March 31, 2015 HOUSE
OF ASSEMBLY PROCEEDINGS
Vol. XLVII No. 70
The
House met at 1:30 p.m.
MR. SPEAKER (Verge):
Order, please!
Admit
strangers.
Today I
am pleased to welcome to the public gallery the Mayor of St. Brendan's, Her
Worship Veronica Broomfield.
Welcome
to the House of Assembly.
SOME HON. MEMBERS:
Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER:
In actual fact my lovely wife
is up there too, but she said not to mention her.
SOME HON. MEMBERS:
Hear, hear!
Statements by
Members
MR. SPEAKER:
Today we will hear members'
statement from the Members from the District of The Straits White Bay North,
the District of St. John's East, the District of Baie Verte Springdale, the
District of Cartwright L'Anse au Clair, the District of Burgeo La Poile, and
the District of Cape St. Francis.
The hon.
the Member for the District of The Straits White Bay North.
MR. MITCHELMORE:
Mr. Speaker, I rise today to
recognize nine-year-old Hailey Blake of St. Anthony, who became the proud winner
of a country-wide contest held by Cross Country Canada.
Jackrabbits from across the nation were asked to design a picture for the 2016
toques. Hailey put her imagination
to work, her pencils to paper, and designed a brilliant red cup of hot chocolate
incorporating a set of skis that dazzled the judges enough to place her in the
top ten.
It was
then up to fans and peers to hit Facebook and judge the finalists.
Initially a close race, until Natalie Hughes of Aurora Nordic Ski Club,
St. Anthony reached out to ski clubs from across the Province.
Shares turned to likes from across the country, support from her own ski
club and, of course, family and friends helped Hailey come out on top.
Hailey's
design will be on 11,000 toques for all jackrabbits across Canada.
Hailey was very excited for the win, but the humble girl that she is gave
lots of thank yous for all who helped.
I ask
all hon. members to congratulate Hailey Blake, a talented young artist, on her
national accomplishment.
Thank
you.
SOME HON. MEMBERS:
Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER:
The hon. the Member for the
District of St. John's East.
MR. MURPHY:
Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Today I
am happy to tell you about a creative, educational, and award-winning project in
my district. Madame Line Daly's
Grade 6 French Immersion class at Vanier Elementary School in my district of St.
John's East was one of the grand prize winners in this year's Take Charge NL
Kids in Charge contest.
Take
Charge NL challenged elementary school classes to devise a creative,
informative, and fun way to explain why saving energy is important and
demonstrate what to do to save energy.
The contest was sponsored by Newfoundland Power, Newfoundland Hydro, and
the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador; the prize was five iPads for the
classroom, and a pizza party.
SOME HON. MEMBERS:
Hear, hear!
MR. MURPHY:
The Grade 6 class produced a
video modelled after that of old TV standby,
Family Feud.
They asked and answered questions about how to save energy at home and
school, with the contestants answering with examples and reasons why
conservation is so important.
The
students created, produced, and filmed the video themselves, with just a little
guidance from Madame Daly, and, Mr. Speaker, they did it all
en franηais.
Fιlicitations
to Madame Daly's Grade
6 French Immersion class for creatively enforcing the energy conservation
message.
Thank
you very much, Mr. Speaker.
SOME HON. MEMBERS:
Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER:
The hon. the Member for the
District of Baie Verte Springdale.
SOME HON. MEMBERS:
Hear, hear!
MR. POLLARD:
Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
In its
early years, Springdale Stadium was jam packed with the loyal fans and
supporters as the Springdale Braves senior hockey team usually crushed their
opponents, providing exciting entertainment.
In more
recent times, it is also the place to assemble to support the Silver Gliders
figure skating club which, over the years, has contributed immensely to the
recreational and social needs of our tender-hearted youth.
On
Saturday, March 21, I had the pleasure to attend their 2015 program called TRUE
COLORS, as forty-two enthusiastic skaters hit the ice.
Performing to their individual programs, the skaters put proud smiles on the
faces of their family members as they demonstrated poise, flexibility, balance,
and talent.
Senior
coach, Leanne Roberts and Junior coaches, Kendyl Andrews, Melissa Bowers, Olivia
Bowers, Natasha Lawler, Hailey Noseworthy, and Leanne Warford are to be
applauded for their dedicated leadership.
In addition to the sponsors of the event, the parents are to be
recognized for their willingness to support the local club in sacrificial ways.
I ask
all hon. colleagues to help me congratulate President, Paula Strowbridge, and
her executive, and the Silver Gliders Figure skating club for their outstanding
work and commitment.
Thank
you, Mr. Speaker.
SOME HON. MEMBERS:
Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER:
The hon. the Member for the
District of Cartwright L'Anse au Clair.
MS DEMPSTER:
Thank you.
Mr.
Speaker, I rise in this hon. House to recognize the forty-first anniversary of
the Labrador Flag.
The flag
was designed by Mike Martin in 1973 in response to a request from the Government
of Newfoundland and Labrador to adopt a special project commemorating the
twenty-fifth anniversary of Newfoundland and Labrador's Confederation with
Canada.
In the
words of Mr. Martin, it was never meant to be a separatist flag, it was meant
to be a positive symbol of who we were, and are, and hope to be collectively,
all races, religions, and political parties, proud of ourselves and our
heritage.
The
Combined Councils of Labrador first requested to have the Labrador Flag flown at
the borders in 2006, but until yesterday were denied.
In September last year, the residents took matters in their own hands and
the flag has been proudly flying since then.
The
Labrador Flag has been seen in all corners of the world, brought there by proud
Labradorians who appreciate their heritage and the land they call home.
Mr.
Speaker, I ask all hon. members to join me on this day, March 31, in paying
respect to a symbol that proudly unites us as a people, the Labrador Flag.
Thank
you.
SOME HON. MEMBERS:
Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER:
The hon. the Member for the
District of Burgeo La Poile.
MR. A. PARSONS:
Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
I rise
today to congratulate Mr. Chuck Keeping, a member of the band, Big Wreck, on the
group's nomination for a 2015 Juno Award for their album: Ghosts.
Prior to
drumming for Big Wreck, Chuck played with some well-known names, including
Fathead, Jeff Healey, Jeremy Fisher, and Suzie McNeil.
He has opened for Aerosmith, Slash, Motley Crue, Alan Jackson and Great
Big Sea, among others. He has twice
been nominated for drummer of the year at the Canadian Maple Blues Awards.
Chuck, a
native of Port aux Basques, first picked up drumsticks at the age of eleven when
his guitarist father needed a replacement drummer for a booked show.
Chuck graduated from St. James Regional High and continued on to the
Ontario Institute of Audio Recording Technology.
After graduating, he started playing sessions with musicians ranging from
pop to country. He auditioned for
Big Wreck when the band was on its reunion tour three years ago.
Chuck is
the son of a very proud Roy and Norma Keeping of Port aux Basques.
Mr.
Speaker, I ask all members of this House to join with me in extending
congratulations to this multi-talented artist and wish Chuck well with all his
future endeavours.
Thank
you, Mr. Speaker.
SOME HON. MEMBERS:
Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER:
The hon. the Member for the
District of Cape St. Francis.
SOME HON. MEMBERS:
Hear, hear!
MR. K. PARSONS:
Thank you very much, Mr.
Speaker.
I rise
in this hon. House today to congratulate the inductees into the Torbay Sports
Hall of Fame. They are:
Delores
Manning, a member of the Torbay Ladies Chargers team in the 1970s and 1980s who
was a solid two-way player. She was
also an all-star outfielder and third basemen for the Torbay Ladies Fast Pitch
softball league.
Tony
Redmond has a long decorated career in bowling since he started in 1972 at the
YBL league. He holds several
records, both provincially and nationally.
Tony is currently a director and coach with disabled bowlers and helps
organize the sport of bocce.
George
Bursell served as coach and administrator at the St. John's Ladies Hockey League
and minor hockey coach, linesman, and referee in Torbay.
He is now the President of the St. John's Junior Hockey league and
Eastern Director for Junior Hockey NL.
Alex
Byrne, a team captain who helped his team win four Avalon East hockey
championships in the 1970s and 1980s.
Alex was also an all-star shortstop who won several championships in the
Torbay men's league, slo-pitch and mercantile leagues.
He also coached and was an administrator in minor hockey and minor
softball, and also an outstanding bowler.
I ask
all hon. members to join with me in congratulating these inductees into the
Torbay Sports Hall of Fame.
Thank
you, Mr. Speaker.
SOME HON. MEMBERS:
Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER:
Statements by Ministers.
Statements by
Ministers
MR. SPEAKER:
The hon. the Minister of
Business, Tourism, Culture and Rural Development.
SOME HON. MEMBERS:
Hear, hear!
MR. KING:
Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
I will
do my statement in spite of the jest I hear on all sides of the House this
afternoon.
Mr.
Speaker, I rise in the House today to share the enthusiasm I experienced last
week during my participation in the Arctic Technology Conference in Copenhagen,
Denmark.
The
Arctic Technology Conference, which is known as ATC, is a gathering of global
business and academic leaders. The
conference provides an unparalleled opportunity for Newfoundland and Labrador's
best to come together with the industry's finest to share ideas, current
research, and cutting-edge technology.
Mr.
Speaker, with a mature offshore supply and service industry with over 600
companies, all in support of an industry that is operating successfully in
Arctic-like conditions ATC provided the organizations involved with a
tremendous opportunity to demonstrate the fundamental role our Province will
play in future Arctic activity.
Our
government has long recognized Newfoundland and Labrador's extensive
Arctic-related capabilities and expertise.
Newfoundland and Labrador's strategic location, world-class infrastructure, and
waters colder than anywhere else south of the Arctic Circle, make our Province
the ultimate proving ground for developing cutting-edge solutions to operational
challenges in the Arctic.
Our
strong ocean technology cluster was well represented in Copenhagen, Mr. Speaker.
I led a total of nineteen companies, including ones such as: Oceanic
Consulting, GRI Simulations, C-Core, Canatec, Intecsea, Memorial University,
Subsea 7, Fugro, and Provincial Aerospace.
Mr.
Speaker, we are quite proud of the delegates that participated in this important
conference, and even prouder that Newfoundland and Labrador will host this
conference in St. John's next year.
