March
2, 2017
HOUSE OF ASSEMBLY PROCEEDINGS
Vol. XLVIII No. 62
The
House met at 1:30 p.m.
MR. SPEAKER (Osborne):
Order, please!
Admit
strangers.
Today,
we welcome to the public gallery: Patricia Hynes-Coates, who is the National
President of Mothers Against Drunk Driving Canada, as well as her husband, Terry
Coates, the President of MADD Avalon, along with other members of MADD.
SOME HON. MEMBERS:
Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER:
Also in the gallery today is
Mayor Tony Keats, who is the Mayor of Dover, and the Vice-President of MNL.
SOME HON. MEMBERS:
Hear, hear!
Statements by
Members
MR. SPEAKER:
Today, we have Members'
statements from the Members of the Districts of Burin Grand Bank, Terra Nova,
Ferryland, Fortune Bay Cape La Hune, Bonavista and Mount Pearl South.
The hon.
the Member for Burin Grand Bank.
MS. HALEY:
Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
I rise
today to recognize two residents from my District of Burin Grand Bank, both
members of the Canadian Coast Guard, Ray Cuza, originally from my hometown of
Point May, now residing in Fortune, and George Bennett of Grand Bank.
Mr. Cuza
recently travelled to Ottawa to receive an Exceptional Sailors award, the first
recipient from the Atlantic region, Mr. Speaker. Through their quick actions,
Mr. Cuza and another crew member were able to rescue a colleague who had fallen
into the sea while attempting to board a tanker. Mr. Cuza prevented the
individual from drowning and got him safely aboard the
Leonard J. Cowley.
Meanwhile, last month George Bennett was recognized for 30 years of service when
the Lieutenant Governor presented him with the Exemplary Service Medal and bar.
Both Mr.
Cuza and Mr. Bennett are shining examples of the dedicated personnel who serve
with the Canadian Coast Guard, Mr. Speaker.
I ask
all Members to join me in congratulating two outstanding individuals on their
well-deserved awards, and in thanking all members of the Canadian Coast Guard
for helping protect our marine environment and for keeping our mariners safe
while at sea.
Thank
you, Mr. Speaker.
SOME HON. MEMBERS:
Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER:
The hon. the Member for the
District of Terra Nova.
MR. HOLLOWAY:
Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
I rise
in this hon. House to pay tribute to a long-time community volunteer from my
district.
Born in
Hodge's Cove, Trinity Bay, Mrs. Florence Green attended a one-room all-grade
school from where she graduated in 1950. In July 1952, Mrs. Green joined the
Royal Canadian Air Force and spent three years at various posts in Ontario and
Quebec.
Upon
returning to Newfoundland and Labrador, Florence spent the next 40 years
teaching school at Loreburn, Norris Arm, Goobies, Hodge's Cove and Little
Heart's Ease, where, as vice-principal, she retired in 1991.
Throughout her life, Mrs. Green has been a prominent member of the Hodge's Cove
United Church Women's Association. As well, her initial six-month appointment to
the Dr. G.B. Cross Memorial Hospital's board of directors resulted in a nine
and-a-half-year tenure.
Florence
finished with the board in October 1996, but remained as an active member of the
Ladies Auxiliary Committee until a fall in December 2016 necessitated her
present stay at the Clarenville Retirement Centre. Now into her mid-80s, Mrs.
Green continues with her devoted work by telephone.
I ask
all hon. Members to join me in acknowledging Mrs. Florence Green for her
long-time dedication as a teacher and community volunteer.
SOME HON. MEMBERS:
Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER:
The hon. the Member for the
District of Ferryland.
MR. HUTCHINGS:
Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Mr.
Speaker, I stand in the House today to recognize the Goulds Atom B Pacers
players and coaches who took home the gold medal at the 24th Annual All Star
Invitational Christmas Hockey Tournament that was held in Mount Pearl from
December 27-30. The Pacers, aged nine and ten, played five regular games over a
four-day period before moving on to the championship game against St. John's
Caps, where they defeated the Caps 3-1 to claim their gold medals.
Members
of the winning team are: Colton Chafe, Jackson Collier, Aiden Curtis, Kalem
Dalton, Christopher Fagan, Colby Howlett, Azlan Hubley, Ingo Jonsson, Harrison
Lynch, Jacob McDonald, Kirk Noel, Daniel O'Brien, Owen O'Driscoll, Ben Ryan,
Brendan Ryan and Adrian Whelan. Coaches were: Bob Lynch, Peter Ryan, Colin
Howlett and Andrew McDonald.
I would
like to congratulate the players on a job well done and working together to win
the tournament. I would also like to acknowledge their coaches and volunteers
for giving so freely of their time and for the great job they do in training and
preparing players for their game.
Mr.
Speaker, I ask all Members of the House to join me in congratulating the Goulds
Atom B Pacers team on their accomplishments.
Thank
you very much.
SOME HON. MEMBERS:
Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER:
The hon. the Member for the
District of Fortune Bay Cape La Hune.
MS. PERRY:
Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
I rise
in this hon. House to pay tribute to Dr. Ragaie Diebes, our incredibly dedicated
doctor to the residents on the South Coast for over 42 years. Recently, Dr.
Diebes received much deserved recognition from Wow the World and took his place
on our Pathway of Heroes at the St. Alban's Community Park.
Wow the
World celebrates the extraordinary stories of everyday people making a
difference, and it surprises none us that Wow's most read and liked story of
2016 featured our very own Dr. Diebes.
We have
felt very fortunate and grateful that Dr. Diebes chose our rural area to call
his home. First, he practiced from the fondly remembered old doctor's house,
with limited equipment and staff, and then later opened the Bay d'Espoir Medical
Clinic in 1974 where he still practices today. He is not only our doctor, he is
our friend.
Mr.
Speaker, I ask all Members of this House to join me in thanking our local hero
for all his years of mending our cuts, bruises, broken bones and also helping us
through many family illnesses. Dr. Diebes devotion to medicine and our region
continues to wow us and we are so proud of his presence on our Pathway of
Heroes.
Thank
you, Mr. Speaker.
SOME HON. MEMBERS:
Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER:
The hon. the Member for the
District of Bonavista.
MR. KING:
Mr. Speaker, on the weekend
of December 9 and 10, Discovery Collegiate in Bonavista played host to the
School Sports Newfoundland and Labrador 3A Boys Varsity Volleyball Provincials.
Eight teams from across the province competed in this tournament, including the
host Destroyers who went undefeated in winning the championship.
The
Discovery Collegiate Destroyers boys' volleyball team is comprised of members
who are mainly in grade 12 and have been playing together for over four years.
In fact, there are members on the team who are part of the selection process for
the NL Canada Games Team.
After
going 3-0 in the round robin, Discovery faced Pasadena Academy in the semi-final
winning in a hard fought match in straight sets. The final saw a three-set
thriller between the host and Jens Haven Memorial Huskies from Nain.
Discovery won the first set, with the Huskies taking the second. The third set
came down to the wire with the Destroyers eking out a 15-13 victory. Special
recognition goes to Joshua Maloney for winning the Sportsmanship Award for
Discovery and Piccadilly Central High for winning the team award.
I ask
all hon. Members to join with me in congratulating Discovery Collegiate on their
win and all teams on their strong performances and sportsmanship.
SOME HON. MEMBERS:
Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER:
The hon. the Member for the
District of Mount Pearl Southlands.
MR. LANE:
Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
It's my
privilege to rise in this hon. House to offer congratulations to a group of
individuals who have made a significant contribution to sport in my community.
Once again, this year's Mount Pearl Athletic Awards was a tremendous success
which highlighted the achievements and emphasized the important role that sport
has played and continues to play in the development of youth and adults alike
within our great city. There were a number of very worthy nominees again this
year in five categories.
Congratulations to this year's winners: Peter Halliday Executive of the Year
award winner; Melanie Hallett of Campia Gymnastics; Coach of the Year, Andrew
Murphy of the Mount Pearl Soccer Association; Female Athlete of the Year,
Jennifer Boland, and Male Athlete of the Year, Daniel Kelloway, both
representing Pearlgate Track and Field; and Team of the Year, the Mount Pearl
First Choice Haircutters Men's Challenge Cup soccer team.
Mr.
Speaker, I would ask all Members of this hon. House to join me in congratulating
these individuals on this significant accomplishment and wish them all the very
best in their future sporting endeavours.
Thank
you, Mr. Speaker.
SOME HON. MEMBERS:
Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER:
Statements by Ministers.
Statements by
Ministers
MR. SPEAKER:
The hon. the Minister of
Transportation and Works.
MR. HAWKINS:
Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
It's a
pleasure for me to rise today and tell you that the Department of Transportation
and Works is focused on finding innovative ways to develop and improve vital
road infrastructure in Newfoundland and Labrador.
This
week, the Department of Transportation and Works issued a tender for an asphalt
testing pilot project that will examine what asphalt specification is best
suited for our climate and our environment. As part of this project, Mr.
Speaker, 4.7 kilometres of the Trans-Canada Highway between Foxtrap and Holyrood
will be paved with four different mixes of asphalt. These four sections will
then be annually monitored to develop and determine which specification is best
for our environment and our road conditions.
This is
an innovative approach to future road infrastructure and something that has not
been done before in the history of our province. We are all well aware of the
issues that we have with rutting and the same areas having to undergo repairs
year after year. This is not an effective use of taxpayers' dollars.
Mr.
Speaker, finding the best asphalt specification is a much better way to spend
the public's money. Working with the Heavy Civil Association of Newfoundland and
Labrador, this asphalt testing project will be evidence-based and share the
vision of The Way Forward, enabling us
to do more with less, improve outcomes, be more efficient and provide better
value for the money we spend.
Our
government looks forward to seeing the results of this project and to finding
even more ways that we can improve long-term outcomes for all Newfoundlanders
and Labradorians.
Thank
you, Mr. Speaker.
SOME HON. MEMBERS:
Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER:
The hon. the Member for
Conception Bay South.
MR. PETTEN:
Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
I want
to thank the minister for an advance copy of his statement. We acknowledge that
the province's harsh environment, particularly our wonderful winter season, and
how it can create problems for road longevity and maintenance.
Our
administration was exploring different methods and mixtures of asphalt in
attempts to find products better suited to our challenging conditions.
Hopefully, this initiative will build on the past work and create further
improvements.
Mr.
Speaker, seeing the government is keen in exploring ways to improve our
province's roadways, perhaps they can reinstate the 24-hour snow clearing
program after eliminating it in the 2016 budget. I want to remind the minister,
it's irrelevant how great the asphalt is if it's covered in six inches of snow
and ice.
Thank
you, minister.
SOME HON. MEMBERS:
Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER:
The hon. the Member for St.
John's East Quidi Vidi.
MS. MICHAEL:
Thank you very much, Mr.
Speaker.
And it
is good to see this much needed asphalt testing pilot project finally taken on
by the department.
SOME HON. MEMBERS:
Hear, hear!
MS. MICHAEL:
Our province's roads are in
atrocious condition. I do have some questions for the minister. He notes annual
monitoring of the four text sections. When will the results of the work be
ready? How long will it take, and has research been done about other parts of
the world with similar climatic and environmental conditions that we can use in
the interim?
Thank
you, Mr. Speaker.
MR. SPEAKER:
Further statements by
ministers?
The hon.
the Minister of Service NL.
MR. TRIMPER:
Thank you very much, Mr.
Speaker.
I rise
today to provide an update on the work we are doing to raise public awareness on
the importance of tackling climate change.
To
accomplish that goal, we have updated our Turn Back the Tide website to provide
user-friendly information about climate change and energy efficiency.
On the
site, people can find information about saving energy, reducing waste
generation, and being more fuel-efficient on the road. Businesses can find
information on reducing their greenhouse gas emissions and operating costs and
improving their environmental sustainability while communities can access
resources on improving resilience to our changing climate through
infrastructure, land use planning and emergency management.
I'm
especially proud of the section on schools which helps children learn about
climate change. We have created a new interactive tool that will allow teachers
to educate students on this issue and how they can take action in the classroom.
Mr.
Speaker, our government is committed to advancing action on climate change, and
this is only one example of our public awareness efforts. Other initiatives
include innovative use of social media and providing training for energy
efficient building practices. We continue to engage on the Pan-Canadian
Framework on Clean Growth and will develop a provincial climate change action
plan to build strong communities and a prosperous, low-carbon economy.
Thank
you.
SOME HON. MEMBERS:
Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER:
The hon. the Member for
Conception Bay South.
MR. PETTEN:
Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
I want
to thank the minister for an advance copy of his statement. Mr. Speaker, climate
change is indeed an issue within our province, and I encourage all residents to
do their part to not only protect our environment but to protect the environment
of our future as well. Whether it be for community groups, school groups or
families, the Turn Back the Tide website does indeed have some very valuable
resources. However, Mr. Speaker, I must make mention of a recent move to
dismantle the Department of Environment and Climate Change. As a result of this,
there are a number of important environmental files which are lost in the
shuffle. Even the ministers opposite aren't sure of their responsibilities.
Furthermore, I would like to make mention of the government's climate change
management plan. The government also seems unsure if they are now following
their own made in Newfoundland solutions outlined in Bill 34 or are they now
following the made in Ottawa approach.
Thank
you.
MR. SPEAKER:
The hon. the Member for St.
John's Centre.
MS. ROGERS:
Thank you, Mr. Speaker, and I
thank the minister.
It's
interesting, the minister puts this forward without a provincial plan with teeth
or resources to help fight climate change. Other provinces have great
publicly-funded innovative programs, retrofitting homes and businesses with
progressive green energy programs. What do we have? Environment separated from
climate change, Muskrat Falls demanding we use every kilowatt of astronomically
expensive power, impoverishing our province, while huge carbon emitters are
still only being studied.
Climate
change
MR. SPEAKER:
Order, please!
MS. ROGERS:
it's government's climate that must change.
Thank
you, Mr. Speaker.
SOME HON. MEMBERS:
Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER:
Further statements by
ministers?
Oral
Questions.
Oral Questions
MR. SPEAKER:
The hon. the Leader of the
Opposition.
SOME HON. MEMBERS:
Hear, hear!
MR. P. DAVIS:
Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Well,
Mr. Speaker, after only a couple of days of negotiations this government has
made an unprecedented move so early in negotiations by requesting the
conciliation board's intervention.
I ask
the Premier: Why are you filing for conciliation so early in the process? You've
just begun negotiations.
MR. SPEAKER:
The hon. the Minister of
Finance and President of Treasury Board.
MS. C. BENNETT:
Mr. Speaker, I want to
correct the Member opposite. Negotiations have been ongoing since last fall. A
number of the collective bargaining units have met on numerous occasions. There
have been informal and formal discussions with the negotiating tables, with the
union leadership at NAPE, and we believe that applying for conciliation in a
small number of these particular bargaining units at this time is the right step
so that we can have the opportunity that's provided through conciliation to
reach an agreement with our public sector employees.
SOME HON. MEMBERS:
Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER:
The hon. the Leader of the
Opposition.
SOME HON. MEMBERS:
Hear, hear!
MR. P. DAVIS:
Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
With
some of these groups that they filed for conciliation we're told there's only
been eight to 10 hours of formal negotiations of actually sitting at the table
with each other. Now the minister can correct that if it's wrong, but the
minister should know that negotiation is tough business. It means sitting across
the table day after day for many hours trying to work out a plan.
Now, the
minister has been on the record as saying that they're going to bargain in good
faith. Minister, explain to your public servants why only eight to 10 hours of
formal negotiations is bargaining in good faith and looking after those very
well-respected public servants. Tell us how that is.
SOME HON. MEMBERS:
Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER:
The hon. the Minister of
Finance and President of Treasury Board.
MS. C. BENNETT:
Mr. Speaker, again, the
Member opposite is incorrect.
There
have been numerous discussions at the bargaining table and a series of informal
and formal discussions. It is the priority of this government let me be clear
for all Members of this House. It is the priority of this government to ensure
that we are doing everything we can to reach an agreement with our public sector
employees.
Mr.
Speaker, our province faces a very difficult fiscal situation, and collective
bargaining represents the contracts that we have with our employees, represents
45 per cent of our overall spending. We take this extremely seriously. We also
take extremely seriously the important priority of coming to terms with an
agreement with our unions on behalf of our very valued public sector employees,
Mr. Speaker.
SOME HON. MEMBERS:
Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER:
The hon. the Leader of the
Opposition.
MR. P. DAVIS:
Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Well,
I'll ask the minister a very direct and simple question.
We're
told that some of these bargaining units have only sat across the table at
formal negotiations for 10 hours or less. Can you confirm or deny that?
MR. SPEAKER:
The hon. the Minister of
Finance and President of Treasury Board.
MS. C. BENNETT:
Mr. Speaker, I would suggest
that the Member opposite probably needs to provide himself with the opportunity
to do some research and ask some questions. Referring strictly to a press
release is not necessarily the best way to provide questions in this House.
What I
can tell him is that, as I've said to the media today, as I have also
communicated in my conversation with Mr. Jerry Earle earlier this afternoon,
that we have provided several options, several opportunities to have dialogue at
the table since early fall. We have provided an opportunity for those
discussions to happen.
The
unions, NAPE's case in particular, has been inflexible at the table. We feel
that conciliation is an opportunity for us to work towards finding an agreement.
If the Member opposite doesn't think that finding an agreement is a priority,
then he can continue to ask questions.
SOME HON. MEMBERS:
Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER:
The hon. the Leader of the
Opposition.
MR. P. DAVIS:
Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
I can
speak for this Member myself and tell you that you find agreements by sitting at
the table and hammering out an agreement with the public servants that she just
said she respects so much.
Well,
Mr. Speaker, you get information we're provided information all the time and
we come to the House here and ask questions. That's how we find out the facts,
but the hard part is we don't get any answers from the Members opposite. That's
the problem there, Mr. Speaker.
SOME HON. MEMBERS:
Hear, hear!
MR. P. DAVIS:
Mr. Speaker, the Finance
Minister has said that she had hoped the negotiation table would be a productive
and open dialogue. You can't sit at the negotiating table for eight or 10 hours
she hasn't denied that that was the case. You can't sit at the negotiating
table for eight or 10 hours and expect magically that something's going to
happen.
Last
year she disrespected the people of the province by the tax increases and fee
increases they burdened the people of Newfoundland and Labrador with, and today
they're disrespecting public servants, Mr. Speaker.
So I ask
the minister: Will you go back to the table and do your job and sit at the table
with the representatives of your public service?
SOME HON. MEMBERS:
Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER:
The hon. the Minister of
Finance and President of Treasury Board.
MS. C. BENNETT:
Mr. Speaker, I can assure
that Member opposite, that no one in this House takes their responsibility,
based on the circumstances that we find ourselves in, more seriously than this
side of the House, Mr. Speaker.
SOME HON. MEMBERS:
Hear, hear!
MS. C. BENNETT:
That Member, he asked a
question about the amount of time that has been spent in bargaining. I have
corrected him several times. There have been numerous discussions in a variety
of informal and formal discussions. There has not been progress in some of these
particular bargaining units, and, as such, we feel it is appropriate to avail of
a neutral third party who can work with both sides in an effort to reach an
agreement that is in the best interest of the people of the province and the
best interest of our employees, Mr. Speaker.
SOME HON. MEMBERS:
Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER:
The hon. the Leader of the
Opposition.
