The House met at 1:30 p.m.

MR. SPEAKER (Wiseman): Order, please!

Admit strangers.

The House is very pleased today to have a special guest in the Speaker's gallery, and I will leave it to the Minister of Justice and Attorney General to introduce the guests in a few moments. Welcome to our Assembly.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER: Also, I am very pleased today to have in the public galleries the Mayor of Belleoram joining us today, Mayor Steward May.

Welcome, Sir, to our galleries.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER: Today we will have member's statements for the hon. the Member for the District of Cartwright – L'Anse au Clair; the hon. the Member for the District of Bay of Islands; the hon. the Member for the District of Port au Port; the hon. the Member for the District of St. John's North; the hon. the Member for the District of St. John's South; and the hon. the Member for the District of Cape St. Francis.

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

MS JONES: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I rise in the House today to congratulate the St. Mary's All Grade boy's basketball team, this time, on recently winning the Single A High School Provincial Basketball Championships and being named the most sportsmanlike team in the tournament.

Mr. Speaker, the competition was held in King's Point this past weekend where top high school teams from Single A school divisions competed for the championship. The St. Mary's All Grade boys came out on top after defeating Hampden Academy.

The winning players on the team from my district were Kevin Farrell, Cody Ryan, Courtney Pye, Owen Randell, Travis Rumbolt, Morgan Snook, DJ Rumbolt, Mark Russell, Tristan Yetman, Shane Ryan, and their coach, Todd Farrell.

However, Mr. Speaker, this team's greatest victory came from when they temporarily made a student with pervasive needs from Valmont Academy a part of their team and for a brief time made Justin Roberts feel like a champion when he netted a basket. You probably have all seen this and heard about it in the media in the last few days.

I ask members of this House to join me in congratulating the St. Mary's All Grade boys, the boys from Hampden Academy on winning the silver medal, and the Mary's Harbour team for the gold medal, and the most sportsmanlike players, and to certainly thank Valmont Academy for their outstanding job as the host team and a host community.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

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

MR. JOYCE: Mr. Speaker, I stand in this hon. House today to recognize a fine group of young athletes from Sacred Heart Elementary School in Curling. These fine young female basketball players have achieved a lot this year. The Grade 6 Girls team won the RNC Tournament in Corner Brook, while the Grade 5 Girls team won the provincial West Coast Championship.

Mr. Speaker, despite their coach, but with the great assistance of the other two coaches, Lisa and Matthew Young, these young players showed how hard work, dedication, and commitment to each other are a winning combination.

The Grade 6 team included Michaela Allen, Samantha Applin, Rhianna Brake, Laura Bruce, Angela Fisher, Halley Gardner, Alissa Hollett, Jayme Humber, Sarah Leonard, Breanna McEacheran, Carley McGrath, McKenzie Neilson, Hannah Perrett, Emily Porter, Julia Gardner, Sarah Noseworthy, and Faith Rose.

The Grade 5 team included Sara Noseworthy, Michaela Allen, Julia Gardner, Faith Rose, Jenna King, Madison Hackett, Morgan Young, Holly MacKay, Anna-Joan Compdon, Kristen Buckle, Arianna Sheppard, Emily Butt, Erin Way, Shelby Park, and Hannah Bellows.

With all of these wins, these players showed true sportsmanship and are proud ambassadors for Sacred Heart School. I am so proud of these young athletes and I can confidently say that our future is in safe hands.

Go, Sabres, Go!

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Member for Port au Port.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. CORNECT: Mr. Speaker, I stand to recognize Major Henry Gaudon, CD3 (Canadian Declaration – 3^rd Clasp) for forty-eight years of military service, twenty-eight of which were spent in the Canadian Armed Forces Regular and twenty in the Canadian Forces Reserves, Cadet Instructor Cadre.

On March 17, the 3012 Lynx Army Cadet Corps carried out a Change of Command Ceremony where Major Gaudon passed on command of this fine Army Cadet Corps to Captain Travis Young as its new Commanding Officer.

Mr. Speaker, Major Gaudon was celebrated for his great dedication and passion to the youth of the Port au Port Peninsula and for the investment he made in their lives.

Major Gaudon was influential in building a 3012 Lynx Cadet Corps into the largest Army Cadet Corps in Newfoundland and Labrador, with a twelve-piece military marching band, Colour Party proudly displaying our Canadian, provincial, Francophone, Mi'Kmaq, Army Cadet League, and the 3012 Lynx Cadet Corps flags, an Honour Guard, Mr. Speaker, as well as a competitive air rifle shooting team.

This impressive Corps has now been placed under the capable command of Captain Young, who I am sure will continue this strong legacy.

Mr. Speaker, I ask all hon. Members to join with me in congratulating Major Gaudon for his outstanding contribution.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Member for the District of St. John's North.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. KIRBY: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I rise to today to recognize a group of hard-working parents, teachers, and students in my district.

The Safe Grad Committee at Prince of Wales Collegiate, like other such committees throughout our Province, dedicates hours of time to high school graduation ceremonies that graduates will remember forever.

Mr. Speaker, graduation from high school today is a significant milestone in one's life, especially today when it is so important for students to consider their opportunities for further education following high school.

People on committees like the one at Prince of Wales Collegiate devote an extraordinary amount of time to planning a fun graduation. Of course, that means they put a lot of time into fundraising as well. On the last Saturday of every month, for example, the tireless volunteers at PWC gather at the school and accept recyclables on behalf of the Safe Grad committee.

Mr. Speaker, I ask hon. members in the House or from the St. John's area to contribute and support this worthy cause this Saturday, in particular, at the school starting at 10:00 a.m. at the gym entrance.

I ask all hon. members to also join me, Mr. Speaker, in thanking the Prince of Wales Safe Grad committee, and all of the Safe Grad committees in the Province for their tireless commitment to organizing graduation activities.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Member for Mount Pearl South.

MR. LANE: Mr. Speaker, it is my privilege to stand in this hon. House to honour the memory of an extraordinary person from my district, the late Janet Maher. Janet was not only a tremendous human being, but also a very gifted athlete who excelled through her involvement with the Mount Pearl Special Olympics.

She won numerous individual and team awards at the provincial and national levels in the sports of floor hockey and bowling. Some of her achievements include: 2008 National Female Athlete of the Year; Mount Pearl Female Athlete of the Year; and, Mount Pearl Special Olympics Female Athlete of the Year, just to name a few.

She was also awarded a 125 Anniversary Commemorative Medal by the Governor General of Canada in recognition of her contribution to her co-athletes, community and nation and was recently inducted into the Mount Pearl Sports Hall of Fame.

Mr. Speaker, even though Janet has left us far too early, her spirit of competitiveness and collaboration continues to inspire athletes in Mount Pearl and elsewhere.

I would therefore ask all members of this hon. House to join me in recognition of this outstanding Newfoundlander.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Member for the District of Cape St. Francis.

MR. K. PARSONS: Mr. Speaker, I rise in this hon. House today to recognize a wonderful lady, Mrs. Mary Kinsella, who has raised her family in Logy Bay where she enjoys telling stories of years gone by, and she does her best to keep Newfoundland and Labrador traditions alive and going strong.

At the young age of ninety-two, Mrs. Kinsella lives in her own home and hosts many family dinners and gatherings. She has a great community spirit.

Mrs. Kinsella prides herself on passing her traditions on to others. Her willingness to share her rug hooking talents with the people in the town is really appreciated. On Thursdays from 7:00 to 9:00 o'clock at the museum in the Town of Logy Bay-Middle Cove-Outer Cove, she teaches rug hooking classes. Most nights she has five or six ladies in her class, also some of her family members enjoys in sharing her time with her.

Mr. Speaker, at present, Mrs. Kinsella and her group are creating a large rug which will display the scenic view of our rugged coastline. It is people like Mrs. Kinsella at the age of ninety-two, who shows us what great community spirit is all about.

Mr. Speaker, I ask all hon. members in this House to join with me in thanking Mrs. Mary Kinsella for her dedication in keeping our traditions alive and sharing her talents with others.

Thank you very much.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER: Statements by Ministers.

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

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

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

Mr. Speaker, it gives me great pleasure today to stand in this House and welcome two individuals who have been newly appointed to lead the Royal Canadian Mount Police in our Province. I offer a very warm welcome to the new Commanding Officer of the RCMP B Division, Newfoundland and Labrador, Chief Superintendent Tracy Hardy.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. F. COLLINS: Chief Superintendent Hardy comes to this Province with a wealth of experience and will take over command in the very near future.

Chief Superintendent Hardy has served extensively throughout Canada, including rural and northern areas, which is a tremendous asset in leading the RCMP in Newfoundland and Labrador. Chief Superintendent Hardy brings with her a strong operational background, and a commitment to integrating policing with community involvement. I am also proud to announce, Mr. Speaker, that she is the first woman to lead the RCMP in our Province.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. F. COLLINS: Mr. Speaker, Chief Superintendent Hardy takes over from Assistant Commissioner Bill Smith, who retired in January, and who has now accepted a position in Nova Scotia. Over his tenure as Commanding Officer, Assistant Commissioner Smith showed great dedication and leadership to the RCMP in this Province. His love of this Province is also very evident in everything he did, and I wish him all the best in his new role.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. F. COLLINS: Mr. Speaker, the RCMP has also appointed a new second in command and Officer in Charge of Criminal Operations. Superintendent Andrew Boland is originally from Newfoundland and Labrador, and also has an extensive background in operational and administrative policing with the RCMP in various areas of the country.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. F. COLLINS: We are pleased to have Superintendent Boland with us, and I also want to thank him for the work he has done as Acting Commanding Officer since Assistant Commissioner Smith's retirement.

As Minister of Justice, I was proud to announce on Tuesday that the provincial government has signed a new twenty-year agreement for the continued delivery of RCMP services in Newfoundland and Labrador.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. F. COLLINS: Mr. Speaker, the timing of this new agreement, along with the appointments of Chief Superintendent Hardy and Superintendent Boland is great news for the citizens of this Province and the continued delivery of quality policing in Newfoundland and Labrador. The RCMP has enjoyed over sixty years of policing in this Province and we look forward to many more.

Mr. Speaker, I ask all hon. members to join with me as I welcome and congratulate Chief Superintendent Hardy and Superintendent Boland on their new appointments to B Division and I am very much looking forward to working with them in their new roles.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Member for Burgeo – La Poile.

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

I would like to thank the minister for an advance copy of his statement.

Congratulations to Chief Superintendent Hardy and Superintendent Boland for their new positions, and a fond farewell to Assistant Commissioner Bill Smith, who I never had the pleasure to meet but I have only heard great things about the work he did for this Province. To Chief Superintendent Hardy, it is great to see another female in a leadership position in this Province, but again, that is something we have no short supply on here, especially in this House alone.

I am glad to hear the issue of the policing contract with the RCMP has been resolved and I have no doubt that we have officers of high quality leading the provincial detachments. The RCMP has had a long and distinguished history of policing in this Province. They took over the role from the former Newfoundland Rangers who were a distinguished force in their own right. In my previous life as a lawyer, I have always found the officers of the RCMP to be dedicated, professional, competent and very knowledgeable. Beside their roles as police officers, the RCMP are members of our community, who live, work and volunteer in our communities.

I welcome them to our Province and our communities for the next twenty years and certainly many more years after that.

Thank you.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Member for St. John's Centre.

MS ROGERS: Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank the minister for an advance copy of his statement.

Our thanks to retiring Assistant Commander Bill Smith for his exemplary commitment and service. Congratulations to Chief Superintendent Tracy Hardy. The people of Newfoundland and Labrador welcome you with open arms, and with your outstanding qualifications and experience we know that we are in good hands. What a fantastic role model for young women looking to enter a career in law enforcement.

Congratulations also to Superintendent Andrew Boland. Thank you; a job well done.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

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

MR. FRENCH: Mr. Speaker, hundreds of millions of people, businesses and governments around the world unite each year to support the largest environmental event in history, Earth Hour.

It is a time when people from every corner of the globe and from every walk of life are asked to join together in solidarity for our earth and turn off their lights for one hour. Earth Hour 2012 will take place this coming Saturday, March 31, at 8:30 p.m. Mr. Speaker, I know the hockey game is on; it is only the Leafs or the Canadiens, so it is not much to watch.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Oh, oh!

MR. FRENCH: Each of us has a responsibility for the sustainability of our planet and every action, big or small, collectively helps to make a difference.

Mr. Speaker, last year, more than 5,200 cities and towns and 135 countries worldwide switched off their lights for Earth Hour 2011, sending a powerful message for action on climate change. Without a doubt, it has shown how great things can be achieved when people come together for a common cause.

Mr. Speaker, the provincial government is committed to taking action on climate change and energy efficiency. We realize that solutions are possible, such as the development of clean, renewable energy – and we know a little bit about that here in the House – along with individual actions such as being more energy efficient. To guide the Province forward, we released Charting Our Course: Climate Change Action Plan 2011 and Moving Forward: Energy Efficiency Action Plan 2011.

While Earth Hour has helped raised the profile of sustainability issues since its inception in 2007, Mr. Speaker, we must all pledge to do more than switch off our lights for one hour each year. Government, organizations, businesses, and individuals must remain committed to taking action every day to reduce their environmental impact through saving energy and reducing waste and emissions.

I encourage every household throughout Newfoundland and Labrador to join the Earth Hour movement at 8:30 p.m. local time on March 31, and share in one hour of darkness for the earth. Collectively, our actions really do make a positive difference for our environment.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Member for Torngat Mountains.

MR. EDMUNDS: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I thank the minister for an advance copy of his statement. Mr. Speaker, Earth Hour demonstrates the cumulative impact of people's actions in the fight against climate change. Earth Hour is scheduled on the last Saturday of every March to ensure most cities are in darkness as it is rolled out onto the earth, allowing for more visual impact of people's participation.

Mr. Speaker, while not a climate change issue this initiative reminds me of when all the homes in Labrador turned their lights out in honour of young Burton Winters, but I digress.

To adjust climate change, we must go beyond the hour, turning off our computers at the end of the day, shutting off our power bars and other devices. Earth Hour demonstrates that every little bit counts. Earth Hour does show a worldwide initiative, Mr. Speaker, to battle climate change on a global scale, and I thank the minister for his statement.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER: The Member for St. John's East.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. MURPHY: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I would also like to thank the minister for an advance copy of his statement. Earth Hour is a significant event which shows the importance of energy conservation, but with Muskrat Falls we are talking about energy consumption, while possibly ruining the environment of a river and a lake at the same time. Where is the environmental message in doing that?

We may need power but there are better ways to get it if we really look at our options. We have the best steady wind power resource, huge natural gas reserves, and huge potential for tidal energy. Mr. Speaker, if we put our minds and energy into looking at options, perhaps we would not have to go that way.

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER: Oral Questions.

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

MR. BALL: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

We understand that in 2007 a natural gas study was commissioned to EnerSea Transport. We have seen a lot of studies in the House, but we have never seen this one.

I ask the Premier: Was this study ever completed?

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

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. KENNEDY: Yes, Mr. Speaker, I am not aware of the study referred to by the member opposite. Mr. Speaker, in our Energy Plan we refer to the importance of natural gas. I do not think there is any disagreement that we have currently 11 trillion cubic feet of discovered natural gas almost between the Labrador portion of the Province and the Grand Banks. Nor is there any dispute, Mr. Speaker, that natural gas is a form of energy which we will certainly develop at some point in time. It comes down to economics and timing, Mr. Speaker, and when the time is right it will be done.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

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

MR. BALL: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I would like for the minister, if he would look into that because there was an RFP that was done, so a follow-up would probably be in order. Last evening, respected local engineering professor Dr. Stephen Bruneau demonstrated very clearly that Grand Bank's natural gas is technically available and also economically compelling as an option to meet our domestic energy needs. He also stated the reason for excluding natural gas as an energy alternative by the government appears to be invalid.

I ask the Premier: Are you now prepared to go to the Public Utilities Board and allow them to fully analyze all options to meet our domestic energy needs before we commit to a fifty-year financially risky agreement on Muskrat Falls?

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

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. KENNEDY: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

We do not disagree with Dr. Bruneau on the physical availability, rate, and quality of the gas; we all know we have gas offshore. There are two significant issues, Mr. Speaker; one, under section 80 of the accord act, when we give production licences to the offshore oil companies, that gives them the decision when to develop the oil and gas and how to go about that.

What we are told, Mr. Speaker, and the best way I can put it is the way that one oil executive said to me: We are in the business of making money, don't you think if we could do this now, if we could develop natural gas now, we would do it. The first problem, Mr. Speaker; the second problem is the economics of the situation.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

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

MR. BALL: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

One of the things the Province's Energy Plan in 2007 clearly states is that the government will request that all companies submitting offshore development applications will provide a detailed landing in the Province option for natural gas.

So I ask the Premier: There have been developments, as you know, since 2007, so where are those landing in the Province studies?

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

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

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

Essentially what has happened with the production licence, after the negotiation process, we can put in terms and conditions, but you cannot change those terms and conditions in an agreement that exists. These production licences are good for twenty-five years, and essentially allows the oil companies the licence to develop, to explore, and to determine how they are going to spend their money.

So the first major block with Dr. Bruneau's theory is: How do we obtain the gas? We cannot tell these oil companies what to do. We have asked them, we have had discussions, I met with a number of the oil companies – I met with Unión Fenosa out of Spain. We have explored natural gas, it has been explored, Mr. Speaker, but the second major factor here is that the importation of natural gas from the Grand Banks is not economically feasible.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

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

MR. BALL: I will ask the minister one more time: Have we completed the landing in the Province option for natural gas? Are those landings in the Province completed – is that development completed?

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

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. KENNEDY: Mr. Speaker, when the licences were granted they give the companies the option as to how they are going to proceed. Essentially, there is a negotiation process, there are benefits agreements, Mr. Speaker; we look at all of the options. Terms and conditions are put in, but we have had discussions with the oil companies, Mr. Speaker, we have looked at developing natural gas. To put it at its simplest, Dr. Bruneau thinks that Henry Hub price is the price that gas will be delivered to Holyrood from the Grand Banks. We are told it is about $5 at the most, Mr. Speaker. What we are told by the oil companies, in order for it to be economically feasible to develop natural gas, the world prices would have to be at $10 to $12 per million BTU, and there is nothing to indicate that in the next twenty years those prices are going that way.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

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

MR. BALL: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Well, your Energy Plan clearly states that government will request that those development plans are done.

