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March 12, 2020                    HOUSE OF ASSEMBLY PROCEEDINGS                Vol. XLIX No. 33

The House met at 1:30 p.m.

MR. SPEAKER (Reid): Order, please!

Admit strangers.

In the Speaker's gallery today, I want to welcome Alex Saunders, Inuk author and sea captain from Labrador.

Welcome, Sir.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER: In the public gallery, I welcome level II students from Gonzaga High School, accompanied by their teachers, Gillian Browne and Cynthia Manning.

Welcome today.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

Statements by Members

MR. SPEAKER: Today we will hear Members' statements by the hon. Members for the Districts of Exploits, Windsor Lake, Grand Falls-Windsor - Buchans, Lake Melville and Harbour Main.

The hon. Member for Exploits.

MR. FORSEY: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, on Saturday, March 7, I had the opportunity to attend the retirement party of Gerald Ellis after 38 years of service with the Bishop's Falls Volunteer Fire Department.

Mr. Speaker, commitment from these volunteers is important 24 hours a day. These firefighters attend many emergencies such as house fires, forest fires and accidents. The department also partners with other community groups for fundraisers and awareness.

Mr. Ellis was an excellent member of the fire department who has given his time and dedication. This certainly is recognized by his fellow firefighters.

Mr. Speaker, I ask all Members of this House of Assembly to join me in congratulating Mr. Gerald Ellis on his retirement from the Bishop's Falls Fire Department and thank him for his service.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Member for Windsor Lake.

MR. CROSBIE: Thank you, Mr. Speaker

Myles Murphy has been an advocate for the deaf community in Newfoundland and Labrador for decades. He was one of the first deaf students from the province to study at Gallaudet University for the deaf in Washington, DC. In 2005, he established, coordinated and instructed the first literacy program for deaf adults in St. John's.

Mr. Murphy provides an essential connection between the deaf community and the health care system in Newfoundland and Labrador, and recently collaborated with Memorial University's school of medicine on two groundbreaking research studies: one focused on palliative care for deaf people and the other explored how deaf people express physical pain.

Mr. Murphy is heavily involved with local and national disability organizations, including the Provincial Advisory Council for the Inclusion of Persons with Disabilities, and advisory councils on inclusion and accessibility. He received the Queen's Golden Jubilee Medal, the Queen's Diamond Jubilee Medal, the Newfoundland and Labrador Association of Deaf Leadership Award and Award of Merit from the Canadian Association of the Deaf and a National Award from the Council of Canadians with Disabilities.

Thank you.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Member for Grand Falls-Windsor - Buchans.

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

I rise to recognize a group that is near and dear to my heart: the Exploits Hurricanes. I recognize all the athletes and coaches from my district but one group has definitely stood out this year: the Exploits Hurricanes curling team.

Last year, the team won at the Newfoundland and Labrador Games held in Grand Falls-Windsor; a weekend filled with fun and competition. After winning the gold there, the Exploits curling team practised every week above and beyond their regular time at the curling club. They did so with pride and excitement.

On February 23, the team received the most amazing jacket from NL Curling, a surprise that gave them the confidence and put them in a wining frame of mind. On February 24 the team attended the opening ceremonies at the National Games in Thunder Bay, Ontario. The team was so pumped and ready to get going. Their hard work earned them a Special Olympics National gold medal performance and memories for a lifetime.

On February 29, 2020, my good friends from Team Newfoundland and Labrador: Tony Kyritsis, Margaret MacNeil, Kimberly O'Neill, Gary Wicks, skip Joshua Gardner, along with their coaches Sarah Pinsent and Joe Tremblett, were presented with the gold medals.

I ask Members to join me today to congratulate these hometown heroes as they rocked this country like a hurricane. Go guys.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Member for Lake Melville.

MR. TRIMPER: Mr. Speaker, as our province recently recognized International Women's Day and, yesterday, our Legislature stood up to violence against women and children through the Moose Hide Campaign, I am therefore proud to pay tribute to Jean Crane, an Indigenous elder who has led the charge for equality and respect of women in Labrador.

Over 40 years ago, Jean helped establish the Mokami Status of Women Council, an organization that supports women through advocacy and front-line services. In 1985, she was instrumental in the creation of Libra House, a shelter protecting women and children from abusive situations. Prior to its operation, Jean would often provide a home to those fleeing abuse. She faced everything from anger to loaded weapons, to support women.

Last January, she addressed the Speakers of Canada and provided the opening prayer at the Presiding Officers Conference in Lake Melville. Jean has served on Memorial University's Board of Regents and other committees to lobby for women or counsel others dealing with addictions through healing circles.

I would ask this House of Assembly to thank Jean Crane for always having her door open to anyone in need, and as she turns 91 today, wish her a very happy birthday.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Member for Harbour Main.

MS. CONWAY OTTENHEIMER: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The Angel Fund is a registered charity comprised of a small group of women from Conception Bay North and led by Elizabeth Pilgrim of Cupids in the District of Harbour Main. These women come from varied professions and are social workers, nurses, accountants and business owners, each volunteering their time and experience to raise funds to help breast cancer patients.

Breast cancer diagnosis and its treatment bring significant financial strain. The Angel Fund assists with expenses as it relates to transportation, medication, child care, wigs, prosthetics, nutritional supplements, grocery and food gift certificates and accommodations. The charity serves over 45 communities in the Conception Bay North area, including many communities in the District of Harbour Main from Marysvale to North River.

The Angel Fund has organized many social events, such as fashion shows, Mother's Day teas, musical concerts, charitable runs and other fundraising events, raising approximately $325,000 and helping over 300 women since its beginnings in 2009. The fund is committed to providing social and emotional support for patients and lovingly remembering those who have been lost.

These women are to be commended for the invaluable service they provide to those diagnosed with breast cancer in their time of need and the support they provide to their patients.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER: Statements by Ministers.

Statements by Ministers

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Minister of Service NL.

MS. GAMBIN-WALSH: Mr. Speaker, I rise to recognize the 11th anniversary of the crash of Cougar Flight 491 which occurred on March 12, 2009. This day marks a tragic anniversary in our province of lives lost and others changed forever. We will forever remember the 15 passengers and two crew members who were lost that day and offer our deepest sympathies to their families and friends.

Mr. Speaker, all these years later the crash of Cougar Flight 491 still resonates with residents of the province. I'm certain we can recall the profound sadness and shock felt when we heard the news about this devastating loss. It serves as a stark reminder of the historical dangers associated with working on our ocean.

Safety is a top priority for the provincial government and our partners in the offshore. We continue to work together to strengthen the regulatory regime and provide the safest working conditions possible.

It is important to ensure a strong health and safety culture for all offshore industries. We will continue to make necessary improvements to enhance safety – so family and friends can have peace of mind as their loved ones leave for work.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

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

MR. O'DRISCOLL: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I thank the minister for the advance copy of her statement.

Mr. Speaker, we in the Official Opposition also extend our sincere sympathies to the families and friends of those who lost their lives in Cougar Flight 491.

Mr. Speaker, the anniversary of this tragedy stirs memories in us all as we recall that faithful day. I knew several passengers and their families, including three young people from the communities in my district. The sense of sadness and loss was far reaching and continues to be felt today.

Mr. Speaker, we must do everything possible to ensure the safety of our offshore workers and indeed every worker in our province. Everyone deserves to go home safe each day.

Again, Mr. Speaker, our thoughts today are with all those impacted by Cougar Flight 491.

Thank you.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

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

MR. J. DINN: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I, too, thank the minister for the advance copy of her statement. On this side, this party, we offer our condolences to the loved ones of the men and women who died on that terrible day.

The minister speaks of the dangers associated with working on the ocean. We remind the minister there is work still to be done on this.

Eleven years later, the key recommendation of the Wells report – the creation of an independent offshore safety authority – has yet to be done. Eleven years later, the S-92 helicopters still do not have a 30-minute run-dry capacity and workers are still worried government will permit risky flights.

Thank you.

MR. SPEAKER: Further statements by ministers?

The hon. the Minister of Natural Resources.

MS. COADY: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I recently had the pleasure of joining representatives of the Professional Engineers and Geoscientists Newfoundland and Labrador for the proclamation of National Engineering and Geoscience Month in the province.

This is an annual event that highlights the importance of engineering and geoscience to the daily lives of residents. These professionals are helping advance major resource development projects in our offshore petroleum, in mining industries and ensuring that pieces of critical public infrastructure are being built and maintained. Their work greatly contributes to our economic development.

As Minister of Natural Resources, I am proud of our engineers and geoscientists and the invaluable contributions they are making. Their work is evident throughout the province as we drive over a bridge, walk into a newly constructed building or hear about the success of a new mine or offshore development project.

Mr. Speaker, we are positioning Newfoundland and Labrador globally as a preferred location for oil and gas and mining development, and the strength and growth of these industries is due in part to the highly skilled professionals that are working on these projects, including the engineers and geoscientists.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. Opposition House Leader.

MR. BRAZIL: Thank you, Mr. Speaker, and I thank the minister for an advance copy of her statement.

On behalf of the Official Opposition, I would like to extend our appreciation and congratulations to all engineers and geoscientists on the occasion of National Engineering and Geoscience Month. I would also like to extend my encouragement to the post-secondary students who are actively studying engineering and geoscience. While studying may seem like a challenge, I am confident these students will graduate and bring a prosperous future to our province.

Today, I would like to encourage all Members of this hon. House to thank an engineer or geoscientist for the work they do as they are truly making our province a better place.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

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

MS. COFFIN: Thank you, Mr. Speaker, and I, too, thank the minister for an advance copy of her statement.

During this month, engineers and geoscience professionals across Canada will hold many events to introduce young people like these to the diverse opportunities in these fields. I'd like to commend the engineers and geoscientists here who are so essential to our industries and our everyday lives. I would also like to recognize the contribution made by Memorial's faculties of engineering and geoscientists to the province and our economy.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER: Further statements by ministers?

Oral Questions.

Oral Questions

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

MR. CROSBIE: Mr. Speaker, first I'd like to express my deepest sympathies to the families and friends of those impacted by the Cougar 491 tragedy; something already spoken to by hon. Members today. An inquiry, led by Justice Wells, recommended an independent safety regulator.

I would ask the minister: Why hasn't this been done?

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

MS. COADY: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

It is indeed a solemn day and we do pass on, from the people of the Province of Newfoundland and Labrador and the entire House of Assembly, our sincere condolences. It's a very difficult day for many, many people, Mr. Speaker. I think we all take pause to remember those who have lost their life to the sea and who have lost a life in this tragedy.

Mr. Speaker, regarding the question, I will say that Justice Wells did a very comprehensive report. All recommendations have been implemented.

Justice Wells did have 29(a) and (b) of the recommendations. It was a choice between an independent regulator or, of course, doing what has been done, which is having an independent chief safety officer, as well as an independent chief conservation officer. Mr. Speaker, these report directly to the board. They are independent and do keep safety and environmental concerns paramount.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

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

MR. CROSBIE: Mr. Speaker, some would differ that that's what was intended by the Commissioner.

I suggest to the minister that we should do everything in our power to ensure safety in the offshore environment. As we know, the Bay du Nord development is poised to be the next frontier and will be in deeper waters and further offshore.

I would ask the minister: Have safety regulations been revised to apply to the Bay du Nord installation and any others that may be installed in deep water?

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

MS. COADY: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Indeed in December of 2013, Justice Wells reviewed the implementation of his recommendations and was pleased to see action on all fronts. He did indicate that he was satisfied with the fallback position of 29(b), Mr. Speaker, especially considering the size of our offshore.

To address the question, Bay du Nord has yet to pass decision gate 3. Hopefully it will pass these decision gates and get to sanctioning, Mr. Speaker. One hopes that will occur.

As this project progresses, I am confident, Mr. Speaker, that the C-NLOPB and the chief safety officer will make the right recommendations.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Opposition Leader.

MR. CROSBIE: I take from the minister's answer that the question of safety in such deep water has not yet received comprehensive review.

Mr. Speaker, public statements by top government officials about police involvement can prejudice the right to a free and fair trial.

Did the Premier and the Minister of Natural Resources act responsibly and take legal advice before making a public announcement that they're referring the Muskrat inquiry report to the police for criminal investigation?

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

MS. COADY: First allow me to answer the safety question. Obviously, every day there are reviews and concerns around safety and we do have a chief safety officer responsible for offshore.

Regarding his question, as I indicated the day we released to the public the entire report, we were acting on advice to place this before the police departments, Mr. Speaker. They will make their reviews; they will make their judgments and move accordingly.

It is in police hands at this particular moment, Mr. Speaker, and of course we had a legal review of that.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

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

MR. CROSBIE: Mr. Speaker, one would have to wonder, if they received legal advice, why it is they chose to make a circus out of the police involvement in this matter.

Criminal lawyers are now saying publicly that the Premier's and the minister's public discussion of police involvement has complicated any criminal proceedings and created grounds for dismissal of charges due to prejudice to the right of free and fair trial.

Did the Premier and the minister disregard legal advice for the sake of political gain?

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

MS. COADY: I charge, Mr. Speaker, the only one trying to make political gain here is the Member himself.

I would say, Mr. Speaker, that we acted responsibly. We indicated to the public that we will turn the document over to the police departments involved. They will make their review of the documentation, they will make review of the evidence and they will act accordingly.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. Opposition House Leader.

MR. BRAZIL: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

In the last 24 hours I've been contacted by a number of constituents and people who watch the proceedings here asking that the House give a daily update on COVID-19.

I ask the minister: Can he provide an update to the House on the number of people in this province who have been quarantined or isolated and if there are any confirmed cases in this province?

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

MR. HAGGIE: I'm happy to provide that update, Mr. Speaker. Very shortly our chief medical officer of health will be doing another media availability as she did yesterday.

There are no confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Newfoundland and Labrador. None, despite what social media, Snapchat and the like might indicate. As of 11:45 this morning, there have been 52 samples sent out to the National Microbiology Laboratory. All of these were screened negative by our Public Health Laboratory here.

As I've said before, the definitive test, we all agreed, would come from the National Microbiology Laboratory. They do the genotypes and the such. Thirty-three of our negative results have been confirmed by NML; 19 are still pending.

With regard to the issue of self-isolation, it seems there are a lot of people who are actually doing it themselves. They have all been in contact with Public Health, but it's difficult to get numbers because they change hour by hour.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

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

MR. BRAZIL: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Yesterday, the federal government committed $500 million to assist provinces to combat the COVID-19 virus.

I ask the minister: Do we have any indication what resources will be allocated to Newfoundland and Labrador?

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

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

The reason I missed your parade was I was actually talking to Minister Hajdu about our own needs in this province. The federal minister's view is that the money is simply there as a down payment; spend what you need and if you need more, come back for more. It hasn't been allocated on anything other than a needs basis. I have clearly stated what I believe our priorities are and my officials have fed that into the strategic advisory committee.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

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

MR. BRAZIL: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, the federal minister of Health stated yesterday that it's safe to assume that between 30 to 70 per cent of the population could acquire COVID-19. This statement is alarming as it would mean somewhere between 11 million to 26 million Canadians could contract the virus. This is a very concerning issue.

What specific areas does the minister feel that additional funding could be used to help offset this pandemic here in our Newfoundland province?

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

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

I take advice from our logistics advisor who actually co-chairs the national logistics advisory committee. Our need that we have identified immediately is around personal protective equipment, or PPE. Unfortunately, the global centre for manufacture of PPE just happens to be Wuhan in China, so we have been actively pursuing other avenues for this.

Currently, we are actually better placed than a significant number of provinces in terms of supply. We also have a cross-jurisdictions – a mutual aid agreement which has been triggered. So if we find ourselves in difficulties, we can go to provinces that are better off. We have applied to the National Emergency Strategic Stockpile in case we need that too.

Thank you.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

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

MR. BRAZIL: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, the federal government has now opened up the EI program to compensate those that are quarantined and are removing the typical EI waiting period. While we are grateful to the Government of Canada for this action, I must ask why there is no commitment to assist those individuals and businesses impacted by the state of emergency.

We all recall the photo ops and promises of help to come, yet it has been almost two full months and we have not seen a penny from the government or their good Liberal friends in Ottawa. Mr. Speaker, why the double standard?

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Minister of Tourism, Culture, Industry and Innovation.

MR. DAVIS: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I'd just like to thank the hon. Member for the question. As I've said before in this House of Assembly, we've reached out to both ministers responsible federally for the state of emergency funding opportunities. We've reached out to both of them; we're waiting their responses. We look forward to that. We're going to continue to lobby our federal colleagues and as the hon. Member mentioned before, we look forward to that response.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

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

MR. PARDY: Mr. Speaker, as the coronavirus has now become a pandemic, other provinces are moving to properly protect their school populations. Specifically, as the popular Easter break approaches, other provinces, such as New Brunswick, have indicated that any child who goes away must self-isolate for 14 days when they return.

