April 17, 2018
HOUSE OF ASSEMBLY PROCEEDINGS
Vol. XLVIII No. 8
The
House met at 1:30 p.m.
MR. SPEAKER (Trimper):
Order, please!
Admit
strangers.
In the
public gallery today I would like to welcome Mr. Jim Crockwell, Ms. Nicole
McDonald and Ms. Nehal Alsikh who will be mentioned in a Member's statement
today.
A very
big welcome to you.
SOME HON. MEMBERS:
Hear, hear!
Statements by
Members
MR. SPEAKER:
Today we will hear Members'
statements for the Districts of Baie Verte - Green Bay, Windsor Lake, Lewisporte
- Twillingate, Fogo Island - Cape Freels and Fortune Bay - Cape La Hune.
The hon.
Member for Baie Verte - Green Bay.
MR. WARR:
Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Mr.
Speaker, I rise to acknowledge another successful year of play in the Central
Senior Men's Recreation Hockey League. The league this year consisted of five
teams representing the town of Exploits, Lewisporte, Twillingate and two teams
from my district, Baie Verte and Springdale.
Mr.
Speaker, I had the opportunity to attend many of the games that were played in
my district. The matches were well attended, the fans enjoyed the atmosphere and
the level of play was spectacular. The players are all local to their respective
areas and made for an exciting brand of hockey.
After
winning the league championship the last two years, the Northeast Sabres from
Baie Verte once again claimed first place in the regular season but fell short
to their first round playoff opponents, the Twillingate Combines.
Springdale swept Exploits to set up a final against Twillingate.
In the
spirit of competition, Mr. Speaker, discussions took place with the MHA from
Lewisporte - Twillingate and myself which led me to this statement.
Being a
man of my word, I ask all hon. Members to join me in saluting the Twillingate
Combines of the 2018 Central Men's Recreation Hockey League Champions.
Thank
you, Mr. Speaker.
SOME HON. MEMBERS:
Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER:
The hon. the Member for the
District of Windsor Lake.
MS. C. BENNETT:
Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
I stand
in this hon. House to recognize the amazing community associated with MacMorran
Community Centre. The staff and volunteers worked with Ms. Nehal Alshikh from
the Community Centre Alliance to host a very successful Multicultural Festival
on March 22 of this year.
The
centre was packed with neighbours and friends for an evening of sharing of
cultures – from the salsa and belly dancers, the Henna station, and of course
the wonderful Canadian and Ethnic Cuisine – all showcasing what makes the many
cultures in the community worth sharing.
The
community information kiosks, face painting and the wall of painted hands all
illustrated the richness of this community and neighbours willingness to learn
and share. The children, and adults, that attended the festival all left with
large smiles and with an even deeper appreciation for the fabric of the
community while building empathy for the horror that some members of that
community have experienced in other countries.
Nehal
said it best: “Sharing happiness is the best way to build a bridge between
people.”
The
neighbours, volunteers, staff and all involved in MacMorran Community Centre in
my district demonstrate every day values of compassion and understanding, an
example for all of us, Mr. Speaker.
Thank
you.
SOME HON. MEMBERS:
Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER:
The hon. the Member for the
District of Lewisporte - Twillingate.
MR. D. BENNETT:
Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
And
thank you to the Member for Baie Verte - Green Bay for his kind words.
I rise
in this hon. House to recognize the Lewisporte Senior Lynx male basketball team.
After being granted a wild card berth to the provincial championships, the
Senior Lynx brought their talents to the court, and dominated their opponents
during round robin play, defeating Exploits Valley High, Elwood Collegiate and
St. Kevin's High.
Semi-final action seen the Senior Lynx playing Templeton Academy, where they won
with a score of 59-47. The final match was between two Central Newfoundland
teams, as Lewisporte faced Gander Collegiate. With only a one point lead going
into the fourth quarter, the Lynx came out with strong defence and great
shooting, finishing with a 78-67 win.
The
Senior Lynx teams is comprised of: Aaron Hayward, Reece Watton, Jordan Watkins,
Phillip Pardy, Nolan Humphries, Dante Mills, Andrew Welsh, Joey Mews, Caleb
Deering, Ian Wellon, Jonah Stead, Michael Hoffe, Brayden Hart, Michael Rideout
and coaching staff were Ed Mitchell, John Walsh and Emma Mitchell.
Mr.
Speaker, I ask all Members to join me in congratulating the Lewisporte Senior
Lynx on winning the 3A provincial basketball championships.
Thank
you.
SOME HON. MEMBERS:
Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER:
The hon. the Member for Fogo
Island - Cape Freels.
MR. BRAGG:
Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
With
this being volunteer appreciation week, I would like to relate a story of some
outstanding volunteers. Last week, my district was experiencing extremely high
destructive winds. Wesley Collins's house was severely damaged. All his shingles
on one side were completely blown off and scattered all over the ground.
Wesley
is not in good health, and physically unable to get up on his roof to repair it.
Moreover, he was not in a financial position to afford to purchase the new
materials needed for such a project.
When
word got out about Wesley's roof, people were very concerned and wanted to help.
Within 24 hours, 11 men from Hare Bay and other surrounding towns came together
to fix the problem. In addition, they took care of all the expenses at the local
hardware store, so he wouldn't have any financial burden.
I would
like to thank Randy, Lloyd, Ronald, Adam, Glen, Harvey, Todd, Gerald, Martin,
Terry, Dwayne and everyone else involved in this project.
Wesley
and his family are very humbled by this act of kindness, and hope these men
realize how much they are appreciated. What they did will never be forgotten.
Thank
you, Mr. Speaker.
SOME HON. MEMBERS:
Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER:
The hon. the Member for the
District of Fortune Bay - Cape La Hune.
MS. PERRY:
Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
I rise
in this hon. House to once again deliver accolades to my district's talented
participants in this year's Central Newfoundland Kiwanis Music Festival. Thanks
to our music instructors for their hard work and dedication that has supported
and nurtured our many shining musical artists.
Today,
I'd like to congratulate all the performers for their excellent results and
throw a bouquet out to our 2018 award winners. The Cole Award went to the Bay
d'Espoir Academy Triple Trio and the Howell Memorial Award was awarded to the
St. Ignatius Children's Choir.
Jessica
Willcott shone with the Cater Memorial Rose Bowl, Vocal Concert Group – 15 Years
and Over, Compositions by Canadian Composers and Concert Group, Concerto &
Complete Major Solo Works – 12 Years and Over. Brianna Hoskins was awarded the
Traditional Folk Song – 14 Years and Under, and Paige John won the award for
Sacred Music – 15 Years and Over.
Congratulations also to the Bay d'Espoir Academy High choir, recipient of the
coveted Adjudicator Award. Hats off to all the performers who absolutely shone
at the festival.
I ask
all Members of this hon. House to join me, along with your classmates, teachers
and community residents in extending congratulations to all participants. Thank
you for sharing your amazing gift of music.
SOME HON. MEMBERS:
Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER:
Statements by Ministers.
Statements by
Ministers
MR. SPEAKER:
The hon. the Minister of
Finance and President of Treasury Board.
MR. OSBORNE:
Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
It's a
pleasure to rise in the House today to celebrate and recognize the tireless work
of our province's volunteers. National Volunteer Week runs from April 15 to 21
and it is a time to thank the volunteers in our province for their contributions
to our communities.
From the
dedicated people who help our seniors to those working to welcome newcomers from
other countries, volunteers are essential to the province's continued social,
cultural and economic development.
Some
volunteers, including firefighters and search and rescue teams, work in
difficult and precarious circumstances, often helping others in what might be
their darkest hours.
In
Budget 2018, we introduced a Search
and Rescue Volunteer Tax Credit that will allow eligible volunteers to claim a
$3,000 non-refundable provincial income tax credit starting January 1, 2019. Our
government will always seek opportunities to support those who spend their time
supporting others.
Mr.
Speaker, it is extraordinary that in our busy world so many people are still
willing to give so freely of their time. Volunteer Week is when we say thank you
to those who contribute and to celebrate the value of volunteering. I, along
with my hon. colleagues, thank them for their efforts.
SOME HON. MEMBERS:
Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER:
The hon. the Opposition House
Leader.
MR. HUTCHINGS:
Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
I thank
the minister for an advance copy of his statement. On behalf of the Official
Opposition caucus, I join with the minister in recognizing National Volunteer
Week and thank the thousands of volunteers who work tirelessly to support our
organizations in our communities all over our great province.
In this
province, we are fortunate to have volunteers who give their time to operate all
kinds of community organizations, school councils, recreation committees,
coaches, services for children and families, those who serve as volunteer
firefighters and on search and rescue teams and the list goes on.
The
minister spoke about a Search and Rescue Volunteer Tax Credit that does
recognize the commitment and dedication of our search and rescue volunteers and
the unselfish giving of their time supported by their families. I recognize the
many volunteers in this province and encourage them to continue serving our
communities as they are the fabric which binds our community and regions. Only
through their efforts are we the great Province of Newfoundland and Labrador.
Thank
you, Mr. Speaker.
SOME HON. MEMBERS:
Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER:
The hon. the Member for the
District of St. John's East - Quidi Vidi.
MS. MICHAEL:
Thank you very much, Mr.
Speaker.
I thank
the minister for the advance copy of his statement and join with him in
celebrating the work of the province's legions of volunteers. Truly, volunteers
are the backbone of the community.
There
are few organizations or municipalities who could function without their
volunteers. Their contribution to social, cultural and economic development is
incalculable. Volunteers keep this province going.
Thank
you, Mr. Speaker.
SOME HON. MEMBERS:
Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER:
Further statements by
ministers?
The hon.
the Minister of Education and Early Childhood Development.
MR. KIRBY:
Mr. Speaker, to increase
exposure to coding and participation in youth technology experience programs,
the provincial government announced $250,000 to support a partnership with
Brilliant Labs for students in our schools with hands-on participation in
science, technology, engineering and mathematics-focused activities.
In
addition to this new funding, the Department of Education and Early Childhood
Development is providing $150,000 aimed specifically at professional learning
and resources for schools, and the provision of two itinerant teaching units to
support Brilliant Labs work.
Mr.
Speaker, Brilliant Labs is an Atlantic Canadian organization that supports
coding, computational thinking and Maker Education in schools. This funding will
assist Brilliant Labs to provide educational technologies in Newfoundland and
Labrador such as interface equipment, sensors, programming languages and 3-D
printing. A long-term goal of Brilliant Labs is to engage more partners to reach
up to 45,000 students and more than 5,000 educators.
The
provincial government is committed to the advancement of technology in the
classroom. This partnership will give our students an opportunity to reach their
full potential – to become innovators, educators, researchers and leaders. We
want to develop creative problem solvers and entrepreneurs who continue to drive
innovative, leading-edge technology and make Newfoundland and Labrador a world
leader and a place to invest.
Mr.
Speaker, this partnership aligns with key initiatives of
The Way Forward, such as the Premier's Task Force on Improving
Educational Outcomes, the recently released Technology Sector Work Plan and the
Business Innovation Agenda.
During
yesterday's coding announcement at Elizabeth Park Elementary, myself and the
Minister of Tourism, Culture, Industry and Innovation, witnessed students
putting coding principles into action through a classroom demonstration. Seeing
these young people embrace new technology, and seeing that experience position
them for success in the future, all speaks to how our government is Building for
Our Future.
Thank
you, Mr. Speaker.
SOME HON. MEMBERS:
Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER:
The hon. the Member for the
District of Fortune Bay - Cape La Hune.
MS. PERRY:
Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
I thank
the minister for an advance copy of his statement. The announcement that coding
and technology will play a greater role in our education curriculum is something
that we are interested in learning more about. I'm also interested in learning
more about the partnership with Brilliant Labs.
Automation is one of the most prevalent factors that are cited to change the
landscape of the future economy. Many other jurisdictions have taken note of
this trend and have implemented coding curriculum for many years now with very
positive results. Providing our youth with a brighter future and the tools that
will lead them to greater opportunities is always a good thing.
Thank
you, Mr. Speaker.
SOME HON. MEMBERS:
Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER:
The hon. the Member for the
District of St. John's East - Quidi Vidi.
MS. MICHAEL:
Thank you very much, Mr.
Speaker.
I, too,
thank the minister for the advance copy of his statement. I'm pleased the
department is investing directly to expand coding and technology instruction in
schools, something I have long supported. In 2014, I stood in this House with a
petition calling for more computer science courses and coding instruction in
schools.
SOME HON. MEMBERS:
Oh, oh!
MR. SPEAKER:
Order, please!
MS. MICHAEL:
Our students need computer
literacy for their future employment and for our economy. I hope this
instruction, Mr. Speaker, will be universally available to all students.
Thank
you.
SOME HON. MEMBERS:
Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER:
Further statements by
ministers?
The hon.
the Minister of Advanced Education, Skills and Labour.
MR. HAWKINS:
Thank you.
Mr.
Speaker, as announced on April 5, applications are now being accepted for Summer
Student Employment Programs.
Budget 2018
provides $6.1 million to support youth employment and career-related activities,
helping youth build a brighter future right here at home. Included in this is
funding for two Summer Student Employment Programs, one for high school students
and another for post-secondary students.
These
programs enable young Newfoundlanders and Labradorians to learn and develop new
skills while making important connections with the local business community.
Applications for post-secondary students must be received by May 7. I am pleased
to inform my hon. colleagues that the wage subsidy for private sector employers
hiring post-secondary students has been raised to $5.60 per hour from the
original $5 per hour.
Applications for high school students must be received by May 22.
This
year we are again partnering with the Community Sector Council of Newfoundland
and Labrador to offer the AMPLIFY program, Assisting My Potential - Labour
Market Initiative for Youth. Launched last year as a pilot program, AMPLIFY
helped young youth gain work experience and participate in career development
and personal growth activities.
Through
the Cabinet Committee on Jobs, we also continue to work with industry partners
to expand the oil and gas, the agriculture, the aquaculture and technology
sectors by supporting career-development opportunities for youth. As part of
The Way Forward, we partnered with
these industries to promote economic growth and job creation, and a key part of
that work is exposing young people to opportunities they can use to build their
futures.
Budget 2018
provides $196,000 for a new Student Mentorship Program, which is supported by
federal funding, and will provide 25 youth with work experience in each of these
high-growth sectors for a total of 100 jobs. We are finalizing the details of
this new program and I anticipate inviting applications in the very near future.
I ask
all hon. colleagues to join me in encouraging employers and not-for-profit
organizations throughout the province to participate in these programs, helping
build the province's future workforce.
Thank
you, Mr. Speaker.
SOME HON. MEMBERS:
Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER:
The hon. the Member for the
District of Conception Bay South.
MR. PETTEN:
Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
I thank
the minister for the advance copy of his statement. The Summer Student
Employment Program is very important, as it provides young people with the
skills and abilities they will need for their future. It's a great networking
exercise and overall positive experience for students. It's also a great benefit
that this program provides to employers and especially to non-profit
organizations. There are untold mutual benefits that the program provides.
I
encourage all high school and post-secondary students who are interested to
apply for this program and I wish them nothing but the best in their future.
Thank
you.
SOME HON. MEMBERS:
Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER:
The Member for the District
of St. John's East - Quidi Vidi.
MS. MICHAEL:
Thank you very much, Mr.
Speaker.
I thank
the minister for the advance copy of his statement. I'm pleased to join with him
in encouraging employers, business or not-for-profit, to get involved in this
program and hire a student. Students bring energy and enthusiasm to the
workplace and get much needed on-the-job experience and some cash in return.
I also
look forward to government developing a workable job strategy so these young
people will be able to find meaningful employment waiting for them in this
province when they get ready for fulltime employment.
Thank
you, Mr. Speaker.
SOME HON. MEMBERS:
Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER:
Further statements by
ministers?
Oral
Questions.
Oral Questions
MR. SPEAKER:
The hon. the Opposition House
Leader.
MR. HUTCHINGS:
Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Mr.
Speaker, it's been one year since the appointment of the Cabinet Committee on
Jobs and the Premier's promise of 14,000 person-years of employment annually.
I ask
the Premier: How many jobs have been created over the past year?
MR. SPEAKER:
The hon. the Premier.
PREMIER BALL:
Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Well as
the Member opposite has mentioned about the Cabinet Committee on Jobs, it was a
priority for us, job creation in our province, there's no doubt. We've seen
unemployment numbers rise in Newfoundland and Labrador, primarily because of the
finalization of three megaprojects that we've seen in our province, Mr. Speaker.
So the
exact number per position that has been created in agriculture, Mr. Speaker, I
can't give you that exact number today. I will tell you, there are many people
looking at the agricultural industry and that area for future jobs, employment.
We've met with tech sector. We saw hundreds of people that stood up, less than
30 years old, interested in working in Newfoundland and Labrador, already
finding jobs here. Investments that we made in industries like Provincial
Airlines creating jobs, some 150 that have been added to the investment we've
made with them.
I can't
give you the exact number, but I can tell you what, we are creating jobs for
Newfoundlanders and Labradorians.
SOME HON. MEMBERS:
Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER:
The hon. the Opposition House
Leader.
MR. HUTCHINGS:
Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Mr.
Speaker, instead of creating the environment to promote jobs, the Liberal's own
budget document shows that jobs are disappearing. From 2016-2022, 17,800 jobs
will vanish – that's according to your own documents.
Premier:
Are you still creating the economic environment to meet the projected job
creation that your government has laid out?
MR. SPEAKER:
The hon. the Premier.
PREMIER BALL:
Absolutely, Mr. Speaker,
we're creating the environment. As a matter of fact, we fixed a lot of tough
environments that the Members opposite have left Newfoundlanders and
Labradorians – not just this government, but Newfoundlanders and Labradorians,
and that was very clear, Mr. Speaker.
With our
Way Forward in 2016, it was primarily
focused on job creation. That is the reason why we put in the Cabinet Committee
on Jobs. We are meeting sector by sector. We've already had meetings with
aquaculture. We're seeing significant investments come in to our province. I
mentioned earlier about agriculture. We've seen it with forestry, mining, tech
sector. The list goes on and on.
We are
committed to creating a better environment.
Advance 2030 is another good example
of making investments with industry, Mr. Speaker, to create employment for
Newfoundlanders and Labradorians.
Mr.
Speaker, we recognize that economic diversification is the future for job
creation, not just …
MR. SPEAKER:
Order, please!
SOME HON. MEMBERS:
Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER:
The hon. the Opposition House
Leader.
MR. HUTCHINGS:
Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
The
Premier needs to read Budget 2018: The
Economy, his own documentation on the economic indicators for the province,
Mr. Speaker. Unemployment continues to rise based on that document. Budget
documents show the general unemployment rate will be over 15 per cent by 2019.
Based on
your own information, how can your so-called
Way Forward strategy even been working?
MR. SPEAKER:
The hon. the Premier.
PREMIER BALL:
Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Yes,
I've read our budget, Mr. Speaker, and we put in place a very good forecast for
Newfoundlanders and Labradorians. A seven-year forecast will get this province
back to surplus. Mr. Speaker, it was a seven-year journey that we put in place
in 2016 based on what we were left with in 2015.
Now the
Member opposite talks about looking at economic indicators, so I would encourage
him not to play politics with this but look at his own budget that he was part
of in 2015. Look at the economic indicators that he put out there to the people
in this province, Mr. Speaker. I will tell you, we have turned many of the bad
economic indicators that they posted in 2015. There's a lot of work being done.
There's a lot more work being done, but I can tell you this province will
continue to work.
SOME HON. MEMBERS:
Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER:
The hon. the Opposition House
Leader.
MR. HUTCHINGS:
Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
I
encourage the Premier to go back and look at the economic indicators with our 10
years or 12 years of power and compare them to his. Do that any day, have a
look.
SOME HON. MEMBERS:
Hear, hear!
MR. HUTCHINGS:
Have a look, I'll say to the
Premier. Take a look.
Mr.
Speaker, the seven-year plan he refers to, the seven-year plan; Moody's and
other banking institutes have looked at that and they don't share the optimism
that he does and neither does the AG in 2017, I say to the Premier.
SOME HON. MEMBERS:
Oh, oh!
MR. SPEAKER:
Order, please!
MR. HUTCHINGS:
Premier, your
Way Forward on aquaculture states you will generate 1,100
person-hours of employment based on your aquaculture growth targets, yet
aquaculture production and value actually declined in the province last year.
Can you
tell us how you plan to meet those job targets you promised in that particular
sector?
MR. SPEAKER:
The hon. the Premier.
