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December 7, 2017              HOUSE OF ASSEMBLY PROCEEDINGS           Vol. XLVIII No. 43


 

The House met at 1:30 p.m.

 

MR. SPEAKER (Trimper): Order, please!

 

Admit strangers.

 

Before we begin routine proceedings, I would like to observe an old parliamentary tradition. I have the pleasant task today of formally welcoming a new Member who was duly elected in the by-election of November 21, 2017.

 

The new Member is Mr. Jim Lester, representing the District of Mount Pearl North. I have been advised by the Clerk of the House that the Member has taken the Oath of Office and the Oath of Allegiance to the Crown, as required by the Constitution, and has signed the Members' Roll.

 

(The new Member for Mount Pearl North, along with the Leader of the Official Opposition, enter the Chamber through the main doors, approach the Chair and bow to the Speaker.)

 

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

 

MR. P. DAVIS: Mr. Speaker, I present to you Mr. Jim Lester, the Member for Mount Pearl North, who claims the right to take his seat.

 

MR. SPEAKER: Let the Member take his seat.

 

Welcome, Sir.

 

MR. LESTER: Thank you.

 

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

 

(The new Member and the leader then approach the Chair and exchange greetings with the Speaker. The new Member is escorted to his seat by the leader.)

 

MR. SPEAKER: In the Speaker's gallery today, I'd like to welcome family members of the Member for Mount Pearl North: Mr. Lester's wife, Michelle Lester; his daughter, Samantha Lester; sons, John and Caleb Lester; grandmother, Juanita Lester; aunt, Karen Lester; father and mother-in-law, Dave and Beverley Woolridge; uncle and aunt, Terry and Carolyn Penny.

 

Welcome to you all.

 

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

 

MR. SPEAKER: I was just remarking on how nice it is to win a by-election because the spotlight is truly on yourselves today.

 

Also in the Speaker's gallery, I'm very pleased to acknowledge the King family of Victoria who will be mentioned in a Ministerial Statement today. They are former guests of the Ronald McDonald House. Six-year-old Emma will join the Premier this evening to switch on the Christmas lights on Confederation Hill.

 

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

 

MR. SPEAKER: May I suggest I think we're upping our game because our public galleries have been quite full lately.

 

AN HON. MEMBER: Business is good.

 

MR. SPEAKER: It is good.

 

I'd like to welcome several other guests who will be referred to in a Ministerial Statement today. We have with us Linda Ross of the Provincial Advisory Council on the Status of Women and employee Judit Lovas; John Whelan of Blue Sky Family Care Home and employee Ciara O'Connor; and Anthony Butt of The Reluctant Chef restaurant and employee Jeremiah Stafford.

 

Welcome to you.

 

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

 

MR. SPEAKER: I'd also like to recognize Margo Cranford. She will be the subject of a Member's statement today. She is joined by her husband, Gary Cranford.

 

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

 

MR. SPEAKER: We also have with us retired Professor Leo White of the Newfoundland and Labrador Coalition of Agricultural Reform who is joining us in the gallery today.

 

We have Mayor Stone of Red Bay and, finally, Mr. Henry Windeler of the Goose Bay Airport Corporation.

 

Welcome to all of you.

 

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

 

Statements by Members

 

MR. SPEAKER: For Members' statements today, we will hear statements from the hon. Members for the Districts of Fogo Island – Cape Freels, Mount Pearl North, Lewisporte – Twillingate, Labrador West and Topsail – Paradise.

 

The hon. the Member for Fogo Island – Cape Freels.

 

MR. BRAGG: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

 

Great things are happening in the grade four class at Centreville Academy. The students there are learning about social justice issues, they are becoming activists and educating others on these issues. They got really interested in homelessness and those in need.

 

During my visit, they told me they researched this issue in Newfoundland and Labrador. It was interesting chatting with them and answering their questions.

 

During their research, they came across an advertisement: Kindness Wanted, a campaign for The Gathering Place, looking for support to help those in need. These 10 students and their teacher, Ms. Butler, were so impressed with the services that were offered by The Gathering Place that they wanted to help.

 

They did freezie sales and gave their spare change. They raised $250 so they could buy a hot lunch for those less fortunate. They did not stop there. They presented me with a letter asking me to do my part and bring awareness and support The Gathering Place.

 

These students and their actions can give us hope for a brighter future, a great lead-up to the Christmas season.

 

Thank you, grade four class, and Merry Christmas to all.

 

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

 

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

 

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

 

MR. LESTER: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

 

I rise in this hon. House today to recognize the organizers and participants of the Mount Pearl Lions Club Christmas parade, which was held this past weekend. The parade travelled through the heart of Mount Pearl, down Ruth Avenue and Park Avenue, ending at Mount Pearl Square where participants got to enjoy refreshments and meet Santa himself.

 

The parade was, as usual, organized by the Mount Pearl Lions Club who did a tremendous job. I congratulate all members of the organizing committee, volunteers and the City of Mount Pearl on a job well done.

 

This year's parade featured many community groups, school organizations, dance troops, sporting clubs and businesses from the area. Participants and onlookers delighted in the sights and sounds and festive community spirit, which Mount Pearl is well known for.

 

I ask all Members of this hon. House to join me in congratulating the Mount Pearl Lions Club and all of its partners in hosting another successful Santa Claus parade in the City of Mount Pearl.

 

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

 

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Member for the District of Lewisporte – Twillingate.

 

MR. D. BENNETT: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

 

I rise in this hon. House to recognize the Lewisporte Collegiate scholarship committee for their recent and very successful fundraiser gala/dinner. Businesses and individuals showed their support for a new initiative that will see scholarships awarded to qualifying students as they graduate from Lewisporte Collegiate. The fundraiser was a great success, raising over $80,000.

 

With a school population of 270 students from 14 communities, Lewisporte Collegiate prides itself on high academic achievements, while offering a full curriculum, along with an award-winning music program and varsity sports.

 

Mr. Speaker, Lewisporte Collegiate graduated nearly 50 per cent of students with honours over the past two years, making it the highest achieving high school in the province by 13 per cent.

 

The guest speaker for the evening was retired General Rick Hillier. The Campbellton native spoke of the people who have inspired him over the years in his military career. He noted that the people supporting the scholarship fund can inspire future graduates and that the financial support offered today will be important to these youth in pursuing their future goals so they can go out and change the world.

 

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

 

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

 

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

 

MR. LETTO: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

 

I rise in this hon. House today to bring to your attention something new and unique to Labrador.

 

Several years ago, our Labrador MP, Yvonne Jones, had a vision of being able to recognize Labradorians, past and present, with their own award of distinction. During the past few weeks, she has been travelling all over Labrador doing just that. In Labrador West on November 14, a special recognition ceremony was organized and over 60 people gathered in the historic setting of Menihek Nordic Ski Club to help congratulate 22 recipients on their Labradorians of Distinction award.

 

This medal was created by MP Jones and it was launched in conjunction with Canada 150. Here, 150 Labradorians have been recognized for their outstanding contributions.

 

Recipients are selected by a committee from all backgrounds, cultures and regions of Labrador, a great unifying celebration of our history and a way to learn about the exceptional individuals that have shaped our region. Every year going forward, members of the award program will be inducted during a special ceremony and will receive a special medal.

 

I ask all hon. Members to join me in congratulating all recipients of this award and MP Jones for bringing her vision to light.

 

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

 

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

 

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Member for the District of Topsail – Paradise.

 

MR. P. DAVIS: Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker.

 

Mr. Speaker, every corner of our province benefits from having local citizens who stand out, are well recognized and sometimes, and most unfortunately, the depth and reach of a citizen isn't fully realized until after they're gone. Such a realization has become evident after the recent passing of Mr. Val Slaney.

 

During his entire life, Val was a giver, to his community, to people and to his family. He was a long-time counsellor in the Town of Upper Island Cove and a volunteer who was well respect by everyone who knew him.

 

After his passing, a flood of people showed up to offer support and condolences to the family. Many offered their previously unknown stories of how Val quietly helped youth, seniors and those who were facing some pretty tough times in their lives. There were many stories shared.

 

It was an honour to know Val Slaney. I can tell you, Mr. Speaker, that I personally am a better person because I knew him. Many people are.

 

I ask this hon. House to join me in honouring a man who today is dearly missed.

 

Thank you.

 

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

 

MR. SPEAKER: I understand that the Minister of Finance and President of Treasury Board has leave to give a Member's statement?

 

The hon. the Member for the District of Waterford Valley.

 

MR. OSBORNE: Thank you, and I thank the Members of the House for offering leave.

 

Mr. Speaker, healthy living choices equate to both physical and mental wellness. In this day and age we all know the importance of a healthy lifestyle and the benefits that it can bring. Many of us strive to make healthier choices; some are more successful than others in following through on their commitments. No matter how big or small, making change can be challenging.

 

I would like to recognize Margo Cranford, who is in our public gallery today, who took health in hand with the help of an organization called TOPS, she made a commitment to change. TOPS stands for Take Off Pounds Sensibly and it is the first international non-profit organization of its kind, promoting healthy weight loss.

 

Margo is a member of TOPS NL 0590, Mount Pearl and, in 2016, she achieved the highest weight loss in this province. In recognition of her remarkable achievement, she was crowned TOPS Queen 2016 for Newfoundland and Labrador. As part of this award, she was given the honour to represent this province in Little Rock, Arkansas, in July of 2017.

 

Margo has recently become a member of the Century Club, having lost even more weight, and she's attained a total weight loss of more than 100 pounds.

 

I congratulate Margo on her achievements and note what a tremendous inspiration she is to others who choose to make health and healthy living a priority.

 

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

 

MR. SPEAKER: Statements by Ministers.

 

Statements by Ministers

 

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

 

MR. CROCKER: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

 

I am pleased to rise in this hon. House to invite the public to join us for the 31st annual Christmas Lights Across Canada ceremony happening this evening on Confederation Hill.

 

The event begins tonight at 6 p.m. in the main lobby of Confederation Building, East Block. Every year, cities across Canada participate in this event by simultaneously lighting beautiful displays of Christmas lights for all to enjoy.

 

Here in St. John's tonight we will illuminate a total of 60,000 LED lights on Confederation Hill and along Prince Philip Drive.

 

We'll hear festive music from the St. Andrew's Elementary School Choir and the Royal Newfoundland Regiment Band. There will be hot chocolate, cookies and other refreshments, and when the moment comes to switch on the lights, the Premier will be joined by six-year-old Emma King and the King family to push the button to light the display and officially begin the holiday season in our province.

 

The King family reside in Victoria – a community located within my District of Carbonear – Trinity – Bay de Verde – and are former guests of the Ronald McDonald House Charities Newfoundland and Labrador.

 

Emma and her parents Stephen and Sherry are big supporters of Ronald McDonald House Charities, and in fact Emma just hosted 65 fellow princesses for a fundraising tea party, held at Persalvic Elementary School. We are certainly pleased to have them join us here today and for our special event tonight.

 

Mr. Speaker, I encourage all to join us this evening. The holiday season is a wonderful time of year for spending time with family and friends. Our Christmas Lights Across Canada ceremony is a perfect way to celebrate the season.

 

On behalf of the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador, best wishes and a safe and happy holiday season and a happy new year.

 

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker.

 

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

 

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

 

MR. PETTEN: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

 

I want to thank the minister for an advance copy of his statement. We, too, encourage the public to attend tonight's event. I've attended this ceremony in the past; I know firsthand what a delight it brings to all those who join in the celebrations. For many people, coming to see the lighting of the tree at the Confederation Building, and for those along the Parkway, has become a family tradition.

 

I would also like to congratulate Emma King on being selected to light the display this year. I'm sure it will be a very exciting moment for herself and her family.

 

It's a great family event and a great kick start to the holiday season. I certainly do hope that many come out to enjoy St. Andrew's choir and the Royal Newfoundland Regiment Band, the sparkling lights and all the related festivities.

 

Thank you.

 

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

 

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

 

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

 

I, too, thank the minister for the advance copy of his statement. I love the lights at this time of year. I wish we could have them all year round, and even more so with energy-saving LEDs.

 

Congratulations to everyone involved in the preparation of this event and who are taking part in tonight's celebrations, especially to Emma King and her family.

 

I will now take this opportunity to offer best wishes for this holiday season to my colleagues in this House, the staff and all the public. I wish everyone relaxation, fun and happy times over the holiday.

 

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

 

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

 

MR. SPEAKER: Further statements by ministers?

 

The hon. the Minister of Advanced Education, Skills and Labour.

 

MR. HAWKINS: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

 

It's certainly an honour for me today to welcome Ciara O'Connor, Dr. Judit Lovas and Jeremiah Stafford to our province. They are among the newest immigrants to Newfoundland and Labrador and come to us through the Atlantic Immigration Pilot Program that was launched in March of this year.

 

Dr. Lovas came to Newfoundland and Labrador from Hungary and is being endorsed by the Provincial Advisory Council on the Status of Women, working as a research and policy analyst.

 

Ms. O'Connor is from Ireland and is working as program director with Blue Sky Family Care in Corner Brook.

 

Mr. Stafford is from Australia and is the executive chef of the Reluctant Chef restaurant in St. John's.

 

These three individuals are among over 100 people to date who are being endorsed by employers in our province under the Atlantic Immigration program.

 

The goal of the pilot is to enhance retention of immigrant workers throughout Atlantic Canada. By assisting employers in filling labour market needs, the program supports objectives of The Way Forward on Immigration in Newfoundland and Labrador. In partnership with government and community organizations, employers ensure that immigrant workers have access to settlement services and supports.

 

We continue to promote the program to raise awareness. I encourage employers to follow the lead of those who have endorsed Dr. Lovas, Ms. O'Connor and Mr. Stafford, by seeking designation through the program and helping to grow our province's population and economy.

 

I ask all hon. Members to join me in extending a warm welcome to all of our newcomers and thank them for putting their talent and training to work for Newfoundland and Labrador.

 

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 an advance copy of his statement. We, too, wish to welcome Dr. Lovas, Ms. O'Connor and Mr. Stafford to our beautiful province. I also thank the employers who have taken this initiative to partake in this program: the Provincial Advisory Council on the Status of Women, Blue Sky Family Care, The Reluctant Chef and all of the employers throughout our province currently enrolled in this pilot.

 

Mr. Speaker, while I encourage more businesses to consider employing immigrants and becoming involved in the Atlantic Immigration Pilot Program it's the responsibility of government to create a favourable environment for businesses to hire and grow. Over the past 24 months, this government has done anything but.

 

Government must do a better job to work with the local business community, create additional opportunities that will lead to further success stories like the three individuals here today.

 

Thank you very much.

 

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

 

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

 

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

 

I, too, thank the minister for the advance copy of his statement. I'm really happy to welcome all newcomers to this province and especially Dr. Lovas, Ms. O'Connor and Mr. Stafford.

 

This pilot program assists employers and supports immigration. I'm glad the program is showing results. In addition to encouraging people to move to Newfoundland and Labrador, however, government also needs to ensure programs and the supports exist for the ongoing retention of immigrants in our province.

 

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker.

 

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

 

MR. SPEAKER: Further statements by ministers?

 

The hon. the Minister of Finance and President of Treasury Board.

 

MR. OSBORNE: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

 

I rise today in this hon. House to announce the start of pre-budget consultations for budget 2018.

 

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

 

MR. OSBORNE: This is the earliest these consultations have commenced over the past decade.

 

This year's consultation process is a multi-phased approach, with numerous opportunities to provide feedback from interested stakeholders, members of the public and employees in the public service. Starting today, we are accepting feedback by email at Budget2018@gov.nl.ca and by regular mail to the Department of Finance; the address can be found on the Department of Finance's website.

 

Mr. Speaker, our public service has also been invited to complete an online questionnaire. In January, the public will have an opportunity to fill out a separate online questionnaire, and we will host in-person public and stakeholder sessions.

 

Mr. Speaker, in the interest of collaboration and openness, I would also like to take this opportunity to invite Members opposite to participate in this process. I truly believe that with the fiscal situation our province is facing, collaboration may lead to answers. These Members can choose a day between Wednesday and Friday of next week, where we can meet in this hon. House. I will bring along my staff from the department and we will listen to any suggestions that Members opposite have.

 

Members of the media will also be welcome to observe and all of the discussion will be on record.

 

I look forward to hearing from all interested parties as we move forward with these important consultations.

 

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

 

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

 

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

 

MR. HUTCHINGS: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

 

I thank the minister for the advance copy of his statement and certainly encourage all members of the public, along with community groups, businesses and organizations to participate in the pre-budget consultations.

 

It is, however, unfortunate that the ongoing tax review will not be concluded in time to incorporate it into this budget. Instead of doing a review of the tax system in 2016, this Liberal government deceived – or determined to charge the people of the province more to live here.

 

Mr. Speaker, it's evident that this Liberal government after two years is out of ideas. This Liberal government clearly does not have a way forward as they are looking to us to tell them what to do.

 

Mr. Speaker, we have given this government budgeting suggestions in this very House. We will continue to offer our suggestions in due course and directions for the benefit of all Newfoundlanders and Labradorians.

 

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

 

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

 

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

 

I, too, thank the minister for the advance copy of his statement. I'm glad he's making an early start on pre-budget consultations – much needed – and giving everyone interested a variety of ways in which to give feedback on what they would like to see in the budget.

 

In terms of consulting with individual Opposition Members, I remind the minister that we provide feedback and suggestions publicly on an ongoing basis every day the House is open and beyond. If the minister is suggesting a special additional consultation, I invite him to get in touch with the individual Opposition caucuses and request open public meetings with them.

 

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

 

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

 

MR. SPEAKER: Further statements by ministers?

 

Oral Questions.

 

Oral Questions

 

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

 

MR. P. DAVIS: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

 

Mr. Speaker, on November 7, the Premier told the media that his chief of staff had – quote – followed every single rule – end of quote – on rules surrounding lobbying. We now know that the Premier's chief of staff violated lobbying rules by not meeting deadlines to file documents on time.

 

I ask the Premier: Why did you state to the media that your chief of staff had followed every single rule, when in fact he had violated lobbying rules?

 

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Premier.

 

PREMIER BALL: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

 

Well, I think you would have noticed in the media yesterday the chief of staff had issued a public comment about this in his response. That was based on the question the Leader of the Opposition is asking, which is a discussion that had been essentially started by one of the leadership candidates in all of this.

