business. You see, Mr. Speaker, day after day again people get in here and make comments and reference about the Department of Business. They condemn the Department of Business and talk about the amount of money that is going out the door. That is the only way they want to judge the department.

There are a couple of things I just want to reference before I get into a little discussion about what it is our department is doing and the success we are having. I know in last sitting of the House the Leader of the NDP stood up and condemned the Department of Business and the work we are doing. Mr. Speaker, speaking to her value for business in this Province and the contribution business makes, that member did not even have the courtesy to show up at Estimates to ask questions. None of her staff were there to ask questions. That is the interest she has in the Department of Business. If she had come to the Estimates Committee, Mr. Speaker –

MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!

The hon. the Opposition House Leader, on a point of order.

MR. KELVIN PARSONS: It is absolutely inappropriate for the Minister of Business to say what he just said, Mr. Speaker. I showed up for the Critic for the Department of Business and spent well over an hour here questioning that minister. So let's get down to the truth of the matter here. Tell it like it is.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Oh, oh!

MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!

MR. KELVIN PARSONS: I was there for Estimates.

MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!

There is no point of order.

The hon. the Minister of Business.

MR. DALLEY: Mr. Speaker, if I could repeat it, if he could listen – he is too busy and he cannot listen – I referenced the NDP. I am well aware that the Opposition Leader attended the Estimates meeting and condemned the Department of Business.

MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!

The hon. the Leader of the Opposition, on a point of order.

MS JONES: Yes, Mr. Speaker, I want to point out that staff of any of our offices are not permitted to ask questions in Estimates. The minister making that statement in the House is inappropriate. He knows the difference. He knows that no staff member from my office is permitted to sit here and ask questions –

MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!

MS JONES: – yet he knows the critic was here. Mr. Speaker, it is inappropriate.

MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!

There is no point of order. This is a disagreement –

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Oh, oh!

MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!

There is no point of order. This is a disagreement between two hon. members.

The Chair has already asked the co-operation of the House and if there are points of order that they be valid points of order. Each member in this House has a set period of time to speak in Budget debate and I would ask members to respect each other and the time allotted to debate Budget.

The hon. the Minister of Business.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. DALLEY: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Now, Mr. Speaker, just so that we qualify, I referenced the NPD and I referenced because they had not attended to hear the discussions about the Department of Business, yet would sit in this House and condemn the work we are doing.

Now, there is no disagreement between the Opposition House Leader and myself regarding Estimates. He was there and he asked questions. Having said that, Mr. Speaker, not only did he ask questions but time and time again I am sure he would agree he spoke to the value of the Department of Business. There is no purpose in it. What does it do?

Yet, Mr. Speaker, we go back to the Budget of 2003 – the Liberal Budget of 2003, Mr. Speaker. In that Budget, and I quote, "A new Business Attraction Agency will be established to entice new investment, companies and industries to the province in strategic growth sectors…". The Liberal government of 2003, Mr. Speaker, was going to set-up a business agency to attract business investment to this Province. Yet we did it, we are successful, and they stand here every day – every day, Mr. Speaker, and condemn the Department of Business.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. DALLEY: What a change, Mr. Speaker. When we look at the Department of Business, let's look at the provincial economy from back in 2003 to today. Our economy has never been stronger, Mr. Speaker, our business climate has never been more positive. I can say to you the Department of Business plays a strong role in that, but in no way do we take full credit. Our government with a plan and a vision to develop resources for the benefit of Newfoundlanders and Labradorians, to create jobs for the people of Newfoundland and Labrador, have been extremely successful in doing so. I think it speaks very clearly what our government, what people on this side of the House – how they value business, how we believe in the business sector, Mr. Speaker. Across government we have over $130 million available for the business community in this Province. What a tremendous, tremendous growth in attitude, in the belief in the business sector and the contribution that our government is prepared to make to grow the economy in this Province. What a difference from 2003.

Mr. Speaker, one specific area where we have focused on as well is to help diversify the economy in aerospace and defence. That is a strong area where we have committed $9 million, Mr. Speaker, over the next three years. It is a $2 trillion business on this planet, Mr. Speaker. It is a $22 billion business in Canada and we are getting a strong piece of it. By indication, just recently, Mr. Speaker, two of our companies, Provincial Aerospace Limited and Bluedrop Performance Learning were ranked among Canada's top fifty defence companies by the Canadian Defence Review Magazine. Mr. Speaker, work from our department, investments from our government – and we are helping build the economy and diversify it when things are good in this Province, the economy is strong. We are out there doing our part as a Department of Business, Mr. Speaker, proud to do so and we will continue to do onto the coming years.

With that, Mr. Speaker, our government with a rural lens and a rural vision will continue to invest and do what is right not only in business, but in health care, in tourism, road work, you name it and we will be there for the people of Newfoundland and Labrador.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Minister of Justice and Attorney General.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. F. COLLINS: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I am delighted this afternoon to be able to make some soothing comments on the Budget. It seems we are at that stage where they might be needed.

This is a process we go through: Budget debate. My colleague, the hon. Minister of Finance, has brought down a tremendous Budget. It is called an election-year Budget and we cannot help that, it happens to be an election year. It is a great Budget, filled with great initiatives, and the Opposition continues to criticize us for praising up the Budget. Well, of course, we are going to praise the Budget because it has some great initiatives to it. It has some great advances in many areas. Health care, for example, home care, child care, infrastructure spending, poverty reduction, housing, tourism, and on and on the list goes. These benefits and enhancements have been mentioned time and time again by members on this side of the House.

Mr. Speaker, the Budget process is a long and complex process, and I came into it when I was first appointed to this portfolio back in October, two years ago. I must say, my experience with Finance was rather limited at that time, but it was baptism by fire, Mr. Speaker, having to work with a budget of $250 million. Let me tell you, it was an eye-opening, exciting, and interesting experience. I learned about such things as zero budgeting, drop balances, lap funding, and re-profiling – words I had never heard before. Then, at the end of the day, you go and make your presentation before the Finance Minister and the Premier, and for the first occasion, that can be a rather intimidating experience when you are trying to get approval for a $250 million Budget. Especially when you go into that meeting and you try to crack a joke and you get no smiles across the table, then you know you are in for quite an experience. Anyway, it is an experience, really, everybody should be aware of, and everybody should, to some extent, I suppose it would be great if everybody went through it, but that is not possible.

When it is all said and done at the end of the day, it is presented here at the House and the debate begins. It takes its usual course. The Province will present its Budget in positive terms because it spends so much time and so many long and complex hours putting it together, and you have the task of balancing new initiatives with prudent spending. That is the task that falls on the shoulders of the Minister of Finance, and I have to say, Mr. Speaker, he does a great job at it, and he has garnered the undying admiration and appreciation of all his colleagues on this side of the House for great job he does in looking after the finances of this government.

Mr. Speaker, when the Budget is presented, of course, you get the usual response. The business community responds, the unions responds, the media responds, and the Opposition responds. Now, it is always difficult to interpret where the Opposition is coming from. The Budget is never good enough, but that is to be expected. You can never spend enough; that is to be expected. You can never address all of the issues. It does not matter what kind of a Budget you put down, there is not enough money minted to address all of the issues, it just cannot be done. What the government has to do is take the most important initiatives, take its priorities, balance it against prudent spending and bring forward a Budget that best represents the needs and the future of this Province, and that is what this minister has done.

Politics being what it is, I guess, the Opposition feels it has a duty to respond and criticize and make its political points, and they claim they are not voting for this Budget. Well, Mr. Speaker, the Opposition House Leader, I think, went three hours in his presentation, a three-hour rant about everything except the Budget. I think he spent five minutes on praising the Budget, some good points in it, and then he ranted on for the rest of the three hours about policies and whatnot, things that he criticized about government operations but rarely referenced anything in the Budget. That goes to show, in my perspective, that the Budget must have been pretty good if he could not find anything to criticize in the three hours.