Did you even request to the companies to do the landing in the Province option?

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

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. KENNEDY: Yes, Mr. Speaker, it is again, my understanding that when there is a proposal put forward by the oil companies, we will then look at the benefits agreements and develop benefits agreements.

What the oil companies are telling us, Mr. Speaker, is that it is not economically feasible to develop the natural gas. We cannot order them to do it, Mr. Speaker. It would require an amendment to the Atlantic Accord act and both provincial and federal agreements.

Mr. Speaker, we have made agreements with these oil companies. We will honour these agreements. Our natural resources are out there, Mr. Speaker. We all agree that by the mid-twenties, Mr. Speaker, natural gas may be feasible.

The other side of it, Mr. Speaker, is it is important to recognize that the small amount of natural gas needed in Holyrood would not justify a significant capital expenditure.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER: The Leader of the Official Opposition.

MR. BALL: The C-NLOPB and Husky Energy have stated that natural gas is available now and no longer needed for oil re-injection. On top of this, the North Amethyst Field, of which we are part owner, does not have storage space for this natural gas, and the C-NLOPB has stated the issue must be resolved before any oil can be produced.

I ask the Premier: A new GPS has been proposed for this field that could have natural gas capabilities, so why are you not capitalizing on this opportunity, exploring the use of natural gas as an energy source?

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Premier.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

PREMIER DUNDERDALE: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, when oil companies are given licences to explore and to develop, in a significant discovery licence they are given the rights to develop what they have found: oil and gas. They have the rights.

Members of the Opposition stand and brag all the time about the major oil fields, the three major oil fields we have operating off our coast, and how all of that happened under their governance, Mr. Speaker. They ought to know that the companies have jurisdiction over what lies in their licence area, Mr. Speaker.

In the Energy Plan, we are trying to encourage the development of natural gas. We have not yet had any proposals.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

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

MR. BALL: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I just want to clarify that C-NLOPB are saying that this issue must be resolved before oil can be produced.

So what are we going to do with this? This is our greatest opportunity. So why are we not doing this?

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Premier.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

PREMIER DUNDERDALE: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, let me refer back to the answer given by the minister in a previous question. Oil companies are looking to monetize, to make money from what they have discovered offshore, Mr. Speaker. When they find an opportunity to do that, they will come to the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador with a proposal. We have said to them in the Energy Plan: When you come with such a proposal, you have to have given consideration to bringing that gas ashore.

Mr. Speaker, we have laid out a royalty regime, even in the Energy Plan, for a pioneer project with very good conditions to encourage that kind of thinking and that kind of development, Mr. Speaker. There is not enough value in it for the oil companies to (inaudible).

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

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

MS JONES: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, we understand that government has now received a twenty-five to thirty page report on air quality and mould on the Charlottetown school. We also know that it outlines seven different types of mould that has been found that extends everywhere from the basement to the attic in this particular school.

I ask the minister today if he can tell me if the structural reports on this school have also been completed, and if so, is he prepared to share that with the people in the community?

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

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. JACKMAN: Mr. Speaker, the consultants have been in and have done their work. I have not received a copy of it yet, but one of the things that I have assured the community – I have contacted and been in contact with them through e-mails and everything – is any information that we get will be shared with the community. As I have said before, the facility that these students return to will be a safe, healthy environment. Mr. Speaker, we are not going to hide anything from the parents. We want what is best for these students and we will work with the community to do that. I want to thank the community for their co-operation and I look forward to continue working with them.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

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

MS JONES: Thank you.

Mr. Speaker, these children are now in temporary accommodations that are less than adequate and not really conducive to a proper learning environment.

I ask the minister – this is a temporary solution, I am sure, but I would like to ask him: What is the intermediate solution for those children come September until the government is able to build a new school in this community?

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

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. JACKMAN: Mr. Speaker, the member has gone out further than I am willing to go at this particular point because we do not have all of the facts, but I will say she must have read one of my e-mails or she was reading my mind because in one of them I responded to, I said what we have to find, and I thank the community for it, is finding that immediate solution right now so that we can get students into a learning environment.

We will provide the intermediate solution, but, Mr. Speaker, one of the things we have to realize – this intermediate solution is not going to be something that be snapped like that. We have to explore the options and we are doing that, Mr. Speaker. We will provide it, and I ask again for the continued co-operation of the community.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER: The Official Opposition House Leader.

MS JONES: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Children in this school have suffered from a number of illnesses over the past year or more. Some of it was relative to very strange skin irritation and rashes, headaches and breathing problems, along with stomach aches, Mr. Speaker. Dr. Rand, who was engaged by the Western School Board, also confirmed that those elements are related to the mould that was found in this particular school.

Mr. Speaker, parents have been raising this issue with government and the Western School Board for quite some time, and I would like to ask today: Why no action was taken, and why they were not taken seriously and air quality testing done prior to this school's ceiling collapsing?

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

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. JACKMAN: Mr. Speaker, the school boards are elected. We have CEOs of school boards and they make decisions based on the facts that they have. One of the things, Mr. Speaker, that I cannot speak to are the medical conditions. Parents, I am sure, have taken it upon themselves to check into these particular situations.

One thing that I can assure the member opposite and I can assure the community, that what we arrive at from here on in, this will be safe and healthy, it will be a safe and healthy environment for these students to learn in, Mr. Speaker.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER: The Official Opposition House Leader.

MS JONES: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The minister may want to consult with Dr. Rand out of Halifax who was retained by the school board with regard to this issue. Mr. Speaker, air quality testing should be mandatory in schools in this Province and the information should be made public. We have asked the government to do this time and time again over the last three or four years. Over that period of time we have seen anywhere from fifteen to twenty schools or more in this Province where children had to be displaced because of mould.

I ask the government again today: Are you now prepared to move forward to put in place a mandatory air quality testing system for schools in this Province and make the information public to the children and parents who use those schools?

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

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. JACKMAN: Mr. Speaker, air quality testing is carried out regularly. Any hint at all, if we are contacted, if school boards are contacted, air quality testing is carried out. We are not going to jeopardize the health of any of our students, Mr. Speaker, and I would contend that –

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. JACKMAN: Mr. Speaker, we will continue on that route.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Member for St. Barbe.

MR. BENNETT: Mr. Speaker, government finally moved on addressing the dilapidated and long abandoned fish plant in Englee. Now this government needs to be proactive and turn its attention to the closed Port Union plant.

I ask the Minister of Service Newfoundland and Labrador: Will he take action to ensure that Port Union is not left in an environmental mess as happened in Englee?

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Minister of Service Newfoundland and Labrador.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. DAVIS: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Yes, Service NL has taken steps and work towards solving the issues in Englee. I would like to point out, Mr. Speaker, that these buildings and these properties are not the property of the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador as is the case in Englee and other places as well, but we do work with communities. We encourage communities to utilize the legislation and abilities that they have available to them. As well, our inspectors will go these sites, we will conduct inspections and we will try to move these files forward as well.

Thank you.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Member for St. Barbe.

MR. BENNETT: Mr. Speaker, Marystown and surrounding communities suffered a devastating blow last year when OCI abruptly closed the fish plant, throwing 240 people out of work. Since then, the company has indicated they intend to sell the plant.

I ask the Premier: Will she provide an update on plans to sell the OCI plant in Marystown and what involvement, if any, does her government have in this sale?

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

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. JACKMAN: Mr. Speaker, the member opposite spoke about business the other day. I do not know if he knew what he was talking about then any more than he does now. Mr. Speaker, OCI is a private business. They have indicated that they are going to close the plant, what they do with the assets, Mr. Speaker, is – they will work their way through that. The thing that we have done, Mr. Speaker, and I am glad the question is asked - I am replacing the other minister today because he is away. I worked with that group down there to acquire a number of weeks for them. I regret that it was rejected. Mr. Speaker, as we speak, myself as the minister, and various ministers are working with the workers there to find them temporary employment. Mr. Speaker, we have never left people on their own and we will not in this case.

MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Member for St. Barbe.

MR. BENNETT: Mr. Speaker, the plant workers at Marystown are still on the protest line and not giving up like this government has.

The Premier promised on a campaign trail she would fight to keep the plant open: Will she now do the right thing and meet with these displaced workers as they have been requesting?

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

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. JACKMAN: Mr. Speaker, I am getting calls and e-mails from workers who now are looking to move on. As a matter of fact, Mr. Speaker, I have a couple of people who we have worked with as a government and we have gotten them back into a retraining system. People are taking it upon themselves to move ahead, Mr. Speaker. The fact that these workers are still protesting there, that is beyond what we have any control over, but I can assure him of one thing, and I said that in my last response: We have never abandoned people in plants when they have been out of work, and we will not abandon these people either.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Member for Burgeo – La Poile.

MR. A. PARSONS: Mr. Speaker, in February 2012, Literacy Newfoundland and Labrador stated government's failure to release its literacy plan, despite promises to do so in 2010 and 2011, means the plan is now outdated over three years out from initial consultations.

I ask the minister, taking into consideration that this is International Adult Learners' Week: Why have you let so much time lapse, and when will you release this long-awaited and much-needed plan?

MR. SPEAKER: The Minister of Advanced Education and Skills.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MS BURKE: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Literacy, learning, and education is certainly a priority of this government, Mr. Speaker, and we are doing what we can to ensure the people of this Province have every opportunity to participate in the labour market and the challenges that are ahead of them. We will look at the literacy plan, update it, and it will be released in due time over the next fiscal year.

Mr. Speaker, in saying that, we have made so many advances in education, particularly how it affects the adults of this Province. One thing we have done, Mr. Speaker, is we have increased the seats at the College of the North Atlantic by 46 per cent in the last couple of years. Mr. Speaker, the number of seats at the College of the North Atlantic has gone from 939 seats to almost 1,400 seats in just four years.

Other than that, Mr. Speaker, we have also had the ABE, the Adult Basic Education, available across Newfoundland and Labrador through the college, through the private colleges, and through community organizations.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Leader of the Third Party.

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

Mr. Speaker, we have learned that there is a systemic problem with the cardiac monitor systems today in the Health Sciences and St. Clare's. Mr. Speaker, the problem with these cardiac monitors is not just confined to Health Sciences and it is not the nurses' fault, but the minister keeps insisting there is no problem.

So, Mr. Speaker, I ask: When is the minister going to acknowledge that there is a systemic problem and get to the bottom of it?

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

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

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. KENNEDY: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I do not remember the minister or anyone else referring to the fact that it was the nurses' fault. In fact, what I remember the minister saying the other day is how highly we value our nurses and the crucial role they play in our health care system.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. KENNEDY: Also, Mr. Speaker, a systemic problem would indicate that there is a pervasive problem that exists throughout not only this jurisdiction but other jurisdictions. The minister referred to the fact, and I cannot remember exactly, but 2,500 or 2,600 of these monitors are used throughout Canada, Mr. Speaker, they are used throughout this Province; there are issues here that the CEO of Eastern Health and the Department of Health are trying to work their way through with the nurses. The fact is, Mr. Speaker, cardiologists support these monitors.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Leader of the Third Party.

MS MICHAEL: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I point out to the minister, Mr. Speaker, first of all, the system has to do with the Health Sciences and St. Clare's, not anywhere else. It is a systemic problem there. Secondly, the person who named the nurses was the CEO of Eastern Health.

So I am asking the minister: Will she demand an apology from the CEO of Eastern Health for denigrating the professional concerns of nurses?

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

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

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. KENNEDY: Mr. Speaker, I had the pleasure of dealing with Ms Kaminski, the CEO and President of Eastern Health, for two years when I was Minister of Health. She is totally professional, Mr. Speaker. She tackles issues, she deals with issues, and she will deal with this issue here. So, again, I think that the comments made by the member opposite are a reflection of simply trying to cause problems, as opposed to dealing with an issue.

What we try to do as a government, Mr. Speaker, is identify issues when they are brought to our attention and solve them. What the member opposite appears to want to do is simply to call people names and try to cause problems.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Leader of the Third Party.

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

Mr. Speaker, yesterday the nurses' association said that standards for nursing practice require nurses to question conditions that interfere with their ability to provide safe, competent nursing care. Mr. Speaker, nurses filed hundreds of occurrence reports on the new cardiac monitors over the past year, but they were dismissed by the CEO of Eastern Health as being resistant to change.

So, Mr. Speaker, I ask the minister again: How can he be sure that nurses are meeting standards of practice when their objections are not being taken seriously?

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

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

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. KENNEDY: Again, Mr. Speaker, I have to correct the member opposite, the Leader of the Third Party; I am not aware of anyone saying that nurses' concerns are not being taken seriously. The CEO has indicated that there are issues that are being explored. The minister has indicated, Mr. Speaker, that she takes this matter very seriously, that we as a government appreciate the role that our nurses play, but like anything else, when you are running a $1.8 billion system – when you have a massive infrastructure to manage and 13,000 employees – it takes time to work it all through, Mr. Speaker.

The minister and CEO have all indicated that they are working their way through solving this, but most importantly, Mr. Speaker, the cardiologists have indicated that in their opinion, the equipment is safe. That is the key, the patients.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Leader of the Third Party.

MS MICHAEL: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, the Harris Centre is a respected non-partisan university policy center. Dr. Stephen Bruneau is a widely respected authority on the issue of natural gas. Mr. Speaker, last night there was a very well-attended public forum hosted by the centre and given by Dr. Bruneau on the option for natural gas as an alternative power source for the island.

So, Mr. Speaker, I ask the Premier: Why would not one of her elected members bother to turn out to be in attendance last night for this important non-partisan and informative presentation?

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Premier.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

PREMIER DUNDERDALE: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, when we undertake to do work on behalf of the people of the Province, we make sure that our work is well informed. We use the resources within government, within our Crown corporations if it is appropriate. Mr. Speaker, if we need to go beyond that we seek out expertise here at home, in the country and abroad.

Many, many times I have heard the Minister of Natural Resources talk about our consultations with our energy advisors Wood MacKenzie, internationally acclaimed as experts in this field. We went to New York, we met with PIRA; the minister met with Ziff Energy. Mr. Speaker, we do not wait for public presentations at the university to inform us about work we are planning on behalf of the people of Newfoundland and Labrador.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!

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

MR. MURPHY: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

If the Premier and her associates met with all these groups, perhaps she can table all these reports. Obviously, there has to be something on paper. Mr. Speaker, last night Dr. Bruneau made a well-researched and compelling case for the viability of the natural gas option for electrical generation as an alternative to Muskrat Falls that could have saved consumers and taxpayers in this Province big dollars in the long run. Mr. Speaker, the natural gas option has been continuously ignored and dismissed by this government.

Mr. Speaker, why didn't government allow Nalcor to do a thorough review of the potential for offshore natural gas as a source of electrical generation?

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

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

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. KENNEDY: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

As I have indicated, we do not disagree with Dr. Bruneau's assessment of the amount of natural gas, the availability or the quality. We recognize we have natural gas, our energy recognizes the importance of natural gas. What this comes down to, Mr. Speaker, one, as a government, how do we order the oil companies to whom we have given licences to use natural gas? The second question, Mr. Speaker, it is not economically feasible.

We have a very small market here and the oil companies are telling us that we are not going to build an infrastructure to bring a very small amount of natural gas to power Holyrood when, Mr. Speaker, there is no market. I say to the member for - the Opposition House Leader, even if we refurbished Holyrood, what does that do for Labrador mining projects?

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Member for St. John's East.

MR. MURPHY: Mr. Speaker –

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!

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

MR. MURPHY: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The Minister of Natural Resources says that it is just not viable for the oil companies to do it. Some people would argue that Muskrat Falls is not viable, considering we are talking about spending $7.1 billion of the taxpayers' money in this Province.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Oh, oh!

MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!

MR. MURPHY: Mr. Speaker, government is relying on out of date information from Navigant's use of a 2001 government study that predicted oil prices at $18 US a barrel out to the year 2025.

Excuse me, Mr. Speaker, I ask the Premier: Why won't government at least examine new evidence on an option which has the potential, a very big potential, to save Newfoundland and Labrador consumers and taxpayers billions of dollars?

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

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

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. KENNEDY: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I come back to two basic questions: Do we need the power? I did not hear Dr. Bruneau say we do not need the power. Is the member opposite saying we do not need the power?

Mr. Speaker, the second question is: What do we do? How do we get the power? We have looked at natural gas, Mr. Speaker, but not everything requires extensive reports. This is not, Mr. Speaker, the question of: Is it technically feasible? The question of a 350 kilometre versus a 650 kilometre pipeline is technical. This is economics, Mr. Speaker. You look at the numbers and you make a determination.

Dr. Bruneau apparently quite interestingly said we should develop Muskrat Falls and go out and export it to Ontario. So, Mr. Speaker, what we are hearing here is simply another theory. We welcome these opinions, but it is like the full-page ad in The Telegram yesterday, Mr. Speaker: We will consult our own experts, not the experts who profess to be so.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Member for St. John's Centre.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MS ROGERS: Mr. Speaker, there is a housing crisis in Happy Valley-Goose Bay (inaudible) with large resource development, it is getting worse. There are vacant housing units on the military base.

Since we do not have a minister dedicated to the overall needs of the housing situation in the Province, Mr. Speaker, I ask the Premier: Will the government take leadership and ask the federal government to make these housing units available to help alleviate the housing crisis in Happy Valley-Goose Bay?

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Minister of Intergovernmental and Aboriginal Affairs.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. McGRATH: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

We are very aware of the housing shortage in Happy Valley-Goose Bay –

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Oh, oh!

MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!

MR. McGRATH: – and we have looked at what is happening there. We have consulted with the DND and we have let them know if there is housing available we are interested in talking to them about that. We have also made an investment recently. It was just announced, might I add, $1.8 million for housing in Happy Valley-Goose Bay –

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. McGRATH: – and also $770,000 for fourteen units of affordable housing in Happy Valley-Goose Bay.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Member for St. John's North.

MR. KIRBY: Mr. Speaker, this government has said it will phase out the student loan program and replace it with a needs-based grant. The government needs to start this soon, Mr. Speaker, because if the transition does not happen soon, the greater the burden will be to the public treasury down the road.