 

Mr. Speaker, what we're talking about here is lobbyist registration. The chief of staff in our office clearly said yesterday – he had given me his assurances that the rules were followed and that he had completed the necessary records.

 

What happened here, Mr. Speaker, near the notice of termination there was a one-month period. The chief of staff clearly identified yesterday there was an administrative error in filing for the notice of termination.

 

I can tell you speaking with him today he is very sorry, remorseful and apologetic for that omission.

 

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

 

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

 

MR. P. DAVIS: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

 

The rules are in place for a very good reason. A breach of the rules is a breach of the rules.

 

I ask the Premier: When did you become aware that your chief of staff had violated the rules contrary to the legislation?

 

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Premier.

 

PREMIER BALL: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

 

I became aware of this just a few days ago there, when this was made public. As I said, I spoke to the chief of staff. He's very sorry, has apologized and has said this publicly about what has happened there.

 

I will want to clarify this though. The key part of this registry is – our chief of staff, in this particular case here, Mr. Mercer, was using the registry. That's how this information has become available, Mr. Speaker, unlike some of the other people we know in this province who actually haven't used the registry. Certainly, many of those people would have been lobbying Members opposite over a number of years.

 

I want to reiterate this and point this out, Mr. Speaker – this is very important – at no point was there any lobbyist activity without it being registered by the chief of staff.

 

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

 

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

 

MR. P. DAVIS: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

 

It was a month ago today when the media reported the Premier's statement that his chief of staff had followed every single rule. The Premier just said it was only a few days ago when he found out that wasn't correct.

 

That's a significant problem for me, Premier, I suggest, when several weeks go by before the correct information was brought to the attention of the Premier by his very chief of staff.

 

Does that present a problem to you, Premier? It certainly does to me.

 

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Premier.

 

PREMIER BALL: Mr. Speaker, what we're talking about here is at any point – so let's ask this very basic question. The Member, the person that we're talking about, was this person doing any lobbyist activity, any activities at all, prior to a registration? No, clearly he wasn't.

 

Was there financial gain, Mr. Speaker? This has happened prior to coming into the office and the position that he currently holds. So what has happened here, near the end of it or a completion of the activity there is a 30-day, one-month time frame that you actually file for the termination.

 

He's apologized for this, Mr. Speaker. That's what I'm saying. This was a human error; it was an administrative error. I'm sure every Member in this House, at some point, has missed something in terms of a notification.

 

He's apologized for this, Mr. Speaker, and made that public yesterday.

 

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

 

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

 

MR. P. DAVIS: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

 

The chief of staff had a considerable amount of time to inform the Premier that the Premier's own public statements were inaccurate. Instead of giving the Premier the opportunity to, immediately after, correct the statement, his own chief of staff let the matter go on until someone else raised it again. This is a problem. It wasn't just about lobbying or not lobbying, because we really don't know that either.

 

Mr. Speaker, in order for any actions regarding this matter to be taken, an official complaint has to be filed for an investigation to take place. A complaint would have to be filed with the Commissioner of Lobbyists.

 

I ask the Premier: To ensure transparency and accountability, will you ask for an investigation to start immediately?

 

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Premier.

 

PREMIER BALL: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

 

What we're talking about here is an activity in the past, prior to coming into government. I want to just reassure the people of this province that these activities were done and concluded before coming in to our office, Mr. Speaker.

 

I will say this, however, to the Member opposite in this question: Yeah, sure, I've asked questions about this. The person that we're talking about apologized and was apologetic to the people of this province about this administrative error that occurred based on this registry.

 

Mr. Speaker, if you look at the history of the registry and how he's used this in the past, he is one of very few people over the history that has actually clearly been participating in this. What I've done, we've already started discussions with the committee of conflict of interest.

 

We want to review the processes that we've put in place around our chief of staff, Mr. Speaker. I'm confident that nothing will be found, but I think public confidence in this is extremely important.

 

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

 

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

 

MR. P. DAVIS: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

 

The Premier has stated that he has no issue with the chief of staff being involved with government decisions involving companies he used to lobby for.

 

I ask the Premier: How appropriate is it that your chief of staff has been involved in meetings, as recently as March of this year, with Tata Steel, a group that he was working for?

 

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Premier.

 

PREMIER BALL: Mr. Speaker, what I said was all of the companies that the chief of staff had been involved in were clearly – we had that discussion. If at any point of any one of those companies –we put in rules. These are the conflict of interests. We will review all of this with the committee, if they should see fit. We've reached out to open that discussion.

 

Mr. Speaker, clearly in this House – and the Member should know this, opposite. He's been working in the private sector prior to being in government. We have Members that are sitting clearly right next to him, Mr. Speaker, that time and time they would have been advocating and working for various companies and then find themselves in the political arena just a few weeks later and would have received donations, I would say, Mr. Speaker, from these groups.

 

Mr. Speaker, what we're looking at right now is we want to restore public confidence; we're willing to take this to the Conflict of Interest Committee.

 

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

 

MR. SPEAKER: The Leader of the Official Opposition.

 

MR. P. DAVIS: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

 

In this case, the Premier's Chief of Staff was a lobbyist who failed to abide by the legislation.

 

Mr. Speaker, I ask the Premier: When will his government be announcing his sole-source deal with Canopy Growth to produce marijuana that excludes Newfoundland and Labrador suppliers?

 

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

 

MR. MITCHELMORE: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

 

I thank the Member opposite for his question. As I said previously and publicly, we want to develop an industry here in Newfoundland and Labrador with the legalization of cannabis federally that leads to production, leads to job creation, supply chain development opportunities and research and development. When we're in a position to make matters public, we will.

 

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

 

MR. SPEAKER: The Leader of the Official Opposition.

 

MR. P. DAVIS: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

 

Well, a decision that Cabinet made this week includes an incentive program.

 

I ask the minister: What's the value of the incentive program going to be provided to Canopy Growth?

 

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

 

MR. MITCHELMORE: Thank you, Mr. Speaker, for the Member's question opposite.

 

When it comes to any type of business program or investment opportunity the Department of Tourism, Culture, Industry and Innovation would be undertaking, we have officials in our department that would be in dialogue with any company and would be working out business deals, good business deals for the people of the province that would lead to job growth and creation.

 

We've done a number of business deals here in the province. We did one with Provincial Aerospace that's leading to job creation here in this province. We did one with Canada Fluorspar Mine just a short time ago that's leading to significant job creation here in this province – unlike Members opposite, that have done a number of significant bad business deals.

 

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

 

MR. SPEAKER: The Leader of the Official Opposition.

 

MR. P. DAVIS: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

 

Mr. Speaker, in October of 2015, on the heels of the federal election, the Ottawa Sun published a story regarding the chief financial officer for the Liberal Party of Canada who's a significant shareholder in Canopy Growth. The story says he's in line for a big payday.

 

I ask the minister of business: Why have you refused to issue a public request for proposals for a supply for marijuana for Newfoundland and Labrador?

 

MR. SPEAKER: The Minister of Tourism, Culture, Industry and Innovation.

 

MR. MITCHELMORE: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

 

I thank the Member opposite for his question. As we have said publicly here in this House, one of the big issues is obtaining supply. Supply is very important given that we're one of only two provinces that do not have active producers right here.

 

There are a limited number of providers that are in Canada right now that would be approved and regulated by the federal government in this particular matter. We're certainly having conversations with some of the providers, including Canopy. They already have agreements with New Brunswick, with Ontario and with Alberta.

 

Thank you.

 

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

 

MR. SPEAKER: The Leader of the Official Opposition.

 

MR. P. DAVIS: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

 

The question is: Why is the government not going to issue a public request for proposals? It's not a difficult question; it's a very simple question. Why are you refusing to do so?

 

MR. SPEAKER: The Minister of Tourism, Culture, Industry and Innovation.

 

MR. MITCHELMORE: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

 

We had addressed this at a media availability that we had when we had talked about how the regulation and distribution would happen here in this province. There will be an RFP that will be issued for the retail model when it comes to retailing of cannabis.

 

When it comes to supply, we have to secure a supply. There are a limited amount of people that actually have the regulations and have that approval. We're open to dealing with anybody, anybody across the country that is actually producing and would have that licensing, whether they're in Newfoundland and Labrador.

 

As the Minister of Justice and Public Safety has said previously, we've had discussions with numerous companies and we invite them into that dialogue. We're open for business.

 

MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!

 

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

 

MR. SPEAKER: The Opposition House Leader.

 

MR. HUTCHINGS: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

 

Mr. Speaker, I ask the Minister of Natural Resources: What is the final cost of the EY report related to the Muskrat Falls oversight and particularly related to the interim and final report?

 

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Minister of Natural Resources.

 

MS. COADY: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

 

I'd be happy to get that information for the Member opposite; I don't have it off the top of my head. I couldn't be able to tell him what the definitive amount is today, but I will certainly undertake to get that information for him.

 

Thank you.

 

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

 

MR. SPEAKER: The Opposition House Leader.

 

MR. HUTCHINGS: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

 

Mr. Speaker, I'll ask the minister: Are there ongoing invoices related to the Muskrat Falls Oversight Committee and EY doing work for that committee today?

 

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Minister of Natural Resources.

 

MS. COADY: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

 

There is a budget for the Oversight Committee, Mr. Speaker. The Oversight Committee does have a budget that is given annually to make sure it has all the expertise that it requires.

 

As to whether or not the Oversight Committee currently has any process with the EY, I will undertake to find out that information, Mr. Speaker, and provide it to this House. As the Premier just indicated, the ongoing cost for everyone in this province will be the power bills related to Muskrat Falls.

 

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

 

MR. SPEAKER: The Opposition House Leader.

 

MR. HUTCHINGS: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

 

I'll advise the minister in case she doesn't know; the cost she's incurring today also goes to power supply and to bills as well, I say to her. That's why we're asking what the cost is, but she can't tell us.

 

One of the EY's recommendations was to implement enhanced independent assurance functions.

 

I ask the minister: Has this been done or will it be done?

 

MR. SPEAKER: The Minister of Natural Resources.

 

MS. COADY: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

 

Certainly, the Oversight Committee which we've expanded, we've added four independent, well respected and well educated people to that Committee to ensure we have a broader Oversight Committee, Mr. Speaker, just one of the things we've done for the Muskrat Falls Project. They do have the opportunity to reach out and get the expertise they need in an ongoing basis, and I'm sure they are doing their very best, Mr. Speaker, to ensure the proper oversight of the Muskrat Falls Project is undertaken.

 

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

 

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

 

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

 

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

 

MR. LESTER: Mr. Speaker, the residents of Mount Pleasant Manor were recently hit with an increase in their rent by their property owners. This increase now exceeds the rental subsidy provided by government through NL Housing.

 

I ask the minister: Has the government given any thought to lifting the rental subsidy cap?

 

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Minister of Children, Seniors and Social Development.

 

MS. DEMPSTER: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

 

I thank the hon. Member for the question. As I said earlier, as a part of The Way Forward initiative, we are currently going through a full review of all of the programs and services that are offered under the Newfoundland and Labrador Housing Corporation. We want to make sure, Mr. Speaker, that we get this right because we've seen many examples in the past where just simply spending the money is not a measurement of success.

 

We're aware of what the Member is talking about, and those conversations are happening right now. There will be something coming in the very near future, I say, Mr. Speaker.

 

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

 

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Member for the District of Fortune Bay – Cape La Hune.

 

MS. PERRY: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

 

The activity plan of the Intergovernmental and Indigenous Affairs Secretariat indicates that by March 31, 2018 the secretariat will have worked to repatriate the remains of Demasduit and Nonosabasut.

 

I ask the Premier: Can you provide an update on these efforts?

 

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Premier.

 

PREMIER BALL: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

 

I remember back in 2015, in the last spring session, there was unanimous PMR that was done right here in this House of Assembly on this very issue. Since that time, I think the Member opposite would understand in her role as critic now we have put in place a roundtable on indigenous affairs. One of the priorities of that roundtable discussion was indeed the repatriation.

 

Mr. Speaker, this is led by Chief Mi'sel Joe, a highly respected individual within our province. That work is ongoing, as the Member opposite would know. That repatriation would have to be done in conjunction with the Canadian Museum Association.

 

This group of people, they would actually be responsible for the repatriation of the remains, and then indeed the process is ongoing right now. It's a considerable amount of work that would happen nationally and right here with the province. All indications are, Mr. Speaker, I would say that we want to get this done because it's the right thing to do.

 

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

 

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Member for the District of Fortune Bay – Cape La Hune.

 

MS. PERRY: Thank you, Mr. Speaker, and thank you, Premier.

 

In April of 2016, this House did support a resolution on repatriation with unanimous agreement with one government MHA stating we will continue that work.

 

I ask the Premier: What timelines can we expect for their remains to be returned home?

 

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Premier.

 

PREMIER BALL: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

 

I will tell you now that the timelines, being specific, there's a considerable amount of work that has to be done. Actually, we have Scotland is involved in this discussion right now. We have of course the national museums. Those associations are involved. Certainly, we are prepared now as a province, but much of this discussion will have to occur between – an agreement between Scotland and, of course, our national government and so on.

 

Our indications – all our indigenous groups are clearly involved in this all along the way. There's clear alignment on this, but to put a time frame on all of this would be very difficult at this stage since there are so many people that are involved in this, but we want to get this done. We believe it's important for the history of Newfoundland and Labrador that we repatriate the remains.

 

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

 

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

 

MR. K. PARSONS: Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker.

 

I ask the minister: Is the Workplace Health, Safety and Compensation Review Division meeting its requirement to deliver its decision within 60 days?

 

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Minister of Service NL.

 

MS. GAMBIN-WALSH: Mr. Speaker, the workers' compensation system works on behalf of the injured clients and the employers. We are working diligently toward meeting the requirement, the set date. However, sometimes there are obstacles and there are appeals and there are reasons why individual clients' particular case file cannot be met within the period of time.

 

Mr. Speaker, I can't go into individual files here in the House, but there are times, yes, that we do not meet the 60 days.

 

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

 

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

 

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

 

How many clients are currently backlogged at the Workplace Health, Safety and Compensation Review Division?

 

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Minister Responsible for WorkplaceNL.

 

MS. GAMBIN-WALSH: Mr. Speaker, I work very closely with the appeals division, even though they're a separate entity of government. The number that exists today is probably about 150 at the present moment; however, as I said, those are individual cases.

 

What we have to realize is that some people have actually paused their appeal, so that number is not a true number of the number of cases that are backlogged as the Member has asked. Mr. Speaker, there are different reasons why individual cases do not move forward when they meet appeals.

 

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

 

MR. SPEAKER: The Member for the District of Cape St. Francis.

 

MR. K. PARSONS: Very interesting, Mr. Speaker.

 

Minister, how long have they been waiting? Do you have a time frame that some of these 150 have been waiting?

 

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Minister Responsible for WorkplaceNL.

 

MS. GAMBIN-WALSH: Mr. Speaker, as I just indicated, they're individual files so there are individual reasons. So waiting – I'm guessing the Member opposite kind of means why it's taking a period of time to do some files and not others.

 

I can't address individual files in the House of Assembly, Mr. Speaker. There are different reasons. I just can't take out individual files and discuss why each individual file is waiting.

 

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

 

MR. SPEAKER: The Member for the District of Cape St. Francis.

 

MR. K. PARSONS: Mr. Speaker, I'll tell the minister: I'm not asking for individuals, I'm asking for timelines. There are 150 clients that are waiting and I want to know how long have they been waiting for? Has it been six months? If it's 60 days the decisions are supposed to be turned around, how long have these people been waiting?

 

We're getting calls to our office all the time with people saying they're waiting to hear from the commissioner to see when their review can happen. I want to know what the timelines are.

 

MR. SPEAKER: The Minister Responsible for WorkplaceNL.

 

MS. GAMBIN-WALSH: Mr. Speaker, the Member is actually asking for individual timelines. I'm sorry, but I can't haul out 150 files and tell him how long each individual has been waiting.

 

MR. SPEAKER: The Member for the District of Cape St. Francis.

 

MR. K. PARSONS: Again, Mr. Speaker, I remind the minister that we get calls from clients all the time. They're waiting to hear from the Workplace Health, Safety and Compensation Review Division and they want to know when because they've been put off and put off.

 

You told us today that there are 150 clients out there waiting that are in this backlog, which is huge. I'd just ask: Can they expect it to be done within the next six months? Can they expect it to be done in the next seven months? What's the time frame?

 

I'm going to move on from that now. The decisions made by the Review Division are made public and posted on the government website.

 

I ask the minister: Will you make these decisions and post it in 2017, because there's nothing posted there now?

 

MR. SPEAKER: The Minister Responsible for WorkplaceNL.

 

MS. GAMBIN-WALSH: Mr. Speaker, this present administration actually has a full board in place at the Appeals Commission, unlike the previous administration. We have the full complement to address the backlog, and it is moving along.

 

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

 

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

 

MR. PETTEN: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

 

Mr. Speaker, on November 22, while responding to a question, the Minister of Municipal Affairs responded that while I may have read the briefing notes, he actually wrote them.

 

In an ATIPP request posted online recently, it was revealed that over the past two years since being minister there is zero record of any briefing or information notes written by the minister.

 

I ask the minister: Is this indeed accurate, or perhaps you have hidden the notes?

 

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Minister of Municipal Affairs and Environment.

 

MR. JOYCE: Mr. Speaker, never let the truth get involved with a good story, I always say.

 

What the Member asked me, and I'll tell him right straight up, it was the briefing book that I walked over during the Estimates and gave him. In his own words, he said: yes, you brought me the binder.

 

Unlike the government opposite when they were in government, the Members opposite, when I take a book and I'm going to give it out to the public and give it to the Opposition, I go word for word, I read it. When I signed off, it's my document.

 

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

 

MR. JOYCE: I do not pass the responsibility to anybody who works – I have an excellent staff, I sign off. When I sign it, it's my document. Unlike the Members opposite, we can't get one person to stand up and say who helped with Muskrat Falls. Not one of them will take any credit.

 

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

 

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

 

MR. PETTEN: Mr. Speaker, I'll quickly move off it. I won't tell the minister he should check Hansard.

 

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Oh, oh!