PREMIER BALL:
Mr. Speaker, (inaudible) the Member opposite just go with a preamble when he
talked about comparing the last 12 years, from 2003 to 2015, to where we are
now.
Mr.
Speaker, their government that they refuse to even talk about had nearly 35 per
cent, 36 per cent of the revenue coming from oil and they forgot this – Mr.
Speaker, I would say they got a little lazy, to be honest with you, when you
look at economic diversification, where you would make investments to create
jobs for the future for Newfoundlanders and Labradorians. What they did was
some-$25 billion over the 10-year period that they had an unprecedented number –
no other government in the history of this province which saw that kind of money
coming in.
Mr.
Speaker, we should not be in this position. I will tell you, their legacy is
higher electricity rates and Muskrat Falls.
SOME HON. MEMBERS:
Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER:
The hon. the Member for
Fortune Bay - Cape La Hune.
MS. PERRY:
Mr. Speaker, people were a
lot happier in the last decade than what they have been in the last two years.
SOME HON. MEMBERS:
Hear, hear!
MS. PERRY:
In budget '16, grants in the
Disability Policy Office were cut by $150,000. In budget '17, another $50,000
was cut, and in this year's recent budget another $75,000 in funding was
removed.
I ask
the minister: Why do you feel it is necessary to cut disability grants by
$275,000 since coming into office?
MR. SPEAKER:
The hon. the Minister of
Children, Seniors and Social Development.
MS. DEMPSTER:
Mr. Speaker, there are not a
lot of things that leaves me speechless, but day after day when we come in this
House and they ask us what we're doing and talk about increased taxes and things
like that – and seem to have complete amnesia about the mismanagement for the
decade they were in power.
Mr.
Speaker, in the Disability Policy Office we are doing wonderful things for that
group of people, given the fiscal situation that we are in. We have things like
the Accessible Vehicle Funding Program, 350,000; the Accessible Taxi Program
that we give out $50,000 to a number of businesses around the province. We hear
back all the time about the wonderful benefits of that.
Mr.
Speaker, right now we are currently looking at a full new act around the
disabilities piece, engaging with stakeholders. Stay tuned for more information.
MR. SPEAKER:
Order, please!
SOME HON. MEMBERS:
Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER:
The hon. the Member for the
District of Fortune Bay - Cape La Hune.
MS. PERRY:
Minister, you've cut almost
$300,000 from inclusion grants, accessible transportation programs and capacity
grants. What do you say to those individuals and community partners who are
looking for funding, but cannot receive it because the Liberal government does
not consider it a priority?
MR. SPEAKER:
The hon. the Minister of
Children, Seniors and Social Development.
MS. DEMPSTER:
Mr. Speaker, we are investing
more than $2 million into capacity, we are investing more than $1 million into
capacity grants and I could go on and on. What I will say is we have a plan in
The Way Forward that we are
following. We will not see another decade of mismanagement that's on the backs
of Newfoundlanders and Labradorians in this province like we've seen in the last
decade, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you.
SOME HON. MEMBERS:
Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER: The
Member for Fortune Bay - Cape La Hune.
MS. PERRY: So
far The Way Forward has taken us 10
steps backwards.
SOME HON. MEMBERS:
Hear, hear!
MS. PERRY: In
March, the minister was quick to thank MusicNL for bringing CBC's Studio F back
to life; however, yesterday he said that the partnership has nothing to do with
the provincial government.
I ask the minister: Do you support the partnership with
MusicNL in the funding of CBC's Studio F?
MR. SPEAKER: The
Minister of Tourism, Culture, Industry and Innovation.
MR. MITCHELMORE:
Mr. Speaker, the question that's being asked is something that is with an
industry association that is completely independent of government and a public
broadcaster. She may want to ask the co-chair of MusicNL, Mr. Davis, about this
particular partnership and how they've entered into with the public broadcaster.
When it comes to supporting and advancing the music
industry and any partnership that will see the music industry in Newfoundland
and Labrador create jobs, create opportunities for export and development and
allow for musicians and others to progress, we certainly support that, Mr.
Speaker.
SOME HON. MEMBERS:
Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER:
I remind all Members that
this is called Oral Questions. I want to hear the questions and I want to hear
the answers. I will not tolerate interruptions of either.
Please
continue.
The hon.
the Member for Mount Pearl North.
MR. LESTER:
Mr. Speaker, the current
Liberal government has committed a massive handout of $40 million worth of tax
breaks to Canopy Growth, a Mainland marijuana company.
I ask
the minister: Will there be any additional financial commitments to this
company?
MR. SPEAKER:
The hon. the Minister of
Tourism, Culture, Industry and Innovation.
MR. MITCHELMORE:
Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
When it
comes to the supply of cannabis for Newfoundland and Labrador, once cannabis
becomes legal by the federal government and their policy shift, all provinces
and territories must ensure adequate supply. So for Newfoundland and Labrador,
given that we have no licensed suppliers here in the province, we had to ensure
that we secure a source of supply, and we entered into an agreement with Canopy,
which is going to lead to 145 jobs right here in this province for 20 years.
When the
Member opposite, the House Leader had asked about what are some of the things
that we're doing for job creation, this is something that's leading to job
creation. There's also going to be R & D investment and the company is going to
be putting in up to $55 million when it comes to investment here. We're not
providing financial dollars to the company.
SOME HON. MEMBERS:
Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER:
The hon. the Member for Mount
Pearl North.
MR. LESTER:
Mr. Speaker, I would like
this question addressed: Will Canopy Growth, after being given $40 million of
Newfoundland taxpayers' money, be able to compete with local industry to apply
for additional money for any of the province's agricultural grants or subsidies?
MR. SPEAKER:
The hon. the Minister of
Tourism, Culture, Industry and Innovation.
MR. MITCHELMORE:
I must clear the record, Mr.
Speaker, to the Member opposite because there are no tax dollars going into
Canopy Growth company. This is a deal that's being put into place that's going
to lead to 145 jobs for the province, the company is going to make an investment
and they can recoup partial investment through sales rebates that's made right
here in the Province of Newfoundland and Labrador.
Now, the
Minister of Fisheries and Land Resources has been very clear that cannabis
operations would not be eligible for grants under the programs that exist in
their department.
Thank
you.
SOME HON. MEMBERS:
Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER:
The hon. the Member for Mount
Pearl North.
MR. LESTER:
I do understand that it's not
actually a handout of $40 million but –
SOME HON. MEMBERS:
Oh, oh!
MR. SPEAKER:
Order, please!
MR. LESTER:
If we're forgoing income on
the future of tax breaks, that is a liability that we are bestowing on the
people of this province.
SOME HON. MEMBERS:
Hear, hear!
MR. LESTER:
We're months away from the
legalization of weed in St. John's and a retail store downtown is already
running a contest for its customers stating: win free weed for a year.
Apparently, they're convinced that they will be getting a licence from
government.
Can the
minister confirm?
MR. SPEAKER:
The hon. the Minister of
Tourism, Culture, Industry and Innovation.
MR. MITCHELMORE:
Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
When it
comes to the Canopy Growth deal itself, one of the important things – and I'm
very pleased that the Member opposite recognizes now that there are not tax
dollars going into this operation, as they've been misreporting time and time
again. Actually, what's going to happen with the Canopy deal itself, we're going
to see tens of millions of dollars returned to the province through job numbers,
through salary dollars, through taxation that is going to lead to economic
development and diversification.
The NLC,
as well, has just entered into a request for information to look at other supply
opportunities for other suppliers across Newfoundland and Labrador. We see where
there are a lot of people who are interested in supply, and that we will be
ready in Newfoundland and Labrador.
MR. SPEAKER:
Order, please!
SOME HON. MEMBERS:
Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER:
The hon. the Member for Mount
Pearl North.
MR. LESTER:
I ask the minister: Wouldn't marijuana stores be held to the same standards
employed around the sale of alcohol? Would a government-approved marijuana store
be permitted to give away a year's worth of free weed to a customer, recognizing
that NLC cannot do so with alcohol?
MR. SPEAKER:
The hon. the Minister of
Tourism, Culture, Industry and Innovation.
MR. MITCHELMORE:
Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
When it
comes to compliance of what is permissible and what is not, we will certainly be
looking into any particular matter. If something is not within the realm of the
law or the regulations, certainly the Minister of Justice, through the NLC who
is actually going to be dealing with the retail of cannabis here in this
province, they will certainly use their enforcement officers and ensure
compliance, as all retailers are ensured to do when it comes to the sale of
alcohol.
We take
this matter very seriously as a province when it comes to compliance here in
Newfoundland and Labrador and we certainly will with cannabis as well.
SOME HON. MEMBERS:
Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER:
The hon. the Member for Mount
Pearl North.
MR. LESTER:
Considering that we're less than three months away, I'm pretty sure we should
have these details finalized by now.
SOME HON. MEMBERS:
Hear, hear!
MR. LESTER:
In Estimates last night, we
heard that there is no additional support for the Mistaken Point UNESCO site,
despite the fact that there are mandated requirements under the UNESCO
management plan to be met to maintain our UNESCO status. And there are
tremendous economic opportunities for the Southern Avalon.
This is
our only provincially UNESCO managed site. Why is there a lack of support for
this project?
MR. SPEAKER:
The hon. the Minister of
Fisheries and Land Resources.
MR. BYRNE:
Oh no, Mr. Speaker, there's
no lack of provincial support for this particular site. In fact, we are very
keen on developing Mistaken Point within the structure and the guidelines of the
application that was brought forward by their administration, the former
administration. Which reflected on the fact that this is a very, very special
site, a very important conservation location that needs to be protected while at
the same time opportunities promoted to be able to encourage visitation.
Mr.
Speaker, we're working now with local community groups, with assembling an
advisory committee. We're working on a fee structure which we spoke about last
night in Estimates.
Before I
sit down, I do want to take an opportunity to thank the hon. Members opposite
for a fantastic Estimates session last night. We really did get a lot of
information on the floor of the House of Assembly.
Thank
you very much, Mr. Speaker.
MR. SPEAKER:
Order, please!
SOME HON. MEMBERS:
Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER:
The Member for Mount Pearl
North.
MR. LESTER:
I'd also like to express my
gratitude to the Member opposite.
Mr.
Speaker, the Mistaken Point Cape Race Heritage is a volunteer organization that
operates the interpretation centre in Portugal Cove South, the gateway for
tourists from around the world to visit this site. This group wrote the minister
last November looking for help and were never responded to.
Is this
acceptable for volunteers who support the only provincially managed UNESCO site,
bearing in mind that this site will be open to the public in less than four
weeks?
MR. SPEAKER:
The Minister of Fisheries and
Land Resources.
MR. BYRNE:
Mr. Speaker, our protected
areas – we have been in communication with the various stakeholder groups. Yes,
there are several issues that need to be resolved – such as the advisory
committee, such as the fee structure – to be able to adequately maintain the
facilities, promote the facilities and care for the facilities. I do want to say
how much I appreciate.
Mr.
Speaker, the hon. Member opposite gives me a wonderful opportunity to stand on
my feet and express how this government is supporting tourism and our protected
areas. We are doing a fantastic job. I appreciate the hon. Member for his
support for all that we do in this House.
SOME HON. MEMBERS:
Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER:
The Member for Mount Pearl
North.
MR. LESTER:
Mr. Speaker, this site is
provincially managed and, once again, four weeks from opening its doors and it's
still without a stable financial plan. This organization has run deficits in the
last two years struggling to operate the UNESCO site gateway.
In
Budget 2016 your government decided
that you were going to charge a fee for entrance and put it into general
revenues with no commitment to provide additional support for this site. We
cannot use this UNESCO site as a cash cow; this is something we need to develop
as a business.
Is this
still the plan for 2018?
MR. SPEAKER:
The Minister of Fisheries and
Land Resources.
MR. BYRNE:
Mr. Speaker, we value this
site and we are working with the stakeholders to ensure the site is not only
protected, but visitation is enhanced. That we ensure the opportunity for not
only local members of the community to manage and to promote its conservation,
but also to promote visitation to the site is indeed encouraged.
MR. JOYCE:
(Inaudible.)
MR. BYRNE:
And as the hon. member, the
Minister of Municipal Affairs and Environment points out, those 16 years of age
and under are admitted free of charge.
SOME HON. MEMBERS:
Hear, hear!
MR. BYRNE:
Now, Mr. Speaker, that's
promoting our young people to take advantage of all that Newfoundland and
Labrador, our tremendous natural heritage, that –
MR. SPEAKER:
Order, please.
MR. BYRNE:
– all of our young people can take advantage of.
Thank
you.
SOME HON. MEMBERS:
Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER:
The hon. the Member for Mount
Pearl North.
MR. LESTER:
I do appreciate the
preliminary discussions and plans, but last year, Mr. Speaker, volunteers at the
interpretation centre had to sell raffle tickets, keep a donation jar on the
counter, just to keep the centre open. Again last week, in light of
unsustainable funds, the volunteers had to put off a supper to try and raise the
money to operate this season.
Minister, do you think this is acceptable for a provincially managed, globally
recognized, UNESCO Heritage Site, and how does this action align with our
province's tourism plan?
MR. SPEAKER:
The hon. the Minister of
Fisheries and Land Resources.
MR. BYRNE:
So, Mr. Speaker, there are
two different entities that are involved here. One is the interpretation centre.
One is the (inaudible) organization on the ground in the community itself. There
is provincial funding that is going to this site, but I will point out a very
important point, fact.
When the
previous administration submitted the plan, there was very little foundation
that was laid above and beyond what we installed, what we put in place. Yes, we
are working with the advisory committees. We are establishing an advisory
committee. We're working with the local community groups to ensure that the
facility is not only well run but well financed. They would like to establish a
fee structure themselves. They want to complement it with any provincial fee
structure so that there's an adequate revenue stream.
Mr.
Speaker, Mistaken Point, make no mistake, will continue to be a treasure for
Newfoundland and Labrador.
SOME HON. MEMBERS:
Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER:
The hon. the Member for Mount
Pearl North.
MR. LESTER:
I'm still confused. I can't see where the breakdown is. We're four weeks away
from opening the doors and they still don't know if they're going to be able to
turn the lights on, or keep the lights on. In order for United Nations status
for World Heritage designation to be maintained, specific requirements are to be
met under an approved management plan.
Can you
assure that all measures are up to date and that the designation is not in
question?
MR. SPEAKER:
The hon. the Minister of
Fisheries and Land Resources.
MR. BYRNE:
Yes, Mr. Speaker, we can
assure that. In fact, we'll be hiring soon – not only students to be able to
ensure the facility is properly maintained over the summer months, a wonderful
opportunity for students – but we have staff on site. We'll make sure this site
is operating properly, and we do recognize it does require provincial investment
and we are prepared to make that investment.
I will
remind the hon. Member opposite, he may want to look to the front bench of his
own caucus, his own colleagues, because the Member for Ferryland was just on
promoting and insisting that programs and services of the Province of
Newfoundland and Labrador supplied by the Government of Newfoundland and
Labrador must be cut. He should ask the Member for Ferryland what he meant by
that.
SOME HON. MEMBERS:
Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER:
The hon. the Member for the
District of Conception Bay South.
SOME HON. MEMBERS:
Oh, oh!
MR. SPEAKER:
Order, please!
MR. PETTEN:
Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
In 2018,
the federal government will further burden and stifle the Newfoundland economy
with a carbon tax that all Newfoundlanders and Labradorians will have to pay.
Again, instead of standing up for our province the government has agreed to go
along with their federal cousins as per normal.
I ask
the Minister of Environment: in the first year of the $20 a ton carbon tax, what
reduction in greenhouse gas in Newfoundland are you predicting?
MR. SPEAKER:
The hon. the Minister of
Municipal Affairs and Environment.
MR. JOYCE:
Mr. Speaker, I thank the
Member for his question.
I'm just
glad that he finally realizes it's a federal tax that's imposed upon all the
provinces in Canada because the press release he sent out earlier said how we
agreed to it and we went out and we could have fought against it. So I'm just
glad the Member has finally read the material and finally has his facts
straight.
I'll say
to the Member opposite, it don't start until January 1, 2019. Mr. Speaker, we
will be releasing the carbon plan very soon in the Province of Newfoundland and
Labrador for everybody to see.
Mr.
Speaker, I made no bones about it, I said it publicly on many occasions, that
before January 1, 2019, we will be releasing the carbon plan and it will be out
for public view. I'm sure …
MR. SPEAKER:
Order, please!
The hon.
the Member for Conception Bay South.
SOME HON. MEMBERS:
Hear, hear!
MR. PETTEN:
Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Surely
the Minister of Environment for Newfoundland, you should know the answer to this
question. What you answered then was nothing.
So I ask
the minister again: What reduction in greenhouse gas emissions do you expect
with your carbon tax?
MR. SPEAKER:
The hon. the Minister of
Municipal Affairs and Environment.
MR. JOYCE:
Mr. Speaker, again, to the
Member opposite, I have to say your carbon tax: Muskrat Falls. The largest tax
that Newfoundlanders and Labradorians will ever see in this province is Muskrat
Falls. People say you're always bringing up Muskrat Falls. I got to bring it up,
Mr. Speaker, because that's going to be hurting Newfoundlanders and Labradorians
until everyone in this House is not even here anymore. That's the sad part.
What we
can say, though, Mr. Speaker, about the carbon tax is that the federal
government informed us here's what you have to do. We will do it. If not, they
will step in. The formula that we're going to put in place, Mr. Speaker, will be
made in Newfoundland and Labrador. And when the carbon tax comes in, we will
have the gas tax, the rest of the gas tax (inaudible) –
MR. SPEAKER:
Order, please!
The hon.
the Member for Conception Bay South for a quick question, please.
MR. PETTEN:
Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Obviously another new tactic to note: no details, no idea.
Minister, can you release your assessment on what the average family in
Newfoundland and Labrador with two small children will pay in extra costs for
food, clothing and other necessities as a result of the trickle-down effect of
the carbon tax?
MR. SPEAKER:
The hon. the Minister of
Municipal Affairs and the Environment for a quick response, please.
MR. JOYCE:
As I said earlier, Mr.
Speaker, if the Member wants to listen –
SOME HON. MEMBERS:
Oh, oh!
MR. SPEAKER:
Order, please!
MR. JOYCE:
Mr. Speaker, if the Member
wants to listen to it, as I said, I will release the carbon tax all throughout
the Province of Newfoundland and Labrador. I can tell you one thing, when I
release the plan for the carbon tax, it's going to be a lot more than the three
sentences that he was a part of when he was executive assistant to the minister
of Transportation in the Humber Valley Paving that stuck a lot of people with
money.
SOME HON. MEMBERS:
Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER:
The hon. the Leader of the
Third Party.
MS. ROGERS:
Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Yesterday I asked the Premier, after 2½ years of him at the helm of the
province, why is real unemployment increasing to an expected 20 per cent and
rising. We all knew the three megaprojects would be winding down. That was not
an unexpected surprise.
So I ask
the Premier again: What does he expect the unemployment rate and the job rates
to be in 2020?
MR. SPEAKER:
The hon. the Premier.
PREMIER BALL:
Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
I did
answer the Member opposite about the high unemployment rates in our province and
where we go back to similar numbers of where we were in 2009-2010 time frames,
Mr. Speaker. We're not happy with that. We want to put people to work in
Newfoundland and Labrador.
I'll
just remind people about a comment that I made yesterday about how you track
investment into Newfoundland and Labrador. I'm not suggesting that
Newfoundlanders and Labradorians that work in Alberta is the answer – it's not.
We want to attract investment to Newfoundland and Labrador. But her federal
party and her two colleagues in British Columbia and Alberta, they seem to be
having a squabble how you attract investment. So I'd be curious to know, where
would you stand on investments like you saw in BC in Newfoundland and Labrador.
Mr.
Speaker, we are doing our job to attract investment in Newfoundland and
Labrador, working with every single industry sector.
SOME HON. MEMBERS:
Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER:
The hon. the Leader of the
Third Party.
MS. ROGERS:
Mr. Speaker, I'm sure the
Premier knows what's happening across Canada. Let's talk about what's happening
here in the lives of the people of Newfoundland and Labrador.
SOME HON. MEMBERS:
Hear, hear!
MS. ROGERS:
So I ask the Premier once
again: What assurances can he give our young people and families who want to
stay and live here that there will be work for them here in Newfoundland and
Labrador? Perhaps today he can focus on answering that question.
Can he
please tell them, from his knowledge and the work that his government has done,
what does the immediate and short-term future of work here in the province look
like for them?