MR. P. DAVIS:
Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
I can
tell the minister, if she wants to know the impact that this decision is having
because we've heard directly from public servants who feel insulted by the
actions of the government today and the actions they've taken through
negotiations. They insulted the executive members of their team, the deputy
ministers and assistant deputy ministers last year when they sent a bunch of
them packing, but brought in their Liberal friends. They've also insulted
managers when they've created competition in the workplace where they have to
compete for the job they've held, in some cases, for many, many years.
So,
Minister, what we're hearing from people is we're asking they're saying the
best process here is to do the hard work at the table, and it's a tough job.
I've sat at the table in negotiations on both sides, and I know how tough and
difficult it can be.
I ask
you once again: Will you agree to go back, sit across the table from the public
service representatives and make an attempt, a good attempt, a long, hard
attempt, to work out a contract agreement with them?
SOME HON. MEMBERS:
Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER:
The hon. the Minister of
Finance and President of Treasury Board.
MS. C. BENNETT:
Mr. Speaker, we are at the
table with our unions. Conciliation is a part of that ongoing dialogue that
happens at the table. We are participating in this in a very transparent way
with the public sector unions. We are eager to work towards making progress
around the offers that they've presented and we've presented that we are
discussing at the table.
Conciliation provides us an opportunity to engage a third party, a neutral third
party who can help both sides work towards what an agreement might look like.
And, Mr. Speaker, that process is ongoing. I think for the Member opposite to
suggest anything other, I think is irresponsible.
SOME HON. MEMBERS:
Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER:
The hon. the Leader of the
Opposition.
MR. P. DAVIS:
Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
For
many, many months the government has contracted outside assistance and support.
They've actually spent now $200,000 or more. The last update we had was $200,000
on advice for public sector negotiations. They've actually sat at the formal
table for a couple of days. It's unbelievable, Mr. Speaker, that they would at
this point in time bring in a conciliator to sit between them in two different
rooms. Negotiation happens across the table, Mr. Speaker.
What
happened last week was also an insult and a problem for public servants. They've
got managers in government, managers that operate government, directors, who are
now pitted against each other.
Minister, can you explain to us how you came up with a process to cause a
workplace where people have to compete against each other for a reduced number
of jobs?
SOME HON. MEMBERS:
Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER:
The hon. the Minister of
Finance and President of Treasury Board.
MS. C. BENNETT:
Mr. Speaker, the Member
opposite likes to use a preamble with a tremendous amount of information, and I
won't lose the opportunity to correct the information that he erroneously puts
out in his preamble before I answer his question.
SOME HON. MEMBERS:
Hear, hear!
MS. C. BENNETT:
Conciliation is a normal part
of bargaining. It is a process that allows both parties to use a third party, a
neutral party to continue the dialogue at the table. Quite frankly, I believe
Mr. Earle even referenced it today himself, that he was considering
conciliation. It is a mechanism that is used with the ability to be able to
provide an opportunity for us to reach an agreement with our employees.
If the
Member wants to ask me the question that he finally asked after his long
preamble about the important work our managers do, I'll be pleased to answer
that.
SOME HON. MEMBERS:
Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER:
The hon. the Leader of the
Opposition.
MR. P. DAVIS:
Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Well,
last week the government decided to use the two-tiered approach. They identified
individuals and terminated their jobs and put them out through the door at the
time. And they've also created a circumstance now where managers have to compete
against each other. I know cases where four managers have to compete for one
job. I've heard of one where nine managers have to compete for one job.
I'm
going to ask the Premier: When those people lose those competitions three out
of four will not be successful, eight out of nine will not be successful will
they be entitled to the same compensation and benefits as those who you pointed
the finger at and sent out the door last week?
SOME HON. MEMBERS:
Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER:
The hon. the Minister of
Finance and President of Treasury Board.
MS. C. BENNETT:
Mr. Speaker, as we shared
with the people of the province during the very difficult decisions that we had
to make around the position that this government had on leaner and flatter
management, we communicated to our employees impacted that when positions were
either restructured or consolidated, the actual position and job description,
that we would provide employees impacted with the opportunity to apply for those
positions.
The
numbers that we released last week of 287 positions that were being eliminated,
90 of those positions were vacant and funded, and our position is to provide the
opportunity for employees through a process that is recognized by the Public
Service Commission an opportunity to participate in a competition that allows
them to retain a job if they so choose, Mr. Speaker.
SOME HON. MEMBERS:
Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER:
The hon. the Leader of the
Opposition.
MR. P. DAVIS:
Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Again,
the minister, I really don't think, answered the question, but I'll try and
simplify it for her and ask a direction question here.
For
those who have been identified, they have to compete with people they've worked
side by side with for, in some cases, many years; will there be an independent
job competition, including interviews, conducted to determine who will be the
successful applicants, or are they just going to hand-pick who they want, like
they've done before?
SOME HON. MEMBERS:
Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER:
The hon. the Minister of
Finance and President of Treasury Board.
MS. C. BENNETT:
Mr. Speaker, I also happen to
be the Minister Responsible for the Public Service Commission. I take my
responsibilities as the minister responsible for the public service act very
seriously.
As part
of this process, we had meaningful dialogue between the Public Service
Commission and the Human Resource Secretariat to establish a process that is
reflective of the act that would allow us to ensure employees had the
opportunity to participate in competitions for the positions that were being
created.
Mr.
Speaker, for the Member opposite to suggest that employees are not provided that
opportunity is, I think, disingenuous. I also think that the importance of
respecting the difficult circumstances that these employees fine themselves in
right now and letting them work through that process should be respected.
SOME HON. MEMBERS:
Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER:
The hon. the Leader of the
Opposition.
MR. P. DAVIS:
Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Again,
she never answered the jobs. So I'll ask the minister very clearly: Who is going
to pick the successful candidate? Are you, the Premier, ministers able to pick
or will it be done independently by the Public Service Commission?
SOME HON. MEMBERS:
Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER:
The hon. the Minister of
Finance and President of Treasury Board.
MS. C. BENNETT:
Mr. Speaker, I'll provide the
Member opposite with the communication that went out to deputy ministers and the
equivalents from the Human Resource Secretariat deputy minister, providing the
details of the process that is currently underway in the departments, for his
review. That will help him more poignantly and sharply position his questions
because, obviously, he doesn't understand the process. I'm happy to provide that
information for him.
Mr.
Speaker, the positions and decisions will be made through the established
process that the Public Service Commission has communicated to employees, as has
the HRS department communicated to employees.
Might I
add, the question he asked me earlier that he hasn't re-asked was around if
employees are unsuccessful in the competition, they absolutely will be treated
fairly, like every single other employee that we have to deal with because we're
faced with a financial situation that they created.
SOME HON. MEMBERS:
Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER:
The hon. the Leader of the
Opposition.
MR. P. DAVIS:
Well, I thank the minister
for telling me that they will be treated fairly, but the question was: Will they
be entitled to the same compensation and benefits as those who were shown to the
door last week?
MR. SPEAKER:
The hon. the Minister of
Finance and President of Treasury Board.
MS. C. BENNETT:
Mr. Speaker, as the Member
opposite would have heard when he sat a couple minutes ago in a press conference
downstairs, all employees who are finished with government, and qualify, have
the opportunity to receive severance pay.
Individuals who lose their position as a result of reorganization or
restructuring receive pay in lieu of notice, and we've made a commitment that
those employees who are not retained will receive their pay in lieu of notice,
Mr. Speaker. I'm not sure what the Member opposite doesn't understand.
SOME HON. MEMBERS:
Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER:
The hon. the Leader of the
Opposition.
MR. P. DAVIS:
Minister, that was the
question because I don't think the communication that went out because we do
have a copy of it, actually we've had several people send us copies of it, but I
don't think it clearly articulated the pay in lieu of notice, and we just wanted
clarification because there was some misunderstanding based on what people have
been told versus what was written and so on.
Minister, we've had a long discussion after hearing the importance of
negotiations and I want to ask you one more time and get you clearly on the
record. Negotiations, I know, happen at the table and they're best served
sitting across the table from each other. You've called in a conciliator earlier
than ever before in the history of our province.
Will you
do what's right, sit across from the table with the public servants and try to
work out a deal? I know it takes time and I know it's hard work, but will you
commit to do that here today?
SOME HON. MEMBERS:
Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER:
The hon. the Minister of
Finance and President of Treasury Board.
MS. C. BENNETT:
Mr. Speaker, let me be clear
for the Members of this House, and for those listening at home, and for the
media that are in the gallery, our priority is to reach a negotiated agreement
with our unions, specifically around the collective bargaining contracts that we
have in discussions now. We are going to do everything we can to reach a
negotiated settlement. And as long as there's progress, we're going to continue
to sit and participate at those tables.
Mr.
Speaker, a conciliator to provide a neutral third party to discuss what are the
issues on behalf of the employer and on behalf of the employees is a very
prudent decision, we feel, and one that we feel will help provide an opportunity
for us to reach an agreement.
SOME HON. MEMBERS:
Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER:
The hon. the Leader of the
Opposition.
SOME HON. MEMBERS:
Hear, hear!
MR. P. DAVIS:
Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
I did
attend the minister's press conference just before coming into the House this
afternoon. And during the press conference, she made a comment that NAPE has
been inflexible at the table.
Minister, can you tell us how they've been inflexible at the table, and why is
it that you're not staying there trying to change that inability to be flexible
and have a discussion with them?
MR. SPEAKER:
The hon. the Minister of
Finance and President of Treasury Board.
MS. C. BENNETT:
Mr. Speaker, I'm not going to
discuss the contract discussions, in light of the specifics that are at the
table. What I said, and I will say it again here in the House for the second
time, NAPE has been inflexible to this point and we believe that it is important
for us to bring a conciliator into the discussion so that we can continue to
work on how to progress towards the opportunity of achieving a collective
agreement, Mr. Speaker.
SOME HON. MEMBERS:
Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER:
The hon. the Leader of the
Opposition.
MR. P. DAVIS:
Well, Mr. Speaker, if the
minister wants to fan the flames and upset the public service, I'm sure by
saying NAPE has been inflexible is certainly going to do that.
She
doesn't want to talk about what's happening at the negotiating table, but she
took about 35 or 40 minutes a little while or 30 minutes, just before coming
to the House this afternoon, to lay out a long list of position points that the
government finds themselves in. I'm sure they're positions points that were
discussed at the table.
So she
won't tell us what's happening at the table, she will throw out that NAPE is
being inflexible, but she won't say how and, in all of this, she's refused to
sit across the table from public servants.
How does
this instill respect and co-operation with your public service, Minister?
SOME HON. MEMBERS:
Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER:
The hon. the Minister of
Finance and President of Treasury Board.
MS. C. BENNETT:
Mr. Speaker, again, the
Member opposite is incorrect. The information that I shared as part of the press
conference was information explaining existing terms and conditions on a couple
of items about a half a dozen, I believe, items that are contained within the
current collective agreements.
And I
felt, and we felt, it was important to share that information, because we're
getting a lot of questions about that. Mr. Speaker, that information was shared
to provide people of the province some context around the terms and conditions
that are in our current collective agreements.
Our
priority, Mr. Speaker, and I say to the Members opposite, and I say to my
colleagues, our priority continues to be a negotiated settlement with our public
sector employees with their union leadership.
SOME HON. MEMBERS:
Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER:
The hon. the Opposition House
Leader.
MR. HUTCHINGS:
Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Mr.
Speaker, on May 11, 2016, this House passed a private Member resolution to
advocate to the federal government seeking amendments to federal legislation to
ensure pensioners are given priority on secured creditors with Wabush Mines
during the bankruptcy protection process.
So I ask
the Premier: What have you done to assist those pensioners since then?
MR. SPEAKER:
The hon. the Government House
Leader.
MR. A. PARSONS:
Yes, thank you, Mr. Speaker,
and I'm certainly happy to have a question of that importance from the Member
opposite.
We all
know that there are certainly tough times up when it comes to Wabush and, in
fact, we know recently there's been some work done in the Quebec courts. We've
been receiving numerous pieces of correspondence from people that are affected
by this decision, and it's something we take very seriously.
However,
as the Member opposite knows, changing legislation does take time, takes review,
and the fact is that you cannot just simply change legislation willy-nilly. In
fact, you can make serious mistakes.
So it's
something we take seriously; we're looking at it. In fact, we have a number of
people within multiple departments working on a daily basis trying to make sure
that we can do the best thing possible for the people of this province,
especially by people that are affected by this decision, and at all times our
thoughts are with these people that are going through a very serious time.
Thank
you.
SOME HON. MEMBERS:
Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER:
The hon. the Opposition House
Leader.
MR. HUTCHINGS:
Mr. Speaker, further to that,
I will ask the Minister of Justice I know it's ongoing in the courts in
Quebec. If your government obtains a judgement for the Newfoundland Court of
Appeal, pensioners could possibly move to the top of the list and get access to
their compensation.
I ask
the minister: Are you considering action in the court here, Court of Appeal, in
Newfoundland?
MR. SPEAKER:
The hon. the Government House
Leader.
MR. A. PARSONS:
Yes, thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Our
government is certainly considering a number of options here. But, again, it's
something that has to be taken very seriously. Going to the Court of Appeal,
like going to court on any level, it's a serious matter and you have to consider
the repercussions and implications of doing so.
Again,
this is something we take seriously. I know that various ministers, and
certainly our parliamentary secretary have been working very hard on this. So
it's something that we know it's timely, but we have to consider everything
before we take a decision, but at all times guiding us through this is doing
what's best for the people of this province, and especially those affected by
this very negative situation.
Thank
you.
SOME HON. MEMBERS:
Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER:
The hon. the Member for
Fortune Bay Cape La Hune.
MS. PERRY:
I ask the minister: Was any
analysis completed on what the impacts would be when you decided to cut
positions which focused on violence prevention?
SOME HON. MEMBERS:
Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER:
The hon. the Minister of
Finance and President of Treasury Board and the Minister Responsible for the
Status of Women.
MS. C. BENNETT:
Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
I don't
believe there has been any communication and, as a matter of fact, I know
there hasn't been as to the flatter, leaner management structure for
government. As a matter of fact, I've said repeatedly in this House, and I said
yesterday to the Member opposite, the one who is asking this particular
question, that until the employees who need to be spoken to and also have the
opportunity to avail of the restructured positions that are inside the
management ranks of the government, we will not be providing specific details on
individual departments. When we have that information, I will be pleased to
provide it to the Member opposite and pleased to provide it to this House.
SOME HON. MEMBERS:
Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER:
The hon. the Member for
Fortune Bay Cape La Hune.
MS. PERRY:
I ask the minister: When do
cuts to the Violence Prevention Initiative what is it that cuts to the
Violence Prevention Initiative during Violence Awareness Week, last week and
minister, we are aware that the position was cut. What does that tell us about
your government's commitment to addressing the problem of violence in the
province?
SOME HON. MEMBERS:
Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER:
The Minister Responsible for
the Status of Women.
MS. C. BENNETT:
Mr. Speaker, I would suggest
to the Member opposite that she would probably be best served in waiting and
ensuring that she has the full picture as opposed to making assumptions and
reactions based on hearsay and information that is not complete.
Mr.
Speaker, violence prevention, which lies within my mandate, is something that I
take very seriously. We have worked very closely with the community over the
last year to identify the gaps that were in the prior administration's Violence
Prevention Initiative, and we are working on meaningful actions that respect the
work that people in the community are doing around violence prevention.
And, Mr.
Speaker, I would say that members of the public would be horrified to know that
500,000 vehicle magnets were paid for as part of their Violence Prevention
Initiative.
SOME HON. MEMBERS:
Oh, oh!
MR. SPEAKER:
The hon. the Member for
Fortune Bay Cape La Hune.
MS. PERRY:
Mr. Speaker, we've made leaps
and strides, the great volunteers in this province in increasing awareness
SOME HON. MEMBERS:
Hear, hear!
MS. PERRY:
of violence against women,
Mr. Speaker, and that work needs to continue.
How can
the Minister Responsible for the Status of Women justify travelling to New York
to speak to the United Nations on cyberbullying while at the same time she's
gutting the office of the Violence Prevention Initiative?
SOME HON. MEMBERS:
Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER:
The hon. Minister Responsible
for the Status of Women.
MS. C. BENNETT:
Mr. Speaker, I would agree
with the Member opposite wholeheartedly and passionately, that violence
prevention work that's being done by community is extremely important and
critical.
The work
of the status of women's centres, the work of the transition homes, the work of
community members that are actively working on the results of violence but also
actively working on the things we can do to change how people in this province
see violence is extremely important. I would agree with her on that. But, Mr.
Speaker, for that Member opposite to suggest that we have done anything other
than work very hard on this file is coming from a position of ill-informed, Mr.
Speaker.
SOME HON. MEMBERS:
Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER:
The hon. the Member for the District of Cape St. Francis for a quick question
without preamble.
MR. K. PARSONS:
Mr. Speaker, last week the
management's position responsible for community enhancement programs was cut.
I ask
the minister: Is the program cut like the position?
MR. SPEAKER:
The hon. the Minister of
Municipal Affairs and Environment.
MR. JOYCE:
Mr. Speaker, I just say, you
should get a better researcher because your preamble to the question is
absolutely wrong. There's consolidation within the department. The program
hasn't been cut. There will be someone that will deliver the program. The
program will be there.
As most
of the people on the other side are calling me on a regular basis looking for
additional funding, you know the program is there. If not, you wouldn't be
calling me asking me for additional funding.
SOME HON. MEMBERS:
Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER:
The hon. the Member for St.
John's East Quidi Vidi.
MS. MICHAEL:
Thank you very much, Mr.
Speaker.
Mr.
Speaker, the Minister of Finance and President of Treasury Board described
current public sector collective bargaining as difficult.
I ask
the minister: How does she think calling public sector workers bargaining agent
inflexible will assist in achieving a negotiated settlement in these difficult
circumstances she's created?
MR. SPEAKER:
The hon. the Minister of
Finance and President of Treasury Board.
MS. C. BENNETT:
Mr. Speaker, collective
bargaining in the current environment that we're faced with is in fact
difficult, but it's not a difficulty that I created. It was a difficultly
created from the financial situation that we find ourselves in as a population,
as a government, and as a people of Newfoundland and Labrador.
I have
reached out to the unions. I have spoken to Mr. Earle myself and have met with
labour leaders and encouraged them to provide us with innovative ideas on what
they see as being options that we can consider. I would encourage any labour
leader in this province, including the leader of NAPE and CUPE, to work with us
to come up with an agreement that respects the employees but also respects the
financial situation that we find ourselves in in this province, Mr. Speaker.
SOME HON. MEMBERS:
Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER:
The hon. the Member for St.
John's East Quidi Vidi.
MS. MICHAEL:
Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
I ask
the House to consider: Who's being inflexible now? We see where the
inflexibility is.
Mr.
Speaker, the serious lack of instructional resource teachers and student
assistants to support the inclusive schools initiative means that regular
classroom teachers are not able to meet the needs of all students in the
classroom. The Minister of Education and Early Childhood Development has himself
said publicly that inclusive education is not working.
I ask
the Minister: When will he provide the resources immediately needed for
inclusion to work properly in our schools?
MR. SPEAKER:
The hon. the Minister of
Education and Early Childhood Development.
MR. KIRBY:
Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
I really
appreciate the question. Prior to the election in 2015, the Premier had the
wisdom to I guess he was then Leader of the Opposition to promise the people
of the province that we would have a Task Force on Improving Educational
Outcomes, to review the education system, to do a comprehensive review of
kindergarten to grade 12.
When he
formed that task force last fall, part of the mandate was specifically inclusive
education. That task force has been travelling around the province. There's been
a survey that's been provided to teachers, to parents, to high school students.
