May 14, 1997              HOUSE OF ASSEMBLY PROCEEDINGS               Vol. XLIII  No. 25


The House met at 2:00 p.m.

MR. SPEAKER (Snow): Order, please!

The Chair would like to welcome to the House today, twenty Grade VI students from Greenwood Elementary, Loon Bay, along with their teachers, Ms Pamela Coish and their bus driver Mr. Don Lewis and parent chaperones, Joan Hooper, Jessie Osmond, Donna Kingman, Janette Head and Pansy Landry.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

 

Statements by Ministers

 

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Minister of Health.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MS J. M. AYLWARD: Mr. Speaker, today, I am pleased to announce a plan to reduce the wait list for cardiac surgery. The Health Care Corporation of St. John's has made arrangements for Newfoundland residents to undergo cardiac surgery at the Queen Elizabeth II Health Sciences Centre in Halifax, Nova Scotia and the St. John Regional Hospital in New Brunswick.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MS J. M. AYLWARD: We estimate, Mr. Speaker, that approximately 50 Newfoundland residents waiting for heart surgery will avail of this program between June and the end of this calendar year.

The Health Care Corporation of St. John's will notify patients of their options as quickly as possible. Those patients who have been waiting for the longest period of time will be given priority. Mr. Speaker, the cost of performing the procedures is covered under inter-provincial agreements in place between all provinces. Given the circumstances surrounding the cardiac surgery wait list, government is prepared, on a one time basis, to cover transportation costs for these patients.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MS J.M. AYLWARD: Mr. Speaker, our preferred option would be to perform all of our cardiac surgeries here in this Province. Government and the Health Care Corporation of St. John's are working to increase our capacity to perform cardiac surgery through dedicated ICU space and expanded operating facilities that will increase our ability to perform twelve procedures per week on a consistent basis, up from approximately ten per week, which is the current average. This will mean approximately 80 to 100 extra cardiac surgeries a year. We have committed the funds necessary to increase our capacity and will move to ensure the new space is ready by January, 1998.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MS J. M. AYLWARD: Sending patients out of the Province is an interim solution to help relieve the pressure of the wait list for cardiac surgery in the Province. Once the immediate problem is dealt with, and our capacity to perform cardiac surgery in St. John's is expanded, we will be able to accommodate our needs within this Province.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Member for Conception Bay South.

MR. FRENCH: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I would like to thank the minister for providing me with a copy of her statement. I am very pleased today, Minister, to hear you say that we have made arrangements to have at least fifty people from our Province - it is unfortunate that they have to go outside the Province to have this surgery done, but at least it is of benefit to those who are on the wait list.

So, on this side of the House, we are very glad to hear this announcement today and the sooner this happen the better. I know of cases where people were prepped five, six and seven times to go for heart surgery. This today is certainly welcome news and the sooner we can put it into action, then the better.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Member for Signal Hill-Quidi Vidi. Does he have leave?

AN HON. MEMBER: By leave.

MR. SPEAKER: By leave.

MR. HARRIS: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

It is certainly welcome news that the Province is recognizing this crisis of a waiting list. Whether the surgery is being performed inside or outside the Province, the important thing is that the service is being provided, and, on a short-term basis, it makes sense to do what is being done. On the long-term basis, of course, we have to be able to provide the service here, but we also have to recognize that we have a serious problem in this Province in terms of the very high number of cardiac conditions that need to be treated and we have to look at long-term preventative solutions, as well.

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Minister of Environment and Labour.

MR. K. AYLWARD: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, I have been advised by a letter dated May 12, in the last couple of days, from Mr. William Parsons, Executive Director of the Newfoundland and Labrador Building and Construction Trades Council, that a collective agreement between Newfoundland Transshipment and the Newfoundland and Labrador Building and Construction Trades Council has now been finalized.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. K. AYLWARD: The Agreement covers all work at the Whiffen Head site for the Newfoundland Transshipment Project. It provides for industrial peace, no strike and no lockout, as well as a commitment for the supply of quality productive skills to ensure the project is delivered on time and within budget.

I want to express sincere thanks and appreciation to the representatives of Newfoundland Transshipment and the Building Trades Council for their timeless effort in bringing about this collective agreement. We will continue to offer the services of government, the Department of Environment and Labour to those parties should it become appropriate during the construction of this project.

I also want to indicate that yesterday we met with a community group from the area, with the member, the hon. Percy Barrett, to discuss local hiring issues and in the next ten days we will be initiating a meeting with both unions and the management to deal with that issue.

Thank you.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

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

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

Anytime that a collective agreement has been bargained in good faith between employer and employee representatives and brings to a conclusion resolution and agreement where a project can move forward in a timely manner, then it certainly is not only good for the people involved in the project but is good for the people in this Province. Specifically dealing with this industry in the transshipment facility, I would like to offer one constructive suggestion to the Minister of Environment and Labour who has committed today to offering the services of his department to the process should it be needed, when and if it is needed, that he would ensure that a timely mechanism for dispute resolution is put in place, so that any disagreements or arguments that may arise out of this collective agreement -

MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!

The hon. member's time is up.

MR. E. BYRNE: By leave, just to conclude?

MR. SPEAKER: Does the hon. member have leave? By leave.

MR. E. BYRNE: - that any disagreements that may arise, that a timely and effective dispute resolution mechanism be put in place to ensure that the project proceed on time and on budget which would be a benefit to everybody in Newfoundland and Labrador, Mr. Speaker. Thank you.

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Member for Signal Hill - Quidi Vidi, does he have leave?

AN HON. MEMBER: Leave.

MR. SPEAKER: By leave.

MR. HARRIS: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I am delighted that a positive collective agreement has been reached that is agreeable to both sides. It ensures once again, Mr. Speaker, that we will have a first-rate, first-class workforce of unionized workers working on this project as they have done on the Hibernia project, in Marystown, Mr. Speaker, in the plant, and dockyard workers showing full capability in heavy industrial projects in this Province.

 

Oral Questions

 

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

MR. SULLIVAN: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I just have initially, one quick question for the Minister of Industry, Trade and Technology.

A notice was posted yesterday in the Marystown shipyard that indicated that the Minister of Industry, Trade and Technology was announcing in the House here yesterday the contract for the awarding of the two tugs for the transshipment would be built in Marystown.

Could the minister indicate if you know, why that was not announced or, if there is some problem with these contracts and just bring us up to date?

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Minister of Industry, Trade and Technology.

MR. FUREY: Mr. Speaker, they are very excited in Marystown. There is a lot of good things happening there. Contracts are being won in the Gulf of Mexico, there are contracts being won as far away as Europe and stay tuned I say to the hon. member, stay tuned next Friday.

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

MR. SULLIVAN: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I am sure the minister realizes his colleague, Roger Simmons is in deep trouble in the old St. George's and he wants to down with the hoop-la and the natural gas plant -

MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!

The hon. member is on a supplementary.

MR. SULLIVAN: - with the natural gas plant last year.

I would like to ask questions of the Minister of Works, Services and Transportation, Mr. Speaker.

The former Minister of Works, Services and Transportation announced that government plans to privatize the maintenance of the operation of our roads and highways with a pilot project to begin in the Avalon region.

Now she further indicated that government would honour its collective agreement which ensured that employees will not lose their jobs as a result of this process. I want to ask the minister, will he confirm whether this plan is still being pursued by government?

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

MR. MATTHEWS: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My predecessor did announce that she was reflecting on the possibility of initiating a pilot project. I've had some discussions with the union, Dave Curtis, surrounding this issue. I expect to be saying something in the near future with respect to the subject at hand, and at that point I will bring complete clarity to the issue and to your mind.

MR. SPEAKER: A supplementary, the hon. the Leader of the Opposition.

MR. SULLIVAN: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I read the former minister's statement actually in the Telegram there on the snags. British Columbia, I say to the minister, privatised its roads in a similar manner eight years ago. It had private contractors hire the transportation employees and they leased or sold the yards and equipment to private contractors, along the line that this government has indicated. The B.C. government had a report done five years later by Ernst and Young, one of the representatives, and three other prominent people had a report done -

MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!

Again, the hon. member is on a supplementary.

MR. SULLIVAN: - for the B.C. government -

MR. SPEAKER: He should get to his question.

MR. SULLIVAN: - and I ask the minister, in light of the fact that they have indicated the costs were up to $19 million a year more under the private operation, I ask the minister: Is he aware of the analysis that was done by the B.C. government on this similar venture? If not, will he take the time to review the analysis of this report?

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

MR. MATTHEWS: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Yes, I'm aware that the B.C. government has issued a report based on the experience it has had with respect to the privatization initiatives. I must confess, I haven't had a chance to read it. I will undertake, not as a result of your representation, but I was in full intention to review that report myself when I get a chance. I'm reviewing the whole issue, I'm reviewing the whole file, and I will take into consideration all types of verbal, written and other types of information and advice I can receive, and I will be making a decision and a statement regarding this initiative in the near future.

MR. SPEAKER: A supplementary, the hon. the Leader of the Opposition.

MR. SULLIVAN: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I hope they won't read it after they take action, like they do in many instances. The report stated, and I say for the minister, it said: If as much effort and financial resources had been invested into simply improving the ministry's original position, it said that instead of privatizing in its current form it is likely that significantly different outcomes and costs would have been the result. Does the minister feel that there are inefficiencies in his department? Will he pursue that avenue before taking any drastic and irreversible action?

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

MR. MATTHEWS: Mr. Speaker, I think if the hon. member would be honest in reflecting he would realize that over the past two predecessors of mine in that department a considerable number of improvements in terms of efficiencies have occurred. A number of things have been done to improve these services and at the same time containing and in some instances reducing the cost of providing those services so that today, Mr. Speaker, we still have in this Province a high level of service at a price that was better than it was being delivered here.

Now what I have heard the people who work in the system say, what I have heard them say in the public meetings they have been having and what I have heard from Mr. Curtis in my discussions with him is that it is roundly acknowledged that there are areas still where efficiencies and savings can be achieved. I want to say to the hon. member, Mr. Speaker, that I am not against, as a matter of fact, I am on the contrary quite prepared to hear from the employees who work in the system and let them tell me, let them tell government if there are areas and where there are areas that further efficiencies can be made. Having said that, Mr. Speaker, I stand by the statement that I made a few minutes ago that I will be speaking more fully to this concept and to this issue in the not to distant future.

MR. SPEAKER: A supplementary, the hon. the Leader of the Opposition.

MR. SULLIVAN: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The BC report has said it does not support reversing the privatization initiative by returning back to the original method. It goes on to say because this would give rise to a new round of excess expenditures. In other words it said they went too far, it is irreversible and now it is more costly to operate. I want to ask the minister, will he commit today that changes and improvements must not be based on simple, philosophical arguments about public or private sectors but would be based instead on a valid analysis and convincing evidence that changes will achieve cost reductions and an improved public service?

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

MR. MATTHEWS: Mr. Speaker, government has two responsibilities really in terms of delivering public services; number one it is to ensure that we deliver a high level of quality public service. Secondly, it is to ensure that we do it at the very best price possible in the interest of the taxpayers of the Province. Simply put, that is the objective of this government, that is the objective of this ministry, and we will reflect on - if we can do things better, differently, then we will do that.

I think the hon. member would remember just two days back that after reflecting upon, and after considering all the evidence, and after taking into account the new circumstance with respect to the King Air, which we thought was obsolete, we made a decision that we think is appropriate and proper in the best interest of air ambulance service in the Province. We will do no less, and do no less diligence in terms of addressing this particular issue and this concept, as well.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER: A supplementary, the hon. the Leader of the Opposition.

MR. SULLIVAN: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Yes, and I released two Cabinet documents that said it was cheaper to keep it than to privatize it, and the former minister said: No, that is outdated. You changed for political purposes. We agree with that statement you made already. We agreed with it. We went on the record on that statement -

MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!

MR. SULLIVAN: - and you followed along the line we said, because there was no evidence to indicate otherwise. That is what was happening.

Now, Minister, privatization -

MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!

The hon. member is on a supplementary. I ask him to get to his question.

MR. SULLIVAN: Your department is using privatization as an excuse for gross inefficiencies and gross incompetence in that particular department. I have dozens of examples and I will give them to you, I say to the minister.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. SULLIVAN: Will the minister admit, as he did with Air Ambulance, that he made a mistake, and reverse this decision before it becomes a real pilot fiasco?

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

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

MR. MATTHEWS: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I have no difficulty in receiving from the hon. member, as I have said many times, suggestions or levels of information that might help us improve the way we deliver government services. But I have to say to the hon. member, I am looking forward much more to hearing from the people who work in the system, the front-line workers, as to what their concepts are in terms of efficiencies and improvements that they believe we can achieve in the system.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. MATTHEWS: Once we have taken the time, Mr. Speaker, to reflect upon the type of information we can get from those who deliver the services, then we will be in a better position, I believe, to make informed and correct decisions as to how we should proceed with delivering government services in the future. As one former Prime Minister said about conscription, I would say about privatization. I would say, privatization if necessary, but not necessarily privatization. We will see where we go.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER: A final supplementary, the hon. the Leader of the Opposition.