Can the Minister of Advanced Education and Skills assure us today, Mr. Speaker, that government will not stall on this commitment and will begin to phase in the new grant program for the upcoming academic year?

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER: Unfortunately, the time for Question Period has expired.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Oh, oh!

MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!

Presenting Reports by Standing and Select Committees.

Tabling of Documents.

Notices of Motion.

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Minister of Service Newfoundland and Labrador.

MR. DAVIS: Mr. Speaker, I give notice that I will ask leave to introduce a bill entitled, An Act To Amend The Registration of Deeds Act, 2009. (Bill 14)

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

MR. KENNEDY: Mr. Speaker, I give notice that under Standing Order 11, I shall move that this House not adjourn at 5:30 p.m. on Monday, April 2, 2012, and I further give notice, Mr. Speaker, under Standing Order 11, that I shall move that this House not adjourn at 10:00 p.m. on Monday, April 2, 2012.

MR. SPEAKER: Further Notices of Motion?

Answers to Questions for which Notice has been Given.

Petitions.

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

MR. JOYCE: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I rise again today on the family caregivers' petition, Mr. Speaker.

WHEREAS home care allows the elderly and people with disabilities to remain within the comfort and security of their own homes; home care allows people to be discharged from hospital earlier; and

WHEREAS many families find it very difficult to recruit and retain home care workers for their loved ones; and

WHEREAS the PC Blue Book 2011 as well at the 2012 Speech from the Throne committed that government would develop a new model of home care and give people the option of receiving that care from family members; and

WHEREAS government has given no time commitment for when government plans to implement paying family caregivers;

WHEREUPON the undersigned, your petitioners, humbly pray and call upon the House of Assembly to urge the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador to implement a new home care model to cover family caregivers in the 2012-2013 Budget.

Mr. Speaker, I stand on this petition also because it is a very important issue not just for the Bay of Islands but for all of Newfoundland and Labrador. I have calls from people from Humber West and Humber East, out in the Corner Brook area.

It is a very important issue, Mr. Speaker, because this is an issue that – in a lot of rural areas, you cannot find anyone, if someone wants to come out from the hospital to go to their home, you cannot find in many cases someone who will come in and help take care of your loved one. This is something that was committed to by the government in the Blue Book. This is something that we have never seen any movement forward on this, Mr. Speaker. It is an issue that has been brought up to me on many occasions. I receive many calls on a regular basis on this issue.

Once again it is an issue, and we all know that we are all aging – we have some parents who are aging –and that we are going to need some kind of home care, Mr. Speaker. A lot of times when you get the home care, the elderly people, they want to keep some dignity so they like to have somebody who they are more comfortable with and they feel comfortable with, and this is where a lot of family members – the thing about it, on many occasions, Mr. Speaker, the family members are giving up sometimes their own position in some company, their own job, just to take care of their elderly. I know in a few cases where a few have given up their job to take care of their brothers, their sisters who need the home care.

This is an issue for all Newfoundlanders and Labradorians. This is an issue that was committed to; this is an issue that we need resolved as soon as possible. Every time we push it out, we push it out – if it is another year, another two years down the road, Mr. Speaker, we are going to have more and more of our seniors, and more and more of our disabled people are going to be put in the confines and not be able to get the services, and put into some institution when they can be at home getting some services that they receive at home.

Mr. Speaker, thank you very much for giving me the opportunity.

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Member for St. John's North.

MR. KIRBY: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I rise today to present a petition on behalf of the residents of Newfoundland and Labrador. This is a petition regarding the needed changes to the Department of Education's school bus transportation policies.

WHEREAS school district restructuring has resulted in longer bus travel times and more hazardous winter travel for rural students of all ages; and

WHEREAS due to recent school closures, children living within 1.6 kilometres of school face increased barriers of congested streets and busy intersections in the walk to school, and parents without cars are having more difficulty getting children to different schools on foot; and

WHEREAS only those child care centres outside the 1.6 kilometre zone and directly on bus routes are included in kindergarten noontime routes, causing hardship for working parents; and

WHEREAS the 1.6 kilometre policy has been in place since 1975, and student transportation policies have not been reviewed through public consultation since 1996; and

WHEREAS parents are expressing the need for more flexible policies for student transportation and school restructuring to meet the current needs of school children;

We, the undersigned, petition the House of Assembly to urge the government to conduct a review of school bus transportation policies and school restructuring to ensure safe and quality education for all school children in the Province.

As in duty bound, your petitioners will ever pray.

Mr. Speaker, I took this on after the last election because it is an important issue in my district. One of the areas where people are most impacted on this are the constituents who live in the Thorburn Road and Austin Street area of my district.

It just so happens that tonight at 7:00 at Building 11 Wigmore Court, Wigmore Manor, which is the seniors building there, I am holding an open house and those who are affected on Thorburn Road and Austin Street, Wigmore Court, Moss Heather Drive, all the streets around Grovedale, Seaborn Street, Bambrick, Meeker Place, and MacLaren Place, I invite all those people to come out and discuss this important issue and other issues that are important to them because I am presenting this petition here on a weekly basis on their behalf, and I hope that at some point the Minister of Education will see fit to hear the pleas of these petitioners.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Member for St. Barbe.

MR. BENNETT: Mr. Speaker, the petition to the hon. House of Assembly for the Province of Newfoundland and Labrador in Parliament assembled, the petition of the undersigned residents humbly sheweth:

WHEREAS the current Animal Protection Act was enacted in 1978 and it is woefully inadequate; and

WHEREAS it has been almost two years since the Animal Protection Act was passed in the House of Assembly but has not yet been proclaimed; and

WHEREAS the inadequacy of the current Animal Protection Act is of grave and immediate concern to the SPCA; and

WHEREAS the new Animal Protection Act would ensure more severe punishment and ultimately reduce instances of these crimes;

WHEREUPON the undersigned, your petitioners, humbly pray and call upon the House of Assembly to urge the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador to immediately proclaim the new Animal Protection Act.

Mr. Speaker, I think that most people have a real concern for animals and a real concern for animal welfare. This is a very simple petition, simply requesting that the legislation be proclaimed. We have seen numerous instances from time to time of animal cruelty. Clearly, legislating alone will not solve the animal cruelty issue, there must be public education. There must absolutely be effective enforcement of animal protection laws. In order to enforce animal protection laws, we need those animal protection laws to be proclaimed.

Just recently, we saw the story of a large dog, a German shepherd that was named Max. It was only half its weight. It had been starved and abused. With nobody to turn to for support and protection, our animals depend upon us.

Therefore, Mr. Speaker, I present petition before this hon. House and ask this House to urge government to proclaim the legislation that is so badly needed.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Member for Torngat Mountains.

MR. EDMUNDS: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I submit the following petition:

To the hon. House of Assembly of the Province of Newfoundland and Labrador in Parliament assembled, the petition of the undersigned humbly sheweth:

WHEREAS there is no cell service in Nunatsiavut; and

WHEREAS many individuals travel in close proximity to their respective communities and are subject to accidents and/or misdirection; and

WHEREAS cellphone coverage may well have prevented the death of young Burton Winters;

WHEREUPON the undersigned, your petitioners, humbly pray and call upon the House of Assembly to urge the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador to work with the appropriate agencies to provide cellphone coverage for the Labrador North Coast.

As in duty bound, your petitioners will ever pray.

Mr. Speaker, this time of the year in Northern Labrador is a time when most people take advantage of snowmobile travel, which is the only form of travel on the land and sea ice. With the weather warming up, people are more inclined to do their hunting and gathering during the longer daylight hours. Mr. Speaker, it is also a time when our young people take advantage of the weather and venture short distances from their communities.

Mr. Speaker, as we saw in the young Burton Winters tragedy, accidents do happen. It is imperative in my opinion, Mr. Speaker, that cellphone service be put into place. I again ask this hon. House to urge the government in setting up cell service in Northern Labrador.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER: Orders of the Day.

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

MR. KENNEDY: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Order 2, third reading of Bill 12.

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

MR. KENNEDY: Yes, Mr. Speaker.

I move, seconded by the Minister of Advanced Education and Skills, that Bill 12, An Act To Amend The Pharmaceutical Services Act, be now read a third time.

MR. SPEAKER: It is moved and seconded that the bill be now read a third time.

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

All those in favour, ‘aye'.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Aye.

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

Carried.

CLERK: A bill, An Act To Amend The Pharmaceutical Services Act. (Bill 12)

MR. SPEAKER: This bill is now read a third time and it is ordered that the bill do pass and that its title be as on the Order Paper.

On motion, a bill, "An Act To Amend The Pharmaceutical Services Act", read a third time, ordered passed and its title be as on the Order Paper. (Bill 12)

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

MR. KENNEDY: Yes, Mr. Speaker.

Order 10, second reading of Bill 13, An Act To Amend The Schools Act, 1997.

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

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. JACKMAN: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I rise today to propose amendments and regulations pertaining to the Schools Act, 1997. As I said, it is an act which governs the operations of schools in the Province –

MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!

Is the minister moving the motion?

MR. O'BRIEN: You have to move it; seconded by, or I move –

MR. JACKMAN: Oh.

I move, Mr. Speaker, seconded by the Minister of Municipal Affairs, that Bill 13, An Act To Amend The Schools Act, 1997, be now read a second time.

MR. SPEAKER: It is moved and seconded that Bill 13, entitled, An Act To Amend The Schools Act, 1997, be now read a second time.

Motion, second reading of a bill, "An Act To Amend The Schools Act, 1997". (Bill 13)

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

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. JACKMAN: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, this act was enacted the same time that there were major changes implemented in the K-12 school system. Everyone will remember that in 1996-1997, Newfoundland and Labrador moved from a denominational educational system, to a non-denominational education system. At that particular time, the number of school boards was reduced from twenty-seven to ten, and a separate system governed by the Francophone Board, established for the first French-language students.

In 2004, there was a further consolidation that took place, and the number of boards was reduced down to five. We have the Eastern Board, we have Nova Central, the Western Board, Labrador Board, and as I said already, the Francophone Board. Since 1997, a number of amendments have been made to the act. They involve the addition of clauses related to conflict of interest for trustees, and a clause prohibiting school boards from incurring debt unless the annual fiscal budget has been approved by the minister. A section of the act was amended to require ministerial approval of employment contracts with executive board staff, and there have been revisions made regarding debts, liabilities, contracts and dispositions of property of dissolved school boards.

In 2004, an addition was made to the act referencing the Labrador Inuit Land Claims Agreement Act. In 2007, a section was added to limit and regulate the disposition of school property held by a denominational authority to a person other than the school board. Mr. Speaker, in addition to these changes, ongoing advances in education policy and practice suggest there is a need to amend other sections of the act to ensure legislation has appropriately kept pace with developments in the school system.

Mr. Speaker, the changes that we are proposing could, I suppose, be referred to as housekeeping measures. These changes will simply update and clarify existing legislation accurately to reflect the current practice. For example, Part 5 of the act relating to French first language schools has not been revised since the creation of the Francophone School Board. The current act does not require the approval of the minister for the appointment of a Director of Education for the Francophone Board. It does, however, require ministerial approval for the appointment of Director of Education at the other four boards in this Province. Mr. Speaker, legislation regarding the appointment of a director should be the same for all school boards in the Province. While I, as minister, had in practice approved the hiring of the Francophone director, it is not enshrined in legislation. The amendment would simply include in legislation what is already accepted practice in our system.

Similarly, the legislation as it stands requires the Francophone Board to hire a director on a five-year contract. Other boards can hire a director up to five years. The Francophone Board wants the flexibility to issue contracts for a shorter duration than five years. It is therefore important this amendment be made now in order to give the Francophone Board this flexibility as it moves forward.

Meanwhile, the current act specifies the minimum number of hours of schooling for each grade level but does not prohibit a longer day. In 2002, any of us in the system will remember, the school day for Grades 1 to 3 was increased to five hours, and the act has not changed to reflect this. We will go and make that amendment. We also feel the act should clarify the appropriate grade placement of children who return to Newfoundland and Labrador from a province that admits children to kindergarten at a younger age than is the case in this Province.

In this Province, children may be enrolled in kindergarten if they are five years of age by December 31 of the school year. In another province, children may enter kindergarten at a slightly earlier age. An amendment would prevent a situation whereby a child who has already been enrolled in kindergarten in another province and who is already attending, cannot continue kindergarten in this Province were they to return. This is a situation that is certainly confusing for the child, I would imagine, and serves no particular purpose that we can see. That is a change we are looking to make.

There is also a section of the act relating to liability for damage, and that particular piece needs to be updated, Mr. Speaker. The act currently states, "…that student and his or her parents are individually and collectively liable to the board in respect of the act of that student." Mr. Speaker, we have students in our school system who are of age nineteen, and if a student is nineteen years of age or older they are legally responsible for their own action, independent of their parents. The legislative amendment being proposed says that a student age nineteen or older is solely liable for damages caused by that student.

Another change relates to the school register and a school register as evidence. Those of us who started in the school system way back would probably think of the register as the old red or green book that you kept track of daily attendance in. As part of the act, the act reads, "A teacher shall keep a school register in the manner the minister may require." That register must be kept as evidence. While not defined in the act, a register is generally interpreted by those in the school system to mean the traditional red registers, I have already mentioned, that is used to keep attendance. In light of the prevalence of electronic data gathering in storage in the school system, we are proposing to remove the reference to a register. The act should state: A teacher shall keep student attendance in a manner approved by the minister.

We know that school systems are using these systems now; they are automated in some cases. With technology, as I have already indicated, it is time for us to move in that direction.

Meanwhile, Mr. Speaker, the provincial government has, since 2006, provided funds to school boards for consumables and other educational supplies and services. Mr. Speaker, I am going to say here, that has been one of the proudest moments for me in the House of Assembly as a former educator, when we brought in this – that school boards were provided with the funds to purchase these, it was a wonderful day in this Province, there is no doubt about it.

This eliminated the need for schools to charge fees for such items as consumable math and French workbooks, student agendas, and charges for photocopying. Mr. Speaker, this has allowed all parents to have more dollars in their pockets. We know there was a time when the start up of the school year was a very stressful one for many parents as they had to come up with funds for these fees, for these workbooks, photocopying, art supplies, and the works. We as a government have implemented a system whereby that is no longer the case. As I have said, it is a wonderful, wonderful initiative on the part of our government, and I think all of the people across the Province recognize that.

While there is a policy restricting schools from charging school fees for certain supplies and that policy is adhered to by all school districts, we are proposing an amendment which would confirm the minister's authority to issue policy directives with respect to school fees.

Mr. Speaker, if approval is granted for the amendments and regulations outlined today, the Department of Education will be putting forward a request to conduct a further review of the act at a later date. That review would involve discussions with stakeholders including, but not limited to, school district directors, other identified district personnel, Newfoundland and Labrador Teachers' Association, and the Newfoundland and Labrador School Boards Association. We start those discussions – that is another step in this process.

With that, Mr. Speaker, I look forward to debate on changes to the Schools Act, 1997.

Thank you.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Member for Burgeo – La Poile.

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

I am very happy to rise here today and discuss An Act To Amend The Schools Act, 1997, which I have had an opportunity to review. Again, I do have some more specific questions as to the amendments that are being suggested and I look forward to the Committee stage of this process, which I find very helpful – asking straightforward questions, getting straightforward answers.

I took the opportunity to listen to the minister's comments. Certainly I respect what the minister says. There is no doubt about his background in this field. In his previous life, this was his job, so I appreciate that.

Just looking at some of the explanatory notes, again, it is always nice; you can look at the detailed specifics in the legislation, but it is nice to look at the notes – actually, I guess it is like the CliffsNotes – to find out what is actually intended here. A lot of them are maybe of a housekeeping nature. When we talk about allowing children registered in Kindergarten in another jurisdiction, who will be five years old, to be admitted to Kindergarten here, that is obviously an issue that has come up in the past; now is an opportunity to take the legislation and amend the legislation to make sure that situation does not arise.

One issue that was somewhat surprising to me when I looked at it – again, we talk about the term liability, especially if you have a legal background. Anyone anywhere these days understands the term liability. If you have an insurance policy, you understand the term liability. So I was looking at the removal of the statutory liability of parents of students who are nineteen years or older. I can understand the basis for that. If you have a student who is nineteen years, or older, then you can deal with that student directly, because they are the age of majority in this Province; they have capacity, you would hope, and you can deal with them directly.

However, it leaves that loophole where we have students who intentionally damage things and have no liability per se. We have to go after their parents. It does not matter where you are, everybody has seen some bad stuff go on at educational facilities. You have seen kids breaking windows at schools. Certainly the Member for Humber West knows that, someone else who has spent his life in that field. My position on that is we need to take whatever steps necessary to make sure these damages are reimbursed and make sure these people are held accountable for their actions.

It is something to decide. Again, I am certainly not an academic. I did not study education. I considered it for awhile, but I took the unfortunate route of going to law school.

One of the things we talked about earlier, just after the election, was the –

AN HON. MEMBER: (Inaudible).

MR. A. PARSONS: They might be saying that. They might be happy that I have taken this route. They might be.

One of the issues that I was sort of shocked at was when I learned about the Eastern School District's policy on examinations and there were no repercussions or recourse if they decided to – I believe it was a no cheating policy. I look to the member for St. John's, somebody else who had a life before this, or if I want to be sarcastic and say a life currently in this field.

What I would say is that I believe that is my understanding and I have some questions as to that policy. What I would say is that these are things that I would appreciate an opportunity to sit down with the panels and the groups that make these decisions and find out why they do make these decisions. That was one that gathered a bit of air time. Again, I look back at the member for Bonavista, someone else who spent his life in this field. Educators have always sometimes gone on to sit here. I apologize if I am missing anybody else here but me, personally – sorry, the Member for Kilbride, another educator.

I had some difficulty understanding the logic behind that principle, though. I think there were the common people out there who wondered why we were not making people accountable for their actions and giving them that opportunity to take the same test. They are not learning from their mistakes. Maybe I am wrong, maybe there is some study out there that shows we should not do it that way. The way when I was coming up was, look, you prepared and if you made a mistake, you were accountable and you just had to deal with it. That was the learning curve of growing up. You make mistakes; you learn from those mistakes and go on. If you realize that there is no issue or no problem for making mistakes, then why would you care? It takes away the accountability. I had some issue as to that, I had some questions and I am hoping that is something that can be discussed. Maybe all the educators after can grab me and say look, this is why it was done and this is why we allowed this to happen.