There's been a lot of public engagement. I expect it will have a lot of
recommendations regarding inclusion and other issues once the task force reports
to the Premier sometime this summer.
Thank
you.
SOME HON. MEMBERS:
Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER:
The hon. the Member for St.
John's East Quidi Vidi.
MS. MICHAEL:
Thank you very much, Mr.
Speaker.
I've
listened and I've read some of the presentations and the minister knows, as well
as I do, that people are so frustrated and there are things that are needed
urgently, that he'd better start listening himself, not just his task force.
Mr.
Speaker, we were told no full-day kindergarten class would have more than 20
students. But five classes in St. John's have had more than 20 students since
September, creating major problems for teachers and children.
I ask
the Minister of Education and Early Childhood Development: What is he doing to
fix this problem?
MR. SPEAKER:
The hon. the Minister of
Education and Early Childhood Development.
MR. KIRBY:
It's ironic to get this
question from the leader of the NDP caucus because I remember during the
election campaign I got a leaflet in my mailbox at home that said the Liberal
party is backing away from its pledge to have full-day kindergarten. Then when
it actually came, push to shove here in the House of Assembly, the Liberal party
was the only caucus here in the House of Assembly that actually supported early
learning to the extent that we would implement full-day kindergarten, which was
promised by each of the three political parties in the election.
So I
find it highly ironic that the Member threw kindergarten kids and kindergarten
teachers under the bus last year and now she has all these concerns.
We're
working through some of the bumps in the road. When you implement a new program
there are always things that need to be resolved. We're doing the best we can
under the challenging circumstances we're in.
SOME HON. MEMBERS:
Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER:
The hon. the Member for St.
John's East Quidi Vidi.
MS. MICHAEL:
Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Once
again another example of how this government has made decisions without putting
the resources in place in the educational system to make their decisions work.
Fix these classrooms, I say to the minister.
I have
heard from parents and educators about high-achieving students whose needs are
not being met since enrichment was cancelled in 2004. These children finish work
quickly. They're bored. They're given a book or a computer game or used as
little tutors for other's having trouble.
I ask
the minister: What is he going to do to enrich the learning opportunities for
high-achieving students?
MR. SPEAKER:
Order, please!
The hon.
the Minister of Education and Early Childhood Development.
MR. KIRBY:
Mr. Speaker, again, I thank
the Member for the question.
There
was over $30 million to respond to the first part of that. Over $30 million
invested in full-day kindergarten in the three years leading up to the program,
and $13 million additional operating funds invested in that. So to suggest
that's not investing resources is completely disingenuous. It's contrary to the
facts.
We know
that we need to refresh and review some of the things that are going on in our
schools. That's why, like I said, the hon. Premier struck the Task Force on
Improving Educational Outcomes. Inclusive education, and I would include
education for gifted students and enriched curriculum in inclusive education as
part of the mandate, and they will report on that. We'll develop an education
action plan as a result.
MR. SPEAKER:
Order, please!
MR. KIRBY:
Thank you.
SOME HON. MEMBERS:
Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER:
The time for Question Period
has expired.
Presenting Reports by Standing and Select Committees.
Tabling
of Documents.
Tabling of
Documents
MR. SPEAKER:
The hon. the Minister of
Fisheries and Land Resources.
MR. CROCKER:
Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Mr.
Speaker, I have a document I wish to table in response to a question yesterday
from the Member for CBS. So I table the document for the Member.
Thank
you, Mr. Speaker.
MR. SPEAKER:
Further tabling of documents?
Pursuant
to section 8 and section 10 of the Public
Tender Act, I hereby table the Report of Public Tender Act Exemptions for
August, September and October of 2016, as presented by the Chief Operating
Officer of the Government Purchasing Agency.
Notices
of Motion.
Answers
to Questions for which Notice has been Given.
Petitions.
Petitions
MR. SPEAKER:
The hon. the Member for St.
John's Centre.
MS. ROGERS:
Thank you very much, Mr.
Speaker.
To the hon. House of Assembly of the Province of Newfoundland and Labrador in
Parliament assembled, the petition of the undersigned residents humbly sheweth:
WHEREAS government plans to remove the provincial point-of-sale tax rebate on
books, which will raise the tax on books from 5 per cent to 15 per cent; and
WHEREAS an increase in the tax on books will reduce book sales to the detriment
of local books stores, publishers and authors, and the amount collected by
government must be weighed against the loss in economic activity caused by
higher book prices; and
WHEREAS Newfoundland and Labrador has one of the lowest literacy rates in
Canada, and the other provinces do not tax books because they recognize the need
to encourage reading and literacy; and
WHEREAS this province has many nationally and internationally known
storytellers, but we will be the only people in Canada who will have to pay our
provincial government a tax to read the books of our own writers;
WHEREUPON the undersigned, your petitioners, humbly pray and call upon the House
of Assembly to urge government not to impose a provincial sales tax on books.
And as in duty bound, your petitioners will ever pray.
It's
very interesting, Mr. Speaker, to stand now and to talk books and stories. If
someone were to sit down and write a story about what this government has done
in terms of making literacy even worse in the province they couldn't have done
anything worse, except maybe close the schools. Maybe that's next; who knows?
But to attempt to close libraries, to impose extra taxes on books and to be the
only place in Canada that does that, when we have the lowest literacy rates in
the country; if someone were to write that in a book, in a story and say
imagine, this is what a government did, they would say no, this much be some
kind of sarcasm. It's inconceivable, Mr. Speaker, that that's actually what
we're dealing with.
We know,
in fact, what we should be doing is that government should be making books more
accessible, that government should be putting money into literacy programs, that
government should be doing everything it possibly can to ensure that our people
are as educated as they possibly could be. Not only so that they can weather
this storm, but that we also encourage a better future for all the people of
Newfoundland and Labrador.
Our
greatest renewable, sustainable resource is our people and the best way that
they can be resourceful is if they are educated, and this flies in the face of
it. Mr. Speaker, again, if you were to read this in a book you would say: What
kind of dystopian government is this? It's inconceivable and the people are
pushing back.
Thank
you very much.
MR. SPEAKER:
The hon. the Member for Cape
St. Francis.
MR. K. PARSONS:
Thank you very much, Mr.
Speaker.
To the
hon. House of Assembly in the Province of Newfoundland and Labrador in
Parliament assembled, the petition of the undersigned residents humbly sheweth:
WHEREAS
school-age children are walking to school in areas where there are no
crosswalks, no traffic lights and there are areas without sidewalks; and
WHEREAS
this puts the safety of children at risk;
WHEREUPON the undersigned, your petitioners, humbly pray and call upon the House
of Assembly to call upon the House of Assembly to ensure safety of all children
by removing the 1.6-kiliometre busing policy where safety is a concern.
Mr.
Speaker, I live in a district where this is a real concern for me. On Torbay
road, on a regular day, there are probably about 12,000 to 13,000 or 14,000 cars
that travel on that road, and there are no sidewalks. There are no traffic
lights and the crosswalk a lot of times there's a very narrow crosswalk by
Convent Lane and Marine Drive that gets used periodically and the signage is not
well there. There are no lines across; it's just two lines straight across that
shows the crosswalk.
This is
very dangerous, and I've had calls from so many parents it's unbelievable
because they really fear most of them will try to get their children to school
in the morning and arrange that one of the parents who is working, they'll drive
there's a lot of driving in the morning. But in the evenings, a lot of people
can't get off work and the child has to walk home. And with no sidewalks
especially in the wintertime, it's a real concern in the wintertime, because as
we all know we get a fine lot of snow. There are ice conditions and there are
very narrow side areas of the road and shoulders of the road, so this becomes a
real concern for a lot of people.
I know
that the Minister of Education, I heard him lots of times in this House, get up
and present a petition basically on the same issue that I'm talking about here
today. And I really believe that we need to have a look at it. I know that the
1.6 kilometres is something that is in place, but in areas where there's high
traffic, areas where there are no sidewalks and areas where there are no traffic
lights, we should really have a look at this.
The
safety of our children has got to be put forward. The safety of kids that have
got to walk along roads that are slippery with no sidewalks and very little
shoulder, and no lights this is a real concern for parents in my area and
parents in areas just like it.
So I ask
the minister: You understand this problem, you've brought the same petition
basically to the House of Assembly several times; please have a look at it and
do the right thing for the safety of our children.
Thank
you very much.
SOME HON. MEMBERS:
Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER:
The hon. the Member for St.
John's East Quidi Vidi.
MS. MICHAEL:
Thank you very much, Mr.
Speaker.
To the
hon. House of Assembly of the Province of Newfoundland and Labrador in
Parliament assembled, the petition of the undersigned petitioners:
WHEREAS
many feel their problems and concerns are not being addressed in an appropriate
and timely manner;
WHEREUPON the undersigned, your petitioners, humbly call upon the House of
Assembly urging government to use all-party town hall events as an avenue
whereby people can express their concerns to all parties.
And as
in duty bound, your petitioners ask to be heard.
I'm very
pleased to present this petition this afternoon, Mr. Speaker. It was brought to
me by a concerned citizen who has the initiative to go door to door and engage
with hundreds, and I think multiple hundreds of others regarding the democratic
deficit that exists in our province and in our House of Assembly.
Our
caucus has been addressing this democratic deficit since at least 2007 and it
has been a long-standing policy of our caucus to curb this deficit by
implementing all-party committees. If we had all-party committees dealing with
legislation, and especially difficult legislation, those all-party committees,
which would be called Standing Committees actually, would be committees part of
the House of Assembly and would be an automatic part of the discussion of
legislation.
If you
go to the House of Commons, for example, you can look up the schedule for
Standing Committees and you will see them meeting on the different bills that
are being discussed in the House because in committee, especially when you have
a very thorny issue and you really need more research done, the Standing
Committees call in witnesses.
When you
go to the House of Commons, again, you'll see where the bill stands, what it is
the committees are discussing with regard to the piece of legislation, what
witnesses are being called, what days there are witnesses, and the public can go
to those Standing Committees and speak freely with regard to the issues that
concern them, that we then make decisions on here on the floor of the House.
So if we
were to put our Standing Committees in place and really use them, as it's
outlined already in our Standing Orders we can do, the whole process is there in
our Standing Orders, we would be able to have the kind of open discussion, open
to the public, open to the electorate that this petition is calling for.
I was
really quite excited when this petition came to me because I thought this is
wonderful; this is really a grassroots move by this woman who has been out there
knocking on doors getting these signatures. And I understand there are many more
that are going to be coming to me that I will be happy to present in this House.
One of
the things I've done as an MHA, and my colleague has done over the years, is to
hold town halls and we know how effective they are.
Thank
you very much, Mr. Speaker.
SOME HON. MEMBERS:
Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER:
The hon. the Opposition House
Leader.
MR. HUTCHINGS:
Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Mr.
Speaker, I'm pleased to rise today to present a petition on behalf of the people
of my district.
To the
hon. House of Assembly of the Province of Newfoundland and Labrador in
Parliament assembled, the petition of the undersigned residents of Newfoundland
and Labrador humbly sheweth:
WHEREAS
the Witless Bay Line, Route 13, is a significant piece of infrastructure linking
the Southern Shore to the Trans-Canada Highway and it's a crucial piece of
economic infrastructure and means of service delivery to the region;
WHEREUPON the undersigned, your petitioners, humbly pray and call upon the House
of Assembly to urge government to provide resources to complete immediate
upgrades to this significant piece of infrastructure and enhance the flow of
traffic to and from the Trans-Canada Highway, and further to ensure that the
upgrades over the past years continue this construction season.
Mr.
Speaker, this is, as I said, a piece of infrastructure that connects the
Southern Shore and Route 10 to the Trans-Canada Highway, a significant piece of
infrastructure. Over the past number of years there has been significant
upgrades to that piece of infrastructure with the intent obviously, a
significant piece of infrastructure like that, it needs to done over a period of
time. Over the past number of years, I think there's something like $1.6 million
been invested to upgrade a number of kilometres and stretches of that particular
highway. There's certainly more to be done.
Significant traffic on that piece of highway is certainly related to commerce,
economics, residents, others, professionals that use the highway to transport
back and forth in regard to their employment. You look at industries like the
crab industry in the summertime and the amount of traffic that's a part of that
highway in terms of transporting services, either back from harvesters on the
Southern Shore or into the processing facilities along the Southern Shore.
As well,
just recently, and ongoing today, it's the Pennecon Energy Marine Base in Bay
Bulls. A lot of the generators and various large pieces of infrastructure
related to Soldiers Pond, related to Muskrat Falls, and even some of the other
equipment that's needed in Muskrat Falls, this piece of highway is being used to
transport some of those significant pieces of equipment. So it's essential to
the region.
There
are sections of it over this time of the year that needs some patchwork done,
but it's important that the government recognizes this. It certainly fits in the
whole economic development and economic plan. I'd certainly urge government this
season to take a look at that, and recognizing it can't be all done at the one
time, but provide those improvements that continues the economic benefit for the
region.
Thank
you, Mr. Speaker.
MR. SPEAKER:
The hon. the Member for
Conception Bay East Bell Island.
MR. BRAZIL:
Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
To the
hon. House of Assembly of the Province of Newfoundland and Labrador in
Parliament assembled, the petition of the undersigned residents of Newfoundland
and Labrador humbly sheweth:
WHEREAS
there's been an identified lack of mental health services in our province's K to
12 school system; and
WHEREAS
the lack is having a significant impact on both students and teachers; and
WHEREAS
left unchecked, matters can and in many cases will develop into more serious
issues;
WHEREUPON the undersigned, your petitioners, humbly pray and call upon the House
of Assembly of the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador urge to increase
mental health services and programs in our province's K to 12 school system.
And as
in duty bound, your petitioners will ever pray.
Mr.
Speaker, I presented this same petition on Monday, and the overwhelming comments
and the overwhelming contact that I had with people afterwards thanking me for
presenting it and outlining the fact while our school system has a number of
challenges, mental health, unfortunately, is not being addressed in the
mainstream school system right now, because there are other challenges there
around our academics, around our overcrowding, around some of the challenges.
So, I
felt on the urging of a number of organizations that we keep this alive in our
school system, particularly as we get close to decisions being made around our
budget and around investments in our education. On an everyday basis, arguing in
all the sectors from the NLTA to the parents' associations to all the other
the administrators and teachers out there are arguing about investments in the
education system to get back to an acceptable level. Sometimes we have to
address some of the other occurring issues that were always there but were never
front and center.
As we
look at that, mental health in our school system is one. Times have changed, our
society has changed. The challenges on young people, the challenges in the
households with economic issues, stressors, travel issues within the households,
young people being exposed to things they normally weren't in previous times
around bullying and some of the challenges around those type of things; about
performance, being able to actually excel in certain areas. Being able to select
exactly what it is they're comfortable in the school system, and some of the
other challenges as we integrate people into mainstream school systems.
These
all add to stressors within the school system, and have an impact on mental
health. As is indicated here, the issues has been determined by all
professionals here, and everybody who work in the field, the issues within the
younger age category, if not addressed, if not given supports and if not
engaged, will obviously lead to other more serious issues around mental health
as people progress into their teens and their adulthood.
What
we're looking at here is that the education system has a captive audience, has
these young people in an engaged, safe, healthy, open environment, and what an
opportunity to address some of the mental health needs of those particular
individuals, but equally as important is being able to educate other students
and staff around how you address mental health issues. How you lend support to
people that may have some challenges around those. How you support the family
themselves. So these are all very important things we need to be cognizant of
when we talk about investing in the education system.
The
mainstream education system is very important, the integration is very
important, but all the factors that have an impact on people's ability to learn
must be addressed too, and one of those key things is mental health. Because of
the influence that will be necessary to address those at a younger age, we want
to ensure the mainstream system is put in place, systems that can benefit people
as they progress in their adulthood.
So, Mr.
Speaker, there's no doubt I'll have an opportunity to present this numerous
times before we get to the budget decisions.
Thank
you, Mr. Speaker.
Orders of the Day
MR. SPEAKER:
The hon. the Acting
Government House Leader.
MS. COADY:
Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
I move,
seconded by the Minister of Health and Community Services, for leave to
introduce a bill entitled, An Act the public safety act.
AN HON. MEMBER:
Patient Safety.
MS. COADY:
Patient Safety Act my
apologies.
Bill 70,
and I further move that the said bill be now read a first time.
MR. SPEAKER:
It is moved and seconded by
the hon. the Acting Government House Leader that she have leave to introduce
Bill 70 and that the said bill be now read a first time.
Is it
the pleasure of the House to adopt the motion?
All
those in favour, 'aye.'
SOME HON. MEMBERS:
Aye.
MR. SPEAKER:
All those against, 'nay.'
Carried.
Motion,
the hon. the Minister of Health and Community Service to introduce a bill, An
Act Respecting Patient Safety And Quality Assurance In The Province, carried.
(Bill 70)
CLERK (Barnes):
A bill, An Act Respecting Patient Safety And Quality Assurance In The province.
(Bill 70)
MR. SPEAKER:
Bill 70 has now been read a
first time.
When
shall the said bill be read a second time? Now?
MS. COADY:
(Inaudible.)
MR. SPEAKER:
Tomorrow.
On
motion, Bill 70 read a first time, ordered read a second time on tomorrow.
MR. SPEAKER:
The hon. the Acting
Government House Leader.
MS. COADY:
Mr. Speaker, Order 4, second
reading of Bill 68.
MR. SPEAKER:
The hon. the Minister of
Service NL.
MR. TRIMPER:
Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
I move,
seconded by the Member for Burin Grand Bank, that Bill 68, An Act To Amend The
Highway Traffic Act No. 5, be now read a second time.
MR. SPEAKER:
It is moved and seconded that
Bill 68 be now read a second time.
Motion,
second reading of a bill, An Act To Amend The Highway Traffic Act No. 5. (Bill
68)
MR. SPEAKER:
The hon. the Minister of
Service NL.
SOME HON. MEMBERS:
Hear, hear!
MR. TRIMPER:
Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Before I
read my prepared remarks, I'd like to draw attention to as you did earlier
Patricia Hynes-Coates who is in the audience, along with her family, other
members of MADD, because this next couple of hours, frankly, represents a lot of
work on their behalf, as well as all members of government and many
organizations and community leaders across the province.
Mr.
Speaker, driving is a privilege, not a right. Those who chose to abuse this
privilege by driving under the influence of alcohol in Newfoundland and Labrador
will now face tougher consequences once the amendments that we're going to
discuss today come into force.
Mr.
Speaker, I want to take this opportunity to explain the changes that we are
proposing. I'm certain that my hon. colleagues in this House will agree that
there are far too many stories in the news about impaired drivers. There are
also instances where people have been charged with impaired driving multiple
times on the same day. These proposed amendments will allow us to take action to
curb this blatant disregard for public safety.
Currently, the province's vehicle impoundment program does not apply to impaired
driving offences; however, we will begin impounding vehicles at roadside when
drivers are found to have a blood-alcohol content above the legal limit or when
they refuse to provide a breath sample. For a first offence, impaired drivers
will lose their vehicles for three days. For their second such offence, within
10 years, they will lose their vehicles for a week.
Mr.
Speaker, as I was saying, impaired driving has had devastating and far-reaching
effects on our communities and families. And just by way of further background,
I did want to just change my remarks to indicate that in the 2015 report from
Statistics Canada, the capital region of St. John's, Mount Pearl has the highest
impaired driving rates per capita for any municipality in the country truly
not something to be especially proud of.