MR. SPEAKER:
The hon. the Premier.
PREMIER BALL:
Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
We've
been working very closely, as I said, with a number of industry sectors; one of
which would be the aquaculture industry and making investments into
infrastructure in our province as well. Much of the investments that we've seen
we take opposition from people like the NDP, and now including the new Leader of
the NDP who does not see a future in aquaculture in rural communities in
Newfoundland and Labrador. Mr. Speaker, she's quite openly, on many occasions,
spoken out against that.
We have
our federal colleagues right now that, in some cases, take exception to what's
happening to offshore Newfoundland and Labrador, Mr. Speaker. In some ways, I
get confused on where she actually stands because we've never seen a solution of
where we should be investing to create jobs.
We are
working with every single industry sector in the province (inaudible) –
MR. SPEAKER:
Order, please!
SOME HON. MEMBERS:
Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER:
Order, please!
The
Member for St. John's East - Quidi Vidi.
MS. MICHAEL:
Thank you very much, Mr.
Speaker.
The
much-touted new federal funding for child care is just throwing money at a
patchwork system, leaving most parents without access to affordable, quality
child care. The province continues to buy in to the subsidy mentality.
I ask
the Minister of Finance why the new eligibility cap for the subsidy is so low at
$35,000, still excluding families just above the poverty line who can't afford
$800 a month.
MR. SPEAKER:
The Minister of Education and
Early Childhood Development.
MR. KIRBY:
Mr. Speaker, we have done
quite a bit since taking office on the early learning and care file. We started
out by implementing full-day kindergarten, which the Member opposed here in the
House of Assembly. We have improved the lot of early childhood educators by
increasing the supplement that they receive not once, but twice. We have
increased the cap to enable more families to avail of the full subsidy, but it's
a sliding scale so it's somewhat inaccurate to suggest anybody else wouldn't get
anything.
We are
improving the Operating Grant Program to make child care more affordable, with
the assistance of the $22 million agreement that we signed with the federal
government. We have done quite a lot more on this file than any government
previously.
SOME HON. MEMBERS:
Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER:
Order, please!
The
Member for St. John's East - Quidi Vidi.
MS. MICHAEL:
Thank you very much, Mr.
Speaker.
I point
out to the minister that full-day kindergarten is not child care.
When
will he make child care truly affordable by bringing it into the public
education system and early childhood development system for children of all
ages?
MR. SPEAKER:
The Minister of Education and
Early Childhood Development.
MR. KIRBY:
Mr. Speaker, I didn't say
that it was child care, full-day kindergarten. I said early learning and care.
Early learning and care is a continuum from the time a child enters regulated
child care to the time that a child really goes through primary school. That is
the continuum of early learning and care. The earliest time that a child enters
regulated child care to the time that a child leaves primary school.
That's
just my definition and way of putting it. It's all a continuum and part of the
transformation of the education system that we are seeing and that we are
presiding over. The next step in that is early reading intervention for
kindergarten to grade six, and every teacher I talked to is quite excited to get
to the next step of this.
Thank
you.
SOME HON. MEMBERS:
Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER:
The time for Oral Questions
has ended.
Presenting Reports by Standing and Select Committees.
Tabling
of Documents.
Tabling of
Documents
MR. SPEAKER:
The hon. the Minister of
Natural Resources.
MS. COADY:
Mr. Speaker, in accordance with the Energy
Corporation Act and the Hydro
Corporation Act it's my pleasure to table the 2017 Business and Financial
Report for Nalcor Energy, as well as the 2017 Consolidated Financial Statements
of Newfoundland and Labrador Hydro.
Thank
you, Mr. Speaker.
MR. SPEAKER:
Further tabling of documents?
Notices
of Motion.
Answers
to Questions for which Notice has been Given.
Petitions.
Petitions
MR. SPEAKER:
The hon. the Member for Mount
Pearl North.
MR. LESTER:
Mr. Speaker, I have been once
again given the honour to be the voice of the people of Port Blandford. I,
therefore, present these reasons for this petition:
Port
Blandford and surrounding region's economy is reliant on tourism and related
outdoor activities. The forest in and around Port Blandford contributes heavily
to a thriving tourism industry, employing many residents in the town.
The
forests in and around Port Blandford sustains a large wildlife population,
including the once endangered and now threatened species, the Newfoundland
marten. The council and residents of the community were not properly consulted
before important decisions were made.
Therefore, we petition the hon. House of Assembly to call upon government to
immediately cancel any plans for clear-cutting in the Port Blandford area, as
identified in the five-year plan; and furthermore, before any current or future
decisions are made concerning wood harvesting in our region, to direct the
department to ensure that appropriate consultations are conducted with active
involvement from the municipal council and an opportunity for its residents to
be engaged.
I,
therefore, as a Member of the House of Assembly, respectfully ask the minister
to address these concerns in a timely fashion.
Thank
you.
MR. SPEAKER:
The hon. the Minister of
Municipal Affairs and Environment for a response, please.
MR. JOYCE:
Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
I thank
the Member for the petition, but we have to set the record, because as Minister
of Municipal Affairs and Environment, Mr. Speaker, I want to make it quite
clear. If you sit down with the minister and if there are any changes to it,
it's done in good faith.
I have
to say, in the email that was sent, Mr. Speaker, the email from Mr. Bennett, I
think it was January 12, 2017, he clearly states: after the meeting Tuesday
night and we met with the Department of Forestry and Agrifoods about our
concerns, that now we approve what was put forth.
I know
the mayor quite well. We have a great relationship with the mayor. When we made
the announcement out in Clarenville, the mayor thought the best relationship we
ever had. The first time they ever got funding. So I know the department is open
to sit down and have a very serious conversation with the town, with the group.
Mr.
Speaker, we cannot let it stand to say that this was pushed, because the
information shows the council had concerns. These people went and met with
officials and came back and said: after meeting with the officials, now we agree
with the plan.
On
January 12, 2017, it was sent in from Mr. Bennett to the Department of
Environment to release this because they agreed with what was in the plan. At
least seven times, or eight times, I'm not sure of the exact number, there were
words “clear-cutting” in it.
So let's
sit down and have a sensible conversation over this, Mr. Speaker, but it was
done according to all regulations and with consultation.
MR. SPEAKER:
Order, please!
Thank
you.
Further
petitions?
The hon.
the Member for St. John's East - Quidi Vidi.
MS. MICHAEL:
Thank you very much, Mr.
Speaker.
(Inaudible) reasons for this petition on universal public child care. Our
licenced child care system is a patchwork of private for-profit centres – 70 per
cent of all centres – non-profit community-based centres and family daycare,
plus a small number of education and workplace-based centres. It is nowhere near
meeting the child care needs in our province. Affordable licenced child care is
often in short supply in rural parts of the province. Even in St. John's there
are long wait-lists for quality child care programs.
Child
care programs have both social and financial benefits for society. Studies show
that high-quality child care and early childhood education programs result in
better cognitive, language and numeracy skills. They help economically
disadvantaged children transition to school on the same level as other children.
For every one dollar spent on early childhood education, the benefits range from
$1.50 to $2.78.
Investing in child care creates jobs. One million dollars invested in child care
would create 40 jobs, more than in any other sector. A gender-based analysis of
the provincial budget would have indicated the need for a public child care
program as a key way to close the wage gap between women and men in this
province.
THEREFORE we the undersigned, petition the House of Assembly as follows:
We call
upon the House of Assembly to urge the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador
to take immediate steps to put in place a plan for a gradual transition to a
universal, regulated and publicly funded and fully accessible child care and
after school care program.
Mr.
Speaker, I think it's important to point out that what these petitioners are
saying has also been echoed by people such as the Bank of Canada. The Bank of
Canada has highlighted a child care program for raising prime-aged female
workforce participation from 74 per cent 20 years ago to about 87 per cent
today. In comparison, he said about 83 per cent of prime-aged women participate
in the national workplace because of that. He's talking about Quebec, where
Quebec turned things around for women, and by turning things around for women,
turned things around for their economy.
Thank
you very much, Mr. Speaker.
MR. SPEAKER:
Further petitions?
The hon.
the Member for
Cape St. Francis.
MR.
K. PARSONS:
Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker.
To the hon. House of Assembly of the Province of
Newfoundland and Labrador in Parliament assembled, the petition of the
undersigned residents of Newfoundland and Labrador humbly sheweth:
WHEREAS the fishery policy regulations links harvesting
quotas to vessels length for certain species; and
WHEREAS many harvesters own vessels of various sizes
but because of policy and regulations are restricted to using smaller vessels
and often putting their crews into danger;
WHEREUPON the undersigned, your petitioners, humbly
pray and call upon the House of Assembly to urge the government to make
representation to the federal government to encourage them to change the policy
and ensure safety to fish harvesters in this province.
Mr. Speaker, this is a petition I've been bringing up
several times. Every time I come to the House, and it hits home to me. I have
family members that are on the water with different vessels also.
When you look in the North Atlantic and look at some of
the times – especially the last couple of weeks. I know there's some boats gone
today. When I came through my community of Flatrock this morning it amazed me to
know they were gone because there was a swell on like you wouldn't believe and
outside it seemed like it was pretty rough, but to know they're gone out there
in vessels to catch the inshore crab.
What I'm talking about, especially in the crab fishery,
there are three different zones and they're all based on different size vessels.
Now I don't think it's much of a difference whether you're nine miles off or
you're 50 miles off or you're 200 miles off. Once you go offshore five or six
miles you're in rough water, no matter what the conditions are.
I believe regulations can change, and I understand why
the regulations came in in the first of it. Because when we went to a shell
fishery, and the crab fishery in particular, the inshore fisheries had smaller
boats. It was a point to make sure they weren't
shoved aside because they
needed a bigger vessel. They gave them a zone that they could fish in.
Now that
the fishery has expanded and most people do have larger vessels and fish three
different zones, the regulations should be looked at because the safety of our
harvesters – and it's too often we hear in Newfoundland and Labrador about
people getting lost at sea and drowned at sea and stuff like this.
This is
a regulation that Ottawa is making. It should be made here in Newfoundland and
Labrador and say, listen here, conditions here in our province are very rough
areas where people have to go. There's no reason they should be using boats
under 35-feet long to be in these conditions.
Thank
you.
MR. SPEAKER:
Further petitions?
The hon.
the Government House Leader.
MR. A. PARSONS:
Yes, thank you.
I call
Orders of the Day, Mr. Speaker.
MR. SPEAKER:
Orders of the Day.
Orders of the Day
MR. SPEAKER:
The hon. the Government House
Leader.
MR. A. PARSONS:
Mr. Speaker, I call from the
Order Paper, Motion 1, the Budget Speech.
MR. SPEAKER:
The hon. the Member for
Placentia West - Bellevue.
MR. BROWNE:
Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
It's
certainly a pleasure to stand here in the Chamber to bring some of my remarks in
response to the budget. I first wish to congratulate my colleague from St.
John's Centre on becoming the new Leader of the NDP. Congratulations, I say to
my colleague. I certainly look forward to a spirited debate as always here in
the Legislature.
Mr.
Speaker, I was listening to some of the commentary back and forth in Question
Period. It was getting quite exciting, actually, today. The topic was jobs. Jobs
are so important to the people of Newfoundland and Labrador, particularly to
young people. I can guarantee Members opposite that the young people of this
province want to stay home. We want to live here. We want to work here. We want
to raise our families here, which is exactly why the Premier constituted the
Cabinet Committee on Jobs.
If
you're asking for a jobs plan, I say to Members opposite, I can tell you one
thing: We won't be aiding a foreign government with their jobs plan in Romania
like Members opposite did. We won't be shipping hundreds and hundreds and
hundreds and hundreds of jobs that could have been down in Marystown, Mr.
Speaker, building ferries, off to Romania and then forgetting that there would
be tariffs applied – forgot $50 million worth of tariffs.
In most
societies, this would be considered fiction. You couldn't imagine that a
government would not only ship work overseas, but then forget about the tariffs
that would be applied, Mr. Speaker, based on the premise that BC had a ferry
that was sunk out there and they got their tariffs relieved. It's a totally
different story.
It could
have been built in Marystown. There could have been jobs in Marystown, but yet
again – yet again – the people of the Burin Peninsula were forgotten about, were
ignored, just like they were when the FPI plant was crumbled to the ground, like
the High Liner plant in Burin was left to be shuttered their doors on, like the
mine in St. Lawrence (inaudible) hung around and hung around – the cut that many
ribbons they couldn't find ne'er ribbon to cut on it there last year.
So we're
taking things over the finish line. We're committed to ensuring the jobs are
created that are meaningful and sustainable, Mr. Speaker.
SOME HON. MEMBERS:
Hear, hear!
MR. BROWNE:
Before we broke for Easter,
Mr. Speaker, I gave a speech here in the Legislature with respect to
aquaculture. I challenged the then contender for the NDP leadership, the Member
for St. John's Centre, to come to the Burin Peninsula and explain and put her
position on the table to the people with respect to aquaculture.
To the
best of my knowledge, that's still not happened. I live on the Burin Peninsula.
I never saw the Member down. The invitation is still there and the people expect
it. We should all put our positions on the table, rather than pontificating in
Question Period about where the jobs plan are. We have a viable means to create
jobs in rural Newfoundland and Labrador, but Members opposite are set on seeing
it delayed, if not stopped entirely.
So I
just have to highlight some facts, Mr. Speaker. We have created the Cabinet
Committee on Jobs. We have so far hosted three industry summits where we've had
people all around the table, from industry. We've had action plans in place.
Whether it's in aquaculture, agriculture or technology, the people around the
table, the industry associations, the operators, the entrepreneurs are
applauding these efforts. Saying they've never seen government engaged in a
laser-focused way on promoting economic growth and economic sustainability as
they've seen through this process. I am certain that there will be more to come.
We look
at tourism, Mr. Speaker. We just attended the largest Hospitality Newfoundland
and Labrador Conference in their history. We're almost up to 20,000 people
employed in the industry, up from 18,000. Last year, we had a total tourism
spending of $1.13 billion. And not only that – and this is a very important fact
– non-resident visitors, we had over 550,000, the highest non-resident
visitation and spending here in the province last year.
Twenty
thousand jobs, Mr. Speaker, but apparently there are no jobs plan. There are no
jobs in the province. All the young people leaving. This negativity it gets
tiring. I mean, the Members opposite must be so tired, because I'm tired of
listening to the negativity. We all need to be positive. We all need to
recognize there are challenges, no doubt, but collectively work together to
solve them.
We have
a lot going on, Mr. Speaker, and in terms of this year's budget it continues our
plan to bring this province back from the brink of bankruptcy, which the former
administration left us. So I always say when I stand and we discuss budgetary
matters, it's important to note and notice where we were, where we are and where
we are going.
When I
shook hands with people in the last election, knocked on their doors, shook
hands with them, I did in the good faith that I believe the numbers that they
published. Mr. Speaker, so clearly mistaken that I was, and the people in the
province were when we were told there was a $1.1 billion deficit, it was
actually a $2.7 billion deficit. Very, very unfortunate that is the state of the
fiscal reality that we were left with.
So we've
taken a measured approached over a seven-year period to return to surplus. I
commend the minister, I commend the former minister, for this plan and we are
continuing on that, Mr. Speaker, but there are some very good investments in
terms of economic growth and social sustainability as well. I want to highlight
some of those.
To build
on the commitments in The Way Forward,
Mr. Speaker, we have included in this year's budget $35.2 million to support
economic development, research and development, investment attraction, which
leverages funding from the federal government and other sources. So we will have
$73 million for innovation and growth and including – this is very important for
those of us in rural areas – $1 million to improve cellular infrastructure
through pilot projects. We are increasing connectivity.
Just
days after New Year's, I had the great privilege to attend an announcement on
behalf of the Department of Tourism, Culture, Industry and Innovation, along
with the Premier and Minister O'Regan, for over $40 million into broadband into
the province.
Mr.
Speaker, I know what you're asking. You're asking: Well, how much did the
province put into this? I can confirm to Members of the House and the people of
the province in that over $40 million, there was $1.56 million. Mr. Speaker, not
often can you put in $1.5 million and get back $35 million. That is called smart
management, good decision making and leveraging other funds. That's the approach
this government takes.
We're
not going to go it alone like the other government, Mr. Speaker, and ship jobs
off to Romania, helping the Romanian government with their jobs plan. We're
going to ensure that our investments are made in a measured and calculated way
so as to leverage the most funding from the federal government and any other
sources that we can provide.
As I
said, Mr. Speaker, and I know you're probably asking yourself how can you put in
$1.5 million and get another $35 million back. Well, it was done and now over 70
communities in this province will be connected to high-speed Internet, many in
my own district: English Harbour East, Grand Le Pierre, Petite Forte, South East
Bight, Little Harbour East and Fairhaven.
I can
guarantee you, Mr. Speaker, those people are very happy. In fact, I had the
Minister of Innovation with me in my district some time ago and we spent time in
those very communities. How many people approached us, I say to the minister, so
happy with the investment that not only the province was making, but the federal
government, the private sector, it's all about co-operation. We're going to
continue to collaborating where we can.
So to
build on what we're doing, Mr. Speaker, with broadband and the high-speed
Internet in our province, we're going to invest $1 million in this budget year
for a pilot project related to cellular communications and telecommunications.
We understand if you're a fisherman and you're fishing out of English Harbour
East and you haven't got Internet, how can you go on to DFO websites and file
for your licences and permits and other matters?
These
investments, they're not only going to help people get on Facebook or Netflix,
Mr. Speaker, which people want obviously for their quality of life and
connecting with their grandchildren and children away, but it has very practical
impacts to enable economic activity and economic growth, and that's why we're
very pleased to highlight those investments.
Also
supporting innovation and economic growth, we're investing $19.2 million for
culture and heritage including – and this is very important and near and dear to
my heart – free access to provincial historic sites in the summer months for
youth under age 16. Mr. Speaker, we have so many rich treasures in terms of our
provincial historic sites. For a low-income family often taking their children
to a site like this would be expensive, perhaps cost prohibitive; we don't want
that. We want people to be able to bring their children to these sites, showcase
our history, learn of our culture and really soak it all in. I think this is a
very wise, wise investment.
We're
also including in this year's budget $12.9 million for tourism marketing. I just
want to go back for a second, Mr. Speaker, to the HNL convention. I know a
number of Members attended the HNL conference: the Member for
Cartwright - L'Anse au Clair, the Member for Burin - Grand Bank, the Member for
Lewisporte - Twillingate, the minister himself and myself as parliamentary
secretary. Universally, there was optimism in the room, Mr. Speaker. There was
positivity about the future for tourism.
We're seeing the numbers of employment rise from 18,000
to over 20,000. That's an additional 2,000 jobs. That's a large factory, Mr.
Speaker, if it was all consolidated in one area, but we're seeing this spread
across the entire province in the nooks and crannies, coves and harbours that
dot the coasts of
Newfoundland and Labrador that make up the rich diversity that we call rural
Newfoundland and Labrador.
We're
seeing those investments being made. We're seeing the highest resident and
non-resident tourism spending in the history of the province. My only wish, Mr.
Speaker, is to see those numbers continue to rise because a high tide floats all
boats, as they say. In tourism, we have so much happening. We have so much
happening in my own district.
You take
Kilmory Resort in Swift Current, Mr. Speaker, seeing record numbers. They now
even have a package where they're partnering with the Woody Island Resort which
is also in my district; you leave from Garden Cove to go to a resettled
community. They're partnering with Woody Island Resort and Kilmory, Hotel
Fortune in Fortune and with Hotel Robert in Pierre et Miquelon.
You're
seeing those synergies come together. You're seeing that ability to partner.
You're seeing that ability to draw on and leverage every asset that we have,
including the fact that we have a French island, a piece of France, just 12
miles off our shore. Mr. Speaker, we're seeing a lot of positivity, a lot of
connectivity which is why we're going to be helping with making investments in
like cellphones and broadband. It helps those economic development opportunities
in rural Newfoundland and Labrador.
I also
want to discuss our Film Equity Program. We are including $4 million for the
Film Equity Program to support the film and television industry. Myself, the
Premier and the Minister of Culture recently visited the beautiful District of
Cape St. Francis where Frontier was
being filmed. It was a beautiful day, windy and cold. Jason Momoa was there and
of course Allan Hawco plays a big role in
Frontier. We're seeing so many investments now and an expansion truly of our
film industry.