I would move on to increase the minimum hours of instruction for students, we are moving that up. To me that seems like a pretty standard thing or a pretty normal thing to do, we have to increase the number of instructional hours. I would notice one of them I believe if we go back down to Grades 1 to 3 – and I know that is another issue, the grade below that, kindergarten, something that has been brought up before, the topic of all-day kindergarten. I know there have been questions and issues tossed back and forth in this House as to whether it works, whether it does not work. Certainly it has been done in other jurisdictions, and I look forward to seeing both sides of that argument. I am sure that issue at some point will come to the forefront again.

When we talk about hours of instruction, increasing those hours of instruction, I do not believe that is going to do anything but increase the betterment for our students. I do not think that is a bad thing; the more hours of instruction, the better for these students. Now, I guess the trick is to make sure that when we say something is an instructional hour, that there is actually instruction going on. That is the big trick, and it is an everyday problem that school administrators and educators have, which is to make sure that look, we have this many hours, we have to make sure that the students are actually learning during all these hours.

Again, I notice there are a number of changes to discuss the conseil scolaire. Again, I am not very familiar with that aspect. I know the minister referenced it, and I will certainly have more questions in the Committee stage as to that section.

I go back to the school hours, though, and it is funny, I have done a little tiny bit of looking around on this and I am hoping that at some point – and again, the minister can probably stand up and answer this. We look at different jurisdictions, not just provinces but countries as a whole, around this world, the number of school hours in a day for students varies pretty greatly, depending on where you are. If you look at Japan, they begin school at 8:00 a.m. and they end at 6:00 p.m. That is a long day. That just tells you the difference, over in Asia they have a school day that long then we look at Australia, they start at 8:00 a.m. and they end at 2:00 p.m. I believe that is more along the lines of where we are in this country, and certainly in this jurisdiction. I believe we are at around 8:15 a.m. and 2:15 p.m.

So, I look forward to hearing – again, I always like to learn why it is that we do things. That is part of what I would call an intelligent debate, is that you ask a question and when you ask that question because you do not know the answer, the answer comes back to you. Again, we have had some testy debates here, certainly, over the last couple of days. Sometimes I feel that my questions, when I put them there, are taken as if I am just asking for the sake of asking but, really, I am asking to be informed and given the information that is going to go into why we do things in this Province.

Now, I would note – and this is a serious concern – when we talk about the school system in this Province, I look over to my neck of the woods, over on the West Coast of this Province, and that was the AG's report as to the Western School District. The AG's report revealed a lot of serious issues that I am hoping are being taken seriously by the administrators of the school boards, and ultimately by the minister and the department as the heads of education in this Province. When I look at the specific AG report that just came out not that long ago, and we look at some of the stuff that went on with HR in the Western School District, there are a couple of things here. Eleven files were reviewed and none had complete documentation on the competition process. We have to make sure if people are being hired that they are being hired properly, going through the proper process, and that everybody is treated fairly and equally.

We have cases where teaching positions were filled without job competitions. That is a serious concern. I do not have the data in front of me for the Eastern District. Maybe this is a province-wide issue. I have written to the Director of the Western School District on these issues. I still have not had an answer to that question. That was a serious issue that has not been addressed to me.

We talk about money. Money is the root of everything that we really talk about here. We have to provide services; we have to pay for those services. Then we talk about we need to get the bang for our buck. We need to make sure we are getting the best for the money we put into things. There was an employee in the Western School District who was overpaid over $97,000 in six years. That is a significant amount of money. That is an accounting error. I am very interested in knowing how that happened. How did we let this slip?

A discouraging thing from the AG report is that a number of these issues were actually noted by the AG previously but were never addressed. So what I would say to government is in the process to look for efficiencies in our operations, we need to make sure that we see them and take action. So if we have a gap between AG reports where there are issues not being addressed, we need to look into that and say: Are we going to look at it and do something, or are we just going to look at it and slip it under again?

We have overpayments here, different overpayments. We have, again, going under the Public Tender Act. Now, I have not had an opportunity to review the Public Tender Act exemptions or exceptions for the last year. It was a very big document that was put on our desk yesterday – very thick. That is something that I will be reviewing carefully because there is a reason we put that piece of legislation in place. If we are having a lot of exceptions to it, then that is an issue.

Another thing – and it is dear to my heart – is the topic of cellphones. Cellphones were mentioned in the AG's report as it relates to the Western School District. We had cellphones that were bought but not being used. The cost of them - we ate the cost, but we did not see any results - four cellphones at a cost of over $1,200, not even used enough to warrant the purchase.

We had different executives having two cellphones being issued so that they can do business calls while on vacation. We had employees who were not always required to reimburse the cost of personal cellphone usage. That is something that, as a new member, when we went to what I would call MHA-school, we all sat down and we were told very clearly: You have rules that you must follow, and if there is an issue, you need to fix that.

One of them, obviously, is we have a certain amount of money we can spend doing our business day in, day out. I would say that the Western School District as a public body needs to follow these same rules and needs to make sure that they are not being treated any differently.

Another thing I noticed, and this was stated in the Green report, was we are talking about liquor purchases by school boards in the hundreds of dollars. That is something that was very clearly stated not allowed to be done, yet it is happening there. We have to put everybody on the same page here; it is still public money being spent. That is public money that could be spent better, as far as I am concerned. It is not acceptable. We have hundreds of dollars for gift certificates and donations for staff. That was stuff that was cut out. Public employees are supposed to be exempt from that.

The AG report I keep going – there are a lot of issues here, so I look forward to a very meaningful conversation with the head of the Western School District. He knows that I have called him on numerous occasions; I have written him letters. I have had chats with other people there, but I have not had the sufficient answers to these questions which are of a serious nature. It involves saving public money that could be allotted to the public good and not wasted here as seems to be the case.

Another issue, when we talk about the School Act, 1997, actually, just before I came in the House today, I received an e-mail from the Western School District on this school busing policy. Another issue that I believe is not just happening in my district, school busing is an issue in a number of districts, everybody's district. Not that long ago I had calls from parents. The policy, from what I can gather – I have to review it carefully; I just got it before we came in. The policy, as I understand it, was actually drafted in the 1970s. In 1975 we had this policy drafted and it has not been updated since. We are still living by this policy that says, look, if you live within the 1.6, then you are not covered; you cannot get a school bus. So, I have an issue with that, and upon further review of this policy in full, I plan on making it an issue. I am sure I am going to have support from a number of members in this House when we look at it. Again, I have parents that live two houses away from other parents; their kids are bused, but these kids are not, and we are talking about five-year-old kids.

So what that means now, and this is not like the – and I am not going to say the old days, but back in 1975, the demography was different. We have a society now where there are definitely more of two parents working in the house; both parents are working. Unfortunately in our Province, now we have a lot of cases where parents have to go away to work. So, these parents are gone to work and they are having to take time off or make alternate arrangements to get these kids – especially the little kids – get them to school. So, I think this is a policy that needs to be reviewed.

An issue that I have dealt with in my district was the fact that we have had schools closed down. Again, we are going through the process of regionalization, so I have had schools closed down where – I will take the community of Isle aux Morts; their kids were able to, they went to school in that community. A lot of kids on Route 470 have ended up being bused. So, the problem is now, back then when they were going to school, they were in the community, they could get to and from; now they are being transported all the way up to Port aux Basques, yet there is only a bus to and a bus from school, which does not allow them to take advantage of extracurricular activities, to take part in school sports. The only way that they can take part in school sports is if they have a ride home after; mom or dad better be around to give me a ride or else I cannot take part in it, I have to go home early. I have brought that up, but there has been nothing done. It is a case of – the response I got from the Western School District was: sorry, it is what it is, too bad.

So, I have a problem with that. We need to make sure that, especially in this era of regionalization – and I know this is an issue that has obviously been on the mind of the member opposite; there have been fears of his school closing, Catalina, the possibility of that school closing. So, again, I have dealt with that in my district. One of the things is that if you are closing schools for regionalization, and these kids have to travel further distances, we need to make sure that they can avail of all the same services, activities, clubs, groups that kids that actually live in that community can take advantage of. We cannot say, look, we are just going to bus you to and from. We need to make some arrangement. The cost to do this, as far as I am concerned, is not extravagant, not in the least. It is a cost that we need to do.

We all know the importance of extracurricular activities. We stand up most days talking about members' statements about the good things that have been done in extracurricular activities and sports groups, groups going away. If we are not allowing every child a full opportunity to participate, then we are failing them. We are failing them if we are not giving them that full opportunity. Children, nobody should be disadvantaged by where they live. They should get that full opportunity. That is why we need to make sure that perhaps the dollars wasted, referenced in the AG report, could be dollars that could go to providing that busing service. That is an example of where wasted money could be used to make sure that everybody is on the same playing field. That is an issue, the minister is aware, the district is aware, certainly all the educators on the other side, they have been listening, they are aware. It is probably stuff they have dealt with, but what I would say now is that we are in a position, by being elected members of this House, where we can make things happen. We can make sure that policies change for the betterment of the people of the Province, especially when we are dealing with an issue like this, the children of our Province. That is the advantage we have here. That is the privilege we have been given, to make sure that when we deal with legislation - I understand this legislation is going to be reviewed again in a period that, hopefully, is not too long down the road. Well, let's make sure that we deal with these issues.

I am about to clue up here and I am going to turn it back over to Mr. Speaker, but I look forward to the opportunity in Committee with some specific questions, especially when it comes to the issue of liability, especially when it comes to the issue of school time. To put those questions forward in Committee and make sure that every section of this act is read out, is examined, questions answered because that is what we do. If we do not do that for legislation, we are going to end up in a very bad situation. I do not need to reference the mistakes of the past. That is why we are here. We are all here now, clean slate, to move forward and make sure that we take our time in this House to make sure legislation is properly, completely reviewed, questions asked, questions answered.

Again, Mr. Speaker, I thank you for this opportunity.

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Member for the District of Lewisporte.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. VERGE: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

It is a pleasure for me to stand today and to speak for a few minutes on this bill that brings in amendments pertaining to The Schools Act, 1997. It is really the first opportunity I have had to stand and speak in the House of Assembly since this election. It is indeed a privilege. I do not get the opportunity as much now but I certainly value it when I do get it.

Mr. Speaker, our government is committed to ensuring current and effective legislation. What this bill does is basically amend The Schools Act, 1997. It is really modernizing legislation and bringing it in line with our current practice.

There are a number of things that are happening with respect to this bill. I am going to touch several of them. I know the minister read them all. I am just going to touch on a few pertinent ones and then I want to broaden the discussion to some of the things that are happening in education.

The first thing I want to touch on is the amendment with respect to admission for kindergarten students. I am talking about a student in kindergarten who has been enrolled in school in another jurisdiction, another province. Previously there was no real provision if a student was enrolled, let's say in Alberta, where the admission age for kindergarten is about three or four months past ours, I think it is March 31 in Alberta, whereas in Newfoundland and Labrador you have to be age five by the end of December. A student could conceivably have been admitted to school in Alberta, done five or six months, and then the family may have moved back to Newfoundland and Labrador. Then the student could not be brought into kindergarten because they were not of age. So it presented a problem for schools and school boards. What this amendment is doing is basically allowing that to happen now because it will be less confusing for the family.

It increases the minimum hours of instruction for students in Grades 1 to 3 from four to five hours. The Member for Burgeo - La Poile talked about that a few minutes ago but not really realizing that what this piece of legislation is doing in large measure is lining up the legislation with a lot of things that is actually already happening. In fact, the minimum hours for primary students were increased about ten years ago in 2002. This basically lines the legislation up with the practice.

One of the other things it addresses is attendance. A lot of you might remember either as students or as teachers, when you went to school teachers kept attendance records in the old register, either the green or the red register. I know when I did my student teaching, one of the things I was taught was how to keep the register. We were told we had to make sure everything was done correctly and it was a legal document. We kept records like that for years. Of course, we are in an electronic age now; schools have modernized and I would probably say virtually all of our schools now keep attendance records electronically.

I know one of the programs that we used in a high school where I was principal of several years back was a program called WinSchool. We did not just keep attendance records actually twice a day. On a large measure, they are kept every period. Then the teachers would do it in their classrooms and then they would enter the attendance and it would come back into the server. Schools actually had an attendance record of who was in class every period. At the end of the month you could produce a document which satisfied the requirements for the school board and the departments, and these records were then sent on. What this piece of legislation again does is it allows or it recognizes that this is an acceptable way to keep attendance; we no longer have to be restricted to the old registers.

It also talks about school fees, and in actual fact the legislation gives the minister the right to issue directives with respect to school fees. We know that was done. In 2006, school fees were eliminated.

Those of us who were in schools at that time, particularly administrators, the collecting of fees were such an administrative nightmare. You collected fees for textbooks, for lockers, for insurance, for agendas, for art kits and for photocopying, you collected fees for everything. Our government eliminated fees in 2006, and it was a great day for school administrators, school personnel.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. VERGE: It was also a great day for parents and for children right across this Province. We put more money back into the pockets of our parents.

Mr. Speaker, it seems to me that schools have progressed at a pace that is faster and more progressive than the legislation provided in the Schools Act, 1997. That is a good thing, Mr. Speaker. There are many examples I tell you, Members of the House of Assembly. Many examples of progressive and proactive measures that have taken place in our schools since our government took office in 2003. I want to talk about some of those.

I spent twenty-two years as an educator and fifteen of them as a school principal, but I have been out of the school system now for five years. A lot of things can happen in five years. Some of my friends, who I still have in there, say to me if you were to come back today, you would see a lot of changes. I actually talked with two school administrators and several teachers over the last few days, knowing that this legislation was coming up. I went and I talked to them and I said to them, I know what happened in education in the twenty-two years I was there, but I have been out of it for a while, can you tell me some things that have happened in the last five years? Here are some of the things that these people told me –

MR. GRANTER: (Inaudible).

MR. VERGE: You will get your chance, I say to the Member for Humber West. You will get your chance to have your say.

One of the things that they talked about and they said was a great initiative is in the area of differentiated instruction. One classroom teacher told me, he said, this is a type of approach that recognizes that there are many types of children in our schools, and these children learn in many different types of ways. So, ensuring that our teachers have the resources needed to address the whole continuum of needs that exist in today's classroom is of paramount importance, and our government has delivered in spades, I say, Mr. Speaker. We have delivered in the area of differentiated instruction, making sure that teachers have in their hands the resources they need to meet the differential needs that exist out in the world. Not only in terms of instruction, I say, Mr. Speaker, but we have also recognized the need to differentiate in terms of how we evaluate students, making sure that the learning that takes place is properly diagnosed and properly evaluated so we can find out exactly what the students need.

Another thing a teacher told me – and this is a junior high teacher who said, you know what I really appreciate, is the way the class size has been reduced, especially in the K-9.

MR. DINN: I had forty-eight (inaudible).

MR. VERGE: I just heard the Member for Kilbride say that he had forty-eight at one point in time. He is a little older than me. I do remember when I began teaching – I actually started in 1985 up on the Northern Peninsula. I spent a couple of years there, but then I came down to Lewisporte. My first year in Lewisporte I taught a Grade 9 class of math, and the same Grade 9 class, science, which took up about 40 per cent of their instructional time. There were forty-three students in that class, and you had to do things like science labs.

We have come a long way, Mr. Speaker. We have introduced a new needs-based teacher allocation model with an annual investment of $32 million.

This is important to note to the members on the opposite side: Had we kept the old formula that the Liberals had in place, we would have 705 fewer teachers in the system today.

AN HON. MEMBER: How many?

MR. VERGE: Seven hundred and five people without a job teaching today if we had kept the system that the Liberals had in place. We actually have the best – the best – teacher-student ratio in all of Canada.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. VERGE: The best student-teacher ratio in all – all – of Canada.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. VERGE: Our current pupil investment has increased from $7,400 per pupil to over $12,000 per pupil, a 70 per cent increase, Mr. Speaker. The average class size in 2005 was 20.7 in K to 9 and it is now less than eighteen. We have specialists in the system: numeracy support teachers, instructional education officers, student support teachers, literacy, and numeracy. We have teachers out there to meet all the different needs that our children present in today's world.

This information that I am passing on today is coming from conversations I have had with today's educators. One of the things that one teacher talked to me about was her appreciation for the whole inclusive education approach that our government has taken. We have moved away from assigning teachers based on criteria. We remember those days, the Criteria C, D, E, F, and G students. We recognize more now that some students, yes, have pervasive needs and a number of exceptionalities. Where possible, students need to be educated in a peer-focused environment.

The overarching principle that guides education in today's system is: What is the best fit for this child? What are the special needs that this child presents? How can we get the resources this child needs? How can we employ the proper teaching and the material resources to best meet that child's instructional needs? That is what we are doing as a government, Mr. Speaker. That is where we are in the philosophy.

I talked to a couple of principals, actually, last weekend and I said: What stands out in your mind that has been happening in the last while in education? One person immediately said technology. He said: Since you left education, the investment in technology would just blow you out of the water; we have never seen the likes in our lives. No longer do we have to fundraise to buy computers. No longer do we have to wait for businesses to be finished with their computers then they go to the school. He said there are interactive white boards in practically every classroom and location in the schools today.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. VERGE: One vice-principal told me, she said: You know, we have eighteen classrooms in our school; every one of them has an interactive white board. Furthermore, we have them in the library and the science labs.

Students learn in different ways, Mr. Speaker. The introduction of new and advanced technology into the classrooms, it recognizes where students are in their thinking, how it is that they can be motivated, how it is that they can be engaged; the whole investment in technology meets them where they are and it again assists and helps in meeting all of the different needs that we are presented with out in the school system.

