PDF Version

March

30, 2017

HOUSE OF ASSEMBLY PROCEEDINGS

Vol. XLVIII No. 3

The

House met at 1:30 p.m.

MR. SPEAKER (Osborne):

Order, please!

Admit

strangers.

welcome to our public gallery today representatives from Special Olympics

Newfoundland and Labrador, Trish Williams, executive director, and Natelle Tulk,

sport coordinator.

Welcome.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

Statements by

Members

MR. SPEAKER:

For Members' statements today

we have the Members for the Districts of Cartwright L'Anse au Clair, Torngat

Mountains, Stephenville Port au Port, and Terra Nova.

The hon.

the Member for Cartwright L'Anse au Clair.

MS. DEMPSTER:

Thank you.

Mr.

Speaker, Margaret Mead once said: Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful,

committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever

has.

I rise

today to recognize five women who are improving the lives of residents at the

Harbourview Manor in Mary's Harbour.

February 2014, Isobel Rumbolt, Verna Pye, Ella Simms, Olive Rumbolt, Georgina

Lunnen, Jean Rumbolt and Muriel Poole, after seeing the financial trouble the

manor faced, decided to see if there was anything they could do to help.

They

formed the Knifty Knitters, and each week this group meets for lunch and knits

up a storm. They create hats, socks, mittens and towels, and each stitch is

knitted with love and kindness. The knitters then sell their products, with all

proceeds going to the Manor. Since starting this project in 2014 they have

raised more than $10,000, and their efforts have helped the Manor with such

initiatives as updating their kitchen, purchasing new curtains, maintaining

their bus and repairing their heating system.

Mr.

Speaker, I ask all hon. Members to join me in commending this group of

extraordinary women, who are playing a big role in improving life in their

little corner of Labrador, one stitch at a time.

Thank

you.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER:

The hon. the Member for

Torngat Mountains.

MR. EDMUNDS:

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Earlier

this month, high school students from Nunatsiavut and Natuashish travelled to

Postville to take

part in the Winter Sports Meet.

Despite

some issues with the weather, everyone in attendance had a warm experience in

the host community of Postville. Coaches, volunteers and athletes alike were

able to make the best of the situation and take

part in a number of

competitions.

The

students participated in native games, soccer, cross-country skiing, ball hockey

and badminton. The winning teams in ball hockey and badminton will have the

opportunity to travel on to participate in the regional competitions for those

sports, and with a little luck, the provincial competitions as well.

I would

like to take a moment to say a big thank you to the host community of Postville

and the dedicated volunteers for their assistance in making the 2017 Winter

Sports Meet a huge success.

Congratulations to the Nain Huskies on winning first place overall. Please join

me in celebrating the success of this important community event.

Thank

you, Mr. Speaker.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER:

The hon. the Member for

Stephenville Port au Port.

MR. FINN:

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

This

past Sunday, March 26, the Bay St. George Sick Children's Foundation held its

22nd annual telethon at the College of the North Atlantic in Stephenville.

Formed in 1995, their mandate is to lessen the financial burden on families with

children that need to travel outside the Bay St. George region for medical

appointments.

During

the past 10 years, the Bay St. George Sick Children's Foundation has assisted

more than 420 families paying for over 800 trips, including 3,200 nights of

accommodations, costing just over $635,000.

This

year's telethon raised $57,749 over a nine-hour period as a direct result of the

generosity from individuals and businesses throughout the Bay St. George region,

as well as those who made pledges from all across the country.

I wish

to say a sincere thank you to the Foundation's Chair, Marsha McInnis, her

amazing board of directors as well as the College of the North Atlantic,

Eastlink, and the over 60 community volunteers who gave freely of their time to

make this a success.

I ask

all Members to join me in congratulating the Bay St. George Sick Children's

Foundation on their successful telethon and applaud them for their ongoing

efforts in assisting families in need.

Thank

you, Mr. Speaker.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER:

The hon. the Member for Terra

Nova.

MR. HOLLOWAY:

Mr. Speaker, it gives me

great pride to rise in this hon. House today and recognize the accomplishments

of a courageous, young woman.

On March

11, Caitlin Hoskins, who lives on Random Island, was chosen as the Children's

Wish Foundation's Ambassador for 2017.

The

Children's Wish Foundation has been granting wishes to children with

life-threatening, complex genetic or neurological illnesses for 30 years;

reaching more than 25,000 children.

Caitlin,

who is 18 years of age, was born with a condition called True Venous Vascular

Malformation. This is potentially a life-threatening condition which presents

with extra blood vessels on the eyes, nose and throat and mouth areas.

Caitlin

has made 40 trips to Montreal for treatment over the last 16 years; one of which

in 2014 was nearly life threatening when her tongue swelled to the size of a

tennis ball.

Caitlin

became a Wish Child in August 2015. To honour her brother, Gregory, for all the

attention she took from him because of her medical condition, Caitlin chose a

trip to Jamaica so Gregory could swim with the dolphins.

I ask

all hon. Members to join me in congratulating Caitlin Hoskins for her courage

and compassion for her brother and her family.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER:

Statement by Ministers.

Statements by

Ministers

MR. SPEAKER:

The hon. the Premier.

PREMIER BALL:

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I rise

in the hon. House today to remember Mr. Bill Rompkey, who passed away on March

21. Since his death, flags have been half-mast at Confederation Building.

While

Mr. Rompkey was born in Belleoram, Fortune Bay, he became closely tied to

Labrador after he and his wife moved there in 1963 to teach and where he

ultimately became principal of the Yale School in North West River. Mr. Rompkey

was also the first superintendent of Education with the Labrador East Integrated

School Board. His love of Labrador is on clear display in The Story of Labrador,

one of his several books.

Despite

his 40 years in politics, Mr. Rompkey's teaching career meant a lot to him and

he considered himself first and foremost an educator. In 1980, he was named

Memorial University alumnus of the year and later received an honourary

doctorate.

Mr.

Rompkey entered politics in 1972 when he was first elected to the House of

Commons as the Liberal MP for Labrador a position which he held for some 23

years after winning six elections. He served in the cabinets of Prime Minister

Trudeau and Prime Minister Turner and was appointed to the Senate in 1995 by

then Prime Minister Jean Chretien. Mr. Rompkey was regarded as a true bipartisan

parliamentarian and was universally admired by his colleagues, regardless of

political stripe.

As a

parliamentarian, Mr. Rompkey was quite involved in issues of national defence

and security, chairing the House of Commons Standing Committee on National

Defence and Veterans Affairs and, in 1993, co-chairing the Special Joint

Committee on Canada's Defence Policy. Prior to that, he was a very active member

of the Naval Officers Association of Canada and the Crow's Nest, and was

honoured by the Navy League of Canada for his efforts.

behalf of the people of Newfoundland, and especially Labrador, I offer my

deepest condolences to Mr. Rompkey's wife, Carolyn, his children Hillary and

Peter, his grandchildren Max and Ana, and to all his large circle of family and

friends. I ask my colleagues to join me in a moment of silence in honour of Mr.

Rompkey.

(Moment

of silence.)

MR. SPEAKER:

Please be seated.

The hon.

the Member for the District of Fortune Bay Cape La Hune.

MS. PERRY:

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I thank

the Premier for an advance copy of his statement. We join with the Premier and

all Newfoundlanders and Labradorians in offering our most sincere condolences on

the passing of Mr. Bill Rompkey.

As the

MHA for Fortune Bay Cape La Hune I am very inspired by Mr. Rompkey's legacy

and reputation in my region, our province, particularly Labrador and, indeed,

throughout our country.

Rompkey

spent 40 years in politics as MP, minister and, finally, a senator. During that

long career, he was highly respected and always considered one of the good guys.

As parliamentarians, we should all strive to hold ourselves to a higher

standard, a standard of decency and integrity a standard Mr. Rompkey applied

to his life, not only as a politician but just as importantly as a human being.

Again, I

offer my condolences and, ultimately, my thanks to Mr. Rompkey, his family and

his home community of Belleoram, who so proudly claim him as their own. He will

be missed, but never forgotten.

Thank

you, Mr. Speaker.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER:

The hon. the Member for St.

John's East Quidi Vidi.

MS. MICHAEL:

Thank you very much, Mr.

Speaker.

I'm very

pleased on behalf of our caucus to stand and to recognize Bill Rompkey and to

join with the Premier and the Leader of the Official Opposition and his caucus

in recognizing the wonderful man that he was and offering condolences to his

family and friends.

While I

never interacted with Mr. Rompkey as a politician during the years he was MP, I

certainly had the opportunity as a community activist to interact with him and

always found him to be, what we're recognizing here today, a politician and a

person of integrity who deserved the respect that he got.

certainly felt respect for him, and every time I met him it was a time of being

very pleasant with him because I really did like him as a person and recognized

the great work that he did for the people he represented in Labrador and how he

represented them in Ottawa.

Thank

you very much, Mr. Speaker.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER:

Further statements by

ministers?

The hon.

the Minister of Finance, President of Treasury Board and the Minister

Responsible for the Status of Women.

MS. C. BENNETT:

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr.

Speaker, I rise in this hon. House to provide some highlights of my recent trip

to New York as a representative of the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador.

One of

the reasons for this trip, Mr. Speaker, was to complete investor relations work

as our government looks to expand our borrowing program outside the domestic

market. We received very positive feedback on the transparency of information we

have provided potential investors through our investor relations work. We are

exploring all options that may result in lowering borrowing costs for this

province.

Being

able to inform and establish positive relationships with potential investors is

essential as we look at the strong long-term potential and financial prospects

of Newfoundland and Labrador. I feel confident, Mr. Speaker, in our ability to

meet borrowing targets and achieve our seven-year plan to return to surplus.

Mr.

Speaker, I'm also very fortunate to be part of the Canadian delegation to attend

the 61st Session of the UN Commission on the Status of Women. I had the

opportunity to meet with community groups, stakeholders and government officials

from all over the world to discuss key issues affecting the economic and social

well-being of women and girls as well as matters related to violence prevention.

Some of

the events that I took

part in included: Empowerment as an instrument to

eradicate all forms of violence against indigenous women and girls; sexism,

harassment and violence against women MPs; and, young women, economic

empowerment and leadership in a changing work world. I also had the opportunity

to engage in discussions with the federal Status of Women Minister Maryam Monsef

as well as colleagues from across the country.

Mr.

Speaker, my attendance at the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women

was a very humbling experience, one that will be shaping my work as Minister

Responsible for the Status of Women for Newfoundland and Labrador. These events

and the discussions that took place fostered ideas and generated relationships

at an international level for the betterment of women and girls here in our

province and around the world.

Thank

you, Mr. Speaker.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER:

The hon. the Member for the

District of Fortune Bay Cape La Hune.

MS. PERRY:

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I thank

the minister for an advance copy of her statement. Mr. Speaker, it is ironic

that the minister is talking about her responsibilities as Minister Responsible

for the Status of Women while there are questions being raised about the future

of the Violence Prevention Initiative. I urge the minister to ensure that there

is a solid commitment to this program in next week's budget. I also hope the

minister will include other initiatives in the budget which focus on empowering

and supporting women business leaders, which focus on promoting stimulated

careers to our province's young women, and also initiatives which build on the

recent focus of the Daughters of the Vote campaign which taught many young women

that they can do anything they put their mind to.

Mr.

Speaker, it is not simply good enough to talk about women's issues, the Liberal

government opposite must take action to ensure that the issues are addressed.

Thank

you, Mr. Speaker.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER:

The hon. the Member for St.

John's Centre.

MS. ROGERS:

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

And I

thank the minister. The main common issue this year at the UN Commission on the

Status of Women was the growing wage gap for women and the urgent need for

rigorous legislation on pay equity. Without economic security, women will

continue to live in poverty, always vulnerable to violence.

If the

minister is committed to improving the Status of Women here, she must move

quickly and decisively on developing and enacting pay equity legislation for the

women of Newfoundland and Labrador. That, Mr. Speaker, would be empowerment for

our women.

