November 30, 2016
HOUSE OF ASSEMBLY PROCEEDINGS
Vol. XLVIII No. 51
The
House met at 2 p.m.
MR. SPEAKER (Osborne):
Order, please!
Admit
strangers.
We
welcome to the Speaker's gallery today Major William G. Tilley, Colonel Keith
Arns and Colonel Adrian Heffernan. Major Tilley is the subject of a Member's
statement today.
SOME HON. MEMBERS:
Hear, hear!
Statements by
Members
MR. SPEAKER:
For Members' statements today
we have the Member for the District of Conception Bay South; the District of St.
George's Humber; the District of St. John's Centre; the District of Virginia
Waters Pleasantville; and the District of Fogo Island Cape Freels.
The hon.
the Member for the District of Conception Bay South.
MR. PETTEN:
Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
I rise
in this House today to honour Mr. Gerald Morgan Greenslade from Long Pond, CBS
who passed away at the Caribou Memorial Veterans Pavilion on September 23, 2016
at the age of 96.
In 1940,
Mr. Greenslade joined the Royal Navy during WWII and served honourably until
1946. He lived the rest of his life in CBS where he founded the company,
Greenslades Construction Ltd.
He led
the rapidly growing community of Conception Bay South into incorporation and, in
1973, was appointed the town's first mayor, where he served voluntarily from
1973 to 1977.
Gerald
was instrumental in building Branch 50 Royal Canadian Legion where he served
as president. He served on numerous associations; he was a member of the Masonic
Lodge Conception, Avalon Lodge, Royal Order of Scotland, St. John's Scottish
Rite Freemasons, St. John's Shrine Club, Newfoundland and Labrador Construction
Association and an honourary member of the Heavy Civil Association of
Newfoundland and Labrador.
He
received many awards and recognitions such as CBS Citizen of the Year, and the
Queen's Silver, Golden and Diamond Jubilee medals.
Gerald's
life was one filled with devotion to his family, outstanding service to his
community, province and country.
I ask
all Members of this House to join with me in honouring an extraordinary
Newfoundlander and Labradorian, Mr. Gerald Greenslade.
Thank
you.
SOME HON. MEMBERS:
Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER:
The hon. the Member for St.
George's Humber.
MR. REID:
Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
I rise
today to pay tribute to Cody Blanchard, a native of St. George's, who recently
set a new Nova Scotia record in his class weight for weightlifting.
The
23-year-old from St. George's is turning heads in the Olympic weightlifting
world after he won gold in the 94 kilogram weight class at the Nova Scotia
Weightlifting Championships at Blended Athletics in Dartmouth this past weekend.
It was his second impressive performance since he immersed himself in the sport
only 18 months ago. He also won gold in his weight class at the Maritime Open in
Moncton, New Brunswick back in September.
Cody
trains seven days a week while also focusing on his first year at law studies at
Dalhousie University. For him, every day at the gym is an opportunity to do a
little better than he did the day before. He intends to beat his own personal
records and to keep achieving and advancing in the sport.
I ask
all Members of the House to join with me in congratulating Cody on his
accomplishments and wishing him well in his future endeavours.
Thank
you, Mr. Speaker.
SOME HON. MEMBERS:
Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER:
The hon. the Member for the
District of St. John's Centre.
MS. ROGERS:
Thank you very much, Mr.
Speaker.
Workers
from across the province gathered in St. John's for the 2nd Triennial
Constitutional Convention of the Newfoundland and Labrador Federation of Labour
and to celebrate their 80th anniversary.
The
federation has a proud history, representing union members and workers since
1936, made up of 30 affiliated unions, 500 locals and six district labour
councils. They represent 65,000 working women and men from every sector of our
economy and every community in Newfoundland and Labrador.
The
federation advances the cause of working people and promotes progressive civil
society where no one gets left behind. They advocate for improved workplace
rights, stronger laws including occupational, health and safety laws, workers'
compensation and Employment Insurance programs that are fair and are there when
our people need them.
Fighting
for better labour laws, strong, accessible public services such as universal
health care, education, worker training, elder home care and child care and
early learning, the federation and its members stand up for the principles of
equality, equity and social justice. They work hard with affiliate unions and
social partners to build a better world for all citizens. The only way for us to
survive, Mr. Speaker, is to pull together, and that is the Newfoundland and
Labrador way.
I ask
all Members to join me congratulating and thanking President Mary Shortall and
all members of the Newfoundland and Labrador Federation of Labour.
Thank
you very much, Mr. Speaker.
SOME HON. MEMBERS:
Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER:
The hon. the Member for
Virginia Waters Pleasantville.
MR. B. DAVIS:
Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
I rise
in this hon. House today to wish a happy birthday to a man who has given more
than nine decades of service to the youth of our province. Major William G.
Tilley turns 102 today.
SOME HON. MEMBERS:
Hear, hear!
MR. B. DAVIS:
He was the focal point of a
recent CLB awards ceremony at Government House.
Major
Tilley also received the 90-year Gold Service Bar, and this has been the first
time this honour has ever been bestowed. Colonel Keith Arns and Colonel Adrian
Heffernan, who are here accompanying Major Tilley today, recently received their
55-year Service Bar as well, which means that in the Speaker's gallery here
today there are over 200 years of CLB experience.
Major
Tilley joined the CLB in March of 1926 after watching drummers march down
Plymouth Road as a child. He later became Drum Major of the CLB Regimental Band
in 1939 until 2002, some 63 years.
Upon
retiring from a career with the CN railway, Major Tilley was asked to help
preserve the history of the CLB, and led the redevelopment of the archives in
1978. Major Tilley remains busy with the archives and is still a fountain of
knowledge about the CLB.
I ask
all hon. Members to join me in wishing Major Tilley a very happy birthday and
thank him for his many years of service.
SOME HON. MEMBERS:
Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER:
On Major Tilley's way into
the scrum area today, Colonel Arns apologized that he was walking a little
slower as he refuses to use a walker. And I can understand, as you're only 102.
SOME HON. MEMBERS:
Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER:
The hon. the Member for Fogo
Island Cape Freels.
MR. BRAGG:
Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Today, I
would like to recognize the volunteer efforts of a member of my district. Leo
Blackmore from New-Wes-Valley has spent years volunteering. Many years ago Leo
survived a horrific car accident that left him in a wheelchair. That did not
stop him. He invested in his community. He became an active volunteer with the
recreation committee and the Lions Club.
While he
demonstrated his commitment to the community, the community held a fundraiser to
provide him with a wheelchair accessible van. Leo was very grateful and he gave
back in spades. Wherever there is bingo, cards or tickets, Leo is always front
and centre, always with a smile and always taking your money. He has spent years
fundraising for volunteer groups.
A couple
of months ago, Leo was hospitalized. Now Leo is in for the fight of his life. I
would like to encourage him to pull from his inner strength, the strength he
found to survive this accident.
I would
like to thank Leo for all the volunteer work he has done and ask all Members to
show our support to his new battle.
Thank
you, Mr. Speaker.
SOME HON. MEMBERS:
Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER:
Statements by Ministers.
Statements by
Ministers
MR. SPEAKER:
The hon. the Minister of
Natural Resources.
MS. COADY:
Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Mr.
Speaker, I stand in this hon. House today to welcome Anadarko Petroleum
Corporation to the Canada-Newfoundland and Labrador offshore area. I am pleased
to report that Anadarko has successfully acquired a working interest in five
exploration licences from Shell which was initially registered under BG
International Limited for licences in the highly sought after Flemish Pass
Basin.
Anadarko
Petroleum Corporation is one of the world's largest independent oil and natural
gas exploration and production companies. This acquisition gives Anadarko access
to 1.2 million hectares of prospective exploration acreage, having total work
commitments of $477 million.
As Minister of Natural Resources, one of my key priorities
is to further encourage exploration and development of our offshore including
attracting new entrants. Significant exploration opportunity exists in our
province's offshore, as evidenced by the results of the recent Call for Bids by
the Canada-Newfoundland and Labrador Offshore Petroleum Board, which saw other
new entrants gain licences in the area: Hess Canada Oil and Gas; Noble Energy
Canada; and Delek Group (Navitas Petroleum Ltd. and DKL Investments Ltd.),
adding to the total number of operators offshore today. Overall, that call
resulted in a total work commitment of close to $758 million with eight
successful bids received.
Officials from my department have already met with
representatives from Anadarko, and we officially welcome them to the
Canada-Newfoundland and Labrador offshore area.
Thank you.
SOME HON. MEMBERS:
Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER: The
hon. the Opposition House Leader.
MR. HUTCHINGS:
Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
I thank the minister for an advance copy of her statement. It's certainly encouraging to see the
continued interest in our offshore industry from various industry leaders.
Mr.
Speaker, we join with the government in welcoming Anadarko to the Flemish Pass
and certainly into our offshore arena. We wish them and their partners success
in their exploration.
As the
minister noted, through this and the recent C-NLOPB call for bids, there is
great potential in our Newfoundland and Labrador offshore industry; however, I
would be remiss if I didn't mention the generic royalty regime. Over a year ago,
our government announced a generic royalty regime which would encourage growth
and development in our offshore industry.
This
Liberal government although committing to implementing a generic royalty regime
in their red book, and through the minister's mandate letter, have yet to
fulfill this commitment. I certainly encourage the minister to work diligently
on this file as a generic royalty regime will pave the way for future oil and
gas development.
Thank
you, Mr. Speaker.
SOME HON. MEMBERS:
Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER:
The hon. Member for St.
John's East Quidi Vidi.
MS. MICHAEL:
Thank you very much, Mr.
Speaker.
I, too,
thank the minister for the advance copy of her statement. I have to say that I
trust government will ensure Anadarko is held to the C-NLOPB standards on worker
employment, safety and benefits to local business.
I also
remind the minister that the oil industry has taught us all a painful lesson
about the need for economic diversification. I further remind the minister that
the spending commitments are just that, money not yet spent. We have no evidence
oil companies will spend that full amount.
Thank
you very much, Mr. Speaker.
MR. SPEAKER:
The hon. Minister of Justice
and Public Safety and the Attorney General.
MR. A. PARSONS:
Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Mr.
Speaker, this year we are marking the 100th anniversary of the Battle of
Beaumont-Hamel.
Earlier
this fall, the Law Society of Newfoundland and Labrador held a special Call to
Bar to honour five students in law who suspended their studies to take part in
the war effort. Unfortunately, none of these five Newfoundlanders and
Labradorians had an opportunity to complete their studies after the war.
These
brave individuals were Cecil Clift; John Clift; William Hutchings; Janet Miller;
and Harris Rendell Oke. Each was ceremonially conferred with the Honorary Degree
of Barrister-at-Law by the Law Society.
Cecil
Clift was killed at Gueudecourt, France, on October 12, 1916; his brother John
was severely wounded and retired from the Newfoundland Regiment in 1919. He was
later awarded the Military Cross, and died of complications from war wounds in
1920.
William
Hutchings enlisted on September 16, 1914, and was discharged in 1919. He resumed
his law studies, but could not continue due to medical reasons.
Janet
Miller was the first female permitted to enter into articles in the province.
She joined the Voluntary Aid Detachment and served for the duration of the war.
Harris
Oke enlisted in 1914 and transferred to the Royal Scots Regiment in 1915. He was
also awarded the Military Cross. Following the war, he joined the British
Foreign Service.
Mr.
Speaker, I would like to commend the Law Society for holding this special Call
to Bar and ask my hon. colleagues in this House to join me in recognizing these
Newfoundlanders and Labradorians and their extraordinary contributions during
this time in our history.
Thank
you, Mr. Speaker.
SOME HON. MEMBERS:
Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER:
The hon. the Opposition House
Leader.
MR. HUTCHINGS:
Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
I
certainly thank the minister for an advance copy of his statement. We join with
the government in thanking the Law Society of Newfoundland and Labrador for
recognizing and honouring these five individuals. They are wonderful examples of
Newfoundlanders and Labradorians who unselfishly gave of themselves and
sacrificed so much for the freedom we enjoy and appreciate today.
Unfortunately, as the minister pointed out, none of the five had the opportunity
to complete their studies for various reasons, some of which were tragic. But,
Mr. Speaker, all completed a far greater calling and they are commended for
their service and their sacrifice.
I'd like
to thank the Law Society for the undertaking. Let us continue to remember and
celebrate the women, the men and the stories that are such an important part of
our province's cultural and historical fabric.
Thank
you, Mr. Speaker.
MR. SPEAKER:
The hon. the Member for St.
John's Centre.
MS. ROGERS:
Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
I too
thank the minister for the advance copy of his statement. How tragic the loss of
lives to war. In honour of these brave young folks who gave so much, so very
much, we must to continue to remember that peace is more than just the absence
of war, that means in their honour we must strive for a society where everyone
can thrive and live fully, that no one is left behind. And especially in light
of their great sacrifice, that we strive for a justice system that has the
resources it needs to serve our people well so everyone can live in safety, with
dignity and respect.
Thank
you, Mr. Speaker.
SOME HON. MEMBERS:
Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER:
Further statements by
ministers?
Oral
Questions.
Oral Questions
MR. SPEAKER:
The hon. the Opposition House
Leader.
MR. HUTCHINGS:
Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Mr.
Speaker, in the original loan guarantee for the Muskrat Falls Project there was
a clause prohibiting the sale of assets.
I ask
the Minister of Natural Resources: Will the new loan guarantee include the same
stipulation?
MR. SPEAKER:
The hon. the Minister of
Natural Resources.
MS. COADY:
Thank you very much, Mr.
Speaker.
We were
very pleased that the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador, and indeed the
people of Newfoundland and Labrador, that we were able to negotiate and have in
place an extended loan guarantee. I'm very pleased the federal government was
able to do that. We are still in discussions with the federal government on the
extension to the loan guarantee and the mechanisms around that.
Thank
you very much, Mr. Speaker.
SOME HON. MEMBERS:
Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER:
The hon. the Opposition House
Leader.
MR. HUTCHINGS:
Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
I
understand negotiations are underway and it's not finalized but one of the
conditions in your negotiations as the Minister of Natural Resources for this
province: Will the stipulation be the same that there will be no assets sold
under the condition of the loan guarantee for Muskrat Falls?
MR. SPEAKER:
The hon. the Minister of
Natural Resources.
MS. COADY:
Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Most of
our discussions have been around the extension of the loan guarantee itself, not
in the details of the agreement as the Member opposite has been detailing. We
have not gotten to those particular details. We have focused mostly on the
extension of the loan guarantee.
