The House met at 1:30 p.m.

MR. SPEAKER (Wiseman): Order, please!

Admit strangers.

Today we are very pleased to welcome to our gallery fifty-one students; I think they are Grade 8 students from St. Francis School in the District of Carbonear-Harbour Grace. The students are accompanied by teachers Verena Young, Natasha James, Cheryl Riggs, and Terry Slade.

Welcome to our Assembly.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER: Today we are going to have members' statements from: the Member for the District of Baie Verte – Springdale; the Member for the District of Signal Hill – Quidi Vidi; the Member for the District of Lake Melville; the Member for the District of Lewisporte; the Member for the District of Humber Valley; and the Member for the District of St. Barbe.

The Member for Baie Verte – Springdale.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. POLLARD: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Valmont Academy was the place to be on Saturday, April 28. I witnessed a packed gym, charged with electricity, as the Valmont Academy Vikings stole the show.

Valmont captured the Provincial SSNL 2A Female Ball Hockey Championships, with a convincing 6-2 victory over the French Shore Academy Warriors from Port Saunders. In the eight team tournament, the Vikings went undefeated, which is a testament to the hard work, dedication, and skill of the team members.

In addition, huge accolades go to the whole school community – parents, teachers and students – whose commitment to athletics and volunteerism is unsurpassed as they played host to the provincial tournament.

Members of the championship team include: Natalie Burt, Robyn Rideout, Elizabeth Austin, Kaitlyn Budgell, Britany Andrews, Kailey Gillingham, Megan Burt, Jasmine Anstey, Kristin Budgell, Kelsie Moore, along with coaches Tanya Warford and Adam Matthews.

With pride, I ask all hon. colleagues to join me in conveying congratulations to the Valmont Academy Vikings for capturing gold.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER: The Member for the District of Signal Hill – Quidi Vidi.

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

I rise today to congratulate a constituent of Signal Hill – Quidi Vidi and resident of the Outer Battery who was recently recognized for her contributions to the Province's musical landscape.

Christina Smith won the Arts in Education award, for an artist who has made an outstanding contribution to arts education in the Province, from the Newfoundland and Labrador Arts Council last month.

Christina Smith is an established musician, but it is her work as Artistic Director of the Suzuki Talent Education Program of St. John's that earned Christina this most recent honour. The STEP fiddlers are a group of eight to seventeen year olds who learn traditional Newfoundland and Labrador fiddling, using Suzuki methods. The young students are always a hit at local folk festivals and other events and have done their share of touring. I heard a radio interview just this morning about their upcoming visit to Ireland.

Christina's passion and teaching talent has inspired, literally, a generation of musicians who might never have found their way to our traditional music without her. It is always a joy to hear these youthful musicians and to see the pleasure they take in the music.

Mr. Speaker, I ask all hon. members to join me in congratulating Christina Smith.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

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

MR. RUSSELL: Mr. Speaker, it is with a heavy heart that I rise today in this hon. House to pay final tribute to my friend Alton Best, originally of Mud Lake. It is with great sadness that the family announced his passing on Friday, May 11, 2012 at the Labrador Health Centre at the age of seventy-seven years.

It was my honour to speak this past Thursday, May 17, at a service of remembrance to celebrate his life, and I would like to thank the family for that privilege. It was no surprise to see so many turn out for this celebration and celebrate they did, Mr. Speaker, as they gave special tribute to Alton through a live performance of The Flummies and a video tribute demonstrating his truly amazing musicianship where we got to see that wonderful smile once more.

He will sadly be missed by his wife Ena; children: Maurice (Carol), Clarice (Jim), Yvonne (Kirby); and grandchildren: Matthew, Nova, Jamie, and Emily.

I ask all hon. members of this House to join me in paying tribute to a husband, a father, a grandfather, a friend, an Order of Newfoundland and Labrador recipient, and a true son of Labrador, Mr. Alton Best.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER: The Member for the District of Lewisporte.

MR. VERGE: Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to a well-known and a much-loved lady in my district, Ms Kathleen Dwyer. Ms Dwyer was born in Tilting on July 4, 1916, to Eliza and Patrick Burke. As a young woman, Kathleen met Leo Dwyer, who promised her he would return from World War II and make her his wife. This he did, Mr. Speaker, with a wedding reception that lasted three days.

During the early days, they ran a general store in Tilting and a passenger boat service around Notre Dame Bay. In 1953, they moved to Lewisporte and were instrumental in establishing the Roman Catholic Church there.

Her children tell me that their mother loved all of them and never judged or interfered with their decisions. Kathleen and Leo raised nine children, had nineteen grandchildren, and twenty-two great-grandchildren.

She loved life. She was always active, driving her car right up to the age of ninety-three. She was positive and possessed a great sense of humour. Sadly, on May 8, at the age of ninety-five, Kathleen passed away leaving a wide circle of family and friends.

Members of the House, please join me in recognizing and celebrating the life of Mrs. Kathleen Dwyer.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Member for Humber Valley.

MR. BALL: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in this hon. House today to congratulate the Royal Canadian Sea Cadet Corps, Branch #73, on their sixtieth anniversary in Deer Lake.

Recently, I had the opportunity to participate in their annual inspection review. The talent and dedication of this amazing group of young people was inspiring.

I would like to extend my congratulations to the award winners who were recognized at the annual inspection, including Jessica Snow, Aaron Hiscock, Adrian Simmons, Tyler Spracklin, and Courtney Young.

The late Albert Boulos, who was the mayor of Deer Lake and a World War II vet, was the first commanding officer for the Deer Lake Corps. Mr. Boulos began the Sea Cadets journey in Deer Lake and under the direction of the current C.O., Dorman White, and his team of amazing volunteers, the Deer Lake Corps continues to stand strong and proud.

With the leadership and dedication of many volunteers, Deer Lake has seen sixty years of active participation from our youth as they appear regularly at community functions and key annual events.

Mr. Speaker, I congratulate the current and past leaders and members of the Royal Canadian Sea Cadet Corps of Deer Lake on their sixtieth anniversary celebrations and ask all members of this House to join me in the honour of this special anniversary.

Thank you.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Member for St. Barbe.

MR. BENNETT: Mr. Speaker, I rise in this hon. House today to congratulate Fred and Doris Pittman of Rocky Harbour on their sixtieth wedding anniversary. I attended the celebration of this milestone this past Saturday night, May 19, at the community hall in Rocky Harbour. The evening was a wonderful celebration and well attended by family and friends from all over the Province and other parts of Canada. Fred and Doris' seven children and numerous grandchildren and great-grandchildren were in attendance.

Doris Pittman was born Doris Hillier and is originally from Lamaline on the Burin Peninsula. Doris came to Rocky Harbour as a young school teacher, and it was there that she met Fred Pittman. There they began their life together sixty years ago.

The Pittmans are very active in their community. Both Fred and Doris are very active in the Anglican Church and are also very active in many other community endeavours. Both are avid outdoors people – Fred being an outstanding salmon fisherman – whose zest for life and community participation are not only obvious, but infectious to those around them.

Mr. Speaker, I ask all members of this House to join me in recognizing and congratulating Fred and Doris Pittman on their sixtieth anniversary and on being such exemplary and active members of their community.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER: Statements by Ministers.

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Minister of Health and Community Services.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MS SULLIVAN: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in this hon. House today to celebrate the ninetieth anniversary of St. Clare's Mercy Hospital in St. John's.

On May 21, 1922, the Sisters of Mercy officially opened the hospital to care for twenty-three patients. By 1939, the Sisters had overseen the construction of a second building that accommodated 100 hospital beds. Services at the hospital would eventually expand to include pediatrics and obstetrics, and two further additions to the main building were required to increase capacity. The site would be able to accommodate 300 patients in 1972. In 1979, St. Clare's opened the first palliative care unit east of Montreal.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to acknowledge the contributions of the Sisters of Mercy to the delivery of health care and health education in Newfoundland and Labrador. The St. Clare's Mercy Hospital School of Nursing opened in 1939. In 1968, St. Clare's was recognized as a teaching hospital affiliated with Memorial University of Newfoundland. Countless health care professionals have benefited from the education and training they received at St. Clare's.

Mr. Speaker, our government continues to make significant investments in infrastructure and medical equipment at St. Clare's. Through an investment of $4.1 million the provincial government is moving forward with renovations to the hospital's emergency department. This project will help reduce wait times and increase access to vital services.

The provincial government has put great emphasis on updating and enhancing diagnostic services throughout the Province. With the addition of a new MRI unit we are increasing access, speeding up diagnostic testing, and improving the delivery of our health care services. This new unit will result in 4,500 more scans each year at Eastern Health and it brings the total number of MRIs located throughout the Province to five.

St. Clare's continues to be an integral piece of our provincial health care system. The hospital has a long history of providing quality care for the people of Newfoundland and Labrador. Our government will continue to invest in this facility to ensure that it will benefit residents into the future.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

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

MR. BALL: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I thank the minister for the advance copy of the statement.

When you look back to 1922, you can imagine the significant vision that must have been had by the Sisters of Mercy as they officially opened the St. Clare's Mercy Hospital, under the leadership then of Sister Mary Bernard Gladney, who was a graduate nurse, and appointed the first superintendent.

The vision continued in 1941, when the first St. Clare's Nursing School had five graduates. Of course, then it became a teaching hospital in 1968, affiliated with Memorial University. So, you can see there is a rich history around St. Clare's. The hospital continues to provide significant educational opportunities, not only for nurses, but for many health care professionals, including doctors and pharmacists.

In 1994, St. Clare's then became part of the bigger regional health boards and continued to play a significant role in health care across the Province. Certainly, we are proud today to stand and recognize the ninetieth anniversary of this facility. Of course, we also have to recognize not only the fabulous health care that thousands of people have had at St. Clare's, but the great work that many staff over the years have done for the residents of the Province.

St. Clare's continues to play a vital role, and for that we are very appreciative, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you very much.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Leader of the Third Party.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

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

I thank the minister for the advance copy of her statement.

It really is a pleasure for me to stand with her and recognize the contributions of the Sisters of Mercy to the health care system in this Province. I personally knew so many of those who worked at St. Clare's and who gave their lives tirelessly to care for patients under their care. I was honoured, actually, in the 1970s to live in a community with Mother Bernard – who was just referred to by the Opposition House Leader – and to hear the many stories of the founding of the hospital and the years that she was the head of that hospital.

As a person who was born in the hospital, and as a former long time Sister of Mercy, it does give me pleasure to see government still supporting and honouring the work of this institution and its founders.

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

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

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. DALLEY: Mr. Speaker, this past Friday I had the pleasure of touring the Beothuk Interpretation Centre in Boyd's Cove to celebrate the opening of our Provincial Historic Sites.

From Commissariat House in St. John's to Point Amour Lighthouse in Labrador, our Provincial Historic Sites have something for everyone to enjoy and discover. For example, our demonstration series in July and August includes an opportunity to dig up the past at Cupids Cove Plantation, learn about using birch bark at the Beothuk Interpretation Centre, and practice navigation skills at the Newman Wine Vaults.

Our sites continue to tell significant stories of the historical development of the Province not told elsewhere. Since 2003, the provincial government has invested approximately $2.5 million for upgrades to Provincial Historic Sites. We are proud of the success of our sites. Visitation in 2011 was up 8.6 per cent from 2010 and up more than 16 per cent over the past two years.

Residents are already taking part in events at Provincial Historic Sites this season. While visiting the Beothuk Interpretation Centre, I met with Grade 1 students from Greenwood Academy in Campbellton. They had participated in interactive activities and learned about the history of the Beothuk.

The Beothuk Interpretation Centre is known for its enthusiastic services and programs. In 2010 the centre's staff received a Government of Newfoundland and Labrador Public Service Award of Excellence. These awards are presented to individuals and teams who, through exceptional work performance have demonstrated excellence in public service. This is a wonderful acknowledgement of the work of the team at the Beothuk Interpretation Centre in Boyd's Cove and the knowledge they provide their visitors.

I invite everyone to visit our sites throughout the Province and to explore some of our incredible history.

Thank you.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Member for Bay of Islands.

MR. JOYCE: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I thank the minister for the advance copy of his statement.

We, too, want to acknowledge the work of the staff at the Beothuk Interpretation Centre in Boyd's Cove. As people know, there is no better accomplishment than being recognized by your fellow peers who made the recommendation for these staff members on their hard work and dedication that they give and to the work they give to visitors at the site.

I welcome the minister and all government members here to go visit historic sites in Newfoundland and Labrador. I remember visiting them when I was a young fellow and I did not realize the significance of these historic sites in Newfoundland and Labrador. It brings a lot of tourists to Newfoundland and Labrador. It keeps a lot of people from Newfoundland and Labrador at home and I encourage everybody to visit the sites.

As we all know, over the last little while there have been some federal cuts made to some of the tourism sites around Newfoundland and Labrador. I know it is not affecting our sites, so I encourage all the members here that we stick together to try to encourage the federal government to let them know how valuable tourism is to Newfoundland and Labrador and as a group how we are sticking together to promote tourism in Newfoundland and Labrador.

Once again, congratulations to all the staff of all the historic sites in Newfoundland and Labrador. Congratulations, Minister, for visiting the site and officially opening it, and congratulations to the Boyd's Cove staff. Remember, the more visits we make, the more money that is going to stay in Newfoundland and Labrador, and the better off we are going to be.

Thank you.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

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

MS ROGERS: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I thank the minister for an advance copy of his statement. Congratulations to all the good work so many have done to make these sites the treasures that they truly are. We know that government spends, every year, millions on our great tourism campaign to get people here, and yet boasts a mere $2.5 million spread over ten years to upgrade all historic sites Province-wide.

This is not investment, nor development, but is mere life support. Government must have a more comprehensive and substantial plan and support for these very important sites.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER: Oral Questions.

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

MR. BALL: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

For months now we have been asking the Premier to put aside her letter-writing campaign and actually take the initiative to organize face-to-face meetings with the federal government. Apparently the Premier has finally requested to meet with the federal officials in Ottawa at some point in the future.

I ask the Premier: Can you provide the details of your meetings in Ottawa? When will they occur, what will you be talking about, and when are they going to happen?

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Premier.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

PREMIER DUNDERDALE: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The rewriting of history goes on, Mr. Speaker. Never in the last few months has the Leader of the Opposition or any of his colleagues asked me to organize face-to-face meetings with the Prime Minister. I have done so on my own initiative and recently made the request for a meeting with the Prime Minister, Mr. Speaker.

I will be discussing my agenda with federal officials in his office before I disclose it here, Mr. Speaker. One thing I can guarantee the Leader of the Opposition is that when I get to a meeting with the Prime Minister, I will be in the office.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

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

MR. BALL: That is nice to hear. We will look forward to seeing how long the meeting will last, for a start. Last week we learned of more cuts coming to search and rescue services that are vital to Newfoundlanders and Labradorians.

The federal government will close the Marine Communications and Traffic Services Centres in St. Anthony and St. John's. These centres are considered by many to be the air traffic control of the marine world; they also monitor coastal security and environmental issues.

I ask the Premier: What will the closing of these centres mean to the marine safety in our Province? Will this be one of the topics of discussions in Ottawa?

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

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. KING: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The member opposite is indeed correct. We learned of this information on Friday. As I have said a number of times in the media already, we were not aware; I was not aware that these cuts were coming. I was not consulted as to the extent of the changes that would be made. I am not in a position to share in any great detail what this exactly means today, Mr. Speaker. I have requested, as well as the Premier, a meeting with my federal counterpart. I understand that he has confirmed we will have an opportunity to have a face-to-face meeting. I have a letter drafted that will go out today raising some concerns on behalf of the Province.

Mr. Speaker, it is a very serious issue. I am not going to try to say I have the answer to that question today for the member, because I really do not.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

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

MR. BALL: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The Premier stated last month that she would table her correspondence with Defence Minister MacKay on the Burton Winters tragedy. So far we have yet to see any results of that correspondence.

I ask the Premier: Why has this been delayed? How long do we have to wait before we can expect to see this information?

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Premier.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

PREMIER DUNDERDALE: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, I have received correspondence from Minister MacKay. We are currently reviewing the response to the last letter we wrote, and when that review is complete I will table the correspondence, as I promised, here in the House of Assembly.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

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

MR. BALL: I will ask the Premier a quick question again.

Do you have a date when we could actually see that, when you expect to complete your own review? Why is that taking so long?

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Premier.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

PREMIER DUNDERDALE: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, it is extremely important in the face of the call for inquiries, both federally and provincially, to understand the sequence of events that took place in Labrador during the week of January 29. There were a number of questions that were raised as to why resources owned and operated by the federal government were not deployed, Mr. Speaker. It was critical that we get the correct answers to those questions.

I can say quite clearly here, Mr. Speaker, that I am not satisfied with the answers that I have received from Minister MacKay. The federal government does not have a responsibility, a dedicated responsibility to respond to ground search and rescue in this Province, but they have a humanitarian responsibility, Mr. Speaker, and I do not believe they lived up.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

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

MR. BALL: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Well, as the Premier mentioned, these delays, it has been almost four months now, and there is obviously some confusion around the responsibility for different aspects of search and rescue. These are throughout our Province and they seem to be becoming more and more ever-increasing.

Will search and rescue be part of your meetings in Ottawa and are you prepared to discuss the need for a public inquiry with the Prime Minister?

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Premier.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

PREMIER DUNDERDALE: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, I will discuss what I think is important with the Prime Minister. Unlike the Leader of the Opposition, and the Opposition House Leader, when they had an opportunity to speak with Minister MacKay, the Minister of Defence, the minister responsible, they did not take the opportunity to ask for a public inquiry into the deployment of federal resources here on the ground, and that is certainly where the question is, Mr. Speaker.

I have heard from Minister MacKay on these issues. I am not satisfied, Mr. Speaker, that the federal government response was appropriate. I understand that they had no dedicated role in it, Mr. Speaker, that it was up to them whether or not they responded. Past practice says they do it on a humanitarian front, Mr. Speaker. I am not satisfied with the answers I have received.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

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

MR. BALL: I want to remind the Premier that we did ask about that. What we did ask about was is the federal government prepared to provide the information that the Premier said they needed the federal government's co-operation with; and we did ask that.

AN HON. MEMBER: (Inaudible).

MR. BALL: Well, why don't you give us a review on it?

Mr. Speaker, we just learned that all funding for ACOA to our Regional Economic Development Boards will be cut in the spring of 2013. These boards are the main catalysts for economic development in rural parts of our Province.

Were you aware these federal cuts were coming, and what are your plans to keep those boards operational?

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Minister of Innovation, Business and Rural Development.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. HUTCHINGS: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, it was announced this morning, and my office was made aware of it, that the federal government will no longer be supporting the REDBs. This is a program that they have sponsored 75 per cent, we were in for 25 per cent, approximately $1.2 million.

Mr. Speaker, this is a decision that the federal government has made through ACOA across Atlantic Canada in providing this funding. They have made a public policy decision, they will not continue with that. From our perspective as a Province, we are heavily engaged in economic development. We have a suite of programs for economic development; we continue to work with the volunteer groups on the ground. We will proceed with economic development, Mr. Speaker, with or without the federal government.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

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

MR. BALL: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

We have seen examples of good work that the Regional Economic Development Boards do in everything from tourism to small business development and manufacturing. They are good at the community-based economic development. In contrast to what we have seen, we have seen very little from the Rural Secretariat initiative.

I ask the Premier: Will you now consider using the funds allocated to the Rural Secretariat to help keep community-based economic development boards alive?

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Minister of Innovation, Business and Rural Development.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. HUTCHINGS: Mr. Speaker, first of all, there are two different entities the hon. member speaks to. The Rural Secretariat is a citizen-based dialogue, communication think-tank between people on the ground in rural Newfoundland and Labrador to give information back to government, public policy and direction in terms of policy we have in place, where we may need to go in communities and regions across this Province. It is not a funding agency. That is separate, Mr. Speaker.

We believe the Rural Secretariat is doing great work. I had the opportunity last fall to renew 100 volunteer appointments, Mr. Speaker. These are volunteers on the ground in Newfoundland and Labrador who are making a tremendous contribution to the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador, Mr. Speaker. We support it and we will be there.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Member for St. Barbe.

MR. BENNETT: Mr. Speaker, the 2003 Blue Book promises that a PC government would form partnerships with industry to implement an international procurement program to secure primary seafood products for local seafood processing plants.

I ask the minister: How many of these partnerships have been formed, with whom, and with what results?