Thank

you very much.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER:

Further statements by

ministers?

The hon.

the Minister Responsible for Children, Seniors and Social Development.

MS. GAMBIN-WALSH:

Today, I am honoured to

recognize four athletes from this province who recently competed with Team

Canada at the Special Olympics World Winter Games in Austria: Justin Dodge of

Grand Bank, Floressa Harris of Gander, Sandra Smith of Carbonear, and Crystal

Young of Harbour Grace.

Mr.

Speaker, I am honoured to stand in this House today to recognize these

outstanding athletes, each of whom are proudly bringing home medals in

snowshoeing events.

Being

chosen to represent Canada on the world stage is a huge accomplishment. With

close to 3,000 athletes from 107 nations competing at the 2017 Special Olympics

World Winter Games, this experience is something these athletes soon won't

forget.

Mr.

Speaker, getting to this level of sport takes an incredible amount of

determination, skill and perseverance, and I commend our athletes for their hard

work and enthusiasm.

Sporting

and recreation activities can have a profound impact on the individuals who

participate and contribute to the development of stronger social networks. They

not only provide opportunities for engagement, but also help build communities

through social inclusion and a sense of connection.

Mr.

Speaker, I applaud Justin, Floressa, Sandra and Crystal for their outstanding

achievements, including nine medal wins five gold, three silver and one bronze

they bring home for Team Canada. We look forward to hosting them soon at

Confederation Building to honour their achievements.

I ask my

hon. colleagues to join me in extending our sincerest congratulations.

Thank

you.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER:

The hon. the Member for

Fortune Bay Cape La Hune.

MS. PERRY:

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I thank

the minister for an advance copy of her statement. On behalf of my colleagues on

this side of the House, we too join in congratulating these four amazing

athletes who have represented our province and our country at the Special

Olympics World Winter Games in Austria. Justin Dodge, Floressa Harris, Sandra

Smith and Crystal Young have filled their communities and our province with a

great sense of pride. I offer my heartfelt congratulations to each of these and

look forward to celebrating their accomplishments with them in the near future.

Mr.

Speaker, I know that the accomplishments of these individuals will inspire all

athletes in our province, including the many athletes who participate in Special

Olympics competitions on a regular basis.

As all

of our Special Olympians prepare for the provincial Summer Games taking place in

July of this year in the metro area, we wish them the very best of luck and

every success in their future competitions.

Thank

you, Mr. Speaker.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER:

The hon. the Member for St.

John's Centre.

MS. ROGERS:

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I thank

the minister for an advance copy of her statement. How proud are we all of our

wonderful athletes in the Special Olympics World Winter Games. And how very

proud are we of Sandra Smith, Justin Dodge, Crystal Young and Floressa Harris.

Their hard work, dedication, courage, passion and compassion are an example for

us all. How exciting to compete and know you've done your best.

Bravo

Sandra, Justin, Crystal, Floressa and all our Special Olympians! Thanks for such

a good job. Bravo, once again!

Thank

you, Mr. Speaker.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER:

Oral Questions.

Oral Questions

MR. SPEAKER:

The hon. the Leader of the

Opposition.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR. P. DAVIS:

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr.

Speaker, last year the Liberal government doubled the gas tax and promised it

would be a temporary measure.

So I ask

the Premier: Can people of the province expect this tax to be reduced or

eliminated in your budget next week, easing the financial burden on so many

Newfoundlanders and Labradorians?

MR. SPEAKER:

The hon. the Premier.

PREMIER BALL:

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Well,

coming into government in late 2015, of course, what happened then was a

consideration financial mess that this province inherited. What we've done since

The Way Forward , we've announced last

year to actually secure the footing for Newfoundlander and Labradorians, Mr.

Speaker. We've been able to make considerable headway in advancing and securing

the financial foundation of our province.

Last

year's temporary gas tax was one of the measures that we had to take to actually

help secure the financial footing. On April 6, we will stand in this House,

through the minister, and the budget will be read. I'll assure you, as I said

many time this week, this province is in much better shape this year than it was

last year. On budget day, April 6, we will be happy to outline what the future

looks like for Newfoundland and Labrador with budget 2017-18.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER:

The hon. the Leader of the

Opposition.

MR. P. DAVIS:

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Well,

doubling a gas tax combined with tax hikes and fees, like we've never seen

before, in last year's budget has drove Newfoundland and Labrador's inflation

rates through the roof. So while they're securing the footing for the future of

Newfoundland and Labrador, the inflation rate in our province is almost 3 per

cent higher than the Canadian average.

So I ask

the Premier: What will this budget do to address this escalating cost at a time

when Newfoundlanders and Labradorians simply can't afford it?

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER:

The hon. the Premier.

PREMIER BALL:

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I'm

really happy to address and respond to the question from the Leader of the

Opposition, the former premier of the province, who basically didn't watch the

finances of the province; wouldn't even let the public know, through Public

Accounts talking about accountability; didn't even want to let the people know

that in the budget documents of 2015 that they were actually doubled, Mr.

Speaker.

So,

speaking about accountability, we've seen none from the previous administration.

What you seem to be very happy to do, listening to his comments earlier this

week, was to put in place a deficit of $2.7 billion. He told everyone, with the

applause of his Members opposite, that a $2.71 billion deficit was something

that he had as part of his plan and he stood by his plan, which included a $2.71

billion deficit for this year.

He also

is obviously not watching oil markets because his plan meant $80 a barrel of

oil. So clearly, they had no plan for the future of our province. We took some

measures last year to secure our footing.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER:

The hon. the Leader of the

Opposition.

MR. P. DAVIS:

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

All I

asked was what is he going to do to alleviate the escalating costs to

Newfoundlanders and Labradorians and that's the response that Newfoundlanders

and Labradorians quite regularly get, and have come to expect from this Premier,

Mr. Speaker.

I'll ask

the Premier: On top of the 93 jobs lost in health care yesterday, how many

people who were employed in core government also lost their jobs and were shown

the door yesterday?

MR. SPEAKER:

The hon. the Minister of

Finance and President of Treasury Board.

MS. C. BENNETT:

Mr. Speaker, I'm sure that

the Member opposite is referring to the decisions and the conclusion of the

competitions that were held as part of the Leaner, Flatter Management

announcement that we made several weeks ago. It's been a very difficult week for

those individuals that have been impacted.

The

Member opposite suggests that yesterday was the day I would correct him and

say that the decisions that departments were making to conclude the competition

as directed by the Public Service Commission through the Human Resource

Secretariat concluded at a variety of stages, and we certainly have empathy for

those employees who've experienced a very difficult time.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER:

The hon. the Leader of the

Opposition.

MR. P. DAVIS:

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

thought my question was quite clear. Yesterday, the government talked about 93

job losses in health care. My question was: Hany other job losses were done

yesterday? How many people were shown the door?

That was

my question, but a couple of weeks ago the Minister of Finance tabled a list of

jobs impacted here in the House of Assembly and provided the Opposition we

greatly appreciated that.

I'm

asking now if the minister can provide a table showing an up-to-date list of

positions, not names or people, but a list of positions in core government that

have been eliminated since they took office.

MR. SPEAKER:

The hon. the Minister of

Finance and President of Treasury Board.

MS. C. BENNETT:

Mr. Speaker, as the Member

opposite referred, the question he asked me that I answered was about any core

government changes that happened yesterday. Any changes in core government

positions that happened this week at the management level were the conclusion of

the process that we announced and were transparent with this House.

answered questions many times in the House about the flatter, leaner process and

the conclusion of that happened this week. Depending on the operational

decisions that deputy ministers made, when they wanted to communicate that to

employees, it happened this week.

The

question about the consolidated number for overall government, Mr. Speaker, I

can certainly provide the Member opposite an answer to the question that they've

tabled and will do that in due course.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER:

The hon. the Leader of the

Opposition.

MR. P. DAVIS:

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I hope

that due course is sooner, rather than later. But the minister did provide it

before and we appreciated it. We look forward to the same, a list and update and

a list of all job losses.

Mr.

Speaker, there's a very human side to the Liberal layoffs that are taking place

in core government and also in agencies, boards and commissions. People and

families are impacted.

I ask

the minister: Are services being made available for employees and their families

who have lost their jobs?

MR. SPEAKER:

The hon. the Minister of

Finance and President of Treasury Board.

MS. C. BENNETT:

Mr. Speaker, I want to thank

the Member opposite for providing me the opportunity to answer this question.

One of the first things I did as a minister, particularly for the Public Service

Commission, was to meet with the officials in the EAP, the Employee Assistance

Program, and had the opportunity to understand how that program works.

As part

of the decisions that were made in core government last year, in last year's

budget, and certainly in the most recent decisions that we made, the EAP, the

Employee Assistance Program, is offered to employees and their families, as

needed, and it is something that we take responsibility for, as an employer,

very seriously. These are very difficult decisions and our responsibility as an

employer will always come first.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER:

The hon. the Leader of the

Opposition.

MR. P. DAVIS:

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

appreciate the answer from the minister and I'd like to ask the minister it's

really a two-part question one is: How are those services being provided to

individuals? Are they simply to be given a phone number or is there actually a

process to connect to the EAP? Secondly, with hundreds of people losing their

jobs over a very short period of time, does EAP have the resources to respond to

the needs of these impacted employees and their families?

MR. SPEAKER:

The hon. the Minister of

Finance and President of Treasury Board.

MS. C. BENNETT:

Mr. Speaker, I thank the

Member opposite again for the privilege of being able to provide more

information to this House.

As part

of the work that the Human Resource Secretariat did in conjunction with other

departments, we have human resource specialists in our department who support

deputy ministers and managers throughout core government who are discussing and

informing employees and working with employees around these very difficult

decisions.

Those

human resource professionals have the information, access to the Employee

Assistance Program, and we are provided that information, and making those

assessments in the meetings, but I can assure the Member opposite that every

single employee who needs to avail of the Employee Assistance Program is able to

do that.

As for

the finances, I can let the Member opposite know that Treasury Board approved

additional supports to make sure that happened.

Thank

you.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER:

The hon. the Member for

Conception Bay South.

MR. PETTEN:

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr.

Speaker, the Prime Minister has said he will be forcing all provinces to

implement a price on carbon in 2018. A made in Newfoundland and Labrador

approach for carbon pricing was developed in this House last year.

I ask

the Minister Responsible for Climate Change: Does he prefer a made in Ottawa

approach?

MR. SPEAKER:

The hon. the Minister of

Service NL.

MR. TRIMPER:

Thank you very much for the

question, Mr. Speaker.

I guess

as we've had on a number of occasions back and forth with my critic on this

matter, I've indicated that the made in Newfoundland and Labrador solution will

be one that supports industry, one that recognizes the competitive challenges

that we have in our province; and, frankly, it will be one that supports

residents, industry, all walks of life. It has to be unique to our province.

I guess

if I have a few seconds left, I'd like to also add that the strategy we have

invoked on, the Bill 34, is one that's going to be six to 10 times less

expensive and twice as effective at reducing those emissions. That's what the

issue is, reducing pollution that goes into the sky and is contributing to

climate change. So I'd suggest we're on the right track, Mr. Speaker.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER:

The hon. the Member for

Conception Bay South.

MR. PETTEN:

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Given

the Prime Minister's imposed timelines for carbon pricing, is the

Management of Greenhouse Gas Act

legislation that was passed, as the minister just said, in this House last

summer, now irrelevant?

Will the

made in Newfoundland option now be replaced by the made in Ottawa one?

MR. SPEAKER:

The hon. the Minister of

Service NL.

MR. TRIMPER:

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

response to the question, we recently, through our office, gazetted the

regulations pertaining to that act. It's our intention to continue and proceed

with this. So heavy industry will be these are reporting requirements. It is

our intention to proceed with our strategy for heavy industry in this province.

Thank

you.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER:

The hon. the Member for

Conception Bay South.