Will the minister be putting in place similar protections?

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Minister of Education and Early Childhood Development.

MR. WARR: Thank you, Mr. Speaker, and I thank the hon. Member for his question.

Mr. Speaker, yes, COVID-19 is a rapidly evolving situation throughout the country. In fact, yesterday, our deputy minister had a conference call with all deputy ministers across the country assessing the situation. It is a good question.

I want to refer the Member to the fact that our Easter break will come four weeks after the Maritimes, which gives us an opportunity to see what's happened. It gives us a little bit more time to react. Certainly, Mr. Speaker, I will say that it is paramount. The health and safety of our students, our teachers and our school communities is so important to us.

I thank the Member for the question.

Thank you.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

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

MR. PARDY: Mr. Speaker, I would suggest that we not wait for others, but at least to plan and coordinate our own policy and practices.

We now have the first case in Canada of a child testing positive, following confirmation at a Calgary daycare. Parents are concerned that a child could unknowingly get off a contaminated cruise ship, fly home on a packed plane, board a crowded school bus and then walk straight into one of our classrooms.

Will the minister update this House on the school board policy or initiative regarding safeguards for such situations in the very near future?

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

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

I'm going to take this just to elaborate a little bit on some of the steps that the Member opposite outlined. Firstly, it is recommended by the Public Health Agency of Canada that Canadians avoid cruise ships for the foreseeable time being. Those people who have been on cruises are actively screened by CBSA and they are informed of their risk profile as a result of that.

Should they have symptoms, they are managed at that stage. Should they not have symptoms, they are given advice and under the situation hypothesized by the gentleman opposite, they would come to the province. Should they develop symptoms while here, 811 is the number to call unless they are so sick that a hospital visit is required, in which case 911 is the number to call. In each case, they should advise the recipient of the call that they have been potentially exposed to COVID-19.

Thank you.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

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

MR. P. DINN: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

As we heard in the House and we're all aware, the coronavirus has been deemed a pandemic. We and the university here have hundreds of students working abroad, hundreds of students studying abroad doing internships, working on work terms and such.

I ask the minister responsible: What update has he received from the university on how to deal with these students in the event that they have to come home?

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Minister of Tourism, Culture, Industry and Innovation.

MR. DAVIS: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I just thank the hon. Member for the question. He's correct, COVID-19 is a global pandemic. Memorial University has an active Pandemic Preparedness Committee that is meeting and working very closely with Health and Community Services on a daily basis, maybe even an hourly basis, Mr. Speaker.

I know the Department of Advanced Education, Skills and Labour is working very closely with all of our post-secondary institutions and in constant contact with the administrators to ensure that we're ready and willing to accept the changes that are required, based on the best evidence we have at the time.

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

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

MR. P. DINN: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

It's timely that earlier today I got off the phone with one of my daughters who's studying away. She indicated that a particular med school just down the road from her, or her neighbouring community, had suspended studies and were sending students home. Memorial has a campus in Harlow; our College of the North Atlantic has a campus in Qatar.

I ask the minister responsible: What contingency plans are in place to address faculty and staff, in getting them home or to look after them in the event of this pandemic.

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Minister of Tourism, Culture, Industry and Innovation.

MR. DAVIS: Mr. Speaker, I thank the hon. Member for the question and I, too, share his concern. Absolutely.

When we're in a situation like we are facing globally right now with COVID-19, I think it's incumbent upon all of us to take the precautions outlined by our Minister of Health and Community Services. I know the university and post-secondary institutions are working very hard on their emergency preparedness with respect to this pandemic.

I know that we're working, in our Department of Advance Education, Skills and Labour, very closely with them to maintain an open and transparent line of communication, because it's very important. Communication is key to making sure that everyone is apprised of what's happening in this by the minute and even by the hour. I understand his concern for sure.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

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

MR. P. DINN: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Just a very quick follow-up: Are there any distinct plans in place that you can tell us today?

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Minister of Tourism, Culture, Industry and Innovation.

MR. DAVIS: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I can highlight that CNA-Q over in Qatar has suspended classes and is doing distance learning. I know that's one of the options that's been utilized in Qatar to protect our facilities that we have in those places.

One of the things that Memorial University has prepared is a precautionary Pandemic Preparedness Committee that's meeting on a regular basis and working very close with Health and Community Services. I know they're taking the best advice they can from the health care providers that are providing an up-to-the-minute response on where we should be, both from an international standpoint and a national standpoint, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you very much.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. Member for Mount Pearl North.

MR. LESTER: Mr. Speaker, following Snowmageddon and the lessons learned of what could happen to our people and their food security, I ask any minister: What has been done to ensure there is an inventory of food and there is a means to get that food to our people?

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Minister of Children, Seniors and Social Development.

MS. DEMPSTER: Thank you, Mr. Speaker, and I thank the hon. Member across the way for the very important question.

Any time we talk about food insecurity, Mr. Speaker – I guess coming from a remote area of Labrador we could talk about it two ways. I lived in a community where for months we had no access to outside; we would stock supplies in the fall.

Mr. Speaker, once I moved in here I discovered that sometimes when the boats don't go in Port aux Basques, you can actually look for a ham in St. John's, so there's that bigger picture. But when we bring it right down to in the communities and in the homes, food insecurity is a concern. We saw some of this with Snowmageddon.

We are working with groups like Food First NL. We're working with partners out there, Mr. Speaker, to make improvements to this issue that we're dealing with day to day.

Thank you.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

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

MR. LESTER: Mr. Speaker, as many of us realize, we are the last place in North America to receive the delivery of food, and it's often highlighted how little food security our province has.

With the very real and possible impact of a pandemic in our country and province, I ask any minister: In the event of a provincial quarantine or the extended disruption of service, has the government identified a plan to ensure there will be an adequate food supply for our people?

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Minister of Children, Seniors and Social Development.

MS. DEMPSTER: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

What I can say is that food security continues to be a priority for this government, Mr. Speaker. That's why you've heard my colleague, the Minister of Fisheries and Land Resources, stand many times.

We're making moves to create more food self-sufficiency, Mr. Speaker, with community gardens, through agriculture. We have a number of programs that we run across government like the breakfast program, Kids Eat Smart, that my department provides annual funding to – over a million dollars a year. They're in most schools.

We have the Mother Baby Nutrition Supplement. Mr. Speaker, we have things like our Low Income Tax that's giving people more income. We'll continue to work across departments and government and with community partners to address this issue.

Thank you.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Member for Placentia West - Bellevue.

MR. DWYER: Thank you, Mr. Speaker, and, Minister, that sounds like there's not an immediate plan in place.

I understand that the construction of the wharfage and lay-down area at the Marystown Marine Industrial Park is awaiting final go-ahead after being taken from the Department of Tourism, Culture, Industry and Innovation to the Department of Municipal Affairs and Environment. The wharfage and lay-down area is vital to completing this project, which is very important to the area.

Minister, when do you expect this to be approved?

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

MR. BRAGG: Mr. Speaker, I thank the Member opposite for the question.

Just for information purposes for that Member, we met with the Town of Marystown this past week and we discussed that exact same situation. Work is ongoing. The Town of Marystown – as you realize, this has been a project they've undertaken some time ago, but the process is moving in an area and a direction that they're pleased with.

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Member for Placentia West - Bellevue.

MR. DWYER: Hopefully, Minister, with this being a time-sensitive issue we can get that moved along, where it's already passed environment.

There are a number of vacant Newfoundland and Labrador Housing units in my district and there is an extensive list of people waiting for an available unit.

Can the minister explain why these units are sitting vacant, not being prepared for occupancy, when there are so many people waiting for affordable housing?

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Minister of Children, Seniors and Social Development.

MS. DEMPSTER: Thank you, Mr. Speaker, and I thank the hon. Member for the question.

As he would know, a new agreement was signed back in April with the feds; a $270-million agreement. The nine-year agreement will be rolled out into three 3-year action plans, Mr. Speaker, and we're just sort of at the beginning stages of that now.

When we look across our inventory in this province, Mr. Speaker, we have a lot of places where there has been low demand. The hon. Member references an area where we've had low demand. We have a number of units in the Marystown area that have been standing vacant for many years.

We have a very short wait-list and those units that are needed are under renovations. That process has begun right now. Once those repairs are done, Mr. Speaker, it's my understanding we will have no wait-list again in Marystown in the very near future.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Member for Placentia West - Bellevue.

MR. DWYER: There are many issues surrounding adequate cellphone coverage on the Burin Peninsula and in other parts of my district. With a burgeoning economy, the value of communication services is very important.

Minister, what is your plan to improve cell coverage for all the residents, businesses and tourists of the Burin Peninsula?

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Minister of Tourism, Culture, Industry and Innovation.

MR. DAVIS: Mr. Speaker, I'd first like to say thank you to the students at Gonzaga for the preamble and the opportunity for a Q & A session beforehand to prepare me for today.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. DAVIS: Mr. Speaker, the hon. Member makes a great point. Cellular service across our province is important to this government; we've been committed. I've worked with the Member on a number of occasions already.

We've established a cellular pilot project. That started last year. We've done 10 projects. We've put in $1.5 million and leveraged $4.4 million in that project. Some of those communities are completed. As of yesterday or day before, St. Lunaire-Griquet was turned on and ready to go, as well as last week, Raleigh.

We're quite happy with where we are right now. Is there more to be done? Absolutely. I encourage the hon. Member to work with his community. I look forward to seeing that application and making that announcement in the coming years or weeks and months.

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. Member's time has expired.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Member for Harbour Main.

MS. CONWAY OTTENHEIMER: Mr. Speaker, the Moore's contract was terminated last year in Clarke's Beach. At the time, the minister said that the new provider will provide the same number of vehicles staffed to the same level in the same locations they are currently.

I ask the minister: Did he do any consultation with the residents of Clarke's Beach and surrounding area before he made the decision to transfer the ambulance service to neighbouring locations?

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

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

The changing demographics in the area of Harbour Grace, Harbour Main and Bay Roberts have demonstrated quite clearly a need to redistribute the resources that existed originally based in Clarke's Beach. The gentleman and the company who took over Moore's ambulance was keen to fill that need.

We had discussions with the Combined Councils and various representatives from the community. My understanding is that from an operational point of view, it is better for the communities involved to have the ambulances distributed in the way he proposes, between Bay Roberts and Clarke's Beach.

Thank you.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

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

MS. COFFIN: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, Nalcor's CEO Stan Marshall said that the Muskrat Falls Project was a gamble that went against us. I think he meant we lost.

Government is now poised to gamble again on oil prices with a $110-million investment in equity shares in Equinor's Bay du Nord project.

I ask the Premier, or whomever is in charge: With Brent crude at $33 a barrel, will he stop betting with our money and commit the $110 million to our more immediate and urgent needs?

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

MS. COADY: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Indeed, investing in our offshore oil has been something that the Province of Newfoundland and Labrador has done for the last number of years. It has brought great returns to the province, Mr. Speaker. It also shows an investment on behalf of the people and the future of our oil and gas industry.

Mr. Speaker, the project that the Member opposite is referring to is not finished being sanctioned yet; it's still going through its decision gates. Indeed, everything will be considered as it moves through those gates, going towards sanction.

We do hope the project is sanctioned, but these are difficult times in the industry, Mr. Speaker, with the plunge in oil prices. So we'll see how this progresses over the next number of months.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

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

MS. COFFIN: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, a general election will cost the Treasury about $4.5 million. No one in this province, outside of a handful of individuals, wants or needs another election right now. That money is needed on more pressing issues – $4.5 million in Interim Supply in the event that the new Liberal leader wants a snap election.

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Minister of Finance and President of Treasury Board.

MR. OSBORNE: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The answer to that is quite simply, no, I'm not anticipating an election this spring. We haven't put it in Interim Supply; we haven't made any plans.

I will take this opportunity, Mr. Speaker, to voice my concern again. I know we voted yesterday on an amendment to reduce it to a three-month Interim Supply. I voiced my concerns yesterday – as I did previously, as I will again today – with COVID-19 and the uncertainty. I'm not sure we're making the right decision on that but I will live by the will of the House.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

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

MR. J. DINN: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, for the second time in as many weeks we have seen resignations from organizations meant to advise government – first, two members of the Wilderness and Ecological Reserve Advisory Council Committee and now the president of the Federation of Agriculture – all citing one common denominator: frustration with the non-collaborative nature of the Minister of Fisheries and Land Resources.

I ask the Minister of Fisheries and Land Resources: Why does he persist in driving people away from advisory organizations rather than collaborating and working with them in a spirit of co-operation?

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Minister of Fisheries and Land Resources.

MR. BYRNE: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The Newfoundland and Labrador Federation of Agriculture is an independent body; it's independently governed. It's made up of constituent assemblies of associations of other agricultural producers.

I regret that I have to inform the House that there have been issues internally within the organization that I've been generally aware of for the last two years; problems of consultation, problems of representation within the federation, its leadership and the constituent organizations. This is an internal matter within the federation.

In fact, just recently, about a month ago, three major associations resigned from the federation giving notice of their intent to withdraw. Those included the Egg Farmers of Newfoundland and Labrador, the Chicken Farmers of Newfoundland and Labrador and the Dairy Farmers of Newfoundland and Labrador. I think that the resignation of the president may have something to do with the fact that those organizations resigned from the federation –

MR. SPEAKER: The minister's time has expired.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

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

MR. J. DINN: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, I want to follow up on a question from the Member for Bonavista. As of March 8, 2020, the New Brunswick Department of Education and Early Childhood Development requires not only children, but students, staff, volunteers and family members who have returned from international travel, to avoid any public school, early learning facility or school district offices for 14 days from the date of their return to New Brunswick. That's in addition to cancelling all school-related international travel for the year.

I don't know if we can wait but we ask the minister: Will he consider similar precautionary measures for our province now?

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Minister of Education and Early Childhood Development.

MR. WARR: Mr. Speaker, thank you, and I'm certainly aware of the situation that happened in New Brunswick.

Mr. Speaker, again, we have consultations daily with – not daily, but often with the Public Health authority of Canada, along with the chief medical officer of Newfoundland and Labrador, along with our Department of Health and Community Services. We converse on a daily basis.

Mr. Speaker, it's paramount about the health and safety of our students and our staff at our schools. We will take all the precautions that we can in this coronavirus issue.

Thank you.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER: The time for Question Period has expired.

Presenting Reports by Standing and Select Committees.

Tabling of Documents.

Notices of Motion.

Notices of Motion

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

MS. COADY: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I give notice that I will on tomorrow move the following motion:

That, for the duration of the winter-spring 2020 sitting, during any time that the House is adjourned as provided for in Standing Orders 8 and 9, the government may advise the Speaker that it is in the public interest that the adjournment continue, a. to a specified date; or b. until further notice is given to the Speaker, and that the Speaker, following consultation with the Opposition House Leaders and unaffiliated Members, shall cause the House to remain in adjournment accordingly.

MR. SPEAKER: Further notices of motion?

Answers to Questions for which Notice has been Given.

Answers to Questions for which Notice has been Given

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

MR. HAGGIE: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I wish to rise just to provide a little bit of context to three questions – well, two questions and a preamble from the Question Period. We, the Department of Health and the business community, have had some correspondence around business continuity plans in the event of significant community-acquired or community-based illness.

There are contingency business continuity plans in place, as far as I am aware, for both Marine Atlantic and for Oceanex. I would assume – and it's subject to verification – that chains such as Loblaws, Sobeys and Coleman's would have similar plans as well.

From out point of view, as a Department of Health, it is not our responsibility as such to engage in providing direction to them, but we would happily act as a resource, should they wish to avail of public health expertise.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER: Further answers to questions for which notice has been given?

Petitions.

Petitions

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

MR. P. DINN: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

WHEREAS the current means of transportation for persons who are unable to access conventional transit due to disabilities and accessibility challenges are inefficient, expensive and inadequate; and

WHEREAS the availability of suitable transportation is crucial to enhancing the participation in all aspects of community life. Accessible, affordable transportation must be provided in a dignified and respectful manner; and

WHEREAS throughout the province individuals living with mobility challenges identify transportation as one of their greatest needs.

Therefore, we petition the hon. House of Assembly as follows: We, the undersigned, call upon the House of Assembly to urge the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador to take a more proactive approach to ensuring affordable and inclusive transportation is available for all individuals who experience accessibility challenges.

Mr. Speaker, I've met with a number of groups in my district and they all talk to affordable and accessible transportation – more accessible, than anything – to getting around to everyday events that we take for granted. I've attended and spoken to people in conferences where we've actually blindfolded ourselves to give us an understanding of what it's like day to day to have visual impairment. I've played wheelchair basketball with young kids in Special Olympics to give me a sense of what it's like to be in a wheelchair.

Both of these instances were under controlled environments. They weren't trying to get up a snowbank out to a bus stop or to a cab, or find your way along a street where the sidewalk is covered in snow. I was sitting at a conference table and in the other instance I'm in a gymnasium. No real obstacles for me to challenge what I was doing.