As the
ideal staging ground for Arctic-related activities, Newfoundland and Labrador is
the path to the Arctic and hosting ATC in 2016 will further establish this
position in the international community.
The
conference will provide an international platform for Newfoundland and
Labrador's ocean technology sector and bring greater awareness to the Province's
research and development in emerging technologies, extraordinary marine
infrastructure, as well as bring attention to local leading-edge companies
operating in the sector.
The
world's most comprehensive Arctic event, Mr. Speaker, we anticipate that ATC
will draw more than 1,000 delegates and more than 100 exhibitors from around the
world.
I look
forward to welcoming delegates to our Province so they can see first-hand the
world-class capabilities we have right here in Newfoundland and Labrador and the
extensive potential we have in the ocean technology sector.
Thank
you.
SOME HON. MEMBERS:
Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER:
The hon. the Member for
Trinity Bay de Verde.
MR. CROCKER:
Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
I thank
the minister for an advance copy of his statement.
We are happy to hear that Newfoundland and Labrador was well represented
by academia and industry at the Arctic Technologies Conference.
We very must look forward to hosting the conference here in Newfoundland
and Labrador next year.
Mr.
Speaker, Newfoundland and Labrador is geographically positioned to be the
gateway to the North. Unfortunately,
this government has missed opportunity after opportunity for our Province to
capitalize on our location.
We can
look to Nova Scotia who won a $25 billion contract to build vessels under the
federal government's National Shipbuilding Procurement Strategy.
While Nova Scotia is wining $25 billion contracts, this government cannot
even successfully implement a ferry replacement strategy.
We have
also have the two Coast Guard marine communications and traffic centres in St.
Anthony and St. John's slated to close; the two busiest centres in the Province.
The
minister says his government has long recognized Newfoundland and Labrador's
extensive Arctic-related capabilities and experience, what they fail to do is
maximize on those capabilities.
Thank
you, Mr. Speaker.
SOME HON. MEMBERS:
Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER:
The hon. the Member for St.
John's East.
MR. MURPHY:
Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
I also
thank the minister for the advance copy of his statement here in the House
today.
SOME HON. MEMBERS:
Oh, oh!
MR. SPEAKER:
Order, please!
MR. MURPHY:
Congratulations for getting
the Arctic Technology Conference and its members to come here; that is no easy
feat. So, congratulations to
government for that, but we are also hoping to hear about the interesting
SOME HON. MEMBERS:
Oh, oh!
MR. SPEAKER:
Order, please!
MR. MURPHY:
advancements in
technologies in northern environments as well.
In the
statement comes a focus on our offshore supply and service, which are mostly oil
related. We also hope that there is
also going to be a focus on protecting the fragile Arctic environment, as much
as there is a focus on exploiting it.
We have that duty to future generations, Mr. Speaker, to protect it.
Thank
you very much.
MR. SPEAKER:
The hon. the Minister of
Service Newfoundland and Labrador.
SOME HON. MEMBERS:
Hear, hear!
MR. CRUMMELL:
Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Mr.
Speaker, I rise in this hon. House to note the conclusion of Fraud Prevention
Month. This occasion is recognized
throughout Canada each March to raise awareness of the dangers of all types of
fraud, and to provide information that helps people protect themselves against
it.
Mr.
Speaker, as part of Fraud Prevention Month, jurisdictions across Canada promote
Check Registration Day. Observed
this year on March 18, this annual event was created by the Canadian Securities
Administrators to guard against investment fraud.
It encourages consumers to check the registration of any investment
service provider before engaging their services.
Mr.
Speaker, Service NL, in partnership with other Canadian Securities
Administrators, will only register firms and individuals that meet specific
qualifications and standards.
Knowing if a service provider is registered confirms whether an individual or
company is authorized to sell investments or offer investment advice.
Consumers can check for registration quickly by using the National Registration
search engine at
www.aretheyregistered.com,
or by contacting the Financial Services Regulation Division of Service NL at
709-729-2602.
Mr.
Speaker, the Consumer and Commercial Affairs Branch of Service NL is dedicated
to protecting the people of our Province from all types of fraud, and makes
information and resources available to keep Newfoundlanders and Labradorians
informed. I encourage everyone to
visit the Service NL website, where they will find useful information that helps
protect consumers throughout the Province, including a list of all currently
licensed or registered financial service providers.
The
consumer protection services provided by our government play an important role
in realizing our vision for a prosperous Newfoundland and Labrador.
Through regulation and information sharing, we help protect the interests
of consumers across a wide range of financial activities.
As Fraud Prevention Month concludes, I encourage people throughout the
Province to learn more about the risks associated with various types of fraud
that take place, and to avail of the information and services we provide to stay
informed and protect themselves.
Thank
you, Mr. Speaker.
SOME HON. MEMBERS:
Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER:
The hon. the Member for Mount
Pearl South.
MR. LANE:
Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
I thank
the minister for an advance copy of his statement.
I, and my colleagues, would like to join the minister in recognizing
Fraud Protection Month. This is an
important occasion, as we are too often hearing about victims of fraud, who
often are seniors.
Service
Newfoundland and Labrador, through its Consumer and Commercial Affairs Branch
may be dedicated, as the minister says, to informing people about such frauds.
However, the department has been falling down on the job when it comes to
consumer protection.
Whether
it be the failure to implement payday loan legislation, whether it be the
failure to protect purchasers of pre-paid funerals by not collecting audited
statements, whether it be the removal of requirements for insurance audits and
I might add that was done without consultation with the insurance brokers
whether it be failure to place food safety inspections for public food
preparation areas online, or whether it be failure to amend the Residential
Tenancies Act, it is fine for the minister to stand up here, talk about consumer
protection, but it is quite another thing to actually act.
Thank
you, Mr. Speaker.
SOME HON. MEMBERS:
Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER:
The hon. the Member for St.
John's East.
MR. MURPHY:
I, too, would also like to
thank the minister for the advance copy of his statement in the House here
today, Mr. Speaker. I am glad to see
the government is informing us of these online resources that we can check to
see if an investment service provider is legitimate.
We would, however, like to see government support more outreach to
protect seniors who are targets of fraudsters trying to get their money and
personal data, using such things as phoney prizes, services, or information to
get their foot in the door of some of these seniors.
Not
every senior has access to a computer and many have difficulty navigating the
system, Mr. Speaker. Groups such as
the Seniors Resource Centre help seniors learn how to spot scams and identity
thief and protect themselves. They
need more resources to do this important work, Mr. Speaker.
I hope that is going to be a consideration of this government in the
upcoming Budget.
Thank
you very much.
SOME HON. MEMBERS:
Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER:
The hon. the Minister of
Natural Resources.
SOME HON. MEMBERS:
Hear, hear!
MR. DALLEY:
Mr. Speaker, I rise in this
hon. House to highlight the 2015 Call for Bids announced today by the
Canada-Newfoundland and Labrador Offshore Petroleum Board.
This is
the first Call for Bids under the scheduled land tenure regime in our offshore
area. The Call for Bids consists of
eleven parcels and a total of 2.5 million hectares in the Eastern Newfoundland
Region. The minimum bid for each
parcel offered is $10 million in work commitments.
The new
land tenure regime is a huge step forward in the Province's offshore industry.
It was developed based on global best practices from leading exploration
jurisdictions and through discussion with stakeholders.
With the
new regime, transparency and predictability are ensured for companies interested
in doing business in our offshore industry.
Exploration companies will now have additional time to evaluate petroleum
prospects, conduct geoscientific work, and prepare for the Call for Bids
process.
The new
regime is already creating a strong interest among present players in the
Province and it is proving to be particularly beneficial to those companies
contemplating business in our Province.
The
petroleum industry as a whole continues to generate tremendous benefits to this
Province. In 2014 alone there was
$3.4 billion spent in this Province, and close to 12,000 Newfoundland and
Labrador residents employed at peak.
Through
Nalcor, we continue to promote our oil and gas potential through seismic work
which is providing us with a better understanding of what lies beneath our
offshore subsurface. This work is
attracting the attention of the global oil and gas industry.
In 2014, working with globally recognized partners TGS and PGS, Nalcor
acquired 37,500 kilometres of multi-client two dimensional seismic.
This is the most data captured offshore Newfoundland and Labrador in a
single year since 1983. The seismic
program is one of the largest ongoing offshore 2D seismic programs in the world
today. Multi-client seismic data is
available to explorers through licensing arrangements with TGS.
Continued exploration activity will help to sustain growth and development,
while supporting long-term economic and employment opportunities for
Newfoundlanders and Labradorians.
Mr.
Speaker, the initiatives I am outlining today, including the move to the new
land tenure regime and our commitment to offshore exploration are consistent
with our government's long-term Energy Plan.
I look forward to seeing the results of the Call for Bids announced today
and to continuing efforts in offshore exploration to sustain economic prosperity
in Newfoundland and Labrador.
Thank
you, Mr. Speaker.
SOME HON. MEMBERS:
Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER:
The hon. the Leader of the
Official Opposition.
MR. BALL:
Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
The Call
for Bids in the new land tenure regime in the offshore, we see this as something
that we support. This is a positive
initiative that we see coming and we look forward to the results that come from
this. As we know, as Newfoundlanders
and Labradorians, oil will always be a major component of our economy for years
to come. How we spend that oil money
to diversify our economy will be extremely important.
It was
just three months ago, on December 12, 2014, when the partnership comprised of
ExxonMobil, Suncor, and ConocoPhillips paid a record $559 million for a large
piece of land in the Flemish Pass.
Of course, we look forward to that because that is really a new basin for us as
Newfoundlanders and Labradorians.
Last
week we just heard at the Nalcor AGM, the importance of seismic and the work
that is being done with that. That
really is data we can use to attract further exploration and more industry to
our Province; $250 million of that was invested in 2011 to 2015, $45 million
being Nalcor's share. That data is
extremely important to us, but what is also important is that Newfoundlanders
and Labradorians will continue to be the primary beneficiaries of that, and the
offshore will always be a safe place for Newfoundlanders and Labradorians to
work.
Thank
you, Mr. Speaker.
SOME HON. MEMBERS:
Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER:
The hon. the Member for
Signal Hill Quidi Vidi.