 

MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!

 

MR. PETTEN: Check Hansard. He informed the House that he actually wrote it, not read. He wrote the briefing notes. I'm only going by what I was told, so he should check Hansard.

 

Mr. Speaker, the minister confirmed for us yesterday that there are 14 heavy equipment operator vacancies across the province and that six of these are on the Avalon.

 

How many of these six are out of the total number of positions on the Avalon? What are the total positions on the Avalon?

 

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Minister of Municipal Affairs and Environment.

 

MR. JOYCE: Mr. Speaker, I can't let that stand. I can't let this Member think that I don't take responsibility for the document in Estimates. Before we had to go to the freedom of information and even in some cases we had to embarrass the minister to get it. I walked down during Estimates and said here's the document, it's my document.

 

I tell you, Mr. Speaker, let me tell you; I knew he was going to bring this up because I had the freedom of information request come in. It's too bad when he worked with Transportation and Works he didn't do a briefing note when Nick McGrath caused the Humber Valley Paving, Mr. Speaker, (inaudible).

 

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

 

MR. SPEAKER: The Member responsible for the District of Conception Bay South.

 

MR. PETTEN: All we asked, Mr. Speaker, was that we wanted him to provide the briefing notes he wrote. That's all, a simple question.

 

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

 

MR. PETTEN: I'm looking forward to him tabling those in the House in the spring session, Mr. Speaker.

 

Yesterday, the minister boasted that they were running at 90 per cent availability on snow-clearing equipment.

 

Minister, what's your plan to keep snow-clearing equipment up and running this winter if you don't have mechanics on staff to fix them?

 

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

 

MR. CROCKER: Mr. Speaker, I thank the hon. Member for the question.

 

Mr. Speaker, the earlier question was vacancies on the Avalon. Currently, there are six.

 

Mr. Speaker, what the department does is when we have vacancies or when we have equipment that our staff can't get repaired, we'll bring it out to a local entrepreneur here in the city or anywhere across the province and let that business do the work for us. We have great confidence in the repair shops throughout the province.

 

We have over 700 employees doing winter maintenance in this province, Mr. Speaker. We spend about $62 million a year on winter maintenance and we're very proud of our staff.

 

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker.

 

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

 

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

 

MS. ROGERS: Mr. Speaker, Grieg's massive aquaculture project is based on increasingly controversial methods and wouldn't be allowed in Norway today. Government wants to allow it and invest $45 million of the people's money to do it. Norway, Iceland and Denmark are moving towards land-based aquaculture, as are Nova Scotia and BC.

 

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Oh, oh!

 

MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!

 

MS. ROGERS: In the last election, the Premier promised to review the development of land-based aquaculture and a possible land-based pilot project.

 

I ask the Premier: Why go ahead with Grieg's problematic aquaculture project instead of a more environmentally and economically sustainable one? Where is his promised land-based pilot project?

 

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Minister of Fisheries and Land Resources.

 

MR. BYRNE: Mr. Speaker, all aquaculture, salmonid aquaculture in the world, occurs initially by a land-based system; however, no aquaculture production is commercially viable at this point in time under exclusively a land-based system. Yes, there are some experimental facilities and, yes, the industry would like to push further and further in advancement to land-based systems, but to make the suggestion that an exclusively land-based system would be viable in Newfoundland and Labrador, at this point in time, would be to perpetuate a falsehood.

 

With that said, Mr. Speaker, we will always work with industry to advance the cause. But in comparisons of Newfoundland and Labrador to Norway, we are producing 25,000 metric tons; Norway is producing over a million tons.

 

MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!

 

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

 

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

 

MS. ROGERS: Mr. Speaker, government intends to aggressively grow the aquaculture industry. This is a good opportunity for jobs, but our aquaculture regulations are among the worst in the country, second only to New Brunswick.

 

I ask the minister: Will he follow the example of Nova Scotia and set up a truly independent regulatory review in light of the new science, and once completed, put the regulations into law?

 

MR. SPEAKER: The Minister of Fisheries and Land Resources.

 

MR. BYRNE: Mr. Speaker, as Minister of Fisheries and Land Resources, I've had an opportunity not only to speak to the Canadian industry, leaders and regulators in the Canadian industry, but I've also had an opportunity to speak with international regulators and industry proponents.

 

What the international community is telling the people of Newfoundland and Labrador, the people of Canada, the people of the world, is that Newfoundland and Labrador has the most robust regulatory regime found anywhere in the world for salmonid aquaculture. In fact, our bay management system, our placement of pens, our regulation of the industry is what's attracting industry development and jobs for our province.

 

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

 

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

 

MS. ROGERS: Mr. Speaker, the Newfoundland and Labrador Coalition for Aquaculture Reform has hand delivered letters to the Premier and the past and current Fisheries and Environment ministers asking for a meeting. They received confirmations of those letters. I have the copies, yet they can't seem to get a meeting.

 

I ask the Premier again: Will he meet with this group that represents 20 organizations and scientists?

 

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Minister of Municipal Affairs and Environment.

 

MR. JOYCE: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

 

I thank the Member for the question. Just for the record, that Member has yet to ask me for a meeting on anything concerning aquaculture in the Province of Newfoundland and Labrador, Mr. Speaker.

 

Mr. Speaker, we know the letter is in. I spoke to a person who is part of the group, Bill Bryden. He said that the group will contact me for a meeting. To date, I've yet to get a request. My door is open.

 

To be fair, Mr. Speaker, when I do accept the meeting, I do not want the Member to stand up and say I'm meeting with a group when this is going through the process in the courts that I'm interfering. If I met with another group they would say, well, you're interfering.

 

I will meet with the group, but don't stand up and say that I'm being biased when I do meet with the group, Mr. Speaker, if they don't get to hear what they want to hear.

 

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

 

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

 

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

 

During the 2015 provincial campaign, the Premier stated he would share with the people of the province the numbers on P3 projects, showing them the evidence on why they would choose to build public facilities using this model.

 

I ask the Premier why he has not yet fulfilled this commitment on the projects he's put in place to date.

 

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Premier.

 

PREMIER BALL: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

 

We're very proud of the work that's been done already; we've been working with the private sector. But I would want to say this: Unlike what we've seen from the PC administration, the activity, the delivery of services inside the P3 models for long-term care, specifically the ones that we've been talking about in Corner Brook, Gander, Grand Falls-Windsor and Botwood, will be done in the traditional fashion.

 

We've outlined the process, Mr. Speaker. There's some financial close information that will be required for the project in Corner Brook. We will be making this information – already we've said there's some $10 million to $12 million in savings in some of the projects already. That's been out there publicly, I say to the Member opposite.

 

All I would say to her is read the documentation and the information that we have out there. Clearly, there is good value for money for Newfoundlanders and Labradorians. Clearly, this will create public sector jobs for Newfoundlanders and Labradorians.

 

MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!

 

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

 

MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!

 

The time for Oral Questions has ended.

 

Presenting Reports by Standing and Select Committees.

 

Tabling of Documents.

 

Tabling of Documents

 

MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!

 

Pursuant to section 8 and section 10 of the Public Tender Act, I hereby table reports of the Public Tender Act exceptions for August and September 2017, as presented by the chief operating officer of the Government Purchasing Agency.

 

Pursuant to section 43 of the Citizens' Representative Act, I am pleased to table the Citizens' Representative Annual Digest for 2016-2017.

 

Notices of Motion.

 

Answers to Questions for which Notice has been Given.

 

Answers to Questions for which Notice has been Given

 

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Minister of Natural Resources.

 

MS. COADY: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

 

During Question Period, I was asked for the invoice for EY for the period of the final report. It was $257,674.

 

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

 

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Minister of Education and Early Childhood Development.

 

MR. KIRBY: Mr. Speaker, two days ago in Question Period, the Member for St. John's East – Quidi Vidi asked a question about a purportedly vacant position in the Department of Education and Early Childhood Development.

 

With the closure of the School for the Deaf in 2010, a transition period was set up by the previous administration. This required the hiring of a full-time consultant position in the Department of Education and Early Childhood Development.

 

That transition period concluded in 2015, two years ago, when most students of the former School for the Deaf had graduated and the remaining students were not availing of services such as boarding with families – I apologize; that's the first time that's happened, Mr. Speaker – in St. John's and travelling home on the weekends and holidays.

 

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Oh, oh!

 

MR. KIRBY: We got a little bit of levity here as we're getting towards the holidays. I hope everybody is able to understand this disjointed message I'm delivering.

 

At this point, the full-time position for the transition period ceased to exist and services were continued and implemented by teachers in the system. The website posting of a vacant position for the transitional deaf and hard of hearing consultant was an oversight, unfortunately, that I apologized for and now that problem has been fixed on the website.

 

There is currently a consultant responsible for deaf and hard of hearing education in the Department of Education and Early Childhood Development, as there was before, and now after the closure of the School for the Deaf. As is the practice in the Department of Education and Early Childhood Development, this consultant is responsible for several files including deaf and hard of hearing education.

 

I apologize for the interruption during that twice, Mr. Speaker.

 

MR. SPEAKER: I'd like to thank the hon. Member for his clarification there.

 

Thank you.

 

Petitions.

 

Petitions

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

WHEREAS the road, Route 100, through Dunville is not being maintained properly; and

 

WHEREAS this roadway is becoming a safety concern for residents and visitors alike; and

 

WHEREAS the highways depot is only open in the winter months;

 

WHEREUPON the undersigned, your petitioners, humbly pray and call upon the House of Assembly to urge government to open the depot and supply necessary manpower to prepare the road for the projected increase in traffic in the very near future.

 

And as in duty bound, your petitioners will ever pray.

 

Mr. Speaker, I received this petition from people from the Dunville, Placentia, Argentia areas. Signatures here from Placentia, Point Verde, Ferndale, Jerseyside, Point Verde again, Freshwater. The whole area out in the Argentia area is very, very concerned about the state of Route 100, which runs through Dunville. It's deteriorating and people in the area consider this to be a growing safety issue.

 

I understand a committee that has been set up have met with their local MHA and Department of Transportation and Works to discuss the state of Route 100, but they've received no feedback and no action from that meeting. This is why, I think, they've put this petition together and they've asked me to present it for them.

 

The citizen's committee called the Route 100 Improvement Committee was formed in late June of this year, and their goal is to provide a unified voice on the matter. We all know this area, Mr. Speaker. It's a highly industrial area and you have people travelling back and forth both from that area to also Long Harbour. Workers, commuters, and any of us who've been on that road – and I have been, I'm sure many of us have – know that it is not being kept up the way that it needs to be kept.

 

On Monday, October 16, BAY TV, which is a local TV channel, did a traffic survey of vehicles going through the Town of Dunville. For that whole day from 7 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., they counted 1,005 cars, 105 tractor trailers and 250 trucks, for a total on 1,360 vehicles in one day on a road that's deteriorating, the shoulders are deteriorating, the road is not being kept up. By having the depot open not just in winter, but in spring and summer, you would have ongoing maintenance of this road, and then in spring, summer and into the fall we're also talking about the ferry services as well, Mr. Speaker.

 

So this is an urgent issue for the people in the area, and I really ask the minister to pay attention to what the concerns are of the people from that area.

 

Thank you.

 

MR. SPEAKER: Further petitions?

 

The hon. the Member for Mount Pearl – Southlands.

 

MR. LANE: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

 

The petition of the undersigned residents humbly sheweth:

 

WHEREAS the inshore harvesters of Newfoundland and Labrador have serious concerns about their current union representation;

 

WHEREAS the inshore fish harvesters of Newfoundland and Labrador want the right to vote on which union will represent them;

 

WHEREUPON the undersigned, your petitioners, humbly pray and call upon the House of Assembly to request government to urge the Newfoundland and Labrador Labour Relations Board to proceed immediately to a vote of the inshore fish harvesters to decide which union will represent them.

 

And as in duty bound, your petitioners will ever pray.

 

Mr. Speaker, I have several petitions here again today. These are coming from areas such as O'Donnells, Carbonear, Salmon Cove, François, Lawn, Durrell, Virgin Arm, Benoit's Cove, Frenchman's Cove, Corner Brook, Bay L'Argent, St. John's, Glovertown, St. Brendan's. So they're from all parts of the province. I think the reasoning for that, Mr. Speaker, is because the fishery is something which impacts all parts of the province.

 

Obviously it's been the life's blood for many communities in rural Newfoundland and Labrador, but as I've said before, the fishery is also important to the urban parts of Newfoundland and Labrador. Even in this area, certainly in Mount Pearl, St. John's and so on, we have a number of businesses in the industrial parks that service the fishery. A lot of those businesses probably wouldn't survive if it was not for the fishery.

 

It is important. If we want to make sure that the fishery is going to be sustainable, then we all need to be pulling on the same oar, we all need to be working together. The last thing we need when it comes to the fishery is division.

 

So what these inshore fish harvesters are asking is let's end the division which currently exists within that particular sector. They're urging government to – let's make sure that we can expedite the process, have the vote and let the fish harvesters decide which union they want to represent them. Once that issue is put to bed and settled, then, hopefully, they can all work together for the betterment of the fishery and for the province as a whole.

 

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

 

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

 

MR. PETTEN: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

 

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

 

WHEREAS Newfoundland has the highest incidence of cardiac disease in Canada and we need to do what we can to improve our ability to save lives; and

 

WHEREAS the implementation of a new registry can be completed for less than the cost of a new vehicle; and

 

WHEREAS after implementation, the annual cost will be five cents per resident;

 

WHEREUPON the undersigned, your petitioners, humbly pray and call upon the House of Assembly to urge government to enact legislation requiring all AEDs in the province to be registered with an online registry. This registry must also be linked to the 911 system to enable faster response times in case of cardiac emergencies.

 

And as in duty bound, your petitioners will ever pray.

 

Mr. Speaker, these AEDs – this program started as a partner between the province and the Heart and Stroke maybe six, seven years back. It started with arenas and community centres. Right now it's evolved to all schools have been done. The current administration just finished that initiative off this past year, which is a great credit to government in general for supporting this important initiative.

 

As important and as good as it is to have all these AEDs presently in all those buildings – and there are a lot of public buildings – we need to improve upon, make it better. The whole idea behind this registry is to have it accessible.

 

The best example I can give – when it was explained to me – is if you're downtown, you're in one building and somebody goes into cardiac arrest. If you tie this to the 911 system, calling 911, they can tell you there's a defibrillator two doors away. It's intended to help everyone, first responders especially, to find out where these are. In doing so, you also make sure the batteries are up to scratch, they're functioning and ready to be used.

 

I guess another example is probably, like I'm saying, fire extinguishers, mandatory checks on these. It's very life-saving. They're so crucial to saving lives, and they have saved lives.

 

I've spoken to the minister responsible, the Minister of Municipal Affairs, and Fire and Emergency Services. I know that's something they've – I've also been speaking to the Heart and Stroke Foundation. There's a family in my district that are very afflicted by this issue, a defibrillation heart. It's a hereditary problem they have. So it's very personal to them. In doing so, I've been very involved with them and advocating on their behalf. I've spoken to the minister and he's been very open to conversation on it as well.

 

This petition is signed by a lot of people. There are a lot of people out there who want to see this happen. I know there are some concerns with the liability and some details have to be worked out, but it's my pleasure to present this on their behalf. I do encourage government to continue working with the Heart and Stroke Foundation to make this registry a reality and help save more lives in doing so.

 

Thank you very much.

 

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

WHEREAS government plans to remove the provincial point of sale tax rebate on books, which will raise the tax on books from 5 per cent to 15 per cent; and

 

WHEREAS an increase in the tax on books will reduce book sales to the detriment of local bookstores, publishers and authors, and the amount collected by government must be weighed against the loss in economic activity caused by higher book prices; and

 

WHEREAS Newfoundland and Labrador has one of the lowest literacy rates in Canada, and the other provinces do not tax books because they recognize the need to encourage reading and literacy; and

 

WHEREAS this province has many nationally and internationally known storytellers, but we will be the only people in Canada who will have to pay our provincial government a tax to read the books of our own writers;

 

WHEREUPON the undersigned, your petitioners, humbly pray and call upon the House of Assembly to urge government not to impose a provincial sales tax on books.

 

And as in duty bound, your petitioners will ever pray. 

 

Well, Mr. Speaker, didn't this petition work? Here we are only about a month away from having the tax on books removed. I would like to think that in fact, although we may have one of the lowest literacy rates in the country, although we may in fact be the only province that ever taxed books, really, really affecting the ability of students to pay, affecting our independent book sellers, I believe the literacy lesson and the financial literacy lesson has been for government to see that this was a bad move. This was a regressive move. It didn't improve the province. As a matter of fact, it more so impoverished our writers, our independent publishers, our independent booksellers and our students.

 

Mr. Speaker, this is the last petition I have signed by the people of Newfoundland and Labrador about the book tax. There are about 150 signatures right here.

 

I would like to thank the activists in the Province of Newfoundland and Labrador who pushed and pushed and pushed to have government remove those taxes and for government to finally do the right thing, which was they never should have done it in the first place. Now that they've reversed that decision, I believe that it's a victory on behalf of the people of Newfoundland and Labrador.

 

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker.

 

MR. SPEAKER: If I may just for a moment – and further to my comment about having the spotlight on the winner of the by-election – there's one guest remaining in our audience today that I forgot to identify. His name is Antoine Mandon; he's hosted by the St. John's Rotary Club. He's a high school student, he's visiting us from France and he's staying with a host family for the school year.

 

We gave him a tour this morning. He's very interested in democracy and politics. I hope to see him more often in our public galleries.

 

Thank you, Antoine.

 

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

 

MR. SPEAKER: The Government House Leader, please.

 

MR. A. PARSONS: Thank you.

 

I'll proceed to Orders of the Day, Mr. Speaker.

 

MR. SPEAKER: Orders of the Day.

 

Orders of the Day

 

MR. A. PARSONS: I would call from the Order Paper, Order 2, third reading of Bill 3.

 

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

 

MR. A. PARSONS: Mr. Speaker, I move, seconded by the Minister of Natural Resources, that Bill 3, An Act Respecting An Independent Court Of Appeal In The Province, be now read a third time.

 

MR. SPEAKER: It is moved and seconded that the said bill be now read a third time.

 

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

 

All those in favour?

 

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Aye.