MR. PETTEN:

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The

Management of Greenhouse Gas Act

address reducing greenhouse gases from large industry only. At that time it

covered five facilities. It did not cover industry or citizens.

How do

you plan to set a price and tax other industries and citizens?

MR. SPEAKER:

The hon. the Minister of

Service NL.

MR. TRIMPER:

As part of

The Way Forward government will be

releasing an action plan addressing how we are going to approach this very

important issue on climate change. Inside that will be strategies relating, not

just to the heavy industry that we've been talking about these last few minutes,

but the offshore, building energy efficiency and so on. So it'll be very

comprehensive and, as I said, it will be one that will be sensitive to industry

but also sensitive to the residents of this province.

Thank

you.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER:

The hon. the Member for

Conception Bay South.

MR. PETTEN:

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

January, the minister said the province is still working out a plan to meet

Ottawa's carbon pricing demands. He said one option being considered is to

continue the so-called temporary gas tax of 16.5 cents per litre.

Is this

government seriously thinking about converting the temporary gas tax to a

permanent one?

MR. SPEAKER:

The hon. the Minister of

Service NL.

MR. TRIMPER:

As the Premier indicated a

few minutes ago, Mr. Speaker, the pressure that government faced itself when we

came into office back in 2015 and the actions we had to take as part of the

Budget of 2016-17 was that items like the temporary gas tax, unfortunately, were

required. It is not our intention to continue with that on into the future. We

used the term temporary, and as soon as we can make a decision on that, we will,

but of course we have a lot of fiscal pressures and so on. One thing that we

won't do is allow a carbon tax to be placed on top of a temporary gas tax.

Thank

you.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER:

The hon. the Member for

Conception Bay South.

MR. PETTEN:

That's good to know. I'm

going to reaffirm it, though. I'm going to reaffirm it because that was my next

question, but I'm going to ask it anyway to be on record.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Oh, oh!

MR. SPEAKER:

Order, please!

MR. PETTEN:

Yeah. Well, I want to hear it

again.

Newfoundlanders and Labradorians are paying the most in Canada for gasoline

because of the taxes introduced by this government.

Will the

minister commit that there won't be a carbon tax added to the gasoline and home

heating fuels?

MR. SPEAKER:

The hon. the Minister of

Service NL.

MR. TRIMPER:

Mr. Speaker, besides being a

fortune teller and anticipating questions, I do like to be very transparent in

my answers. I can assure the Member opposite that strategies we are going to

invoke, whether it be the federal carbon tax, which is frankly it's ultimately

been described as a backstop where governments are not taking action on any

aspect of their economy. We're weighing all these considerations.

Again,

I'm very proud to be part of a very strong team in the Office of Climate Change.

We are working at this diligently on a daily basis, and I look forward to

releasing the action plan on what Newfoundland and Labrador is going to do to

combat this very important problem.

Thank

you.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER:

The hon. the Member for

Conception Bay South.

MR. PETTEN:

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I think

he needs to answer questions for a few other ministers because he's pretty good.

He answered he's pretty clear in his responses, I compliment him.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR. PETTEN:

Yeah, I give him credit.

AN HON. MEMBER:

We need more.

MR. PETTEN:

Yeah, we need more of that.

I'm

going to try him on one more now, Mr. Speaker.

We're

hearing new reports that the carbon tax will have a significant impact on

Canadian families. Has your government done an assessment on what the impact the

federal carbon tax will have on the average Newfoundlander and Labradorian?

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER:

The hon. the Minister of

Service NL.

MR. TRIMPER:

Yes.

No, in

seriousness, if I may add; what we need to do again is to find a strategy that

is going to deal with our commitments that we've made in terms of reducing

emissions but also respecting both industry and the residents of this province

to ensure that the genuine approach that we take to tackling climate change is

one that works for everyone and gets to the bottom of the pollution that's going

to the sky.

Thank

you very much.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER:

The hon. the Member for Cape

St. Francis.

MR. K. PARSONS:

Thank you very much, Mr.

Speaker.

Tuesday, Liberal MP Nick Whalen, who was part of the fishery fund announcement,

provided some details on the fund. He said the Premier pegged it at $100 million

but it could be less.

So I ask

the Premier: Why would MP Whalen say the fisheries fund could be less?

MR. SPEAKER:

The hon. the Minister of

Fisheries and Land Resources.

MR. CROCKER:

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I guess

I should first start off by thanking MP Whalen for giving the Opposition two

days questions.

Mr.

Speaker, since our announcement a number of weeks ago, the Premier and I met

with Minister LeBlanc in Boston, and I can assure the Members opposite that we

will be working on a fisheries fund in this province of $100 million or more,

with more to come.

Thank

you very much, Mr. Speaker.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER:

The hon. the Member for Cape

St. Francis.

MR. K. PARSONS:

I suggest to the minister

that he not thank Mr. Whalen but he advise Mr. Whalen on what's happening in the

fishery in Newfoundland and Labrador.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR. K. PARSONS:

I also want to ask the

minister: What assurances can he give the people of Newfoundland and Labrador

that the Atlantic Fishery Fund will flow in this province this year?

MR. SPEAKER:

The hon. the Minister of

Fisheries and Land Resources.

MR. CROCKER:

Mr. Speaker, to that

question, the Premier was quite clear a day or two after the announcement that

we will do everything we can, and we have a commitment from the federal

government that the fisheries fund will flow this year in Newfoundland and

Labrador.

Mr.

Speaker, this fisheries fund is very important for this province at this

critical juncture. The Member asked a question yesterday afternoon, a good

question regarding marketing and cod quality, and one of the things we have to

ensure that our harvesters are equipped with as we move forward is the

technology and the capabilities to ensure that the product that we're landing is

a world-class product.

Thank

you, Mr. Speaker.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER:

The hon. the Member for Cape

St. Francis.

MR. K. PARSONS:

Thank you very much, Mr.

Speaker.

I remind

the minister that plant workers play a very important role in our fishery. Can

he tell me where they fit into the fishery fund?

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER:

The hon. the Minister of

Fisheries and Land Resources.

MR. CROCKER:

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Absolutely, plant workers are a very important part of the fishery in this

province, an extremely important part. Mr. Speaker, myself, I have approximately

1,000 fish plant workers in my own district, and I can assure the Member that

this fisheries fund will help our plants become some of the most productive,

profitable so that we can have employment around the province with new

technologies, new techniques to ensure that we have the best processing industry

in the world.

Thank

you, Mr. Speaker.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER:

The hon. the Member for Cape

St. Francis.

MR. K. PARSONS:

I remind the minister also

that the crab fishery is about to start within weeks and the ground fishery is

not far behind. Plant workers are very concerned about the future of their jobs

and the industry in the whole.

I want

to ask the minister, he referenced on March 14 that there were 22 new fishery

scientists at DFO. I wonder how many of these scientists have been hired.

MR. SPEAKER:

The hon. the Minister of

Fisheries and Land Resources.

MR. CROCKER:

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr.

Speaker, I can certainly get that number for the Member opposite and provide it.

The last time I spoke to the federal minister, or one of his staff, I think the

number was somewhere around 12, but I will certainly get that number and provide

it to the Member.

Mr.

Speaker, but we do I do agree with the Member opposite, that science is going

to be extremely important as we go forward. The federal Standing Committee on

Fisheries and Oceans released a report last week calling for an annual

assessment of cod and capelin, Mr. Speaker, and we as a government have also

been encouraging DFO to provide an annual assessment of cod and capelin in this

province.

Thank

you, Mr. Speaker.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER:

The hon. the Member for Cape

St. Francis.

MR. K. PARSONS:

I also suggest to the

minister that we need to get those scientists in place immediately because,

again, I stated that the fishery is about to start in weeks.

I ask

the minister: How many of these scientists will be working out of Newfoundland

and Labrador DFO offices?

MR. SPEAKER:

The hon. the Minister of

Fisheries and Land Resources.

MR. CROCKER:

Mr. Speaker, my understanding

is that all 22 will be working in Newfoundland and Labrador.

Thank

you, Mr. Speaker.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER:

The hon. the Member for Cape

St. Francis.

MR. K. PARSONS:

I also want to know, Mr.

Speaker, how many of these scientists will be researching the Newfoundland and

Labrador ground fishery and what aspects of the fishery will they be studying?

MR. SPEAKER:

The hon. the Minister of

Fisheries and Land Resources.

MR. CROCKER:

Mr. Speaker, I would

encourage the Member opposite if he would reach out to DFO and ask for a

technical briefing.

Mr.

Speaker, I know some of these scientists are working on capelin; some will be

working on cod. For the first time in five years we see DFO doing a study on

seals again, Mr. Speaker, because when you look at all the components of our

fishery, we cannot deny the effect that seals have on our, not only our ground

fishery but our crab fishery. We've seen pictures just a week, a week-and-a-half

ago of adult seals consuming female crab.

Mr.

Speaker, we need to get this science right. It was their cousins in Ottawa, the

federal Conservative Party that cut the guts out of science in Newfoundland and

Labrador.

Thank

you, Mr. Speaker.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER:

Order, please!

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Oh, oh!

MR. SPEAKER:

Order, please!

The hon.

the Member for Cape St. Francis.

MR. K. PARSONS:

Thank you very much, Mr.

Speaker, for the protection.

Minister, it was your government and it's your responsibility to know what these

scientists are doing.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR. K. PARSONS:

Our administration chartered

the Celtic Explorer to go to the

fishing grounds and research ground stocks, in particular, the Northern cod. We

charted our own course in the fisheries science research.

Can the

minister tell us where you're getting your data from?

MR. SPEAKER:

The hon. the Minister of

Fisheries and Land Resources.

MR. CROCKER:

Mr. Speaker, the data that's

being collected now comes from DFO, CFER, and most importantly, and one of the

aspects where I think DFO and science has to be listened to is our fish

harvesters. Because when we look around the province in lots of cases we're

hearing different things from fish harvesters in some cases than we're hearing

from the science. One of the very important components when it comes to

information with regard to science and allowable catches needs to come from our

fish harvesters.

Thank

you very much, Mr. Speaker.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER:

The hon. the Opposition House

Leader.

MR. HUTCHINGS:

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr.

Speaker, while Quebec balances their budget for the third straight year and

provides tax cuts to residents, Ottawa will provide over $10 billion to that

province in equalization payments.

While

the Premier often says, and the Finance Minister, there are obviously challenges

facing the province: Is the Premier okay with accepting zero dollars from Ottawa

in equalization payments?

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER:

The hon. the Premier.

PREMIER BALL:

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Well, as

the Members opposite would know, that equalization is a federal program worth

nearly $18 billion, and currently in Canada right now we have Quebec that gets

over $10 billion of that, we have Nova Scotia getting $1.7 billion, New

Brunswick getting $1.7 billion and so on, on and on it goes, Mr. Speaker.

The

question is actually a timely one, timely today if you're in Opposition, but it

really wasn't timely for them when they were in government, because what they

didn't do in 2009 was put any concerted effort in place to actually have an

impact on equalization. In 2014, they did very little, Mr. Speaker. Equalization

wasn't on their radar then. They did not want to take

part in any meaningful

negotiations with the federal government. They ignored it because they were

addicted to oil, Mr. Speaker. They still believe today oil is at $80 a barrel.

We will

be involved in equalization discussions, Mr. Speaker.

MR. SPEAKER:

Order, please!

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER:

The hon. the Opposition House

Leader.

MR. HUTCHINGS:

I remind the Premier and

those on that side, they got elected 15 months ago. They're the Government of

Newfoundland and Labrador today.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR. HUTCHINGS:

Mr. Speaker, on October 27,

the Minister of Finance

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Oh, oh!

MR. HUTCHINGS:

On October 27, the Minister

of Finance recognized that Quebec announced a $2 billion surplus and also

received $10 billion in equalization. The minister said she was disappointed to

hear the information about Quebec and also acknowledged that Newfoundland would

receive a zero.

I ask

the minister: Are you satisfied with Newfoundlanders receiving zero equalization

from the federal government?

