April 12, 2005 HOUSE OF ASSEMBLY PROCEEDINGS Vol. XLV

No. 9

The House met at 1:30 p.m.

MR. SPEAKER (Hodder): Order, please!

Admit strangers.

This afternoon we would like to welcome some very special visitors to our

House, and indeed to the Province of Newfoundland and Labrador. We are very

pleased to have in the Speaker's gallery this afternoon, Betty and Rolly Fox,

Terry Fox's parents.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER: They are accompanied by Darrell and Fred Fox, Terry's

brothers, by Judith Alder, Terry's sister, and by Doug Alward, who accompanied

Terry on the Marathon of Hope.

By agreement, we have comments to be made by the hon. the Premier, by the

Leader of the Opposition, and by the Member for Signal Hill-Quidi Vidi.

The hon. the Premier.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

PREMIER WILLIAMS: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to mark an occasion of great pride for this

Province and this country. Twenty-five years ago today, a brave, tenacious and

spirited young man began a journey that would capture the hearts, the minds and

the souls of the entire world. Today we mark the twenty-fifth anniversary of the

Marathon of Hope, and we pay tribute in this House to a truly great Canadian,

Terry Fox.

I am truly delighted that Terry's family has returned to the place where

their beloved son's journey began all those years ago, and I welcome them to

our Legislature this afternoon. It is an honour and a privilege to have them

join us today.

Mr. Speaker, Terry Fox was only eighteen when he was diagnosed with bone

cancer. Not long after, he made a selfless decision that would result in

hundreds of millions of dollars being raised to help others like him around the

world. This brave young man would proceed to win the hearts of the people in

this Province of Newfoundland and Labrador, across the country and around the

world, with his courage and determination to raise money for cancer research.

Mr. Speaker, this morning, Minister Whalen represented the Province at a

ceremony to celebrate the life of Terry Fox and the twenty-fifth anniversary of

the Marathon of Hope. I had the honour and the privilege several years back to

chair the Marathon of Hope, so I know first-hand what a wonderful and emotional

event this is for all involved, and I had the privilege of meeting Mrs. Fox at

that particular point in time, several years ago. We won't date ourselves,

Mrs. Fox, but it was a while ago; put it that way.

At today's ceremony, a fitting new monument to this remarkable young man

was unveiled at the very place where he dipped his foot in the ocean to begin

his cross-country run on this day in 1980.

I can also say that the stadium in St. John's, the new facility that was

opened some time ago, is named Mile One, and I was involved in naming that

facility. Every time I talk about it, I talk about Mile Zero. This facility is

within a mile of that particular point. Terry's name also gets mentioned in

conjunction with the name of that facility, but it was part of his effort, of

course, that was intricately involved in naming the facility Mile One, so every

time you hear it in the future keep that in mind.

The Province and the City of St. John's joined the Terry Fox Foundation and

the Fox family to celebrate the accomplishments and legacy of this determined

young man - a man who remains a role model and Canadian icon.

It is hard to believe it has been twenty-five years since Terry Fox set out

on his Marathon of Hope. I know we will never forget the image of his broad

smile and look of determination running along the side of the Trans-Canada

Highway in the rain and the fog - the same fog, of course, that you see today

and have seen since you joined us here yesterday. It was a moment in history

that will be forever remembered and treasured.

His dream was very simple. He wanted to raise money for cancer research, and

he achieved that goal beyond the wildest dreams of those who were on hand that

very first day at St. John's Harbour.

To date, more than $360 million has been raised in his name since April 12,

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

PREMIER WILLIAMS: Terry Fox Runs are held every year around the world to

keep the dream alive and to find a cure for cancer.

In this Province, the legacy of Terry Fox lives on through the Terry Fox

Cancer Research Lab at Memorial University. This lab opened in 1989, thanks to

the money that Terry Fox's name has raised. The research conducted there has

made a significant contribution to the effort to find ways of controlling

cancer.

Researchers at the lab have identified a gene that kills cancer cells when it

is deactivated. This discovery could lead to the development of a drug to

control the gene and, in turn, control certain types of cancer. Researchers are

also working on a novel molecular-based treatment for ovarian cancer.

The researchers at the lab have been very successful in obtaining research

funding to carry out their work. Terry Fox knew the importance of raising money

for cancer research. His life was cut short, but his legacy is ensuring that his

dream stays alive.

The Royal Canadian Mint has also unveiled a new dollar coin bearing Terry Fox's

image. This too is fitting, given Terry's goal to raise $1 from every Canadian

to help find a cure for cancer.

As Canadians, and as Newfoundlanders and Labradorians, we will be eternally

grateful to the Fox family for Terry's contribution to cancer research and for

giving cancer patients hope.

As a Province, we are very, very proud to be part of today's celebration of

Terry Fox and the twenty-fifth anniversary of his Marathon of Hope, and to have

his family with us in St. John's to honour his legacy.

I encourage all members of this hon. House to go see the new monument at the

site where the Marathon of Hope began, and to remember the significant

contribution of this young man, who is truly a Canadian hero.

Thank you.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

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

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. GRIMES: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I appreciate this opportunity, on behalf of our caucus, to welcome the family

members to our gallery in our democratic House of Assembly in Newfoundland and

Labrador. It is a great pleasure to see them here. I am delighted to see them

here.

Mr. Speaker, it is true that Terry Fox - there is no doubt about it, history

has already recorded it - has accomplished something rare and unique. In fact,

he captured the hearts of a whole nation and made all of us part of his own

personal dream. That is an absolute fact. That is what has happened in this

country.

I recall teaching in Central Newfoundland at the time, teaching a group of

teenagers in junior high school and high school when he came through our part of

the Province. They were all teenagers then. They are forty-year-olds now, active

members of the community. I can tell you, at that time they were absolutely

captivated and enthralled by this young man and an absolute demonstration of

unbelievable courage in the face of real diversity, real challenge, but courage

in the face of that particular challenge and adversity, I should say.

I can tell you this, to this day those same people, their parents, the other

members of the community, they organize and participate in Terry Fox runs today,

twenty-five years later. There are not that many things which happen in

individuals' lives that make that kind of a true and lasting and deep and

abiding impression. This was one of those historic things. He is basically a

hero to all of us in the country and continues to be so.

I say to the family, you will forgive us, we have a habit in Newfoundland and

Labrador, because he came here, because he started here, we think he is ours. I

know he started someplace else, he was born elsewhere, but in Newfoundland and

Labrador we are so proud of the fact that courageous young man started his trek,

his journey of hope, the Marathon of Hope, right here, that I hope you will

forgive us for claiming him as part of our own.

So, I can tell you that his legacy has been proven, it has lived on and will

continue to do so. I am delighted, Mr. Speaker, to join with the Premier today

and encourage everyone to visit the site, to visit that new site that was

unveiled today, and to keep the legacy and the dream alive.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Member for Signal Hill-Quidi Vidi.

MR. HARRIS: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I am very pleased as well to have an opportunity to speak publicly to the Fox

family. I was there this morning, in my capacity as Member for Signal Hill-Quidi

Vidi, where it all began twenty-five years ago. As Leader of the New Democratic

Party, on behalf of my colleague and my party, I do want to say that we are all

tremendously proud of what began here and what was accomplished by Terry Fox

twenty-five years ago today.

Many young people, and not just young people, have been inspired by what

Terry Fox did from his example. In the face of adversity, he made a positive

choice to do something that no one else had ever done before. In fact, listening

over the last couple of days to commentators, athletes, sports writers, said

they could not believe that someone could actually accomplish, whether they had

two feet or one foot, what Terry Fox set out to do on his own motivation

twenty-five years ago. He has given hope to so many, not only by raising funds

for cancer, but also by his example he has changed many lives in a much more

positive direction.

When paused to think about, what is it that caused a young man to be like

that? Where did he get his strength of character, his determination, his

courage? When you think about that, I think part of the answer, from what we

have seen over the last twenty-five years, has to come from the people who are

sitting here in our gallery.

I said to Mr. and Mrs. Fox this morning - to thank them for what they have

done, because they have - not only has the Marathon of Hope gone on around the

world, but they have succeeded in keeping him alive as a person for all of us. I

think that is a tremendous accomplishment, and I know that his character, his

determination, his courage and his actions come from a wonderful source in a

great family.

So, not only is Terry Fox a great Canadian, as has been mentioned, and we all

support that notion, but he obviously comes from a great family that has

demonstrated, for the past twenty-five years, their commitment to their own

Marathon of Hope. When we think of a marathon as twenty-six miles, there has now

been almost a marathon of years since this started, and I am sure that this will

continue, a great long Marathon of Hope started by your son, your brother. We

believe this is a very astounding, positive contribution to all the people of

Canada.

I want to thank you for it, and thank you for your continued efforts on

behalf of people suffering from cancer in this Province, in this country, and

around the world.

Thank you.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER: I want to thank the Fox family for coming to our House today

and accepting our invitation. I apologize for them, that they have a very busy

schedule and that they have an appointment, I do believe, at two o'clock

outside of the Legislature.

Again, thanks for coming and sharing this special day with the Members of the

Parliament of Newfoundland and Labrador.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

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

MR. E. BYRNE: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I give notice and, by leave, move the following heads of expenditure be

referred to the Resource Committee: Department of Business; Department of

Environment and Conservation; Department of Fisheries and Aquaculture;

Department of Innovation, Trade and Rural Development; Department of Natural

Resources; and Department of Tourism, Culture and Recreation.

Further, Mr. Speaker, that the following heads of expenditure be referred to

the Social Services Committee: Departments of Education, Health and Community

Services, Justice, Municipal and Provincial Affairs, Human Resources, Labour and

Employment, and the Newfoundland and Labrador Housing Corporation.

Further, Mr. Speaker, that the following heads of expenditure be referred to

the Government Services Committee: Departments of Finance, Government Services,

Transportation and Works, the Public Service Commission, and Labrador and

Aboriginal Affairs.

Mr. Speaker, I further move that the membership for the Resource Committee be

as follows: Mr. Harry Harding, Member for Bonavista North; Mr. Gerry Reid,

Member for Twillingate & Fogo; Ms Charlene Johnson, Member for Trinity-Bay

de Verde; Mr. Ray Hunter, Member for Windsor-Springdale; Mr. Kevin O'Brien,

Member for Gander; Ms Judy Foote, Member for Grand Bank; and Mr. Eddie Joyce,

Member for Bay of Islands.

The membership for the Government Services Committee be comprised as follows:

Mr. Fabian Manning, Member for Placentia & St. Mary's; Mr. George Sweeney,

Member for Carbonear-Harbour Grace; Mr. Shawn Skinner, Member for St. John's

Centre; Mr. Paul Oram, Member for Terra Nova; Mr. Bob Ridgley, Member for St.

John's North; Mr. Wally Andersen, Member for Torngat Mountains; and Mr. Oliver

Langdon, Member for Fortune Bay-Cape la Hune.

Finally, Mr. Speaker, that the membership of the Social Services Committee be

comprised as follows: Mr. Ross Wiseman, the Member for Trinity North; Mr. Roland

Butler, the Member for Port de Grave; Ms Kathy Goudie, the Member for Humber

Valley; Mr. Terry French, the Member for Conception Bay South; Mr. Clyde Jackman,

the Member for Burin-Placentia West; Ms Yvonne Jones, the Member for Cartwright-L'Anse

au Clair; and Mr. Kelvin Parsons, the Member for Burgeo & LaPoile.