Impaired
driving is the leading criminal cause of death in our country. On average, four
people are killed every day in impaired-driving crashes in Canada and nearly 60
per cent of the motor vehicle crash deaths are related to impaired driving.
We've all heard heart-breaking stories about impaired driving in Newfoundland
and Labrador communities. Frankly, I can speak for myself and I'm sure for many
people listening and watching we have all lived those heartbreaks. So it is time
for us to change the story on impaired driving in our province.
I'm
sorry; I just wanted to go back now to my remarks on impoundment and what we are
doing. In terms of moving forward, we are now catching up with eight other
provinces and territories in our country that already have mandatory impounding
for impaired driving; three of these have discretionary impounding.
Another
change that we are going to be proposing today is to prevent repeat impaired
driving offences, Mr. Speaker. This involves what's known as a mandatory
Ignition Interlock Program. Currently, drivers who are serving a suspension of
their driving privileges for impaired driving can volunteer to participate in an
Ignition Interlock Program. That's a voluntary program. However, with these
amendments, we are proposing that that will now be mandatory; it will be a
restriction as a condition of re-instatement of a driver's licence after an
impaired driving suspension has been completed.
The
ignition interlock system is an in-vehicle, alcohol-breath screening device that
prevents the vehicle from being started when alcohol is detected. The system
also requires the driver to provide breath samples at random times while the
engine is running. If drivers fail the interlock test while driving, it
activates an alarm much like an anti-theft alarm, with lights flashing and the
horn beeping, until the engine is stopped.
Any time
that an interlock test is failed, the system registers that attempt to drive
while impaired. With this data available, the interlock requirement may be
extended at the discretion of the registrar of motor vehicles if it is
determined that the driver still poses a risk to the public. The requirement for
a mandatory interlock system will appear on the driver's licence as a
restriction. Under this new program, the terms for the mandatory interlock will
be one year for a first conviction, three years for a second conviction within
10 years, and five years for a third or subsequent conviction within 10 years.
Mr.
Speaker, young drivers are at greater risk of death or injury due to impaired
driving crashes when compared to their older counterparts. According to recent
Transport Canada data, young drivers also have the highest impaired driving
rates of any other group of drivers. Recent data from Mothers Against Drunk
Driving indicate that alcohol is a factor in nearly 60 per cent of all crash
deaths among young people. That is why we are amending the
Highway Traffic Act to require zero tolerance for alcohol
consumption for drivers less than 22 years of age.
SOME HON. MEMBERS:
Hear, hear!
MR. TRIMPER:
Under this new legislation,
drivers under 22 will be required to maintain a zero per cent BAC that's blood
alcohol content while driving. Mr. Speaker. We already have this requirement
under the Graduated Driver Licensing Program in the province, where young
drivers must maintain a zero per cent BAC for their first 20 to 24 months after
obtaining their driver's licence.
In most
cases, the people who enter the Graduated Driver Licensing Program do so at age
16 and this first 20 to 24 months would, of course, often end by the time they
the age of 18. With this amendment today, young drivers will have additional
time to develop a habit of separating driving from the consumption of alcohol.
It is our hope that this requirement will help establish a new generation of
drivers who never drink and drive.
Mr.
Speaker, we will be working with the Department of Education and Early Childhood
Development and the Department of Advanced Education, Skills and Labour to raise
awareness of these new rules with young drivers through high schools and
post-secondary institutions. We will also be working with the Newfoundland
Labrador Liquor Corporation to raise awareness for all drivers through their
social responsibility programs.
In
summary, Mr. Speaker, these amendments will make it tougher for impaired drivers
to continue to ignore our impaired driving laws. They will also help us
establish a societal change by instilling within our young people the habitual
separation of drinking from driving at a time when they are developing their
safe driving skills.
With
these changes, we are sending a message that the time has come to end impaired
driving in Newfoundland and Labrador.
SOME HON. MEMBERS:
Hear, hear!
MR. TRIMPER:
Mr. Speaker, government alone
cannot solve the problem of impaired driving. This is the responsibility of
every single citizen in this province. Parents, educators, municipal leaders,
business owners and the general public all have a role to play.
Mr.
Speaker, I would like to acknowledge the roles of some of our key partners in
developing this legislation. I would like to particularly thank Patricia
Hynes-Coates for her dedication to this cause.
SOME HON. MEMBERS:
Hear, hear!
MR. TRIMPER:
Mrs. Hynes-Coates is the
first Newfoundlanders and Labradorians to ever hold the position of national
president of MADD Canada.
SOME HON. MEMBERS:
Hear, hear!
MR. TRIMPER:
Her work in impaired driving
advocacy began in 2013 when her stepson Nicholas Coates was killed by an
impaired driver.
Mrs.
Hynes-Coates and her Mothers Against Drunk Driving counterparts and there are
some 12 locations throughout Newfoundland and Labrador have dedicated their
lives to changing legislation across the country to put an end to impaired
driving.
MADD has
active chapters, as I say, throughout the province and these are staffed by
dedicated and passionate volunteers including, frankly, in my District of Lake
Melville. Speaking to my colleagues, I have heard that many of them are also
actively engaged with their own local chapters and several of them are here.
Mr.
Speaker, I'll say, yesterday, we had a technical briefing on this matter to
prepare and it was standing room only. It was very inspiring to see the level of
interest in my colleagues and in the Opposition; frankly, every Member of this
House.
We also
appreciate the support of the Royal Newfoundland Constabulary and the RCMP in
developing these recommendations.
SOME HON. MEMBERS:
Hear, hear!
MR. TRIMPER:
The members of both of these
law enforcement agencies encounter impaired drivers and deal with the
consequences of impaired driving on a daily basis and their role is invaluable
in enforcing these laws. Even as I have been sitting here, Mr. Speaker, I've
heard from several members of the RNC and the RCMP, sending me messages. So it's
a great emotional feeling to be here today and seeing this collaboration come to
this floor.
I would
also like to acknowledge Service NL staff who have worked tirelessly to bring
Bill 68 to the House today.
Last,
but certainly not least, I'd like to recognize the hon. Minister of Municipal
Affairs and Environment, and I'm not able to say his name but I think we all
know who that is. We also know what a huge role he has played until recently
as the Minister of Service NL.
SOME HON. MEMBERS:
Hear, hear!
MR. TRIMPER:
It was certainly under his
direction, as well as his EA, who I've seen here today. I know how closely they
worked on this legislation and I thank them again for their hard work.
I know
this was a very important set of amendments to him. He worked tirelessly to make
sure that this be brought forward to this sitting of the House.
In
closing, Mr. Speaker, the legislation that we are bringing forward today is
another example of how our government listens to people and then creates
beneficial change with their feedback. It is the result of collaboration between
government and active stakeholder groups, and it is an example of how, when it
comes to public safety, we can all work together for the greater good.
I hope
that we will look back on today as a turning point in the story of impaired
driving in Newfoundland and Labrador.
I thank
you very much.
SOME HON. MEMBERS:
Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER:
The hon. the Member for Cape
St. Francis.
MR. K. PARSONS:
Thank you very much, Mr.
Speaker.
There
are times in this house when we get the opportunity to all come together and do
the right things for people of Newfoundland and Labrador. It's so important that
when legislation does come through that we recognize good legislation on both
sides of the House.
I've
been here now for nine years, and I look across and there are only a couple of
Members on the other side that were the Minister of Municipal Affairs and the
Minister of AES have a lot of time in politics and they realize that there are
days like this. There are days in government that politics and the political
part just gets thrown away because sometimes it's the right thing to do. We're
here to represent people of Newfoundland and Labrador. No matter if you're on
this side of the House or you're on that side of the House.
This is
one of the days I feel proud to be here, to be part of the 40 people who are in
this House of Assembly to be able to do things that, hopefully down the road,
will save lives, and hopefully will save families and hopefully will save what
grief the families have to go through.
It's an
emotional time, I'm sure, today. I heard down to the news conference today, it
was very emotional for people. So it is, when you lose loved ones and people
that are dear to you because of impaired driving. So today is a great day for
this legislation. I'm very proud to be here. I'm very proud of the work that has
been done.
I, too,
minister, want to congratulate some people. I, too, want to congratulate you for
bringing in this legislation today. I want to congratulate my good friend, the
Minister of Municipal Affairs. I'm sure he did a fine lot of work on this and I
congratulate government. I really do congratulate government.
I really
want to congratulate MADD Canada. I'm very proud to know that the chairperson,
Ms. Coates, is from Newfoundland and Labrador. It's a great thing to have a
person from our province to be in charge of such a great thing that really works
for the people of Newfoundland and Labrador.
I also
want to make sure that we realize our law enforcement people, our police workers
and policemen, both the RNC and the RCMP. A lot of times media, and especially
these days, sometimes it's not so public that people are really looking out
there, but we're so lucky to have these people on the roads protecting us day
and night. I really feel glad that this is something that will help them also do
their job. They don't have to go to the scene of an accident where there's a
young person that's killed, or an old person or anybody, because of impaired
driving. The steps that are done here today, I hope protect lives, save lives,
and like I said, save families.
I also
want to thank the people I'm sure as we're here today, there's a lot of work
that is done with this to make sure this legislation was brought in by people at
Service NL. I was over the other day and had a briefing. I really felt those
people really put their heart and soul in this. I really want to thank them for
what they've done.
I'm
going to go over it just a little bit; I know the minister mentioned a good few
things that I'm also going to mention, but when you see that St. John's has the
highest impaired rate among all Canadian cities, that's really something that
we, as Newfoundlanders and Labradorians, can be just shaking our heads because
it something that's it's just not right.
Today's
announcement, and the steps that are taken here today, let's hope that the next
time they do these stats, we're the lowest.
Again
today, we look at what's been done here with young people. I know if you look at
16 to 25-year-olds, alcohol and drugs play a 50 per cent factor in crashes and
yet there are only 13 per cent of the people that are on the road are between 16
and 25. Yet, 33 per cent of the people who cause impaired charges and impaired
driving accidents, 33 per cent of the whole total is that age group.
So this
legislation today, some people will look at it and may say it should be for
everyone, it should be whatever, but the intent today, and I heard the minister
just say it a minute ago, if we can encourage young people it's like when seat
belts first came in. I know for a fact myself, it was hard to get adjusted to
the seat belt, but young people were already wearing their seat belts and even
today you see they're all still wearing their seat belts. So this is something
that if a young person, right from the time he gets his licence and the habits
that he has then, will really help down the road because it's a habit that
hopefully he will keep for the rest of his life: he or she.
Again,
the amendments here today, I know MADD Canada was really pleased with it, and
I'm sure the general public is.
I just
want to go through a little bit of the legislation and the actual amendments.
The first one is zero tolerance under age 22. So usually now when a person gets
their licence they can do I think there are two groups that you can do, and
this is mainly for insurance purposes that you can take programs and stuff like
that. It's 20 to 24 months that you're not allowed to have any alcohol
consumption. So then they go from a 16-year-old to an 18. So it's 18 to 22 now
that this is zero tolerance for your blood alcohol level. That's really, really
good because it's the habits, like I said, of young people that hopefully will
bring into the future. I know the recommendations are similar to the ones that
are done in Ontario, New Brunswick, Quebec and Manitoba.
The
second one is a very interesting one. It's the mandatory interlock. All others
jurisdictions except Newfoundland and Labrador and I think the Northwest
Territories are the only other places that don't have this in place. The
interlock intermission is done; it's a period of time with restriction after you
get your licence back. It is one year for the first conviction, it's three years
for the second conviction within 10 years, and it's five years for the third
conviction also within the 10 years. But the thing I like about this and,
Minister, I think I'm right when I say this, you can correct if I am wrong. But
if a person goes to try to drive that car while this system is on, it will
register and if you can notice that the person has tried to drive, then he can
be extended longer than the one year that is there.
This is
a great for some people out there that still want to do it time and time after
again, this will show, listen, it's not going to be tolerated and if you even
try to do it, then we can recognize it and the extension will go longer again.
So it's a really great you hear too often, too often we'll hear tell of people
who get charged with impaired driving and then they get the second charge while
their licence is suspended and stuff like that. We hear it all the time on the
news. So it's very important that this this is a great thing to do.
The
other one is the impoundment. On the impoundment, I remember only I think it
was a couple of months ago I heard on the news that a person got picked up for
impaired twice in the one day. I mean, seriously, it's just unbelievable that
that could happen, but it does happen. There has to be some way that we can make
sure this doesn't happen. So this impoundment coming in right now is really,
really good.
It's
three days on your first offence, seven days on your second offence, 30 days on
the third offence. If you get caught the third time you lose your vehicle for 30
days, but it will also keep those people off the road for that period of time
because, like is said, I heard it a couple of weeks ago that someone got charged
twice in the one day for impaired driving which we just can't tolerate. So
that's a great part of this also.
Before
then, the only time we could really impound a car was if they had an invalid
licence or if mechanically it wasn't fit to be on the road or they were driving
without insurance. An impaired charge, if you get picked up for impaired your
car is impounded, and that's where it should be. So there are a lot of things in
it.
The main
thing I want to talk about today is really public safety. That's what this bill
is about. No matter what, we as legislators in this House of Assembly, anytime
we can all work together and get together and make sure people's safety is
foremost, our children, our family members, our neighbours, our friends, anybody
and this part of the legislation today really makes it safer for everybody
else on the road. I want to applaud everybody, like I said who worked on this.
Driving
is not a right. When you drive a car you have to make sure you respect the
people that are on the road. It's a privilege for us to be able to do what we
do, to live in the country that we live in.
I can
remember when I got my first vehicle. I was on the fish truck making money all
summer long knowing that my birthday was coming in November and there was a
change to get that right to be able to drive. And I'm sure young people today,
they get their jobs, they work at Tim Hortons, they work all over the place just
to be able to make the money so they can get and a lot of them have parents
that help them out. I helped my two out a little bit, but it's a privilege to
get on the road and be able to do this.
So when
you get that privilege you have to make sure you respect it and know that you're
out there, you're driving a vehicle that can kill people. You're driving a
vehicle that could cause injury to everyone out on the road. So it's important
that we make sure we understand what it's doing.
I have
to say, it's disappointing when you see us we're very proud Newfoundlanders
and Labradorians, but when you see a national average of impaired driving rights
and we're down we're not even close to where we should be. Then, like I said,
the City of St. John's, the St. John's area, to be the highest city in all of
Canada.
So we
have a problem. We have a problem and we need to fix that problem. And today I'm
hoping this is part of fixing the problem. It's great to see that all parties,
I'm sure, in this House will support this and send a message to the people out
there that we really want to make sure our roads are really, really safe.
I'm also
glad Service NL will work with all government departments, and it's important
that we do get that message out there. Newfoundland and Labrador co-operation
the Newfoundland and Labrador Liquor Corporation, it's important they have a
great awareness program. So this is another way we really have to because
awareness is key. I also believe not only is awareness key, but education is
also key.
I spoke
to a person a little while ago and they were telling me about MADD Canada and
what MADD Canada does in the classrooms. It's a simulator they do and it shows
the children what could happen at an accident. It's not a very good scene they
show but here it is this is what happens. It's eye opening when you look at it.
You come upon a scene where people are injured, and there are people hurt and
there's blood. There could be death there and it's very traumatic to the people
that really see that. So it's important that we and government really make sure
that our children, our educators, and everyone puts an emphasis on this. This is
a huge item for everyone.
I have a
couple of questions, Minister, when we do get in Committee on it, just a couple
of questions to see how things are going to be run, timelines and stuff like
that. Myself, I'm very happy to be here today. I'm very happy to be a part of
this legislation today, and very happy to be here as a Member of the House of
Assembly today to represent the beautiful District of Cape St. Francis.
I think
this is going to be a great thing. I hope, I pray that it saves lives. I hope it
saves families. And like I said, impaired driving, we'll see people that like
the Coates' that are here today, what happened to them. Let's not hope it
happens to anyone else.
Thank
you very much, Mr. Speaker.
SOME HON. MEMBERS:
Hear, hear!
MADAM SPEAKER (Dempster):
The Speaker
recognizes the hon. Member for Labrador West.
MR. LETTO:
Thank you, Madam Speaker.
And it's
certainly a pleasure to rise in this hon. House today. I'm very pleased to rise
to lend my support to Bill 68, which is An Act to Amend the Highway Traffic Act.
As my
colleague, the Minister of Service NL and the Member for Cape St. Francis
MR. K. PARSONS:
The beautiful District of
Cape St. Francis.
MR. LETTO:
The beautiful District of
Cape St. Francis.
They are
right when they say driving is a privilege and it's not a right. We should all
keep that in mind. This issue of impaired driving certainly affects us all and
it's unfortunate that so many families have been affected by drunk driving
crashes. We know all too well what the outcomes of those are.
So it's
a privilege today to stand in this House and to be representing this government
who has brought this bill in, in the first week of the spring sitting of this
House of Assembly, to put this into legislation. It's long overdue, but it's
here today and we're very proud to be able to stand in this House and support
this bill today.
Madam
Speaker, this past March, the hon. minister and I I'm not sure if you were
there or not, but we met with the Labrador West chapter of MADD. I hate singling
out people because you tend to forget somebody, but the MADD chapter in Labrador
West are very, very active, a very strong chapter, and people that I know very
well. But there's one person I have to single out, and that's Josephine
Gaulten-Rowe who's been relentless and has put so many hours into lobbying for
what we have on the table today. She's been relentless. I tell you, every time
is see her and every time we meet, there's always the talk about drunk driving
and what we need to do, as a government, to make it safe for our children and
people who are on the roads.
I just
want to say that, because they have a great group; very active, as I said. The
Red Ribbon Campaign, I haven't missed one yet and I don't intent to. They
certainly make sure that I'm notified and that I'm there and they try to
accommodate me the best way they can. So I just wanted to say that today on this
very special occasion.
A major
problem we have seen in recent years, Madam Speaker, is the issue of repeat
offenders when it comes to impaired driving, and that's the unfortunate part of
it. We've all heard about the impaired drivers who are charged and then return
to driving their vehicles only to get charged again on the same day, in some
cases, which is very, very unfortunate. We've also been frustrated to hear about
repeat offenders who are charged again and again over a number of years but
never seem to get the message that impaired driving is a dangerous habit that
puts lives at risk every day.
We were
given a briefing yesterday by Service NL, and this is where I want to say my
accolades for that department because I've been there for the past year or so
with the minister who is now the Minister of Municipal Affairs and
AN HON. MEMBER:
Environment.
MR. LETTO:
Environment it keeps
changing. I want to commend the minister and the staff from Service NL who have
put countless hours into preparing this legislation. They've heard from a lot of
people. MADD has been a very, very strong advocate for these measures that we're
putting in today.
We've
listened. I think what we're doing here today puts us because when you look at
it, Newfoundland and Labrador don't have a good track record when it comes to
drunk driving and crashes and whatnot. Our legislation was at the bottom of the
list, pretty near it was pretty near at the bottom of the list, but after this
legislation is introduced, we'll move to the top. We're the trendsetter now.
We've gone from just about the bottom to the top. So we're going to lead the
country now in regulations and legislation with regard to drunk driving. I'm
very proud of that. I think we all should be, no matter what side of the House
we're on. We should all be proud of that.
SOME HON. MEMBERS:
Hear, hear!
MR. LETTO:
Because when you look at some
of the statistics, Madam Speaker, it's frightening. In 2015, Statistics Canada
report and it's nothing against the people of St. John's or it's nothing
against the city, but unfortunately we're wearing it; because, in 2015, St.