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER:

The hon. the Premier.

PREMIER BALL:

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Well,

what the previous administration did in 2014 by not showing up or not taking

part was actually agreeing to the formula, Mr. Speaker. It was a five-year

commitment to the equalization program that they said they were okay with. They

were okay with it. They were then in deficit, Mr. Speaker. They decided not to

participate.

No, we

are not satisfied. We will be participating in equalization, Mr. Speaker. It's a

five-year next year negotiations will start. Newfoundland and Labrador will be

at the table, Mr. Speaker.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

PREMIER BALL:

We will be there. We will not

ignore any opportunity to leverage federal financing for this province. Not like

the crowd opposite that did when they were in government. They ignored the

opportunities, some $35 million to our communities, Mr. Speaker, and failed to

get involved in equalization negotiations.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER:

The hon. the Member for St.

John's Centre.

MS. ROGERS:

Mr. Speaker, the Grieg's

aquaculture project will be the largest in Canadian history, creating much

needed jobs for the region. A project this massive requires diligence to ensure

success and benefits for the people of the province, the economy and the

environment. Experts in the Department of Health, the Fish and Wildlife

Division, and the federal DFO all ask the former Minister of Environment to

undertake a full environmental impact statement.

Mr.

Speaker, I ask the Premier: With the stakes this high, why did his government

release this project from a full environmental impact statement against the

recommendations of the minister's own assessment committee?

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER:

The hon. the Minister of

Service NL.

MR. TRIMPER:

I guess I have a very short

answer to this one, Mr. Speaker. As the matter is before the courts today and

tomorrow, there's not much more to say.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER:

The hon. the Member for St.

John's Centre.

MS. ROGERS:

Well, Mr. Speaker, it's

unfortunate that they had to go to court.

Given

the significant environmental risk, I ask the Minister of Fisheries and Land

Resources: Would Norway's regulations permit Grieg to do in their home country

what Grieg is proposing to do here?

MR. SPEAKER:

The hon. the Minister of

Fisheries and Land Resources.

MR. CROCKER:

Thank you very much, Mr.

Speaker.

I thank

the hon. Member for the question. Mr. Speaker, our aquaculture industry, as was

mentioned here in this House yesterday, Northern Harvest Sea Foods is a

four-star aquaculture company that operates aquaculture operations here and in

New Brunswick.

Mr.

Speaker, in 2017, aquaculture contributed $274 million to this province, upwards

of 1,000 jobs. Aquaculture is something that this government has identified as a

priority, it will remain a priority, and I can assure the Member opposite we

will ensure that aquaculture in this province is developed to the most

environmentally sound principles, but also remember that this industry is a part

of our Way Forward .

Thank

you, Mr. Speaker.

MR. SPEAKER:

The hon. the Member for St.

John's Centre.

MS. ROGERS:

Absolutely, Mr. Speaker, this

is a potential growth area; very important to the province.

So I ask

the minister: Will he do the right and responsible thing and impose a full EIS

for Grieg's project to protect the people's investment and ensure this project

is environmentally sustainable and will not harm our wild salmon stock?

MR. SPEAKER:

The hon. the Minister of

Service NL.

MR. TRIMPER:

I guess, Mr. Speaker, as I

just indicated in a previous response, the matter is before the courts today and

tomorrow, and it is around the issue of this type of request.

I can

assure the Members, as I have in this House though, that the previous review was

many months in duration, it was very thorough and government felt very

comfortable in the direction that was issued at the time when I was minister.

Thank

you.

MR. SPEAKER:

The hon. the Member for St.

John's Centre.

MS. ROGERS:

It's interesting, Mr.

Speaker, that the minister ignored his own experts.

I ask

the Premier: If government is committed to a $45 million investment in Grieg's

operation if so, is he planning to pay for it out of the recently announced

federal-provincial fisheries fund?

MR. SPEAKER:

The hon. the Premier.

PREMIER BALL:

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Well,

what this government is committed to is revitalizing rural Newfoundland and

Labrador.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

PREMIER BALL:

Mr. Speaker, that means

investing in companies and investing in groups, even social enterprises, that

can bring jobs to Newfoundland and Labrador.

Mr.

Speaker, the Members opposite, just a few weeks ago, was talking about job

creation, in particular in rural Newfoundland. Now they're telling us not to get

involved with companies and organizations that would create employment in rural

Newfoundland and Labrador. Who is it that they're talking to?

I will

assure you right now that we will work with companies, we will work with

communities, we will work with organizations for the best interest of

Newfoundlanders and Labradorians. We will not do it foolishly we will not do

it foolishly. We will take the evidence where the evidence leads us, Mr.

Speaker. We are willing to invest in rural Newfoundland and Labrador yes, we

are.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER:

The hon. the Member for St.

John's Centre.

MS. ROGERS:

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

And so

are we committed to jobs, and this is a good job growth area.

I ask

the minister: Why are smaller agricultural operations in the province required

to go through a full environmental impact process but not this huge project with

potential, unprecedented environmental problems?

MR. SPEAKER:

The hon. the Premier.

PREMIER BALL:

Thank you, Mr. Speaker,

Well,

once again, we take the Member opposite who is complaining now about trying to

work with an industry the industry themselves, we have worked very closely

with Young Farmers; we have worked very closely with the Federation.

We have

already, as matter of fact, carved out a fair amount of agricultural land that

is for prime use so we can expedite this. And it's for a number of reasons. One

is to create employment, in particular, in rural Newfoundland and Labrador and,

in some cases, even in some of the larger areas. But it is also very important

to us, as Newfoundlanders and Labradorians, that we address the food security

which is an important issue for this province, Mr. Speaker.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

PREMIER BALL:

We will work this province.

We will work our rural communities and yes, agriculture is a major focus for us.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER:

The time for Question Period

has expired.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Oh, oh!

MR. SPEAKER:

Order, please!

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Oh, oh!

MR. SPEAKER:

Order, please!

I will

ask one final time for the co-operation of Members. The Speaker is finding it

difficult, at times, to hear individuals speaking and it will not be tolerated.

Presenting Reports by Standing and Select Committees.

Tabling

of Documents.

Tabling of

Documents

MR. SPEAKER:

The hon. the Minister of

Fisheries and Land Resources.

MR. CROCKER:

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

accordance with the Transparency and

Accountability Act , it is my pleasure to table the 2017-2019 activity plan

for the Chicken Farmers of Newfoundland and Labrador.

Thank

you, Mr. Speaker.

MR. SPEAKER:

Further tabling of documents?

The hon.

the Minister of Service NL.

MR. TRIMPER:

Mr. Speaker, in accordance

with the requirements of

section 5 of the

Transparency and Accountability Act , I am pleased to table the 2017-2019

strategic plan of WorkplaceNL.

Also,

Mr. Speaker, in accordance with the requirements of

section 5 of the

Transparency and Accountability Act , I

am pleased to table the 2017-2019 business plan for the Credit Union Deposit

Guarantee Corporation.

Finally,

Mr. Speaker, if I may, I see my colleague in accordance with the requirements

section 10 of the Architects Act , I

am pleased to table the seventh annual report of the Architects Licensing Board

of Newfoundland and Labrador.

Thank

you.

MR. SPEAKER:

Further tabling of documents?

The hon.

the Minister of Advanced Education and Skills

MR. BYRNE:

I'm pleased, Mr. Speaker, to

stand in accordance with the requirements of the

Transparency and Accountability Act to

table the new Private Training Corporation activity plan, which describes the

corporation's activities for the three calendar years of 2017 to 2019. This

corporation is one of the 12 public entities that report, through me, to the

House of Assembly.

MR. SPEAKER:

Further tabling of documents?

Pursuant

section 8 and

section 10 of Public

Tender Act , I hereby table the report of the

Public Tender Act exemptions for

November and December 2016, as presented by the chief operating officer of the

Government Purchasing Agency.

Notices

of Motion.

Notices of Motion

MR. SPEAKER:

The hon. the Government House

Leader.

MR. A. PARSONS:

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I give

notice that I will ask leave to introduce a bill entitled,

An Act To Remove

Anomalies And Errors In The Statute Law, Bill 5.

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. the Minister of

Service NL.

MR. TRIMPER:

Mr. Speaker, in response to a

question from the Member of the Third Party in this House on March 16, I rise

today to table directives issued to the Come By Chance Oil Refinery in the year

2016, in addition to details on all inspections carried out at the refinery

between 2014 and 2017.

Thank

you very much.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER:

Further answer to questions

for which notice has been given?

Petitions.

Petitions

MR. SPEAKER:

The hon. the Member for St.

John's East Quidi Vidi.

MS. MICHAEL:

Thank you very much, Mr.

Speaker.

To the

hon. House of Assembly of the Province of Newfoundland and Labrador in

Parliament assembled, the petition of the undersigned residents of Newfoundland

and Labrador humbly sheweth:

WHEREAS

the US Center for Disease Control now estimates that Autism Spectrum Disorder

affects one in 68 children, which represents a 30 per cent increase from the

estimate two years ago; and

WHEREAS

early diagnosis of ASD is essential because there is a critical developmental

period when early intervention is vital for future success of children with ASD;

and

WHEREAS

although Budget 2014 announced that

another developmental pediatrician would be recruited, more must be done to

reduce the waitlist for a diagnosis so that children can get the early treatment

they need; and

WHEREAS

in other provinces an ASD diagnosis can be made by specialists certified and

trained in ADOS;

WHEREUPON the undersigned, your petitioners, humbly pray and call upon the House

of Assembly to urge government to allow other specialists trained and certified

with ADOS to make the Autism Spectrum Disorder diagnosis.

And, as

in duty bound, your petitioners will ever pray.

I'm very

pleased to bring forward this petition, Mr. Speaker sorry that I have to bring

it forward because this has been an ongoing issue for a number of years with

families of children with autism, children who are on the autism spectrum. It's

very disturbing that we still do not see a major change in how things are going

with regard to developmental assessments.

In the

province, or not just in the province I think it's probably a national

standard there is a standard that children should receive a diagnosis within

six months. Currently in the province, at the Janeway for example, the waiting

time for children is 10 months. What's really sad about that is that it has gone

up from six months in January 2016. So a year later, the length of wait time has

gone up by four months.

Western, it's the same thing. In the Western Region, it's a 10-month wait also,

but it's creeping up towards to a year- long wait. Central is doing better, it's

a six-month wait, so that's within the time frame; and Labrador, it's 3 months.

What it

looks like, Mr. Speaker, is that where the population is greater, the wait times

are longer. We obviously have a problem, with having enough people there, to be

able to do the developmental assessments. I think that if we had more people

involved, the times would be shorter.

Thank

you very much, Mr. Speaker.

MR. SPEAKER:

The hon. the Member for St.

John's Centre.

MS. ROGERS:

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

To the

hon. House of Assembly of the Province of Newfoundland and Labrador in

Parliament assembled, the petition of the undersigned residents humbly sheweth:

WHEREAS

government plans to remove the provincial point-of-sale tax rebate on books,

which will raise the tax on books from 5 per cent to 15 per cent; and

WHEREAS

an increase in the tax on books will reduce book sales to the detriment of local

bookstores, publishers and authors, and the amount collected by government must

be weighed against the loss in economic activity caused by higher book prices;

and

WHEREAS

Newfoundland and Labrador has one of the lowest literacy rates in Canada and the

other provinces do not tax books because they recognize the need to encourage

reading and literacy; and

WHEREAS

this province has many nationally and internationally known storytellers, but we

will be the only people in Canada who will have to pay our provincial government

a tax to read the books of our own writers;

WHEREUPON the undersigned, your petitioners, humbly pray and call upon the House

of Assembly to urge government not to impose a provincial sales tax on books.

And, as

in duty bound, your petitioners will ever pray.

Mr.

Speaker, I was at a panel last night, sponsored by the economic department at

Memorial University, and the panel was on academics and social policy. It was

very interesting. Lisa Moore, who is one of our internationally award-winning

and celebrated authors, spoke about culture and social policy. She specifically

talked about the issue of the taxation on books.