MR. SPEAKER: A motion has been made, with leave, to appoint the Estimates

Committee and the members thereto.

All those in favour, aye'.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Aye.

MR. SPEAKER: All those against, nay'.

The hon. the Opposition House Leader.

MR. PARSONS: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Pursuant to Standing Order 63.(3), we give notice that on Private Members'

Day, tomorrow, the motion already on the Order Paper by the Member for Grand

Bank dealing with health care on the Burin Peninsula will be the order of the

day.

Statements by Members

MR. SPEAKER: The Speaker has notice of the following members'

statements for this afternoon: a statement by the hon. the Member for

Burin-Placentia West; a statement by the hon. the Member for Grand Falls-Buchans;

a statement by the hon. the Member for Lake Melville; a statement by the hon.

the Member for Grand Bank; and a statement by the hon. the Member for Port de

Grave.

The hon. the Member for Burin-Placentia West.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. JACKMAN: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, it gives me great pleasure to rise in this House to offer

congratulations to the organizers and participants of the Burin Peninsula

Regional Drama Festival which was held this past weekend.

Drama is a most exciting part of the school curriculum and is an

extracurricular activity that receives tremendous support from the entire Burin

Peninsula. Each night sees packed houses and extraordinary performances put off

by the talented youth on the Burin Peninsula.

Although not from my district, but from the District of Grand Bank, I

congratulate the cast of John Burke High School whom, I believe, had the winning

performance this year; however, the winner in such an event are all those who

participated in the festival. Meeting new friends and participating along side

of and for their peers will prove to be one of the most memorable experiences of

these young people, of their school lives.

Mr. Speaker, I offer congratulations to everyone but, in particular, I

commend the students, teachers and staff who put so much time in organizing

these events and I ask all hon. members to join me in passing along our

congratulations.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

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

MS THISTLE: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate the Kiwanis Club of Grand

Falls-Windsor who, this year, are celebrating their fortieth year of providing

of a centre stage to showcase the vast array of musical talent in our region.

Following an exciting week of performances by our very talented young people,

I am delighted to congratulate all participants and highlight the major award

winners for this year's festival.

Ryan Dean was presented the Abitibi-Consolidated Award for the Most

Outstanding Performance of the festival. Alana Noftall was the recipient of the

Bernice Edwards Memorial Award for the Best Piano Performance. Margaret Barker

received multiple awards which included the Laura Blackmore Award for Best Solo

Performance in Newfoundland Folk Music, the Effie Pike Memorial Award for the

Best Performance in Solo Speech, and the Hennessey Memorial Rose Bowl for Best

Solo Performance in Junior Competition, fourteen years and under.

Adriaan Mulder was presented the Greco Pizza Donair Award for Best

Performance in Junior Piano, and Megan Warren was the recipient of the Kiwanis

Club of Grand Falls-Windsor $2,000 Scholarship.

Mr. Speaker, I ask all members of this hon. House to join me in

congratulating the award winners as well as congratulating the Kiwanis Club of

Grand Falls-Windsor on another successful music festival.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

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

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

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

I rise in the House today to honour and congratulate the exceptional talent

of the Mokami Players of Happy Valley-Goose Bay who attended the Newfoundland

and Labrador Provincial Drama Festival which was held in Grand Falls-Windsor

from March 26 to April 2, and took home seven - Mr. Speaker, seven - awards,

including: the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador Drama Festival Award for

best presentation of a full length play; the Chrissi Andrews Memorial Award for

best performance by a woman - Ms Meryl Strachan; the Reg Harte Memorial Award

for best supporting performance by a man - Mr. Phillip Matz; the Thompson Trophy

best actors under twenty-one; the Yanael Queval - DA Matthews Memorial

Scholarship for $500 for the study of arts went to Mr. David Goudie; the Allan

R. Hillier Award for best costume, Mary Horne and Kathleen Hicks; the Harvey

Rose Bowl Award for best visual presentation; the OZ FM Award for best sound,

Northern Mosiac. Honourable mention for set design; honourable mention to Mr.

Ian Feltham, Reg Harte Memorial Trophy.

Elizabeth Rex was directed by Mr. Tim Borlase, and I would like to take this

opportunity to say congratulations to him for his continued exceptional effort

to the arts in Labrador. Mr. Borlase was the heart and soul of this

presentation, and I ask all hon. members to congratulate the Mokami Players on

such a great performance.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Member for Grand Bank.

MS FOOTE: Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate Caitlin Coady of

Winterland Road in the District of Grand Bank on winning big at the 2005

Provincial Airlines Provincial Figure Skating Championship.

Caitlin, age thirteen, and a member of the Marystown Ice Crystal Figure

Skating Club, brought home a gold and a silver medal from the competition.

Caitlin placed first in the Novice Ladies Short program and second in the Novice

Ladies Free program. Based on Caitlin's great performance in the competition,

she has been invited to perform in several ice shows throughout the Province.

Skate Canada Newfoundland and Labrador hosted the competition at the E.J.

Broomfield Memorial Arena in Happy Valley-Goose Bay with over 170 skaters

participating in the event from across the Province.

Caitlin is the daughter of Ed and Celine Coady.

Mr. Speaker, I ask all members of the House to join me in congratulating

Caitlin and her parents and extending best wishes for future competitions.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Member for Port de Grave.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. BUTLER: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I rise today to recognize many caring individuals from my district and the

surrounding area who recently took the time and spent their dollars to help the

health care system in this Province.

Mr. Speaker, a couple of weeks ago on March 5, the Town of Shearstown hosted

the Run for the Janeway 2005. During this extremely worthwhile event,

approximately 500 individuals rode their skidoos and ATVs to support this

project. At the end of the day, over $80,000 was raised for the Janeway. This is

a tremendous amount and I am sure the dollars will be spent in the right place

to ensure sick children in this Province receive the treatment that they

deserve, Mr. Speaker.

The Janeway Children's Hospital Foundation motto for this year is: Putting

Smiles Where They Belong, and how fitting this is. I believe that the dollars

raised will help to bring about a few more new smiles at the Janeway Hospital.

Mr. Speaker, I want to thank all the volunteers who organized this event and

indeed, thank all those who attended, even members in this hon. House, Mr.

Speaker, who took

part in our project. Without them, the event could not have

been the success that it was.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER: Statements by Ministers.

Statements by Ministers

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Minister of Human Resources, Labour and

Employment.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MS BURKE: Mr. Speaker, I rise today to update my hon. colleagues on: Into

the North, a project of the Federated Women's Institutes of Canada, or the

FWIC. I would like to take this opportunity, Mr. Speaker, to report that the

Women's Policy Office is contributing $5,000 to this very worthy effort.

Into the North is intended to help women and children and to improve the

lives of families in Northern Canada. Our Labrador communities of Hopedale and

Sheshatshui were the first to be selected. Hopedale has approximately 610

residents; 250 are eighteen or under. Sheshatshui, which is in the process of

becoming a First Nation Reserve, has approximately 1,300 residents. Many in

these two isolated communities strive to live their traditional lifestyle on the

land in harmony with nature.

However, Mr. Speaker, as my colleagues on both sides of the House are aware,

the people of our Aboriginal communities face many challenges, such as: teen

pregnancy; access to infant and early childhood care; access to medical care;

family violence; substance abuse and unemployment.

Last summer both myself and the Premier had the opportunity to see and hear

about these challenges first-hand. We visited many communities on the North

Coast of Labrador, including Hopedale. I have also had the opportunity, and

pleasure, to speak several times with Anastasia Qupee, chief of the Innu Band of

Sheshatshui.

This government recognizes the many needs that exist in Labrador's

Aboriginal communities and how necessary this kind of support is to help these

communities move forward.

Government has recently announced several initiatives to benefit this region,

including $250,000 for additional social workers; $70,000 to reopen a group home

for adolescents; $210,000 to continue supporting family resource programs;

$100,000 to target community based awareness and education activities for

violence prevention, and $70,000 for a women's shelter in Hopedale.

The $5,000 I am announcing today, in addition to other monies raised by the

FWIC, will be used to meet a list of needs identified by the community leaders

of Hopedale and Sheshatshui. These include funding for nutritional food, water

and supplies for new moms and their children; funding for breakfast programs;

supplies for women's shelters; books for children and women; educational

resources and baby items.

FWIC is now in the process of collecting the money and items which have been

donated and expects to have them delivered to this Province in July. I would

like to thank the Federated Women's Institutes of Canada once again for their

interest in providing support to our northern region. I wish them well on their

project and all the good works being done by the various Women's Institute

branches in this Province and across the country.

Thank you.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Member for Cartwright-L'Anse au Clair.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MS JONES: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I want to thank the minister for an advanced copy of her statement, and also

today to commend the Federated Women's Institute of Canada for choosing

communities in our Province of Newfoundland and Labrador, and two Aboriginal

communities in the North, to invest their time and their money in terms of

helping these communities.

I also want to commend the minister. In her statement she outlined

investments that they have made in Northern Labrador, both in social workers, in

family resource centres and education activities. I think government should

invest in the social well-being and the social fiber of communities in our

Province, both rural and urban, no matter where they are. I also want to say to

the minister and her government that this does not negate the responsibility of

government to still deal with very crucial issues that face our northern

communities; the alarming suicide rate that is experienced in our young

population, the growing dependency on solvent and drug and alcohol abuse in all

of these communities, and the fact, Mr. Speaker, that still many women are

confronted with sexual and physical abuse in our Aboriginal communities on a

daily basis.

I want to encourage the minister and her government today to take a good look

at the Budget she just brought down and increase funding to violence prevention

initiatives in Newfoundland and Labrador so that these programs can continue to

reach into communities like this that so very well need it. I also want to ask

you, Minister, to put more effort and more emphasis and more lobby towards the

federal government so that we can start healing our Aboriginal communities in

Newfoundland and Labrador because they themselves have negated their

responsibility by sending our young people all across the country for treatment,

but not putting healing centres in Labrador and in their communities and

programs there where they belong, and, as the minister, I see that as your

responsibility to do that lobby and to make sure those investments are made

where they are needed.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Member for Labrador West.

MR. COLLINS: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I also want to thank the minister for an advanced copy of her statement, and

we, too, would like to be associated with applauding the Federated Women's

Institutes of Canada for taking the initiative that they have taken.

I also say to the minister, the $5,000 that has been allocated by her

government I think falls far short of the amount of money that should be put

into programs like this. We are looking at the numbers that the minister gave

here today of 2,000 people and we are looking at $5,000. Mr. Speaker, that is

inadequate. The bigger issue, of course, is the need for the Province to commit

to our Aboriginal communities and to areas in the northern parts of our Province

to begin concentrating on training and educating the people in our communities

to be able to go back to their own communities, among their own people, areas

where they want to live, where they want to work, and are solutions to the

problems that exist rather than continually having a turnover of workers who are

coming in from other areas and not familiar with the cultural issues and other

things. These are some of the things that I would ask the minister to consider

and concentrate on, for the future.

Thank you.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER: Further statements by ministers.

Oral Questions.