I think
we always need to bring some facts to the table, Mr. Speaker. If you look at the
economic impact of Maudie – which was
a really beautiful film, and the acting was perfect. The filming was done in the
District of Bonavista area partially. If you look at the economic impact, there
was a $5.4 million production expenditure for
Maudie and there was a $9 million total economic output.
Mr.
Speaker, we're putting in $4 million for the Film Equity Program and just one
film alone had a $9 million economic output. We generated in taxes just $400,000
into Maudie, Mr. Speaker.
AN HON. MEMBER:
How much?
MR. BROWNE:
Four hundred thousand dollars
in just taxes to the government from this film operation and a $9 million
economic output from Maudie. So we're
going to continue making strategic investments in film, in our culture, and in
our heritage because not only is it important because it's who we are and we
ought to preserve that for the future generations, but it makes good, economic
sense.
SOME HON. MEMBERS:
Hear, hear!
MR. BROWNE:
I also want to highlight – we're doing so much for the economy, despite the
negativity of the Opposition – an issue that's very near and dear to my heart,
which is mental health and the recent announcement where I joined the Minister
of Health, the parliamentary secretary for Health, and number of my colleagues,
including the Premier, where there's $6.1 million allocated towards the
replacement of the Waterford Hospital.
Mr.
Speaker, as someone who – I've had a family member take their own life. I
understand the anguish, the unanswered questions, the whys and the what-ifs. It
affects everyone, Mr. Speaker. To see advancing the replacement of a stale and a
facility that has such a stigma, I think it's welcomed by many advocates and
many people who support the advancement of mental health issues. I'm very
pleased to see that not only will we be getting a new facility, Mr. Speaker, but
we're going to be removing the name of the Waterford. I think that is a welcomed
step for mental health.
Mr.
Speaker, before I take my place today, I do wish to say a few words about
Volunteer Week. I will be attending the volunteer appreciation night in
Sunnyside tomorrow, in the District of Placentia West - Bellevue. We have some
45 communities in the district doting the coasts of Trinity, Placentia and
Fortune Bay and we have such a rich repertoire and a deep bench of volunteers in
Placentia West - Bellevue. This was on display no better than I've ever seen,
Mr. Speaker, in this past weekend.
I was so
pleased to have my colleagues, the Minister of Advanced Education and Skills,
the parliamentary secretary for Children, Seniors and Social Development, the
Member for Burin - Grand Bank, the parliamentary secretary for Health and the
minister of sport in the province, the Premier, the Member for Baie Verte -
Green Bay, the Member for Terra Nova, the Member for Grand Falls – there was so
many there and, of course, I'm referencing the celebrations with respect to
Katelyn Osmond. The entire community came out, not only to see her but to help
organize and to plan.
There
was the largest parade – I would say it out-stripped the Santa Claus Parade in
downtown St. John's, Mr. Speaker. There were met and greets. There was an ice
show with some 1,200 people there. It was phenomenal. And none of that kind of
activity, or any other activity, whether it's a Christmas seniors' supper or a
come home year in the summer, nothing happens without volunteers which are the
backbone of our rural communities particularly. They have my gratitude. We are
all indebted to volunteers, Mr. Speaker, because they do such yeoman's service
to all of our communities.
I also
want to bring reference to the shipyard in Marystown, a file that is near and
dear to my heart as well. People say to me: Well, you're probably not going to
make Kiewit's Christmas card list. Well, I wasn't elected by Kiewit or anyone
else. I'm going to stand up for the people that I represent. Just as I ask for
people to put their positions on aquaculture on the table, I will ensure that
companies operating in my district are accountable to the people and obliged to
their social responsibilities, Mr. Speaker.
There's
a facility down in Marystown that was built with taxpayers' dollars. It was put
there by the taxpayers of the province. It has been let to fall into the water.
I think I'm well within my right and anyone else who lives in Marystown are well
within their rights to ask that if there's an opportunity to sell it, then to
execute the deal, let the people of Marystown and the Burin Peninsula get back
to work. That's all I'm asking for, Mr. Speaker. That's all the people of
Marystown ask for. We want the opportunity to have shipbuilding, ship repair
back into Marystown.
Mr.
Speaker, had I been here when decisions were being made, I can guarantee you I
wouldn't have stood by and sat silent while jobs went to Romania that could have
been put into Marystown. It's not my job to help the foreign governments of
Europe with their jobs plan. It's our job to put people back to work here in
Newfoundland and Labrador. That's why we've taken CFI, a $17 million repayable
loan over the limit. We were just there on this past Saturday. In fact, half of
it was blown up by Member for
Burin - Grand Bank – and, Mr. Speaker, that's
not a lie. She got the push the button and they did a blast while we were there.
There's so much progress happening, Mr. Speaker. We had
a blast at the blast. I can tell you CFI is a shining example of how we're going
to structure deals, how we're going to have good deals for the people of the
Burin Peninsula, good deals for the people of Newfoundland and Labrador. If it's
within my power, I will ensure and work to ensure with the town, with the
chamber, with the company to have a shipyard up and running in Marystown again,
Mr. Speaker.
It's something that I'm very passionate about. It's
something that is not totally within my power or ours as a government. That's
why we're working with others. We're not afraid to ask for help. We're not
afraid to ask others and work with others to collaborate, just as we did in St.
Lawrence. We have some 300 to 400 people now, Mr. Speaker, back to work in St.
Lawrence and we're going to have the same hold true in Marystown.
I can certainly tell you we're proud of our Olympian,
we're proud of our gold medallist, but we're going to be even prouder when we have people back to work and
she can come home to a town that is flourishing just as when she left.
Thank
you, Mr. Speaker.
SOME HON. MEMBERS:
Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER:
The hon. Member for the
District of Cape St. Francis.
MR. K. PARSONS:
Thank you very much, Mr.
Speaker.
It's
indeed a privilege to get up here today and represent the beautiful District of
Cape St. Francis and the beautiful people in the District of Cape St. Francis.
Mr.
Speaker, we're talking budget today. For the people at home, it doesn't
necessarily have to be on the budget items and stuff like that; it's a financial
bill, so you get the opportunity to be able to speak on different things.
Whether you can speak on your district or you can speak on different – all of us
here have different critic roles that we have to play. That's what I'm going to
do today.
The
Member that was just up that time now, he just spoke a little bit. I'm glad he's
going to represent his district. I think everybody in this House, on both sides
of the House, should represent their district the best they can. They should
listen to the people in their districts, listen to what they have to say and
make sure their concerns are brought to the House of Assembly, whether it's on
government or it's on Opposition, if it's nay or whatever.
They're
our bosses. They're the people who elected us and they're the people that put us
here in the House of Assembly. They're my boss and that's who I'm going to
represent in the House of Assembly, no matter if it's good, bad or indifferent
to whoever it is. The people that elected us are the people that put us here.
Mr.
Speaker, I know the Member – and before I talk I'm going to go into what I want
to talk about – talked about tourism. I really feel our tourism industry, the
one right now, is probably one of the brightest we've had in years.
MR. MITCHELMORE:
Hear, hear!
MR. K. PARSONS:
It is hear, hear, Minister –
it is – but it's been a lot of hard work over the last number of years. You also
have to recognize the former administration did a fantastic job when it came to
tourism.
The
biggest thing we have in tourism in our province is our people. No matter where
you come from – and I've heard it so many times, people that come from the
Mainland or come from different parts of the world, the very first thing they'll
say is I can't believe how friendly you are.
I
happened to be downtown this weekend and I ran into a lady and two kids. They
were from Ontario. They went into Rocket to get a coffee, but I guess it wasn't
what the kids wanted. So they came out through the door and they wanted to know
where the nearest Tim Hortons is. I gave them directions and she just turned to
me and said: You Newfoundlanders and Labradorians are all alike, you're a very
friendly people and thank you so much for that.
Those
are little things that we can do to make sure our province and our tourism
industry builds like it is going to build. I really hope that government's
investments pay off for us and pay off for us in a big way.
Today,
in the House, Mistaken Point was brought up here in Question Period several
times. You know, this is world renowned. People from all over the world want to
come and see those fossils. I'm not a person that's into that kind of stuff. I'm
a hunter and I love the wildlife, but we have people from all over the world who
come here. It's our obligation to make sure we supply the best possible site
that can be there. This is the only one the province controls. We have three
other ones that are done by the federal government.
I went
to Red Bay this year, and I was so impressed and saw how many people –
AN HON. MEMBER:
(Inaudible.)
MR. K. PARSONS:
Yes, actually I told the
Member, I called her and told her I was out in her district. I told her how
beautiful it was and how impressed I was with it. You know, the one thing I
really did notice that day – it was a grey foggy day and it wasn't a very nice
day, but there were four tour buses that day. There were four tour buses on the
road.
We look
down the Southern Avalon and say: oh, you're going down to Trepassey, there's
nothing down there – Portugal Cove South. It was the same trip I had when I was
over in the minister's district, but people wanted to go see it. So we have to
make sure we do the proper investments because as we know, and the minister
knows, tourism plays such a huge role in how our economy is going to do.
It's not
the people down on the Southern Avalon. There will be people in bread and
breakfasts in my district that will take advantage of what is happening down in
Mistaken Point, because people will come and they'll take the whole thing in.
They'll go down on the East Coast Trail and probably walk down to Cape St.
Francis. It's a beautiful area, but it's something we all can offer. So it's
important that we do it right and it's important that it gets done right.
Sometimes it takes a bit of effort. When I heard today it was like six months
ago that the volunteers, who are volunteers, requested a meeting with the
minister and still haven't had a meeting, I mean there's something wrong with
that. There's no doubt about it, there's something wrong with that.
No
matter what it is, I don't know, but we all have to work together to make sure –
like I said, I congratulate government and I think we played a major role, but
tourism is a huge industry in our province. We all have to work together to make
sure we have the best product ever. That means meeting with people, meeting with
the volunteers, because our volunteers are the people who put people in these
places and make people want to come back. It's the people of Newfoundland and
Labrador that bring people here all the time.
Now, Mr.
Speaker, I'm going to talk today – and I just got off on that one because it was
a topic today that I listened to in Question Period and it just struck home to
me that it's important that we do what we do.
One of
my critic roles is the fishery. Today, I really want to talk – and I hope that
mainly a lot of the Members across the way are from fishing districts like my
own. It's hard to believe, some people say Cape St. Francis is not a fishing
district. Actually, do you know what? Most of St. John's is probably the biggest
fishing port in the province when you look at it, what's landed and whatnot in
the province. So it's important that we look at the fishery.
Mr.
Speaker, again, I'm going to give you a little history. My first job ever at 13
years old was weighing fish, writing out the slips, driving along with the fish
truck driver. Then when I became big enough to drive a truck, I drove a truck.
My father was a fisherman. He was a bit of everything, but if you asked him what
he was in his life, a fisherman he was proud of. I have a brother that's
involved in the fishery now, and a son that's involved in the fishery.
So my
family, I've been around the fishery all my life. I know how important it is to
people in Newfoundland and Labrador. I know how important it is to small
communities. If you look at small communities in this province, I can remember
when you were cutting out tongues and whatnot and how important the fishery was
to everyone in that community. It was the local store, it was businesses, you
could see people at once. If it was a good year, people were doing their roofs.
They were putting in windows. It just spread right through the whole economy.
Today,
we have some major issues in our fishery. I look at in 1992 we brought
down the cod moratorium; in 1992 the commercial salmon fishery. Today, if you
listen to the Open Line shows, it seems every day they're talking about the
anglers on the rivers now and the issues they're having with salmon also,
whether it's in decline. I know sometimes it depends on the rivers and stuff
like that, but obviously there's a major decline in – and the concerns they
have, whether it's hook and release or what they're going to do this year is
going to keep two, three or whatever it is.
This past weekend, the crab started in my area and the St.
John's area. I'm not sure when it starts in other areas in the province, but I
know my brother and them were out and I know a lot of fishers were out down our
way. The crab this weekend was very, very – they never caught one-tenth of what
they caught last year on their first trip.
Now, there were some reasons given for that. They told me
there was a lot of sea lice in the water and sometimes that eats the bait and
causes – and sometimes the temperature of the water, crab is not moving. So
they're hoping it's going to pick up. Apparently the crab outside in the other
areas wasn't too bad.
We look at the shrimp stocks down in area 6 and we see
massive reductions. I know last year, and I spoke to the Member for Twillingate
- Fogo –
AN HON. MEMBER:
Fogo - Cape Freels.
MR. K. PARSONS:
Fogo - Cape Freels last night, and we spoke about it. Last year you were allowed
to buddy up. So the cost of going down to area 6 to get your shrimp, if you
buddied up you could split the cost with somebody else and get one trip out of
it. Now this year, he tells me, it can go as high as five, I believe.
That'll tell you what's happening with the shrimp. I know
most of the people that are in the St. John's area and down my way that did go
after shrimp are not going, because it's just not feasible for them to go and
get what they can. So the shrimp industry, it's a major issue.
Now, the other one is the decline in capelin. Capelin is
declining like you wouldn't believe. I know one of my first jobs driving a
truck, I went to St. Mary's Bay, I went to Conception Bay, I went to Trinity
Bay, I went to Bonavista Bay and I went to White Bay. We used to follow the
capelin all around with different boats and truck
capelin.
You
could get capelin back then, I'm telling you, that length. You could get nice,
big capelin. The female capelin and male capelin were probably nine or 10 inches
long. I saw last year – and capelin were late coming last year. I saw capelin
came in late July last year and they were this big. They were like three or four
inches, so our capelin stocks are declining like you wouldn't believe.
I
personally believe there should be a moratorium on capelin. I really believe
that because I think that it's a food for our cod and I think that it plays a
factor in whether our cod is going to come back or not. Also, our herring stocks
are down. Mr. Speaker, I have a couple of pictures I'm going to show, and I'll
just talk about it – but those are all fisheries that are on the decline.
Mr.
Speaker, there are all kinds of fishery regulations. It's based on gear
restrictions, fishing seasons. It's monitored by DFO, and there are different
technologies that are used. Each fishery has conservation technologies and best
practices and limited to the natural habitat and everything else. But, Mr.
Speaker, I'm going to read a quote now that was said in 1995, and this is going
to be the gist of my next 10 minutes, I suppose, on my speech.
In 1995,
in a controversial move Brain Tobin the Canadian federal minister of Fisheries
and Oceans reopened the hunt on harp seals, which prey on cod. This is what he
said: There's only one major player still fishing cod. His name is harp and his
second name is seal.
Mr.
Speaker, I just mentioned a few minutes ago all the declines in different
species that we are fishing off our province that are having a major effect on
rural Newfoundland, as well as St. John's and everywhere. It's having an effect
on our processing. I asked a question last night in Estimates about the number
of plants. Last year when the Estimates came, I asked the same question. I
didn't get an answer last night, but they're going to get back to me. There were
25 crab plants and eight shrimp plants in our province and I wanted to know what
was happening.
I know
we had plants close down. There's one going to be closed down, apparently in
Twillingate, and there are some more along the province. It depends on what
happens with the shrimp and the crab whether these can survive, and not only can
they survive but what's going to happen to these communities.
Mr.
Speaker, according to the latest estimates by DFO, they are estimating that
there are 7.4 million harp seals and they say that they consume 10 pounds of
fish per day. If you look at that, that's about 12 million metric tons of
seafood. That's what a seal – and just to put it in context, the total combined
commercial fishery for 2017 for inshore and offshore, all species, was 440
million pounds. That's 200,000 metric tons. That's only 1.8 per cent of what is
estimated that harp seals eat in one year.
I saw a
chart the other day and it showed me that what we catch in one year in our
fishery is equivalent to what harp seals eat in six days. I mean, that's
amazing. It's absolutely amazing. I'm sure that all Members on the other side of
the House will agree with me that we have a problem and our problem is seals.
I'm
thinking there are solutions. I'm hoping there are solutions. I just want to
show you one thing here and it came from a guy, Brad Rideout, that sent me a
picture. He sent me a picture there last year and in the belly of the seal, in
the stomach of a seal was 181 female crab – 181 female crab. His prediction, the
potential that this could produce was 100,000 eggs on a spawning cycle. Now,
that's just on one cycle is 100,000 eggs that that could produce. Can you
imagine when we're having issues with our crab what effect one seal had on crab?
So what effect is 7.4 million seals having on the crab stock alone?
I have
another picture here and it shows a seal eating the belly of a cod. Most people
will say okay, seals don't eat cod. Well, they do. They bite at the belly of the
cod and they take the belly of the cod. I have another picture here that shows
it. I can show hundreds of cod in a harbour with the bellies ate out of them on
the bottom of the thing; they're destroying the cod fish.
I also
have a picture here of an adult seal that weighs 1,500 pounds, a hood. Now, I'm
sure that that seal eats more than 10 pounds a day. Can you imagine what that
eats? I mean, you have to look at this; this is serious stuff. It's not funny.
People looking at our fishing industry and DFO –
AN HON. MEMBER:
(Inaudible.)
MR. K. PARSONS:
Yes, I do.
DFO, the
federal government – and I spoke to the Minister of Fisheries last night about
it and he was in full agreement with me, the seals are playing a major issue in
the decline of all our stocks but somebody has got to step up. Somebody's got to
step up and say we have to do something about it. I mean not only do seals eat
fish but they also got what I know you know and some people in this House know –
ever see the worms that are in fish? That's where they come from. They come
from, the worms – it's like a disease.
Now,
it's no harm to anybody eating fish with fish worms in it, just to be clear on
that also. I know people will screw up their face and say oh, I wouldn't eat
that. But let me tell you something, what it costs to our plants. If you go into
a plant, whether it's out in Arnold's Cove, whatever, and they're producing cod,
they need a special light to go underneath. They need to pick the worms out of
the fish, obviously, before they go and put it to market. So it's a huge cost.
And the more seals that are out there, the more worms we have in fish.
Mr.
Speaker, in 1972 to 1982, we harvested 165,000 seals a day. We had large
vessels. I tell you, I'll always remember my father, he was proud to be a
sealer. When he got his flippers every year, he'd go down in the basement and
b'y, he'd clean them up like you wouldn't believe because this had to be done
with them, that had – most fellas would just take them and – but he was a
sealer. He was proud to be a sealer.
Those
people went to the ice years ago, and you can only image – and so many
disasters. So many disasters that people lost their lives all over this province
because they went. Now, we have technology today. We have better vessels. We
have people that can harvest the seal. They got radars, different things. We got
rescues that can go out and get them, search and rescue that can go get boats
and stuff like that, and we can do it.
But
since 1995, now that dropped down to 50,000 seals a day. It's funny, you know,
when you look at the reduction, say, in the cod fishery, as the seals grew, as
the seals numbers increased, so did the codfish decrease. So I believe that it
plays – DFO probably don't believe that they eat cod, but I sure do.
Mr.
Speaker, currently we have a quota of 400,000 that's we don't meet, because I
guess it's based on markets and whatnot. When you get up in the House of
Assembly sometimes you can talk about what this, this, and give all of that, but
I think there are solutions. I believe that there are solutions to the problem
with seals, and I believe they're political solutions that got to be looked at.
We can
develop strategies, and we need the federal government onside to be able to
develop those strategies, that we can utilize all the seal. Seal oil, seal meat,
the bone and skins can all be used. Today, if you were looking at something for
your health, you hear omega-3. Omega-3 is a huge factor in people's health
today. It's a capsule that people take. It's nutrition; it's good for the body.
We could focus on those things. Our skin – obviously, we have markets all over
the world. Some take them and some don't, but we have to be better educated.
I look
at Food Aid, and I look at the world around us. I know I enjoy seal, and I'm
sure there are other people who enjoy it. Canada is probably one of the
countries in the world that's looked up to for our humanitarian, what we do. We
have people all over this world – we have 20 million people starving a year
worldwide, all over the world. We, as Canadians, are pumping millions and
millions of dollars into these countries to help in aid.
We could
make our harvest so that we could supply food to these countries. What a great
way to do it, and it doesn't necessarily have to be in a can of seal. There are
powders, there's frozen stuff that you can do. We can make it so people in the
world have opportunity to have nutrition which will be great for them, and
especially in these countries where you find people are starving and stuff like
that.
We have
a close working relationship with global food aids and global affairs and the
Government of Canada. That's how we can produce our seals and make sure we use
the seal itself, but until people start talking, until people in this province
start demanding that we do something about our seals and have our federal
government and our federal fishery department forget about the Greenpeace's of
the world and everybody else, we're going to lose an industry.