MR. SULLIVAN: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I know about front-line workers. I met with them for two-and-a-half hours on Friday, and last night we met again. Our caucus showed up and were represented.

Minister, your problem is not with front-line workers, I say, it is not front-line workers who diligently do their job out there, your problem is with a point of management.

MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!

MR. SULLIVAN: I ask the minister: Will he agree to privatize his management? Will the minister agree to bind his management to performance contracts and fire them if they cannot perform a service that is equal or superior to what is provided in the private sector?

MR. FITZGERALD: Time for you to clean House, Premier.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!

The hon. the Premier.

PREMIER TOBIN: Mr. Speaker, it is very clear -

MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!

PREMIER TOBIN: Mr. Speaker, it is very clear that the Leader of the Opposition is not the least bit interested in the future of the Marystown Shipyard or the least bit interested in the tremendous work that is being undertaken by the Minister of Works, Services and Transportation. It is obvious that he is continuing the campaigning that he was doing in Labrador last week, when he was there with a citizen who has a full heart and a genuine commitment to the Province of Newfoundland and Labrador, this gentleman, Mr. Patten, who was recruited from Ottawa, having lost the PC nomination in Ottawa to carry the PC flag in Labrador. Mr. Speaker, that candidacy is as phoney as the concern that is being expressed by the Leader of the Opposition today.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Member for Conception Bay South.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Oh, oh!

MR. FRENCH: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Might I just say that -

MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!

MR. FRENCH: Mr. Speaker, my questions are for the Minister of Works, Services and Transportation.

Might I just say to the Premier before I go on to the minister, that before he talks about the candidate in Labrador, I think he had better talk about the candidate for somewhere out around Port aux Basque, who, on last Tuesday night, had no problem tearing the skin off the Premier of this Province, believe me.

MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!

MR. FRENCH: Mr. Minister, over the past number of years there has been quite a few lay-offs in the Department of Works, Services and Transportation. I realize that you are only into this department for a few days, I wonder, when you have the opportunity, if you would table in the House of Assembly the number of employee - and not management employees - who have been laid off from this department over the past five years.

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

MR. MATTHEWS: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I am glad to see that my friend, and I use that term loosely, is back at it with me.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. MATTHEWS: I feel very much like the guy who said, if it were not for bad luck, he would have no luck and I guess that is my circumstance in terms of the critic that I have in the House. But, having said that, I would be happy to undertake to provide that level of information to the hon. member.

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Member for Conception Bay South, a supplementary.

MR. FRENCH: Mr. Speaker, might I just say to the minister that I am glad we do not have to operate on fog, either.

Minister, has a cost benefit analysis ever been done on work that is being conducted by outside contractors? By outside contractors, I mean work that the department is actually sending out to different people, such as mechanical work and this type of thing. Has there been a cost analysis done as to the actual cost that we can do this work for in-house versus sending it out?

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

MR. MATTHEWS: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

If I understand the question correctly, he is asking me whether or not I have seen an analysis of the results that have been achieved or otherwise in the privatization initiatives that we have taken over the past number of years as government.

I have to tell him: No, I have not seen that type of specific analysis and report. In fact, I do not know, quite frankly, if one exists but I will again undertake to see if there is such an analysis available. Before I commit to making it available to the hon. member or anybody else, I will undertake, of course, to review it myself. But it is an interesting question, quite frankly.

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Member for Conception Bay South, a supplementary.

MR. FRENCH: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

As well, Mr. Minister, could you table in the House the economic analysis done which justifies the privatization of the works, services and transportation from Clarenville east, or again does this exist?

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

MR. MATTHEWS: Mr. Speaker, the hon. member has not heard clearly what my predecessor has been saying, or else he is a little out in front of himself.

What my predecessor has said on this issue is that the department was gathering information for analysis to determine whether or not in fact there was a basis to proceed to a pilot project. That type of analysis, of course, is ongoing as we speak and it would not be appropriate to release it if I had it; but, quite frankly, we have not arrived at a point where we have the full level of information provided to us through my officials to do even that type of analysis. So, quite frankly, there is nothing to make available to you.

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Member for Conception Bay South, a final supplementary.

MR. FRENCH: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Minister, will you confirm that on the Port au Port Peninsula a private contractor was hired for a two-year contract with a total cost of $207,000, and that a tender call by government was cancelled for a three-year contract because the cost would have been some $654,000, when the Department of Works, Services and Transportation can do this work for $60,000 annually? Why did the department not know before this tender was called?

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

MR. MATTHEWS: Again, Mr. Speaker, to the specific details of a contract in that particular area, I will have to take it under advisement, because I am not intimately familiar with whether there was a contract in conceptual form or whether, in fact, there was one that was about to be released. I am not aware of the details but I will undertake to get them.

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

MR. OTTENHEIMER: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

My questions this afternoon are for the Minister of Justice. My questions, by the way, are with respect to the youth centre in Whitbourne, Mr. Minister.

It has been brought to my attention that in the recent past there have been some suspicions with respect to drugs finding themselves at this facility. As a result of this suspicion, strip searches were carried out, it is my understanding, and also there were a number of lock-downs, the last one which occurred during April past.

I am wondering if the Minister of Justice could confirm for me that: 1) these suspicions, in fact, are correct; 2) that these types of searches were carried out at the facility; and, 3) whether or not drugs were found.

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Minister of Justice.

MR. DECKER: Mr. Speaker, I would have to take that question under advisement. Even if such an event did take place, I would have to take advice before I would make anything public on the matter. I will certainly take the question under advisement.

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Member for St. John's East, a supplementary.

MR. OTTENHEIMER: Thank you, Mr. Minister.

I would expect a response tomorrow on that particular issue. Is that...? It is an important issue. It is an issue, obviously, which has been brought to my attention as critic for this particular area and it would be appreciated if a response could be forthcoming on tomorrow's date.

One final point, I may add, and it also has to do with the Newfoundland and Labrador Youth Centre in Whitbourne: As the minister is aware, there have been significant reductions of budgetary allocations with respect to that home. It is often said that the professional help, or the psychiatric help and treatment which ought to be afforded to the young people at this facility is, in fact, not happening. There is significant help for young people prior to incarceration -

MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!

The hon. member is on a supplementary.

MR. OTTENHEIMER: Mr. Speaker, unfortunately with budgetary cuts this help does not appear to be there subsequent to incarceration. My question to the minister is: What steps does he have in mind to improve the situation, to ensure that the professional psychiatric and psychological counselling is in place for young people who find themselves unfortunate enough to be inmates of this facility. What steps specifically does the minister have in mind to deal with this very critical problem?

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Minister of Justice.

MR. DECKER: Mr. Speaker, the hon. gentleman is quite correct, there have been decreases in the Budget for Whitbourne. I tell the hon. gentleman that these decreases would have taken place whether or not there was a program review or anything else taking place.

Over the past number of years we have had several studies done of that particular institution, Mr. Speaker. As you know, it came to the Justice Department and there were some changes made with the new administration. At least one and maybe two of the studies which were done recommended that we would make some changes in the way that that institution was managed. As the result of making these changes, Mr. Speaker, a whole layer of management has been removed. We have put some extra responsibilities on some of the caretakers, some of the workers there who are quite capable of performing this. I don't want to respond to rumours and suspicions, Mr. Speaker, I like to deal with concrete facts. I am quite confident that the workers in that institution are performing excellent work. The care which young people get when they are inside institutions is second to none in the country.

The hon. member must know also, I am sure, that there are changes taking place in the way we deal with young people in this situation. There is much more emphasis being put on the community. There is no desire on the part of anyone to keep people locked up in institutions unless it is absolutely necessary and especially when we talk about the age group who usually find themselves in the Whitbourne institution, Mr. Speaker.

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

MR. HARRIS: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

My questions are for the Minister of Education. Can the minister advise the House how many schools are in operation in the Province? How many of them have a school lunch or breakfast program, if the minister indeed knows?

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Minister of Education.

MR. GRIMES: I don't know the number of how many actual schools offer such a program, Mr. Speaker, but I will endeavour to get the number.

MR. SPEAKER: A supplementary, the hon. the Member for Signal Hill - Quidi Vidi.

MR. HARRIS: I would have thought he would know the number of schools at least, Mr. Speaker. My information is that there are some 470 schools in the Province and that there are only thirty-two school lunch or breakfast programs. I want to ask the minister if he thinks that that is adequate given the fact that the child poverty rate in this Province has increased by 50 per cent since 1989 when the current Premier and the other members of the House of Commons unanimously passed a resolution to committing themselves to ending child poverty by the Year 2000, if there are now one-half as many, 50 per cent more poor children in this Province than there were in 1989?

MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!

The hon. the Minister of Education.

MR. GRIMES: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I appreciate the hon. member asking a question on behalf of his candidates for the NDP that are running in the federal election. I have no idea, Mr. Speaker, because I have heard that kind of comment made several times. The only time it has been reiterated publicly, repeatedly is by candidates for the New Democratic Party. The reality is that the federal government has addressed the issue of child poverty as a priority by putting hundreds of millions of dollars, I think it is over $800 million, into programs to address child poverty in the country. I understand it was an issue - I watched a debate a couple of nights ago and understood that the national leader for the NDP and the Prime Minister of the country addressed that issue. What it is in Newfoundland and Labrador, Mr. Speaker, because to lead into it is to suggest that he has some concern about school lunch programs in the Province. We have 430 schools operating and I will endeavour to find out in exactly how many schools there are school lunch programs operating.

MR. SPEAKER: A supplementary, the hon. the Member for Signal Hill - Quidi Vidi.

MR. HARRIS: Mr. Speaker, the figures on child poverty come from the national council on welfare report of this year. Is the minister also aware that one of the three top key issues for children identified by the Province's Social Policy Advisory Committee was school meal programs in all schools? They have identified that the risk for poor children in school, failure is twice as high as children who are well fed. Is the minister prepared to have another look at his policy on school lunch programs and look at the development of a universal school lunch program in this Province so that we can feed our hungry children?

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Minister of Education.

MR. GRIMES: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The hon. member I think would have to acknowledge as well that the provincial government also has taken this area as a priority item; it is reflected in our considerations in our budgetary decisions. Just last year, Mr. Speaker, and as a matter of fact, other ministers and I, and I believe the member opposite was involved in a circumstance with the school lunch foundation for the Province whereby, at their request, after they met with the Social Policy Committee of the Cabinet, the government increased its participation in funding for school lunch programs and breakfast programs in the Province in an organization, Mr. Speaker, that has been renowned and acknowledged in the Province for doing a tremendous job and that they are expanding the program to try to meet requests from different areas in the Province and we were delighted to participate as well with a major corporate sponsor in Petro Canada joining in with a $200,000 contribution because the organization itself, the government had shown that it was an area of priority and the private sector, through corporations like Petro Canada are seeing that the Province expands into areas where it might be further needed in Newfoundland and Labrador.

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

MR. OSBORNE: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

My questions are for the Minister of Tourism, Culture and Recreation.

Will the minister confirm that on the Catamaran Park, she had an offer on the table for $15,000 from a family with decades of experience in the operation of provincial parks, most especially Catamaran Park?

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

MS KELLY: Mr. Speaker, I cannot confirm publicly any of the details of this as I outlined yesterday, but we also have a situation here that we want to privatize these parks into successful tourism establishment operations.

I can tell you that in Catamaran Park, we had extremely good proposals, very good proposals, and that through the criteria that was put into place, a successful proponent was announced a few days ago and that the park will be opened this weekend. All of the short-listed proponents could not be successful. There had to be one winner here. We were very pleased with many of the proposals. At the end of this process as I outlined to you yesterday, we will make a full, public report.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Member for St. John's South, a supplementary.

MR. OSBORNE: Will the minister confirm that even though she said preference would be given to provincial park employees, that the new private operator of Catamaran Park does not have the advantage of having the same knowledge or experience as the proponent who has decades of experience in the operation of provincial parks, in the financial operations of provincial parks and in the tourism industry in general?

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

MS KELLY: These are astounding questions that are being asked here this afternoon.

I have been, since February 20, receiving questions about the process of privatization and how much the hon. member has been against it. Now, all of a sudden, I am answering questions about the successful proponents and supporting one proponent over another.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MS KELLY: I have to tell the hon. member that we did not judge all of these proposals on one criteria, on money or experience alone. It was done on a very public process where we outlined the type of proposals we were looking at; it was done in a very businesslike, professional way. We had good proposals but it was not all based just on financial resources or experience. It was a whole set of criteria and as I pointed out to you in that particular park, we had very good proposals. It was a difficult choice but we followed our criteria and did it properly.

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Member for St. John's South, a supplementary.

MR. OSBORNE: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Will the minister tell us whether or not it is true that the new private operator on the Catamaran Park got the park for less than the $15,000 that was offered by the person with far, far more experience?

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

MS KELLY: Mr. Speaker, I would like to inform the House, as I have done on many previous occasions that we did not sell the parks. We privatize the parks. There were a set of criteria that were very well followed. We wanted to ensure that park employees for instance had a level playing field. They were given points on the criteria judgement for their experience because we knew that in many instances their proposals and their work experience, they have the experience and they could well run the parks. In some parks we had different sets of past employees bid on the park. Not all past employees could win, because on the short list sometimes we had two and three employee groups that were bidding on the parks.

MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!

MS KELLY: So we had to follow our criteria. We did it and we did it well.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!

Question period has ended.

 

Petitions

 

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Member for Cape St. Francis.

MR. J. BYRNE: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I rise in my place to present yet another petition on the privatization of the parks. The people who signed this petition are from Pouch Cove, Flatrock, Torbay, Paradise, and the Avalon Peninsula.

I've stood in my place a number of times and presented petitions in this House, and I've submitted statements in this House with respect to what would happen with the park system in Newfoundland and Labrador with respect to the privatization of the parks. I've said in the past that what could happen down the road, and maybe next year or the year after, the core parks that were left could very well end up in the hands of one individual. The core parks that would be left, of course, would be the most viable and feasible parks in the Province, and we may have an individual come in a year or two down the road with an unsolicited proposal and end up with the parks.

I know the Minister of Tourism, Culture and Recreation was asked questions in this House yesterday about the process with respect to the privatization of the parks, and she was asked questions again today with respect to the privatization of parks. Basically what has been asked is: On what basis are these parks being awarded? What are the criteria that are being used to privatize these parks? The minister is refusing to give the answers. What she is saying is that they are in the middle of a process - I think there were eight announced yesterday, thirteen more to come, whatever the case may be - to privatize these parks with respect to what criteria are being used. She says that she is going to make a full disclosure when all the parks are privatized, when the deed is done.

AN HON. MEMBER: (Inaudible).

MR. J. BYRNE: You can read it. Do you know how to read, I ask the Minister of Education? You should know how to read. I imagine you do. Anyway, Mr. Speaker, she said she is going to make a full disclosure after the deed is done. When the people who made applications who were not successful, and the contracts are signed on the dotted line, it will be too late for those individuals. She is up in her place saying she is not going to give us any information until it is really too late.

That goes right back to the point I made earlier in presenting petitions that it could very well happen that the successful bidders will end up, probably, as who you know rather than what you know, or what the presentation is. I sincerely hope that is not the case, but it certainly appears to be, for the simple reason that the minister is refusing to give us any information on how she is privatizing the parks.

I have a little bit of a sore throat here. I don't know if you picked up on that yet. I'm not going to say much more than that. I think the Member for St. John's South may want to speak to this petition. As long as the petitions come in we will continue to present these petitions in the House of Assembly. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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

MR. OSBORNE: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. We have presented many petitions in the House on the privatisation of parks, and again I'm proud to stand and support the petition presented by my hon. colleague for Cape St. Francis. There has been much debate across the floor on the privatization of provincial parks. There has been much debate in the public forum on the privatization of provincial parks. Unfortunately, the answers that have been requested through this House are not always provided, and especially, most certainly, not provided with any sense of alacrity.

The provincial parks workers are being offered positions, fifty-five of them. Many of them will only get employment for a twelve-week period. Unfortunately, that is not nearly what they were given in the past, not nearly what they were working in the past, and these people have families, they have children, they have bills, mortgages to pay and so on. Unfortunately this government sees fit to privatize parks. It sees fit to talk about privatizing our highways. It sees fit to closing schools, closing hospital beds, and it all comes down to budget, the bottom line. Yet the answer truly lies in whether or not this government is operating our resources and taking the benefits out of our resources in the proper respect. Many people in this Province today would say that it is not.

Mr. Speaker, for the record again, I am opposed to the privatization of provincial parks and I am most happy to support the petition put forward by my colleague.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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

MR. HARRIS: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I rise today to present a petition on behalf of a number of Newfoundlanders who are calling upon this Legislature to direct government to establish a universal, comprehensive school lunch program for every school in Newfoundland and Labrador to help end child hunger and give our children a better chance.

Mr. Speaker, this issue was raised in Question Period by me, and I am surprised at the lack of knowledge of the Minister of Education of the state of the school situation in this Province of Newfoundland. He did not know, for example, that there are only thirty-two school meal programs in the 432 schools that we have in this Province. He wasn't even sure how many schools there were. What appals me is that he doesn't also know that some of these programs, the thirty-two they are founding, are in danger of closing down because they don't have any sustained financing, and the ability of these communities to deliver those programs is under great strain and great stress.

Mr. Speaker, he also challenged the numbers. He wasn't satisfied with the numbers in terms of child poverty. Well, he obviously has not read - which he should, as should all members of the Social Policy Committee of Cabinet, in fact every person in this House should read - the Report of the National Council of Welfare, published in the spring of 1997, which discloses, on page 76, that 36,000 children in Newfoundland and Labrador are living in poverty, at a poverty rate of 26 per cent. This is the figure for 1995, which has increased up from 1989, which is disclosed on page 79 of the report, of 17.9 per cent. So we have a 50 per cent increase from 1989 to 1995.

Mr. Speaker, 1989 is a significant date. It was not only the election of the Liberal government here - that is not that important in this particular content - it was a date on which, in 1989, in the House of Commons in Ottawa, there was a unanimous resolution. It happened to be proposed by Ed Broadbent, but it was a unanimously supported resolution, including the Liberal caucus of which the current Premier was a member, unanimously supported, a commitment of all members of the House of Commons and all political parties sitting there to end child poverty by the year 2000.

Mr. Speaker, six years later, in 1995, and here we are eight years later, and the child poverty rate in this country and in this Province has increased by 50 per cent. That is appalling. I don't know what we have to do to wake up the Minister of Education and some members over there. Do we have to drag in poor children and hungry children and put them on the floor of the House of Assembly? Do we have to stage a production of Oliver and have someone come in and say, `Can I have some more, please, Sir?', so they will understand there are 36,000 poor children in this Province, and that many of them are going to school hungry every single day? Do we have to do that? Is that what we have to do to encourage members opposite and to encourage this government to take more than a voluntary, charitable approach to this problem that cannot solve it, that cannot address it, that even now, with thirty-two programs, cannot, cannot meet the demand and cannot, on a daily, ongoing basis, sustain these programs. They are threatening to close them down. They need support, they need subsidy, and there needs to be an established, universal program if this problem is going to be addressed; so I urge hon. members to take this matter seriously. This is not a partisan ploy to encourage people to think about this.

I quoted today from the Social Policy Advisory Committee, who identified the need for a school meal program in all schools in the Province as one of the top three key issues for children of this Province - one of the top three. The top one is nutrition and food security, key issues for children in this Province. It is not a party platform. It is the National Council on Welfare, the Social Policy Advisory Committee appointed by this government.

I see the member who was involved in the Children's Interest Committee listening very attentively here because he knows, and as a former school principal he also knows, the state of hunger in schools in our Province today. It needs to be addressed. It is a real problem, a real issue, and if this government and this House of Assembly does not address this issue in a proper way then more of our children are going to go hungry, more of our children are going to be hurting. They are going to be failing in school, and there are going to be problems in years to come.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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

MR. OTTENHEIMER: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, I stand today in support of the petition as presented by my colleague to my right. I think the point that the hon. member makes is a valid one and it perhaps goes above and beyond the actual wording of the petition itself and it has to do with the degree of seriousness which is given to what is obviously a very important issue in this Province and day after day the member to my right, my colleague directly in front of me and myself and even the minister across the way, I mean there are discussions and deliberations and comments in support of these petitions, but it seems that it constantly goes on deaf ears and the question has to be asked, well what has to be done in order for this government to take seriously the very critical issue which is being raised in this particular petition?

We are talking about our greatest resource, we are talking about our young children, we are talking about a number, as I referenced yesterday in the report entitled; `Special Matters', which was a special education report requested by this government and released during the fall of 1996 and in this government's own report we have some 38,000, according to this report, children who are at or below the poverty line. Mr. Speaker, that is simply unacceptable and all this petition wants to do and seeks to do is to draw attention to this government that we have a problem with respect to poverty and young children and in recognition of that, let us instate a policy which addresses that problem, to ensure that in a non-stigmatized way each child in this Province can be recognized in equality with one another and can be given the nutritional value which is required for every single girl and every single boy to perform at his or her optimal. That is all this is asking and what we want, the members on this side of the House, what is being requested is to have this issue addressed seriously and responded to in a serious way by members opposite, to ensure that the children of our Province are given the priority which they so richly deserve.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Minister of Education.

MR. GRIMES: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Just a few comments with respect to the petition because obviously a very serious issue that this government has already indicated it takes as a priority with the monies that we have funded into the school lunch programs for the Province and delighted that some corporate sponsors, as I have indicated in answers to questions in Question Period, have also joined in with a very well established school lunch foundation to allow for children who are in need of food because of the fact that they do not have it available at home or choose not to eat at home.

I think the members opposite are very well aware of the value of the program and the non-stigmatizing nature of it and the fact that it is not just poor children who do not have food at home that access this program, but any child who wants to avail of a breakfast or a hot lunch at a school where the program is available.

In the schools of Newfoundland and Labrador currently, there are thirty-two such programs presently, seven of them are operating in St. John's, the other twenty-five are in other rural settings throughout Newfoundland and Labrador and the school lunch foundation indicates to us that, with the money that they now have available through government sponsorship, their own support that they get from locally based contributors and the corporate sponsorship, that they expect to be able to sustain the full thirty-two and add up to fifty more programs, depending on the number of requests that they get.

Mr. Speaker, I just conclude by saying that I understand that the mover of the petition in this case and the presenter indicates that he always pushes the concept of a universal school lunch program and the government has no intention of having a universal school lunch program and would actually hope in fact, that we might never get to the circumstance where we would need to provide lunches for children in every single school in Newfoundland and Labrador, but this program is growing steadily. The government has indicated its willingness to participate. There are very good programs in place supported by the local community, by the volunteers and by the organizers supported financially by the government, local supporters and corporate sponsors and we expect that if and when other communities come forward and request involvement in this program, that we will be able to meet the need on an as needed basis rather than having a universal program.

 

Orders of the Day

 

MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!

The hon. the Government House Leader.

MR. TULK: Mr. Speaker, before we began private members motion put forward by the member for Topsail, I think we have agreement to have first reading of the Bills contained in Motion 2, 3, 4 and 5, that will be Bill No. 15, 16, 17 and 14. Mr. Speaker, I would ask that we do first reading on those Bills, Bill No. 15, first.

MR. SPEAKER: Motion, the Hon. the Minister of Government Services and Lands to introduce a Bill entitled, "An Act To Amend The Residential Tenancies Act," carried. (Bill No. 15).

"An Act To Amend The Collections Act", (Bill No. 16).

"An Act To Amend The Direct Sellers Act", (Bill No. 17).

On motion, Bill Nos. 15, 16 and 17 read a first time, ordered read a second time on tomorrow.

Motion, the Hon. the Minister of Education to introduce a Bill entitled, "An Act To Amend The Schools Act, 1996", carried, (Bill No. 14).

On motion, Bill No. 14 read a first time, ordered read a second time on tomorrow.

MR. SPEAKER: It now being three of the clock on Wednesday afternoon and Private Members Day.

 

Private Members' Day

 

MR. SPEAKER: Motion, No. 8.

The hon. the Member for Topsail.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

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

Indeed, it is again an honour and a privilege to have the opportunity to stand in this honourable House and always, Mr. Speaker, I suppose a little bit humble knowing full-well that you have been charged with the responsibility of representing the constituents in your district.

Mr. Speaker, I sort of made myself a promise today that when I get up in this House to speak, I would sort of stick to the topic at hand and not to be goaded in any way by members opposite and, Mr. Speaker, I intend to do that; I really intend to stand here today and talk about the hope that we have for the future; and as the petition reads, Mr. Speaker:

WHEREAS our Province is celebrating the 500th year of discovery of Newfoundland and Labrador by John Cabot; and

WHEREAS there has been terrific effort gone into the promotion and planning for the celebration of this important milestone in our Province's, indeed the nation's history; and

WHEREAS Members of this Honourable House play a significant leadership role in their districts and collectively for the Province;

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that all Members of this Honourable House actively promote these celebrations and help build on our tourism strength so we can make this year the biggest tourism year ever for this Province.

Now, Mr. Speaker, that is a pretty straightforward resolution. Mr. Speaker, it is not asking a lot for the members of this House to be responsible because they are, in their own way, leaders in their districts and we, as a Province, Mr. Speaker, certainly need all the help we can get to make this year a successful year.

I see the Member for Bonavista South over there, Mr. Speaker, he understands fully what I am saying. He knows about - as he has spoken about many times - the devastation in his district to the collapse of the fishery which was always the mainstay of this Province. Mr. Speaker, this year under the leadership of the good Minister of Tourism, the good Member for Gander, we have an opportunity to bring new monies into this Province to help alleviate some of the problems that we are experiencing and believe you me, Mr. Speaker, we have problems but in order to address those problems we need money and lots of it.

Now, Mr. Speaker, it is estimated that there is going to be somewhere in the vicinity of 60,000 people visiting this Province this year. It is estimated that it is going to generate somewhere between $35 million and $40 million. Now $35 million or $40 million, Mr. Speaker, is a lot of new money and that is a pretty conservative figure. That is based on visitors to this Province spending approximately $500 each.