Oral Questions

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

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. GRIMES: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, on an Open Line program on Friday morning, the Premier, once

again, demonstrated his arrogance and his dictatorial approach when telling crab

harvesters to give up their fight and go back fishing. In case he does not

recall it, I will read from the transcript: I would suggest to the FFAW, to the

fishermen, that they get back out on the water, they start fishing. That is my

advice to them.

He did not seem to remember he said that yesterday. Yesterday, in a media

scrum outside this House, Mr. Speaker, the Premier used even more inflammatory

language that will no doubt continue to incite fish harvesters in this Province.

I ask the Premier, Mr. Speaker: Why is he refusing, why does he continue to

refuse, to fulfill his own promise to consult with fish harvesters and their

union before implementing production quotas, and why is he refusing to treat

these individual business people with the same respect as every other business

person in the Province expects and deserves?

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Premier.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

PREMIER WILLIAMS: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The Leader of the Opposition was present yesterday when I indicated what the

minister has already indicated publicly, that government is certainly prepared

to meet with the fishermen. We have already said so publicly.

What we have said is that the pilot project decision has been made and it

will be a pilot project that will be in place for two years; however; we are

certainly prepared to sit down and have a discussion, and the minister is open

to do that and has said so quite clearly.

If we are going to talk about inciting people, there is certainly no attempt

by this government to incite people. What we feel is, we have a duty to tell the

fishermen the facts, to tell them exactly where we are, and I think we have an

obligation to them to state it very clearly.

Incitement is a statement by the Leader of the Opposition who said on an Open

Line last night: If I was one of those harvesters, I would be furious at this

point in time. I think they are a lot more restrained than I would be if I was

one of them, and I think they should be commended for that.

So, if there is anyone trying to incite a riot or trying to incite any

trouble here, it is the Leader of the Opposition. That is who is doing it.

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

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. GRIMES: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

So, we understand now the Premier is not going to answer any questions about

why he refuses to live to his commitments to consult first.

Mr. Speaker, yesterday the Premier stated, and he just restated again in his

answer to the first question, that he and the minister and the government are

willing to negotiate with the crab harvesters. Well, why don't they answer the

letter from the FFAW, pick up the phone and call them and arrange for the

meeting instead of allowing this to go on?

I ask the Premier, Mr. Speaker, if you are truly committed to sitting down in

a meaningful discussion and negotiation with the fish harvesters, why won't

the Premier, Mr. Speaker, delay the implementation of a pilot project - and

obviously if it is a pilot project they do not know if it is going to work or

not; they are going to try to find out. So, rather than insist upon it now just

because he has made a decision and he is not going to change his mind, why not

delay the implementation, Mr. Speaker, and have a true negotiation to see if

this makes any sense?

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Premier.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

PREMIER WILLIAMS: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, the Leader of the Opposition has a very short memory. When he

was in government and he sat in this seat as Premier of the Province, he

indicated during debate on the Lower Churchill in 2002, his very words are: The

fact of the matter is, the government makes these kinds of decisions. Then we

explain and describe them to the people of the Province.

He fully recognizes, as hon. members opposite recognize, that when they were

members of Cabinet that government makes decisions and goes out and explains

them to the people of the Province.

I also remind hon. members and, of course, the people of the Province, that

when we issued our Blue Book before the election, over a year and a half ago, we

stated exactly what we felt was necessary with the fishery. The industry must be

restructured and managed to avoid the disasters of the past and adapt to the

opportunities of the future. That is exactly what we are trying to do. We are

trying to make this stable and sustainable to the best of our ability, and that

is what we are doing.

We are prepared to make decisions and move forward; but these decisions, we

are saying, are not irreversible decisions. This is a pilot project. It is

something we are going to look at for two years. We think it is the best

solution. It is a solution that has been recommended by some very knowledgeable

people in this industry, and we are following that advice. That is exactly what

we are doing.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

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

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. GRIMES: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Convenient for the Premier, too slick by half, I say. He also stated clearly,

before any decisions were taken with respect to this issue - not another issue,

this issue - he would consult fully with the FFAW and the harvesters themselves,

and both he and his minister have admitted in this House and elsewhere that they

have not done that at all. All they are asking is for a promise to be a promise,

I say to the Premier.

Mr. Speaker, the Premier has continuously stated publicly that by

implementing production quotas he is only following the recommendations

contained in the Dunne report. In fact, nothing could be further from the truth.

If he wants to read it, it is on page 149, recommendation number 9.12, which

says that, "Development of a proposal for Individual Raw Material Shares in

a given species should proceed when at least 3/4 of the active processing

licence holders involved agree to such an arrangement and they can satisfy the

Minister that there are, or will be, no substantive and reasonable objections

from the plant workers and harvesters."

I ask the Premier, Mr. Speaker: How can he expect anyone to believe him when

he stands up and says, I am following the recommendation, and still turn around

and know that there are objections and he is flying completely in the face of

the recommendation?

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Minister of Fisheries and Aquaculture.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. TAYLOR: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, the Leader of the Opposition is correct in what he reads from

the Dunne Report. It says, "...that there are, or will be, no substantive

and reasonable objections from plant workers and harvesters." We understand

what the substantive and reasonable objections are from fishermen and plant

workers. We understand that it is related to price, we understand that it is

related to disclosure of market conditions, we understand that it is related to

permanent transfers, we understand that it is related to corporate concentration

in the industry, and we said, on every one of those, Mr. Speaker, we are

prepared to sit down and discuss how to handle those in moving forward with this

approach.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

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

MR. GRIMES: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

It is pretty strange logic, that he says, we are following the

recommendation. He just named four objections, and the recommendation says, don't

do it if objections exist. He says, we are doing it anyway, and we will talk

about it after. I guess it is not the minister's logic, it is the Premier's

logic. We know that in this Legislature better than anybody else.

Mr. Speaker, a final question, and this is for the Premier of the Province.

The crab fishery is supposed to be up and running, supposed to be underway, and

instead, due to the Premier's heavy-handed approach, I'm not changing my

mind - that is what he said again today on the public airways - fish plants in

the Province remain idle and plant workers are not working because the crab is

not being harvested.

I ask the Premier, Mr. Speaker: Since you personally have created this mess,

what are you personally planning to do to see that the fishery could start, the

crab could be harvested, and the plant workers might actually get some work?

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Premier.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

PREMIER WILLIAMS: Mr. Speaker, the decision to fish does not rest with

me. It rests with the people who decide whether they are going to fish or

whether they are not going to fish. If that creates difficulty for the plant

workers, that is unfortunate and we recognize that. In fact, as a government, we

will make sure, under those circumstances, that we look out for the best

interests of the plant workers. We are certainly prepared to do that.

My recommendation on Open Line, my recommendation here in the House, and my

recommendation on a couple of occasions outside this House, is that the

fishermen start to fish. There is a lot of product in the water. It is a big

industry. It is important to the people of Newfoundland and Labrador. It is

important to the people in rural Newfoundland and Labrador particularly. We are

very sensitive to what is going on out there. We are doing our best to turn

around an economy that was left in a mess by the hon. gentleman and his group

opposite. As a result, we are doing whatever we can to turn it around. This, in

our opinion, is a good, logical decision to move forward, but I cannot force

people to fish, nor do I intend to force them to fish. If they decide they are

not going to, government cannot do anything about that but we will certainly

protect the plant workers.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Member for Twillingate & Fogo.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. REID: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I say to the Premier, he is saying that he cannot force them to fish but he

is forcing everything else down their throats.

Mr. Speaker, my questions are for the Minister of Fisheries. This minister is

intent, and content, with giving production quotas to his processor friends in

the crab sector but says he cannot do something similar for the people of

Harbour Breton. The people of Harbour Breton are in Ottawa as I stand here

today, Mr. Speaker, along with their MHA, seeking a solution to their problem.

I ask the minister: What formal representation have you made, or has the

Premier made, to Ottawa with regard to a quota for Harbour Breton? If you have

made one, I ask you to table the correspondence that you have had with your

colleague in Ottawa.

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Minister of Fisheries and Aquaculture.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. TAYLOR: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, if the member opposite wants to talk about people with processor

buddies, maybe he should look at his seat mate because I certainly do not have

any processor buddies.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Oh, oh!

MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!

MR. TAYLOR: Mr. Speaker, we have provided the people of Harbour Breton

with access to $250,000 to develop a business plan for their area, to try and

identify the opportunities and try to identify a future for their community as

it relates to fish processing, aquaculture, quota acquisition and what have you.

We have indicated consistently, from last fall right on through until today,

Mr. Speaker, that we are willing to work with them to develop that plan and we

have made $250,000 available. When they have written their plan, we will support

what comes out of it.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Oh, oh!

MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!

I am asking members for their co-operation.

The Chair recognizes the Member for Twillingate & Fogo.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. REID: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I say to the Minister of Fisheries, if he wants to cast aspersions on my seat

mate here, he should talk to the Minister of Finance.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. REID: Mr. Speaker, the FFAW and the plant workers around this

Province are lobbying the federal government for an early retirement package. I

ask the minister if this provincial government is willing to cost share such a

package, and what formal representation have you made to Ottawa on their behalf

with regard to early retirement? I would like for you to table all written

information and all written correspondence that you have had with Ottawa.

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Minister of Fisheries and Aquaculture.

MR. TAYLOR: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, the FFAW and plant workers in this Province are well aware of

the provincial government's position on early retirement. We have said it for

the past year and a half or two years that we would support an early retirement

program that was part of a rationalization plan for the industry. We have said

that time and time again both to the industrial council of the union, to their

annual convention, and in various meetings that I have had and the Premier has

had with representatives of the FFAW. When we can put that plan together, and

when the federal government are prepared to come on side and fund it, then we

will look at it. Until then, that is where the situation is.

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Member for Twillingate & Fogo.

MR. REID: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

So the minister, I guess, is confirming that he has no written confirmation

of his correspondence with the federal government on this issue.

Mr. Speaker, my final question is for the Minister of Industry, Trade and

Rural Development, or the Premier, in her absence, because he heads up the

Cabinet committee on Harbour Breton.

Mr. Speaker, the minister is on record as saying that the Province is

prepared to contribute a reasonable level of funding for projects in Harbour

Breton, but her commitment is contingent on funding from the federal government.

I ask the minister, or the Premier: What representation have you made to the

federal government on behalf of the people of Harbour Breton, and could you

table that correspondence?

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Premier.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

PREMIER WILLIAMS: Mr. Speaker, the Minister of Innovation, Trade and

Rural Development is out of the Province today because she is representing me at

a trade mission in Chicago, so I would like to speak to this.

I have been present at meetings with the delegation from Harbour Breton. I

have had several discussions with the member for Fortune-Hermitage, indicated to

him and to the committee that we stand solidly behind them, that we are prepared

to do whatever we can do. I do not have the letter with me today. I happened to

see a letter that was going to that particular committee - Mr. Vardy - which was

sent out last week by the minister, setting out exactly what we are prepared to

do. We are being very positive on this. We are being very proactive.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Oh, oh!

PREMIER WILLIAMS: If I would be allowed to finish, Mr. Speaker.

MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!

PREMIER WILLIAMS: We have given a very firm commitment to the people of

Harbour Breton that we will be there to support them. That was told to them in a

meeting in my office over two months ago.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

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

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MS THISTLE: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Premier.

Two weeks ago the Deputy Minister of Health toured the cancer clinic in Grand

Falls-Windsor and viewed first-hand the deplorable conditions and human

suffering, and he has since reported his findings to government.