Thank
you, Mr. Speaker.
SOME HON. MEMBERS:
Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER:
The hon. the Opposition House
Leader.
MR. HUTCHINGS:
Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
I will
advise the minister, section 4.11, Change of Control, deals with the particular
issue that I talked about, and today she hasn't been able to confirm that a sale
of assets won't be a condition of the new loan guarantee.
Mr.
Speaker, after raising questions about the CEO of Nalcor employment contract,
the Auditor General referred me to the Premier and indicated that Cabinet could
take action in accordance with the
Conflict of Interest Act. I asked the Premier on September 20 to appoint a
conflict of interest advisory council to review Mr. Marshall's contract.
I ask
the Premier: Could I have an update on that letter?
MR. SPEAKER:
The hon. the Minister of
Natural Resources.
MS. COADY:
Thank you.
In
response to the first part of his question, Mr. Speaker, I have been clear. Our
discussions with the federal government have been on the extension of the loan
guarantee not on the details of the contract that currently exists, on the
extension of the loan guarantee.
To his
second point, Mr. Speaker, I'm pleased to report that we have had lots of
discussions around conflict of interest with regard to Mr. Marshall. The
committee has reviewed Mr. Marshall's conflicts. They have done a thorough
analysis, and I went a little bit further and asked Mr. Marshall to remove
himself from anything with regard to Fortis, for example, any discussions around
that, even though he is not in conflict. He does not breach any of the conflict
of interest rules.
Thank
you, Mr. Speaker.
SOME HON. MEMBERS:
Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER:
The hon. the Opposition House
Leader.
MR. HUTCHINGS:
Thank you.
I
wonder, could the minister advise us when that review was undertaken and could
we have a copy of the results of that review?
MR. SPEAKER:
The hon. the Minister of
Natural Resources.
MS. COADY:
Thank you very much, Mr.
Speaker.
A copy
of the act is available to the Member at all times, of course, and it does
detail what the conditions under which must be followed by Mr. Marshall and all
of us in the province today, Mr. Speaker. We've had a thorough review of Mr.
Marshall. We've asked it to be thoroughly reviewed. He has provided all the
documentation. It has been discussed, it has been reviewed. We even went a
little bit further and asked him to remove himself in certain circumstances, and
he has agreed to do all those things.
Mr.
Speaker, he is a renowned, international, award-winning CEO. He absolutely
understands conflict of interest rules. I can assure the people of the province,
I can assure the Members opposite; he's not in contravention of that.
Thank
you.
SOME HON. MEMBERS:
Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER:
The hon. the Opposition House
Leader.
MR. HUTCHINGS:
It's not questioning the
integrity of the gentleman; it's the process and the conflict of interest
guidelines.
I say to
the minister, I wrote the AG, he referred me to the Premier. I wrote the Premier
September 20 and asked that the committee be struck.
So are
you saying the committee was struck, they reviewed it, they came to conclusions
and you have those available? If you do, could you make them available to the
public?
Thank
you very much.
MR. SPEAKER:
The hon. the Minister of
Finance and President of Treasury Board.
MS. C. BENNETT:
Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
I would
like to remind the Member opposite that if you receive a salary from any agency,
board or commission in the Province of Newfoundland and Labrador, you have to
abide by the legislation that is governing those hires, which would be the
Conflict of Interest Act.
If
you're an employee, such as the individual that the Member opposite is referring
to, you are required to release directly and indirectly information and
documents that are confidential required not to release those documents. You
are required to comply with all of the rules that are stipulated in the
Conflict of Interest Act.
The
Public Service Commission ensures that those individuals that work across the
public sector, particularly that work, as the Member opposite is referring to,
in agencies, boards and commissions, are responsible for complying with that
act. As the minister has already said, the CEO for Nalcor certainly has complied
and has gone above that.
MR. SPEAKER:
Order, please!
SOME HON. MEMBERS:
Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER:
The hon. the Opposition House
Leader.
MR. HUTCHINGS:
Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Mr.
Speaker, we still don't know the request made on September 20, whether the
review was done and what the results for those reviews were. It appears that
information is not forthcoming.
Mr.
Speaker, the original contract for the new CEO of Nalcor mirrored that of Ed
Martin. There were significant changes made to the new CEO's contract regarding
conflict of interest.
I ask
the minister: What were the reasons for those changes?
MR. SPEAKER:
The hon. the Minister of
Natural Resources.
MS. COADY:
Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
As the
Member opposite wells knows, the contract rests with the board of Nalcor. As
I've repeated several times today and as the minister responsible for the
Conflict of Interest Act repeated, Mr.
Marshall's complete portfolio has been reviewed. He meets all the requirements.
There has been a thorough evaluation. And we went a little bit further and asked
Mr. Marshall to excuse himself from anything of a serious nature with Fortis.
So we
have gone above and beyond the steps that we were required. Mr. Marshall does
not hold any more than the 5 per cent less than the 5 per cent threshold that
is required under the act, and there is no conflict of interest here, Mr.
Speaker.
SOME HON. MEMBERS:
Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER:
The hon. the Opposition House
Leader.
MR. HUTCHINGS:
Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Mr.
Speaker, the June 10, 2016 draft contract notes that the CEO of Nalcor is not to
have any interest in an entity which may compete directly or indirectly with
Nalcor. However, the signed version allows for ownership, as the minister
mentioned, of 5 per cent in publicly traded companies such as Fortis.
I ask
the minister: Did she authorize this change, and are you confident that public
interests are protected?
MR. SPEAKER:
The hon. the Minister of
Natural Resources.
MS. COADY:
Yes, I'm very confident
public interest is protected under the conflict of interest rules, as the
minister responsible has indicated. As you know, Mr. Speaker, Mr. Marshall has
been reviewed under that act. He has been found to be completely incompliance
with that act.
In fact,
Mr. Marshall also knows conflict of interest because he has sat on many, many
boards and understands the requirements under, what I want to call, the
fiduciary responsibility and duties of a board member.
SOME HON. MEMBERS:
Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER:
The hon. the Opposition House
Leader.
MR. HUTCHINGS:
Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Mr.
Speaker, the prior CEOs contract stated that the CEO and family members shall
not have financial interest or holdings in companies in potential competition
with Nalcor, specifically Fortis. The new rewritten contract removed these
restrictions for the CEO, the current CEO and his family.
Can the
minister explain why the conflict of interest guidelines for the new CEO are so
different than the predecessor?
MR. SPEAKER:
The hon. the Minister of
Natural Resources.
MS. COADY:
Mr. Speaker, as I've said,
the contract does sit with the board of Nalcor, Nalcor Energy. However, I can
say again, we do have conflict of interest rules; we do have an act that Mr.
Marshall must comply with. His portfolio has been reviewed. He does not have any
inconsistencies with meeting that act. And we have gone that step further to ask
Mr. Marshall to remove himself, as he would because he's an experienced
director, from anything that would cause him to be in conflict.
Thank
you, Mr. Speaker.
SOME HON. MEMBERS:
Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER:
The hon. the Opposition House
Leader.
MR. HUTCHINGS:
Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
I'll
just ask the Natural Resources Minister this: What would happen if Fortis wanted
to purchase transmission lines for Nalcor? I ask the minister: Would that be a
conflict in that particular instance?
MR. SPEAKER:
The hon. the Minister of
Natural Resources.
MS. COADY:
Mr. Speaker, I can't get into
suppositions. I can't get into some esoteric possibilities. I can say, Mr.
Speaker, that the conflict of interest rules, the compliance with the act are
paramount. And Mr. Marshall understands this; the people that administer that
act understand this.
I can
say that I know that Mr. Marshall understands completely what he required of him
as CEO of Nalcor, and he is an international renowned CEO and an internationally
renowned director. He understands the rules of conflict. I can assure the people
of this province, as I can assure the Members opposite, that he following all
the requirements under that act.
Thank
you.
MR. SPEAKER:
The hon. the Member for
Conception Bay South.
MR. PETTEN:
Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
On
October 3, the Minister of Environment stormed out of a meeting with his federal
and provincial counterparts because he felt railroaded by incoming carbon tax.
I ask
the minister: Are you in agreement with the prime minister's proposed carbon
tax?
MR. SPEAKER:
The hon. the Minister of
Environment and Climate Change.
MR. TRIMPER:
Thank you very much, Mr.
Speaker.
I guess
the word stormed is a bit of an exaggeration. Certainly, there was great
concern on that day. For the previous six months, my staff have been working
very hard to come up with a solution that could work for what has to be Canada's
and the world's most important problem, that is of climate change.
In terms
of what the federal government announced on the 3rd of October, there's great
concern. We've brought that back and we're engaged in discussions with the
federal government. I look forward to reporting back on progress, hopefully.
Thank
you.
SOME HON. MEMBERS:
Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER:
The hon. Member for
Conception Bay South.
MR. PETTEN:
Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
When
Muskrat Falls is completed, Newfoundland and Labrador will be 99 per cent carbon
free.
I ask
the minister: Do you believe Newfoundland should have a carbon tax?
MR. SPEAKER:
The hon. Minister of
Environment and Climate Change.
MR. TRIMPER:
Thank you very much for the
supplementary question.
What I
do believe is that this province should have the ability to find its own way
forward in this great challenge. I'm very pleased to say that in June we passed
legislation dealing with large industry. Its jurisdiction has stepped up.
I'm very
pleased to say that understanding our situation as we are and our exposure, it's
going to be important to consider all options. Carbon tax is one of them. Cap
and trade and other mechanisms are out there.
I look
forward to working closely with, what I must say, is probably Canada's top team
on climate change. We'll find a way forward.
Thank
you.
SOME HON. MEMBERS:
Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER:
The hon. Member for
Conception Bay South.
MR. PETTEN:
Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Mr.
Speaker, the federal government will price carbon at $10 a ton in 2018 with a
$10 yearly increase to 2022. Our province already has an enormously high
gasoline tax.
I ask
the Minister of Finance: Will she commit to reducing or removing the gas tax
when carbon tax is imposed?
MR. SPEAKER:
The hon. Minister of
Environment and Climate Change.
MR. TRIMPER:
I guess what I'd like to
start with first of all, Mr. Speaker, is correcting the statement about 99 per
cent. It's actually going to be some 98 per cent. While it might sound like I'm
dealing with little numbers, when you're talking about millions of tons of
greenhouse gas emissions, and the fact that by the time Muskrat Falls is
completed and Holyrood is down, we will be at 98 per cent in terms of non-GHG
sources for generating electricity.
In terms
of whether or not moving the temporary tax to a carbon tax or not, it's an
option that's available to us. As I said, the staff are working very hard right
now with Ottawa. I look forward to reporting back on hopefully progress.
SOME HON. MEMBERS:
Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER:
The hon. Member for
Conception Bay South.
MR. PETTEN:
Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
I ask
the Minister of Environment: Can you table your analysis of how carbon tax will
impact the people of our province?
MR. SPEAKER:
The hon. the Minister of
Finance and President of Treasury Board.
MS. C. BENNETT:
Mr. Speaker, the Member
opposite asked a question this afternoon about the temporary gas tax that our
government had to bring in as a result of the very challenging fiscal situation
that the Members who served in government in the past left the people of the
province to face.
Certainly, as we said in this year's fiscal update, that particular gas tax has
been in place for only a few months. We've made a commitment and are continuing
to review the implications of that gas tax. We will be making further decisions
as to whether or not that temporary tax will be continuing, or continuing in
what form, as we move towards budget 2017.
Thank
you, Mr. Speaker.
SOME HON. MEMBERS:
Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER:
The hon. the Member for
Conception Bay South.
MR. PETTEN:
Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
I thank
the minister for her answer to my previous question, but I'll ask the Minister
Environment: Can you table your analysis of how carbon tax will impact the
people of this province?
MR. SPEAKER:
The hon. the Minister of
Environment and Climate Change.
MR. TRIMPER:
I guess at this time, Mr.
Speaker, in response to the question, the deliberations are ongoing. As I said
on the 3rd of October when I found myself at the Canadian Council of Ministers
of Environment meeting, there was a great surprise. The direction that the
federal government is moving in certainly is not the one that this government
and this province had started on. There is a significant amount of effort and
deliberation right now.
As I
said to the Member, I do look forward to advising him and this House as to the
full implications of what is being proposed in Ottawa and, hopefully, what can
work for this province as we go forward on this very important issue.
Thank
you.
SOME HON. MEMBERS:
Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER:
The hon. the Member for
Conception Bay South.
MR. PETTEN:
Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Carbon
pricing will have a huge impact on the cost of transportation of people and
goods.
Can the
minister detail the additional cost to consumers?
MR. SPEAKER:
The hon. the Minister of
Environment and Climate Change.
MR. TRIMPER:
As I indicated, I'm unable to
provide an indication of that at this time. But what I can tell you, and I can
tell the entire people of this province, whether it be industry or consumers,
they are upper most in our minds in terms of what we agree to and how we proceed
on the Pan-Canadian framework.
There's
no question, consumers are greatly exposed right now because of the huge
investment in Muskrat Falls. Placing additional burden on them right now is a
huge concern, not just for myself but for all of my colleagues. So let me just
say, this is very much one of our priorities.
SOME HON. MEMBERS:
Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER:
The hon. the Member for
Conception Bay South.
MR. PETTEN:
Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
I don't
seem to be getting answers to the questions. I'll try another one now.
It will
also have a significant impact on the province's municipalities. I ask the
minister: What will be the particular impacts to municipalities?
MR. SPEAKER:
The hon. the Minister of
Environment and Climate Change.
MR. TRIMPER:
Thank you very much.
I guess
what I can say and if the Member opposite wants to sort of breakdown the
population and think that any one group might be particularly more exposed than
another, what I can tell you is that this most significant problem in this
province and, indeed, the country and around the world will touch all walks of
life.
I'm very
pleased to say that I'm part of a team that has been working on finding a
solution, in light of the complexity of this issue, that will consider whether
it be consumers, municipal, provincial indigenous governments by the way.
One of
the key issues I'd like to bring up, if I could, is the fact that the federal
government talked about special considerations for the territories because they
have communities on diesel. Well, Mr. Speaker, we have 21 communities right now
in the same situation. I think it's very important that I took a pause and
thought about those people as well.
SOME HON. MEMBERS:
Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER:
The hon. the Member for
Conception Bay South.