Until we get a handle on or are able to put ourselves in the shoes of those who have these challenges, we really are unable to speak to the issue, but that doesn't mean the issue is not there. The issue is certainly there. Throughout this province, there are individuals who have accessibility issues and mobility issues and it's not just our seniors. Many of these are young individuals who want to be active and producing individuals in their communities.

I will tell you, up in my District of Topsail - Paradise, when I sat down with some of these groups, it was unreal the numbers that I was told who needed this transportation, because they were not evident to me.

So I do petition the House on behalf of these individuals to take a more proactive approach to accessible transportation.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Minister of Education and Early Childhood Development.

MR. WARR: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I appreciate the petition from the hon. Member. Certainly, I can only speak to the schools, and alternate transportation is provided in circumstances where accommodations are required to support students who may have mobility issues or other needs, Mr. Speaker.

I can certainly tell you, while there are policies in place, every effort is made to further accommodate and document the needs of students, with safety always being a top priority.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

MR. SPEAKER: Further petitions?

The hon. the Member for Placentia West - Bellevue.

MR. DWYER: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The background to this petition is: WHEREAS there are no current, long-term operations at the Bull Arm Fabrication site; and

WHEREAS the site is a world-class facility with the potential to rejuvenate the local economy and the provincial economy; and

WHEREAS residents of the area are troubled at the lack of employment in today's economy; and

WHEREAS the operating of this facility would encourage employment for the area and create economic spinoffs for local businesses; and

WHEREAS the site is an asset to the province, built to the benefit of the province and a long-term tenant for this site would attract gainful business opportunities; and

WHEREAS the continued idling of this site is not in the best interest of the province;

THEREFORE we, the residents of the area near the Bull Arm Fabrication site, petition the hon. House of Assembly as follows: We, the undersigned, call upon the House of Assembly to urge the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador to expedite the process to get the Bull Arm Fabrication site back in operation. We request that this process include a vision for a long-term viable plan that is beneficial to all residents of Newfoundland and Labrador.

FURTHERMORE we request that the government place an emphasis on all supply, maintenance, fabrication and offshore work for existing offshore platforms as well as new construction of any future platforms, be they GBS or FPSO in nature.

This is not my first time presenting this petition. It is, however, the first time I'm presenting it in this session of the House. I've presented this on numerous occasions prior to the last session, and there seems to be lots of activity, exploration-wise with Orphan Basin and stuff like that. So with BP getting that contract, at this point, I think it would be incumbent, really, on the government of the day to start those talks and to see if we can bring this world-class facility back to a world-class facility that can be utilized to the benefit of the people of Newfoundland and Labrador.

Having this facility going is obviously something that we can bolster the government coffers in order to bring those services and roads and all that kind of stuff that everybody is looking for. Right now, we're in a situation of economic stabilization, I guess, but more an a decline than a stabilization, but with bringing in outside money, I think it's incumbent on us, as a province, to be attracting that new money instead of recycling the money that we already got.

With that being said, I think after talking with the unions, 16 different unions, there is a possibility there that they can come together and negotiate collectively as one unit. That's something we would probably be looking for in order to know that everybody can work together and we can bring this facility back to world class.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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

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

I support this petition, but I would say that I believe the Bull Arm Fabrication site is world class. Not bring it back to world class; it is world class, Mr. Speaker.

As the Member opposite knows, the people of the province know, we've been utilizing that particular site for both cold stacking and warm stacking drilling rigs. This is a new industry for the Province of Newfoundland and Labrador and we're pleased to see thruster change outs happening at the site and some additional work. We're pleased to be able to retain the rigs in the Province of Newfoundland and Labrador; very important for our exploration. So we're pleased to be able to utilize that site.

The Member opposite spoke of the possibility of future work at the Bull Arm site. We're trying to do more exploration offshore, make more discoveries so there would be potential opportunity offshore. We've spoken many times today in Question Period about the opportunity that Equinor brings to the Bay du Nord Project and the fact that they're going through decision gates now, hopefully getting sanctioned on a project. All that fits into the Bull Arm site, Mr. Speaker. There's a lot of opportunity for fabrication there, a lot of opportunity for development in the Bull Arm site, so I'm completely supportive of continuing to ensure that we have work there.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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

MR. O'DRISCOLL: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Route 10 on the Southern Avalon forms a large section of the Irish Loop. It is a significant piece of infrastructure and is the main highway through the Irish Loop. This highway plays a major role in the commercial and residential growth of our region.

Therefore, we petition the hon. House of Assembly: We, the undersigned, call upon the House of Assembly to urge the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador that immediate brush cutting is required on Route 10 of the Southern Shore Highway for the safety of commuters and prevention of moose-vehicle accidents. Reasons are due to the volume of vehicles travelling this highway daily.

Just to speak on this, I visited Trepassey in September to go up – some complaints from some of the residents within the town, not even on the main highway but within the town and absolutely where moose-vehicle accidents can happen. When I drove through the town, there were four signs that were totally covered with alders along the sides of the road. That's just the alders, not even the tree cutting. It's a safety issue for sure.

Again, if you travel the Witless Bay Line – well, seeing from the pictures the minister sent me yesterday, you won't have to worry about trees in there this time of the year because they're covered in snow. They're hanging up around the snow and absolutely need the brush cutting in there for vital reasons, for travelling that highway.

When you're driving in there in the nighttime and you meet vehicles and you see the trees are just coming in around you, you don't have time to react when you're on that highway if a moose pops out in front of you, especially if you're meeting a car. I haven't had that instance, but I'm sure that it's happened in there and it's vital that we – I have a minister pointing to me, that happened to him. I'm sure this is across the Island, but I would certainly like to focus on my district.

I'm not sure how they get that done, if they do it from the depot part or if they contract that out. When I went there in September and asked the question, they were on summer hours; by the time they got the answer, they were on winter hours and now it's gone, so they had to go back and start it all over again. I would love to see that addressed in my district.

Thank you.

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

MR. CROCKER: Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker, and I thank the hon. Member for the petition.

I can tell the hon. Member that right now we're actually starting to compile the data for brush cutting for the 2020 construction season.

I certainly can have a chat with him on a sidebar, a little bit later this afternoon, about the priorities as he sees them in his area. We'll continue to do brush cutting; we invest about $2 million a year in brush cutting. It's an ongoing issue, but I certainly assure the Member that as we evaluate that is one of the areas that we can certainly look at for the coming brush-cutting season.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER: Further petitions?

MR. LESTER: I'd like to rise on a point of order.

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

MR. LESTER: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I'd like to rise on a point of order, section 49, in relation to the Minister of Fisheries and Land Resources reply to the Member for St. John's Centre. I find his comments particularly offensive and disingenuous as it is purely his speculative personal opinion.

As critic for the Agrifoods sector, I have personally been contacted by members of the federation and our industry expressing the issue is not Merv Wiseman, it is indeed the minister.

Mr. Speaker, there is actually one thing more dangerous than a minister who does not understand an industry, it is one who thinks he does.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER: Speaking to the point of order?

The hon. the Government House Leader.

MS. COADY: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I will call to your attention that that is a disagreement between hon. Members and that I do not see this as a point of order, Mr. Speaker. I see it as a contention between two hon. Members on a response to a question.

MR. SPEAKER: To this point of order?

The hon. the Minister of Fisheries and Land Resources.

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

I think the House needs evidence and information in which to be able to assess matters which are before it. The hon. Member for Mount Pearl North has raised a point of order which entitles me to reply. Allow me to table letters, if there is unanimous consent to do so, I hope there is.

This letter from the Egg Farmers of Newfoundland and Labrador; “… EFNL have frequently observed that policy positions (oftentimes public) being put forward by the NLFA are done so without full and fair consultations with the entire NFLA Board of Directors but yet portrayed as NLFA's (and/or industry) policy. This routine and frequent practice of the NLFA is contrary to Sec 6.5 & 6.9 of your Articles of Association ….

“As a result, and on behalf of the EFNL, as per Sec 3.5 of your By-Laws, I” – or we – “… hereby notifying your organization of our intention to withdraw our membership from the NLFA ….” This is dated February 21.

The Dairy Farmers of Newfoundland and Labrador point out: “The Dairy Farmers of Newfoundland and Labrador … Board of Directors met on February 18, 2020. We discussed at length the Federation of Agriculture … and in our view your apparent lack to follow basic board governance practices. We also feel that policy positions put forward by the NLFA are done so without full and fair consultation with the entire NLFA Board of Directors but yet portrayed as industry policy.

“As a result, on behalf of DFNL,” we “… hereby notifying your organization of our intention to withdraw our membership from the NLFA ….”

This letter, Mr. Speaker, from the Chicken Farmers of Newfoundland and Labrador. They indicate that after a meeting of the board of directors of the Newfoundland and Labrador Chicken Farmers that they intend to withdraw from the Federation of Agriculture.

Mr. Speaker, the president of the horticultural association of Newfoundland and Labrador, the vegetable growers, provided a press release indicating that their involvement, activity and interactions with the current occupant of the office of the Minister of Fisheries and Land Resources has been a positive and worthwhile experience. The chicken and egg farmers have done the same.

Mr. Speaker, I can see where there is a particular desire and benefit that could result from the politicization of a decision that was taken by someone outside of this Chamber, someone from outside of this House. I think the evidence is clear; this is an independent organization that is self-governed. Unless there is a suggestion that's coming from the floor of this House by any Member that the institutions and associations that make up the representative bodies of the Newfoundland and Labrador Federation of Agriculture are incapable of making up their own minds and governing their own affairs – a position that I don't think is being taken, but I hope is not.

Unless these letters that I'm prepared to table today are somehow fraudulent or improperly drafted, which they are not, I think it's incumbent upon us, as Members of this House, to respect the will and the expressed opinion of the leadership of the agricultural industry of this province and respect the fact that they have taken a decision that has nothing to do with me.

MR. SPEAKER: To that point of order?

The hon. Opposition House Leader.

MR. BRAZIL: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The minister referenced certain letters. I ask that he table them to the House so that they can be reviewed by all Members of this House.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

MR. SPEAKER: The minister's going to table those letters?

MR. BYRNE: Yes.

MR. SPEAKER: Okay.

MR. BYRNE: Thank you very, very much, Mr. Speaker, for the invitation. I believe there is a requirement of unanimous consent to do so. I believe you may –

MR. SPEAKER: No.

MR. BYRNE: No there's not?

MR. SPEAKER: No.

MR. BYRNE: Then I'm delighted to table these letters, as I indicated I intended to do. They are tabled.

MR. SPEAKER: Okay, I've heard enough on this point of order and I'm going to take the matter under advisement and report back to the House at a later date.

The hon. the Government House Leader.

MS. COADY: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I'm going to ask, by leave, that I call the motion that was read into the Order Paper moments ago, by leave?

AN HON. MEMBER: Leave.

MR. SPEAKER: The minister has leave.

MS. COADY: Mr. Speaker, I move, seconded by the Minister of Finance and President of Treasury Board, to move the following motion: That, for the duration of the Winter/Spring 2020 sitting, during any time that the House is adjourned as provided for in the Standing Orders 8 and 9, the government may advise the Speaker that it is in the public interest that an adjournment continue, (a) to a specified date; or (b) until further notice is given to the Speaker, and the Speaker, following consultation with Opposition House Leaders and unaffiliated Members, shall cause the House to remain in adjournment accordingly.

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

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

The notice of this motion this afternoon was done as a precautionary measure in light of the evolving situation around COVID-19. If circumstances should arise where the House of Assembly cannot resume in accordance with the Parliamentary Calendar on March 23, or indeed any adjournment that we have, because we have multiple constituency weeks during this current sitting, Mr. Speaker, the decision was made to take a precaution. This is very much a precautionary step following consultation between all House Leaders and unaffiliated Members.

The situation, obviously, will be monitored very closely during our constituency week with the fervent hope that we're back here on March 23, and I'm honest when I say that is our wish, and further information will be provided as it becomes available.

Mr. Speaker, this is in an abundance of caution. The Parliamentary Calendar is such, as you well know, that should the House adjourn today for constituency week, which it is set to do, and resume again on March 23, should the unfortunate occur over the next week, and it is prudent and wise that this House not resume on Monday, we now have a mechanism and a means for the Speaker, in consultation with House Leaders and unaffiliated Members, will make the decision to not do so.

I'll leave it at that, Mr. Speaker. I believe we'll have unanimous support of this motion so that we have the proper mechanisms in place should the necessity arise.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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

MR. BRAZIL: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I echo what the Government House Leader has noted and the intent of this motion that's being put forward. It's a precautionary approach on a motion to ensure that we have safeguards for two key components here.

One, the safety of all Members of the House of Assembly and those who visit it and the staff that are relevant to it and those civil servants who work in the Confederation Building and surrounding areas, but also that we would have a mechanism to ensure that the House of Assembly still has an ability to continue. That authority would be placed back with the Speaker, in consultation with the House Leaders and Members of the independents, to determine the best approach forward.

Mr. Speaker, while this is concerning times, based on the COVID-19 virus, we have to be proactive here. We have to be responsible in ensuring that three things are done here: people are safe in our province; that our Legislature has an ability to continue; and that we ensure that whatever possibly can be done to ensure we move forward in this province, we do that under proper legislation.

Mr. Speaker, we will be fully supporting this. Hopefully, it never has to be put into play, but we need to be prepared, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

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

MR. J. DINN: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

We, too, support this motion and think it's a wise move. It's important, at this time, when you can see the elements of panic setting in. There's a fine line, I guess, where you're trying to balance between panic and being totally lackadaisical, but I think it's important to have something in place as a backup plan should we require it.

So from our point of view, this motion basically looks at a backup plan, in the need that this situation gets worse, we have a way of dealing with it. Secondly, it certainly deals with the fact that there's consultation involved with the House Leaders of each of the parties.

I will compliment the minister for at least having talked to us about this beforehand so that we have the full rationale behind it.

Certainly, it's something we will support.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

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

MR. JOYCE: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Again, I'll speak on behalf of myself and the Member for Southlands. We're going to support this. We all know the concerns that we all have. I thank the Government House Leader for consultation with us, also, on this here.

Mr. Speaker, just go a little step further – and this may be done anyway – but because of the grave concern and how fast this virus is moving, I'd just like to throw it out that we should probably approve Interim Supply today because if we have to wait another 10, 12 days to come back to keep the government moving, we may have a major problem. I'm just going to throw it out there that if we have a major concern here, that in 10, 12 days we can't come back, how are we going to keep the government running after March?

I'll just throw that out there because it is cautionary note. We don't know what's going to happen in eight, 10, 12 days, but so that we don't have to come back, if there's a major, major concern, if someone – God bless it never happens – one of our people ends up getting the virus or someone in the House of Assembly or someone in government gets it and we have to shut down, if we have to find a mechanism, if we have to put ourselves and other people in danger to come back and approve the Interim Supply – which everybody in this House agrees that we're going to approve anyway, because we debated it for the last 10 days – well, seven days.

So that's just my recommendation also, that we take that extra step in case we need it.

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Member for Mount Pearl - Southlands.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Oh, oh!

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Member for Mount Pearl - Southlands.

MR. LANE: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I appreciate the comments from my colleague. He does speak for me in the sense that I do agree with what he's saying.

With that said, first of all, just to make a little point, I don't mean to be too nitpicky, but just so that we understand the intent, because if you actually read the motion, it says: the Speaker, following consultation with the Opposition House Leaders and unaffiliated Members, shall cause the House to remain in adjournment accordingly.

I understand the intent of consultation, but I'm thinking what we mean is consultation and concurrence, because you can consult with somebody and say, here's what we're doing, but that doesn't necessarily mean that's the way it's going to go.

I would just add that, that my interpretation of the intent here is that it's not just to consult by way of saying here's what we've decided to do, we're consulting with you. It's, here's what we've decided to do, and we all agree that this is what we're going to do. So we all concur with it. It might be a bit nitpicky but for the record, I just want to get that out there.

The other thing, Mr. Speaker, I just want to throw out there, obviously, we know we're doing this because of the coronavirus, COVID-19 and so on. I was pleased to see just recently an email came, gone to all government Members and people working with the government, about the cancellation of all non-essential travel for government departments. That is a good thing, I'm glad it's happening. I've had some people contact me about it.

I just want to throw it out there, use this as an opportunity to throw it there to all the applicable ministers, this here, I'm assuming, applies to core government departments, but if it's not included, and I don't know if it is or not, I'm suggesting to all ministers when it comes to agencies, boards and commissions, when it comes to Nalcor and OilCo and so on, Crown corps, health authorities, when it comes to our public institutions, that this non-essential travel should be mandatory across all of that.

The reason why I throw that out there in particular is because I was looking at a story on VOCM before I came in here that said that even though other universities across the country have now cancelled all non-essential travel, Memorial University has decided that they're not going to cancel all non-essential travel. I think that that decision is absolutely irresponsible, whoever has made it. I don't care what committee they have in place, that's an irresponsible decision.