Mr. Premier, the time is over for talking. The case has been made. The

homework is done. You, yourself, said this issue is high priority on your

agenda. Mr. Premier, why don't you end this anguish? Why don't you stand on

your feet today and announce funding for the new cancer clinic in Grand

Falls-Windsor? Would you answer me that question, please?

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

Board.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. SULLIVAN: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The deputy minister and officials did visit the site. They did report back.

Mr. Speaker, they reported back to the department and, as of yesterday, the last

information came in from the Central Regional Integrated Health Authority. That

information is now being analyzed by the department, and very soon now a report

is going to be brought to government so a decision can be made on it.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

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

MR. ANDERSEN: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, one of the greatest and certainly the biggest disappointments in

this year's Budget for the people of Labrador, in particular the youth, was

that there was no funding allocated for an auditorium in the Upper Lake Melville

area.

My question is to the Premier. Premier, how could your government completely

ignore and turn your backs on the children, the youth, the future of Labrador?

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

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

and Minister Responsible for Labrador Affairs.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

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

I am delighted the member has asked the question. Certainly, it is something

that was considered throughout the Budget process. It was given a high priority,

but at the escalated cost of some $4.1 million, with a $300,000 commitment from

the federal government, that is what this Budget said no to.

Mr. Speaker, since then I have met with the Wish Fish Foundation. As a matter

of fact, I am heading there again tomorrow. We have been doing a lot of work

throughout the department to look at some options, to keep the file open. We

understand how important it is to the people in that area, and we are willing to

look at those options. I am willing to keep working with the groups in Labrador

to find a reasonable - and we are definitely going to look at a more substantial

contribution than $300,000 from the federal government, and we will pursue that,

Mr. Speaker.

Thank you.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

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

MR. ANDERSEN: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I can say that the government did not need federal assistance for a ball

park, and millions of dollars to pay off The Rooms here in St. John's.

I will ask this of the Minister of Tourism, Culture and Recreation, and

Minister Responsible for Labrador Affairs. Sir, you advised the people of

Labrador, through the media, that you were meeting with officials from the

federal government to discuss these urgent matters. Can you today update the

people in this House, and in Labrador, as to what took place in that important

meeting?

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Minister of Tourism, Culture and Recreation;

Minister Responsible for Labrador Affairs.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. SHELLEY: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

As a matter of fact, I am delighted you asked the question because the day

after, within twenty-four hours, I met with five federal ministers and on each

agenda - many issues were being discussed and I can tell him, with four of the

ministers that the agenda of the Mealy Mountain Auditorium was on that. I have

had some very good discussions with those ministers and have been in contact

since, by the way, and I will be updating the Wish Fish Foundation tomorrow. I

feel that the federal government, by the way - to state this today - that the

federal government also believes that a $300,000 commitment on that facility was

not fair and they certainly have their doors open. I am going to keep it open,

Mr. Speaker. I am going to work with the federal government, work with the

people in Labrador, and we are going to see if we can get a resolve to this

issue.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Member for Signal Hill-Quidi Vidi.

MR. HARRIS: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

My question is for the Premier. On April 21, and again on May 3 of last year,

the Minister of Fisheries made a written and specific commitment to carry out

extensive consultations on both production quotas and other alternatives, such

as an option system in the crab fishery. Does the Premier not realize that this

written commitment is regarded as a promise, one that has so far been broken by

the imposition of production quotas against the recommendation of the Dunne

report and without consultation with the 10,000 people who are affected by this

decision?

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Premier.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

PREMIER WILLIAMS: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, the hon. member knows and he has knowledge of the fishery; he

has been involved with it for some considerable period, in my experience

(inaudible), that this matter has been discussed extensively in this particular

industry. Consultations have been extensive. The Dunne report, and Mr. Dunne

himself, went around and had fifty meetings with people from over 100

communities. We have thirty-four members of caucus here who have all had

consultations and discussions with people -

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Oh, oh!

MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!

PREMIER WILLIAMS: Just allow me to give an answer.

MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!

The hon. the Member for Signal Hill-Quidi Vidi has asked a question. The

Premier is giving the answer. I ask members for their co-operation.

The Chair recognizes the hon. the Premier to complete his answer.

PREMIER WILLIAMS: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

So, there has been consultation. There have been lots of consultation. We

have thirty-four members of our government. All of these people have had

discussions with people in the industry. People have approached me and I have

had discussions. The minister has a department; officials from his department

have had discussions. This matter has been discussed quite a bit. So, it is not

that it is a new issue. It is not something that came out of left field. It has

been recommended by - several people have investigated it, and, as a result, we

have made a discussion.

[Disturbance in the gallery]

MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!

The Chair wishes to remind visitors in our gallery that they are not to

participate in any way or to show approval or disapproval for any comments that

are made on the floor of the House. I ask you for your co-operation in that

regard.

The hon. the Premier, just a moment to complete your answer.

PREMIER WILLIAMS: I have finished.

MR. SPEAKER: You have finished your answer.

The hon. the Member for Signal Hill-Quidi-Vidi.

MR. HARRIS: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Fishermen are angry in this Province because the Premier and the government

will not listen to them and their concerns. Mr. Speaker, some processors last

year supplied bait, advanced money and supplies to start up the fishing season,

are now saying to fishermen: We are not doing that anymore because we don't

have to. So, already, Mr. Speaker, the power is shifting to the processors.

Mr. Speaker, the Premier thought there was a cartel in the fishery a few

years ago. Does he not know that his plan would give even more power to the fish

processors, putting fishermen back a generation in their dealings with plant

owners? Will he not change his mind and reconsider and consult further with the

Fishermen's Union?

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Minister of Fisheries and Aquaculture.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. TAYLOR: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, the issues related to bait, services, price and what have you,

can all be settled at the negotiating table. Mr. Speaker, that is why we have a

Fishing Industry Collective Bargaining Act. That is why we have a Fishermen's

Union. That is why we have negotiations. That is what those things are supposed

to be for; just as in the fishing industry, just the same as they are in every

other industry in this Province. That is what the Fishing Industry Collective

Bargaining Act is all about. That is why there have been discussions over the

winter with processors and the union about how to amend the Fishing Industry

Collective Bargaining Act to improve the situation, to implement a mandatory

dispute resolution mechanism. That, Mr. Speaker, is what it is all about.

For the former Minister of Fisheries and Aquaculture across the way, I ask

her if she remembers her comments from June 6, 2003? The current system may not

be providing an equitable distribution of benefits. The destructive level of

competition characteristic of this season must be brought under control. In this

dispute, plant workers are being held hostage. Those are her words!

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Member for Signal Hill-Quidi Vidi.

MR. HARRIS: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The Premier has said that he cannot make the fishermen -

MS JONES: I was not the one who sold them out. I did not sell them out

when I was there.

MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!

MR. HARRIS: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

My question is to the Premier. The Premier has said that he cannot make the

fishermen fish. Does he think that he can make the fish plant owners supply bait

to the fishermen, continue to operate and finance vessels in the absence of the

Fisheries Loan Board? Does he think he can run the fishing industry when the

fishermen and the plant workers are opposed to his plans?

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Minister of Fisheries and Aquaculture.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. TAYLOR: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, all of these issues can be dealt with at the negotiating table.

That is why we have a negotiating table. Now, Mr. Speaker, the people in the

Province -

MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!

MR. TAYLOR: - and the people in the industry and the people in the

Opposition have to ask themselves if they want a free market system in the

fishery or if they want negotiations in the fishery. That is what it is all

about, Mr. Speaker. I believe that they want a union and they want a fishing

industry collective bargaining act that is strong enough to deal with their

concerns. That is why we said we would move on that.

Mr. Speaker, last year when we proposed an auction, they were all against an

auction. They do not want an auction and they do not want the collective

bargaining to settle it. So, Mr. Speaker, why doesn't somebody say exactly

what it is that they are prepared to live with and we will consider it.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

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

MR. GRIMES: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

As I suggested earlier, if the minister and the Premier would actually stop

their high-handed approach and enter into an actual discussion lots of people

would suggest to them how to fix this, but they have made up their minds and

told them what to do. Then you are supposed to go and negotiate after you have

taken away all of my particular authority.

Mr. Speaker, I have a question with respect to the Minister of Natural

Resources and the Abitibi Consolidated issue. On March 15 the minister provided

this House with an update regarding meetings that he held with Abitibi

Consolidated in December month. Would the minister table in this House today,

Mr. Speaker, any communication between Abitibi Consolidated and the provincial

government regarding discussions related to future operations in Stephenville

and Grand Falls-Windsor since that December meeting?

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

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. E. BYRNE: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, as soon as our discussions and negotiations conclude with

Abitibi - which I suspect will be in the very near, near future - I would be

happy, on behalf of government, to fully account for the discussions that we

had, to table whatever documentation is necessary, but I will not do it at this

point today because I am afraid that it may impinge or infringe upon the

negotiations and discussions that we are having.

I will say this to the Leader of the Opposition, that when this issue arose,

members of the union representing five locals at the Grand Falls Abitibi

operation, members of the union and their representatives in Stephenville - I

met with those individuals, I have met with community leaders, we are meeting

with community leaders from Stephenville today. We have been very forthright in

trying to achieve a solution. Our position is very clear. We want to see all if

Abitibi's current operations remain in this Province and whatever we can do,

reasonably, to ensure that happens, this government is absolutely prepared to do

that.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

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

MR. GRIMES: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I would suggest that maybe the Premier could learn from the Minister of

Natural Resources about what a true consultation and discussion is, which is

what is occurring in that particular department.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. GRIMES: Mr. Speaker, in his March 15 statement, the minister referred

to an agreement to provide Abitibi-Consolidated with $1 million at the company's

request. We have heard four, if not five, different answers since about the $1

million.

I would ask the minister, Mr. Speaker: Has he, on behalf of the government,

actually released the $1 million committed to Abitibi-Consolidated to offset the

power rate increase for a period of sixty days, which is what he read in this

Legislature, and will the minister release any written agreement pertaining to

the commitments that the government made for that $1 million at the company's

request?

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

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. E. BYRNE: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, we haven't heard four or five different versions. You have the

one story from the one minister responsible, on behalf of the government, and

that was me. What we have heard is the four or five different versions presented

by the Leader of the Opposition. To what end, I have no idea and neither will I

speculate.

The fact of the matter is this: When he was the Premier, he entered into a

contract with Abitibi-Consolidated called the Interruptible B contract. In

essence, they gave Abitibi $1.2 million for the possibility of having to

interrupt their power, which never happened. Now, in essence, it was a $1.2

million subsidy. What we did is, we said yes, we would look at evaluating how we

could assist, but we wanted something for it. We did not want to hand out one

door $1.2 million without having something of value in that hand. What we got

was all the intellectual property, engineering, environmental studies, that cost

Abitibi money.

Now, to the question that he asked: Has any money been given? No, Mr.

Speaker. We made the offer, they haven't accepted, and unless they do on our

terms they will not be getting anything from this government.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

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

MR. GRIMES: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Just for the record, the minister might like to check and see that the

Interruptible power contract with respect to Abitibi in Stephenville was around

prior to my time as Premier, and was continued on, and this government and this

minister also continued with that for a full year because they thought it was

the right thing to do.

