December 8, 2010                    HOUSE OF ASSEMBLY PROCEEDINGS            Vol. XLVI  No. 46


The House met at 2:00 p.m.

MR. SPEAKER (Fitzgerald): Order, please!

Admit strangers.

Before we start the routine proceedings today, the Speaker would like to recognize some people who are sitting in our gallery. First, a welcome to the representatives for the Combined Councils of Labrador -

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER: A special welcome to President Nick McGrath, Jim Farrell, Janice O'Neill, Arlene Michelin, Alton Rumbolt, and Mr. Nath Moores.

The Chair would also like to recognize the President of NAPE, Ms Carol Furlong, who is with us today as well.

Welcome to the House of Assembly.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

Statements by Members

MR. SPEAKER: Today we will hear the following members' statements: the hon. the Member for the District of The Straits & White Bay North; the hon. the Member for the District of The Isles of Notre Dame; the hon. the Member for the District of Burgeo & La Poile; the hon. the Member for Baie Verte-Springdale; and the hon. the Member for the District of Mount Pearl North.

The hon. the Member for the District of The Straits & White Bay North.

MR. DEAN: Mr. Speaker, I rise in this hon. House today to congratulate the Flower's Cove Lions Club and Lioness Group in The Straits & White Bay North district who celebrated their anniversary on November 6. The Lions Club celebrated forty-four years of service, while the Lioness Group celebrated thirty-five years of service.

At the Annual Charter Night Celebrations, the Lions Club was presented with a special award by the District Governor, Frank Bonnell. This award was based on the volunteer work the club has done throughout the past year, and the Flower's Cove Lions Club placed third in the District Governor's Club Points Contest. This is a contest that is held each year within the Western district, which extends as far east as Bay d'Espoir and includes Western Newfoundland and all of Labrador.

Mr. Speaker, I applaud the Flower's Cove Lions Club and Lioness Group for its outstanding contribution to the communities they serve, and I ask all members of this House to join with me in congratulating these individuals and to extend them best wishes for their future.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Member for the District of The Isles of Notre Dame.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. DALLEY: Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to rise in this hon. House today to acknowledge the great commitment and longevity of the New World Island Lions Club.

On November 20, 2010, I had the pleasure of attending the fiftieth anniversary celebrations of the New World Island Lions Club. The club was first chartered on December 29, 1960 with approximately twenty members, and continues to support the surrounding communities to this day.

Through the years, the Lions Club has supported such ventures as: the Max Simms Memorial Camp; the operation of the seniors' bus at the Notre Dame Bay Memorial Health Centre in Twillingate; the Hospital Pond Community Garden project; the Breakfast Program at the New World Island Academy; and the Christmas parade celebrations.

As well as their many donations of time and funding, the Lions also have provided a facility for the use of many community groups. The Lions centre is a hub of activity for the area, and groups such as the 50 Plus Club, the New World Island Academy students, and other recreational and social groups, have free access to this facility for their community activities.

I would ask all members to join with me in congratulating the New World Island Lions Club for their fifty years of dedicated service to the residents of New World Island and surrounding communities.

Thank you.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Member for the District of Burgeo & La Poile.

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

I rise today to pay tribute to the Canadian Navy who hosted a two-day event at Port aux Basques on November 26 and 27 to commemorate the loss of Her Majesty's Canadian Ship Shawinigan.

This year is the Canadian Navy's centennial, and its theme is Commemorate, Celebrate and Commit. As the centennial year draws to a close, the commemoration ceremonies which were held at Port aux Basques are a fitting symbol of the sacrifices made by the Canadian Navy over the last 100 years.

HMCS Shawinigan was torpedoed by a German U-boat and sunk off Port aux Basques in the early morning hours of November 25, 1944. The ship had earlier completed escort duties of the ferry Burgeo, and was conducting an anti-submarine patrol when it was torpedoed. Very few people are aware of this event. All ninety-one crew members perished. Although there were no Newfoundlanders aboard, there were men from each of the other nine Canadian provinces. HMCS Shawinigan was one of three Canadian warships to be lost during the Second World War with no survivors, and the only such ship to be sunk in Canadian waters. Shawinigan was the Royal Canadian Navy's greatest loss of life during the Battle of the Gulf of St. Lawrence.

We thank the members of the Canadian Naval Reserve Centennial Committee for bringing the proper recognition to this tragedy and paying tribute and respect to the crew members of the HMCS Shawinigan. We thank you, too, for bringing this to our attention and educating the people of our area on this great sacrifice.

Part of the ceremonies included a wreath laying ceremony from the MV Caribou in the vicinity of the Shawinigan's last known position. Then, a commemorative ceremony was held at the Town of Channel-Port aux Basques Lions Club, which was well attended by local dignitaries and residents.

We would also like to thank the Town of Channel-Port aux Basques for agreeing to name a new street in the Grand Bay West subdivision after the Shawinigan.

Mr. Speaker, I ask all members of this House to join with me in paying respect to the fallen crew members of the HMCS Shawinigan.

As Commander Baxter Park, Maritime Forces Chaplin, commented, "As we leave here today, let us keep in mind that somebody we didn't even know did something quite remarkable for us."

Thank you.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Member for the District of Baie Verte-Springdale.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. POLLARD: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

It is with great pride that I rise in this hon. House today to acknowledge and congratulate a special young lady from my district.

Abigail Clarke, fourteen-year-old daughter of Wayne and Renee Clarke of Springdale, has been playing hockey in the Springdale Minor Hockey Association since she was six years old, capturing many awards along the way.

She was the first female goaltender in the Province to be named to the Triple A boys team. In 2009, at the tender age of thirteen, she was the recipient of the Hard Hat Award at the Atlantic Challenge Cup Provincial Under-15 Female Tournament. The winner must demonstrate outstanding work ethic, a team-player first attitude, leadership, and a commitment to excellence.

Moreover, Abigail was selected to attend the 2011 Canada Games in Halifax with the Under-18 Female Team as an underage player.

To date, probably her greatest achievement is being the proud recipient of the four-year Atlantic Canadian Scholarship valued at $100,000, which is based on academic merit and athletics.

Scouted by the Hockey Canada National Program, Abigail is now attending the Rothesay Netherwood School in New Brunswick, where she is pursuing her dream of making the Olympic Hockey Team.

Honourable colleagues, please join me in wishing Abigail good luck as she strives to fulfill her lifelong dream.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

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

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. KENT: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I rise in this hon. House today to recognize and offer thanks to a long-time educator in Mount Pearl, and a former teacher of mine, Mr. Mike Sutton.

I feel very privileged to have had the opportunity to get to know Mr. Sutton over the years. My first experience, of course, was as a student at O'Donel High School. Mr. Sutton was a teacher and principal who was always willing to make time for his students. I will always remember him as a kind and generous professional.

In the years after high school, I came to know Mike, as I could then call him, quite well and in a different capacity. We worked together during my time with Mount Pearl City Council, and when I left municipal politics to move on to my current position in this House, our paths continued to cross regularly.

Mr. Speaker, I ask all members of this House to join me in congratulating Mike Sutton on his retirement from the Eastern School District, and more specifically from O'Donel High School, and wish him all the best in his future endeavours. I know he will certainly be missed by the students and faculty, as well as the entire community.

Thank you.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER: Statements by Ministers.

Statements by Ministers

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

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. MARSHALL: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I am very pleased to stand and report to this hon. House this afternoon that a tentative agreement was successfully reached earlier today between the Burin-Marystown Community Training and Employment Board –

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. MARSHALL: That is between the Burin-Marystown Community Training and Employment Board and the Newfoundland and Labrador Association of Public and Private Employees, otherwise known as NAPE.

Mr. Speaker, the process of achieving this successful outcome took time, patience, and commitment on the part of the parties, as all negotiations do; however, I do want to emphasize that without the strong commitment and a sincere desire from the parties to work toward and find a fair and mutually acceptable agreement, a resolution could not have been reached.

I want to commend our Premier for her leadership in providing the necessary direction that let this issue finally be resolved.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. MARSHALL: I understand that NAPE will be bringing the tentative agreement forward for ratification in the immediate future. I certainly want to thank the president of NAPE, Carol Furlong, and the union's negotiators for their ongoing co-operation, their dedication and their flexibility in realizing an agreement that is satisfactory both to their members and to the employer.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. MARSHALL: I want to also acknowledge the work of the team who led the negotiations on behalf of the employer.

Most importantly, Mr. Speaker, to the people who were most affected by the process from the start – the approximately fourteen support workers, and, of course, the individuals and their families who so heavily rely on the very important services that those workers do provide – I want to thank them sincerely for their patience and their understanding during this prolonged period of interruption.

Finally, Mr. Speaker, I would like to acknowledge and to thank, along with the Premier, my colleagues, the Minister of Fisheries and the Minister of Education, for the advice and the valuable assistance that they provided throughout this process, which was absolutely vital in enabling us to reach the announcement and to reach a successful conclusion.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. MARSHALL: With this tentative agreement, Mr. Speaker, we are hopeful that an end to the strike on the Burin Peninsula is very near, which is something I think all of us look forward to.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

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

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

This has been a long time in coming. It is shameful that the members opposite can get up and clap about this today after taking a year - the very same minister here who was up in this House at least half a dozen times in Question Period and gave excuses and reasons why he could not bring the Marystown strike to a conclusion. Here he is today, rightfully so, swallowing himself whole, and all because of political expediency, Mr. Speaker. We are also going to see the Minister of Health and Community Services swallow himself whole in a couple of more weeks.