MS MICHAEL:
Thank you very much, Mr.
Speaker.
I too
thank the minister for the advance copy of his statement.
The new land tenure system is indeed an improvement.
We are all excited about recent finds in the Flemish Pass.
Hopefully this latest call for bids will see more interest in exploration in our
offshore. Some are saying the
Flemish Pass is the next North Sea.
Here's hoping.
Meanwhile, I hope the minister is doing his homework.
There are very serious unresolved environmental issues regarding
deepwater drilling. These have to be
faced. There is also the issue of
who pays the United Nations fees on oil drilled outside of Canada's 200-mile
limit, just to name a couple that we face in the future oil industry
development.
Thank
you very much, Mr. Speaker.
MR. SPEAKER:
Oral Questions.
Oral Questions
MR. SPEAKER:
The hon. the Leader of the
Official Opposition.
MR. BALL:
Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
On
November 27, Nalcor provided an update on their winter readiness and launched
the We Are Winter Ready ad campaign.
That campaign cost $400,000. That
was ironically on the same day that this government announced a freeze on
discretionary spending.
I ask
the Premier: Do you approve of Nalcor spending $400,000 on a winter readiness ad
campaign?
MR. SPEAKER:
The hon. the Minister of
Natural Resources.
SOME HON. MEMBERS:
Hear, hear!
MR. DALLEY:
Mr. Speaker, last January
2014, the Province went through a very difficult time with respect to power
outages. There was a considerable
cry for some answers.
As a
government we wanted answers, and we said we would get answers.
We have also gotten answers in an action plan.
Through internal reviews, independent reviews, the Public Utilities
Board, Liberty, there were some eighty-two recommendations put forward that
Hydro has accepted, Mr. Speaker.
Within those recommendations was a strong message that we needed more
communications.
I think
we all agree the importance of informing people.
The efforts here, Mr. Speaker, of money being spent, were all a part of
the process to improve the system and improve communications.
MR. SPEAKER:
Order, please!
SOME HON. MEMBERS:
Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER:
The hon. the Leader of the
Official Opposition.
MR. BALL:
Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
The
minister's comments did not address one thing.
Nalcor was not winter ready and failed to their first test actually on
March 4, 2015. They failed to
communicate with the public even though they knew there were issues hours before
the power was cut.
I ask
the Premier: How do you justify allowing Nalcor to spend $400,000 of taxpayers'
money in Newfoundland and Labrador when they obviously were not winter ready?
MR. SPEAKER:
The hon. the Minister of
Natural Resources.
SOME HON. MEMBERS:
Hear, hear!
MR. DALLEY:
Mr. Speaker, I will remind
the Leader of the Opposition you cannot have it two ways.
You cannot come out and criticize a company for not communicating, not
being prepared, and then when they go and spend the money and do the work, Mr.
Speaker, to blame them for spending money when they are actually trying to do
what is expected of them.
SOME HON. MEMBERS:
Oh, oh!
MR. SPEAKER:
Order, please!
MR. DALLEY:
With respect to the system,
Mr. Speaker, we are dealing with a very complex system: 15,000 kilometres of
power lines, 2,000 megawatts of power generation, over 800 employees working.
We have nine hydroelectric stations, gas turbines.
We have diesel stations. We
have fifty-four high voltage stations, Mr. Speaker, a very complex system that
is old. There will be breakdowns.
I say to the people of the Province, what is important here is that we
deal with that and we make sure they respond appropriately.
MR. SPEAKER:
Order, please!
SOME HON. MEMBERS:
Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER:
The hon. the Leader of the Official Opposition.
MR. BALL:
Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Well,
with all respect to the people of Newfoundland and Labrador, when you are going
to spend $400,000 on an ad campaign you should be ready and be able to support
what the ad campaign is saying.
After
the DarkNL debacle, Nalcor introduced a new notification protocol.
They committed to informing the public in advance of significant issues
within the system. On March 4, they
failed to communicate significant issues that led to the blackouts.
I ask
the Premier: Why didn't Nalcor follow their own protocol which was part of the
$400,000 ad campaign?
MR. SPEAKER:
The hon. the Minister of
Natural Resources.
SOME HON. MEMBERS:
Hear, hear!
MR. DALLEY:
This has been acknowledged, Mr. Speaker, by Newfoundland and Labrador Hydro, and
the recommendations that have come from all the reviews that have been made, the
importance of communication not only to their stakeholders, but certainly in
working with the other utility, Newfoundland Power as well.
They have implemented a new system, and I
acknowledge that some tweaks have to be made with that new system.
We have acknowledged that.
Secondly, Mr. Speaker, March 4, the generation was available.
The plan was to start up the new CT.
They had a glitch in the morning, Mr. Speaker, but a few hours shortly
after that they had it rectified.
The
problem, Mr. Speaker, any time the power is out it is inconvenient for people.
We have to recognize that, and we fully expect Hydro to implement these
new measures and to ensure that the system is reliable for all of Newfoundland
and Labrador.
SOME HON. MEMBERS:
Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER:
The hon. the Leader of the
Official Opposition.
MR. BALL:
Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
I will
ask the minister a very frank question: Do you support the communications that
Hydro put out on March 4, 2015? Is
that acceptable to you? Because it
seems that it is.
MR. SPEAKER:
The hon. the Minister of
Natural Resources.
SOME HON. MEMBERS:
Hear, hear!
MR. DALLEY:
Mr. Speaker, unlike the
Leader of the Opposition, who time and time again stands here, time and time
again with information attacking some of the very Newfoundlanders and
Labradorians who are putting this system in, Mr. Speaker
SOME HON. MEMBERS:
Oh, oh!
MR. SPEAKER:
Order, please!
MR. DALLEY:
Time and time again, Mr.
Speaker, we have stood here. We have
seen the incredible amount of work that is done, we have seen the money that is
spent, Mr. Speaker. We have seen the
work that has gone on with the Public Utilities Board and I think everybody
understands the complexity of what goes on.
When
there is an issue, Mr. Speaker, they respond to it as they should.
They report it as they should.
I will say and give people the commitment, as minister and as a
government, we are going to make sure Hydro continues to do that, Mr. Speaker.
SOME HON. MEMBERS:
Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER:
The hon. the Leader of the
Official Opposition.
MR. BALL:
Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Well, we
are in no way attacking Newfoundlanders and Labradorians.
What we are doing, however, I say to the minister, is protecting
Newfoundlanders and Labradorians from more blackouts and more outages.
SOME HON. MEMBERS:
Hear, hear!
MR. BALL:
So I ask the Minister: Are
you okay with what happened on March 4, 2015?
Just say yes or no.
SOME HON. MEMBERS:
Oh, oh!
MR. SPEAKER:
Order, please!
The hon.
the Minister of Natural Resources.
SOME HON. MEMBERS:
Hear, hear!
MR. DALLEY:
Mr. Speaker, I am never okay
when the power goes off. I am like
every other Newfoundlander and Labradorian.
The power goes out, we have a problem and we have a history in this
Province, Mr. Speaker. This is not
new. It is not new to the people of
the Province for the power to go out.
What we
are seeing, Mr. Speaker, is improved investments of $209 million last year on
generation, transmission, and distribution.
What we are seeing is an investment in a combustion turbine to provide an
additional 123 megawatts of power.
What we are seeing is a new communication plan.
That is being brought forward and being worked on.
What we are seeing, Mr. Speaker, is Newfoundlanders and Labradorians
stepping up to the challenge and delivering for the people of the Province.
SOME HON. MEMBERS:
Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER:
The hon. the Leader of the
Official Opposition.
MR. BALL:
Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Two
weeks ago I asked if taxpayers in Newfoundland and Labrador or Astaldi of Italy
were on the hook for additional costs at Muskrat Falls.
At that point, the minister said he would get back, that he would check
it out.
So I ask
the minister: Who is on the hook for the extra costs?
Is it Newfoundlanders and Labradorians or is it Astaldi?
MR. SPEAKER:
The hon. the Minister of
Natural Resources.
SOME HON. MEMBERS:
Hear, hear!
MR. DALLEY:
Mr. Speaker, I thought I
answered that question yesterday.
The
contract with Astaldi is a lump-sum contract.
As I have said before, there are various types of contracts with so many
different contractors at the Muskrat Falls site, but with Astaldi it is lump
sum. They have a scope of work to
do, Mr. Speaker, and within that scope of work they have to deliver for the
price that they are being paid.
MR. SPEAKER:
The hon. the Leader of the
Official Opposition.
MR. BALL:
Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Well,
speaking of contracts with Astaldi, our access to information request for
Astaldi's contract was over ninety pages, completely withheld or other partially
redacted.
I ask
the Premier: In the spirit of openness and accountability, that you say is the
direction you want to take your government in, why don't you do the right thing,
release the contract with Astaldi?
MR. SPEAKER:
The hon. the Minister of
Natural Resources.
SOME HON. MEMBERS:
Hear, hear!
MR. DALLEY:
Mr. Speaker, again, we have
addressed those issues a number of times.
We have made a full commitment to the people of the Province that when it
is appropriate and it is not commercially sensitive, we will release those
documents, Mr. Speaker. There are
still ongoing contracts and work being done at Muskrat Falls.
In the
spirit of openness and transparency, Mr. Speaker, since the leader brought it
up, I am sure we would all be delighted to see the list of names at the $10,000
a plate dinner that Brian Tobin arranged for him.
In the spirit of openness and transparency, maybe he can share that with
the people of the Province.
SOME HON. MEMBERS:
Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER:
Order, please!
The hon.
the Leader of the Official Opposition.
MR. BALL:
Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
I can
assure you now, those people who joined us at the dinner went there willingly.
That information will be available to the people of the Province.
Mr.
Speaker, the new Access to Information law will require government to prove why
information is redacted. It is then
up to the Privacy Commissioner to see if the information will be released.
I ask
the Premier: In the spirit of these new recommendations, will you make Nalcor
justify the redactions to the Privacy Commissioner?
MR. SPEAKER:
The hon. the Minister of
Natural Resources.
SOME HON. MEMBERS:
Hear, hear!
MR. DALLEY:
Mr. Speaker, here we go
again. They want it both ways, Mr.
Speaker.