Mr. Speaker, Abitibi-Consolidated has completed its sixty-day review. The

board of Abitibi-Consolidated will be meeting soon, we understand, maybe even

this week, to review and make decisions based on the sixty-day review carried

out by their own officials. In December, the minister reported in this House

that they had said to the government: We will close Stephenville unless we get

the $1 million, get some help with the energy costs, and have a more profitable

operation.

The question is this: Has the minister and the government been told what the

results of the review are, and if Stephenville and Grand Falls-Windsor

operations have a clear and secure future in Newfoundland and Labrador?

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

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. E. BYRNE: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Fundamentally, let me address the question. The Leader of the Opposition must

be in possession of different information than the government is, when he says

that the review is complete. I have not been advised, nor has any member of

government been advised, that the review is complete, that their decisions have

been made. We are in a position right now of - we have no information related

to: Is Stephenville going to continue? Is number seven going to shut down? Are

they going to contract their operations?

Here is what we have said to Abitibi. Number one, that when it comes to Grand

Falls operations, we will enforce to the letter of the law the consequences

associated with Bill 27. In other words, if they close number seven machine, the

moment that they do, we will strip them of all of their licences, which

represents 60 per cent of their wood supply.

Secondly, on the issue related to Stephenville, the primary concern that

Abitibi has with Stephenville is a power supply. Unlike Kruger, and unlike

Abitibi in Grand Falls, they do not sit upon a power generating source such as

the Exploits or the Humber.

Mr. Speaker, we are endeavouring to reach a power purchase agreement or some

arrangement by where we can see not just one or two machines but all of Abitibi's

current operations continue in Newfoundland and Labrador. The moment, the very

moment, if this House is open, that we hear from Abitibi that they are changes

being made, or whatever they may be, let me assure the House and the people of

the Province that right here is where you will hear it first, not out there.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!

The time allocated for Question Period has expired.

Presenting Reports by Standing and Select Committees.

Presenting Reports by Standing and Special Committees

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Minister of Human Resources, Labour and

Employment.

MS BURKE: Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to table for your information today

the 2004 annual report for the Labour Relations Board. Copies have been

forwarded for distribution to the members through the clerk.

Thank you.

MR. SPEAKER: Tabling further reports by standing and select committees.

Tabling of Documents.

Tabling of Documents

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

Board.

MR. SULLIVAN: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Pursuant to

section 26.5(

a) of the Financial Administration Act, I am tabling

one Order-in-Council relating to funding pre-commitments for the 2005-2006 to

the 2007-2008 fiscal year.

MR. SPEAKER: Notices of Motion.

Answers to Questions for which Notice has been Given.

Petitions.

Petitions

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

MR. ANDERSEN: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I rise again today, as I did last fall, to present a petition on behalf of

the youth of Labrador, and today the signature names come from the community,

from the youth, of Nain.

Mr. Speaker, it was very disappointing during the Budget, as I travelled

throughout Labrador, when no funding was allotted for an auditorium in the Upper

Lake Melville area. Mr. Speaker, I guess when this government can turn around

and pay off $45 million for The Rooms in the St. John's area - no doubt it

will help all of the Province - the people in Labrador find it very difficult,

why this government could not allot the funds that are required to build an

auditorium in the Upper Lake Melville area.

Mr. Speaker, as I said, the disappointment was felt from one end of Labrador

to the other, and the youth, as they approached me and other members throughout

the community, found it very difficult to understand why a government that made

so many promises to Labrador would not fulfill their dream by giving them an

auditorium.

Mr. Speaker, I guess, when we look at the importance of what an auditorium

meant to the people of the Upper Lake Melville area and all of Labrador, we find

it very difficult to understand as we start to lose key people, people like Tim

Borlase, who started the arts creative festival years and years ago. When you

see people like these, Mr. Speaker, who we will lose, we can only understand

what the future holds for the young people in Labrador.

Mr. Speaker, again today it is with great disappointment on behalf of the

youth in Labrador that I rise to present this petition. Mr. Speaker, I will rise

again tomorrow and the day after and in weeks to come to present this petition

to the House of Assembly.

Mr. Speaker, before I sit down, let me say this to the government: They did

not have to go to Ottawa to get clearance for the $45 million to pay off The

Rooms, or to build other sports facilities in different parts of this Province.

Yet they chose to hurt the people in Labrador, those who are most affected, Mr.

Speaker, and that is our youth.

Mr. Speaker, I will rise again tomorrow, and in days and weeks to come, to

present this petition on behalf of the young people in Labrador.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER: Further petitions?

The hon. the Member for Port de Grave.

MR. BUTLER: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I rise today to present a petition on behalf of harvesters and plant workers

in the areas of Port de Grave, Bryants Cove, Upper Island Cove, Bishop's Cove,

and Cupids, out in my district and my neighbouring districts.

Mr. Speaker, the petition is based on where the government stated that it

would consult before it acted, and would be inclusive when it consulted. We all

know how the harvesters and the plants workers in this Province feel today. They

are humbly asking this House of Assembly to urge the government to only impose

production quotas if it is agree upon by the FFAW and the processors, as

recommended in the Dunne Report.

Mr. Speaker, over the last two or three weeks we have heard about the process

that was followed, and no doubt Mr. Dunne did travel this Province with regard

to consultation. I think the message has been loud and clear, what he has

returned to the government. It is not what we are hearing from the other side,

Mr. Speaker. I have heard from plant workers in my area and around this Province

who are not in agreement with it. As a matter of fact, I had a call from a lady

this past weekend who lives in my district and is wondering what numbers she can

call in Fort McMurray and other places looking for work, because she knows full

well the work that took place in her plant last year will not be there this

year. The harvesters have major concerns, Mr. Speaker. If you read the Dunne

Report, it states very clearly that not all the processors were in agreement

with this production quota, and it is stated very clearly.

Mr. Speaker, we hear the Premier today saying that a lot of consultation took

place. He said, thirty-four members on that side of the House went out and

consulted. I have to say, I am wondering what report the Member for Trinity-Bay

de Verde brought back when she consulted with her fishers, because I know what

she received. I wonder what the Member for Harbour Main-Whitbourne brought back

to the Premier when he consulted with his constituents. I know full well what

they told him, and I believe that he brought it back. For the Premier to stand

here today and say they consulted with the people in their districts and they

received a good response, Mr. Speaker, is not telling it the way it is.

I think what we have seen demonstrated here in this House, over the last two

or three days, shows full well - only last week we heard the member for

Bonavista North say on Open Line, when he stated very clearly, that the fishers,

the harvesters, in this Province were ill-informed by their unions. I do not

believe for a minute that those people travel to this hon. House of Assembly day

after day, or have meetings in different places, knowing that they are

ill-advised by their union. I doubt it very much.

I stand today and I call upon the Premier, because I have heard the minister

say that he has his mind made up. For awhile he was saying it was not him who

decided, it was Cabinet, but someone had to bring it to Cabinet, Mr. Speaker.

The Minister of Fisheries brought this proposal to Cabinet and, yes, it was

voted on, but I humbly ask the Premier to seriously sit down with those people,

not have a little chat with them about what is going to happen, and do what has

to be done, Mr. Speaker.

[Disturbance in the gallery]

MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!

I remind the visitors in the gallery that they are not to participate -

[Comments from the gallery]

MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!

I am sorry, I cannot engage in dialogue from the Chair to people who are in

the gallery. That is totally inappropriate. I am sorry. I ask for your

co-operation. The public are always welcome in this Chamber.

[Disturbance in the gallery]

MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!

This House is in recess.

Recess

MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!

Prior to the recess, the Speaker had spoken to the visitors in the gallery on

a couple of occasions. Again, I remind the public that they are always welcome

to our House. The Speaker has very few options in this regard. If there are

disturbances in the galleries, the Speaker has the responsibility to make sure

that order and decorum prevail in the House of Assembly. That is the tradition

of our parliamentary system. The members who are elected to Parliament have a

right to go about their business undisturbed. It would be a contempt of

Parliament if members are disturbed in carrying out their elected

responsibilities. Therefore, I ask visitors in the galleries for their

co-operation, and also inform them that, if we should have to clear the

galleries again this afternoon, the galleries will remain cleared for the

balance of this sitting day.

We were dealing with petitions. I do believe there was one more petition I

have some knowledge of.

The hon. the Member for Grand Bank.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MS FOOTE: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I rise today to present a petition on behalf of the residents of Fortune, in

my district, and other surrounding communities, in fact. This has to do with the

FPI plant in Fortune. Unfortunately, what we are seeing happening with the FPI

plant in Fortune is similar to what happened in Harbour Breton. My fear, Mr.

Speaker, is that in light of what has gone down in Harbour Breton, and the lack

of action, or the lack of interest by FPI in terms of their processing plant in

Fortune, is what is in store for Fortune and all of the people who work there as

well.

Mr. Speaker, we are talking rural Newfoundland here. Unfortunately, when you

look at what is happening in our fishery, the impact on rural Newfoundland and

Labrador is disastrous. If we do not see something happen, if we do not see the

government get involved in trying to make sure that the big processors like FPI

live up to their obligations - in this instance, FPI International - the

obligation they have to people in rural Newfoundland and Labrador, what we are

seeing here today by this company is a lack of empathy, no understanding

whatsoever for the people who work in those plants.

We are not just talking about people who live in Fortune. We are talking

about nine communities that are represented by the employees who work in that

plant. They were told, if they voted in support of a proposal that was put

forward that would see government allowing FPI to, in fact, sell off 40 per cent

of its marketing arm, that, in fact, they would have some work. Today, what we

are seeing is a few weeks' work down there, and the company has not even taken

the redfish out of the water. That would have meant more work for the employees

at the Fortune fish plant.

How can a company be allowed to get away with something like this, knowing

full well it means the livelihood of hundreds of people, but, as well, you have

so many businesses in rural Newfoundland that depend on people having a viable

fishery? What we are seeing happening with FPI is nothing short of terrible, Mr.

Speaker, because my fear is that we are going to see the end of Fortune. What I

am told now is that when the concerned citizens committee met with FPI they were

told, regardless of with or without government approving the sale of 40 per cent

of their marketing division, that they will have no guarantee of employment for

the fish plant in Fortune in 2006. So, very limited employment in the past

little while, in 2005, and no guarantee of anything in 2006, so you know what is

going to happen. We are going to see another Harbour Breton very shortly, and

what comes after Harbour Breton? Well, we have Marystown, we have Bonavista.

We are concerned, and the people who signed this petition are concerned

because they are calling on FPI and they are calling on the government to get

involved, government in particular, to use the authority it has to enforce the

FPI Act, and, in doing so, make sure that FPI lives up to its obligations,

because it does have a moral responsibility to rural Newfoundland and Labrador

and that has fallen by the wayside. In doing so, you are seeing people without

jobs -

MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!

The member's allotted time has expired.

MS FOOTE: Just leave to clue up, Mr. Speaker?

MR. SPEAKER: Does the member have leave just to conclude?

AN HON. MEMBER: By leave.

MR. SPEAKER: Leave has been granted.

MS FOOTE: Thank you for leave, Mr. Speaker.

What I am seeing here is a lack of an appreciation by a corporation, FPI in

particular, a failure by our government to speak up on behalf of the people it

represents, and a lot of uncertainty in rural Newfoundland and Labrador. Today

it is Fortune and the nine communities represented by employees who work at the

FPI plant in Fortune. Tomorrow it could be other parts of rural Newfoundland and

Labrador.