This

can't have come from any kind of social policy it can't have. Because if it

did, what social policy could it have ever fit into? We have the highest

illiteracy rate, meaning the lowest literacy rate in the whole country. We know

that books are the very basis for literacy.

Lisa

talked about the fact that literacy isn't just about whether or not you can read

a tax form or whether or not you can read a menu in a restaurant; literacy is

about whether or not you can grasp complex ideas, whether you can see yourself

in complex ideas.

Mr.

Speaker, taxing books and making books more difficult to access is one of the

most regressive things government can do. So did this come from a policy where

government is saying we're going to hit our people as hard as we possibly can to

make them suffer for an economic disaster that they themselves did not create?

Then when we look at the cutbacks to adult basic education, where it's no longer

provided by our public institutions that have all kinds of wraparound services

to help people complete their basic education. The cuts have been absolutely

detrimental to the health of our communities, to the health and strengthening of

our people and, consequently, our economy. As a matter of fact, these kinds of

cuts and measures don't strengthen our economy; it has the opposite effect.

It was

very interesting to hear Lisa talk about what does it mean for us to live here

in Newfoundland and Labrador, For many of us, it's where we want to be. Many of

us have come from here; many of us have not come from here. There are many

people who have not started off their lives in Newfoundland and Labrador but who

have come here for jobs, who have come here for school and who want to be here.

And it's

our culture. Our culture is enriched by our writers and then ever more so

enriched by people having access to the writings of the people of Newfoundland

and Labrador. This is an unnecessary, detrimental block and barrier to achieving

that.

Thank

you very much, Mr. Speaker.

MR. SPEAKER:

The hon. the Member for

Conception Bay East Bell Island.

MR. BRAZIL:

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

To the

hon. House of Assembly of the Province of Newfoundland and Labrador in

Parliament assembled, the petition of the undersigned residents of Newfoundland

and Labrador humbly sheweth;

WHEREAS

smaller class sizes, adequate learning environments and effective curriculums

are paramount to success of our youth; and

WHEREAS

recent budget decisions have negatively impacted student supports, educational

resources and teacher allocations; and

WHEREAS

the provincial education system should ensure that each child has the ability to

reach his or her full potential;

WHEREUPON the undersigned, your petitioners, humbly pray and call upon the House

of Assembly to urge government to enhance the education system in Newfoundland

and Labrador; introduce initiatives which ensure smaller class sizes, which will

provide more sufficient personal space per child and allow more individual

learning opportunities; develop effective curriculums which enable youth to

develop both life skills and optimal academic achievements; provide resources to

ensure a fully beneficial inclusive model is in place; and to ensure all

children in our province have equal standards of education in their learning

environment.

And, as

in duty bound, your petitioners will ever pray.

Mr.

Speaker, as you've noticed over the last year, there's been a big discussion and

big influx of parents, educators, community leaders, organizers of

non-for-profit organizations, leaders of agencies that represent those who have

a stake in the education system, coming out and saying we need to be cognizant

of the cuts to education.

Last

year's cuts were devastating enough. We're seeing indication that not only are

there going to be enhancements in the education system, but we're seeing

indications there is going to be additional cuts. We're seeing it with the

increased class size and we're hearing rumours that larger schools will go from

27 to 29 on their cap sizes and end up losing more teacher units within that.

talked about yesterday we had a three-hour debate around inclusive education

and all the impacts there. So we're asking to still continue the inclusive

education and the Department of Education and the school boards are saying no,

this is part of our policy and our philosophy, but we're not going to put the

resources there.

We've

got parents from all over the province this is a group now who've taken it

upon themselves to petition the people of this province and they've got hundreds

and, no doubt, within the next few weeks they'll have thousands. Some of the

names on this are in the Clarenville area. I've got a number from there that go

to the West Coast. They go from the Northern Peninsula. I even got some from

Labrador.

Mr.

Speaker, the issues around education it's not isolated to one particular region

or one particular school, or one particular grade area or a particular need in a

certain subject area. This is about a holistic, inclusive process of education.

It's about ensuring those who have some challenges are taken care of; those who

need some additional supports in the midstream and those who are high achievers

all have an ability to have adequate education and not be stressed, but let's

also add in to the people who provide that. They've gone out, got a proper

education, have taken this as their vocation to come in and enhance the minds

and the ability for our young people to be productive citizens in the future and

move on to post-secondary.

So, Mr.

Speaker, I'll have an opportunity to present this petition and many more around

improving our education system.

Thank

you, Mr. Speaker.

MR. SPEAKER:

The hon. the Member for Cape

St. Francis.

MR. K. PARSONS:

Thank you very much, Mr.

Speaker.

I rise

in the hon. House to present this petition today:

To the

hon. House of Assembly of the Province of Newfoundland and Labrador in

Parliament assembled, the petition of the undersigned residents of Newfoundland

and Labrador humbly sheweth:

WHEREAS

fisheries policy regulations link harvesting quotas to vessel length for several

species; and

WHEREAS

many harvesters own fishing vessels of various sizes, but because of policy

regulations are restricted to using smaller vessels, often putting their crews

at risk;

WHEREUPON the undersigned, your petitioners, humbly pray and call upon the House

of Assembly to urge the government to make representation to the federal

government and encourage change in policy to ensuring safety of fish harvesters

in the province.

And as

in duty bound, your petitioners will ever pray.

Mr.

Speaker, I really wanted to present this petition today, because as I mentioned

today in Question Period, and I know quite well because I had family members

yesterday that put their crab pots on their boats, and I know that in the next

couple of weeks and this time of year it's very difficult, as we see the weather

coming today. It's not a real good time of the year to be on the water, it's

pretty rough out there.

So what

I want to do today is just to say to our harvesters that are out there on the

water, to be safe. It's important for them to be able to catch their catch, we

understand, and understand what's happening in the fishery today. There is a

major decline in shrimp, a major decline in crab. While the cod stocks are

showing coming back, but they're not coming back as much as we want.

I think

the main thing I want to emphasize to harvesters in this province is to be safe

on the water. Too often we see Newfoundlanders and Labradorians take risks, and

risks that I can understand why they're doing it, but risks that I don't want to

see any family members have to go through what we normally go through on a

regular basis, and that's tragedy at sea.

entire message today is be safe. We know the crab fishery will start in the next

couple of weeks, and the other fisheries will follow after. I just hope and pray

that all fishermen and harvesters in this province will come home safe.

Thank

you very much.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER:

The hon. the Deputy

Government House Leader.

MS. COADY:

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I call

from the Order Paper, Orders of the Day, Address in Reply, number 1.

Thank

you.

MR. SPEAKER:

Orders of the Day.

Orders of the Day

MR. SPEAKER:

The hon. the Minister of

Children, Seniors and Social Development.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MS. GAMBIN-WALSH:

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I stand

in this hon. House today to thank the residents of the District of Placentia

St. Mary's, my committed team of volunteers and my family, especially my husband

Jud, for working alongside me through a two-year campaign leading up to the

election of 2015.

I was

born at the cottage hospital in Placentia in 1967 to Marina Power and Patrick

Gambin, and I am the older of two. My brother Sean is one year and four days

younger. Sean is a retired navy officer.

I am the

mother of two children, Victoria and Craig. My older, Victoria, who was on the

Dean's list for most of her academic days, graduated from Memorial University in

the spring of 2016 and is presently endeavouring to further her education. My

younger child, Craig, will be dependent on us for many years to come. I have no

doubt that it is the lessons I have learned in raising Craig that has fueled my

passion for politics.

strongly believe that everything happens for a reason and at a very young age I

embraced all opportunities and challenges that came before me. I was a lucky

child, raised by two parents and four grandparents. My grandparents John and

Jane Gambin, John and Aggie Power had a significant influence on my life. Born

the first grandchild to my grandparents Gambin and the only granddaughter for

nine years, I could do no wrong.

Born the

second grandchild to my grandparents Power, and a grandchild that spent many

weekends and summer holidays with them, I was given the opportunity in life that

many do not get. The value of growing up listening to stories, poetry and the

advice of these four seniors cannot be measured.

grandmother Gambin was a strong supporter of the hon. Joseph R. Smallwood. She

had to leave school at the age of nine years old in outport Davis Cove to care

for her four siblings after her mother died, and she often told me a story about

her belief that Joey Smallwood helped take people out of poverty. Both Mr.

Smallwood's and the Pope's pictures hung on her living room wall and we children

were permitted to look but never to touch. That picture of Joseph R. Smallwood

was passed on to me by my father and it sits on the mantel in my home office.

Both my

grandfathers were quiet, unassuming men. My grandmother Power loved to read and

was well versed in the wonders of the world. She was a very open-minded and

compassionate woman. As a teenager, during my summer holidays, I would often

wake to my grandmother serving breakfast to people who were complete strangers

to me. My grandmother often said that kindness and compassion for your fellow

neighbour were free. I will say it again I was a lucky child.

It is

fitting that today I hold the title as the Minister of Children, Seniors and

Social Development. I'm not the first person in my family to be a member of

Bay, was a member of the Colonial Parliament.

My path

to this hon. House was a lengthy one. I graduated from the General Hospital

School of Nursing in 1990 and spent my nursing career as a neonatal nurse at the

Charles A. Janeway in Pleasantville. My son, born in 1996, took me down the path

of the world of autism. I educated myself in applied behavioral analysis to care

for him. His diagnosis, in combination with a work-related injury, saw me at

home with him for 10 years.

In 2010,

I found myself with an opportunity I could not refuse. I returned to the

workforce as a community inclusion coordinator and later became the executive

director of the Newfoundland and Labrador Association for Community Living; an

association that works for and on behalf of individuals with intellectual

disabilities. I have never, in my life, worked at a job that I did not enjoy.

volunteer is a person who donates his or her time or efforts for a cause or

organization without being paid. I would argue from my experience as a volunteer

in over 14 organizations that volunteers gain immensely from their experiences.

On entering politics to balance this life with my home commitments, this is the

first time since I was five years old that I'm not engaged as a volunteer and I

can assure you that I plan on returning to that role someday.

I have

mentioned my son twice so far, thus I find it fitting to tell you why. I'm

somewhat certain that without the advocacy skills that I gained in fighting for

his right to an inclusive education to the best of his ability that I would not

be here in this House. My son was diagnosed with classic autism just before his

third birthday and is the oldest child in the province to have gone through the

government funded ABA Applied Behavioral Analysis therapy program. We worked

with Dr. Philip Zelazo out of Montreal, and Dr. Carryl Navalta out of Boston.

We will

be forever grateful to the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador for allowing

us that opportunity. Our hope and plan is to assist him to move to St. John's

with supports where he can continue to enjoy the skills he has acquired. He is a

strong swimmer and loves music therapy. His memory to detail is amazing, and

time spent with him is as good as any therapy. Time spent with him confirms what

is truly important in life.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MS. GAMBIN-WALSH:

The District of Placentia

St. Mary's and Trinity South is almost 4,000 kilometres in size, with homes and

cabins almost everywhere you turn. It boasts the richness of rural Newfoundland

and Labrador on the doorsteps of urban St. John's.

I will

take you through a very quick tour of my district by starting you on the beach

in St. Vincent's watching the whales, travelling up through Riverhead past the

Father Val Power Centre and on to the Salmonier Nature Park, where you will find

wild animals in need of rehabilitation. Next, we have Father Duffy's Well, turn

back towards Colinet where Rocky River boasts a beautiful waterfall, as you

continue on to my mother's hometown of Branch and to Cape St. Mary's.

Placentia, my hometown, has many features that make it a popular tourist

attraction. It has a brand new unique lift bridge. There are many archeological

sites, several excellent examples of late 19th century Newfoundland

architecture, three museums, a national historic park and one of the two Marine

Atlantic ferry links from Newfoundland to Nova Scotia via Argentia.