I'm
talking our fisheries industry that we came here as Newfoundlanders and
Labradorians – we came over here because we had an industry and it's the
survival of Newfoundland and Labrador. I believe working together with that
government over there and working here with our federal government we need to do
something to make sure we can do something on our seal industry to make sure
that our fishery survives.
Thank
you very much.
AN HON. MEMBER:
(Inaudible.)
MR. K. PARSONS:
Where is it? One second now,
where's that to? Okay.
Can I
have leave?
MR. SPEAKER (Warr):
Order, please!
AN HON. MEMBER:
No leave.
MR. K. PARSONS:
Just for one second.
MR. SPEAKER:
Does the Member have leave?
MR. K. PARSONS:
Can I have leave, please?
AN HON. MEMBER:
Yes.
MR. K. PARSONS:
Okay. I tell you now, Mr.
Speaker, I got so excited about seals that I forgot that I wanted to bring down
a sub-amendment. Okay.
It's
going to be seconded by the Member for CBS.
AN HON. MEMBER:
(Inaudible) you were going to
leave?
MR. K. PARSONS:
No, I'm not going to leave.
That the
amendment that was previously presented, the non-confidence motion, be amended
by changing the period at the end of Therefore to a comma and by adding
immediately thereafter the following words:
“and
that this House also condemns the government for its failure to demonstrate
sound leadership, accountable governance or proper concern for the people of
Newfoundland and Labrador.”
SOME HON. MEMBERS:
Oh, oh!
MR. SPEAKER:
Order, please!
MR. K. PARSONS:
Thank you.
SOME HON. MEMBERS:
Oh, oh!
MR. SPEAKER:
Order, please!
We will
recess the House to have a look at the amendment.
Recess
MR. SPEAKER:
Order, please!
Are the
House Leaders ready?
MR. A. PARSONS:
Yes.
MR. HUTCHINGS:
Ready.
MR. SPEAKER:
Order, please!
The
amendment is said to be in order.
The hon.
the Member for Cape St. Francis.
MR. K. PARSONS:
Twenty minutes again.
I'm
going to finish off, Mr. Speaker. I'd like to thank the Members across the way.
I'll sit down a couple of minutes early for giving me leave. I really appreciate
you giving me leave and getting me out of the jam that I have myself in. Thank
you very much. I really appreciate it.
Mr.
Speaker, in the previous 20 minutes I spoke the last 10 or 15 about seals and
the effect it's having on our fishery. The Minister of Fisheries is here now. We
spoke about it last night in Estimates. We're on agreement that we, as
Newfoundlanders and Labradorians, need to stand up and talk about it.
We need
to get our federal government to talk about it and we need to make sure that the
seal industry – there are seals in our province. We can utilize them; make sure
that they are utilized to the fullest. There are also agreements. Last night we
talked about an agreement, I think it was 2011, where Canada and China were on
the verge of making a huge agreement on seals. That would have been really good
for the industry here in the province.
The
agreement was basically – I don't know if it was the federal government or it
was the Chinese government that just slacked off and said no, we are not going
to have this agreement. But I think we should go back, as a federal government,
to China and look at this and maybe there's some way that we can have a harvest
here in the province that could be sustainable and could be very valuable to
rural Newfoundland and Labrador.
Mr.
Speaker, I want to talk about – and in my previous speech, I am just want to
finish off because I really want to get to a little bit on my district, but I'm
just going to finish off about DFOs decision on seals. There are quotes that
they are after making. It says that there's no evidence suggesting that seals
have an overall negative impact on snow crab population.
Mr.
Speaker, I showed you a picture, you've seen the picture, we've seen it, 181,
one seal – talk to people out there that are harvesting seals. That's who DFO
have to talk to. Talk to people who are out there harvesting seals today and
when they see what is inside the seals DFO has to understand that this is what
is happening here in our province. DFO has to change the attitude if they
believe that's the case.
DFO says
there's no evidence of any impact on shellfish. Our shell fishery is declining.
I'll tell you another thing too, Mr. Speaker, any groundfish will eat baby crab
because there's nothing else there to eat and seals are affecting everything in
our groundfish, capelin, everything else like that.
It said
an adult grey seal eats two tons per year and cod is only 10 to 50 per cent of
its diet. Mr. Speaker, that's too much. What that's doing to our cod fishery is
unbelievable. So we need everybody in this House, we need every harvester,
processor and everyone to come together, go to the federal government and talk
about our seal industry, talk about what we – no, they got to talk about it and
say this is serious.
We have
many resources in our province and our fishery is probably the best resource
that we have because it's a renewable resource and it's from one end of this
place to the other end. It's from the top of Labrador to the end of Cape St.
Francis that people rely on the fish in our province. It's time we all stand up
and realize that seals are playing a major role in the decline of all our stocks
in the fishery.
I just
wanted to do that today and I know that Members across the way, most of them do
agree with me when I say it. It's something that we can all work together on to
make sure that our fishing industry survives. It's the reason we came here; it's
the reason that we are proud Newfoundlanders and Labradorians. Like I said, when
you asked my father what he did, he did everything that he wanted to do. But do
you know what he was? He was a fishermen and that's what he was proud of.
I know
people today that go on the water, they're just proud to keep the heritage of
their families going – generation after generation after generation. And in
order for us to do that we need to come together as a government, as people in
Newfoundland and Labrador, as our federal representatives, our seven people who
are in Ottawa, need to come together and do a plan that we can make sure that
our fishery survives. I believe that the seal industry is one of the reasons –
if we don't do anything about it, our fishing industry will die. Mr. Speaker,
I'll end on that.
Mr.
Speaker, I'm going to talk a little bit today – this is Volunteer Week. The
beautiful District of Cape St. Francis is very lucky, as are all small
communities and large communities and cities and towns, everywhere in this
province. We're so lucky that Newfoundlanders and Labradorians get up and do
what they do. I think there's no other province in Canada that has so much
volunteer hours as Newfoundland and Labrador does.
It's not only the volunteers – there are volunteers
that I always talk about, a couple of ladies in my own hometown of Flatrock. I
always say please God that they stays there for so long because I think they got
you from the time your born to the time you die. Anything in the community,
whether it's a baptism that needs to be done or something with the church or
when you're young, there could be a recreation program and stuff like that,
they're there to count out.
When you die, they're the bereavement team in the
church that helps make sure that things run smoothly and the readings are done
and the family doesn't need to worry about this. Their names are Anita Dyer,
Madonna Wilkinson and Bun Hawco. They're in my community and when I look at the
word volunteer, I look at those three people and say thank you for all that they
do because they do so much in the small community of Flatrock. It's
unbelievable. Now, there are volunteers like you wouldn't believe in the
community, but I single out those three because they really have an effect like
I said on so much.
Mr. Speaker, I look at the Volunteer Fire Department. I
had an opportunity this weekend to attend the Firemen's Ball for the Torbay
Volunteer Fire Department. The Torbay Volunteer Fire Department takes care of
both the communities of Flatrock and Torbay. They have a station in Flatrock
where they have two trucks. I have to say, last year – you'd be surprised about
this one – they had 236 calls. That's 236 times that the Volunteer Fire
Department were called out.
So sometimes when you look at volunteers, you might say
okay I volunteer once a month to do this or I volunteer every three months to do
this or a weekly thing, but to be out 236 times as a volunteer organization,
boy, that's a lot and I really want to say I appreciate it and I know the people
in the towns really appreciate what they do.
They did
118 medical calls last year. I remember one day my mom got sick and we needed to
call an ambulance. The first ones that came through the door were the Torbay
Volunteer Fire Department. They made her feel comfortable. She was so
appreciative they were there. That's what they do. They do a fantastic job.
When we
talk volunteer firefighters, when that phone rings or the bell goes off, who
knows what they're going to face. Who knows what's going to happen. Is it a
fire? Is it an accident? Is there someone hurt? Is there someone burned? Is
there someone caught in a building? Nobody knows what they're going to face when
they leave that night. It's not only the volunteer firefighter that goes, it's
the family that watches them run out through the door and wonders what are they
going to face tonight or what are they going to face today.
To all
volunteer firefighters and people that do volunteer, I really want to say
Volunteer Week – and I had the opportunity to speak at Saturday night's event.
On the event that night, Mike Matthews had 25 years of service to the Torbay
Volunteer Fire Department, so he's at it for 25 years. There was also Paul
Blundon who was there for 20 years.
The
Torbay Volunteer Fire Department has been in existence for 44 years. They've
been on the go as a volunteer unit in the areas. Like I said, they do Torbay and
Flatrock. The chief, Mike McGrath, has been there for 44 years.
AN HON. MEMBER:
How long?
MR. K. PARSONS:
Forty-four years he's been –
not always as chief but 44 years he's dedicated his time and his effort. I
explained the other night; I said he's like a dog on a rabbit. When he has
something, he's not going to give up. He's going to keep going and going until
he gets it. Sometimes you can do your best but that's the way he is.
Do you
know what? The 42 members of that department appreciate everything he does and
the people in the area appreciate everything. His wife, Karen, does because two
of them – it's not only Mike, it's his wife that's there. She's on the auxiliary
for the last number of years. I think she retired this year from it. But a big
thank you to those people that do the work that they do; like I said, Volunteer
Week.
I also
have another volunteer fire department in my district also and that's Pouch
Cove. Pouch Cove services the areas of Pouch Cove and Shoe Cove and Bauline.
Their chief is a dedicated man also. His name is Derek Sullivan. Derek is a good
guy. He works hard and his heart and soul goes into the Pouch Cove Volunteer
firefighters.
They
have a junior firefighting program also that gets younger people involved in the
early ages, and I'm not sure how many are in it right now, but it's a great
program they got that young people in the community can come and be junior
firefighters and see the training, have the opportunity to do certain calls,
participate in what the fire department does.
In both
communities the fire department does a lot, because not only do they do – the
Santa Claus Parade usually is the main thing and one of the big events that they
participate in. I know Pouch Cove plays a huge role around Christmas with
running the dinner, breakfast with Santa and stuff like that, and they're really
community-oriented people. So we have to recognize our volunteers.
Another
one of the groups that I'll recognize, and it was a part that I played myself
for a lot of years, and I watched and last number of weeks we've saw the
terrible tragedy with the bus accident in Saskatchewan. I was involved in hockey
all my life, but probably the most gratifying time I ever had out of hockey is
coaching and being a member of the executive at minor hockey.
For all
the communities – and I heard you up today, Mr. Speaker, have to chew on a bit
of crow I suppose to your colleague from Twillingate. I played hockey in
Twillingate, I played hockey in Springdale, and we all went on a bus trip and
there were many volunteers that got us to where we were to. And minor hockey
just finished – it's always around the Easter week, and the time and effort that
goes into that from volunteers, no matter if it's running the tournament. I
don't know if you ever had the opportunity Mr. Speaker, to run a tournament and
have five or six teams come into your community and for you to have to organize
the billets for those kids, you had to organize and make sure the schedule was
done right and you know parents, sometimes everything doesn't go the way it is.
I'll always say when I do a speech beforehand, I always tell people that are in
the stands that this is fun and it's a game, and respect of people that are
around, especially the volunteers, because it's so important that we do.
Mr.
Speaker, the past weekend also in my district – and this one really hit home to
me – there was a Ron Cadigan Foundation set up. Ron Cadigan was probably one the
best athletes, one of the finest hockey players I've ever played against. Not
only was he a fine hockey player, he was one of the most gentlemanly fellows you
could ever meet in your entire life. His whole life was nothing but class.
His
family, this weekend, ran a hockey to raise the money for MSA and plus the Ron
Cadigan Foundation. When Ronnie was in his heyday – I don't know how many people
will ever remember back in 1979 when the Shamrock scored the Herder. They beat
Gander in Gander. It was the Mike's Shamrocks back then, and they beat them in
overtime in the final game, and Ronnie scored the overtime goal. I remember
being in my kitchen listening to George MacLaren, me and my father, and we were
just so excited because we knew who Ronnie Cadigan was and he scored the winning
goal.
This
weekend people came together and I think they raised around $10,000 and his
wife, Barb, who is a good friend of mine and a lovely lady and his two sons, two
RNC officers right now, they should be so proud of themselves of what they done
this weekend to keep his legacy going. I hope this foundation and I hope this
event continues for years to come. I was happy to get down there on Thursday
night. I would have liked to get there a whole lot more and next year I may even
play in the tournament, but it was good to see and it's nice to see so many
volunteers come out to help the family make sure that Ronnie's life – because
like I said this man was a true – well, basically a legend in our area, one of
the finest hockey players ever to come out of our way, great guy.
SOME HON. MEMBERS:
Hear, hear!
MR. K. PARSONS:
Mr. Speaker, we look at
volunteers – and I know the Minister of Education deals with a lot of different
school councils and stuff like that and I have to say that that's another group
of people that I'm going to talk a little bit about today, about our school
councils and what they do. I'm sure the minister will agree that every one of
them have different wants and they have different needs and stuff like that.
MR. KIRBY:
All 268.
MR. K. PARSONS:
All 268 of them.
I know,
Minister, that they reach out to your department all the time but these people
represent our children. They represent our children in the schools and I know
that their needs are high sometimes in want they want, but they're great
volunteers and we need them and we need them to speak on our educational needs.
MR. KIRBY:
(Inaudible.)
MR. K. PARSONS:
And they do great
co-operation; you're right.
I'm
going to give you an example now, and the minister will know what I'm talking
about. In my district we had some major issues with the capacity in some of the
schools. Our Holy Trinity was built up and a new school built and some people
will say oh, you built it too small in the first place, but I tell you the
population changed and there was a lot of different things. When you plan a
school, it usually takes a couple of years to get it done, a couple of years to
do the planning and the whole area grew by a lot. That school was way out of
capacity.
The
school in Pouch Cove was way over and above; 263 was the amount that they said
could go to school and we were up to about 350. The high school was at full
capacity.
These
three school councils, rather than one school council talk about their school
and their problem with three different schools, the three school councils got
together and had a solution for all three schools. So rather than have K to 6 in
Pouch Cove and Flatrock, and K to 6 in Torbay, they said maybe we can go K to 4.
The high school – they looked at it and they said okay.
Now, a
big thing with high schools sometimes, the curriculum depends a lot on the
amount of children that are in the school. They looked at it and said: okay,
maybe we can give up grade seven. They did all the work. It's unbelievable the
amount of time they put into this. They had to do a presentation to the school,
the school board, the school trustees. Then there were some more letters that
had to be written to the minister, give you all the birth rates, where we're to.
They did it all.
The
result was we had a brand new school built that myself and the minister were
down to just this year and opened in Torbay. It was the result of volunteers.
These volunteers, I have to really commend them. They did such a fantastic job.
The reason why we have the education system that we do in my district right now
is because of the great volunteers, our school councils and the dedication they
had to the children in the area. I want to commend them for that.
AN HON. MEMBER:
(Inaudible) credit yourself.
MR. K. PARSONS:
No, but I helped a little bit
along the way.
Mr.
Speaker, recreation is also a very important part of who we are. Now, we'll all
be out this summer and we'll be going to different sporting events in our areas.
Soccer seems like it's a huge sport now. I didn't play much soccer when I was
growing up but softball was a sport. Today, in my district, soccer is like –
there's a soccer group in Flatrock that, I think, there are about 400 involved
right now; take Pouch Cove, Bauline and that area.
I was up
to the Torbay minor soccer program and they have massive teams. Every kid in the
area is all playing soccer. It's a great sport. The reason why soccer is such a
great sport is because it's cheap. Not that it's cheap, but it's affordable to
be able to play.
Soccer
is a sport that you don't need to have the best skates on. You don't need to
have all the equipment on. A pair of shorts and a pair of sneakers or a pair of
cleats that they use, it won't cost you an arm and a leg. Today, it's
unfortunate that some children can't play minor sports because of cost, but
soccer is one of these sports that get a lot of people involved.
When I
look at different areas in my district and see what's happening with soccer –
recreation is playing a major role. Softball is not what it used to be but
soccer is. When you go to a soccer field and you see – I got a couple of little
grandchildren now and I'm hoping to be able to go down and see them when they're
this high, down kicking the ball and they don't care where it goes to but
they're having fun. You watch the volunteers that are there to help out and make
sure everything is done, that they have jerseys, they have this, that and
everything else.
Recreation in our communities plays a huge role; again, another volunteer group
that needs to be talked about and thanked. I know I've missed some. I know I've
missed some groups. There are church groups, there are all kinds of fundraising
groups, there are harbour authorities, there are so many people out there.
Being
Volunteer Week, I'd just like to take the opportunity – and I know all my
colleagues in this House appreciate every minute, every second, every hour,
every time a person reaches to volunteer because volunteers are the heart and
soul of our small communities. We can't afford to pay everyone to do what they
do, but b'y, when you look at this province and realize there's no other
province in this country that has the volunteers that we do.
I want
to say a big thank you to everyone out there that lends a hand to make someone
else's life a little bit easier. Thank you to all the volunteers. Whether you
save a life or you pick up a child on the soccer field, thank you for all that
you do from here in the House of Assembly.
Thank
you.
MR. SPEAKER:
The Minister of Children,
Seniors and Social Development.
MS. DEMPSTER:
Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
It's
always a pleasure to rise, stand in my place and speak for a few minutes in the
House. It's hard this time, as a minister, to kind of know where to start, Mr.
Speaker, because we're always passionate to talk about our district.
The
Member that just sat down, the Member for Cape St. Francis, talked about when he
visited my district, places like the Red Bay World Heritage UNESCO site. There
are so many wonderful things to talk about, places to visit and positive things
that are happening in the District of Cartwright – L'Anse au Clair, but what I
decided – we get three opportunities during the budget debate process.
Excuse
me, Mr. Speaker. Like many people around the province, I'm still working on
getting over this cold. I'm improving after a number of weeks.
I'm
going to talk about some of the programs under Newfoundland and Labrador Housing
today, Mr. Speaker, the Crown corporation that is responsible for the
implementation of government's social programs which are very, very important to
this province. I'm going to use that opportunity today. I'll have another
opportunity to talk about the Department of CSSD and I'll have an opportunity to
talk about my district.
Anyone
that's viewing today that are wondering about the various programs and services
they might be able to avail of under Newfoundland and Housing, this would be a
good opportunity for them to listen. Sometimes, Mr. Speaker, we think we're here
in the House and no one is watching. I know people are watching because if you
were to come into my office there's a whole windowsill full of cards that I get
from people, often they're in seniors homes and out in places like Heart's
Delight, the Golden Years Manor and those places. They send little notes and
they provide you feedback on what you said. Maybe not always so many on a sunny
day but we know that people are watching.
Before I
start, Mr. Speaker, I, too, like the previous speaker, want to mention Volunteer
Week. When I go up and down through my district in my mind and think about the
communities, man, we have people that have volunteered for a long, long time
doing tremendous work.
There's
a little something that I always say about the fundraising efforts in our small
communities. We go out and we buy the food and we come home and we make a dish.
Then we bring it to a community centre and we buy it back. We call it
fundraising so that our children can go on school trips and things like that.
We have
a lot of wonderful people doing great things, Mr. Speaker, people often – not
always, you don't have to be on a committee or things like that to be a valuable
volunteer. You might be that person that's home making a big pot of chili for a
hockey tournament or something; lots of examples.
Just
this morning, Mr. Speaker, myself and the MHA for
Lewisporte – Twillingate, we started our day with a wonderful breakfast down at
the Vera Perlin. Another group that's doing some fantastic work.
Speaking of volunteers, I would be remiss if I didn't
mention a Mrs. Jean Hanley. I found out today she's turning 95 – actually, we
share the same birthday, the 24th of May – turning 95, looking very sharp and
smart down there this morning. Started volunteering, I believe, in 1961. So 60
years of volunteering is worth mentioning in our province. I told her to come in
to the House of Assembly on the 24th of May and we'd be happy to acknowledge
her, certainly worthy of the recognition.
One final thing, Mr. Speaker, before I get to talk
about the housing programs. Often across the way Members will get up and talk
about all of the people that are leaving the province. They can't afford to live
here, they're going in droves. The Member for Grand Falls has done some great
work around getting up and counteracting that, but I also want to say, recently
– I'm going to talk about the housing strategy in a minute.
As I was coming back last week from Toronto, sitting
next to a lady on the flight, three children under the age of five, Mr. Speaker,
beautiful children, and we got to chatting. I said – and her husband was with
her, so that was a family of five. I said, are you guys from Newfoundland and
Labrador? No, she said, but we moved to CBS a year ago. I said, oh nice, so do
you like it out there? It's a lot better for us, for me and my young family than
in Toronto. She said we love it. I thought, how nice. There are people moving to
the province to work, and that's an example.