John's had the highest impaired driving rate among major cities in Canada. It's
unbelievable. And when you look at it, when you look at the chart, we're twice
the Canadian average. That's nothing to be proud of, I can guarantee you. So
obviously, we are lacking something. I think the measures that we're putting in
today will go a long way hopefully to improve that statistic and bring us
down to where we should be.
Of
course we'd all like to be at zero. That's where we'd all like to be. But
sometimes we have to deal in reality and there are some times that people just
don't pay attention to legislation or regulations. But hopefully, we'll see a
major improvement in the statistics that we have here.
Even
more disturbing I think is that young people have the highest rates of traffic
death and injury due to impaired driving. And that's sad. That's sad. Because
that's the time in your life that you should be learning to drive, learning the
rules of the road, learning what to do, what not to do and it's unfortunate that
that's the statistic we're living with as well. Motor vehicle crashes are the
leading cause of death among 16 to 25-year-olds. And alcohol and/or drugs are a
factor in 50 per cent of those crashes. Not a great statistic.
And 16
to 25-year-olds constitute 13.6 per cent of the population in 2010, but made up
almost 33.4 per cent of the impairment-related traffic deaths. Again, it's
scary. We do have a graduated licensing program; it's called the GTL. For the
first 20 to 24 months of driving, for novice drivers, which has a zero point
zero blood-alcohol content restriction, and that's good. But obviously, it's not
doing the trick.
We also
have a voluntary Ignition Interlock Program, but it's voluntary. We also have a
vehicle impoundment program, but guess what? It does not include impaired
drivers. You can be stopped for your car could have a bad wheel bearing, or
bald tires, or whatever, something wrong with your car, and it will get
impounded. But you get stopped for impaired driving, we don't have that
authority. So obviously, these are the changes that have to be made.
So these
amendments that we're seeing here today, I think, will go a long way to do that.
And these are the things that we're implementing. We're setting a zero per cent
blood-alcohol content for drivers under 22. Instead of the first 20 to 24 months
now, it's under 22; keeping in mind that the drinking age of course is 19.
I think
that will go a long way. Because most young people today, they got their learner
permits at 16, they get a driver's licence at 17 and they're on the road. And
this is at a time when we were all young at one time.
AN HON. MEMBER:
Some of us still are.
MR. LETTO:
Some of us still are.
Unfortunately, I am not one of them. But that's neither here nor there; I can't
do anything about that.
AN HON. MEMBER:
What a truth teller.
MR. LETTO:
What a truth teller.
These
are the times in our lives when we're wild and fancy-free, but we have to learn
to take some responsibility. Whether we're on the road or wherever we are, we
have to learn to be accountable for our actions. I think putting this age up to
22 allows them more time to learn the rules of the road, to learn, as I said,
not to drink and drive, because they become more mature. So I think it's a great
move.
Impose
the mandatory interlock as a condition of licence reinstatement for impaired
driving offences; I won't go through all the nuances with that and what the
limits are because that's been done by the minister and also the Member for Cape
St. Francis, the beautiful District of Cape St. Francis. But it's something I
think that will go and I've seen this personally in use, by the way.
Not that I've used it or had to use it; don't get me wrong. But I have seen it,
and guess what? It works it works. I think the measures that we're imposing
here today, the mandatory interlock system, will go a long way as well.
Just for a matter of information, I guess, and a little
service broadcast there. I just want to give the locations where they are
located in the province. We do have fixed sites where these units can be
installed. They're in St. John's, Clarenville, Gander, Grand Falls, Corner
Brook, Labrador West and Happy Valley-Goose Bay. You can get them installed in
either one of those places, and there are mobiles units that will move around,
obviously, on the Northern Peninsula, Southern Labrador and in Stephenville and
Port au Port. I think with these locations and access to these ignition
interlocks, there's no reason why that can't be implemented and that can't work.
The
third and final one is: Provides the authority to make regulations to require
the roadside impoundment of vehicles for impaired driving offences. As I said
earlier, you get stopped now on the highway and your tires could be bald, you
could have a broken axle, windshield, or anything and your vehicle can be
impounded. But if you get stopped for impaired driving, just leave it there and
go back and get it when you sober up. Basically, that's what it is, or get
somebody else to drive it home for you.
So, at
this point, with this new legislation, the impoundment goes into effect and the
cost of the impoundment sits with the driver. So they're charged for and if
they're far away from home, you got to get a tow truck or whatever, that can get
pretty expensive. Nevertheless, it's the price you pay for breaking the laws of
the road and breaking the drunk-driving issues.
Again, I
won't get into all the particulars about all these measures that we've taken,
because they've been outlined by the minister. I'll just go through it briefly.
I think that the changes we are making today, it will be much more difficult for
impaired drivers to show such blatant disregard for our impaired driving laws. I
think it shows blatant disregard for the driving public. Certainly anybody who's
witnessed and had family members, friends or whatever being a victim of a drunk
driving crash know all too well the consequences of that and what we have to
live with after, and how really needless it is to have happened in the first
place because of drunk driving.
Under
the new rules, as I said that's why, I guess, if you find you've been
operating a vehicle in an unsafe manner, your privileges are suspended until you
can prove that you've learned this most important lesson and that lesson is not
to drink and drive.
Madam
Speaker, again, I want to congratulate everybody who has been a part of this. I
want to certainly congratulate MADD Canada for being such good advocates, strong
advocates, and never giving up. It goes to show that if you have something you
believe in, please, you should never give up because sooner or later you will
meet somebody who understands what you want to do and are willing to listen to
your cause and are willing to do what is necessary to make it right.
SOME HON. MEMBERS:
Hear, hear!
MR. LETTO:
There are nine chapters of
MADD in Newfoundland and Labrador, by the way. As I said, I
MR. TRIMPER:
Twelve.
MR. LETTO:
Twelve, no. Well, this is
wrong.
MR. TRIMPER:
(Inaudible.)
MR. LETTO:
Okay, right. Thank you.
Anyway,
there are many chapters of MADD in the province and I want to congratulate them
all. We've had a lot of them in our boardroom. Like I said, we met with the ones
in Lab West. They've all been good advocates, but to have such a great person
and a dedicated person as Mrs. Patricia Hynes-Coates as now the president of
MADD Canada, I think that speaks well for the work that the MADD chapters in
this province have done.
SOME HON. MEMBERS:
Hear, hear!
MR. LETTO:
You're a great example of how
an organization, a volunteer organization, should work and does work when we all
work together for a common cause.
Madam
Speaker, with that, I'll take my seat. I want to say in closing that public
safety, to us, is a top priority. Driving is a privilege; it's not a right. And
driving while impaired will now have much tougher, tougher consequences, which
is a very good thing.
SOME HON. MEMBERS:
Hear, hear!
MR. LETTO:
The proposed amendments that
we are introducing today will reduce impaired driving I'm confident of that
in Newfoundland and Labrador and make our roads and highways safety for
everyone.
Thank
you, Madam Speaker.
SOME HON. MEMBERS:
Hear, hear!
MADAM SPEAKER:
The Speaker recognizes the
hon. the Member for Conception Bay South.
MR. PETTEN:
Thank you, Madam Speaker.
It's a
pleasure to get up today and speak on this bill. It is an important piece of
legislation, as my colleague for Cape St. Francis and colleagues opposite,
minister and the Member for Labrador West, just pointed out. I don't plan on
getting into the bill. I think they've done a great job on elaborating on it.
I guess
what I felt important to speak on; I want to recognize Patricia Hynes-Coates and
her husband, Terry, and the Coates family, actually. They're from Conception Bay
South, my community, and I welcome them here and I congratulate her and their
group on the passion they've put behind the cause, and my colleague from Lab
West just pointed out, you have to admire that. You know, we have a lot of these
groups. They're activists. They're fighting for their cause. We all commend them
and we recognize them, but I'd like to be on record to really, truly commend
them for the work they do, they've done and they will continue to do on such an
important cause as this. I want to acknowledge that, Madam Speaker.
Drinking
and driving, we hear about it in the news, you read about it in the papers and I
guess it astounds me sometimes that it's an ongoing issue. As was alluded our
rates are so high. It's amazing that in this day and age, and I think I spoke
about this in a previous bill sometime last year, I'm still amazed today that
this is such a problem. I realize it's a societal problem. It needs to be
addressed. There are a lot of reasons. This legislation will reduce the the
hope is, and I certainly hope it does, reduce the rates of drinking and driving.
I
realize this is under 22 years of age, but I guess on that note, maybe the
challenge should go out to all drivers, no matter what your age, to have zero
tolerance, zero alcohol rate whenever you sit behind the wheel, regardless if
you're 22 or you're 62. I think that's something that we, as a society, should
try to achieve that goal.
On a
personal note, I've got that notion of, if I have one drink of anything, I don't
drive. It's something I'm proud to say and something I continue on. It's always
easy to pay that cab ride home and get your vehicle the next day; it doesn't
make any sense to me, personally, and to a lot of people I know maybe that's
something we all should try to achieve regardless of our age, Madam Speaker.
On this
topic, I mentioned I know the Coates family and I know the tragedy they've dealt
with. You can't fathom it. I know a couple of other families as well, and a
former member of MADD probably still is a member, I think is former president
of MADD lost his son some years ago and it really motivated him and activated
him. Actually, he's a sitting councillor in CBS now, Richard Murphy, who has put
a lot of time and effort over the years into this cause as well. I wanted to
recognize him because, I guess, in the CBS area he brought the MADD cause to the
forefront for me, personally. I became more aware of what MADD was about after
the unfortunate death of his 20-year-old son. I believe he was 20.
Madam
Speaker, another thing and these are personal anecdotes but stuff that's stuck
with me. There was lady in my previous life; we worked together for some years.
She was a very quiet person, but there was a certain time of the year that she'd
be very down and I didn't understand. So, anyway, the story of it was her
daughter was on the way home from a dance, a teenage dance, she was 16 years
old. It was her only child. As she was coming home, she saw her daughter through
the living room window and was getting ready to go to bed, waiting for her to
come home and she got struck by a drunk driver and passed away.
I guess
stories like that, and I can tell others, but that was one stuck with me
forever. That was 20 years back I heard that story. I still see her memory on
Facebook every year. I see her and she still pays tribute. It's pretty
heart-wrenching stuff.
We're on
this topic today, and I know it's a very emotional issue for a lot of people. I
don't think any of us can unless you experience it I don't think you can
actually put yourself, walk a mile in someone else's shoes, but I felt it
important on a couple of issues on a personal note that I wanted to be on record
as saying or commenting on.
Just
before I got up to speak, I noticed the bookmark from MADD and this picture of
this young gentleman here, D.J. Hancock. I mean, that's so telling. It's so
tragic. We see a lot of these things and you can't put it into words, I guess,
is the only way to describe it. It's unfathomable.
Madam
Speaker, something else, too, on a personal note because I wanted to just speak
very personally about the bill without getting into details of it. I understand
government I commend them for bringing this legislation forward and trying to
anything we can do to reduce impaired driving rates is a good thing. But,
unfortunately, and this is why I put out the challenge to any driver, it's a job
to legislate. You can't always legislate common sense.
As hard
as we try, and we do try as a society and as a government and our organization
such as MADD, I think that the public awareness I encourage each and every
person to take it seriously, be very cognizant of what they're doing when
they're out to a social event or what have you. That one drink or two drinks,
you see the commercial sometimes; it doesn't take much. It can make a huge
difference in someone else's life. It's something that I think we all should
endeavour to try to do and make a personal challenge for each and every person
out there.
I don't
plan on going on much longer, Madam Speaker, but I just want to, I guess,
commend government for bringing this legislation in. I want to commend MADD for
the work they do because a volunteer group to fight a cause like that deserves a
lot of admiration and recognition. I know they've gotten a lot and deserve
everything they've got.
So, on
that note, I'm going to take my seat, but I just want to say in closing that I
think this is a good piece of legislation. It's a good step forward to reducing
drinking and driving and impaired rates, to bring us down well below it's not
a nice thing to see our rates where they are compared across jurisdictions,
across the country. So, hopefully, this works to reduce those numbers and to
make our streets safe and to make it safer for everyone out there, Madam
Speaker.
Thank
you very much.
SOME HON. MEMBERS:
Hear, hear!
MADAM SPEAKER:
The hon. the Minister for
Transportation and Works.
MR. HAWKINS:
Thank you, Madam Speaker.
Certainly, I count it a privilege today to stand, particularly, on this piece of
legislation because this is truly a historic day for this province. It's been
long overdue, but I am so proud to be able to stand today to support this piece
of legislation because I know that many people have actually been advocating for
this for quite some time.
I'd just
like to recognize my colleagues, certainly the Minister of Service NL and also
the Minister of Municipal Affairs and Environment for the tremendous amount of
work they did. Obviously, Madam Speaker, none of this comes easy when we have to
put together a piece of legislation that has certainly been shamefully neglected
for so long. I think the time has come and I think it's important for us today
to recognize that. That we are certainly making great strides when it comes to
putting in provisions that will, hopefully, totally, eliminate impaired driving.
Madam
Speaker, I'm not really going to get into the specifics of the legislation. I'm
going to talk a little bit more about, as the hon. Member opposite talked about,
I guess a somewhat personal and I know I've been connected with MADD for quite
a number of years now. I think it really hit home to me several years ago when I
first met Terry and Trish Coates I'm sure she don't mind me calling her Trish
and the family. It was the first ceremony because we have a candlelight
vigil every year in Grand Falls-Windsor, and I'm going to talk about that in a
minute. It was the first time, since their son had lost his life in that crash.
At that
time, Madam Speaker, it had an impact on me, as a person. I couldn't relate to
them in a sense that I lost someone through a crash. I don't like using the word
accident because it's not really that. People who choose to drive impaired, it's
not an accident; it's a crash; it's a crime.
And from
that moment on, I knew that I, as a person, I thought it was important for me to
be an advocate for what MADD was doing, and the tremendous amount of work that
they had been doing for many years. I think it was from that moment on, and then
last year when we, as a government, met in the caucus room and the members of
MADD people who have been impacted. They haven't been impacted for a day, or a
week; they've been impacted for their entire life.
I had
several conversations with Terry and Trish after that and I said if there's
anything that I can do as an individual, that I can do as a Member of this House
to make sure that we move this forward, then you have my commitment to do so.
And I am so proud today to be able to stand in this House to support this
legislation.
SOME HON. MEMBERS:
Hear, hear!
MR. HAWKINS:
Madam Speaker, I'm going to
read a couple of paragraphs: Dear friends, the day is coming when there will be
no more impaired driving crashes, a day when we will no longer need to hold a
candlelight vigil for victims and survivors of this horrible crime. But until
that day, we need your help, right now, so that we are there for grieving people
to offer them a safe place to express and share their sorrow. I hope you'll make
the decision to be there for victims, survivors, for your own family, for your
own friends, by supporting MADD today.
Madam
Speaker, these are not my words; these are words from Patricia Hynes-Coates. And
I want to tell this House today that this government is here for that purpose.
SOME HON. MEMBERS:
Hear, hear!
MR. HAWKINS:
Madam Speaker, I am not proud
of the fact that our community, the community of Grand Falls-Windsor, has a
monument, I wish we didn't have the monument but it's there. I just want to
applaud the people who recognize the fact that the people who have lost their
lives from impaired driving crimes are recognized, people who have lost loved
ones are recognized, and that while their lives are unnecessarily taken and why
they were taken from us in such a senseless, senseless act, let's never, ever
forget the important that means to all of us.
While we
have that monument, Madam Speaker, I do want to recognize the many people who
worked hard to make sure that every single year we take time to remember, to
reminisce, to cry, to laugh, to share and an opportunity for us, as a community,
to heal to some degree, as we remember and as we walk up and as we light the
candles in memory of those people that have been impacted by impaired driving.
Madam
Speaker, I'd like to recognize the tremendous amount of work that my local
chapter of MADD, Kim Brown and all the volunteers that are so passionate about
what they're trying to achieve and, hopefully, Madam Speaker, this piece of
legislation is just another tool that we'll have so that the general public, so
that people who choose to drink and drive, will know the consequences.
Madam
Speaker, I encourage every Member in the House, on June 10 we normally have it
every June on Saturday, June 10, we will have our vigil as we do every single
year in Grand Falls-Windsor and I would invite all Members on this side, the
opposite side, and anyone who's listening, if you really want to get the feeling
or really want to empathize and really want to get some sense of what these
families are going through, I invite you, all of you, to come to Grand
Falls-Windsor on June 10 and be a part of that ceremony because, Madam Speaker,
it would change your life. You will see and you will sense and you will feel the
anguish and the pain that has been caused by these senseless crimes.
It's always a daunting piece for me, when I walk into that
and I see in MADD's promotion, when I look at and realize, they have pictures of
people who've had tremendous potential and opportunity in life, that's no longer
there.
Families have to go through that every day, as long as they
live. They have to realize that in cases and situations and circumstances and
many of us have been fortunate enough that our children or families have not
been impacted have to realize that there are occasions that they're not going
to be able to share with their loved ones.
Madam Speaker, for me as an individual, for me as a Member
of this House, I think it's totally long overdue waiting for this time to come.
I just want to applaud all who have had some part in making this happen today
because I believe it will make a difference. I believe the message will get out
and through education and through many of us advocating and speaking a voice for
those who no longer have a voice, it's going to be important for us. If we can
save one, two, three lives, it's all worth.
I think, Madam Speaker, it was evident in the words that
Trish Coates said, she is looking forward and her family is looking forward to
the day when there will be no
more impaired driving. I, as an individual, I, as a Member of this House, I,
too, am looking forward to that day, Madam Speaker.
Thank
you very much.
SOME HON. MEMBERS:
Hear, hear!
MADAM SPEAKER:
The hon. the Member for St.
John's East Quidi Vidi.
MS. MICHAEL:
Thank you very much, Madam
Speaker.
Like the
rest of my colleagues, I'm quite pleased and happy to stand here this afternoon
and to speak in support of Bill 68, the
Highway Traffic Act relating to impaired driving.
W giving
a lot of recognition, and very rightly so, to MADD, to the families and to the
friends of those who have lost loved ones because of people who've been impaired
drivers. We're recognizing all the work that they have done. I think we also
should apologize to them, that is has taken us so long in this House to bring
our regulations and our legislation up to where we're bring it today. It's good
to celebrate that we're doing it, but let's also at the same time, say to them
we're sorry that it has taken so long, but it has and let's keep moving forward.
I think
one of the things that's going to be important, it's extremely important, first
let me say that we are taking this move with regard to zero tolerance for
drivers, all drivers under 22, not just novice drivers but all non-novice
drivers under 22, I think that's extremely important. It will have effect it
has had an effect in other parts of the country where this has happened. Rates
of impaired driving have gone down, deaths have gone down and that's extremely
important.
I do
believe having to be under this legislation that drivers under 22 have a longer
time to think about the need to be sober when they're behind the wheel. So we
have to hope that because of this legislation, as more and more young drivers
are getting into the habit of being sober behind the wheel, that keeping that
going until they're 22, for all drivers, will have a very positive effect down
the road and we really have to hope for that. But we also have to continue the
process of educating. I'm sure MADD knows that educating because,
unfortunately, we certainly have the proof that even with zero tolerance for
novice drivers, it still doesn't stop all drivers from drinking and driving.
We have
to keep up the education process. We have to keep up education in the public. We
have to keep up education in the school system. We have to keep up education
even attached to driver instruction. That should be an important part of driver
instruction, the importance of being sober.