MR. PETTEN:
Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
So this
government, while not able to give any details around the impacts of the people
of the province, I ask the minister: Are you comfortable to blindly support this
proposed carbon tax?
MR. SPEAKER:
The hon. the Minister of
Environment and Climate Change.
MR. TRIMPER:
One detail that I think that
would be useful for the House to understand and we have reached an understanding
with Ottawa is on the issue of recyclage so that if money is raised as a result
of a carbon tax, it remains in the jurisdiction. So then you certainly want to
have that available for the most vulnerable parts of our society whether it be
indigenous organizations, whether it be people on low income and so on. The
concept of recyclage is out there, so I would offer that at least as a partial
answer to the Member's question.
SOME HON. MEMBERS:
Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER:
The hon. the Member for Cape
St. Francis.
MR. K. PARSONS:
Thank you very much, Mr.
Speaker.
I've
been in contact with a number of residents from the Norman's Cove-Long Cove area
who are concerned about the local economy and the jobs and their fish plant
since the devastating fire in July.
I ask
the Minister of Fisheries: Has he considered transferring the processing
licences and moving it to Southern Harbour?
MR. SPEAKER:
The hon. the Minister of
Fisheries, Forestry and Agrifoods.
MR. CROCKER:
Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Mr.
Speaker, as a government, we have responded to the people of Norman's Cove-Long
Cove in the same way as we did with the people of Bay de Verde and offered any
assistance we could for the tragic fire that happened in their fish plant back
this summer.
With
regard to the question from the Member, with transferring a licence, I think the
question he's asking is there is an application before the independent licensing
board for Quin-Sea to purchase the operation in Southern Harbour. This is not a
licence transfer request. At this point there has been no request to transfer
any licence from the Town of Norman's Cove-Long Cove.
Thank
you, Mr. Speaker.
SOME HON. MEMBERS:
Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER:
The hon. the Member for Cape
St. Francis.
MR. K. PARSONS:
Mr. Speaker, the people in
the community cannot get any answers from the minister or their local MHA.
I'm
asking the minister: Will you step in and hold a public meeting in the area?
MR. SPEAKER:
The hon. the Minister of
Fisheries, Forestry and Agrifoods.
MR. CROCKER:
Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Mr.
Speaker, I have not had a formal request from the Town of Norman's Cove-Long
Cove for a meeting because I can assure you the Member and I actually met with
the town immediately following the fire.
SOME HON. MEMBERS:
Hear, hear!
MR. CROCKER:
I can assure the Member
opposite if the Town of Norman's Cove-Long Cove would like to sit down with
myself and I'm sure the Member, we would certainly be willing to do so. But I
remind the Member let's be clear on this any licensing process in this
province, when it comes to a fish processing company, is done through an
independent board, Mr. Speaker.
SOME HON. MEMBERS:
Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER:
The hon. Member for Cape St.
Francis.
MR. K. PARSONS:
Mr. Speaker, the local MHA
was asked by a constituent what's happening with the fish plant. The MHA replied
and said I can't get any answers; there's nothing I can do.
I ask
the minister: Has the local MHA for Placentia West Bellevue not asked the
minister to ensure these jobs remain in these communities?
MR. SPEAKER:
The hon. the
MR. CROCKER:
Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
MR. SPEAKER:
Order, please!
The hon.
Minister of Fisheries, Forestry and Agrifoods.
AN HON. MEMBER:
Anxious.
MR. CROCKER:
Yeah, I am. I'm anxious, Mr.
Speaker, because I can assure the Member opposite and the people of the district
that their Member I can assure you we talk about this issue pretty much on a
daily or at least bi-daily basis. I can assure you that Member is working hard
on behalf of the people of his district.
With
regard to the issue in Norman's Cove-Long Cove, the Member and I met with the
company days after the fire. I met with the company yesterday and we met with
the town as well.
I'm
available to meet with the town at any time that we can arrange a schedule. I
speak to the company on a regular basis. They have not made the most recent
conversation I had with the company, they were still waiting on information back
from the insurance adjustors.
Mr.
Speaker, I can assure the hon. Member that the Member that represents that
district is doing a fine job for his constituents.
SOME HON. MEMBERS:
Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER:
The hon. Member for Cape St.
Francis.
MR. K. PARSONS:
The Norman's Cove-Long Cove
fish plant was owned by Dorset Fisheries and Quin-Sea; however, recently
purchased by the company Royal Greenland. We know that the minister approved the
transfer of licence to Royal Greenland.
I ask
the minister: Do you intend to ignore the local request yet again and give
authorization to Royal Greenland to move this plant?
MR. SPEAKER:
The hon. Minister of
Fisheries, Forestry and Agrifoods.
MR. CROCKER:
Mr. Speaker, sorry but I'm
not sure that the Member opposite understands the licensing process in this
province. It's a board that the previous administration set up. It's an
independent board.
A few
weeks ago, Dorset Fisheries put a notification in a local paper saying that they
have a request to go before the board to purchase the plant in Southern Harbour.
There has been no request made with regard to the plant in Norman's Cove-Long
Cove.
For the
Member to stand up and start to tie stuff back in the process of Quin-Sea and
Royal Greenland. Mr. Speaker, this company operated here this summer, they did a
good job, very few issues around the company. For him to stand up and talk about
an independent process that they set up, he's pretty ill informed.
Thank
you, Mr. Speaker.
SOME HON. MEMBERS:
Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER:
The hon. the Member for Cape
St. Francis.
MR. K. PARSONS:
I'll tell you what is ill
informed, are the people in the area that are getting no answers. That's what's
ill informed.
SOME HON. MEMBERS:
Hear, hear!
MR. K. PARSONS:
There are 200 workers in this
area that demand answers. They want to know what's happening to their fish
plant. They're asking for a public meeting. Those are the requests that I'm
getting from people in the area, and I ask the minister to step in and give them
a public meeting.
We do
realize that it's done through the licensing board, but we want to know: Will
you ensure that the licence doesn't get transferred and it stays in the Norman's
Cove-Long Cove area?
MR. SPEAKER:
The hon. the Member for
Placentia West Bellevue.
SOME HON. MEMBERS:
Hear, hear!
MR. BROWNE:
Mr. Speaker, I thank the
Member opposite for the interest in the Norman's Cove-Long Cove situation.
On the
morning after the fire, which was a devastation for the entire community in the
region, myself and the parliamentary secretary for Municipal Affairs were on the
ground. I have continued to be informed by my constituents and their concerns,
but when dealing with a private company, it is hard to get information from that
private company. But this government has stepped up in a very big way to ensure
that those affected got the required hours for their EI, and, Mr. Speaker, I can
assure the Member opposite and the people of my district that we will remain
committed to the people of Norman's Cove-Long Cove.
SOME HON. MEMBERS:
Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER:
The hon. the Member for Cape
St. Francis.
MR. K. PARSONS:
I ask the hon. Member: Will
you hold a public meeting in the area, because they want to know?
MR. SPEAKER:
The hon. the Member for
Placentia West Bellevue.
MR. BROWNE:
Mr. Speaker, I'm available to
my constituents at a moment's notice. If they want a meeting, I will certainly
have it, and if the Member opposite wants to come along with me, he's more than
welcome.
SOME HON. MEMBERS:
Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER:
The hon. the Member for St.
John's East Quidi Vidi.
MS. MICHAEL:
Thank you very much, Mr.
Speaker.
Since
being elected a year ago today, this government has hammered the people of this
province with fees and levies, laid off public servants, and slashed programs
and services. In the media today the Premier is quoted as saying he is
optimistic about the future.
I ask
the Premier: How can he be optimistic when, by the government's own account,
their plan will yield a 15 per cent loss of employment and 22 per cent loss of
earned income, driven by the budget measures that his government has taken this
year?
MR. SPEAKER:
Order, please!
Before I
recognize the hon. Premier, I've asked Members of the House to respect the
individual who's standing to speak. The only person I wish to hear is the
individual standing to speak.
The hon.
the Premier.
PREMIER BALL:
Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Well,
I'm not surprised at all that the leader of the Third Party would get up and
attribute some of the comments that she's made about unemployment rates because
it is a very serious issue in our province.
Where I
disagree with the Member opposite is the fact that she attributed that to the
budget of 2016-2017, I say, Mr. Speaker. Because once again, if the Member had
looked back at the economic forecast for many years, you would find the answer
that in those forecasts for quite a number of years there was a prediction of
unemployment rates growing in our province. You saw slowing housing starts. So
contribute that or attribute that to just this one year is disingenuous by the
Member opposite.
Like
most of Newfoundland and Labrador, I am optimistic about the future. This
government will do its part in making sure the youth are optimistic too.
SOME HON. MEMBERS:
Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER:
Order, please!
MS. MICHAEL:
(Inaudible.)
MR. SPEAKER:
The Member hasn't been
recognized yet.
Order,
please!
If you
want to be picked up on Broadcast, the Member has to be recognized.
The hon.
the Member for St. John's East Quidi Vidi.
MS. MICHAEL:
Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
I
thought you had recognized me, I apologize.
I say to
the Premier, let him read his own budget speech and find out what the budget
speech says about the impact of that speech.
This
province has suffered austerity measures not seen in a long time, with no job
strategy and no economic plan to stimulate growth, yet the Premier says his
government is doing a better job at communicating and is optimistic about the
future.
I ask
the Premier, when will he communicate a job strategy which is the number one
issue in the province today?
MR. SPEAKER:
The hon. the Premier.
PREMIER BALL:
Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Well,
job strategy is certainly important to Newfoundlanders and Labradorians. That
was one of the reasons why this government, as part of this budget in
collaboration and working in co-operation with many municipalities, with our
federal colleagues, with Aboriginal communities, we invested $570 million into
infrastructure. We've been able to leverage that with federal dollars, with
private sector money and so on. Mr. Speaker, the full impact of that
infrastructure investment will be next year.
Also,
The Way Forward:
A Vision for Sustainability and Growth in Newfoundland and Labrador,
have many measures in that vision statement that will actually produce jobs for
Newfoundlanders and Labradorians.
I remain
optimistic about our future. This has been a difficult year. The first thing we
had to do was secure our foundation, Mr. Speaker, and we've gone a long ways in
doing that.
SOME HON. MEMBERS:
Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER:
The hon. the Member for St.
John's Centre.
MS. ROGERS:
Mr. Speaker, the Minister of
Fisheries, Forestry and Agrifoods recently told the federal standing committee
that he was concerned about the impact that new federal fish habitat protection
measures will have on the province's aquaculture industry. Neither he nor the
Minister of Environment and Climate Change seem concerned about, though, what
impact salmon aquaculture might have on fish habitat.
I ask
the Minister of Environment and Climate Change: Why did he not do a full
evidence-based environmental assessment before approving the massive Grieg
salmon aquaculture project for Placentia Bay?
MR. SPEAKER:
The hon. the Minister of
Environment and Climate Change.
MR. TRIMPER:
Thank you very much for the
question, Mr. Speaker.
Well, in
fact, the Grieg proposal actually spent some 10 months and very many hours of
scrutiny within my department, other provincial and federal departments, before
I made a decision to release the project. Note that that condition to release it
was with the understanding of several key conditions that the proponent must
undertake, which include further scrutiny and further environmental assessment
in the context of fisheries and oceans and within the context of my provincial
counterpart in fisheries.
So the
project still has some hurdles to go through. That's where it is. As the matter
is before the courts, that's about all I can say.
Thank
you.
SOME HON. MEMBERS:
Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER:
The hon. the Member for St.
John's Centre.
MS. ROGERS:
Mr. Speaker, I ask the
minister: Has he asked DFO to do an evaluation of the impact salmon aquaculture
has had on fish habitat on the South Coast before approving the Placentia Bay
aquaculture project and, if so, will be table it?
MR. SPEAKER:
The hon. the Minister of
Fisheries, Forestry and Agrifoods.
MR. CROCKER:
Mr. Speaker, it's absolutely
amazing. In the first question, the leader of the Third Party gets up and talks
about diversifying the economy and creating jobs. Then they get up and criticize
a project that's gone through an environmental review. They're criticizing an
industry that is $161 million this year in this province.
It's the
major provider of employment on the Connaigre Peninsula. It's revitalized that
region of the province and it's just astonishing that she would get up in this
place and criticize our due diligence in a project that's going to, if approved,
create many jobs in the province. It's astonishing, Mr. Speaker.
SOME HON. MEMBERS:
Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER:
The time for Question Period
has expired.
SOME HON. MEMBERS:
Oh, oh!
MR. SPEAKER:
Order, please!
Presenting Reports by Standing and Select Committees.
Tabling
of Documents.
Notices
of Motion.
Answers
to Questions for which Notice has been Given.
Petitions.
Petitions
MR. SPEAKER:
The hon. Member for Fortune
Bay Cape La Hune.
MS. PERRY:
Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
I rise
in this hon. House today to present a petition regarding our seniors once again,
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
Budget 2016 dramatically cut home care
hours to many of the province's most vulnerable people;
WHEREUPON the undersigned, your petitioners, humbly pray and call upon the House
of Assembly to urge government to immediately reinstate much-needed supports to
those who need it and to develop a plan to further address the growing needs of
people requiring home care support.
And as
in duty bound, your petitioners will ever pray.
Mr.
Speaker, I raised this petition in the House yesterday as well and talked about
how this year, more than any other year, I have had calls of distress to my
office and people literally in tears because of the negative impact that
Budget 2016, brought down by the
Liberals, has had on their lives and on their well-being.
I'm sure
many people in the province have read the story on the front page of
The Telegram today which brought tears
to my eyes, Mr. Speaker. This is the reality, the situation that many people in
our province find themselves in. There was a decision by the Liberal government.
They can
find money, Mr. Speaker, to hire their friends in positions in the House of
Assembly and across the government bureaucracy, but they saw fit to cut home
care to the most vulnerable citizens of our province, and that being our seniors
and our persons with challenges who truly need this care.
Across
the board in every single community of this province, every single person who is
a recipient of home care has lost at least one hour, Mr. Speaker. That one hour
makes a huge difference to the people who need and rely on home care to have
somewhat of a decent quality of life. It's absolutely shameful.
I think
it's deplorable that you would see the government opposite continue to fill
vacancies and appoint their Liberal friends in positions, at the same time
cutting services to our seniors who they claim is a big priority for them. It's
absolutely devastating, Mr. Speaker, and I truly hope that they see wisdom in
the months ahead to reverse the decisions that they're making, to truly do what
they said they were going to do in terms of helping seniors, and that is helping
them right where they need it most: in their homes.