Thank you.

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Member for Twillingate & Fogo, on a

petition.

MR. REID: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I rise today to present a petition on behalf of a group of people from the

New World Island area, which is in the District of Twillingate & Fogo, and

it concerns the production quota system that the Minister of Fisheries is trying

to impose upon the people, or the harvesters of the Province, against their

wishes, Mr. Speaker.

The gist of the petition is that these people are calling upon the government

to put this issue aside and only implement production quotas when it is agreed

to by the harvesters of the Province, as Mr. Dunne said in the Dunne report in

Recommendation 9.12. I think it is on page 162.

Mr. Speaker, I listened to the Premier today here in the House of Assembly

when he talked about we have had enough consultation, and that Mr. Dunne

travelled around the Province and he talked to a number of people. Well, he

might be right about that, but I tell you that he did not speak to all the

people in the Province and he did not speak to the vast majority of harvesters

in the Province. I think we will all recognize that in what we have seen in the

last few days, not only here in the House of Assembly but around the Province.

Mr. Speaker, what the Premier did not say today, after all of those

consultations that Mr. Eric Dunne had around the Province, the recommendation

that he made to the government on this particular issue is that production

quotas should only be brought in if and when it was agreed to by 75 per cent of

the processors and that they could convince the government that the harvesters

in this Province were onside. Well, I can tell the people of this House and I

can tell the people of this Province that it is evident that the harvesters of

this Province are not onside with what the government is trying to do. So, for

the Premier to get up and try to pretend like these consultations happened and

that the harvesters in this Province agreed with production quotas, Mr. Speaker,

is something that is not completely true. In fact, it is just the opposite of

that.

I also heard the Premier today talk about the thirty-four members on his side

who held consultations with people in their own districts. Well, I can tell the

Premier that I have held consultations in my district. In fact, I had 250 people

a couple of Saturdays ago in my district attend a meeting at 1:00 o'clock on a

Saturday afternoon and they asked for a show of hands of how many people in this

room agree with production quotas. Not one raised their hand. How many disagree?

Every single soul, I say, Mr. Speaker, said they were opposed to production

quotas. I could talk at length of why they are, but I only have three minutes.

I went to Marystown and held a meeting with my colleague, the member who

represents Fortune, and we had representatives, I think, of every community on

the Burin Peninsula back three or four weeks ago. Again, with a show of hands,

every soul in the room were adamantly opposed to production quotas. I attended a

meeting with my colleague from Port de Grave in Bay Roberts a few weeks ago,

every single soul again raised their hands in opposition to this. I have had

calls, Mr. Speaker -

MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!

The hon. member's time is up.

MR. REID: Just a minute to clue up, Mr. Speaker.

MR. SPEAKER: Does the member have leave?

AN HON. MEMBER: Yes.

MR. SPEAKER: Leave has been granted.

MR. REID: Mr. Speaker, I have had calls from Bay de Verde. I have had

calls from La Scie. I have had calls from Triton. I have had calls from

Bonavista, and I can go on and on and on in the districts that the Premier

talked about today. Everyone of them, to the man and woman, Mr. Speaker, said

they were opposed to this and to continue to fight for them and on their behalf

in the House of Assembly, and I will, Mr. Speaker.

My time is limited to three minutes today but I will be back again tomorrow

and the day after that until the government puts this aside and lives by the

Dunne report and only implements production quotas if and when the harvesters of

this Province agrees to them.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!

The hon. the Government House Leader.

MR. E. BYRNE: Mr. Speaker, I am assuming that we are to Orders of the

Day, are we?

MR. SPEAKER: Orders of the Day.

Orders of the Day

MR. E. BYRNE: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Motion 1, presented by the hon. the Minister of Finance, that this House

approves in general the budgetary policy of the government. Essentially, I

guess, is where we are beginning the debate on the Budget, which will last for

seventy-five hours. For people who may not know about the debate itself, when we

are debating the Budget it is on a wide variety of topics and matters. Any bill

associated or motioned with the House dealing with finances allows any member

the latitude to speak about essentially what he or she wishes to speak about.

With that, Mr. Speaker, I do now move Motion 1.

MR. SPEAKER: Motion 1 has been moved.

[Disturbance in the gallery]

MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!

I am asking the gentleman in the gallery for his co-operation. I think I have

addressed the issue before, that these issues and commentaries cannot come from

the gallery. We wish to proceed with our Parliament of the day and the Chair

recognizes the hon. the member, the critic, who is going to speak to the Budget.

The hon. the Member for Grand Falls-Buchans.

MS THISTLE: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I was actually expecting the Minister of Finance to give some preliminary

opening and that is why I was sort of -

MR. SULLIVAN: (Inaudible), but I will if you want me to.

MS THISTLE: No, I do not want you to. I have heard enough from you in the

past.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

[Disturbance in the gallery]

MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!

It appears to the Speaker that we are not getting the level of co-operation

that we would expect from visitors in the gallery. If there should be any

further disruptions whatsoever in the gallery the Speaker will have the

galleries cleared and they will remain cleared for the balance of this day.

The hon. the Member for Grand Falls-Buchans.

MS THISTLE: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I am standing today in response to the Budget that was delivered just a few

short weeks ago. As we can see from the events of the past two days, there is a

great deal of frustration in our Province and in, particularly, rural

Newfoundland and Labrador.

Most of the questions that were asked today in Question Period were directed

to how the people are feeling in rural Newfoundland and Labrador. They have a

feeling that they are being deserted by this government, a government that was

supposed to come into power - and they did, October 2003 - all full of promises,

of being accountable, making promises, keeping promises. Not quite two years on

the job and they are seeing a lot of those promises have eroded. They are being

responded to: but I did not mean that, this is what I really meant. We are

seeing that all over the Province.

Fisherpeople today are having a level of frustration that makes you stand up

and say - these people that we see here today, everyone who is in the gallery

that is here today represents probably half a dozen more that is in their family

and even more than that in their extended families. They all have an obligation

to provide for their families. They have an obligation - most of them are

independent entrepreneurs. They have their own enterprise. They have bills to

pay. Pretty soon a lot of them will have their EI run out, and you know what

happens when the EI runs out. The bank knocks on your door, and you get the

phone calls. You try to dodge these bills, but you cannot. You have to do

something when the bills come to the door and the bill collector comes. They

have pride. They have dignity. They do not want to be on the social services

role. They have a business. They want to be able to maintain that business and

provide for their families, and provide a future in rural Newfoundland and

Labrador.

They were promised by this government that they would be able to come in and

sit down and discuss this new policy before it was implemented, but they are

finding out over the past few weeks and the past couple of days that this

Premier, this government, is serious. When they say they are going to do

something, you either fall in line or you are left behind. Simple! How can you

have dialogue, interaction, negotiation with one side who already has their

minds made up?

It is pointless for fisherpeople to come in and sit down with the Minister of

Fisheries - because you are not going to see the Premier. All the leg work will

be done by the Minister of Fisheries and he will then report to the Premier and

say: Well, you know, we have a chance to patch this up, or will we leave it like

it is? The Premier has been the official spokesperson on this issue in recent

days. He made it quite clear on Friday, in his Open Line interview with Randy

Simms, the host, that he had no intention of going back and doing anything other

than what he said he was going to do. In fact, he was speaking for the Minister

of Fisheries. He has been speaking for the Minister of Fisheries ever since

Friday, all except that once instance when the Minister of Municipal Affairs got

on the radio Thursday morning and he spoke for the Minister of Fisheries. I

said: What is going on here, when the Minister of Municipal and Provincial

Affairs gets up and speaks for the Minister of Fisheries? Certainly goodness, he

is not that far away from a cell phone or a real phone that he can't phone in

and put a lot of concerns at ease, that the people of the Province are suffering

today.

We have seen how the anger level is rising and it is going to rise higher. It

should not be, because it has to end at some point. If the Premier decides on

holding his ground and not talking to the people of his own Province, the people

who are the backbone of every rural community around this coastline, if he is

going to stand his ground and not speak to those people and not find a way to

iron out their situation, this anger level is going to escalate. There is no

question about it.

We heard, and everybody heard - there are a lot of people who supported this

Premier and this government and they had an impression that he was going to be

accountable, he was going to be open and accountable on every direction that he

took this government in. We are seeing, with the fishery issue, the crab

industry today, that he has a closed mind on this issue. He has a closed mind on

this issue, even though his Minister of Fisheries was willing, initially, to sit

down and speak to the stakeholders and see, well, does this suit you, can we

work out this problem. We have a pilot project here that we are going to try on

the industry for the next two years. Let's get everybody sitting around the

table. Before we say this is going to be policy, let everybody have their input

so we can see where the bugs are, the problems, and iron them out.

Something happened from the time that letter was written by the Minister of

Fisheries to now. The Premier had a change or heart or else he wasn't - I don't

know what happened. He will have to answer that question. His policy now is

carved in stone. He does not intend to move from that position. He is prepared

to let the crab industry, this year, fall by the wayside. He is prepared to

accept whatever economic consequences come from his decision. He is calling your

bluff. There is no other reason. You are in a quandary. The whole Province is in

a quandary.

I am from a paper district, Grand Falls-Buchans, but I can tell you one

thing: We depend on fisherpeople in Grand Falls-Windsor to make our community

viable. I bet you there is not one member here in this Legislature - there are

forty-eight of us here - that does not depend on the fishing industry, the

direct and indirect jobs that you give to us in the larger communities.

I do not know what the attitude is with this government. They are trying to

downgrade rural Newfoundland and Labrador. That is the only thing I can figure,

because if you look at what is happening - the most recent thing that happened

was Friday - they rolled out a plan to merge and close out schools, but where

are they closing them out? I do not think there are going to be too many schools

closed in urban Newfoundland and Labrador. I think they are going to be made

bigger. What they are going to do is actually close out schools in rural

Newfoundland and Labrador, and they are going to merge schools so children will

either have to get on a bus and go further or they will have to find their way

to go - some schools they cannot close out. There are about fifteen that are

entirely remote and they cannot close them out. One of them, actually, is in my

district, and it is Buchans. It is 105 kilometres from Grand Falls-Windsor and

they cannot put a child on a bus and send that child to Grand Falls-Windsor.

That is going to be too long of a run.

I did see in that report that they intend, in the future, if they cannot

accommodate children in rural, remote locations, they are going to use the

provincial bursary scholarship. In other words, they are going to take children

from their homes in places like McCallum, Rencontre East, and other areas that

are remote, and they are going to say, okay, once you reach Grade 9 you are

finished in your community. Your mother and father pack up your clothes, you are

going to a bigger centre, and that is where you are going to be until you get

your Grade 12.

If somebody was going to do that with my child, I do not know, I do not think

I could take that. I could not take that. That would be extreme. So, what are

the parents in rural Newfoundland and Labrador going to do when they get that

word? What are they going to do? Are they going to pull up stake and follow

their children? That is another exodus out of rural Newfoundland by a policy of

this government.

This government made a commitment in their Blue Book - and the Premier held

up the Blue Book today - that any decisions that were being made that would

affect the running of communities and agencies in any part of rural Newfoundland

and Labrador, consultation would take place. We saw, before we closed the House

of Assembly last December, that even the Minister of Tourism, Culture and

Recreation brought in a policy for paying a fee to ride on snowmobile trails.