Argentia, originally settled by the French in 1630 is today a commercial

seaport, and one of the fastest growing industrial areas in Newfoundland and

Labrador. From Argentia, we pass through a number of communities to arrive at

the fishing village of Ship Harbour where, on a warship in this very harbour,

the concept of the United Nations originated when a meeting was held between

United States President Franklin D. Roosevelt and British Prime Minister Winston

Churchill in August of 1941.

On to

Markland, a growing farming community, and in Whitbourne, a vibrant regional

service centre; cross over the Trans-Canada Highway to the new area of the

District of Placentia St. Mary's, Trinity South. The Trinity South portion of

the district boasts nine communities rich in history and, today, in tourism. The

Dildo area has a long history going back when Maritime indigenous people resided

at Anderson's Cove. New Harbour, in the past, was a major shipbuilding centre

and Green's Harbour, today, is home to the beautiful Doctor's House Inn & Spa.

So as

you can see, there is diversity in the District of Placentia St. Mary's, but

the fishery has been and remains one of the solid sources of income in all three

bays that make up this district. However, we are not without our concerns and

our issues. The roads, and all things connected to the roads in the district,

have been a great concern for me as the MHA. We need good infrastructure for

residents and tourists. I look forward to

The Way Forward as we work as a government and with our federal partners to

improve road infrastructure throughout this great province.

There is

a strong group of individuals advocating for a dialysis unit in Placentia. As

their MHA, I will continue to support them in their quest. Previously as

executive director for community living and, more recently, since becoming the

MHA, I have met with many aging parents in my district who are caring for their

sons and daughters with disabilities. As this government moves towards

individualized support funding and supported decision making, I hope we can help

them plan for their sons' and daughters' future.

I am

thankful and humbled for this opportunity in life and, once again, I wish to

thank my family and friends for their support, and to the residents of the

District of Placentia St. Mary's for their faith in me during these difficult

times. I strongly believe we can work together for the betterment of our

district. As Helen Keller said: Alone we can do so little; together we can do

so much.

Thank

you.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER:

The hon. the Minister of Transportation and Works.

MR. HAWKINS:

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I would

certainly like to say a big thank you to my colleague for that very passionate

response. Many of us throughout life always face some difficulties and being

able to acknowledge that, in itself, is an accomplishment, to be able to express

that, particularly in this House.

Mr.

Speaker, I am just trying to make a few remarks today in reply to the Speech

from the Throne. I'm representing a great District of Grand Falls-Winsor

Buchans, which of course includes Grand Falls-Windsor, Badger, Buchans,

Millertown and Buchans Junction.

AN HON. MEMBER:

Perfectly centred.

MR. HAWKINS:

Perfectly centred.

Mr.

Speaker, I always count it an honour to be recognized by being elected and

this is the second time as a municipal politician and then, of course, now

being elected as a provincial politician. It is certainly a great pleasure.

In 2009,

Mr. Speaker, I entered an election at, I guess, probably one of the most

difficult times in the history of our community. Of course, in my district,

Grand Falls-Windsor Buchans, most of the communities have been built around

either a renewable or a non-renewable resource.

Madam

Speaker, we know what happens when we deal with a non-renewable resource. The

ore that's in the ground just doesn't make baby ore. Nor the oil that's in the

ground doesn't make baby oil. Once it's out, once it's extracted, it's gone.

Many of

the communities, Madam Speaker, that are built around that and, of course, my

colleague for Labrador City knows quite well what I'm talking about. When we

extract the ore from the ground and we have a period of time when everything

seems to be doing great, lots of employment, lots of opportunities and then when

that ore is gone, we always see that downturn.

In 2009,

when I was elected mayor of Grand Falls-Windsor, at that time I was also, at

that particular council, blessed with gender equity. The same number of gender

equity within the council which gave me a great opportunity to share and

understand needs from different perspectives.

Grand

Falls-Windsor depended for over 100 years on the renewable resource: the forest

industry. With the downturn in the markets and in the downturn with paper

production, all of a sudden we were faced, in 2009, with a situation that we

never ever thought would have happened.

Grand

Falls-Windsor first, Grand Falls over 100 years ago, was the first

industrialized area in the province. For the first time in the history of

Newfoundland and Labrador, the majority of people were finally earning a wage.

Most of them at that time were operating in a barter system. You sell your fish;

hopefully, you get some goods back.

Many

people from the coastal areas of the province, for the first time, moved into

the inland and now were receiving wages. That, Madam Speaker, lasted for over

100 years. So in 2009, people were saying this is an absolutely desperate

situation, over 700 people losing employment where are we going to be going?

Well, there are two options in life. We can look at the glass as half empty, or

we look at the glass as being half filled.

So, in

2009, my council embarked upon putting together a plan. We were not looking at

what will happen tomorrow; we were looking at what will happen and what are your

potentials for the future.

Part of

that plan, Madam Speaker, was to do things differently. The status quo was no

longer accepted. It's not my intention today to stand here and place blame on

what has happened. I believe we learned from what has happened in the past, but

I think it's important for us to look forward and to look ahead. I think it's

important for us to do that.

As in

2009, in 2015 when we as a government took over, we were facing a desperate

situation, and we had two choices. We look at this as a glass half empty or a

glass half full and then start building on that. I believe very firmly, Madam

Speaker, that this is really what this government is doing.

I go

back to 2009, when as a town we could no longer look at the fact that very,

very weak markets when it came to paper production. Obviously, not what we would

consider to be a bright opportunity with antiquated equipment that was in the

mill, that that was going to be a future for the people of our town and our

district.

So,

Madam Speaker, it was important for us to put together a plan to look at other

opportunities. We engaged with a number of partners within the community to

build upon opportunities. One of the biggest areas of opportunities that we

looked at in Central Newfoundland, in Grand Falls-Windsor, was looking at

getting into research and development, getting into looking at opportunities in

the business of health care, working with partnerships.

Killick Services, for example, a model for the province in

Grand Falls-Windsor, where physicians have all of the multi skills that are

possible to deliver services. We worked very closely with these partners to put

together a plan for our future, a plan whereby we'll look at, what opportunities

can we find and how can we build our economy around something other than what we

had done for over a hundred years? That's not an easy task, and it wasn't an

easy task. The task is not completed, nor is it finished. We are continuing to

look at building on what we've had.

Madam

Speaker, through that strategic planning and through looking at opportunities,

we, as I said, not only looked at partnerships within the province but also

looked at partnerships outside the province. We worked very closely with people

such as Dr. Terry Young in research and development. We work with Memorial

University and looking at research opportunities and actually have had a

tremendous amount of success in building on these opportunities. We feel there's

actually a very bright future when it comes to developing and looking at other

opportunities.

So,

Madam Speaker, that gets me to where we as a government are starting to look. We

have to recognize and we're looking at the centre in Wooddale, for example,

it's included in our Way Forward . We

have a tremendous infrastructure at Wooddale. So even though Wooddale is not in

my district, but in the district of my colleague for Exploits, it's still

attached to Grand Falls-Windsor.

What

we're doing, we are going to be building a centre of agriculture and forestry in

Wooddale and looking at that as a centerpiece for opportunities. We have the

infrastructure there as we I want to use this loosely, as we grow forward, no

pun intended. There are opportunities within that centre. So I think, Madam

Speaker, that is an excellent opportunity for us to build on that.

The

other piece that was in the Speech from the Throne, Madam Speaker, that's

encouraging to us in Central Newfoundland, is the commitment as we continue to

look at long-term care. We all know that long-term care is a concern for all of

us. Particularly, we in this province, where we're having an aging demographic,

and particularly in the Grand Falls-Windsor area where a lot of our population

we're looking at an aging demographic and the pressures that our acute care

facilities are facing because we have to look at trying to provide adequate

resources and adequate facilities that are outside of the acute care facility.

Madam

Speaker, our government has made commitments. We have already made announcements

for Western Newfoundland, the long-term care facilities in Western Newfoundland

and also the acute care for Corner Brook.

Continuing on that same thought and looking at that same investment, Madam

Speaker, we've made that commitment to long-term care in Central Newfoundland.

So this year, and in subsequent years, we will be putting all the details

together and we will make an official announcement on that very shortly with

regard to the number of beds and what will be adequate for that area. So when we

look at these pressures we're facing, we have to do things differently.

Madam

Speaker, I remember one of my first meetings with my senior staff when I became

minister was that at no point in my tenure, however long that will be that's

the Premier's prerogative for that but I never want to get to a point where I

am not listening to people, whether it's people on this side of the House or

whether it's my colleagues on the other side of the House. I never want to get

to that point where I don't listen if people have ideas, if people have ways in

which we can improve, if we can look at things differently and do things

differently. So my staff are very, very aware of that.

The

other thing, Madam Speaker, I made very, very clear to my staff was that going

forward we no longer will be accepting status quo. We are no longer going to be

an acceptable answer to me, if a question is asked, or a proposal is put

forward, no longer will it be acceptable to say: well, we've always done it this

way. That has to change.

We have

to look at different ways in which we can do things differently. We have to look

at efficiencies, look at opportunities. What we did 20 years ago, what we did 10

years ago, what we did five years ago are no longer acceptable unless it's

working. So we have to look at better ways of doing things and getting better

results.

It's

pointless, Madam Speaker, for us to continually invest money into areas if we're

not going to get a return on the investment. If I was a business person and I

made investments, and after a year or two years I continued to make investments

within a certain portfolio and I was getting no return on my investment, I don't

think I would continue to do that. I would either look at a different portfolio;

I would look at a different opportunity.

So we

cannot continually do things as we've always done it. As a result of that, Madam

Speaker, it was important for us and important for me as the minister to say

going forward, planning for one year is no longer acceptable. It's not something

you make good judgements on. It's not something that you can really say we have

long-term planning.

So,

Madam Speaker, one of the other things that I try to do as minister, and I hope

that it will be successful and no matter whatever we look at in life, there

are always challenges that we face and there are always some growing pains. But

one of the things that I wanted to implement and I wanted to make sure is that

whenever we make decisions going forward, I, as a minister, am not interested in

making decisions politically; I'm interested in making decisions that are based

on evidence.

I think

I've been very, very clear when I stood in this House and when I've talked to my

colleagues across the way and when I talk to my colleagues within government,

I'm interested in making decisions that are based on evidence evidence that

will tell me that this is the right way to go and this is the right thing to do.

I hope, Madam Speaker, that as I continue in this role that I will be able to do

that. It's always a challenge sometimes, but I just hope that I'll be able to do

that.

The

other thing that I wanted to do is look at how we can do our planning over a

five-year period. I thought it was important for us and this year, already,

we're finding results. Every single one of our tenders for roadwork is out; most

of them are back. The first set that we put out at the end of January has been

awarded. The second set we put out in February is now going through the process.

The third set, some of them are coming back and we're looking at those.

This

gives everyone a degree of confidence a degree of confidence in knowing that

they can plan and they can plan effectively. We can have our resources in place

to make sure the work will be done and will be done in this construction season.

longer am I interested in the fact that well, we had too much work to do this

summer, we can't do it and it's going to be carried over to the next year. That

no longer is acceptable for me as minister, and we will address that situation

if, in fact, it arises.

So my

message, and my message that I talked to the Heavy Civil, is that if we have

work that's awarded, the whole idea of getting the work out early is to know how

much work you will have during this construction season to make sure that work

is completed.

Madam

Speaker, the five-year roadwork plan has been out and then we looked at the

multi-year infrastructure plan that we had. So we said we'll look at a five-year

plan, model it after our five-year roadwork plan with our infrastructure. Now we

know that over the next five years, Madam Speaker, we are investing $3 billion

into infrastructure. We're looking at, this year, over $500 million invested in

infrastructure; 4,900 person years for the next five years of employment

significant.

When I

say significant, Madam Speaker, significant particularly in the fiscal situation

we're finding ourselves in. But while we have fiscal difficulties, fiscal

challenges, we also need to have stimulus. We need to make sure that we're

making investments in the infrastructure and making sure that we're still being

prudent in the way in which we're moving forward. So that's that plan for the

infrastructure.