Thank
you so much, Mr. Speaker.
MR. SPEAKER:
The hon. the Member for Mount
Pearl North.
MR. KENT:
Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
To the
hon. 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
provincial wait-lists for long-term care continue to grow; and
WHEREAS
hospital beds are increasingly being occupied by individuals who are in need of
long-term care; and
WHEREAS
this government cancelled the previous administration's plan to increase
capacity by 360 beds province-wide;
WHEREUPON the undersigned, your petitioners, humbly pray and call upon the House
of Assembly to urge government to immediately develop a plan to address the
shortage of long-term care beds in order to ensure people receive appropriate
care and are treated with dignity.
And as
in duty bound, your petitioners will ever pray.
Mr.
Speaker, I know I continue to raise this issue because it's an important one
and, frankly, had government followed through with the plan of the previous
administration, we would have 360 new beds nearing completion right now in
Corner Brook, in Central Newfoundland, Grand Falls-Windsor, Gander areas, and
also here on the Northeast Avalon.
Wait-lists continue to grow. There is a growing need for long-term care. And I
agree with the Minister of Health and Community Services, consistent with the
Close to Home strategy of the previous administration, we need to do everything
we can to enable our elderly to remain in their own homes and in their own
communities as long as they wish to do so. And that requires a different
approach
SOME HON. MEMBERS:
Oh, oh!
MR. SPEAKER:
Order, please!
MR. KENT:
Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
That
requires a different approach than what appears to be being taken at this point
in time. Even with best efforts made to strengthen home care, even though the
recent budget did the opposite, and even with efforts to enhance services
offered to personal care homes, there will still inevitably be a need for
long-term care services, expanded services, given the aging demographics that we
find here in this province.
So it's
time for action. It takes time to build new infrastructure. It takes time to
open new beds. In the past year, we've actually seen a reduction in beds which
makes no sense, given the magnitude of the challenge.
So yes,
let's do everything we can to enable people to remain in their homes as long as
possible with as much independence as possible, but we can't ignore the urgent
need for more long-term care which is resulting in cancelled surgeries, it's
resulting in patients laying in hallways on stretchers, and backups in emergency
rooms.
Mr.
Speaker, action is needed and it's needed now.
Thank
you.
MR. SPEAKER:
The hon. the Member for Cape
St. Francis.
MR. K. PARSONS:
Thank you very much, Mr.
Speaker.
To the
hon. House of Assembly of the Province Newfoundland and Labrador in Parliament
assembled, the petition of the undersigned residents of Newfoundland and
Labrador humbly sheweth:
WHEREAS
the recreational ground fishery is part of our culture, history and heritage;
and
WHEREAS
the federal government is proposing a tag system for the recreational fishery
for 2017; and
WHEREAS
participants would have to purchase a licence and purchase tags in order to
participate in the recreational fishery;
WHEREUPON the undersigned, your petitioners, humbly pray and call upon the House
of Assembly to urge government to urge the federal government not to implement a
cost or fees for those participating in the recreational fishery in 2017.
And as
in duty bound, your petitioners will ever pray.
Mr.
Speaker, the reason why I wanted to bring this forward today: Today is the last
day for anyone to put an application or talk to DFO on this before they do their
final analysis of what they're going to do. It sounded like, to me, when I went
to the meeting that this is a done deal and they're just trying to figure out
the number of tags, cost and small stuff like this.
The
Minister of Fisheries the other day, when asked, said that we'll be treated the
same way as Atlantic Canada. Well, I'd like to inform the Minister of Fisheries
that the rest of Atlantic Canada this year will not have to use tags nor will
the rest of Atlantic Canada have to pay to go to the recreational fishery, food
fishery or whatever you want to call it.
So I
really want to emphasize to the minister that all we're asking for is to be
treated like the rest of Canada when it comes to our groundfish. Our residents
shouldn't have to pay. I agree that there should be some way to monitor how much
fish we're catching. It's important for science. It's important for when we do
allocations on quotas and whatnot in the future. So it is important. But there
are other ways to do it than asking regular Newfoundlanders and Labradorians to
pay to go out to catch a cod, which is our right to go out and catch a cod as
far as I'm concerned.
Thank
you very much, Mr. Speaker.
SOME HON. MEMBERS:
Hear, hear!
Orders of the Day
Private Members'
Day
MR. SPEAKER:
It being Private Members'
Day, I call on the Member for the District of Terra Nova to proceed with his
private Member's resolution.
MR. HOLLOWAY:
Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
It is
certainly my pleasure to stand in the House today and introduce this private
Member's resolution:
WHEREAS
Newfoundland and Labrador has a diverse and thriving social enterprise sector,
which is actively meeting social, cultural, economic and environmental needs
throughout the province; and
WHEREAS
social enterprises can help communities control their own economic future, fill
critical gaps in the economy, and provide space for a new generation of
entrepreneurs to apply their skills; and
WHEREAS
social enterprise development is another innovation tool for advancing regional
growth opportunities to benefit the economy;
THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that this hon. House supports the Government of
Newfoundland and Labrador's initiative to implement a social enterprise action
plan, including long-term strategic goals supported by an annual work plan and
certainly it would be tabled early in 2017.
I'm
pleased to move this motion today, Mr. Speaker. The motion will be seconded by
the hon Member for St. George's Humber.
I just
want to talk a little bit, Mr. Speaker, about social enterprises and the social
enterprise action plan in this province. This private Member's resolution stems
from The Way Forward vision statement
which was released by the Premier last month.
Specifically, it is identified as Action 2.5 under the heading: A Stronger
Economic Foundation. So I just want to talk about that for a second, Mr.
Speaker. It says, as outlined in The Way
Forward document, there is specific action related to increasing the number
of social enterprises in Newfoundland and Labrador and enhancing the services of
existing social enterprises.
So to do
this, the vision document states that our Government will develop a Social
Enterprise Action Plan, including long-term strategic goals supported by an
annual work plan. Social enterprise development is another innovation tool for
advancing regional growth opportunities to benefit the economy, support rural
sustainability and encourage entrepreneurial governance models and service
delivery.
Mr.
Speaker, I was particularly pleased to be able to stand and speak to this
resolution today, given my vast experience working in the community prior to
coming to this hon. House. I can tell you that having been a long-term volunteer
in the community and having been out there helping with community economic
development with a number of social enterprises and others in the province, I
certainly understand the intent of the resolution. I want to talk a little bit
about a definition of a social enterprise and the impact it's really going to
have on this province, but specifically about rural Newfoundland and Labrador.
Mr.
Speaker, while the term social enterprise may seem relatively new to some people
it is not, in and of itself, a new concept. There are lots of examples of social
enterprises in our province and across the country. The first challenge is to
actually define what social enterprise really is. There are a number of
definitions out there describing social enterprises. I think I'll talk about a
couple of those.
The
Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) some people may
recognize the acronym defines social enterprise as any private
activity conducted in the public interest, organised with an entrepreneurial
strategy, but whose main purpose is not the maximisation of profit but the
attainment of certain economic and social goals, and which has a capacity for
bringing innovative solutions to the problems of social exclusion and
unemployment
.
The Government of Canada also defines social enterprise a
little bit differently. They say a social enterprise that seeks to achieve
social, cultural or environmental aims through the sale of goods and services.
The social enterprise can be for-profit or not-for-profit but the majority of
net profits must be directed to a social objective
. Now we believe, Mr.
Speaker, this is the better definition and fits with the objects we are after in
this initiative.
Recently, I was fortunate enough to read a discussion paper
that was provided by the Community Sector Council here in this province. It was
titled: Accelerating Change, Thoughts on How to Build a Social Enterprise
Strategy for Newfoundland and Labrador. I just want to read for a second, in
terms of the definition that comes out in this paper.
It talks about, Social enterprises are community-based
businesses that sell goods or services in the market place to achieve a social,
cultural and / or environmental purpose, and they reinvest their profits to
support that purpose. In the context of Canada's economy and social fabric,
social enterprises are demonstrating true innovation along with economic and
social impact. It's contained in the report but it's comes from the Social
Enterprise Council of Canada.
Mr. Speaker, our economy is made up of three distinct, yet
overlapping economic models: the private sector, which we are all familiar with.
The second is the public sector, and the third is known by many names. It's
known as the not-for-profit sector. It is known as a charitable sector, the
voluntary sector, and these days it's most commonly identified as the community
sector. This third sector is
also being increasingly referred to as the social economy.
I can
tell you, Mr. Speaker, over my years working in the community and working
specifically with the Community Sector Council on a number their initiatives, I
often heard that term about the social economy. I think those listening at home
would certainly be aware of that terminology as we're talking about it today.
Mr.
Speaker, the intent of this motion today is to offer support for the government
as they move forward with a plan to increase the level of activity in our
province within the social economy. The things that fit under the social
enterprise heading are things like co-operatives and non-profit organizations,
charities, community associations, credit unions and businesses created to
provide sustainability and I think that's a key word here, Mr. Speaker to
organizations providing community supports.
I just
want to talk a little bit about a couple of examples to help people, I guess,
truly understand, what does a social enterprise really look like. So let's use
an example that we're all familiar with. The one I want to talk about is the
Epilepsy Association of Newfoundland and Labrador. It's a charity that does a
lot of good work for people with epilepsy. They provide needed supports their
clients. They provide supports to the families of people living with this
condition. They invest in research for new treatments for epilepsy and so on.
They're
keenly interested in a socially important issue, and, in fact, a health issue in
the community. The Epilepsy Association of Newfoundland and Labrador also
operate a retail store, and the profits from the store are being used to
reinvest into the social and community objectives of the association. So in a
nutshell, Mr. Speaker, this is a social enterprise. It employs people, consumes
its own share of products and services in its operation, and it provides a
needed service in the community and in the consumer marketplace.
I also
just want to talk for a second, Mr. Speaker, about a social enterprise within my
district, within the great District of Terra Nova. I want to talk about the
Clarenville area SPCA. Similar to the Epilepsy Association of Newfoundland and
Labrador, they provide an important service to the community, and that's the
protection and prevention of cruelty to animals. What they've been doing over
the last couple of years is they would have spring sales and fall sales, and
they recognized they were getting a lot of contributions from the community.
Probably too much that they could sell on a one-day occurrence.
So they
opened up a thrift store this year. They built on an extension to the SPCA and
they opened up a thrift store. Now they employ people. They're selling things
back to the community at a lower cost, especially for people who might have some
challenges in terms of requiring goods and services. So they're providing and
filling a niche that exists in the community. That's another great example, Mr.
Speaker, of what a social enterprise can do in many rural communities in this
province.
It's
quite possible, Mr. Speaker, the first one in our province was established as
far back as 1895. In that year, a co-operative was established in Red Bay,
Labrador, by Sir Wilfred Grenfell as part of the Grenfell Mission effort to
improve the lives of fishers and their families.
The
formation of the Fogo Island fishers co-operative another good example of a
social enterprise, Mr. Speaker through what is known as the Fogo process is
recognized worldwide as an example of how the co-operative model can help
facilitate the development of self-sustaining rural communities.
In
practice, social enterprises are community-based organizations that run some
form of business generating revenue through the production and sale of goods and
services. With the revenue generated, social enterprises reinvest in community
goals. Such enterprises can provide a public service which benefits the entire
community, while at the same time playing a lead role in the creation and
maintenance of a competitive economic environment.
Social
enterprises have the potential to provide affordable services through the
collective production of goods and services, which can be a clear benefit of
many rural communities. Such enterprises can play a lead role in job creation
and provide entrepreneurial skills and experience to those involved.
I just
want to go back for a second, Madam Speaker, and give you a couple of examples
of really what happens within social enterprises that currently exist in this
province.
The
Community Sector Council did a survey of social enterprises in the province in
2014. I just want to talk a little bit. They provide paid employment for at
least 815 workers in Newfoundland and Labrador, together earned over $5 million
in wages and salaries; 528 people were employed as part of the mission of the
social enterprise, so those with disabilities and other employment barriers.
The
total revenue earned by these 30 groups that were part of the survey in 2014 was
at least $10 million. It includes sales of goods and services of $6 million. So
they have a tremendous impact in this province, Madam Speaker, in terms of what
social enterprises do.
This is
an opportunity for our government to connect with the action plan, to other
activities such as the Business Innovation Agenda, the co-op development
memorandum of understanding and other regional economic development initiatives.
Madam
Speaker, Newfoundland and Labrador's social enterprise are operating in a range
of sectors, including tourism, construction, the arts, fisheries, home care,
social housing services to people with disabilities and the list goes on and on
and on.
True
social enterprises are non-profit organizations run by volunteer boards, with no
profits paid out to individual shareholders. The organization's focus must be on
some broader community benefit and the examples that I have given thus far,
Madam Speaker, certainly speak to that. It is about the benefit to communities.
Social
enterprise has really been a big business in this Nation. Wages and salaries
just talking about what's happening across Canada, there was also a survey in
2016 about social enterprises across the country and 26 per cent of social
enterprises in Canada provide employment development; 19 per cent provide
workforce training for workforce integration; and 19 per cent generate income
for a parent or a non-profit organization. So, Madam Speaker, even across the
country, social enterprises are having a tremendous impact in many of the
communities.
We have
a lot of social enterprises coming into the market and we want to capitalize on
this type of economic opportunity. That's why we're bringing forward this
resolution today and that's why we're also keenly interested in the debate
that's going to happen this afternoon.
I look
forward to coming back towards the end of the afternoon, hearing what others
have to say and providing some more commentary.
Thank
you very much, Madam Speaker.
SOME HON. MEMBERS:
Hear, hear!
MADAM SPEAKER (Dempster):
The Speaker
recognizes the hon. Member for Mount Pearl North.
MR. KENT:
Thank you, Madam Speaker, and
good afternoon.
I want
to thank the Member for Terra Nova for bringing forward this motion today. I
also commend him for taking an approach this afternoon that didn't sound at all
politically charged, to me. I think that's a really good thing, and I say that
sincerely.
Social
enterprise can play a real role in helping our economy and helping communities
and helping vulnerable sectors of our population. So it's a cause that was
talked about within government, as the Member would know, in 2013, 2014, 2015. I
only have a little bit of time but I want to take some time to highlight some of
the progress that has been made. Not necessarily by the past the government,
even though I'm pleased that we supported some of the work, but by the community
sector and by social enterprises in our province that have been pioneers and
leaders.