It is about time! We have two members here from the Burin Peninsula, both of whom are ministers, and only last week, or a week-and-a-half ago, they took it upon themselves to go down and meet with these people and get a resolution to this. It is absolutely shameful! Political expediency! They left all of these disabled people out in the cold, left these workers out in the cold, all because now it is politically expedient for them to bring it to a conclusion. I say it is good the strike is over, good for these people, Mr. Speaker. It is absolutely shameful for this government to only settle when your backs are up against the wall. Absolutely shameful!

MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!

The hon. the Member for the District of Signal Hill-Quidi Vidi.

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

I am glad to have a moment to speak to the announcement by the minister. Obviously we are all, in this Province, delighted that these workers are finally off the picket line, and I want to congratulate the workers. The minister should be standing and apologizing for the fact that they were over a year out on that line. When I read that he thanks them for their patience and understanding, I want to say that I spoke to these workers on a number of occasions and they could not understand why they were out on that picket line. They did not know why they were out on that picket line, why you were keeping them there.

I am shocked to see them rejoicing, rejoicing in themselves; that is not what should be going on. They should be apologizing to the workers. I am delighted it is over, but what happened here in this Province - this is a blight on our labour history that these fifteen workers, fourteen women, and the people they work for, had to undergo what they underwent for over a year. It is not acceptable! I am glad that the new Premier gave leadership. He should be ashamed that he was not able to do it under the former Premier.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!

Further statements by ministers?

The hon. the Government House Leader, and the Minister Responsible for the Status of Persons with Disabilities.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MS BURKE: Mr. Speaker, as the Minister Responsible for the Status of Persons with Disabilities, I rise today to inform this hon. House that our government has recently completed consultations on the development of a strategy for the inclusion of persons with disabilities.

In September, our government initiated an ambitious public consultation process to further develop a strategy that would make our Province a more inclusive society. Mr. Speaker, I am proud to say we have not only met our goal, but are moving forward with the same enthusiasm and commitment as we develop a strategy that speaks to fairness, dignity and accessibility – benefitting all Newfoundlanders and Labradorians.

Mr. Speaker, while we have undoubtedly gained valuable insight into how to address barriers that exist for persons with disabilities from the over 600 participants at our public consultations, we have also enhanced our policies and processes for holding truly inclusive public consultation sessions.

The Canadian Hard of Hearing Association of Newfoundland and Labrador recently awarded us with an Accessibility Award, for the inclusion of assistive listening devices and captioning technology during the sessions.

The accessible nature of the consultations has given what some participants have heralded as a first time opportunity given to them to fully participate in a public meeting. The provision of real time captioning, sign language translation, assistive listening devices and ensuring all materials are written in clear language and provided in alternate formats has made this initiative truly inclusive. This recognition from such a respected organization within the community is indeed an honour.

Mr. Speaker, our recent success is a good example of what we want to achieve through the strategy itself. We look forward to drafting a what-we-heard document early in the New Year, and a strategy during the spring of 2011.

Finally, Mr. Speaker, last Friday this Province celebrated December 3 as the International Day of Persons with Disabilities, as declared by the United Nations. The purpose is to promote a better understanding of disability issues and foster respect for the rights of people with disabilities. It is a time to celebrate achievements of the disability rights movement and remember how inclusion benefits everyone.

Our government firmly believes in those values and we are moving forward with the community, in consultation every step of the way, to break down barriers and help make our Province a truly inclusive and accessible place for persons with disabilities to work, live and prosper.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Member for the District of Port de Grave.

MR. BUTLER: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I want to thank the minister for an advance copy of her statement, and to say we in the Official Opposition, and I am sure all people in this Province, joined last week, December 3, in the International Day of Persons with Disabilities as outlined by the United Nations.

Mr. Speaker, we also want to commend government for the Accessibility Award they received from the Canadian Hard of Hearing Association. I guess after hearing the statement today, another award will soon be presented: knowing that they will receive an award for settling the longest strike in this Province which had to do with people with disabilities who were on the picket lines for over twelve months, Mr. Speaker.

I totally agree, and we totally agree, with the inclusion of persons with disabilities. I can mention several incidents in my district, Holy Redeemer School and Ascension Collegiate in Bay Roberts, where students with various disabilities have been included with other students for the last fifteen to twenty years. It is something that has to be done.

Mr. Speaker, a lot has been done in this Province to help people with disabilities, but I can assure you much more has to be done. I know of incidents where people on ferries, and in hospital rooms, cannot access the washrooms – and hotel rooms and so on, Mr. Speaker. I look forward to the drafting of the what-we-hear document coming in the new year, but time will tell, Mr. Speaker, months down the road, what will be done with that, and the dollar value put on what has to be done so that the people in this Province with disabilities can be included.

Mr. Speaker, there are over 4 million people in this country with various disabilities. I am thankful that work is being done and I look forward to the documents that will be put forward in the future.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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

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

I thank the minister for the advance copy of her statement. I am glad to see that so many people were able to present in some way to the consultations. I have to say, I had a concern when the notice for the consultations came out so shortly before they began. I think it is a credit to the people who are from the various organizations that they did make it possible to be there and to make their presentation. I am glad for that, and I acknowledge that.

Not-for-profit organizations - and we need to keep this in mind with all of the consultations that this government is doing – are very short-handed. They do not have very many staff. Some do not have staff at all, and we need to keep in mind that they need time to prepare when they do turn out for presentations.

I would like to comment on the fact that the meetings were so accessible. I am delighted that they were, and I am delighted that the Canadian Hard of Hearing Association acknowledged that; but, Mr. Speaker, we have to make that kind of event the norm in our society, and it is not the norm here in Newfoundland and Labrador.

I would just like to comment on what we all experienced yesterday when members of the deaf community were here. The interpreters told me they had an extremely hard time interpreting because the sound in the galleries is not the same as the sound here on the floor. We have to look at the fact that deaf people coming into the gallery cannot understand what is going on. We do not have closed-captioning on our screen of the proceedings, so I just put these forward as ways in which we have to make our whole society accessible, not just events.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

MR. SPEAKER: Further statements by ministers?

The hon. the Minister of Labrador Affairs.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. HICKEY: Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, the Labrador Transportation Grooming Subsidy program plays a vital role to maintain and enhance the winter trail systems for many isolated coastal communities in Labrador.

Thanks to the vision articulated in our Northern Strategic Plan, we continue to make historic improvements to the transportation infrastructure of Labrador. Landmark achievements such as the connecting of the Trans-Labrador Highway and the introduction of a year-round ferry service across the Strait of Belle Isle are transforming the way Labradorians live, work, travel, and do business.

However, even with such revolutionary improvements, there are still communities in coastal Labrador that have no access to a winter road system. It is imperative that we as a government continue to provide access to these communities. Mr. Speaker, in Budget 2010: The Right Investments - For Our Children and Our Future, $590,000 was provided for grooming coastal snowmobile trails, including an additional $120,000 for a groomer storage facility in North West River.

During this past summer, the provincial government provided $30,000 to the White Bear Development Association for trail upgrades between Charlottetown and Norman Bay. Another $30,000 was allocated to the Inuit community government of Rigolet for trail improvements between Rigolet and Separation Lake. Yet, another improvement included $20,000 in available funding to participating communities and development associations for added signage on the groomed trailways.

It is essential that we keep a high-level of maintenance for our grooming vehicles and ensure the best possible equipment and training for the people who operate our groomers. This season, Tracer-3 Global Positioning System tracking equipment for the groomers will be installed. This allows the trail inspector to view the progress and whereabouts of the groomers at any given time. It will provide a real-time update to travellers of trailway conditions. Groomer operators throughout Labrador had the opportunity to upgrade their essential winter survival skills and certification through an investment of $134,000 from the Department of Human Resources, Labour and Employment.

As well, Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to report that a seasonal trail inspector has now been hired for the season and will begin duties in the coming weeks.

Mr. Speaker, throughout the coming months, the Department of Labrador and Aboriginal Affairs will continue to monitor the trailways, meet with community leaders, and work hard to keep Labrador connected.

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

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

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

I thank the minister for an advance copy of his statement. It is good to see him on his feet, actually. They say he only has two files in his department, and this is one of them. The other one, of course, is the air lift subsidy program which he usually reports on in the spring.

We, on this side of the House, have long recognized the importance of snowmobile trails for winter access to coastal communities in Labrador. It is good to see the piece in there about the technology as well, because today we have the technology, for example, the GPS piece. That is great to see, especially in places like Labrador where the weather can change so quickly and so rapidly. That is indeed a good piece of news to see there.

We are looking forward, as well, with regard to the snowmobiles and the grooming. We hope that the minister keeps his promise with respect to the Town of Rigolet, and that they do, indeed, get their new groomer in the very near future.

Most importantly, Mr. Speaker, concerning Labrador Affairs, it would be great to see if the minister in the next year or two can actually get access to some major files such as the Muskrat Falls file, and maybe see if you can do something for the people on the North Coast of Labrador when it comes to getting some hydro generation, as opposed to having to continue to use the diesel generation, because you certainly did not make any consideration for them in the term sheet that we saw on Muskrat Falls recently.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Oh, oh!

MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!

The hon. the Member for the District of Signal Hill-Quidi Vidi.