Another interesting thing that a principal told me last weekend, again, he said – because I said to the person, I am going to be talking on the education act; what is something that stands out in your mind? He said: You know, one thing I would like for you to make specific mention of – last year in November, the first time ever I saw, the Department of Education put up a professional development opportunity in St. John's. They invited principals from all across Newfoundland and Labrador to come in, paid for their entire expense, and there was a tremendous professional development opportunity in which they were presented with presenters like General Rick Hillier, Dr. Avis Glaze, Dr. James Spillane, and Dr. Mark Weber. This principal said: The PD that I received at that time was exceptionally helpful and I have never, ever seen it in my twenty-eight years in education.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. VERGE: Mr. Speaker, Safe and Caring Schools Policy; I want to talk about Safe and Caring Schools for a few minutes. The whole phenomena around safe schools have been in the media a lot in the last year or so and it crops up every now and then. It is something that is exceptionally important to our government, important that all of our students be educated in a safe and a caring environment.

I talked to another school administrator and I said where are you in terms of Safe and Caring Schools and how do you feel about that these days? She said, well we put an emphasis in our school on positive behaviours. She said, I have to say the government, the department has provided a lot of resources to help us train teachers in something like the positive behavioural support system. She said in our school, we emphasize what we call the five Bs, they are: be safe, be fair, be kind, be respectful, and be responsible. In this particular school they give rewards for positive behaviours as opposed to focusing on punishment of negative behaviours. That is one approach that one school has taken based on the research, based on consultation with their staff, based on the PD that they have been given and it is working. Is it cutting out all bullying that is taking place in schools, or this particular school even? No, I am not up here today to say that all bullying is being cut out in our schools because we know that not to be the case.

I really respect what the minister said in Question Period a couple of weeks ago when he was asked a question around the whole Safe and Caring Schools piece. The minister said: we will never fully get rid of bullying behaviour until society accepts responsibility for it. Yes, some of this stuff takes place in schools but you know it takes place in playgrounds; it takes place in community recreational centres. I really support what the minister said that day, as a society we need to accept responsibility for that and we need to never give positive attention to people who are disrespectful of others and bullying and harassing people.

The Safe and Caring Schools program is part of the provincial government's six-year $9.2 million commitment to combating violence in Newfoundland and Labrador through the Violence Prevention Initiative. It recognizes that each child should be respected and valued for who they are, regardless of their physical or their intellectual capabilities, regardless of their gender, regardless of their race, regardless of their religion, regardless of their sexual orientation or any other individual characteristic. Every individual deserves to be respected, and I think that is something we all have to own, we all have to promote, and we all have to support our schools in their efforts to do the same.

Mr. Speaker, my time is running short, but Martin Luther King once said, "Intelligence plus character – that is the goal of true education." Intelligence plus character – and I support that, Mr. Speaker, because while we teach students the academics, the three Rs, we also strive to teach respect, fairness, kindness, integrity. These intangibles build character. True character shows mutual respect, and when we have mutual respect for each other, there is no space left for bullying and harassment. Mr. Speaker, this government believes education is the key to future economic growth and development. We value education. We have a tremendous vision for the future of Newfoundland and Labrador, that is why we continue to invest in our children and that is why we value education.

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER (Kent): The hon. the Member for St. John's North.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. KIRBY: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

It is an honour and a privilege to stand here as the New Democratic Party education critic and to say a few words about Bill 13, Act To Amend The Schools Act, 1997.

Bill 13 talks about the registration of kindergarten students who come to Newfoundland and Labrador from other jurisdictions. We know, Mr. Speaker, that in most jurisdictions across Canada these days, school systems have all-day kindergarten programs. They have full-day kindergarten programs. Ideally, today we would be legislating that, too, in Newfoundland and Labrador. In Bill 13 we would be legislating a full-day kindergarten program. That is what we really should be doing.

I hear the members opposite saying oftentimes: How can we afford to do that? How can we afford to have all-day kindergarten programs? I ask the members opposite to think of it in a different way. Ask yourself: How can we not afford to implement this change? In the end, the return on investment – I heard a member opposite today talk about economics – in all-day kindergarten, in full-day kindergarten, is so significant that the question should be: How can we not afford to do it, Mr. Speaker?

We know that the returns are significantly high. We know that full-day kindergarten is associated with higher rates of literacy in the population. We know that leads to better reading skills at higher levels of the education system. We know that full-day kindergarten is associated with better numeracy skills. Of course, in a lot of cases better literacy skills lead to better numeracy skills, especially if students are doing problems that involve reading.

We know that full-day kindergarten is also associated with smoother transitions to Grade 1. We also know that full-day kindergarten is associated with higher rates of participation in post-secondary education programs, in skilled trades programs, in college programs, and in university programs. Of course, Mr. Speaker, we know that leads to higher levels of participation in the labour market. Individuals with higher levels of educational attainment participate at higher levels in the labour market. They experience fewer periods of unemployment. That really leads to higher taxation. There is more contributed by individuals through their participation in the economy to government coffers. So it is an investment that really provides a higher level of return that can then be reinvested into other parts of the education system, the health system, or what have you.

We all know this, Mr. Speaker. So we should be asking how we can not afford to have all-day kindergarten. We should be looking at the means to make this investment. That should be in Bill 13. That is what is missing from the Schools Act, 1997 right now. I would say that is what is missing from our primary education system.

Now, I say this because we know, Mr. Speaker, that children who participate in all-day kindergarten programs are more self-motivated. We want to build a generation of learners who are more self-motivated and learners who are more successful, learners who are healthier, learners who are happier. That is the outcome of all-day kindergarten Mr. Speaker.

We know that it helps children develop better social self-regulation. I heard somebody say what is that, I will tell you now in a second. It helps children to better regulate their own behaviour, to focus their attention, Mr. Speaker, to follow instructions when they are given, to co-operate with teachers when teachers give instruction.

There are a number of former school principals on the other side of the Legislature. I see them nodding their heads in agreement with me. Yes, they know that this leads to higher levels of co-operation with teachers when those children are given instruction. Those children remember the things that they have to do. That is the sort of social self-regulation that all-day kindergarten programs help to build. That is what is missing in the education system right now, that is what is missing in the primary education system, Mr. Speaker, and that is what is missing in the Schools Act, 1997, and in this bill, Bill 13.

We know that all-day kindergarten programs as well help children to develop the skills they need to be able to control their aggression, to know how to better co-operate with other children in schools, to be aware of the feelings of other children in their classes, to know when not to use their outside voice and to use their inside voice.

AN HON. MEMBER: (Inaudible).

MR. KIRBY: The member opposite is using his outside voice, now he should try using his inside voice instead. That is what I am talking about. Now he is using his inside voice, that is better, that is a big improvement.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. KIRBY: That is what we are talking about. That is what is missing from Bill 13: improved emotional self-regulation that comes with all-day kindergarten programs – and that is what is missing. Other provinces have figured that out, that is why a lot of the young children who come here from other jurisdictions have participated in full-day kindergarten programs. They know that because they have done the research. That research comes from classroom observations, when researchers go into classrooms and they observe what is going on in the classroom, from focus groups with children, with students, with their parents, and with teachers and administrators. I know there are a number of former school administrators on the other side of the House. They are nodding their heads in agreement; they know what I am talking about. They have probably participated. Yes, some of them have participated in this very sort of research in the past.

MR. KENNEDY: A point of order, Mr. Speaker.

MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!

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

MR. KENNEDY: (Inaudible) refer to what the members opposite are doing. It is not correct what he is saying there. He should refrain from pointing out what is taking place.

MR. SPEAKER: There is no point of order.

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

MR. KIRBY: Maybe they were not shaking their –

MR. KENNEDY: A point of order, Mr. Speaker.

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Government House Leader rising again on a point of order.

MR. KENNEDY: He is misrepresenting himself to the people of this Province and to the members in this Chamber by pointing out and saying that something is happening that is not happening.

MR. SPEAKER: There is no point of order.

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

MR. KIRBY: I will continue, Mr. Speaker. Thank you very much.

Members opposite would also know from parent surveys, from report cards, and from standardized achievement tests. Those are the sorts of programs and research that have proven that full-day kindergarten programs have the necessary impact that we need to improve the primary education system for our children. That is what the research shows. It shows that children who participate in all-day kindergarten programs get a solid foundation for their future learning. They get a better start in school.

Of course, we know that it can help students to build better reading skills, to build better writing skills, to build better skills in mathematics, to have improved socialization, and these sorts of things that help them make the transition from kindergarten to Grade 1.

It can help make the school experience more enjoyable for children. We see that in the research as well. When they are enjoying their school day more, they are more naturally inclined to learn. They want to be part of the school experience. They want to be there in the kindergarten classroom and participate in the learning experience. They want to be in school. They have more time with their classmates and with other children in the class. They have more time with their teachers, more time to socialize with other children through play, and more time to learn, ultimately. Of course, they develop academic skills and other skills. These skills are needed for participation in school, for success in school, but also for success in their lives.

Instead of moving from one setting to another – because with the half-day kindergarten system we have now, we have a lot of children who go from home, to child care, to school, and to home; alternatively, they will go from home, to school, to child care, and to home. With the all-day kindergarten system, we do not have that. They are in the kindergarten classroom all day and it is more seamless; there are fewer interruptions in terms of setting. They stay there longer as opposed to moving from different programs and different locations and so on and it is more seamless and it is a better learning environment.

That is missing from Bill 13. That is missing from the Schools Act right now and it is missing from our primary education system. Other provinces have recognized that. Most jurisdictions in Canada right now, as I said, have all-day, full-day kindergarten programs, because they have done the research, they recognize the research, and they have gone ahead and done what they realize needs to be done. We should realize that too.

We should realize also that today's parents need and they want all-day kindergarten programs, because parents are not living lives of years past. There are more single-parent families, more families where there is one parent who is working, and then more families where there are dual-parent earners, so you have two parents who are out in the workforce contributing, and they want an all-day kindergarten program for their children.

The research shows that teachers want all-day kindergarten as well, Mr. Speaker. That is what they want, because teachers recognize the many academic benefits that exist with all-day kindergarten programs, the positive academic and social benefits that come, especially for students from lower-income backgrounds. Students that come from lower-income backgrounds have been shown to benefit significantly from all-day kindergarten programs. It has also been shown that this is particularly effective with students who come from educationally disadvantaged backgrounds, where the level of parental educational attainment is low; those children have benefited significantly from all-day kindergarten programs – students from lower-income backgrounds and where there is low parental educational attainment. Great gains can be made for those particular students in-all day kindergarten programs and we see it in the results.

Students who are in all-day kindergarten programs, they have higher test scores. We see that. Whether that is standardized tests or other tests, we see that they have – there was one study, Mr. Speaker, where students who were in all-day kindergarten programs had a higher score than those who were in half-day kindergarten programs. On every single item that was tested in a standardized test, every single item on the test, they achieved higher on those items than students who were in the half-day program. There is no question the benefits of this are clear.

There was another study that showed that these students who are in the all-day kindergarten programs, they had better attendance. They attended school at a higher level. They were in school more frequently than their peers who were in half-day programs. They have higher reading comprehension scores in later grades. So when they leave kindergarten, they go on to Grade 1, Grade 2 and proceed through the education system, they are achieving higher in reading comprehension. Literacy is essential. It is a precursor skill to the acquisition of other skills. We know that it is so essential. Math scores are higher for these students as well. Research has shown very clearly that mathematics, literacy and general learning skills - skills that help you learn other skills - are also higher. We should be looking at the benefits of this and that is what is missing from this bill, Bill 13. That is what is missing from the Schools Act, right now.

We know there are important social and behavioural implications of all-day kindergarten. Full-day kindergarten students show more positive classroom behaviour. They are better behaved in the classroom, basically. They behave themselves in the classroom to a greater extent than students who had participated in a half-day program. They show more originality in their work. They are more original in the work that they produce than students who participated in half-day programs. They learn more independently. They can sit there and do their work more independently than students who participated in the half-day programs. They get more involved in classroom activities and they get along with their peers better. They are more co-operative, they tend to co-operate more.

Research shows that children who participate in all-day kindergarten have more positive classroom behaviour in every single respect, every way that we can measure that. They are more engaged in peer to peer interaction, in child to child interaction. They show greater progress. They progress more quickly in the acquisition of social skills and that is really important for later grades.

We know that parents believe there is a benefit for all-day kindergarten; parents really see the benefit of it. Parents are more satisfied - that is what the research shows - with all-day kindergarten programs than they are with the half-day program. We hear that from our constituents anyways, they are telling us all the time that they want more all-day programs. They say that all-day kindergarten prepares their children for Grade 1 better -

AN HON. MEMBER: (Inaudible).

MR. KIRBY: That is right - than the half-day programs. They do better than the half-day programs. They say all-day kindergarten teachers give more suggestions on after school activities than teachers in the half-day program. Now, you ask yourself why?

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Oh, oh!

MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!

I remind hon. members that the Member for St. John's North has the floor.

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

MR. KIRBY: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I think it is the compelling nature of what I am saying, Mr. Speaker. I think people are very excited about this information I am bringing to the floor here today, and I am happy to be here delivering it, Mr. Speaker. Thank you very much.

I ask you, why is it that teachers prefer it, and why do parents prefer it, and why is it that teachers are able to make more suggestions around after school learning activities? Of course, they are less rushed in the all-day program because they are not trying to do - the whole day, you are not trying to cram it into a half a day. Sometimes, that is really what happens. All-day kindergarten is a more relaxed atmosphere. It is much like here in the Legislature. It is a very relaxed atmosphere in all-day kindergarten, it is less rushed.

There are more opportunities for children to choose the activities they want to participate in, for children to make choices about the activities they want to participate in when they are – as the Minister of Education has said a number of times – when they are learning through play, and they develop their own interests. They become more self-directed, they develop their own interests, and there is more time for creative activities, like learning through play.

For example, let's say in the morning you come in and you could have story time. You could talk about building a rocket ship in story time, building a rocket ship and going into outer space. Then in the afternoon you could get a cardboard box – the member is talking across the way, you would need a bigger cardboard box to put him in. You would probably need one the size the House of Assembly came in – but you get a cardboard box and you build a spaceship out of it, and you sort of connect the story in the morning to the activity in the afternoon. That is sort of an example of what the Minister of Education is talking about when he is talking about learning through play, and you could do it all throughout the day. You connect the learning activity in the morning to the play-based activity in the afternoon.

There is more time for individual instruction, because when teachers are less rushed there is more time for one-on-one individual instruction with students. Teachers are better able to get to know their students, better able to get to know those children and to get to know their families; get to know the moms and the dads, and get to know the parents. That is a positive benefit for sure. Then, of course, they feel they are better able to meet the needs of kindergarten students when they have them in for the whole day program versus the half-day program. The research shows that teachers say it is a much more relaxed atmosphere. The research also shows that all-day kindergarten is more effective in preparing students for later grades, so for Grade 1 and later grades. That is what the research shows. That is why I am saying that Bill 13 is missing something important. Our children are missing out, Mr. Speaker. Our children are missing out on something important: all-day kindergarten.

I am running out of time – I have a lot more research to share with you – and it is unfortunate, but I will try to get a couple of other details out for you. The curriculum for all-day kindergarten, what the children do while they are in these, how teachers structure the programs, and how teachers interact with the children.

There are more opportunities for small group activities and for child-initiated activities, so activities that are initiated by the child. They have more opportunities to be autonomous and to initiate activities themselves. That is an essential part of early childhood education. The research shows that children attending full-day kindergarten programs spend less time in teacher-directed activities and more time in activities they direct themselves.

MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!

I remind the hon. Member for the District of St. John's North that his time for speaking has expired.

MR. KIRBY: By leave to clue up, please, very briefly.

AN HON. MEMBER: No leave.

MR. SPEAKER: I remind the hon. member that his time for speaking has expired and there is no leave.

If the hon. the Minister of Education speaks now, he will close debate.

The hon. the Minister of Education.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. JACKMAN: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I think the lunch bell rang and the Member for St. John's North went out to lunch. Mr. Speaker, I have been shaking my head since I have been listening to him. He got up and he spoke for twenty minutes. Bill 13 spoke on everything from changes to the Francophone Board to kindergarten students being out of this Province and coming back, and several others. Not once did he speak on it, Mr. Speaker. Maybe the people of the Province do not always hear it, but when I hear such talk, I just get the sense the man keeps saying there is everything wrong with education in this Province. He just moans and moans, and everything is wrong.

Mr. Speaker, I am going to tell you that we have more teachers per capita with their masters in this Province than any other jurisdiction in Canada.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. JACKMAN: Mr. Speaker, because of the needs-based formula that we have in, there are 705 more teachers in the system now and, as a result of it, we have the best student-teacher ratio in the country.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. JACKMAN: After hearing what he has been talking about, the kindergarten program – we are always looking at options, we are reviewing the full-day kindergarten thing. We are not there yet. Mr. Speaker, I get the sense from him, by terminology like self-regulating, when he is using terminology like that, I almost get the sense of the man's interpretation of kindergarten: We open the door, we march them in two by two by two, they are mechanical little beings, and that this is the solution and the end of everything. The sense that I get from him is if we put in full-day kindergarten and they move from that, I would not advise it, but he is almost giving me the sense they are ready to go to his class at MUN. Now, I would not recommend it, Mr. Speaker, but that is the sense that I get when he is talking about finding their inside voice and using their outside voices. I truly believe that he does not understand early learning.

Now, Mr. Speaker, I left it over in the office and I will offer to the member, I have a number of articles and Web sites that I would advise him to read because there is something very important that happens between the ages of zero and three. Anybody who has done research on learning will tell you that there is more learning takes place from zero to three than it will at any other point in your life because, Mr. Speaker, it is at those ages that the brain is developing and it is absorbing. Anyone who has been around young children, some of the people on both sides have their own young children or they have grandchildren, just watch them and just see how much learning occurs between the ages of zero and three. If you were to sit down and just absorb it, I think people would be totally, totally amazed.

What have we done in that regard? We have developed our early learning strategy; it is aimed at zero to six. We have started implementation of some of that program in the zero to three, and we are developing the framework for four to six. I will stand here, Mr. Speaker, as a former educator, as the Minister of Education; I have said it in this House and I will say it again: It is one of the best investments that we will make in the entire spectrum from zero to Grade 12, no doubt about it.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. JACKMAN: Mr. Speaker, I go back to some of the things that I have already said in this House during Question Period. Teachers, let's talk about teachers. Teachers are some of the most dedicated professionals that will be out in our society. We have teachers who – you talk about people going beyond their call, just look at how many teachers are out there who attend sports tournaments –

AN HON. MEMBER: (Inaudible) community work.