Recognizing I don't have a lot of time, I want to start by saying that I support
the spirit and intent of the motion for sure. It would be crazy not to, given
the work we've done in recent years. I don't need to spend time defining social
enterprise; I think the Member did a good job of doing that.
I think
this is an issue of significant importance. I also take some comfort in the fact
that the Minister of Business, Tourism, Culture and Rural Development is also a
believer in social enterprise. Based on our past discussions and based on the
experience that I know he has in his own district, I know that to be true, so I
think that's a good thing as well.
I think
I've been way too positive already, but I'll tone it down. I know I'm making you
nervous, so I'll tone it down from here on in. I don't want to spend too much
time giving a history lesson, but I will point out that in a couple of previous
Blue Books, under the past administration, there were some commitments made to
helping support and advance social enterprise. And those things were brought to
fruition. There were initiatives that were untaken that helped move the ball
further down the field, so to speak.
I'm
pleased to see social enterprise highlighted in
The Way Forward document because it
shows that government is committed to continuing to advance that work. I think
that's really positive. It's fairly difficult work. I spent a good chunk of
career, before going into provincial politics, working in the community sector.
While I wasn't directly involved in social enterprise, I partnered with and
worked with a number of organizations that were.
And
during my time as the parliamentary secretary in the role the Member now holds,
and then later as minister responsible for the Office of Public Engagement, I
had a chance to work directly with people in the sector that were engaged in
this work. I think it's important to note that several provinces have also
developed their own social enterprise action plans, so I think there are some
things we can learn from them.
I want
to make it clear that I don't believe that governments can just say we need more
social enterprises and it will happen because I know that not to be true. This
requires real collaboration between sectors and I think we've got the right
champions here in this House and the right champions in the community to help
make that happen.
Even
though governments can't just say it and make it happen there are multiple ways
in which governments can enable organizations to pursue social enterprises.
Government can ensure access to good funding that enables developments to occur.
Government can ensure access to good business expertise and skills to support
the work of organizations that wish to pursue social enterprise. Government can
help encourage access to good marketing support and advice that organizations
would need to pursue social enterprise.
One of
the things that I like most about social enterprise is that it can create
opportunities to employ people who may have difficulty entering or staying
connected to the workforce otherwise. And we've seen some great examples of that
here in Newfoundland and Labrador. I hope during the debate this afternoon that
some Members will have a chance to talk about some of those examples and pay
tribute to some of the leaders that have really been pioneers in this area. I
hope in my time I'll have a chance to do a little bit of that as well.
I would
encourage government, as they pursue a social enterprise action plan, to also
consider the potential implications for our Aboriginal communities. I say that
because I do know that there's been some good work done in Manitoba that's worth
looking at, and figuring out how we might be able to partner with some of our
indigenous communities to foster greater social enterprise in those communities
as well.
Here I
go being positive again, but I also am pleased to see the new federal government
pick up where the previous federal government left off in making this a priority
as well. It has been clearly stated in the mandate letters of several of the new
federal ministers that they have a role to play in advancing social enterprise.
I think that's a good thing as well.
For
those organizations that get involved in social enterprise, I think it's
important to note that it has to be a good product or service that's being used
for training or to create employment. Social enterprise is not going to be a
solution or an opportunity for every single one of our hundreds of non-profit
organizations out there, but I believe that it can play a valuable role for a
good number of our organizations, a good number of communities and a good number
of municipalities in this province.
On that
note, if communities were to come together to create employment, for instance by
taking over an old fish plant and transforming it into something, that's good
and that's worthwhile. But that's very different than if you were to undertake
an initiative to create employment for a group of individuals with specific
needs. It's all valid. It's all community enterprise. It's all social
enterprise. I think there's a real array of opportunity available to us, to the
community sector, to the business sector and to communities throughout our
province, particularly rural ones, even though we've seen some really good
examples of social enterprise here in this urban region as well.
I'd also
say based on what I've seen in the past that establishing social enterprises
requires very detailed business planning. It requires leadership with a high
level of management expertise within the organization, executive directors or
CEOs that really get it and have the skills and experience to ensure success.
Because
we're talking about often non-profits, it requires boards of directors that are
prepared to take some risks. It requires boards of directors that are prepared
to think big and act boldly in terms of pursuing social enterprise
opportunities. I'd also say that one of the challenges I think government will
face that certainly I can't speak for the entire Opposition, but I'll speak
for myself. I'd personally be willing to support and help with this.
I think
there are new approaches required to government funding models. It might not
necessarily mean new money but it might mean changing the rules of existing
funding, particularly within I'm thinking of AESL as it's now known, and
Business, Tourism, Culture and Rural Development.
There
are many government programs that don't preclude non-profits from applying, but
if non-profits don't have equity, if non-profits don't have the means to put
some cash in themselves upfront, then in the borrowing world it makes it very
difficult for them to step up to the plate. There are existing government
programs that non-profits aren't technically ineligible from, but because of the
way we've traditionally run them, it's not easy for non-profits to access those
funds. So I think there's a role for government departments to work together to
try and address that. Again, I give credit to the minister. I think, based on my
previous conversations when we sat opposite, I suspect there's some willingness
to explore that.
Just
around that whole funding model issue, I think that's why the concept of social
financing is so important. I don't doubt when the Member concludes, he'll have
more to say about that as well. I think we just need to make some changes to
some of our government systems to better enable social enterprise to happen. I
think that is possible, I really do.
I was
pleased to hear the Member acknowledge that this is not a new concept. There
were comments in the Blue Book and in
Throne Speeches in the last number of years, just to go back as far as
2011-2012. The 2011 Blue Book read:
We will encourage approaches to support and strengthen social/community
enterprise activity and encourage a greater understanding of the social
enterprise model as a legitimate means of economic, social, environmental and
cultural development.
There
were some tangible initiatives that came out of that. There was a Counterparts
Gathering in 2012-2013, that I know the Member would be familiar with. There was
commentary in the Throne Speech in 2012 that led to further action. During a
national Counterparts Gathering that happened here I don't know if it was 2012
or 2013 we actually organized an evening showcase of the Hungry Heart Cafe to
profile a provincial example of social enterprise.
As
recently as 2014, social enterprise was the focus of our Community Summit where
over 200 participants attended. One of the things coming out of that was a
renewed commitment by government to promote social enterprise. Promoting social
enterprise is not enough, Madam Speaker. It's about creating the right
environment for social enterprises to flourish and to succeed.
I'm
sorry for talking really fast today, but there's a lot I want to say because I
really care about this issue. I'm passionate about it and I am actually really
excited about the fact that government is going to follow through with pursuing
this because there has been some good groundwork laid. The Member, as a former
staff person within the Office of Public Engagement, I know is well familiar
with some of that groundwork.
I think
it's important to commend the Community Sector Council. I was pleased to hear
him reference the recent discussion paper. I had a chance to review that myself.
It sounded very familiar. It was very consistent with some of the discussions
I've had with Ms. Penny Rowe and others over the last number of years.
I think
it's important to acknowledge her contribution because she has been a national
leader in social enterprise, advocacy and development. She has proven to be
second to none in this field. She has proven it by contributing to some of the
success stories here in Newfoundland and Labrador, which I hope we'll hear more
about later this afternoon. The esteem which she is held is a testament to her
success. That ought to be acknowledged by all of us here today, and I'm sure it
will be.
I think
the Community Sector Council has made it really easy for government to finalize
an action plan, to build on the work that's been done in the last number of
years. It's all mapped out in the discussion paper.
There
has been a working group inside government. I don't know if the current
government has maintained it but I suspect they have. There was an internal
working group of multiple departments coming together to figure out how
government can be better able to support social enterprise. Two of the
departments I've mentioned, but there are others that definitely have a role to
play as well. In addition, there was an external working group where some of the
leaders and pioneers in social enterprise in our province came together to
advise government on what on action plan should look like.
I'm
proud to have been part of that work. I'm proud to have encouraged that work.
I'm sincerely happy to hear government talking about taking the next steps. I
think that's something we should all get behind.
I want
to propose what I consider to be a friendly amendment, because I think it's
important we honour and respect the work that has been done and acknowledge that
it's not all brand new. One of the WHEREAS clauses in the existing motion
suggests that, basically, this is all going forward. It doesn't effectively
reflect the fact that there's a lot of good work that has been done by, not
government, but people in our province that we need to build on. So I'm going to
propose what I consider to be a friendly amendment, Madam Speaker, then
hopefully I'll have an opportunity to conclude my remarks.
I move,
seconded by the Member for Fortune Bay Cape La Hune, that the resolution be
amended by adding immediately after the third WHEREAS clause the following: and
WHEREAS the province has made significant advances in promoting social
enterprise growth through the initiatives of the Voluntary and Non-Profit
Secretariat, the Office of Public Engagement and others working in collaboration
with the social enterprise sector throughout Newfoundland and Labrador; and by
deleting the word implement and substituting the words build the hard work
and success of the social enterprise sector in our province by implementing.
That's
the amendment that I'd like to ask the House to consider and to support this
afternoon.
Madam
Speaker, I present that for your consideration before we go any further.
MADAM SPEAKER:
The Member for Mount Pearl
North has proposed an amendment to the PMR and this House will take a brief
recess to consider the amendment.
Recess
MADAM SPEAKER:
Order, please!
Are the
Whips ready?
I have
reviewed the amendment proposed by the Member for Mount Pearl North and found it
to be in order.
The hon.
the Member for Mount Pearl North.
MR. KENT:
Thank you, Madam Speaker, and
thank you for that wise and inspired ruling as well.
I've
only got a minute left, so I'd like to draw Members' attention to the discussion
paper that both of us have referenced today. I draw your attention, just to
illustrate my point, and why I'm asking for your support of the amendment.
There's a social enterprise sector survey that was done by the Community Sector
Council that looked at what social enterprise looked like in our province in
2014. It shows that this sector has been alive and well for some time. I think
there's room for exponential growth. I think there's a ton of work to be done,
but at the same time we've got a strong foundation on which to build.
The
roadmap to an action plan is laid out in this discussion paper: identify the
issues, bring people to the table, convene a high-level task force on social
enterprise, build business acumen, improve access to capital and investment
opportunities, support additional market opportunities for social enterprises,
promote and demonstrate the value of social enterprises, make Newfoundland and
Labrador a policy leader and help build networks and community engagement. And
there are action steps associated with each of those pillars.
It's a
great discussion paper. It builds on the great work that's been done in this
province over the last number of years. I commend those involved in social
enterprise, and I thank the Member for Terra Nova for bringing forward this
motion today. I hope we can amend it and I hope we can all support it.
Thank
you.
SOME HON. MEMBERS:
Hear, hear!
MADAM SPEAKER:
Order, please!
I remind
the hon. Member his time for speaking has expired.
The
Speaker recognizes the hon. Member for St. George's Humber.
SOME HON. MEMBERS:
Hear, hear!
MR. REID:
Thank you, Madam Speaker.
It's
great to rise and participate in this debate today. I think it's a very useful
debate. And for the people at home maybe who are just tuning in and not familiar
with what is happening here, today is Wednesday; it's Private Members' Day. We
take the time to debate a motion that is put forward by a private Member of the
House, someone who is not in the Cabinet, and we have an opportunity to sort of
discuss and bring attention to an issue.
These
debates are great opportunities to give increased profile to an issue and to
gauge the support for a concept that's coming forward. So it's very appropriate
that the Member for Terra Nova has brought forward this type of motion here
today, because it gives us an opportunity to have some discussion about social
enterprises and the significance that they play in our province and the
increasing significance they could play in our province as well. So it's great
to be here to have the opportunity to debate on this kind of issue. These
private members' motions are an important part of the proceedings here today.
So
social enterprises, this motion specifically relates to Action 2.5 in the
recently released document The Way Forward.
The Way Forward document outlines a
plan for reorganizing government to address some of the economic, social and
fiscal challenges that we face. And the plan outlines specific actionable items
with a timeline and measurable outcomes. So it's a significant piece of policy
direction that this action item is part of.
And this
plan is important in that it sets a direction that can be sort of recognized by
people who work with government, by the public and by other agencies in society
as well. So it's an important document and it's an important, sort of, part of
that document.
There
are some principles that are sort of outlined in that document that I guess
relate to the possibilities that can be generated through social enterprise. And
some of the guiding principles for The Way
Forward were: We will do better with less. We can do better by spending
less. We will collaborate. We'll collaborate across government departments in
government. We'll collaborate between the sectors of the economy. Collaborating
is another sort of principle of The Way
Forward.
We will
also challenge ourselves to do better. Challenge ourselves to do things in new
ways. So challenging ourselves as a province and as a people, those are some
guiding principles laid out in The Way
Forward document.
One of
the items under building a stronger economic foundation is we will increase the
number of social enterprises in Newfoundland and Labrador, and it's one of the
action items from this plan.
It's not
surprising, as the Member opposite who spoke mentioned that it had been an item
in their policy books; it's also an item in our red book in the last election
that we would increase focus on social enterprises in society.
As
previous speakers have mentioned, it's a concept that's a little difficult to
define. Some people use narrow definitions; others use broad. But I guess really
the world forum on social enterprises have a working definition that sort of is
fairly broad. It says, pursuing social development using business methods.
Others have defined it as earning revenue and achieving social or environmental
missions. There are different ways of defining it but, generally speaking, it's
pursuing social development through business means.
Let's
look at some examples of social enterprises. One example that I want to talk a
little bit about and I'll be cognizant of the time, but it's Choices for Youth
here in St. John's. They train people who are often hard to employ, employing
local youth in retrofitting and renovating low-income housing. Through their
efforts, the way they operate, they offer training to hard-to-employ people
sometimes. They also increase the benefit of social housing here in the St.
John's area. So it's very beneficial all around in terms of the way they
operate.
Another
example and it's already been mentioned here in the House is Stella's
Circle, which operates the Hungry Heart Cafe. A similar sort of model, they
offer training and employment to people who often have a difficulty finding
employment.
Anyone
who hasn't been to the Hungry Heart Cafe down at Rawlins Cross, I certainly
would encourage people to go there. The food is great. Everything is wonderful.
You're also supporting a social enterprise that does a lot of good work here in
the community. I've been there many times. I know other Members of the House
have been there as well. The Hungry Heart Cafe is a very good example of a
social enterprise.