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

I thank the minister for the advance copy of his statement. It is good to know that such care is being taken of the trails in Labrador. These winter trails are extremely important for the life of the people in the communities, all the communities of Labrador, and are also important for their economy. They help them with their own survival skills in their hunting and their whole lifestyle there. They also aid tourism as well, and this is extremely important.

I did meet with the Combined Councils of Labrador yesterday, with some of the members. They did talk about the importance of tourism for Labrador, the winter tourism as well as summer tourism. Winter is probably even more important up there, although I think it is all year round.

I think, though, that we need to look at the fact that when it is not winter, what we have up there is now a Trans-Labrador Highway that is not paved. Here on the Island we would never accept a road as finished unless there is a black top on it. I would encourage this government to speed up their process in getting the blacktop on that highway in Labrador because –

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Oh, oh!

MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!

MS MICHAEL: - as it stands right now, we do not have a highway; we have a road, and I do encourage a speedy finish of that highway for the safety of the people and for better tourism opportunities.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker

MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!

Oral Questions.

Oral Questions

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

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

My question is for the Premier. The last few weeks have seen two notable events in the offshore oil industry in this Province. The first was the release of the report of the Offshore Helicopter Safety Inquiry, the Justice Wells inquiry in response to the crash of Cougar Helicopter Flight 91.

My question for the Premier is: What steps will government be taking to ensure that the recommendations of the Wells inquiry will be implemented in a timely fashion?

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Premier.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

PREMIER DUNDERDALE: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, we have received a copy of Justice Wells report, as has the C-NLOPB. Mr. Speaker, the C-NLOPB is currently reviewing that report. They are going to respond and make recommendations later in the month. Once they do that, Mr. Speaker, and we understand what their recommendations are, I will work with my federal counterpart and with the C-NLOPB to do everything possible to ensure that we have the safest offshore anywhere in the world, Mr. Speaker.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

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

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

One of the most significant recommendations of this report concerned changing responsibilities at the C-NLOPB itself, which is a joint federal-provincial agency created by both levels of government. We know that several key recommendations of the Ocean Ranger inquiry - for example, helicopter safety and rescue - were never implemented, and the people of this Province have certainly paid a price for that, and we cannot let that happen again.

I am wondering if the Premier could tell us: Do you support the establishment of a stand-alone offshore safety regulator, as was recommended by Justice Wells; and, is the minister planning to meet with the federal counterparts to map out any plan or timelines for creating such a stand-alone offshore safety regulator? - assuming that you are in favour of such a recommendation.

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Premier

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

PREMIER DUNDERDALE: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, we have commented publicly and in this House on our view of the C-NLOPB and safety offshore any number of times.

Mr. Speaker, we are moving through the Wells report. We are trying to clearly understand the rationale behind the recommendations. We need to see what the C-NLOPB's recommendation is upon their analysis of the report. Mr. Speaker, when that is done we will comment further on a way forward. I will take that issue up then, Mr. Speaker, with the federal government and we will move toward whatever changes are appropriate.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

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

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

We hope it does not take as long as it did to settle the Marystown strike, Mr. Speaker.

The second notable event in the offshore in recent weeks occurred on Sunday, November 21, when Husky Oil evacuated thirty-three persons off the Sea Rose oil platform because of a buildup of gas. While Husky did notify the C-NLOPB on that Sunday, nobody got around to telling the public until the evacuation was confirmed by the CBC some days later.

My question for the minister is: Was the department or the minister informed of this evacuation by the C-NLOPB, or by the company, and, if so, when did that happen? If you or the provincial representatives who sit on the C-NLOPB were informed, why did you fail to inform the public?

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

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. SKINNER: Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, let me, first of all, be very clear in assuring the people of the Province that all the appropriate responsibilities and mechanisms that should have been followed in terms of the evacuation of the rig were followed. With reference to the safety of the individuals who work on the rig, it was utmost and paramount in terms of the response that was there.

The representatives that we have on the committee are arm's-length from government. They are not reporting to me, and I have not had any communication with them relative to that response; but, as I have stated earlier, the response was an appropriate response. It followed all of the guidelines and regulations that were laid out, and it was the appropriate thing to have done at that time.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

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

MR. KELVIN PARSONS: Thank you.

It sounds like good logic, as suggested by Justice Wells, why we should have our own regulator, doesn't it, Minister?

On May 12 of this year, in response to the Gulf of Mexico BP oil spill disaster, government commissioned a report from Captain Mark Turner for an assessment of the provincial offshore oil spill prevention and response. At the time, the public were told that this report would be due in ninety days, but on August 9 government announced an open-ended extension of Captain Turner's report. Here we are now, more than 208 days since Captain Turner was commissioned, far more than the ninety originally we were told, and still no report in sight – although this morning, apparently, the Premier stated that the report would be in her hands before Christmas.

My question is: Will the government release this report when it arrives, or will government treat it like so many other reports that it receives, sit on it, ignore it, and deny the public access until we are forced to get it through freedom of information?

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

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. SKINNER: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, let me be clear: safety has no timeline in terms of making sure the appropriate work is done -

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. SKINNER: - and making sure that Captain Turner and the people who are working with him have the appropriate time and all of the necessary resources to do the appropriate report for government to consider.

We expect to have that report soon. It has taken longer than expected. I do not see that as being a fault; I see that as being a reaffirmation, really, that Captain Turner is doing a very good and very diligent job. He has consulted with other regulatory bodies in other areas of the world, where we have similar operating environments, to make sure that he has good context upon which to base his report, and we look forward to receiving that. When we receive that, we will respond as we have very appropriately with other reports to make sure that the information that is contained in that is available for the people of the Province so they understand what it is that government is doing in response to the disaster that occurred in the Gulf of Mexico.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

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

MR. KELVIN PARSONS: Thank you.

Yesterday, Mr. Speaker, the federal environmental auditor released his report. He states that Canada is not ready to address a major oil or chemical spill in our waters, due partially to shortcomings in the readiness of the Canadian Coast Guard. Previous reports have already highlighted Placentia Bay as one location in Canada that is particularly vulnerable to oil spills.

When we asked questions before on this subject, the Minister of Environment chose to wash her hands of the issue by saying we are only responsible from the high-water mark up; we are not responsible for the waters. Well, Mr. Speaker, on this side of the House we acknowledge that the ocean is our history and the ocean is our future. We must take responsibility for its care.

I ask the minister: What steps are you taking to better co-ordinate planning with the Canadian Coast Guard in the event of a major oil spill? Are there any plans in the works for a provincially led plan for if and when such a spill occurs?

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

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. SKINNER: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, let me say first of all that we on this side of the House welcome the federal Auditor General's report. Safety in the offshore industry is paramount and very important to this government. We want to ensure that all of the agencies that we would interact with are up to the best of their capabilities. If the federal Auditor General's report helps to achieve that objective, we certainly look forward to it.

In response to my colleague, the Minister of Environment, and the work that she has done on this file, I would like to inform the House that the minister has had meetings with all of the stakeholders who would be affected, should there be some action that needed to be responded to by this government. They have gone through a simulated oil spill situation. She has talked to the parties – Transport Canada, the Coast Guard and other affected parties – to make sure that they each understand their role and they each understand how they would interact in response to a spill.

Thank you.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Member for the District of The Straits & White Bay North.

MR. DEAN: Mr. Speaker, back in May of last year we asked questions to this House regarding asbestos abatement from St. Patrick's Mercy Home in St. John's. A year-and-a-half later, Eastern Health is finally admitting that staff may have been exposed to asbestos and is holding meetings focused on employees who worked there since before 2000. The year 2000, Mr. Speaker, is a key date because that was the year the facility developed their asbestos management program; however, inspection reports from Occupational Health and Safety from 2007 state that there appears to be no plan in place for asbestos management, and that no further work shall occur in St. Pat's until the employer got their act together on asbestos abatement.

I ask the minister: What steps are being taken to ensure that government-financed or managed facilities fully implement and endorse their own asbestos management plan?

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Minister of Government Services.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. HARDING: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I am aware of the issue that the hon. member has just brought forward. This issue, in fact, dates back to when they were in government in 1998. This is when the light of an issue at St. Pat's came forward. Mr. Speaker, at that time in 2000 –

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Oh, oh!

MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!

MR. HARDING: – there was an asbestos assessment done. There was an asbestos management plan put in place, and again in 2007, as the member mentioned, there was a complaint filed. There was an assessment done again. The plan was in place. They had hired a co-ordinator to deal with asbestos awareness and they were following the intent of the legislation.

Thank you.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

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

MR. DEAN: Mr. Speaker, thank you.

Media reports indicate that these meetings with employees are taking place because concerns arose from an incident in 2007, not 1997 or 1977, or whatever the case may be. These incidents were well documented in multiple reports by the Occupational Health and Safety Branch of the Department of Government Services and Lands. Yet, despite multiple reports, it still took almost three years before the information reached Eastern Health and they took action in the form of employee meetings. This is a disgraceful failure, Mr. Speaker, of internal government processes.

So, I ask the minister: Why did it take so long? Should it take three years for information to go from one department to another? What are the plans to ensure more effective communication in the future?

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Minister of Government Services.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. HARDING: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Again, I would like to say to the hon. member that the Occupational Health and Safety Division of the Department of Government Services have been fully engaged in this issue. Back in 2007, as I said earlier, they were in compliance with the plan that was put in place back in 2000, and they are still in compliance today. As far as the department is concerned, Eastern Health, for that facility, is meeting the legislation contents.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Member for District of The Straits & White Bay North.