What prompted me to bring forth this resolution was that a couple of days ago, as I said yesterday in the House, I was driving along the highway and happened to hear a news report saying that accommodations were filled here in the Province. Now, Mr. Speaker, I don't want to really go into what I think the cause of that news report was. I really don't want to do that because I made myself a promise, Mr. Speaker, that we all have to work together to try and make this Province a better Province for all Newfoundlanders and Labradorians. There is no doubt in my mind, Mr. Speaker, that members opposite are going to get up and speak to this motion, fully supporting the initiatives of this government to make this year and not only this year but every year thereafter, a successful tourism year. We are talking about somewhere in the vicinity of $400 million a year that is generated by tourism in this Province. Now, Mr. Speaker, that is quite a bit of money but we could always use quite a bit more. I believe, with every member of this House taking the positive approach that we could certainly make this year a very, very successful year.

Mr. Speaker, I know that the Member for Bonavista South is excited. He is excited about the Matthew coming on June 24th with a variety of dignitaries to the town of Bonavista. Can you imagine on June 24th - can you imagine being out in Bonavista and the good ship the Matthew sails into Bonavista? Can you imagine the excitement, not just among Newfoundlanders and Labradorians but among all the visitors to this Province? All the visitors to this Province are going to be excited because as I have said, Mr. Speaker, for many years the country of Canada began here in Newfoundland. It began here on the shores of Newfoundland even though we might have been a little bit slower in joining the rest of the country in 1949 but Cape Bonavista was still the landfall for the discovery of that great nation of ours.

Mr. Speaker, I have had calls from friends of mine who have friends down in the United States, and I don't mind telling you I have sent to the United States at least a half a dozen of these tourism booklets so that people who want to come here can pick and choose what type of event they want to attend. I want to commend the Minister of Tourism, Culture and Recreation for a superb job in putting together the information for the Cabot 500 celebrations. There comes a time, irregardless of what political stripe you may be -

AN HON. MEMBER: Irregardless is not a word.

MR. WISEMAN: Irregardless of what political stripe you may be -

AN HON. MEMBER: There's no such word!

SOME HON. MEMBERS: (Inaudible).

AN HON. MEMBER: Regardless.

MR. WISEMAN: Irregardless, Mr. Speaker, of what political stripe you may be, you have to accept the realities. The reality is that the Minister of Tourism, Culture and Recreation has done a good job in promoting the Cabot 500 celebrations. Fact number one.

Fact number two, we were discovered 500 years ago. Nobody can change that, nobody. Nobody can change the fact that the Minister of Tourism, Culture and Recreation has travelled around the country and halfway across the world to promote the Cabot 500 celebrations. I believe every single one of us in this House has an obligation to all the people whom we represent that we should be out there doing our utmost to make this event the most successful event ever.

I don't believe that anybody in this House is going to stand up and vote against this motion. Because I believe we are all here to make Newfoundland and Labrador a better province for all of us.

AN HON. MEMBER: (Inaudible).

MR. WISEMAN: Mr. Speaker, the Member for Waterford Valley says I'm tempting him. Believe you me, he is tempting me. But I made a promise today that I would stand in this House and talk about the Cabot 500 celebrations, talk about the opening ceremonies, talk about the Northern Lights celebration, the Year of the Arts, the forty-six days that the Matthew is going to be circumnavigating this great Province of ours.

Can you imagine the excitement in the outports of this Province when the Matthew pulls into port? All of us know the kinds of hardships that our people in the rural areas have had since 1992. But we have been here for 500 years, and it has been difficult, but we have stayed because we have had the intestinal fortitude to move ahead, to try to make things better, and we will. We will make it. We will make it because I believe the members of this Legislature will do their part in making the Cabot 500 celebrations the most successful celebrations not only the Province has ever seen, not only that the country has ever seen, but the world has ever seen.

We have invited the world to come visit Newfoundland and Labrador. We have done that, and I say again that the Minister of Tourism, Culture and Recreation has done an excellent job in being our ambassador to the rest of the country and to the world. Today and every day we should be proud that she took on that responsibility and has worked to the best of her ability to make this year a successful year.

Imagine the Festival 500, Sharing the Voices, choirs from around the world gathered together in Newfoundland and Labrador to celebrate the human voice. Can you imagine? The Minister of Tourism, Culture and Recreation has made these things possible.

Again, the Summit of the Sea, September 1-19, exploring the sustainability of the marine environment, its problems and solutions, its past and its future. Can you imagine, if we had the opportunity - and we should take the opportunity, to listen to the discussions at that summit. In fact, I would not mind being there myself to listen to the problems, to seek solutions, to remember the past and to look forward to the future.

Mr. Speaker, as I have said, all of us in this House came here because we felt that we had the ability to make a difference, and if we all work together, especially on this 500 year celebrations, and especially the Cabot 500 Celebrations, I believe that we can make a world of difference. Just by working together we can attract more people, and if we attract more people, then obviously, we are going to have more revenues.

MR. FITZGERALD: Are you coming down, `Ralph'? Are you coming down to Bonavista on the 24th?

MR. WISEMAN: The Member for Bonavista South wants to know if I am coming down. I will be there, Mr. Speaker, and I am certain that he has an invitation to be there.

MR. FITZGERALD: I will buy you a drink.

MR. WISEMAN: Mr. Speaker, he has offered to buy me a drink. I hope it is Pepsi. I do not drink alcohol, not that I am religious or anything, I just do not like it.

MR. FITZGERALD: According to what you are like when you are sober, I would not want to see you half in the bag.

MR. WISEMAN: You know, Mr. Speaker, what the hon. the Member for Bonavista South said is quite acceptable. He sort of indicates that I am bad enough without it. Can you imagine if I were? The thing is, if he wants to know if I had a couple of drinks - I can on occasion, if I choose, but - then I do not say anything. I do that out of fear. I just do not say anything.

MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!

The hon. member's time is up.

AN HON. MEMBER: By leave.

MR. WISEMAN: No leave?

MR. SPEAKER: Is the hon. member asking for leave?

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Yes.

MR. SPEAKER: By leave, the hon. the Member for Topsail.

MR. WISEMAN: Mr. Speaker, I will not be long because there are forty-eight members in this House and I am sure that they, like me, want to have -

MR. SULLIVAN: (Inaudible).

MR. WISEMAN: It is okay?

MR. SULLIVAN: Yes.

MR. WISEMAN: Mr. Speaker, I am really confused now. I am really starting to get confused, because the Leader of the Opposition tells me it is okay, I can go on and on and on; but this would be a much better discussion if the Leader of the Opposition got up and talked about the good things that have come out of the Cabot 500 Celebrations, to get up and tell this House the kind of support he is going to give to those celebrations.

There is absolutely no doubt in my mind that the Leader of the Opposition is here to do what is in the best interest of Newfoundlanders and Labradorians, and by his getting up and supporting the Minister of Tourism, Culture and Recreation in her efforts, and by his saying that we need more revenues in this Province, I think we would be better off this summer. Because the Leader of the Opposition chose to lead to his troops in this charge to make it better for everyone.

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

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

MR. OSBORNE: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The Member for Topsail was speaking so eloquently about this resolution. It is a good resolution, and we all support it. We would have let him speak all afternoon.

Mr. Speaker, of course, the members on this side of the House support this resolution, and, of course, we will do what we can to make sure that the Cabot 500 celebrations are successful. Of course, we are all interested in seeing our tourism industry in this Province prosper, and the tourism operators in this Province prosper, the tour operators grow and have a good year this year, above all years. This being the Cabot 500 year, it is most especially important that the tourism operators have a good year this year.

Mr. Speaker, I am not going to tie up the valuable time of the House. This is a good resolution, we all support it. We have very important things to talk about in the House, so, Mr. Speaker, I am going to give my support to this resolution. Thank you.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

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

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MS THISTLE: Mr. Speaker, I am delighted today to rise in this hon. House to add my support to the resolution. All of us here in this Province are proud of what is about to happen and what has already begun. I would like to zero in actually, on what is about to begin in my district. It is called the Exploits Experience.

We have been calling our celebration this year the Exploits Experience: Exploits Wild and Free, we are entitling it. Why we use that name is because wild and free applies very much to our part of the Province, which is recreation in the country that all of us have grown accustomed to and can easily enjoy. Recreation for the people in Central Newfoundland is what we call `up in the woods', or on some of our great rivers and streams.

The focus of our tourism attraction this year, I believe, began some twelve years ago in what we call the former town of Grand Falls. It was an idea two people had, sharing over a cup of coffee one morning. They said: We should do something to promote the salmon on the Exploits River. From that very small humble beginning grew what we call today the Exploits Valley Salmon Festival. The Exploits Valley Salmon Festival attracts some 30,000 visitors every year and it injects probably about $1.7 million into our local economy.

Often times our town council has been criticized. We have been criticized during years where we had poor weather, and as a result we ended up running this festival with a deficit. On years that we had good weather, and I recall many of them - in particular was the Beach Boys of 1988. We drew over 30,000 people to a field that day. We were able to bring about one of the biggest open air concerts in the Province, and it was a real success. We have tried many times since to repeat that performance. You probably heard in the news overnight that there is a bit of controversy right now in the town of Grand Falls - Windsor, because the town is not giving up the information about what is going to be included in this year's concert.

This year's concert is entitled Splash '97, and we have been pretty secretive in holding back that information because, of course, we want to announce it in a big way next week. They have contacted the Minister of Municipal and Provincial Affairs for direction in that regard, on whether or not that information needs to be released concerning the salmon festival. So we have built up a lot of hype over it and we know that this year will be just as exciting as any other year.

We have been criticized many times in the past because we lost money but when you consider that we created summer employment, we boosted the economic benefits of many businesses in the area and we have promoted our area, how can we say that we have lost money or we are operating on a deficit? You have to look at the big picture.

All the things that are happening in Grand Falls - Windsor this year starts on July 17. You know once upon a time, the Lieutenant-Governor's garden party was restricted to St. John's but, Mr. Speaker, today, we have managed to attract the Lieutenant-Governor's garden party to Grand Falls - Windsor. That starts off our festival, where we invite people from all over Central Newfoundland to come visit with us first, and then the next item would be a salmon dinner on Thursday night. There is another case, Mr. Speaker, where we support local industry. We managed to get our salmon from Bay d'Espoir - local industry once again. Then, the big event of the evening, of course, is a concert at the stadium.

Then, we have a softball tournament for all over Newfoundland, a provincial tournament. We have seven softball fields, and I do not know why, Mr. Speaker, we are not considered to be the softball capital of Newfoundland and Labrador. We should be. Because when you look at the money that is generated from sports events - that is how it happens in Newfoundland.

Yes, we do get a lot of visitors in, but we have heard it said before that the majority of tourists are our own people and they need to know what is going on in every region. This event carries right over from Thursday to Monday. It is one of the biggest events in our region.

The Exploits Experience is not restricted to just Grand Falls - Windsor. It actually covers Leading Tickles right to Buchans. The Member for Exploits, Minister of Education, MHA - I am sure he will like to elaborate on what is happening in his district a little bit later on.

As we move up the road, Mr. Speaker, we cannot forget to visit the Wooddale Tree Nursery, a place where you can go and see small seedlings cultivated and ready for commercial harvesting. Do you know something? This is one of the few things that we have that is admission-free.

As we go up the road further, we can go into Beotuck Park where we can see the loggers museum, the exhibit of what it was like years ago and do you know something else? That is free. These are the sorts of things that you can go see as free events.

Then you only have to go across the Exploits River to see the Salmonoid Interpretation Centre, one of the big successes in our region. In fact, they have the largest Atlantic salmon in the enhancement project in North America. Where can you go without a Disneyland appearance and actually view salmon going upstream? You can watch them going upstream inside the building looking through a glass chamber. Everybody in the Province should visit that facility. You should become familiar with it. It is something that we should all be proud of.

Mr. Speaker, there has been a lot of people who may not be aware of the part volunteers are playing in promoting this year as the Cabot 500th Year. Do you know, Mr. Speaker, we have 10,000 volunteers, unsung heroes, who are making this possible?

We go up to Badger: Badger will be show-casing what they call the Badger Festival Drive, three days of celebrations, and I promised them, this year I would be able to learn how to compete with them and do the Macarena. Three days of celebrations, and they have everything from concerts to games of chance, you name it, it is all happening in Badger. And, you know, those events raise money so they can operate their stadium throughout the winter, all the money from these events. So, it is a very, very worthwhile cause; while they are promoting tourism, they are rasing money.

Then, we go up to Buchans Junction. Buchans Junction is the birthplace of our former Premier, Clyde K. Wells; Buchans Junction, where logging has been the tradition and the occupation of the past. Then, we move into Millertown, always associated with logging, a forestry town. Do not forget to visit the former A & D School House, now a museum. Then we go ahead and see Buchans. Buchans, this year, will be celebrating Come Home Year. And do you know that Buchans was the first town in our Province to celebrate Come Home Year? the very first town in our Province. This year, through the efforts of the Minister of Tourism, Buchans will be able to celebrate with a new concrete floor in the Soper Memorial Stadium.