I'll
just name a few other social enterprises here in the province. For example, the
Canadian Hard of Hearing Association does some work in that regard, Avalon
Employment, St. Anthony Basin Resources. Child care facilities around the
province, some of them are organized in this social enterprise manner. Ambulance
services in some areas of the province are organized in this way, gas stations
in some places. Recycling efforts are also organized in this sort of way. They
use business practices to promote a social or environmental practice. So it's a
very important contribution that these types of enterprises make to the
province.
It's
important to recognize that social enterprises are nothing new in this province.
Some of the early co-operatives in the 1800s could be defined as social
enterprises. Some people say the earliest social enterprise in the province was
established in Madam Speaker's district that she represents in Red Bay,
Labrador, by Sir Wilfred Grenfell in 1895 as part of the Grenfell Mission there.
Others would say the co-operative on Fogo Island was a good example of a rural
social enterprise. The process they used in setting up that co-operative is a
very good example of social enterprise as well.
We have
a strong history of social enterprises in this province, but we still have a lot
of potential, unused potential, undeveloped potential that could be very
beneficial to the province. So that's the objective of this effort. Something
that this motion is reinforcing is how can we lead to the establishment of more
social enterprises and more benefit for the economy.
There
are a few challenges that people, who want to establish social enterprises, face
as they work to do the things they do. One of the challenges is access to
capital. In terms of the way government organizes its funding programs and other
lending institutions offer their funding programs, and the availability of
capital to the social enterprises.
We just
went through the process of changing our procurement legislation here in this
province. That's another area that has the potential to have an impact on social
enterprises in this province, because it allows the province to look into the
terms of community benefit. Rather than just the lowest price, we look at the
best value.
It's
very encouraging that some of the changes we've made to legislation, such as the
procurement act, will possibly have a positive benefit to social enterprises in
this province. Also, I think a challenge is public perception and the way we
think of the different roles that organizations play in the province.
Those
are some of the challenges we face in terms of the way we educate people. I know
at Memorial University, one of the things they're doing is they're offering
courses on social enterprises as part of the undergraduate business program, and
the graduate program in business in terms of social enterprises. It's a concept
that's getting better established, more people are doing.
One of
the things I did before I ran for public office was teach at the university. One
of the courses I taught there was change management in the MBA program at
Memorial. I was struck by how young people thought differently about the idea of
jobs and the work they were doing. Many of them were very entrepreneurial, and
many of them were entrepreneurial in a way that they wanted to have a lifestyle
sort of job, something they were passionate about. They wanted to pursue
something they were interested in. Social enterprise was something that was just
part of the way they thought.
I think
the whole idea of pursuing opportunities to encourage social enterprises in this
province is a great thing. I think it's something that we as a government have
to facilitate and encourage. So I encourage all Members to support this motion.
Thank
you very much, Madam Speaker.
SOME HON. MEMBERS:
Hear, hear!
MADAM SPEAKER:
The Speaker recognizes the
hon. Member for Fortune Bay Cape La Hune.
SOME HON. MEMBERS:
Hear, hear!
MS. PERRY:
Thank you, Madam Speaker.
It's
certainly an honour and a privilege for me to rise in the House today and speak
to this very important private Member's resolution before the House today.
I have
often spoken in this Chamber about my previous life. One of the activities we
engaged in, as I worked with the Regional Economic Development Board, was social
enterprise. So I had the benefit of seeing firsthand just how valuable this
initiative is and just what a difference it can actually make in communities.
I'm going to reference a little bit, I guess, about some actual examples of
where we've seen social enterprise thrive.
I, too,
would like to echo the comments of my colleague from Mount Pearl North regarding
Penelope Rowe, who has been with the Community Services Council and has
certainly been a trailblazer in this regard. I would say one of my mentors and
one of the people I often looked up to over the years in my time with the
Regional Economic Development Board. She was always a wealth of information, a
wealth of great advice and certainly a great champion for volunteers across all
of Newfoundland and Labrador. Hats off to her for continuing to pursue this
initiative and ensuring it stays uppermost in government discussions as we move
the province forward.
Looking
at some examples of success, one that goes back 99 years, Madam Speaker, is
NONIA, that enterprise where they are knitting. They began knitting actually for
our soldiers who were in war. I don't know how many people know the story of how
it originated, but it actually originated in a community of my district, Pool's
Cove, and from there, it grew to a province-wide, successful, thriving
enterprise. And just this week I posted to my Facebook page a call where they're
looking for more people who can provide knitting services. They'll provide the
wool and they'll pay knitters for their time, so I certainly encourage anyone
who does have that skill to contact NONIA and see if they can contribute to this
social enterprise themselves.
And I
have two others in my district as well: Pool's Cove Crafts continues to operate
today, as well as Yarn Point Knitters. These are enterprises that employee the
women in our communities, many of whom were homemakers while their husbands were
away at work as fisherpersons. And this enabled them to contribute to the family
wealth and to ensure they got out and about with friends and neighbours in the
community. So it is a wonderful example, Madam Speaker, of things that are
happening right now on the ground that are so successful.
As we
all know, volunteers are really the heart of many of our communities. We have
well over 20,000 people in our province who are employed in the voluntary and
not-for-profit sector, and nearly 200,000 people in our province who volunteers.
They contribute well over 35 million hours of valuable, unpaid time to their
communities and community organizations, Mr. Speaker. We certainly are very
supportive of seeing further expansion of social enterprise in our province.
I'll
talk a little about these enterprises now that many of you may be very well
aware of and will have, I am sure, benefited from seeing some of their concerts
or eating some of their wonderful food. For example, Rising Tide Theatre, the
Hungry Heart Cafι, Stellar Burry Community Services this is also one of my
favourite places, Mr. Speaker; I certainly enjoy a good meal at the Hungry Heart
Cafι. They have outstanding services down there and a really great example of
how you can take volunteerism and turn it into a viable, profitable enterprise
that employees many people who need that employment so very much.
Another
example many of us in the province are quite familiar with is SABRI, the St.
Anthony Basin Resources Inc., the Shorefast Foundation in Fogo, Evergreen
Recycling, supported employment corporations, and of course, the international
award winning Enactus.
So, Mr.
Speaker, just for purposes of ensuring, I guess, that we have a good
understanding of what social enterprises are in our communities, they are
businesses that are operated by volunteers, not for profit of a single person or
a single group of shareholders, but for the benefit of the community as a whole.
Let's
look at Shorefast Foundation as one really great example of that. It's a
registered Canadian charity that was established in 2003. They use a model for
economic and cultural resilience that hold learnings for small communities
everywhere. Many people who are enterprising in smaller communities can look at
their model and certainly apply it in their own respective communities, I would
suggest. The opportunity is there, particularly in the tourism sector.
Fogo
Island is one of Canada's oldest communities and in Fogo now they're reviving
many of their traditional skills. It's with the support of the Shorefast
corporation that they are able to do that and make money at the same time; money
that is then reinvested back into the community.
On Fogo
Island, the Shorefast Foundation approach to community revitalization has been
to focus on three distinct elements: Fogo Island Arts, which is a not-for-profit
organization that facilitates artistic practice that is contemporary, local in
context and global in scope; the development of a geo-tourism industry with the
construction of the Fogo Island Inn and the creation of a guest experience that
is recognized as one of the best in the world; and the development of a
micro-lending program where entrepreneurs can establish and grow their own small
business on Fogo Island.
The
significant success achieved by Shorefast to date illustrates that reviving
rural communities really is possible and that the inherent value of rural places
can be reclaimed and made relevant for the 21st century; that losing our rural
communities and the human ways of life that we have is certainly neither
inevitable or necessary, Mr. Speaker. Lots of opportunities exist and through
initiatives such as social enterprise, I'm sure we will continue to grow them
here in our province.
Let's
take a look a little bit more in depth at SABRI. The St. Anthony Basin Resources
Inc. was established on the Great Northern Peninsula of Newfoundland and
Labrador. This area is a rural, remote area of the province. It has a population
of approximately 4,500 people. Like many of the rural communities in
Newfoundland and Labrador, this region was really economically devastated by the
cod moratorium in 1992, but to compensate for the loss of the cod fishery, many
fishers moved into alternative fisheries such as shrimp and crab.
By 1997,
the Department of Fisheries and Oceans drastically reduced the allowable catch
of shrimp. So while most of the new quota was allocated to private interests and
individual harvesters, a special allocation of 3,000 tons of additional catch
was given to the St. Anthony region of the Great Northern Peninsula.
SABRI
was organized as a non-profit social enterprise in order to manage this special
allocation for the benefit of the entire community as a whole. Its mission is to
administer a 3,000-metric-ton allocation of Northern shrimp on behalf of the
communities from Big Brook to Goose Cove, in a manner resulting in expansion of
the region's economic base and improved employment opportunities in harmony with
a rural setting and lifestyle.
Mr.
Speaker, the special allocation was a means for the government to use quota as a
mechanism for community economic development rather than simply sectorial
fisheries development. SABRI initially leased out the rights to the community's
quota with a requirement that the catch be landed and processed in St. Anthony.
In the longer term, SABRI sought international partners to manage the catch,
eventually attracting a number of partners with the commitment to build an
advanced processing plant in St. Anthony with $12 million in investments.
What a
wonderful example of a success story in social enterprise, Mr. Speaker.
SOME HON. MEMBERS:
Hear, hear!
MS. PERRY:
We have many such examples
all across this great Province of Newfoundland and Labrador.
Still
talking about SABRI, all their surpluses generated are invested back into the
community through business expansion opportunities as well as social and
community development. SABRI's business expansion activities are in response to
local and international market demand. For example, SABRI is investing in a salt
fish market due to demands in Iceland and Newfoundland and Labrador.
In terms
of community development, SABRI undertook an oral history project to capture
stories of cultural and historical significance, which would be of benefit, Mr.
Speaker, not just for today's generation but for generations and generations and
generations of Newfoundlanders and Labradorians to come.
Additionally, some of SABRI's projects have aspects of both economic expansion
and community development. For instance, it started a mussel farming initiative
that was intended to be a new economic opportunity, but tight competition has
meant that the project was operating at a loss. SABRI, however, continues to run
the venture because of the local employment it generates and the positive impact
it has had in supplying the local tourism sector.
Through
their perseverance, Mr. Speaker, we have no doubt that they will continue to be
expanded in years to come and will meet with great success. Of that I have no
doubt, because when you endured something and you're committed to something,
there's always a way to make it work and volunteers are absolutely the key to
all of that. SABRI is an example of the definition of social enterprise that
really does work.
I want
to talk a little bit more again now, we've listed some I'm going to run out of
time quickly. I'll talk about a few more before I finish off with some comments
about the Community Services Council itself.
The
Rising Tide Theatre Company is one we've all heard about. Here is what Community
Profits say about Rising Tide. Profit-oriented businesses up the Bonavista
Peninsula are dependent on non-profit sector enterprise, says Butt. Much of
what is happening in the region is driven by non-profit organizations. Butt
emphasizes that, aside from its Board of Directors (Rising Tide is a registered
charity and incorporated non-profit), the Company seldom relies on volunteers
and strives to provide as much employment as possible, both locally and further
afield, specifically to actors, writers, musicians and other stage
professionals.
The
Company directly employs 40 people during the summer season (more when touring)
and actively cooperates with private sector businesses and other non-profits to
develop an enticing package to attract tourists to the region for longer
periods.
I know,
Mr. Speaker, even residents from my area love to go and check out what's
happening with Riding Tide Theatre. It certainly is an attraction for people all
across the province.
In the
interest of time, I'd like to talk a little bit about the Community Sector
Council. In 2006, they did a report titled, Community Profits: Social Enterprise
in Newfoundland and Labrador. At that time, they said for nearly 30 years of
course, that would be 10 years ago, so really now it has been nearly 40 years.
The
Community Services Council Newfoundland and Labrador has been a province-wide
leader in the voluntary, community-based sector. One of the province's first
social entrepreneurs, the Community Services Council has been connecting people
and organizations to community resources, mentoring new community enterprises
and bringing the voluntary sector and government together on important issues of
the day.
Community Profits is a preliminary inventory of organizations in Newfoundland
and Labrador involved in community enterprise activity. At the time of this
report their listing included about 140 groups, all of which generate some
level of revenue through the sale of goods or services on an ongoing or regular
basis. Most rely on a variety of funding sources, and almost all have paid
staff, although there is a strong volunteer component involved in sales even
among many well-established enterprises. Mr. Speaker, because it's the
combination of the volunteer component with the entrepreneurial spirit that
makes it all work.
I'm
going to run out of time, I only have 30 seconds left. Again, I'm going to refer
to my colleague for Mount Pearl North. He listed some of the six pillars of
social enterprise development. The Community Services Council has spelled out
some very concrete, specific actions in their report of this year, November,
2016, and we look forward to working with them. We truly hope they will
materialize, and we're certainly happy to support this motion before the House
today.
Thank
you, Mr. Speaker.
SOME HON. MEMBERS:
Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER (Warr):
The hon. the Minister of
Business, Tourism, Culture and Rural Development.
MR. MITCHELMORE:
Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
I want
to thank the Member for Mount Pearl North for giving accolades to our Premier
for the vision to call for a social enterprise action plan. I also want to thank
the Member opposite, Fortune Bay Cape La Hune, for raising the St. Anthony
Basin Resources Incorporated in giving significant time in her talking point to
a social enterprise that is doing exceptional work in my district for the 17
communities of the people of the north.
It also
gives me great pleasure that the Member for Terra Nova actually put forward this
motion, because the role of the social enterprise and the action that's required
is quite significant from government, and from all of our partners.
As the
Member representing an area and the minister responsible for BTCRD that would
lead this social enterprise action plan, I have to say that my district in
particular is steeped with social enterprises, whether it goes back to the days
of Sir Wilfred Grenfell when he formed co-operatives. The oldest retail co-op in
the country is basically the Grenfell Memorial Co-op; well over 100 year's old
and still operating today.
There
were other things that were done, whether it was in the agricultural measures or
as part of the health movement. Wilfred Grenfell started, in 1906, the first
sawmill. Yes, as part of the health movement, started a sawmill. That was the
first year-round employment that was created on the Great Northern Peninsula
that really led to people being able to go from the fishery into forestry in the
Canada Bay, the Roddickton area that's steeped in lumbering.
These
are initiatives that were taken to help link the economy and a social need as
well, linking good health, access to food, access to employment. We see today
where social enterprises and social entrepreneurs are continuing to do
incredible work.