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

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. KING: Mr. Speaker, we are forming numerous partnerships every single day with the seafood industry. As a matter of fact, a group of us had a meeting just this morning to talk about the future of the fishing industry in Newfoundland and Labrador. Contrary sometimes to what the member opposite seems to believe, we are not sitting idly by over here and not participating in a very hands-on way in the fishing industry. We have invested significantly in marketing. We have invested significantly in technology and new programs and new supports, and we have invested significantly in the acquisition of resource.

I will just remind the member opposite of the significant investment this government made to assist the Arnold's Cove operation, Mr. Speaker, when we were about to lose a quota. With 220 jobs on the line, this government went out and made an investment to secure the primary quota for that plant.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Member for St. Barbe.

MR. BENNETT: Mr. Speaker, the pattern is now clear, broken promises, no vision, no goals, and neglect results in another plant closure. The minister meekly admits defeat and puts together a ministerial team to pick up the pieces.

I ask the minister: Why does he not have a ministerial support team before plants close to help them remain viable and promote this important industry?

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

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. KING: I do, Mr. Speaker, and maybe the Premier would help me, I am not sure if it is sixteen or seventeen of us. They are all part of my network of supports, called Cabinet and the Premier. We provide leadership every single day. I do not operate in a vacuum, Mr. Speaker.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. KING: I do not sit in my office and write up answers on my own, Mr. Speaker. I do not come in this House and spew out information without consulting with industry and consulting with my colleagues. I can assure you, there is no greater support team that anyone could have around them than this Premier and members of this Cabinet and this caucus.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Member for St. Barbe.

MR. BENNETT: Mr. Speaker, after a five-year wait, on Friday government announced an enhancement to the fisheries loan board that were promised in the 2007 Blue Book.

I ask the minister: Will he extend this program to help processors access capital to finance inventory to invest in modern equipment and to improve efficiencies to make them more competitive over the long term?

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

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. KING: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

It was indeed a real pleasure for me to join my colleague, the Minister of Innovation, Business and Rural Development, on Friday to make a very positive announcement. One that I remind the member came about as a result of the collaboration I mentioned a couple of minutes ago with industry, because it was their recommendation that we do that.

Mr. Speaker, I am very pleased to stand in this House and re-announce today that we have a program called the fisheries technology innovation program, FTNOP, that does exactly what the member opposite just asked me to do.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER: The Member for St. Barbe.

MR. BENNETT: Mr. Speaker, when questioned last week the Fisheries Minister stated he had not received formal confirmation that the La Scie plant was closing. Why is the minister the last to hear?

I ask the minister: Has he since been notified by the owners if they are closing the plant, and what plans does this government have to save this plant either with the current owner or a new operator?

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

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. KING: Mr. Speaker, I ask the member to be very serious about this issue and rise again in his place if he is indicating to this House that the La Scie plant has closed. No one in this government has been advised of that.

We have been advised that there are challenges with the resource, particularly crab from that area, there is a declining resource. The only information that I have been provided – and I will tell you we have been engaged with the member who represents that district every single day, every single hour, to try to move forward.

Mr. Speaker, the time for joking in this House is over. If that member has knowledge about a plant closure, he ought to stand in his place and say it; otherwise, retract what he just said. We have been told there will be processing of pelagics, but not of crab.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Member for St. Barbe.

MR. BENNETT: Mr. Speaker, it is refreshing to hear they are going to process pelagics – kippers, I hope. Mr. Speaker, I also questioned the minister about this government issuing a fish licence to owners of the La Scie plant when they are reported to owe $436,000 to workers' comp.

I ask the minister: How much money do the Daley companies owe to the people of this Province and what is government doing to collect it?

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

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. KING: Mr. Speaker, we have seen over the last three or four weeks, significant change in the fishing industry occurring. Something that this government, myself, and our Premier have been saying for a long time. It has to occur if the industry is to succeed.

Mr. Speaker, I am prepared to answer as many questions as I need to help people through this. I find it very, very disheartening to stand in this House and hear the critic stand up and poke fun about the future of the fish plant in La Scie, when you have people like the member for that district sitting behind me here working hard day and night to secure a future for that plant and the future for that community.

To hear that member over there stand up and make light of kippers and processing kippers and casting it off as meaning nothing in this Province, I say shame on you. While you are making fun, this government is working with the community out there to make things work.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER: The Member for St. Barbe.

MR. BENNETT: Mr. Speaker, like the columnist wrote on the weekend: Often, you will hurl invective to oppose a strong argument. The minister did not answer how much money the Daley companies owe this Province. Either he knows, he does not know, or he is willingly going along and letting this company owe money and not telling the people.

What was the answer, Minister?

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

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. KING: What was the question? I heard diatribe; I did not hear a question.

MR. SPEAKER: The Member for St. Barbe.

MR. BENNETT: I ask the minister: How much money do the Daley companies owe to the people of this Province and what is government doing to collect it?

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

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. KING: Mr. Speaker, it is a cheap way to deflect from the flippant question he put a few minutes ago about the people of La Scie. Let me restate that this government will stand with every single community, including communities affected by members opposite to us who are losing fish plants. We will stand with the members, we will stand with the people, and we will stand with the residents because this government has a heart, Mr. Speaker.

We recognize that for the industry to get better there is going to be some challenging times. People need our assistance. We will not ever stand in this House and make flippant comments and joking remarks at the expense of people in rural Newfoundland and Labrador to gain political points. Cheap, I say.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER: The Member for Burgeo – La Poile.

MR. A. PARSONS: Mr. Speaker, 90 per cent of the 140 generic injectable drugs used daily in our hospitals is produced by Sandoz Canada and we now have a shortage of these drugs. We have spoken to doctors in the regional health authorities who tell us they are running out of these drugs and are even looking at giving expired drugs to patients.

I ask the minister: Are you aware of this issue? What directives have been given from your office about using expired medication?

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Minister of Health and Community Services.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MS SULLIVAN: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, in the Department of Health and Community Services we are certainly aware of issues around procurement of some drugs from Sandoz. It is something we have been monitoring for quite some time. At this point in time, Mr. Speaker, I can inform this House and the people of Newfoundland and Labrador that there have been no issues in terms of treatments of patients. While sometimes the regional health authorities may have had to change from an injectable form of the drug to an oral drug, there certainly has not been any interruption in terms of health care to patients in Newfoundland and Labrador.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER: The Member for Burgeo – La Poile.

MR. A. PARSONS: Mr. Speaker, the doctors are telling us they are trying to conserve the stockpiles of medication, but the stocks are starting to run low. As a result, they are not able to treat everyone with the preferred standard of care. Doctors are worried about patients being left for extra time without pain medication and other types of medication.

I ask the minister: What are your department's plans to deal with this sole-sourced drug shortage?

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Minister of Health and Community Services.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MS SULLIVAN: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I am not sure what the hon. member's source is, but I would like to have a discussion around that particular source of information. That is not the source of information that we are receiving, I can tell you that. We are monitoring every single day.

I will tell you, in answer to the question, in terms of what options we are following, we are monitoring the stock levels right across the Province every single day, morning and afternoon. We are looking at alternatives suppliers and they have been contacted. We are looking some clinical alternatives, as I just mentioned, the oral medications as opposed to the injectable medications. Mr. Speaker, we are participating in a weekly federal-provincial-territorial conversation to make sure that we can adequately access the drugs that we need for the patients in Newfoundland and Labrador.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Leader of the Third Party.

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

Mr. Speaker, last week in the Innovation, Business and Rural Development Estimates, my colleague from The Straits – White Bay North asked, what were government's plans to deal with any potential funding cuts to the Regional Economic Development Boards, as ACOA was being cut. The department said they would have to look at it when it happens.

Now it is official, Mr. Speaker, and I ask the Premier: What is this government going to do about it?

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Minister of Innovation, Business and Rural Development.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. HUTCHINGS: Mr. Speaker, the federal government, through their budget process, looked at a number of programs; when they step out a program, the Province does not have capacity to step in and cover all of those programs. Mr. Speaker, what we do provincially, in terms of economic development, we have our suite of programs; we direct them where we think they are best utilized for the taxpayers of Newfoundland and Labrador, whether it is diversification funds, wherever it is to, whether it is innovation, whether it is Research and Development Corporation, all of that collectively. We drive economic development in the Province; we are continuing to work with our partners and we will continue to do it, Mr. Speaker.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Leader of the Third Party.

MS MICHAEL: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, we know the funding will not be terminated until next May, but we do not want these boards that are at the heart of economic development in this Province to start winding down and start pulling out of the important role they play in their economic zones.

The RED boards need to know now if they will be able to survive past next May, Mr. Speaker.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Oh, oh!

MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!

MS MICHAEL: I ask the government: Are they looking at taking over full responsibility for these boards or is the answer I just got a no? I want it clarified.

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Minister of Innovation, Business and Rural Development.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. HUTCHINGS: Mr. Speaker, we will be looking at going forward. We will not be backfilling that 75 per cent by the federal government; no, we will not. We will be looking at our investment of $1.2 million. Within my portfolio we will be looking at how we can invest, redirect that funding to get it on the ground to Newfoundlanders and Labradorians, to continue economic development and complement what is already happening.

There are synergies out there certainly on the ground; whether it is municipalities, whether it is the various groups on the ground, volunteer groups, we continue to work with them. CBDCs, co-operatives are out there, we work with those, municipalities, and all of those volunteer groups. We will continue the work we are doing, Mr. Speaker.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Leader of the Third Party.

MS MICHAEL: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, federal government cuts have hit this Province hard, we all know. The closing of the Marine Rescue Sub-Centre, the cuts to federal departments including the deep cuts to the Coast Guard and DFO, concerns about the future of 5 Wing Goose Bay, and now the cuts to ACOA, to name a few, have caused damage to this Province.

Mr. Speaker, I ask the Premier: What is her prioritized agenda for her meeting with Stephen Harper?

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Premier.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

PREMIER DUNDERDALE: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, we are feeling these cuts. A loss of a job hurts particularly the person, first of all, whose job is gone and their family, but it hurts us all as a Province, especially where the federal government is already under-represented. We mind, Mr. Speaker, and in this case we are not the only part of the country that is getting hit, although it feels like we are getting hit harder. Without a doubt, these are issues that are going to be raised with the Prime Minister.

We have to concentrate on what is important to the people of Newfoundland and Labrador and what our responsibilities are as a provincial government. We are hard-pressed to fulfill all the needs of the people of this Province, Mr. Speaker, but that is our first priority and that is the one we are going to focus on.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER: The Leader of the Third Party.

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

The issues with the federal government cover a wide gamut, as we all know, and the list is getting longer.

I ask the Premier: Why don't we see all the ministers whose areas are being affected standing up and giving leadership around the cuts that are affecting their areas, Mr. Speaker?

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Premier.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

PREMIER DUNDERDALE: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, that is what ministers do on a daily basis, I tell the Leader of the Third Party. Because we do not go out and create a protest around every communication – which I might add, in my view, is more about political posturing and taking advantage, Mr. Speaker, of a particular situation to foster your own standing in the political opinions of the people of the Province as opposed to trying to resolve issues.

We need the federal government. If we are going to leave Canada, then we should just pack up our bags and go on, but I do not believe that that is the view of Newfoundlanders and Labradorians. It is not my view, Mr. Speaker, and the federal government has responsibilities here. It is my (inaudible) –

MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER: The Leader of the Third Party.

MS MICHAEL: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!

The Leader of the Third Party.

MS MICHAEL: Mr. Speaker, we have seen this government change its tune on a number of important issues. Now we see them trying to do the same regarding their relationship with Stephen Harper. The people of this Province will not forget the Premier campaigning on stage with Stephen Harper.

Mr. Speaker, I ask the Premier: Will she give us an indication of what she needs to accomplish to declare her meeting with the Prime Minister a victory?

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Premier.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

PREMIER DUNDERDALE: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, I do not make any apologies to anyone about my relationship with Stephen Harper. As I have said time and time again, while we are part of this country, Mr. Speaker, the federal government has responsibilities to the people of Newfoundland and Labrador.

Mr. Speaker, I can make myself a hero, I can join the Leader of the Third Party and the Leader of the Opposition out on the steps of Confederation Building or down on the seaside singing songs, holding hands and bashing the Prime Minister. Mr. Speaker, do you know what that gets us? Less than we have now, Mr. Speaker.

There is a price to be paid for that, Mr. Speaker. We need to be able to articulate our needs, their responsibilities, Mr. Speaker. That is my job as Premier of this Province, and it is a job I am going to continue to do.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

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

MR. MURPHY: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The Come By Chance refinery recently reported a huge 30,000 barrel spill within the confines of the berm area around one of its tanks.

What steps does the government take to ensure that any oil storage tanks in the Province are regularly inspected for faults?

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Minister of Service Newfoundland and Labrador.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. DAVIS: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

There was a failure of a storage tank at the North Atlantic Refining Limited location in Come By Chance on Friday afternoon, tank 526 to be more specific. I can tell you, Mr. Speaker, I am glad the hon. member has raised this matter this afternoon because I think it is important for people to realize that North Atlantic refinery took immediate action on a number of fronts. They immediately began the business of –

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Oh, oh!

MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!

MR. DAVIS: – reducing the amount of spillage that could possibly occur. They found the services of local contractors who immediately began the work of pumping off the leftover oil that was in the tank, as well as began diminishing any impacts on the environment. As well, they contacted all the regulatory authorities.

We have been monitoring this since Friday afternoon. We had someone on the ground there on Friday afternoon from my department. We continue to work with the company and monitor what is happening in Come By Chance.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

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

MR. MURPHY: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

We need to learn more about what is happening with other tanks around the Province, it is not just Come By Chance.

Mr. Speaker, the Department of Environment and Conservation are mandated to look after the safe disposal and remediation of sites containing any asbestos. At the Janeway site, government is now faced with an additional cost to clean up the site for any possible alternate use.

What measures were taken by his department to ensure the safe removal and remediation of asbestos materials from the old Janeway site in the first place?

Mr. Speaker, it is unfortunate that we do have spills around this Province from time to time. It is how governments react to it, I think, is what is important. This government is very proactive when it comes to dealing with spills in this Province.

Mr. Speaker, we just have to talk to the people of Buchans. We have invested $9 million, Mr. Speaker, to clean up that property because there were human health risks involved. When there are human health risks involved this is a government that steps to the plate.

I will say again about the community of Hopedale, Mr. Speaker. There were a number of environmental concerns there. This is a government who reacted by investing $6.5 million; $2.05 million, Mr. Speaker, that will be spent this fiscal year.

Thank you.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

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

MR. KIRBY: Mr. Speaker, last week the Minister of Education told this House that Newfoundland and Labrador's student-teacher ratio is 11 to 1. That came as a surprise to kindergarten teachers who struggle to provide education to twenty students and more each day.

Can the minister explain why it appears so out of touch with the realities of kindergarten teachers and our schools?

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

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. JACKMAN: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, the member did not listen really closely because when I said it was 11.9 to 1, I included principals and guidance counsellors. The average class size, Mr. Speaker, in this Province is 18 to 1. I invite the member to go across this country and see if he can find something comparable. Our student-teacher ratio is the best amongst the provinces in all of Canada, Mr. Speaker.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

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

MR. KIRBY: Mr. Speaker, Eric G. Lambert School in Churchill Falls will be offering an all-day kindergarten program this coming September. The funding for this all-day kindergarten program will be provided by Nalcor.

Can the Minister of Education explain why Nalcor seems to understand the educational needs of our primary school students better than he does?

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

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. JACKMAN: Mr. Speaker, the school in Churchill Falls has been somewhat, we will call, as a private school. It is a school that was established by the industry in that town at the particular time. We are doing research on all types of projects in the Province. The fact that this particular school has undertaken it, it is nothing unusual compared to what they have done in the past, Mr. Speaker. It might be another part of the research process. If they are entering into that, we will certainly consider what they garner from it, and if it is to our advantage, Mr. Speaker, we will use it.

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Member for The Straits - White Bay North, time for a very short question.

MR. MITCHELMORE: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, according to the people of my district, government has had no consultation regarding how deep and severe the latest round of government cuts will be or what they will mean for my district.

Mr. Speaker, I ask the Premier: How can she meet with Stephen Harper when she is clearly ill-prepared?

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Oh, oh!

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Minister of Fisheries and Aquaculture, time for a quick response.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. KING: Mr. Speaker, the question must have been written in a pup tent. He did not identify the department, he did not identify the cuts, and he did not identify the timing. I can assure the member opposite when this Premier goes to Ottawa and when I meet and other Cabinet ministers meet, we will be fully briefed on the cuts in Newfoundland and Labrador, and we will stand strong on behalf of the people of this Province. I assure you of that.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER: The time for Question Period has expired.

Presenting Reports by Standing and Select Committees.

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Member for Conception Bay East – Bell Island.

MR. BRAZIL: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The Resource Committee has considered the matters to them referred and have directed me to report that they have passed, without amendment, the Estimates of the Departments of: Environment and Conservation; Fisheries and Aquaculture; Tourism, Culture and Recreation; Natural Resources, Forestry and Agrifoods; Advanced Education and Skills; and Innovation, Business and Rural Development.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

MR. SPEAKER: The Member for Conception Bay East – Bell Island, the Chair of the Resource Committee, reports that the Committee has considered the matters to them referred, and have directed him to report that they have approved certain Estimates and recommend that the report be concurred in.

When shall the report be received?

Now?

AN HON. MEMBER: Today, sir.

MR. SPEAKER: Tabling of Documents.

Notices of Motion.

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Member for Mount Pearl North.

MR. KENT: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I would like to begin by asking leave to introduce a private member's resolution for tomorrow, in light of the fact that yesterday was a holiday, Mr. Speaker.

MR. SPEAKER: Does the member have leave?

AN HON. MEMBER: By leave.

MR. SPEAKER: By leave.

MR. KENT: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I move, seconded by the Member for Exploits, the following private member's resolution to be debated tomorrow:

WHEREAS the current government, in its 2007 Blueprint, committed to enhance and support foster parents, and followed through in the 2009-2010 fiscal year with increased rates to foster parents; and

WHEREAS government committed in its 2012 Speech from the Throne to fundamental changes to our foster care system, providing greater support for foster parents, in recognition of the vital role they play; and

WHEREAS government worked with the Foster Families Association, and undertook a survey of every foster family, as well as a thorough review of the needs of children and youth coming into care to develop a comprehensive strategy; and

WHEREAS government announced the implementation of a new long-term continuum of care strategy with a budget of $4.1 million in 2012-2013 increasing to $14.3 million next year, to enhance the care options for children and youth in need of out of home placement; and

WHEREAS the primary focus of these enhancements is a four-level care system which is linked to the skill level required to support the needs of children and youth, and has accompanying monetary increases for foster parents which recognize their professionalism; and

WHEREAS the components of this strategy provide enhanced supports to foster parents, including increases in funding, additional training and block funding to streamline administrative processes, ensuring children and youth are the sole focus; and

WHEREAS this comprehensive strategy also includes increasing financial support to kinship homes, and eliminating the need for the current alternate living arrangements by implementing a quality framework for staffed residential facilities for children and youth who need this level of support; and

WHEREAS through these efforts the government is working to ensure children and youth in need of out of home placement receive the best options available and the highest quality of service from their social workers and foster parents;

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that this hon. House praise foster parents of Newfoundland and Labrador, and commend the initiative the provincial government is taking to provide greater supports for foster parents in this Province, in recognition of the vital role they play in caring for the children and youth most at risk.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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

MR. KENNEDY: Yes, Mr. Speaker.

I give notice that the private member's motion just read is the motion that will be debated tomorrow, Wednesday, May 23, 2012.

MR. SPEAKER: Answers to Questions for which Notice has been Given.

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

MR. KING: Mr. Speaker, last week the hon. Member for St. Barbe rose to ask me a number of questions around product in the Province. In particular, you referenced sea urchins, and I committed at that time to provide him with some information. I am pleased to do so now.

We have at this point in time a total of five buyers-processors licences issued, Mr. Speaker. Two are issued to outside buyers. There are three licences issued in the Province; one of which is active and two of which are currently inactive. The licences, Mr. Speaker, are located mainly on the Northeast Coast and St. Mary's Bay area, typically known as 2J6, 3K12, 3L30, 3PN1 and 3PS6.

Thank you.

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Minister of Intergovernmental and Aboriginal Affairs.

MR. McGRATH: Yes, Mr. Speaker, on March 27, the Member for Cartwright – L'Anse au Clair asked a question asking me, the Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs, to lay on the table any correspondence, analysis, or reports which government has presented to the federal government in relation to the closure of the sub-centre search and rescue services in St. John's. I would like to address that, Mr. Speaker.