Now, he promised that he was going to consult with everybody using these trails.

I said to him at the time, I stood in my place and said to the minister: You are

placing me in an awkward position here, representing a district where everyone

gets on their snowmobile and goes up in the woods, everybody goes up to their

cabin. I said: I do not have any problem with bringing in a fee to improve

trailways - I do not have any problem - but have you been able to address all

the concerns that people have with making a mandatory fee?

He said, at that time, that he would consult over the winter months - can you

imagine? - from January to now. Has he gone out and consulted? No way. He thinks

that is a dead issue, but we had volunteers at the Exploits Snowmobile Club who

put their heart and soul into that club, doing everything they could to make

sure that it was up and running and doing well. When that mandatory fee was

instituted, they had a public meeting in Grand Falls-Windsor and I do not think

there was ever so many people turned up for a meeting of the snowmobile club as

they had that night.

Who took the brunt of the questions that night for: Why did government do

this? Why did government do that? Why didn't government do something else? The

poor volunteers took the brunt of that, the volunteers who were seated around

trying to conduct a meeting. As a result, the public relations person, Gary

Haley, resigned right on the spot that night. He just could not take it any

more. That was enough for him. His business was suffering because people were

saying that he was only involved for his own interest, but that was not the

case.

Then it wasn't long before the founder, the president, Gord Critch, who had

done tremendous work and was appreciated by everyone around, was getting all

kinds of digs and all kinds of questions,

whereas government should have done

their homework. Government should have come in and done their consultations

around the Province. They did not do that. They shoved it down everyone's

throat, just like they are doing today with the crab industry. You would expect

that you would ruffle feathers, people would be angry, and that is what is

happening today here in our House of Assembly. You can look at every policy that

is coming down by this government and it is the same thing. They are setting the

direction; forget about consulting.

How many times have I stood in this House and asked the Premier of this

Province, and the members opposite, for a cancer clinic in Grand Falls-Windsor?

I counted 111 times that I had raised it, plus the news releases and everything

else that went with it, and I think the one that caught my attention was from

Mayor Oliver Rose of Bishop's Falls. I want to read this letter - it is only

short - and I think that sums it up. As far as I know, there is no affiliation

by Mayor Oliver Rose for any particular political party. I have never known him

to support one or the other. He addressed this letter to hon. Danny Williams,

the Premier. He said: Dear Premier Williams, tears come to a person's eyes for

different reasons and during different occasions. I have heard many a good joke

that I laughed so much that tears came to my eyes. I have experienced the

passing of many family members and friends when tears came to my eyes. I

remember when my son delivered the Valedictorian Speech at his graduation class

and tears came to my eyes because I was so proud. Yes, Mr. Premier, tears. Tears

come to a person's eyes for different reasons and on different occasions.

During the negotiations on the Atlantic Accord, tears came to my eyes several

times as I heard you and Minister Sullivan stand up for Newfoundlanders and

Labradorians and fight for what was ours. These, Mr. Premier, were tears of

pride. I believe that was the way all of us in this great Province felt,

regardless of politics or anything else. Last week, the NTV news carried a piece

on the conditions at the cancer clinic in Grand Falls-Windsor. As I watched that

piece, tears came to my eyes once again. This time they were not tears of pride;

this time, Mr. Premier, they were tears of shame. What I saw I could not

believe.

Also, Sir, what I heard in the Budget, I could not believe. Over $1 million

for a rugby association, and nothing for a cancer clinic in Central. Over $40

million to pay off the loan on The Rooms and nothing for a cancer clinic. Come

on, Sir, prove to us all that you and your government are human and

compassionate people. I ask you - no, I beg you - to reconsider your decision

and do the right thing. Commit the money to the cancer clinic over the next

couple of years, if you cannot do it in one year - that was a reasonable request

- then my tears of shame will change back to tears of pride and respect. That

comes from the Mayor of Bishop's Falls. Can you imagine?

I also saw in the paper just March 30, a little while ago, an interview that

was done by the Member for Lewisporte, the Minister of Transportation and Works.

He was being interviewed by Dave Cooper from the local paper, The Pilot .

He said: I fully support a cancer clinic for Central Newfoundland but we just

had a new regional health authority appointed that becomes operationally legal

on April 1 and I think we have an obligation to heard from that authority. Is

that their number one priority?

Now, here he is sloughing it over to the board, asking the board: is that

their number one priority? Is that where they want to go? He said: But I want to

say categorically and clearly that I fully support a cancer clinic. Where is it

going to be located, the extent of it, how much funding it requires, these are

all the issues we need advice on. And he said: We will leave that up to the new

board. Do you mean to say that at this late date, after the people in Central

Newfoundland wanting a cancer clinic all these years and had one announced in

2003 and cancelled by this government, that a Minister of Transportation and

Works is asking at this point: where will the cancer clinic be located? I do not

know how he lacks the compassion to even mouth out those words after seeing and

believing - people who he knows of and family members of his own, and all of us

have family members who have been hit by cancer, to sit and ask whether or not

that would be priority number one of the current new board of health for the

Central region and whether or not it would be located in Grand Falls-Windsor.

When I asked the Premier for this, I did not ask the Premier for a band-aid,

I asked the Premier for a cure. The only cure to help those cancer survivors in

Grand Falls-Windsor - and Grand Falls-Windsor looks after people from the South

Coast, from Notre Dame Bay, even as far as Baie Verte. So, it is a regional

centre. It looks after about 100,000 people. Then for the Minister of

Transportation and Works to ask at that point whether or not it would be located

in a different place. Well, what an affront to the people in Grand Falls-Windsor

and those taking their treatment at that clinic. That clinic is below dignity

and does not provide an atmosphere where people can be healed from their

treatment, and their sickness is not conducive - I do not need to go back and

relay the situation there.

I do not think there is anybody in this Province who does not know the

situation of the cancer clinic in Grand Falls-Windsor. I do not think there is

anyone in this Province who has not said to the Government to Newfoundland and

Labrador, the new government, almost two years on the job, that it is time for

you to make that decision and announce it. People will thank this government

once they make that announcement. I do not know what is holding you up. Day

after day I asked that question in here. You are asked on the street. The media

are asking you. You had no problem finding the money for other things that you

thought were more important; other things like cultural projects. You thought

cultural projects were more important than a cancer clinic. That was your

decision, but there was plenty of money there. There still is. There was plenty

of money for you to make that decision on the cancer clinic, and you would have

been given a lot of credit for doing the right thing.

Craig Westcott wrote a very good column in the Express on March 30. He

said: A way of measuring the effectiveness of Canadian Provincial governments is

how they care for the sick and elderly. Nearly all Canadians take pride in our

publicly funded health care system. Last week's provincial budget though

showed that our current government, while enjoying immense political popularity,

failed the test on two crucial counts. The first failure was accorded for the

failure to subsidize the Alzheimer's drugs. Now, why did this government leave

out Alzheimer patients and their families? It just escapes me why they would do

this when they would choose to look after other illnesses and sicknesses and

provide drugs to other people in need, but they would not look after Alzheimer

patients when they had the money. They had a surplus of $117 million. Why would

they leave out Alzheimer patients? That is what I do not understand.

The same is true for the government's failure to rectify the situation at

the cancer clinic in Grand Falls-Windsor. It said: The latest provincial Budget

was a pretty strong effort when it came to balancing the many demands and

restricted resources of this Province, but it was not a compassionate effort,

and for that reason alone it was a failure.

So, we have a government that is business oriented. There is nothing wrong

with being business oriented, but do you know something? Government has a social

responsibility. The social responsibility is to people like I just described. It

is also to people who get their living from the sea. It is from people who get

their living from the sea. They were here. That is the reason why we are a

Province for over 500 years. The fisherpeople were here long before anything

else was tried.

[Disturbance in the gallery]

MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!

This House will recess and the Speaker orders that the galleries be cleared.

Recess

MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!

Continuing debate.

The hon. the Member for Grand Falls-Buchans.

MS THISTLE: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I am responding today, again, after the recess of the House, to the Budget

that was delivered just a few short weeks ago - March 21, in fact. I would like

to talk about the financial position that the Province finds itself in.

I think The Telegram might have said it all when they had gone from

bankruptcy to bonanza; I think there was a heading in The Telegram just

after the Budget. How did the Province land on its feet again after delivering

such a bad message a year ago?

We said at that time, a year ago, that there was a lot of confusion in the

numbers. I think Lana Payne said it best when she wrote in her column in The

Telegram on April 3 and she talked about the confusion of reporting

financial figures. Most of the general public, most of us, get confused when we

hear about cash deficits, we hear about accrual deficits, and we hear about

long-term debt.

I guess if you talk about that enough, and you confuse people enough, people

will probably believe it in the end. We always, as a previous Administration,

reported that we were not in the bad financial position that this government

alluded to and still refers back to, even after two years on the job, where they

are blaming everything on the previous Administration.

One thing that the previous Administration had, they had compassion for

people. I think that was demonstrated in the deficit in the Department of

Health, and increasing our cash deficit for looking after people who were ill

and needed help.

I do not mind being on my feet saying that is true, and I will never

apologize for it. I will never apologize for trying to cut down on the lineup

for cardiac surgeries. I will never apologize for putting a long-term home in

Grand Falls-Windsor. I will never apologize for putting a dialysis unit out

there, and I will never apologize for approving a cancer clinic. I will never

apologize for any of the money that was put into drugs to help people, our

seniors. I will never apologize for any of these expenditures that we made in

the interest of assisting our elderly and those who could not help themselves.

This government, not through their own initiative, through external factors,

are in a better position today. They were lucky enough to have more money from

the increase in oil prices. There was a new deal struck for equalization, a new

deal struck for health care, and, of course, we have to give the Premier credit

for the deal that was struck on the Atlantic Accord. I did that several times,

and I am glad to say it again today, to congratulate the Premier on the Atlantic

Accord.

What was very apparent when the Finance Minister delivered his Budget, March

21, was that government tried to pretend they had a deficit this year, when in

fact they did have a surplus. They had a surplus of $113 million. Can you

imagine? From all the chatter and talk and groaning and moaning of taking over a

new government and saying how bad the previous administration was, they ended up

with a surplus this year and tried to hide it. Guess what they did? They had a

surplus of $113 million, and that is not small money, $113 million. Instead of

putting it where it should be put, I heard the member - I will have to look at

my list now - I heard the Member for Burin-Placentia West trying to wiggle his

way out of the fact that there was no CT Scanner funded for his region. Can you

imagine? He was trying to get on the radio and say that he was going to use a

regional approach and that he wanted to encourage all organizations in the area

to continue their fundraising, get their priorities in line, and work with this

government for further improvements to health care.

If you look at the Burin Peninsula, it is a region of its own. He was siding

with government when government had $70 million, by the new health care

agreement this year, to put in new equipment and improve the health care

services all across our Province. He was there siding with government for not

putting a CT Scanner in his region. Can you imagine? What clout does this member

have with his government? There are thirty-four over there sitting on that side

and government had $70 million in new money to improve health care in this

Province. By the way, that is not a one-shot deal. That is not a one-shot deal!

That is an eight-year plan where government is going to have at least $70

million every year for the next seven years to put money into improving the

health and well-being of Newfoundlanders and Labradorians in our Province.