The Leader of the NDP: I do not know what to say about the Leader of the NDP's reaction to the Budget. She says this government was lucky. We were in the right place at the right time. That is pretty hard to accept. I guess in 2010 if the real GDP growth was 5.6 per cent, the highest among all the provinces, I guess we were lucky. If investment grew by 32 per cent, I guess we were lucky. Our exports estimated to increase by 4 per cent - pure luck. Mr. Speaker, the number of tourists increased by more than 70 per cent to a record of 518,500 - pure luck. Employment grew by 3.3 per cent - pure luck. Wayne Gretzky, the greatest hockey player who ever lived, had 700, 800, or 900 goals; I guess he was lucky, in the right place at the right time.

I think the Opposition House Leader said it best about the NDP. He said there will never be enough money minted to satisfy her needs. He was right on; the only thing I ever agreed with that the Opposition House Leader said this year. She wants universal home care, universal drug care, universal child care, and today she questioned the Minister of Health and Community Services, she wants universal drug care. There will never be enough money minted, Mr. Speaker, to satisfy the needs of the NDP.

Mr. Speaker, politics is all-consuming. It consumes you twenty-four hours a day. I happened to be at a concert at Laval High School in Placentia a few weeks ago. There is great music and tremendous talent in that school. They put on a great show. The theme for the show, incidentally, was This Musical Has 22 Songs, a take on This Hour Has 22 Minutes and there were musical selections with every story. One of the songs they sang was I think an old Rolling Stones number. I believe it was a Rolling Stones number, "You Can't Always Get What You Want". Being politically consumed, Mr. Speaker, I thought on the NDP. I thought on the NDP when I was sitting in a musical concert in Placentia when they sang the Rolling Stones' "You Can't Always Get What You Want". So much for politics, it is a great sport.

They are not going to vote for the Budget, Mr. Speaker. It does not go far enough. One side of their mouth says it does not go far enough and it does not do enough. Then the other side of their mouth says we cannot sustain our spending. I do not know really where they are coming from. We cannot do enough, we cannot get through enough initiatives, and we cannot spend enough money, yet we cannot sustain our spending and we are not paying down our debt.

Well, Mr. Speaker, this country is still feeling the effects of the global recession, yet look what we have done since 2010. Our Budget this year projects a surplus I think of $59 million for 2011-2012. I understand there was a statement made in the last few days it would be higher. It is the sixth time in the past seven years that a surplus will be posted. Our debt reduction has come down from $12 billion to $8.2 billion this year.

Some of the most important figures that have been mentioned already are worth mentioning again. Net debt as a percentage of GDP among Canadian provinces, in Newfoundland our net debt is expected to be 26.7 per cent as a percentage of the GDP by March 2012. That is down, Mr. Speaker, from 70.2 per cent in 1998 – from 70.2 per cent in 1998 down to 26.7 per cent. What a significant improvement. Mr. Speaker, the average net debt to GDP ratio among Canadian provinces was 27 per cent, so we are better than most.

Another key measure, Mr. Speaker – when we go to the bank and look for a mortgage to buy a house or any time we look for a loan at a bank, the banks compare the debt ratio with our income. How much of our income goes to pay our debts? If that ratio is too high, then you will not qualify for funding from a bank. Mr. Speaker, in 2004 debt expenses for this Province consumed over 23 per cent of our revenues – 23 per cent. Budget 2011 forecasts that will be down to 10.2 per cent. In other words in 2004, twenty-three cents in every dollar went towards debt expenses. Today, only ten cents is going towards debt expenses. What a significant improvement. No wonder Standard & Poor's gives us an A+ credit rating. Mr. Speaker, we could go on and quote what we have done and where we have come from. The NDP might say we are lucky – it is all luck. Well if it is luck, Mr. Speaker, I would rather be lucky than good.

Mr. Speaker, I just want to refer briefly to my own district. In my own district I had the pleasure Wednesday of last week to attend, along with my colleague the Minister of Education, the official opening of a $13 million high school in Placentia; a state-of-the-art facility, a jewel in the crown of high schools in this Province. What a facility and what a positive influence and what a positive reaction from the people of the Placentia area.

Mr. Speaker, millions of dollars have gone to road work in the Placentia region over the last few years. There is still a lot of it to be done; I cannot let the Minister of Transportation off the hook that easily. There is still a lot of it to be done, but millions of dollars have gone into road work in my district. Tenders were called last week, Mr. Speaker, for a new lift bridge across Placentia Gut; many, many millions of dollars.

Many millions of dollars have gone into municipal infrastructure projects in my district. Mr. Speaker, the Salmonier Nature Park this year will get a major overhaul. The visitor centre in Argentia will get a major overhaul. We delivered two fire trucks in the last two years. So, Mr. Speaker, people in the Placentia & St. Mary's district are very happy with the progress we have made in this government and it reflects in the government's commitment to the areas in my district.

Not to mention, Mr. Speaker, projects that will come this year, not to mention the increase that will go to Municipal Operating Grants and the monies going to fire departments and so on, too numerous to mention. They have every confidence, Mr. Speaker, and I have every confidence of going to the doors in September, I cannot wait. I cannot wait to knock on doors in September, not only to talk about this but to talk about the Lower Churchill and all the other great things that this government is doing.

Mr. Speaker, I want to take a few minutes but before I do, just to summarize, look what we have done. We have paid down our debt, we stimulated the economy, we have invested heavily in infrastructure projects and social programs, we have reduced taxes, and we have ourselves a credit rating now of A plus. That is not bad, and I do not think that is luck, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, I want to make a few comments on something that has gotten a fair amount of coverage and controversy recently in my department and that is the new division or new merger of Inland Fish and Wildlife Division. The Opposition have raised some questions. I was hoping I was going to get a question today in Question Period because I wanted to make some comments on this. I will take the opportunity now, if I may.

There have been a lot of questions raised about the numbers being cut, and we are only going to have thirty-odd people. I think one person on Open Line the other day said there are only going to be twenty-five people responsible for all fish and wildlife conservation in this Province. Where he is getting those figures, I do not know. He must have the same research officer that the Opposition House Leader has because he is using similar figures.

Mr. Speaker, the transfer of wildlife enforcement from Natural Resources to Justice was done to ensure a focus on enforcement. We recognize the contemporary demands and the complexities involved in wildlife law enforcement: the use of force, for example, powers of arrest, sophisticated investigative techniques, preparation and execution of search warrants, seizure and collection of evidence, and accountability. Mr. Speaker, all of that is analogous to a policing function. That is what it is, it is policing. Justice is a natural fit for that division. Justice has law enforcement expertise. It has the resources to draw upon, including shared training opportunities, knowledge transfer, enhanced enforcement co-operation, joint forces operations, intelligence, and equipment exchange. It is a great fit to put all of the enforcement underneath Justice.

We are committed, Mr. Speaker, to making that transition as seamless as possible. We have a transition team in place to do that. That transition will take some time. It will not happen overnight, but it will be done. We will have, at the end of the day, a dedicated enforcement team to handle all fish and wildlife enforcement in the Province because we are committed to ensuring that these most valuable resources are enjoyed by the many thousands of hunters and anglers in our Province, and that it can be sustained for future generations of Newfoundlanders and Labradorians. Mr. Speaker, we are committed to putting a good team in place and it will be done.

Mr. Speaker, the forestry conservation officers then can focus on forest management issues. With regard to the numbers, yes, thirty-seven enforcement positions were transferred from Natural Resources; thirty bodies, seven of the positions were vacant. The public service and Justice human resources are now engaged and working to fill the vacancies in the near future. There will be no staff losses as a result of the transfer, just a transfer of responsibilities.

Mr. Speaker, currently, the Fish and Wildlife Enforcement has fifty-three field staff in place. Not thirty-seven, fifty-three field staff in place. When all the positions are filled there will be seventy-five field positions; not thirty-seven, not twenty-five, seventy-five field positions. That will include three regional managers. Of these, Mr. Speaker, twenty-five will be seasonal, but instead of six months, as they were, they will now be nine-month positions. There will be a total staff complement, including administration, of eighty-nine.