They
want to put pressure on about cost pressures and schedule pressures about the
project. They want to stand here day
after day and criticize the project, even though the Member for Virginia Waters
said: This is not a nice to do; this is a must do.
We must built Muskrat Falls, was what the Member for Virginia Waters said
when she was a part of the Nalcor board.
SOME HON. MEMBERS:
Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER:
Order, please!
MR. DALLEY:
You cannot have it two ways,
Mr. Speaker. You cannot criticize
over here around cost pressures but at the same time expect Nalcor or government
to release information that could potentially increase the cost of Muskrat
Falls. We are not going to do it,
Mr. Speaker.
SOME HON. MEMBERS:
Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER:
The hon. the Leader of the
Official Opposition.
MR. BALL:
Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
You talk
about speaking out of two sides of their mouth.
We have a government here who claims to be open and transparent.
They are already on record as saying there are scheduling pressures.
They are already on record as saying there is a dome up there that is now
doomed. Pouring concrete in the
summer should not be anything new in Newfoundland and Labrador.
You have advanced over $100 million.
You have increasing members on Nalcor.
Why will
you not release this contract?
MR. SPEAKER:
The hon. the Minister of
Natural Resources.
SOME HON. MEMBERS:
Hear, hear!
MR. DALLEY:
Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the
fact that the member just outlined a lot of things that we are making public to
the people of the Province. The fact
is our commitment that we would share what is going on in Muskrat Falls is
absolute, and we make that commitment.
He has also pointed out a number of things we are providing the
necessary oversight, Mr. Speaker, on Muskrat Falls.
What we
will not do is jeopardize the cost of Muskrat Falls, because the reality is the
ratepayers of Newfoundland and Labrador are going to pay that cost.
We are not prepared, for the sake of the Leader of the Opposition looking
for information that is commercially sensitive, we will not risk the ratepayers
of Newfoundland and Labrador.
If you
want to be open and transparent, give us the names of the $10,000 a plate
dinner.
SOME HON. MEMBERS:
Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER:
Order, please!
The hon.
the Member for Burgeo La Poile.
MR. A. PARSONS:
Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
I am
sure there are a few members on the other side who would like to know the next
time we have a dinner.
Early
diagnosis is the most powerful tool to make a difference in the life of a child
with autism. The number of children
being diagnosed with autism in our Province continues to climb.
Mr. Speaker, 106 were diagnosed in 2010, 125 in 2012, and 146 last year.
As of July, there were 331 children waiting up to eighteen months for OT
services after they have been diagnosed with autism.
I ask
the minister: Is this acceptable?
MR. SPEAKER:
The hon. the Minister of
Health and Community Services.
SOME HON. MEMBERS:
Hear, hear!
MR. KENT:
Mr. Speaker, the member
opposite raises a very important issue.
We want to make sure there is timely access for services for children
with autism and other developmental disabilities, not only autism.
That is a high priority for the Department of Health and Community
Services as well.
That is
why we have added new staffing positions to try and address some of the needs.
We have invested money in new programs and services, including additional
funding for the Applied Behavioural Analysis Program.
Specifically related to wait-time management, we have undertaken a number of
initiatives in recent years that have seen a decrease in average wait times in a
number of areas. We are going to
continue to work on this, Mr. Speaker.
SOME HON. MEMBERS:
Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER:
The hon. the Member for
Burgeo La Poile.
MR. A. PARSONS:
Mr. Speaker, as always, this
government constantly touts the money that they are putting into autism.
However, professionals are telling us that the problem is not the money,
it is how it is being spent. Health
care is not talking to education.
Education does not talk to health care.
It is time for a new approach.
I ask
the minister: Why haven't you put a provincial autism strategy in place to deal
with this growing problem?
MR. SPEAKER:
The hon. the Minister of
Education and Early Childhood Development.
SOME HON. MEMBERS:
Hear, hear!
MS SULLIVAN:
Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
As you
can see, the minister and I absolutely do work together.
So you just might want to take note of that over on the other side.
Mr.
Speaker, autism certainly is an issue in Newfoundland and Labrador that we are
very, very concerned about. We know
the incidence is on the rise.
SOME HON. MEMBERS:
Oh, oh!
MR. SPEAKER:
Order, please!
MS SULLIVAN:
That is why we have taken
opportunity to put new supports in place, Mr. Speaker.
A broad range of supports: itinerants, speech-language pathologists,
educational psychologists, guidance counsellors, special education teachers, our
IRTs with additional training, when necessary alternate transportation systems
have been approved, assistive technology, and so on.
We continue to work and we will continue to meet the needs.
MR. SPEAKER:
Order, please!
SOME HON. MEMBERS:
Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER:
The hon. the Member for
Burgeo La Poile.
MR. A. PARSONS:
Again, Mr. Speaker, it is
apparent that the minister has no idea what is going on in the front lines, what
we are hearing from parents and front-line workers.
The
Federation of School Councils is calling on government to implement secure
treatment for youth whose addiction issues pose a threat to their own or other's
safety. Government said last year it
would draft legislation in the summer of 2014 to protect the rights of youth
receiving secure treatment.
Given
this government's absolute lack of legislation currently on the agenda, I ask
the minister: Why haven't you introduced the secure treatment legislation?
MR. SPEAKER:
The hon. the Minister of
Health and Community Services.
SOME HON. MEMBERS:
Hear, hear!
MR. KENT:
Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
The
member has raised yet another important issue.
The secure treatment legislation that he is referring to is in the works.
It is something that we are working on within the Department of Health
and Community Services. We are
consulting with a number of stakeholders.
There
have been some questions and concerns raised as part of that process that we are
trying to address. This is a very
significant piece of legislation and we want to get it right.
It is still on our agenda, and I would hope over the next year that we
can bring that legislation forward.
SOME HON. MEMBERS:
Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER:
The hon. the Member for St.
John's South.
MR. OSBORNE:
Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
The
Supreme Court almost seven years ago upheld an earlier decision of the
arbitration board to compensate employees affected by the 2005 closure of
thirteen provincial highway depots.
The arbitration board again, two-and-a-half years ago ordered redress for
those employees. These workers have
proven their case and government owes them wages.
I ask
the minister: Why has government failed to meet its obligations and compensate
employees affected by the closure of these depots?
MR. SPEAKER:
The hon. the Minister of
Transportation and Works.
SOME HON. MEMBERS:
Hear, hear!
MR. BRAZIL:
Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
We take,
very diligently, the work that is being done by our employees, Mr. Speaker.
In the closure of these depots a number of years ago, we were in complete
compliance with the collective agreement at the time.
This
process is still before the courts, Mr. Speaker, and the process will unfold.
Once it unfolds, then this Administration will rectify it based on the
ruling of the courts.
Thank
you, Mr. Speaker.
SOME HON. MEMBERS:
Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER:
The hon. the Member for St.
John's South.
MR. OSBORNE:
Mr. Speaker, the court has
ruled. The arbitration board has
ruled. The decision is clear:
Government owes them the money. It
is not still before the courts.
Back in
December when I asked the same issue, the Minister of Finance said government
would respect the decision of the arbitration board, move forward, and make the
appropriate adjustments. Over three
months later, and still nothing has happened to compensate these employees.
Why has
government dragged its heels on this issue?
Mr. Speaker, I ask why these workers still have to wait.
They have been waiting over ten years for compensation.
MR. SPEAKER:
The hon. the Minister of
Transportation and Works.
SOME HON. MEMBERS:
Hear, hear!
MR. BRAZIL:
Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
There is
a process that is being followed here.
It is very complex. We want
to ensure that the employees who are entitled to restitution there will indeed
get that restitution. This process
is unfolding, and there will be decisions and there will be payouts made over
the next number of months, Mr. Speaker.
SOME HON. MEMBERS:
Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER:
The hon. the Member for
Trinity Bay de Verde.
MR. CROCKER:
Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
In the
2011 Blue Book, government promised to develop an online BUYNL catalogue to
showcase locally manufactured products.
I ask
the minister: Where is the catalogue?
MR. SPEAKER:
The hon. the Minister of
Business, Tourism, Culture and Rural Development.
SOME HON. MEMBERS:
Hear, hear!
MR. KING:
Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
To be
very frank, I cannot answer the question; I have no idea where that issue is.
I can say to the member, I spent a considerable amount of time during my
tenure in this department, as I know my predecessors did, in encouraging people
to shop and spend their money within the Province, and encouraging those outside
of the Province to have some inward investment into the Province, as I was doing
over the last number of days outside of Newfoundland and Labrador, Mr. Speaker.
To the
member's question, I will certainly endeavour to find out an update on the
status of that and get back to you.
SOME HON. MEMBERS:
Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER:
The hon. the Member for
Trinity Bay de Verde.
MR. CROCKER:
Mr. Speaker, clearly
manufacturing and export are not priorities of this government.
The export directory on the department's website was last updated in
2008, includes a message from the former Minister Trevor Taylor, and lists
Abitibi-Consolidated as an exporter in our Province.
I ask
the minister: Do you plan on updating the directory any time soon?
MR. SPEAKER:
The hon. the Minister of
Business, Tourism, Culture and Rural Development.
SOME HON. MEMBERS:
Hear, hear!
MR. KING:
Mr. Speaker, it is
unfortunate
SOME HON. MEMBERS:
Oh, oh!
MR. SPEAKER:
Order, please!
MR. KING:
if all that the member
opposite is relying on for his research is a little bit of online information.
It is too bad he is not actually engaging
SOME HON. MEMBERS:
Oh, oh!
MR. SPEAKER:
Order, please!
MR. KING:
with the Canadian
Manufacturers & Exporters association, whom I am meeting with later today, along
with a number of my colleagues, Mr. Speaker.
Because if he engaged with them, he would find a completely different
picture of the engagement of this government and this government's track record
over the last ten years on working with small and medium enterprises.
He could find out very clearly, as is the colleague sitting next to him
can attest, about the investments we have made in the tourism and hospitality
industry for small- and medium-sized businesses.
Members of this House personally, in some respects, have benefited from
that.
MR. SPEAKER:
Order, please!
SOME HON. MEMBERS:
Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER:
The hon. the Member for St.
George's Stephenville East.
MR. REID:
Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
The
review of the Province's Lands Act, which is currently underway, provides a
discussion guide to encourage participation.