I'm going to put it out to one of the ministers because the minister responsible is in timeout for another week or so, so I'm going to put it out there that someone needs to get on the horn with the officials at Memorial University and ask them to also put the same travel ban in place because we cannot be putting our citizens, particularly our seniors and most vulnerable population, at risk. Anything we can do to try to prevent this virus from reaching here, that's what we need to do and that includes Memorial University.

Again, I say to the government, somebody get on the phone to MUN and tell them to cancel all non-essential travel and the same for all other ABCs.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Government House Leader, if she speaks now she will close the debate.

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

I'm glad to see the support of the House. This is an important motion, Mr. Speaker, in the abundance of caution. Hopefully, we won't have to use it, but it is an abundance of caution. We're being responsible and we're being prudent, and I think that's very important.

To the Member who raised the issue of going to a vote, making sure we get Interim Supply, I believe that is the intent this afternoon, based on discussions with House Leaders and the unaffiliated Members that we will try to make that happen this afternoon. Again, responsible and prudent.

With regard to essential travel, I do know the clerk of the Executive Council has made it a point for government – and I'll check on agencies, boards and commissions – but made it a point of government that it is only essential travel and it has to by signoff of the clerk and the minister responsible, Mr. Speaker.

So with that I'll take my seat, we'll have our vote and we'll continue on with our work this afternoon.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

MR. SPEAKER: Is the House ready for the question?

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

All those in favour, 'aye.'

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Aye.

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

Carried.

The hon. the Government House Leader.

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

I move, seconded by the Minister of Finance and President of Treasury Board, that the House resolve itself into a Committee of the Whole on Supply to consider a resolution and Bill 26, respecting the granting of Interim Supply to Her Majesty.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

MR. SPEAKER: It is moved and seconded that I do now leave the Chair and resolve the House into a Committee of the Whole on Supply.

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

All those in favour, 'aye.'

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Aye.

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

Carried.

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

Committee of the Whole

CHAIR (Lane): Order, please!

We are now debating Bill 26, respecting the granting of Interim Supply to Her Majesty.

Resolution

“That it is expedient to introduce a measure to provide for the granting to Her Majesty for defraying certain expenses of the public service for the financial year ending March 31, 2021, the sum of $2,631,157,300.”

CHAIR: The Chair recognizes the hon. the Minister of Finance and President of Treasury Board.

MR. OSBORNE: Thank you, Mr. Chair.

I have to start by saying how good it is to see you sitting as the Chair of Committees today.

Mr. Chair, speaking to Interim Supply, again, I don't want to sound like a broken record, I know it's the will of the House to move from six months to three months on Interim Supply. We just passed a motion in the House to allow for a continued recess of the House, should that be necessary. Mr. Chair, I've said in this House, previously, that one of the reasons for the six months was COVID-19.

I have to admit, a week or two weeks ago when my officials suggested that we have a six-month Interim Supply because of COVID-19 when it started and it could become a pandemic, I thought the chances of it getting here were very slim, and I mentioned that in the House. But it seems to me that the chances perhaps are becoming a little more real. We see eight staff from Natural Resources with a potential impact. The First Ministers' Meeting today was called off because of this very reason.

I just want to put a caution to all Members of the House again before we finalize debate on Interim Supply. We're taking precautions in the House in the event the Speaker needs to call an extended recess. Interim Supply allows for the continuation of services for the people of the province in the event of a distribution in the House and that we're not able to extend it from three months to six months.

I want to put that on the record again. I want to just make all Members aware that that is my concern. If it is the will of the House that we move to three months, I will respect the will of the House. This is a democratic House, but I wanted to put my concern on the record again today, Mr. Chair.

Mr. Chair, I know when you're sitting in your legislative seat, as opposed to where you're sitting here today, you mentioned about cancelling of all non-essential travel in government departments. I made that call earlier today. Deputy ministers, ministers, and the clerk have to sign off on all travel. That is to protect the public service and therefore the extended population in this province, because of what we've seen with the eight individuals from Natural Resources who travelled to a conference in Toronto, Mr. Chair.

I think that was a prudent move. I take your advice on reaching out to agencies, boards and commissions as well. That discussion has happened internally, but we do have to reach out to our agencies, boards and commissions. I just wanted to advise the House, as it was brought up here today, that we're on it. It is a prudent move. Your suggestion, while it's already being acted on, is a good suggestion and I wanted to point that out to Members of the Legislature.

I think an abundance of caution here in terms of public service travel is certainly a wise move to help reduce the risk for public servants and all people in the province as those public servants go home to their families and mingle in the communities that they live in.

Mr. Chair, I think it goes without saying that that abundance of caution is absolutely necessary and we will continue to look at ways that we can protect the public service. The public service notification that went out as well, gives advice to public servants on self-isolation. It gives advice to public servants who are travelling to areas that are highly effected, but not only areas that are highly effected, if they suspect they've come in contact with an individual who may be showing signs, what types of things they can do.

The public service notification that went out today talks about the work that's happening between public health officials, the Public Health Agency of Canada and other provincial and territorial public health officials.

So it think it's prudent that every public servant in this province, not only within core government, but within our agencies, boards and commissions, display caution in what they're doing, not only with travel, but if individuals are travelling outside of the province on vacation, that the same precautions are taken to protect, not only the public service, but their families and other people in the province.

Mr. Chair, I've spoken on Interim Supply. We know the important of Interim Supply. I'll wait and listen to what other Members have to say. I know I have some other business to do once we get into clause by clause in terms of the amount of Interim Supply and the Schedule, the expenditures in each department and I'll go through that process when we need to.

Before I sit, again, I'll put out my concern about the six-month versus the three-month Interim Supply, I can absolutely give full assurance to all Members of the House that this is not based on any covert-type of operation that's happening behind the scenes. It is truly to ensure the public services of the province continue.

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

CHAIR: The Chair recognizes the hon. the Member for Terra Nova.

MR. PARROTT: Mr. Chair, it's always an honour to stand and speak in this great House.

Two days ago, my colleague to the left, the Member for Bonavista, mentioned a gentleman by the name of Eric Weinheimer and he said I doubt anyone in the House knows him. So I'll just go back to why I'm going to say what I have to say.

On June 15, 2007, I was lying in a hospital bed, had just had my leg amputated and a minister came in to talk to me. I wasn't in a very good place and I told him I didn't want to speak to him. He actually brought me in that book about this man. So over the next several days, I delved into the book and I read it, and it's pretty amazing.

Anyhow, over the course to time, he came back in several times, and, to be truthful, I didn't want to talk to him. At that time, I didn't think he was going to help me with anything. He showed up on a Thursday evening in a pair of jeans and a T-shirt with a pizza and sat down and we started to talk.

Now, the point he made to me was you see how people can climb mountains when they're blind or they're amputees, and they can do all these things. But he said the people that do these things don't let that define their life. He said we can all climb mountains when they're blind or they're amputees; they can do all of these things. But he said the people that do these things don't let that define their life. He said we can all climb mountains. He said what defines who someone is, is how they react at the lowest points of their life. That's what shapes us as people, and I think that's what's going to shape us as a province. Right now, we're at the lowest point that we've been in a long time and the Minister of Finance highlighted that a while ago.

After my injury, I talked to many of my military colleagues and I came up with my own little motto that my colleagues here in caucus would tell you I put on my emails from time to time: ad astra per aspera. What that means is through adversity to the stars. That is what we need to do right now. We need to go through adversity together in this House and find a way to get where we have to go.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. PARROTT: I sit here and I listen to us bantering back and forth. I understand that's a part of our jobs and we all do it. We like to take blame, we like to cast doubt and do all those things. The reality of it is right now is the time when we need to come together, get this interim spending passed, because the people that need this money are the ones that are going to get us through this COVID-19. They're the ones that are going to put us in the places where we need to be in order to do our jobs. Now, whether there's an election in May, June, next September or next June, that doesn't matter. We need to worry about what's happening right now and forget about what's happened over the past.

I come in and I listen to people and I always get great – I don't know if joy is the right word, but some Members in the House always pick up on what people say. I really have to go back on one thing that the Member for Lake Melville talked about yesterday. It bothered me so I have to highlight it, much the same as he said it bothered him: Wabush, Labrador, pensioners.

Full disclosure, I worked as a fiduciary for a pension plan and I understand what went on up there. My mom and dad worked in that mine for almost 40 years. They lost their pensions. They lost their health care plans. My brother lost his job, totally. My friends and my neighbours were all put out.

I'm going to tell you without any certainty whatsoever, if it wasn't for Local 6285 and people like Rita Pynn, they would be still in the situation they're in. For you to stand up here and take responsibility for them getting their pensions back is totally wrong. It is not right whatsoever.

There were people who killed themselves; there were suicides up there over insolvencies because people lost their jobs and their pensions. You guys actually lost a seat up there because of this pension issue. You did not pick these people up. They picked themselves up. That's what we need to do in this House, is pick ourselves up.

We talk about Bull Arm and we talk about the things that are going on. There was a real catchphrase here this afternoon by the Minister of Natural Resources: cold stacking. I'd like to know how many people here understand what cold stacking is. Not a lot. It sounds good, we can say it on the news and people think it sounds great, but when an oil rig gets cold stacked, it means it's no more good. It means it's coming in from the offshore and they're going to take a bunch of beehive paper, a bunch of waxes, a bunch of Molykote, all of these lubricants, and they're going to put it all over this rig so they can shut it down and never use it again. Cold stacking in this province is not a good thing. It's a death sentence to that rig. Now, will it go overseas, possibly, and come back to life through warm stacking? Maybe, doubtful.

Right now, Bull Arm is sitting out there and it's nothing more than a glorified wharf rental. It's of no benefit to this province. It's okay to say that the Bay du Nord Project may come. It's okay to say that there's a rig out there getting thrusters changed. Miniscule. Most of that work is being carried out by the individuals that work on that rig on a daily basis. They're there every single day. There weren't people hired to do it. It's not creating jobs. We need jobs.

I hear people say in this House all the time: What would we do different? I'm not saying this to my colleagues across the floor. I'm not telling you that this is what you should do. I'm telling you, as this gentleman that was here the other day said, this is what we all need to do. We need to open our ears and start listening. We need to start listening to each other and we need to start listening to the people on the street, because I tell you, he wasn't far off. We sit in here and people are talking, people aren't paying attention and we've got to be better. That's what we're here to do.

When we ask a question, we say, oh, listen, mental health is at the best ever. B'ys, have a look around, we've got the highest suicide rate we've ever seen. So, sure, maybe people are getting seen first on first visits, but it's not helping where we are with mental health. We're in a bad place.

Insolvencies at the highest, we know that, we can't argue it. We're reading from papers that were written six months or 12 months ago. We've got to start listening to the people that are suffering. Suffering while people like Carla Foote get a job. Why? Because she deserves one? Come on. There's a lot of Newfoundlanders and Labradorians out there that deserve jobs.

What are we doing? We're in here bantering back and forth like a bunch of children and we're not doing what needs to be done, and we've got to start doing it. Suffering while we hiring Scottish consultants and we see – I haven't seen results. Maybe they will be, but I highly doubt it.

The Minister of Natural Resources mentioned Bull Arm before she left in response to my colleague's petition, how it is a state-of-the-art facility and how there's a great way forward. I know for certain that they received a letter somewhere around December 22, which they never responded to with anything other than banter; told them to go to Nalcor and it wasn't their responsibility. It was a letter that clearly defined and outlined the problems with Bull Arm as defined by the contractors who want to go there and do the work. It clearly defined why Bull Arm will not come back to life unless something happens soon.

In the meantime, we sit here and we listen to talk that Fermeuse is going to come online. Now, I'm all about private enterprise and the private enterprise is out there and they're saying their investing their own money and there is no government money going into it. Alleluia. Let's make it happen. But at the end of the day, this government owns a facility that's 160 kilometres down the road, that has been world-class in the past and should be now. We ought to have it working doing something.

We have two major module hauls out there where, if we weren't going to use them for offshore oil and gas, perhaps that's where we should be growing our marijuana. The facilities were already there. Instead of giving $40-million grants, we could have went out there and done it.

I just don't know where we go if we don't come together. At the end of the day, we are here to do a job. Interim Supply is the first start of it. The next thing is to get the budget passed. We have to start working together.

Mr. Chair, in my district we have bridges that are falling down. I have a ferry system that is inadequate summertime. The residents are more than fine with it during the winter. In the summertime, when the population goes from 100 to 250 and there's a lucrative fishery out there and there are 150 loads of garbage hauled out there every summer, the ferry runs stay the same. People are stuck. There are people out there for days; can't get out of it. One more run would change everything they do. We can't seem to get anywhere ahead with it. I have residents in Butter Cove that can't get to their house. Oil trucks can't get to their house; fire trucks can't get to their house because the roads are that deplorable and they've been that way for a week or more.

It's not acceptable for us not to listen to the people that are in need. I'm going to tell you, we all have them, every single one of us. Not one person in this House ran for self-servitude. Every single person in this House – and I truly believe this – ran because they don't run away from trouble. We ran because we run to trouble. We ran because we believe we can fix things. It's time for us to start showing that. It's time for us to be the leaders.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. PARROTT: At the end of the day, if we don't put Newfoundland first, we will not succeed. And when I say Newfoundland first, I refer to employment; I refer to procurement –

AN HON. MEMBER: And Labrador.

MR. PARROTT: Newfoundland and Labrador. Nobody loves Labrador more than me.

The other thing people are worried about is power bills, but what we don't ever discuss is the cost of goods. Everything in Newfoundland costs double because of an inadequate ferry system and we need to address that. If we address that, maybe power bills going up isn't as bad. But we have to look at other ways to do things.

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

CHAIR: The Chair recognizes the hon. the Member for the District of Lewisporte - Twillingate.

MR. BENNETT: Thank you, Mr. Chair.

First of all, I'd just like to thank the Member for Terra Nova for his service and his comments about Labrador. I'm quite sure my hon. Member in front me, the minister, would probably argue the fact that nobody loves Labrador more than you do, but, like yourself, the Town of Lewisporte has a lot of ties to Labrador also. There are a lot of members that worked in the mines that have since retired in Lewisporte and making a great life and I'm very happy that our community continues to grow because of people that have moved there to retire.

As everybody knows, we are now speaking on Interim Supply, that always gives us a good opportunity to speak on some of the great things that has happened within our district. Not too often do we get a chance in the House of Assembly to do that. It's only when we talk about bills or money bills and things like that there.

As a sitting MHA, we do get Member's statements, but there are a lot of things we don't get an opportunity to recognize and I think it's always important for the people in our district and important for MHAs to take every opportunity to recognize some of the great things happening within our district.

Mr. Chair, back in early January, just at the end of Snowmageddon, there was an event here in the province, it was the investiture of the potentate for the Mazol Shriners group. I have to thank my colleague from Mount Scio who attended the event for me. This year the person that is leading the Mazol Shriners for the province is actually from my district. His name is Brian Peckford. Me and Brian have been, I guess, lifelong friends. We grew up in the same neighborhood. Later on, I worked under him as he was mayor with the Town of Lewisporte and Brian is now serving as the town manager. I'm quite sure that Brian is going to do a fantastic job as the potentate for the Mazol Shriners.

I must say, for those who are not familiar, I'm sure we have all seen the commercials on TV and the great work that they do internationally. Myself, I had a nephew that was born with issues that required multiple surgeries, spent several years in a body cast and that, and it was thanks to the Shriners group that helped to send him to Montreal for his needed surgeries and things like that. I just want to say a big shout out for the Shriners and the great work they do.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. BENNETT: Also, like I say, what they do throughout the province and internationally.

Over the past week, I've been wearing this pin off and on. I know I'm not allowed to use props. Most people see it as Mickey Mouse, Walt Disney and that, but what it is, is the potentate actually has the opportunity to design their own lapel pin for each year. They identify the name of the potentate plus their spouse.

I haven't had an opportunity to speak to Brian on this here, but I can only assume that he designed this pin with Mickey Mouse as a sign of family. Brian, his wife and children often went to Florida to share their family vacations. If I'm wrong, Brian, I apologize. Actually, he's on vacation now as we speak. He left early this morning. I think I am correct in that. I'm sure, although Brian is not watching this today, his father, Cyril, faithfully watches the House of Assembly and also is a great contributor to the Town of Lewisporte.

I'd also like to recognize another person that is not from my district; however, their family has resided in my district for years, actually, their family and grandparents. This person is Mackenzie Rose. Mackenzie actually grew up in Churchill Falls but last week she won the Nationals championship of powerlifting in her weight class.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. BENNETT: Mackenzie is a member of the Newfoundland and Labrador Powerlifting Association and at the Nationals competition in Winnipeg she took the gold. She also holds the records for her weight class in lifting competitions for Newfoundland and Labrador. I just want to do a big shout-out for Mackenzie for all the great – no doubt, winning such a title comes with a lot of work, a lot of discipline and things like that.