Our government has recognized that in order to have a proper facility to demonstrate our town, we needed a concrete floor in our stadium and we could not do without it. So, the Minister of Tourism has seen fit to provide these funds so we can have a showcase to showcase the people of Buchans and the struggles they have had over the years.

Buchans is a town that almost died in 1984 with the closure of the mines up there, but high-tech has come to Buchans and we all witnessed here in this House a few weeks ago the announcement by Boeing that they had a contract with Steel-Core in Buchans to manufacture airplane parts.

MR. TULK: Where is that in Buchans?

MS THISTLE: In Buchans. And when you look at Buchans, about an hour-and-a-half off the highway -

MR. TULK: They are increasing their order all the time.

MS THISTLE: - and the order that they had in the beginning was for, I think, $150,000-worth of work, that has been renewed over and over since then. The Boeing group are very satisfied with the work that is coming out of Buchans and I think the possibilities of further expansion look really good.

What you have here is a region from Leading Tickles to Buchans, a region that has gotten together because everybody realized that one town alone could not create a proper tourism package. In fact, in the largest town within that region, Grand Falls-Windsor, we realized that we could not get people to stay overnight and spend two or three days. So, we decided to buddy up with neighbouring towns so we could create an exciting one- two- or three-day package to keep people in our area for a while. In the past few years, we have noticed that people would come into Grand Falls-Windsor, stay at the hotel, buy a magazine in the drugstore, and leave. We wanted to kill that idea. We wanted people to stay longer, and naturally, spend more money. So, how do you do that? You do not do that by putting all your eggs in one basket. You focus in, as a region, and by us focusing in as a region and drawing all our communities together, what we have been able to do is, we have been able to support each other. We have been able to support each other on municipal issues, tourism issues, and all the issues that are making us stronger both municipally and provincially.

We are in Economic Zone 12, and by this coming together, whether it be for tourism or whatever sector, it has made us stronger as a group, and in a Province with limited resources like we have, one town standing alone cannot manage on its own; and if you come together in tourism, you will come together in every other sector. So, it is very important that the message gets out throughout the Province, that if we are going to survive, we do not have the infrastructure, we do not have the fiscal reality, to be all things to all people. So what we need to do is co-operate with each other. By co-operating, we can do things on a cost-efficiency basis and we can get our message out so that the whole world can see us and know that it will be interesting to come to our region, and we are going to have a good package.

When you look through this booklet, you see a young person from Grand Falls - Windsor starting up a business called: Red Indian Adventures. Can you imagine what that is?

AN HON. MEMBER: That is the one I visited.

MS THISTLE: You did?

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MS THISTLE: You have a young person who is actually going to provide white-river rafting and canoeing on the Exploits River, something that was entirely unheard of; but, you know, through the Tri-Party Agreement, municipal, provincial and federal, we have been able to clean up our Exploits River. We now have one of the cleanest rivers, we have the best salmon-fishing river in North America, and we have the best drinking water.

MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!

The hon. member's time is up.

AN HON. MEMBER: By leave.

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. member, by leave.

MS THISTLE: When you pick up a glass of water in Grand Falls - Windsor now, it almost has a bluish cast on it. For years and years, we had to actually go up the road with a bucket and get water from a well, a spring, but now we are so proud - remember, it was in the 1970s and early 1980s. But now, with this Tri-Party Agreement in place we have one of the cleanest drinking waters in the Province and we have the cleanest river. And this is why you have a new industry developed now, white-river rafting on the Exploits, where you can actually take a trip after sunset, or before sunset, you can have an overnight trip, you have the best food, the best of entertainment. So this is a way people are helping themselves. But, like you say, you need the infrastructure in place, you need communities co-operating one with the other, and you need us, as Newfoundlanders and Labradorians, believing in ourselves, that we can go ahead and do something.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

AN HON. MEMBER: That's the spirit!

MS THISTLE: That is right. This is our opportunity of a lifetime, this summer. This is our opportunity of a lifetime. We, as Newfoundlanders and Labradorians, have to put on the best show we have ever put on. We want to go out and proclaim that we have something the rest of the world does not have, and we want to market it in the best way. I am sure, all members in this House agree that we have something the rest of the world does not have and we should do our best, our co-operative best, in making sure the whole world knows it and join with me in promoting our Province to be the best this year.

Thank you.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

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

MR. FITZGERALD: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I am certainly happy today to take part in this exchange and in supporting this particular resolution brought forward by the Member for Topsail.

Mr. Speaker, we can get into all kinds of arguments whether there is something more important than this or whether there is something more pressing, but I am going to be positive today. I am going to throw a few bouquets, Mr. Speaker, and I am going to speak in a very positive way. Because this is a very positive celebration, Mr. Speaker. We are celebrating our homeland. We are celebrating the work of our forefathers, our grandfathers and all those us before us, who have worked so hard to make this wonderful Province what it is today.

I am just as proud to be a Newfoundlander, I say, as any member in this House - just as proud. I had to leave the Province a good many times to find a job to try to support my family, but my heart was always back here, and I always returned.

MR. EFFORD: (Inaudible).

MR. FITZGERALD: I probably will, I say to the minister. But no matter where I go, I will not be unlike anybody else in this House. This is where I will want to live by choice, Mr. Speaker. There is no better place in this world.

There was a little pamphlet that was put out a few days ago. It was called: The Matthew Landfall, Bonavista, June 24-26 1997. "History repeats itself. Celebrate the adventure." I have read this pamphlet a couple of times, and it certainly gives a lot of information. It is a really good pamphlet, well-put-together, well-constructed, and I would recommend it to anybody. In fact, I have only read one book that was published prior to this that provided more information, and that was the one read last night by the Minister of Fisheries and Aquaculture. That is about the only book that provides more information than this particular book here, I say to the minister. As much as he made fun of it, there are some good recipes there, and I made note of them last night. My wife is trying some of them today.

Let me read a couple of lines from the pamphlet. It reads:

"The Matthew Arrival.

"On June 24, 1997, a small ship will appear on the horizon. Square-rigged sails will billow with light as prevailing winds bring the tiny oak caravel steadily towards Bonavista... Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II and His Royal Highness, Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh will be there for the landfall, a recreation of a journey sponsored by Queen Elizabeth II's ancestor, King Henry VII, in 1497....

"Canada's newest National Historic Site comes to life June 24, 1997. At the Ryan Premises, catch the flavour of one of the most important fisheries in the New World. The sounds, the sights, the smells - "

MR. EFFORD: A point of order!

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Minister of Fisheries and Aquaculture on a point of order.

MR. EFFORD: I do not want to interrupt the hon. the Member for Bonavista South but, Mr. Speaker, I have lost my pickle book. The Tories have taken my pickle book. It was in my desk last night.

MR. SPEAKER: There is no point of order.

The hon. the Member for Bonavista South.

MR. FITZGERALD: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

"The sounds, the sights, the smells of a 500-year old industry that changed history.

"This is where James Ryan established his salt-fish enterprise, exporting fish to Portugal, Spain, Italy and the West Indies. Today, the beautifully restored buildings and shops, and a collection of literally hundreds of carefully preserved artifacts, commemorate the East Coast Fishery. A cast of theatrical performers and guides bring this living museum to life. Experience the past. Visit our history, at the Ryan Premises National Historic Site at Bonavista."

Then, it goes on to say:

"Celebrating Our Culture.

"All the big names. All in Bonavista. Bristol's Hope, Great Big Sea, the Irish Descendants, Kim Stockwood, Buddy Wasisname and the Other Fellers. There's no better place to catch the spirit of music, comedy and performance in Newfoundland and Labrador today. The Masterless Men..., The Sharecroppers and much more! Four days of great entertainment.

"See our world through someone else's eyes."

Listen to this one, Mr. Speaker.

"Lots To Enjoy.

"The Cape Bonavista Lighthouse, a lovingly preserved museum for all to enjoy. The classic red and white building sits on a wind-swept, grassy cape. Blue-green ocean spray foams around the rugged coastline far below, while woolly sheep roam bright green meadows. It is a visually stunning place."

"John Cabot's voyage was one of ambition and courage. Imagine six weeks at sea in a small boat with 18 other men headed for the Far East along a route nobody really believed existed. Headed, almost surely, to the edge of the earth. Cabot's now famous words, `O'Buona Vista' Oh Happy Sight, may have been the truest ever uttered."

This year, the beautiful historic town of Bonavista will be the focal point of not only North America but of the whole world. I understand that there is a street with the capability of handling twenty to twenty-five tractor-trailers going to be cordoned off especially for a communications crew, television, radio, Mr. Speaker, the biggest event that has ever happened here in this Province.

Mr. Speaker, we hear people, the news media, talking about the fear of lack of accommodations. Let me put everybody's mind at rest right here and now. There will be no lack of accommodations on the Bonavista Peninsula. Anybody coming who wants a place to stay may not be able to be put up in a first-class hotel, may not be able to be put right on the beach, but I can assure you, they will have perfect accommodations, suitable accommodations, and will enjoy the hospitality of that whole peninsula. The whole area is a-buzz with enthusiasm. I have never seen so many people coming forward before and wanting to volunteer to be part of this celebration.

Mr. Speaker, the celebrations got off to a little bit of a rocky start. We all remember what happened in the dark days of the beginning of those celebrations, but that is all behind us now. We all learned from that and we put responsibility of planning the event, we put the responsibility for being responsible to the event, exactly where it should have been in the beginning, and that is in the hands of volunteers, in the hands of local people. People have come forward and accepted that responsibility, and with the guidance of the Department of Tourism, Culture and Recreation, and some other government departments, I can assure you that they are well prepared, and anybody coming to the Bonavista Peninsula to take part in those celebrations will not be disappointed.

I understand the Matthew set sail just a few days ago from Bristol, England, is presently in a port in Ireland, en route to Bonavista for June 24th. I understand there is a flotilla of yachts leaving Ontario, leaving the Great Lakes, en route to Bonavista for June 24th., and I would suggest that you are going to see a lot of people with boats here in Newfoundland and Labrador.

MR. EFFORD: Yes, Sir.

MR. FITZGERALD: Maybe the Companion might be among that flotilla of yachts, and I have no doubt that it will be. I would welcome him as well, and I would welcome each and every one of the members here in this House to make it a date, to set June 24th aside to be in Bonavista to help celebrate with the rest of the world.

People know my views on the monarchy. People know my views on what I think of this particular arm of government, I suppose, if you would, but all of that being put aside, with the Queen's arrival in Bonavista, it is certainly going to be an historic day.

AN HON. MEMBER: Are you shaking hands with the Queen?

MR. FITZGERALD: I hope I have the privilege of shaking hands with the Queen, yes.

AN HON. MEMBER: (Inaudible).

MR. FITZGERALD: I hope I do, Mr. Speaker.

This celebration will not only be for 1997. If this celebration is just for one year, then it is not worth the time and effort being put into it. What we have to do is to be cognizant of the people we have here and to showcase this beautiful Province and our people, to make those people do one of two things: either to have them leave and want to come back, or have them leave as goodwill ambassadors to tell other people of the wonderful things we have here to offer, and encourage their friends and neighbours, and their associates, to come and visit us right here in this beautiful, happy Province.

I spoke about the volunteers; now I will touch on a couple of departments here in government. I say to the Minister of Municipal and Provincial Affairs: Thank you for the dollars you have put down to respond to some of the needs that we have had in Bonavista. Thank you for providing some extra money to clean up O'Dea's Pond. Thank you for the pavement. Thank you for helping make this celebration a success.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. FITZGERALD: To the Minister of Tourism, Culture and Recreation, thank you, Minister, for your -

AN HON. MEMBER: (Inaudible).

MR. FITZGERALD: You did not do it for me, you did it for the people on the Bonavista Peninsula.

To the Minister of Tourism, Culture and Recreation: I compliment her for making trips to Bonavista, taking part in what is happening down there today and giving the volunteers encouragement and making them feel part of the celebrations. I thank her, Mr. Speaker.

The Minister of Environment and Labour, Mr. Speaker, for his commitment in coming to Bonavista, meeting with the council, meeting with me and responding to a need in that particular town. We still have lots of needs there, some of them will be addressed this year, more of them, I am sure, will be looked after next year with the persistence of the member and the councils and the people who work there, so that we can not only celebrate Bonavista and the surrounding communities in 1997, but on into the millennium as well.

Mr. Speaker, I spoke about Bonavista and everybody will know if they visited Bonavista, it is one of the most beautiful towns with historic facilities in this particular town that you have ever seen in Newfoundland and Labrador. I remember being the mayor of my town and I had this mind-set that, everything that was old should have been torn down, and that was one of the jobs that I took on as mayor - this had to go, something else had to go, clean up the community. But, God bless the people in Bonavista that they did not have that mentality, their mayors, their councillors and their town leaders. They saw fit to maintain what they had and to restore it and now, to show-case it in 1997.