MR. JACKMAN: All of the stuff that takes place in communities. Teachers are an integral part of making communities exist; they go beyond their means. There is nothing surer than this, Mr. Speaker: The teachers of today face major challenges. Our society has changed, but teachers are still doing a superb, superb job when it comes to the education of our students.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. JACKMAN: To support them we have instituted the needs-based formula such that we invest $32 million a year to ensure that the class size of teachers remains where it is. I can say this to you, and the Premier has already said it – I spoke at an NLTA meeting a little while ago; I said to them, we are looking at our budgets across departments, but the Premier said there will be no frontline cuts. I can tell the people in this Legislature and I can tell the people who are watching there will not be a reduction in teachers other than what is normally occurring –

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. JACKMAN: – other than what is occurring because of decline of students.

Mr. Speaker, look at what we put in place for professional development. In 2004, the professional development budget for teachers in this Province was $4.6 million. Mr. Speaker, I am going to repeat that; in 2004, the professional development budget for teachers was $4.6 million. Mr. Speaker, in 2008 – and we have maintained this – it has increased by 80 per cent; it is now $8.3 million.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. JACKMAN: So, in four years, Mr. Speaker, the budget for professional development for teachers has gone from $4.6 million to $8.3 million.

I have already mentioned class size. The average class size from K-9 in this Province right now is eighteen, and we strive to keep it at the twenty-five to twenty-seven range in the various grade levels. There are teachers on both sides of the House that will tell you and can go back to the days of thirty-fives and forties in their classroom. That is no more, Mr. Speaker, and never will be. That is it.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. JACKMAN: We look at special education. Our budget for student assistants is $15 million, Mr. Speaker, because we know that teachers face challenges within their classroom, students with special needs. We have increased the hours – an additional 25,000 hours of student assistant time this past year – to support teachers and students within the classroom, Mr. Speaker. So, our investment in teachers is tremendous, and it is being recognized, and it is being appreciated, Mr. Speaker.

I said the other day here, I spoke to graduation rates, and some of the things that we are doing for students. I was recently out with the Premier to open up Copper Ridge Academy, and other schools out – Indian River High, and Indian River Academy. Mr. Speaker, we are doing a pilot to attempt to keep students engaged in school after hours. In twenty-five of our schools across the Province, we are running a busing pilot program. In these three schools – I was out with the member from Springdale – these are three of the schools that are running the pilot. Twenty-five schools using up half a million dollars a year to see how we can entice students after school – Mr. Speaker, a positive initiative, getting great reviews.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. JACKMAN: The graduation rate – because one of the parties opposite asked a question, and it is a nice thing to reiterate - here we go. In 2002-2003, the high school graduation rate, overall, was 85.1 per cent – 85.1 per cent in 2002-2003. In 2010-2011, it is 91.7 per cent.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. JACKMAN: Mr. Speaker, that is 91.7 per cent, so some of these students would go on to Level IV. So at the end of Level IV, this percentage would rise again. We have teachers and principals going beyond their means. We have some students who have been out of school for a couple of years and we have a program whereby you try to draw these students back in. We recognize what the needs are in the Province for skilled labour and such, so we maintain that contact with students and try to bring them back to get their graduation.

Listen to this – any of us who are educators will and I hope the rest of you might understand – in the high school system there are three gradients, if I can call them: there are honours, academic, and general programs. The general would be more of a generalist type of program. We hope to get more of the students towards the academic and the honours. In 2002-2003, the number of students in honours was 20.4 per cent; in academic it was 38.3 per cent; and 41.3 per cent in general. So in 2002-2003, honours was 20.4 per cent. In 2010-2011, the number of students enrolled in honours was 26.2 per cent.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. JACKMAN: It has gone up 6.2 per cent. In 2002-2003, the number in academic was 38.3 per cent. In 2010-2011, it was 40.8 per cent.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. JACKMAN: What we wanted to see was a lowering of the general. In 2002-2003, the general was 41.3 per cent. In 2010-2011, it was 32.9 per cent.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. JACKMAN: So, Mr. Speaker, it is clearly evident our school system is doing well. I would put our students up against any anywhere in the world.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. JACKMAN: Mr. Speaker, I have to get to this for just a second because the Member for St. John's North keeps bringing up this busing issue. He will never ask a question in Question Period on it. I have been waiting for the question on busing just as I was waiting for the Leader of the Third Party, while I was in fisheries, to say the word fish in Question Period. We have been through this now and I still have not had the question on busing, period, so I am going to take this opportunity to speak for my last bit of time on busing.

AN HON. MEMBER: He is going to take notes.

MR. JACKMAN: I hope the man will take notes.

Mr. Speaker, we have a standard which we have to apply, for the distance from schools to busing, that parents get their kids to school. That standard has been set at 1.6 kilometres. The second point, Mr. Speaker, school boards and schools make every effort to accommodate students. If there is an opportunity, we provide it. If there is something we need to review, we review it. We recognize the changing face of the family. At one point, back maybe twenty years ago when I was a principal, we had kids who came to school and went home and got off at the same bus spot. Today, because of the structure of families and work commitments and whatnot, we may have a situation where a student comes in, in the morning on one bus and may want to go home on a different bus. Well, do you know what, Mr. Speaker? School boards and principals of schools and staff try to accommodate these types of things, and we will continue to do that.

I need to put out some facts, Mr. Speaker, around busing. Here is the distance in other jurisdictions. In Ontario, 1.6 kilometres; Manitoba, 1.6 kilometres; Quebec, 1.6 kilometres; Newfoundland and Labrador, 1.6 kilometres; Alberta, 2.4 kilometres; New Brunswick, 2.4 kilometres; Nova Scotia, 3.6 kilometres; and BC, for kindergartens, just listen to this, 3 kilometres; Grades 1-8 is 4 kilometres; and Grades 9-12 is 4.8 kilometres. The only jurisdiction that has less of a distance than us is Prince Edward Island. They have one kilometre for K to 6, and then for the rest of the students 7 to 12, it is 1.6. Mr. Speaker, we have with the other jurisdictions 1.6 kilometres, and we have it as good as the majority of the provinces in Canada and better than most.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. JACKMAN: The important point to recognize here is that school boards and schools work jointly to find solutions for those situations which are challenged. We talk about what we are doing for education, Mr. Speaker. I do not think there is any government past - and as long as we are here we will continue this. We have committed better to education than any government past, certainly better than the time spent with the Liberals. You have to remember, if we had gone with the formula for teacher allocation that the Liberals used there would be 705 fewer teachers in the system today. Thank God, we did not go there.

Mr. Speaker, I could repeat what my colleague from Lewisporte said earlier. He went and spoke directly to teachers before getting up to speak today. They recognize the types of things that we are doing. Challenges there will always be, but the only way forward is that we support them, we work with them, and collectively we will make it better. Just think, as the Member for Lewisporte said, just a few short years ago as a principal and a teacher we had to go into a classroom, we had to collect fees for photocopying, we had to collect fees for agendas, we had to collect fees for art supplies, we had to collect -

AN HON. MEMBER: School books.

MR. JACKMAN: - school books, and a wide variety. I can tell you, as much as it was stressful on parents, teachers had to do this day in and day out. On parents there was that financial stress, that burden was lifted from them and remains lifted, Mr. Speaker. I have said in this House, there are a few moments that really stand out. This one, when fees were lifted for the parents and students of our Province, it was one of the proudest moments that I have had in my eight years in this House.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. JACKMAN: Mr. Speaker, my concluding remarks in the last forty seconds. I hope I have educated the Member for St. John's North. I doubt it; it may take a little longer. I am willing to work with the man to give him articles, to enlarge his growth in his education. I might even come and teach one of his classes, Mr. Speaker.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. JACKMAN: It might be an interesting evening after all. After listening to him I do not know if I can sit there an hour. I have to be truthful with you.

Mr. Speaker, on a serious note, in the early learning stages I will provide him with some articles because - putting the joking aside – it is enlightening articles and it talks about the growth of individuals at that early age.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!

Is it the pleasure of the House that the said bill be now read the second time?

All those in favour, ‘aye'.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Aye.

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

Carried.

CLERK: A bill, An Act To Amend The Schools Act, 1997. (Bill 13)

MR. SPEAKER: This bill has now been read the second time.

When shall this bill be referred to a Committee of the Whole House?

MR. KENNEDY: Tomorrow, Mr. Speaker.

MR. SPEAKER: Tomorrow.

On motion, a bill, "An Act To Amend The Schools Act, 1997", read a second time, ordered referred to a Committee of the Whole House on tomorrow. (Bill 13)

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

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

I now call Order 1, Address in Reply.

I will indicate, Mr. Speaker, that there are now going to be a number of maiden speeches given, beginning with the government side then moving to the Opposition side.

MR. SPEAKER: The Chair recognizes the hon. the Member for Mount Pearl South.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. LANE: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, it is my honour and indeed my privilege to rise today in this hon. House as the newly elected member for the modern, progressive, innovative, and family-oriented District of Mount Pearl South. As a long time community activist and volunteer, former city councillor and deputy mayor with the City of Mount Pearl, a city which I truly love, I am looking forward to working very hard over the next four years in ensuring that Mount Pearl's interests are strongly represented in this hon. House.

A former member and Speaker of this House of Assembly, and my great friend and mentor, Mr. Harvey Hodder, once gave me a sound piece of advice when I first entered public life in the City of Mount Pearl back in 2003. This piece of advice had been previously passed along to him from an elderly lady in his district when he first entered politics. I, like Harvey, have made this my personal motto. The advice was very simple: Never forget those that brung ya. Meaning, of course, the importance of never forgetting the people who have elected you to represent them; never taking them for granted; never forgetting to put their interests above your own personal interests and aspirations; and never forgetting to acknowledge and to be ever cognizant of the fact that as an elected member of the House of Assembly, you work for them. It is the people that have the power to put you here and it is the people that have the power to remove you. As elected officials we should never forget this. I can assure the people of Mount Pearl South that I never will.

Mr. Speaker, I would not have the pleasure to stand here today were it not for the hard work and dedication of many individuals who have placed their trust and confidence in me to represent this great district. In this regard, I would like to take a moment to acknowledge the tireless efforts and thank them for their unwavering support.

First of all, as I am sure any member of this hon. House past or present can tell you, public life, while a very honourable profession, certainly takes its toll on family commitments and that without the unwavering support of those that mean the most, answering the call of public service just would not be possible. In this regard I would like to thank my wife and best friend, Charmaine, as well as my two beautiful daughters, Chantelle and Chelsea, for their love and support.

I want to acknowledge their understanding over the last number of years for all the days, evenings and nights they spent as a family of three while I was out attending meetings; participating in public hearings; meeting with citizens, community groups and organizations; attending dinners, luncheons, fundraisers, community events, and festivals, and the list goes on. This is not to mention the numerous nights I spent over the years participating in municipal-related meetings and events throughout the Province and indeed the country. They have made tremendous sacrifices for me and I can honestly say I would be nothing without them.

I would also like to thank my extended family and the many supporters and volunteers who believed in me and saw fit to demonstrate their support during the recent provincial election campaign. Whether it be in the manning of headquarters, the delivery of campaign materials, the erecting of signage, making phone calls, or just dropping by to offer an encouraging word, everyone's contribution was both important and appreciated.

Finally, Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank the residents of Mount Pearl South who have placed their faith and trust in me to represent their best interests in this House of Assembly. I am both honoured and humbled by their vote of confidence. I can assure them that I will not let them down.

Mr. Speaker, it seems that as far back as I can remember I have been engaged in activities both personally and professionally centred around helping and representing people. Whether that was as a community activist, union representative, health and safety practitioner, disability manager, municipal leader, or community volunteer, helping people has been and remains to be my passion. That is why the move to provincial politics has been such a smooth and natural progression for me. That is why I feel so fortunate to be given this opportunity.

Mr. Speaker, deciding to enter provincial politics is one thing; determining which party and which leader to run for is quite another. Each party has its own distinct ideology, its own track record, and hopefully its own vision for the future. Leadership is also a key component for any political party and it is crucial that the individual who will lead the party has the credentials, the experience, the work ethic, the energy, and the vision required to move this great Province forward.

Mr. Speaker, after reviewing all of these pertinent factors and asking myself which party and which leader best represents what is needed to manage our affairs and secure our future; when I asked myself which party and which leader represents what is needed to benefit my district and my city; when I asked myself which party and which leader represents what is needed to manage our resources and to make strategic investments for not just my benefit, but for the benefit of my children and grandchildren; when I asked myself these pertinent questions, there was one clear, obvious choice. That is why, Mr. Speaker, I am so proud to stand here today, not just as the Member for Mount Pearl South, but also as a member of this Progressive Conservative government.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. LANE: That is why, Mr. Speaker, I am so proud to stand on this side of the House of Assembly as a member of this team of like-minded individuals. That is why I am so proud to stand shoulder to shoulder with our hon. Premier, a Premier who is committed to this Province, a Premier who is both passionate and compassionate, a Premier who is not afraid to make tough decisions, a Premier who has a great vision for this Province, a Premier who I believe will go down in our history books as one of the very best.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. LANE: Mr. Speaker, while I may be a newly-elected Member of the House of Assembly, I am a long-time follower of the political scene, and have always been cognizant of the issues and challenges facing our Province. I have also been a long-time observer of public policy, and have always taken an interest in the actions of government over the years, and the impacts that those actions have had on the lives of our people.

Mr. Speaker, as I look back over nearly two decades of Liberal governance, the one word that comes to mind is neglect. While I was not there at the time, I sometimes try to envision what it must have felt like when this government first took power in 2003, what it first felt like when they opened up the books for the first time and completed a review of programs, services, and infrastructure. I wonder what it felt like to realize the mismanagement of the previous Liberal administrations had placed our Province on the verge of bankruptcy.

Mr. Speaker, while the circumstances may have been dire, as a result of hard work, strategic investment, and responsible fiscal management decisions, the government was able to turn things around. Not only has the government turned the corner, but we now have one of the hottest economies in the country.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. LANE: After so many years of outmigration, we are now seeing our population increase. For the first time in our history, we are a have Province. We have reduced our debt by over $4 billion. Instead of people leaving the Province in search of work, people are coming here in search of employment.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. LANE: Mr. Speaker, since taking over government in 2003, we have seen unprecedented investment in this Province as we try to repair the severe damage left behind by the former Liberal administrations. While these investments are far too numerous to expound upon in my limited time, they do cover such areas as roads, bridges, underground infrastructure, water and wastewater, schools, hospitals, long-term care facilities, fire protection services, ferries, and dialysis units. They also include such things as investments in housing, seniors' programs, prescription drugs, dental programs, education, wait time reduction strategies in hospitals, support for skilled trades, aquaculture, tourism, poverty reduction, healthy living, and the list goes on. Mr. Speaker, as Member for the District of Mount Pearl South, I can certainly attest to the fact that these investments have made a significant impact in the lives of the people in my community.

Over the past few years, the City of Mount Pearl has enjoyed unprecedented investments in roads and underground infrastructure, primarily due to the new multi-year capital cost-sharing ratio introduced by this government, which has enhanced from a 50-50 to a 70-30 cost-sharing arrangement for roads and other municipal capital infrastructure projects. This government has also partnered with the City of Mount Pearl on a number of key recreational capital projects such as the Glacier Arena expansion, the Pearlgate Multiplex, and Team Gushue Soccer Complex. This is not to mention the ongoing support provided to such organizations within the city such as the Mount Pearl Sports Alliance and the Mount Pearl Seniors Independence Group.

Mr. Speaker, in addition to this, the Province has partnered with the city and other municipalities in the region on such projects as the Robin Hood Bay regional landfill facility, the new south side waste water treatment facility, and as well as enhancements to the regional water system. Mr. Speaker, while I am so pleased with the investments which have been made and continue to be made in my community, I am likewise pleased and totally supportive of the investments that have been made in rural Newfoundland and Labrador.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. LANE: It has been said that if you were to take all the baymen out of Mount Pearl, there would not be enough people left for a good game of growl. Mr. Speaker, this saying definitely applies to me. While I may have been born and raised in the City of St. John's, like most, my roots are deeply embedded in rural Newfoundland and Labrador, and I am very proud of that fact. My father was born in the Town of Englee on the Great Northern Peninsula; my mother in Wesleyville, in the great District of Bonavista North. My wife's parents were both born and raised in Riverhead, St. Mary's Bay. We also have family members in Stephenville, Corner Brook, Lewisporte, Bishop's Falls, Labrador City, Bay Roberts, Pound Cove, Valleyfield, Brookfield, Hare Bay, and many other communities throughout the Province.

Throughout my entire youth, I spent my summers, Easter breaks, and Christmas vacations in Wesleyville. I spent endless hours as a young boy engaged in activities such as catching tomcods, sculpins and jacky connors on the side of the government wharf, or along the sides of the cliffs in Wesleyville, cutting cod tongues outside the Valleyfield fish plant, picking blueberries alongside Greenspond Road, picking partridgeberries in Cape Freels, bakeapple picking on the marshes near Templeman and Newtown, and trouting in Indian Bay. I engaged in traditional activities such as mummering, and risked my neck jumping around on tippy pans in Bennett's Cove. I understand what it is like to grow up in rural Newfoundland and Labrador.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. LANE: I understand the traditions. I love the culture and the people, and I am therefore keenly interested in ensuring that this government continues the great work, and continues to make investment in rural Newfoundland and Labrador as a priority. While I openly admit that having roots in rural Newfoundland and Labrador does not make me an expert on all the challenges being faced in the fishery or the challenges being faced in communities that have experienced decline as a result of the cod moratorium, I am nonetheless committed to this very important part of our Province. I want the people of rural Newfoundland and Labrador to know that the so-called overpass syndrome does not apply to me, nor does it apply to any of my colleagues on this side of the House of Assembly.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. LANE: While we all have been elected to our particular districts and are obviously committed to doing all we possibly can for our constituents, we are all very cognizant of the big picture, Mr. Speaker. We all realize the need to ensure that nobody is left behind and that everybody deserves a reasonable level of service and support. This government will continue to work diligently towards making life better for all Newfoundlanders and Labradorians.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. LANE: Mr. Speaker, I would now like to take a moment to provide a little insight as to my views of the Third Party.