Mr. Chair, I'm going to take another quick second – time is slipping by very quickly, but about another organization that I know is true to your heart, too, and that's the Kinsmen Club of Canada. On February 22, I had the opportunity to attend the anniversary celebration of the 100th anniversary of the Kinsmen Club of Canada.

I'm quite sure probably most people know Hal Rogers was the founder of the Kinsmen Club. When he returned from war back in 1920, he was going to join another organization; however, the rules at that time was only one family member permitted in the organization. He set up his own little organization, and here we are 100 years later, the Kinsmen Club of Canada have donated over a billion dollars to worthy organizations throughout the country. On average now they contribute about $19 million, annually.

In my district, Mr. Chair, we have two clubs, there's the Kinsmen Club of Notre Dame, which I'm proud to say that I am an honourary member of and a number of my family members have served the club over the years, and also the Bridgeport Kinsmen Club.

Locally, our Kinsmen Club of Notre Dame have contributed over $3 million since its inception in 1975. So I just want to do another shout out to them for the great work they do in helping families and individuals in need. As the model says, the Kinsmen Club is serving the community's greatest needs. I'm quite confident that our club in Notre Dame, Lewisporte and area, have been living up to that model.

Mr. Chair, I know a number of people have referenced fire protection and fire departments during Interim Supply and the valuable service that fire departments provide throughout our province. We, right now in my district, have approximately a little short of 15 fire departments with over 300 volunteers that serve pretty well every community within the region. This coming weekend myself and the Minister of Municipal Affairs and Environment will be attending the banquet for the Lewisporte Regional Fire Department.

Just back only a few short months ago I attended a celebration where they opened up a new fire hall, but also it was the 70th anniversary of the fire department for that club. I have to commend the great work they're doing. They service a great area, not just only the Town of Lewisporte, but a number of surrounding communities. Fortunately, in Budget 2019 there was funding for them to get a new fire truck. Although the funding went to the Town of Lewisporte, particularly, the truck will actually be stationed in the neighbouring community of Brown's Arm. That will be done as the regional service. It will also be able to extend their capacity to fight fires to other communities such as Laurenceton and Porterville.

As I said, there are 14 fire departments in my area that cover a vast area. Tragically, I guess most people saw on the media only a month or so ago, a family lost their home in Michael's Harbour. That tragic fire, unfortunately, there was no fire protection to that community. I'm proud to say since that there is a mutual aid agreement – sorry, a memorandum of understanding with that community, now they will have fire protection.

Also, Mr. Chair, we have another little area in there. The fire department in Summerford, which is doing an invaluable service, services 15 communities in that area. They respond to pretty well every community – except for Tizzard's Harbour, which has their own fire department – on the New World Island area.

I just want to do a little shout out for all the firefighters throughout Newfoundland and Labrador. As I think the Member for Terra Nova referenced, that as MHAs we ran towards trouble. We knew what we were getting ourselves into as MHAs. A great comparison for what our firefighters do; when most people are running away from fires or emergencies and things like that, these are the people that we rely on to provide the service and protection to the people in our communities. I just want to say a little thank you for that.

Mr. Chair, like I said my time is running out, but I'd just like to touch on roadwork and the work that has been done in my district over the last few years. Like a lot of communities, brush clearing, roadwork and asphalt were deteriorating and a lack of maintenance, but we have made good strides in the last four years.

I do thank the Minister of Transportation and Works for his co-operation, and his full department; also, all the workers at our Transportation and Works depots. They do a fantastic job with the resources and everything they have. I do look forward to continuing to work with our minister and work crews throughout the province.

I just want to say a big thank you to all the work crews. Over this past winter with the amount of snow we had, I must say our office has not received a lot of complaints about snow clearing operations. They do a fantastic job and I thank them for it.

My time has expired. I thank you.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

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

MR. CROSBIE: Thank you.

I thank the hon. Member opposite for Lewisporte - Twillingate for his recitation and description of all the good works going on in his beloved District of Lewisporte - Twillingate.

I'd also at this point like to put on the record that Commissioner Richard LeBlanc, his commission counsel and staff deserve the thanks of the people of Newfoundland and Labrador for the excellent work they have done during the inquiry.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. CROSBIE: As premier of a PC government, I would implement all of the inquiry recommendations. Recommendation number 2 calls for more effective use of the Public Utilities Board to examine the merits of electrical generation projects. I am already on the record as calling for this as early as February 2012. If this step had been taken before sanction in November 2013, Muskrat Falls cost excesses either would have been mitigated or the project may not have proceeded at all.

I've been from one end of this province to the other in recent weeks, and the families I talk to are not interested in looking backward and playing political games. They want to see action and a credible plan to rein in our out-of-control electricity rates.

In the absence of credible action from the government, yesterday, I wrote to the prime minister to make the case that his government must step in to provide direct equity investment to achieve credible rate mitigation. With a $7.9 billion guarantee on the project, the federal government is our partner and must make a direct financial contribution if rates are to be affordable and if our population is to be rebuilt. Not as much attention has gone on issues that affect the future production of electricity from the facility and its transmission to its destination on the Avalon Peninsula and elsewhere on the Island.

As many of us are aware, there are several serious issues manifesting themselves around precisely the transmission issue. So what happens if Muskrat is capable of full power but it can't cross the Labrador-Island Link? The PUB, last week, ordered Hydro to say what it will do to ensure reliable power if the Labrador Island-Link is not available until June 2022.

Mr. Chair, the following is taken from page 2 of the Liberty report. Liberty being the consultant or organization that the Public Utilities Board has retained to do periodic reports on the progress of aspects of Muskrat Falls, particularly the transmission progress. I'm quoting from the report.

“Lack of Access to Independent Monitoring Reports: Management has been receiving independent third party (ITP) oversight reports of General Electric for an extended period, as our quarterly reports have discussed. We urged this quarter, as we did last quarter, that the” independent third party – they abbreviated ITP – “reports be made available for our review. We continue to be denied access to them, reportedly based on an unwillingness on General Electric's part to waive confidentiality restrictions associated with them. The continuing inability of management and General Electric to resolve the issue of access, combined with continuing extension of the LIL schedule for reasons those reports address, makes access to them ever more important in ensuring that confidence in relatively near term completion of the underlying issues is well placed. Even so, the descriptions of oversight findings that management has provided are not encouraging. Many software problems requiring rectification have been found and more have continued to arise. We consider it necessary to recognize the potential for even more problems arising during Factory System Testing and we find steadily more discomfort with management's continuing expressions of confidence in ever lengthening dates for software delivery.”

Now, just to reiterate, Mr. Chair. This is in the context of the board last Thursday, a week ago, ordering Hydro to tell them what it's going to do to ensure reliable power if the Labrador-Island Link is not available until June 2022. That's more than two years away.

The information I've been given is that every year in delay of delivery of the power is going to cost $500 million to $600 million for each year. So, regrettably, to say this looming, this unresolved problem with the software supplied by General Electric and General Electric's unwillingness to share third party reports with the consultant appointed by the Public Utilities Board to do the necessary oversight is another example of the continuing lack of access to information which has plagued and surrounded the Muskrat Falls project and Nalcor since day one. It is continuing. It continues today with very grave consequences for the public, for rates and for the Treasury of the province at hand if these are not resolved.

This is all in the context, Mr. Chair, of a much larger issue with energy development in our beloved country of Canada because we saw the collapse of a $20 billion project within the last couple of weeks; the Teck project in Alberta for oil extraction, $20 billion.

The CEO of Teck, Don Lindsay, wrote that the Frontier mine was “‘squarely at the nexus' of much deeper-lying tensions in Canada between natural resource extraction and First Nation land claims.”

He wrote: “The promise of Canada's potential will not be realized until governments can reach agreement around how climate” change “policy considerations will be addressed in the context of future responsible energy sector development.” And added: “Without clarity on this critical question, the situation that has faced Frontier” project “will be faced by future projects and it will be very difficult to attract future investment, either domestic or foreign.”

Then he hit upon the solution to all the above as he wrote: “Canada lacks a ‘framework … that reconciles resource development and climate change.'” Now, that's across the board. That's Canada, and it sure as heck does include Newfoundland and Labrador. All of these comments of gravity from the CEO of a project worth $20 billion that was just cancelled apply equally to Newfoundland and Labrador. The absence of a framework that reconciles resource development and climate change.

Mr. Chair, we have the added complication that we have an Atlantic Accord and the Atlantic Accord Act, which implements the Atlantic Accord, is federal legislation as well. It's mirror legislation. The time is going to come – it's not clear when, but soon; it has to come – that the legislation which is now on the books of Canada that was known as C-69 is going to compel both of those acts to be amended, the federal legislation and the provincial.

What's going to have to be amended concerns joint management and control over the pace and the mode of development of projects on the offshore, our offshore. That's a special consideration for us here in Newfoundland and Labrador, is our rights of joint management and control of the pace and mode of development of our offshore. There are implications coming down the pipeline when we get asked to make a myriad of amendments to the Atlantic Accord Act, and that's coming soon. This is of grave consideration and will occupy much of the attention of the House in the near future.

I thank you.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

CHAIR: The hon. the Minister of Service NL.

MS. GAMBIN-WALSH: Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Sunday night past, I attended the YWCA Women of Distinction Awards.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MS. GAMBIN-WALSH: Thank you.

Mr. Chair, I was nominated, and I thank my staff for nominating me. It was quite an honour and a privilege to be in this room with all these magnificent women. Some of the categories – I didn't even know what award category I was nominated for, but as the night went on I kind of figured it out.

With some of the categories that were there, one was: “Public Sphere: This woman has shown leadership in public affairs, media, communications, or through political involvement. She has shown commitment to public service excellence and to improving the life of citizens.” Leila Beaudoin won that category that night, and it was amazing.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MS. GAMBIN-WALSH: As I sat through the night and I looked at the brochure they had laid out for us, I realized that through the course of my last 40 years I actually had met some of these magnificent women: Debbie Ryan with the CNIB from my work in the disability community; I knew Charlene Brophy; Kathy Hawkins from the disability community again. Kathy has done some fabulous work in the community.

I also met some ladies – that night I met Karen Walsh, and I knew Lynn Power from my nursing days many, many years ago. I believe, Mr. Chair, your wife would know Lynn Power also. We worked together.

So, Mr. Chair, as I went through the night and each of us read out one of the résumés, I realized why this was so important. And it's so important to the young girls that were in the room. You could see them being empowered as we went through the night.

Mr. Chair, one of the things I noticed was that I often go about my life as a woman, and I grew up in a family where I had very strong women. My grandmother was very strong. My great aunts were very strong, and my aunt, Noreen Careen, in Labrador, is a very strong lady. So, I just grew up in this environment and thought that's the way everything was in society today.

Since coming into politics, Mr. Chair, I understand the value of the International Women's Day and I understand why we need these awards, the YWCA awards. I just want to congratulate the YWCA for such a fabulous event.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MS. GAMBIN-WALSH: We've been discussing in this House of Assembly now for almost two years a harassment-free environment, a harassment-free workplace. That's a long time to be talking about something that should be just everyday. Again, the same thing as I thought about women in community. But, Mr. Chair, I have learned to empower my daughter and I expect my daughter, if she has children, girls or boys, she will empower them also. Long gone are the days of the Rosa – I always talk about Rosa Parks.

Rosa Parks is a major inspiration to me because at the end of the day she was one individual that changed something because she was so exhausted. Rosa didn't just go to the front of the bus thinking I'm going to change the world. Rosa got on the bus and she said, you know what, I'm equal to everybody on this bus and I'm tired and I'm sitting here. That's what changed it. Rosa took it upon herself to make a change.

We, as a society, collectively, in this House of Assembly, men and women in this House of Assembly, can change the atmosphere in this House. We can do it.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MS. GAMBIN-WALSH: Today on my social media I shared this image that says: STOMP Out Bullying: Change The Culture. We can do that. That is a good message: STOMP Out Bullying.

My colleague for Harbour Grace - Port de Grave recently spoke on behalf of women at Equal Voice. I congratulate her for her contribution.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MS. GAMBIN-WALSH: Again, I think – no, I don't think, I know. I know in this House of Assembly that we can work together and we can change the culture here.

I'm proud to represent the District of Placentia - St. Mary's. I was born and raised in the district, actually born and raised in Placentia; in the flood zone of Placentia, might I add. I spent my days skating in Argentia, and on November 1, 1998, at exactly 2 p.m., the new arena opened up in Placentia.

I could have walked to that arena instead of my poor father having to drive to Argentia and wait an hour, sometimes up to three hours when I coached, for me. I'm sure he sat in the bar and probably had a beer, but those days you'd have one sociable while you were waiting. The poor man drove me three days a week to the arena in Argentia. When the arena opened in 1998, I said just imagine now if this had to be open so close to me here in Placentia, I could just walk and go in as I wanted.

In Placentia, we do have a problem with floods. It's evident; we have a great big steel wall around Placentia. If anyone sees on my social media, every now and then you see the great ocean flopping in over the steel wall. We have houses so close to that wall; they're over a hundred years old. The history in Placentia is large.

We have a graveyard not too far. It has names on the headstones, like Sweetman from Ireland from way back, Mr. Chair, so the history is big. There's a lot of culture in Placentia but, unfortunately, we are in a flood zone and it is getting worse with time. We know there are glaciers. There's melting ice. Things are happening. The environment is changing, and Placentia is victim to environmental change. It is inevitable. It is reality.

My mother's house, actually, is right next to the hospital. Only a few years back we had an alert one night, and we had to evacuate some residents from the hospital because it was flooding. I remember when they were building the hospital, because I grew up with dad singing out: Get the buckets, the water is coming into the basement. It was non-stop. I remember saying, my God, why are they putting a hospital two houses out from us when we were flooding all the time, but you keep moving ahead. It has gotten worse.

Mr. Chair, I was elected by the people for the people of Placentia - St. Mary's, like everybody else in this House, and I will work for the people of Placentia - St. Mary's.

Just yesterday, Branch received their fire truck – not a brand new fire truck – under the new program Municipal Affairs and Environment, and they're so proud of that fire truck and they worked so hard for that truck. It's great.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MS. GAMBIN-WALSH: It's new to them and it will meet the needs of the residents in Branch, that's what's important. If we can bring forward something that meets the needs of the people – it doesn't have to be brand new, as long as it meets the needs. This truck that was delivered yesterday is going to meet the needs of the people in Branch.

Mr. Chair, the MHA for St. John's Centre said this week, actually he was referencing the Muskrat Falls report, and he said: The house burnt down now, where do we go from here?

That's important, where do we go from here? I just want to say that as the Minister of Service NL and the Highway Traffic Act, I've done some significant work. I thank my colleague across the way there for his background in the automobile industry and his questions because he keeps me on my feet over here with the Highway Traffic Act, I'll assure you.

But there is hope, there is action, and this is just some of the things we have been doing. We've amended the act to increase fines using a handheld cellular phone while driving a motor vehicle, very important. We focused on tougher penalties for impaired drivers in this province including new rules –

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MS. GAMBIN-WALSH: – to help steer our young people in the direction of safe and sober driving habits. We've amended the act to increase penalties for a number of offences that were previously less than $100. People weren't paying their fine because they were miniscule fines, but now they're over $100.

Mr. Chair, we made changes regarding excessive speeding, street racing, stunting and move-over provisions, and we didn't do this alone. We had groups like STAND for Hannah and MADD that really helped us. They consulted with us and they literally helped us write this legislation.

We created a new offence for driving without due care and attention, or without reasonable consideration for other persons, causing bodily harm or death – very important to Frankie Ralph and Sarah, Mr. Chair. We increased fines for the existing offence of driving without due care and attention.

Mr. Chair, we made modifications to proof of insurance requirements and we added an appeal process for certain driver's licence suspensions. Insurance, Mr. Chair, very important.

I can go on and on here, Mr. Chair. I have lists of things that we have done. We have been moving forward. We know the house burnt down, Mr. Chair, but we are going to move forward. We're going to work together in this House of Assembly and we're going to effect change, and I truly and honestly believe that.

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

CHAIR: The Chair recognizes the hon. the Member for St. John's Centre.

MR. J. DINN: Thank you, Chair.

I just want to go back; I'm making sure we're still talking about the Interim Supply bill. I'm trying to keep my thoughts relevant here, which I'm finding is an – the idea of relevance is very different than my definition of relevance in the past but, nevertheless.

I want to start off with a comment that I had left off with when my time ran out in presenting my petition, which is about the fire codes in schools. Basically, in schools there is a fire – for every student there's 20 square feet, for every person in a classroom. That's basically the fire code. In other words, you get the area of the classroom, divide it by 20 square feet, and then you have an idea of what the load capacity is of that classroom.