Now, Mr. Speaker, I just wanted to make one final – I am getting the word here that I have to clue up. With regard to the wildlife and nuisance animal issue, forestry conservation officers can document any violation they witness and report directly to Fish and Wildlife Enforcement personnel using the poaching complaint line. They can also contact wildlife officers – this bit about Natural Resources officers not having the enforcement ability, not being able to report illegal hunting and so on, that is a pile of baloney, Mr. Speaker. They all have the same obligation that everybody else does to report these things to the proper authorities.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to have more time. There is a lot that can be said about this, a lot of information can be done, but I am happy today to be able to comment on the Budget. We have every confidence in this Budget, every confidence in this government, every confidence in this minister who brought the Budget down.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Minister of Child, Youth and Family Services.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

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

It is a pleasure to have the opportunity to speak to Bill 1 today. I have had the opportunity throughout this session now, since March, to speak on various bills. I have had the great opportunity to speak to issues within my district, and also specifically on the Budget in terms of child care, I have had an opportunity to speak to that.

Today I would like to take my fifteen or twenty minutes that I have, to speak specifically about the Department of Child, Youth and Family Services and the progression that has been taking place there since it was formed in 2003. Mr. Speaker, I would like to speak to this because, for one, it is critically important that we get this right for the children of the Province and the youth of the Province, but during this session of the House I have not had very many questions particularly on the department. There have been the odd few on child care, and perhaps one or two others. So I have not had the opportunity to speak in great detail. I am not sure if it is on the radar of the Opposition parties, the NDP and the Liberals, if child protection is something that is on their radar because I did not get that many questions. Mr. Speaker, again, more reason to speak about it today.

As you know, Mr. Speaker, government is tasked with the responsibility to manage many important issues. It certainly goes without saying that health and education are critical issues and we have put our money where our mouth is. We have made historic investments into health and education in this department. As a government we have made very strategic investments into tourism, culture and recreation, into our environment, into infrastructure throughout the Province and as I have said when it comes to action we have demonstrated that we have taken concrete action over and over again on issues that are of critical importance to the people of the Province.

Having talked about all those issues, Mr. Speaker, it is also crucially important that as a government we do our utmost to protect one of our most valuable resources in this Province and that is the children of this Province, especially those children who are most vulnerable and who need our protection the most. Mr. Speaker, this is something that the Premier is very passionate about – the formation of the Department of Child, Youth and Family Services. The Premier certainly understands the issues having been on the Turner review committee, having been involved with the clinical services review that was done by Susan Abell and she certainly demonstrated her commitment to this department. In the Budget this year alone, we have had an increase of $9.2 million and over the last two years alone we have had an increase of $33 million. Again, concrete action, putting our money where our mouth is and demonstrating that this is something that is critically important that we do and we do it right and again making historic investments into this department.

Mr. Speaker, just a little bit of history on the reason for change and the reason for the creation of the new department: As you know, back in 2006 there was a Turner Review completed, and following that the Clinical Services Review was done by Susan Abell. Mr. Speaker, due to those reviews it became abundantly clear that change was absolutely needed, Mr. Speaker, and that the status quo was not good enough to serve the children who need our assistance the most. These reviews have pointed to serious systemic issues in the system and I can only take it back to even the time when the Liberals were in power because certainly a lot of these systemic issues were developed during that time and, Mr. Speaker, it certainly came to almost a crisis situation time and time again. We see that status quo seemed to be good enough for them, Mr. Speaker, but when this government came into power and when we drilled down into the issues we certainly realized that status quo is not good enough for our children of this Province. It is really unfortunate that when the Liberals were in power, they did not see fit to bring in the changes that needed to be done at that time. Mr. Speaker, that is why people need to be patient today.

Certainly the Opposition are always asking for quick fixes, time and time again: Can you do this? Why can't you do that? Mr. Speaker, with such systemic issues for such a long time, there are no quick fixes, and if we are to do quick fixes, we are only going to end up achieving absolutely the same result over and over again. I guess it is the definition of insanity, as they say, Mr. Speaker. So, having said that those are the reasons for the department being created, and due to the systemic issues, having said that there are no quick fixes, it is critically important that we get this done right. It is unfortunate that the Opposition do not get that most of the time.

Mr. Speaker, under the current Minister of Education, the former Minister of Child, Youth and Family Services, a solid foundation was formed to steer this department in the right direction for the protection and well-being of our children and youth. One of the things that the previous minister did, that I have heard in this House of Assembly, particularly from the Leader of the NDP, when she asked why would you want to consult with the public on particular issues, such as in the Department of HRLE, one of the things that the previous minister did was do the consultations. She went out and spoke to all of the stakeholders, every single one of the staff in all fifty-two offices. She did the research, the department did the research, Mr. Speaker, and this was critically important to get an assessment of all of the issues that were in the department that had developed over time under the previous leadership of the Liberal administration. Mr. Speaker, all of that research and all of that consultation was critically important to feed into the changes that were needed.

One of the things that we announced, and had funding for, and there has been tremendous commitment from this Premier and this government, was for the change of the organizational chart. We certainly heard from the staff on the ground that they needed improved administrative supports, in terms of clerical support, in terms of social worker assistance, they needed more access to supervisors. That is why we have now changed the model of one social worker to twenty cases, one supervisor to six social workers, and one social worker assistant and one clerical to six social workers. This one-to-twenty caseload is on a province-wide basis.

The other thing that was critically important that we change, is having this done in a team-based setting, and having a standard service delivery team so that if on one side of the shop things are going crazy, you can balance that out on the other side of the shop, to have the more manageable caseloads per team.

One of the other significant changes that government made was improving the delegation of authority from five regional directors to thirteen zone managers. We are also committed to zone managers, particularly in Labrador for the Innu and Inuit communities. There are unique challenges in Labrador, Mr. Speaker, and we certainly recognize that. As I said, for a long time under the Liberal reign this certainly was not recognized. We now have a working group in place and we plan and we are very focused on improving the service delivery in Labrador. We also announced a training unit earlier this year, Mr. Speaker. As you know, we announced it in Stephenville in partnership with the College of the North Atlantic.

So, Mr. Speaker, there has been a lot of things happening in the department. You hear time and time again the Liberals and the NDP criticising for inaction, but I can tell you that looking back from 2009 there has been a tremendous amount of work done in this department. There has been a tremendous focus on the protection and well-being of children, and it is critically important that we absolutely get it done right and not try to rush through things like the Opposition would like us to do because, as I said, you will really achieve nothing with that, Mr. Speaker. One of the things that was also done and was certainly needed was a complete review of the child protection legislation. As you know, new legislation was brought in last year and it will be proclaimed and come into effect very soon this year.

One of the things that was also heard on the ground from the social workers was the case management system was in absolute desperate need of changes, Mr. Speaker. It was very cumbersome; it did not work for them. When they would set aside days to input information, the system would be down. Mr. Speaker, this government, again, demonstrated our commitment to this. We put our money where our mouth is by investing $15.4 million into a new case management system. The work is well underway for this.

Again, the Opposition criticise: Why is it taking so long? Well, just the sheer logistics of transferring 700 employees into a department, two unions, ten bargaining units, four collective agreements, certainly a lot of issues to iron out; but the work was done, the consultations were done, the focus was there, and the MOUs have been developed with the RHAs. Again, not fast enough for the Opposition, but we are more focused on getting it right and not just doing it for the sake of doing something.

We still have a lot of work to do in the department, Mr. Speaker. You have heard me speak in the House about the ten-year Early Learning and Child Care Strategy; that is something that we are committed to having done this year. While there were tremendous investments in this Budget around child care for our pilot project, coming up in certainly the next Budget year we are going to continue with those investments. It is so important - child care - that we get it right in this Province. It is important from an economic perspective, from a labour perspective, and certainly from a women's equity perspective, Mr. Speaker.