This
legislation is going to help with all of that process and it's wonderful that we
are bringing it in to this House of Assembly today, but, as I said, we've been a
long time waiting for it. It's about time we're doing it, and I want to be very
practical here. I'm not going to go through the bill. Some of my colleagues, the
minister for sure and others, have done that I think. We know the details, so I
don't need to go into all the details for sure. However, I do want to be
practical and name a couple of things I'd like the minister to comment on when
he speaks again, or maybe we may need to do some of it in Committee, I'm not
sure, but I notice that the bill the act that this bill is affecting comes
into force six months after the day on which it receives Royal Assent.
So two
points I think for the minister, and for all of us. Number one, I hope Royal
Assent will be immediate. That once we pass this legislation, I hope Royal
Assent comes immediately so there's no delay in getting this legislation into
place and into law. I also note that it's six months after Royal Assent before
it comes into law. I think it would be good if the minister could explain to us
when he speaks again what are the details that are keeping making such a long
time between the Royal Assent and the legislation coming into place. I'm sure
there have to be reasons but I don't know what all those reasons are.
Certainly, with the ignition interlock it seems like things are in place for
that to happen right away. We've been told that the Atlantic Canadian Provinces,
we have a negotiated contract with a company and the service provider has set up
their offices, et cetera. It seems with the interlock program, that should be in
place fairly soon. So I'd like to know what other details, what other issues
would keep the legislation from happening sooner than six months after Royal
Assent. That's not a criticism, that's a question. If there are reasons, and I
know there are, then I think it would be good to know the reasons.
The
other question I have, again, it's a practical question and we are dealing with
legislation, so we need to make sure we understand what we will be voting on.
The current interlock system we have, ignition interlock system is voluntary and
we have legislation covering that voluntary interlock program. In our
legislation right now if somebody applies for the ignition interlock and enters
the program, that person has to pay the costs that are involved with that. So I
guess what I'm asking the minister is, will he let us know once it's in
legislation and it is compulsory, will that then be covered now by government or
is that going to have to be covered by the individuals?
I see
the minister making head movements over there, but when he stands he can, I
think, speak to us about that because I think it's an important point for people
to understand. Right now, if drivers have to expend money they're choosing to do
it. I think let me make my point the ignition interlock should be compulsory.
I'm glad it is going to be compulsory, but when it was voluntary we expected
people to pay all the costs. Will they have to pay all the costs now that it is
becoming compulsory?
These
are some of the practical points I wanted to make in standing and speaking to
this bill today, Mr. Speaker. As I said, I'm not going to go into the details of
the program itself because I think we're all clear on it.
I think
the zero tolerance there have been some other debates in this House over the
years where I've personally promoted zero tolerance for drinking and driving and
I'm glad we've come to the point today where we've done this for drivers under
22. As we move on with this issue, and it will be an issue for a long time, I
fear for older drivers. I think maybe down the road we'll be enhancing our
legislation even more, who knows, but I think the step we're taking today is an
extremely important step.
I too
want to add my voice to those who have recognized the work of MADD, and
recognize the work of Ms. Patricia Hynes-Coates. I think it's very important
that we recognize them because it's a sad thing to say but perhaps we wouldn't
be doing this today if they hadn't done the work they'd done. I think we should
have been doing it anyway. We should have been doing it before now, but I think
we need to recognize that perhaps it may not have been happening if they hadn't
done their work.
So with
that, Mr. Speaker, I'm very happy to congratulate MADD. I'm very happy to say
I'm glad that we in this House today are going to vote for this legislation, and
say to the minister, I hope we're going to get it brought in as soon as
possible. If six months are necessary by the time Royal Assent is given we
have to wait another six months then let us make sure we get this approved as
soon as we pass it here in the House.
Thank
you very much.
SOME HON. MEMBERS:
Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER (Warr):
The Chair recognizes the
hon. the Member for Harbour Main.
SOME HON. MEMBERS:
Hear, hear!
MS. PARSLEY:
Mr. Speaker, it is an honour
to rise in this hon. House today to speak to Bill 68 to amend the
Highway Traffic Act. It is a pleasure to welcome Ms. Patricia
Hynes-Coates and her family to the gallery. Patricia is our national president
of MADD.
Back in
December I had the pleasure to attend the kickoff for MADD Canada at the Avalon
Mall with the whole team. It was an event I will not forget. Driving is a
serious offence, when you take the lives of others into your hands. I just want
to share how one senseless act changed the life of a family.
Good
day, Ms. Parsley this is an email I received thank you for the opportunity
to share my life experience since losing my mother and a lifelong friend. It had
an effect on my family.
My
mother, Jenny Furey, at the age of 31, was senselessly killed on the way home
from work by a long-term offender on May 22, 1981. Jenny was a loving wife, the
mother of two children. I was three at the time when she was killed and my
brother was eight years old. We waited her return home so we could begin our
annual Victoria Day family camping trip the following morning. Sadly, she never
returned.
Our
mother's death created a terrible effect on our childhood that has carried over
into our adult life. We lost so much more than our mother that night. Our father
is a seasonal worker and was not in a position to provide a stable home for two
small children. We went from being a happy, loving, four-person family unit,
planning our family outings, to a broken family consisting of two scared and
confused children and a young widowed husband. Neither of us knew where we
belonged anymore. We had to move out of our family home, living these past 35
years without our mother, and limited time with our working father has compiled
too many special life moments to count that he was not able to share with us.
Thankfully, our grandparents, while in their 60s, stepped up and took on the
responsibility of raising my brother and me along with our family dog, instantly
changing their plans for a future. Sadly, now I see a new generation of my
family being affected by the senseless decision to drive that night.
My
brother's children, my sweet nieces and nephews can only hear stories and old
faded photos that are kept alive through family memories. They will never get to
know their wonderful grandmother. This man's decision to get behind the wheel
that night, after a long night of partying, has affected every aspect of our
lives. There is no escaping what he's done. Something as routine as a medical
checkup reminds me that I'm missing a link in my family chain, my mother was
killed so young and I had no idea what genetic issues she may have passed along
to her children. The ripple effect from his choice is still being felt 35 years
later.
Imagine
the horror to see the man who took my mother's life on the front page of
The Telegram news 33 years later,
committing a similar offence. Luckily, he didn't kill the victim but she still
needs hospitalization. The gentleman which I don't want to name is now
deemed a long-term offender by the court. It has taken 33 multiple repeat
offences from an impaired driving, theft, fraud and more to get this conviction.
The public safety has been repeatedly put in harm's way with this man being
given lenient sentences. Our laws are no deterrent for those who have proven to
be unwilling to police themselves and have not changed over 30 years.
In a
province that is tied for the highest number of impaired driving, it is time for
change. It is time to put the public safety first and call it as her own. It's
not an accident, calling it that is an insult to the victims. Adults make
decisions to drink and drive and should be held responsible for their choices.
They may
not have a specific victim in mind when they get behind that wheel but they know
the full potential there is for this vehicle to be turned into a killing machine
and to choose to take that gamble with all our lives.
As I
take my seat, I am so pleased in this hon. House today, with all of our
colleagues, to put forward this bill and to support it in every way. There's
been a lot of work done by our previous Member and now our other minister, and
especially to Patricia Coates and her family. Life is precious.
Once
again, this needs to be passed today so we all can move on in a safer, safer
place to drive.
Thank
you.
SOME HON. MEMBERS:
Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER:
The Chair recognizes the hon.
the Member for Mount Pearl Southlands.
MR. LANE:
Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
It's
certainly a pleasure for me to come to my feet this afternoon and to support
Bill 68. I think my colleague, the Member for Cape St. Francis, the beautiful
district, as he likes to call it, of Cape St. Francis it is a beautiful
district, I have to admit I think he put it best. And not to be too
repetitive, but I've been in this House of Assembly now, this is my sixth year,
and I've seen a lot of legislation go through the House from both perspectives,
as we all know.
There
are times when legislation has been passed in this House that I would consider
housekeeping. There have been times when there's been legislation that was
passed, things that weren't too serious but things that needed to be done to
improve things and to tie up loose ends. There's been times when there's been
legislation which has been very important legislation for various reasons.
There's been legislation that I've totally agreed with. There's been legislation
that I adamantly disagreed with. There's been legislation that I agreed with
parts of it and other parts I didn't. There hasn't been a lot of times I can
honestly say that I've left the House of Assembly at the end of a day and
really felt like I had done something that was really special, I guess, for lack
of a better term, something really positive, something that I felt all Members
of the House could be proud of.
I think
today is one of those special occasions. It's one of those days where we all get
the opportunity to make a real, substantive difference. Something that's going
to impact people, it's going to impact people's lives. Hopefully, it's going to
save many lives. Hopefully, it's going to result in a lot less families in the
future having to go through the grief of losing a loved one. That's what we're
doing here today.
I could
not possibly support any piece of legislation any more than I'm supporting this
legislation here today. Like I said, after six years, I can think of nothing
else that stands out in mind as actually accomplishing something very positive,
tangible for the people than what we are doing here this afternoon. I think
every Member of this House of Assembly, regardless of the party, regardless of
the side of the House or even if there is no party, but as an MHA, I think we
should all be proud of what we are doing here today.
I, too,
want to acknowledge everybody who has played a part in bringing this legislation
forward, certainly the government. I commend the government 100 per cent. I've
said many times that if the government makes bad decisions, I'll be the first
one to stand up and criticize; but, when they do the right thing, I'll be their
biggest fan, their biggest cheerleader. I commend them today for doing the right
thing, for doing something positive and I thank the government, I thank the
minister, I thank the former minister because I know he had a big role in making
this happen before the portfolios changed, and I will acknowledge that publicly.
I also
want to thank MADD Canada and all of the chapters of MADD here in Newfoundland
and Labrador, in particular Patricia and Terry Coates, who I've gotten to know
over the last number of years. It's very tragic, I guess, in the sense of how I
got to meet them and through which avenues I got to meet them, through MADD and
through the loss of their loved one, and many other people who have experienced
the same thing.
They've
taken a negative and I can't imagine as a father myself, a father of two, and
many of us here in this House we have children, I cannot imagine the impact that
an event such as losing your child to an impaired driver, losing your child in
any regard, but certainly a tragedy like losing a child to an impaired driver, I
can't imagine how you cope with that and how you deal with it. Certainly you
could get very bitter and upset and depressed, and I'm sure all that goes along
with it. But you can also take that and you can draw from your inner strength
and you can take all of that negativity and turn it into something positive to
make sure that something positive comes out of it, despite of all of the
downside of that event in your life.
They've
certainly done that and I have nothing but the utmost admiration for Patricia
Coates, Patricia and Terry, and all the other people who I've met along the way
who have lost loved ones who were involved with Mothers Against Drunk Driving,
the courage that they show to be able to turn that negative experience into a
campaign to make change so that others will not have to experience, in the
future, what they've had to endure and what they've had to experience. They
really need to be commended for it, and I certainly do just that.
I can
tell you I heard the Minister of Transportation and Works and he talked about
the monument in Gander or sorry, Grand Falls-Windsor, I apologize, and the
vigil. I, too, would encourage all Members to attend the vigil if they have an
opportunity. I did attend it a couple of years ago and I have to say that I
really believe that anybody who is convicted of impaired driving and I know
that this is not something that we could, I guess, practically legislate, but if
there was a way of legislating it, I believe every impaired driver who gets
convicted should be forced to go to that monument, forced to go to that vigil,
and sit there and see the pain on the faces of those people who have lost a
loved one.
To watch
that slide presentation and see the faces of all those lives lost particularly
the young people, who had so much going for them and so much promise. To see
their face come up on the screen I can tell you I was there, and I spent the
whole time swallowing softballs and fighting back tears. I've got to be honest.
It is something that, when you go there and you experience it and you listen to
the speakers and you watch the lighting of the candles, it's something that
sticks with you; it's something that you will never forget.
And it's
certainly something that if you even had the faint thought of getting behind the
wheel after having a drink or a couple of drinks or whatever the case might be,
that thought comes in your mind, you aren't going to do it. Not going to do it.
Mr. Speaker, I look at impaired driving, it's like a game of Russian roulette.
It really is. If somebody gets behind the wheel of a car, impaired, under the
influence, that car is a weapon. I would make the comparison because I see no
difference; it's no different than somebody going out on Pitts Memorial Drive or
Kenmount Road or wherever the case might be, with a .303 and just firing off a
couple of random shots down the road.
And the
bullet could lose its trajectory and fall, could hit a pole, could hit a car,
could hit a sign, or that bullet could pass through a windshield and hit a
person or could hit a pedestrian and it could end their life. And it's no
different that analogy is no different than when somebody makes the decision
to get behind the wheel of a car while they're under the influence. They're
playing Russian roulette, not just with their lives, but of the lives of the
victims, the lives of the person who they strike, and in a lot of cases kill.
And not just the victims of the crash but the families who have to live with
that for the rest of their lives, as have been said by a number of Members.
We have
a responsibility in this House of Assembly for public safety. That's one of the
mandates we have; one of many. What we're doing here today is the right thing to
do. Anything we can do to curb that activity to, hopefully, make sure it doesn't
happen to begin with, and I believe the piece on not allowing a driver up to the
age of 22 to have any alcohol at all, zero, I think that, hopefully, with the
new generation, with the younger people, it sort of sets them on that path for a
number of years. As a new driver now, they're going to have a number of years
where they can't have any alcohol. Hopefully, that creates a habit and a
mindset, no different than seat belts were, as an example, teaches them,
psychologically, subconsciously, that if I'm going to drink, I'm not going to
drive at all. I'm not going to drink at all if I'm going to drive. Hopefully,
that becomes a learned behaviour and it prevents it from happening again.
There's
no need for it to happen. That's the reality. There is no need for it to happen.
There are designated drivers. There's a thing called taxi. If you're going out
and you know for the most part, people know, we all know, if we're going out
to a social function, we're going out to a party, we're going up to the cabin,
whatever it is we're doing, we know in advance if we're going to be drinking or
not. We have a good idea, right. You don't just go out for supper and all of a
sudden just randomly decide let's drink a dozen beer and get smashed. That
doesn't happen. If you're going out and you're drinking, you know before you go
out you're going to be drinking. It's very easy to make the decision to leave
the car at home and take a cab or have a designated driver.
So,
obviously, we have a problem. When you look at the statistics in Newfoundland
and Labrador, we have a big problem. I mean, it's a huge problem. It's not
something to be proud of. It's something to be ashamed of, actually, but we need
to deal with it. By putting in this zero consumption for up to age 22, I hope
that's going to start our younger people, instilling this mindset that it is not
okay to have even one drink and get behind the wheel. Hopefully, by the time
they turn age 22, we would have established that mindset, we would have
established that habit, whatever you want to call it, and it just won't happen
in the future.
Now, we
all know there will always be people, no matter what that's why we have
prisons, that's why we have police, because there are always going to be people
who will break the law. But that doesn't mean we don't put appropriate measures
in place to try to prevent these things from happening, and that one does it.
The interlocking system for ignitions thank you, lost the word ignition I
think that's a fabulous move as well. It really is, and I can't believe it was
ever voluntary to be honest with you.
Actually, I've met with MADD a couple of times, met with them when I was critic
for Service NL, and we talked about this legislation, proposed legislation. I
was blown away by the fact that it was voluntary to begin with. I never realized
they actually had an option. It seemed ludicrous to me. The fact now that we're
going to make it mandatory, I think that's a positive thing. It's a positive
thing. Again, it's going to prevent somebody from getting behind the wheel under
the influence and putting their lives and the lives of others at risk.
Certainly, the vehicle impounding is another one. It's amazing, I heard one of
my colleagues talk about the fact that if the RNC or RCMP haul you over and you
have bald tires or something, they impound your car. If you're loaded drunk
behind the wheel, they don't impound your car. I mean how ludicrous is that? To
put that in place, again, it's definitely another positive for sure.
It's
getting tough basically, it's getting tough on impaired drivers. It's sending
a message that we will no longer accept impaired driving and the carnage caused
by impaired driving and the heartbreak and the loss. It's just not acceptable.
Therefore, as I said, I'm very proud and very pleased to be able to stand in
this House this afternoon and support something that's going to benefit not just
the families today, because like I said, I know they're very pleased this is
happening. I know they worked so hard for it, but really what we're doing, we're
putting this in place to prevent tragedies in the future and to prevent these
types of things from ever happening again. For that I think we should all be
proud on all sides of the House.
Once
again, just to conclude, I thank all Members, the NDP, the Official Opposition
and the government in particular, for bringing this legislation forward so that
we all have the opportunity to come into this House and do the right thing, and
to leave here at the end of the day feeling good. That we actually came in here
and we did something that was so important and was so positive, and is going to
impact so many people and their lives into the future, I think that is a
wonderful thing and something, like I said, we should all be proud of.
I'm
going to take my seat now, Mr. Speaker, and as I said, I will be supporting this
piece of legislation one thousand per cent.
Thank
you.
SOME HON. MEMBERS:
Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER:
The Chair recognizes the hon.
the Minister of Municipal Affairs and Environment.
MR. JOYCE:
Thank you
SOME HON. MEMBERS:
Hear, hear!
MR. JOYCE:
Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
It's an
honour to be in the House again today to have a few words on such an important
piece of legislation. Mr. Speaker, before I go any further, and I know the
Minister of Service NL already mentioned that, I know over in the office, the
deputy minister's office, Sean Dutton, Roxie Wheaton, Alan Doody and
Gina
MacArthur are over there looking now. Thanks guys, you did a lot of work with
this. I just wanted to recognize four of them.
SOME HON. MEMBERS:
Hear, hear!
MR. JOYCE:
You guys did a lot of work
with this over the last year, and I just want to recognize that, and I know the
minister did also today. Thank you very much for all the work the staff did on
this and mainly these four people because you put your heart and soul into it. I
know personally what you did for it.
Patricia
and Terry Coates, it was a pleasure meeting you guys. I have to tell a little
story, when we first sat down with Patricia I know she's going to kill me, but
that's all right, I don't mind that. We sat down and the first time we ever met,
we're sitting in a room and we're going on, and halfway through the meeting she
looked at me and she said: So what are you going to do about it? I looked at
her, she said: I suppose you don't like me now, do you? I said no, actually, I
like someone from Curling who's good and saucy, who speaks their mind. That was
the first time we met in the meeting and it was great ever since.
Patricia, I know you're the face of MADD. I know there are a lot of people
behind you around the Province of Newfoundland and Labrador and across Canada
supporting you, but you have a lot of passion. Your initiative and your passion,
because of the tragedy you had, come through.
I have
to say, when we first met I was handed this letter. It was a report card.
Newfoundland was an F, and Patricia Coates looked at me, she said: We have to
change this. I said: I can't do it. We can't do it. We all have to work together
to do it. This is the result today of everybody working together in the
province.
SOME HON. MEMBERS:
Hear, hear!
MR. JOYCE:
There are two other people I
have to mention. I can't say their names because you're not allowed in the House
of Assembly, but Mark and Carol Anne oh, sorry, Burin Grand Bank and
Placentia West. I remember those two individuals when we had a private Member's
motion; I have to bring this story up.
People
didn't know, but myself and Trish were quietly saying: What can we work on? This
is the three things we came up with to work on. I remember having one of those
issues and I'm sitting down with Mark and Carol Anne, and I remember when I
brought it down. I said here's what just brought in one. I remember the Member
for Burin Grand Bank, I can't say your name Carol Anne, the Member for Burin
Grand Bank, I remember she said: That's all you're doing. Mark jumped in two
minutes later, he said: That's not good enough for us. That's not good enough
for us. So the two of you people behind the scenes, I know the work you guys did
for this, pushing for this.