MR. DEAN: Mr. Speaker, the occupational safety reports indicate that seven years after a plan for asbestos management was supposedly put in place, employees at the facility have no idea that this plan even existed. They went on their merry way, so to speak, tearing up walls, tearing out ceilings, totally oblivious of the dangers to which they were exposed, and their fellow workers.

In response, Eastern Health's meetings are being focused on specific employee classes: maintenance, laundry and housekeeping. This ignores the fact that other employees, such as nurses, may have been exposed if they were in the area where asbestos was disturbed.

I ask the minister: Are you going to allow Eastern Health to overlook all of these employees that may have been exposed to these incidents?

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Minister of Government Services.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. HARDING: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I think I have already answered it, but anyway, in any event, I would like to say –

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Oh, oh!

MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!

MR. HARDING: I would like to say to the hon. member that the workers were contacted after 2007. They were given information as to what to be watching for in terms of asbestos, the potential exposure to asbestos.

Mr. Speaker, again, all I can say to the hon. member is the department is fully engaged with this. Eastern Health is dealing with one complaint that they had just recently. As you said, they are in contact now; there are letters going out to all of the workers and former workers. That issue will no doubt be resolved shortly.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Member for the District of The Straits & White Bay North.

MR. DEAN: Mr. Speaker, yesterday, Mr. Albert MacLeod of Corner Brook died at the age of ninety-two. Like many of our elderly residents in this Province, Mr. MacLeod had been living in a hospital bed in Corner Brook awaiting a room in a long-term care home, a room that obviously never became available, so he was shifted from one hospital to another hospital in another town. The family warned the authority about the devastating effect that this could have on their father, but the authority shifted him anyway, and just two weeks later, unfortunately, he died.

Mr. MacLeod's family said that the move caused a serious decline in his health, and they believe it actually hastened his death. It is known in medical language as Relocation Stress Syndrome.

I ask the minister: What are you doing to end this practice of shuffling our elderly citizens from pillar to post because there are not enough long-term care beds to properly house them where they are?

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

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. KENNEDY: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

One of the recurring themes we heard during the long-term care consultation sessions was the issue of our elderly patients in acute care beds, and the inability to move into long-term care facilities. That is certainly an issue, Mr. Speaker, that has ramifications for the system as a whole; because, obviously, if people are in acute care beds, that impedes the ability to perform other services in the hospital.

In relation to this particular incident, it is a very sad situation and it is one that I certainly extend my condolences to the family.

Mr. Speaker, a number of issues have been raised in the long-term care facility in Corner Brook. One of the issues that we are looking at here now is a potential operational review in order to assist that facility in running as best as it can, and ensuring that our patients are looked after as well as they can be.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Member for the District of The Straits & White Bay North.

MR. DEAN: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

As we know, the MOU on the fishery has been in the slow cooker, so to speak, for seventeen months, and was finally to be landed in the minister's office this week. There have been many shortfalls in this process, including the fact that thirty-five small processors who are not members of the ASP were not invited to the table.

I would ask the minister today if he can confirm if all of those small processors were given the same opportunity for discussion and input as the large corporate entities represented by the ASP.

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

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. JACKMAN: Mr. Speaker, SPNL, in particular, has made presentation to the MOU process. They put it in writing to us. I have met with Mr. George Joyce on a couple of occasions about the input that he wanted to put into the process, so that group has been represented.

If you go back to the original, how this MOU started, there were three groups at the table at that particular time: the ASP, the FFAW, and government. Those were the groups that were there, that started this entire process.

Mr. Speaker, for him to suggest that this is a flawed process, I go back to say that since February of last year these groups have met on seventy occasions. Now, in the space that you consider a fishery has taken place in the middle of that, Mr. Speaker, if he calls that a flawed process, I think he is sadly, sadly mistaken, Mr. Speaker.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Member for the District of The Straits & White Bay North.

MR. DEAN: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I do not believe I just called it a flawed process in that question, but I certainly have along the way, and I commit to that analysis of the whole process.

I understand from the executive director that the minister mentioned, George Joyce of SPNL, who represents twenty of those thirty-five small processors, that an official request was made to the Province to provide standing for these processors at the MOU, and that was denied by government. I am told that these small processors are not aware of what is contained in the MOU. I guess in that way they are just as much in the dark as the minister has acknowledged that he is in terms of what is there right now.

I ask the minister: Will these small processors now have access to the MOU report, as the ASP people do or will?

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

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. JACKMAN: Mr. Speaker, I have never been in the dark. I have never been in the dark.

Mr. Speaker, if there is one thing we have to do in this Province - and I hope the Opposition will come on side with this. There has been too much negativity around the fishery in this Province. Mr. Speaker, I am here to tell you that the future of the fishery in this Province is bright. Ask the young people who are entering into it, Mr. Speaker.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. JACKMAN: Secondly, Mr. Speaker, he seems to be having more meetings with Mr. Joyce than I am.

Mr. Joyce has presented - his representation has been made to the MOU process, Mr. Speaker. We have accepted that, and in the larger context of how this is going to unfold, the larger population of Newfoundland and Labrador is going to have to be involved in that, and I ask him to support us as we roll that process out, Mr. Speaker.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Member for the District of The Straits & White Bay North.

MR. DEAN: Mr. Speaker, we certainly support the revitalization of one of our greatest renewable resources, no question at all.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. DEAN: That is not to say that the recommendations that they put forward out of the MOU are what we will support.

Mr. Speaker, staying with the MOU, the lack of community voice has also been noted as a significant shortfall along the process. The minister responded to criticism by stating that the public will get an opportunity to have a say in this important piece of public policy. In fact, yesterday he stated in his news conference that the MOU would be made public in February.

So, I would ask the minister again today: Can he clarify how he intends to make the MOU public? For example, will he be holding public forums throughout the Province?

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

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. JACKMAN: Mr. Speaker, as the Premier alluded to yesterday when we bring forward information, we bring the Opposition in and we update them, and we inform them as to what is in the process. Mr. Speaker, we will do the same thing here.

The one thing that he needs to recognize in the MOU is that this is a process that has involved the industry. It is industry-driven and it will be an industry report geared to correcting and improving the lot of people who are in the fishing industry, Mr. Speaker. I will assure him, if he needs to, I will sit down with him and lead him through it piece by piece.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Member for the District of Port de Grave.

MR. BUTLER: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Four years ago in this House –

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Oh, oh!

MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!

The hon. the Member for the District of Port de Grave.

MR. BUTLER: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Four years ago in this House, the then Minister of Transportation boasted about how his government would launch five new ferries over the course of the next five years. Those five years are nearly up, Mr. Speaker.

While two new ferries are nearly completed at Marystown - and we commend government for that - it is a far cry from the number of vessels this government promised. In the meantime, thousands of ferry users around this Province are left to depend on old and unreliable boats, and are often without a vessel due to breakdowns.

Mr. Speaker, my question is to the Minister of Transportation. When is this government going to keep its promise to the rural citizens of this Province who depend on ferries, and provide them with a vessel needed to meet their needs?

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Oh, oh!

MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Oh, oh!

MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!

The hon. the Minister of Transportation and Works.

MR. HEDDERSON: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Let me tell you, first of all, there is a new ferry coming across the bay even as we speak.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. HEDDERSON: There is one not very far behind. Those are two medium-sized ones and a third in the works. We have six in design; those are smaller ferries.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. HEDDERSON: We have the replacement ferry for Fogo, Change Islands, in design as well.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. HEDDERSON: Fifty-five million dollars this year to make sure that we are moving all that along. I say to the member opposite: What else can we do?

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!

The hon. the Member for the District of Port de Grave.

MR. BUTLER: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I can say to the government, it gets touchy when it comes to broken promises. I say to the minister, if there are ferries coming across the bay today, that has very little to do with the five that they promised four years ago.

Mr. Speaker, this past summer Mr. Jim Forward of Little Bay Islands, as well as representatives of Bell Island, held a meeting to demand improvements to their ferry service. They also called on government to re-establish the provincial Ferry Users Committee to address their long-standing concerns. Residents living on islands throughout this Province feel that their concerns are not being heard by this Administration.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Oh, oh!

MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!

MR. BUTLER: I ask the minister, Mr. Speaker: Given your inability to indicate you would re-establish this committee, why did you change your mind and reject their request? Why won't you give those people a say about the ferries they depend on?

MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!

The hon. the Minister of Transportation and Works.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. HEDDERSON: Mr. Speaker, I know I have very little time but let's do the math: one in the water, one in the shed ready to come out, five on the South Coast, and one in Labrador.

AN HON. MEMBER: Eight.

MR. HEDDERSON: Eight; one more in the works, medium-sized.

AN HON. MEMBER: Nine.

MR. HEDDERSON: Nine; and the Fogo Island-Change Island replacement.

AN HON. MEMBER: Ten.

MR. HEDDERSON: Ten, Mr. Speaker.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. HEDDERSON: We only promised five, and we have ten in the works. Double our promise, I might say, double our promise. Enough said, Mr. Speaker, enough said!

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!

The hon. the Member for the District of Signal Hill-Quidi Vidi.