 

MR. SPEAKER: All those against?

 

This motion is carried.

 

CLERK (Barnes): A bill, Court of Appeal Act. (Bill 3)

 

MR. SPEAKER: This bill is now read a third time and it is ordered that the bill do pass and its title be as on the Order Paper.

 

On motion, a bill, “Court of Appeal Act,” read a third time, ordered passed and its title be as on the Order Paper. (Bill 3)

 

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

 

MR. A. PARSONS: Mr. Speaker, I call Order 3, third reading of Bill 19.

 

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

 

MR. A. PARSONS: Mr. Speaker, I move, seconded by the Minister of Natural Resources, that Bill 19, An Act To Amend The House Of Assembly Accountability, Integrity And Administration Act No. 3, be now read a third time.

 

MR. SPEAKER: It is moved and seconded that the said bill be now read a third time.

 

The hon. the Leader of the Third Party.

 

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

 

I just want to use the opportunity to leave clarity with regard to this bill and one of the points in the bill that I have spoken to. I think that –

 

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Oh, oh!

 

MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!

 

MS. MICHAEL: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

 

I think it's important that I make perfectly clear why I'm concerned about the piece about the quorum of the House Management Commission. The reason for doing this, I think there has been misinterpretation.

 

When we, as the House of Assembly Management Commission, dealt with the recommendations from the Members' Compensation and Review Committee, we passed the recommendations that included the quorum issue. There were a number of recommendations.

 

I think one of the things that was really important, that, for me, went along with the quorum piece, was the fact that “no later than September 15 each year,” the Commission would “set a fixed schedule of a minimum of three (3) Management Commission meetings for the Fall, which all members shall make a priority in attending; c. no later than January 15 each year, set a fixed schedule of a minimum of three (3) Management Commission meetings for the Spring, which all members shall make a priority in attending.”

 

The idea of the fixed schedule and the purpose behind it, by the Members of the MCRC, was that we would all know well in advance when the meetings are. All Members of the Commission would know well in advance. Then, naming a quorum, being a simple majority period, without saying that you had to have both government and Opposition Members present in some form, they didn't believe that was necessary: number one, because we're not there representing our caucuses, we're on that Commission as individual MHAs; and number two, they believe that by having the fixed schedules, saying that you have a simple majority quorum would mean that everybody knows the schedule is there, it's on their shoulders and, therefore, there should be no problem in people attending the meeting unless it was a rare occasion.

 

They also point out in their recommendations “that no member shall be permitted to be absent from any Management Commission meeting without good cause and prior approval of the Speaker.” So they had a package –

 

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Oh, oh!

 

MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!

 

MS. MICHAEL: Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. I appreciate that.

 

They had a package of recommendations and the quorum was part of that package. So my problem is that in the act, the changes that are being suggested do not recognize that the quorum point is part of a bigger package.

 

Now, the Management Commission accepted all of the recommendations, but the government hasn't chosen to see those – all of them – reflected in the changes they're making in the act. That's the reason I'm concerned about the quorum being the way it is.

 

If the other pieces had been there with it, then I would understand. It's one thing to say that the Management Commission accepted all the recommendations, but why didn't the government make sure that was reflected in the legislation.

 

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker.

 

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

 

MR. A. PARSONS: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

 

Normally, I don't speak to many third readings of bills. I think I spoke pretty clearly to this piece of legislation the other evening. I'm finding it very hard to respond to this because the Member is not portraying this accurately at all.

 

There were three recommendations put forward by the MCRC. What she is suggesting is that we should change one of those. I will note that the Opposition put forward an amendment. Her colleague voted against it.

 

I'm having trouble understanding what the NDP are doing, because there's not a single issue expressed at any point during any Management Commission meeting by the Leader of the NDP – not a single one. And then stands up in this House and suggests that government is being disingenuous.

 

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Oh, oh!

 

MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!

 

MR. A. PARSONS: Again, I would say, refer to Hansard. The Leader of the NDP should go back and perhaps remember what she has said in this House because clearly she does not remember what she said the last time.

 

I'm going to sit at this point; I think I've made myself clear. Unfortunately, the Leader of the NDP clearly has not shown an understanding of the Management Commission or this piece of legislation. I'm still going to support it and I'm pretty sure that her colleague will as well.

 

Thank you.

 

MR. SPEAKER: Is it the pleasure of the House to adopt the motion?

 

All those in favour?

 

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Aye.

 

MR. SPEAKER: All those against?

 

This motion is carried.

 

CLERK: A bill, An Act To Amend The House Of Assembly Accountability, Integrity And Administration Act No. 3. (Bill 19)

 

AN HON. MEMBER: Division.

 

MR. SPEAKER: Division has been called.

 

Division

 

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

 

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

 

All those in favour, please say ‘aye.'

 

CLERK: Mr. Andrew Parsons, Ms. Coady, Mr. Joyce, Mr. Haggie, Mr. Hawkins, Mr. Crocker, Mr. Osborne, Mr. Kirby, Mr. Mitchelmore, Mr. Warr, Mr. Bernard Davis, Ms. Gambin-Walsh, Mr. Edmunds, Ms. Dempster, Mr. Letto, Mr. Browne, Mr. Bragg, Ms. Haley, Mr. Derek Bennett, Ms. Cathy Bennett, Mr. Finn, Mr. Reid, Ms. Parsley, Mr. King, Mr. Dean, Ms. Pam Parsons, Mr. Holloway, Mr. Hutchings, Mr. Brazil, Ms. Perry, Mr. Kevin Parsons, Mr. Petten, Mr. Lester, Mr. Lane.

 

MR. SPEAKER: Those against the motion, please rise.

 

CLERK: Ms. Michael.

 

Mr. Speaker, the ayes: 34; the nays: one.

 

MR. SPEAKER: I declare that the motion is carried.

 

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

 

MR. SPEAKER: This bill has been read a third time.

 

AN HON. MEMBER: We're going to do it again.

 

MR. SPEAKER: We're going to do it again? Okay.

 

I'm going to instruct the Clerk to read the bill again, please.

 

CLERK: A bill, An Act To Amend The House Of Assembly Accountability, Integrity And Administration Act No. 3. (Bill 19)

 

MR. SPEAKER: This bill is now read a third time, for the second time, and it is ordered that the bill do pass and its title be as on the Order Paper.

 

On motion, a bill, “An Act To Amend The House Of Assembly Accountability, Integrity And Administration Act No. 3,” read a third time, ordered passed and its title be as on the Order Paper. (Bill 19)

 

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

 

MR. A. PARSONS: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

 

I would call from the Order Paper, Order 4, third reading of Bill 21.

 

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

 

MR. A. PARSONS: Mr. Speaker, I move, seconded by the Minister of Natural Resources, that Bill 21, An Act To Amend The Members Of The House Of Assembly Retiring Allowances Act And The Portability Of Pensions Act, be now read a third time.

 

MR. SPEAKER: It is moved and seconded that the said bill be now read a third time.

 

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

 

All those in favour, ‘aye.'

 

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Aye.

 

MR. SPEAKER: All those against?

 

The motion is carried.

 

CLERK: A bill, An Act To Amend The Members Of The House Of Assembly Retiring Allowances Act And The Portability Of Pensions Act. (Bill 21)

 

MR. SPEAKER: This bill is now read a third time and it is ordered that the bill do pass and its title be as on the Order Paper.

 

On motion, a bill, “An Act To Amend The Members Of The House Of Assembly Retiring Allowances Act And The Portability Of Pensions Act,” read a third time, ordered passed and its title be as on the Order Paper. (Bill 21)

 

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

 

MR. A. PARSONS: Mr. Speaker, I call Order 5, third reading of Bill 23.

 

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

 

MR. A. PARSONS: Mr. Speaker, I move, seconded by the Minister of Natural Resources, that Bill 23, An Act To Amend The Liquor Corporation Act, be now read a third time.

 

MR. SPEAKER: It is moved and seconded that the said bill be now read a third time.

 

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

 

All those in favour, ‘aye.'

 

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Aye.

 

MR. SPEAKER: All those against?

 

The motion is carried.

 

CLERK: A bill, An Act To Amend The Liquor Corporation Act. (Bill 23)

 

MR. SPEAKER: This bill is now read a third time and it is ordered that the bill do pass and its title be as on the Order Paper.

 

On motion, a bill, “An Act To Amend The Liquor Corporation Act,” read a third time, ordered passed and its title be as on the Order Paper. (Bill 23)

 

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

 

MR. A. PARSONS: Mr. Speaker, I call Order 6, third reading of Bill 24.

 

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

 

MR. A. PARSONS: Mr. Speaker, I move, seconded by the Minister of Natural Resources, that Bill 24, Serious Incident Response Team Act, be now read a third time.

 

MR. SPEAKER: It is moved and seconded that the said bill be now read a third time.

 

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

 

All those in favour, ‘aye.'

 

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Aye.

 

MR. SPEAKER: All those against?

 

The motion is carried.

 

CLERK: A bill, Serious Incident Response Team Act. (Bill 24)

 

MR. SPEAKER: This bill is now read a third time and it is ordered that the bill do pass and its title be as on the Order Paper.

 

On motion, a bill, “Serious Incident Response Team Act,” read a third time, ordered passed and its title be as on the Order Paper. (Bill 24)

 

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

 

MR. A. PARSONS: Mr. Speaker, I call Order 7, third reading of Bill 27.

 

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

 

MR. A. PARSONS: Mr. Speaker, I move, seconded by the Minister of Service NL, that Bill 27, An Act To Amend The Highway Traffic Act No. 2, be now read a third time.

 

MR. SPEAKER: It is moved and seconded that the said bill be now read a third time.

 

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

 

All those in favour?

 

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Aye.

 

MR. SPEAKER: All those against?

 

The motion is carried.

 

CLERK: A bill, An Act To Amend The Highway Traffic Act No. 2. (Bill 27)

 

MR. SPEAKER: This bill is now read a third time and it is ordered that the bill do pass and its title be as on the Order Paper.

 

On motion, a bill, “An Act To Amend The Highway Traffic Act No. 2,” read a third time, ordered passed and its title be as on the Order Paper. (Bill 19)

 

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

 

MR. A. PARSONS: Mr. Speaker, I move, seconded by the Minister of Children, Seniors and Social Development, that the House resolve itself into a Committee of the Whole to consider Bill 26.

 

MR. SPEAKER: It is moved and seconded that I do now leave the Chair for the House to resolve itself into a Committee of the Whole to consider the said bill.

 

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

 

All those in favour?

 

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Aye.

 

MR. SPEAKER: All those against?

 

The motion is carried.

 

On motion, that the House resolve itself into a Committee of the Whole, the Speaker left the Chair.

 

Committee of the Whole

 

CHAIR (Warr): Order, please!

 

We are considering Bill 26, An Act To Amend The Child And Youth Advocate Act.

 

A bill, “An Act To Amend The Child And Youth Advocate Act.” (Bill 26)

 

CLERK: Clause 1.

 

CHAIR: Shall clause 1 carry?

 

The Chair recognizes the hon. Member for the beautiful District of Cape St. Francis.

 

MR. K. PARSONS: Thank you very much, Mr. Chair.

 

This is just a continuance of the debate that we had the other day. We adjourned on Wednesday morning and I was up speaking.

 

I really want to be on record. I want to say that anything we can do in this House of Assembly to protect children in our province is a great thing – and I mean anything that we do.

 

Minister, I know that you probably think along the same lines as I do. I really believe that this legislation is a good piece of legislation. As I read the legislation and I look at what needs to be done – and I know that the Advocate is okay with the legislation as it's going through – I'd like to be on record to say that I think it can be improved.

 

I'm just wondering out loud here today, Mr. Chair. If I could ask the minister – I'm concerned about every child, as she is, in this province. I know the basics of this legislation is children in care, but you hear of stories all the time, whether they're through the education system or they're through the health care system, where children do fall through the cracks. I believe if there's a crack that we can fix, we should fix it. My concern is that if a child goes to the hospital and there is some concern there, there's no legal right to make sure that's reported. That's with a child that's not in care.

 

Again, I'd like to ask the minister: Is she concerned about that or is there some assurance she can give me today – that I'd like to have – that no child will be able to fall through the cracks or anything else when you go through the health care? Either the Minister of Health can answer this or anybody else.

 

It's a genuine question. I want to make sure that if a child goes to – and I'll give an example – the Janeway for any reason at all and there's some suspicion of something that could be there, let me know what's there in place for that child.

 

Thank you very much.

 

CHAIR: The hon. the Minister of Health and Community Services.

 

MR. HAGGIE: Thank you very much, Mr. Chair; an opportunity to add some clarity, hopefully, to the question.

 

The answer in short is: There is a statutory obligation on any health care provider who becomes aware of suspicious or dubious or unexplained injuries or harm to a youth, whether they're in care or not, to report that fact under the child protection act.

 

CHAIR: The hon. the Member for Fortune Bay – Cape La Hune.

 

MS. PERRY: Thank you, Mr. Chair.

 

It's a pleasure to rise once again and continue the debate on this very important bill.

 

Mr. Chair, we had some really good discussion yesterday around the bill. As an Opposition, it's certainly our main priority to try and put forward the strongest legislation that we possibly can on behalf of the people of the province. One of the issues that is of concern to us is the fact that there's no longer a requirement to report the critical incidents and, as well, that the bill, as it's currently written in its form at the moment, only pertains to children in care.

 

Therefore, we are going to propose the following amendment: Clause 1 of Bill 26 is amended in the proposed

Subsection 16.1(2) of the act by deleting the word “while” and substituting the words “or a critical incident as defined in the Critical Incident and Death Protocol whether or not the child or youth is.” Then, of course, the rest of the act says in care.

 

We put forward this amendment for consideration, Mr. Chair, to see if it's in order.

 

CHAIR: Order, please!

 

There's an amendment put in order. The Committee will recess to consider the proposed amendment.

 

Recess

 

CHAIR: Order, please!

 

We were considering an amendment to Bill 26. The amendment is not in order.

 

The hon. the Government House Leader.

 

MR. A. PARSONS: I move, Mr. Chair, that the Committee rise, report progress and ask leave to sit again.

 

CHAIR: The motion is that the Committee rise, report progress and ask leave to sit again.

 

Shall the motion carry?

 

All those in favour?

 

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Aye.

 

CHAIR: Those against?

 

Carried.

 

On motion, that the Committee rise, report progress and ask leave to sit again, the Speaker returned to the Chair.

 

MR. SPEAKER (Trimper): The hon. the Deputy House Speaker and Chair of the Committee of the Whole.

 

MR. WARR: Mr. Speaker, the Committee of the Whole have considered the matters to them referred and have directed me to report progress and ask leave to sit again.

 

MR. SPEAKER: The Chair of the Committee of the Whole reports that the Committee have considered the matters to them referred and have directed him to report progress and ask leave to sit again.

 

When shall the report be received?

 

MR. A. PARSONS: Now.

 

MR. SPEAKER: Now, it is.

 

When shall the Committee have leave to sit again?

 

MR. A. PARSONS: Presently.

 

MR. SPEAKER: Presently.

 

On motion, report received and adopted. Committee ordered to sit again presently, by leave.

 

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

 

MR. A. PARSONS: Yes, Mr. Speaker, I move from the Order Paper, Motion 1:

 

WHEREAS section 4 of the Auditor General Act provides that on resolution of the House of Assembly, the Lieutenant Governor in Council shall appoint an Auditor General;

 

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that Julia Mullaley be appointed as the Auditor General.

 

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

 

MR. A. PARSONS: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

 

Today, we speak to a very important resolution regarding the appointment of an individual to a very important job here in this Province. I think the goal, in my time speaking here today, certainly won't be taking an hour, but it's just to provide a little bit of background on the Office of the Auditor General and speak a little bit about the individual who we're hoping to be appointed to this position.

 

The Office of the Auditor General is a Statutory Office of the House of Assembly. I think that's important for people to remember. It's not a department; it's not political. These are non-partisan, independent offices, similar to the Child and Youth Advocate, similar to the Privacy Commissioner and Chief Electoral Officer. It's a very important office.

 

Now, without belabouring the point, the Office of the Auditor General has had a lot of attention in this province, especially in, say, the last 15 years or so. Their job is to come in and provide our House with relevant information and to provide that public accountability that's necessary.

 

As of March 31, 2017, the Office of the Auditor General had an annual budget of roughly $3.6 million and a staff of about 40. I think 36 are based in St. John's and four in Corner Brook. This is appointment by the LGIC and is one that is done here in the House; it has to be voted in the House. It's for a 10-year term.

 

The AG is not eligible for reappointment, so it's one 10-year term. They are an Officer of the House, so they're obviously not eligible to be nominated for election, to be elected, to sit as a Member of the House. They cannot carry on another trade; they cannot hold any public office.

 

The current – I can't say current AG, the former AG, Terry Paddon, was appointed in 2012 on June 1. He announced his retirement. On October 31, 2017, it became effective. He served about half of his term before he elected for retirement. We'd like to thank him for his service to the province in that role.

 

The LG sets the remuneration of the Auditor General. I was just thinking I probably shouldn't keep referring to AG because there are two AGs that serve, there's an Attorney General and an Auditor General. We're dealing with the Auditor General. The remuneration is set by the LGIC in consultation with the Management Commission. We've had some conversation about the Management Commission. It's Members from all sides who deal with the remuneration side.

 

For this position this time, the first time ever, the IAC, Independent Appointments Commission, was engaged to recruit for it under the Independent Appointments Commission Act. It was advertised publicly this time 18 days. I believe there were 11 applications that were submitted back in September. Four candidates were then selected for an interview. Out of those, the selection and the resolution is concerning Ms. Julia Mullaley.

 

Ms. Mullaley has served as a chartered professional accountant for 26 years. It's funny, it's full circle because she started her career with the Auditor General about 24 years ago, I believe it was. She started in the provincial public service and spent some time there and, actually, I've spoken to Ms. Mullaley about that.

 

Over her career, she moved up. That shows her competence, her skill and her ability. She became a director of Budgeting with the Department of Finance, then became an assistant deputy minister of Royalties and Benefits in Natural Resources, a deputy clerk and then clerk of the Executive Council – again, the higher civil servant position in this province – and finally became the CEO of the Newfoundland and Labrador Housing Corporation. There was a managerial strength that was demonstrated in all these positions, and demonstrated to anybody that has had an opportunity to work with her.