Port Union is another prime example, I say to the member opposite; Port Union, Catalina, King's Cove - King's Cove, one of the most historic little towns in all of Newfoundland and Labrador. They have this little celebration there every year which is called: The Lighthouse Festival and the theme is around a 100-year-old lighthouse; and they have an Ecumenical Service held outdoors every year. And it is one of the most touching events that I attend in the many town days and the many fire-department celebrations and farmers' days and everything else, this is probably one of the most touching days and the one that I make sure I attend. Because everybody in the whole community gets out, young and old alike, everybody is involved and it is a special celebration.

That particular town, this year, is having a celebration in conjunction with the Cabot 500 Celebrations as well. The Matthew will not be going there but that does not matter. The Matthew does not go everywhere. But they are having their own celebration and I can assure you that they will attract hundreds and hundreds of people for their four-day event, going on up around to Catalina, Port Union and Melrose, all those communities, Mr. Speaker, are doing something to take part in this particular celebration. But it is not only about the Bonavista Peninsula.

The Member for Grand Falls - Buchans stood up and talked about the things that are happening in her town because those communities are doing something to help celebrate as well. People will be travelling right across the entire Province; in Labrador, as well, down in Red Bay, people are going to be celebrating. They are going to be out saying: Thank you; and they are going to be out and saying: This is where we are from, this is what we are all about, this is the place that we love.

Mr. Speaker, I have done a fair amount of travelling around and since I have been fortunate enough to serve here in this House -

MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!

The hon. member's time is up.

AN HON. MEMBER: By leave, by leave.

MR. EFFORD: No leave.

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. member has been denied leave.

MR. FITZGERALD: Just a couple of minutes to clue up, I say to the minister.

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. member has been denied leave, I ask him to take his seat.

MR. FITZGERALD: I do not have your pickle book.

So, Mr. Speaker -

MR. SPEAKER: I ask the hon. member to take his seat, he has been denied leave.

MR. FITZGERALD: May I have a few minutes of your time?

AN HON. MEMBER: (Inaudible).

MR. FITZGERALD: Mr. Speaker, just a few minutes to clue up and I will not belabour it.

A lot of people talk about the weather. You know, it is probably going to rain the day that the Queen comes. Well, boys, forget the weather, there is nothing we can do about it, let us not worry about it. The people who are putting forward the celebrations are prepared for all that and if it rains, so what? It may dampen the ground but I can assure you, it will not dampen the spirits of Newfoundland and Labrador. So let us pull together. Let us be positive about this celebration. There is enough of negativity out there now, Mr. Speaker.

When you see volunteers involved, when you see the volunteers in your communities putting forward as much time and effort as volunteers have done for this celebration, then at least, Mr. Speaker, we, as community leaders, we, as representatives of our districts, the least we can do is be positive and reach out and help them along the way. So let us celebrate. We will see you in Bonavista on June 24th and there will be a berth for the Companion to tie up right at the wharf on the main front.

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

MR. CANNING: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, I first want to congratulate the Member for Topsail for this non-partisan resolution. Mr. Speaker, I need to read this just to express how non-partisan this particular resolution was. It says;

"WHEREAS our Provinces is celebrating the 500th year of discovery of Newfoundland and Labrador by John Cabot; and

WHEREAS there has been terrific effort gone into the promotion and planning for the celebration of this important milestone in our province's, indeed, the nation's, history; and

WHEREAS Members of this Honourable house play a significant leadership role in their districts and collectively for the Province;

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that all Members of this Honourable House actively promote these celebrations and help build on our tourism strength so we can make this year the biggest tourism year ever for this Province."

Now, Mr. Speaker, there has never been a more non-partisan resolution written. Now, why do I say it is non-partisan? Well, I took a few moments to reflect upon the Blue Book. Now, what does the Blue Book say about tourism and tourism policy? It said - and I agree with some of the things it said - now, the tourism policy said `a PC government will highlight local talent and resources and celebrate in 1997 John Cabot 500th Anniversary.' Mr. Speaker, that is a noble statement and we all agree with that in this House. It also said we should aggressively promote and prepare for tourism opportunities associated with the Cabot anniversary, the Canada Winter Games, the 50th anniversary of Newfoundland and Labrador entry into Confederation and the 1000th anniversary of the Viking landing. Mr. Speaker, again that just goes to show that tourism really is a non-partisan industry, but I can tell you, we have a tourism minister who has put her heart and soul into making sure this indeed is the best tourism year in the history of this Province, bar none.

Mr. Speaker, the fact of the matter is, is that the Cabot 500th celebrations have begun this year and have begun in earnest. I should talk about, in Labrador West, the Northern Lights Festival. We brought in during that festival - the minister was there, I was there and many other dignitaries were there - we had the Labrador 400th sled dog race, an international sled dog race. There were racer from all over North America.

AN HON. MEMBER: (Inaudible) in Labrador West.

MR. CANNING: Absolutely. We had all kinds of music and shows for people throughout the community celebrating the winter reality of living in Labrador. Mr. Speaker, it was just a tremendous expression of community voluntarism, community sporting events, community pride. I should say to the Member for Bonavista South how much I appreciate the volunteers throughout all of our Province, who work, very handily and heartily, spent a lot of their time that they could have chosen to spend on other things but they spend it in making sure this is the best year for tourism in this Province. They spend many, many hours in the evening after work, in the morning, during weekends, on Sunday mornings when they could be with their family doing other things. They spend it making sure that events sponsored for this Province this year will be the very best in the country.

Now, Mr. Speaker, the facts are clear. The Minister of Tourism, Culture and Recreation has spent a lot of hours, her department has spent a lot of hours, under some trying times, to make sure that all members of the House can share in the pride of the Cabot 500 celebrations. This is obviously a great opportunity to talk about this. We will soon be closing the House for the summer, as we all know. We will be going through this summer and the Matthew visit as it circumnavigates the Island and goes to Labrador to celebrate that trip that John Cabot made some 500 years ago. It is a marvellous expression of the European connection with this Island and, in fact, all of North America.

Mr. Speaker, I am very impressed with the Member for Topsail that he had chosen such a non-partisan resolution, because we know that the Member for Topsail is such a non-partisan kind of guy. He always speaks clearly, openly, and with pride in all of this Province, and I stand today with a great deal of pride in support of this gentleman's resolution.

Mr. Speaker, Labrador, although John Cabot may not have - who knows, he may have - come to Labrador -

AN HON. MEMBER: Not Labrador West.

MR. CANNING: He certainly didn't come to Labrador West, that is right, but we all share in the pride of what it is to be a part of this Province and a part of this important celebration.

I think there are times when we can lightly talk about our history and what it has meant for this trip to have occurred 500 years ago, but I think we all should know how important it is as a province, as a people, that we have this collective attachment to history, that during probably a stormy season - who knows what it was like to come across the ocean when you had no radar, no sonar, nothing. You just blindly headed out to sea and hoped to touch some far-away land.

Mr. Speaker, that spirit that guided John Cabot to leave England some 500 years ago, I believe, is still alive and well today in this Province, the spirit of wanting to overcome all the odds, to prosper, to provide more opportunity and benefits to the people, to create and generate opportunities that some may believe are just dreams.

Mr. Speaker, the Conservative Party, I must say, although they only gave priority to the completion of an all-weather highway across Labrador, they did see the benefit to highlight local talent and resources in celebrating the 1997 John Cabot Anniversary, and the fact that they committed to, in their campaign - although some of them tell me they have not read this book. I am going to Xerox off a number of copies to ensure my hon. friends across the way have a copy of the document that they stood under the banner of during the last election. It is kind of a little shocking that they have not read it, but not surprising.

Mr. Speaker, I just want to say that the 500 Celebrations will bring people from probably around the world to this Province. It will give us a great opportunity to show the benefits of people coming here to take advantage of sightseeing, to take advantage of being out on the water watching whales, to take a look at the picturesque communities and landscape around, to participate in the communities of Newfoundland and Labrador. This will bring huge amounts of tourism dollars, dollars that will flow to hotels and restaurateurs, will flow to airlines, will flow to all kinds of sightseeing entrepreneurs, will give them an opportunity to build a strong base for their companies of the future, will employ young Newfoundlanders and Labradorians. I should add, too, that some 8,000 students who are hopefully going to be hired this year will be an important contribution to Newfoundland and Labrador as we put all our shoulders against the wheel and make sure this is the very best - the very best - summer season, tourism season, ever.

Mr. Speaker, there has been an awful lot of work and, as I said earlier, an awful lot of it has been done by a young, dynamic minister who just got elected this last election, from Gander, who has worked diligently, worked thoroughly, put in a solid performance to help put together the plans for this marvellous celebration. Before her there was another Minister of Tourism who worked equally hard as a build up to 1997, to make sure that all the pieces of the puzzle were put together to ensure a strong and steady tourism season this year.

Now, Mr. Speaker, the members resolution talks about the leadership role of members in their communities and how important it is for them to help celebrate and pursue the celebration of Cabot's 500th anniversary journey to Newfoundland and Labrador. It says that members of this hon. House play a significant leadership role. That is true, we would hope that members opposite would play their leadership role to show the benefits of tourism and other opportunities that flow to our Province rather than being negative. They should show some confidence in our ability to challenge the best, in this case the best that is offered in tourism and when.

I was impressed and I appreciated the comments by my friend from Bonavista South when he talked about wanting to be positive, he wanted to sound positive. It was a little unbecoming, but it sounded good that the member from Bonavista South was able to sound positive. He was hard pressed at times to sound positive, but he did. I appreciated that he invited us down.

Mr. Speaker, I have just been told by the hon. Minister of Education that another great part of the equation of tourism is the fact that Canada just won the world championship, two to one over Sweden.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. CANNING: Mr. Speaker, that certainly is another moment to celebrate.

Now, Mr. Speaker, I think that -

AN HON. MEMBER: People will want to come here now and stay in our parks.

MR. CANNING: Exactly, people will want to come here and stay in our parks.

Now, Mr. Speaker, the other thing that we should talk about in the Cabot 500th celebrations is the fact that the Minister of Tourism is ensuring that the parks that were going to be passed over to others to manage, to operate are being done in such a profoundly important way that ensures that they will be available for the tourists that will flow to this Province this year. Mr. Speaker, she and her staff have dedicated themselves to ensuring that people have parks if they want to park in parks or have places to stay in terms of hotel rooms. There is lots of room, space available on ferries, there is space available in hotels and everything. We should be getting the message out and make sure that people believe and understand that everything is not filled up, that there is lots of room for those who wish to travel here and help us to enjoy this Cabot 500th season.

MR. J. BYRNE: Where? Here.

MR. CANNING: Mr. Speaker, the hon. member from Cape St. Francis asked me where. Mr. Speaker, the member from Cape St. Francis usually spends a lot of time researching his issues, he usually is the best most researched member in the House on the Opposition side.

MR. J. BYRNE: What?

MR. CANNING: The member from Cape. St. Francis is usually the most researched member on the Opposition side. Usually, he never asks why or how, he knows those things, he usually tells us, now he is asking where there are places to stay. Mr. Speaker, I am just shocked and surprised and I hope that the next polls do not reflect his lack of research on this very important issue, but it may, you never know. There are no guarantees in this life and I must say we missed him the last few days, where he really did have a chance to make a few gains in his poll, but he just failed to show up.

Mr. Speaker, just in closing though I would like to wish all members in their ridings a great tourism season. All jokes aside this is a magnificently important season that many of our people in all of our ridings will have a chance to participate in the workforce this year and some for the first time in a while. Many students I am sure will be hired and will have a few dollars to take back to University and College.

I wish all members would take it upon themselves to make sure that this is the very best tourism season ever in this Province. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

MR. SPEAKER (Barrett): The hon. the Member for Conception Bay South.

MR. FRENCH: Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of this particular motion. I won't take too much of the House's time. As a matter of fact, I will only take a couple of minutes. But this summer Softball Newfoundland in conjunction with Softball of Canada are going to be hosting the World Youth Tournament in the Province of Newfoundland and Labrador, of course at the Caribou Complex. Again, it is all part of the Cabot celebrations.

We invite everybody to turn out for this particular event. It will see - right now I think the figure is at some thirteen countries, one of which is Canada. So we are going to be bringing in twelve countries from around this world. Nobody needs to convince me of the benefit of tourism, and especially the benefit of sport to tourism. We all go back to 1994 when we brought some twenty-six countries into this Province and they had a great time. They saw a lot of this Province. When they were here you couldn't get a hotel room and you couldn't rent a boat and you couldn't rent a car. It was just a great thing for this Province. So of course we are in support of this motion. Everybody in this Province hopes that our Cabot celebrations are a huge success. So thank you very much.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Member for Port au Port.

MR. SMITH: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I'm pleased to have an opportunity to rise in support of the resolution which stands in the name of my friend the Member for Topsail. Obviously from the remarks that we have heard here in this hon. House this afternoon it is a resolution which I feel confident will be supported unanimously in this hon. House.

It is interesting that on an occasion such as this - I recall just a few years ago in 1992 when we were marking the quincentennial of the discovery of North America by Christopher Columbus. An event by any standards, certainly historically significant. But it is interesting the kinds of issues that arise surrounding what seems on the surface to be a fairly straightforward event. The Members of this House would probably recall that at the Columbus discovery the concerns that were expressed with the introduction of Christianity into the New World, and the impact it had on the aboriginal peoples. It kind of detracted from the celebration.