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

Mr. Speaker, last week government made great fanfare of their work with persons with disabilities. Mr. Speaker, the former Minister of HRLE stated in a December 3 release, recognizing the International Day of Persons with Disabilities, that government will work with people in disabled communities; quoting government's motto: Nothing About Us Without Us.

Mr. Speaker, I ask the Minister of Education how his refusal to listen to the deaf community's objections to his closing of their school fits with this motto.

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

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. KING: Mr. Speaker, I thank the member opposite for the question.

It is always indeed a pleasure to have the opportunity to stand here and talk about some of the great things that we are doing in this Province, not only in education, Mr. Speaker, but across all departments.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. KING: Given the interest of time, however, I am not going to talk about the human resources, disability piece, but what I will talk about is how proud we are of what we are doing to promote inclusion in this Province.

Mr. Speaker, I heard members opposite, no more than about ten minutes ago, talk about the importance of having an inclusive society, and we could not agree more. That is why, Mr. Speaker, we respect the rights of students in our system and we respect the rights of parents in our system. We talk to them and we collaborate and we listen. On this side of the House, Mr. Speaker, that is what we do.

When we talk about the School for the Deaf, Mr. Speaker, nothing could be more important than understanding and recognizing what students and parents want, because what they feel is in their best interest is what they are talking to us about, Mr. Speaker, and that is what we have done. We have listened and we moved forward with a decision that is appropriate and –

MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

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

MS MICHAEL: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, people from the deaf community who sat in the gallery yesterday, and it included representation from the Newfoundland and Labrador Association of the Deaf, publicly disagreed with what they heard the Minister of Education say in response to my questions about his decision to close the Newfoundland School for the Deaf.

Mr. Speaker, they have said they do not agree with the minister's reasons for why he closed the school. They have said they were not consulted regarding the closing of their school. Mr. Speaker, they have used some very strong language in their criticism of the minister's decision.

Mr. Speaker, I ask the Minister of Education: Does he only consult with people who agree with him?

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Oh, oh!

MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!

The hon. the Minister of Education.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. KING: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I say to the member opposite, the strongest language used against me personally has probably come from her, and I accept that because she is using it as a political football.

Let's talk about the reality, if the member cares to listen, Mr. Speaker.

MS MICHAEL: A point of order.

MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!

MR. KING: Let's talk about the reality of the situation.

MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!

Points of order are very seldom used during Question Period, but I ask the hon. member if she wants to use up her time, since she has whatever time is left to raise the point of order, then she does it at the peril of losing her last question.

The hon. the Member for the District of Signal Hill-Quidi Vidi.

MS MICHAEL: I would like the Minister of Education, Mr. Speaker, to say what I just said that was a personal insult to him, because I said nothing personal about the minister.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Oh, oh!

MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!

There is no point of order.

The hon. the Minister of Education.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. KING: Mr. Speaker, let me say for the member opposite, first of all, I am not and will never be personally insulted by what she says, because I have come to expect the degree of decorum she puts into her questions and the slant she puts on it. I am not personally insulted. As a matter of fact, if anybody would be insulted by the position taken by the member opposite, it is the families of those children who feel that they are being run down in this House and in the media by the member opposite every time she talks about the rights of people who attended that school five, ten, fifteen, or twenty years ago, Mr. Speaker. Those people call me and say: Mr. Minister, what about our rights? What about the rights of my child to stay in my community and get the services they deserve –

MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!

The time allotted for questions and answers has expired.

Presenting Reports by Standing and Select Committees.

Tabling of Documents.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Oh, oh!

MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!

Tabling of Documents

MR. SPEAKER: In accordance with section 19(5)(a) of the House of Assembly Accountability, Integrity and Administration Act, I hereby table minutes of the House of Assembly Management Commission meetings held on May 26 and September 22, 2010.

Further tabling of documents?

Notices of Motion.

Answers to Questions for which Notice has been Given.

Petitions.

Orders of the Day

Private Members' Day

MR. SPEAKER: It being 3:01 in the afternoon, this being Private Members' Day, the Chair now calls on the hon. Member for the District of St. John's North to continue with his private member's resolution.

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

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. RIDGLEY: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Before I get into introducing the resolution, I would like to, as many have done in the past couple of days, congratulate the newly elected - to be member, I guess - David Brazil, in the election down in Conception Bay East & Bell Island. I think, Mr. Speaker, that was a strong endorsement of this party's policies and as well, of course, an endorsement of Mr. Brazil's contribution to his community over the many years.

I would like to, at the same time, Mr. Speaker, congratulate the other two candidates, Mr. Murphy and Ms Buckle, for having put their names on the ballot. It takes a certain amount of courage to do that, whatever your motivation might be at the time. It is your name on the ballot and it does take courage to put your name out there and put yourself up for appraisal by the people of the Province.

As well, Mr. Speaker, I would like to congratulate our new Premier, who, of course, is making history. She has already established, in the past couple of days, that while she is prepared to follow the path that has been laid out by the former Premier, she is very comfortable setting her own footprints as she follows that path.

Finally, Mr. Speaker, my best wishes to the Leader of the Opposition as she faces her current challenge. We look forward to a speedy return to the House.

Mr. Speaker, the motion before the House today, the private member's motion, the private member's resolution, deals with apprenticeship. Just before I actually get into that, I would like to get into the reason why we are bringing it here. I would not want to term it a motherhood resolution. We are not setting it a distinct and drastically new course for government, but what we would like to do by bringing it before the House is put a spotlight on the whole aspect of apprenticeship, because it does get talked about fairly frequently in the public domain.

The whole aspect of apprenticeship, Mr. Speaker, has to do with the future of this Province. When the Skills Task Force started some four years ago and we introduced it down in the media room and did the press release, one of the members of the then Board of Trade said that this was a courageous move on behalf of government because it would not show immediate results, the results would be seen well into the future. That is what the whole idea of apprenticeship and what we are talking about, Mr. Speaker, concerns.

We would like to look at what government is doing; we would like to look at what needs to be done as we do this resolution. There are, Mr. Speaker, five different whereas clauses in the resolution. In the interest of time, what I will do is start backwards. Some may say that that is remaining true to form, but I will start at the back end of the resolutions before the House with the be it resolved sections, and then in the minutes that follow, I will discuss some of those whereas clauses in the comments that I will make.

The resolution, basically, Mr. Speaker, there are two sections to it. One says: Be It Resolved that the House of Assembly urges the government to continue to encourage the owners of small- and medium-size businesses to make every effort to hire an apprentice. Then the second Be It Resolved commends government for the work that we have done in promoting apprenticeships, particularly through the partnerships with the Newfoundland and Labrador Regional Council of Carpenters, Millwrights and Allied Workers and the Office to Advance Women Apprentices in the Province. So, those two aspects, Mr. Speaker, are what we will talk about.

How did we get to the point of where we are in terms of this resolution? Back in 2006, the Skills Task Force was set up with the aim, Mr. Speaker, of addressing what we saw in the Province as what would be a labour shortage because of the large scale projects that were due to come on stream. In 2007, a year later, the Skills Task Force presented its report. That report, Mr. Speaker, I think it is important to note, did not come from the people who were on that task force. I should say that on the task force there were people from the business community, from labour, from government, from the women in resource development, from the student body, and also representing the private and public training institutions.

So, we did not gather in a room and come up with our recommendations as a task force, Mr. Speaker. We travelled the Province and listened to people and came up with a document called, What We Heard. From there came the resolutions, the fifty or sixty action items - more than fifty, certainly - that were presented in the report called, All the Skills to Succeed.

Mr. Speaker, one of the underpinnings of that Skills Task Force was that in order to address the labour shortage - or the impending labour shortage - we had to have a partnership. It could not be government presenting the answers. Labour had to step to the line, business had to step to the line, and the training institutions had to step to the line, Mr. Speaker. That is what this is about. Particularly, we are talking today about what small businesses and medium-size businesses can do, Mr. Speaker.

In 2008, then the next step was to set up what is called the Industry Co-ordinating Committee, the ICC, which was to track the recommendations made by the Skills Task Force. Because throughout the consultations that we held as a Skills Task Force, people were saying to us: Don't do this report and put it on the shelf; we want these action items carried out. So the ICC was set up to track the implementation of those recommendations, Mr. Speaker.

What we do as an Industry Co-ordinating Committee, we meet on a regular basis and we look at all the recommendations made by the task force and to see what progress has been made on implementing them. I am happy to say, Mr. Speaker, that about 80 per cent of the recommendations made in 2007 by the Skills Task Force have been implemented. Throughout the process then, Mr. Speaker, of the past three or four years, what we have been doing as a government, as it says in one of the whereas clauses, is we have been encouraging young people to go into the trades; Try the Trades program has been out there. We have put the whole aspect of the skilled trades, I think, on a whole new plateau.

For those who do not understand the process of apprenticeship - just a brief explanation. Normally, what happens is that a young person or a would-be tradesperson will go to school and do normally a nine-month program in school, and then come out and attempt to be hired by an employer. It is only at that point that he or she becomes an apprentice. You are not an apprentice when you go to school. You are an apprentice when you get hired by some firm to continue your training. Then you do your training with them for a block of time; go back to school, train, and then go back to your employment again. It is that type of process, Mr. Speaker - and what is critical then after that first block of time in school, when the student comes out, is that they obtain what we call workplace attachment. We hope to heavens that they can attain that workplace attachment here in this Province, because if we can do that, attach them to this Province, there is a greater chance that they will stay here, that they will raise their family here and so on.