One of the items not mentioned in the guide is the issue of designating
Crown lands for agricultural purposes.
I ask
the minister responsible for agriculture: Will the ongoing review consider
proposals which would see agricultural uses of Crown land given a higher
priority so it can become easier for farmers to access Crown lands in the
future?
MR. SPEAKER:
The hon. the Minister
Responsible for the Forestry and Agrifoods Agency.
SOME HON. MEMBERS:
Hear, hear!
MR. GRANTER:
Mr. Speaker, I understand
there is a separate review taking place with that particular issue.
I will get the details of that and report back to the hon. member where
we are on that review.
SOME HON. MEMBERS:
Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER:
The hon. the Member for St.
George's Stephenville East.
MR. REID:
Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Food
shortages are nothing new in our Province.
Recent bad weather in the Gulf has left lots of store shelves empty.
The Province's Food Security Network says we do not produce enough of our
food and we have only two or three days of supply of fresh vegetables at any
given time.
I ask
the minister: When this review is complete, will it make it easier for local
farmers to access Crown land so they can increase production of food in our
Province?
MR. SPEAKER:
The hon. the Minister
Responsible for the Forestry and Agrifoods Agency.
SOME HON. MEMBERS:
Hear, hear!
MR. GRANTER:
Mr. Speaker, as people would
know, the Province is self-sufficient in milk and eggs in the Province.
In actual fact, Mr. Speaker, some of our products in excess, we ship
outside the Province.
We all
understand the challenges we face here in the Province, especially with the ice
conditions as it was this past winter and the previous winter, but there are a
number of programs in our department which look at food security.
In fact, Mr. Speaker, the work that is being done at Grenfell Campus of
Memorial University, with the research that is taking place there, we all look
forward to a greater food security in the Province.
Our department in forestry and agrifoods is looking at that.
Over the
years to come, Mr. Speaker, we will continue to invest in the food security of
the Province.
Thank
you very much.
SOME HON. MEMBERS:
Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER:
The hon. the Member for
Conception Bay South.
MR. HILLIER:
Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Mr.
Speaker, last week government employees were asked to complete an electronic
survey on poverty reduction. Phase
II of the Poverty Reduction Strategy is now four years late.
In November, 2012, the minister responsible said Phase II was coming very
soon.
I ask
the minister: Will you show some accountability and commit to a release date for
the Poverty Reduction Strategy? Soon
does not cut it.
MR. SPEAKER:
The hon. the Minister of
Seniors, Wellness and Social Development.
SOME HON. MEMBERS:
Hear, hear!
MR. JACKMAN:
Mr. Speaker, I am very
pleased to say that I cannot remember the exact date.
Just a matter of a few weeks ago there was a summit held in the city
around poverty reduction. I believe
there were some-ninety to 100 people who some of the people who were there
live with this issue day in and day out.
As a result of all of that and a follow up now to that summit, Mr.
Speaker, we have that document in preparation.
I would expect that it will be coming out within the next month or the
next couple of months, Mr. Speaker.
SOME HON. MEMBERS:
Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER:
The hon. the Member for
Conception Bay South.
MR. HILLIER:
Mr. Speaker, despite the fact
that we are touting ourselves as a have Province, and despite the fact that to a
person, government members spent last week bragging about how they had so wisely
spent $20 billion.
SOME HON. MEMBERS:
Oh, oh!
MR. SPEAKER:
Order, please!
MR. HILLIER:
I ask the minister: How can
you justify Newfoundland and Labrador still having the highest unemployment rate
amongst provinces and still having the highest food bank usage in the country at
twice the national average?
MR. SPEAKER:
The hon. the Minister of
Seniors, Wellness and Social Development.
SOME HON. MEMBERS:
Hear, hear!
MR. JACKMAN:
Mr. Speaker, I just would
like to point out to the member that our Poverty Reduction Strategy, since we
have been in government
SOME HON. MEMBERS:
Oh, oh!
MR. SPEAKER:
Order, please!
MR. JACKMAN:
an investment of $1 billion.
SOME HON. MEMBERS:
Oh, oh!
MR. SPEAKER:
Order, please!
MR. JACKMAN:
Mr. Speaker, $1 billion in
poverty reduction.
SOME HON. MEMBERS:
Hear, hear!
MR. JACKMAN:
I would point out, Mr.
Speaker, that in terms of unemployment records, 2014
SOME HON. MEMBERS:
Oh, oh!
MR. SPEAKER:
Order, please!
MR. JACKMAN:
was the second-lowest unemployment rate in Newfoundland since has been record
in 1976, 2013 being the lowest unemployment rates that this Province has had.
SOME HON. MEMBERS:
Hear, hear!
MR. JACKMAN:
Mr. Speaker, it speaks to
what is happening in the Province, very positive results.
SOME HON. MEMBERS:
Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER:
The hon. the Member for The
Straits White Bay North.
MR. MITCHELMORE:
Mr. Speaker, government says
it is committed to proactive disclosure of information; however, upon receiving
the public library board minutes, which I accessed through an ATIPP request, I
was disappointed to find that many of those minutes were redacted.
I ask
the minister: If the minutes of a public library board meeting were redacted,
where does your government truly stand on proactive disclosure?
MR. SPEAKER:
The hon. the Minister of
Education and Early Childhood Development.
SOME HON. MEMBERS:
Hear, hear!
MS SULLIVAN:
Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Mr.
Speaker, he is referring to something from the public information libraries
board. That is not something that I would
be responsible for from the perspective of knowing how they would respond to
outside inquiries. However, I will
certainly ask them what their position is with regard to that.
SOME HON. MEMBERS:
Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER:
The hon. the Member for
Signal Hill Quidi Vidi.
MS MICHAEL:
Thank you very much, Mr.
Speaker.
Today is
the first anniversary of the expiry of the federal-provincial Health Accord.
In its place, the Harper government has imposed a new formula for federal
funding that has already cost this Province $22.4 million and will cost $491
million over a decade.
I ask
the Premier: Has he done anything to defend Newfoundland and Labrador from this
deep and unfair cut in federal health care funding?
SOME HON. MEMBERS:
Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER:
The hon. the Minister of
Finance and President of Treasury Board.
SOME HON. MEMBERS:
Hear, hear!
MR. WISEMAN:
Mr. Speaker, obviously when
any interruption of the flow of funding from the federal government to the
Province it will have an impact on our Province.
Not just ours though, this is something that is affecting every province
in the country.
It is
something that has been talked about by Health Ministers, it is something that
has been talked about by Finance Ministers, and talked about by Premiers I say,
Mr. Speaker. This is an issue that
affects an entire country. It is a
decision that the federal government has made.
Unfortunately, we are in a position now today where we need to make an
adjustment to accommodate and adjust our budgets accordingly.
SOME HON. MEMBERS:
Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER:
The hon. the Member for
Signal Hill Quidi Vidi.
MS MICHAEL:
Thank you very much, Mr.
Speaker.
Well, in
all of those meetings of ministers and first ministers, et cetera, I ask the
Premier: In speaking with the other provinces, have they taken a stand against
the new federal funding formula which threatens the viability of our health care
system? How strongly did they stand
against Prime Minister Harper?
MR. SPEAKER:
The hon. the Minister of
Finance and President of Treasury Board.
SOME HON. MEMBERS:
Hear, hear!
MR. WISEMAN:
Mr. Speaker, many times in
the House members opposite stand and talk about what this government will do on
any front in terms of making representation to the federal government.
One of
the things we have experienced over the last number of years is regardless of
how compelling an argument we may make, regardless of how strongly we may make
an argument, regardless of how many allies we may have in joining us in making
an argument with the federal government on many fiscal fronts and on many policy
fronts, we have absolutely no control of what that federal government will do.
We,
unfortunately, find ourselves in a position as provinces, that we find ourselves
reacting frequently to decisions the federal government make and we need to
adjust our issues accordingly.
SOME HON. MEMBERS:
Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER:
The hon. the Member for St.
John's East.
MR. MURPHY:
Mr. Speaker, again this year
the Canadian Automobile Association is having a contest asking drivers for
Canada's worst roads. Two roads are
on that list from Newfoundland and Labrador.
These same roads were on the list from two years ago.
I ask
the minister: Why wasn't something done about these roads before now?
MR. SPEAKER:
The hon. the Minister of
Transportation and Works.
SOME HON. MEMBERS:
Hear, hear!
MR. BRAZIL:
Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
We have
10,000 kilometres of road in this Province, Mr. Speaker.
We have a very harsh terrain.
We spend more money per capita than any other province in this country to ensure
our roads are safe and to try to bring them up to Canadian grades.
Our 900 staff who go out every day in adverse weather to improve the
safety of our roads here are second to none, Mr. Speaker.
I would
love to be able to do every road, every year, but we have to look at the
necessity of where people are travelling, how we maintain those roads, bring
them up to par, and make sure that we can continue to keep our roads safe, and,
Mr. Speaker, our employees do that every day.
Thank
you, Mr. Speaker.
SOME HON. MEMBERS:
Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER:
The hon. the Member for St.
John's East.
MR. MURPHY:
Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Last
year in the Budget they projected to collect $183 million in road taxation but
only a little over $80 million was put back in.
I ask
the minister: Why the difference if the money was there?
MR. SPEAKER:
The hon. the Minister of
Transportation and Works.
SOME HON. MEMBERS:
Hear, hear!
MR. BRAZIL:
Again, Mr. Speaker, I
reiterate. We have put in more per
capita than any other province in this country, keeping in mind the terrain
here. We may not get the same return
because of the additional work that has to be done on our roads to maintain them
and bring them up to par to get them ready for paving and get them ready for
grading.
Again,
when it comes to our spring thaw here, this is perhaps the worst time for our
roads. Our staff are out there doing
everything to keep the roads maintained until we can further invest, further put
contracts out to the private sector, and further improve our roads here for the
people of this Province.
Thank
you, Mr. Speaker.
SOME HON. MEMBERS:
Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER:
The hon. the Member for St.
John's East.
MR. MURPHY:
Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Even the
Auditor General could not find evidence of a plan for roads and bridges in the
Province. Why doesn't the government have a plan to address road and bridge
maintenance and repair? We have
already seen that the government has the money, why aren't they owning up to the
people who are consuming fuels in this Province?