I would like to know what kind of pressure the Member for Burin-Placentia

West is putting on his Cabinet colleagues and the Premier to make sure that

becomes a reality. What kind of pressure is he putting on his colleagues? I do

not think he is putting any pressure, because if he was he would have that in

his Budget already passed.

MR. REID: (Inaudible) consulted with the fishermen and brought their

concerns forward.

MS THISTLE: Yes.

I saw the Member for Windsor-Springdale, mind you, on NTV when we had a rally

in Grand Falls-Windsor in support of our cancer clinic. The Member for

Windsor-Springdale was apologizing - can you imagine? - apologizing that he

could not get the cancer clinic in this year's Budget because you cannot get

everything you ask for. Can you imagine, when this government has a surplus of

$113 million? Now, that is over an above the $70 million in new money for health

care. He could not get the money for a cancer clinic and he was apologizing for

his government. Now, if you are going to get from the backbench to the

frontbench, you better get busy. You better get busy! We know one person who got

busy last week and he got moved around a bit on the second bench.

MS FOOTE: That is how they keep an eye on him in his job as (inaudible).

MS THISTLE: Yes. I will leave that matter for my political section,

because I have a long political

section when the times comes.

MR. E. BYRNE: I can't wait. I can't wait to hear it.

MS THISTLE: No, you can't wait, and there will be lots to talk about.

There will be lots to talk about.

MR. E. BYRNE: It will be more interest in that than there was in CBS and

Red Wings game down at the Mile One on Sunday.

MS THISTLE: Well, I can tell you that most of you will sit up and listen,

and you should.

Anyway, we are talking about the finances of this government. They ended up

with $113 million in surplus, and it is interesting how they projected they

would handle the surplus for the next two years while they are in this mandate.

They said: We now project a cash surplus of $143 million for 2006, and the

following year, 2007-2008, instead of a balanced cash position, we project a

cash surplus of $73 million. Guess what else they are saying? The cash component

of the deficit will be gone. Now, what year are they referring to? They are

referring to 2007, and what is going to happen in 2007 in this Province? There

is going to be a provincial election in October, 2007.

What they have done, they have manufactured the figures. In other words, they

have cooked the books, and they have told you upfront today, in 2005, they have

cooked the books.

MS FOOTE: Their recipes aren't very good.

MS THISTLE: I do not know what that recipe will be, but they have

cleverly manufactured every figure that is going to be on the books in 2005,

2006, and 2007. They say in 2007, the year we go to the polls - can you imagine?

- we will have a cash surplus in that year of $73 million. Guess what else? The

cash component of the deficit will be entirely gone.

Now, they are looking for a few stars at the end of 2007, but really, you

know, they have a surplus this year. That surplus did not really come through

any initiative of this government. That surplus came from all new federal

dollars. All new federal dollars, that is what happened here. We are glad to

take federal dollars and we will take more of them if we are able to get them.

In fact, that is the reason we are in a good position this year.

I found it extremely - I do not want to use the wrong parliamentary word

because I know the Speaker will draw that to my attention, but when I looked at

the revenues that are projected for next year, I could not believe my eyes. I

think people are getting wise to the way accountants do their figures, and

governments, and what they tell you and what you should know.

We just had an increase, for instance. This government just put an increase

on liquor sales in this Province -

MR. E. BYRNE: (Inaudible).

MS THISTLE: It appears that the Government House Leader wants to make a

point of order and I will give him a minute or so of my time.

MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!

The hon. the Government House Leader.

MR. E. BYRNE: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Whatever time I take up, certainly, from the member's time I will add back,

and has no reference to her commentary on the Budget. It is with an oversight

made today and I want to correct it immediately. When we announced earlier the

makeup of the Estimate Committee meetings there was an omission and I guess

there are sins of omission and commission. The sin that was produced today, a

parliamentary sin in the House, was one, I say to my colleague, the Member for

Labrador West, of omission. We announced that the Member for Cartwright-L'Anse

au Clair was a member of the Social Services Committee for the Estimate

Committee purposes but we should have announced that it was Mr. Randy Collins,

the Member for Labrador West. I do want to correct that for the record and

provide the appropriate apologies to my colleague. It was an oversight, like I

said, a parliamentary sin of omission not of commission.

Thank you.

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

MS THISTLE: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Well, I will accept what the Government House Leader said, because usually

when I get up to speak he is always on my heels. He cannot wait, then, to get up

and cut me off and interject whenever he hears something that cuts an edge, you

know, cuts a nerve. He is usually up on his feet, then, right away. Thank

goodness he is not reached that stage yet.

I want to discuss some of the projects that government decided to put money

into. I must say, that I do not think we can fault government for putting money

into the cultural industry in this Province. I had an occasion last week in

Grand Falls-Windsor to be part of the Newfoundland and Labrador Drama Festival.

This is an important year for the Newfoundland and Labrador Drama Festival, they

are celebrating fifty-five years. I heard the Member from Lake Melville, today,

get up in this House and congratulate some of the players in the Mokami festival

on their showings. I wanted to say that, when I heard Una Joseph, who is the

President from Gander, speak at the festival I was kind of shocked because the

Member for Windsor-Springdale was there on the front stage like myself, and they

wanted the Member for Windsor-Springdale to bring back a message to his

government, that there is no funding for the Newfoundland and Labrador Drama

Festival at all. They have been entertaining and crafting actors and artisans

for fifty-five years. Many of them have gone on to make acting and drama a

career. Of course, one of them we will be honouring in our own community this

summer. Gordon Pinsent had his start, like a lot of people, in auditoriums and

Arts and Culture Centres around our Province. We also just celebrated and made

Mary McCormack from Grand Falls-Windsor a lifetime member of the Newfoundland

and Labrador Drama Festival, someone who has given countless hours and time to

the arts community just too numerous to mention. She is known all over the

Province and I am delighted to congratulate her on this wonderful achievement.

She was given quite a resume and a tribute that evening by Melinda Anthony and

we are so very glad to have her in our community.

I think this government have stretched out pretty wide in the cultural

industry this year, but they should consider the Newfoundland and Labrador Drama

Festival. Do you know, when they operate they go to a different location every

year and we were pleased to host the last one in Grand Falls-Windsor in April.

It is hard to believe this, but most of their sponsors are local businesses

from every community where they take part. We should not really be leaving that

up to business, to support entirely the people who take

part in the drama

festival from year to year. If government is going to cultivate a cultural

awareness in this Province and add to what is already there, they should be

onside and they should provide grants, non-repayable grants, to the people who

operate the Newfoundland and Labrador Drama Festival.

Next year that event will be hosted in Corner Brook, which is the Premier's

district, and I hope that members who are here on the government's side will

let the Premier know that and will lobby to make sure that funding is provided

next year and following years for this wonderful event.

It is interesting, when you look at the fact that government provides money

to the cultural industries in this Province and, in the same breath, guess what

else they are doing? They took over $300,000 from the budget of the Arts and

Culture Centres of our Province. I guess not too many people would know that,

but if you look inside the budget you will find out that there are going to be

at least six people lose their jobs and there will not be so many of these

cultural exhibitions coming into the Province, so people will not get those

national treats. People from outside our Province will not be travelling into

the six Arts and Culture Centres that we have in our Province. They have made a

decision to take out over $300,000 from the arts and culture budget, all in a

year that cultural industries and the cultural theme is ringing loud and clear.

The first item in the Budget that the Finance Minister and the Premier have

addressed is the cultural and recreation investment in our Province. In the same

breath, that they are not going to take and they are not going to let anybody

know unless they go to look for it, they have taken out over $300,000 from the

budget. That could result in several jobs, many jobs. It could result into the

operation of these Arts and Culture Centres around the Province having to cut

back and scale back. These are the kinds of things. They will do something on

one hand and right in the same breath they will make a negative approach as

well.

I think the biggest omission from the cultural theme for this government was

the omission of not providing funding for the Mealy Mountain Auditorium in Happy

Valley-Goose Bay. You know, this government had seven news releases in their

Budget package on the cultural theme, but not one of them included the Mealy

Mountain Auditorium in Happy Valley-Goose Bay. I do not know how the Member for

Lake Melville can stand in his place and say that he is a part of this

government when they did not address the fact that there is no auditorium for

the people in Labrador to express their arts and crafts to the community at

large. Was it an oversight? If it was, they had plenty of time to correct it.

They cannot blame it on the fact that they did not have the money. They had $117

million that they are walking around and running around like I don't know

what, trying to figure out how they could spend it. They never asked anybody in

their caucus; or, if they did, they did not pay any attention to what they said.

I do not know how the Member for Lake Melville, with all of the abuse he is

getting lately for not being the Cabinet minister up there, can sit up in his

seat and actually go back to his community. He does not have an explanation as

to why they have no auditorium. How can you counteract that one? Here you are,

you are sitting on the government side, you have thirty-four members, you are

high in the poles, there is new money coming from all directions, in fact you

have a surplus when you thought you would be bankrupt, and you have to go back

and come up with some story to satisfy your constituents, that you cannot

provide an auditorium when there is not another one in Labrador. There is

something wrong here. I guess it is all about priorities and this government has

no priorities for Labrador. It is clear. They made that known.

They went up with a Cabinet Committee about three weeks before Budget time.

What they did, they did a rerun. Everything that was announced last year and the

year before, they announced it again. The Premier was on Open Line when they got

back - I have the transcript - and he said he got criticized for not looking

after Labrador. He said, he doesn't know what the people up there are

thinking, that they didn't appreciate his announcement. Well, the only thing

the Premier forgot to think about with the announcement was that they had heard

it all before, a couple of times before. There is nothing new for Labrador.

The Mayor of Goose Bay, Leo Abbass, almost didn't know what to say. The

Premier said: What do you want? Do you want a long-term care home, do you want

an auditorium, or what do you want? He made it look like it was the major who

was making the decision and not the government. This is what they call

deflection. They are good at deflection. If they have something that is causing

them a lot of anguish and a lot of torment, they will deflect it to somebody

else. Really, there is no excuse why the Mealy Mountains auditorium was not

done.

Now they are saying they have a cultural curriculum in the schools. I pity

those poor teachers, the ones who are left, who are going to have to provide a

new curriculum to our young people. It is fine to bring in a new curriculum and

I agree with the cultural theme. We should know more about our Newfoundland and

Labrador history. It is quite evident if you look at young people today and you

ask them questions about our history, most of them cannot answer you. Bringing

in our history of Newfoundland and Labrador is a good thing. One thing that is

shocking is the fact they are saying they left in seventy-five teaching units

when in fact they took out two hundred last year and the same thing this year.

Even in our district alone, the Nova Central School District, they have

mentioned that they will have lost 203 teachers. Can you imagine? So that speaks

for itself.

Then they go on to say that - it was interesting when I was reading about the

tourism aspect of this Budget, when the Premier was glad to say that they were

the first partners on board to provide funding for the provincial training

centre, a cost shared construction of $4.3 million between Sport Newfoundland

and Labrador and the Rugby Union. The Province's portion will be $1.3 million.

The Premier was proud to say in his news release - I had to read it a couple

of times before I could believe it. This is what the Premier said in his news

release: Government will provide $1.3 million over two years towards the future

development of a new provincial training centre in St. John's to support

provincial and Canada game athletes. The Government of Newfoundland and Labrador

is the first funding partner to confirm its investment for the project. That is

$1.3 million. Now, the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador is the last

funding partner to confi