One of the things that you hear the Opposition talk about a lot in this House too is ALAs, and certainly ALAs are not the most ideal situation. A lot of the children that we have in ALAs could be placed in better developmental circumstances for them whether they be therapeutic foster homes, whether it be a group home, but we are committed to a continuum of care. This government has put significant investment into foster homes, and we are doing a complete review of that. We are consulting with all of the stakeholders for the continuum of care, and we are going to continue to put our money where our mouth is. We are going to make the necessary strategic investments that need to be made in this area so that this is done proper.

You will also see in the very near future an announcement of a quality unit and an adoptions unit. I will not give away too much of the details of that right now, but again, there is so much going on in the department that it is really frustrating and really discouraging when you hear the Opposition go on and on about the department. I think during the Estimates we did not focus too much on the line by line items, we did go a lot into the policy-type questions, so hopefully it was an opportunity for them to learn more about the department. I think they got a better understanding of it. As Susan Abell said, this is something that we are not going to be able to do overnight. It is going to take three to five years to get from where we were, and that is what we are committed to do.

We are also going to be doing a complete review of all of the services that we provide to our clients, a complete review of the group homes and the family resource centres. Mr. Speaker, we have done the research. The previous minister took a lot of time to consult with people on the ground. Something that our government absolutely believes in is consulting with the people, despite what the Leader of the NDP and her beliefs are. Because of taking the time to do that research, we now know the problems and we have started to make the necessary reforms to safeguard our children and to correct these problems, Mr. Speaker.

We have invested tens of millions of dollars into this department, in just the last two years alone – a $33 million investment. We can even go back further than that, back to 2006 when we put 223 new positions into the child protection system and the Child, Youth and Family Services Division.

Mr. Speaker, time and time again we have demonstrated that this is something that is critically important to us, it is something that we absolutely want to get done right. We would be doing an absolute disservice to the children and youth of this Province if we did not take our time to do this right and not rush it as the Opposition would like us to do.

We are committed to continuing to focus our energy and our resources on our core mandate and we want to focus on getting back to basics, Mr. Speaker. Our focus right now is on making the fundamental change that is necessary to make our child protection system in this Province the best it can be in the entire country.

We have been doing a complete overhaul; we are going to continue with that. The Premier has been so supportive of this department, all of the ministers have been so supportive of this department, and all the caucus has been so supportive of this department. We have made historic investments throughout all of government, particularly in this department as well, Mr. Speaker, and we are not going to stop there until we get the best child protection service in the entire country.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker, for your time.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

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

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. KING: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

It is indeed a pleasure for me to have the opportunity to stand for a few moments this afternoon as well and have a few comments about the Budget, and a number of other somewhat related items that caught my attention and my interest this afternoon through a number of speeches as I listened to members opposite.

Mr. Speaker, I want to take a couple of moments to talk a bit about my department and some of the things I am really excited about and very pleased about. I think the Department of Human Resources, Labour and Employment plays a very important, a very strategic role in the Province in the lives of very many people. One of the things we are very pleased with is the consultative approach we have taken as a government in engaging people throughout the Province in discussions about issues that affect them. I guess, Mr. Speaker, I mention that because people need to understand and people will come to understand as you keep hearing members in the House reference heading to the polls and the election. We are all certainly focused on that and geared up on that and there will be an appropriate time.

As time moves forward to that point, Mr. Speaker, people need to be aware that one of the things that distinguishes the government in the House from the other two parties is what I just referenced, is that we believe in consulting with the public and being collaborative as we develop strategies. Members have heard it said in here on many occasions from members opposite that they do not support the fact that we went out into places like Labrador, on the West Coast and the Northern Peninsula to consult on our Poverty Reduction Strategy. Members have stood many times over there and offered criticism because we took the time and staff resources to go out and consult with people. Mr. Speaker, that is a fundamental difference in how this government approaches the handling of human resource issues in this Province versus how members opposite would approach it if they were in government.

We believe in consulting, Mr. Speaker, and we believe the results are there to show the value of that approach. I referenced, for example, our Poverty Reduction Strategy, Mr. Speaker. Members opposite are very quick to stand to their feet and to criticize, and to condemn what is happening in this Province. I can say to you, Mr. Speaker, when they do that they are condemning people like Bruce Pearce, who is involved with housing and homelessness in this Province. They are condemning people like Joanne MacDonald, who chairs the Provincial Advisory Council for the Inclusion of Persons with Disabilities; absolutely no respect. Jocelyn Green, another fine example, Mr. Speaker.

There is absolutely no respect shown whatsoever by members opposite when they stand up and condemn me as the minister and us as a government because we consult people. We consult these kinds of individuals who are experts in their field and have so much to offer the Province by way of their own experiences and their own advice on how we can improve upon what we are doing. That is the fundamental difference here, Mr. Speaker. On this side of the House, this government believes in consultation and collaborating with groups.

We recognize, Mr. Speaker, unlike some members opposite, that no one in this government has all the answers to all the problems in the Province. We recognize that. We recognize that when we get elected we are here to represent a group of people and we bring a view. There are many other divergent views out there in society that are equally as good as ours, in some cases much better. Therefore, we recognize the importance of going out and talking to people and hearing what they have to say, taking their advice and incorporating it as part of our strategies, Mr. Speaker.

We are focused on people. The department I am in is focused on working with people, whether it is poverty as I mentioned a few a moments, or, for example, the Provincial Advisory Council for the Inclusion of Persons with Disabilities. Mr. Speaker, there is a whole other avenue in my department, a whole other area focused on skills development.

Every single day, Mr. Speaker, we are assisting clients in the Province of Newfoundland and Labrador to move them from a period in their life where they may not be totally content or totally in a place where they are comfortable. We are assisting them to go back to school, through various supports that we provide, for textbooks and other kinds of resources. Employment support, we assist them through all kinds of employment programs, Mr. Speaker.

That kind of assistance, I might add, is a double benefit, because it benefits clients who are able to gain employment and go back to work, but it also benefits the employer who is able to find some financial assistance to ease the burden on their payroll.

I reference, for example, the recently announced and upgraded, I should say, apprenticeship program. We offer apprenticeship program support both through my department as well as the Department of Education, Mr. Speaker. They are good programs. They provide a lot of people with a lot of support in the Province, and a lot of employers with a lot of support. It is all about focusing on people, Mr. Speaker. That is one of the things that I am very pleased about and very pleased to talk about here today, because it distinguishes us from the members opposite who have continuously criticized because we engage in public dialogue and public discussion about issues of interest to the public. It is very interesting that the members opposite stand on one given day talking about items like Muskrat Falls or other projects like that, and talk about how important it is to engage the public, yet when we talk about some of the most vulnerable people in the Province who are affected by poverty and those kinds of things, they stand up and they criticize us and they condemn us and they refuse to vote to support us going out and consulting, Mr. Speaker.

People need to understand that because members opposite talk sometimes coming from different perspectives, whenever the shoe suits it, so to speak, or the shoe fits. That is not where we are, that is not our approach, and that is not what we believe in. So, I am very pleased to share those couple of comments, but I want to move to my own district for a couple of moments because I recognize time is short and there are many members here who also want to speak and I want to provide that opportunity.

I am going to pick up on a comment that the Leader of the Opposition made, Mr. Speaker, because she started out a while ago very enthusiastically, and I am not sure – a while ago, she referenced members drinking Kool-Aid. I am not sure what kind of Kool-Aid members opposite drank, but they certainly came into the House earlier today full of something or other. I want to reassure the member opposite that I, like I suspect all members sitting with government today, am not running scared. I say to the member opposite: If you think that I am running scared, then you have another thing coming to you. I am quite prepared to talk about my district, and to talk about the kinds of support that the District of Grand Bank on the Burin Peninsula has received over the last four years since I have been here. I am quite prepared to go back to the people, and I am quite prepared to talk about the investments that we made in infrastructure, roadwork, community roads, water and sewer upgrades. I am prepared to talk about the investments we have made on highways, like the Epworth to St. Lawrence highway, and the Grand Bank highway, and the Lord's Cove highway. I am prepared to talk about that, I am prepared to face the people on it, and I am prepared to hear what they have to say about it, Mr. Speaker, because I have been in my district. I have been back and forth in my district pretty well three times a month, whenever I can when the House is not sitting, and I talk to people. People are concerned. People in my district are concerned that members opposite do not support dialysis on the Burin Peninsula for example. That is an issue in my district that people will have to answer for. I am prepared to go out and talk about that.