Mr. Speaker, I could go on for hours as it relates to the NDP's flawed ideology, but I will not. What I would like to do, however, is to give some concrete examples of things which I have observed over the past few months, and in doing so, I think it should be obvious to all where I stand.

Example number one; during the provincial election campaign, the Third Party made more promises in additional spending than projected revenues coming into the Province. When asked where the money would be coming from to pay for all the additional spending, the Third Party Leader's response was that they would impose additional royalties on offshore oil companies. In other words, she was going to breach the contracts. I wonder what the consequences of such a move would be. I would say that the only remnants of the offshore oil industry that would be left behind under an NDP Administration would be the lawyers diligently engaging in suing the Province for what it is worth, not to mention the message that this would send to future investors in our Province – absolutely brilliant, Mr. Speaker.

Example number two. Also during the recent election, the NDP promised that if elected they would implement full-day kindergarten. When questioned by the media as to what the cost to implement such a project would be, the leader stated she did not know, as they had not bothered to cost it out.

Example number three. The NDP called this government undemocratic for not opening the House of Assembly during the fall. However, the minute they saw an opportunity to advance their own political agenda, as was in the case of the District of Burin - Placentia West, they said to heck with democracy and to heck with the people who exercised their democratic right to select their candidate of choice. These are the people who voted in accordance with the Elections Act, an act which had been previously reviewed and agreed to by the Leader of the Third Party - that is until it was not convenient.

My final example, Mr. Speaker, example number four; unlike their federal counterparts, the provincial NDP have clearly been on the fence as it relates to Muskrat Falls, a project whose sanction undoubtedly represents one of the biggest decisions to be made in the history of our Province. In the interest of transparency and accountability for a project of this magnitude, the government has made numerous opportunities available for public input, many opportunities for individuals, businesses, special interest groups, critics and opponents to the project to raise concerns and ask pertinent questions.

One of these key opportunities recently took place through the PUB hearing process. This was a great opportunity for the Third Party to raise questions and concerns and put forward their vision for the power needs of Newfoundland and Labrador. Did they participate? Of course we know the answer to that question is no, Mr. Speaker. The best they could do was send a letter to indicate that they would not be participating. Now, there is leadership for you.

Mr. Speaker, these examples speak for themselves. These examples speak of hypocrisy, no business sense, no common sense, and no regard for the expenditure of public funds. Mr. Speaker, since the opening of this hon. House I have watched members of the Third Party get up on their feet day after day. I have listened to them in the media and on Twitter saying there is not enough money invested into this, there is not enough money invested into that. We should reduce taxes here, we should reduce fees here. We need to purchase this, we need to purchase that. Hire more people here, hire more people there. Mr. Speaker, where do they think the money is coming from? Have they discovered the magic formula for growing money trees? Do they think they are a collective version of the fairy godmother from Cinderella? Do they think they can wave their magic wand, engage in a chant of Bibbidi-Bobbidi-Boo, and everything will turn to gold?

Mr. Speaker, I would say to the Third Party this is Newfoundland, not Disneyland. You cannot wish upon a star to make your dreams come true around here. Making our dreams and our people's dreams come true in the context of what we do as elected individuals requires hard work, vision, and prudent fiscal management. It requires strong leadership and a common sense to governance. Thankfully, the people of Newfoundland and Labrador are more than aware of this fact and, thankfully, they expressed this awareness at the ballot box.

I, for one, and I know my colleagues in the government are honoured to be given the green light by the people of Newfoundland and Labrador to move this Province forward, not backward. I am confident that under the leadership of this Premier and with the support of this great team we will do just that.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!

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

MR. MURPHY: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I rise in this hon. House today as the elected Member for the District of St. John's East. It will be an honour to serve the residents of the area for the next three-and-a-half years and I will be forever thankful for their support in the October 11, 2011 election. The election was a very humbling experience.

I also want to thank my wife who stood by when things got a little trying while I was on the campaign trail. Her devotion was matched sometimes as well by the devotion of my campaign volunteers who did so much with so little. It is to them that I owe a huge debt of gratitude.

To my parents, Gloria, who mixed a lifelong nursing career with being a stay-at-home mom, and my father Louis, a Korean War veteran, Newfoundland folksinger, and a prospector by trade who helped open up the wilds of Labrador, I can only say thank you for letting me live this dream. I owe you in my actions what I cannot put down in words and I dedicate my term in office to you both.

This is the culmination of a lifelong dream for me to serve in the House of Assembly. Ever since my days in Youth Parliament, I have had the longing for public service. To the teachers of my past who had so much influence, Mr. Wayne Parsons and Kevin Rumsey, I thank you for the guidance that you provided. Mr. Parsons, your time spent in guiding me in debating at my alma mater Gonzaga High School will forever be remembered. Let no one mistake the powers and influences of a teacher. These are just two of the many who had a guide in my being here.

I have high expectations, and I am sure that my constituents do as well, of the work that has to be done in the House of Assembly over the next four years. I am looking forward to working with government to make things better for the Province and helping government make the right choices. One comes into the House expecting to make positive change for people, and my constituents and their welfare will come first and foremost for me. They have issues and their concerns are genuine for others who have issues in the Province. Their support had a message for the government: No one should be taken for granted, and nor will they be.

Mr. Speaker, there may be trying times in the next few years, but we are coming from years of plenty. What happened? Things have changed overnight. The needs of a few have become the needs of the many and now we have much more work to do. It seems that we are going to start all over again. We are in the declining years of our riches of offshore resources, issues have been left on the back burner for too long, and there are many miles to go before we can all sleep. Somewhere out there someone else is going to be looking for help.

Mr. Speaker, I can promise this House 100 per cent co-operation in playing my role. According to the House of Assembly's own definition, my role is to hold the government accountable to the people of this Province. Opposition is a good thing, even if it seems government does not believe that at times. There is no sense in government throwing up barriers. We are here to work with the government and not to enter into some perceived eternal conflict, for their role is not only to govern but to listen as well. Sometimes that is a hard thing to do, and sometimes they should be forgiven for not having done that. When they do not, they fail to uphold the definition of Opposition; they again forget my role in the House and then they also lose control of that House. My role is to help the government make that right decision, to convince them to change their way of thinking when something is wrong, and to help a leader change their mind, because that is the true sign of a leader, that they can stop, listen and be convinced.

My hopes for this House are filled with great expectations. Maybe in the hope of making positive change I will be in for a letdown; I will be driven back to the reality that governance means doing it all on your own, with your own position, and that it was nonsensical to even try to change things. It may be a hard fall.

So, what do I believe? I believe that we can work together in the spirit of the knowledge that we can honestly make things better for everyone. We are a Province of just 514,000 people trying to make a go of it here on the edge of the North Atlantic. Our founding fathers forged a place here long before the Vikings. The Dorset, Beothuk, Innu, and Inuit have all learned life's lessons from this land, a place born of the historic voyages of the Vikings and of John Cabot.

We were christened into growing up by the loss of our youth in the fields of Beaumont-Hamel, and in the waters that surround us through the fishery, or on land through forestry and our mining sectors, or in the pursuit of offshore oil. We owe so much to so many who have been there long before us and that is why any government – or Opposition Party, for that matter – should be able to change its way of thinking when they see that the common good will be affected.

We are here but just for a little while upon this good earth. Sometimes we have but one chance to get it right. Do not ever let them tell you that cannot be done.

Either way, my thought is that I owe it to those who have gone before me. Let's make sure that we can turn the needs of the many into the needs of no one. Our work in this House should be focused on those needs; of the immediate need for housing, because so many are without a home; for the needs of the hungry, because they find it hard to go on with an empty stomach; the needs of the sick and their supports, like nurses, caregivers, and hospital support staff, so we all can bring comfort and ease to the burden of families; to create opportunities for work, because people have the right to dignity and to protect those who live in fear that cannot fend for themselves.

Mr. Speaker, the official opening of this House of Assembly was a great day for me. I am here for a reason: To keep the government accountable. I cannot stress that enough. I fully realize that we all cannot be afraid to make a decision because of what has happened in the past, but we also cannot make a mistake in the present that may cost us dearly in the future. That is why my job is to oppose. That is why there is Opposition.

Mr. Speaker, the issues in my district are many and varied, but they all deserve attention. In some areas, housing is a concern, while in others I am dealing with consumers and taxpayers who worry over the escalating costs of living. We all know that the price of food and energy has been going up far beyond what some of my constituents can afford. It will be a priority for me to find out how to mitigate these costs to consumers and taxpayers. Consumers in this Province have been marginalized and under pressure here for ages.

It was no different than it was with the discussion and debate over the new pharmacy legislation. The bottom line should be savings to the consumer, drug coverage for those who are most financial vulnerable, like seniors. Government should gear itself with the goal of a full pharmacare program in this Province that benefits all in that regard. This is also another example of why the NDP the other day backed up the government when it came to the pharmacy legislation; because in this case it was the right thing to do.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. MURPHY: Mr. Speaker, I also hear the Muskrat Falls issues. The real issue of the project, whether it went ahead or did not, is the failure by government to make this a unifying exploration for the people of this Province. Most are now resigned to the fact that it is too late to stop it now, Decision Gate or not. I cannot say how many times I have heard that.

Every time I hear it I keep thinking to myself just how divisive this project has become and how much that government should have asked itself and the people of the Province, just how bad did we need this project, that we had to consume energy rather than conserve; that we had to dam a historic and beautiful falls rather than explore all options like wind and natural gas, and how we had to forsake the environment of Lake Melville when the world is hungry for a food stock right off its own shores; that we never took environment into consideration in putting up a monument to a river's demise.

Soon we may no longer hear the mighty rivers thunder and we will all lose because of that. The peoples of Labrador will no longer be able to walk along the shore and feel the rumble of the falls beneath their feet. One more river dammed and one less river left to roll. Yes, Mr. Speaker, at what cost, for Muskrat Falls power?

Mr. Speaker, the work of the House of Assembly can be done again, even though we will not get the chance to debate Muskrat Falls and base it on its overall merits. This is the place where the dreams of the people rest, right here in this House of Assembly. Where they hope that they will find opportunity bloom, where the needy could go for help, where we can talk about housing and homelessness issues. Hopefully, government will realize the true benefit of bringing back working standing committees as an integral part of the House of Assembly structure. Where we can do what was intended with democracy, where we can discuss together what needs to be done to bring this Province forward. Ladies, gentlemen, over the next few years it will be a pleasure to work with you in this regard.

Finally, Mr. Speaker, if this is a Province of opportunity, then let us share in that opportunity. If this is a Province of wealth, let us give to those who are in need. If this is a place to call home, then let us grant shelter to those who need it.

Mr. Speaker, let us remember the past, work hard in the present to guide us to the future. God guard thee Newfoundland and Labrador.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!

The hon. the Member for Torngat Mountains.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. EDMUNDS: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I did not think that I was going to get a chance to read this, so I filed it away under "N" for next election.

Mr. Speaker, thank you. First and foremost, I would like to thank the people of Nunatsiavut and Natuashish for putting their trust in me and electing me to the House of Assembly to represent the beautiful District of Torngat Mountains. Nunatsiavut is an Inuktitut word for our beautiful land, and anyone who has visited Northern Labrador certainly understands why the Nunatsiavut Government chose this title for their land claims area. It is truly a land of beauty, mystery, culture and spirit.

Mr. Speaker, Labrador is my home, and I feel very honoured to be the representative in the House of Assembly for the five Inuit communities and one Innu community that make up my district. Rigolet, Makkovik, Postville, Hopedale, Natuashish and Nain are all Aboriginal communities located in the Torngat Mountains, and I look forward to raising any and all issues affecting those communities in this hon. House.

Mr. Speaker, the District of Torngat Mountains is unlike any other district represented in this Province. We are governed by five different governments with the presence of the federal government, the provincial government, the Nunatsiavut Government, Innu Nation Band Council, as well as five Inuit community governments. It is the spirit of co-operation, Mr. Speaker, between all levels of government that we will be successful in addressing the challenges facing the North Coast of Labrador. Mr. Speaker, I want to ensure this hon. House and the people of Nunatsiavut and Natuashish that they will have my full co-operation, dedication, in my position as the Member of the House of Assembly for Torngat Mountains.

Mr. Speaker, even though we have many levels of government in our district, we still find ourselves asking why we live in such an economically depressed area of this Province. We continue to experience challenges in transportation, communication, housing, as well affordable goods and services. We are a land rich in beauty, resources and culture; yet, our people struggle with the basic necessities of life that most people in our Province take for granted. Mr. Speaker, this is 2012, and the time is long overdue for the residents of Nunatsiavut and Natuashish to experience the amenities of the twenty-first Century.

Mr. Speaker, before I get into challenges that face my district, I want to pay tribute to a fourteen-year-old boy from Makkovik who has captured the hearts of the people of Labrador, the Province, and the country. Mr. Speaker, I remember young Burton Winters who tragically lost his life on the frozen Labrador Sea. Despite the magnitude of this tragedy, Mr. Speaker, it is a tragedy that has galvanized the strength and the spirit of a community, a province, and a nation.

Mr. Speaker, Burton was like any other Labrador teenager who enjoyed travelling by snowmobile, a way of life for the people of Torngat Mountains. Sadly, Mr. Speaker, Burton got lost. He courageously walked over 19 kilometres through loose ice and pushed on as far as he could endure. Mr. Speaker, it saddens me when I hear people say such things as: What was a fourteen-year-old boy doing on a Ski-Doo? It clearly demonstrates the ignorance many people have of our way of life. We have no buses, Mr. Speaker, no public transit to transport our people to school, to medical clinics, to churches or to the grocery stores. In winter, Mr. Speaker, a snowmobile is our only means of transportation within most of our communities.

Mr. Speaker, Burton was just being himself as he did on every other Sunday in Makkovik. Unfortunately, on Sunday, January 29, things went terribly wrong for Burton, which has left his friends and his family with a determination to remember Burton's legacy through their campaign for improved search and rescue services in Labrador. To Rodney and Natalie Jacque, Paulette and Stephen Rice, parents of Burton's family, and on behalf of the Torngat Mountains, I wish to express my sincere condolences and my pledge to stand by their side in their quest to get answers and improvements so that this terrible tragedy does not happen to another family.

Mr. Speaker, even though the actions of search and rescue agencies have been criticized and questioned, I can honestly state that the response of the ground search and rescue team in Makkovik was extraordinary. I personally experienced the search with this group of brave, dedicated individuals in their efforts to bring Burton safely home to his family. Despite their efforts, Mr. Speaker, the outcome was not as we had hoped, but the people of Makkovik can feel assured that ground search and rescue teams performed above and beyond the call of duty, and for that, Mr. Speaker, I sincerely thank them.

Mr. Speaker, the family and friends of Burton Winters have been overwhelmed with the outpouring of sympathy and recognition that communities across Labrador and the rest of the Province have demonstrated since this tragedy. Mr. Speaker, on behalf of the people of Nunatsiavut and Natuashish, I want to express my sincere thanks and appreciation to all the communities in this Province that have held vigils and prayer services in honour of Burton. I especially want to thank my colleague, the Member for Cartwright – L'Anse au Clair, in her efforts in organizing a very successful and emotional all-Labrador vigil on February 24 in Happy Valley-Goose Bay.

Mr. Speaker, vigils were also held in communities throughout our Province, vigils that truly united people from all corners of this Province. Burton's legacy will not be forgotten. Mr. Speaker, while this terrible tragedy has consumed the people of Northern Labrador for the past two months, they realize that time does not stand still and there is still much work to be done in the communities of Nunatsiavut and Natuashish.

Mr. Speaker, since my election on October 11, I have been actively involved in issues facing the North Coast of Labrador, none of which come as any surprise to me. As a past member of the Makkovik Inuit Community Government, and briefly president of the North Coast on the Combined Councils of Labrador, I am well aware of the challenges that still need to be addressed. Mr. Speaker, the question is: Where do we begin?

Mr. Speaker, the people of Northern Labrador depend heavily on a good, reliable transportation system to deliver goods and services in a safe and timely manner. The marine transportation season runs from June to December, at best, and is crucial for getting supplies to the communities of Nunatsiavut and Natuashish in order to sustain them during the winter months.

Mr. Speaker, the 2011 shipping season was nothing short of a disaster with the introduction of the Dutch Runner to the service. Our marine service took a turn backwards in time. Mr. Speaker, in this day and age we should not have to be climbing over containers with a flashlight at 4:00 o'clock in the morning in a blizzard trying to retrieve perishable foods and other essential goods. I experienced that first-hand this past year.

Mr. Speaker, while I have to thank the provincial government for implementing measures at the end of the shipping season that were successful in transporting freight into Northern Labrador, people on the North Coast deserve much, much better. The time has come for marine services that address the needs of the North Coast communities, a service that allows people and goods to be transported safely and efficiently. Mr. Speaker, that can only be achieved by the implementation of a roll-on roll-off service that will accommodate vehicles and freight alike. With the presence of a highway network right next to us, Mr. Speaker, there is no reason why our people should not have available transportation infrastructure that will allow them to access transportation links to the outside world. Mr. Speaker, my people want this, my people deserve this, and I will continue my efforts until we achieve this.

Mr. Speaker, in Nunatsiavut and Natuashish, we experience the highest cost of living in our Province; the cost of essential goods and services range anywhere between 50 per cent and 300 per cent higher than our nearest district in Newfoundland and Labrador. Mr. Speaker, we are a have-not region in a have Province. We are not asking for anything extra, other than to have the same standards as the rest of this great Province. Mr. Speaker, we live in Northern Labrador, a part of this great Province, we do not live in the High Arctic. This price gouging must not be allowed to continue, and I will continue to bring this issue forward.

Mr. Speaker, my daily interaction with the people of the North Coast clearly demonstrates the need for improved communication infrastructure in Northern Labrador. The isolation of the North Coast communities has suffered tremendously because of lack of communications. The unavailability of cell service and more high-speed Internet capacity, which most people take for granted, has impeded the development of our communities.