Now, I know the minister has said in many cases the classroom – that not every class is exceeding the class caps, but I can tell you there are an awful lot of classrooms that are exceeding the fire code, that are exceeding the load capacity. Now, I know this because I used to do it as a way of getting – when they started packing people into my class, here is the fire code, put it in writing, you are now in violation of it. I can tell you that certainly in the metro area you're going to find that classrooms are indeed overcrowded. It's a little bit of a back doorway in trying to get some reasonable class sizes.

Usually the comment was: Now, Jim, be careful of what you ask for because they might end up putting you down in the cafeteria where you can teach. And I said, no problem, bring it on, but then I'll be letting the parents know why I'm down in the classroom teaching. I got to that point and I used to recommend to teachers, when I was president, to do that. I got to that point because I realized the whole notion of class size, the issue of class size was falling on deaf ears.

Recently, I was contacted by a teacher – last night, actually – who was responding to an article I posted on social media. The title of the article was: Out of the Closet: School Violence Revealed. In that, this teacher said to me, I'm living it everyday.

Now that's a teacher today who's in a school with The Way Forward, with the new action plan: I'm living it everyday. Her point wasn't about the violence as much – but I'll come back to that – it's about the comment there. One line in this article says: So, the teacher finds herself in the closet crying over lunch because she is not enough to meet the needs of all the students. This is the point this teacher was making. It's impossible for one person to be enough for all the needs, she's pulled in so many directions.

Of course, when the needs aren't met, and especially at the primary and elementary grades, and I'm going to say this again, with young children who probably haven't learned to self-regulate, I can tell you that not only in Newfoundland but across this country that most of the violence that we've encountered, teachers encounter, is at the primary and elementary level. It's rarely the high school.

Now, we saw violence – and my colleague from Bonavista would verify that – but it's usually student on student, let's settle this out in the schoolyard. But, within the school, if there's going to be violence from a student against a teacher or whatever, it's usual from a student.

My wife, who taught Grade 2 – and I can remember saying this to her one time – said we had to clear the classroom today because a student there started to throw desks; get the kids out of the class. My comment to her, I said, honey, Grade 2, why not just pick them up and walk out with them. She said, Dear, he's bigger than I am. And I was into her class and, yes, this student outweighed her significantly.

Even go back to a news story of a few weeks ago about a knife incident at the school, and I know the school district was upset about the misinformation, but I can tell you from talking to teachers there it was more accurate than you want to believe.

The fact is we have students sometimes who are coming also from other areas of the world where they have faced trauma. I can think of one school in particular where every time a plane flew overhead, I was told this one student would get under a desk. Why? Because a plane flying overhead indicated bombing was about to begin. Or that every time the class changed a child would put their bookbag on and follow the teacher out because usually it's when you're on the move, you're getting ready to move somewhere else. Those are just some of the issues.

It's impossible, as this teacher told me, for one person to be enough for all the needs in the classroom. When we're looking at a budget, we have to look at basically – and I certainly hear from the minister that there's an attempt to do this in the plan. I think you need to be aware that there's a reality there that sometimes doesn't make its way up to the ministerial level, or even to the school board level, because there is also a desire – we don't want to complain about this because it will show weakness or a lack of professionalism on our part. Teachers are notorious, they will not complain. They will go to the wall over it.

I can tell you plenty of examples of teachers who were on long-term disability who had suffered temporary paralysis because of a child who had ran them into a wall. It's not the child's fault, but the fact is the child lacked the supports that he or she needed.

I've seen full-day kindergarten. Full-day kindergarten was brought in. At that time I said – and I still believe this – it was brought in on the backs of the rest of the system. We put 143-odd teachers into the full-day kindergarten, which was a great idea, no issue with it, but we lost that many teachers from the rest of the system, from Grade 1 on up.

I've seen how full-day kindergarten can work in Central Newfoundland. In a small class with small class sizes, it works beautifully well. Put it into a St. John's classroom where we're strapped for space, not so much.

Look at the schools that we've built in Paradise –

AN HON. MEMBER: Torbay.

MR. J. DINN: Torbay. A lot of these schools when they've been built, they're at capacity. They're already at capacity.

AN HON. MEMBER: Over capacity.

MR. J. DINN: Over capacity. They're already bursting at the seams. I can think of Holy Trinity in Torbay at the time when it was built. In many ways I guess what we're saying is in any budget, what are we looking at? What are the needs out there?

Yesterday, in response to a question to the Member for Topsail - Paradise, the Minister of Tourism, Culture, Industry and Innovation responded that in regard to the infrastructure at MUN, the infrastructure problems didn't happen overnight, and it won't be fixed overnight. I agree with that, except here's the thing: In solving sometimes our fiscal deficit, in sometimes trying to resolve our fiscal debt, we end up creating an infrastructure deficit, an infrastructure debt. In schools, we can also create a human resource debt. It's going to come back to haunt us. Problems are going to grow. It's better to deal with it early on.

In my district, the old Grace Hospital nursing residence stands there now. From what I understand, it's going to cost about $2 million to demolish it. It is beyond the stage where it can be used. Now, I had been thinking about low-barrier housing, and maybe we can turn the building into that. Something to deal with the emergency shelters and other things.

Here's the thing, back in 2007 – and this is not tied to any one party or the others, but it comes down to when we start making economic decisions – if the decision to use that building had been made earlier we could've had something there. We could've used it within that district to meet the needs of the people around, but we leave it and now it's worthless. It's actually going to cost us money to tear the building down.

I think as we go forward when we consider this, let's start looking at – when we try to solve that fiscal deficit, let's make sure we're not creating deficit in education, deficits in our Income Support and Social Assistance areas and that we look after the people who put us here.

Thank you.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

CHAIR (Bennett): The Chair recognizes the Minister of Tourism, Culture, Industry and Innovation.

MR. DAVIS: Thank you, Mr. Chair.

I'm so happy to stand and represent the beautiful District of Virginia Waters - Pleasantville. I'm stealing a line from my colleague for Cape St. Francis: the beautiful district of, but I've moved it to a historic district that's existed about five years right now. I'd just like to say it's always a pleasure to stand in this House and recognize the people that put us here. We wouldn't be here today without those individuals, so thank you for that.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. DAVIS: I'd also be remiss if I didn't thank the Member for Terra Nova for his service to our country. Thank you for that. I really do appreciate that.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. DAVIS: I guess the benefits of standing in this House and listening to others express their stories about their district or their feelings about different issues, that's one of the best things that come out of Interim Supply. It really is. I get the opportunity to feel like a connection with all Members in the House of Assembly.

All 40 of us share common interests that we don't necessarily know, and it's not always the thrust of debate that you get that out. It's through individual contact like this. I've always thought this is a great institution that we have here, the ability to interact with each other and tell pieces of ourselves to not just the people in this House, but the people we represent. So, I think it's an opportunity that we don't – I don't take lightly, and I know many of the people in this House don't as well.

I'd like to take some time to address – there are so many areas you could go with Interim Supply. I'm just going to take some time and address one of the concerns the MHA for St. John's Centre just brought up. I fully agree with him. That is a true statement that I did say in this House of Assembly, that the dilapidated infrastructure we have in this province didn't happen overnight and it therefore can't be fixed overnight.

I do agree with him that regular maintenance is important. I grew up near the Grace Hospital and it would have been a perfect opportunity for something to be developed in that facility. We should take every opportunity of repurposing buildings that are brown sites that exist within our city and our province. It's important. There's lot of opportunity out there and having partnerships with either business or governments or not-for-profit organizations are really a key piece to ensuring that success can happen with those buildings.

I'd just like to take a few minutes, as the hon. Member for Mount Pearl - Southlands always says, I'd like to take a few minutes and just go through some of the things that are interesting to me with respect to economic development and talk a little bit about Tourism, Culture, Industry and Innovation, the department that the Premier asked me to be minister for. I think it's arguably the best department in government. It's an opportunity for you to see a lot of good things that are happening in our province, whether it be tourism or in the technology sector, the innovation space or whether it's in culture and heritage which is fantastic to get to see the diverse opportunities that I get the opportunity to see and I'm blessed to have that.

One of the things we talk about an awful lot is job creation, which is important. It doesn't fall on deaf ears with me. I understand that's a way forward for the province and for the people in the province as well.

One of the things we've tried as a government is to use economic diversification and regional economic diversification. It doesn't happen – and I'll use the same adage I've said before, it doesn't happen overnight. It takes picking industries that we think are going to be successful, working with stakeholders, working with industry players in those industries to try to delve into where we can see opportunities to succeed, opportunities where there are – challenges instead of opportunities and where we can invest smartly to expand on opportunities that we see within the province.

That collaboration that we've seen with government and industry and business is at an all-time high since 2015, and not just since then. I think even prior to that it started, and I think that's a good thing. Who better knows the industries than the people who actually are working in the industries? I think it's incumbent upon government to sometimes get out of the way and allow industry to grow and take advantage of opportunities.

I think that's what we've tried to do as a government, to work collaboratively and find ways we can improve little things that will make the industry that much stronger in the long term. We've seen investments in oil and gas, aerospace and defence, manufacturing, mining and tourism, of course, in the craft sector, which is an interesting one. Many people don't think about the value that brings to the province, the craft sector in and of itself.

The film industry: we have a really strong film industry. I think it's about half a billion dollars over the last decade or more that have been invested into the film industry and created thousands of jobs, which is important for a province like ours and any province for that matter. It also gives us the opportunity to work with each other and showcase the province, whether it be through Republic of Doyle or now Hudson & Rex, which if you haven't seen it, it's an awesome show. I did a cameo on it. I sign autographs in the afternoon.

It's really important the investments we make in those industries because not only is it a showcase opportunity for us, for people not from here to view the province, but also you can't spend those dollars for tourism. If we were to invest in film and television – when people see that they say that's a pretty amazing looking place, I'd like to go visit that.

With Hudson & Rex, through syndication we hope that's going to be in many other markets, but it's in Germany, it's in France. Those individuals that get the opportunity to see what we live like here in Newfoundland –

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Oh, oh!

CHAIR: Order, please!

The level of conversation is getting too loud.

MR. DAVIS: Thank you very much, Mr. Chair, for the protection.

One of the things I think is pretty novel about the department that I have the pleasure of representing is the investments you make can see fruits come out of that fairly quickly. Some of the investments, whether it be Hudson & Rex or whether it be in the technology sector – and I have the pleasure of having a parliamentary secretary who has a very strong background in the technology sector, in the innovation space. I've learned an awful lot from her, because I didn't have a background in that area. That's where we all benefit when we take advice from other people, on both sides of the House, to try to build on what we know and what we don't know, which is also important. I think that's an opportunity.

There are many regions of our province that we've had an opportunity to invest in, whether it be the fluorspar mine or whether it be investments in trying to develop an industry like cannabis in this province. There's an opportunity for us to try to grow something, pardon the pun on that. It's an opportunity for us to try to build on successes that we've had in the past to bring them into the future for people. Looking at all those options, it's important.

One of the things I'd like to take the opportunity to talk about for another couple of seconds would be the innovation space. I could go on and on about the innovation ecosystem, for days it could seem like, because what we're experiencing in this province is pretty impressive. We're seeing an ecosystem development with government working with industry, working with the stakeholders like NATI and NEIA and Noia to try to figure out ways to do things a little better. We're seeing some great success.

I've had the ability to go around touring some, what I call Tech Tour 2020, going and visiting places like Kraken, which are doing advanced robotics and subsea abilities to look at things we haven't seen or don't know much about that industry, like oil companies would be looking at as opportunities to invest in our province, or whether it be CoLab.

You don't feel like you've accomplished anything in life when you go to see places like CoLab or Mysa, when you see these young students that just graduated recently, who have empowered not just themselves, but in some cases hundreds of other people who are starting an economy here and helping to make that economy turn.

I had the opportunity to speak with some students from Gonzaga today, and I encouraged them – along with our parliamentary secretary for Tourism, Culture, Industry and Innovation – have they considered the technology sector as an opportunity for them in the future. I was surprised that not many hands went up. I was really surprised by that. It's not much different than when I went to high school, in that I never thought of it that way either. It's incumbent upon all of us in this House of Assembly to tell people about the opportunities that exist.

As an MHA, as a minister, as an industry, as administrators at schools, we all have a role to play. Government alone can't do it. It takes all of us pushing and telling the stories, because there are a lot of positive stories; whether it be Verafin, whether it be Mysa, whether it be CoLab, whether it's going to be Kraken, there are hundreds of them.

We have two huge incubators here with Genesis and Memorial Centre for Entrepreneurship. They're doing some pretty neat things with the entrepreneur space, which is allowing entrepreneurs to grow. Whether that be 300 students that are working through MCE at Memorial or whether that's the number of students that are working –

CHAIR: Order, please!

Your time has expired.

MR. DAVIS: Sorry.

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

CHAIR: The Chair recognizes the Member for Placentia West - Bellevue.

MR. DWYER: Thank you, Mr. Chair.

I appreciate the time to rise to my feet in this hon. House and represent the beautiful District of Placentia West - Bellevue.

AN HON. MEMBER: (Inaudible.)

MR. DWYER: I will only defer to my colleague from Cape St. Francis because he has the years on me in this House. I would like to take his –

AN HON. MEMBER: (Inaudible.)

MR. DWYER: Right? I played hockey against him, so I know where he leads. I do defer to my hon. colleague because he's been a great part of our team, to be quite honest, in bringing such a bunch of fresh-faced new MHAs into the fore to realize why we're here.

For me, I'll reiterate what Minister Davis said. In saying that, I do agree with him in that – I do agree that in the meantime we have to all be on the same page. There's no one person who's an expert in everything, so we are incumbent on taking advice from other people. You have to understand where the advice comes from, obviously, but we all have different backgrounds. We're a very eclectic bunch. It goes to show about the innovation that is coming here to Newfoundland and Labrador in that we can do different things and we don't have to do things that we did in the past the same way because, obviously, we build on the positives of the past and that's where we want to go.

One of the big things for me, I think, is secondary processing. If we learned nothing from our past, the fishery and forestry, mining and all that, it's all just gone out of here in bulk. It's time for us to stop being the Bulk Barn of Canada, as simple as that. Let's do the secondary processing. Let's put our people to work. It's our people. It's their resources.

We have 40 people in here that represent 520,000. Let's get off those political stripes. There's no blame game. I don't know what happened – I don't have a say really in what happened before I got here last May, but I know what I have here and why I wanted to come here. It's because the people in my district needed somebody to stand up for them. They needed somebody to be a voice for them in government so that they actually have a voice. They needed somebody that was accessible, somebody that would give them a call back.

Whether I can help them or not, I'm going to call back my constituents and I'll guarantee them that today. That is one promise that I made from the get-go, from the start. If you have the time in your day to reach out to me, I'll make sure I have time in my day to reach out to you. If not, it will be tomorrow. It will be in a timely fashion; I will guarantee you that.

Like I said, the whole thing of Interim Supply is a necessity. The necessity that's there is that we are known as a culture for looking out for our own. The people that are going to be affected by Interim Supply are actually the people that do the people's business on our behalf as well. We might be the leaders and we might be the MHAs, and we give them direction based on the fact that we probably are held to a higher standard than others. For me, it's about listening to each other; it's about working with each other.

Like I said, it's not about being an expert in everything, but it is about being morally sound in the decisions you make and about working together and about doing what's best for the most people. We're not ever going to please everybody all the time because there are a lot of people with different needs, but we have to listen to them. We have to understand what their needs are.

I had a bunch of calls this week from a bunch of tradespeople in my district that weren't happy with the hiring practices at Grieg, which I already addressed one time before. Not that I can do anything about how they do their hiring because they're a private company, but I did let them know and I did speak to them on behalf of all the people who have called me and have private messaged me and know me through Facebook and all that kind of stuff.

They know I have the integrity and respect to bring their message forward and to let them have a voice and to let them be heard. I call them back and I tell them, when I find out more, I'll call you back again. That's incumbent on me and that's what I signed up for. I want the people of Placentia West - Bellevue to know, in no uncertain terms, they have a man here that has integrity and respect for every one of them because I'm not the boss, they're my boss and it's as simple as that.

The Member opposite said about all the good things about Hudson & Rex and Republic of Doyle. I'd like to say thanks to him for making a cameo appearance on Hudson & Rex, but he's not the only person that's made their debut in that realm. I spent four seasons on the Republic of Doyle myself which – the reason why I bring that up is because I do see the economic impact that that has. That is something we really need to strive on.

AN HON. MEMBER: (Inaudible.)

MR. DWYER: I will give the minister my autograph later, no problem. I'll even let him take a selfie with me if he wants to put it on his social media.

That's where I come from. I got nothing negative to say about the opposite side because they've all opened their hearts to hear me and to give me an opportunity to talk to them. When I do talk to them, I bring up things that are probably less efficient than they should be, and they're starting to listen. They never listened for the first five or six months because I'm a rookie and you have to give them a bit of hard time before they get anywhere with you.