Madam

Speaker, I guess this is the first time that we've ever done a five-year marine

strategy; $28 million over the next five years; $8 million frontloaded, this

year, to give us an opportunity to address some of the complaints that we've

been getting from tourists and from people that are using our ferries. Some of

our terminals, we know, are in deplorable condition. We have to make significant

improvements. If we want to have facilities that people can have some degree of

comfort, then we have to make some changes. So, Madam Speaker, we have made a

commitment to do that.

Over the

next five years within just those three plans that we have, we are building on

an opportunity for us to do things better, to plan effectively, to ensure that

the work is completed and to look at other ways of doing business. Part of that,

of course, is involving the private sector, and that's an area that we're

looking at. When we look at the model we have for the Western Memorial Hospital

and the long-term care facility, that's just one procurement method. There are

dozens of procurement methods out there. This is just one. Will that method of

private partnership be the same for every project going forward? Not

necessarily.

Every

time that we engage in a private partnership or look at opportunities, we will

go through a value for money, which will tell us if we're going to get a return

on our investment. If, in fact, it makes sense, Madam Speaker, then that's an

avenue which we can look at because not only will it be beneficial for us as a

government, it will beneficial for the residents of the province and it will be

a better return on the tax dollar.

So,

Madam Speaker, I can't believe my 20 minutes are gone already. Time goes fast

AN HON. MEMBER:

Leave.

MR. HAWKINS:

Leave.

MADAM SPEAKER (Dempster):

Order, please!

MR. HAWKINS:

I can go on for another hour,

but anyway. It's

MADAM SPEAKER:

I remind the hon. Member his time for speaking has expired.

MR. HAWKINS:

Thank you, Madam Speaker.

Thank

you so much,

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MADAM SPEAKER:

The hon. the Member for Torngat Mountains.

MR. EDMUNDS:

Thank you, Madam Speaker.

Unlike

my colleague, I rarely run the time allotted.

It's an

honour today to rise in Address in Reply to the Throne Speech, Madam Speaker.

First of all, before I begin, I too would like to rise today and pay tribute to

the late Senator Rompkey.

Madam

Speaker, I don't think I rise on behalf alone, but I rise on behalf of yourself,

the Member for Cartwright L'Anse au Clair, the Member for Lake Melville and

the Member for Labrador West. In fact, Madam Speaker, I think I rise on behalf

of all hon. Members today to pay tribute to Senator Rompkey.

I've

known Senator Rompkey a long time. As I was growing up as a kid to 2011, when I

ran for election in the House of Assembly for the first time, I did have the

opportunity to sit down with Mr. Rompkey and to ask him a lot of questions about

the history and about politics. He did give me a lot of insight into what was

ahead of me. Over the years I continued to ask him questions, and he did

continue to provide a lot of insight and a lot of motivation to me, Madam

Speaker.

I think

Senator Rompkey gained a lot of insight in Labrador when he was principal of

Yale School in North West River, because a lot of times there was a lot of

students from the district that I represent. They went out and took

part in

residential schooling, and certainly we all know some of the shortcomings of

that dark

chapter in our history, but I think Senator Rompkey gained a lot of

insight from the students there.

In 1972,

he went on to run for the District of I believe it was Grand Falls White Bay

Labrador, and he ran for that district until the name changed in 1988. He then

ran for the District of Labrador.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR. EDMUNDS:

He did a good job. To use your own words, Madam Speaker, Mr. Rompkey was good to

Labrador, and Labrador was good to Mr. Rompkey.

As the

Premier said in his statement earlier today, Madam Speaker, he spent 40 years

representing us and he never once forgot the indigenous people of Labrador who,

for so long, looked to him for help and support. This was portrayed throughout

his terms as the MP for Grand Falls White Bay Labrador, and later on

Labrador.

So,

Madam Speaker, he shall be ever remembered as the shining example of what it

means to be a servant of the people. I, too, certainly share on behalf of all my

hon. colleagues in this House, our regrets to the family and a tribute to the

life of Senator William Rompkey.

Madam

Speaker, I listened intently to the Speech from the Throne delivered by His

Honour, Lieutenant Governor Fagan. I think it was in 2015, I had the opportunity

of touring my district with Their Honours. There was a little bit of a

difference, Madam Speaker, they were onboard the

HMCS Charlottetown , which is a Canadian war ship, and I was in a

20-foot speedboat, but we did connect in four of the six communities in my

district. Two I couldn't go to because it meant travelling at night and I chose

not to do it.

The time

I had from Nain to Natuashish, to Hopedale, to Postville, to Makkovik, Madam

Speaker, I actually remember talking to the commanding officer of the

HMCS Charlottetown and informing him

that I would show up at any time, at any place. So it was a little bit

interesting playing cat and mouse with a war ship, but I really enjoyed it. It

was certainly good to go around with Their Honours in the communities and

provide some insight into the history, the geography and the people of the

District of Torngat Mountains. So I wish them well and I said that I would hope

to do it again with them.

When we

look at the Throne Speech, Madam Speaker, and copies that have sent out, there

are a few things that kind of jumped out through His Honour's words. Going

through parts of the Throne Speech that His Honour read just a few days ago, it

quotes here that, Our government inherited a deep rooted reliance on oil, and

with it, a culture of overspending. Our fiscal problem was not caused by a drop

in oil prices, but rather this decline in oil prices exposed the culture of

overspending.

Madam

Speaker, the former administration does not like to hear this, but I think it

has to be stated because when you look the reason why we are here, the reason

why we are here in this financial shortcoming, to put it very mildly, is because

of 12 years of overspending, and that with $25 billion in revenue.

Now if

you look at some of the things that were settling up to 2015, the PC government

at the time informed the people of this province that even with $25 billion of

revenue, oil prices at the max, we still had a $1.1 billion deficit. Now, Madam

Speaker, $1.1 million is a lot of money. We made our commitment to the people

that was based on $1.1 million

AN HON. MEMBER:

Billion.

MR. EDMUNDS:

Sorry, $1.1 billion.

Madam

Speaker, when we opened the books, the reality showed that the deficit was

double; it was $2.2 billion. Now, to me, that's a game changer. It is a game

changer. You have to take a second look at what you're doing. You have to look

at how you can come up with a short-term plan, you do have to take a look at how

you can come up with a mid-term plan, and you have to come up with a way that

you can look at the long-term plan.

I think

we've done that. In addition to a $2.2 billion deficit, we've had to use the

words of the Member for Mount Pearl North a bloated workforce, I think, is the

correct word a bloated workforce, meaning that they admit that they spent like

drunken sailors. Rather than address the problem, they threw money at it and the

problem didn't go away.

To go

back to His Honour in the Throne Speech, he said: But rather, this decline in

oil prices exposed the culture of overspending. That's what came out after 2015

when we had a chance, as a government, to open up the books and look at the

financial mess that we are in.

Now,

Madam Speaker, we had to come to terms, as His Honour said, with an

unprecedented fiscal situation before us, and it has not been easy. I go back to

some of the comments made by some of the Members opposite in former Blue Book

promises that talk about having to put a check on spending, having to spend

wisely, having to address the financial situation the province is in. This was

in 2007, and it was again in 2011. Now, if they had followed their Blue Book,

maybe, just maybe, we would not be in the mess we're in now.

When you

come into government and you have to do the checks and credits and you're being

put on a negative level with some of the funding agencies, it causes concern. In

the last budget, we had to take that concern head-on, and we had to work with

whatever we had to try and right the ship, try to straighten the list out of the

ship. You look at some of announcements that have been made over the year, we

have started that job. By no means is it easy; it takes a lot of work.

We do

have innovation. We do have motivation. We do have commitment. Now, we can't

clear a path to a secure financial future based on the plan that the previous

government used. Because if we do that, in 12 years we could very well be $4.4

billion in the red, if we follow the plan that the PC government used to get us

where we are.

We would

have liked to start with a clean slate, but unfortunately in the governance of

the day, a government coming in, a new government, don't get to start with a new

slate. Unfortunately, we've had to pick up the pieces from the former

administration, and we're doing that.

I've

heard the Third Party say that we don't have a plan. I've heard the Opposition

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Oh, oh!

MADAM SPEAKER:

Order, please!

MR. EDMUNDS:

say we don't have a plan. I

think, Madam Speaker, we've got three plans. We have a short-term plan under

The Way Forward , and we've already met

most of those goals. We've set high challenges for ourselves, because we cannot

accept challenges from over there, and they've already proven that.

We have

a short-term plan, we have a mid-term plan and we have a long-term plan.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR. EDMUNDS:

We talk about a way forward

and it's a tough one, it's a tough way forward, but we don't have a choice. We

don't have a choice except to right the ship through whatever measures we have

at our disposal. The PC government never left us very many options and the Third

Party does not agree with anything that anyone says in this hon. House.

simply cannot follow the plan that the PC government followed over the last 12

years that they were in government. This is a government that had promises

through their Blue Books and I've read through them and my question is: Why

did they not follow their plan in 2003? Why did they not follow their plan in

2007? Why did they not follow their plan in 2011? Why did they hide the truth

from the people of the province?

Madam

Speaker, I'd also like to talk a little bit about some of our resources that we

have. I represent the district I think it was last Friday; I drove for nine

hours on a snowmobile and I covered just over one-quarter of my district. In

Northern Labrador, we do have a national park. My hon. colleague for Lake

Melville, we are about to have another national park. So the tourism potential

in Labrador is on par or ahead

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR. EDMUNDS:

of the rest of the province.

Tourism

brings $1 billion a year in royalties, and it is one of the plans in

The Way Forward . It's one there where

you don't have to build your resources. Newfoundland and Labrador have their

resources already at their doorstep. Our job is to harness those resources,

Madam Speaker.

I think

we're on the right track. We're going to go ahead with the tourism initiatives

because we have the resources. There are countries and there are other provinces

that have to go out and build their resources. We don't have that; we've just

got to harness our potential. Like I said, we cannot follow our plan based on

what the previous administration did. It obviously doesn't work.

So,

Madam Speaker, with that, I think I'm going to clue up and say that it's

important to look at where we've come from as a government of Newfoundland and

Labrador. We've come from 12 years of abuse, 12 years of overspending and $2.2

billion in deficit. It is important to build your future based on where you've

come from.

Madam

Speaker, the Opposition side now have stated that they've made mistakes. They're

saying the civil service is too large.

AN HON. MEMBER:

Bloated.

MR. EDMUNDS:

Bloated. Yeah, bloated is the

word.

Madam

Speaker, I'm not saying the road ahead is easy for us. The road ahead is very

difficult, but we've set our own challenges. They are demanding challenges and

we're going to meet them. We're going to right the ship, Madam Speaker, and the

job has already started.

Thank

you.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MADAM SPEAKER:

The hon. the Government House

Leader.

MR. A. PARSONS:

Yes, thank you, Madam

Speaker.

I'm

going to switch it up now. I'd like to move, seconded by the Minister of Service

NL and Climate Change, for leave to introduce a bill entitled,

An Act Respecting

An Independent Court of Appeal In The Province, Bill 3, and I further move that

the said bill be now read a first time.

MADAM SPEAKER:

It is moved and seconded that

the hon. Government House Leader shall have leave to introduce a bill, Bill 3,

and that the said bill be now read a first time.

Is it

the pleasure of the House to adopt the motion?

All

those in favour, 'aye.'

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Aye.

MADAM SPEAKER:

All those against, 'nay.'

Carried.

Motion,

the hon. the Minister of Justice and Public Safety to introduce a bill,

An Act

Respecting An Independent Court Of Appeal In The Province, carried. (Bill 3)

CLERK (Barnes):

A bill,

An Act Respecting An

Independent Court Of Appeal In The Province. (Bill 3)

MADAM SPEAKER:

This bill has now been read a

first time.

When

shall the said bill be read a second time?

MR. A. PARSONS:

Tomorrow.

motion, Bill 3 read a fist time, ordered read a second time on tomorrow.