 

We think that the combination of her skills, her competencies, her values will allow her to do an excellent job for the people of this province and for this House of Assembly as the Auditor General.

 

Again, I looked through Ms. Mullaley's resume; it's very impressive; a number of skill sets, great employment. When you look at the jobs that I just referenced, the positions, they're obviously progressively getting higher and higher, certainly a lot of responsibility.

 

So on that note, obviously we will be supporting the resolution appointing Ms. Mullaley as the Auditor General and I look forward to comments from my colleagues across the way, and looking forward to their, hopefully, support for this resolution as well.

 

Thank you.

 

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

 

MR. HUTCHINGS: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

 

I'm certainly pleased to rise to speak to the motion before us today:

 

“WHEREAS section 4 of the Auditor General Act provides that on resolution of the House of Assembly, the Lieutenant-Governor in Council shall appoint an Auditor General;

 

“THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that Julia Mullaley be appointed as the Auditor General.”

 

As has been indicated by the minister in speaking to the motion, this is an Officer of the House of Assembly, an independent function, but a very important function in regard to the oversight and assurance of the delivery of services, programs and budgets of government, and the authority of the Auditor General of the work that he or she does in that role.

 

It's extremely important in relation to the autotomy, to the openness and transparency and to the adherence of the operations of government that there's oversight and certainly, as I said, openness and transparency to that. This individual has a large scope of power, or a large scope of authority to do that. As the minister said, it's about $3.5 million office, with a staff of about 40 people which provides that function.

 

I would like to – before I just speak to Ms. Mullaley and her appointment – just recognize the years of service of former Auditor General Terry Paddon and the excellent service that he's provided to the province since his appointment in 2012. Mr. Paddon, as well, prior to that served in the Department of Finance, deputy minister of Finance for a significant period of time, has a long history in the public service and a great deal of experience that he brought to the position when he was appointed as Auditor General. So I certainly think it's appropriate in the House today to recognize his contribution.

 

Serving in government myself, and as a minister running a department, the work of the Auditor General is indeed significant. Sometimes in running a department, some of the things that come up are challenging as a minister and as a group of public servants to deal with. Sometimes it points out things that are done well, but other times things that are not.

 

It provides an impetus for a sitting minister, or that government of the day and the public servants involved, to put a new set of lenses on something that's happening or how it's being done and to improve it. That's a very important role that was provided by Mr. Paddon. I certainly congratulate him on his years of service and wish him well.

 

The appointment today is in relation to Ms. Mullaley and her experience and what she brings in regard to her appointment. She has a long history of service to the public service and I understand as well in the Department of Finance. She was clerk of the Executive Council and secretary to Cabinet. She's also recently served as the chief executive officer of Newfoundland and Labrador Housing.

 

When you look at some of her appointments in various capacities, she served in the public sector in the past. She served as deputy minister of the Department of Advanced Education and Skills, deputy minister of Municipal Affairs, I mentioned clerk of the Executive Council, assistant deputy minister of Business Investment within the Department of Business, ADM of Royalties and Benefits with the Department of Natural Resources, executive director of Planning and Coordination with Executive Council, director of Budgeting with Treasury Board secretariat and audit principal with the Office of the Auditor General. All of these functions, experience and knowledge, along with her education, we believe on this side, makes her duly qualified and well positioned to take on the function of the Auditor General for the Province of Newfoundland and Labrador and the office.

 

As the minister mentioned as well, it's a 10-year appointment. It's significant, but you need a significant period for that build-up of expertise on patterns of the execution of expenditures and services in various departments over those Crown corporations or other entities. That individual makes the autonomous decision where and when he or she would review or look at the particular finances or services of a particular entity under the government umbrella. I think it's very important that broad spectrum is there.

 

From our perspective, based on her experience, knowledge to date and what she's done, we think she's duly qualified and certainly support this motion. I certainly look forward to further commentary on it.

 

We certainly wish her well on her new role over the next number of years. Again, well qualified and certainly support the appointment.

 

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

 

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

 

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

 

I, too, am very happy to stand and speak to the motion that's on the floor right now:

 

“WHEREAS section 4 of the Auditor General Act provides that on resolution of the House of Assembly, the Lieutenant-Governor in Council shall appoint an Auditor General;

 

“THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that Julia Mullaley be appointed as the Auditor General.”

 

I think the very fact that this appointment is something that is looked at by the IAC, the Independent Appointments Commission, shows how important this position is, the role of Auditor General, for the province. I was really glad to hear the Minister of Justice let us know that not only did Ms. Mullaley go through the process of making application to the IAC and being one of four candidates interviewed, she was interviewed by the IAC, was one of the candidates put forward and the Executive Council accepted that nomination. That's really good for us to know, that there was a process that we recognize and that we –

 

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Oh, oh!

 

MR. SPEAKER: Excuse me.

 

Order, please!

 

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

 

I'm very glad the process that we have set up under the IAC was followed right through to the very end, where the government accepted the nomination that was put forward.

 

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Oh, oh!

 

MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!

 

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

 

Before going on and speaking specifically to Ms. Mullaley, I, too, want to join my two colleagues in thanking the former Auditor General, Terry Paddon, for his work over a five-year period. It's certainly not an easy job.

 

As a Member of the House of Assembly Management Commission, I'm privileged to be able to work with some of the officers of the agencies under government. We get to see the hard work that a position like the Auditor General entails. Mr. Paddon, as well as the AG before him, showed that commitment to hard work and due diligence.

 

Just to remind us, this role is so important that it was an Auditor General that was able to find what was going wrong in the House of Assembly way back in 2005-2006. Because of the AG of the day and the work that was done, we now have, I think, an act that other jurisdictions should really be looking at and saying we should have an act as good as this one. That's the House of Assembly Accountability, Integrity and Administration Act. That's how important the role of the Auditor General is.

 

Ms. Mullaley, from everything I know about her, is certainly somebody who can fulfil that role, a very experienced senior executive with an excellent track record. She began her provincial government career in the Office of the Auditor General, actually, as a commerce graduate and chartered accountant, so she brings that background with her. Since then, she has developed a diverse experience across many departments in government and a deep familiarity with the workings of government.

 

That's so important, to have an understanding of how government works in doing the job because it's more than just numbers, it's looking at how the money is being spent. But then there has to be an understanding of what departments are spending money on and what it means to be responsible and accountable for the public purse.

 

Her experience has ranged from the highest levels in Executive Council, as associate secretary to Cabinet, deputy clerk and clerk, and then to executive positions in Municipal Affairs, Business, Natural Resources, the Treasury Board and, most recently, her role as acting CEO of Newfoundland and Labrador Housing Corporation. These different roles have certainly given her an understanding of public financial administration, as well as the administration of programs and services across government, as I just spoke to. Understanding why the programs are there and what is entailed in the delivery of our services is extremely important for this role.

 

From what I understand, of those who know Ms. Mullaley – I don't myself, but her diverse experience, along with her reputation as a thoughtful, reasonable and fair individual – these are words that have been used in speaking about her to me – that background will stand her in good stead in fulfilling the duties of Auditor General. It's nice to point out on a personal level she's also been involved in her community, through Admiralty House in Mount Pearl, Girl Guides and the Heart and Stroke Foundation.

 

We feel very confident in our caucus that Ms. Mullaley will take the professionalism and caring that she has exhibited in her past roles and apply them well to the Office of the Auditor General.

 

Welcome, Ms. Mullaley.

 

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

 

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

 

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Member for Mount Pearl – Southlands.

 

MR. LANE: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

 

I'm not going to take very long, just to say that I think, basically, the same as others have already said. Ms. Mullaley certainly is a very qualified individual from an educational point of view, from an experience point of view, experience in government and so on. She knows how government works, how systems work and so on. I think that she's going to do a great job. I think she's a great choice, and I certainly will be supporting this appointment.

 

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

 

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

 

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

 

All those in favour, ‘aye.'

 

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Aye.

 

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

 

The motion is carried.

 

The hon. the Government House Leader.

 

MR. A. PARSONS: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

 

I'm actually going to move Motion 2. I don't believe there's a need to read the entire thing out; I read it into the record just a couple of days ago.

 

I'd like to move that motion.

 

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

 

MR. A. PARSONS: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

 

I'm moving a resolution today that I think the Speaker will find particularly interesting since it concerns the Speaker.

 

Basically what we have here – do you know what? I am going to read the motion because I think to those that are watching, the motion, the language, says exactly what it is we are trying to do here, but then I will provide some information on the background and why we need to be here in the House of Assembly to do this.

 

The motion is saying:

 

WHEREAS the Royal Newfoundland Regiment distinguished itself in a number of key First World War battles, and fought valiantly as equal members of the British Empire alongside Canada, Australia and New Zealand; and

 

WHEREAS the Trail of the Caribou memorials commemorate the brave actions of the Royal Newfoundland Regiment in France and Belgium but there is not, as yet, such a memorial in Turkey; and

 

WHEREAS this House respects and honours the bravery and sacrifice of all Newfoundlanders and Labradorians who fought and died in conflict, and today recognizes in particular those brave members who served in Turkey;

 

NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that this House requests that the Speaker, as a servant of this hon. House and therefore a representative of the people of the Province of Newfoundland and Labrador, journey to Turkey to advance discussions towards a shared goal of establishing a memorial commemorating the significant contributions of the Royal Newfoundland Regiment at Gallipoli.

 

What this resolution will do – as a resolution, it is something that has to be voted on by all Members of the House and it concerns the Speaker who is obviously the presiding Officer of this House of Assembly.

 

Now, what I'd like to do is just basically provide some background to your role as the Speaker – which again, I'm not doing it to explain to you, Mr. Speaker – you certainly know your role – but to those listening and watching it may provide some information.

 

The role of the Speaker in the House is an ancient role going back to the beginnings of parliament. I will give credit here to O'Brien and Bosc for all their work here. Anything I'm saying today is likely cribbed from O'Brien and Bosc, the work they've done.

 

The classic statement respecting the role of the Speaker is referred to at page 302 of the text relating to an incident in 1642 when the Speaker refused to identify certain Members to the Crown, the Speaker stated, and I quote: I have neither eyes to see nor tongue to speak in this place, but as the House is pleased to direct me, whose servant I am here. That says it all. The Speaker presides over the House, gives direction, guides the House, but will take direction from the House as well.

 

This was the start of the concept. This tradition continues today. The Speaker acts only on behalf of the House, has no authority, except as directed by the House. So the Speaker is intimately involved in this very important issue, which is the recognition of the people that served. In order for the Speaker to do this, the Speaker has to be directed by the House. The Speaker cannot do this on his own, as the Speaker; he has to be directed by the House. He can go and travel and have conversations, but he would not be the actual representative or able to provide instruction on behalf of the Province of Newfoundland and Labrador.

 

The election of any Speaker is indicative of a trust that they will impartially enforce the rules adopted by the House – again, our Standing Orders, something we've debated here just this week – and uphold the precedence of the House.

 

Again, O'Brien and Bosc states: The Speaker may exercise only those powers conferred upon him or her by the House. In ruling on matters of procedure, the Speaker is expected to adhere strictly to this principle. Upon being sworn in, the Speaker states that he or she is a servant of the House. The House itself is the power behind the Speaker. So, consequently, any activities in the House that are not a part of normal proceedings, such as what we do in the House, Orders of the Day, it actually requires permission of this House and the Members that sit within it to give the Speaker the authority to do so.

 

This is something that obviously is very important to all of us, I think. I couldn't think of a better individual to represent our province in this very important role. The issue has been spoken about on a number of occasions here in the House when we talk about our regiment, we talk about the battles and we talk about those who gave their lives for this province.

 

On that note, I can say that I'm looking forward to supporting this and to supporting the Speaker and giving this direction to the Speaker to be able to represent us as he journeys to Turkey to meet with their officials and to work on this. Hopefully, the end goal of this resolution will be the establishment of a memorial in Turkey to remember all those Newfoundlanders and Labradorians that gave their life and fought.

 

Thank you so much and I look forward to supporting this, Mr. Speaker.

 

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

 

MR. HUTCHINGS: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

 

I am glad to rise today with an opportunity to speak to this particular motion as outlined by the Minister of Justice and Public Safety, in particular to this issue in Gallipoli and the Royal Newfoundland Regiment and certainly your role, Mr. Speaker, and the role you play here in the House on your appointment and the representative you are for this Chamber. I know the minister did go through why we think it's important in regard to you being the representative and the ability to have that representation and take it to Turkey. So I'm not going to go through in any detail that particular aspect which he covered.

 

I would want to just mention a few points in regard to our history and why this is important to Newfoundlanders and Labradorians and what it means to those from the Newfoundland Regiment and from generations gone by and from our history and how important it is.

 

As we look back in history, even today, wars are terrible things and what's involved and if we can avoid them, we certainly should. We live in a world today and, most cases, some of those wars we talked about, nations that once fought against one another in wars are now at peace. British alongside Germans, Americans work alongside Japanese and so forth. But a century ago the allies, including the British Empire and the Dominion of Newfoundland, were at war with Central Powers, including the Ottoman Empire centred in modern-day Turkey. Today, Canada and Newfoundland are at peace with a country like Turkey.

 

As we look through and at the end of the war and the president of the Republic of Turkey, at the time, paid tribute to all of the fallen at Gallipoli – including Australians, New Zealanders and Newfoundlanders from the Dominion – and he said: “After having lost their lives on this land, they become our sons as well.”

 

As the Turkish ambassador to Canada said a couple of years ago, that we live at a time for “turning the tragedies of this war into a friendship among all nations involved from here to eternity.”

 

So as we know from wars and what transpires, we hope we learn from that, but those become generational because lives are lost and generations die and pass on, what we learn in the history carries with us and carries with nations all over the world.

 

The story of what happened in Turkey a century ago is well known as some of the other incidents in our history – Beaumont-Hamel – but it's a story that certainly deserves to be told as well.

 

Back in 1915, the First Five Hundred, the Blue Puttees, out of Pleasantville were in Scotland training for combat. In May of 1915 the battalion of the Royal Scots was being deployed by train to Gallipoli and Turkey when a terrible train collision all but wiped out their battalion; only 58 of the 500 on that train answered the roll call the next day.

 

With the Newfoundland Regiment training in Scotland, the British Army decided to send our soldiers to Gallipoli in the Royal Scots place. The Regiment went ashore in the northern part of Gallipoli battlefield and on September 20, during the landing, the Newfoundlanders suffered their first-battle casualties.

 

Two days later, the first Regiment solider was killed in action; the next day, another was killed. Of the thousand Newfoundlanders who wore the Caribou badge in the months of deployment, 44 died and more than 500 had to be evacuated from the front due to illness caused by the terrible conditions that you can imagine that would be at the battlefront.

 

Turkey was the first place the Blue Puttees faced an enemy in battle and, no doubt, like many of those that served, they served with courage and with honour. The unlikely capture of Caribou Hill, a peak guarded by enemy snipers, is a story that certainly needs to be better known, better told.

 

The Newfoundland Regiment was the only North American unit to fight in the Gallipoli campaign of 1915. When the decision was made to evacuate all British Empire forces from the area, the Regiment was chosen to be part of the rear guard, finally withdrawing from Gallipoli with the last of the British Dardanelles army troops on January 9, 1916.

 

We certainly need a fitting memorial to stand as a reminder of their service and their sacrifice, and also a reminder for all of us how terrible wars are. We certainly support sending the Speaker as a servant of the House and, therefore, a representative of the people of the Province of Newfoundland and Labrador to Turkey to advance the discussions towards a shared goal of establishing a memorial commemorating the significant contributions of the Royal Newfoundland Regiment at Gallipoli.

 

I know from my time in government over the past number of years there have been discussions, trying to move this forward, work was done and we certainly hope we can bring this to a conclusion. We believe in your capabilities as a diplomat in the office and the necessary command of respect from Turkey officials when you meet with them.

 

We look forward to seeing a monument in Turkey similar in significance of those in France and in Belgium, a site where people can visit, similar to Beaumont-Hamel, when people go there, reflect on the past and celebrate the era of peace which we now see ourselves in. I'm sure that all soldiers in war would certainly look forward to that and who have been part of it.

 

Mr. Speaker, as I said, we, on this side of the House, support this initiative. We hope to see it and bring to a conclusion where we can have that memorial in Turkey recognizing those from the Newfoundland Regiment, their service, what they have done, all the work, us as the Dominion of Newfoundland when we look back and the service we gave overseas and into far-off lands.

 

It's important, as I said, recognizing war, conditions in the world today. It's always good to remember and also for generations to come that are educated and understand the implications of war and those that gave their lives and those Newfoundlanders who did. We must continue to remember those and remember those today that served, but this is certainly a worthwhile initiative and we strongly endorse it.

 

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

 

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

 

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

 

I'm pleased, too, to stand and speak to this motion put forward by the Government House Leader requesting “that the Speaker, as a servant of the Honourable House and therefore a representative of the people of the Province of Newfoundland and Labrador, journey to Turkey to advance discussions towards a shared goal of establishing a memorial commemorating the significant contributions of the Royal Newfoundland Regiment at Gallipoli.”

 

I think it's important to note, because we have had discussions around this, these discussions have been going on for a while. The current government, obviously, would like to see these discussions be brought to a conclusion. I think having the Speaker represent this House is the way to do it. I think it's quite an honourable thing that's being asked of the House to appoint the Speaker.

 

I thank the Government House Leader for making reference historically to the role of the Speaker, and that what's being asked is within what the role of the Speaker should be as a representative in our name together, of both government and those of us in Opposition.

 

With regard to what we're asking of the Speaker at this point in time, I see this as an opportunity to once again, yes, have a memorial, but a memorial that hopefully will remind us that we don't want war. Every time we do a memorial, I think that should be our goal. Every time we have ceremonies at our War Memorial that should be our goal, to point out that wars aren't the answer. Wars result in a loss of life and a loss of much more than that.

 

I think it's really important that we mark the loss of the life of our young people because that's what happened. They joined young people from other countries. I think that's what this also does, reminding us it just wasn't our young men who went down in the First World War, there were also young men from other countries.

 

In this case, of course, we have the members of the British Empire. So we had Newfoundland along with – because it was Newfoundland then – Canada, Australia and New Zealand. The battle that was fought in Turkey is the battle that we're talking about.