The federal government tabled its 2011 Budget on June 6, 2011. Included in that Budget was an announcement that the Canadian Coast Guard Maritime Rescue Sub-Centre in St. John's would close. Reaction to the planned cuts to search and rescue capacity was immediate. The staff at the sub-centre voiced their concerns and Newfoundlanders and Labradorians throughout the Province voiced their concerns.

The Minister for Intergovernmental Affairs at the time, Mr. Speaker, was the hon. Dave Denine. Minister Denine wrote to Minister Keith Ashfield, who was the Minister of Fisheries and Oceans, on June 9, 2011. Minister Denine voiced his deep concern regarding the announced cuts and the planned closure of the Maritime Rescue Sub-Centre in St. John's at that time. He indicated that we find this decision particularly troubling given the fact that this centre is responsible for 2.5 million square kilometres of ocean and 28,956 kilometres of coastline covering pleasure crafts, fishing, trans-Atlantic shipping, and oil and gas exploration and development.

The letter stressed that the planned closure of the centre and the associated transfer of duties to Halifax will have the effect of removing local knowledge and expertise from the marine search and rescue systems in this Province. Minister Denine pointed out that it was our understanding that, on average, the St. John's sub-centre responds to approximately 500 incidents a year that involve 2,900 people, with 28 per cent of those classified as distress calls.

Given all of these facts, the letter continues, and I quote: "…our government finds the rationale for this action difficult to comprehend." Many thousands of Newfoundlanders and Labradorians, Mr. Speaker, work in the harsh environment here in our Province and we need the federal government's search and rescue capacities maximized, not reduced.

On June 13, 2011 the Premier wrote to the Prime Minister on the same issue, raising our serious concerns with the planned closure of the St. John's sub-centre. We all know that the Premier spoke to the Prime Minister in June directly on this as well. The Premier confirmed that there existed a serious disagreement between the Premier and the Prime Minister about the closure of the Maritime Rescue Sub-Centre. Our Premier offered to cost share the centre and the Prime Minister said no. The Prime Minister said his decision, their decision with the federal government was final.

All this said, the Premier assured the people of the Province that we as a government would continue to aggressively pursue this issue at every opportunity until the decision is changed, and we have done that so far, Mr. Speaker.

On July 1, 2011, Minister Denine was in Ottawa and had the opportunity to raise the closure again of the Canadian Coast Guard Maritime Rescue Sub-Centre in St. John's with the hon. Jason Kenney. Minister Denine met with the hon. Tim Uppal on July 25, 2011 and took the opportunity to raise federal presence and the Canadian Coast Guard Maritime Rescue Sub-Centre. I know that the previous Minister of Fisheries communicated with the federal government on this issue. I know that our current Minister of Fisheries and Aquaculture has communicated with the federal government on this issue.

On February 13, 2012, I, myself, wrote Minister Ashfield seeking clarification on reports that the Canadian Coast Guard intended to reduce staff on watch at the Marine Communications and Traffic Services Centre. I asked the minister to provide further clarification with respect to their plans. I asked for confirmation that the ability of these centres to respond to any safety calls will be fully maintained if not enhanced. I reiterated the importance the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador places on ensuring the highest standards in our ocean industries given the fact that tens of thousands of people work off the shores.

Mr. Speaker, search and rescue capacity in Newfoundland and Labrador is critically important to our government. We continue to press the federal government to work with us to improve SAR capacity for Newfoundland and Labrador. We take every opportunity to make our case to the federal government to improve the search and rescue capacity in Newfoundland and Labrador.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

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

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. KING: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

On April 4, the Member for St. Barbe tabled a question in the House of Assembly requesting information related to any examination of best practices of other jurisdictions with a view to establishing a fishery loan board in Newfoundland and Labrador. Mr. Speaker, I am more than pleased to stand today and provide information on that topic.

The Departments of Fisheries and Aquaculture and Innovation, Business and Rural Development completed a comparison of financial support programs in other Atlantic Provinces for fish harvesting enterprises. Through this research, Mr. Speaker, we have found that all Atlantic Provinces have some entity governed by legislation, be it an agency, a board, or a department which is mandated to provide financial assistance for the development of their fishing and aquaculture industries. This is the same focus as that of a fisheries loan board, Mr. Speaker. All of these entities have a history of providing fisheries loans in their respective provinces.

Based on the information collected on loan guarantee programs, we have found that Newfoundland and Labrador and New Brunswick are the only provinces to offer such a program in Atlantic Canada. However, Mr. Speaker, after an announcement on Friday, I believe Newfoundland and Labrador is now leading the way. On Friday, the Minister of Innovation, Business and Rural Development and myself had the opportunity to announce enhancements to the highly successful Fisheries Loan Guarantee Program in Newfoundland and Labrador. These enhancements delivered on our commitment to provide fish harvesters with options and flexibility in pursuing their business activities. The bolstered program will improve access to capital for fish harvesters who are seeking to combine their licences and enterprises in order to improve the viability of their businesses. These enhancements will invite positive outcomes and benefit fish harvesters as well as the communities in which they live.

Mr. Speaker, key elements of the expanded Fisheries Loan Guarantee Program include: flexible down payment features; eligibility of combined enterprises for two or more quotas per vessel; eligibility of licence and quota acquisitions; greater flexibility in choosing fixed or floating interest rates; added flexibility and extended repayment terms; and refinancing of loans currently held by financial institutions or processors.

The fishing industry has long been at the economic heart of many communities and regions throughout Newfoundland and Labrador. Its prominence, Mr. Speaker, to the provincial economy continues as it reached a billion dollars in production last year. Enhancements to the Fisheries Loan Guarantee Program are the next step in our government's plan to strengthen the fishery to ensure it remains sustainable and provides long-term benefits to the people of all of Newfoundland and Labrador.

Mr. Speaker, since the program's launch in 1980, the default rate has been only approximately 1.1 per cent. When you consider that the provincial government has guaranteed financial support totalling more than $182 million for fish harvesters to purchase, construct, or upgrade vessels and acquire new equipment, it is very evident that this classifies as a successful program. It is anticipated that a further $100 million in loans will be issued, a huge commitment from the Province which will facilitate consolidation and support investments already made in research and development, marketing, and new technology. This initiative, Mr. Speaker, also supports the owner-operator fleet separation policies. Our government is demonstrating once again its full support in this regard. We are not just talking about it.

Mr. Speaker, a transition is undoubtedly taking place in the fishing industry, being driven by global markets and the need for enterprises to be more competitive. We compete in a global competitive environment. In order for Newfoundland and Labrador to compete with the seafood industry around the world, we have to produce high-quality product and we have to be able to do it at a price point that is competitive.

Mr. Speaker, the announcement made on Friday will enable harvesters to be more competitive and allow them options and flexibility in pursuing their business activities today and well into the future. The provincial government cannot be hands-on in running the fishery, Mr. Speaker. We cannot be there on a day-to-day basis telling companies and telling harvesters what they have to do. We have to let the companies and let the fishermen run their businesses, Mr. Speaker, and they have to be able to do that to survive. External factors such as increasing global competition from lower-cost producers, rising fuel costs, and unfavourable exchange rates mean that change is indeed inevitable. However, in light of this reality, government and industry continue to work together on many fronts, Mr. Speaker. We are working together to create an industry which is more economically viable, internationally competitive, and ecologically sustainable over the long term.

The Premier, and the entire Government of Newfoundland and Labrador, recognize the crucial role of the fishing industry within the Province's economic and social structure, Mr. Speaker, particularly in rural parts of our Province. That is why we continue to support a full suite of programs and services to the benefit of the fishing industry that are backed by both commitment and resolve.

Mr. Speaker, efficiency and competitiveness must be given greater emphasis as we move forward, and giving harvesters the ability to secure loan guarantees and enhanced financing terms certainly delivers on that commitment, and there is more to come.

Thank you.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER: Petitions.

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Member for Bay of Islands.

MR. JOYCE: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I again stand today with a petition concerning cellphone coverage in Cox's Cove and McIver's.

WHEREAS the lack of cellular phone coverage in Cox's Cove and McIver's is a major safety concern for residents, especially in times of emergency; and

WHEREAS the lack of cellular phone coverage restricts and negatively impacts local businesses in the area, as compared to most other parts of the Province; and

WHEREAS the tourism destinations in our area are without cellular phone coverage, causing a safety concern and inconvenience for tourists who visit, furthermore, the lack of cellular phone coverage can be a deterrent for people in choosing our region as a tourist destination; and

WHEREAS the residents of Cox's Cove and McIver's should have the same cellular phone coverage available as other areas of Newfoundland and Labrador that, in some cases, have long had such service;

WHEREUPON the undersigned, your petitioners, humbly pray and call upon the House of Assembly to urge government to support our request to obtain cellular phone coverage.

As in duty bound, your petitioners will ever pray.

Mr. Speaker, once again I stand on behalf of the residents on the North Shore of the Bay of Islands concerning cellphone coverage. I was encouraged by what the minister had to say about him going to have meetings with the federal government and local carriers so that we can try to get this moving for all of Newfoundland and Labrador.

Mr. Speaker, once again I offer my services to the minister, if he needs someone from the Opposition to sit in on the meetings to show that there is support from all parties in Newfoundland and Labrador for this very important issue. As mentioned in the petition, it is a deterrent for a lot of people setting up business in a lot of rural parts of Newfoundland, especially down on the North and South Shore, Mr. Speaker.

We heard the Minister of Tourism today talk about some of the good sites in Newfoundland and Labrador that we all should visit. There are a lot of people in Newfoundland and Labrador and from all across Canada who would love to come to a lot of those sites, but because of lack of cellular coverage and for other reasons, they are a bit deterred from coming because of a lack of coverage and safety concerns.

A lot of them could set up business down that way, Mr. Speaker, but because of the coverage in many areas, businesses cannot grow and cannot expand. It is an issue for all of us for all aspects of society.

Once again I urge the minister to get the meetings convened as soon as possible. If need be, I would love to be able to sit in on the meetings and help persuade the people necessary so we could try to come up with a plan for Newfoundland and Labrador which would also encourage people in the Bay of Islands and (inaudible).

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER: The Member for The Straits – White Bay North.

MR. MITCHELMORE: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

To the hon. House of Assembly of the Province of Newfoundland and Labrador in Parliament assembled, the petition of the undersigned residents of Newfoundland and Labrador humbly sheweth:

WHEREAS in the District of The Straits – White Bay North, despite a $4 million Rural Broadband Initiative announcement on December 22, 2011, only one community, Ship Cove, is slated for broadband coverage; and

WHEREAS the communities of Pines Cove, Eddies Cove East, Bide Arm, North Boat Harbour, L'Anse aux Meadows, Great Brehat, St. Carol's, Goose Cove, Grandois, and St. Anthony Bight still remain without services; and

WHEREAS many small businesses within the district rely on Internet to conduct business; and

WHEREAS broadband Internet permits a business to be more competitive than the slower dial-up service; and

WHEREAS broadband Internet enhances primary, secondary, post-secondary and further educational opportunities;

We, the undersigned, petition –

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Oh, oh!

MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!

MR. MITCHELMORE: – the House of Assembly to urge the government to reinvest in the Rural Broadband Initiatives in Newfoundland and Labrador.

As in duty bound, our petitioners will ever pray.

Mr. Speaker, I have to say that the district has been quite a visionary in accessing broadband Internet. It was in the mid-1990s when the Nordic Economic Development Corporation – one of the nineteen RED Boards that ACOA is slated to cut funding, which the Province is not going to bridge that gap right now it seems. They were the ones who received through Industry Canada and Smart Labrador – to ensure that over twenty communities in the district in the mid-1990s received access to broadband Internet because they realized how important it was for economic development, how it was to drive and foster strong business communities, for educational purposes, to build on tourism. For so many reasons, we need to.

This is something that I have been talking to the providers, been talking to the federal government and working – we need to find a better collaborative way to ensure that we are meeting the gaps and we are truly developing a strategic telecommunications sector that fills rural broadband Internet for all communities, as well as cellular coverage and as well as tele-learning centres, to bridge those gaps so we can truly diversify our economy in rural Newfoundland and Labrador.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER: The Member for St. Barbe.

MR. BENNETT: Mr. Speaker, to the hon. House of Assembly of the Province of Newfoundland and Labrador in Parliament assembled, the petition of the undersigned humbly sheweth:

WHEREAS with declining enrolment, distance education by Internet is now an accepted way to deliver educational services to students living in small communities; and

WHEREAS students have little to no say in where they or their families reside; and

WHEREAS many families do not have the ability to relocate so that their children can access educational opportunities in larger communities; and

WHEREAS many small businesses rely on the Internet to conduct business; and

WHEREAS high-speed Internet permits a business to be more competitive than the slower dial-up service; and

WHEREAS no high-speed Internet exists in the community of Bird Cove; and

WHEREAS there are no plans to offer high-speed Internet to residents of these communities;

WHEREUPON the undersigned, your petitioners, humbly pray and call upon the House of Assembly to urge the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador to partner with the private sector and offer high-speed Internet service to these communities.

As in duty bound, your petitioners will ever pray.

Mr. Speaker, what is happening is that people are watching the House of Assembly channel – and I think that is a good thing; I think it is a good thing for democracy – and they are becoming aware that petitions are being presented on various issues. This petition from this town – maybe it is over and over and over the member says; however, these are different people from different communities who are all afraid of being left behind: high school students, town mayors, people operating small businesses.

When the minister makes his speeches about what a great job the Province has done in the last eight years, it sounds really impressive when you look at the number of communities that have been connected; but when you actually go back and do the math, you see that when this government took office, already 60 per cent of the Province had been connected, 60 per cent of the people in the Province, and now, over the last eight years, we have managed to get up to 85 per cent. So, with all of that money that the Province has spent, and even more so with the contribution of private enterprise deliverers, we are still only up to 85 per cent.

Mr. Speaker, over eight years to go from 60 per cent to 85 per cent and still have 15 per cent of the people in the Province left without high-speed Internet is just completely unacceptable. We hear news stories of businesses that move and close. These are real people who have real lives; in this case, a student has gone out and circulated a petition amongst his entire town because he contacted me and wanted to know: well, why can't we have a petition too?

So, Mr. Speaker, this petition is from residents of Bird Cove who are approximately two kilometres away from the next drop for high speed, and they could easily have high speed.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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

MS ROGERS: 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 as a result of a recommendation in the Green Report about wrongdoing in the House of Assembly, there is now legislation that protects anyone who speaks up with evidence of financial abuse or other impropriety in the Legislative Branch;

WHEREAS it is unfair for one group of civil servants to be protected by whistle-blower legislation when another group is not;

WHEREAS Justice Green stated that the financial wrongdoing in the House of Assembly might have been discovered sooner if whistle-blower legislation had been in place;

WHEREAS the Cameron Inquiry into ER-PR testing found that problems with tests would have come to light sooner, therefore lessening the impacts on patients, if whistle-blower legislation had been in place;

WHEREAS the Task Force on Adverse Events recommended an amendment to the Regional Health Authorities Act to provide legal protection for employees reporting occurrences or adverse events; and

WHEREAS whistle-blower legislation is in place elsewhere in Canada, and the provincial government promised similar legislation in the 2007 election but has not kept that promise;

We, the undersigned, petition the House of Assembly to urge government to enact whistle-blower legislation to protect public sector employees in provincial departments and agencies, including public corporations, regional health authorities, and school boards.

As in duty bound your petitioners will ever pray.

Mr. Speaker, I find that I am getting more and more signed petitions coming back to my attention. It seems that this initiative has taken on a life of its own. We have other groups and labour organizations that too are starting to call out once again for whistle-blower protection, and based not even solely on the need for this, which has been demonstrated in jurisdictions all over the country, but also based on the fact that this was a promise made by this government in 2007.

I think that the people of the Province are fed up with seeing broken promises and are once again calling on the government to fulfill its promise that it made in 2007 to enact whistle-blower legislation. We know again from other jurisdictions how important this can be. In our own experience as a Province, particularly when we see what has happened in the search and rescue area, we need whistle-blower protection not for a negative thing, Mr. Speaker, but in order to make our society and our communities safer, not only for all citizens but also for its workers. Our workers bring integrity and commitment to their positions. This is an important piece of legislation.

MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!

I remind the member that her time has expired.

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

MR. SPEAKER: Further petitions?

The hon. the Member for Cartwright – L'Anse au Clair.

MS JONES: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I stand today to present a petition on behalf of people from different regions of the Province:

WHEREAS the Premier has the authority under the Public Inquiries Act to establish a public inquiry into the matters of public concern; and

WHEREAS there have been several tragedies in the Province of Newfoundland and Labrador where search and rescue response has been called into question; and

WHEREAS the Burton Winters tragedy has increased the awareness of search and rescue capacity in Newfoundland and Labrador; and

WHEREAS the Maritime Search and Rescue Sub-Centre in St. John's is closed;

WHEREUPON the undersigned, your petitioners, humbly pray and call upon the House of Assembly to urge the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador to establish a public inquiry into search and rescue in Newfoundland and Labrador.

Mr. Speaker, we have presented petitions similar to this in the House of Assembly before. As more and more of them come in we will be presenting them again until this issue has been resolved.

What the family has been asking for – the family of Burton Winters along with others throughout the Province and supported by many throughout the Province – is to have an inquiry done into the tragic death of Burton Winters. They have been asking the federal government, they have been asking the provincial government, and neither has been in compliance, Mr. Speaker, in honouring that particular request. In fact, Mr. Speaker, they feel that both sides are trying to hide something by not doing a full inquiry, and that is wrong. This family deserves answers, as do the people of Newfoundland and Labrador. There is absolutely nothing wrong with doing an inquiry or an investigation to find out if our systems that we have in place are working and operating properly. It is not about placing blame. It is really about finding the answers, finding the gaps, and fixing the problem. There is nothing wrong with asking your government to do that for you in a tragic incident like this. I would encourage the government to do just that.

The Premier in Question Period today talked about the fact that we as an Opposition had not directly requested the federal government to do an inquiry. Well, Mr. Speaker, I was the person who sat in the room with the Minister of National Defence, Peter MacKay, and I directly asked him if they would co-operate in any inquiry that would be done into the tragic death of Burton Winters and if they would be there to provide the information that would be required by the provincial government to do this inquiry. They said yes, they would.

Mr. Speaker, I thought that was very fair and co-operative on their part. I thought the provincial government and the Premier would then move forward to do this inquiry. Instead, Mr. Speaker, they have continued to do nothing only pay lip service to this issue. They have continued to be inactive and they have continued to not deliver the answers that the people of this Province are asking for.

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

MR. MURPHY: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I rise again to present a petition in the House of Assembly for cameras on the Burin Peninsula Highway.

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 Burin Peninsula Highway is long and desolate, varying in elevation, with highway conditions that are often difficult; and

WHEREAS this stretch of highway does not have adequate cellphone coverage to allow for quick response times for people in distress who need help; and

WHEREAS this highway has innumerable hazards that have led to the death of travellers in this area; and

WHEREAS no highway cameras are currently operating to let travellers know about road conditions and warn of possible hazards;

We, the undersigned, petition the House of Assembly to urge the government to install cameras on the Burin Peninsula Highway that will allow travellers to check on the conditions of the roads.

And in duty bound, your petitioners will ever pray.

It is signed by residents from all over the Province. I am looking at Lewin's Cove, St. John's, and Mount Pearl. On this one people from the Goulds, Fogo Island, Port aux Basques, going all the way to Norman's Cove and St. Mary's Bay. All regions of the Province are covered on this one, Mr. Speaker.

I know we are making some headway in regard to getting the message out when it comes to road hazard safety, but in some cases it is a bit hard sometimes to get information on various roads in this Province. That is the purpose of this particular petition at this particular time, is to have that notification sent to motorist out there as regards to what the road conditions are like. One of the best ways to do that in this particular day and age is over the computer, and one of the ways to do it is with the use of cameras. Of course, the camera is a great medium to show the actual (inaudible) of the road conditions.

Mr. Speaker, it gives me great pleasure again to present this one. I know in conversation with the minister responsible for highways, Transportation and Works, that if the technology were there they would at least consider it. So we are making progress on this particular petition.

Once again, Mr. Speaker, thank you very much for your time.

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

MR. KIRBY: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I rise to present a petition regarding needed changes to the Department of Education school bus transportation policies.