Mr. Speaker, we all know that effective transportation and communication networks are crucial to successful economic development initiatives. The people of Nunatsiavut and Natuashish need a reliable communication for safety reasons as they travel and hunt on the land. With a radius of fifty to sixty miles, Mr. Speaker, cellphone coverage would give them a sense of security and it will save lives. This was proven, Mr. Speaker, when we hauled the phone out of young Burton's pocket that could have saved his life. Mr. Speaker, we live in this sense of danger each and every day as we travel from community to community and as we reap our livelihood from the land and from the sea.

Mr. Speaker, affordable and available housing continues to be a concern for the communities of the North Coast, especially in the communities of Hopedale and Nain. As one of the few rural areas in our Province that continues to increase in population, Mr. Speaker, as per the 2011 Census, it is important for government to ensure that adequate housing facilities are in place to meet the needs of the communities.

I also refer to the Innu community of Natuashish, Mr. Speaker, where deficiencies have been identified in housing complexes. While the situation in Natuashish may be considered a federal issue, Mr. Speaker, we all have a responsibility to ensure that our people are residing in safe and healthy living conditions.

Mr. Speaker, while snowmobiles may be the main mode of winter transportation on the North Coast, air transportation is still our main link in access to other regions in Newfoundland and Labrador. I would like to take this opportunity, Mr. Speaker, to congratulate the Nunatsiavut government on obtaining the 51 per cent partnership in Air Labrador. Mr. Speaker, we hope that this investment will be a benefit to our people and will eventually lead to more affordable rates and enhanced service.

Mr. Speaker, air transportation is very important for our people for access to medical appointments, business transactions, as well the delivery of essential food items. Mr. Speaker, Transportation and Works has a responsibility to provide safe and accessible landing strips for airline service on the North Coast. I would be in remiss, Mr. Speaker, if I did not mention the lack of proper landing instrumentation at the airstrip in Nain, whereby aircraft cannot land after dark because lighting is lacking and it is in dangerous proximity to the community. Mr. Speaker, our airstrips are our lifelines and they must be treated as such.

Mr. Speaker, these are just a few of the challenges facing the people of Nunatsiavut and Natuashish. Many more issues will arise that will require immediate response and attention of governments of all levels. Rest assured, Mr. Speaker, I will be there as a conduit to this hon. House to ensure that they are properly addressed.

Mr. Speaker, as I traveled by speedboat throughout the District of Torngat Mountains during the summer and fall of 2011, I could not help but to be reminded once again of the beauty of the land and the resilience of its people. I felt both humbled and proud as I pulled up to each community, asking for the support of the people on the North Coast of Labrador and for the opportunity to support them in this House of Assembly.

Mr. Speaker, I recognize Members of the House of Assembly who have represented this great district in the past and I thank them for their contributions. Despite efforts, Mr. Speaker, the District of Torngat Mountains still has many challenges that have existed for years. I wonder sometimes, Mr. Speaker, if Northern Labrador has been given its due recognition.

We are a land rich in resources that are being exploited with many yet more to be removed from the rugged land, a land that we call home, Mr. Speaker. My hope and ambition is that the benefits from these resources are returned to the people, returned through better transportation infrastructure, better communication infrastructure, improved living conditions, affordable housing, and an overall improved quality of life.

Mr. Speaker, I say to my family and my friends living in Nunatsiavut and Natuashish that I am humbled to be here in this hon. House of Assembly today, I would like to thank them for their patience and their support, and I truly love them all. I pledge to these wonderful people, Mr. Speaker, that I will strive to give it my best effort, an effort that will hopefully result in an improved way of life for the people I am so grateful to represent.

So, Mr. Speaker, let me conclude by quoting an excerpt from the anthem of Nunatsiavut written by the late Sid Dicker of Nain. In English, Mr. Speaker, it is quite simple: "To be a part of this great land should be the pride of any man!" In Inuktitut, Mr. Speaker, "Illingagiamut Nunatsiamut pijuginatlapuk kinatuinnamut." In Innu-aimun, Mr. Speaker, "Tshetshi shatshan ute menuats Assinu, tshe Naspete-nitak-unu, nte etats Napeu."

Tshinaskumiten, Mr. Speaker.

Nakomek, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!

The hon. the Member for Port de Grave.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. LITTLEJOHN: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, it is an honour to sit in this House and represent the historic district of Port de Grave. Mr. Speaker, in all my wildest dreams I never, ever thought I would have this opportunity to stand here today and speak to the people of the District of Port de Grave and be a member of the House of Assembly.

Mr. Speaker, we never can get to this point in our lives without the support and the thanks of many individuals. I would like to start today, Mr. Speaker, by thanking some of the people who have allowed me to stand here today and make this speech.

First of all, I have to thank the people of the Port de Grave district for giving me a chance and having the faith and trust that I can represent them in this House of Assembly. I thank them so much and I will work so hard to make sure that I make every one of them proud to have me as their representative.

Mr. Speaker, this would not have been possible without the efforts of hundreds of volunteers, not only in the 2011 election, but the people who worked for me in 2007 on both of my campaigns. Mr. Speaker, those individuals dedicated hours and hours of their time to ensure that I had the opportunity to stand here and speak to you today. From the bottom of my heart, I thank each and every one of them for their time and effort. It was an amazing campaign, they were amazing people to be around, and the energy that they gave me on a day-to-day basis was out of this world.

Mr. Speaker, I have to thank my family. I spent many, many hours away from my family over the last number of years, Mr. Speaker. As most people know, and I will speak to it a little bit further a little later, I spent the last fifteen years commuting to St. John's to work in my public service job. Not only that, Mr. Speaker, in the evenings when I went home I spent the last fourteen years serving my community, the last six as its mayor. Mr. Speaker, that means a lot of lonely nights for my son Scott, my other son Andrew, and my wife Leanne. Without their dedication and support I do not think this was possible, but every time dad walked in the door it seemed like dad was walking out the door, because dad was really working two jobs. Mr. Speaker, without their support and encouragement and their enthusiasm, I could have never done this. To them, thank you so much.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. LITTLEJOHN: Mr. Speaker, I would be remiss if I never congratulated all the members on both sides of this House on their recent election to the Forty-Seventh General Assembly. To all my newly elected colleagues, congratulations, I look forward to working with you. Sometimes I know we will be in disagreement but I know it will be done with the utmost respect and in good nature and good humour.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. LITTLEJOHN: Mr. Speaker, I can never remember not being involved, be it in my school -I remember distinctly, Mr. Speaker, and I was thinking about it a few days ago, running for class president in Grade 2. I guess, Mr. Speaker, I enjoyed politics for a long, long time. I was involved in my school; I was involved on my school council. I left my school council and became involved with minor softball and minor hockey, other organizations in the community, alternative justice for awhile. Along the way, Mr. Speaker, we moved around a little bit, Leanne and I, and we came back home. We came back to Bay Roberts where both of us had been born and raised. Fourteen years ago I asked my wife: Can I run for council? Fourteen years ago she said yes, and then I gave back to my community. I hope the citizens of my community appreciate the work that we have done and I hope I can do the job for the rest of the people of the District of Port de Grave as I have done in the past for the citizens of the Town of Bay Roberts.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. LITTLEJOHN: Mr. Speaker, there was always something, I just wanted to help. I wanted to try to make a difference, try to make life a little bit better for someone, be it a child, be it an adult, or be it a senior. It has always been that way, Mr. Speaker. Not always have we done the right thing, and sometimes I admit that it did not always turn out the way that I wanted, but, Mr. Speaker, I was willing to give it an effort , and I always gave it my best effort.

I want to thank my colleagues in the public service. I spent twenty-five years in the public service serving the people of Newfoundland and Labrador. I want to tell you a little story, Mr. Speaker, about my first experience. My first job took to me the Big Land, to Labrador, and Happy Valley-Goose Bay, Mr. Speaker. When I left my home in Bay Roberts that day in 1987 and I got on a flight, I was going to a place where I did not know anyone, no one. When I arrived at the airport, Mr. Speaker, all I knew was there was going to be a gentleman at the other end who was going to pick me up. Well, Mr. Speaker, that friendship which started some twenty-five years ago continues today, and I have many, many friends in Labrador. We continue to stay in contact, and they continue to support me and encourage me in whatever endeavour I have. I want to thank all those people.

Then, Mr. Speaker, I had the privilege to come back. I had worked in rural Newfoundland and Labrador, and then I came back to the city, as they say. I have worked from the city but I continue to be a rural boy, Mr. Speaker, and I chose to live in a rural community.

Mr. Speaker, I have travelled this Province. I have worked with some wonderful people, and those people have given me a better understanding of what Newfoundland and Labrador is all about. Mr. Speaker, not only what Newfoundland and Labrador is all about, but what they want Newfoundland and Labrador to be. What they want Newfoundland and Labrador to be is a place they can call home and a place they can say they are proud of, and a place they can say is progressive and going forward and moving forward, and that is what we have been doing, Mr. Speaker.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. LITTLEJOHN: Mr. Speaker, then it was my years on municipal council. That has prepared me well for this position, as well. Six years ago I took over from a gentleman who was a former administrator of mine, a principal, who spent twenty-four consecutive years serving our community. He taught me a lot of valuable lessons. He said, Glenn, there are going to be bad days, and you can never, never worry about the bad days because you cannot show that you have yourself out of sorts. He said: keep an even keel, stay steady to the course and things will turn out all right. Mr. Speaker, as I stand here today, I think things have turned out pretty good.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. LITTLEJOHN: Mr. Speaker, I come from a district that has elected representatives to the Legislature of Newfoundland and Labrador since 1855. Since 1855, Mr. Speaker, people have been electing representatives to represent the District of Port de Grave, nestled in the bottom of Conception Bay North. Mr. Speaker, we have lived and died by the fishery.

If I do not speak to the fishery today, Mr. Speaker, as one person said on the campaign trail, he said: Glenn, I will give you one chance. You have to remember something, the fishery is our lifeblood Glenn, and you need to realize that the fishery is the economic engine that drives not only your district but the Province of Newfoundland and Labrador.

Mr. Speaker, when we talk about the fishing and fish harvesting in this Province and processing and the economic impact, in my district alone there are over 500 jobs created directly by the fishing industry in the harvesting and processing sectors. Last year in the small community of Port de Grave, Mr. Speaker, with 740 residents, 500 of those residents worked directly in the fishery. Last year alone, Mr. Speaker, there was over 25 million pounds landed on the wharf in Port de Grave; 25 million pounds of product. The landed value, Mr. Speaker, in Port de Grave alone last year was over $28 million.

Mr. Speaker, in the early days in our district if you were not in the fishery, what did you do? Mr. Speaker, I would be remiss if I never talked about farming. My father-in-law spent twenty-five years in the farming industry, in the agriculture industry, plowing the fields, working very hard, looking for leases, expanding his business and always providing not only a livelihood to his family, but to support the families all around his area.

Mr. Speaker, farming was a staple for all of us. I can remember as a little boy going to the garden in the spring, going to the garden in the summer weeding. Now I do not know, Mr. Speaker, when I was weeding if I was weeding or just getting in the way, but my grandfather had a lot of patience with me, so I will say I was weeding.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. LITTLEJOHN: Mr. Speaker, farming was a way of life. I was how we survived. It was not uncommon. Everywhere, everyone had a little field and they had their own farm. They planted their own vegetables because that is how they survived the winter. Mr. Speaker, when they farmed, most likely it was the ladies who were farming – the wives, the daughters, and the children at home – because the fathers were off fishing. Whether they were fishing from the harbours in my district, from Upper Island Cove, to Spaniard's Bay, to Bay Roberts, to Port de Grave, or whether they were fishing, Mr. Speaker, they were on to Labrador fishing. They were gone. They were at sea. Mr. Speaker, they made it happen. They made it last.

Today, Mr. Speaker, I can proudly stand here before you and say that the District of Port de Grave not only is the fishing industry and economic engine for our region and our Province; the Port de Grave District is a service centre for the people of Conception Bay and Trinity Bay, Mr. Speaker. It hosts the largest town in Conception Bay North, Mr. Speaker.

We have an emerging tourism industry, Mr. Speaker. Ten years ago, if you came to my district, Mr. Speaker, you would not find any evidence of a tourism industry. Today, Mr. Speaker, we have been recognized for fossil discoveries in the towns of Spaniard's Bay and Bishop's Cove. We have dinner theatres, Mr. Speaker. We have museums and trails, and some of the trails have been graded – that is one of the best in the Province. Some of these trails, Mr. Speaker and some of these museums and theatres have received national and international recognition for the quality and for the work that goes into them. I want to congratulate these people. They are driving a new industry in the Port de Grave District, and it is called a tourism industry, Mr. Speaker. People are coming, they are staying, and they are putting money in the economy of the Port de Grave District.

Mr. Speaker, I would be remiss if I did not talk about our business community, because our business community is burgeoning in Port de Grave District. We have the largest independent wholesale distributor in Newfoundland and Labrador, Mr. Speaker: Atlantic Grocery Distributors. Yesterday, Mr. Speaker, they were nationally recognized for being involved with the Canadian Federation of Independent Grocers for fifty years, Mr. Speaker – a burgeoning business that has been going on in our community, our district, and other neighbouring districts for over sixty-five years. These people have contributed over 300 jobs to our district and our region.

Again, small business – anything you want to see, Mr. Speaker. When you come to the Port de Grave District you can get a bit of everything. I encourage people to visit because it is a scenic place to visit.

Mr. Speaker, I want to go back just a couple of minutes to the fishery. The future of the fishery is of enormous importance to the people in my district, Mr. Speaker. I will give you one good example today of why it is. Mr. Speaker, we have to have dialogue. We have to have dialogue from all the people who have influence in our fishery. Mr. Speaker, I fear that if we do not have dialogue we may lose a lot of this industry. We cannot afford to lose any part of this industry, Mr. Speaker, and I want to support, and I have supported Minister King in his efforts and in his encouragement to bring all parties to the table. This is not an easy thing, because – you know what, Mr. Speaker? People are set in their ways, and change never comes easy, but we have to change. The fishery has to change, but we have to have all players at the table to make it change.

Not only make it change, Mr. Speaker, we have to make it change so that it is going to be sustainable for the future of Newfoundlanders and Labradorians, and for the people that want to stay in the fishery, whether it is in Port de Grave district, or on the top of the Northern Peninsula, or on the coast of Labrador, Mr. Speaker.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. LITTLEJOHN: Mr. Speaker, I just want to echo what the Premier said in the Throne Speech. We need to set aside old agendas, and we need to all work together, and we need to address the core problems. If the people are willing, and they come together, I am sure we can address the core problems in the fishery.

Mr. Speaker, in my district it is no different than any other district. We need municipal infrastructure, we need new recreation facilities, we need an increased investment in our emerging tourism sector, and we need those things like most other districts in Newfoundland and Labrador. Mr. Speaker, I want to assure the people of the Port de Grave district I will be working with them and for them to ensure that we do receive our fair share and get the increased investment that we do need to build a great district in Port de Grave.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. LITTLEJOHN: Mr. Speaker, like most areas of the Province, we have seen population growth. In the last four years, the average population growth in our district is a little over 3 per cent. I am very proud to stand here today, Mr. Speaker, and say that along with the Province, we are growing. We are attracting not just old people retiring; we are getting some of those, but we are attracting young families coming to live in the Port de Grave district to raise families, to work, to put money into our economy. Mr. Speaker, they believe in the Port de Grave district, and they believe in the towns and the communities that make up the Port de Grave district. These young families, Mr. Speaker, I hope will be there for a long, long time. I trust if we do the right things, Mr. Speaker, and we provide the amenities that they are looking for, they will stay a long, long time.

Mr. Speaker, as I speak about new families coming, there is something that is happening in our district that has happened - and it is traditional to all Newfoundland and Labrador I would argue. I would argue, Mr. Speaker, that we still have many, many transient workers. We have many, many transient workers who decide to go abroad to seek their livelihood. A lot of it, Mr. Speaker, is pure economics. They can make more money somewhere else than they can make here. Whether that it right or wrong, Mr. Speaker, they do, but they have their homes and they have their families and they are staying in my district. They are staying, they are living. One day they hope to come back, but right now they are not.

I was very, very pleased to see in the Throne Speech, Mr. Speaker, the increase for young apprentices because that was badly needed. We have a number of skilled workers in our district and we need them to get the opportunity to become the journeypersons that they want to be. I believe, Mr. Speaker, with the increased developments in Long Harbour, Bull Arm, Come by Chance and on the offshore, that these young people will see an opportunity to get their journeypersons and stay and work in Newfoundland and Labrador.

Mr. Speaker, as we stand and as I speak to this House today, these are exciting times in our Province. We have a growing population. We have a wonderful strong resource base in our fishing and mining sectors. We have the outlook, the discussion and the debate that is going to be Muskrat Falls, and I believe Muskrat Falls will be good for the people of Newfoundland and Labrador.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. LITTLEJOHN: Mr. Speaker, we will have job opportunities galore for our people and we have an improving infrastructure and transportation system that is allowing people to go to and fro much more easily. Mr. Speaker, there truly is a reason to believe the best is yet to come.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. LITTLEJOHN: In conclusion, Mr. Speaker, all I have ever wanted to do was contribute, whether it was my school, my community or my Province. Mr. Speaker, all I have ever wanted to do was contribute. This is a new challenge, Mr. Speaker, and it is no different than some of the other challenges that I have had in the past. I look forward to working with my colleagues and this government in doing that, Mr. Speaker, contributing in a positive way to making Newfoundland and Labrador a better place.

Mr. Speaker, once again, I am so pleased to be the Member for Port de Grave District and one of the chosen few to sit in this House of forty-eight. I cannot express in words, Mr. Speaker, my gratitude for having this privilege bestowed upon me by the people of my district. Mr. Speaker, I will work for the people of my district, I have an open door, and I look forward to the next four years.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!

The hon. the Government House Leader.

MR. KENNEDY: Yes, Mr. Speaker.

I hesitate to do this with twelve minutes left in the day, but, Mr. Speaker, I move, seconded by the Minister of Advanced Education and Skills, that the House do now adjourn.

MR. SPEAKER: It is moved and seconded that this House –

MR. KENNEDY: Or do we go back into Address in Reply?

MS BURKE: No, it is okay. You can do that.

MR. SPEAKER: It is moved and seconded that this House do now adjourn.

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

All those in favour, ‘aye'.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Aye.

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

Carried.

This House stands adjourned until Monday at 1:30 of the clock in the afternoon.

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