 

I trust that the Speaker of the House will bring that message as you have these discussions with your counterparts in Turkey, a discussion that we're not doing this to glorify war, we're doing this to remember we don't want it to happen again.

 

I believe that the Speaker of our House has the stature and the integrity to represent us as you bring this message across the sea.

 

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker.

 

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Member for Mount Pearl – Southlands.

 

MR. LANE: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

 

I'm only going to take a couple of moments to speak to this motion. I don't want to be too repetitive.

 

Some of my colleagues, certainly, have done a very good job in outlining some of the historical significance of the Speaker and why, in the role of the Speaker, it would be a good person to go and represent our province in this regard. The Speaker that we have, I know on a personal level, I have every confidence in him and his ability to represent us very well.

 

We also heard some of my colleagues outline some of the history around the world wars, the significance of the Newfoundland Regiment and the role that they played. We look at where we are today in this hon. House and you think about the fact of how lucky we are to be living in a democracy where we can come into this hon. House – we can be elected by our peers, elected by the people – and be able to set public policy and be able to debate public policy.

 

Sometimes we agree, sometimes we disagree. Sometimes we get along, sometimes we don't get along, but at the end of the day we do it in a mostly professional manner. We're all here to do it to represent the people. I believe that we do that overall, despite what some members of the public might think from time to time about us all.

 

The fact that we can come in this House and do that is attributed to the events of the past and the people who sacrificed over the years, whether it be in World War I, World War II, brave Newfoundlanders who went off and fought for our freedom. Even today, as we speak, we've had other conflicts around the world and we continue to have conflicts around the world. I think some of the highest numbers in the Canadian Forces are actually from this province.

 

We have a long history over the years of Newfoundlanders and Labradorians serving their country and we continue to do so. It is important that we recognize them, we recognize their efforts. In particular, in this initiative, of course, we're going to be recognizing the sacrifice of Newfoundlanders and Labradorians and the contributions they made, the sacrifices they made through the Newfoundland Regiment.

 

It's important that we do this to honour them. If we can be successful in having another monument, the Caribou and so on erected over in Turkey, I think it would be a wonderful thing. I think it would add to our history, it would add to the prestige of the Royal Newfoundland Regiment.

 

It certainly would be a great place where Newfoundlanders and Labradorians, people from throughout the country, throughout the world for that matter, will be able to go, as they do at Beaumont-Hamel, and to be able to recognize the role that Newfoundlanders and Labradorians have played in peace in this world. I think it's a wonderful thing.

 

I will say as well, Mr. Speaker, that in the private conversation we had – for anyone who's listening, this is not just the Speaker going over here just to do a sight-seeing tour and so on. This is a case of there have been ongoing discussions with Turkey. We realize this is going to be a productive meeting, if you will, with strong indications, I think it's fair to say, that we're going to be successful in getting this done. It's not just simply going over there and doing a tour and then that's the end of it and we never hear about it again.

 

With all that in mind, I certainly support it 100 per cent. I think it's important that we preserve our history; I think it's important we honour our Newfoundland Regiment and all of the women and men who continue to serve us in foreign lands for peace, safety and to preserve the democracy that we're all so lucky to enjoy here in this country and in this province.

 

With that in mind, Mr. Speaker, I certainly support the motion 100 per cent. I wish you well on your deliberations. As I said, I'm sure you will do us proud and represent us well when you go to Turkey.

 

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

 

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

 

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

 

All those in favour?

 

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Aye.

 

MR. SPEAKER: All those against?

 

The motion is carried.

 

The hon. the Government House Leader.

 

MR. A. PARSONS: Yes, Mr. Speaker, I call from the Order Paper, Order 10, second reading of Bill 28.

 

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

 

MR. OSBORNE: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

 

I move Bill 28, amendments to the Independent Appointments Commission Act, seconded by the hon. the Minister of Tourism, Culture, Industry and Innovation.

 

MR. SPEAKER: It is moved and seconded that Bill 28 entitled, An Act To Amend The Independent Appointments Commission Act, be now read a second time.

 

Motion, second reading of a bill, “An Act To Amend The Independent Appointments Commission Act.” (Bill 28)

 

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

 

MR. OSBORNE: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

 

Mr. Speaker, I'm just going to speak very briefly on this particular act. It does come under the Public Service Commission through Executive Council.

 

The Independent Appointments Commission Act was enacted in May of 2016. There were five initial members appointed by the Lieutenant Governor in Council on resolution of the House of Assembly as per section 6(3) of the IAC Act.

 

The following members who sit on this are all very well-respected throughout the province, Mr. Speaker: the hon. Clyde Wells as chairperson, Shannie Duff as vice-chair, Ms. Zita Cobb, Mr. Philip Earle and Mr. Derek Young. The members serve on a voluntary basis.

 

Mr. Speaker, they have encountered a significant workload. To date, over 250 appointments have been made to over 50 separate boards, tribunals and executive positions based on IAC and Public Service Commission recommendations.

 

So almost 100 of these appointments have been made based on IAC recommendations and pursuant to the act, Mr. Speaker, the chairperson appoints a panel of three commissioners to review potential appointees for each vacancy. So with five, they can only have one board acting at a time – one panel acting at a time, Mr. Speaker. So it's slowing down the work of the Independent Appointments Commission.

 

Bill 28 provides for up to a maximum of seven members, which will allow two panels of three members each to act at any given time, and an additional member as an extra. The additional members will address the workload, or at least help address the workload and help the IAC to operate more efficiently. The new members will be appointed on resolution of the House of Assembly. So once the IAC recommends candidates for these new positions, they will come back to the House of Assembly for resolution.

 

As these members serve on a voluntary basis, there are no additional costs to the IAC. I think that this recommendation – which came from the chair of the IAC, Mr. Wells – will create a more efficient process so that we can get through the numbers of appointments that need to be made, Mr. Speaker, and put less stress on the volunteer board that's currently there.

 

I'm happy to present this bill, Bill 28, and I'm very supportive of the bill.

 

Thank you.

 

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

 

MR. BRAZIL: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

 

It is indeed an honour to stand and talk to Bill 28, An Act to Amend the Independent Appointments Commission Act, and, Mr. Speaker, we will be supporting the decision to advance two extra members on the commission itself, and we do agree with the concept of the workload.

 

We do realize, at the end of the day, that five individuals, five volunteers having to do a particular workload can be very encompassing depending on the number of appointments, the number of those applying for them and the process being used. So adding obviously adds to the benefit of being able to do a more transparent, a more fluent and successful process when it comes to appointments to the commission itself.

 

I did get to speak to this some time ago, the bill itself, around the appointment of the commission and wholeheartedly supported the intent, the set-up and particularly those who are appointed to it. These are people who come from political backgrounds, legal backgrounds. They come from business backgrounds, very positive in their desire to improve how government operates, the transparency and accountability; how the flow would be in making appointments and ensuring that the right people are fitted with the right positions; and, as much as possible, taking politics out of appointments, particularly around senior positions.

 

No doubt, those individuals and the process they use, from their perspective, add to that. We did have and still continue to have the challenge about that there were three recommendations given up and we never know who is the first, second and third candidate, and then Cabinet gets to make the decisions on who gets appointed. That becomes a little bit of a sore note there. There's still a challenge of really hitting the intent and what was and can be an extremely good bill and piece of legislation around the Appointments Commission and around transparency and accountability and ensuring that the right people –

 

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Oh, oh!

 

MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!

 

MR. BRAZIL: – get in the right positions as part of that process.

 

It's a bill that goes fairly close to being exactly what people would want and could buy into, but it does still leave that gap there for the political interference when it comes to appointing certain people for certain positions. But right now we've moved beyond that. We had our debate about that. We had our arguments; we disagreed. We know what the end result was and this has been enacted. These individuals have done an exceptionally good job in going through screening the candidates for specific positions here, going through the process making their recommendations to Cabinet to ensure that the best candidates are put forward as part of that.

 

Adding two more individuals to the process, to me, makes it even more fluent. It takes the workload off some. It ensures that there can be two, as is noted here, working groups at any given time addressing some of the needs when it comes to the appointments and the assessment.

 

What's being put forward here and the fact that this wasn't something that, internally, bureaucrats or government officials decided they wanted to do, to appoint a couple of their friends to this thing, this was the commission itself and the chair had come and said we've got a stringent workload, there's a lot of turnover in boards, in government operations, we need to be able to ensure we do it in a timely fashion. We need to, at the end of the day, go through the whole process, but to be able to do that you need to be able to have the resources. Resources, in this case, are some additional people who come from the outside, who bring a skill set for being able to assess the role and responsibility for a particular appointment and then doing the due diligence of going through the screening process and the appointment process for the recommendations to go to Cabinet.

 

We have no qualms in supporting the expansion on the numbers on the commission and we wish the commission future good work and good luck. We do thank the ones who are presently on it and look forward to who the new two appointees will be.

 

No doubt, they will be people who have a clean background when it comes to wanting to be able to promote the operations of government and ensuring that the people who take senior positions –

 

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Oh, oh!

 

MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!

 

MR. BRAZIL:are in the right position to be able to move Newfoundland and Labrador forward.

 

Mr. Speaker, on that note, I'll sit and just with the notice that we will be supporting this.

 

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

 

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

 

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

 

I, too, am glad to stand and speak to Bill 28, an amendment to the Independent Appointments Commission. I certainly can understand why this amendment is being brought forward. The amendment is that the commission consist of a minimum of five members and a maximum of seven members appointed by the Lieutenant Governor in Council.

 

Right now, it's five members and I'm not surprised at all to hear about the workload that they have, because it's quite a number of bodies that they are responsible for when it comes to appointments to those bodies. We don't need to go through the whole list, but it's quite substantial. They have shown us they're doing their work. They're certainly doing the work that has to be done, which is recruiting and recommending candidates for the various positions.

 

Yes, they have the backup of the Public Service Commission, which has to do a lot of the work because they have to put out the ads and recruitment, et cetera; but, knowing how these committees work, I would say, as a group of volunteers, they're doing much more than the work of volunteers. It has to be taking hours of their work.

 

I'm certainly supporting the notion of having more people on that commission to help with their workload. I'm glad to see that government did respond to them because they, I think, presented to government information on the workload that they're carrying and certainly government did respond to them in coming forward with this amendment. I thank the minister for presenting it here in the House.

 

I do want to talk about a couple of things with regard to the act. The openness and transparency, I think, is really important. The Member for Conception Bay East – Bell Island has opened that and I'd like to speak to it as well because while we have the Independent Appointments Commission and while they go through a whole process and they bring forward nominees to the Executive Council, the Executive Council still has, in the legislation, the power to not accept any of the nominees and to come up with their own person and to not reflect that. So they don't have to tell us whether or not the person that's been appointed –

 

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Oh, oh!

 

MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!

 

MS. MICHAEL: – is a person who was nominated by the IAC.

 

If government is going to continue looking at amendments to the act, then I think this is one of the things that government needs to look at because we don't know. Now, with the appointment today of Ms. Mullaley to the AG position, for example, we were told that she was a nominee to the position from the IAC. I'm very happy about that but we don't always know that. I think this is another amendment that the government needs to look at.

 

That one was one that we raised at the time when we first passed the act, put the act in place. The other point we raised, when we were discussing the bill to bring the act into place, was the whole issue of gender diversity. That's still an issue because the process that's used goes through the Public Service Commission and the Public Service Commission does not have anything in its own mandate to deal with gender diversity when hiring. Consequently, the IAC doesn't as well.

 

This is not acceptable. When we first debated the IAC act we did offer amendments, but our amendments were defeated by government. There's no way, without having some kind of –

 

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Oh, oh!

 

MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!

 

MS. MICHAEL: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

 

There's no way, without having some kind of mandate in place, that we're going to get gender parity if we don't put it into the legislation.

 

Ontario, British Columbia and Alberta all have legislation that goes far beyond the scope of the legislation that we have. Government continues to do nothing to advance the cause of equity within this legislation. It's an extremely important issue.

 

I would hope that government will consider equity when it adds to the numbers of the current commission right now; we have three men and two women. I feel absolutely confident that there are all kinds of women out there who are capable to be on the commission. I hope, number one, that by adding some positions we're going to get better gender equity on the commission itself; number two, I urge government to look at the need to look at these two points, the point that gender diversity is not part of our hiring process.

 

This is a government that says it believes in it. This is a government that, for example, when it comes to different aspects of women, voted for a private Member's motion from my colleague for St. John's Centre with regard to pay equity. It says they are concerned about gender diversity and gender equity on bodies, yet in one of the most important areas where appointments are being made, they don't have it built in.

 

I strongly urge government to reconsider this. I would like to see another amendment being brought into this House about this act that deals with gender diversity. As well, I would like to see something done with regard to the fact that government ultimately still holds the power of appointing whomever they want, which is not acceptable.

 

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker.

 

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

 

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Member for Mount Pearl – Southlands.

 

MR. LANE: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

 

Once again, I'm just going to take a couple of moments, for the record, I guess. I'll speak to Bill 28. Obviously, everybody in the House is going to be supporting this bill. I can't see any reason why we wouldn't support it.

 

What happened, of course, is we're going to go from five members who currently sit on this Independent Appointments Commission and we're going to give the ability now to have seven. Obviously, because there are so many tier-one appointments that exist for the different agencies, boards and commissions, the workload for the volunteer – and it's important to make that point – members of the commission is just extraordinary.

 

Through the briefing we were told that when they're actually doing the appointments, usually there's a committee of three members that would actually go through the screen, out read it, because it goes to the Public Service Commission first and then they will create a short list. Then, that short list goes with the commission, which I was told was a committee of three. They will screen through those and they will do interviews. They will select who they feel to be the best individuals to bring the name forward, three names.

 

With that said, if there are only five people there and three sit on a committee, there's no ability to do multiple – if you have appointments coming in for multiple boards at the same time, you've only got that committee of three. On any given day you couldn't have a group of three going through for this position, and another group of three screening and interviewing for a different position. So with the ability to go to seven, now that would eliminate that.

 

You could have simultaneous screenings going on for positions and names to come forward to Cabinet to select from. It only makes sense that they would do this. I think it's very reasonable. I'm not going to debate the legislation. That was already done. It was passed, the decision is made. I don't think there's any need to relive that here now today.

 

With that said, I will be supporting this particular amendment to increase the numbers, or have the ability to increase the numbers from five to seven members on the Independent Appointments Commission.

 

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

 

MR. SPEAKER: If the hon. the Minister of Finance and President of Treasury Board speaks now, he will close debate.

 

The hon. the Minister of Finance and President of Treasury Board.

 

MR. OSBORNE: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

 

There's no need to prolong debate. I just wanted to thank Members opposite for their support of this bill. It does make sense and it is something the chair of the IAC had asked for.

 

Thank you.

 

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

 

The motion is that Bill 28 be now read a second time.

 

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

 

All those in favour?

 

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Aye.

 

MR. SPEAKER: All those against?

 

The motion is carried.

 

CLERK (Murphy): Bill 28, An Act To Amend The Independent Appointments Commission Act.

 

MR. SPEAKER: This bill has now been read a second time. When shall the bill be referred to a Committee of the Whole House?

 

MR. A. PARSONS: Now.

 

MR. SPEAKER: Now.

 

On motion, a bill, “An Act To Amend The Independent Appointment Commissions Act,” read a second time, ordered referred to a Committee of the Whole presently, by leave. (Bill 28)

 

MR. SPEAKER: The Government House Leader.

 

MR. A. PARSONS: Mr. Speaker, I move, seconded by the Minister of Finance and President of Treasury Board, that the House resolve itself into a Committee of the Whole to consider Bill 28.

 

MR. SPEAKER: It is moved and seconded that I do now leave the Chair for the House to resolve into a Committee of the Whole to consider the said bill.

 

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

 

All those in favour?

 

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Aye.

 

MR. SPEAKER: All those against?

 

The motion is carried.

 

On motion, that the House resolve itself into a Committee of the Whole, the Speaker left the Chair.

 

Committee of the Whole

 

CHAIR (Warr): Order, please!

 

We are considering Bill 28, An Act To Amend The Independent Appointments Commission Act.

 

A bill, “An Act To Amend The Independent Appointments Commission Act.” (Bill 28)

 

CLERK: Clause 1.

 

CHAIR: Shall clause 1 carry?

 

All those in favour?

 

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Aye.

 

CHAIR: Those against?

 

Carried.

 

On motion, clause 1 carried.

 

CLERK: Clause 2.

 

CHAIR: Shall clause 2 carry?

 

All those in favour?

 

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Aye.

 

CHAIR: Those against?

 

Carried.

 

On motion, clause 2 carried.

 

CLERK: Be it enacted by the Lieutenant Governor and House of Assembly in Legislative Session convened, as follows.

 

CHAIR: Shall the enacting clause carry?

 

All those in favour?

 

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Aye.

 

CHAIR: Those against?

 

Carried.

 

On motion, enacting clause carried.

 

CLERK: A bill, An Act To Amend The Independent Appointments Commission Act.

 

CHAIR: Shall the title carry?

 

All those in favour?

 

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Aye.

 

CHAIR: Those against?

 

Carried.

 

On motion, title carried.

 

CHAIR: Shall I report the bill without amendment?

 

All those in favour?

 

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Aye.

 

CHAIR: Those against?

 

Carried.

 

Motion, that the Committee report having passed the bill without amendment, carried.

 

CHAIR: The hon. the Government House Leader.

 

MR. A. PARSONS: I move, Mr. Chair, that the Committee rise and report Bill 28.

 

CHAIR: The motion is that the Committee rise and report Bill 28.

 

All those in favour?

 

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Aye.

 

CHAIR: Those against?

 

Carried.

 

On motion, that the Committee rise, report progress and ask leave to sit again, the Speaker returned to the Chair.

 

MR. SPEAKER (Trimper): The hon. the Deputy Speaker and Chair of the Committee of the Whole.

 

MR. WARR: Mr. Speaker, the Committee of the Whole have considered the matters to them referred and have directed me to report Bill 28 without amendment.

 

MR. SPEAKER: The Chair of the Committee of the Whole reports that the Committee have considered the matters to them referred and have directed him to report Bill 28 carried without amendment.