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 school district restructuring has resulted in longer bus travel times and more hazardous winter travel for rural students of all ages; and

WHEREAS due to recent school closures children living within 1.6 kilometres of school face increased barriers of congested streets and busy intersections in the walk to school and parents without cars are having more difficulty getting children to different schools on foot; and

WHEREAS only those child care centres outside the 1.6 kilometres zone and directly on bus routes are included in kindergarten noontime routes creating hardship for working parents; and

WHEREAS the 1.6 kilometre policy has been in place since 1975 and school student transportation policies have not been reviewed through public consultation since 1996; and

WHEREAS parents are expressing the need for more flexible policies for student transportation and school restructuring to meet the current needs of school children.

We the undersigned, petition the House of Assembly to urge the government to conduct a review of school bus transportation policies and school structuring to ensure safe and quality education for all school children in the Province.

As in duty bound your petitioners will ever pray.

Mr. Speaker, I know that the 1.6 kilometre policy for the most part impacts urban areas of the Province, areas where the population is more condensed, and sometimes it seems as though busing issues outside of safety issues are urban issues, but these are truly rural issues as well. I get several envelopes in my office every day mailed in from individuals in small or remote rural outport communities around the Province. I encourage people to continue to send those petitions and I will continue to present them here in the House of Assembly.

People oftentimes send along a note to me as well suggesting solutions, so there are ideas out there in our communities for changes to school transpiration policies. All we really need is a process whereby people can participate in the consultation and have their views on this particular issue heard.

Mr. Speaker, again, I urge the government to hear the pleas of these petitioners and call a review so that we can enact the necessary changes that people want to see. Thank you.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER: Orders of the Day.

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

MR. KENNEDY: Just making sure they finish, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, I move, seconded by the hon. the Minister of Service Newfoundland and Labrador, to ask leave to introduce a bill entitled, An Act To Amend The Highway Traffic Act, Bill 19, and I further move that the said bill be now read the first time.

MR. SPEAKER: It is moved and seconded that the hon. the Minister of Service Newfoundland and Labrador shall have leave to introduce a bill, An Act To Amend The Highway Traffic Act, Bill 19, and that the said bill be now read the first time.

Is it the pleasure of the House that the minister shall have leave to introduce Bill 19 and that the said bill now be read a first time?

All those in favour, ‘aye'.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Aye.

MR. SPEAKER: All those against, ‘nay'.

Motion carried.

Motion, the hon. the Minister of Service Newfoundland and Labrador to introduce a bill, "An Act To Amend The Highway Traffic Act", carried. (Bill 19)

CLERK: A bill, An Act To Amend The Highway Traffic Act. (Bill 19)

MR. SPEAKER: This bill has now been read the first time.

When shall the bill be read a second time?

MR. KENNEDY: Tomorrow, Mr. Speaker.

MR. SPEAKER: Tomorrow.

On motion, Bill 19 read a first time, ordered read a second time on tomorrow.

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

MR. KENNEDY: Yes, Mr. Speaker, I move, seconded by the hon. the Minister of Transportation and Works, to ask leave to introduce a bill entitled, An Act To Amend The Works, Services And Transportation Act, Bill 20, and I further move, Mr. Speaker, that the said bill be now read the first time.

MR. SPEAKER: It is moved and seconded that the hon. the Minister of Transportation and Works shall have leave to introduce a bill, An Act To Amend The Works, Services And Transportation Act, Bill 20, and that the said bill be now read the first time.

Is it the pleasure of the House that the minister shall have leave to introduce Bill 20 and that the said bill be now read a first time?

All those in favour, ‘aye'.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Aye.

MR. SPEAKER: All those against, ‘nay'.

Motion carried.

Motion, the hon. the Minister of Transportation and Works to introduce a bill, "An Act To Amend The Works, Services And Transportation Act", carried. (Bill 20).

CLERK: A bill, An Act To Amend The Works, Services And Transportation Act. (Bill 20)

MR. SPEAKER: This bill has now been read the first time.

When shall the bill be read a second time?

MR. KENNEDY: Tomorrow, Mr. Speaker.

MR. SPEAKER: Tomorrow.

On motion, Bill 20 read a first time, ordered read a second time on tomorrow.

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

MR. KENNEDY: Yes, Mr. Speaker, I move, seconded by the hon. the Minister of Transportation and Works, to ask leave to introduce a bill entitled, An Act To Amend The Rail Service Act, 2009, Bill 21, and I further move that the said bill be now read a first time.

MR. SPEAKER: It is moved and seconded that the hon. the Minister of Transportation and Works shall have leave to introduce a bill, An Act To Amend The Rail Service Act, 2009, Bill 21, and that the said bill be now read a first time.

Is it the pleasure of the House that this minister shall have leave to introduce Bill 21 and that the said bill be now read a first time?

All those in favour, ‘aye'.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Aye.

MR. SPEAKER: All those against, ‘nay'.

Motion carried.

Motion, the hon. the Minister of Transportation and Works to introduce a bill, "An Act To Amend The Rail Service Act, 2009", carried. (Bill 21)

CLERK: A bill, An Act To Amend The Rail Service Act, 2009. (Bill 21)

MR. SPEAKER: This bill has now been read the first time.

When shall the bill be read a second time?

MR. KENNEDY: Tomorrow, Mr. Speaker.

MR. SPEAKER: Tomorrow.

On motion, Bill 21 read a first time, ordered read a second time on tomorrow.

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

MR. KENNEDY: Yes, Mr. Speaker, I move, seconded by the Minister of Fisheries and Aquaculture, to ask leave to introduce a bill entitled, An Act To Amend The Aquaculture Act, Bill 22, and I further move that the said bill be now read the first time.

MR. SPEAKER: It is moved and seconded that the hon. the Minister of Fisheries and Aquaculture shall have leave to introduce a bill, An Act To Amend The Aquaculture Act, Bill 22, and that the said bill be now read a first time.

Is it the pleasure of the House that the minister shall have leave to introduce Bill 22, and that the said bill be now read a first time?

All those in favour, ‘aye'.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Aye.

MR. SPEAKER: All those against, ‘nay'.

Motion carried.

Motion, the hon. the Minister of Fisheries and Aquaculture to introduce a bill, "An Act To Amend The Aquaculture Act", carried. (Bill 22)

CLERK: A bill, An Act To Amend The Aquaculture Act. (Bill 22)

MR. SPEAKER: This bill has now been read a first time.

When shall the bill be read a second time?

MR. KENNEDY: Tomorrow, Mr. Speaker.

MR. SPEAKER: Tomorrow.

On motion, Bill 22 read a first time, ordered read a second time on tomorrow.

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

MR. KENNEDY: Yes, Mr. Speaker, I call from the Order Paper, Order 1, to move that this House approve in general the budgetary policy of the government.

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Minister of Child, Youth and Family Services.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MS JOHNSON: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The clock says sixty-six minutes. I will take it, but I think it is supposed to be six minutes and thirty seconds.

I would like to go back to where I was speaking on Thursday on the main motion of this fantastic Budget. On Thursday, I thought I would take the opportunity to talk about the women's employment plans and that sort of work that we are doing in government, both in the Department of Advanced Education and Skills, but certainly supported by the Women's Policy Office.

I have to say, Mr. Speaker, I talked about some of the opportunities and some of the requirements that this government has put in place in terms of hiring women when it comes to trades and technology and all of the resource development that is going on in the Province. On the weekend, when being out at home in the district for the weekend, I had several calls and several people come up to me wanting to hear a little bit more about the programs that are available. In fact, a young Grade 12 student who is graduating this year, she was quite interested to learn a bit more. The opportunity is there to contact any of the MHAs or the Department of AES or the Women's Policy Office and we would only be too glad to help.

The fact that the Premier saw the vision many years ago to make this a requirement in the environmental assessment plan is certainly paying off today. Back in 2004 there were 3 per cent of women in the trades in this Province and we are now up to 10 per cent, Mr. Speaker. So a significant progress, but there is more progress that needs to be made. I remember many years ago the Premier of the day saying to me, what this is about is allowing our daughters to have the same opportunity as our sons. No truer words have been said, and I do not think anybody would disagree in this House.

I thought I would clue up that piece on the women employment plans and just speak for the last five minutes or so about the Budget in general. Budget 2012, the $7.5 billion-or-so Budget, and what a great Budget it is. Of course tremendous investments in this Budget in terms of health care, apprentices. Certainly in my own department, child care, foster care, frontline staff, lots of investments in terms of having a skilled workforce, and huge investments when it comes to infrastructure and so on.

I thought I would highlight some of the key points, very important points in the Budget, and it really stems back to 2003 when we first came into power. We were very principally-based since 2003, and the principle being that we have to be fiscally responsible and to live within our means and be prudent. When you are spending taxpayers' dollars you want to spend it for the current generations but it is also very critical to keep in mind future generations, Mr. Speaker. That fiscal responsibility and that prudency is something we hold near and dear to our hearts and to our heads when we make decisions when it comes to budget time.

One very interesting fact is within a seven-year period, six of the seven years this government has posted surpluses. Those surpluses added up to approximately $5.5 billion, Mr. Speaker, a huge, huge significant investment and something that all Newfoundlanders and Labradorians should be very proud of. There are not too many provinces that can speak to and boast that they have had six out of seven years of surpluses.

One really interesting note, Mr. Speaker, if you look back to the fifty-five years prior to those seven years, out of those entire fifty-five years going back to Confederation there has only been one other year where a surplus has been posted, and it was a very small surplus at that. Mr. Speaker, that really speaks to how this government gets it, why it is so important to be very responsible with your dollars.

One other interesting key piece of information was we as a government have not borrowed for operational purposes since 2004. Just imagine, what other province can say that in the country? In fact, what other state, province, or country can say that in the world in these trying times? Since 2004, we have not had to borrow a single dollar for operational purposes.

I had a conversation with the Minister of Finance some time ago. He told me how - I believe it was the President of the Pension Plan Investments Board for all of Canada was here to have a discussion around pensions. In the discussion they were having, this chairperson said: Well, you know how it is, Minister, having to borrow and so on. The Minister of Finance stopped him and said: No, we have not had to borrow since 2004 for operational purposes. He just stopped and paused for a moment. He said: Wow, what a legacy you are leaving for your children. Congratulations. There are not too many people who can say that; so a very significant point in terms of speaking to how, as a government, we are fiscally responsible in not having to borrow since 2004.

Coupled with that, Mr. Speaker, the Province now has an A+ credit rating, not an easy task and not an easy thing to achieve. Certainly, from Standard & Poor's rating services they saw it prudent to give us an A+ rating. Again, it speaks to how we are responsible with every single dollar. While it is a $7.5 billion Budget, we carefully look at every single dollar we spend on behalf of the taxpayers of this Province.

Mr. Speaker, as of March 31 this year, our net debt is now at $7.8 billion, down from $12 billion. That is over just a very short period of two terms. It is the lowest net debt now that has been since 1999. We always had the ranking of being the highest net debt per capita in the country. That is no longer true, Mr. Speaker. In fact, there are two provinces now that have a higher net debt per capita than us. Again, it is so important when it comes to being fiscally responsible. When you cut back on the debt like we have to the tune of $5 billion that certainly frees up the debt expenses that you have. Since 2003, we have reduced our debt expenses by 26 per cent. That is money that can go into infrastructure, hospitals, schools, and so on.

Mr. Speaker, this year we are predicting an increase in weekly earnings and disposable income. That then translates into more money that is spent into the economy –

MR. SPEAKER (Verge): Order, please!

I remind the minister her time for speaking has expired.

MS JOHNSON: Well, Mr. Speaker, if I could just have leave for thirty seconds to clue up?

MR. SPEAKER: Does the member have leave?

SOME HON. MEMBERS: By leave.

MR. SPEAKER: The minister, with leave.

MS JOHNSON: How fast six minutes and thirty seconds goes by.

I would just like to say, Mr. Speaker, I fully support this Budget – $7.5 billion approximately. It is Budget 2012 People and Prosperity – Responsible Investments for a Secure Future. I support it, I know our government members support, and I can only hope that the Opposition and the Third Party certainly supports it as well, because it is good for the people of the Province.

Thank you so much.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!

The hon. the Member for St. John's North.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. KIRBY: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I would like to pick up where I left off last week. I believe it was Monday when I spoke on the Budget last. As I mentioned then, no debate about early childhood education would be complete without a thorough and complete discussion of the need for a full-day kindergarten program here in Newfoundland and Labrador. There are six Canadian jurisdictions that have an all-day kindergarten program right now, and many of those programs are really recent in terms of their introduction.

Parents in this Province are asking government to follow the lead of these other provinces, and I hear that all the time. I discussed this issue with the Minister of Education in Estimates, and he seemed to be coming around on the issue. Unfortunately, Nalcor appears to see this more of a burning issue for our schools than the minister does. I say that because I understand that Eric G. Lambert School in Churchill Falls will be offering an all-day kindergarten program this coming September. That initiative was first proposed by the school council at Eric G. Lambert, and Nalcor followed up with the necessary funds that were needed for the addition of a half teaching unit to make the all-day program a reality. Of course, all of the school's funding is provided by Nalcor, because it is effectively a private school.

So, this development is encouraging, and it is encouraging not just for our parents and children, but for our economy as well. We all know that there are high economic returns on investments in all-day kindergarten; we know that the payoff is significant. So, hopefully this government will catch up to Nalcor on this issue at some point.

It is essential that we move in that direction soon. We know that all-day kindergarten is strongly associated with earlier and easier transitions to Grade 1 for students – not only students, but for teachers and for their parents as well, Mr. Speaker. We know that all-day kindergarten can help us to create a generation of learners who are self-motivated, learners who are more successful in their lives, and learners who are more fulfilled and happier through their learning experiences. We know that it helps children to develop better social and emotional self-regulation. Children who have participated in all-day kindergarten have shown, in the research, that they can better self-regulate their behaviours. They are better able to focus on their work, on activities, and they more easily follow instructions. They are more co-operative with teachers, and they are more co-operative with other students, with other children in their classes.

If the government really wants responsible investments for a secure future, the first place to start is by giving our students, our children a stronger start in school. The research shows that children who participate in all-day kindergarten get a more solid foundation and they get a stronger start. They get a strong foundation for their future learning. We know that all-day kindergarten helps students to improve their reading skills, and we know it helps them to improve their mathematic skills and their writing skills. It clearly provides a strong foundation for future learning.

These skills, along with other improved socialization skills, help make transitions more smooth for students who are going to Grade 1. It makes things more smooth and it makes it easier for their parents and for their teachers. It helps to create a school environment where children are more naturally inclined to learn in their early grades. They are more likely to want to be part of the school experience. It helps them a lot because they do not have to be moving from one setting to another all day, from home to school, to daycare, to home; or, from home to daycare, to school, and then home again.

All-day kindergarten gives them and their parents a more seamless day. Children have an opportunity to stay in one learning setting longer than is the case right now, instead of moving between different programs and different locations. That is one of the reasons why parents prefer all-day kindergarten.

Of course, today we have more single parents in the workforce who are doing all of that shepherding around of small children. We also have more and more two-income families in the workforce where both parents are working and it causes them quite a bit of work to have to shuffle children from daycare to school, et cetera.

There were fewer problems with transportation then, with all-day kindergarten, with full-day kindergarten, and that is another benefit that parents tell us about all of the time. That is another reason why they prefer to have an all-day program for their kindergarten-age children.

As I have said, there are many academic benefits to an all-day program versus the part-day program. These academic and social benefits are especially apparent for children from lower incomes, for children who come from economically or socially disadvantaged families. We have seen in the research that students from more challenging backgrounds can make greater gains in all-day kindergarten programs. Children who go to all-day kindergarten programs have higher test results in the various tests they would take. They also tend to have better attendance in school, which is really important. They tend to have higher reading scores when they go to later grades, and they often have much higher mathematic scores in later and higher grades.

We should be looking at the benefits of this. Parents certainly know the benefits. Parents of children in all-day kindergarten programs are more satisfied, they report a higher level of satisfaction with full-day programs versus the half-day program, and they say that the all-day program better prepares children for Grade I because they have seen it happen. They say that all-day kindergarten has a more relaxed atmosphere and it is less rushed. Of course it is less rushed because there is less toing and froing and having to go from school to child care and the other way around. Parents say that all-day kindergarten gives their children, gives students, a better opportunity to explore their own interests and provides children with more time for a variety of creative activities.

If you look at teacher attitudes towards all-day kindergarten, we see from the research that most teachers prefer all-day kindergarten too. They say that, in part, because it provides them an opportunity to give more individual attention to students. The teachers in all-day kindergarten programs are better able to get to know their students because they have more time with them, they can focus more attention on them, and they have a better opportunity to get to know the families of their students as well; be that brothers or sisters in other grades, or moms and dads. Because of that, teachers report that they feel that they are better able to meet the needs of children in the all-day program versus the partial-day program. We have seen from research that teachers agree that all-day kindergarten is more effective for preparing children for Grade 1 and for later grades as well in school. That is what the research shows, Mr. Speaker.

If government is looking for a responsible investment to secure the future of this Province, I suggest government look no further than this because I think we should be investing in our children and bringing in the all-day program as Eric G. Lambert School in Churchill Falls has seen fit to do with the kind support of Nalcor, no less. I know the minister and members of the government have expressed some concerns about the nature of a curriculum in an all-day kindergarten program, what that would look like. Members have suggested that they are worried. They are worried about what students would do in the all-day program versus the partial-day program, how teachers would structure the programs, and how they would interact with the children during the full day. I know the Minister of Education mentioned something a few weeks ago in response to a question of mine about lining them up two by two. Well, educators in this area do not recommend lining them up two by two, and I would never recommend that as a suitable course of action as well. Educators do say and experts in this area do say that all-day kindergarten provides more opportunities for children to engage in small group activities. It offers more opportunities for students to participate or to engage in child initiated activities, activities in the classroom of their own that come from their own imaginations. That is an essential part of early childhood education.

The research shows that children who have all-day kindergarten spend less time in teacher-directed activities. So, less of the time is spent responding to teacher-directed activities and more in their own self-directed activities. There is less time spent in large group activities and they have more time for active, play-based learning. That is another essential component of any good early childhood education program. We know that all-day kindergarten programs include more, small group activities. They include more individualized instruction. That is likely because all-day kindergarten teachers are less rushed and they have more time for instruction. As I have suggested, maybe they feel less pressure, less rushed. They have more time to focus on literacy activities. There is more time for one-on-one instruction. There is more time for child initiated activity, more time for play-based learning which is so essential, and more time for self-directed activities.

Another area where I feel the Budget falls short is basically in respect to the way that our schools are funded in Newfoundland and Labrador right now.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Oh, oh!

MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!

MR. KIRBY: The current teacher allocation model was introduced after a review in 2008. It was an improvement on the formula that was there before, but really it falls short of providing for the needs of students and schools. That is partially because the teacher allocation formula was designed by only fulfilling partial recommendations from the review that was done. As government is aware, it falls far short of providing adequate support for students with special needs and for the whole policy of inclusion.

We are seeing huge inequities, inequalities, and disparities in the quality and the quantity of educational programs and services that are being provided to students with special needs in our schools. Parents of students with special education needs are experiencing great difficulties as a result. I speak to them all the time. More and more we are seeing students with special education needs falling behind their cohorts in key areas of performance, areas like mathematics, in reading, and in writing. Some parents have become so frustrated that they have actually gone outside of the school system for help. Some parents I have spoken to have been forced to pay thousands of dollars out of their own pockets for private education services for their children who have special education needs. For example, I have talked to parents who have spent thousands of dollars on private tutors essentially to bring their children who have a special need up to grade level so they can be on par with their cohorts, with other students in their class and at least have an opportunity to keep up. That sort of thing is happening more and more regularly.

Our new inclusive education model needs a new approach when it comes to allocating funds through the system, especially teachers. We really need a system today that provides more front-line, specialized educational supports. We need additional positions in the system, such as special education assistance, autism support workers, intensive behavioural intervention therapists, specialized workers who can be in the classroom to support students with special needs. Rather than just putting all of these students in the classroom under a system, more or less the teacher and teacher assistant model that existed prior to the advent of our inclusive education policies. That is what parents want to see and that is what teachers want to see, more resources in the classroom for children with special needs.

There are other problems with the teacher allocation model as well. Teachers point out that the model right now does not account for the realities of small rural schools, for example. I had an interesting conversation with someone about that this weekend. The minister pointed out last week that the student-teacher ratio – I believe he corrected me today – is 11.9 students to one teacher.