SOME HON. MEMBERS:
Hear, hear!
MR. JOYCE:
Mr. Speaker, I won't go over
what has already been said here because everybody here has said it so well and
we have unanimous support in the House. I know there were some questions that
were asked by the Member for the St. John's East Quidi Vidi about the length
of time.
The
length of time we have to make a lot of changes to the regulations. We have to
make a lot of changes, for example, with the form on the licences. We have to
get the police involved. We have to do an education process. So that's the
delay. It's not a delay for any specific reason, except to get everything ready.
That is the delay. Everybody in this Legislature, everybody involved with MADD
wants this done ASAP.
When I
sat down with the minister, the Minister of Service NL said to me: Eddie, as
soon as this gets an opportunity to get done, we'll have it done. I just want to
thank the minister for taking that, carrying that on, following that through and
making that commitment here in this House.
SOME HON. MEMBERS:
Hear, hear!
MR. JOYCE:
I know everybody supports
this. I can tell you in Cabinet, and I know we're not allowed to talk about what
happens in Cabinet. We know that, but I have to tell you a few things.
I
brought in a few pieces of legislation, and I can tell you I was raked over the
carpet for. I make no bones about it, Sir. If you want to see a guy from Curling
trying to stand up for himself with 13, 14 hens pecking at him, you had it. I
can guarantee you that, but I can tell you one thing, when this legislation came
in, it was the quickest piece of legislation that was brought in to Cabinet
since I've been in there in 14 months because everybody around the Cabinet table
wanted it done. No delays. Everybody supported it. Everybody said: What are we
waiting for? Let's get this done. This is the fastest piece of legislation that
went through a Cabinet meeting that I have ever been involved with in 14 months
because everybody in the Cabinet realized the importance of this here. I just
want to thank all my Cabinet colleagues. I know everybody supported it 100 per
cent. I just wanted to make sure that I recognize the support that was there so
quick, so easy.
Mr.
Speaker, I have to say the caucus also, I know when we were coming up on the
private Member's motion, if people in the province looked at the private
Member's motion before this was announced, when the private Member's motion that
was brought in by our caucus, was to bring in these regulations. We couldn't
announce it until we actually had it through Cabinet that it was done, but while
we were waiting to get it done through Cabinet, this caucus, the Liberal caucus,
had it on the Order Paper to bring in the regulations anyway. That's how
important it was for the people of this caucus. I just want to recognize
everybody in the caucus who did that, without the knowledge of what was being
done in Cabinet. So I just want to recognize that and the hard work that
everybody did on that.
Mr.
Speaker, I won't go into all the details on it, but I can honestly say when you
look at what we brought in, it brings in line with a lot of Canada now. It's a
big tribute to Newfoundland and Labrador. It's a big tribute to all of us that
we all came together: Opposition, Third Party and independent. We're all on
side.
I have
said this many times in this House of Assembly, Mr. Speaker, this is not a
Liberal bill, PC, NDP or Independent. This is the people of Newfoundland and
Labrador bill.
SOME HON. MEMBERS:
Hear, hear!
MR. JOYCE:
Mr. Speaker, I know the
Member for Cape St. Francis got a bit upset with me today and asked me
questions. I was trying to answer very quiet and calm, as I usually do, but I
know when we were going through this here, and I was briefing him on it, the man
was so supportive of that, the Member for Cape St. Francis. Of course, when I
was bringing stuff in over the last month or two and I was giving him a heads up
what we were doing, he was so supportive, I have to say. I just have to
recognize the Member for Cape St. Francis for that.
SOME HON. MEMBERS:
Hear, hear!
MR. JOYCE:
Well, Mr. Speaker, I won't be
much longer on it, but it's a proud day for Newfoundland and Labrador and a
proud day for MADD. A proud day, Patricia, for you and your group and all the
province. We can finally; you can finally go up to the rest of Canada and say:
We're with you.
Thank
you.
SOME HON. MEMBERS:
Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER:
The hon. the Member for
Conception Bay East Bell Island.
MR. BRAZIL:
Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
It's no
doubt the Minister of Municipal Affairs eloquently outlined that this is a proud
day for Newfoundland and Labrador and it's a proud day for the House of
Assembly. It's a proud day, obviously, for the volunteers that we have in this
great province and the organization that spearheaded this.
We've
come a long way in addressing the issues around safety on our roads. We've come
a long way in trying to curb the culture in our province. Sometimes a lot of the
positive things we've done in life get lost in some of the negative things and
some of the negative ways that we operate in our society but this is a way for
us to address some of those, to ensure that the culture changes for this
generation and future generations down the road.
It's all
about proper safety. It's all about people feeling engaged in our community and
feeling safe in what they do. What better place than on our roads, knowing that
you're going to be safe. When your children are out on their bicycles, when you
go on about for a stroll, when you want to drive your car on one of our
highways, one of our country roads within the city limits, because you know the
people driving are doing it with due diligence. They're following the laws. The
laws are put in such a way that safety is the paramount process here.
I do
compliment the Minister of Service NL and that side of the House and this side
here for being cooperative on this piece of legislation. No doubt, we all agree,
it was a long time coming. No doubt, when you look at Newfoundland and Labrador,
we never want to be the last at anything and we shouldn't be. We're much better
than that. We're much more capable. We have much more of a supportive service
society here and we need to move forward.
This is
probably one of the things that, unfortunately, it's in our past now, we've
moved forward. We can make this a positive thing. That's the positive things
about what we're doing right here today. We're making history for a reason.
We're making it because the people of this province stood up for something they
felt was needed for the citizens here, about protection and that the government
and the people in this Legislature looked at what our roles are. Our roles are
to protect people. Find proper legislation. Find the process to put in place to
ensure all our citizens are protected.
When we
look at the situation here and we look at the number of deaths, the tragic, the
unnecessary damage that's been done to people's lives. The unnecessary cost that
it's incurred in our society and the challenges that people have had to face due
to it. It's not only those who have lost a loved one but no doubt it's those who
caused the loss of those individuals, what impact it had on their lives and
their families.
There's
always a situation where there's a negative connotation when people take risks
in society, particularly when they're drinking and driving. The risks are to
everybody in our society. We need to curb that attitude. We need to curb it.
Sometimes, unfortunately, you have to do deterrents and sometimes you have to be
harsh in those deterrents. The old clichι: tough love. Well, sometimes you have
to do that because sometimes we don't think in the best interest of what makes
common sense.
What
this does here is make people think, make people step back and say there's a
reason. The media coverage we'll get from this, I'm hoping it's going to be the
first start of getting people to think about how we handle things. What our
cultural behaviours have been in the past and how we have to curb them. Every
member of our society here, every day when they step out on their porch and step
out into their cars, always want to be safe and they want to ensure they don't
endanger anybody else out there, to do that around ensuring that alcohol is
never a factor that affects what happens in our society.
We know
there are going to be traffic accidents. We know there are unfortunate
situations. We know there are going to be mechanical issues that cause it.
Sometimes we can control those, most times we can't, but we can control if there
are deaths, if there's injury because of misuse and abuse of alcohol and that
tolerance of using that while you're operating a motor vehicle is not
acceptable.
Again,
as I said earlier, and it's been noted by my colleagues here in the House of
Assembly that we've come a long way in addressing what the issues may be. It's
because we've had open dialogue. It's because people in our society have stood
up and said: Look, enough is enough. We need to start educating. We need to
start engaging. We need to start standing up for what's right and maybe we need
to step to the next level. That's what we've done here.
We boast
sometimes, and I say this with tongue in cheek, that we try to be as good as
other provinces. Those days for Newfoundlanders and Labradorians are gone. It
should not be our philosophy. We should be better than the other provinces. We
have that ability to be better. We have that background to be better and we need
to set the tone. This is a good example of how we can set that tone and take it
to the next level.
We need
to ensure that everybody in society understands why we're doing what we're
doing. This is not in any way, shape or form an approach to try to stop one
group or to try to hinder another group or to put any financial burdens on
anybody. This is about ensuring people are safe and that people follow what we
set as our laws. We have rules and regulations and we have laws. They're there
for a reason, to keep society safe, to keep us in a mode that everybody would
know exactly, on a day-to-day basis what is acceptable and what isn't.
So this
piece of legislation here now makes it into law. It makes it into law in such a
way that we can add to it. We can modify it. We can ensure if things change in
society that we can address those issues and make sure that the next generation
is safe and safer and whatever it takes to make sure that the people of this
province have a safe environment to live in.
We also
know at the end of the day, we want young people it's geared towards young
people in some cases but we want young people to realize they are our future.
They're the people who are going to run our province. We want them to be safe.
We don't want them to have any ill-feelings about how they're going to operate
in society. We don't want them to have any tragedies in their life. We want to
minimize that. There are going to be health risks in life that you can't
control; we can control these. Putting in legislation hopefully sends the
message, and sends a strong message: We want you to think about what you're
doing.
We need
to take this, and we need to take it to the next level. We need to work with our
educators, our education institutions, our youth organizations, all the
organizations that are out there that already have as one of their primary
objectives of keeping our young people safe. We've got a great organization in
MADD, who take the lead on doing what they're doing, and don't preach for the
sake of preaching. What they talk about is let's engage the sector out there.
Let's engage our citizens to ensure people are safer. Let's find ways to do it.
And to
do that, you have to find the proper rules and regulations. You have to ensure
that you can enforce those. We have our police forces here that have a
responsibility to do that. This, after reading the information in the bill
itself, outlines how those partnerships will work. To get to this point has been
open dialogue between the partners involved to ensure that the process put in
place can be maintained, it can be enforced, and it can be understood. At the
end of the day, it can serve the purpose it was set up to do, and that's to
protect our citizens.
So as my
colleagues on this side have said, and all the colleagues in the government side
have said, and no doubt future ones will say too, this is a good piece of
legislation to ensure that that we continue to have our society safe, our roads
safe and ensure people understand their responsibilities. So, Mr. Speaker, I
will sit on that, and say it's a pleasure to be in this House as we support an
historic piece of legislation.
Thank
you, Mr. Speaker.
SOME HON. MEMBERS:
Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER:
The hon. the Member for
Virginia Waters Pleasantville.
MR. B. DAVIS:
Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
I'd be
remiss if I didn't first say a big thank you to the Member for Harbour Main for
giving us that story.
SOME HON. MEMBERS:
Hear, hear!
MR. B. DAVIS:
I'm a soft-hearted kind of
guy and that was a real tear-jerker for me for sure, and I'm really thankful
that you shared that story with us. Thank you.
Bill 68
is a piece of legislation that has far-reaching impacts right across our
province in every community. We see some people up in the gallery today that
have worked very hard for this legislation, and us doing this today is going to
change the barometer, or change the needle as they say, to make it a little bit
better in each and every one of our communities. And that's a huge thing.
I'm not
going to go into the legislation; that's been done before fantastically done
before by all the colleagues in the House of Assembly and I've never been so
happy to stand on a piece of legislation as I have been today, to be on both
sides of the House in support of this great initiative, and I'm just very
pleased. But the angle I'm going to take today is on the youth side. That's
where my background is in youth service and I think that the changes that we're
making in this legislation for young people, and the safety for young people as
we go forward, is going to be great.
When we
look at the vulnerable individuals that are facing incidents of impaired
driving, one of the big vulnerable people is our youth. According to MADD in
2015, young people have the highest rates of traffic death and injury per capita
among any age group and the highest rate per kilometre driven among all drivers
75 years and under. More 19-year-olds die or are seriously injured than any
other age group.
Motor
vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death among 16 to 25-year-olds and
alcohol and drugs are a factor in 55 per cent of those cases; 16 to 25-year-olds
constitute only 13 per cent, a little over 13 per cent of the population, as of
2010, but it made up 34.4 per cent of the impairment-related traffic deaths.
This needs to be addressed and we're doing it here today.
This
report indicates the highest impaired driving rates were recorded in drivers
between the ages of 20 and 24. Part of the prevalence of impaired driving
incidents among young people must be addressed and even more stringent education
for our young people and awareness campaign needs to exist.
I can't
think of a better awareness campaign than the one I've had the pleasure of
attending on a couple of occasions. It was the Nick Coates Memorial Car Show. As
a fundraiser for a living, I think it was a great initiative that was different.
People had the opportunity to come by and see some beautiful cars, which was a
passion of Nick's as well. Just to see people talking openly about their
experiences is a huge indication of education in our province. More of those
events need to happen across this province.
We
hosted one right here on the parking lot. It was great to see all of Nick's
young friends come out and support. For me, it was probably one of the best
fundraising events I've ever been at, and I go to a lot of them. Hats go off to
MADD for coming up with a great event. I know it stemmed from the experiences of
what Trish and Terry and their family have experienced. So I'm very moved by
that.
We're
going to work with the Department of Education and Department of Advanced
Education, Skills and Labour to raise awareness for young drivers, each and
every time we have the opportunity. However, it's also very important that we go
further to prevent impaired driving from ever happening.
I was
happy to see these changes being brought to the House today. Changing the
blood-alcohol content to zero seems like a no-brainer, but it's very, very
important that we do this here today, making sure that it's very difficult for
young people to even have that habit start. So changing that habit is very
important. And, in Newfoundland, we all know that's a habit we're trying to
change, we're wrestling with and it is getting better, but it's still not to the
level we want it to be.
Some of
the stats that I'm not going to belabour the stats too much, but some of the
student surveys that have been done: 4.1 per cent of Newfoundland students drove
a vehicle within an hour of using alcohol. I mean that's amazing and we've got
to be better. And 4.1 per cent sounds like a low number but it's still way too
high way too high; 11.5 per cent of students said they'd travelled with
drivers who had been drinking. These numbers, although they may be small,
account for a very, very with all the education purposes we have in place now
in this province, it should be zero.
If you
live in an urban centre like I do, and some of my colleagues don't have that
pleasure to live in St. John's where cabs are available and things like that,
but every opportunity I have to talk to young people in the CLB or organizations
that I go to, I always suggest that it's much better to have a plan for after
the event than try to plan for it after you've been at the event. So plan before
for how you're going to deal with it after.
I know
that every father or mother would never mind getting a call at 2o'clock in the
morning to come pick up their son or daughter after an evening of enjoyment. So
I think it's very, very important. I'm not a father, but I can tell you that I
know that my father came to pick up me several times, so I understand that it's
very, very important.
On a
personal note, I'm honoured to stand here today because I had the honour of
knowing Nicholas. We were both members of the CLB. I've known Terry and his
family for 20 years or more. Having to see what they've gone through as a
family, and going to the funeral home where it was absolutely packed, packed
with friends, and to see the amount of difference that a young man can make in
so many people's lives, and that didn't stop there. Today is a reflection
directly of the impact that Nicholas has made, not just on your lives but the
lives of everybody in this province and, hopefully, everybody in this country.
I know
how sometimes it's very difficult to have these discussions but you guys have
made a big difference in bringing forward this legislation. I owe a huge thank
you to the Minister of Municipal Affairs and Minister of Service NL. I know both
have worked very hard. In particular, I'd like to say thank you to the Minister
of Municipal Affairs for all his hard work and dedication on this file.
It's not
just a passion you have for this, you've lived it. So you understand it, and it
comes from the heart of that matter. I'd just like to say thank you on behalf of
the House of Assembly for the great work you've done. I was never I was
probably very proud when I heard on VOCM one day that Trish had been named chair
or president of MADD Canada. I wasn't surprised, but I was very happy to hear
it. So thank you very much for everything you've done.
SOME HON. MEMBERS:
Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER:
The hon. the Member for
Placentia West Bellevue.
MR. BROWNE:
Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
What a
fabulous and fantastic afternoon here in the House of Assembly. It's reminiscent
of actually some of the pieces of legislation that we brought in in the fall.
Particularly I reference the presumptive cancer coverage for firefighters, as
well as the bill on secure withdrawal treatment for young persons.
It's the
kind of day when I think all of us, and I think these views have been expressed,
think to ourselves and look to our constituents and say this is the kind of day
of why we entered politics, to make a difference in the lives of others and to
do something positive. There is no doubt, much has been said about the
legislation itself and I'm in full support of this.
We have
a very active chapter of MADD. Of course, the Member for Burin Grand Bank and
I actually met with Trish and Terry, Vern, Roma and Julie, I guess it was
probably a year ago now, and we committed then to try and do our part to make
this happen. So I'm just delighted to be here today to see this legislation on
the floor of the House of Assembly so that these new laws can come into effect
to send a clear message from this Legislature forth that we will not tolerate
those who make a choice to get behind the wheel while impaired because it is a
choice.
Of
course, I mentioned Julie Kenway who is in the gallery with us today, Mr.
Speaker. Just a few weeks ago I was at the 10th annual Cory Kenway classic; of
course, her son passed away. Since then his school, Christ the King school in
Rushoon has gone to great lengths to honour his memory. They host a basketball
tournament in his memory and honour each year. This was the 10th anniversary.
I can
remember standing I stood in the middle of the gymnasium, which was packed
with upwards of a thousand people probably, and different teams from all over
the Burin Peninsula, and I remember saying to them we're going to try our very
best to make this happen. I said that with full knowledge that our entire caucus
was behind this. I knew all Members would be behind this. I didn't know we'd
have this minister behind it at the time, as Minister of Service NL, but I knew
the Minister of Municipal Affairs who I can't name here today, but we know who
he is had done such great work on this file. He was so behind this and
personally invested into this himself that I had full confidence when I told the
people of my district that this would be done, that this government would bring
it in under the leadership of that minister.
SOME HON. MEMBERS:
Hear, hear!
MR. BROWNE:
So, Mr. Speaker, I won't
belabour much about this, because I know there are a number of speakers here and
I want everyone to have the opportunity to get up today if they can. But I will
say that we have such a fabulous group in MADD, particularly our local chapter.
They do such fantastic work.
The
Minister of Children, Seniors and Social Development visited their garden while
she was on the Burin Peninsula and saw what they have taken over, and put a
monument there, much like the one in Grand Falls Windsor. They have a
beautiful service there each year.
They
have really taken on what is such a sad cause, a sad cause, Mr. Speaker, and
taken it onto their own to make the streets of this province safer and to help
other families not go through this. We spend so much time raising money for
different things, whether it's for cancer research or autism or dementia, but
this is a preventable cause of death, Mr. Speaker. This is a cause of death that
occurs as a result of people's poor choices. I hope this legislation that we
bring today will help mitigate that.
I
remember last year in the early months of being an MHA, getting a call on a
sunny afternoon, a constituent in my district had lost her life; an 83-year-old
woman, Ms. Jane Newhook of Norman's Cove Long Cove. She had gotten a call, Mr.
Speaker, to go have supper with her family in the neighbouring community of
Thornlea. Hesitant, she didn't know if she wanted to go but ended up saying yes,
I'll go over to Thornlea. It was a very sad circumstance of what happened there,
Mr. Speaker, and that was preventable.
I hope
that what we do here today will enable other families to keep their loved ones
at home. I want to recognize the good work our volunteers do in making us
accountable and making sure that we're honest with ourselves and with the people
of the province to bring forward legislation that matters and that can help
other people.
So I
certainly, Mr. Speaker, support the legislation, and I want to say thank you to
all Members who are supporting it.
Thank
you.
SOME HON. MEMBERS:
Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER:
The hon. the Member for
Topsail Paradise.