Similarly, as we mark the 500th anniversary of the discovery of our own Province by John Cabot, we hear in some circles as well the same issues being raised. For example, we get people asking the question: Well, first of all, was Cabot indeed the first European to arrive here? In recent years there is some research that would certainly bring into question whether in fact he was the first European to arrive in this part of the New World.

Also, we certainly, in some quarters, among our aboriginal peoples, have some expression of concern. I think that there is no questioning, no one can deny the fact that they were very much in evidence in this part of the world long before the arrival of the Europeans. Also, I guess, we certainly hear from the West Coast of the Province. It has been documented and historically established that the Vikings made a landfall and indeed established a settlement on the northern tip of the West Coast of the Province some 500 years prior to the acknowledged arrival of the Europeans.

But the bottom line is that really it doesn't matter an awful lot. What we are doing in this year - we do know that 500 years ago John Cabot did make landfall somewhere here in this part of the North American continent. I'm sure that everyone in this hon. House has no doubt at all that that landfall was indeed Cape Bonavista. The important thing, and the thing that we recognize and should keep in mind is that what we are acknowledging here is that there was a significant event which happened some 500 years ago when John Cabot and his crew arrived in this part of the world and things changed forever. Things in this part of the world were never the same again, and there is no question about that. There is no denying that. If you reflect back over the course of those 500 ensuing years, it is significant to see what, indeed, has transpired in this part of the world.

Why indeed, then, do we recognize it and choose to recognize it? Because by any measure it is a significant event. It is not to detract from the fact that the Aboriginal peoples were here long in advance of the arrival of the Europeans. It is not to detract from the fact that the Vikings had made a landfall here many hundreds of years earlier. The event, in and of itself, was significant, and it is worthwhile that we do choose to mark it in this, the 500th year after it had occurred.

I think the fact that this Province, through the Department of Tourism, has chosen, in this Cabot Celebration year, to engage and embark on a significant and major tourism attraction and tourism season whereby we are saying to all of the world: Come to Newfoundland. Come, see what we have to offer. Come, meet our people. Come, get to know our customs and our values. Come, share some time with us.

Mr. Speaker, the bottom line is, an event of this nature provides our government and the Department of Tourism with a unique opportunity to package what we do have here in this Province, to promote our Province to the rest of the world; and while there is no question that there will be significant benefits in this, the year of the Cabot 500 Celebrations, it is also equally evident that these benefits will live on long into the future, and some of the things that we will accomplish this year, some of the benefits that we will achieve from this year, will have repercussions year after year after year. Because it is a known fact in tourism that the best advertising you can get is the advertising that you get from people who visit and leave and tell their friends what they found and what they saw here in this new found land.

It will be important to us, especially as elected members, those of us who have the privilege to sit in this hon. House at this point in time representing our various jurisdictions, to make sure that we play a prominent role in ensuring that these celebrations are indeed successful.

Mr. Speaker, in my own area of the Province, the area where I reside, we are choosing in this year to indeed focus on what we see as being things of significance to us, things that we have which we feel we would like to share with other people, and there are two areas in which they fall. First of all, I am very proud of the fact that the district I represent, as I have indicated on different occasions in this hon. House, is the only bilingual district on the Island portion of the Province, and it is the area of the Province where the Francophones, who are descendants from among the earliest Europeans to arrive in this area, in this Province, their descendants today live on the Port au Port Peninsula and in Bay St. George generally, and especially in my district of Port au Port. These people still, on a daily basis, in their business, in their homes, the language that they use is the language of their forefathers, that language brought over to this part of our Province by the earliest French explorers and the earliest French settlers on that coast.

Mr. Speaker, the French fact in Port au Port, the French fact in Bay St. George in the West Coast, indeed is a major part of our overall tourism strategy, and we are using that to try to attract to our Province, and specifically to our own area, in particular, people of French-speaking persuasion, fellow Francophones from throughout North America and indeed the world. We are asking them to come to the Port au Port Peninsula, to come to Bay St. George and see for themselves the unique history and culture with the European values brought over many years ago and, Mr. Speaker, by other values which our society has been subjected to and we have been influenced by over the intervening years. One of these in particular is the American influence which that area of the Province experienced as well for some years. The American base existed in Stephenville from the '40s through to the mid-'60s. Right now in the Stephenville - Bay St. George area through the festival coast tourism committee we are trying to capitalize on the fact that there was, for many years, this strong American influence in our area. An influence, Mr. Speaker, which will never be forgotten because many of the servicemen who served in that area of the Province married local girls, moved back to the States and as a result there has been this ongoing connection between our area and many of the American states.

Mr. Speaker, right now through the festival coast tourism committee, we are centering much of our activity in that area around the idea of the American influence in what is commonly referred to as the friendly invasion. The fact that there were so many of our American friends who lived and worked among us for so many years. Now many of the activities in the Stephenville area, many of the tourism activities are geared towards and intended to attract back many of these servicemen who were here years ago, their families who now live in the States, to come back to visit with us and to relive some of those days when the Stephenville area was a thriving community supported by an American base with many American servicemen and many, many civilian employees that were drawn, Mr. Speaker, from all areas of the Province.

So indeed it is significant to the whole of the Province. There is no question that when the base operated in Stephenville the civilian workforce that were employed there came from throughout this Province. Very often today, Mr. Speaker, as I travel around the Province I meet people who themselves or their fathers or grandfathers were at one time employed at the American base and they can regale me with some of the stories and activities that were ongoing back at that very significant time in the history of our Province. But, Mr. Speaker, beyond the specific themes I think the thing that stands out most in terms of promoting our Province in this the Cabot year, the year of the Cabot celebrations is the fact that we are in many ways unique.

There is no doubt when you leave this Province, and I guess to all of us - I am sure all of us from time to time have occasion to leave the Province, to travel in some of the other provinces, that you are immediately struck by the fact that some of the other provinces, especially some of the other Atlantic provinces, perhaps do a little more in terms of promoting and packaging what they have.

This has always impressed me, whenever I have had occasion to visit the province of Prince Edward Island - it is a very small province and in terms of what it has to offer, in terms of the natural resources that it has, Mr. Speaker, it certainly is very, very small. On a scale I guess compared to Newfoundland, you have to recognize that it certainly does not have the advantages that we possess in this Province. Even in terms of the tourism, if you travel the province of PEI you cannot be struck by the fact that it is pretty well - not to be disrespectful of that province but it is fairly monotonous. It is fairly flat and there are not a lot of distinguishing features, unless you are impressed by the ocean and coming from Newfoundland, I mean they need a little more than the ocean to impress you. Beyond that, the thing that strikes you as you travel our province of Newfoundland is the kinds of variety that you see, the beautiful mountains, the forests and the variety of the trees but the one thing that really stands out, Mr. Speaker, is the fact that our Province is still fairly pristine.

We are still somewhat unspoiled. We have been fortunate, maybe in a way we have been spared by virtue of the fact that we have not and we resisted the temptation to resort to a lot of these artificial attractions which we find in areas like PEI, and I am personally impressed by the fact that we, as a Province, as part of our strategy to bring people here, are not trying to compete with provinces like PEI; we are not promoting things like the wax museums or Ripley's Believe It Or Not, not that there is anything wrong with these but, Mr. Speaker, we don't need that. The natural beauty that we have here, the kinds of things that we have, eco-tourism, is the term now that everybody subscribes to, that everyone follows.

This is a strength that we have and this is the sort of thing I think that we need to continue to package and promote; to ensure that our Province does remain unspoiled because people will want to come here to see what in fact we do have and there no question, Mr. Speaker, that once they come here and they have a chance to meet our people, they are bound to be impressed certainly by the people and beyond that, there is no question, Mr. Speaker, that they will be impressed by the land itself, by the variety that is here and the fact that it is, as I said, still in a relatively pristine condition.

Mr. Speaker, I hear from time to time and I have heard it raised in this honourable House, and I hear from people in my own district about some of the disadvantages, and one of the things, Mr. Speaker, and I would like to take advantage of this opportunity this afternoon just to raise it in this forum. One of the things that I hear constantly being referred to as a drawback to tourism in Newfoundland is the ferry service. Now there is no question that it does pose some problems, there is no denying that, those of us who use the ferry and I guess, perhaps those of us who are leaving the Island to go elsewhere, it is probably more of a nuisance factor to us than it is very often to people coming here.

Mr. Speaker, I submit, while we must fight and work to maintain a good ferry service, a top notch service to the people coming to the Province, we should also not lose sight of the fact that the markets that we are going into, the people whom we are trying to attract, there are people out there who will see in the idea of going to an area, an Island, that you have to get on a ferry and travel for some six or seven hours to get to it, gives it somewhat of a mystique, makes it somewhat special. It makes it somewhat of a special destination and, Mr. Speaker, I contend that now, with the completion of the fixed link to PEI, really, Newfoundland is now going to be the only Island in this area that can truly have that distinction, and if you are coming now from the other provinces of our own great country, or if you are coming from the United States this is the sort of thing you want to do, Newfoundland is the place to be.

MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!

The hon. member's time is up.

MR. SMITH: By leave, Mr. Speaker, just a minute to finish up?

MR. SPEAKER: By leave.

AN HON. MEMBER: (Inaudible).

MR. SMITH: You have my word.

Mr. Speaker, there is no question. The fact that we have chosen in this year of the Cabot celebrations, this year marking the 500th anniversary of the discovery or re-discovery of our Province by John Cabot, that we are choosing in this year to make it a year of celebration and I guess we are now on the eve of the real season of celebration, the summer months, the upcoming arrival of the Matthew, the Royal visit and the many hundreds of activities that are planned throughout our Province. There is no question this is going to be a great summer to holiday in our Province. And there is no question, Mr. Speaker, that each and every one of us who sit in this honourable House have an important role to play, to be front and centre not only in promoting these activities but also to be front and centre in supporting these activities where and whenever they take place.

Mr. Speaker, before I conclude I would just like to commend the minister and her staff, the Cabot Corporation and the many volunteers throughout the Province who have worked so hard over the last number of months bringing together this program which is going to showcase this Province to the whole of the world.

Mr. Speaker, from what I have seen to this point in time and from the activities that I have seen that we have planned, I feel pretty confident that we are not going to be disappointed.

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker.

MR. SPEAKER: All those in favour of the resolution, `aye'.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Aye.

AN HON. MEMBER: (Inaudible).

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

MR. ANDERSEN: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I too want to rise today to congratulate my colleague from Topsail on his resolution. Coming from the riding that is furthest away from the House of Assembly and where a lot of the activities will take place, I can say that the people up in my area are happy for the celebrations, but I also want to talk for just a few seconds on some of the things that are happening in our area.

We for the first time are seeing restoration programs being put in place and I guess it is ironic that it happens with the Cabot celebrations. The aboriginal people which I represent have expressed some reservations about the Cabot celebrations, but I am sure that when all is said and done, they too will join in and understand the true meaning of the 500 years and the celebration that is being planned.

I want to compliment the minister and her staff for the fine work that they have done and I want to congratulate my colleague for bringing this motion forward. So, on behalf of the people in the riding of Torngat Mountains, I congratulate all people and volunteers and look forward to a happy summer.

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

MR. EFFORD: This is one of the most important resolutions that could come on a private members day at any time in the House of Assembly because we are now on the threshold of creating a whole new tourism industry in this Province in the future and if we do not take advantage of it now, we are going to lose big time. That is the reason why when I was sitting down earlier this afternoon, when my colleague from Topsail introduced the resolution and the member from Signal Hill-Quidi Vidi made the statement, can't we talk about something more serious. What resolution more serious could we talk about this afternoon, but developing a tourism industry, an economic growth in the future of this Province could benefit for years and years and years to come.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. EFFORD: I do not know what the average annual income that the Minister of Tourism would spend in advertisements and promotions world wide. What would be the amount of money on an annual basis?

MS KELLY: $1.8 million.

MR. EFFORD: About $1.8 million on an annual basis to promote tourism to promote Newfoundland and Labrador.

The benefits that we are going to get out of people coming to this Province this year, by celebrating the 500 birthday, by the Queen coming, by the Matthew coming and all of the other ceremonies that are going to take place in this Province, there is not enough money that you could spend in any ten years that could equal the gains that we are going to get in this Province this year. Mr. Speaker, we have to take advantage of it. We have to do it right, we do not have any choice and to make a statements like the member made this afternoon, to talk about something more serious. We are talking every day, every single day in our lives we are saying there are not enough job opportunities in this Province. We are saying that we have the most natural resources equal to anywhere in the world, we are talking about our fishery, our mining, our oil developments and all other things, but what better opportunity to develop an industry, then the tourism industry.

I mean look at the little province of PEI, with 220,000, 230,000 population and three-quarters of a million visitors on an annual basis, 750,000 people taking in millions and millions and millions of dollars.

AN HON. MEMBER: 120,000.

MR. EFFORD: One hundred and twenty thousand people and taking three-quarters of a million of tourists on an annual basis. If Newfoundland could only get one-third of that on an annual basis, can you imagine the money that would turn into the economy of this Province? Can you imagine the spin-off impact that would have on this Province?

