No.9/2005

House of Assembly

Wednesday, April 13th, 2005

(a) Statements by Members

(b) Statements by Ministers

(c) Oral Questions

(d) Presenting Reports by Standing and Special Committees

(e) Tabling of Documents

(f) Notices of Motion

(g) Answers to questions for which notice has been given

(h) Petitions

1. Committee of Supply

Second Reading Bill

2. -- Second Reading of a Bill -- "An Act To Amend The Municipal Elections Act". (Bill No. 1)

MOTIONS

1. -- THE HONOURABLE THE MINISTER OF FINANCE AND PRESIDENT OF TREASURY BOARD -- To Move "That This House Approves in General the Budgetary Policy of the Government." (Budget Speech)

3. -- THE HONOURABLE THE MINISTER OF FINANCE AND PRESIDENT OF TREASURY BOARD -- To Move that the House Resolve itself into a Committee of the Whole to Consider Certain Resolutions Respecting the Imposition of Taxes on Tobacco. (Bill No. 5)

4. -- MR. OLIVER LANGDON (Fortune Bay-Cape La Hune) -- To Move:

AND WHEREAS FPI has jeopardized the future of two communities that rely on the processing industry by announcing the closure of the Harbour Breton Fish Plant and the phasing out of operations in Fortune;

AND WHEREAS this sale will have a very negative impact on FPI's operations in this province;

5. -- MR. KELVIN PARSONS (Burgeo & LaPoile) -- To Move:

AND WHEREAS Government has engaged the Hay Group and received reports that identified cuts to health care in the Western and Grenfell regions;

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that this House of Assembly rejects the drastic cuts proposed by these reports and calls on Government to commit to maintaining and improving current health care services rather than cutting services currently provided."

"WHEREAS Abitibi Consolidated announced in January it would be conducting a review of its two operations in Newfoundland and Labrador;

AND WHEREAS the continuance of the licences is subject to the company continuing to operate two paper machines and production using the two machines at substantially the same annual levels as those during the preceding three years at the mill in Grand Falls-Windsor;

AND WHEREAS these Forestry Act amendments passed in 2002 to protect production levels at the Grand Falls-Windsor mill were supported by all parties;

AND WHEREAS Government has an obligation to protect the workers and communities that rely on this important industry;

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that this House of Assembly requests that Government reaffirm its commitment to the Bill 27 Forestry Act amendments that protect the production levels at the Grand Falls-Windsor mill, and in turn protect the economy of Central Newfoundland."

"WHEREAS the education of the youth of this province is of utmost importance to our future;

AND WHEREAS many schools in this province are in a dilapidated and sometimes dangerous condition;

AND WHEREAS the current Government has caused increased problems in the education system by introducing school board restructuring without proper consultation or study;

AND WHEREAS the current Government has drastically reduced the number of teachers;

AND WHEREAS there is evidence that the buses used to transport children to school are unsafe;

AND WHEREAS many people fear there may be campus closures or program cuts in the post-secondary education system in this province;

AND WHEREAS there were a number of promises in the Blue Book related to schools and improvements in the education system which have not been kept;

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the House of Assembly calls on Government to recognize the importance of education to the future of this province and to keep the commitments they made during the last election by investing sufficient funds to address the needs of the province's education system."

"WHEREAS the Government of Canada has declared 2005 as the "Year of the Veteran";

AND WHEREAS throughout Canada all citizens are being asked to pay tribute to the Veterans of wars of the last century;

AND WHEREAS many Newfoundlanders and Labradorians have volunteered to serve their country, many of whom have made the ultimate sacrifice with their lives;

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED this House of Assembly call on all citizens of Newfoundland and Labrador to seek out veterans in their community and thank them for the contribution they made to preserving democracy and restoring peace to the world, and to pay tribute to the many veterans who gave their lives for our freedom."

9. -- MS. JUDY FOOTE (Grand Bank) -- To Move:

"WHEREAS there is a need on the Burin Peninsula for improved health care services, in particular, a CT scanner;

AND WHEREAS current medical needs are not being met because of the lack of adequate facilities and medical equipment;

AND WHEREAS these needs were identified and brought forward to Government by medical professionals;

AND WHEREAS Government committed during the election to complete the health facility in Grand Bank and address the health care needs of residents of the Burin Peninsula;

AND WHEREAS Government had an opportunity in the budget with a projected cash surplus to address these needs, but chose not to fund any improvements to health care services on the Burin Peninsula;

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that this House of Assembly calls on Government to place a CT scanner on the Burin Peninsula and recommit to construction of the health facility in Grand Bank in this fiscal year."

QUESTIONS

2. -- MR. ROLAND BUTLER (Port de Grave) - To ask the Honourable the Minister of Human Resources, Labour and Employment to lay on the Table of the House the following information:

(a) the cost associated with replacing the interim chair and chief executive officer of the Newfoundland and Labrador Housing Corporation, including severance and contract obligations;

(c) the salary of the chair and chief executive officer.

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