MR. P. DAVIS:
Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank
you for recognizing me and giving me a few minutes to speak to this bill this
afternoon. It's been a busy afternoon, but I've been trying to keep my ear to
debate and what's taken place.
This is
one of these bills I think where it's in so many ways a pleasure for Members to
come here to the House. There are lots of days that we come in here in the House
and we're back and forth at each other. We have a difference of opinion. We
throw the politics across the floor and we do all those kinds of things, but
this is definitely one of those bills where we can come together as a House and
debate a bill and pass a bill that will definitely be in the best interests and
the safety of Newfoundlanders and Labradorians.
SOME HON. MEMBERS:
Hear, hear!
MR. P. DAVIS:
I congratulate Members for
their demeanour, their tone, their presentations in debate here this afternoon,
and I also congratulate the government for bringing this bill forward to the
House of Assembly as well.
I know
the minister who presented the bill, I mean he has articulated and has given
credit to the previous minister who recently changed portfolios. And I join him
in that, because I know in my experience when I was a minister that I
experienced myself, especially in Service NL I remember a piece of work, I
won't tell you what it was, but there was a piece of work that we worked on.
We
worked on it for months and months and months, and it seemed like it was never
going to come to an end. We wanted to get it done. I got shuffled, and about a
week later the work was done. The new minister announced it, and oh, look what a
great job you did. Davis couldn't get it done, but the new minister got it done
right away. So good on the new Minister of Service NL for giving his colleague
who worked on this probably over the last 15 months since he came into power to
get that done.
My
colleague from Cape St. Francis talked earlier
SOME HON. MEMBERS:
Beautiful District of
Cape St. Francis.
MR. K. PARSONS:
Beautiful District of Cape
St. Francis.
MR. P. DAVIS:
Oh, the beautiful district. I
thought you were saying the Member for Cape St. Francis was beautiful. You're
saying his district is beautiful. I let you go there, I think everybody over
there agreed that he's beautiful, but anyway, I digress, Mr. Speaker.
He
talked about the seat belt analogy, and we had talked about this earlier. How
true is that? You think about the evolution of seat belts. I remember when I was
a child in a car with my parents, we never wore a seat belt. Then, one time, my
dad got a car and there was a seat belt. It was clipped up in the top, the top
strap, like the front strap that you wear now that's automatically there, it
used to be clipped up on the roof of the car and don't ever dare take it down
because it was a terrible task to try and get it back up there. And you'd never
get it back up the way it was when it came from the factory. You never touched
it; you never put on your seat belt. Seat belts were buried down in the seat.
And
then, slowly, people started to use them. Today, for young drivers, young people
who are becoming drivers today would never think of getting in the car without
putting a seat belt on. That's evolution and that's how things change. They
happen step by step by step, and it's done over time.
Also, we
know that there has to be a slow moving, sometimes, of the general public in an
area and a direction that people really feel they should go, but they know
sometimes there's resistance in the public and so on. Impaired driving was much
like that as well. If it wasn't for organizations like MADD, I'm fully
convinced, and I couldn't be more sincere, that we wouldn't be where we are
today in having a focus on preventing and stopping impaired driving in
Newfoundland and Labrador and Canada as well.
SOME HON. MEMBERS:
Hear, hear!
MR. P. DAVIS:
Because I'm sure that MADD is
not finished and they're going to continue to drive the agenda. Good for them
for doing so. They are going to continue to say well, putting your seat belt on
in the front seat is not good enough. To go back to that analogy, people in the
back seat should wear them too. And not only should they wear them, they got to
have proper seating. That evolution will happen and continue to happen when it
comes to impaired driving, that they'll continue to push the envelope. Pushing
the envelope is a good thing for society and it's a hard job to do.
I was
actually a member of MADD Avalon executive at one point in time. I was involved
with them for a couple of years. I think my colleague for Conception Bay South
referenced Richard Murphy earlier. And really how I got to know Richard Murphy
was through MADD. Richard's interest in the organization came in the worst
possible means, by the worst possible way of creating an interest for his own
interest in MADD, and his family as well, not just him but his family as well.
Many
people in MADD come to it because of those terrible circumstances. But I can
tell you it also drives them and it gives them passion. It becomes very personal
for them and that is what makes, sometimes, the best people to drive those
agendas, to encourage people for change, and to do better.
One
time, the blood-alcohol content was 80 milligrams of alcohol, 100 millilitres of
blood, and we know that the older instruments they allowed nine points for
they'd lower it to the closest tenth, so if it was 89, it gets lowered to 80.
They allow 10 milligrams for failure in the instrument, so you could really blow
higher. Now, really, the repercussions of drinking and driving start at 50
milligrams of alcohol in 100 millilitres of blood, a lower level in many cases
if you don't reach that criminal record; but there's still a level of
significant inconvenience, embarrassment and recourse that a person has to live
with afterwards.
Tuning
that up and increasing that, by increasing impoundment, by lowering the age and
establishing age where zero milligrams of alcohol in 100 millilitres of blood is
now the standard will help to set that new generation of those who evolved in
seat belts, it also helped to set that generation of saying no drinking and
driving.
I
appreciate it and I think the minister may have referenced the talk about move
in generations and generational thinking and how standards for people today who
are 15, 16, 17 years old who are wiser than ever before for that age group will
now, when you get 22, nothing magically is going to happen between 22 and 23 or
24, 25 and, hopefully, those habits that they formed very early will continue,
and eventually that will go through the generations.
So this
is a good bill. This is a good piece of legislation. There are no two ways about
it. This was a good debate. One of the hard parts that come with debates in
legislation like this is that you can't measure the lives that have been saved.
You can't measure how many people haven't got behind the wheel tonight and
consumed alcohol or drugs before they drove a car. You can't measure that.
When
MADD goes and promotes their Red Ribbon Campaign in the fall of the year and
through Christmastime, you can't measure how many lives are saved or how many
people did not drink and drive because a red ribbon was tied on to a car. You
can't measure the success when the police in our province, the RCMP or the RNC,
do roadblocks and they announce they're doing roadblocks and people see
roadblocks. You can't measure how many people the next day decided I'm not going
to drink and drive because I saw that last night and I don't want to get caught,
I don't think that should be me, I don't think it's the right thing to do or I
don't want to cause harm.
You
can't measure how many lives are prevented from those types of activities. You
can't measure how many injuries didn't happen because someone decided not to
drink and drive. We hope and we hope that people will continue to get the
lesson. This legislation is another piece of legislation that will help drive
that home.
Minister, when we get to Committee there are some questions and clarifications
that we're going to ask, but I can assure you that we fully support you bringing
this bill forward. We fully support the continued transition and movement of
laws and what is acceptable to Newfoundlanders and Labradorians, what's
acceptable to us as parliamentarians and we should always lead by example that
Newfoundlanders and Labradorians should have to follow.
In
summary I think I said I was going to be five minutes but that's 10 now it's
so important for us to be thankful for organizations like MADD, be thankful for
the work that police agencies do in preventing crime, not only just in detecting
and arresting and catching impaired drivers, which is so important, but also in
the philosophies of encouraging the public to report them and to talk about it
when people are arrested because they are all deterrents. Every time that
happens, it's a deterrent to someone else. We certainly hope it is, and I
believe it's a deterrent to someone else. So we appreciate all of that.
I thank
the minister and the government for bringing forward the legislation. As I said,
we will have some questions later, but we'll fully support this bill. I thank
you, Mr. Speaker, for the opportunity this afternoon.
Thank
you.
SOME HON. MEMBERS:
Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER:
The hon. the Member for
Exploits.
SOME HON. MEMBERS:
Hear, hear!
MR. DEAN:
Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
It is
with utmost humility that I exercise the privilege, on loan to me, by the people
of Exploits to speak in favour and support of the proposed amendments to Bill
68, both on their behalf, as well as for all of us who call this great Province
of Newfoundland and Labrador our home.
At
yesterday's briefing, as mentioned by Minister Trimper earlier, staff commented
on the number of MHAs in attendance and remarked how, to their recollection, it
had been quite some time since seeing such a full house. That undebatably bears
witness to the extent of how serious this issue is with each and every one of us
who sit in this House. Our government, in collaboration with MADD Canada look
forward to the day when drinking and driving are a thing of the past and
families are kept together and not torn apart.
I'd like
to delve just a little bit into a little bit more information, if I may, with
the good people from MADD. Mothers Against Drunk Driving Canada was formed in
1989 to create a national network of victims, survivors and concerned citizens
working to stop impaired driving and to support victims and survivors.
MADD
Canada estimates that 36,642 lives have been saved from the impact of the
anti-impaired driving movement in Canada between 1982 and 2010. In this time
period, 43,276 Canadians were killed in alcohol-related crashes. Impaired
driving remains the leading cause of criminal death in our country. MADD
Canada's strategy to meet its goals of eliminating impaired driving include:
lobbying for legislative reforms; promoting new evidence-based, anti-impaired
driving technologies; using public education campaigns to shift attitudes and
behaviours about impaired driving. MADD Canada has nine chapters in Newfoundland
and Labrador, in centres such as Avalon, Grand Falls-Windsor, Gander, Burin
Peninsula and three community leaders in smaller rural areas such as Rocky
Harbour and the Labrador Straits.
The
current president of MADD Canada is a Newfoundlander, Patricia Hynes-Coates,
whose son Nicholas Coates was killed by an impaired driver in August of 2013. I
would like, if I may, qualify in support of my colleague the Minister of
Transportation and Works in also pointing out that several months ago we, too,
met with our local chapter of MADD, the Exploits Valley chapter, leading up to
today's announcement. A great bunch of people to work with, I can guarantee you.
The
chapter's been active in Grand Falls-Windsor for 15 years. The monument, as
alluded to by the minister earlier, has been there for 12 years. It was built,
of course, to put names of people who were killed or injured by drunk drivers.
Unfortunately, each year, there are more names added to the monument. The
activities, other than the vigil, in which MADD participates, are provincial
monument services; the MADD candlelight videos shown in theatres before movies;
Christmas parade float; and speaking at the Rotary and Kiwanis clubs, et cetera.
They
also provide a victim support course, during the time of their vigil during
June. This course is delivered by two trained counsellors who are employed by
Central Health, and who volunteer their time for this. They also offer their
services on an as-needed basis to any victims who may be in need of it.
There's
anecdotal story that I know the minister's aware of, and I spoke to a
representative earlier, and they thought it would be nice for us to relay it
here today, and that is the story of Andrew and Rita Baird, who had two sons and
one daughter.
They
moved around the country due to Andrew being in the army. The children came back
to Grand Falls-Windsor during summers to spend time with their grandparents.
Their youngest son, Harry, was unsure of what he wanted to do after graduating
high school, so his sister invited him to come to Brooks, Alberta, where she was
serving as an RCMP officer. He was happy to do that and moved up with her,
getting a job at the meat packing plant there. He became involved with the
community and joined the ball team there.
One
night he was walking home after his game and was, unfortunately, struck and
killed by a drunk driver one who had been previously arrested for drunk
driving three times. His sister was one of the first responders on the accident
site. She mentioned to her partner that the victim had sneakers that looked like
her brother Harry's. She was led back to the squad car to be told that, indeed,
it was her brother.
Families
that could have been, happy occasions that were missed, treasured memories not
realized, these are only some of life's happy passages gifted to us by God, only
to be lost to the dark shadow of society's historical, unbridled tolerance for
drunk driving.
I look
forward to what I know will be unanimous support of the proposed amendments to
Bill 68 by all of my colleagues here in the people's House.
Thank
you, Mr. Speaker.
SOME HON. MEMBERS:
Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER:
The hon. the Member for Burin
Grand Bank.
MS. HALEY:
Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Mr.
Speaker, usually when we stand in this hon. House to speak to a bill or a
resolution, we do so with pleasure because we feel the positive undertones of
the proposed legislation. In an ideal world, we would never have to dictate to
drivers what they do behind the wheels of their vehicles.
However,
the unfortunate truth is even though Newfoundlanders and Labradorians have been
saturated with information on the dangers of drinking and driving over the
years, and even though the majority of citizens are in every respect responsible
drivers, there are those who still, all too willingly, take risks serious
risks, Mr. Speaker, not just with their own lives but with the lives of anyone
who might cross their paths.
That's
the people that whom this proposed legislation is aimed, Mr. Speaker. It is
quite disturbing to be told that you live in a province that is above the
national average when it comes to impaired driving, that our capital city has
the worst record in Canada for any major city when it comes to this issue. But
finally, and after much discussion and consultation with advocates and advocacy
groups such as Mothers Against Drunk Driving, we are ready to pass legislation
that will undoubtedly help temper this scourge on society.
I
especially want to mention here today the Burin Peninsula Chapter of MADD. Since
its inception, it has been busy keeping this issue in the collective
consciousness of the people, and using proactive means to drive home the message
of responsible driving.
Mr.
Speaker, we have lost way too many of our youth to impaired driving. The
amendment to set a blood-alcohol content of zero per cent for drivers under 22
years of age should be welcome news to every single parent in this province who
is left worrying every time a son or daughter heads off in the car to spend time
with friends. Combining inexperienced driving with inexperienced use of alcohol
is a lethal combination, and zero tolerance is the only way to go.
Moving
from a voluntary to a mandatory interlock system is a step in the right
direction. If you have proven to be incapable of making the decision about not
driving after having consumed alcohol, then society will make this decision for
you with this interlock system. We have been impounding vehicles for years for
much less serious offences than impaired driving, so now we will finally see
that rule of impoundment extended to those caught with a blood-alcohol level
above the legal limit.
There is
not one measure here that a reasonable person would consider draconian, Mr.
Speaker. Not one aspect of this legislation oversteps its bounds and infringes
on the legitimate rights and freedoms that we hold near and dear. This is
legislation, rather, that ensures that the rights of those who take to our
streets and highways, motorists, passengers or pedestrians, and do so in a
responsible manner, are protected.
Mr.
Speaker, I thank MADD Canada, national President Trish Hynes-Coates, the
Minister of Municipal Affairs, the Minister of Service NL, our local chapters of
MADD, for all of their hard work. Like the previous speakers, I, too, add my
support to this legislation, knowing that by doing so we are making our roadways
safer for everyone.
Thank
you, Mr. Speaker.
SOME HON. MEMBERS:
Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER (Osborne):
The hon. the Member for
Cartwright L'Anse au Clair.
MS. DEMPSTER:
Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
It is
I won't say pleasure. Like my colleague referenced, it is an honour to stand
here and speak to Bill 68 today, Mr. Speaker, An Act to Amend the Highway
Traffic Act.
There's
been much, much said about this bill today, but I have spent the afternoon
listening and thinking about one word that's been coming to my mind ever since I
was in the Broadcast Centre listening to the announcement, and that was cost.
The cost of this bill, the tremendous cost to the people, Mr. Speaker, that have
lost loved ones, that have been given a life sentence. Many of us know that when
you lose a loved one that's a life changing thing, but when you lose a child,
that is to experience life's greatest loss.
Mr.
Speaker, Trish Coates' name has been mentioned many times here this evening, and
I was thinking, no matter the Leader of the Opposition mentioned people take up
a cause when they're passionate about it, and there are many people that no
doubt have lost loved ones. They've lost children, they've lost family members,
but not everybody is able to take up the cause and lead and be that champion
that you need. So I too want to take my place and commend Trish. In doing so,
you are helping countless, countless others, and you will never know the
far-reaching impacts of that.
SOME HON. MEMBERS:
Hear, hear!
MS. DEMPSTER:
I read a quote, Mr. Speaker,
some time ago that said a short life does not mean an incomplete life. Mr.
Speaker, I think when you lose a child there's two things. You want their memory
kept alive in a meaningful way. You don't want their death to be without
purpose.
So for
Nicholas Coates' dad, he can take great comfort in knowing that the short life
of his boy did not mean an incomplete life. When a child is born into a home you
have lots of hopes and dreams and aspiration for that child. The one place you
do not want to see their name is on a monument. No matter how you've lost them,
you live with that every single day. You never reach a point where you say, they
survived. They survived the loss of a child, because every day you are
surviving.
Mr.
Speaker, when you see something like Bill 68, that's going to make a difference.
One of my uncles, my dad's brother was a pilot and he used to say and he loved
flying and he used to say, when I get in that airplane I've got the whole sky,
but when I'm on the road I don't feel as safe because there's just that one line
that somebody can move across.
No
matter how you lose someone in your life, you live with that. I can't imagine,
Mr. Speaker, what it's like to live every day and look at someone and know I
don't have that person. Christmas morning under the Christmas tree, family
vacations and all these things we live for.
Mr.
Speaker, here in this House, and it's been said many times today, we have lots
of lively debate. We don't always agree on things, but today it is an honour for
all of us to support Bill 68. We're family people. Sometimes people look at
politicians and they forget we are wives and we are daughters and we are
mothers, but we are. And our children are our most prized possessions, Mr.
Speaker. Everything we do in life, I think we try and make it better for them.
Better for the little place we call home, better for the region, and that's what
Bill 68 does.
The
minister today that we're giving a lot of accolades to for the bill, my good
friend Michelle Brown, she lost her only child because somebody chose to put up
an unmarked barrier. The Minister of Municipal Affairs went to great lengths to
bring in a bill to ensure that people can be charged for doing that. Because
that loss is permanent and the person can never be replaced.
I want
to thank MADD Canada. I was just at a tournament last weekend, Mr. Speaker, very
good friends of mine and they no longer have their only son because somebody
chose to drink and drive. That was actually a snowmobile. We haven't talked
about that, Mr. Speaker, but I live in a rural district in Southern Labrador,
and we unfortunately have too much impaired driving on snowmobiles.
This
young man, Damien, there's a large crowd that comes together every year to
remember a young man. I'd see him many times when I went to pick my daughter up
at the school, walking out with a big smile and his hands in his pockets. He's
not here because somebody chose to drink and drive irresponsibly. We had a bunch
of young people that got tossed out of a small boat just a few months back, Mr.
Speaker.
The
other thing that I'm really, really pleased about is we need more campaign
awareness. My daughter when she was just in grade six, and there was a young guy
in our community and the word went around a small town fast the next day that
said, did you know that so-and-so beat up his dad's truck last night because he
was driving drunk? My daughter, only then in grade six, said: Mom, I can't
believe people still does that with all that we know. I thought if she's
thinking that way in grade six, there is hope for campaigns as we go forward to
change this.
I'm
especially pleased, Mr. Speaker, because my daughter is now 20 and behind the
wheel, and like most parents I worry about her on the road. I'm especially
pleased to see that this bill will reduce the permissible proportion of alcohol
in the blood of a person who is under 22 and not a novice driver.
Mr.
Speaker, when it comes to our children, when it comes to our brothers and
sisters and the people that mean the most to us, no law is too stiff, and zero
tolerance, nothing less is acceptable. I want to thank MADD. I want to thank the
Coates' for sitting through this. I'm sure it's been painful but it's a
bittersweet day, no doubt, as you can know that your son did not live and die
without a cause, but many people, many people will be helped because of that.
Thank
you.
SOME HON. MEMBERS:
Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER:
The hon. the Government House
Leader.
MR. A. PARSONS:
Yes,
thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Given
the hour of the day I would move, seconded by the Minister of Service NL, that
we do now adjourn.
MR. SPEAKER:
The motion is that the House
do now adjourn.
All
those in favour, 'aye.'
SOME HON. MEMBERS:
Aye.
MR. SPEAKER:
All those against, 'nay.'
Carried.
On
motion, the House at its rising adjourned until tomorrow, Monday, at 1:30 p.m.