Mr. Speaker, we live in the greatest country in the world. The United Nations recommends Canada as the country to visit, as the country to live in, the envy of the whole world to live in. Newfoundland and Labrador, to my thinking, my imagination, my vision, my expectation, is the greatest province in Canada to live. A population of 550,000 people, a scenery unlike any other part of this country of ours, pristine environment. People who will open up their homes and open up their communities to any tourist who comes into the Province. We have so much to offer.

The problem that we have encountered over the years is getting this out to the rest of the world. I have said many times in speeches that I've given: there is good in everything that happens in this Province. We complain about the weather, but the one statement that I have made: You will never get skin cancer from the weather that we have here in Newfoundland. So there is a good side of it. Seriously. I'm quite serious about that. There are people in the world who look for this type of weather. There are people in the world who live in that type of climate who long to come to a country where they can enjoy the pristine environment, the cool air, the hiking trails, the boating, the marine environment, the hunting and the fishing, and all of those things.

I will tell you a story. About two years ago a friend of mine had two visitors from Florida, people who when he went to Florida he stayed in their motel. Two years ago they came out to the community in which I live. For the first time ever they were in Newfoundland. He asked me one day: If you get time, would you take them out in your boat? I said: Sure, I would do anything for an afternoon on the boat.

This particular afternoon, it was a beautiful sunny afternoon, about 12 degrees, nothing to get excited over, the temperature. Calm. The man and his wife and myself and my wife were on the fly bridge of the boat going across. We were almost over to Bell Island and Kelly's Island. The lady looked at me and she said, with her mouth and eyes wide open: Why would you people ever leave this and come down to Florida? Those were her exact words. Look at the scenery, look at the clean water, no pollution. Look at the friendliness of the people, look at the atmosphere. I mean, why do you people ever leave this?

I turned around and I looked at my wife and I said: You know, she's right. Why do we worry, why do we take everything for granted? Look, I've had a boat. For the last twenty-five years I've never taken the key out of the ignition on the boat. I've had a dozen boats. All the electronics and all the tools and everything that is aboard that boat, you can leave it out in that community and you never have to worry. You go in any city -

AN HON. MEMBER: (Inaudible).

MR. EFFORD: Out in Port de Grave, sir. You go to any city, you go to any part of this world, you can't even get out of your car or your vehicle and go into the convenience store to pick up a package of cigarettes or a drink without locking everything up. In fact, in Miami you can't even go up to a red light and stop without locking your doors. That is a fact. You dare not stop at a red light in the city of Miami unless your doors are locked. If not, you are asking for trouble.

We have an opportunity here this year, Mr. Speaker, to put us on the threshold of a major tourism industry of the future. We have to focus on, when the people come in here, we have to make them aware of all the things we have. We have to entertain them, we have to show them our Newfoundland hospitable ways in which we do things.

But there is something we must do, there is something we must change. When I just got back just a few short weeks ago from Italy, you go into a restaurant in Italy - we are talking about the expense of living here in Newfoundland. It is ridiculous. It isn't expensive. I was in Italy and I was in Iceland and Norway in the last four or five months. Sitting down in the lobby of a restaurant I decided at noon to have lunch. Because of my illness I have to eat at a certain time. I had a club sandwich and a glass of just draught beer, $24. A cup of coffee, $4. A hotel room, $300 minimum. Not in a tourism season. This was in October.

The cheapest meal that you get in London, England, of fish and chips, $15, $20. A hamburger, $8.50. We complain about a restaurant here where you go in and have a full course breakfast - let me tell you about their breakfasts.

That is the one to bring it home in understanding what it is all about. In London, I had bacon, eggs, cereal, juice and coffee, $52 Canadian. Down at Hotel Newfoundland, the best kind of a breakfast for $11, and we are talking about us being too expensive? We don't know what we are talking about. Do you know what we do? Like we were talking about here last night, what we do in Newfoundland is find the negative in everything. We have heard it hour after hour in the speeches here in this House of Assembly: Find the negative; never find the positive.

Go anywhere travelling. When tourists come to this Province, or go anywhere, they want to see the scenery. They want to spend their money. They don't care if the price is fifty cents more or fifty cents less than somewhere else. They don't ask prices. The one fault that I have with the people in our Province is they don't charge enough.

I was up to Harbour Breton -

AN HON. MEMBER: Where did you stay when you were in London?

MR. EFFORD: Just in an ordinary hotel, not a suite, an ordinary hotel.

I was up last year with my friend in Harbour Breton at the fishery forum, and one of my staff stayed in a bed and breakfast. They paid $25 for a bed and breakfast. That woman or individual who owns that bed and breakfast cannot make money.

MR. DECKER: Twenty-five dollars?

MR. EFFORD: Twenty-five dollars for a night in a beautiful home, a beautiful meal; they cannot do enough for you.

Tourists will walk down in the community, like the community in which I live, and people will come out and say, `Come in for a cup of tea.' And they will go in for a cup of tea and a lunch, and the next thing they will say is, `How much do I owe you?' `Oh, you don't owe us anything for that.' We have to change our thinking in the way in which we cost out our services.

People like to come to this Province. Tourists expect to pay. All we have to do is charge a fair and reasonable price to earn the income that we should be making from tourists the same as when we travel.

MR. J. BYRNE: Can you believe that, Mr. Speaker, $52 for a breakfast?

AN HON. MEMBER: If it was your own money you would be more careful.

MR. J. BYRNE: That's for sure.

MR. EFFORD: Mr. Speaker, there is the reason why we are no better off in this Province. This is what managed this Province for seventeen years. This is the kind of idiot thinking that we have in this Province. It is unbelievable that we are on the threshold of bringing tens of thousands of people into this Province this year and that is the type of mentality that a lot of the people are going to see, the two (inaudible) on the other side. If we could hide them away for five or six months we would make a lot of gains. If we could hide some of that train of thought over there, we would be a lot better off at the end of this tourist season. But we will make gains this year.

The Minister of Tourism, Culture and Recreation is to be congratulated on the job that she has done organizing the come home celebrations, the 500 birthday celebrations this year.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. EFFORD: Mr. Speaker, what we have to do is give the support necessary in all of our communities. Out in the community where I live we have a full week of celebrations put together, from June 27 until the following Sunday night, which I think is around August 8 or 9, a full week of celebrations with a whole community that is going to be opened up not only to the tourists coming in but a come home celebration - a crab festival, a flotilla, a codfish celebration, the salt fish and everything, the museum celebration - and all of the people in the community are getting together, and it is happening province-wide. Province-wide it is happening, but we have to focus on a positive initiative. We have to all believe this is our golden opportunity to take advantage of educating the world about what advantages we have here in this Province. But I think, listening to some of the speakers opposite this afternoon, and especially the statement made by the Member for Signal Hill - Quidi Vidi, we need to do a lot of educating home here. We need to change a lot of the negative aspects these people are talking about here in this Province.

It is shameful to say that we would not all be out in full support of the resolution put forth by the Member for Topsail this afternoon and say this is not a waste of time. This needs to be done. We need now to get focused. It is no good next October, next November, next December looking back on the tourism season saying: I wish we had done this. I wish we had done something else. I wish we had acted more differently.' Mr. Speaker, let us celebrate our 500th birthday, but let us take advantage of it to build major tourism in the Province of Newfoundland and Labrador that we look on for the long term in the future and not the short term.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

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

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

I stand very proudly this afternoon to support this resolution. My hon. colleagues this afternoon have spoken eloquently. In particular, my colleague, the Member for Grand Falls - Buchans so greatly outlined the activities that are taking place in her district. I would like to say that in all of our districts we have these types of things happening. The celebration in our Province is not just for this summer. It started on January 1 and will go to December 31.

It is very important for us to realize while we are celebrating this 500th anniversary, that this is an important anniversary for our country, in fact, for all of North America. We are talking about the European discovery. We all know that for thousands of years, our aboriginal people were here and that almost 1,000 years ago the Vikings arrived. But 500 years ago, John Cabot arrived, and since then, much has happened to our society, much that is really, really good. We have so much to celebrate, our land, our culture, our history, our people, our music, our food, our scenery - we have it all. And this year we have brought it all together in a major, major celebration.

We have more than 10,000 volunteers involved in these celebrations. This is like a year-long Olympics. It is very important to us, not only from an economic point of view - we hope to bring in over 60,000 extra tourists - but to celebrate what I have just outlined to you so much. I think other hon. members have described that in this Province we often have a negative attitude. This year, we want to profile ourselves very proudly to the world to show them what we have to offer. Everyone has come together for this celebration. As I have said, we have 10,000 volunteers but we have all levels of government. We have Municipal, Provincial and Federal Government and, for the first time in our history, we have major corporate sponsorships. The first to come on board was the Lebatt Company, NewTel, Sobeys, Marine Atlantic; Voisey's Bay Nickel put $250,000 into the Labrador games.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MS KELLY: Air Canada, Air Nova, Petro Canada and the list goes on. These are the major corporate sponsors of the five Anchor events, but throughout all of the regions -

MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!

Under the rules of the House, at 4:45 on Private Members' Day, the Chair has to call on the Member for Topsail to close the debate on the motion, unless the Member for Topsail is willing to give the minister some time.

MR. WISEMAN: No problem, Mr. Speaker.

MS KELLY: Close debate?

MR. WISEMAN: No, I will give you some time.

MS KELLY: Okay, no problem.

I would just like to end by saying, I hope that all of us this year support this important event. This is important to our people, it is important to our economy and it is important that if we are to launch ourselves, as we have stated as a government on so many occasions, that we have these three important economic sectors, one being aquaculture, the others being the IT industry and tourism. This is our year to proudly step forward and to show the world what we have as a people and a culture and it will also enhance our economic opportunities and will lead to jobs. Already, the hotels are telling us that they have greatly enhanced reservations for this year and that already they have not had to have the normal lay-offs, that they are keeping people on who traditionally would not be employed at this time of the year.

Thank you all very much for getting behind this and I hope that every one of you in your districts this summer will be out there working with the volunteers to profile this Province for what it truly is.

Thank you very much.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Member for Topsail. If he speaks now, he closes the debate.

The hon. the Member for Topsail.

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

I think the motion has been well discussed here this evening but I want to say, Mr. Speaker, from a personal perspective, I am quite proud that -

AN HON. MEMBER: Overwhelmed.

MR. WISEMAN: - overwhelmed - yes, I could say I am overwhelmed, that a young individual by the name of Chris LeGrow was chosen from my district to sail from England to Bonavista. And I am sure, Mr. Speaker, that he is representative of all the youth in this Province. And, coming from my district, of course, Mr. Speaker, it is only fitting that he be chosen to be on such a voyage. I believe that -

AN HON. MEMBER: What did his mother do for Newfoundland and Labrador?

MR. WISEMAN: Now, Mr. Speaker, the member is asking me what his mother did. Well, Mr. Speaker, his mother is a wise woman. She sought the nomination for the Liberal Party in the District of Topsail; unfortunately, she did not get enough votes - fortunately for me.

Mr. Speaker, all of us in this House want to do our part to make the Cabot 500 celebrations a very successful event, and we want to do that not for ourselves, but for the people of this Province. Because it is a prime opportunity for us to attract new dollars to this Province - as we said earlier, talking in the vicinity of $35 million to $40 million. With a new initiative, with a new approach, by all of us in this House taking a positive approach, I am certain that these figures could be much higher. As one of the members has said, we are celebrating our ancestry. Because of our ancestors we are here today in this hon. House. We are proud to be here, and we are proud to be Newfoundlanders and Labradorians. Mr. Speaker, we are equally proud to be Canadians, since we just learned that Canada has once again won the gold medal in world hockey.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. WISEMAN: But, Mr. Speaker, we do not apply ourselves to making this Province a better place - we just do not do it. I do not know whether it is not in our nature, whether we are a little bit too humble. Mr. Speaker, it is time for us in 1997 to get on with the business of making this Province a better province for all Newfoundlanders and Labradorians.

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker, and I move the motion.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

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

All those in favour of the resolution, please say `aye'.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Aye!

MR. SPEAKER: Against, `nay'. Carried.

The hon. the Government House Leader.

MR. TULK: Mr. Speaker, before we move the adjournment of the House - I was just getting into a little conference, getting into a little bit of a co-operative conference, with the Opposition House Leader. I believe he will agree to this, but if he needs something moved around here tomorrow I am prepared to move it around.

Tomorrow, we are going to do legislation. It is my intention at this time, unless we have a discussion that changes our minds, to start with, Order No. 5 on today's Order Paper, and then proceed down through - unless we have a discussion that changes otherwise tomorrow. I will, of course, in the spirit of co-operation, make an attempt to notify the single member of the NDP.

Mr. Speaker, I move that this House adjourn until tomorrow at 2:00 p.m.

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

MR. H. HODDER: If I could just ask the Government House Leader one question. Do you intend to begin with the resolution and Bill No. 11 and finish the three hours there first, or go directly to the legislation?

MR. TULK: (Inaudible) Order No. 5 on the Order Paper (inaudible).

MR. H. HODDER: Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker.

On motion, the House at its rising adjourned until tomorrow, Thursday, at 2:00 p.m.