MR. SPEAKER:
The hon. the Minister of
Transportation and Works.
SOME HON. MEMBERS:
Hear, hear!
MR. BRAZIL:
Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Mr.
Speaker, we have a daily plan, as I mentioned earlier; 900 of our valued
employees go out every day to maintain our roads.
Let's talk about bridges; we have done over 100 bridges that we have
replaced at a value of $100 million over the last number of years, and we are
continuing to invest millions of dollars a year in road replacement and in
bridge improvements.
We are
committed to this. Our roads program
is second to none in this country, and we continue to do that.
We have a strategy; it happens every day.
Mr. Speaker, stay tuned for a long-term strategy around how we improve
the roads and bridges in this Province.
Thank
you.
SOME HON. MEMBERS:
Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER:
Order, please!
The time
for Question Period has expired.
Presenting Reports by Standing and Select Committees.
Tabling
of Documents.
SOME HON. MEMBERS:
Oh, oh!
MR. SPEAKER:
Order, please!
Tabling of
Documents
MR. SPEAKER:
The hon. the Government House
Leader.
MR. KING:
Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
I am
pleased to rise today to table the Strategic Plan for the years 2014-2017 on
behalf of the Department of Justice and Public Safety.
MR. SPEAKER:
Further tabling of documents?
The hon.
the Minister of Seniors, Wellness and Social Development.
MR. JACKMAN:
Mr. Speaker, in accordance
with the Transparency and Accountability Act, it is my pleasure to table the
2014-2017 Strategic Plan for the Department of Seniors, Wellness and Social
Development.
MR. SPEAKER:
Further tabling of documents?
Notices
of Motion.
Answers
to Questions for which Notice has been Given.
Petitions.
Petitions
MR. SPEAKER:
The hon. the Member for St.
John's North.
MR. KIRBY:
To the hon. House of Assembly
of the Province of Newfoundland and Labrador in Parliament assembled, the
petition of the undersigned residents of Newfoundland and Labrador humbly
sheweth:
WHEREAS
many parents have expressed concern about the impact of overcrowding at Beachy
Cove Elementary on the student's mental and physical well-being; and
WHEREAS
many parents have questioned the impact of major space restrictions at Beachy
Cove Elementary and the ability of the school to continue delivering quality
curriculum to their growing student population; and
WHEREAS
many parents have expressed concern about government's prolonged timelines to
plan, tender, and construct the approved intermediate (Grade 5-9) school in
Portugal Cove-St. Phillips;
WHEREUPON the undersigned, your petitioners, humbly pray and call upon the House
of Assembly to urge government to provide all necessary resources in Budget 2015
and beyond to have Portugal Cove-St. Phillips intermediate school constructed,
commissioned, and operational for students in September 2016.
As in
duty bound, your petitioners will ever pray.
Mr.
Speaker, there are 100 or more signatures on this petition again today.
There is more coming I understand.
The situation in Portugal Cove-St. Phillips is symptomatic of the
situation that exists across the Northeast Avalon on a band that roughly goes
from Mount Pearl right down to Torbay.
It does not only exist here on the Northeast Avalon.
There are schools overcrowding in other communities; for example, in Deer
Lake in the Leader of the Official Opposition, the Member for Humber Valley's
district, and other districts in the Province in other schools.
Last
night the Newfoundland and Labrador English School District made a decision to
bus kids from Paradise all the way down to the former Newfoundland School for
the Deaf because government has failed to plan in that community for schools
construction. As I said before, it
is sort of ironic, we were at a meeting out in CBS a while back, and ten minutes
before the meeting was scheduled to begin, the Department of Transportation and
Works issued a press release promising the construction of a school, which was
subject to that meeting, for 2016.
There
are five or six schools that have been committed to for that for September of
that year. Parents are very
concerned about government's timelines on this.
This
school was committed to four years ago now.
We still do not have a tender issued for this school.
Parents are wondering when it is going to happen.
The Minister of Transportation and Works, who represents many of the
people in that community, said that he is hopefully optimistic that it is going
to be constructed for 2016. It is
not going to happen if he does not issue the tender, Mr. Speaker.
Thank
you.
MR. SPEAKER:
The hon. the Member for
Carbonear Harbour Grace.
MR. SLADE:
Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
To the
hon. House of Assembly of the Province of Newfoundland and Labrador in
Parliament assembled, the petition of the undersigned residents humbly sheweth:
WHEREAS
the community of Bristol's Hope is expressing ongoing concern regarding the need
to making repairs to Beach Road which has been severely damaged by storm waves
and this has caused major concerns to the community of Bristol's Hope as it
pertains to fire protection and safety; and
WHEREAS
the lack of repair by government constitutes a fire and safety hazard to the
community since the residents will be trapped if a fire ever took place; and
WHEREAS
this damaged roadway is also creating an environmental concern, as the Atlantic
Ocean has washed over the roadway and out into a freshwater pond where the fish
in this pond are; and
WHEREAS
this area serves as a caplin run area each year which attract a great many of
local residents and tourists to the site;
WHEREAS
the federal government refuses to assist with this repair, as they deem there is
no associated fishing activity to justify investment;
WHEREUPON the undersigned, your petitioners, humbly pray and call upon the House
of Assembly to urge government to respond to pleas from the community residents
to have this road repaired to previous condition, to urge government to repair
the road.
As in
duty bound, your petitioners will ever pray.
Now, Mr.
Speaker, this is several times since I have brought this petition here.
I am just going to use one; there are several issues here into it.
The most important issue of all that is in this, is it is a heavy wooded
area. There are a fair number of
homes down there. This road not
being there any more and which, by the way, the Department of Transportation
looked after that road, kept that road in shape up until that point in time.
A few years back they gave up on that one, and they also gave up on the
one down in Freshwater.
So, Mr.
Speaker, that is the most important concern here: the escape route for those
people. If they happen to get nipped
in there, of course there are going to be all kinds of problems.
Now, Mr.
Speaker, I just wanted to ask a question here of somebody, and for somebody to
explain to me that if I took a backhoe and I went down in Bristol's Hope and
start infilling a pond, would I not be stopped by the Department of Environment
or one of the other departments over there?
I think I would be stopped fairly quickly.
Yet, this continues on, and the infilling of the pond continues on, and
nobody over there seems to care. It
is absolutely amazing when I sit here and I present this petition day after day.
Mr. Speaker, it is about the safety of the residents in Bristol's Hope.
Thank
you very much, Mr. Speaker.
MR. SPEAKER:
The hon. the Member for St.
Barbe.
MR. J. BENNETT:
Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
A
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 cellphone service in the Town of Trout River, which is an enclave
community in Gros Morne National Park; and
WHEREAS
visitors to Gros Morne National Park, more than 100,000 annually, expect to
communicate by cellphone when they visit the park; and
WHEREAS
cellphone service has become a very important aspect of everyday living for
residents; and
WHEREAS
cellphone service is an essential safety tool for visitors and residents; and
WHEREAS
cellphone service is essential for business development;
WHEREUPON the undersigned, your petitioners, humbly pray and call upon the House
of Assembly to partner with the private sector to extend cellphone coverage
throughout Gros Morne National Park and the enclave community of Trout River.
And as
in duty bound, your petitioners will ever pray.
Mr.
Speaker, since I began presenting copies of this petition, more and more people
have signed it. In this case, the
first name is somebody from Dartmouth, Nova Scotia who was visiting who wanted
to sign the petition.
Not only
have I done that, I have approached Bell Mobility to find out if Bell Mobility
had any interest whatsoever in extending cellphone service throughout Gros Morne
National Park. I was quite satisfied
to find that, yes, they were very interested.
In fact,
through my office, at their request, we scoped out various areas in the park
where cellphones could be installed, where there were already services
available, and where there were already towers.
We were able to identify there is a tower on Cow Head.
That tower is owned by Bell Aliant.
SOME HON. MEMBERS:
Oh, oh!
MR. SPEAKER:
Order, please!
MR. J. BENNETT:
The tower that is owned by
Bell Aliant could be partnered with Bell Mobility.
They prepared a proposal and put it to government.
All of
the people who visit Gros Morne National Park from approximately Martin's Point
right on down through Cow Head, all of the people who take the beautiful boat
tour who have no cellphone service today would have cellphone service if
government would simply partner with Bell Mobility and help them install that
cellphone transmitter on a tower which already exists in Cow Head.
SOME HON. MEMBERS:
Oh, oh!
MR. SPEAKER:
Order, please!
MR. J. BENNETT:
Mr. Speaker, this government
is showing absolutely no interest whatsoever in partnering with the private
sector. It is all talk, talk, talk
when it comes to extending coverage throughout the Province.
Meanwhile, they just hide their heads and provide no service whatsoever.
SOME HON. MEMBERS:
Oh, oh!
MR. SPEAKER:
Order, please!
MR. J. BENNETT:
Once again, I call on
government to partner with the private sector to look for solutions to cellphone
service in Gros Morne National Park.
The people last week who were trapped in a snow bank with no cellphone service,
they could not very well access a Province-wide 911 service even though they are
paying for it on their phone bill.
They sat in a snow bank. They could
easily have cellphone service, but this government has no interest in advancing
cellphone coverage throughout this Province.
Thank
you, Mr. Speaker.
MR. SPEAKER:
The hon. the Member for
Trinity Bay de Verde.
MR. CROCKER:
Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
To the
hon. House of Assembly of the Province of Newfoundland and Labrador in
Parliament assembled, the petition of the undersigned humbly sheweth:
WHEREAS
many communities in the District of Trinity Bay de Verde do not have cellphone
coverage; and
WHEREAS residents of the district require cellphone coverage to ensure their
safety and communications abilities; and
WHEREAS
cellphone coverage on many portions of the highway in the district is very poor
or non-existent;
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 adequate cellphone coverage throughout the
entire District of Trinity Bay de Verde.
And as
in duty bound, your petitioners will ever pray.
Thank
you, Mr. Speaker, for the opportunity this afternoon to enter this petition on
behalf of my constituents and the people of the District of Trinity Bay de
Verde. We just heard the Member for
St. Barbe talk about the issues of cellphone coverage in his district and we
hear the Member for Burgeo La Poile on a regular basis also talking about the
cellphone issues in his district.