A couple of weeks before that when the games were on in
Deer Lake, Mr. Speaker, I went to visit my grandmother in the hospital in Grand
Falls and there was a couple that came in visiting a lady in the next bed. I got
chatting to them, nice day. And like we do, we're always very personable here in
our province, I said where are you guys from? He said we lived away for 42 years
and we just moved home 10 months ago and I can tell you my dear, it was a happy
day when we moved back.
That's just two examples. People are coming back
because it is a wonderful place to live, to work, to play and raise a family. I
feel privileged every single day, Mr. Speaker, that I get up here in this
beautiful province.
Mr.
Speaker, Budget 2018 provided
significant investment to help Newfoundland and Labrador Housing, providing
tremendous support and housing options for vulnerable populations to help
address homelessness throughout our province. Since coming into this portfolio
last summer, I've had some tremendous opportunity, eye-opening experiences to
appreciate the valuable work of the people in Housing, in the Department of
CSSD, volunteer groups and stakeholders.
Often, we don't see the people that work down in the
trenches and do challenging work. Last week, on the 11th of April, I had the
opportunity – my daughter joined me. We participated in a Point-in-Time Count
where we walked Water Street about midnight. We went into back gardens, back
alleyways.
We surveyed people, talked to people who don't have a roof
over their head to try to get a better understanding, Mr. Speaker, of what their
housing needs are. I'll tell you that was an experience that made me realize on
a new level the importance of the programs that Newfoundland and Labrador
Housing provides to the vulnerable and the marginalized in our society.
Mr. Speaker, I won't have time in my remaining minutes to
get deep into this, but I want to talk about how the
Budget 2018 investments will continue to support many of the vital
programs at Newfoundland and Labrador Housing. Programs that are designed to
assist persons with disabilities, persons with complex needs, seniors and
families with low incomes, as well as the homelessness throughout the province.
Investment in Affordable Housing is one of the programs
that we always have a tremendously big uptake on, Mr. Speaker. Our government's
multi-year infrastructure plan is a strategic framework that will guide priority
infrastructure investments throughout Newfoundland and Labrador over the next
five years. So all about having a plan and following that plan, because every
day we see examples in this House of what happens. When we look back over the
last decade, $25 billion in oil money flowing and what happens when you don't
have a plan and we're left in a situation like we were left within our province
in the fall of '15.
This framework delivers on our government's commitment to
release a multi-year infrastructure plan that balances fiscal responsibility
with the need to address key infrastructure priorities. That's what it's all
about, Mr. Speaker. As a government, every day we have to find that balance. We
don't have that money tree. Often when people come in to me, groups – and there
are always lots of ask, a lot more ask than there is money. Often, I think: I
wish I had a money tree. Mr. Speaker, governing in a
fiscally responsible manner is all about balancing fiscal responsibility with
the need to address key infrastructure.
One of
the things, I think, Mr. Speaker, that our government has done a very good job
at and there is countless, positive examples, we have been very successful in
leveraging federal cost-shared funding through strong relationships. We look no
further than Municipal Affairs and Environment. My colleague has done a great
job in leveraging funds there.
In
housing, we have done tremendous work there, Mr. Speaker. In transportation,
roads – wonderful roadwork happening, especially up in my district. It's all
about partnering and trying to get the work done when you don't have all of the
funds that you need to carry out the job on your own.
The
federal-provincial affordable housing program delivered through the NLHC
provides funding to assist in the creation of modest, affordable, rental housing
in partnership with the private and non-profit sectors. Mr. Speaker, this money
goes to benefit many low-income households.
Just
recently, we went out with a call for proposals. We had about $6 million to work
with, Mr. Speaker, and we have had $42 million in requests come in. So even
though there's been tremendous work done around the investment in affordable
housing, there are still lots of need there. There's so much I could say around
that whole piece.
We look
at our housing stock in housing; we see that we have a misfit right now, Mr.
Speaker. We have an aging population. All of us are familiar with the fact that
years ago we had many large families so we have a lot of housing stock that is
three and four bedroom. The people on the wait-list looking for housing are
looking for one and two bedrooms. These are some of the issues that we have to
deal with. Do we take those larger homes and do we renovate and build them into
duplexes and things like that? But it is very valuable money going to low-income
people in our province, Mr. Speaker, many of which are seniors and on a fixed
income.
In 2018,
$2.7 million will be invested to leverage federal funding to enable the Housing
Corp. to continue developing affordable housing options under the Investment in
Affordable Housing by partnering with affordable housing developers in the
private and non-profit.
Mr.
Speaker, I have a lot of notes here and I want to skip over the high level. I
don't want to get down too much in detail because if people want to know the
detail of the program, they can certainly call over to Newfoundland and Labrador
Housing and get that information.
Since
last spring, since April 2017, NLHC has awarded over $9.6 million in tenders to
modernize, renovate and upgrade more than 600 social housing units province
wide, Mr. Speaker. Approximately $6.3 million or 65 per cent was provided
through the 2016 Federal/Provincial Social Infrastructure Fund Agreement. So
money very well spent, and we hear that in whatever area of the province we
travel, people certainly appreciate the investments that Newfoundland and
Labrador Housing and this government is making.
Mr.
Speaker, in 2018-2019 the provincial investments for social and affordable
housing include – and I'm just going to name two or three – significant money
going in to help these low-income people. More than $10 million being spent for
maintenance, repair and upkeep of public housing properties, to ensure that
there will be safe and high-quality homes available for those tenants that
reside in them. Almost $4 million to modernize and renovate public rental
housing to sustain the housing inventory over the long term.
One of
the things I haven't mentioned is when we put this money into the economy, when
we're repairing houses, when we're building new, that is an effective economic
stimulator as well. We invest the money and that creates jobs and that helps
families. So it has a very positive ripple effect, the economic spinoffs from
the continuation of affordable housing and home repair programs. It contributes
significantly to the local housing industry's retail and labour sectors
throughout the Province of Newfoundland and Labrador.
Mr.
Speaker, these investments will help us strengthen our provincial economic
activity and significantly improve the quality of life for thousands of our
residents right here at home.
I want
to mention the Home Repair Program, Mr. Speaker, and I bet there's not an MHA in
this House that is not familiar with the Home Repair Program or that don't have
constituents that pick up the phone and call. This year, $41 million –
AN HON. MEMBER:
How much?
MS. DEMPSTER:
Forty-one million dollars
from the Affordable Housing Agreement will help fund federal-provincial Home
Repair Programs, Mr. Speaker. Once again, those are delivered, administered
through the Newfoundland and Labrador Housing Corporation to assist lower income
households who require renovations and/or accessibility modifications to their
homes.
Mr.
Speaker, budget '18 has committed an investment of $8.2 million, which will
enable us to continue assisting these homeowners. Sometimes elderly people, or
low-income people living in a house, sometimes they need windows because there's
a draft. Sometimes they need new shingles.
Another
thing, Mr. Speaker, that we're getting a lot of calls on as people age is maybe
they need modifications in their bathroom. Maybe they need things installed to
prevent slip and fall and things like that. The Home Repair Program goes a long
way in assisting those individuals in our province.
Mr.
Speaker, the average Provincial Home Repair Program recipient is 68 years old,
has an annual income of $21,000 and occupies a 49-year old house in a rural part
of the province. That's the value of putting money in to assist those
individuals that financially, they could not do it on their own, Mr. Speaker. So
that's the home repair.
The Home
Energy Savings Program, Mr. Speaker,
Budget 2018 will enable Newfoundland and Labrador Housing Corporation to
invest $2 million through the Home Energy Savings Program. Big money, Mr.
Speaker; $10 million for this and $8 million for that. Nobody on the other side
gets up and talks about the wonderful things we are doing, which also helps
their constituents too. I'm sure their constituents are availing of these
programs as well.
Through
this program, Mr. Speaker, the Home Energy Savings Program, grants are provided
to low households for cost-effective home upgrades to improve energy efficiency.
This initiative is targeted to assist electrically heated households with
low-incomes to upgrade their homes and to improve its energy efficiency.
I can't
think of a more timely time to make our homes more energy efficient, Mr.
Speaker. When we think about Muskrat Falls coming online, and when we think
about what that's going to do to electricity rates, very unfortunate.
A Member
on the opposite side today said here they go again bringing up Muskrat Falls.
How can we not bring up Muskrat Falls, Mr. Speaker? It impacts everything. The
money that's going there impacts what we do in programs and services. It impacts
the Aunt Nellie's and the Uncle Joe's that live around various parts of our
province because there is only so much money coming into the coffers, only so
much revenue to work with, Mr. Speaker, and I believe we have done a tremendous
job putting a road map in place, The Way
Forward, charting a course, balancing fiscal responsibilities with the
realties that we inherited in the fall of '15.
Mr.
Speaker, future electricity rate management is a priority for this government.
My colleague, the Minister of Natural Resources, speaks about this often in the
House. As a government, we have already instructed Nalcor to explore and pursue
all options for achieving electricity rate management. We know that if we have
the doubling of electricity rates, many people will not be able to afford to
keep their lights on. That's why we are taking active measures now, Mr. Speaker,
to manage our way through this mess as best as possible for the taxpayers of
Newfoundland and Labrador.
Mr.
Speaker, Newfoundland and Labrador Housing's Home Energy Savings Program will
provide grants of up to $5,000 to eligible households with income thresholds of
$32,500 or less. This program specifically addresses those who are reliant on
electricity for heat and that would consume 15,000 of electricity annually. So
that's that program. My time is running out.
The rent
supplement; since I have been in the department we've had a number of groups
coming in and presenting to us. One of the things that we heard again and again:
We would like for you to make the rent supps portable. Mr. Speaker, we listened
and that is an area, that is a direction we're moving in. The rent supp is tied
to the person that's renting the apartment and it is not tied to the landlord.
I am
very pleased that $10.9 million has been allocated to the Rent Supplement
Program. This includes an additional $2 million, Mr. Speaker, over 10 years to
further increase the number of rent supplement units to support a portable rent
supplement pilot program. People are very pleased – we've heard the feedback –
with the action that we have taken on that. That will increase our supplements
in the province up to 1,757 units and will allow us to expand the program to
many different communities throughout the province.
This
program supports individuals and families again on low income and individuals
with complex needs by subsidizing the rental difference between what a private
landlord is charging and what the tenant can afford to pay. It's valuable work,
Mr. Speaker. We have to do what we can for those residents in our society that
may not be as well off as some of the other residents. For various circumstances
in life they find themselves where they find themselves. I believe it's
incumbent upon all of us to help support them where we can.
Mr.
Speaker, there's the modernization, improvement, maintenance; there's the
Supportive Living, the Provincial Homelessness Fund. We're currently working on
a homeless plan.
Mr.
Speaker, 20 minutes goes so fast. I would love to have more time to talk about
the really valuable work happening at the Newfoundland and Labrador Housing
Corporation, but I'm sure I will have another opportunity again.
Thank
you.
SOME HON. MEMBERS:
Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER:
The hon. the Member for St.
John's Centre.
MS. ROGERS:
Thank you very much, Mr.
Speaker.
I'm very
happy to stand and to speak to the budget. Budgets really must be about people.
Budgets are about people. Budgets are about the people of Newfoundland and
Labrador, and budgets are about promises and they're promises that should be
embedded in an overall vision. They should reflect a vision for the province.
Budgets are really just a way of getting there. That's what the budget should
be.
The
budget isn't about, well, this is what our budget is and then people are going
to have to fit in somehow and people are going to have to cope somehow. It
actually should be the other way around. It's not about what can we cut or what
can we reduce. It's about, who are we as a province? How do we now envision
where we go as a province? How do we envision our communities? How do we
envision the lives of seniors in our community? How do we envision our
universities and our post-secondary education? How do we want to live together
as a people of Newfoundland and Labrador? How do we want to make sure that
everyone has what they need in order to be included and in order to thrive?
Then a
budget, after that vision the budget is a promise to say this is how we're going
to get there. This is what we're going to do with the resources we have. It's
about a plan, it's about a promise for short-term and it's about a promise for
the future as well.
Budgets
are also about saying to the people, here are the resources we have. We have a
vision. We're looking at how we will all live together. We are looking at who
needs what in order to be able to thrive. Then here are the resources we have
currently and here are the resources we feel we'll have in the future, and this
is the plan on how to operationalize that vision for the people of the province.
It's
also about looking to and planning the future, while not only planning the
future, but while taking care of the present because that's also what budgets
are for. It's about making sure that those who have needs, that their needs are
met in order to be able to thrive and be included in our society.
It's
about taking care of the present as well. It's about the people, our services,
our health care, our education. It's about justice, about infrastructure, the
environment, business and commerce. It's about our people, our seniors, our
children, our youth, our working families and those who are unable to work in
traditional ways. It's about all of that together. Primarily, our budgets should
be about fairness. They should be about justice and they should be about
equality. Those are the signs of a healthy society and a healthy economy.
So the
driving goal of budgets – although we have some very significant economic
challenges, we know that. Everybody in this House knows that. Everybody in the
province knows that because a lot of people – some people more so than others –
are living those challenges. Those challenges are facing them in their homes.
They are facing them in their bank accounts. It's facing them in what their
children can and cannot do. There are many people who are living, on a
day-to-day level, the economic challenges that we face together as a province –
some, more so than others.
That's
what we have to look at when we're looking at our budgets. How do we ensure
fairness? How do we ensure equality? Because the rich resources that we have as
a province, we all know, belong to everyone. They just don't belong to a company
that can extract in mining. They do not just belong to those who are able to
fish in a commercial way. It's doesn't just belong to those who can exploit our
resources. I use exploit in a positive way, Mr. Speaker, not in a negative way.
But our resources belong to all the people of the province.
So how
do we share those? How do we make sure that there aren't groups of people who,
in an unequal way, bear the brunt of our current economic challenges? That's
also what the budget must do.
At this
point, because of our tough economic situation, we have to make sure that the
primary goal is not to get to a surplus or a balance. That has been one of the
targets of our budgets in the past few years by this government, which has then
made groups of people in our society bear the burden in an unfair and an unequal
way – again, those who bear the burden in their day-to-day living.
Our
budgets must be about strengthening our people, empowering our people,
strengthening our whole province, not just those who are lucky enough to reap
the benefits, but it must be fairly appropriated so that everyone shares in what
prosperity there is.
SOME HON. MEMBERS:
Oh, oh!
MR. SPEAKER:
Order, please!
MS. ROGERS:
Because that prosperity comes
from the use of our resources that are made by everyone. We all know that.
The goal
and target can't primarily be to get to this concept of balance or surplus. We
have to make sure that people have what they need so they can live fulfilling
and healthy lives. It's about short-term goals and it's also about long-term
goals.
Our
budgets must promote fairness, equality and sustainability. Sustainability is
one of the things that we really strive for. Whether it's sustainability in our
environment, whether it's sustainability in our economy, whether it's
sustainability in our jobs, that must be our goal. With that sustainability,
once we have plans that ensure sustainability, then we will be able to take care
of our deficits and our debts, but not before that.
It is
with this lens that we must examine our current budget that's before the House.
The success of a budget, Mr. Speaker, is if the budget is steering the economy
towards being richer in good jobs, both in the short-term and whether the
economy is becoming richer in good jobs in the longer term as well. That again
is about sustainability.
Mr.
Speaker, we haven't seen anything in this budget that clearly points to that. We
haven't seen any major initiatives that really guarantee us, that really show
that government's plan is about sustainable economy and that it's about
sustainable jobs.
We know
that we have a jobs crisis right now. We don't often want to use that word
“crisis,” but we are in a jobs crisis if we look at the real unemployment rates
here in the province. The real R8 factor, unemployment rates in our province, is
heading towards 20 per cent. That means 20 per cent of work eligible, people of
work age who are wanting to work in the province, one out of five will not have
sustainable employment. That's a problem. That's a huge problem.
Now, I
might be accused of saying that's fear mongering and it's doom and gloom. I'm
very optimistic, Mr. Speaker. I'm optimistic because I believe we can do
something about that. We can't ignore the reality. A lot of critics have said
that we have a spending problem. Really, what we have is a revenue problem and
that revenue problem comes, stems directly as well from our unemployment
problem.
We know
that there were three large infrastructure projects that were megaprojects that
were winding down, which would affect not only our unemployment rate but also
affect our job rate. We all knew that was coming. That wasn't a surprise. It
wasn't a tsunami. We knew that. For years, we knew that.
So that
pointed to the needs of creating diversification in our jobs market. Government
hasn't really done that. In fact, what has happened over the past years is that
we've seen government cut infrastructure all across the province, the
infrastructure that would help communities look at how to build sustainable jobs
and economies, small businesses, medium-sized businesses embedded in
communities, businesses that would continue, businesses that would weather the
storm when we've been solely dependent, almost solely dependent, or primarily
dependent on the oil and gas industry which then makes us very vulnerable,
extremely vulnerable to international markets.
We will
continue to reap some of the benefits from the oil and gas industry –
absolutely, that's a resource that is available to us. But unless we build
sustainable jobs that are embedded in our communities, that are diversified,
that respond to the real needs of the people in our communities but also respond
to the expertise, to the creativity and innovation of people across the
province, we will constantly be going through this boom-and-bust cycle. There's
been nothing that's really concrete in this budget that points to that.
The
other issue that I would like to address – and again, Mr. Speaker, this is not
doom and gloom; this is the reality of the lives of many people in our province.
It's only if we face those realities and then start to plan for them in a real
way where we engage the people of the province, engage the people all across the
province about – and we know that often those who are closest to the problem are
also often closest to the solution.
There
has been no indication that we really engaged our communities in looking at how
do we together, as a province, build that sustainable economy. How do we build
those sustainable jobs? What government has done – we know that over the past
few years we have lost hundreds and hundreds of jobs in the public service. Some
by direct cuts in the early mandate of this government. Some by attrition. Some
by attrition through retirement. Some by attrition through not filling vacant
positions.
What has
that done? It's decreased the number of jobs available in the province. It has
created more unemployment. What we do know is that more unemployment creates
even additional unemployment, because there is less money circulating in the
economy.
There
haven't been proactive measures to mitigate against the effects that we have
experienced as a province due to the fluctuating international market prices of
oil and gas.
SOME HON. MEMBERS:
Oh, oh!
MR. SPEAKER (Reid):
Order, please!
Continue, please.
MS. ROGERS:
Thank you very much.
Not only
has that been a factor in affecting the revenue streams of our province, because
the diminishing employment situation and also the rising unemployment and also
the loss of jobs, but we've seen cuts in the last two budgets that really
weakened our people.
When we
look at the issue of over-the-counter drugs; we had a program of
over-the-counter drugs, particularly for people on very low incomes, that has
been cut. We have people, particularly senior women, who are unable to afford
calcium supplements to help prevent osteoporosis. We've seen the cutting of
over-the-counter drugs for people who've had surgery and who may need laxatives
or similar drugs.
I'm sure
the Minister of Health, in his former role as a surgeon, wouldn't be happy if
his patients after surgery couldn't afford that kind of medication in order to
be able to recover from their surgeries, but that's what we see happening. We
also see a number of people who were used to taking iron supplements.
SOME HON. MEMBERS:
Oh, oh!
MR. SPEAKER:
Order, please!
The
noise level in the House is too high. I ask Members to restrain themselves. If
they have to have conversations they can go outside the House and have those.
I'm having trouble hearing the speaker.
Thank
you.
Continue.
MS. ROGERS:
So, Mr. Speaker, we've seen
people who were used to taking and were medically required to take iron
supplements, but cannot now because the over-the-counter drugs have been cut
out.
Now
someone from government may say they can appeal that, and we've seen that. I'm
sure all of us, every Member of this House, have heard from constituents who
have talked about how difficult that policy, that cut has been on their lives.
The appeal procedure doesn't work. It takes a long time. It's very onerous.
The
other effects of the last few budgets have been, for instance, we still have
people paying the levy. We saw, when that was first introduced, what an unfair
and unequal extra tax that was.
We also
see the Adult Dental Program. Many of us are speaking particularly with seniors
in our districts who cannot afford dentures, who cannot afford dental care.
Particularly, people who are at the lowest level of income, whether they're on
income support and also trying to find affordable housing, who cannot afford
dental work. How difficult it is for them.
People
who say that they – older women, particularly, who say I want to go out. I can't
afford teeth; I can't go out in public like this. So the effects of isolation
and the effects on their mental health, of depression, those effects on the last
two budgets are still negatively affecting many people in our province.