In the meantime, things are better. I think they understand where I'm coming from. I'm not here to ask anybody to bend the rules for me, as I wouldn't expect that, but it is important that we listen to each other. We're not coming and asking for personal things. We're coming and asking on behalf of somebody that's in a bit of a different situation.

I had somebody last week in a bit of a different situation in one of my towns. I'm not going to say the town. I don't want to mention the people or anything like that, because that's not my cup of tea. I've never ever gone looking for pats on the back or credit for anything. I just look for results and I want to help people. I genuinely want to help people.

I got called to a town last week. The town had experienced some flooding, and some of that flooding actually went through a house of a couple of constituents of mine that are on the low-income side of life. I knew I was going into a pretty difficult situation. I didn't know exactly what I was going to face, but nonetheless I was willing to take it on.

In understanding a little bit more of their situation as I got closer to the time of arrival, I didn't want to go to that House without trying to help in some way. I had just gone to a grocery store in that town and bought some groceries for myself and my family, to be quite honest. When I left, I left those groceries at that house. They needed it more than me.

If we're going to sit in this House and we're going to keep looking for pats on the back, those people are not going to get help. Their issues are not going to be heard. I'm not financially flush by no means, Mr. Chair, but when I see a need – it's not that I can always do something about it financially, but I can lend my support and I can lend my education and background to those people to utilize for themselves. That's why I got into this.

A couple of things we need to really look at is about – I mentioned earlier today – attracting that foreign investment. It's about giving people the improved services so we can attract more businesses, like Wi-Fi and cell service. It's about readdressing equalization as opposed to a moving number of rate mitigation. Let's get that equalization and let the people of the province get out from underneath this burden of debt.

As I said, Interim Supply is necessary. Based on the COVID-19 issues right now, I think it's very necessary. I think three months would be more appropriate.

With that being said, I see my time is running out. The last thing I will say is, yes, we are 40 Members in this House of Assembly looking out for 520,000 people that need us now.

CHAIR: Order, please!

Your time has expired.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

CHAIR: The Chair recognizes the Member for Lake Melville.

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

I did want to get up and speak. I wanted to respond to my colleague for Terra Nova. I have a huge respect for him and all that he's done for our country and so on, so I'm going to do this in a very careful way.

I also understand, I think, where some of his frustration was in his remarks earlier. I get it; I paid a lot of attention over the last 4½ years as a politician. Maybe in your own career when somebody is coming at you with something, it's often not what they say, it's why they say it. Having a family member, I think you said it was your father –

MR. PARROTT: (Inaudible) father and mother.

MR. TRIMPER: – lost their pensions. This drives you, and I understand that completely.

A good way to resolve discussions and debates between ourselves is Hansard. I just went and checked Hansard and I did not allude to any single-handed responsibility. What I did allude to yesterday in my remarks is that as soon as we took over governing this fine province, within two to three days, I and others gathered to make some very difficult decisions in response to the pension crisis. I look at the Member behind you from Humber - Bay of Islands, he was also part of that. There were several of us who gathered there.

It was that action, as tough as it was, and then the commitment to carry on. There were a series of steps – and before I go any further through the steps, I want to tell you, Rita Pynn is one hell of a union leader and a champion for her community. There's no question, we would not have resolved this without somebody like her. So I completely agree with you on that.

All I'm saying in my remarks yesterday, and I'm saying to you right now, is we decided this could not languish any longer. We wound up the pension and then we immediately started doing things like putting legal counsel in Quebec in all the court proceedings and we started writing a letter. We had a letter from our Premier to Cleveland-Cliffs that very first few days of office, I know that, and continued to go after them.

Then there was the lobbying of Tacora. I have to tell you, the negative activity – and I look around at some of my colleagues who were there, because there was a lot of pressure on us to sell off the remaining assets of Cleveland-Cliffs, take that money and then try to use it to top up what was missing in the pension plan. It was tough to not go there because we know we needed to do it.

I also want you to know that the very first question I asked Tacora when they made a presentation here at a conference in St. John's – I think it was in 2019, I'll have to check the dates, but I did ask the CEO, I said: What difference did it make having all those assets still on the ground when you decided to take over that property? He said, it was everything. Instead of spending hundreds and hundreds of millions of dollars to take over that mine and get that economy going, get that mine up and running, give those communities some hope, he said it was something in the vicinity, I think it was around $76 million, something like that.

All I'm saying is we worked closely with the Rita Pynns of the world and the pensioners and everyone else that work, but we made that tough decision and we went at it. I thank you for that opportunity.

I wanted to wrap up today, and it's a particularly interesting day – and I look to my colleague, the Minister of Tourism, Culture, Industry and Innovation and I look to my colleagues in the House – in a former life when I was sitting in the Speaker's Chair, I was very proud to be identified and supported unanimously to go to Turkey, and I did that in January of 2018, at the behest of the House and as an emissary of the Legislature, to sit down and see if I could convince Turkish officials to come back to Newfoundland and Labrador and talk to us about the possibility of finally completing the Trail of the Caribou.

That was my mission. I went there with a gentleman by the name of Larry Weatherbie. I want to enter his name into the record because he was a great teammate in this amazing trip. Lo and behold, the work went so well that week – and we got a sense of it and working very closely with Tourism, Culture, Industry and Innovation staff, it really caught us off guard, but because of some much shared history and because of the approach we took, it was sincerity, and to reach out to the Turks at a time when, frankly, they were looking for allies and we were looking for a way to correct some historical hurdles that we'd been facing – and I have to say, I was prompted somewhat about the amazing events that happened last night in the repatriation; different circumstances, but still something that has been lingering for decades, if not centuries, and I was very proud to be a part of that.

I just wanted to quickly identify to some of the Members who weren't part of the 48^th Assembly, but there's been some great stuff going on. I've been proud to play a role as the Speaker, now as an MHA continuing on, but our governments enjoy good relationships with the Turkish officials. We continue to talk.

The Gonzaga High School class was here earlier. We have a fascinating twinning, exchange between the two high schools, this one and another one called Kabataş Erkek Lisesi, which is the amazing school in Istanbul. These students are writing letters back and forth and they're comparing different observations of life. We've had students from Turkey come here. Memorial University has signed an MOU with another institution called Onsekiz Mart down on the Gallipoli Peninsula. These great things are going on.

For those who might be aware, I know the department is preparing now, with the permission from the Turkish officials, to finally complete that caribou. I look very much forward to my colleague, the minister, updating this House and updating the province on finally completing that sixth and final caribou. I've committed to him; I'll do whatever I can. I've been working on my Turkish and I'll play whatever role I can, but at the very least I'll carry his bags if I have to. I'm very happy to see the progress on that.

I do want to finally wrap up with something's that quite interesting for me. So many of us have talked about health care. I don't know how to necessarily help somebody get better, but one of the strategies that I've decided to undertake over the last five years is to – what can I do to help improve the health care system.

I happen to have some great neighbours, both of whom are doctors, and I've asked them on occasion when we meet – they both have access to my beer fridge in the backyard, so we've become pretty good friends. I said to the good doctor one day: What would it take for you to stay here? What is it that attracts you to our fine community? He said: All I'm looking for is an opportunity to practise my profession and bring my family up in a safe, comfortable environment where I can grow and prosper and feel good. When you start to think about the simplicity of that and you start to look at some of the gaps in each of our communities, that's where my head goes.

I just want to leave with a final thought, because I get to drive by this facility each day I'm in town. We have a new wellness centre. The Minister of Service NL was talking about the YMCA; well, the Y is going to be taking over a brand new wellness centre. It's in the vicinity of something like $27 million. The provincial government has allocated $11.7 million. It is going to be a great attraction for securing those doctors, those nurses, those other professionals that we're looking for in Labrador, that we're looking for in Lake Melville.

I see initiatives and investments like that as being in a very indirect, but also in a very direct way, helping folks have better health care. Because you know what? We're spending a lot of money, a lot of time accessing resources which are here in St. John's – and rightly so. We have a very challenging geography, a very challenging situation from a demographic perspective.

Frankly, I often tell the Minister of Health and Community Services, I don't think we can compare ourselves to any other province in the country when we try to figure out where are we in terms of delivering health care and our per capita and so on. We're very unique. We have 94 per cent of our population here on the Island, and only 6 per cent in 300,000 square kilometres in Labrador. So, it's a great challenge.

How do we get people to health care? Well, in many ways we need to get those specialists to them. It's investments like the Labrador Wellness Centre and this great operation that I think will do a great bit, a great measurable advancement in terms of health care – what is it you say – outcomes, that we will see in Labrador and across the province.

So with that, Mr. Chair, thank you very much for the opportunity.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

CHAIR: The Chair recognizes the Member for Mount Pearl - Southlands.

MR. LANE: Thank you, Mr. Chair.

It's a pleasure to speak once again. I had a list of about 20 items, but I've had to reduce it down to three, because I've got 10 minutes. But I'll have many opportunities when we get into the budget and everything else to bring all these other matters up, I'm sure.

Mr. Chair, when we talk about Interim Supply – and, of course, that relates to the budget – we all know we have a very serious fiscal situation. So it makes it very difficult to stand up and talk about we need this, we need that, we need something else, because all those things cost money. And I get that, I'm very cognizant of that. That's why it's not very often you will see me stand up asking for stuff – more of this or more of that – because I realize the situation we're in, and there is money associated to doing that, but there are lots of things we can be doing in this House of Assembly legislatively. They're not necessarily going to cost any money, but they are going to improve the system, nonetheless.

I want to talk about, very quickly, three legislative things that we should, in my opinion at least, consider. Now, two of these I brought up yesterday in Question Period. Unfortunately, the Premier never answered either one of my questions, so I'm going to just bring it up anyway.

The first one is around fixed election date legislation. We have legislation that was put in place, I believe it wasn't the former administration, but I think it was the one before that. I believe it was under Premier Williams, if I'm not mistaken, and I do stand to be corrected. They had put in a fixed election date. That legislation was supposed to provide certainty for all parties and for the public as to when an election would be called every four years.

Unfortunately, at the time when that legislation was put in, there was what I have referred to as an escape clause in that legislation. It basically lays out the fact that there would be an election every four years. However, there is a clause or a subclause within that legislation that basically says notwithstanding the desire to call an election every four years, for all the right reasons, the premier of the day still has the right at any time to go visit the Lieutenant-Governor and call an election.

What is the point of having legislation in place around fixed-date elections to provide certainty, to prevent governments of the day, whoever they may be, from calling an election whenever it's convenient for them because they're up in the polls – or they're down in the polls, so they don't want to call an election – they're up in the polls, they do want to call an election. Time it with good news; avoid bad news and so on to call an election for political purposes.

That was why it was all put in place at the time, but then to insert an escape clause that says notwithstanding all that, we can call an election whenever we feel like it. That is a very easy fix to simply go in, amend the legislation to remove that one clause, basically, that says the election will be every four years – period. No escape – period. That's it. I suggest to the government, it's something that should be considered in terms of democratic reform for sure.

The second item which I brought up that I didn't get an answer to – and I've raised this numerous times in the House as well – relates to the access to information. When I asked a question yesterday, the Premier stood up and his response was the old Bill 29 rant instead of answering the question.

The bottom line is that under the current Access to Information legislation, which I will give credit to the former administration that after Bill 29 was passed – which was obviously a big mistake – they did come back and change it. Premier Clyde Wells wrote a report and we have probably the best Access to Information legislation, so we're told, in the country. That's a good thing. We should be proud of that; but, under the Access to Information act there is a provision that excludes Nalcor. When the government brought in legislation back last fall to bring in OilCo, OilCo was also excluded from access to information as a consequential amendment.

We have ATIPPA, but both the former administration by putting in Nalcor and the current administration for not removing Nalcor and, in addition, adding in OilCo, what they have essentially done is they have allowed Nalcor and OilCo to continue to hide information from the public. That's what they've done, under the guise of commercial sensitivity.

Now, I have no problem with protecting commercially sensitive information. We all understand that, but the problem is that every time – and we saw it happen when we were talking about the embedded contractors, and that wasn't Ed Martin. That was Stan Marshall at the time. The current CEO denied the information on the embedded contractors. The Premier stood up in this House and said he was going to provide the information; yet, went to Mr. Marshall and he said, nope, you're not getting it.

Now, it did eventually come out through the Muskrat Falls inquiry, but the point is it was denied. Under that legislation the CEO or the representative from Nalcor and OilCo can deny an access to information. They don't have to give any explanation. They don't have to say I am denying this because it's commercially sensitive because – they don't have to do nothing. All they have to do is say nope, you can't have it, go away from me, no explanation required. And there's no appeal. There is no appeal.

Another thing that government could do in the name of being open and transparent, and for Nalcor and OilCo to be open and transparent, is to amend the Access to Information act and remove Nalcor and OilCo as being exempt. That means they will fall under access to information.

That means if somebody requested information, just like for any other government department, you make the request and if they say it's commercially sensitive – which, by the way, the Department of Natural Resources can do it right now, and any government department can say this is commercially sensitive, the same thing, then they have to give an explanation as to why it's commercially sensitive. They have to give you a response within a certain timeline and if you disagree, you have the right to appeal. You have the right to appeal through the Privacy Commissioner, who is an independent officer of the House.

The Privacy Commissioner can determine whether it's commercially sensitive or not. For someone that would say, oh my goodness, now he's going to determine and that could somehow jeopardize business dealings and so on, Nalcor also has an appeal. Because if the Privacy Commissioner says give it to them, even under the access to information Nalcor and OilCo can say: Do you know what, Mr. Privacy Commissioner, we disagree with your ruling and we're going to court and let a judge decide.

There are lots of safeguards under the access to information that could apply to OilCo and could apply to Nalcor, the same as it does to the Department of Natural Resources or any other department in government. That is another thing that this government could do, another change in legislation that's not costing us any money, not costing the taxpayers any money, just making legislative changes that make Nalcor more open and transparent. God only knows, based on what's in here, we need more openness and transparency at Nalcor.

A final thing, Mr. Chair, and gee whiz I'm almost totally out of time already. I do want to make mention – and I'm going to have to bring this up again – I've had a number of people reach out to me that are involved with animal rights groups. They have major concerns – and there are going to be petitions coming to this House of Assembly – about our animal protection legislation in this province.

They have gone to the minister responsible, which would be the Minister of Fisheries, land and agriculture. I forget the title but, anyway, we know who we're talking about. He won't even meet with them, according to them. They're looking for changes because there are significant issues around having animals that are tethered and how long you can have them tethered, how long the leash has to be, how long you're allowed to leave them outside. There are no standards in place for doghouses and stuff to make sure they're safe for the animals.

There are issues around enforcement. They have told me there are issues even with the RNC, for example, because they're saying they don't believe all the officers are necessarily trained and know all the ins and outs of animal protection legislation.

That's something that affects people right throughout this province. They've asked for meetings. They've asked for updates, and the minister seems to think there's no issue with the legislation. They strongly disagree, and the minister will be finding that out when we start presenting petitions in the near future.

I see I'm out of time, Mr. Chair. I thank you for the time.

CHAIR: The Chair recognizes the Member for Humber - Bay of Islands.

MR. JOYCE: Thank you, Mr. Chair.

I'm just going to spend a few minutes, too. I say to my colleague from Mount Pearl - Southlands, I'll do whatever I can to help out with the Animal Protection Act because I heard that out in Corner Brook, also, and I'm involved with the SPCA and Scaredy Cat Rescue. I have seven animals right now of my own, so I'm very familiar with the legislation and what was supposed to be in it that wasn't in it. We can work together and try to get that.

Mr. Chair, I'm going to speak today on the district itself, on Humber - Bay of Islands itself. I'm not going to speak about the budget because I gave a lot of ideas –

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Oh, oh!

CHAIR: Order, please!

MR. JOYCE: – of what I'd like to see in the budget and what we need to do in the budget.

There is one department that doesn't get a lot of attention here sometimes when something – but it's Children, Seniors and Social Development. In that department there are a lot of small grants that help out a lot of groups in this province, I have to say. You take seniors, a lot of those programs help out seniors. They get out and socialize and then they have seminars on slipping and falling and all that; and think about the socialization and some of the youth groups also for recreation.

I have to give a shout-out to that department, because the grants and the programs help out a lot of youth, a lot of seniors in around the Province of Newfoundland and Labrador. They don't get a lot of attention. They're smaller grants. They don't get a lot of attention, but I can guarantee you, they're valuable to a lot of seniors groups to keep them involved in their community, keep them involved in their group and gives them some socialization when they're in their meetings and doing the events that they're doing.

So, I just have to say that to the department, that's a great department where a lot of people are helped but it goes very unnoticed. I want to notice it because I know out in our district, we use it a lot and it's very valuable.