Well, consider this case, which actually does exist in the Province right now, where we have a school that has sixteen students in the entire school, sixteen students in kindergarten to Grade 12, and there are three teachers to teach them. One of those teachers is the principal. It is looking like that school is going to lose one of those positions. There are going to be two teachers with sixteen students in kindergarten to Grade 12. The student to teacher ratio right there is 8 to 1, but that ratio only tells part of the story. It really fails to tell the whole story, because if you have three teachers or two teachers who are trying to teach students in thirteen grades, then there is a lot of hardship being borne by teachers, and likely by students. I think this year we are becoming aware that because of the current funding model, a number of our smaller rural schools will lose teachers, though we do not know which ones yet, and that will be a significant blow to those rural schools, and a significant blow to the rural communities that they serve at present.

There are many other problems that I could note. The current model fails to account for the needs of schools that offer French immersion and intensive core French programs; as a result, that is putting a significant amount of strain on French language teachers and is putting significant strain on students because they have to deal with significantly large classes.

The model also fails to adequately address the needs of senior high school students and teachers in senior high school right now in some classes; in more courses that senior high school students would be more likely to take, like social studies or English, we have large classes, but in more specialized courses like physics –

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Oh, oh!

MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!

MR. KIRBY: – we would have much smaller classes with students getting much more attention. We have more and more high school students who are falling through the cracks, and that is especially the case for students who are in so-called Level IV classes who have a graduation rate that is 20 per cent less than rest of students in the school, so they are falling between the cracks.

I could go on; we have had promises from this government around an alternative school in the St. John's area, under the bailiwick of the Eastern School District. We have seen no movement on that at all. I believe it has been twenty years now that parents have been looking for that.

So, those are just some of the reasons why I think this Budget is overwhelming, and those are some of the reasons why I cannot vote in favour of its passage.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!

The hon. the Minister of Education.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. JACKMAN: Mr. Speaker, I am truly pleased to get up and speak after the member.

Mr. Speaker, I do not know, I was in education for a lot of my life, and I will say, terminology can tell you a lot. We are talking about three- and four-year-old cohorts. Mr. Speaker, in all of my life they have been young children, very sensitive, very delicate. In my twenty-six years in school I never once referred to those students in my class or someone who is three- to four-years-old as a cohort.

Now, Mr. Speaker, I do not say that in the context of he is wrong; I say in the context of understanding learning. I would ask anybody in this room to sit down and just reflect on a little two-year-old child, because the research will show you, and I suppose naturally it just falls into place, the minute a child is born it is ready to learn. The minute it is born it is ready to learn. Mr. Speaker, all research will tell you that, I believe, the brain triples in size in the first three years. As a result, that brain absorbs more in the first three years than some people absorb in their first forty, Mr. Speaker. I am convinced of it.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. JACKMAN: Mr. Speaker, the initiative that we have undertaken – and I am sure it is going on Twitter right now, and I would almost range to bet it is being recorded as well.

Mr. Speaker, any of us who have been around a two-year-old, just watch a two-year-old, from this day, and a week's time, that child will say to you – I will say to one of our grandchildren: Where is Grace? Outside on the step. You have to wonder, a week ago, that was not even there, so where did it come from? The reason I am saying that, Mr. Speaker, is that children of this age pick up so much so fast, it is very important that we invest there. This is the reason we have. It is not all about dollar figures; this is the reason we have put $4.8 million into a program that is going to give to parents books and other items that talk about the aesthetics. If the member does not know what it means, I will sit down and explain it to him; it is about the experience that takes place.

He referenced in his speech that I talked about lining them up two by two. Mr. Speaker, I make that in reference to there are people out in the general public who are convinced that the way to teach their child is with a cue card. You sit them down in a chair and you pop a card in front of them: this is blue, this is blue, and this is blue. Eventually they will turn blue or they will realize it is blue; but, Mr. Speaker, there is a better way to have your child understand blue. It is an association with crayons. It is the interaction that happens between a child and a parent, or a child and another sibling. That is the experience that you are talking about. This is what we are attempting to replicate in the packages that we are putting out there.

I have often said to someone if you want to get your young child at two to learn to count, take him by the hand and walk up a stairway, and as you go up that stairway you count the steps: one, two, three. A simple activity, Mr. Speaker, but what the child is actually learning is an association. They are learning an association with an activity that you rise the foot, it is one. They will readily translate that association to ten items that are on a table. They will count. It is the same thing by placing forks on a table. You count them, they learn association. I swear that the member opposite misses that. He does not understand that.

We continue to do research around how children learn. At this very early age it is the neurological development that happens, the brain development, the sensory perception that occurs. Anyone who experiences a young child will be amazed at how much they pick up and how quickly they pick up. People talk about the terrible twos. There is a reason they call it the terrible twos, because it is at that point that children are learning more and more all the time. They are ready to grab, they are ready to pull, they are ready to touch, and they are ready to pour. It is all part of the learning experience, Mr. Speaker.

I stand here as Minister of Education - and the Minister of Child, Youth and Family Services and I have had this conversation many times. I will never apologize for the kits that we are putting together because in those kits will be experiences that children can have with their parents. Their first teacher is their parent, and when they sit down with a book that becomes part of the experience and the learning. It is why all of us who have been parents, and who have read to our children, it probably drove us off our head, but when we said to our child at night: what book do you want us to read? They would pick out the same one over and over and over again. While we tire of it, these children love it. Because we care for them, we will do it over and over and over again. Young parents are always looking for ways to enrich their child's life. I will tell you, the cue card method is not the best method, Mr. Speaker.

Language development that happens in those early years, the sound of speech - there was a point I suppose when we talked to young children in baby talk. We now talk to them more directly, but we do not want to be in the cohort mood. These are young children, very delicate learners, and as a result we invest where we should, and that is from the start. He talks about getting our children a good start.

Where we eventually get with full-day kindergarten, we will see. We are always carrying out research, but he misses the point or he fails to acknowledge it. Where we have set our goals right from the beginning is right at zero. When parents go to the health clinics, the public health nurse hands them out some information. What we are going to do is we are going to hand out those kits at two months, at four months, at six months, and we are continuing it on up to thirty-six months so that parents will have a simple thing that they can use with their children. My experience in literate environments and speaking with parents over the years is this is one of the best investments that we could ever, ever make, Mr. Speaker.

It is about the opportunities within the home. It is about providing them that playtime. We are going to do a launch pretty soon and it is going to be around play. For a lot of us, it was get outdoors, play, come back suppertime, and that was it. If you think back and you look into what occurs when children are playing, it is not a simplistic activity. Children learn to accept that they have to understand other people; they have to learn it is their turn. They often learn rules around self-discipline, and I think the member opposite misses that particular point.

I am not standing here today to talk about education to gain political points, I can assure you of that. I am talking here from my experience as a teacher, I am talking from my experience as a parent, and I am talking from my experience as a grandparent. I speak to the activities that take place between adult and child, recognizing how much goes on.

I mentioned the play. Our family sizes are becoming smaller, you often see now. I came from a family of ten and I had five children of my own. I just chuckle sometimes when you have my son, who has one child, and they are going off to a session where they are all coming together with their kids. With five and ten, you did not have to do that. You found your experience in the living room. What parents are doing is they want their children to interact with other children, and there is a valuable – valuable – experience to be found in that type of activity.

Mr. Speaker, I have to speak to the member opposite when talks about the teacher allocation model. Those who are out there listening, I hope they listen to the member and absorb what he is saying. If you thought about it, it almost leads you to believe that our education system is gone to the gutter. He referenced a school of sixteen students. He talked about three teachers being there – three teachers – in a school of a sixteen students. I would imagine they access the Centre for Distance Learning, which is an on-line, educational resource. I would imagine they access program specialists, who offer specialist service from the board office. To my mind, that student-teacher ratio is pretty good. It is probably the best that we could offer in these situations. We know they are remote.

Let's make no mistake about it, education – and many of us on this side were educators – is a very, very challenging profession, but also very, very rewarding. I said to him in Question Period today: Look across this country and tell me that we are lagging behind other jurisdictions in terms of our class sizes and the provision of special services for those special needs children.

We mentioned the Applied Behaviour application for autistic children, and it is called ABA. Well, it was not so long ago that was not even offered in schools. We have offered it in kindergarten, Grade 1, and Grade 2. Through the Minister of Health, we are expanding that program to go into the schools this coming September for Grade 3's.

MS SULLIVAN: It is $2.9 million this year.

MR. JACKMAN: How much?

MS SULLIVAN: It is $2.9 million.

MR. JACKMAN: There is $2.9 million going into that particular program and the man will get up and talk about – it is almost like we are doing nothing for special education students. One in every seven teachers – now note this: One in every seven teachers in this Province provide special education services to students. Being a former educator, if I did not believe in this, I certainly would not be up here trying to sell something that I did not believe in. I truly do believe in what this government has done for education. Special education services, will there be always challenges? Indeed there will. Will there be parents who will always ask for more? Yes, there will, and rightfully so. Every one of us, we are going to do for our children what we can. As such, a parent requesting more and asking, rightly so; they definitely should do it and keep at it because they are promoting the best interests of their child.

Mr. Speaker, he talked about the teacher allocation model. I have said it here before and I know the members who are listening to me may be tired of hearing from me but a few years back – I think it was 2008 or 2009 – we brought in a teacher allocation model that is needs based. Because of cap sizes, I can tell you a specific example that happened on the Burin Peninsula. In elementary, it is 25 to 1 students per teacher. In one of our schools there were fifty-eight students. So what was done because the cap was over twenty-five, if you had two classes, it was split and there were three classes. Now that classroom allocation went down to seventeen, eighteen students per classroom. I am telling you, Mr. Speaker, I do not know if we can do much more, unless we move towards the one-on-one model. Our teacher allocation formula, if we had stuck with the old model, there would be 800 fewer teachers in the system today. Now, just think, we do a broad sweep this year, go back to the old model and assign and take 800 teachers out of the system. There would be uproar. There would be uproar, and again, rightfully so.

We have moved to a model that has put a cap size right up to Grade 9; senior high, we cannot do that, because in senior high there are specialized courses and it depends on what courses people register for and so on and so forth. Those of us who are teachers, and those of you who had teacher friends will remember the days when the thirties were in the classrooms. When I started back in the early 1980s, I taught in a school where there were sixty students and two teachers in it. So, we have come a long, long ways from those days, and I can tell you that there was not a lot of recognition for special needs students at that particular point; it was you, the teacher, and you, the student, and then you operated from that.

Mr. Speaker, if we tie all of that together, starting right from that zero-aged child up into the school system, and we do that very important first part of development of the child, we will continue to see the success that we have with the students in our Province. I do not care what anybody says, I would put the students of our Province up against the students of any Province or Territory within this country.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. JACKMAN: Our students are bright, intelligent, and they are leaving their mark. We have them into every field. I think I might have told this story once here before; when they were constructing the FPSO in Marystown, we went to tour it one day, and of course, you can tell by the accent of some of these people where they are from. You could ask where they were from – Scotland.

When we got up to the final wheelhouse, I called it – it is more like NASA centre, with all of these strobes and everything else that is going on there – this fellow, probably about twenty-six, twenty-seven years old there stood up and explained to us. I could not have been prouder; now, I said to him: where are you from? He was from St. John's. Mr. Speaker, amongst all of the people from all over the world who were constructing and making that FPSO work, the gentleman in charge of all of the instrumentation in that wheelhouse, that NASA site, was one of our own Newfoundlanders and Labradorians.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. JACKMAN: We have all had experiences to that with some of our students. We have come across them and they are into this field, they are into medicine, they are into welding and doing extremely well with it and their pipefitting roles.

I spoke to a young girl this weekend past who I thought was going to Memorial and joining the choir, because she was part of the singing group on the Burin Peninsula. I am thinking, she would make a great member of that choir. I spoke to her, and I said to her: so, what are you doing in September? I expected she was going to go to MUN. She is doing sheet metal, Mr. Speaker, and she is intent that she is going to get that job and she is going to do well. I know her, and she will be a leader in that particular field.

Young women, young men are leaving their mark. I will go back to, Mr. Speaker: it all starts with the investment at that zero age. You do that early, you do that intervention, you get parents on side, and that is where you make the difference. I ask people listening to us on the screen today: do not always listen to the doom and gloom that is portrayed by the Third Party. From my heart, this Province is doing extremely well, and we will do extremely well into the future, Mr. Speaker.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!

The hon. the Member for the Bay of Islands.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. JOYCE: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I thank the minister for his kind words about all the students around. I agree, a lot of bright students in Newfoundland and Labrador and all around. I agree with him.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. JOYCE: Mr. Speaker, I rise today to speak on the Budget. There is one issue I have to speak about just briefly; it is the Corner Brook mill out on the West Coast. This is an issue – I know a lot of people; I still have family at the mill and I have a lot of good friends and that at the mill. Mr. Speaker, if there is anything I can urge opposite members, government Opposition, the Third Party: let us dial down the rhetoric.

All of us here could stand up and we all may get a headline in the media, we may be able to get on the news about it, may be able to get on Open Line, but it is not going to help the workers in Corner Brook and the people. We just had a briefing with the Minister of Service Newfoundland and Labrador. I thank the minister for that, for the misunderstanding; it was very informative and it was very positive.

I will only say that to everybody in the House, to everybody, all members in the House, let's just calm it down because it is not our future that we are dealing with; it is friends of mine, it is family members of mine, it is people I grew up with, and it is friends who I even helped to get jobs at the mill. I just urge all members in the Legislature, let's be a bit responsible with it.

Again, I just want to let the workers know that we had a great meeting with the Minister of Service Newfoundland who briefed us on some of the legislation concerning their pensions. Minister, thank you very much, for taking your time, and all of your officials, for doing that. It was very informative. Thank you very much for that.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. JOYCE: Mr. Speaker, here in the House now, I will get back to my normal self and speak on views in the House of Assembly.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. JOYCE: Like I said, when you get elected everybody in this House has the right to speak, has the right to bring views. If they are not the right views, the people in the district will let you know and will not elect you any more. A lot of times when you stand up here, you almost feel like you are being condescended upon.

I will just give you an example, Mr. Speaker. I am quoting the Premier of this Province, Mr. Speaker. It goes ahead: Dunderdale argued that leaving the Legislature closed does not really matter to the ordinary people. I totally disagree with that – I totally disagree with that. I will give you an example. If the ordinary people in Newfoundland and Labrador did not agree with us being here, why are we getting so many petitions signed to bring forward in the Legislature? Why am I being asked every day about the hospital in Corner Brook? Why am I being asked about the Grenfell autonomy on the West Coast? Why am I being asked about twenty-four hour snow clearing in the Bay of Islands? This Legislature is a great opportunity for us to bring issues forward.

I am not usually one to take too much praise, but according to the two ministers I am the one again, after the third year, finally going to get that wing opened in the long-term care facility in Corner Brook that was announced. This year, I was informed that the third year is lucky because actually the work is going to start, the tender is out there all ready to go, the money has been announced for the third time, so the Legislature do work. When the Premier says things like that, it is almost like all of our members – if you are not part of Cabinet, you cannot bring anything forward, something that is constructive that you are asked to bring forward.

I just find it a bit condescending because you do not think it is to the ordinary people – we are all ordinary. When we get back to our own districts, back to our own house, out mowing the lawn, we are all ordinary. It is just that we happen to have the trust of the people of Newfoundland and Labrador to bring their concerns forward. I can tell you I, for one, am grateful to be able to do that on a daily basis, and I will continue to do that.

This is not always bringing forth negative things. There are a lot of positive things you can bring forward, thank people for, and thank government. I will give you a good example. I had to ask them a question today, with the Minister of Service Newfoundland, to get more informed. That is what we are here for, to help out all the people of Newfoundland and Labrador.

Mr. Speaker, another quote that the Premier made I saw in Jeers and I heard it here in the Legislature. Here is the Premier in Hansard, "I have said it time and time again in this House, to have these all-party committees requires some confidence in that the people opposite know what they are talking about." As if the people over on this side do not know what we are talking about.

I brought up the last time I spoke about FPI, when I warned everybody this is what is going to happen. If you go ahead with the changes to the FPI Act, here is what is going to happen. When we brought through Voisey's Bay, we were criticized and we were told we do not know what we are talking. You are going to sell Newfoundland. It is one of the best projects in Newfoundland and Labrador. So we do have input.

If the Premier really feels that you want to work together as a Legislature, which we hear all the time from members opposite that we all have to work together, it has to start from the top. There are times we are going to have a disagreement, absolutely, no doubt. There are times we are going to have a different point of view, absolutely, no doubt. The majority of the time we should find a way that we can work together, Mr. Speaker.

I said it before and I will say it again, everybody in this House has a right to speak. Everybody has a right to bring concerns. The Member for Baie Verte – Springdale the other night when he was speaking, I spoke a little while earlier talking about something, and I heard the Member for Baie Verte – Springdale up telling everybody: Let's have a dance, everybody follow me around, and everything is going great. We were bringing up some concerns. I know the Member for St. Barbe, the Fisheries critic, was bringing up some issues about the fishery. Everything is good. What are we talking about? Then the plant down in La Scie closes. We all knew it. We knew that was not going to open this year for crab. We knew that. Yet, you cannot go bringing that up because no one wants to hear that.

When the Fisheries critic was bringing up some concerns, well, how about La Scie? I remember him bringing it up. How about La Scie? Oh, you cannot go bringing up that up. Everything is wonderful. Let's dance around this House. Follow me around this House. Let's go down to the La Scie fish plant and have a dance. Let's go down. That is our role, to bring up things like that – that is our role. The people in La Scie are struggling and I know the member is going to be working with the people of La Scie, there is absolutely no doubt. I know the minister is going to do what he can. It is our role to bring things forward, Mr. Speaker. When the Fisheries critic brings concerns like La Scie forward, we should not be looked down upon or –

MR. POLLARD: A point of order, Mr. Speaker.

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Member for Baie Verte – Springdale on a point of order.

MR. POLLARD: At no point in this House of Assembly did I ask everybody here to get up and have a dance because the La Scie plant is closing. The La Scie plant is not closing to our knowledge. The company just said they are not processing crab this year. They are jumping the gun. They want it closed because I heard the critic over there and the critic over there saying they want it closed. They are the ones who want it closed.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER: There is no point of order.

The hon. the Member for Bay of Islands.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!

MR. JOYCE: Mr. Speaker, what I said is lack of crab production. Instead of being so upset now all of a sudden because someone is allowed to bring up an issue, I said no crab production; no crab production is what I said. Thank you very much.

Mr. Speaker, that is the kind of issue - all of a sudden we must have hit a nerve here. We must have hit a bit of a nerve.

MR. POLLARD: A point of order, Mr. Speaker.

MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!

The hon. the Member for Baie Verte – Springdale, on a point of order.

MR. POLLARD: When I expect the member over there to get up, I expect accurate information.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER: There is no point of order.

The hon. the Member for Bay of Islands.

MR. JOYCE: I say to the member, I am sorry to hurt your nerve and slow down your dance over there. So you just calm down there now, you just calm down.

Mr. Speaker, the Minister of Fisheries stood up last week and gave a speech here for twenty-five minutes. I gave him leave for five minutes. Do you know something, Mr. Speaker? I actually took notes, because he was not up just pounding what we did, he was giving some thoughtful things that we should look at in the fisheries. That is what we are here for, it is not just to get up and if we say something or the Third Party says something, or someone out there, and all of a sudden, no, you are wrong, no matter what you say. The Minister of Fisheries rose, spoke for twenty-five minutes, and was saying: look, here are some challenges.

The Minister of Natural Resources stood up probably two weeks ago and gave a speech on Muskrat Falls. Now, you may not agree with everything he is saying but he articulated his point of view, and that is what we should be doing here in this House. That is what we should be doing in this House of Assembly, is taking views on how we think things should go and the problems, some of the good things that are going forward, and we should all try to work together somehow. There is no way in this world should we be standing here, sitting here, and because we are going to have a speech and all of a sudden – I can hear it now, Mr. Speaker, the next ten speakers up there. I know the Member for Port au Port will be going around with speaking notes giving it them all. Attack the Member for Bay of Islands because he should not be up talking about any of us. I guarantee you, you mark my words, Mr. Speaker – and I do not mind. You get used to that, Mr. Speaker.

I know the Minister of Natural Resources just then – and I just spoke about the Minister of Natural Resources about the speech he gave on Muskrat Falls. Listen, I may not agree with what he said but I understand. He was articulating his point of view, which is what this Legislature is all about. Instead of standing up and criticizing anything anybody wants to say, what you need to do is get up and say, here is what I think.

I will give you a good example, Mr. Speaker. Here is what I think, the hospital in Corner Brook - I know the people are a bit surprised I am bringing up the hospital in Corner Brook. Here is what I think, Mr. Speaker; last year when they had all the construction up there and they had all the connecter roads done, when they had some of the gravel moved and they had a nice slate, they had the big sign up announced in 2007. I bet you, and I was being positive myself, a new hospital is starting this year. The hospital on the West Coast is starting. The $750 million project that they announced in 2007 is starting. I know, Mr. Speaker, I stood up in this House and I asked questions in here, probably about twelve to fifteen questions.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Oh, oh!

MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!

MR. JOYCE: To the Member for Humber West, you will have your turn to speak. This is a hospital. This is the hospital in Corner Brook that you had in your brochure that you are going to turn around and construction is going to start.

MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!

I would ask the member to direct his comments to the Chair.

MR. JOYCE: Yes, Mr. Speaker.

He will have his opportunity, Mr. Speaker. I know you are going to attack me, I do not mind that, I know that. Listen, this is a big concern out there, Mr. Speaker. I asked twelve to fifteen questions. I asked it to the minister, I asked it to the Minister of Finance, and I asked the Premier, Mr. Speaker: Will the $1 million given to the hospital complete the design?

We are all led to believe, rightly or wrongly, not just me, go ask Leo Bruce, a real good friend of the Minister of Finance, the Minister of Finance knows him personally. Did he think the hospital was going to start on behalf of the city council? Go ask Israel Hann, one of the seniors advocates out on the West Coast, was the hospital going to start this year? Go ask the people out in Corner Brook, the president of the chamber of commerce. Everybody was under the understanding that the new hospital in Corner Brook was going to start this year.

The $1 million that was given, I asked at least twelve to fifteen times. I asked in Estimates and the Minister of Transportation and Works – there is one thing I have to give the minister credit for, he was candid. Here are the facts; I have to give the minister credit for that. Here are the facts, here is what is happening. No, no, you were candid on questions on it; I must have asked for about forty-five minutes on a few issues in Corner Brook, Mr. Speaker.

The thing that we found out in Estimates, Mr. Speaker: the million dollars will not complete the design because we are still in the pre-design stage. Now that is what we are in, the pre-design stage. We asked in Estimates, and it is on record that before we can even go out for a request for a proposal to get an architect, the pre-design has to be completed. Before we go out and get the actual design work done, the pre-design work is not even completed. The design work of $750 million – that is the dollar figure today, Mr. Speaker; that may change as time goes on, by the time we get it built years down the road. To get that work done, it is going to take two to three years. The completion date of the hospital was 2016.

When we were in Estimates – and I agree, I have to say it, I really feel that the Minister of Finance pushed for it. I really, truly feel you did and I really, truly feel that somewhere along the line, because of Muskrat Falls, in my opinion – I could be wrong – because of the funds going into Muskrat Falls, I feel that the hospital was put behind in Corner Brook. I really, truly feel that the Minister of Finance, this is one project that he wanted to see get done, this is one commitment that he wanted to live up to, but I just do not feel that he had the support around the table. My opinion, that is my opinion; I feel that he wanted this hospital done and he just could not get the support around the table.

Mr. Speaker, the people in Corner Brook are adamant that this hospital has to go ahead in a timely manner. We cannot put it off until 2018, 2019, 2020 because, Mr. Speaker, there is one thing I can always say: look at long-term care. Look at the long-term care facility. It was cut down from 279 beds down to 224 beds. Last year they opened up one unit that was not done. This year, tenders not called yet, Mr. Speaker. The money is put aside for it. They are ready to call the tenders; almost four years later, the long-term care facility, the 224 beds will be ready. Minister, this is why I hold my hat on, is that just because you said it was going to be done – not you, Minister; the Minister of Health, I say, it is not you –

MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!

I would ask again that you direct your comments to the Chair, please.

MR. JOYCE: I am sorry, Mr. Speaker. I know the Minister of Health is truly concerned about the hospital and all that also. I know that. My concern is, because of the long-term care facility, I hang my head. Just because you said it is going to be done does not mean it is going to be done. We could walk out there – and as I was told: it is done, it is done. When I walked out there and I saw gyproc, I said, well someone is not passing on the proper information, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, all this information about the hospital, the people in the Corner Brook and the West Coast area, it is kind of disheartening to a lot of them. We all know that we all need the new hospital. We agree, there is absolutely no doubt – and I know I am going to be criticized; yes, there was work done to Herdman. I know it was a Liberal and a PC government that was part of it and got the big redevelopment of the new high school. I know that. I know there was a lot of work done at Grenfell College, absolutely no doubt in my mind about it, Mr. Speaker.

Because we have projects done, should we not now hold the government accountable for some of the commitments that they made? Should we not do it? As an Opposition, as a person in this government or in part of the Liberal Party, I am asked to bring this forth, and I can tell you, I will bring it forth.

Mr. Speaker, there are a lot more concerns going on around the hospital. I know the Minister of Health is very concerned about it. I can urge her to ensure that there are no more delays in thinking there is a pre-design coming or thinking that there is a functional design. People were under the assumption that the hospital was being built this year, the construction was starting. Bar none, everybody, right from city council right on down, even a lot of people in the hospital who were working in the hospital, a lot of managers really thought, although there was not a meeting with the functional design committee for a long while, minister – a long while, Mr. Speaker, just let the minister know that.

Mr. Speaker, I know the MP Gerry Byrne brought that up in the media out in Corner Brook. He was told that he was irresponsible; he was irresponsible, and it is not true. Obviously it was true. Gerry Byrne is somebody who made a statement and who put it out there. We were told: no, no, no, it is going ahead. Obviously, now, the MP was correct in the information that he was getting, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, there are some other issues that I want to raise here in the House in my few minutes that I have left. I know the Minister of Municipal Affairs is here. One of the things is the waste management. That affects all the West Coast, all the West Coast. I know the Member for Humber West was at a Great Humber Joint Council meeting that I was at, and the Minister of Municipal Affairs already agreed to meet with the Great Humber Joint Council to discuss the waste management issue for the West Coast. That is a positive; that is how we can all work together to try to get something. It was delayed a long while, Mr. Speaker, the waste management site for the Western Region. I do not think that there is a site even considered yet. My understanding is that they may be looking at moving the waste to Central; that is what some of their recommendations are, and that is where they are leaning right now. I know the Member for Humber West was at the meeting also. The members of the Great Humber Joint Council are looking to have some site in the Western Region for employment, and they think it would better serve the people of Western Newfoundland and Labrador. I know the minister is going to be looking into that, and I know we all have to work together to get that.

MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!

I remind the member that his speaking time has expired.

MR. JOYCE: Just leave to clue up?

MR. SPEAKER: Does the member have leave?

AN HON. MEMBER: Leave.

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Member for Bay of Islands, with leave.

MR. JOYCE: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I will just clue up for a minute.

I just want to tell all government members: we are going to have differences. This hospital is a difference of opinion here for us – when it is supposed to start, and when it is not supposed to start – absolutely no doubt it is. It is my role to bring it forth, and I will bring it forth. I do not think by one minute that anybody over there would ever try to delay a hospital so somebody would not be able to get in there. I do not think that way, I just do not think that is even in – it is just a matter of budgeting and priority for the government. I just do not think this hospital is a priority right now for the government.

Mr. Speaker, in closing, there are a lot of times I deal with a lot of ministers on the opposite side and there is a lot of positive reaction on both sides. I say to a lot of the members opposite: there are good things going on in Newfoundland and Labrador, there is absolutely no doubt there are good things, but there are other things that we have to pick up on. There are other things that we have to bring forth.

Cellphone coverage is another thing that we have to bring forth for all the people in Newfoundland and Labrador, not just the Bay of Islands; I realize it is not just a Bay of Islands issue, it is for all Newfoundland and Labrador, the cellphone coverage. So, Mr. Speaker, if you are up bringing issues, it is not because you are critical of the government on a regular basis. It is not because you think the government is doing such a terrible job. It is because you have issues that you want to be raised and bring forth on behalf.

I say it again, in closing, Mr. Speaker, I say it again: there is no one over here on this side – and I know myself, personally – who thinks that anybody over there would not do the best for their constituents that they were elected of. I really, truly feel that, Mr. Speaker. I really, truly feel that, because we are here for the common good. I will keep on raising the issues that are being put forth by me and the people of the Bay of Islands, Corner Brook, and the West Coast, and I thank the government for leave.

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!

The hon. the Minister of Finance.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. MARSHALL: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

It is once again my honour to take part in this Budget debate. I have had a chance to speak a few times, even apart from the Budget Speech; I always like to have an opportunity to speak about what is happening in the great District of Humber East and what is happening on the West Coast of the Province.

I had the opportunity to spend the long weekend home enjoying the good weather over the weekend, but we have to get back to the House of Assembly and do what the people elected us to do. I am honoured to do that here again today.

The hon. member opposite raised a number of issues. He has a number of his facts incorrect, and what I am going to do is take my opportunity and my time to make sure that the correct information is out there and made available to the people of the Province.

We talk about hospitals and building hospitals. This government has made a commitment to building a new hospital in the City of Corner Brook. It is in our Blue Book, it is a major commitment of our government, and it is a commitment, an undertaking we have been given, and an undertaking that we will certainly honour. The Minister of Health has given the commitment and she is the one that is doing the functional planning for that hospital. The Minister of Transportation and Works is the guy who is going to build that hospital and he has given his commitment that will be done. The Premier, as leader of this government, who is the Premier of the whole Province, has given her commitment that it is going to be done. I as the Minister of Finance have given my undertaking and my commitment that we will do this project.

This is a huge project; it is the biggest project that we have undertaken. The hon. member opposite has thrown around some numbers that are really speculation. The original number was that this was going to be about a $400 million hospital. Who knows what it will end up at, but that is the number that government is working with and that will be a gigantic project. When you look at the long-term care facility, as big as that is, with four wings and then four dementia units as well, then we see how massive the hospital would be in comparison. That will be a small project in comparison to that. I think that were a $65 million or $70 million project and the hospital, of course, will be massive in comparison to that. I know the Member for Humber West, who has worked very hard with me and with officials in terms of advancing the hospital project, will agree.

This weekend I took the time to go up and take a look at the site. I took some time to drive up the Trans-Canada Highway. Because what has happened is $18 million has been spent in preparing the site, in getting water and sewer to the project, and building roads – there is a new road in the City of Corner Brook that goes right up to the hospital site called the Pinksen Memorial Drive. I drove that on Sunday. I took a look at this massive, massive site. On the Trans-Canada Highway, I saw how the Trans-Canada Highway is being widened right from Massey Drive up to what I think is called – I cannot remember the route number but it is the road next to Watsons Pond Industrial Park –

AN HON. MEMBER: Route 440.

MR. MARSHALL: Route 240?

AN HON. MEMBER: Route 440.

MR. MARSHALL: Route 440 or 450; that is the road that is leading to the hospital. The road is being twinned. The work is being done. It is going to be paved this summer. There is going to be a major bridge built over Corner Brook Stream, in the multi-millions of dollars' bridge. There is going to be work done on the overpass there as well. All of this work is in aid of advancing the hospital site. I do not want to say how much the bridge is going to be and I do not want to say how much the work is going to be because it all has to go to tender. I do not want the developers of the construction companies to know what the cost is. All I know is that there is multi-millions of dollars in the Budget to accommodate that. It is all in aid of the hospital site as well. The Minister of Health has indicated the functional program is being done –

AN HON. MEMBER: (Inaudible).

MR. MARSHALL: I can give him a loan number; that is a great idea.

The functional planning, we have to make sure we do it right. The work on this hospital is going to inform the work that will ultimately take place with the new Waterford Hospital and ultimately, I guess, if down the road a new St. John's hospital is built. The work we are doing here in Corner Brook will inform all of that. It is the same way that the long-term care facility, when it was built in Corner Brook, became the model for what we have done right across the Province. The model used in Corner Brook is used in Carbonear, it has been used here in St. John's, and I dare say it will be used in other communities as we continue in the years ahead to increase capacity to provide for senior citizens as they need to access long-term care.

I know the dementia model, when I first heard about that I was a bit leery because I thought somehow that Corner Brook was being downgraded through the use of the dementia unit. The one thing we have heard not a word of criticism about is the wonderful care that is being offered in those dementia units. It is really quite phenomenal. I am beginning to see examples where people say: Mom has her life back. Instead of being left in a nursing home, they are in an area where they take part in looking after the place, cooking the meals, and they are back in a community setting. Now I see we are building them as well in Bonavista and I think Clarenville has one as well.

The hospital will be built. There was a comment made by the federal member that the hospital facility in Corner Brook was not going ahead because there was no money. The money was going to Muskrat Falls. That is incorrect. That is not so at all. Obviously, there will be major concern when a parliamentarian from this Province, whether in this House or in the federal Parliament, if they are going to say that our government cannot meet its financial commitment, that is pretty serious stuff and has to be corrected. It is fair criticism to say: Oh, there is a delay. The Member of Parliament did say that this project was on hold, and the project is not on hold. On hold means it is being stopped and it is certainly not being stopped. It is moving forward. There is work to be done. It will take time. Because it is such a major project, we have to ensure, given the potential cost and given the importance of it, we get it right. That is happening with the Minister of Health in doing the functional plan. She will turn it over to my colleague here, the Minister of Transportation, who will build the facility.

They do take a long time. I am told by the hon. Member for Port au Port that the Stephenville hospital, which is a beautiful hospital, was announced in an election campaign in 1989. He advises me that in that four-year period it did not happen. The election of 1993 went by, 1996 went by, and 1999 went by and nothing happened. Construction finally happened in 2001-2002. That is what I was advised by the hon. the Member for Port au Port. It was opened on the eve of the election. There was plastic still on the mattresses. There were no locks on the doors. It was not ready for patients. If you announce something in 1989 and it is ready for occupancy in 2003, we can see that particular project, which is very small by comparison to what is going to be built in Corner Brook, you can see how long hospitals take. I want to assure everyone that this government is fully – fully - committed to this hospital and that we have not in any way or in any manner delayed the hospital because money is needed for Muskrat Falls. The Muskrat Falls Project will pay for itself, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, the hon. member opposite has also – this might be a great time to talk about the things that are happening in the Budget this year on the West Coast, in the City of Corner Brook and in Pasadena. I know there is a wonderful recreational centre that Pasadena residents have longed for, for a long period of time that is now going to go ahead. That was approved and will go ahead.

In addition, Transportation and Works again will be expending its funds on repairing road rutting between Pasadena and Corner Brook. The concrete slate roof on the courthouse, there is $500,000 in the Budget to see that that is properly repaired. I mentioned the work on the Trans-Canada Highway. Previously, on the underpass and on rehabilitation of the Trans-Canada Highway from the other section of Corner Brook from Pinchgut Lake to the City of Corner Brook, that will be done as well. I mentioned the twinning and the paving of the Trans-Canada Highway between Massey Drive and Route 450; I mentioned the girder bridge that will go over the Corner Brook stream. There is funding to do geotechnical work on the Humber Village Interchange as well. There is $1.5 million to complete the redevelopment of the Sir Richard Squires building.

In education, the former Regina building is now going to be redeveloped, and I know the Member for Humber West has worked very hard to see that go ahead, that is $8.5 million this year. I understand the Western School Board is going to make that the junior high school for the city. Then they have a ‘reorganizational' plan which they will want to proceed with in the future.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Oh, oh!

MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!

MR. MARSHALL: Money had been provided to the Western School District to allow them to do some planning for that. Planning money, whether it is for education or whether it is for planning for hospitals, monies are available in the Budget.

I know the Minister of Transportation and Works has a $5 million allocation for planning projects that need to be done. If the $1 million that is in this Budget – and I know the Mayor of Stephenville who serves on the Board of Directors of the Western Memorial Hospital, he made a comment to me that the board might be hard pressed to spend the $1 million this year. If they do and they need more, the Minister of Transportation also has access to additional funds that are needed for planning.

There will be a dialysis expansion for Western Memorial Hospital, along with other places throughout the Province. There are monies to Western for new co-operative living arrangements, alternate living arrangements; there is $800,000 there for that. There is the planning money that I mentioned.

Marble Mountain, the ski area which is a great catalyst for economic growth in the Humber Valley; there is $500,000 for capital expansions to that building. That is a pretty large building. It is a beautiful building, but of course like all buildings, over time you have to invest in it to maintain its condition.

The Grenfell Campus of Memorial University of Corner Brook; Mr. Speaker, next weekend I am going to join the Minister of Education and attend the opening of the new Arts and Administration extension. I think that is a $16 million project. I know there is $100 million in this year's Budget just to finish that. I did drive up there over the weekend to have a look at it and I was quite amazed. You do not go to a place for a couple of months and then you get there and you see this new, beautiful building. It is going to be a signature building for the campus. I also noticed that the new residence - as people know, there are residences being built here in St. John's. That project is up, and the one in Corner Brook. I think there is about $14 million; $13,800,000 to be exact is going to be spent on that building.

AN HON. MEMBER: Two hundred beds.

MR. MARSHALL: Two hundred beds, and not only is it going to help the university and also the College of the North Atlantic, because they are going to share that residence, but that will relieve pressure in the city because we know that affordable housing is an issue in many communities in the Province and that will free up I guess 200 units within the city that will now become available.

I understand that in addition at Grenfell College there is going to be – they have gone to tender for a new environmental labs building because that is necessary. If you are going to have graduate programs at the Corner Brook campus, at the Grenfell Campus of Memorial, if you are going to have graduate programs you obviously would have to have graduate labs. They have called for tenders for those as well. We are going to see that campus continue to grow.

Now, the hon. Member for Bay of Islands has criticized the government about autonomy, but I think the hon. member fails to distinguish between autonomy and complete independence, because Grenfell campus has been granted much autonomy and it is something that the administration of Grenfell College has been seeking for many, many years. The most important thing was to change the name, and it is amazing how long that took, but the university community did in fact change the name and no legislation was required to accomplish that. There is the Memorial University Act, but the Board of Regents has power under that act to establish further colleges and campuses as it sees fit, and that is how Grenfell College was originally established.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Oh, oh!

MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!

MR. MARSHALL: It is not a college; it has not been a college for a long period of time. What you have at the Grenfell Campus, what you have in Corner Brook is a campus of the University offering university programs. When it started, it was merely a junior college, and it offered courses of the first two years of a university degree, and then it was expected that people would move on, they would come into the campus at St. John's, or they would go – as people on the West Coast have done for many years – to universities in Atlantic Canada. There are now eighteen degrees being offered there and it has become a university. You have the Memorial University of Newfoundland offering programs and degrees at the university level in St. John's and in Corner Brook.

So, the first thing was to change the name, because if you are trying to attract students to come to a university, it is difficult to attract them when you are calling a university campus a college. Many recruiters who worked for the University would tell me that as soon as they called it Grenfell College, they walked away, because they wanted to attend a university.

So, the name change took place. Another thing that took place was the fact that the Principal of the College became a Vice-President of the entire University and would report not to the Vice-President Academic at the campus in St. John's but in fact would report now to the President. That is a major change in autonomy.

Another big movement for autonomy is to have your own budget. Whereas previously, Grenfell Campus had to do up a budget, and had to send it in to the VP Academic at Memorial to get it approved before it went to the Board of Regents, now at the Grenfell Campus they have their own budget and it goes directly from Grenfell Campus to the board of directors. That is an enhancement of autonomy.

I am looking here for my notes, which I cannot seem to find. Here we go. So, the separate budget, the renaming, and the fact that the Principal is now a Vice-President and sits on the President's Executive Council, that is a major advancement of autonomy as well. There was a 38 per cent increase in the operating grant to Grenfell, and the funding was to support and enhance its marketing and student recruitments, because one of the biggest problems that Grenfell Campus was having was, because it was appealing mainly to students from Western Newfoundland and Labrador and that graduating cohort coming out of the high school system was getting smaller and smaller every year, Grenfell was having trouble attracting students and its enrolment was declining as well. I am pleased to see that has now changed. As a result of additional funding and the additional autonomy given to Grenfell, they are now attracting more and more students.

In addition to the building, and I look at the $6.5 million that was invested, there was $500,000 to set up a secretariat. The job at the secretariat was to brand the campus as a university instead of a college, then go market it throughout the world as a university, and attract students to that university. There was $500,000 there for the secretariat.

For branding, marketing, and recruitment, there was $1.8 million for the hiring of eleven positions. There were three positions in international student recruitment. There was a recruitment manager, an Alumni Affairs officer, a Web master, a marketing manager, a communications coordinator, a manager at the international office, an administrative assistant to the administrative office, and an English as a Second Language coordinator.

There was $570,000 given for additional research support. There was money for a budget officer, a manager of grants and contracts, an intermediate secretary, a project manager, and an administrative staff specialist. Mr. Speaker, there was money for a learning centre. There was money, $1.9 million, in administration.