If we
look at it, Mr. Speaker, in 2015 and the conditions we have had this winter with
people being stranded on highways.
There are three main routes in Trinity Bay de Verde.
There is Route 74, Route 70, and Route 80.
Nowhere on any of those three routes can you access adequate cellphone
coverage. We are all now paying for
911 through the seventy-five cents that each and every one of us pays on our
cellphone bill, our kid's cellphone bill and seventy-five cents on your home
line.
Mr.
Speaker, government often talks about how this is a federal responsibility.
No one is disputing it is a federal responsibility.
It is interesting; the government has not taken the initiative on
cellphone coverage in our Province.
I am
going to refer to an ATIPP request, Mr. Speaker, dated March 13, 2015.
This request was quite simple.
The requester asked for any briefing notes regarding cellphone coverage
in Newfoundland and Labrador since January 1, 2014.
So about fourteen months ago.
This person wanted to know what the government of the Province was doing with
regard to cellphone coverage.
Well,
Mr. Speaker, the answer was quite clear: through our search we have found no
responsive records that directly address your request.
In fifteen months there was no activity in the Department of Business,
Tourism, Culture and Rural Development, or ITRD, whatever the department was
fourteen months ago. There was no
activity identified in the ATIPP request of what the government had been doing
with regard to cellphone coverage.
Obviously, the government is not talking to the federal government about
cellphone coverage. Even though it is a
federal responsibility, our government should be at least advocating on behalf
of the citizens of our Province.
Mr.
Speaker, government does have a role to play.
MR. SPEAKER:
Order, please!
MR. CROCKER:
I appreciate the opportunity
to enter this petition.
MR. SPEAKER:
I remind the member his time
has expired.
The hon.
the Member for St. John's Centre.
MS ROGERS:
Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
To the
hon. House of Assembly of the Province of Newfoundland and Labrador in
Parliament assembled, the petition of the undersigned residents of Newfoundland
and Labrador humbly sheweth:
WHEREAS
the Family Violence Intervention Court provided a comprehensive approach to
domestic violence in a court setting that fully understood and dealt with the
complex issues of domestic violence; and
WHEREAS
domestic violence continues to be one of the most serious issues facing our
Province today and the cost of the impact of domestic violence is great, both
economically and in human suffering; and
WHEREAS
the Family Violence Intervention Court was welcomed and endorsed by all aspects
of the justice system including the police, courts, prosecutors, defence
counsel, Child, Youth and Family Services, as well as victims, offenders,
community agencies, and women's groups; and
WHEREAS
the recidivism rate for offenders going through the court was 10 per cent
compared to 40 per cent for those who did not; and
WHEREAS
a budget for the court was only 0.2 per cent of the entire budget of the
Department of Justice;
WHEREUPON the undersigned, your petitioners, humbly pray and call upon the House
of Assembly to urge government to reinstate the Family Violence Intervention
Court.
And as
in duty bound, your petitioners will ever pray.
Mr.
Speaker, I stand yet again. I should
have been keeping track of how many times I have stood in this House and
presented this petition. I see it as
an opportunity to do some education in the House in terms of making sure that
every MHA here in this House of Assembly understands the importance of the
court, the impact that it has on people's lives, and the impact that it has on
our justice system.
One of
the issues we know is that the Family Violence Intervention Court makes it safer
for women and children who are predominantly the victims of domestic violence.
I would like to explain how it does that.
Mr.
Speaker, this is how it makes it safer for women.
The reason it makes it safer for women is that there is constant contact
with the offender. First of all, it
is not just any for short I will say that most offenders in the court are
male. For a man to be able to take
advantage of and go through the Family Violence Intervention Court, he has to
first admit his guilt. So he stands
up in a court of law and he says I admit my guilt; I take full responsibility
for what I have done.
Then
there is a risk assessment done by a specialist who assesses whether or not he
would be a good candidate for this court, or whether or not his violence is to
the point where the woman or children are in danger.
If the risk assessor feels that there is not likely a chance of
re-offence, then that offender is admitted to a program.
In that program he has to attend a therapy session for a period of a
number of months and constantly is in contact with the court.
That is how it makes it safer for women.
MR. SPEAKER:
Order, please!
MS ROGERS:
Thank you very much, Mr.
Speaker.
MR. SPEAKER:
Order, please!
The hon.
the Member for Burgeo La Poile.
MR. A. PARSONS:
Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
I have a
petition to the hon. House of Assembly of the Province of Newfoundland and
Labrador in Parliament assembled, the petition of the undersigned residents
humbly sheweth:
WHEREAS
the Applied Behaviour Analysis, ABA program, for children with autism is funded
by the Department of Health; and
WHEREAS
the program was introduced in 1999 and is in serious need of revision; and
WHEREAS
with the advances made in early diagnosis of autism, the number of
high-functioning children being diagnosed with autism has drastically increased;
and
WHEREAS
the current ABA program does not take into account that children on the autism
spectrum are involved in many educational, recreational and social activities
outside of the home; and
WHEREAS
the current ABA program requires that the therapist be accompanied at all times
by another adult which is not only inconvenient but can be quite costly when a
parent is unable to be that second adult due to work or other obligations; and
WHEREAS
the current ABA program ends at Grade 3 but autism is a lifelong social
disorder;
WHEREUPON the undersigned, your petitioners, humbly pray and call upon the House
to urge the government to implement a review of the ABA program with
considerations given to alternate programming options, and to extend autism
programming beyond Grade 3.
Now, Mr.
Speaker, I have stood up on a number of occasions and entered this petition, and
I enter it today with some special significance given that this Thursday
unfortunately, we will not be in the House, but this Thursday is World Autism
Awareness Day.
SOME HON. MEMBERS:
Oh, oh!
MR. SPEAKER:
Order, please!
MR. A. PARSONS:
Members of this caucus were
very proud to stand today and take pictures to recognize how we would like to
assist in that cause, because this is an issue that is a growing problem in this
Province. By problem, I mean the
number of children being diagnosed is increasing very significantly year over
year, yet we do not seem to see any changes as to how we treat this, how we
handle it. In fact, there is
absolutely no strategy whatsoever.
Whenever
we ask a question on this, the answer we get back again, that is a loose term
here, answer. What we get back is,
well, we have spent this money, we have spent that money.
The problem is if you talk to the people within the system they will say
money is not the issue, the plan is the issue.
We need to treat this differently.
I can
tell you when you talk to front line providers, when you talk to parents, when
you talk to educators, health care people, they say, we do not know what is
going on in the other system. They
are completely 'siloed.' One hand
does not know what the other is doing.
So, the
first thing that we should see is some co-operation between the two departments.
I do not know if it was a sign of irony today, that when I asked a
question the ministers did not know who should answer.
That just goes to show what is going on in those two departments.
There is absolutely no collaboration whatsoever.
We are seeing no changes. It
applies to so many things
SOME HON. MEMBERS:
Oh, oh!
MR. SPEAKER:
Order, please!
MR. A. PARSONS:
We could get into the
legislation, but again that is something else.
Anyway,
Mr. Speaker, I am happy to stand here today and bring up this issue.
It is getting bigger. The
numbers diagnosed have increased drastically.
So until we see a plan from government which I do not think they plan
on bringing a plan out we are going to continue on this same path, with lots
of money being invested and children waiting eighteen months after diagnosis to
get OT, which is completely unacceptable.
Thank
you, Mr. Speaker.
MR. SPEAKER:
Order, please!
I would
ask all members, please, for their co-operation.
There is an awful lot of noise in the House of Assembly today, and I
would ask members for their co-operation.
The hon.
the Member for Cartwright L'Anse au Clair.
MS DEMPSTER:
Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
To the
hon. House of Assembly of the Province of Newfoundland and Labrador in
Parliament assembled, the petition of the undersigned humbly sheweth:
WHEREAS
most communities in the District of Cartwright L'Anse au Clair do not have
cellphone coverage; and
WHEREAS
residents of coastal Labrador require cell coverage to ensure their safety and
communications abilities; and
WHEREAS
the opening of the Trans-Labrador Highway has increased their dependency on
mobile communications;
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 along the Trans-Labrador
Highway and to communities in coastal Labrador.
As in
duty bound, your petitioners will ever pray.
Mr.
Speaker, I had the opportunity to present this petition yesterday and to speak
about the area where I live, the seventeen or eighteen communities.
There are probably only a couple of communities in that area that have
cellphone coverage. It is a large
district. When you leave Red Bay,
you can head on down the stretch to Goose Bay and you have 600 or 700 kilometres
that has absolutely nothing, other than the exception of two depots that you can
pull into and you may pick up Wi-Fi.
Mr.
Speaker, while we recognize that telecommunications is an area of federal
jurisdiction, it was very disheartening to just hear my colleague on a prior
petition reference the fact that, to date, right now the provincial government
has not done anything of asking the federal government to commit money to this
area to try and address a lot of these gaps that are existing.
SOME HON. MEMBERS:
Oh, oh!
MR. SPEAKER:
Order, please!
MS DEMPSTER:
I found it very interesting;
Mr. Speaker, I was looking at some stats.
According to Bell Mobility, recent statistics show that approximately 25
per cent of roads in Labrador have cell coverage.
I am going to go back, Mr. Speaker, I was not aware of that until a few
minutes ago, and I am going to ask him to provide the list because I believe it
is much less than that.
We have
a lot of road in Labrador. We have a
lot of big land, but we do have serious accidents.
We have loss of lives on the highway, like we have seen just recently.
You have people waiting for hours and hours and hours, because unless
someone comes along with a satellite phone, you have a six, seven, eight-hour
stretch of road there, often subject to inclement weather conditions and you
have absolutely no communications on that.
As I
said, I spent most of Thursday night dealing with a moose on that stretch of
road. I did not get home until 4:00
a.m. after I was rescued. So just
another little reason, I guess, of why we need some form of communication when
we are driving the Trans-Labrador Highway.
Thank
you, Mr. Speaker.
SOME HON. MEMBERS:
Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER:
The hon. the Member for St.
John's East.
MR. MURPHY:
Thank you very much, Mr.
Speaker.