MADAM SPEAKER:

The hon. the Government House

Leader.

MR. A. PARSONS:

Madam Speaker, I'd like to

call from the Order Paper, Order 3, second reading of Bill 2.

MADAM SPEAKER:

The hon. the Minister of

Justice and Public Safety.

MR. A. PARSONS:

Madam Speaker, I move,

seconded by the Minister of Service NL and Climate Change, that Bill 2,

An Act

To Amend The House Of Assembly Accountability, Integrity And Administration Act,

be now read a second time.

MADAM SPEAKER:

It is moved and seconded that

Bill 2,

An Act To Amend The House Of Assembly Accountability, Integrity And

Administration Act, be now read a second time.

Motion,

second reading of a bill,

An Act To Amend The House Of Assembly Accountability,

Integrity And Administration Act. (Bill 2)

MADAM SPEAKER:

The hon. the Minister of

Justice and Public Safety.

MR. A. PARSONS:

Thank you, Madam Speaker.

Going

right now to speak to Bill 2 which, as I've mentioned previously, is

An Act To

Amend The House Of Assembly Accountability, Integrity And Administration Act.

The bill

itself is not huge in terms of size but it does present some change to the

administration of this House of Assembly and puts into place legislative change

that's brought about by the decisions of the Management Commission of the House

of Assembly.

provide some background on this, even though this piece of legislation, the

House of Assembly Accountability, Integrity and Administration Act sounds long,

when in many cases this is what many would refer to as the Green act, the Green

legislation stemming from the Green report that was a very significant report

that came from this House back in the mid-2000s. I won't belabour it much. I

know the Member opposite, the House Leader of the Third Party may have been one

of two current sitting Members that were present in this House at this time. So

I think she, if she chooses during her time, can provide some background.

I know

every time I've stood up in this House or listened in this House when we've

talked about this bill, we've provided some background. I don't want to belabour

it. Basically, the long and short of it is that the Green act and the Green

report has brought about significant change to the administration of this House

that makes it more transparent, that makes it more accountable.

We have

a Management Commission that is made up of Members of all parties in the House

that sit here and make decisions as it relates to the expenditure of funds.

Again, we have a number of meetings. I sit on the Management Commission. My

colleagues opposite, the Opposition Leader, as well as the Opposition House

Leader sits on it. My colleague, the House Leader for the NDP sits on it, as

well as my colleague the Deputy Government House Leader and the Member for

MR. BROWNE:

Placentia West Bellevue.

MR. A. PARSONS:

Placentia West Bellevue.

I get it confused sometimes. We all sit on this, and we have to make certain

decisions based on the House of Assembly and the not the conduct of Members,

but certainly the expenditure of funds.

One of

the things we deal with is the reports that are done after every election.

Basically, what we're doing here now is we're changing legislation. This bill

basically puts into effect recommendations from the Members' Compensation Review

Committee. For the sake of clarity, and for maybe saving myself some words, from

here on in I may use the acronym MCRC to refer to this rather than saying

Members' Compensation Review Committee every time.

What

we're doing is we're dealing with recommendations one to three, and four to nine

of the Committee work. If I may go through these; clause 1 of this bill contains

two changes to

section 11 of the act. The proposed

section then again, I'll

say this right off the top, I don't anticipate any significant consternation to

this. I think the Members opposite will certainly speak to this but I think this

is something that will be supported by all Members of the House. I don't think

this is a contentious piece of legislation by any means.

This one

was a different one, because one of the issues that always come up is when you

talk about the salaries of Members. That's a tough one. That's a very tough one

because in the past it's been very hard and I don't think it's just Members in

this House. I think it's politicians of a provincial level, a federal level, a

municipal level. When you talk about pay for Members, it's very tough to look at

it and deal with the pay for yourself. In fact, I don't think the pay for

Members has risen at all. I think it was frozen for a long time and certainly

hasn't been raised in some time.

There's

always hesitation for politicians to sit here and to look at the pay. Should it

be more, should it be less? Depending on who you listen to, you'll get a

different viewpoint. So what this and this MCRC heard from Members, they heard

from the public, and this was probably one of the concerns that was brought to

them.

What

this recommendation does is provides a mechanism for adjusting Members' salaries

going forward. It's not to deal with previous salaries but going forward. Under

this, annual salaries will be adjusted by averaging the collective agreement

percentage adjustments of four groups. Number one, the General Service

Collective Agreement; number two, the Health Professionals Collective Agreement;

number three, the Registered Nurses' Union of Newfoundland and Labrador

Collective Agreement; and, four, the Royal Newfoundland Constabulary Collective

Agreement.

For the

past several years there's been no legislated means of making such an

adjustment. This provision provides some predictability to Members' salary

adjustments. Again, I would point out that this is a recommendation that is made

by the MCRC which was comprised of members of the public who are independent of

the House, took the time to do this work and feel that this is the right move.

I know

this issue has been difficult in the past because whether again, it's a tough

issue when you talk about political salaries. It's tough when times are good and

it's even tougher when times are not good. It's a difficult thing. This provides

some predictability and a mechanism now to avoid it's not about avoidance per

se, but it's about having some predictability here and an ability to have a

proper and fair wage for the people that do this. It's just not about the people

that sit here now, because many of us could be gone. We could be gone, it could

be tomorrow. That's how this thing works. It's certainly people have this

opportunity. So it's about going forward as well. I think that's what's so

important about this.

The

second proposed subsection 11(1.2) is in accordance with Recommendation 2 of the

MCRC and it allows for a salary adjustment for Members within 30 days after the

date of the last agreement reached amongst the groups just referred to. So

again, if there is collective bargaining ongoing, if there's a decision or an

agreement that's reached that adjusts the salaries of the groups referred to

herein, this allows for the salaries here to be adjusted as well without having

to wait until after the next session. It's about doing things proactively and

doing things consistently, and making sure that it's done in accordance with the

well-recognized mechanism that's laid out legislatively for all to see.

Proposed

subsection 11(1.3) is required to indicate the manner in which compensation is

paid out, and I would point out that this is exactly the same for all public

servants. There's another codification here that's necessary based on the

recommendations of this body. It provides some consistency here and treats it

the same as it does for public servants.

Clause 2

of the bill is in accordance with the MCRC Recommendation 4. What it does, it

amends

section 12 of the act to adjust downward the salaries for the various

offices held by Members in relation to duties for this House. For example, the

positions of Speaker, Deputy Speaker and Leader of the Official Opposition are

among those positions that have been affected. The salaries have gone down.

Now,

people will note that last during the budget it was announced that members of

the Executive Council and Members of Cabinet all had pay decreased. There was a

decrease in pay, voluntary, that was taken by Members of Cabinet, including the

Premier. The Premier, aside from this, indicated back when he was in Opposition

and made this happen since taking government when we talk about the salaries for

parliamentary secretaries, which was also eliminated, to put it in accordance

with other Atlantic provinces especially.

MCRC now

has changed the salaries, I think, for the Speaker, Deputy Speaker and the

Leader of the Official Opposition. So that is reflected here in clause 2, which

was an MCRC recommendation.

addition, the positions of Deputy Chair of Committees, Deputy Opposition House

Leader, Party Whip and Caucus Chairperson will also no longer receive any extra

remuneration for their roles. Again, another step that was taken by the

committee, a recommendation that was made that was accepted by the Management

Commission, and we have that subsequent removal of extra remuneration.

Finally,

still going according to clause 2, there was a change here to the Third Party

House Leader. That position which did not, I guess, legislatively exist before

has now been added. This would have been in Recommendation 5 and 6, and there is

a salary that is adjusted to that and has been added to that. So those are the

changes to the legislative positions that are within this House of Assembly.

accordance with Recommendation 7 through 9 of the MCRC, the proposed subsections

12(3) and (4) remove the current $200 per diem for Members of a committee who

must attend committee meetings when the House is not sitting. Expenses for

travel and attendance at a committee meeting when the House is not sitting will

still be permitted.

basically there's been a recognition that Members have to be here and when

Members are here in the House when the House is in session and there's a

committee meeting, they should not be getting the per diem that had previously

been afforded. Again, another reduction in the monetary remuneration that has

been provided to Members previously; this is another change.

That

money has been removed because I believe the logic to be that if we're sitting

here in the House, you're in St. John's, you're available to attend these

committees. Members do, on all sides, attend a number of committee meetings.

However, there are times when the House is not in session that Members are

forced to travel and if that's the case, the expenses for travel and attendance

to attend those meetings is still permitted, obviously. You're attending work on

behalf of the House of Assembly, the cost of getting to said work should be

covered as it is for everything else.

Proposed

subsection 12(5) is required due to changes in subsection 12(1). Because there

is no longer extra remuneration for the Deputy Chair of Committees, the name of

that office was removed from the

section this is just what they call a

consequential amendment. It's a change that's required due to another change.

These

provisions respecting salaries were recommended to come into force on April 1 of

this year. Consequently, under clause 3 of the bill, it will be deemed to have

commenced on that date. This retroactivity is necessary because the bill will

not pass all the stages by the 1st, I believe, because that may fall on a

Saturday. That's my understanding. There is wording there to ensure that things

go as they were intended to go.

These

are all the changes now. There may be more in the future. This is a piece of

legislation that really is changed on an ongoing basis.

If I may

take some liberty with some of the time that I have here I'm not speaking to

the bill per se, but I'm speaking to the legislative process and this is more of

a thank you. One thing that's often not recognized I think even sometimes by

Members of this House, and certainly by people outside, is that this

legislation, it's substantive legislation. We have a tremendous number of pieces

of legislation and regulations in this province, as every province does. We have

a number. The fact is there's a significant amount of work that goes into

reviewing this, to making these changes. It is hard work, because it's very dry,

it's very time consuming going through this. It's very easy to overlook

something, to maybe miss something.

I want

to thank all the individuals, and in this case, our House of Assembly staff that

is sitting right here play a large role in this legislation. They play a large

role, obviously, in the operation of this House. So I want to thank them for

their time here, because this is important work for the people in this House,

the Members, but it's also important work because we are talking right now about

taxpayer dollars. We're talking about the reason that we are, in many ways,

elected here is to talk about the legislative process.

I want

to thank these individuals for their work. I want to thank legislative counsel.

I have a number of people that work with me, both in the Department of Justice

and as Government House Leader, that do a tremendous amount of work, and we sit

down and have meetings every single day to talk about the legislative process,

to talk about legislation, and they're often overlooked. They're not recognized

for what they do. I want to thank them again and again, just staff

within the different departments that do this.

Finally, I want to thank someone who has been helping me

for some time I know the Members opposite are familiar and it's a gentleman

named Mark Fleming. Mark is my legislative assistant, and the work that he has

to do on a day-to-day basis is absolutely tremendous. I mean, he really does

make the trains go on time, as it relates to the House of Assembly. He works

very closely with the other parties to make sure that they're prepared, whether

it's lining up briefings, whether it's dealing with the legislative things in

this House all behind-the-scenes stuff that many people have no idea happens.

Mark Fleming has been doing this very well.

SOME HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear!

MR. A. PARSONS:

I can honestly say that when I sat on the other side we were and again, not

trying to go in the past, and I'm sure the House Leader for the Third Party will

agree, there were times when sometimes we weren't given all the notice that we

wanted. It can be tough. It's a tough process anyway, because it's so busy and

there are so many wheels turning.

We've tried, since we've been here, to make the legislative

process smoother. We try our best to work with the other parties, and we keep

that relationship going. This legislation is about everybody. But again, to make

that work happen it requires the work and the diligence and the perseverance of

people like Mark Fleming. So I just want to thank him for everything that he's

done in this process. Every day he's down here working. He's often not thanked,

and I want to make sure that he's thanked, because we can't do this without him

and all the other players that make

this happen so we can stand here and debate it.

At this

time, I will sit down and I'll allow my colleagues on the other side to pass

their comments on. If there are any questions, I will steer them all to the

members sitting in the centre of the room. They're much more equipped to answe