People in my district are very pleased that we announced a reduction of 8 per cent on the home heating fuel, Mr. Speaker. People are very happy with that, but they are not so happy that members opposite do not support that and are not prepared to vote for the Budget. So, when we talk about running scared, let me assure you that I am not running scared and I am quite ready, willing and able to go back to my district.

Let me touch on another thing, Mr. Speaker. The Leader of the NDP stood not so long ago in this House - and I have to reference it because people reference it to me; when I am in my district talking to people, it gets mentioned to me. The member opposite made a statement about this government and I wrote it down, so I am going to read it so that I get it right: This government is very disingenuous was the statement. This government is very disingenuous.

The member then proceeds over the course of a number of days to first of all try to take credit for many, many initiatives that we have announced here in this Budget and previous Budgets. The member proceeds to talk about how it was her idea that we did this and we did that and we did something else, Mr. Speaker. Keep in mind now how I started out, the member opposite called us disingenuous. She talks about how much credit she deserves and her party deserves for a lot of these initiatives, even today as a matter of fact, wanting to take credit to suggest that the Opposition in Ottawa might be able to solve some of the problems now that they are NDP.

Well, I say to the member opposite: If it was not for her party in Ottawa, we would have had an affordable housing initiative announced about six weeks ago in this Province. Many people in this Province are not able to avail of that because the NDP and others brought down the government, Mr. Speaker. If she wants to take credit for federal politics, she needs to be zoned in on it all.

Back to my first statement, Mr. Speaker, she called the government disingenuous. The member stands over there every single day talking to the Minister of Health and other ministers in here and encouraging us to invest in different initiatives. To her credit, she was an advocate for the 8 per cent reduction on home heating; there is no question about that. What is the definition of disingenuous, Mr. Speaker? Well, I submit to you, disingenuous is when you stand in this House, you represent people and you argue for something then when you get it, you stand and say I am not prepared to vote for that. I am not prepared to stand on my principles in this House and support the people who elected me, Mr. Speaker. That is disingenuous.

I have said it before and I will say it again, that each one of us has to make decisions in this House on what we support and what we do not. For the Leader of the Third Party to stand in this House today and tomorrow and say she is not prepared to support the same initiatives that she stood in this House for the last six weeks and argued for, well, I say to everybody, that is disingenuous, Mr. Speaker, that is disingenuous. People need to remember that, people need to remember that.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Oh, oh!

MR. KING: You are right. My hon. colleagues say that people know that, and I think they are right. As the Leader of the Opposition said the other day, people are not stupid in the Province. She is absolutely right. That is why they put their confidence in this government during the last election, Mr. Speaker.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. KING: That is why they put their confidence in this government in the last election, Mr. Speaker. It is the same reason why people in the Province see through when the member opposite stands up and talks to the Premier about secret deals and keeping things under wraps. People see through that, because people remember it was the Liberal government that threw the Auditor General out of the House at a time that was probably more critical than any in the history of this Province. When all kinds of money went missing, it was the members opposite, their government, who threw the Auditor General out of the House of Assembly, Mr. Speaker. My colleagues are right. People see through that. People recognize the rhetoric that comes from the other side. People see it for what it is worth, Mr. Speaker.

I have every confidence, as I know my colleagues do in this House, that there is nobody running scared here. We are looking forward to going to the polls. As a matter of fact, Mr. Speaker, I think we would go tomorrow if the members wanted to do it. We would go tomorrow.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. KING: If the member wants to go the polls we would go tomorrow because this government has delivered for the people of the Province of Newfoundland and Labrador.

Mr. Speaker, by way of a conclusion to my comments, people will see that the Muskrat Falls deal will stand the test of time; the deal will stand the test of time. People will see it is the leadership and the vision of this government that the Province needs and will continue to have after the election in October, Mr. Speaker.

With that, I notice my time is wearing down. I am going to take my seat and pass it along to another colleague.

Thank you.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Minister of Municipal Affairs.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. O'BRIEN: Mr. Speaker, I am very happy to get up in the House today and talk to the Budget. As a matter of fact, it is my first time to get up and speak to this Budget, a Budget that started way back some time ago and went through a process that I was very proud to be part of. I was very proud to be part of it under the leadership of Premier Kathy Dunderdale. I saw it as a process that was fair, and fair to each and every department.

As a matter of fact, I believe in regard to our documents it states that we are standing strong; standing strong for child care, standing strong for education, standing strong for health care, and standing strong for poverty reduction.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. O'BRIEN: That is what we are doing. We are standing strong for the people of Newfoundland and Labrador. We are standing strong for every municipality out there in Newfoundland and Labrador today.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. O'BRIEN: I ask you, hon. members: Where are most of the municipalities in Newfoundland and Labrador? Where are they? They are in rural Newfoundland and Labrador. That is where they are.

I am going to talk first in regard to our overall spending. Our overall spending, and I might be corrected by the Minister of Finance, our overall spending has only grown by about 4.9 per cent over last year's Budget. What is driving that spending of 4.9 per cent is past commitments in regard to commitments such as collective bargaining that we have honoured and have to honour in regard to the agreements we have signed in the past. That is mostly what is driving it. Also, an economist with the Bank of Nova Scotia mentioned that even though we are actually spending and having a 4 per cent growth, we are actually spending in the right areas and we are investing in infrastructure to the long-term needs of Newfoundland and Labrador, especially in rural Newfoundland and Labrador.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. O'BRIEN: I was assigned to the Department of Municipal Affairs back in October. I remember when I came forward in regard to my budget request; one of the items I brought forward was my Municipal Operating Grants. The reason I brought forward that particular item was that I had heard clearly from mayors and councils all across Newfoundland and Labrador how important it was, the Municipal Operating Grants to those particular municipalities. I heard loud and clear the challenges they were having in regard to the everyday operation of their municipalities, and I came forward with a request to Cabinet. I remember Premier Kathy Dunderdale, one of the first questions she asked me, she said: What is your plan? I stopped and I had to think for a minute because she caught me a little bit off guard because I was coming with a request on a one-time increase in the Municipal Operating Grants. She said I want a plan for the future. I want a plan for rural Newfoundland and Labrador. I want a plan that reflects rural Newfoundland and Labrador and the things that are happening in rural Newfoundland and Labrador today.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. O'BRIEN: Back in 1992, she was a part of the process that developed the formula for Municipal Operating Grants. She was a part of that, in regard to her past life and her municipal life. She was a part of that and she too recognized the need but she also recognized that there was a change in Newfoundland and Labrador in regard to the funding criteria set to the Municipal Operating Grants. That is the reason she said it is important for you to go back and develop a new MOG formula that will reflect Newfoundland and Labrador on a go-forward basis and reflect the challenges and the needs of those municipalities. With that, we came forward with a one-time increase of $4.6 million to our Municipal Operating Grants, giving a total of $24.4 million to dispense and disburse across Newfoundland and Labrador this year. What it means is that municipalities with a population of under 1,000 will get a 50 per cent increase to their current Municipal Operating Grants. Communities of 1,000 to 3,000 will get a 30 per cent increase to their current operating grants. A community of 3,001 to 7,000 will get a 20 per cent increase. Any municipalities over 7,000 will get a 10 per cent increase.

What does that mean? I will give you an example of what it means, what it means to my district. Glenwood has a current Municipal Operating Grant of $43,000, they will increase to $65,000; Appleton will increase from $22,000 to $33,000; and, Gander will increase from $328,000 to $361,000, Mr. Speaker. Those are significant numbers especially the Glenwood and Appleton – significant numbers.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. O'BRIEN: We do consult and we are out there meeting with the municipalities, meeting with stakeholders in Newfoundland and Labrador to make sure that we are doing things right. We have been scoffed at in regard to our strategies, and scoffed at in regard to all those types of programs that we bring in. One thing that I can say and I can say with all honesty and all truthfulness is that we do not put strategies on a shelf that happened in the past, we put them in front of us as ministers and we act on them. We act on them, we implement them, we see things and we see the fruits of it. That is the reason why – like I am amazed, I am absolutely amazed.