So when a university campus grows, it is not just jobs for academics. There are also support positions and employment opportunities for many other people. There were fourteen positions and $1.9 million. There was a safety coordinator, a facilities management administrative assistant, a facilities planner, a graduate studies administrative support, a program officer, budget analyst, manager of recruitment and classification, off-campus housing, disbursement clerk, secretary in the Registrar's Office, data entry, IT consultant, assistant registrar, and the list goes on and on.

MR. SPEAKER (Kent): Order, please!

I remind the minister that his time for speaking has expired.

MR. MARSHALL: Just by leave –

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

AN HON. MEMBER: By leave.

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Minister of Finance and President of Treasury Board, by leave.

MR. MARSHALL: Mr. Speaker, I have to – no, I will not say it.

Mr. Speaker, what has happened at the Grenfell Campus of Memorial University is that the original professors and the original administrators who went out there to set up the campus in the 1970s have now retired and moved on. They have been replaced by a new team. The beauty of that new team is that many of them, many of the new professors and many of the lecturers, are people who went to Grenfell as students. They graduated and they went off to other places throughout the world where they got their masters and their doctorate, and they returned to Grenfell Campus as professors and as administrators. I think that is going to make a tremendous difference.

We have a new team in there now. There is Mary Bluechardt, who is the new vice-president. David Peddle is the new VP Academic; he is a Corner Brook boy. We have Gary Bradshaw there, the new Manager of Finance and Administration, who used to have that position or a similar position at the University of PEI. They are growing the campus. They will bring their initiative and their vision to it. I have every confidence that institution is going to grow, is going to prosper, and is going to be a great help in moving forward the social and economic agenda to support Western Newfoundland.

Mr. Speaker, my time is gone. I thank the hon. Member for leave. I look forward to speaking again in the debate as we – all of us, no matter where we are from – try to make this place a better place for our people.

Thank you.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Member for The Straits – White Bay North.

MR. MITCHELMORE: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I thank the Minister of Finance for highlighting all of those investments in education on the West Coast. It certainly will be an economic engine and driver for diversity. It is certainly a wise decision to invest in education in that region; a great investment from the government.

The Budget, People and Prosperity – Responsible Investments for a Secure Future; responsible investments for a secure future is an interesting statement because it does not say a secure investment for a responsible future. A secure investment is something that is certain. It can be relied upon. A responsible investment may not be that. So, if we look at, are we really planning for that certain future? Because some of us have been making investments on a weekly basis with our hard-earned pay cheques and we have been making what we think is responsible investments, but because of global impacts, Mr. Speaker, we have seen some of our retirement savings erode. We have to be sure because there is a clear difference between a responsible investment and a secure investment for people and prosperity.

This is a government that has been in office since 2003; one that has expropriated a mill that it certainly did not want, and is leaving taxpayers on the hook for millions of dollars. It has focused primarily on big oil and not really on diversifying the economy in areas where it needs to. It has not looked at, after eight years, cleaning up an environmental and health hazard in the Town of Englee when it comes to removing and remediating that fish plant there. I do have hope because the government has touted again today in this House how it has invested millions of dollars when there is a health hazard that they will remediate and that they have. They have invested millions in places like Hope Brook. We do need to make sure that we have legislation to protect the taxpayer so that we are not having to remediate these sites. It is happening far too often.

Mr. Speaker, the Minister of Finance has stated that we are going to institute a plan; we are going to determine what our priorities are to diversify the economy for when the oil is gone. Education is one of those areas, and I look forward to being part of the conversation so that we can look at making that diversification. Budget 2012 clearly illustrates where the government's priorities are. There is only $2 million for child care. There is $2.2 million for the touted Fisheries Technology and New Opportunities Program. There is $2 million only for the Rural Broadband Initiative, and I am not sure if that is a re-announcement from last year. I guess two is the magic number, $2 million, unless you are Nalcor. I have very grave concerns that this government has invested $664 million, Mr. Speaker; they have earmarked that for Nalcor which could be used to deal with such a major infrastructure and social infrastructure deficit we have in this Province.

The government has over $2 billion in the bank not yielding high rates and returns for the people of the Province. There are mechanisms where we can return greater investment, Mr. Speaker. One also needs to develop a strategy to diversify our smaller rural and urban economies. They are continuing to be reliant primarily on one industry and one industry alone such as wood pellets, such as pulp, such as fish, aquaculture, cranberries, oil, or small-scale manufacturing. What happens when these communities, the ones that are not the regional hubs like Grand Falls-Windsor, like Stephenville, that are not the service centres, when they lose their key employer, how are they able? Typically, they really struggle to transition, and that is something where we really need to put a lot of focus as we grow our rural economies, Mr. Speaker.

If rural businesses were supported to remain competitive, rural communities could remain vibrant and healthy. I see all too often in my own district where communities are struggling. We could reduce the steady flow of migration to the urban areas and the outflow of our residents to other parts of Canada. In a global economy where competition is now worldwide, affordable access to training to promote improvement and innovation is essential. Otherwise, the Province will be comprised of a handful of large, unmanageable urban centres and a vast interior of unproductive and isolated rural communities. This is a road we are heading, Mr. Speaker, in Newfoundland and Labrador and even in the greater Canada; yet, it is more accelerated in our Province because our population has a higher median age and we are seeing out-migration in our rural areas. I hope the monies, because there is certainly a lot of it in Budget 2012 for skilled trades, that they truly have a plan to match key needs with the labour market demand study because, Mr. Speaker, we surely need it. I commend this government on their initiatives to reduce and retain low tuition, and I hope that continues for our public institutions because we need to continue an educated workforce.

We did not see in this Budget, Mr. Speaker, support for small business in a way which could have really made meaningful difference, something the New Democrats have been calling for is a reduction in small business tax. We are quickly lagging behind other Atlantic Provinces. Seven other provinces in Canada, across this country, have a more competitive small business tax regime. The Progressive Conservative Budget continues to focus on big business, on the mega projects, investing $664 million in Nalcor; yet, the rates continue. The rates continue for the consumer, for the ratepayer, despite all these investments. I am not sure we are getting the best return on our investment to the consumer right now. I am not sure but I have not seen all the numbers. However, we must start looking at the small business and the social enterprise as a new form for investment.

Mr. Speaker, the domino effect of a plant closure to a town will be devastating to a community and to a region and we have certainly seen that. It will lead to further layoffs and other small businesses being forced to close. It is shocking that the current government is admitting defeat in many of these plants that have closed and that they let the large corporations dictate who is next on the chopping block. We have not seen that proactive and pragmatic approach under the government to work with regions to truly diversify their economies. Where is the active consultation with the communities? We need active consultation before it is happening, not just after, and to really have greater interaction with their Conservative counterparts in Ottawa. We are starting to see some movement on this but this should be happening all along, Mr. Speaker.

There is nice flowery language in the Budget stemming from the Speech from the Throne. The Speech from the Throne said that government was going to improve the delivery of services for the people who need them; yet, we are seeing on the federal level significant cuts to parks, to search and rescue, to ACOA. Here in this Province, when we look at transportation services, we only have to look at ferry replacement, to broadband, to cellular coverage, to lack of a provincial 911 service. We are the only Province, the only state, the only place in North America that does not have enhanced provincial-wide 911 service. This is absolutely shameful. When we look at the investments in health care, child care, family care, affordable housing, we really need to look at are we really improving the delivery of services? Because where we need to go, Mr. Speaker, is in advanced telecommunications and a transportation strategy that truly makes us the leaders in Newfoundland and Labrador, in the country.

Mr. Speaker, Canada's first Prime Minister recognized that constructing a rail line from the West of the Rockies to Eastern Canada was an investment in Canada's viability and sustainability as a nation. It was enormously expensive, but far cheaper than the alternative of letting the concept of Canada disintegrate into a collection of remote disconnected states. I would say, Mr. Speaker, the same is true for connecting Newfoundland and Labrador and also to mainland Canada, via fixed link. This is no longer a pipe dream. With Quebec completing Route 138 and the opening of the Trans-Labrador Highway in 2009, it is only going to be a matter of time before the commercial traffic moves north from Montreal across the Strait of Belle Isle.

Mr. Speaker, the Speech from the Throne also talked about how it empowers business and communities to grow. Well, where are the incentives? Where is the basic infrastructure? We do not have adequate broadband, cellular, and telecommunication strategies to allow – many of our businesses depend on export, and if we do not put the basic there, if we do not develop the advanced telecommunication and transportation strategy –

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Oh, oh!

MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!

MR. MITCHELMORE: – networks for gateways, for ports, we are really failing the people of this Province, Mr. Speaker, and we are not seeing enough of that investment in Budget 2012.

We look at the poor uptake in government programs, because government has a wonderful suite of programs, they do.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. MITCHELMORE: They do, absolutely, but, Mr. Speaker, when –

MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!

MR. MITCHELMORE: – you look at the poor uptake of these programs that is where the problem is. There is a complete disconnect with what government is offering in programs and services, on some levels, with the uptake. We look at the IBRD uptake for the Business Attraction Fund, $369,000 in a $25 million fund, when you have other programs like the JCPs where the applicants are coming in and they are not able to meet demand. There has to be some sort of evaluation looking at how we are getting the best benefit for our tax dollar.

Mr. Speaker, the other point from the Speech from the Throne talks about – it positions Newfoundlanders and Labradorians to seize career opportunities opening up all around them. No doubt, Mr. Speaker, there are wonderful opportunities in this Province, and we are talking about up to 70,000 jobs in the labour market opening up.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Oh, oh!

MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!

MR. MITCHELMORE: There has been some good work in creating jobs, especially for those who have education when it comes to skilled trades; however, many people in rural Newfoundland and Labrador have lost jobs. They have little opportunity in their region unless they move, because there needs to be more proactivity.

Rural Newfoundland and Labrador is having difficulty retraining and retaining health care professionals. A number of nurses are advertised at various health authorities, but many positions are short-term. They are not permanent positions being advertised on a constant basis. They are seasonal; some are very much mega-project related. People do not always feel secure if they are moving into rural areas and they are not given a permanent position. Many of these jobs do end up having the permanent hours. Maybe there needs to be an evaluation looking at that. There also needs to be a look at, can we provide positions for spouses who are also coming in.

The language used by the government as they talk about their long-term plan of cuts and austerity in the future –

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Oh, oh!

MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!

MR. MITCHELMORE: Mr. Speaker, this is not a language that is very reassuring for people wanting to enter the public sector and to look at jobs. There is something truly broken, Mr. Speaker, in the Budget. We have a Budget of $7.5 billion which increases spending from last year's $7.3 billion Budget. Successively, year after year, this government has continued to spend more and more of our tax dollars, but are we getting the maximum benefit from them? Are the citizens truly reaping the benefits of prosperity?

Mr. Speaker, in my district and in areas of the Province, as I travel across Newfoundland and Labrador, I see that there are many people who cannot afford to buy their first home, they cannot pay rent, they cannot purchase the needed medications, they cannot pay for heat or food. This is completely shameful when we have such prosperity in our Budget of 2012 being proclaimed.

Government has some excellent programming, as I have said, in a variety of different departments. However, the rigidity and the lack of flexibility and failed marketing programs, effort after effort to promote these programs to get the uptake, has led to lower uptake and further overuse in others.

It is time to start fielding innovation, Mr. Speaker. The fishery has always sparked debate and it will continue to do so. It was interesting; I had the opportunity to visit a school at Humber Elementary and speak to two Grade 6 classes in Corner Brook. They have a very good program under their social studies where they are talking about ecosystems, sustainability, and the fishery. They were talking about the cod moratorium and, Mr. Speaker, none of the classmates there had been born when the cod moratorium happened in 1992. We are twenty years later and we still do not have answers to the many questions that were posed.

These youth were certainly engaged about the uncertainty and about the cuts that are happening all across the board. They were asking about the labour force and asking about how we are bringing in people from other countries to do work. I talked about how there are different gaps and sometimes there is a disconnect between where opportunities are offered and where people truly live. Sometimes that creates an area where we do need to bring in foreign workers to fill those gaps because not necessarily are people able to move.

We do have challenges. As we see the labour market shrink, an increasing demand in wages, proposed changes by the Harper Conservatives to the EI system, and an aging workforce, we are truly threatening the sustainability of many communities that are so reliant on fishing and fish plant operations. The lack of diversification in these towns and communities is threatening their very survival. It may not be too late to refocus and transition these towns. We need to see that from this government in a proactive, pragmatic approach to really look at that diversification.

Although the Fisheries Technology and New Opportunities Program has been touted by the Minister of Fisheries and Aquaculture as a hallmark for change to the traditional industry, it can be used by the harvesters, the processors, and the marketers of seafood. It has done some very good programs, but it is somewhat limiting when you look at the typical maximum is $100,000. It is not the answer to reshape our traditional processing industries that are in crisis. This program only has $6.6 million over a three-year period. It will simply not be enough to modernize any plants. It will not provide the capital needed for communities with ideas that are certainly in jeopardy of closing; not $100,000, Mr. Speaker, but there may be opportunity to work with other business departments to ensure that this is offered.

In the Department of Municipal Affairs, Mr. Speaker, the Community Enhancement Employment Program, to my knowledge, these projects are undercapitalized. They start very late in the year. They focus too much on a labour component. I would hope this program undergoes a review and is paired with other programming that would be more evaluative projects where people can reap higher benefits for the tax dollars that are being spent; because for the hundreds of thousands of dollars that have been invested in various districts, I am not sure we are seeing the community enhancement that is truly needed.

There is a need, Mr. Speaker, for a social enterprise fund incubating our rural businesses and it is quite devastating to see that ACOA does not see the value in our rural Regional Economic Development Boards – nineteen across the Province that are going to lose their funding, which are funded 75 per cent by ACOA; the government makes up 25 per cent. They use performance-based management and some of these boards are doing incredible work. In my district, as I mentioned today earlier, the Nordic Economic Development Board –

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Oh, oh!

MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!

I am once again having difficulty hearing the hon. member. I would ask members to take their private conversations out of the House.

Once again, I recognize the hon. the Member for The Straits – White Bay North.

MR. MITCHELMORE: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The RED Board in my district, the Nordic Economic Development Corporation, was successful in getting rural broadband Internet in the mid-1990s to the region. They were one of the innovators because they see the need of an advanced telecommunication strategy in the region. It is highly important. They were also involved with getting $1 million from the federal government to look at stabilizing the forest industry in our region.

If Community Economic Development corporations were made sustainable with more core funding, they could have far greater impact with helping to create healthy and vibrant communities supporting social justice, the environment, and community development. They would be able to focus on the needs of individuals and community groups that we have disregarded or excluded from the public or private sector, Mr. Speaker. These are real issues and what we have done, Mr. Speaker, we have created an environment that encourages competition among these CED groups where, rather than collaboration, these organizations are chasing too few public dollars and the system limits their ability. It is simply a cookie-cutter solution that severely restricts innovation.

Mr. Speaker, I want to go into a bit about health care, but since my time is quite limited I want to talk about how unthinkable it is in Newfoundland and Labrador that there is no real plan to ensure that families have access –

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Oh, oh!

MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!

MR. MITCHELMORE: – to an adequate diet. No wonder we see such high rates of diabetes and illness in the north coastal communities and in rural parts. People simply cannot afford basic healthy food for their communities. More work has to be done to ensure food security in the Province. We have to invest more in preventative care because simply 1 per cent is not enough.

"Strong communities are the key to holding government accountable to protecting their rights of the most vulnerable. People must be organized to support one another but also to demand that their government provide what the community can't or shouldn't do for itself. There are some things best done by community –

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Oh, oh!

MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!

MR. MITCHELMORE: – some by government, and some that can only be accomplished by working in true partnership." Those are the words of Mr. Jim Dier.

I am wondering, Mr. Speaker, if I could have a few moments to clue up?

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

AN HON. MEMBER: By leave.

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Member for The Straits – White Bay North, by leave.

MR. MITCHELMORE: Mr. Speaker, certainly people are speaking to me about the Budget. They are demanding that the government start working with them. We need to find a more co-operative –

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Oh, oh!

MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!

MR. MITCHELMORE: – especially being the International Year of Co-operatives. I would like to see that we are getting the best investments for the people of the Province so that rural and urban renewal can truly begin. There is really nothing new, creative or innovative in Budget 2012 to address our overarching infrastructure, technology, and social gaps in our current systems. We continue to call for continued prosperity for the future of our people. We need a secure investment, not just responsible investments. The people of Newfoundland and Labrador need that response; therefore, I will not be supporting the Budget of 2012.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Oh, oh!

MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!

MR. MITCHELMORE: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Minister of Advanced Education and Skills.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MS BURKE: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, again, you have to follow the doom and gloom put forth by a number of the members of the Third Party. It is timely that you get up and counter some of the information that is being put out because a lot of areas in this Province, Mr. Speaker, are doing well, and quite well. Thanks to this government, they are doing well, Mr. Speaker.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MS BURKE: There is optimism in this Province, Mr. Speaker. Before I talk about the Department of Advanced Education and Skills, I want to make some comments about the District of St. George's – Stephenville East.

Mr. Speaker, last week, on Thursday, we had the students from the Grade 8 class from Our Lady of Mercy visit the House of Assembly; I think that is probably the eighth year in a row that we had the students from Our Lady of Mercy visit our House of Assembly. When you meet with the students, they come and visit St. John's and they get the opportunity to visit the GEO Centre, visit the University and the post-secondary institutions, they get an opportunity for recreation and get to the Aquarena, you see young people who are filled with enthusiasm and optimism. They are the leaders of tomorrow, Mr. Speaker. They do not see this Province as a place that is dying, or there is no hope or no optimism. They are here and they want to stay here and they want to build their lives here. They have the opportunity to explore what we have in this Province. If we start giving the message over and over and over that people from Newfoundland and Labrador have no opportunities, or that we are unable to compete, or that everything down here is negative and there is no life here, all we are doing is encouraging our young people to leave. Mr. Speaker, we have had years and years and decades of the people of Newfoundland and Labrador leaving. I feel since 2003, since this government came in, Mr. Speaker, there has been a change in the attitude in the Province.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MS BURKE: People in Newfoundland and Labrador have a better understanding of who we are as a people, our potential, where we are going to be and take our place in Confederation, Mr. Speaker. That is extremely important. Not only am I talking about the students who I saw here last week, Mr. Speaker; I also had the opportunity to attend some cadet reviews in my district. I have also had the opportunity to attend the high school proms at both Appalachia High and Stephenville High. I can see many young people who are eager and willing to take up the opportunities that we have in this Province. They are planning for their future, they are talking about post-secondary education, and they are ready to take on this Province and be able to contribute and understand the optimism and what we have to offer.

I also want to talk a bit about some of the infrastructure in the District of St. George's – Stephenville East as well, Mr. Speaker. There was a tender out on the Main Gut Bridge in Stephenville Crossing, and I am looking forward to the results of that tender so we are able to see how we are going to proceed with the repairs to that bridge, Mr. Speaker. That is very important for all the residents of Bay St. George. I know it connects the people directly from St. George's into Stephenville Crossing and vice versa, but all heavy traffic comes down through that route from the Trans-Canada Highway. It is the main trunk road to get into the Stephenville area. Mr. Speaker, it is great to see that tender is out.

Also, there is work ongoing as we speak to replace the gut bridge in the Codroy Valley, the Searston Gut Bridge. That is a Bailey bridge that was put up as a temporary bridge many years ago, probably more than twenty years ago. It completes the loop to go around the Codroy Valley. Last year that bridge was closed, or probably two years ago now, and in last year's Budget we announced the replacement of the Searstown Gut Bridge. A lot of it was ongoing throughout the winter because it is the type of bridge that was going. It is proceeding now and that is very welcome news for the people of the Codroy Valley, Mr. Speaker.

In addition to that, we also have bridge work. When I talk about bridge work, I mean major bridge construction going on in the district. That includes the bridge at Fischells on the Trans-Canada Highway, as well as the Flat Bay Bridge on the Trans-Canada Highway as well.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Oh, oh!

MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!

MS BURKE: Right now, there is work going on with the Robinson's River Bridge on the Trans-Canada Highway. In a very small area we have had some major bridge construction, and these bridges cost in the tens of millions of dollars, Mr. Speaker, and it is a vital component of our transportation link.