Mr. Speaker, some of the steps that government has taken to encourage apprenticeship in the Province; we had established an agreement several years ago with the Province of Alberta, and that was at a time when Alberta was at its peak of work activity. Last year they experienced a downturn, but when they were peaking and there was work all over the place out in Alberta, we set up an agreement with them so that we could register an apprentice here in this Province. If there was no workplace attachment or work for them here, they could go out to Alberta, be taken on out there, but their work and their hours done in Alberta could be used towards their apprenticeship back here in this Province. That was critical at that time, Mr. Speaker, and very much welcomed by those in the trades.

What we did, as well, was to double the capacity of the College of the North Atlantic; doubled the seating in there so that more people, obviously, could be taken in. We made a major modification, Mr. Speaker, in the journeyperson to apprentice ratio. Normally, what would have to happen in the trades is that if an apprentice is to be taken on, or a young person is to be taken on as an apprentice, there would have to be a journeyperson there to monitor the work and to be kind of an instructor and a mentor as that young person learned his or her trade.

In order to make it available to more and more young people to be taken on as apprentices, what we did was change the ratio. Instead of having one journeyperson to one apprentice, what we established was that if you have a fourth-year apprentice on your job site, then that person could also mentor the new apprentice. Basically, it was one journeyperson to one forth-year, to one new apprentice. What they have termed a 1 to 1 to 1 ratio rather than use a straightforward 1 to 1. In simple terms, what you have then, instead of just having one journeyperson to an apprentice, now we have really one journeyperson and two apprentices; although one of them is more skilled than the other.

We took, Mr. Speaker, a look at the industry out there because there are a lot of people out there - again, men and women - who have accumulated sufficient hours to become journeypersons but have never taken the time to write the journeyperson exam. For whatever reason, they may be just intimidated by the whole process of that or whatever the reason might be. We are tracking some of these because they are out there, Mr. Speaker, men and women who could – I was going to say something else that may not be parliamentary – I will say men and women out there who could put an essential part into a feline. They are that skilled that they could do that, but they have not written the exam; therefore, they are not a journeyperson. So they could not take on an apprentice. We are tracking them and encouraging them to do their journeyperson exams.

We are also, as a government, Mr. Speaker, leading by example. We have taken on some 100 apprentices in government offices; in government itself, government departments and in government offices, Mr. Speaker. In last January, there was an additional $1.2 million or $1.25 million given out to agencies, such as Newfoundland and Labrador Housing and the school boards to encourage them to take on apprentices. Ideally, then, what would happen is that every young person who goes to school and takes on the first block of training comes out and gets workplace attachment; but, Mr. Speaker, that does not happen. It does not happen if a person goes in and studies business; it does not happen if you go in and do a teaching degree. You do not automatically come out and there is a job waiting. Sometimes there is; sometimes you have to strive to find a job.

Mr. Speaker, I do not want people to listen to some of what is in the media about – and I will refer particularly to an article that was in The Telegram in October. They were interviewing a man from part of the Province and he was saying, "…no one seems to be hiring apprentices in this province or elsewhere…" all they are looking for is experienced workers.

Well, Mr. Speaker, that is not entirely true. As a matter of fact, it is false, because I am going to read down through the numbers of registered apprentices over the past five years. In 2006 – and I will round off these numbers – there were 2,500 registered apprentices. In 2007, that went up to 3,500; an increase of 1,000 apprentices. Now, again, these have to be young people who have been hired on. In 2008, we went from 3,500 up to 4,800. In 2009, up to 5,800; and in 2010, to the point where I have these numbers, we were up to about 6,100 apprentices. So, from 2005 up to 2010, there was a growth of almost 4,000 new apprentices in the Province. So to say that no one is hiring apprentices is entirely false, Mr. Speaker.

This article goes on to say that "government have ‘hung these kids out to dry,' because they were encouraged to go to school and get a trade and, now, there is no work there for them." Now there may be some out there - I know there are some out there who cannot find jobs in the trades, but, Mr. Speaker, we are going to need them because the projects are on the boards and we just have to kind of encourage now again small businesses - and that is the purpose of this resolution today, to encourage small businesses, medium-size businesses, if you can at all, to take on an apprentice.

The large businesses, such as IOC and Nalcor and so on, like those, they do not have any difficulty taking on an apprentice because of the size of their operation; but, in some of the small businesses it is critical. If you have been in small business you will understand that it is not always easy to get on the job, get the job done, get your money and meet your payroll and so on. If you have five or six or ten employees, that is not always easy. Some of them do not want to take the time, and say: look, I just do not have time to deal with that; we cannot waste time training in this new person. We have to get in, get that job done, and get out. We are trying to motivate them to see down the road in the future when we are going to need these people - if we do not take them on now, if we do not train them, if we do not give them a chance, then in the future when we are going to need more and more of them, then they are not going to be there for us, Mr. Speaker.

One of the recent initiatives taken by government, Mr. Speaker, was just last month, or recently within the last couple of weeks, when government gave $424,000, made it available to businesses to hire on female apprentices. This was another incentive, Mr. Speaker, another initiative by government to increase the number of apprentices out there.

With that, Mr. Speaker, I will take my seat. I notice my time has expired and I look forward to further commentary from my colleagues.

Thank you.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER (T. Osborne): The hon. the Member for the District of Port de Grave.

MR. BUTLER: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

It is a pleasure to stand today with regard to making a few comments in reference to the private member's resolution put forward by the hon. Member for St. John's North with relation to the skilled trades taskforce.

Mr. Speaker, it is good to see that business, labour, education and other key sectors are coming together to deal with some of the problems that not only young people are encountering in this Province, but some of the other people involved in the various trades throughout Newfoundland and Labrador. It is good to see the Industry Co-ordinating Committee which was established on February 19, 2008, comprising of, I think he said, eleven different individuals who come together to try and put a plan in place to see that some of the problems that our young people are encountering in this Province – and hopefully as I go on I will be able to relate to some incidents that I have encountered, not only in my area but calls from other people throughout the Province of Newfoundland and Labrador.

One of the WHEREASes says job attachment is a critical factor in promoting youth retention in our Province, and apprenticeship is an important means by which young people trained in the trades are able to move into jobs in this area of expertise. Mr. Speaker, many young people, once they receive their trade, they do find it difficult to find a position here in this Province. Many times, and I will elaborate on it – I know the hon. member mentioned it; I do not know if he said it was totally false. I know there are many young people who find themselves in a position that when they do get that trade they are unable to find a position in this Province because they do not have the expertise.

That is understandable, they just move out from the trade schools and they do not have the job training. They may go out for two or three weeks throughout their course of training, on-the-job training, but it is not sufficient for some employers to hire them, and that is a fact. I know there are many people who do find work here, and that is all good. There are many industries that have opened up, work opened up for the various trades because of the offshore and so on.

Mr. Speaker, it is a known fact that we are going to be short on skilled trades in the coming years. It has been estimated - I think it was a CBC News article in August 2006 that stated that by the year 2014 the Province will be short about 5,000 skilled trade workers. That is a staggering figure, Mr. Speaker, but then again, we also have to realize how many young people are coming out of the trade schools on a yearly basis and cannot find a trade with the expertise that they do have, and cannot find a position here in the Province where they can move ahead.

Mr. Speaker, I also noticed that the hon. member mentioned - I think it was back in October of this year there was an article appeared in one of our local papers: Have trade, will travel. It was a story about young Newfoundlanders who are still finding it difficult to find apprenticeships in this Province because employers want skilled and experienced workers. That is what I referenced when the hon. member – I do not think he said that it was totally false, but I know many incidents where those young people are frustrated. They do not want to move outside of their Province. They have been told that there will be positions right here in Newfoundland and Labrador.

Mr. Speaker, all we have to do is listen to the Open Line shows or watch the media, and listen to the leaders of the various unions in this Province. It was only recently the Carpenters Union came on and there was someone who called in and complained because they could not get in the union. He said: Look, we have 500, or 600, or 700 people here who cannot get work now in this Province. Many of them have to go outside the Province, and when jobs become available they move back in.

Each and every trade, Mr. Speaker, I do not know if they all have high numbers like that, but many of them are in that very difficult situation. It was only recently, as a matter of fact, when we were on a conference in Toronto just three or four weeks ago, when I was coming back I happened to meet three young people, two of them females. That is one of the things I like about this here, and it is mentioned in the Further Be It Resolved about the Office to Advance Women Apprentices in the various trades in our Province; that is something that we totally agree with. On our way back, we happened to meet those three young people. Two of them were scaffolders in Alberta; one of them was a single mother. Like she said, she would love to have the jobs here in this Province. She told me there were some-thirty or forty from this Province working with her on one particular site in Alberta. Each and every one of them would love to be home here.

I know the work that this task force is doing is trying to find means where various individuals, various businesses, can see their way clear so many of those people can come back here to work. Like I said, the other thing, even if they were hired on as apprentices, and it is wonderful to see some businesses take so many of them, but then there are so many people in the various locals and various unions that are also fighting for those jobs.