We heard
rumours a few months ago that there was the possibility that government was
going to reintroduce the Adult Dental Program. We were really excited about
that. The people who heard those rumours and spoke to us were really excited
about that, but nothing was done. Nothing was done to mitigate the negative
effects of the last few budgets on the people of the province.
When we
go to places like The Gathering Place. I know many Members of government,
Cabinet ministers, have visited The Gathering Place. The number of people that
are accessing the services at The Gathering Place for food, for clothing, for
temporary shelter during the day is increasing exponentially.
They're
trying to open up a dental clinic for people who have been negatively affected
by government's policies in the last few budgets. The food banks all across the
province, people who are volunteering and running food banks are telling us they
can't keep up with the demands.
Mr.
Speaker, again I want to stress this is not doom and gloom, but we're looking at
what are the effects of government's policies, what are the effects of
government's last three budgets now on the lives of people of Newfoundland and
Labrador, particularly on the lives of seniors in our community. People also
tell us from food banks about the increase in the number of seniors who are
going to food banks.
Mr.
Speaker, this is not the way to empower our people. This is not the way to make
a sustainable economy. By talking about these issues, by looking at these
issues, it's not doom and gloom. It's about looking at the realities and saying
there's something can be done, we can mitigate this. We have to ensure that we
help to strengthen our people as we get through these tougher economic times.
Government has shown no concrete plan. I'm really excited about some of the
policies we're going to see through Newfoundland and Labrador Housing. The
Minister Responsible for Newfoundland and Labrador Housing clearly outlined some
of those good policies, but still there are so many other outlying issues that
are affecting the people of our province. Again, we can do something about that.
Now is
not the time to look at balancing our budget. Now is the time to look at how can
we create an environment where more sustainable jobs will be created all across
the province, and that, Mr. Speaker, is an investment. That will help address
our deficit in our income, in our revenue, and that's what we need to look at.
We know
that cutting jobs is not the answer. I'm happy to see the government has
committed to not cutting jobs for the sake of cutting jobs. Also, government has
to step up and mitigate the negative effects of the last few budgets because
there are people all across the province whose daily reality is embedded in the
negative decisions that were made, the short-sighted decisions that were made in
the last two budgets including the fact that those were not addressed in this
budget. I believe that government can do something about this. I believe as a
province we must and that we can.
Thank
you very much, Mr. Speaker.
SOME HON. MEMBERS:
Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER:
The hon. the Member for
Labrador West.
MR. LETTO:
Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
It's a
pleasure for me to rise today and speak on
Budget 2018. It's my first of, hopefully, three times to speak.
I've
been listening to the Opposition that have gotten up to speak so far. Actually,
I'm hearing very little opposition to
Budget 2018. The only thing I'm hearing, like the new Leader of the NDP just
said, is talking about Budget 2016 and
'17.
We all
know that Budget 2016 was not a good
budget. We already admit that, but it was something we had to do. I think 2018
goes a long way to bring us back to prosperity, to bring us back to getting rid
of the deficits. So what I'm hearing from across the way, I think, is really an
endorsement of Budget 2018. I'm hoping
that when it comes time to cast the ballot that we'll see some very positive
voting from the Opposition on Budget 2018.
I know they put in their amendments to condemn us for our budget; nevertheless,
they're only doing what they have to do.
MR. PETTEN:
(Inaudible.)
MR. LETTO:
I know there's a lot of
chirping going on from the Member for CBS, but that's okay. I love that,
actually. It gets the blood flowing, you know what I mean.
Anyway,
Mr. Speaker, what I'm speaking on here today, first of all I have to recognize
the members of my district who are making very big decisions today, and that's
the members of Local 5795 and 6731 on their future. They're voting with their
convictions, and I certainly respect them for that. I hope, at the end of the
day today, when the vote is cast, whichever way it goes, that we can move
forward with a united front and we can move forward together and hopefully find
a resolution to the conflict.
It's a
big day for them and I want to recognize them today, realizing the decisions
that they have to make. It's very important. It's something that we've done for
years and years, since the iron ore industry has been created in Labrador West.
It's something that we'll get through. We've gotten through in the past and
we'll continue to do that. Mr. Speaker, it's a very important day for them and I
wish them all the best.
I also
want to touch on the volunteers, this being Volunteer Week. I see Labrador West
as one of the greatest volunteer districts in the province. When you look at
some of the things that have happened in the past year that required the work of
many volunteers, and the commitment of many volunteers, many hours, things like
Cain's Quest. I can't forget that because that's a two-year planning process
that consists totally, totally of volunteers, and very many – not only from Lab
West but volunteers from all over, all four districts of Labrador, the North
Coast, the South Coast and Lake Melville, it's volunteers that are involved.
There are hundreds and hundreds of volunteers that it takes to run a race that
is world renown like Cain's Quest. It's something that we have to be very proud
of.
Things
like minor hockey – again, it happens everywhere. We know how many people it
takes, from parents and coaches, how many people it takes to run minor hockey
programs. Soccer, and winter carnivals – we just ran a winter carnival in Lab
West, a joint carnival between Labrador City and Wabush: 108 events. One hundred
and eight events that were run totally by volunteers.
AN HON. MEMBER:
That's more than the Frosty
Festival.
MR. LETTO:
That's more than the Frosty
Festival – 108 events. I think the Frosty Festival was 70-odd or something like
that.
And then
you look at organizations like MADD, and the people who organize Relay for Life,
a cancer fundraiser, food banks, the list goes on and on with volunteers.
Mr.
Speaker, I want to talk about a couple things that are in the budget regarding
Labrador, in general, and Labrador West, in particular. One of the things, of
course, is our government's continued commitment to the completion of the
Trans-Labrador Highway.
This is
a highway that's going to benefit all of Labrador, all of Newfoundland and
Labrador – all of Canada. Because it's a vital link to and from markets, and to
and from producers who want to get their goods and services to the province. And
this year we're committing $83 million dollars –
AN HON. MEMBER:
How much?
MR. LETTO:
Eighty-three million dollars
to the continued paving and upgrading of the Trans-Labrador Highway. It's a
significant investment, Mr. Speaker, that will see for the end of this year,
hopefully, 180 new kilometres of pavement, pavement replaced in the Labrador
Straits, in Cartwright - L'Anse au Clair, and the continued upgrading of the
other part of the Trans-Labrador Highway that will get us ready for pavement in
the future years. So, Mr. Speaker, it is a significant commitment.
Another
issue that I want to highlight that's not getting much attention because I guess
it mostly affects the people of Labrador, and that's the residents of Labrador
that have to travel for medical attention. And in most cases it's to the Avalon
and to Eastern Health that they have to travel, which comes at a significant
price to the person.
We
started a conversation with the Minister of Health and the department, back in
the fall, to look at improving the Medical Travel Assistance Program. I'm happy
to report that the minister and his officials were certainly very receptive to
the idea, and now when a person has to travel for the first time in a year, they
will be able to get the full amount upfront for their travel, up to a thousand
dollars, which helps people to be able to afford to travel for medical
attention. And especially, it will be helpful to our seniors, to our low-income
people that have to fork out the money beforehand. I know that they get it back
in the rebate program, nevertheless sometimes a significant investment – and
I've known of people, especially seniors and retirees, who've had to cash in
RRSPs, for instance, in order to pay for that travel upfront.
So this
is significant, it's a significant improvement to the Medical Transportation
Assistance Program and it's one that I've been lobbying for since I've gotten
elected. I can't say enough about the Minister of Health and his co-operation in
getting this to the point where we are today, where we have the program in
place, it's very accessible and it meets the needs of the people. I want to
thank the Department of Health, the minister and the officials for finally
putting this in place and we will be very grateful.
Mr.
Speaker, one of the things that have come up, and certainly the Premier was in
Quebec just last week and met with the premier of Quebec and signed a memorandum
of understanding with the Province of Quebec to develop the Labrador Trough and
to develop transportation infrastructure within the Quebec-Labrador border.
I've
spent all my life, or at least 98 per cent of it, living on the border of Quebec
and Labrador. Whether it was in the South Coast in my earlier years, when I was
a wee thing, or when I was in my later years in Labrador West when I was a much
larger thing, but it's something that I've spent all my life at. I can guarantee
you something, Mr. Speaker, that Quebec is not the boogeyman that many people in
this province have been led to believe they are, especially the Opposition.
Mr.
Speaker, this is a great move forward to develop the Labrador Trough, for
instance. Now, for those of you, or those Members or people in the province who
are not quite familiar with the Labrador Trough, it's about 1,000-kilometre long
area that straddles the Quebec-Labrador border. It has numerous deposits of iron
ore that is still sitting there. We've barely tapped the surface of the Labrador
Trough with the development that's taken place in Labrador West and right next
door in Quebec, whether it's IOC, whether it's ArcelorMittal, Bloom Lake, Wabush
Mines or whatever. We've only tapped the surface.
We have
to look at ways to co-operate – it's a strange word, I know, but we have to
co-operate with our neighbours, and our neighbour happens to be Quebec. It's
something we have to co-operate – people have to co-operate to develop
infrastructure and mining development in the best interest of everybody.
SOME HON. MEMBERS:
Hear, hear!
MR. LETTO:
In the best interest of
everybody.
Mr.
Speaker, I'm going to give you a couple of quotes that was put out in
The Globe and Mail not so long ago by
some top analysts, and just about the Labrador Trough, for instance.
“‘The
Labrador Trough has the potential to be a major global area' for iron ore
production.”
“Canada
is a two-bit player when it comes to iron ore production,” – and we are, we're
very small when we're compared to countries like Brazil and Australia and other
major producers – “but that could be in for a dramatic change because of two
words: Labrador Trough.”
Mr.
Speaker, when you talk about developing the Labrador Trough, whether it's in
Labrador West, whether it's across the border into Quebec, whether it's up the
border into the northern part of Labrador, we are talking about resources that
can be developed. When you develop – see, what people don't understand is all
the development that's taken place in the Labrador Trough so far has been with
the co-operation of Newfoundland and Labrador and Quebec. Any ore that's
produced and pelletized in Labrador West has to be shipped through Quebec,
because that's the nature of the beast, and that's where we are.
If you
look at Tata Steel who's up in Schefferville, for instance, the Quebec
government just last year put a significant investment in Tata Steel. Do you
know, Mr. Speaker, where that deposit is that Tata Steel are developing? It's in
Labrador. It's in Newfoundland and Labrador. They've just gotten the
environmental approval for the Howse project, for the Howse deposit, which is a
major deposit of iron ore in Labrador that Quebec are prepared to invest in.
So we're
already doing the co-operation, Mr. Speaker. Quebec is not the bogeyman. Quebec
is a great partner and will continue to be for years down the road. That's just
the mining part.
Of
course, the other part of that agreement, that memorandum of understanding, is
in transportation. Now, when you talk about transportation, I've lived in
Labrador West since 1973, and I lived there at a time when the only way out was
either by plane or by train. And guess where we went? We went to Quebec.
It was
actually during a strike at ArcelorMittal, it was Québec Cartier Mining at the
time in Mont Wright. It was actually during a strike that they used the workers
that were on strike to finish the link, what we call the Route 389, which is the
transportation link from Labrador West or from Fermont, Quebec into Baie-Comeau
so that we can travel that. Since that time, they've been investing millions and
millions and millions of dollars through the Plan Nord and through other means
to upgrade Route 389 to make it a first-class highway whereby you can leave
L'Anse au Clair and drive to Vancouver if you want to.
Mr.
Speaker, it's something we will further develop, the significant investment into
Route 389. The other route that is being very highly considered by Quebec is
Route 138, which will bring us down the north shore of Quebec into Blanc-Sablon
and into the Labrador Straits. That's a commitment from Quebec that will
certainly enhance even further our transportation link with the Mainland, with
Quebec, Ontario and all points west.
Mr.
Speaker, I think this agreement that the Premier, both premiers, have signed is
a great start to a co-operation agreement that will see development of vital
infrastructure in road transportation. It will help us to develop further the
rich deposits of the Labrador Trough that will benefit each and every one of us.
I guess what we need to focus on is that this is a good way forward.
Now, Mr.
Speaker, when you talk about mining and we talk about – and the Opposition keeps
asking, where are all the jobs coming from? Where are we going to get the jobs
in the future? We talk about aquaculture, we talk about agriculture, we talk
about the tech industry, which are all good.
We talk
about tourism – and, by the way, Labrador's tourism potential hasn't even had
the surface scratched yet, when you talk about the UNESCO sites and the south
coast, the Mealy Mountains and the beautiful scenery throughout Labrador. But in
order to have a tourism industry you got to have the proper infrastructure in
place, whether it's transportation infrastructure, whether it's communications,
and we're making great strides in both of them.
Mr.
Speaker, I believe, and I'm certain most people on this side, all people on this
side believe, whether it's Baie Verte, whether it's St. Lawrence, no matter what
part of the province it is, mining will continue to play a significant role in
the employment of this province. When you look at what's happening in Labrador
West, for instance, with Tata Steel in the Schefferville area; Tacora who's
taking over the Wabush Mines property and are working towards developing and
getting that project back up and running. They're right on track to do so. If
you look at Alderon who's rebooted the Kami Project, what a project that would
be. Certainly, when you look at that, it's all positive news.
Bloom
Lake is back up and running. Bloom Lake is in Quebec. Another perfect example,
by the way, of the Quebec-Labrador co-operation because Bloom Lake, while it's
in Quebec, it does create jobs for Labradorians and Newfoundlanders. It does
create jobs because the railway itself is in Labrador, totally in Newfoundland
and Labrador, that hire Newfoundland and Labrador people. We do get significant
positive results and positive gains from a place like Bloom Lake. That's right
on the border and it's part of the Labrador Trough. So what we're saying is any
future development would basically be of the same ilk.
Of
course, as I mentioned earlier, right now IOC is going through a labour dispute,
but we know from the past that will be settled sooner or later – hopefully
sooner rather than later. Nevertheless, IOC will continue to play a major role
in the mining industry in this province.
Then we
have Vale, of course, up in the District of Torngat. We're still awaiting the
decision from Vale to whether they go underground or not, but we hope that will
be a positive decision as well. We know how important that mine is to the
government, to the people of Nunatsiavut, in particular, as well as to the
processing plant in Long Harbour.
Mining
has its fingers in a lot of places in this province. Whether the mine itself,
wherever the mine is, it does have an effect on other parts of the province. We
will continue to see good revenue to the coffers of this province from the
mining industry and we know there are other projects that are on the horizon.
In the
District of Cartwright - L'Anse au Clair, there's Search Minerals that are
looking very positively now into an environmental review process. That's always
important. We know there's a strong future in mining.
The sky
is not falling. Chicken Little is gone away. Chicken Little doesn't exist on
this side of the House. The sky is not falling. As my friend from the District
of Exploits said: It's one thing for it to fall, but it's another thing for it
to collapse. And neither one is going to happen because we are working towards
positive growth in this province. It is a sustainable future and a future that I
am very proud of. Budget 2018, in
The Way Forward document, the actions
that we're taking in The Way Forward
will go a long way to ensure the sustainability of our province and to ensure
that we all have a bright future in Newfoundland and Labrador.
Labrador
will continue to play a major role in that future. We're proud of it, we want to
be, and we will continue to push forward with any developments but they have to
be done in sustainable and environmentally friendly manner. But, Mr. Speaker,
the sky is not falling and we are on the right track.
As the
Premier so many times says, we will get there, we had a rough start;
nevertheless, we are getting there and we will continue to move forward.
Thank
you, Mr. Speaker.
SOME HON. MEMBERS:
Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER:
The hon. the Member for Mount
Pearl - Southlands.
MR. LANE:
Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
It is a
pleasure to have my first opportunity to speak to the budget. Mr. Speaker,
before I make any comments I guess, like other Members, I also want to recognize
that it is Volunteer Week. In the City of Mount Pearl and Southlands, and so on,
the area that I represent, we have many tremendous volunteers. We actually had
the Mount Pearl Citizen of Year banquet only a couple of nights ago and I want
to congratulate Ms. Sandra Milmore on being selected as this year's Mount Pearl
Citizen of the Year. She is certainly someone who is very worthy of that
distinction for all the great work she does with St. Vincent de Paul, St.
Peter's Parish and the Knights of Columbus Ladies Auxiliary, Frosty Festival,
Mount Pearl City Days, you name it, Sandra is there, always there to lend a
helping hand. I was very pleased for her in receiving that honour.
Of
course, to all the other nominees, Bren Rumsey and Mr. Stephen Thistle, two
other tremendous community volunteers that were also finalists at the event. To
all the volunteers in Mount Pearl and in my district, in Mount Pearl -
Southlands, thank you for all you do. We all know the value of volunteers in our
communities, in all of our communities. It's important that we take the
opportunity to express our appreciation for all they do.
We all
know that volunteers do it selflessly. They do it because they just like to get
involved; they like to help people and so on. They don't do it for any
particular praise, but I think it is important that we acknowledge them just the
same.
With
that said, Mr. Speaker, I want to speak to the budget. Of course in the budget
there are many things that – everything is covered basically, so you can speak
about whatever you want. I'm glad I will be having a couple of more
opportunities for sure, at least, and perhaps even beyond that when we get to
Concurrence because there are so many things that are of importance that are
happening in our province right now and I think things that need to be discussed
in this House of Assembly.
I want
to concentrate on just some of the budget items and acknowledge some of the
things here but certainly, at a later time, I want to take an opportunity to
speak about the upcoming Muskrat Falls inquiry. I think that's still very
important and very relevant for us to speak about.
I
certainly want to speak about our relationship with Quebec and this deal, this
agreement that the Member opposite just spoke about. I want to speak about this
notion of a tunnel that I've seen just came out recently and I want to speak
about the separation of the oil and gas division, if you will, from Nalcor to
have two stand-alone entities and I certainly have questions and concerns about
that. But that will be at another time.
I just
want to say, first of all, in terms of this particular budget there wasn't a
whole lot to get excited about or be angry about. It was pretty, as they say,
stay the course I think is what it was described by, by the Premier, by the
media and so on, sort of a stay-the-course budget. When I say there's not a
whole lot to get excited about, that's not to say that there wasn't some good
things in there because there was. There was some good things there, some
positive things. It wasn't what you call negative.
The only
negative side to it, really, is – and I hate to get into this whole 2016 thing.
I'm not going to belabour it, but I would just make the point that some of the
actions taken in 2016, whether we agree or disagree on whether they had to be
taken or the degree to which they had to be taken, that debate is over, but some
of those measures remain. In particular, for me, at least, the big one at the
time was the levy and until that levy is gone, I will always have a problem with
it. Once it's gone – if that levy was gone now, I probably would say yes, I
don't have a problem with it but the levy is not gone. The levy is not gone.
It's still there.
We all
knew at the time that some action had to be taken. We'd be ridiculous to say
that no action had to be taken. We all knew that there had to be some things
that had to be done, but that was the one for me at least. I'll look forward to
the day that when you're doing your income tax and you get to that Newfoundland
and Labrador tax piece and you get page 4 or whatever and you have to look at
this chart that they have there and go down through the chart and discover that
you have to throw in an extra $800,000 or $900,000 or whatever on a levy – when
that's gone, I'll be happy. I'm sure most people in my district would agree with
that and people throughout the province as well.
In terms
of some of the things here, there was certainly a –
AN HON. MEMBER:
(Inaudible.)
MR. LANE:
Yeah, I heard the Member say
300; I don't know how he managed that one.
There
was some increased home care for persons with dementia. I read in the budget
some increased home care hours and opportunities there for persons with
dementia. I thought that was a positive thing. I was glad to see that there was
some additional investment in mental health and addictions. I think, for me,
that was one of the more positive highlights that I saw in the budget. I think
we all realize that more attention has been brought to the issues of mental
health and addictions, as we all know, and it is a problem and it's a growing
problem. To see some additional resources and emphasis in the budget on mental
health and addictions, I thought, was a very positive thing.
I am
pleased to see that there was at least an attempt to say that we're going to be
moving forward as it relates to the construction of a new hospital to replace
the Waterford. Although, we've seen that type of thing in the past years with
the Corner Brook hospital, we were planning it for about 10 years or something.
I'm not sure – is there even steel in the ground now? I'm not sure if there's
actually steel in the ground yet. I believe there will be, but at this point
there's still not. So while it was good to see that commitment for the
Waterford, I'll start celebrating when we actually see steel in the ground, but
at least it's still on the radar. That, in itself, I suppose would be a positive
thing.