To the
hon. House of Assembly of the Province of Newfoundland and Labrador in
Parliament assembled, the petition of the undersigned residents of Newfoundland
and Labrador humbly sheweth:
WHEREAS
Tordon 101 contains the chemicals 2, 4-D and Picloram; and
WEHREAS
the chemical Picloram is a known cancer causing carcinogen; and
WHEREAS
the provincial government has banned the cosmetic use of the pesticide 2, 4-D;
and
WHEREAS
safer alternatives are available to the provincial government for brush clearing
such as manual labour, alternative competitive seeding methods and/or mechanical
removal of brush; and
WHEREAS
the provincial government is responsible for ensuring the safety and well-being
of its citizens;
WHEREUPON the undersigned, your petitioners, humbly pray and call upon the House
of Assembly to urge government to cease the use of chemicals covered under its
own cosmetic pesticide ban and begin using safer methods of brush clearance that
will not place its citizens in harm's way.
And as
in duty bound, your petitioners will ever pray.
Mr.
Speaker, I am standing on behalf of the people of Bonavista in this particular
instance. I thank them for signing
this petition and sending it in, as well as some of the residents of
Stephenville, Black Duck Siding, and Kippens who have chosen to let government
know again their displeasure with the fact that chemicals are being used on the
roadside brush clearing. There are
better ways of doing it.
Mr.
Speaker, about two years ago, I think it was, when I first became aware they
were using these chemicals and that the ban of course had come into effect, I
had to note that at that particular time going down the Trans-Canada Highway
just outside Clarenville there were some gentlemen running around all over the
place without, it looked like, the full protective gear on and spraying these
chemicals around. It was quite
something. At that particular time I
think we took pictures and that became public.
There were some concerns that arose from that.
I wonder
if those people who were spraying these chemicals knew exactly what they were
ingesting, the possibility of these chemicals that they were ingesting, and how
their health is now, and how their health is going to be in the future.
I wonder if they asked themselves that question, Mr. Speaker.
If in the future because of breathing in some of these chemicals that are
used on roadside brush clearing, I wonder do they have that time bomb going on
that they are probably going to become fully aware of in another ten years from
now.
The
possibility is there, Mr. Speaker.
That is why I bring up the concern about these chemicals that are being brought
into the environment. We have a
duty, and government has a duty whenever it puts a plan together.
One of those plans includes health, another plan hopefully, according to
the minister when he says stay tuned for a road maintenance program coming up,
hopefully that is going to involve a plan that is going to be eliminating the
use of dangerous chemicals on our roadside.
Mr.
Speaker, again I want to thank the people of Bonavista for their role and
participation in this particular petition, as well as the people of the
immediate Port au Port and Stephenville area for their role in helping to get
that message to government.
Thank
you very much, Mr. Speaker.
SOME HON. MEMBERS:
Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER:
The hon. the Member for St.
George's Stephenville East.
MR. REID:
Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
I have a
petition related to Internet access at a high school in the Codroy Valley.
Mr. Speaker, the petition reads:
We, the
undersigned staff and students of the Belanger Memorial of the Codroy Valley,
within St. George's Stephenville East district, draw the attention of the
House to the following:
WHEREAS
our recent upgrade of ten megabits of bandwidth is insufficient to the needs of
our school. We are unable to
complete the tasks of our education in an acceptable manner.
Please refer to the attached list of issues identified by staff and
students of the school;
WHEREUPON we, the undersigned petitioners, humbly pray and call upon the House
of Assembly to urge government to increase our bandwidth to 100 megabits, the
equivalent to that of other schools in the Province.
Mr.
Speaker, this petition has been signed by people, students in the school from
Doyles, from Codroy, from St. Andrew's, from South Branch, Upper Ferry,
O'Regan's, Tompkins, Searston, Millville, and other communities in the Codroy
Valley.
The
issues that the students at the school and the staff there at the school have
with the Internet not being adequate are that it takes too long to get connected
to the Internet
SOME HON. MEMBERS:
Oh, oh!
MR. SPEAKER:
Order, please!
MR. REID:
It is difficult to conduct
research because the time it takes to download pages.
It is difficult to copy images.
It is hard to download files needed to create presentations.
The speed of the download makes it difficult to present in class, to use
more than one application at a time, and to use iPads for class activities.
Also,
students cannot participate in CDLI, online classes because of audio delays.
So, there are a number of issues there.
Students also have difficulty doing simple things like sending
attachments. Students are often late
in roll calls in online courses due to the time it takes them to log on.
Educational videos and clips cannot be streamed.
Teachers cannot avail of certain professional development videos that
they need to advance their skills.
Some course content such as You Be The Judge component of the Canadian law
course is not available to these students.
Another issue is time-sensitive messages are sometimes delayed because of
the speed of access at the school.
Overall,
the results are that students at this school are not getting the type of
education they need to be technologically competent and advance their skills,
their needs in a high-tech world. I
ask the minister to contact officials in her department to look into this.
MR. SPEAKER:
Order, please!
I remind
the member his time has expired.
SOME HON. MEMBERS:
Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER:
The hon. the Member for The
Straits White Bay North.
MR. MITCHELMORE:
Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
To the
hon. House of Assembly in the Province of Newfoundland and Labrador in
Parliament assembled, the petition of the undersigned residents in Newfoundland
and Labrador humbly sheweth:
WHEREAS
Route 434, Conche Road, is 17.6 kilometres of unpaved road; and
WHEREAS
the current road conditions are deplorable; and
WHEREAS
the Canadian Automobile Association ranked Route 434 the seventh worse road in
Atlantic Canada; and
WHEREAS
it is government's obligation to provide basic infrastructure to all
Newfoundlanders and Labradorians; and
WHEREAS
an improved paved road would enhance local business, fish processing operations
and tourism, which is vital to the health of the communities affected;
We, the
undersigned, petition the House of Assembly to urge the government to allocate
funds in the provincial roads program to pave Route 434.
As in
duty bound, your petitioners will ever pray.
Mr.
Speaker, since I have been elected, I have been petitioning, I have been raising
the issue of paving Route 434. I have written letters to many, many Ministers of
Transportation and Works. One of the
former Ministers of Transportation and Works committed and said that it was this
government's, across the way here, intention to pave Route 434.
The
people of Conche and the users of that highway are losing confidence in this
government that they are going to live up to their commitment.
The documentation that I have, shows that it would cost $2.3 million to
pave the 17.6 kilometres of road.
This government has made plans in the past but certainly abandoned them, like we
have seen with strategies.
In the
mid-2000s about $6 million was allocated to rebuild and realign this gravel
road, yet studies will show that if you do not put the blacktop on, you are
losing materials, there are amounts of dust, the impact for health and safety of
residents, where there is no cell coverage on that highway or even in the
community.
By not
paving this road or even committing to a multi-year plan to pave, you are
hindering the economic development that is happening in a vibrant town.
The people have spoken by putting out a Facebook group called the Face of
Disgrace highway; CAA, it is still ranked the seventh worse road; it has been in
the media on CBC, on NTV, and in local papers.
People
are very outspoken and upset about the lack of attention that this government
has given the town and people of Conche in past plans when they have paved the
road in failed chip seal, keeping the 25 per cent payment when there was a 75-25
per cent split for municipal roads and that failed after two years, government
had to come back in and require another 10 per cent and repave those roads in
the town. Then they repaved another
five kilometres of roads within the town itself under the failed program that
was under the provincial responsibility.
Mr. Speaker, this will not be the last time that I present this petition,
unless we see a commitment.
Thank
you, Mr. Speaker.
SOME HON. MEMBERS:
Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER:
Order, please!
Orders
of the Day.
Orders of the Day
MR. SPEAKER:
The hon. the Government House
Leader.
MR. KING:
Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
I would
like to call from the Order Paper, Order 2, third reading of a bill, An Act To
Amend The Provincial Court Act, 1991, Bill 43.
It is so
moved by me, seconded by the Minister of Municipal and Intergovernmental
Affairs, that the said bill be now read the third time.
MR. SPEAKER:
Order, please!
It is
moved and seconded that the said bill be now read a third time.
Is it
the pleasure of the House to adopt the motion that the said bill be now read a
third time?
All
those in favour, 'aye.'
SOME HON. MEMBERS:
Aye.
MR. SPEAKER:
All those against, 'nay.'
Carried.
CLERK:
A bill, An Act To Amend The
Provincial Court Act, 1991. (Bill
43)
MR. SPEAKER:
This bill has now been read a
third time and it is ordered that the bill do pass and its title be as on the
Order Paper.
On
motion, a bill, An Act To Amend The Provincial Court Act, 1991, read a third
time, ordered passed and its title be as on the Order Paper.
(Bill 43)
MR. SPEAKER:
The hon. the Government House
Leader.
MR. KING:
Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
At this
point in time I am pleased to share with the House that we will be doing a
Speech from the Throne on April 21.
At this point it brings to a close this formal legislative agenda for
government.
I am
going to move that the House adjourn, seconded by the Minister of Fisheries and
Aquaculture, for the Easter break.
We will resume on April 21, which is a Tuesday.
We will commence with a closing out of the session and the Speech from
the Throne.
MR. SPEAKER:
Order, please!
The hon.
the Government House Leader, on April 21, will we be meeting at 11:00 a.m. to
prorogue?
MR. KING:
Yes, Mr. Speaker.
AN HON. MEMBER:
Are you sure it is the
twenty-first?
MR. KING:
I hear one of my colleagues
questioning if it is the twenty-first.
I stand to be corrected, but I believe the day is the Tuesday and Monday
is a holiday so the twenty-second?
MR. SPEAKER:
The twenty-first.
AN HON. MEMBER:
(Inaudible).
MR. KING:
I do not have any.
It is the Tuesday when we normally come back, the twenty-first.
So we will meet in the morning to prorogue, Mr. Speaker, that is correct,
and then the Speech from the Throne in the afternoon.
MR. SPEAKER:
The motion is that this House
do now adjourn.
SOME HON. MEMBERS:
Oh, oh!
MR. SPEAKER:
Order, please!
The
motion is that the House do now adjourn until Tuesday, April 21, at 11:00 a.m.
All
those in favour, 'aye.'
SOME HON. MEMBERS:
Aye.
MR. SPEAKER:
All those against, 'nay.'
Carried.
On motion, the House at its rising adjourned until Tuesday, April 21, at 11:00 a.m.