I have listened to the hon. members and I know they agree in regard to the Municipal Operating Grants and I know they agree in regard to my Municipal Capital Works. I know they agree in regard to the $30 million block funding that we have for recreational centres, arenas and multi-purpose buildings. I know they agree. It is amazing to me that they are not going to support this Budget in its entirety, I cannot believe it. Like I said, we are standing strong in just about every area that we have to stand strong, in regard to child care, poverty reduction and all those kinds of good things that we are doing right across Newfoundland and Labrador. Right across Newfoundland and Labrador, that is what we are doing.

This year alone we will be investing about $140 million on projects in Newfoundland and Labrador. They will include the carry forward projects but also more importantly, $84.3 million a new commitment authority for Newfoundland and Labrador, for municipalities across Newfoundland and Labrador. Those municipalities that are depending on this government for their infrastructure needs in regard to water and wastewater, they are elected, and my heart goes out to those municipal leaders across Newfoundland and Labrador to put their name forward. Most of them are volunteers, and they go forward and they try to do the best for the people that elected them to do what they are trying to do. We are here as a government, and we are here as a party to support them and we will continue to support. As I a matter of fact, MNL, Municipalities Newfoundland and Labrador has said that they have not had a relationship with a government in the past, as they have with this government, this present government, as we sit today.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. O'BRIEN: I am proud to say that. I am proud that they would come out in full support, and they said it publicly, and they will say it publicly again. I say to the hon. members across the House that you guys have to get your heads screwed on regarding your budget. If people are going to take you guys seriously, if people are going to take you guys seriously, you are going to have to start supporting the things that really mean something to the people and the residents of Newfoundland and Labrador. You are going to have to take things seriously, and you are going to have to say: yes, this is a good thing. You cannot just criticize for the sake of criticizing. You have to come forward, you have to come forward, and come forward.

I saw part of your platform this weekend, after this weekend's whatever you had. I am not sure if it was an AGM, I am not sure where you had it to, to tell you the truth, because my understanding was there were hardly any people there. Anyway, you had your AGM or whatever it is called, and you re-acclaimed your leader and that kind of stuff, and then you came out with some bottled water or some kind of a foolish thing, and then you came out that you are going to just unequivocally take away the tax on gas, without ever giving it any consideration to what it means to Newfoundland and Labrador, and what it means to your actual budget, and what it means to the treasury in Newfoundland and Labrador. You just did it, and do not give it any thought. I will tell you, under the leadership of our Premier, and under the leadership of our Finance Minister, I guarantee you we give a thought, we think it out.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. O'BRIEN: We have to have something that is sustainable, and we have to have something that is affordable to Newfoundland and Labrador in the ongoing future. That is the way we work. We think about twenty years down the road. We do not think about two years down the road, we do not think about one year down the road. We think about twenty years down the road, long-term. We can tell, we have a plan, and we execute that plan, and we do not vary from that plan. That is exactly what we do.

Now, Mr. Speaker, I know my time is running short as well, but I would be remiss in regard to my own district, a district that I am very proud to represent. As a matter of fact, I am hearing that there was a poll – does anybody know about the poll recently done in Gander? CBC did a poll on leadership, and who would they be voting for in this upcoming election. Bar none, no one else got one vote, except our leader, Kathy Dunderdale.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. O'BRIEN: Am I proud of my district? Absolutely, I am proud of my district. I care; I can tell you that, as the hon. minister said. We are reinvesting in the James Paton Memorial Hospital to finish that redevelopment. Yes, it has been a long time going, but we have changed that configuration many, many times to meet the needs of the district and also the region. So there is another $5.9 million into the James Paton Memorial Hospital in regard to that development. I am proud of that, and I am proud and happy to have it.

We are doing work on Gander Academy, the largest K-6 school east of Montreal. It has challenges in regard to the configuration, the classroom size, and the actual size of the building itself. There is going to be work there in planning and addressing those needs. Actually, we are building a new library next year as well and it is somewhere around $3 million. We have ongoing work at St. Paul's in regard to the middle school. The work that is going on there is somewhere around $1.5 million or $2 million. There is an expansion there to address the same type of capacity needs.

Let's talk a little bit about the past as well in regard to what we have done. The Lufthansa deal which is still going forward; it is an important partnership that was done through the Department of Business. They always talk about the Department of Business as being inactive. It drives me – it drives me totally cracked. As a matter of fact, I am getting cracked right now because here we are with a piece of work that was done between the Department of Business and the Department of Education in regard to supporting CNA in Gander. It is their twenty-year quest to attract a big airline group into Gander with an opportunity to build a maintenance centre sometime in the future. How important that is to partner with Lufthansa on that educational piece to give two certifications to our students out there, one European and one North American. How important is that?

It is a good piece of work done by the Department of Business, and a hard piece of work. I do not mind saying that it was a hard piece of work because it was. Usually government invests from a Department of Business point of view or an Innovation, Trade and Rural Development point of view, and the optimum is the jobs created by the investment. There are hardly any jobs being created by that partnership, but what we see is the future and future opportunities. Sometimes you have to take a chance and hopefully sometime in the near future Lufthansa will establish a maintenance centre in Gander.

I do know, and I can announce here today, the mayor has been invited over to meet with Lufthansa in the next few months or the coming weeks to just discuss that particular opportunity. Now, there are no guarantees on that. I do not want people in Gander thinking there is going to be an announcement tomorrow or whatever it might be. I will tell you right now, it also has opportunity. That is the way we do it, Mr. Speaker. We plan, we execute, and we deliver. That is what we are going to deliver on October 11 of this year. We are going to deliver each and every seat that we now own and we are probably going to take all of them over there too.

With that, Mr. Speaker, I will take my seat.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER (Kelly): The Chair recognizes the hon. Minister of Labrador Affairs.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. HICKEY: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

As usual, it is always a great pleasure to stand in this hon. House with my colleagues here to represent the great District of Lake Melville, the communities of North West River, Sheshatshiu, Mud Lake, Happy Valley-Goose Bay and Churchill Falls, the home of the Upper Churchill, the home of 5 Wing Goose Bay, and the home of the Lower Churchill.

For me, Mr. Speaker, the last seven years has been a great experience in this House with this government under the great leadership of our previous Premier, Danny Williams, and certainly under the leadership of our existing Premier, Kathy Dunderdale. We are indeed looking forward to the future in this Province, the leadership of this government as we move forward, and the best is yet to come, Mr. Speaker.

I sort of chuckle today when I come into the House and I see the Leader of the Opposition has a little step in her step. Last week, I got the e-mail inviting me to the telephone conference. This morning, I get this brown envelope and I get a gift certificate. This was a gift certificate, and it says: Liberal Convention, Reaching New Heights 2011. It says: The holder of this gift certificate is entitled to a one to two-hour session in our hydro-whirlpool salt water hot tub for four people, and Yvonne Jones, Leader of the Opposition, will be the co-host.

Well, Mr. Speaker, I can tell you, unequivocally, I will not be getting in any hot tub with the Leader of the Opposition and her cohorts. Maybe they will have a caucus meeting in there, because it only takes four.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. HICKEY: Mr. Speaker, anyway, they still have me on some kind of list. I tell you, they may want me but they are not getting me.

Then, Mr. Speaker, we come and listen to that; now we have Winston, we have Craig, we have Graham, and Joe Chesterfield – we cannot forget Joe Chesterfield. Anyway, this new guy Winston now, he is looking at the hydro project Muskrat Falls as just a water drop. A drop in the bucket, can you imagine? Can you imagine how small-minded the hon. crowd on the other side are when they look at Muskrat Falls and the great potential of that project for our Province, for the future of our children and grandchildren and they have it down to now a water drop? My God, what have we come to, Mr. Speaker?