I heard the Member for Baie Verte - Green Bay the other day, of course, and it's so true – our constituency assistants. I know Judy Bolt out my way – it's like I told her one day in Meadows, I was at a Meadows firemen's ball and Judy was there. She's a member of the town council in Meadows. I told her; she's always complaining about the amount of work she's doing. So I stood up in front of the fire department and I said, I don't know what she's complaining about. She only does 90 per cent of the work, and I just don't know what she's complaining about.

Our constituency assistants, and Judy Bolt, we've been together now ever since I've been in. I just want to – the amount of work that she does. Of course, a lot of people now when they call the office don't even know my name, they just ask for Judy. I answer the phone: Is Judy in? So, I just want to recognize the amount of work she does in the district itself and has done over the district itself and the valuable contribution she has made to the people of Humber - Bay of Islands.

Mr. Chair, when I go to Cox's – and I know the priority in Cox's Cove is the retaining wall they have. I understand that, and I'm working with the minister on that issue for them. Also, with the recreation and the stadium there, I know what their priority is. This year they're having hockey in Cox's Cove, which is just great. All the other groups, the fire departments in Cox's Cove that I worked very well with and thank them all for their service.

In McIvers, Mr. Chair, I know their priority. If anybody in McIvers is listening, the priority of the town council is Lower Cove. I have that, and I know the minister is well aware of it because I had meetings with him to discuss that also. So, there is gone in – the priority for McIvers is Lower Cove.

When you look at Gillams, I know the water and sewer project over in the brook is a priority. There has been a request gone in for funding for that also. There's one group in Gillams – Scott Blanchard and the recreation committee. I remember Scott came back years ago and he wanted to set up – he was so much involved with softball. He wanted to set up a softball field for the youth, somewhere to go.

He started on his own and he got the recreation committee. He got the town council behind him and other people involved. The field they had last year; they even hosted a provincial tournament. What a job they did, with Scott, Linda and the whole recreation committee and the people who supported them.

I know there are funds in requesting for a backstop. Hopefully, we'll be able to come up with something there, because last year alone they had 85 kids in a softball program in Gillams and surrounding area. Just that alone, they're in there day and night. They have to go in the nighttime to ask the kids to leave so they don't hurt themselves because it's dark. It's giving the kids somewhere to go, giving them an opportunity to play sports, and giving them an opportunity to be under supervision of people like Scott and the recreation committee.

I see the Minister of Children, Seniors and Social Development coming in. I know she helped out that full recreation over a number of years with small grants, but those small grants that came from that department have built such a huge softball field for the whole north shore of the Bay of Islands. With the volunteer work they did themselves and with the grants they got from that department – people don't even realize, when you get a small grant it all adds up, and with the volunteer work. I just have to recognize that. I already recognized the department for that for the seniors.

Mr. Chair, then when you go over to Meadows, I know the lift station is their priority. Of course, that's my priority for that town also. Also, if people ever took a drive on the north shore and see the stadium they had built, an outdoor rink. Now they have a roof over it and they have a little room built off it. Most of that is coming through different programs they had, and they borrowed some money last year. This year alone there are 75 kids in the hockey program.

There are groups from Corner Brook who will come over and rent the outdoor rink to have skating and hockey practices out there. That's something the recreation – Jamie Brake, who happens to be the mayor of Meadows, all the town council and all the recreation in Meadows, a great job. I'm over there on a regular basis with them. I was over there a little while back, Mr. Chair, when they had their winter carnival. They had their game outside. It's a tremendous facility. Summertime even with ball hockey, they had 85 to 90 kids in the ball hockey program out in Meadows. So I just have to recognize all that fine work.

I know, Mr. Chair, in Irishtown-Summerside there's a bit of roadwork they're looking for. Also, Meadows, I know they're looking for a rescue vehicle. I know I brought that up several times in this House about the rescue vehicle for Meadows. I can tell you one thing, last year I think they had 128 emergency calls, medical calls. There's a seniors' home in Meadows.

Also, the largest K-to-12 school in the Province of Newfoundland and Labrador is in Meadows, and they service a lot of the north shore. I just have to bring that up again. I know the minister is listening attentively to the priorities for Humber - Bay of Islands. He's even taking notes of it. Mr. Minister, I know we'll be chatting about it again.

In Irishtown-Summerside, the roadwork, I know – also, they have a home, 70-something residents in their home. They take in about 15, 20 kilometres on the north shore where Meadows pick up and goes on out. They're looking for one of those rural response – a smaller vehicle. They're looking for a rural response vehicle. They had to go out on an emergency just – while I went to the firemen's ball last Saturday night, they went out on Friday and they had to throw the gear in the back of a truck to get there. They went there and they had a medical call then of a heart attack at the time. Those are the kind of priorities we're asking for.

Out in Lark Harbour, Mr. Chair, again, it's water and sewer. Hopefully, we will get some more funding for that. Lark Harbour is not serviced with water and sewer. Lark Harbour is one of the towns that is just not serviced with water and sewer, so hopefully that will be another phase that will be done this year. I see the minister again writing it down. Minister, you have no worry, I'll be meeting with you on that again.

Also, in York Harbour, Lark Harbour, the biggest concern they have – and I met with the Minister of Transportation and Works who was out looking and took a drive with me – is the road between Frenchman's Cove and Lark Harbour, York Harbour. Hopefully we'll get some repairs done this summer. A lot of it was from flood damage. A lot of it is taking time. One bridge was repaired, and I know they repaired a second one. So that's the big concern for York Harbour, Lark Harbour residents.

In Humber Arm South, the big concern, of course, is First Avenue. First Avenue is where the major flooding was and they're trying to stop the houses from flooding. They have to do a lot of major work in First Avenue where the bottleneck gets down to Route 450. Also, their biggest concern is the Johns Beach area, part of the flood – Johns Beach area was a major problem, and I know the Minister of Transportation and Works, through the rural and Northern development fund, has put aside money for that and I look forward to having that tender out this year.

Also, in Mount Moriah, Mr. Chair, they put in a new waterline from the City of Corner Brook down and they need a new water main put through Mount Moriah. So, hopefully, I say to the minister, get your pen out again because Mount Moriah will be looking for some money to improve their waterline, to expand it, to make it larger.

I see my time is getting close. I just want to thank the people of Humber - Bay of Islands for their support. I continue to work with them, and I say to everybody in this House of Assembly, with this COVID virus, please be safe, make sure everybody around you is safe, make sure we spread the word about the proper hygiene we need to do, because I guarantee you, this here is part of it, Mr. Chair.

CHAIR: Order, please!

Your time is expired.

MR. JOYCE: This is part of it, Mr. Chair, (inaudible) do is ensure that everybody is safe, so at least we're all back here together.

Thank you.

CHAIR: Seeing no other speakers –

MR. LANE: (Inaudible) here. I know I'm not, Mr. Chair. I'm not looking for (inaudible) time, just –

CHAIR: The Chair recognizes the Member for Mount Pearl - Southlands.

MR. LANE: Thank you, Mr. Chair.

I wanted to rise very, very quickly just to say that I did receive an email from the Minister of Advanced Education, Skills and Labour and I want to thank him. He was obviously listening, and Memorial University will be changing their travel protocols. I thank him, or whoever else was listening, for doing that.

Thank you.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

CHAIR: Okay. Now seeing no other speakers, shall the resolution, with amendment, carry?

All those in favour, 'aye.'

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Aye.

CHAIR: All those against, 'nay.'

Carried.

On motion, resolution, with amendment, carried.

A bill, “An Act Granting To Her Majesty Certain Sums Of Money For Defraying Certain Expenses Of The Public Service For The Financial Year Ending March 31, 2021 And For Other Purposes Relating To The Public Service.” (Bill 26)

CLERK (Barnes): Clause 1.

CHAIR: Shall clause 1 carry?

All those in favour, 'aye.'

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Aye.

CHAIR: All those against, 'nay.'

Carried.

On motion, clause 1 carried.

CLERK: Clause 2.

CHAIR: Shall clause 2 carry?

The Chair recognizes the Minister of Finance and President of Treasury Board.

MR. OSBORNE: I've been waiting patiently for you to call clause 2, Mr. Chair.

Mr. Chair, I move that clause 2 of the bill be amended by striking out the amount $4,602,859,900 and substituting instead the amount $2,631,157,300.

CHAIR: The amendment has been circulated to Members, and also to the Clerk's Office, so the amendment is found to be in order.

Shall the amendment carry?

All those in favour, 'aye.'

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Aye.

CHAIR: All those against, 'nay.'

Carried.

On motion, amendment carried.

CHAIR: Shall clause 2, as amended, carry?

All those in favour, 'aye.'

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Aye.

CHAIR: All those against, 'nay.'

Carried.

On motion, clause 2, as amended, carried.

CLERK: Clause 3.

CHAIR: Shall clause 3 carry?

All those in favour, 'aye.'

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Aye.

CHAIR: All those against, 'nay.'

Carried.

CLERK: Clause 4.

CHAIR: Shall clause 4 carry?

All those in favour, 'aye.'

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Aye.

CHAIR: All those against, 'nay.'

Carried.

On motion, clause 4 carried.

CLERK: The Schedule.

CHAIR: The Chair recognizes the Minister of Finance and President of Treasury Board.

MR. OSBORNE: I'm only caught off guard once a day, Mr. Chair.

CHAIR: And you're confusing me, too.

MR. OSBORNE: Mr. Chair, I move that the Schedule to the bill be struck out and the following be substituted. I'll read these out; I know all Members of the Legislature have received a copy.

The Head of Expenditure Consolidated Fund Services, $37,660,000; Executive Council, $33,035,900; Finance, $41,986,800; Public Procurement Agency, $562,000; Public Service Commission, $779,600; Service Newfoundland and Labrador, $9,844,100; Transportation and Works, $442,010,200; the Legislature, $9,106,200; Advanced Education, Skills and Labour, $373,697,200; Tourism, Culture, Industry and Innovation, $58,901,900; Fisheries and Land Resources, $28,938,200; Natural Resources, $31,896,100; Children, Seniors and Social Development, $68,406,400; Education and Early Childhood Development, $273,111,800; Health and Community Services, $1,010,476,600; Justice and Public Safety, $66,665,300; Municipal Affairs and Environment, $132,769,300; Newfoundland and Labrador Housing Corporation, $11,309,700. For a grand total of $2,631,157,300.

CHAIR: Again, the Schedule has been circulated and found to be in order.

Shall the amended Schedule carry?

All those in favour, 'aye.'

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Aye.

CHAIR: All those against, 'nay.'

Carried.

On motion, amended Schedule carried.

CLERK: Be it enacted by the Lieutenant-Governor and House of Assembly in Legislative Session convened, as follows.

CHAIR: Shall the enacting clause carry?

All those in favour, 'aye.'

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Aye.

CHAIR: All those against, 'nay.'

Carried.

On motion, the enacting clause carried.

CLERK: WHEREAS it appears that the sums mentioned are required to defray certain expenses of the Public Service of Newfoundland and Labrador for the financial year ending March 31, 2021 and for other purposes relating to the public service.

CHAIR: Shall the preamble carry?

All those in favour, 'aye.'

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Aye.

CHAIR: All those against, 'nay.'

Carried.

On motion, preamble carried.

CLERK: An Act Granting To Her Majesty Certain Sums Of Money For Defraying Certain Expenses Of The Public Service For The Financial Year Ending March 31, 2021 And For Other Purposes Relating To The Public Service.

CHAIR: Shall the long title carry?

All those in favour, 'aye.'

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Aye.

CHAIR: All those against, 'nay.'

Carried.

On motion, long title carried.

CHAIR: Shall I report the bill with amendment?

All those in favour, 'aye.'

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Aye.

CHAIR: All those against, 'nay.'

Carried.

Motion, that the Committee report having passed the resolution and a bill consequent thereto, carried.

CHAIR: The Chair recognizes the Government House Leader.

MS. COADY: Thank you, Mr. Chair.

I move that the Committee rise and report the resolution and Bill 26 carried with amendment.

CHAIR: The motion is that the Committee rise and report the resolution and Bill 26 carried with amendment.

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

All those in favour, 'aye.'

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Aye.

CHAIR: All those against, 'nay.'

Carried.

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

MR. SPEAKER (Reid): The hon. the Member for Lewisporte - Twillingate.

MR. BENNETT: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The Committee of Supply have considered the matters to them referred and have directed me to report that they have adopted a certain resolution with amendment and recommend that a bill with amendments be introduced to give effect to the same.

MR. SPEAKER: The Chair of the Committee of Supply reports that the Committee have considered the matters to them referred and have directed him to report that the Committee have adopted a certain resolution with amendments and recommends that a bill with amendments be introduced to give effect to the same.

When shall the report be received?

MS. COADY: Now.

MR. SPEAKER: Now.

On motion, report received and adopted.

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

MS. COADY: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I move, seconded by the Minister of Finance and President of Treasury Board, that the amendments be now read a first time.

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

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

All those in favour, 'aye.'

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Aye.

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

Carried.

CLERK: First reading of the amendments.

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

MS. COADY: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I move, seconded by the Minister of Finance and President of Treasury Board, that the amendments be now read a second time.

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

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

All those in favour, 'aye.'

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Aye.

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

Carried.

CLERK: Second reading of the amendments.

On motion, amendments read a first and second time.

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

MS. COADY: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I move, seconded by the Minister of Finance and President of Treasury Board, that the resolution, as amended, be now read a first time.

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

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

All those in favour, 'aye.'

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Aye.

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

Carried.

CLERK: That it is expedient to introduce a measure to provide for the granting to Her Majesty for defraying certain expenses of the public service for the financial year ending March 31, 2021 the sum of $2,631,157,300.

On motion, resolution, as amended, read a first time.

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

MS. COADY: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I move, seconded by the Minister of Finance and President of Treasury Board, that the resolution, as amended, be now read a second time.

MR. SPEAKER: It is moved and seconded that the resolution, as amended, be now read a second time.

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

All those in favour, 'aye.'

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Aye.

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

Carried.

CLERK: That it is expedient to introduce a measure to provide for the granting to Her Majesty for defraying certain expenses of the public service for the financial year ending March 31, 2021 the sum of $2,631,157,300.

On motion, resolution, as amended, read a second time.

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. Government House Leader.

MS. COADY: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I move, seconded by the Minister of Finance and President of Treasury Board, for leave to introduce the Interim Supply bill, Bill 26, as amended, and I further move that the said bill be now read a first time.

MR. SPEAKER: It is moved and seconded that the hon. Government House Leader shall have leave to introduce Bill 26, as amended, and that the said bill be now read a first time.

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

All those in favour, 'aye.'

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Aye.

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

Carried.

Motion, the hon. the Minister of Finance and President of Treasury Board to introduce a bill, “An Act Granting To Her Majesty Certain Sums Of Money For Defraying Certain Expenses Of The Public Service For The Financial Year Ending March 31, 2021 And For Other Purposes Relating To The Public Service,” carried. (Bill 26)

CLERK: A bill, An Act Granting To Her Majesty Certain Sums Of Money For Defraying Certain Expenses Of The Public Service For The Financial Year Ending March 31, 2021 And For Other Purposes Relating To The Public Service. (Bill 26)

On motion, Bill 26, as amended, read a first time.

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

MS. COADY: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I move, seconded by the Minister of Finance and President of Treasury Board, that Bill 26, as amended, be now read a second time.

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

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

All those in favour, 'aye.'

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Aye.

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

Carried.

CLERK: A bill, An Act Granting To Her Majesty Certain Sums Of Money For Defraying Certain Expenses Of The Public Service For The Financial Year Ending March 31, 2021 And For Other Purposes Relating To The Public Service. (Bill 26)

On motion, Bill 26, as amended, read a second time.

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

MS. COADY: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I move, seconded by the Minister of Finance and President of Treasury Board, that Bill 26, as amended, be now read a third time.

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

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

All those in favour, 'aye.'

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Aye.

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

Carried.

CLERK: A bill, An Act Granting To Her Majesty Certain Sums Of Money For Defraying Certain Expenses Of The Public Service For The Financial Year Ending March 31, 2021 And For Other Purposes Relating To The Public Service. (Bill 26)

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 Granting To Her Majesty Certain Sums Of Money For Defraying Certain Expenses Of The Public Service For The Financial Year Ending March 31, 2021 And For Other Purposes Relating To The Public Service,” read a third time, ordered passed and its title be as on the Order Paper. (Bill 26)

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

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

I thank everyone in this hon. House for their co-operation today. I think all of us recognize the concerns around COVID and are doing everything we can to protect the people of the province and to make sure they were fully prepared. I know my hon. colleague has certainly been engaged in that over the last number of weeks.

Mr. Speaker, I move, seconded by the hon. the Minister of Health and Community Services, that we do adjourn until March 23.

AN HON. MEMBER: To the call of the Chair.

MS. COADY: To the call of the Chair.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

MR. SPEAKER: It is moved and seconded that the House does now adjourn until March 23.

All those in favour, 'aye.'

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Aye.

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

Carried.

On motion, the House adjourned to the call of the Chair.