Mr. Speaker, I also know that from attending many conferences that we go to, parliamentary conferences, and you listen to the issues coming forward from the other jurisdictions in this country - and we know that we have the provincial nominee program here in this Province where hopefully many people will come in, come in probably as trained individuals or more of them are willing to come here and to train in the various skilled trades. Many provinces will tell you that they have great emphasis on bringing those people in because they really help and each and every one of them are going to have a shortage of skilled people. Unfortunately, here in the Province - and I know there are plans in place, we hear government talking about it, that hopefully this is going to be corrected in the future. We know now many of those people come here, they stay for a short time, but they move on, like many of our own residents, they move on to other jurisdictions where, I guess, the dollars are bigger, there is more construction and there is more work. I can tell you many people in this immediate area travel there.

The other issue that we have to look at as well, Mr. Speaker, we have to look at the many Aboriginal people and make sure that they become part of this plan. All too often we hear it, like we heard talk of it when Voisey's started. Some of those people had concerns whether the numbers of their people, in their own land, would be able to get employment. That has to be taken into consideration, and rightly so. If there is something in their own Province, they should be able to be a part of it, Mr. Speaker.

We also have to be really cognizant of the fact - one of the key things that I see from this here is with regard to the women apprentices program. It is good to see, regardless of what trade it is, that women are finally being considered regardless what trade they are in. I know I have people in my area who are involved in the carpentry trades, electrical, heavy construction, whatever you want to take part in; whereas, one time, probably it was more or less in the social work and teaching professions. Today, we have many of them, and I am sure that will help as time advances with regard to finding positions for them and not having to go outside their own Province.

Mr. Speaker, it is good to see that government is putting funding – I think it was $2 million invested, and implementing two new skilled trade courses and expanding these programs offering it to eighty-five schools. That is good to know that the provincial government hiring apprenticeship program will enable apprentices to gain work experience in government departments. I think the hon. member mentioned that as well. Hopefully, the experience that they will pick up, regardless of what government department it is, will help them to move ahead into the future, that they will be able to finally become apprentices and be able to get the proper training and experience here in their own Province.

Another issue I just want to bring up in closing, Mr. Speaker. I had several people who were involved in the welding trade. I have been dealing with it back and forth through a division in the Department of Education. Those individuals had a job, but first of all they had to have a logbook. I know my hon. colleague across the way dealt with this for me. It is an issue that is still outstanding with some young people. Yes, I have to say I agree with him. He did a good job; he got back to me, the Parliamentary Secretary, I think, to the Minister of Education - a good man.

It is an issue that has to be dealt with. It is probably simple for some people, but here is an individual who goes to school and he graduates with a welding course. He is told that in order to get a job, you have to have your logbook. When he goes to the contractor to be hired, the contractor looks at him and says: You have to have your logbook first. It is almost like the story: What came first, the chicken or the egg? How can he get a job if he does not have a logbook and cannot get his logbook until he has proof that he has a job?

I had four or five individuals in my area, and I think some of them moved on out West now, but I do not know how they overcame the situation. I guess some of them did find jobs and overcame it, but that was an issue that was put forward to them. They found it very difficult to overcome and thought that they were being penalized by their Province. I used to say to them: No, that is not the case; there is something wrong here, there is something morally wrong and that should not happen. It has to be one or the other.

So, Mr. Speaker, in closing, I just want to say that I think this is a good private member's motion brought forward. I know the last resolve said to commend the government. I am not going to do that here with this. Every day when there is a –

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Oh, oh!

MR. BUTLER: No, no, I am not being negative. Every time when there is a ministerial statement that comes forward, whether it is in regard to the women's apprenticeship program, whether it is job training for various skills, we stand –

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Oh, oh!

MR. BUTLER: Oh, no, we stand in our place and we commend them when that is done. So if this motion is only brought forward for that –

AN HON. MEMBER: Are you going to vote for it?

MR. BUTLER: I am not against the private member's motion, not against it.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. BUTLER: If it is only put forward, Mr. Speaker, there are many issues here that have to be resolved. There is work started, but I am going to tell you a lot has to be done. When I stand, I will not be standing just to commend the government because we do that from time to time. There is a lot of work that has to be done. I commend the members on this Skills Task Force, and hopefully the day will come when we will see our young people, whether male or female, able to find jobs, to become apprentices right here in their own Province rather than to have to fly back and forth to other jurisdictions in our country.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Member for the District of The Isles of Notre Dame.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. DALLEY: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

It is certainly a pleasure to have the opportunity to pass a few comments on a private member's motion today and specifically speak about the Skills Task Force and to reference the success that we have had with apprenticeship in the Province of Newfoundland and Labrador.

More importantly today, Mr. Speaker, I want to recognize the need and recognize the collective efforts of our industry, labour, and government as we support apprenticeship in the Province, and as well to encourage the continued partnership to promote opportunity and to work towards meeting the ever increasing labour market demands in our Province that I believe have been created as a result of vision, strategic planning, firm and fair negotiations, and no more giveaways.

Mr. Speaker, in talking about apprenticeship today, there has been some reference made to it. Just for those people who are viewing today, the apprenticeship are individuals who will combine practical work experience and education classroom training as they move towards their goal of becoming a journeyperson, or receiving their Red Seal Certification.

The Red Seal Certification references interprovincial agreements of standards of excellence. It is credentials that will allow you to work in any part of the country without having to do more training, and it is really the symbol of professional pride. There are some fifty programs involved in the Red Seal program, and that is the goal of people who enter into apprenticeship. The other route to receive journeyperson or Red Seal status is through the Trade Qualifier exam; an opportunity for our experienced workers out there in industry to challenge the exam and to move towards journeyperson status.

Mr. Speaker, our government recognized very early in our mandate the need to attract individuals in the careers and skilled trades and to take initiatives to improve the training and learning opportunities that are available to them in our public and private institutions.

In 2006, we established a Skills Task Force where we gathered the expertise of representatives from business, labour, government, and other sectors, to assess whether we had the ability to manage the anticipated needs in our Province. They were asked to identify and develop the strategies to build our Province's skilled workforce. The Skills Task Force came back in 2007 with some fifty recommendations for business, labour, government, and education to help meet our labour needs. I am pleased to say here today that over 80 per cent of those recommendations have been addressed or is ongoing as of today.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to take a moment to highlight some of the things that we have done as a government to address the recommendations put forward. One thing, in particular, that I am proud of is investment that we have seen at the secondary school level where we have seen a high school skilled trades program implemented over the last three years. This program includes the purchase of resources, tools and state-of-the-art equipment to allow our high school students to have an opportunity to experience the trades at the high school level. Since 2006, approximately 13,000 high school students have enrolled in skilled trade courses. In this year alone, nearly 4,800 students are enrolled in skilled trade courses offered in eighty-five high schools in the Province.

Mr. Speaker, what is most significant about this is that we are providing the experience and the opportunity for our youth to determine their interests and their aptitude in skilled trades and to allow them the opportunity to make an informed career decision. I believe it is having a major impact on our schools. One indicator, I just read recently that in the early 1990s we had a dropout rate of somewhere around 20 per cent in our high schools, among the highest in the country. Just recently our new dropout rate is 7 per cent, among the lowest in the country. I believe the new programming –

AN HON. MEMBER: How much?

MR. DALLEY: Seven percent.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. DALLEY: I believe the new programming, Mr. Speaker, is making a difference for people staying in school. I had my own first-hand experience as a former principal, when we brought in the skilled trades program into J. M. Olds Collegiate in Twillingate. I know first-hand the impact that it had on students and the school and the programming that was available. As well, we were successful in awarding $1.2 million to New World Island Academy - another school in my district - just recently for renovations and extensions so that they too can put in place the skilled trades program for the students.

Mr. Speaker, I believe it is important that we are giving our youth, our future, that opportunity and that experience. So many of our youth are seeing the skilled trade opportunities that exist; their parents, their neighbours, family members are working in the skilled trades. They are working in the industry. They have good incomes, and more importantly, Mr. Speaker, they are able to live in rural Newfoundland and Labrador. We are seeing new homes built. We are seeing people living in their home communities and living with their families. Mr. Speaker, I believe the developments that we will see in this Province, particularly in the industry, in the skilled trade aspect, are going to have a tremendous economic impact on our rural communities.

When we take our youth, Mr. Speaker, from our secondary schools and we encourage them to enter into the careers of skilled trades, we have also offered them more as an incentive. We have a tremendous package of incentives for youth to attend post-secondary education. We have tuition freezes. We have the lowest tuitions in the country. We have Up-Front, Needs-Based Grants so that when students graduate they have less money to pay back. We can eliminate the interest on the provincial student loans. Mr. Speaker, all of this is encouraging more and more students to attend post-secondary education.

As my hon. colleague referenced, we are also doubling the number of seats in skilled trades programs at the College of the North Atlantic; the Province's only public college, with seventeen campuses. As well, Mr. Speaker, we are investing in additional programs and modernizing the tools and equipment so that our students will have the best experience and be well equipped when they are ready to enter the workforce.

As well, to entice people to enter into skilled trades we have a training and employment support program, where, for those who qualify, can access funding to attend the public and private institutions to upgrade and train in the skilled trades field. As well, we have seen where we can cut fees for apprentices and journeypersons, where we have eliminated fees involved in registration, examinations and certificate renewals; all of this, Mr. Speaker, making the skilled trades more attractive, more affordable, and more efficient through a process as they work with us.