Shaun
Loney, in particular, has a book that he's put forward and done a significant
amount of work in Manitoba. I visited the social enterprise centre there. I've
met with Shaun several times, and the concept that there are an army of problem
solvers out there, and they can help create the solutions economy.
Another
aspect of my own personal history to social entrepreneurship and social
enterprise is with The Straits St. Barbe Chronic Care Corporation. It's a
non-profit social enterprise that is fulfilling health care needs for people on
the Great Northern Peninsula, from Eddies Cove to Castor River, 26 communities,
providing 36 personal care beds at Level 1 or Level 2 levels, and they are
employing a significant amount of people.
They
also manage a Newfoundland and Labrador Housing complex as well for those who
are independent living. But it's creating jobs and making sure that people have
care close to home. They employ local people and put their profits back into the
community. Some of the initiatives they undertake are not that of a typical
personal care home because that's not their goal or their initiative because of
the concept of how a social enterprise is established.
If we
look at St. Anthony Basin Resources Incorporated established in 1997 I won't
get into all the details since the Member for Fortune Bay Cape La Hune has
articulated quite a bit, but I want to say that from a public resource that was
3,000 metric tons that is now 1,252 metric tons, is managed by volunteers,
fisher people, fish plant employees, community representatives, and two
representatives from development committees.
What
they've done is put $16 million in infrastructure in the region, awarded more
than $260,000 in scholarships, $600,000 in community economic development,
employed more than 225 people, and contributed in excess to $3.5 million in
payroll to residents in the SABRI region and donated more than $580,000 to
different groups. They continue to get involved in business initiatives such as
the Hydraulic Yard Trailer.
There is
also a partnership between Clearwater and St. Anthony Basin Resources to operate
a state-of-the-art shrimp processing facility. They have a state-of-the-art cold
storage which is dependent of all the shrimp plants on the Northern Peninsula
and in Labrador. And in doing so, they have attracted an international shipping
company, Eimskip there, that has direct links to Europe, which creates
significant opportunities.
They
partnered with Memorial University, with the International Grenfell Association,
with the Research and Development Corporation. They are looking at potential use
for blue mussels and sea cucumber in nutraceuticals. With their operating budget
and what they've been able to do to upgrade tourism and infrastructure, and
recently they've added broadband, supported with Bell and federal and provincial
governments; the ability to have St. Carol's, Great Brehat, St. Anthony Bight
and Goose Cove East connected to high-speed, broadband Internet. Now, if that
isn't a success story, I don't know what is.
There
are significant success stories when it comes to social enterprises. I was a
member of the Canadian Community Economic Development Network, CCEDNet. They've
been involved in promoting social entrepreneurship quite significantly.
If I
want to go and point out a couple of examples quickly, BUILD is an example in
Winnipeg. It has $1.5 million in annual revenues, 45 employees and was founded
in 2006 to help inner-city, unemployed people who are significantly at high
risk. A lot of people who would be working here would have potentially been
involved in the justice system and would have a high risk of incarceration which
can be a significant cost to the social system.
When we
look at government right now, when we look at our health care budgets, when we
look at justice, when we look at Children, Seniors and Social Development, the
funds that add pressures; if we could find ways of which social entrepreneurs
and social enterprises can find ways to create employment in areas and give
people opportunity, this is a significant opportunity, then, to build up
community.
This is
what BUILD has done. It's actually, in that process, trained 500 people. It's
lowered energy and water bills in 12,500 homes and saved $4 million a year. So
when you talk about being a lower-income person, if you're able to have these
retrofits done to your home and you're able to save money on your energy or
water bill because of the install of a low-flow toilet or a retrofit to your
home, that's money now that you can spend on healthier food and other things.
That's not money that's leaking out of the economy.
We see
that. Impact Construction is a very similar example here in Newfoundland and
Labrador. Choices for Youth and their revenues of $439,000 in '15-'16 with 19
employees in St. John's; it was the nominee for the 2016-2017 World Habitat
Awards as part of the Building and Social Housing Foundation in Europe.
There's
a high youth unemployment problem in the St. John's area and providing housing
support, education, legal support, access to mental health counsellors and other
supports are certainly part of being able to help in advancing the economy in a
very social way. Enactus is part of this role with their action of Project
SucSeed and what they're doing in working with Choices for Youth and linking up
and making sure that people have access to healthier food, whether it be in the
north, Northern communities in partnership with the Nunatsiavut Government or in
Nunavut. There are lots of good things happening when it comes to social
enterprises.
We've
seen examples in St. Lawrence at the Miner's Museum where people with
disabilities are actually taking part in a training program and making jewellery
out of fluorspar. So there are links and there are solutions. This is why I'm
excited about being able to take on an action plan right here and work with my
colleagues. Work with colleagues like the Minister of Municipal Affairs in
seeing that there's a new Public
Procurement Act being put forward. The regulations are being worked on that
can take a social focus and an environmental focus as well because this has
positive impacts, as well as the Minister for Advance Education, Skills and
Labour in the training component and what can be done to link and also, working
with my colleagues who have social portfolios.
All of
us in the House have a collective responsibility to work very hard and put
forward our ideas. There are a lot of great organizations out there. I'm sure my
colleague opposite will talk about organizations like Stella's Circle, the
Hungry Heart Cafe and other programs in St. John's, but they're all across this
province and they're doing great work.
There
are solutions where we can have more progressive procurement at public and
private institutions and we're starting to see that happen. This social
enterprise action plan will have a very positive impact on the economy. I'm very
happy to be able to work with everyone here in this House.
I'm so
happy that my parliamentary secretary and the Member for Terra Nova put forward
this initiative and see this as an important initiative moving forward. This is
something that, as we link up our business innovation agenda, as we link up
procurement as you see from the vision it is not about setting strategy,
strategy, strategy like the former administration put forward, it's about one
strategy linking across all areas.
That's
the vision of our Premier. That's a great thing that we're doing right here
today. I hope we get collective support here from the House of Assembly.
Thank
you.
SOME HON. MEMBERS:
Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER:
The Chair recognizes the hon.
the Member for St. John's Centre.
MS. ROGERS:
Thank you very much, Mr.
Speaker.
I'm very
happy to stand and speak to this private Member's motion which calls for a
strategy and an action plan for social enterprise. We've heard a lot today in
this House about what is a social enterprise and why it would be good. I agree
with all that.
It is my
hope that in fact this is not just talking about how great social enterprises
are, and it's not just talking about why we need to do them and what they are,
but that actually we will move beyond simply a strategy or a plan, put resources
in place and make sure that we put the problems as Shaun Loney, I believe his
name has been mentioned here in this House in the hands of the problem
solvers.
So if
that's the case, if that's what we're talking about here today, I'm really
excited. I'm excited about what's happening in our communities. Many of my
colleagues here in the House today have talked about what's happening in their
communities in terms of people, entrepreneurs and civil society doing the work
of solving our problems. I would like to congratulate all the people who have
done such incredible work over the years in our province, in the country and in
the world.
Mr.
Speaker, what I would highly recommend to people, and to my colleagues here in
the House I'm sure my colleagues in the House are very knowledgeable about
this area. Some people have had a chance to read a book by Shaun Loney who is
working in Manitoba and who has started a number of social enterprises in
Manitoba. His book has just come out. He's going across the country now on a
tour, launching his book and doing town hall meetings about social enterprises.
The book is called, An Army of Problem
Solvers. I highly recommend our colleagues here to have a look at that book.
It's a great study, and very accessible, on the social enterprises that he's had
a hand in. He also mentions some of the social enterprises here in Newfoundland
and Labrador.
A number
of my colleagues have referred to a document prepared by the Community Sector
Working Committee. It's called
Accelerating Change: Thoughts on How to Build a Social Enterprise Strategy for
Newfoundland and Labrador. I highly recommend this document as well. It's
available online, no cost. It's a quick read. You can find it on the website of
the Community Sector Council. They've done a lot of work in this area. Penny
Rowe has been their executive director for a very long time and has done great
work. As we've heard here today, some of our colleagues have actually worked
with Penny Rowe at the Community Sector Council. The work they do is really
based on a firm foundation of community activism and community consultation.
It's
been very interesting in this House in the past few days because we've been
debating a bill about procurement. One of the issues that I brought up in third
reading about our procurement debate is the whole issue of how do we embed
values in our procurement bill. That's also how do we embed values in any kind
of strategy or action plan around social enterprises.
So I
looked at legislation that Scotland has had. They first introduced it in 2008
and then there's been a number of times updating their policies in their
legislation. In Scotland in their procurement legislation they have something
called a community benefit clause. Really, Mr. Speaker, that's what social
enterprise is about. It's about enterprise with a community benefit.
We're at
a time in our history right now where some of the three greatest issues that we
are dealing with as communities all over the province are the issues of food
security, the issues of affordable, accessible housing and the issues of I had
three; it's going to come back. So food security, accessible and affordable
housing and accessible and affordable energy; those are three main issues, I
think, that become problematic for many communities or for many people in our
communities.
Social
enterprises are a way to be able again, as Shaun Loney says, let's put the
problems into the hands of the problem solvers. There are several instances
around the globe of how social enterprises approach those particular issues. In
communities that are somewhat similar to our own, some communities for instance
in Manitoba and I'll get into them.
But one
of the things I do really want to stress again is legislation that Scotland has
around their procurement. When they rate any kind of application for proposals,
they rate those proposals based on is there a community benefit clause. We have
that opportunity as well. We have that opportunity to embed those kinds of
values in our own procurement bill. Then that would trickle down to looking at
the possibility of social enterprises putting bids for procurement bids.
If we
had that embedded in our own procurement bill, then those would be evaluated and
scored. Those would actually have points on when any bid is being evaluated. I'm
sure many of my colleagues know about Scotland's procurement policy and I would
really encourage them it's accessible, it's online and they also have
instances and stories, case studies, of social enterprise-type businesses that
have been successful in their bids for procurement and how in fact using those
particular enterprises to develop services to the people of Scotland, how it has
in fact developed a community benefit. That's really exciting, Mr. Speaker,
because we can do the same thing.
As many
of my colleagues have stated when they stood and spoke to this particular issue,
they've identified some of the social enterprises that we know of in the
province and there are a number in the district that I represent. For instance,
Stella's Circle has a number of social enterprises that operate both in my
District of St. John's Centre but also in the district of my colleague for St.
John's East Quidi Vidi.
They
have started a commercial cleaning program. Again, one of the things is not only
the delivery of a benefit to community, but it also provides a working
opportunity for people, many of whom have had a hard time finding employment. So
Stella's Circle, as we've heard from many of my colleagues, operates the Hungry
Heart Cafι. The Hungry Heart Cafι not only provides the most incredible food,
but it provides training opportunities and employment opportunities for people
who have experienced barriers to work. Many of whom have gone on to work in the
private sector.
So the
spinoffs in terms of the community benefits are really quite impressive, and
that is an enterprise that's been on the go for a number of years and is very
successful.
We also
can see the work that Choices for Youth has done. I've had the opportunity to
visit Choices for Youth and meet with some of the participants in their BUILD
enterprise where we have young people who've had significant barriers to
employment work with unionized workers. That's what I find very interesting, Mr.
Speaker, that they've worked with unionized workers at Newfoundland and Labrador
Housing to help make our social housing more environmentally friendly and also
to help strengthen the environmental efficiency of these houses.
It's
been wonderful to be able to meet with them to see the potential partnerships of
labour and social enterprises. Because in the end, the goals and the objectives
of our social enterprises are the same as the goals and objectives of labour in
Newfoundland and Labrador, who also look at what are the community benefits and
what is the benefit in the longer term to the people of Newfoundland and
Labrador. So there are many examples of why this is really important.
I'd also
like to raise just a few issues before my time runs out, Mr. Speaker. There are
a few warnings that I would like to bring to the table. At one point, one of our
colleagues here said this is about doing more with less. I believe that's not a
good starting point. We have to ensure that we have certain values embedded.
It's not about getting a cheaper workforce; it's not about taking advantage of
disadvantaged people. It's about we have to look at what are the embedded values
that we want to do in a strategy or an action plan around social enterprise.
We do
not want to create even more precarious work. That's not the goal. The goal is
not to have work only at minimum wage which, at this point, is not a living
wage. We want to ensure that people have a living wage, that people also have
benefits. It's not good enough just to create a whole other way of precarious
work. We want to make sure that the wage is fair; we want to ensure that people
have benefits. It's also possible that many of our social enterprises could be
unionized. There's nothing that would stop that.
One of
the reasons that people in fact are able to survive on minimum wage is because
of the safety nets that we have, because we have subsidized housing, because we
have extended subsidized health care benefits. Mr. Speaker, we cannot just see
this as a way of getting people jobs who may have incredible barriers to jobs,
but we also have to be committed to the values of justice and fairness. Again, I
believe that is possible. So any strategy or action plan that is built around
social enterprises must have these basic values embedded in it.
I
believe that we can do that. The Member for Mount Pearl also pointed out from
the Community Sector Council's paper, which again I believe has done a thorough
job of looking at what are the main elements that we must ensure are in any kind
of strategy or action plan around building social enterprises. There are six
pillars there, and I believe, Mr. Speaker, that government has to make a
commitment to some of these very fundamental values when they're looking at
their action plan.
I
believe it's possible, even in this economic time. It's not about finding
another way to undercut funding to community groups. In order for community
groups to be able to develop social enterprises, they themselves must have a
strong foundation. They themselves must have the resources they need in order to
develop social enterprises.
They
don't just happen; they need the resources to ensure that they have the
expertise, that they have core funding that gives them a foundation so that they
can go on and be successful businesses that provide valid, fair and just
employment opportunities for the people of Newfoundland and Labrador, and
develop services that are needed by the people of Newfoundland and Labrador.
Thank
you very much, Mr. Speaker.
MR. SPEAKER (Osborne):
The hon. the Deputy
Speaker.
MS. DEMPSTER:
Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
I'll
just take six or seven minutes here to stand and speak to this PMR today that's
being introduced on social enterprise. I am really excited and happy to support
the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador's initiative to build on the hard
work and success of the social enterprise sector in our province by implementing
a social enterprise action plan, including long-term strategic goals supported
by an annual work plan in 2017.
Mr.
Speaker, this afternoon we've been hearing a number of examples of successful
social enterprises around the province. I represent a rural district with lots
of challenges, some very remote communities, isolated communities, but we have
had several success stories around social enterprise. My colleague for The
Straits White Bay North I don't think it's called that now, is it?