 

When shall the report be received?

 

MR. A. PARSONS: Now.

 

MR. SPEAKER: Now.

 

When shall the said bill be read a third time?

 

The hon. the Government House Leader.

 

MR. A. PARSONS: The term I would use, Mr. Speaker, is –

 

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Oh, oh!

 

MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!

 

MR. A. PARSONS: – presently.

 

On motion, report received and adopted. Bill ordered read a third time presently, by leave

 

MR. A. PARSONS: At this point I would ask leave of my colleagues for us to proceed to third reading on Bill 28.

 

MR. SPEAKER: Does the Government House Leader have leave?

 

AN HON. MEMBER: Leave.

 

MR. A. PARSONS: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

 

MR. SPEAKER: Excuse me, wait one minute.

 

MR. LANE: Mr. Speaker, I'm just trying to understand why we're (inaudible).

 

MR. A. PARSONS: Okay.

 

For the record, we can only do two motions; we can do second reading and Committee in one day. Today, we had to do second and Committee and I'm asking for leave to do third so that –

 

MR. SPEAKER: The Government House Leader has leave.

 

Please proceed.

 

MR. A. PARSONS: Thank you, Mr. Speaker, and thank you to my colleagues for allowing this.

 

I would move Order 10, third reading of Bill 28.

 

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

 

MR. A. PARSONS: Mr. Speaker, I move, seconded by the Minister of Finance and President of Treasury Board, that Bill 28, An Act To Amend The Independent Appointments Commission Act, be now read a third time.

 

MR. SPEAKER: It is moved and seconded that the said bill be now read a third time.

 

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

 

All those in favour?

 

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Aye.

 

MR. SPEAKER: All those against?

 

The motion is carried.

 

CLERK (Barnes): A bill, An Act To Amend The Independent Appointments Commission Act. (Bill 28)

 

MR. SPEAKER: This bill is now read a third time and it is ordered that the bill do pass and its title be as on the Order Paper.

 

On motion, a bill, “An Act To Amend The Independent Appointments Commission Act,” read a third time, ordered passed and its title be as on the Order Paper. (Bill 28)

 

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

 

MR. A. PARSONS: Mr. Speaker, I move, seconded by the Minister of Children, Seniors and Social Development, that the House resolve itself into a Committee of the Whole to consider Bill 26.

 

MR. SPEAKER: It is moved and seconded that I do now leave the Chair for the House to resolve itself into a Committee of the Whole to consider the said bill.

 

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

 

All those in favour?

 

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Aye,

 

MR. SPEAKER: All those against?

 

The motion is carried.

 

On motion, that the House resolve itself into a Committee of the Whole, the Speaker left the Chair.

 

Committee of the Whole

 

CHAIR (Warr): Order, please!

 

We are now considering Bill 26, An Act To Amend The Child And Youth Advocate Act.

 

A bill, “An Act To Amend The Child and Youth Advocate Act.” (Bill 26)

 

CLERK (Murphy): Clause 1.

 

CHAIR: Shall clause 1 carry?

 

The Chair recognizes the hon. the Member for Fortune Bay – Cape La Hune.

 

MS. PERRY: Thank you so much, Mr. Chair.

 

Mr. Chair, we just have one more amendment that we would like to put forward for consideration, an amendment in the Committee of the Whole to clause 1.

 

We're proposing that clause 1 be amended in the proposed paragraph (a) of subsection 16.1(1) of the act by adding immediately after the words “means an injury” a comma, the words “including a physical or psychological injury” and another comma.

 

This amendment would amend clause 1 and add the words “including a physical and psychological injury” to move them from policy and enshrine them in legislation.

 

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

 

CHAIR: Order, please!

 

The Member for Fortune Bay – Cape La Hune has proposed an amendment. We will recess the Committee to consider the amendment.

 

Recess

 

CHAIR: Order, please!

 

After considering the amendment, the amendment is deemed to be in order.

 

The hon. the Minister of Children, Seniors and Social Development.

 

MS. DEMPSTER: Thank you, Mr. Chair.

 

I guess I just want to say thank you to everybody in this hon. House, Tuesday and today, who have weighed in on Bill 26, An Act to Amend the Child and Youth Advocate Act, to make it mandatory to report deaths and critical injury.

 

What we've seen here, Mr. Chair, over the last couple of days is democracy at play at its best, I think. At the end of the day, collectively, we all want the same thing. We want our children and youth in our province who receive services to be as safe as they possibly can be.

 

I just want to say thank you to everybody who was involved in the process. I want to say a huge thank you to the Advocate who we have worked very closely with, to the staff behind the scenes who have put a lot of work into this, to the legislative writers.

 

I used to hear my colleague, the House Leader, many times get up and thank the legislative writers. But until you actually go through the process yourself, you can't appreciate how much work happens behind the scenes in Justice and, in this case, with CSSD and with the Advocate.

 

I'm happy with where we have landed here today. I believe it's a big step forward in the right direction in Newfoundland and Labrador in terms of ensuring that our children and youth in the province are safe. I appreciate that.

 

I just want to say thank you to everybody who's been involved. We certainly support the amendment around including physical and psychological.

 

Thank you.

 

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

 

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

 

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

 

I stand to speak to the amendment that was proposed by the Member for Fortune Bay – Cape La Hune and her colleagues. I stand and I can support this amendment as well.

 

It's been an interesting process to debate this bill here in the House. Again, it highlights the need for us to be able to use our standing committees to look at legislation in a more consultative manner, so that we can all leave this House knowing that we have the best legislation we possibly can make together.

 

I would also like to thank all those who had a hand in bringing this legislation to the House. I would like also to thank the work of the officials behind the scenes, and the Advocate, for being so committed to ensuring that we have legislation that empowers the Advocate to do the best work possible on behalf of the children, youth and the families of Newfoundland and Labrador.

 

Thank you very much, Mr. Chair.

 

CHAIR: The hon. the Member for Mount Pearl – Southlands.

 

MR. LANE: Thank you, Mr. Chair.

 

I'm not going to take long but, once again, for the record, I do want to support this amendment. I commend the Member for Fortune Bay – Cape La Hune. She's been very diligent throughout this debate in bringing forth amendments and making her points, her arguments. I certainly want to recognize that, her in particular, as well as other Members of the House of Assembly who have contributed to the debate.

 

I think it's a good amendment to include psychological injury as opposed to just simply physical injury. I realize that, as the minister has said, it was certainly the intent of the department through regulation, through policy, that psychological injury would be included. But, of course, as we know, the problem with a lot of these things is that unless it's actually enshrined in the act itself, then it always leaves open the possibility that – while this minister and her officials may intend on including things, that's not to say that if she leaves that office and a new minister comes in, or you have a changeover in staff and a change of direction, that they can't simply go in and have the ability to go in, because it's not enshrined in the act, to actually change those things.

 

That's why sometimes, you know, we're up here speaking on certain bills – one that comes to mind was when we debated the Procurement Act. There were so many things and so many possibilities, everything left to the regulations. While government might have the best of intention, it's kind of a blank slate when you don't have things enshrined in the actual act itself to make all kinds of radical policy changes that may totally go against what was said or what was intended. Of course, the public, certainly the House, would not be aware of these things until something happened at some point in time that caused us to dig into the matter and find out what went wrong.

 

This is a good amendment. I will say again for the record that I believe we should have included critical incident, not just critical injury or serious injury. Incident should have been there for the exact same reason. I realize the minister just told me once again that it will be in the regulations. That's great. I'm glad it will be in the regulations. But, once again, if it's not in the act, there's nothing to say that in six months' time or a years' time or two years' time, a new minister, a new administration, a new staff could take it out for whatever reason and nobody would be any wiser.

 

I also want to say again for the record that I really believe we should be including Health and Community Services and we should be including Education. It was recommended by the former Advocate and it makes total sense to me why it should be there.

 

Not every youth is receiving services from the government through CYFS or through Justice. There are children and youth who are going to be having contact with the health system, with the educational system and they will not be afforded the same protection from the Advocate, or the mandatory reporting, as they do with the other two departments.

 

I appreciate the fact that health – I think it was asked in Question Period of the Minister of Health, and he referred to doctors and nurses having a responsibility to report things. I'm sure in education that teachers and guidance counsellors also have a responsibility and there are internal policies. But, then again, there are also internal policies within CYFS, or CSS – whatever the name of it is now, Children, Seniors and Social Development, CSSD – and in the Department of Justice.

 

You have a youth who is in the Whitbourne youth detention centre; I'm sure they have internal policies as well. It's no different than if you're in the Paradise drug treatment facility. I'm sure they have policies, internal policies as well. So I don't see the difference. Both are facilities that are owned by government, both are involving youth. In one case, we're saying the internal policies are good enough, in another one we're saying, no, no, there's going to be a mandatory reporting requirement to the Advocate.

 

I fail to see why that is different. I will maintain, for the record, that I believe those departments should have been included.

 

With that said, it's better than what we have now. There is no mandatory reporting currently. Now, we're at least going to have mandatory reporting in these two departments. That's definitely going to go a long way.

 

It's still good legislation. I'm still going to support it. I'm going to support this amendment but, again, for the record, my concern stands.

 

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

 

CHAIR: The hon. the Member for Fortune Bay – Cape La Hune.

 

MS. PERRY: Thank you, Mr. Chair.

 

I just wanted to rise for a few brief minutes to thank everyone for working together on this bill to try and move forward with something that we're all very comfortable with. I appreciate the collaboration of the minister, of Members opposite and everyone working together.

 

I certainly would like to acknowledge your support in that, Minister. I feel very pleased that we are bringing this bill forward. If the need should be identified for future revisions then, certainly, there's a willingness to do that as well.

 

I'd like to thank everybody for their very hard work. I think we'll be bringing forward, today, a very important piece of legislation that's going to make a difference in the lives of children.

 

Thank you very much.

 

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

 

CHAIR: Order, please!

 

The hon. the Minister of Children, Seniors and Social Development.

 

MS. DEMPSTER: Thank you, Mr. Chair.

 

I'll be very brief because I've pretty much done my clue up. I appreciate the comments from the Members opposite, but I wanted to go on record – and I didn't say it a moment ago – to say that we did consult with the Advocate on the amendment.

 

The Advocate has very much been a part of this; we have been following her lead on what she needed to do her work. We consulted with making that little adjustment under critical injury to include physical and psychological and she was pleased with that.

 

I want to wish her well. I guess when we give this bill Royal Assent right now she really doesn't know what will come in through the doors. It's a big step forward.

 

I want to wish her well on the work that she does in this province every day on behalf of children and youth that receive services. We certainly appreciate her. I want to thank everyone again for their work on the bill.

 

Thank you.

 

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

 

CHAIR: Order, please!

 

Is it the pleasure of the Committee to adopt the amendment?

 

All those in favour?

 

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Aye.

 

CHAIR: Those against?

 

Carried.

 

On motion, amendment carried.

 

CHAIR: Shall clause 1, as amended, carry?

 

All those in favour?

 

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Aye.

 

CHAIR: Those against?

 

Carried.

 

On motion, clause 1, as amended, carried.

 

CLERK: Clause 2.

 

CHAIR: Shall clause 2 carry?

 

All those in favour?

 

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Aye.

 

CHAIR: Those against?

 

Carried.

 

On motion, clause 2 carried.

 

CLERK: Be it enacted by the Lieutenant Governor and House of Assembly in Legislative Session convened, as follows:

 

CHAIR: Shall the enacting clause carry?

 

All those in favour?

 

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Aye.

 

CHAIR: Those against?

 

Carried.

 

On motion, enacting clause carried.

 

CLERK: An Act To Amend The Child And Youth Advocate Act.

 

CHAIR: Shall the title carry?

 

All those in favour?

 

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Aye.

 

CHAIR: Those against?

 

Carried.

 

On motion, title carried.

 

CHAIR: Shall I report Bill 26 with amendment?

 

All those in favour?

 

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Aye.

 

CHAIR: Those against?

 

Carried.

 

Motion, that the Committee report having passed the bill with amendment, carried.

 

CHAIR: The hon. the Government House Leader.

 

MR. A. PARSONS: Mr. Chair, I move that the Committee rise and report Bill 26.

 

CHAIR: It is moved that the Committee rise and report Bill 26.

 

Shall the motion carry?

 

All those in favour?

 

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Aye.

 

CHAIR: Those against?

 

Carried.

 

On motion, that the Committee rise, report progress and ask leave to sit again, the Speaker returned to the Chair.

 

MR. SPEAKER (Trimper): The hon. the Deputy Speaker and Chair of the Committee of the Whole.

 

MR. WARR: Mr. Speaker, the Committee of the Whole have considered the matters to them referred and have carried Bill 26 with an amendment.

 

MR. SPEAKER: The Chair of the Committee of the Whole reports that the Committee have considered the matters to them referred and have carried Bill 26 with an amendment.

 

When shall the report be received?

 

MR. A. PARSONS: Now.

 

MR. SPEAKER: Now.

 

On motion, report received and adopted.

 

MR. SPEAKER: When shall the said bill be read a third time?

 

MR. A. PARSONS: Later today.

 

MR. SPEAKER: Now.

 

The hon. the Government House Leader.

 

MR. A. PARSONS: Mr. Speaker, I move, seconded by the Minister of Children, Seniors and Social Development, that the amendment be now read a first time.

 

MR. SPEAKER: It is moved and seconded that the amendment be now read a first time.

 

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

 

All those in favour?

 

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Aye.

 

CHAIR: All those against?

 

The motion is carried.

 

CLERK: First reading of the amendment.

 

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

 

MR. A. PARSONS: Mr. Speaker, I move, seconded by the Minister of Children, Seniors and Social Development, that the amendment be now read a second time.

 

MR. SPEAKER: It is moved and seconded that the amendment be now read a second time.

 

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

 

All those in favour?

 

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Aye.

 

CHAIR: All those against?

 

The motion is carried.

 

CLERK: Second reading of the amendment.

 

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

 

MR. A. PARSONS: Mr. Speaker, I would call from the Order Paper, Order 8, third reading of Bill 26.

 

MR. SPEAKER: Does the hon. Government House Leader have leave?

 

MR. A. PARSONS: No, I don't need leave for that.

 

MR. SPEAKER: You don't? We're good?

 

Okay, wonderful.

 

MR. A. PARSONS: They would have given it to me anyway, right?

 

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

 

MR. A. PARSONS: Mr. Speaker, I move, seconded by the Minister of Children, Seniors and Social Development, that Bill 26, An Act To Amend The Child And Youth Advocate Act, be now read a third time.

 

MR. SPEAKER: It is moved and seconded that the said bill be now read a third time.

 

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

 

All those in favour?

 

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Aye.

 

MR. SPEAKER: All those against?

 

This motion is carried.

 

On motion, amendment read a first and second time. Bill ordered read a third time presently, by leave.

 

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

 

CLERK: A bill, An Act To Amend The Child And Youth Advocate Act. (Bill 26)

 

MR. SPEAKER: This bill has now been read a third time and it is ordered that the bill do pass and its title be as on the Order Paper.

 

On motion, a bill, “An Act To Amend The Child And Youth Advocate Act,” read a third time, ordered passed and its title be as on the Order Paper. (Bill 26)

 

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

 

MR. A. PARSONS: Yes, Mr. Speaker, if I could just ask for a very short recess for just a moment.

 

MR. SPEAKER: So granted.

 

Recess

 

MR. SPEAKER: I just want to advise that while we're awaiting the arrival of His Excellency, the Lieutenant Governor, I would like to invite the hon. the Leader of the Official Opposition for some remarks, please.

 

Thank you.

 

The hon. the Leader of the Official Opposition.

 

MR. P. DAVIS: Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker.

 

It's the time in a session where we will be breaking for the Christmas season. I thank you for giving me the opportunity to rise and have a few remarks here this afternoon.

 

I just want to take a few moments to point out and to offer our thanks and appreciation to all of the staff here in the House of Assembly, the Clerk and Table Officers. Of course, there are other staff that make the House operate which are behind the scenes, from the Legislative Library to the Hansard office, the Broadcast Centre, security and administrative staff that work within the Clerk and the House of Assembly as well. We want to extend our thanks and appreciation and best wishes to them, knowing that we're on the verge of the Christmas season.

 

Earlier today, we had the pleasure of attending Government House for the swearing-in of the newest Member in the House for Mount Pearl North, but I thought it most interesting that you attended the swearing-in as well, Mr. Speaker. I'm going to thank you for that. It's certainly not noticed in my time here in the last seven, almost eight years here. It's the first time that I recall a Speaker attending the swearing-in of a Member through a by-election, so I wanted to acknowledge that.

 

I think it displays and speaks to the independence and focus you put on the office. I thought it was a very good thing for you to do to show up there today, Mr. Speaker. You've done a great job since taking the Chair this fall and the session. The House, I believe, has operated very, very well under your Chairmanship. I thank you for the work that you've done.

 

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

 

MR. P. DAVIS: Mr. Speaker, we quite often come in here in the House of Assembly and we talk about the work that we do in passing bills, which becomes legislation and becomes law in our province. But it is because of a very large and complex public service that the operations of the province continue to operate on a daily basis, thousands of public servants who work every single day in the best interests of Newfoundlanders and Labradorians, and especially as we reach a holiday season.

 

We know, Mr. Speaker, that there are numerous emergency services, workers, people in our health care; we have people who work on our highways and our roads and numerous other jobs who are required to ensure that the province continues to operate. Even though it may be a holiday, or it may be Christmas Eve, or Christmas Day, or Boxing Day, or New Year's Eve, or New Year's Day, whatever the case may be, there are people who are required to work.

 

I want to thank all of our public service for the work they do, but during the Christmas season make sure that we are also mindful of those who have to sacrifice their time with family and friends to carry out the responsibilities that they've signed up for as public servants in our province. We thank them and we wish them all the best during the Christmas season as well.

 

Mr. Speaker, all of us here in the House of Assembly have a team of political staff who work with us and assist us in the work that we do. Every Member of the House of Assembly has a constituency assistant and Members of Cabinet have political staff that works with them in their roles as well. We'd never be able to do the job we do if it wasn't for the people in our offices and in our districts who work to support our efforts on a day-to-day basis. I offer my thanks and appreciation to them and best wishes to them as well.