In addition to that, Mr. Speaker, when I became the MHA in 2003, the Trans-Canada Highway from Flat Bay to Fischells was in such deplorable condition that the speed limit on the Trans-Canada Highway was fifty kilometres an hour. When you drive that piece of road now, you see all new bridges, you see new pavement in that area, and more bridge construction this year. It is a marketable improvement from what it had been in the last eight years, and that only came –

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MS BURKE: The improvement in the roads only came through a significant investment by this government. As I say that, though, it does not mean there is not more roadwork to be done in the district. In particular, as much as we are dealing with the major trunk roads – because you absolutely need them, they are your vital transportation links – there is work that needs to be done in the area of the community of Flat Bay, and from Heatherton to Highlands, and then again, every community in the Codroy Valley. These are unincorporated areas; therefore, the Department of Transportation and Works becomes responsible for every road and every side road, and when you add up all the kilometres of road, it becomes very difficult to try to keep everything the way you would like to have it. I would like to have all the roads done, but I know there is a budget every year. I know the main transportation links, the vital links within our road system, have to be addressed. Because if you close down the Trans-Canada Highway, not only do you isolate the Province but certainly the people of the district as well. So, it is always difficult to balance their priorities, but there has been some significant work done.

Also in the district, on Friday past I had the opportunity of having the Minister of Education out with me. He announced $2.4 million to remove the fire retardant material in the school of St. Michael's in Stephenville Crossing and put in a new sprinkler system as well. That is a wonderful school; it is a very big school. It was built in 1976, but it is in excellent condition. The community and the students, the staff, and the people of Stephenville Crossing enjoy having that school in their community and take great pride in the school as well, Mr. Speaker.

I also want to note, that since 2004 $4.9 million has been spent on schools in the District of St. George's – Stephenville East. That would then exclude most of the schools in Stephenville, because they actually lie in the Port au Port district. In the $4.9 million, it is interesting to note with the announcement of the $2.4 million, a total of $3.6 million out of $4.9 million has been spent on St. Michael's in Stephenville Crossing. That is a really nice sign to the people of Stephenville Crossing of our commitment and our support to ensure that that building meets the needs of those students.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Oh, oh!

MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!

MS BURKE: One more point about the district, something that I think is very encouraging is seeing the formation of the Qalipu Nation. That takes in all of Newfoundland and Labrador, but it is certainly more noted on the West Coast and in my district. Mr. Speaker, it is almost like there is a cultural reawakening of the Mi'kmaq people in the area, or if not a reawakening, a discovery of their culture and what that means. It is very encouraging to see that as well, and it is a very positive movement we are seeing on the West Coast. It provides opportunities on so many levels.

I had the opportunity to meet with Chief Brendan Sheppard just a couple of weeks ago. We talked about some of the shared mandates of the Qalipu Nation and the Department of Advanced Education and Skills. One very important area for the Qalipu Nation is the education of their people and that they have funding for post-secondary education. As people get their status in the Qalipu Nation and are able to access the funding for post-secondary education, they will see that the people who are members of the Qalipu Nation have a great opportunity right now. I encourage anyone who is a member of the Qalipu Nation to check out the opportunities available to them. It just seems like the benefits are great at this time. As I said, it complements what we are doing in the Department of Advanced Education and Skills.

Mr. Speaker, if nothing else, this government has a record of supporting the young people in our Province, the young people through our K-12 system, through our initiatives in early learning, and the young adults we have in the Province of Newfoundland and Labrador. One of the ways that we stand apart from any other province in Canada for our support for young people has been the tuition freeze at our college and at Memorial University. Mr. Speaker, the College of the North Atlantic and Memorial University have not seen tuition increases –

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Oh, oh!

MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!

MS BURKE: – since we have been in government. Mr. Speaker, we probably come in now at 50 per cent less than other provinces in our tuition. It is a commitment we have maintained and it is very important.

When you look at some of the other provinces, in particular Quebec and the protests, how people feel about tuition fee hikes and the importance of post-secondary education, to have an accessible and affordable post-secondary education is something that is near and dear to the hearts of people of every province, and certainly to our young people, Mr. Speaker. The tuition freeze did not come without a price, and we continue to invest in that. Sometimes we talk about a tuition freeze and people just think: Well, the tuition is not going to go up. Things happen behind the scenes where there is compensation to ensure that there is no lack of services or the quality is not lacking in what is offered at our post-secondary institutions.

Mr. Speaker, this year alone in this Budget, and what we are going to ask everyone to vote for when we talk about this Budget, means $44 million to maintain the tuition freeze for this year at our college and university. Mr. Speaker, cumulatively that is $183 million –

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Oh, oh!

MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!

MS BURKE: – in order to maintain the tuition freeze in our Province. Not only are we just saying it is a tuition freeze and we have worked with the students and there is nothing more we can do, we have had other initiatives, too. One of the important initiatives is the fact that we have eliminated interest on the provincial portion of the student loans, the first province in Canada to do so, and something that we feel is very important as well, Mr. Speaker.

It is the tuition freeze and then it is also the interest off the student loans, and the other thing, Mr. Speaker, we have brought back the up-front needs-based grants, so now when a person applies for a student loan, 60 per cent of the student loan is the federal portion and our provincial portion is 40 per cent. Of the 40 per cent, not only will you not pay interest on it, but the first 60 per cent will be as a grant as opposed to a loan. We have taken many initiatives to ensure that people have access to affordable education.

The other thing we have done, Mr. Speaker, is we have invested in our students through our housing initiatives; this year alone, we have $40.8 million going into the development of new residences which will mean 500 new spaces in St. John's and at least 200 spaces in Corner Brook as well.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Oh, oh!

MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!

MS BURKE: Mr. Speaker, that means 700 more students will have affordable housing on campus. It means that if they are living on campus, public transportation or owning a car and parking no longer comes into play. They have a space that is not going to be a substandard place to live; it will be a quality place for them.

Mr. Speaker, not only have we invested almost $41 million in the new residences, this year we have also invested $11.2 million to renovate the existing residences at Memorial University. Some have already been done and the work will continue. Mr. Speaker, anybody who is familiar with Paton College knows that the residences that opened – I do not know when they opened, probably in the 1960s or the 1970s, and through the 1980s and the 1990s never changed; it is your solid room, the brick room with the two beds, the two desks and the two closets. Mr. Speaker, the changes have allowed us to update the rooms and make sure that they are wired for technology. When people went to University and they started living in Paton College, there were no laptop computers, there were no cellphones, there was nothing like that, so it has changed.

We have also updated the whole residence, whether it is laundry rooms or the washroom facilities. There have been so many changes in Paton College that if people are around in the summer and take part in the festivities for the anniversary of the University, maybe they will have an opportunity to see the residences as well and how much work we have done over there, Mr. Speaker.

We also, as a Department of Advanced Education, invest heavily in skills development. Not only is it that we provide the actual tuition freeze and the budgets to the university and to the College of the North Atlantic, we also invest in what we call skills development where people who are EI eligible are able to get funding in order to attend post-secondary education if they do not have marketable job skills or they need more current marketable skills. That is something we do, Mr. Speaker.

I just heard the Member for The Straits – White Bay North talk about the Job Creation Program, the JCPs, indicating that because there is such a demand, maybe we need to re-profile more money into the JCPs, and is that where we are getting our best benefit. Mr. Speaker, that is what we need to look at. If we put more money into the JCPs, that is money that cannot go into skills development. That is money that will come out of the pockets of individuals who need skills training who would like to update their skills. As easy as it is to say more money should go into the JCPs – and, Mr. Speaker, we are putting in $13.9 million in the JCPs this year. For every dollar that we re-profile and put in there that would mean that less people will get training. If that is what the Member for The Straits – White Bay North thinks is the best way to invest in our emerging economy, I guess that is the stand that he can put forward.

Mr. Speaker, we know that over the next ten years there will be 70,000 job openings in Newfoundland and Labrador. The Member for The Straits – White Bay North just stood up and talked about there is little opportunity –

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Oh, oh!

MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!

MS BURKE: – for people to retrain and that we cannot bring the jobs where the people are, nobody wants to move. Mr. Speaker, one thing that we cannot change is change itself. The economy is changing, the jobs are changing, and the demographics in this Province are changing. Years ago, people had families of eight, ten and twelve children; that does not happen today, Mr. Speaker. Years ago, we had out-migration because the jobs in Newfoundland and Labrador were basically filled. Now things are changing, people do not have large families any more, you often hear of families of one or two children.

We also have the baby boomers that are in these jobs and others had to move away, who are now at retirement age. Not only are we having jobs being created for this Province through Hebron, through Muskrat Falls, through Vale, but we also have a number of people who are retiring from existing positions. We will see job openings in almost every sector of our economy over the next ten years.

We need to make sure that we are there and that we are proactive in making sure people understand the labour market, understand the opportunities, and where the opportunities exist. If you want to become a journeyperson, you will not be able to work from your own backyard year over year over year. The word journeyperson originates from the fact that the people with these very specialized skills travel from workplace to workplace where the work needs to be done. A journeyperson is somebody whose career takes them in many different work sites. At one point, Mr. Speaker, families would probably have to move with the journeyperson, but today our economy is much more global, transportation links are not what they would have been years ago, facilities are different, employers often accommodate workers so they can live on the site. The whole workforce is emerging and changing. We need to be able to respond to that and not sit back and say because it is not coming to my backyard it does not count and we cannot benefit from it. People need to understand the opportunities and they need to be able to position themselves, because we would like to see every Newfoundlander and Labradorian have the ability and have the opportunity to participate in this new job market that we are seeing in this Province, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, when government was re-elected in October of 2011, the Premier started this new department and saw that the economy needed the attention. It tied to the post-secondary training, to the apprenticeship program and, therefore, the Department of Advanced Education and Skills was developed. The Workforce Secretariat is also placed in this new department. It will be like the think tank of the department, collecting the labour market research, and ensuring that we work and we make our decisions on the best available information that we have on the labour market, Mr. Speaker.

One other aspect within the department – although I do not have much time to speak on it at this point – is the Poverty Reduction Strategy. Mr. Speaker, this Province is noted throughout Canada for the efforts it has put forward in order to bring about programs to help reduce poverty in Newfoundland and Labrador. Some of our hallmark programs are the Prescription Drug Program, not just for people on low income but people who may have a higher income but high drug costs as well. That is a program – when we first formed government, you could hear that a lot of times people could not go to work because of the cost of the drugs and, Mr. Speaker, we no longer hear that.

Talk about supporting our young people, Mr. Speaker, we also brought in free textbooks for high school; we eliminated school fees. We have the tuition freeze at the university and the college. We brought in the adult dental program. We supply insulin pumps for people under twenty-five, Mr. Speaker. We have done many, many things in the area of poverty reduction, but it is not always with young people either. Our Rent Geared to Income has been brought in under the Poverty Reduction Strategy; rental supplements brought in by Newfoundland and Labrador Housing. The fact that people now who turn sixty who are on Income Support do not have to apply for their Canada Pension at that time; they can waive and wait until they are sixty-five. There are many initiatives that hit many different departments. It is focused on different sectors in our Province, Mr. Speaker, and it hits people from birth up until they are seniors, and supports them at that point in their lives as well.

Mr. Speaker, there is so much to talk about. It is unfortunate; it is probably my last opportunity on the main motion, obviously. Hopefully, I will have an opportunity as we move forward with the Budget debate to speak again.

Thank you.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

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

MS JONES: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I rise today to speak with regard to the main motion on the Budget, Mr. Speaker, and to have a few words. I spoke a few days ago and I talked mostly about some of the things I saw that government should be focused on, in particular in Labrador, in preparing for the large-scale developments that will occur around the mining industry and being able to meet some of the desperate infrastructure needs that exist in those particular communities in that region.

Mr. Speaker, I am going to talk today about some of the other issues that have been a concern not only for people in Labrador but for people right throughout the Province. A lot of it has to do with the search and rescue services and how we are being treated by the federal government when it comes to cuts that we are seeing occur; cuts not only in search and rescue but in all facets of federal government programs that exist in our Province and in the offices that operate within our Province. It has been a very trying time and a very trying period.

Mr. Speaker, one of the critical issues that has been missed is that which deals with the inquiry into the Burton Winters tragic death in Makkovik, the death of a young boy who has been showcased not only as a tragedy to Newfoundlanders and Labradorians but also right across the country. Mr. Speaker, the cry for an inquiry comes from people who are immediately close to Burton Winters, including his family and his parents, to people who have learned of this story right across the Province. They have been asking the provincial government and they have been asking the federal government to do an inquiry into the death of this young boy. So far, the governments have not seen forward enough to be able to commit to do that. It leaves me with the big question as to why not?

Any time there is a tragedy in our society and where the response mechanisms we have in place do not meet the need at that time, we have a responsibility as governments and parliamentarians to ensure that it is being looked into; whether it is a house fire, Mr. Speaker, that occurs and a sixteen-year-old boy who has been placed in that home without supervision is the victim, that should be looked into. Those are cases that surface as a cry for public answers, Mr. Speaker. Whether it is a case like Burton Winters, a young boy whose family and community call for help and help does not arrive, and as a result it ends in a tragic death. Why the Premier is being so reluctant in launching that inquiry, I have no idea.

Mr. Speaker, what we have seen from the government so far has been complete inaction and a complete disappointment, in my opinion. In fact, Mr. Speaker, even as late as today, when I had asked the Minister of Labrador and Aboriginal Affairs to provide in the House a written response to a question in terms of what you have done on search and rescue. Mr. Speaker, while I did get a response, and a response with some detail, I must admit, the response itself quoted a number of letters. One of those letters was sent on June 9 of last year, nearly a year ago now, with regard to the search and rescue centre in St. John's, not the Burton Winters piece. In the letter that was sent at the time by the former minister, who is no longer an elected member of the House of Assembly, he said our government finds the rationale for this action difficult to comprehend.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to question what the actions of the government have been to back up that statement. If they really were having difficulty to comprehend what the actions of the federal government were, why didn't they do anything about it? Why did they continue for a full year to allow the search and rescue centre to close in St. John's without ever going for any kind of meetings with the federal government in Ottawa, without raising this issue in a very public way? In fact, Mr. Speaker, there were a number of events that occurred in the Province around this, rallies, protests, all of these things in which there was little or no visibility or input or support from the government opposite. That, to me, was not acceptable and not good enough, and hard to comprehend why a government that says we care about what happens with search and rescue but does not do anything to prevent the actions of the federal government in any way.

Again, Mr. Speaker, when we seen what happened in the Burton Winters tragedy, the government likes to mock at the fact that we went to Ottawa and met with the federal Minister, Peter MacKay on this particular issue. Well, I make no apologizes to the government. I told the Premier one day before, she was the Premier; she should act like it. She is the person who should have been in Ottawa. She is the person who should have been in Peter MacKay's office when this event occurred, saying we need to find the answers, and we want to do an inquiry into this, and we need the co-operation of you, Minister, and the federal government, to make this happen.

If the government was so concerned about what was happening here, why did they not go look for those answers? Why did they just sit at home, make phone calls, and write letters, and wait for someone to write back? Well, letter writing campaigns are almost a thing of the past, now, Mr. Speaker. If you do not shoot off an e-mail or a phone call to someone right now, or Twitter them a message – that is the way you do business today. Business is done instantly; business is not done over a long, drawn-out period of time anymore. You do not have an incident that happens and you send a letter and wait four months for a response. That is not the way you do things today.

So, Mr. Speaker, frankly, I am appalled and disappointed. I was not here last week when there were questions in the House of Assembly with regard to MacKay's statements on 5 Wing Goose Bay, but I will get to that now in just a minute, because I want to finish up the inquiry piece. The government, every step of the way, has not shown their real concern through any actions by themselves to deal with this issue; they have not shown it. In fact, Mr. Speaker, even when the family of Burton Winters and the grandmother wanted to come and meet with the Premier, the meeting did not even get granted, only because they wanted to bring in an individual who had some expertise who could ask some questions. Well, the poor grandmother only had one person she could bring in. The Premier has access to whole departments of people, with all kinds of expertise. If that was the case, she could have filled the room with people. Not only that, Mr. Speaker; just because you are the Premier, you are not expected to know all the answers.

If you do not know the answer to something, it is okay to say: I do not know the answer to something. There is nothing wrong with that, absolutely nothing wrong with that. It is okay to say: I can try and find the answer for you. I heard the Minister of Fisheries stand up and do that today. I have more respect for people who do that, Mr. Speaker, and are honest and open about it, and are concerned enough to say, I will go and I will try and find you the answer and I will get back to you, than I do with saying, I cannot meet with you because I do not have expertise and you might have a question that I cannot answer. It does not work that way – it does not work that way.

Just because you are the Premier you are not expected to know everything, Mr. Speaker, and when someone asks for a meeting, a grandmother asks for a meeting on an issue as important as this, then the very least that could have been done is it could have been granted. Mr. Speaker, I am not the only person who was really taken off guard by this. I am not the only person. Everywhere you go in this Province that was the talk. Even, Mr. Speaker, right on the web spin in The Telegram this week, all kinds of comments, because people could not believe that you would actually cancel that particular meeting.

I know the Premier is saying that she is now prepared to meet again, she will meet anywhere, she will meet anytime. Smart politics, I say, Mr. Speaker. Stupid politics in the first place to cancel the meeting, but smart politics to at least say, now I am prepared to meet, no doubt about it. What we need to do, Mr. Speaker –

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Oh, oh!

MR. SPEAKER (Wiseman): Order, please!

MS JONES: – now is to see if we can get the government members opposite and the Premier to a place where they will actually do the inquiry, where they will actually look for the answers. What is there to fear? The only thing, the worst possible thing that could happen in doing an inquiry into the Burton Winters tragedy is that we would find out if there are any flaws in our own system or in the federal system, and how to improve it to ensure that someone else does not have that issue down the road. That is the worst possible thing that could probably come out of that whole inquiry. Why would people not do it?

Mr. Speaker, listen, the government opposite, they must be almost in a stage of mourning in terms of their relationship with the Harper government. They sold their soul in the last election. That is what they did; they sold their soul in the last election to Stephen Harper. The Premier clapped her hands and danced her feet all the way to the stage with Stephen Harper. Absolutely, she did. There was nothing, only pats on the back and handshakes and hugs all throughout the room. They were everywhere.

Mr. Speaker, I had birthday parties that were not as close when I was ten years old with my siblings and best friends as what they were at the election. The only thing missing was the party hats; that was the only thing missing when they sold their soul to the Harper government in the middle of the election.

Today, what are we doing? What is happening in Newfoundland and Labrador? What has been able to bloom and flourish of that wonderful relationship, that wonderful coming together of the Conservative governments under Premier Dunderdale and the Harper government, Mr. Speaker? What has been the real reward of all of that for the people of this Province? It has been cuts, cuts, cuts and cuts. It has been layoffs. It has been taking funding out of essential programs in this Province. It has been continuously treating the people of this Province with disrespect. That is what it has been because that is what I call it: disrespect. When you can have a government, Mr. Speaker – and it happened in the last federal election. Peter MacKay sent a letter into Happy Valley-Goose Bay, a letter that Peter Penashue took around door to door saying how they were going to bring the troops into Goose Bay and they are going to save the base. Mr. Speaker, now you have that same government that is treating this Province with disdain and with disrespect by going out and breaking those promises that they blatantly made to the people of the Province. They blatantly looked us in the face and said: We will do this for you. It has to be smarting for the government opposite, Mr. Speaker. They have to be feeling the pain of the trust that they have given to Stephen Harper and his government. They have to be feeling the pain, Mr. Speaker. It has to hurt. Every single time they stand up and they cut something else, it has to hurt.

Mr. Speaker, seeing the time on the clock, I know that we have to conclude for today. Don't we have to conclude?

AN HON. MEMBER: (Inaudible).

MS JONES: Yes, I thought we did.

Mr. Speaker, I had to make sure because I would not want to lose one second of my time because I have so many important things that I have to say. I know that the members opposite want to hear it. They are dying to hear it. They are on the edge of their seats waiting. As it is, Mr. Speaker, it is the end of the parliamentary day for us, and I will adjourn debate and finish my time on the next parliamentary day.

MR. SPEAKER: It has been moved and seconded that the debate is now adjourned.

All those in favour, ‘aye'.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Aye.

MR. SPEAKER: All those against, ‘nay'.

Motion carried.

On motion, debate adjourned.

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

MR. KENNEDY: Mr. Speaker, it being 5:26 in the afternoon, I move, seconded by the Minister of Advanced Education and Skills, that the House do now adjourn.

MR. SPEAKER: It has been moved and seconded that this House do now adjourn.

Is it the pleasure of the House to adopt the motion?

All those in favour, ‘aye'.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Aye.

MR. SPEAKER: All those against, ‘nay'.

Motion carried.

Tomorrow being Wednesday, Private Members' Day, this House stands adjourned until 2:00 p.m.

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