MR. MITCHELMORE:
St. Barbe L'Anse aux
Meadows.
MS. DEMPSTER:
St. Barbe L'Anse aux
Meadows just reminded me of the Moulder of Dreams. I have a community in my
district that unfortunately has a very large population of people with myotonia.
So a Moulder of Dreams was a very successful social enterprise and contributed
much to their quality of life and gave employment to people that may not have
otherwise gotten it.
Then we
have the Harbourview Manor in Mary's Harbour, the only level two care home
that's in my district. A couple of women sitting around their kitchen saw a
need, with aging demographics, people getting older, and decided let's pull
together a board of directors and let's see if we can get a home in this area. I
think right now that home has 19 residents from around my district. The beauty
of that, Mr. Speaker, is their family live within an hour or two hours away.
These
people didn't have to leave the place that they called home all their lives and
go somewhere else where family couldn't visit them. Because of the social
enterprise and the efforts of volunteers in the area, they're in the home and
the family is able to come and visit them on a regular basis.
But I
really want to focus for the next few minutes, Mr. Speaker, on the Labrador
Fishermen's Union Shrimp Company what a legacy; what an astounding success.
Myself and the Minister of Fisheries, Forestry and Agrifoods are just back from
attending the 35th annual general meeting. Thirty-five years back in, I think,
1978 that the then minister of the day Romιo LeBlanc made the bold but right
decision to give two licences to our area. A couple of fishermen got together,
Mr. Speaker, to say: What can we do with those two licences to best help this
area, this area that is so economically challenged?
Today,
Mr. Speaker, 35 years later, this company realizes annual revenues in the amount
of almost $90 million a year $90 million a year, the Labrador Fishermen's
Union, what a success story. Between the land and the sea, the employment that
they provide to my district is around 1,200 people. They operate five processing
facilities. The largest land processing facility that they operate is in my
community in Charlottetown. The only shrimp processing facility in Labrador, a
major employer, just that one plant in that little area and it provides
employment to a number of communities in the surrounding area, Mr. Speaker.
So I
think that the Shrimp Company we've been talking about different examples of
social enterprise and I wanted to put a human face on this are a shining
example of how things can and should work and the incredible success that can be
achieved when people come together and work as one region.
SOME HON. MEMBERS:
Hear, hear!
MS. DEMPSTER:
So we're very proud of the
Shrimp Company and the countless economic and community benefits. Because, Mr.
Speaker, not only did they come together and use these couple of licences to
benefit the region right from L'Anse au Clair to Cartwright, but time doesn't
permit me to talk about all of the successful things they've done.
The
first thing they did, the Bank of Montreal had pulled out of the region, they
were starting a company, we had no banking institution anywhere so they provided
the initial investment for the Eagle River Credit Union, which is now one of the
seven most successful branches in Canada, which also has revenue of over $95
million. So I often wonder does the Bank of Montreal wish they had stayed at
that time.
And, Mr.
Speaker, the list of what they do to support the community they had lost some
members in a plane crash and they put a couple of scholarships in place, $2,500
scholarships and there are a number of smaller scholarships. And you would be
very hard pressed anywhere that you go, to any kind of an event in the district
that the Shrimp Company has not supported, Mr. Speaker. So we're very proud of
them. And unlike, I guess, a for-profit enterprise, this one was built to aid
the development of sustainable employment for coastal communities and to
maximize the benefits from fish resources.
Regarding the fishery right now as we kind of move from shellfish to groundfish,
we know that the way of the fishery of the future is going to be different than
the fishery of the past, and I have every confidence that they will adapt and
change and that they will continue to be a success, Mr. Speaker, in whatever
road they choose to go down. They've certainly been a leader in providing
multi-species fish products throughout Canada, the United States and beyond.
So, Mr.
Speaker, with that, I see that my time is gone, but I'm very happy to support,
pleased that this was one of the initiatives in
The Way Forward document. The
Way Forward document is really just a road map, it's a guide, it's something
for us to measure ourselves by as we go forward which is very, very important
because we do work for the people of Newfoundland and Labrador and we must
always be mindful that we have to be accountable to them who ultimately is our
employer.
Thank
you for the opportunity.
SOME HON. MEMBERS:
Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER:
The hon. the Member for the
District of Terra Nova.
SOME HON. MEMBERS:
Hear, hear!
MR. HOLLOWAY:
Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
First, I
want to say thank you to Members on this side of the House, as well as opposite
today, for speaking so positively in favour of this private Member's resolution
about developing a social enterprise action plan for the province. The Member
for Mount Pearl North and I think I heard all throughout the discussion this
afternoon that everybody talked about wonderful examples of social enterprises
that are happening in this province, throughout Newfoundland and Labrador, but
also across the country.
I also
heard my colleague for St. George's Humber, on the opposite side of the House
Fortune Bay Cape La Hune and the Minister of Business, Tourism, Culture and
Rural Development talking about some similar success stories that are happening,
whether it's on the Northern Peninsula, the Member for Cartwright L'Anse au
Clair talking about in Southern Labrador. Lots of great things are happening as
well in the St. John's area with Stella's Circle and Choices for Youth. I think
there have been a number of commonalities with respect to why these social
enterprises have been so successful in linking social concerns in the community
to economic development.
I can
tell you, Mr. Speaker, that it really stems from
The Way Forward vision that our
Premier has for this province. I can say to everybody in this House today that,
like the Premier, I am somebody that wants to see results. One of the reasons I
decided to run for political office is because I wanted to bring that leadership
to the province and to create change. I think with the direction that we have
from the Premier and my colleagues on this side of the House and even today
I'm seeing support from all of our colleagues on the other side of the House in
terms of bringing forward and supporting this private Member's resolution.
One of
the most attractive things about The Way
Forward vision statement is that it's filled with action plans. It's about
doing things. It's not about just talking about what we're going to do, what we
might do; it's about actually creating results and reporting with schedules. We
talked about that in the vision statement.
The
statement is designed to hold government accountable, which is why so much of
the plan is outlined in time frames, what we're going to do in six months, in 12
months, in 18 months. So that the people of this province can hold us
accountable to the things that we're saying we're going to do.
The plan
speaks about things that will happen in the first six months, like adopting a
flatter management structure in government and reducing the size of government's
building footprint. I know the Minister of Transportation and Works is certainly
taking a lead on that. So to support The Way Forward initiative about social enterprise, the Government
of Newfoundland and Labrador is committed to engaging the sector.
There
has been a lot of talk this afternoon about the great work the Community Sector
Council has done. Specifically, the leadership that Penelope Rowe has provided
to engaging previous administrations, as well as this administration, in
identifying those common pillars and strategic directions that we need to put in
this action plan. I can tell all Members of this House today, that those
strategic directions, the advice that has come from this discussion document
from the Community Sector Council is part of the strategic directions that we
will see in this action plan. We will focus on engaging both within government.
I know
the Member for Mount Pearl North talked about, that there was some great work
that had gone on in the past where you were engaging other departments of
government. Well, I can assure the Member, we will continue to engage
government. In terms of breaking down these silos, nothing can happen in this
province if we don't unit social and economic development.
I
digress for a second, Mr. Speaker, and talk about during my long tenure in the
public service it was all about breaking down those silos. In communities, in
rural communities in particular, you have to break down silos. That's the only
way you can be successful. The things that impact people socially, also impact
them economically. So we have to unite that.
Our
engagement process is going to look at bringing together all those core
departments, getting some input and advice as we develop this action plan and
move forward on these strategic directions. But I can tell you, externally, we
will also engage stakeholders and look at core areas such as policy development.
I can tell you that one is really dear to my heart. I spent a lot of years
providing advice, to the previous administration actually, on a number of policy
issues. Unfortunately, not much of it was taken serious, but I did make many
attempts.
Opportunity identification and access to capital and financing; now, I know the
Member for Mount Pearl North referenced he was the former minister of the office
of public engagement. He referenced today that access to capital and financing
is a critical component of this. I can assure him, those were advice documents
that came in but we will bring that to fruition with this action plan.
There
has been some discussion about social enterprises and how they help individuals
who probably are challenged in our community or might be a bit marginalized. I
can tell you, Mr. Speaker, one of the strategic directions is going to be around
business-skill development, but also working with our research institutions so
that we can focus as well on research.
All of
these things will certainly support the pillars that all Members have talked
about in the Community Sector Council's discussion document. So we very much
endorse the advice the Community Sector Council has brought to us.
There
was discussion today as well, Mr. Speaker, around procurement. One of the
significant differences in the legislation that has been discussed in this House
so far this week around procurement is about value. I think when we're providing
opportunities for social enterprises and introducing this legislation that's
going to provide extra value in how we provide services and goods to the public
then this is another way of supporting this revolution that we're bringing
forward today.
Revolution? No, resolution. We're not there yet.
Research
about social enterprise activity in Newfoundland and Labrador is limited, but it
will be focused on the action plan that we're going to bring forward, Mr.
Speaker. Our government has already a number of programs and services which
support social enterprises through loans and grants and non-financial services,
but we also know we need to be a bit more creative in terms of helping social
enterprises.
I know
we've been doing some of that in the past, specifically in the craft industry.
There are select industries where we've been trying to help them have a positive
start in the year, so that they've been able to have a very successful year by
selling their products as social enterprises. I know the Department of Business,
Tourism, Culture and Rural Development has been very helpful with that.
I would
also say, Mr. Speaker, one of the things that have been undertaken this year has
been through the business retention and expansion diagnostic tool where we've
engaged 25 social enterprises to get some idea about strengths and
opportunities, things that they can work on and move forward.
In my
previous capacity, I was keenly aware and very much involved with the business
retention and expansion program and identifying some of those red flags that we
can ask other stakeholders, other partners, other departments as well as our own
staff within Business, Tourism, Culture and Rural Development, to help those
social enterprises be extremely successful. Because I think from all Members
opposite today, we're all talking about, how do we create success in this
province?
From the
data gathered from the participating social enterprises, it will be used to
identify common challenges. More importantly, Mr. Speaker, about those real
solutions so that there are more jobs created, so that there is sustainability.
I started the discussion today talking about regional sustainability, and it is
one of the reasons why I was keenly interested in bringing forward this private
Member's resolution today.
I'll
also say for a couple of minutes, Mr. Speaker, that we recognize there are other
things that are happening in this province to support social enterprises. The
Member for St. George's Humber talked about the things that are happening at
Memorial University. In particular, that there are undergrad courses around
social enterprise.
The work
the Community Sector Council has done to raise the profile of the importance of
social enterprise, we're seeing that now with our academic institutions where
they're creating courses for students to study and understand more about the
true impact of social enterprises in this province.
I would
say, Mr. Speaker, our government is currently planning engagement. It's kind of
a two-pronged approach. It's going to be internal to a government department but
it's going to also look at some other key stakeholders in the province. I just
want to name some of those for a minute, Mr. Speaker, and in particular for all
Members of the House so that you know we've started to think this through in
terms of whom would we want to hear from.
We're
going to continue to engage with our federal government, in particular the
Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency, but there are not-for-profit
organizations. There are many successes that were talked about here in this
House today. We want to engage with many of them to learn from their experiences
and also their successes, but to identify some of the challenges that we can put
forward in this action plan so that this action plan is truly meaningful to
everybody in the province.
Engagement with Memorial University and the College of the North Atlantic, the
Community Sector Council, we would certainly not omit the Community Sector
Council. They have tremendous knowledge and experience that they can bring to
this table.
The
Federation of Co-ops, Newfoundland and Labrador Federation of Co-ops, the CBDCs,
they are located right across this province working with young entrepreneurs.
They have tremendous knowledge and experience helping young entrepreneurs with
their business plan development, helping through some of their challenges,
whether it's through self-employment opportunities that I know they can avail of
through the Department of Advanced Education, Skills and Labour. They would be
obviously a critical stakeholder that we'd want to engage.
Municipalities, I think that's been mentioned by a number of speakers here
today. They would be also critically important. We want to engage them because
social enterprises impact every one of our communities across this province.
Industry
associations and there are other larger organizations within the province. I
think specifically around the destination management organizations; there are
five of those in this province. They bring together a number of players with
great knowledge and expertise. So we want to build upon all of that in our
stakeholder engagement. I think, Mr. Speaker, social enterprises are active with
social and economic sectors; therefore, looking at policy in all areas. That is
important as we embark on this social enterprise action plan.
Just to
go back and talk about the interdepartmental committee, it's made up of Advanced
Education, Skills and Labour; Health and Community Services; Education and Early
Childhood Development; Executive Council, in particular, they're going to help
provide some direction advice around policy development and strategic direction;
the Government Purchasing Agency, of course, when we talk about procurement and
the legislation that we brought forward in this House and debated this week;
Municipal Affairs; Children, Seniors and Social Development; and, again, as I
referenced earlier, the Department of Transportation and Works. It is very much
a cross-government collaboration because we know in order to make this work, we
have to break down those silos and we have to bring all those players together.
Mr.
Speaker, my time is running down. I just want to say that we look forward to the
Department of Business, Tourism, Culture and Rural Development to broaden the
consultation process as much as possible. We certainly invite others; if you
have ideas on if there's someone else that we should engage, please tell the
department. We'll certainly bring that forward and possibly include those
specific stakeholders within the social enterprise field as it exists today in
our province.
We're
very much open and transparent. We're certainly going to be accountable with our
action plan. Really, in the end, Mr. Speaker, this action plan is going to be
good for rural Newfoundland and Labrador.
SOME HON. MEMBERS:
Hear, hear!
MR. HOLLOWAY:
It's going to be about
sustainability, providing better mechanisms to make our rural communities very
sustainable. I'm looking forward to all Members voting in favour of this
resolution. I thank everybody for speaking with your passion and examples here
today.
Thank
you very much, Mr. Speaker.
SOME HON. MEMBERS:
Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER:
Order, please!
Is the
House ready for the question?
All
those in favour of the amendment?
SOME HON. MEMBERS:
Aye.
MR. SPEAKER:
Those against?
Carried.
All
those in favour of the motion as amended?
SOME HON. MEMBERS:
Aye.
MR. SPEAKER:
Those against?
Carried.
I
declare the motion passed.
SOME HON. MEMBERS:
Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER:
It being Private Members'
Day, the House is now adjourned until tomorrow at 1:30 p.m.