 

Mr. Speaker, we're only here in this Legislature because of the people who have elected us. The people who elected us are people who support us, they support us in elections. Then, as we do our work throughout our term of office, we also rely on them for their continued support. For not only myself, personally, but I think I speak for all of us in the House, because we quite often have those conversations, even though we have a coming and going and back and forth quite often in this House – and people see you on TV, all the heckling that takes place and so on – there are also discussions that happen outside of the House and off to the side that are in the best interests of our constituents.

 

I would not hesitate at any time to approach any minister on the government side and ask them for their assistance or support in trying to resolve a matter for a constituent. Quite often that happens here and sometimes it happens between our staff and their staff, but our constituents are better served by those relationships. I thank all Members of the House, on both sides, for their co-operation and their efforts to work together in the best interests of Newfoundlanders and Labradorians.

 

Mr. Speaker, it is about the constituents and that's the work that we focus on. It's about people of Newfoundland and Labrador, but there's another group of people who sometimes are impacted by the career paths that we've chosen in selecting a life in politics or a role in politics, and that's our families.

 

Our families, quite often, are impacted or have the effects of the work that we choose, either by the politics of the work that we do and sometimes by the fact – especially for Members who have to travel long distances and are away from their homes for an extended period of time, all of that impacts on their families. Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the families for all Members, for their support for all of us collectively. I'm sure the Premier and the Leader of the Third Party will have similar comments, but our families so important. We'd never be able to do it without the support of our families, so I thank them.

 

Mr. Speaker, it's truly an honour for all of us to serve here in this House of Assembly. We do it with the blessing of our constituents and we do it for Newfoundland and Labrador. I wish all Newfoundlanders and Labradorians, no matter where they are, all the very best during this Christmas season. I'll be thinking about our military who are serving in circumstances that are much less comfortable from what we'll enjoy here in Newfoundland and Labrador.

 

We'll think of all Newfoundlanders and Labradorians. I wish them all a very Merry Christmas, a safe Christmas and all the best in 2018.

 

Thank you.

 

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

 

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

 

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

 

It is an honour to stand at this time at the end of this sitting and have a few words. I thank the Leader of the Official Opposition for his comments.

 

I'll repeat a lot of the thanks because I think we have to. I want to join him, especially in his recognition of you as our Speaker, and thank you for the leadership you have shown as Speaker in your attempt to keep all of us sheep under control.

 

I'm a member of the Philharmonic Choir and every year we sing the Messiah. As a matter of fact, this week was particularly hard because I have night rehearsals, then we have performances Friday and Saturday night. One of the pieces I most like singing is “All we like Sheep.” Anybody who knows the Messiah will understand the whole idea is we're going mad like sheep, having all kinds of fun and then all of a sudden the arm comes down on us as we gallop all over the place. You have to herd us like sheep. It's not always easy and I think we all respect you for the way in which you have been doing that, and I thank you for that.

 

I want to thank everybody behind the scenes. The people who watch us don't see – they may every now and again see the Table Officers sometimes, they may sometimes see the Pages, they may sometimes see the Sergeant-at-Arms. They hardly ever see the Commissionaires. They certainly don't see the people working down in the Hansard office or the Legislative Library, the Broadcasting Centre and the security, all these people behind the scenes who keep us going.

 

We also have the Members – I always forget the name of the division, but all of that staff who make sure all of the administration and the finances, et cetera, of the House of Assembly is kept going as well. We thank them as well. Many jobs are sort of thankless because they're unseen, so thanks to all of them.

 

I find every session always interesting here in the House. Are we tired when we get to the end? I'm sure we are. We work hard, and it's not just when we're here in the Assembly itself. We also have committees outside of the Assembly that we sit on and we do work that is absolutely essential for the good running of the House, the study of the legislation, the preparation work we do.

 

Certainly, we can't do that without the support of our staff, our researchers who help us, those who help with the wording of questions, all the work that goes on behind the scenes in our caucus offices as well. I particularly thank our staff, and the Official Opposition Leader thanked his and I know the House Leader will do the same.

 

It's a lot of work, and we cram an awful lot of work into a small period of time, which is something I think we need to think a bit more about. The Standing Committee has done a lot of work. That's one committee I sit on that has done work over the last year in particular. We have made changes here to our scheduling. So the fact that we had three weeks on, one week off and then one week back, that's a whole new dynamic for us, but I think it is one that works well.

 

I think we do need to look at the work that we cram into a small space. We may have to give thought to that, but the thing is we work hard. We know we work hard, but it is work that we do willingly. I certainly do willingly, because I know the work I'm doing is representing my constituents. It's representing those who elected me to be here in this building.

 

Sometimes I have constituents, I'm sure we all do, who say I don't know how you do it. How do you do it? They watch us and they say: How do you do that? My answer is: I think about you. I think about my constituents. If I stay focused on my constituents, then everything we do then is fine for me because that's why we're here. I think the Official Opposition Leader said it as well. That's why we're here, and we all know that's why we're here.

 

I want to thank my constituents as well for the feedback they give because they do watch us, they do pay attention and we do get feedback. I know every one of my colleagues get feedback, whether we get it through phone calls or bumping into people when we're out in our districts, or we get it through emails. They let us know, not just when they're not happy or not just when they have a need, but they also let us know when they're happy. When they see us doing work that they know represents them. So that's why we're here.

 

When we have this break, a lot of you – I don't go back anywhere, I go back down the road. A lot of you go back quite a distance where they're with our constituents, with our families, with our friends and I wish everybody a wonderful time during the holiday season.

 

We have so many different expressions. Some people get upset – I have friends, actually, we probably all do, who say we don't say Christmas anymore, but when we're in this House it's not just Christmas. There are so many different expressions around this time of year. I think as those who may be part of the dominant holiday celebration, we recognize there are all kinds of different celebrations that go on at this time of year. I recognize all of those celebrations and all of the expressions of religion that happen over this period, no matter what that religion is or what that spirituality is.

 

So thank you, Mr. Speaker. I wish everybody a wonderful holiday and festive season.

 

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

 

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Premier.

 

PREMIER BALL: Thank you. Mr. Speaker.

 

Well, as has been already said, and some of the things and the comments that I will make too, of course, will be repeated but they will be relevant.

 

I know the role of the Speaker, as we saw here Monday night, is to make sure that us as speakers in the House of Assembly remain relevant. We're going to do that today because this is really all about – as we leave here and get back to our districts, and share in and celebrate in what is this Christmas season.

 

Mr. Speaker, like everyone else, it was mentioned already, I too want to recognize people like the Sergeant-at-Arms, our Table Officers, the Broadcast Centre and all those people that work behind the scenes. Welcome some of the new Pages that we've seen this year, some familiar faces to us and we have some new ones. I really appreciate the work they do day in and day out as we sit here in this House of Assembly.

 

Of course, the Commissionaires, they become friends and we share stories. We share stories about our families. It was just today I stopped and had a great chat with one of the Commissionaires and we shared some stories about his plans for this Christmas season. Sometimes we should never, I would say, we should never take for granted the work those people do as we go about doing our business in this House of Assembly.

 

Also, to the media, the members of the media we use sometimes and they come back at us sometimes. It's important, because it's through the media that the message within the House of Assembly and the role of government, all of us as part of what we do representing Newfoundlanders and Labradorians, that is what gets into – either through social media or through the news hour or through newspapers and so on. So the media plays an important role in what happens in governing our province.

 

It's been mentioned already about the role of the public service and the public servants in our province. All of us, we'll get a chance, hopefully, to get home and spend some time with our families. When we are doing that it's never lost on me that behind those scenes there's a hospital or there's a Transportation and Works individual, there's an ambulance driver that's actually there ready to respond to whatever the needs of Newfoundlanders would be at some of the most critical times in their life.

 

I certainly hope that over this Christmas and this holiday season people will be safe. What we do know, for those that need the services, we have public servants that are there ready to respond to whatever the need is. We should continue to make sure we recognize that, because it's just not the individual that's supplying that service either. Keep in mind that if we have a health care worker that has to make a decision because they're working New Year's Eve or Christmas, typically there's a family member, and often children that their Christmas becomes somewhat disrupted because mom or dad is not readily available for December 25.

 

I know lots of friends, as we all do, that gift opening in the morning, or that Christmas dinner gets changed, gets modified because their mom or dad or grandparent or somebody is not readily available because of the commitment they are making to our province.

 

That goes without saying, I know all of us have friends who serve in the military and many of them are abroad when you look forward to getting that call or that Facebook message or that text from people that are often not even in the country; yet, they are there delivering a service and supporting a service that it's not just important to Newfoundland and Labrador, but to Canada, but indeed globally, I would say.

 

As we leave here and we get a chance to go back and sit in some different seats, those within our districts, I know I, for one, am looking forward to getting a few extra days that I can spend in my district amongst family and friends. I'm looking forward to some of the traditions that we have within our own family. One that's critically important to us is that on December 25 all of us, as a family, get together and spend time reflecting, sharing and reminiscing about not just Christmases, but just family time that we spent together. I, for one, am looking forward to that.

 

I also want to say and recognize the great work of each and every single MHA. I, too, want to welcome the Member today as he stepped in here, the Member for Mount Pearl North. I can remember coming in February 2007 in a by-election. MHA Hutchings was part of that group that came in the middle of winter that year.

 

It's indeed, I tell you, a privilege to be taken in here by a political leader and take that seat. I still, even to this day, when I step into this Assembly, appreciate the support of people in our districts, as has already been said. We sit here, it's not our right; it's our privilege. It's a privilege that's granted to us by people who are in our districts.

 

I represent one of the largest districts that we have in this province. It literally takes me about a four-hour drive to go from point A to the furthest point in my district. That's just in the district. I'm not there yet, but I'm looking forward to getting there next week.

 

We should never take for granted, as has been said already, that we sit here because they give us the privilege to be able to do this. I'm looking forward to getting back there and actually working directly with some of them. I don't get a chance, in this capacity, to spend a lot of time in my district, but I will tell you, there's a lot of support there. I've been supported heavily with the constituency assistants that we have there, doing the work on our behalf as we continue to work provincially for people in Newfoundland and Labrador.

 

Mr. Speaker, I want to say thank you to you. I know the Leader of the Opposition and the Leader of the Third Party have already mentioned somewhat of a unique style that you actually bring to this House of Assembly. I want to say thank you for that. It's been mentioned already about your conduct in this House. I appreciate the fact that you took part in the ceremony this morning but, also, I can honestly say that knowing you as an individual, you take your job seriously and you represent the people that you do in your own district. So thank you very much for the work that you do.

 

To our Members opposite, to the Leader of the Official Opposition, to the Leader of the Third Party and all your caucuses and to the independent Member back there, I want to thank you. You often challenge us and, yes, there are times – I will say not often though, my pulse rate usually stays around 60, not much gets to me on most days. From time to time it might go up a beat or two, but that is because some of the things that you have said actually challenge us.

 

We sometimes have to reflect and look at ourselves, some of the decisions that we make. Some of the ideas that we've seen even today in an important piece of legislation here in this House of Assembly on an issue that people were looking for support for quite some time, there was an amendment that came in that, actually, through the work that you have done, made sense. That amendment now exists in legislation that was passed here in this House of Assembly today.

 

In just a few minutes I'm going to get a chance to do something that I really love doing, and that's lighting up Confederation Building and turning on the Christmas lights. We'll see all kinds of colors. I'll be joined there tonight by one young Emma King who was in the House of Assembly with us earlier today.

 

As we mentioned, there are some 60,000 LED lights that will be visible in just a few hours. There will be a band and a school choir there from St. Andrews elementary school that will be joining us. I think Christmas will really settle in, in my mind tonight, when I see this place lit up.

 

For all of you that are here tonight, I want to say thank you for the work that you've been doing. In particular, a big, big thank you to our own caucus here for your support and the support of your families.

 

I want to say thank you and wish every single Newfoundlander and Labradorian a Merry Christmas. If it's not Christmas that you're celebrating, whatever it is in your own tradition, be safe, enjoy it and spend time with your families to one and all.

 

Thank you very much.

 

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

 

MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!

 

Admit His Honour, the Lieutenant Governor.

 

SERGEANT-AT-ARMS: Mr. Speaker, His Honour, the Lieutenant Governor, has arrived.

 

MR. SPEAKER: Admit His Honour.

 

(His Honour, the Lieutenant Governor, takes the Chair.)

 

SERGEANT-AT-ARMS: It is the wish of His Honour, the Lieutenant Governor, that all present be seated.

 

MR. SPEAKER: It is my agreeable duty, on behalf of Her Majesty's dutiful and loyal subjects, Her faithful Commons in Newfoundland and Labrador, to present Your Honour bills for the appropriation granted in this present session.

 

May it please Your Honour, the General Assembly of the province has, at its present session, passed certain bills, to which, in the name and on behalf of the General Assembly, I respectfully request Your Honour's Assent.

 

CLERK (Barnes): A bill, “Court Of Appeal Act.” (Bill 3)

 

A bill, “An Act To Amend The Highway Traffic Act.” (Bill 13)

 

A bill, “An Act To Amend The Securities Act.” (Bill 15)

 

A bill, “An Act To Amend The Labour Relations Act.” (Bill 16)

 

A bill, “An Act To Amend The Labour Relations Act No. 2.” (Bill 17)

 

A bill, “An Act To Amend The Prepaid Funeral Services Act.” (Bill 18)

 

A bill, “An Act To Amend The House Of Assembly Accountability, Integrity And Administration Act No. 3.” (Bill 19)

 

A bill, “An Act To Amend The Vital Statistics Act, 2009.” (Bill 20)

 

A bill, “An Act To Amend The Members Of The House Of Assembly Retiring Allowances Act And The Portability Of Pensions Act.” (Bill 21)

 

A bill, “Status Of The Artist Act.” (Bill 22)

 

A bill, “An Act To Amend The Liquor Corporation Act.” (Bill 23)

 

A bill, “Serious Incident Response Team Act.” (Bill 24)

 

A bill, “Prescription Monitoring Act.” (Bill 25)

 

A bill, “An Act To Amend The Child And Youth Advocate Act.” (Bill 26)

 

A bill, “An Act To Amend The Highway Traffic Act No. 2.” (Bill 27)

 

A bill, “An Act To Amend The Independent Appointments Commission Act.” (Bill 28)

 

HIS HONOUR THE LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR (Frank F. Fagan, CM, ONL, MBA): In Her Majesty's Name, I assent to these bills.

 

SERGEANT-AT-ARMS: All rise.

 

HIS HONOUR THE LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR: If I may before I leave, I'd like to wish you all a Merry Christmas and a healthy and prosperous and Happy New Year. I thoroughly hope you enjoy your holiday season coming up.

 

Thank you very much for having me in here today.

 

Thank you.

 

(His Honour the Lieutenant Governor leaves the Chamber. The Speaker returns to the Chair.)

 

MR. SPEAKER: Please be seated.

 

If I may, in the spirit of the tradition of the Speaker and at this time of the year, I find it amazing, as it's my third time now I've sat in this House and watched these very profound and very emotional and very heartfelt remarks from the leaders of our different parties. For that, I feel very grateful to sit in this Chair and represent you all now in the Legislature.

 

Also, in the spirit of repetition and relevance, I'm just going to focus on a couple of key points because so many others were touched on by those who've spoken already. I've spoken many times in my role, to date, as a politician. I marvel at the calibre and capability and dedication of those in our public service. It continues to amaze me and now, in this role, I get to understand who these people are who you see. You see these faces of help and support. For example, these three fine people who sit in front of us, they often like to call themselves the furniture. They said they're just there to observe, to document and so on, but they're so much more. I've had the pleasure of watching Elizabeth Murphy, Kim Hawley George and Sandra Barnes in action, and it is truly something to see.

 

Also I've mentioned to some of you, what goes on behind these doors is quite fascinating in terms of not just this province, but the country and the commonwealth. It's nothing to some of the amendments and some of the points of orders that we've tackled in these last few weeks to reach out to the UK or to Australia or across this country to get direction and support on them. I just marvel at the network that I've been blessed to find and encounter. It's truly been a great thing.

 

I did want to point out to our Pages – I hope they're still here; there they are – and one in particular – well, I'm going to list them all: Jeremy Cook who's here; Frankie Leonard is here; Anna Hutchings, she's not here today nor Catherine Bennett; Mohammad Bakhshi is here; and I wanted to call forward Tresha Moorhouse because this is going to be her last day working with us as a Page.

 

I just wanted to, on behalf of everyone, thank you very much, Tresha, for all you've done and you've done it very well.

 

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

 

MR. SPEAKER: I wish you all the best.

 

I would like to just finally end up on another theme that I heard the Leader of the Official Opposition talk about and, I think, others, and that is from the point of view and perspective of accessibility. There are different ways to look at that. We look at our constituents – and, really, that's why we're here – and having the ability to provide ourselves and be available to them in a very accessible way is extremely important. We all know that. We have to reflect their views, their issues, carry it forward onto this floor, and I commend everyone here for doing that well and for being so dedicated.

 

There's another aspect of accessibility that I've been thinking about. In Happy Valley-Goose Bay, we have a new United Church minister. He's from Nigeria. I'm thinking in the last few weeks we've had people, new Canadians, people who've come here, the Russian Ambassador, who marvel at how democracy works in this House, in this province and the accessibility that we all have. I heard the Members say that they have accessibility to the ministers and vice versa. It's truly a remarkable thing.

 

The minister, he's going into his second winter in Happy Valley-Goose Bay and he's intimidated by that again. He's got his big parka and they're all getting ready for the frigid weather. It isn't that bad. When he looks at me as an MHA, formerly as a minister, now as the Speaker, he keeps saying and he marvels: How come you don't have a security detail? He just comes from a nation where you would never get near a politician. The other day I was with the Premier and others for the apology of the prime minister and people were able to go up to PM for selfies, the ability to talk and reach out and reach people. I think we should never lose sight of that.

 

What I tell this minister, my security detail, who is my wife Caroline, she's always with me and there watching out, taking good care of me, I'd like to wish everyone in this House a very fine Merry Christmas – may you find peace and joy and comfort in your family and friends throughout – and a very happy new year.

 

With that, this House now stands adjourned until tomorrow, February 26, 2018.

 

Thank you very much.

 

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

 

On motion, the House at its rising adjourned until tomorrow, Monday, February 26, 2018.