Mr. Speaker, I do want to talk about a few things that are going on. It is always a great pleasure to stand in the hon. House, particularly when you come from Labrador and you represent Labrador as we have, certainly the great District of Lake Melville and everything that has gone on for the last seven, seven-and-a-half years. Mr. Speaker, one of the things that this government has done, it has stood tall; it has stood strong for the people of Labrador and for the communities of Labrador.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. HICKEY: Ever since Labrador has been a part of this Province, when we became a part of this Confederation and we became part of this Province in the 1927 Privy Council decision, never has a government paid as much attention to the issues, to the people and to the communities of Labrador, Mr. Speaker, than this government. I am very proud to say I was associated with this government and with my hon. colleagues because it was my hon. colleagues, the Member for Torngat Mountains and the Member for Labrador West – and I said it last week, I will say it this week and I will say it next week – never has there been a political team to come out of Labrador to get what the people of Labrador wanted than those three members, Mr. Speaker.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. HICKEY: Mr. Speaker, when we look at the Northern Strategic Plan and that is one document – I listened today to the members opposite and they talk about the strategies. Then the Leader of the Opposition stands on her platform there and talks about the heritage fund for Labrador. Well I can tell you what, Mr. Speaker, we have put through the Northern Strategic Plan, close to $650 million into Labrador; $3.1 billion has been spent in Labrador since 2003, Mr. Speaker.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. HICKEY: No government previous – and we spent fourteen years and I remember those days very well – no government prior to 2003 ever spent the money in Labrador and looked after the issues that Labradorians wanted looked after: transportation, health care, education, Aboriginal land claims. All, Mr. Speaker, got attention, but not only did they get attention, they got those issues worked on and we got results, Mr. Speaker, and the proof is in the pudding when we talk about the land claims agreement with the Labrador Inuit, when we talk about the New Dawn Agreement with the Innu Nation, all of which, Mr. Speaker, were challenges. Those Aboriginal groups have been working at that for thirty years, but it was this government that made the difference and it was this government that recognized that these agreements had to be settled, Mr. Speaker.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. HICKEY: When we talk about justice programs, Mr. Speaker, just in this year alone, and I just want to take a minute to talk about Budget 2011. We talk about support for justice programs like $357,000 will go into Natuashish for justice programs; $100,000 to update the Aboriginal Consultation Policy; and another $100,000 for land use planning in the Labrador Inuit Settlement Area.

This year, Mr. Speaker, and I am proud to say, my colleague and I, the Minister for Aboriginal Affairs, will host the Northern Development Ministers' Forum in Happy Valley-Goose Bay in August – we have been attending these Northern Development Ministers' Forums now for the last seven years – where all the ministers from Northern Canada will come to Happy Valley-Goose Bay and we will look and we will discuss and we will look at opportunities of how they are doing business in the North with their Aboriginal people, how are they looking at issues such as climate change, and how are they looking at issues regarding land claims settlements.

Let me tell you, Mr. Speaker, we are leading the way when it comes to land claims and relations with the Aboriginal people of this country. We have been leading the way and we will continue to lead the way, Mr. Speaker, because this government cares about what is happening in the North and what is happening in Labrador and we have been doing it, Mr. Speaker.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. HICKEY: You know, Mr. Speaker, I remember the days when we did not have the road connection between Happy Valley-Goose Bay and the Straits. I remember the day when the Leader of the Opposition was in government, and I think she was sat in the Cabinet for a couple of weeks or something, long enough to learn how to fly a helicopter and then that was all over with. I remember, Mr. Speaker, when we could not drive from Happy Valley-Goose Bay to the Coast of Labrador. I remember when we did not have two schools down in L'Anse-au-Loup, L'Anse-au-Clair, and down in Port Hope Simpson.

Mr. Speaker, a lot has been done in Labrador. Paving the Trans-Labrador Highway this year alone, and I congratulate the Minister of Transportation and Works and his staff. This year alone we will see another 160 kilometres of pavement; not cheap seal, but asphalt laid on the Trans-Labrador Highway between Happy Valley-Goose Bay and Labrador West. It is long overdue, Mr. Speaker. So, Mr. Speaker, no, we are doing well, but yet there is more that needs to be done. 5 Wing Goose Bay is still a pressing file with this government and has always been.

A couple of weeks ago, Mr. Speaker, there was a big change took part in Labrador. I want to thank the hon. Member for Cartwright-L'Anse au Clair for being a part of that. Labrador turned blue, Mr. Speaker. That was the referendum about the Lower Churchill in Labrador. The people of Labrador gave Peter Penashue, the new Member of Parliament and the new Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs, the mandate to continue with the Lower Churchill Project in Labrador.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. HICKEY: While she can stand on her high horse today and talk about coming on a convention, and we are going to go on Facebook and Twitter, and we are going to go against Muskrat Falls, she knows the message she is going to get in Labrador, Mr. Speaker, regarding Muskrat Falls. That was given to her colleague just a couple of weeks back. The time has come, Mr. Speaker, for us to do Muskrat Falls and the Lower Churchill.

I will tell you what really motivates me, Mr. Speaker, as a politician. When I go to a graduating class of the College of the North Atlantic and I see 100 graduates there. Many of them in the different trades and some of them are upgrading their education, but every single one of them, Mr. Speaker, every single one of them say: Look, I want to be able to work here in my Province, in my hometown next to my family. I do not want to go to Alberta, Saskatchewan, or Manitoba. We want to work right here and raise our families right here in our own Province, Mr. Speaker.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. HICKEY: I have said it before and I will say it again, Mr. Speaker, Central Labrador will be the industrial heartland of this Province. Why will it be the industrial heartland of the Province? Because, Mr. Speaker, we will have the electricity to attract industry. Right now we have a number of major investors looking at Happy Valley-Goose Bay for a big iron plant. We have had discussions with aluminium smelter companies that want to use electricity from the power of the Lower Churchill Project. There are just so many opportunities in which we can gain access to new jobs, new technologies, and, Mr. Speaker, this Province is moving forward like it has never done before.

I can tell you what, October is coming, and like my hon. colleague, the Member for Gander said just a couple of minutes ago, there was a poll done out there, CBC did it, I think Here and Now and I tell you, when you look at the ordinary citizens they talk to, every single one of them said Kathy Dunderdale will be the next Premier of this Province and she will be…

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. HICKEY: Mr. Speaker, I look forward to working with the new Premier and I think the best is yet to come when it comes to this Province.

Thank you very much for the opportunity this afternoon, Mr. Speaker.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

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

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. WISEMAN: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I know we only have a few short moments before the House closes this afternoon but I do want to have a few comments on the Budget, if I could.

I want to go back to something the Member for The Straits & White Bay North said when he complained about members of our party getting up and being so proud of our Budget that we want to boast about it, we want to talk about all of the good things that are in that Budget, Mr. Speaker. Just so that the member opposite can take some comfort, do not rely on our comments. He might think we have a biased view and maybe we do, but let's look at some of the other endorsements.

Let's talk about the Conference Board of Canada when it talks about its spring of 2011 outlook. Let me just read a couple of key things. "Newfoundland and Labrador is expected to generate the largest growth in real gross domestic product…" in all of Canada, 4.6 per cent in the coming year, Mr. Speaker. That is not a biased view. That is not someone on this side saying that. Here is the other thing they said; they also commented that, "after a decade of steady out-migration…" Now, they did not implant here under Liberal rule that is my editorial comment. They are also talking about: after a decade of steady out-migration, megaprojects such as Hebron and the Lower Churchill Project will sustain positive net interprovincial migration throughout the medium term. That is the Conference Board of Canada commenting about the great things that are happening in Newfoundland and Labrador.

I heard the Leader of the Opposition party this past weekend talk about the deficit, the accumulated debt that we have as a Province. Let's look at what Scotiabank, one of the leading economists with the Bank of Nova Scotia said, when she talked about having very strategic, critical investments in infrastructure. If we are spending our money wisely, putting it in strategic investments, it is not a debt any more. It is, in fact, addressing one of the fundamental challenges that we had. When we inherited government back in 2003, not only did we have a massive debt, a Province on the brink of bankruptcy, and our balance sheet reflected massive debt at the time, we also had a massive infrastructure deficit at that time. We are starting to address that, and that is what she commented on, Mr. Speaker.