I was
very pleased to see the recommendations on the Premier's task force on education
and that there's money budgeted and so on towards that. I sat in Estimates today
with the Minister of Education. As I said to him – and I don't mind saying here
in the House and publicly – I believe we're starting to head in the right
direction when it comes to our K to 12 system and some of the initiatives that
are being taken with the recommendations and so on; definitely heading in the
right direction.
Is there
more work to be done? Absolutely, but are we heading in the right direction and
starting to make investments where we need to? Absolutely, I think we are and I
think that's a positive thing.
There
was some money put in for smoking cessation, which I thought was good. We have
this Carrot Rewards Program, a mobile app to increase healthy living. I don't
really have details on that program but it would seem to me if we need to start
promoting healthy living, that's good.
The
increase of the rent supps; and I heard the Minister of CSSD, she was talking
about the rent supps. That is something we had talked about for a number of
years – well, since I've been in the House. I believe the Minister of Finance,
if I'm not mistaken, while he was in Opposition used to talk about the portable
rent supps. That was one of his pet issues. I'm glad to see that got changed, to
have it follow the person not the residence. I ran into those issues myself with
some constituents of mine over the years. So I think that's good, to see more
money gone into rent supps because there are definitely more people in need of
rent supps than there were rent supps. So that's positive.
As for
some of the other things the minister talked about, the Provincial Home Repair,
Energy Efficiency, the accessibility grants to Newfoundland and Labrador
Housing, those are positive but they're not new. It kind of came across as if
this was something new we're doing. Those programs have been in place as long as
I've been an MHA, I'm sure probably before that. So unless there were increases
in the allocations – I don't think there was, I could be wrong. I don't think
there was, but that was already existing.
The fact
they're continuing on is a good thing because people need them. I've had
numerous constituents avail of these programs. There are a lot of people who
don't even realize they exist. Only for the fact that I know, in the case of my
district, we proactively advice people, send out newsletters and things telling
people about it. A lot of people don't even realize these programs exist, but
we've been able to help a lot of people with them, and I'm glad that they're
going to be continuing.
Obviously, I was pleased to see an investment in Team Gushue Highway. I think
there's some equipment out there now on Topsail Road again. That's something
that really needs to be finished. I understand there will be work taking place
this spring, and there's a significant pot of money put in place to get that up
and going again. It needs to be done.
I would
say my constituents in Southlands are not happy about the fact that the
maintenance is going to be turned over to them municipally. They wouldn't be
happy about that. I don't really think it should be turned over to them
municipally. As a matter of fact, when I sat on Mount Pearl city council, I
vehemently argued against the fact that –there was no way that Mount Pearl, who
I represented at the time, was going to get involved in either the capital or
the operational and we didn't and we're not, but St. John's signed up for it.
It's unfortunate, but at least it's getting built. I guess that's between the
council and the citizens in terms of that particular decision.
There
were some announcements in terms of health care infrastructure with the Corner
Brook hospital, the Springdale health centre and so on. These are all things
that obviously need to be done.
There
was some additional money there, I believe, to create some more new affordable
housing. I know the federal government in its budget, certainly as part of their
platform, announced additional money for affordable housing. So I'm assuming
Newfoundland and Labrador Housing is sort of piggybacking on those federal
programs and getting more money for housing. That's a good thing. That's a
positive thing. I certainly support that as well.
The new
Home Purchase Program; to be honest, I'm a little bit on the fence on that one
because I think if you're one of the few people that get $3,000, I'm sure
they'll be appreciative. I'm not really sure that's going to be the difference
between someone buying a house or not buying a house – $3,000. If it is, I don't
know if they should be buying a house to begin with. I kind of question that one
a little bit, but I'm sure for the people who get the $3,000 they will be happy.
Of
course, maintaining the MUN tuition freeze, investment in the SIRT team, the
mobile crisis intervention team, the Drug Treatment Court and some improvements
to the Medical Examiner's office. Those were some of the things in going through
the budget that I sort of highlighted, that I thought were positive things,
positive investments and so on.
Now, the
reality of it is, though, with all that said – we can all stand here and on the
one side we can say what a great budget it is. On the other side we can condemn
it and say you shouldn't have done this, you shouldn't have done that, you
should do this, you should do that, but I think in being fair and balanced we
have to realize the fiscal situation we're in.
There's
no doubt, if you look at the budget and you look at the money that's coming in
and you look at the money that's going out, you look at the size of the debt,
you look at the deficit, you look at the growing deficit, should I say, that's
growing by – I forget the number, but over a million dollars a day, probably
several million dollars a day I think we were told, $2 million a day, that's a
reality we can't ignore. That is a reality that we cannot ignore.
When I
heard my colleague here from St. John's Centre, and I appreciate her comments. I
have to say she is, without doubt, a very, very strong voice for the
disadvantaged and a great social conscience and all that. We all, obviously,
want to do right by our people. Nobody wants to see people do without, and we'd
like to have everything. We absolutely would, but I heard her talk about the
fact that we can't be worried at this time – at this time we can't be worried
about balancing budgets. Well, my God, if we can't be worried about balancing
budgets at a time that we're $2 million a day with a huge deficit, if we can't
worry about balancing budgets at this time, when are we going to worry about it?
Because the debt is continuing to grow and grow and grow and grow.
We've
got to be realistic. That does not mean that we ignore the needs of people, but
we have to be realistic. We have to be realistic. She said we have a revenue
problem. Sure, we need to do what we can, the government needs to do what it can
to increase revenue. I can stand over here and say diversification; b'ys, you
need to diversify the economy. You're not doing a good job diversifying the
economy.
The
reality of it is, yes, we've had some megaprojects which have come to an end. We
know what's happened in Alberta. Things are starting to turn around in terms of
oil and gas. We have opportunities with mining. We're seeing some investment now
in agriculture and forestry and so on, and there are opportunities there. We
have to be able to rely on our natural resources and we have to invest. We have
to create a sustainable economy and we have to utilize our natural resources,
derive the most we can from them to create jobs, but it's not something that can
happen overnight. I don't care who the government is. If you switched everybody
around tomorrow, nobody has a magic wand and all of a sudden we're going to just
create 20,000 jobs overnight. It's not going to happen. I don't care who the
government is. It does not matter. It cannot happen.
There
are going to be jobs created in aquaculture. That doesn't mean we ignore the
environmental concerns because I've had them too, but it's an opportunity. There
are going to be opportunities in mining, there are going to be opportunities in
oil and gas and there are things we can do. But no matter who is the government,
we cannot just turn a switch and all of a sudden everybody is employed. It's
just not being realistic.
I think
we have to be realistic about the fact we need to make the investments to try to
create more jobs. We have utilize our natural resources to try to create more
jobs, employment and wealth, but we have to realize that it's going to take time
for that to happen. In the meantime, as that's happening, we have to be
cognizant of our spending. We have to be. We simply have to be cognizant of our
spending.
Revenue
is just not going to come out of the air. I hate to say this. I probably would
have said it many times in the past but I'm going to say it: There's no such
thing as money trees. They don't exist. I don't think so. I don't think they
exist.
The
reality of it is that as we turn the corner – and hopefully we're going to turn
the corner and things are going to improve – as we do that we have to be
cognizant of the money that we are spending. I'm not sure we've gone far enough
and we've done enough in controlling spending. I don't have all the answers and
I don't think anybody here does. I hear lots of people talk about diversifying
the economy, we have to do this, we have to do that, but I don't hear anyone
with specific examples of specifically what we're going to do. I don't hear it
from anybody.
I don't
think anybody has all the answers. I think we have to work together to try to do
the best we can to weather the storm. We have to be cognizant of the money we're
spending. Yes, we have to be cognizant of people in our province that are
struggling. We cannot let people fall through the cracks. We can't hang people
out to dry; we really can't. But at the end of the day, we have to be realistic
or we're going to sink her – we're really going to sink her.
If we
want to believe – and I'm going to take the minister for his word with it – that
we were that close to not even making payroll, if that's actually a fact then
that's not that long ago and the debt is continuing to rack up. So we have to be
realistic about our situation. We have to be frugal. We have to try to manage
our expenses the best we can until we can turn the corner. I think we all need
to work together to do it and the people deserve nothing less.
Thank
you.
SOME HON. MEMBERS:
Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER (Trimper):
The hon. the Minister of Advanced Education, Skills and Labour.
MR. HAWKINS:
Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
It's
certainly a pleasure for me to speak to the budget. I guess, Mr. Speaker, in my
hour that I have I will do it in three segments of 20, and I will probably talk
a little bit about my district and what it means to my district, I'll probably
talk a little bit about what implications it will have for my department and
I'll probably talk a little bit about immigration.
First of
all, Mr. Speaker, as I do each time I stand, I premise my talk by clarifying
what the Official Opposition continually makes the mistake – they continually
get up and say that we brought in 300 different fees in 2016. I continually say
to the Members opposite that is absolutely, totally false – absolutely, totally
false. We did not bring in 300 new fees. I will continue to say that until they
correct themselves when they speak.
Mr.
Speaker, what happened was there are changes to the 300-plus fees that were
already in place. Some of them had not changed for 30 years. So when they get up
and talk about the fact there are 300 new fees, that is absolutely false. So
every time I'm going to clarify that until they get it correct over there and
they make that correct statement.
Mr.
Speaker, some of the other issues that we want to talk about – and I guess it
would be remiss of me if I didn't recognize all of the volunteers. This is
Volunteer Week. After spending 14 years in municipal politics, I know first-hand
the importance of volunteers, and my colleagues that have spent time in the
municipal communities as well, in municipal politics, would know what I'm
talking about when all of our communities really depend upon volunteers who give
of their time, not only in municipal politics but also in the community to
ensure that we have some of the services that we have in our communities.
So, Mr.
Speaker, I think for all of us in this hon. House today it's important to
recognize these volunteers and to know that, without them, many of our
communities would not be as vibrant as they are today, and certainly would not
have the level of services that we have.
I guess
that probably is somewhat more evident and prevalent when you look at smaller
communities. Many of the service sectors such as Grand Falls-Windsor and Gander
and some of the larger centres, we depend on volunteers, but sometimes – these
communities have the resources that we don't totally depend upon the volunteers
to what areas such as Badger, Millertown, Buchans and Appleton and some of the
other smaller communities – Botwood and some of these areas that certainly
depend upon volunteers. So, Mr. Speaker, I just wanted to acknowledge that
today.
When we
looked at our budget in 2018 – and I think we've made reference already to the
fact that there's been a significant shift since 2016 when all of us had to make
decisions that none of us were very pleased with. But it was a time in our
history that we have never ever witnessed it in our entire life, in our entire
history as a province when we had to look at what we were facing at the time.
So, Mr.
Speaker, some of the decisions that we made, and we've looked at them since that
time, and we've tweaked them somewhat, but the bottom line for all of us is that
every single Member that's sitting in this House, none of us are here for our
own glory, none of us are here for what we believe in. It's what the people who
elected us believe that we can do. And I don't think there's one person in this
House has any intention of doing anything that will be harmful to the people
that elected us.
When we
have to make these decisions from time to time, we know that they're not
popular. They're unpopular, and that we've had to make these decisions, but you
live with that. These are areas that people have to come to understand that some
of the decisions and direction that we want to take is in the best interest –
not in the best interest of us as politicians, but in the best interest of the
province. It's in the best interest of the people who elected us. Sometimes that
may be unpopular, and sometimes there are people who feel that we're not going
in the right direction. But we have to realize, we have to look at what's big or
what's best for the global perspective and not for the individual.
So, Mr.
Speaker, I think in 2018 in our budget this year, I just want to say thank you
to all of the people that participated in preparation, the many, many, many
hours of our staff that worked above and beyond, many hours, to put together
this budget, to ensure that we position our province so that we will have a
sustainable future going forward, a sustainable future for ourselves, for our
children and for our grandchildren. I think, Mr. Speaker, when we look at that
from a global perspective – because I think it's important that we do that – we
have to look for the betterment of the whole and that all of us will do our part
to make a significant difference to how we run this province.
Mr.
Speaker, I'm not going to spend my time going back and saying what should have
been or what could have been or what would have been from previous
administrations, what's important for us today is to put that behind us. We
can't do much about that. We have to put that behind us and we have to start
charting the course for our future. We have to position ourselves for that.
Mr.
Speaker, in this particular budget, I guess one of the areas that we were
concerned with in my district – and I want to talk about that for just a few
minutes – is the fact that health care is so important. It's so important to
every single individual living in this province. As an aging demographic, it's
becoming even more important for many of the older people that are living in
society.
With the
modern technology that we have, with the modern medicine that we have, people
are living longer. As a result of that, Mr. Speaker, there are always added
pressures. It's important for us to look at that. I think in this particular
budget for my community that we have really – we will be making a difference.
Mr.
Speaker, as I said, when we look at an aging demographic, we're seeing more and
more of the private sector who are getting involved in Level 1 and Level 2
making beds available and then we look at our commitment to Level 3 and Level 4.
We know that some of our regional hospitals are challenged by the chronic care
that has to be given when really they're taking acute care beds. It's important
for us to ensure that we have the services in place that will provide what we
feel would be a comfortable life for those that need it.
In
Central Newfoundland and in Grand Falls-Windsor we have made commitment to
long-term care facilities. We will be building a new, 60-bed, long-term care
facility which will look after some of the needs that's happening and relieve
some of the pressures.
Mr.
Speaker, I would be remiss if I didn't make reference to my colleague from
Exploits who happens to share half of the Town of Grand Falls-Windsor with me. I
know he's excited about that as well. Not only that, Mr. Speaker, but we are
going to be providing an additional 20 protective care units at the Hugh Twomey
Centre. This is really an investment in Central Newfoundland and I know that the
people will benefit from that. It will be something that we will be proud of.
Mr.
Speaker, not only that, but we have made commitments to the Central Newfoundland
regional hospital which services quite a number of people in Central
Newfoundland, including the Botwood and Point Leamington area, Buchans and all
those areas. We know that sometimes we have aging infrastructure and we made a
commitment last year to start the endo/cysto suites. I think it was probably
somewhere in the vicinity of about $5 million investment in those suites. We are
close on that – the minister is giving me an affirmative on that. That will be
completed this year.
Mr.
Speaker, in addition to that, we are now looking at and we have made investments
for this construction year to remodel the laboratories that are in the hospital.
These are just two areas that we made significant investments to ensure that we
are providing the services that are necessary for the people in Central
Newfoundland and in the Grand Falls-Windsor area. That's just in the health care
sector.
Many of
our communities in Central Newfoundland – and the Minister of Municipal Affairs
has made a significant lobby for work to be completed in Central Newfoundland. I
know, in looking at some of the projects that we have and some of my smaller
communities such as Badger, for example, we're going to be investing, since 2016
– and we are continuing to invest. We're looking at somewhere close to, for a
small community, about $1.6 million. That's significant when we look at services
that are being provided.
We're
making improvements to Millertown with the water and sewer and we're investing
in their system. It goes beyond that. The largest town in the Central
Newfoundland area, Grand Falls-Windsor, for example, we have, and we'll continue
to invest – get this –
AN HON. MEMBER:
(Inaudible.)
MR. HAWKINS:
I correct my Member for
Labrador West that Grand Falls- Windsor is the largest centre in Central
Newfoundland, Mr. Speaker. I'll give him a little bit of history on that a
little later and I'll give him the population, but anyway we're not going there.
The Town
of Grand Falls-Windsor since 2016 up to present, the Department of Municipal
Affairs have invested and will continue to invest $24.2 million. That, in
itself, is a significant investment.
If you
want to talk about these investments, Mr. Speaker, back in I guess it was
2008-2009, when the economy was sort of shaky, they had shovel-ready stimulus.
Well, when you talk about investment in infrastructure that we're making, this
is certainly stimulus and there are many, many – if you just take $24 million
going into a small community in itself, there is a significant spinoff. There
are a significant number of people that will be working in these areas.
The
Member that talked about, a few minutes ago, my hon. colleague across the floor
talked about it's very difficult to say you're going to have 24,000 or 25,000
jobs that's going to just drop from the sky. I agree with him. That is not easy.
But when you start looking at the number of person hours and the number of
person years that many of these investments that we're making over the course of
the budgets that we're doing, there are significant spinoff and it's a plus to
the economy.
Mr.
Speaker, we have made commitments to that. We will continue to make commitments.
I know that many of us that have had experience within municipal governments, we
know how important it is to make investments for the long-term sustainability of
our communities. I think our communities are doing quite well. There are some
challenges around and we all understand that, but we also have to realize that
in order to make sure that our communities are positioned for the future we have
to continue to make these infrastructure investments.
I know,
Mr. Speaker, as well one of the areas in the province that has been impacted by
some of the regulations, the federal regulations, is our wastewater. I know that
over the last couple or three years – and we continue to do that – there are
significant investments to make sure that our communities are compliant with the
federal regulations that are in place. Some of these federal regulations, Mr.
Speaker, it's something that has been sort of downloaded on us to a degree in
order to be compliant.
Mr.
Speaker, it's a very difficult argument to make to try to say that it's not
something we should be doing because that's like arguing and saying we're not
interested in the environment. Many of the regulations that have been made with
the waste water, of course, obviously is for to improve our environment, improve
our waterways, improve the effluent that we're putting into our rivers, the
effluent that we're putting into the ocean.
What
we're basically doing is making sure that those regulations – and we become
compliant so that we are good stewards of the environment. Really, what we have
to do when we look at the environment, we look at this beautiful, pristine
province that we have, we need to protect it. We need to protect it for our
young people.
I know
that some of the regulations, some of the communities have been somewhat upset
with regard to being compliant with these regulations. With the proper funding,
I think that we're moving in the right direction. I think with the time there
are certain timelines that are in place that I think we'll be able to meet and
to make sure that we do have a good, safe environment in which we can all
participate in.
Mr.
Speaker, when we're looking at our budget again and what it means to our
communities, it's important for us to invest in rural Newfoundland and Labrador.
I know that we have made significant investments, improvements within our
municipal infrastructure, improvement within our hospitals, improvement within
our post-secondary, improvements when we look at how we provide services within
our communities, with their transportation.
All of
these are very crucial. The services we provide are crucial because we have to
realize that we have, as a province, to maintain services for a large geographic
area with a very small population. Some of the challenges with that, Mr.
Speaker, is not only is it a small population, it's a shrinking population. We
have to put measures in place. That's why, for us, and for me as minister
responsible for immigration, I think it's important for us to start looking at
that. It's important for us to do an inventory of where our needs are going to
be, not only inventory of our skilled labour, but also inventory within our
schools, within our university.
We know
right now, Mr. Speaker, that one-third of our enrolment at Memorial University
is either Canadian or international students. If we had to depend solely on
Newfoundland students, probably we would not have some solid planning going
forward. So it's important for us as a province, as a university, as a college,
to be able to attract international students and be able to track students from
other parts of Canada. As you know, our population within our schools are
getting less and less, and that is putting a strain on our post-secondary
institutions. So we have to find ways, if we want to be competitive as a
post-secondary, we have to find ways in which we can improve and increase our
enrolment. So, Mr. Speaker, that will be a challenge for us.
Mr.
Speaker, as I clue up this section of my time, when I move forward within my
department, I'm responsible for Advanced Education, Skills and Labour as well as
immigration. So I have a number of departments, really, in the one. One of the
areas that certainly is of interest for me are the post-secondary institutions,
and I'm looking forward to continuing to work with Memorial University and work
with our College of the North Atlantic, as well as our private training
institutions. Our private training institutions are very important to this
province. They provide services in areas where our public post-secondary
education do not provide those services.
So, Mr.
Speaker, in my next series of speaking, I will address that and certainly look
forward to continue to discuss the budget.
Thank
you, Mr. Speaker.
SOME HON. MEMBERS:
Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER:
The hon. the Government House
Leader.
MR. A. PARSONS:
Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
I would
move to adjourn debate on the budget.
Given
the hour of the day, I would move, seconded by the Member for Terra Nova, that
the House do now adjourn.
MR. SPEAKER:
It is moved and seconded that
we do now adjourn.
Is it
the pleasure of the House to adopt the motion?
All
those in favour?
SOME HON. MEMBERS:
Aye.
MR. SPEAKER:
All those against?
This
House stands adjourned until tomorrow at 10 o'clock in the morning.
On
motion, the House at its rising adjourned until tomorrow, Wednesday, at 10 a.m.