So, we do not need to look to people in this party to endorse it. In this Budget, our party, our government is laying out for the people of Newfoundland and Labrador what we believe is a strategic financial plan for this Province. Strategic investments in infrastructure, strategic investments in social programs, a balanced approach dealing with our fiscal reality, which we do have a debt that we have to deal with over time, but this is about challenges that we are trying to face and about choices we are making to position Newfoundland and Labrador for continued prosperity well into the future for our children and our grandchildren.

One of the things that the people of Newfoundland and Labrador need to think a little bit about, and there have been several references today, and the Leader of the Opposition raised it the first time in this House this afternoon, about the coming election in October, about people in the Province of Newfoundland and Labrador going to have to make a choice this coming fall. On October 11, the people of Newfoundland are going to be going to the polls. They are going to be electing a new leadership for this particular party and for this particular Province, moving ourselves forward. They have a choice, Mr. Speaker. We, as a party, have made our choice who we want to lead us. The Opposition parties have made their choice who they want to lead those parties. So, come the fall, the people of Newfoundland and Labrador are going to have the choice to decide who they want leading this Province for the next four years. This Budget lays out this party's platform, what we propose to do, the things that we believe are priorities for us to focus on for the next short term, Mr. Speaker.

I say to the members opposite: When they stood this weekend and they came back to the House today and talked about how they were going to take the 16.5 cents off a litre of gas, they other thing that they did not say, they did not tell anybody that we are going to give you $200 million on the one hand, but we are going to pick your pockets and strip the things that you enjoy today to pay for it. So I say, Mr. Speaker, if the members opposite want to talk about the good things they are going to do and all the money they are going to spend, let them come as we have done. We have come in this Budget and said here is where our revenue stream is, here is where we propose to send our money, and here is how much we are going to spend, but here is where the money is going to come from to pay for it.

I say to the members opposite: Do not stand in this House, do not go out to the people of Newfoundland and Labrador because they are not gullible. They are not going to be gullible enough for you to go out and say: We are going to give you $200 million by taking off taxation on a gas that you are going to buy. They are not going to be gullible enough to say: Well, that money is just going to fall out of the air. The next question is: Where are you going to get the money? Are you going to borrow it? Are you going to cut programs? Are you going to cut services? That is exactly what they are going to do; $200 million just does not drop out of the air. They have to come up with that somewhere.

I say to the member opposite: If you are going to stand here and boast about the 16.5 cents you are going to take off a litre of gas and you are going to say we are going to deliver $200 million to you over the next four years, you better tell the people of the Province where that is coming from, and that is only fair. We have done it in our Budget and they are going to stand in this House tomorrow, no doubt, and vote against this Budget because they do not agree with it. We are being fair and open and saying where our revenue is coming from, what expenditures we are going to have, and where we are spending our money.

It appears, Mr. Speaker, that they are going to launch into a campaign - as they appear to have done after coming out of their gathering on the weekend - on the basis of we want to defeat Muskrat Falls, we do not want that deal to go ahead. Although at the same time, in all fairness, there was one Liberal who stood up at the conference the weekend, a newly elected MP, and guess what he said? He said: Muskrat Falls has to go ahead. As a Province, we have to eliminate Holyrood. He is living in that district; he represents the people of that district I say, Mr. Speaker.

The Leader of the Opposition talked about going door to door in the fall election. Her candidates, when they go door to door in that Conception Bay area, what are they going to tell the people out there? We want to keep Holyrood going, we want to continue to pollute your air because we do not think you are valuable enough to the Province of Newfoundland and Labrador. We do not agree with your MP who wants Muskrat Falls to go ahead, we want to continue burning fuel out in Holyrood and pollute the air in your neighbourhood. That is what her candidates are going to say to the people in the Holyrood district and in that entire region of Conception Bay, Mr. Speaker. She did not say that in the House today; did she? She did not say that at all, Mr. Speaker.

It appears that the campaign has been launched by the Liberal Party on the basis of spending a lot of money and promising the world, while not telling anybody what pockets they are going to pick and what programs they are going to cut to fund all those major commitments, Mr. Speaker. We did not hear that today. Do you know something? There is a real good chance we are not going to hear it any time between now and October 11 either. We are not going to hear that, Mr. Speaker. That is not going to happen. It is not going to happen at all.

The second thing, Mr. Speaker, we are going to hear a campaign about the shortcomings of the development of Muskrat Falls. As I have said, Mr. Speaker, when we get into that objective discussion about that particular project, I think the people of Newfoundland and Labrador will recognize that when you have strong leadership, when you have insightful analysis, when you have strong organizations like Nalcor and the people within that organization moving forward with a project that has had full public scrutiny, they will come to the realization as well that that project has a lot of merit, a lot of benefit for Newfoundland and Labrador and they will judge. I say, Mr. Speaker, they will judge.

No, I do not think, Mr. Speaker, Winston will not change his mind. If they think they have a drop of water, a symbolic drip of water, to convince the people of Newfoundland and Labrador that they should support a Liberal leadership, they should support a Liberal government, they should re-elect a Liberal government again in October, I do not think the people of Newfoundland and Labrador for one moment are going to be fooled by that. They are not going to be fooled by that, Mr. Speaker, not at all.

I say, Mr. Speaker, tomorrow we are going to be voting on the Budget. In fact, we may even vote on the Budget this afternoon if no one else wants to speak to it. So we are going to be voting on the Budget. I suspect, Mr. Speaker, members of the Opposition will stand and they will not support this Budget. They will vote against it. They have made two attempts. They tried to amend it; they tried to have a sub-amendment - parliamentary tactics to defeat a Budget, Mr. Speaker.

I have stood in this House several times on this Budget, and I said the same thing. If you take this Budget and go through it in its entirety, it is a balanced Budget. It shows some significant investments in a variety of areas. Budgets are about choices. It is about making choices, making informed decisions and making strategic investments.

The Liberal Party and the NDP will stand in this House and not support this Budget, because there are a lot of things in that Budget they do not like, the same things they will stand in this House and ask for. For example, the Leader of the Liberal Party stood and said our spending is not sustainable. She beats that drum for two or three weeks. She goes before, supposedly, a couple of hundred of her supporters in a hall one night, beats her chest, and says: Do you know something? We are going take the 16.5 cents off gasoline. It is going to cost $200 million. We do not know where the money is coming from, but we think it is a wonderful thing to say and a wonderful thing to do because we think we can suck some people in and get some votes for us in October. This is what we are going to launch our campaign on, this massive investment, massive cut with no plan about how we are going to fund it, Mr. Speaker. They cannot do that.

At the same time, they will stand in this House and not support a Budget that very strategically places Newfoundland on a solid footing, a solid foundation. It builds on the strategic investments we have already made, builds on the successes we have already had, and I say, Mr. Speaker, we need not point any further than what this Budget stands for. It is standing strong for prosperity. It is standing strong for our future. More importantly, Mr. Speaker, it is standing strong for Newfoundland and Labrador, and that is what the people of Newfoundland and Labrador will be asking to support come this October, not a $200 million savings on one hand and cutting programs on another hand and turning down an aggressive campaign, to turn down one of the best projects to enter Newfoundland and Labrador in a decade and proposing tax increases, Mr. Speaker. That is what the people of Newfoundland will have to make a choice about. This Budget stands strong for their future, stands strong for every Newfoundlander and Labradorian, and stands strong for our continued prosperous future, Mr. Speaker.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

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

MS BURKE: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I move, seconded by the hon. Minister of Natural Resources, that the House do now adjourn.

MR. SPEAKER: The motion is that this House do now adjourn.

All those in favour, ‘aye'.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Aye.

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

This House now stands adjourned until 1:30 of the clock, tomorrow being Tuesday.

On motion, the House at its rising adjourned until tomorrow, Tuesday, at 1:30 p.m.