Mr. Speaker, I do not want to stand here today and make all the reference to the good things that are happening. We need to recognize that there are still challenges, and workplace attachment is certainly one of the challenges that we are faced with. We realize, we all realize, that the uptake and the interest in skilled trades is extremely high, but we have also been faced with a global recession in 2008-2009 where we seen a slowdown in industrial activity, both in our Province, and certainly across the country, and indeed, particularly in Alberta. As a result of that, Mr. Speaker, we have greater challenges for workplace attachment.

In terms of the private motion today, it certainly encourages businesses - small businesses, medium-size businesses - to recognize that we do have a challenge to develop our young apprentices to develop the future workforce of our Province. I can say, Mr. Speaker, as a government we certainly appreciate what businesses do, we appreciate their support, but we realize we need more businesses involved to work with us so that we can ensure that we can continue to develop a skilled workforce as that is indeed their future and our future in this Province.

Mr. Speaker, some of the other initiatives that we are finding when students are trained and they are about ready to enter into the workforce, we have had to do some things to support them. As already referenced, we have changed the ratio of journeyperson to apprenticeship so that we can give more apprentices an opportunity for hands-on experiences. We have heard from small- and medium-sized businesses, the challenges that they have with the ratio, and we are doing things to try and support them.

We have invested $2.3 million with the Newfoundland and Labrador Home Builders' Association to support the implementation of a highly successful program called the Try the Trades program. This innovative employer mentorship program provides young people with an opportunity to learn about skilled trades in the residential sector. Mr. Speaker, when this started we had anticipated, or had a target, a goal of 400 individuals over a two-year period, and we found that we have had 400 applications in the first six months of the program. I think it speaks to the success of the program, but it certainly highlights the need as well, and the importance for governments and businesses to continue to work together to provide opportunities for apprentices.

As already referenced, as well, Mr. Speaker, a significant initiative was to work with the Government of Alberta to ensure that our workers who went to Alberta and logged hours in that province could come back home and follow their apprenticeship program in Newfoundland and Labrador. They could return home to complete their school training and be back with their families.

One point I want to point out as well, very significant, is that we are investing heavily to support women in apprenticeship. We recognize the barriers and the challenges, and we are out there working with unions, the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, and the Carpenters and Millwrights Union where we have contracted over $700,000 to enhance the placement of female apprentices in the workplace. As well, we have seen, not that long ago, an historical announcement, where as we develop our resources, and particularly in the energy sector, where we ensure that women's employment plans are included in the development.

In a first for the Province in offshore development, the Hebron Benefits Agreement requires the development and implementation of a gender equity and diversity program for the Hebron project; again, a major initiative that shows our support, as a government, and industry support to get more women apprentices in the workplace.

Mr. Speaker, as well, in recognizing those who are working and the challenges and costs to return to school, we are providing 100 per cent funding to apprentices to do their advanced level block training and we are providing funding for tuition, books, and travel costs to help support them and encourage them to continue on their path for journeyperson and Red Seal status. As well, in recognizing and encouraging business, we have also done our part, Mr. Speaker. We are investing $5.5 million into a provincial government hiring apprentices program where we provide opportunity for apprentices to seek employment opportunities through the public sector and to enhance their skilled trade apprenticeship plans through the public sector.

Mr. Speaker, all of this is an initiative that has been ongoing since 2006. We have had great success, and we have further challenges, but I think the numbers certainly speak to the success of our programs. Since 2006, we have seen a 17.7 per cent increase in apprentices in this Province, and today we have over 6,000 registered apprentices in this Province.

Mr. Speaker, as well, we have seen Red Seal certificates issued in this Province increase by 85 per cent since 2006, from 262 to 484 today. Mr. Speaker, those journeypersons are certainly symbolic of a highly skilled workforce in this Province. We need them not only to fill the positions, but we also need them to train our youth.

So, Mr. Speaker, in the interest of time, I want to reference that since 2003 our government has been relentless in our steadfast determination to develop this Province, to develop the rich and bountiful resources for the full benefit of Newfoundlanders and Labradorians. Mr. Speaker, the outlook has never looked better: Hebron, White Rose Extension, Hibernia South Extension, the Lower Churchill development, the IOC expansion, the oil refinery expansion, and the Long Harbour development. Mr. Speaker, these developments will mean billions of dollars of investment in the Province, there will be thousands of jobs, both in the construction and operations of these industries, and there will be demand for all of the skilled trade workers that will be available in this Province. It is exciting and it is unprecedented.

Our vision, our strategic planning, our firm and fair negotiations, and our rock solid commitment of no more giveaways has secured a bright and prosperous future for Newfoundland and Labrador and particularly for the skilled workforce that exists in this Province. Mr. Speaker, it is critical that we stay the course, that we work together to build a world-class workforce.

In conclusion, I say to the people of the Province: We want to make sure that we have a skilled and trained labour force to meet the demands of the exponential growth of Newfoundland and Labrador. We believe that with our partners in business, industry, and labour we are making the right decisions to see that this happens. Our focus on self-reliance is deeply embedded in initiatives to support those who want to live and work right here in Newfoundland and Labrador.

Mr. Speaker, I ask all members today to support the motion put forth, a motion to continue to encourage full participation of small- and medium-sized businesses to support apprenticeship training in our Province, and to recognize and support the efforts of the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador to alleviate the employment barriers in the skilled trades for women in this Province.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

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

MR. DEAN: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

It is a privilege as well for me to be able to stand and speak for a few moments to this private member's motion. As is referenced in the motion, it is regarding the government's commissioned report back in March of 2006 and released a few months later in May of 2007 regarding the Skills Task Force. The resolution, as stated, is basically urging the government to continue to encourage the owners of small- and medium-sized businesses to make every effort to hire an apprentice.

Certainly, we all know the importance of apprentices in the skilled trade force, and throughout the programs and so on. We know some of the projections that are out there. We realize that it is projected that the skilled trades will experience a great shortage within this next decade due to the aging population, due to low fertility rates, and the historical out-migration trends that we have been experiencing in our Province in recent years. Unfortunately, we have been seeing a lot of our young people leave, especially from the more rural parts of our communities. So, no doubt about it, there definitely will be a shortage. As projected, we will see it come to fruition, if you will, in the skilled trades' area.

According to an article, a few years back now, by CBC, they projected that by the year 2014 that the Province would be short about 5,000 skilled trades workers. That is a significant number in a province the size of Newfoundland and Labrador, especially when we see some of the development that has taken place in recent years, in terms of our mining and other natural resources and so on. To realize that there would be a projection of 5,000 skilled trades positions available in the Province, certainly would be concerning for us.

By 2011, statistics tell us that one-sixth of the baby boomers will have reached the age of sixty-one. Of course, that is only one year away. We are practically there. Some of the other statistics that I read as I kind of prepared to speak for a few moments here this afternoon, suggest that Newfoundland has an average of 1.4 potential new labour force entrants for those between the ages of fifteen to twenty-four compared to the working force between the age of fifty-five and sixty-four; they would have 1.4 potential entrants. If we go back to twenty years ago which is not very long, then we would see the statistic would have shown that there would have been 2.6 potential new entrants.

So, nearly half the shrinkage, if you will, in the potential number of new people coming out than what there would have been twenty years ago. We couple that with the fact of the number of people who are going out in terms of the baby-boom generation as it begins to retire, and then we understand where the shortage for the skilled workforce will come from.

It is good to see that government has created this task force that is comprised of business and education people, labour, and government stakeholders to develop the recommendations and so on that we are discussing here this evening that became that final All the Skills to Succeed report that was tabled in May of 2007.

There were fifty recommendations in this report. I am not certain how many of those have been followed through and have been implemented some three-and-a-half years later. It would be interesting to see just what the numbers are. Some of the recommendations were very important. One that I think is as important as any is the stigma that is attached to the skilled trades' careers. De-stigmatizing that whole process is very important. That was one of the recommendations that came out of that report.

I believe we are making progress with that, but we do know that as young people came down through their latter years of schooling and into the high-school program, that parents very often were not encouraging them to go into the skilled trades programs, but rather to look into the universities and what was felt to be perhaps a more stable career, perhaps a more higher-paying career, whatever the case might be. The trades often were not seen as a real, viable option. Yet, we realize today that the electrical trades, the carpentry trades, the welding trades, and many other skilled trades offer people some great employment opportunities. That stigma is beginning to be removed, if you will, worked through, but I believe it will take some time before it is fully recognized in terms of being an adequate and proper career for a young person to proceed into. The industry co-ordination committee that was established through this report to work towards implementing the actions and so on is certainly important to the process as well.

It is good to see the programs that have been implemented, the funding that has been provided and so on to establish skilled trades courses, and the supporting women in the trades component that was announced recently, additional money again announced in October, 2010. It is certainly all good to see.

As an Opposition, while we support and commend the efforts of government to open doors, to promote and to recruit young people and women into the skilled trades, one of the questions that we want to put forward here this evening is: What about a retention strategy? What is it that we are doing and what more can we do to make sure that the young people who come through these trades and come through these courses and are established as apprentices, what is the strategy to retain them within our own workforce here in Newfoundland and Labrador? I would ask the question: Are we monitoring those people who are going into these particular positions? Is government really monitoring the retention of these young apprentices, and how are we doing? Are we satisfied with where we are? Is the graph going in the right direction, or are we seeing it kind of slide away from us?

We all hear the stories, just recently in our media again, and we hear it every other day. As my colleague mentioned of talking to people on the plane, as he travelled back and forth to the mainland and so on, we know that a lot of our people, a lot of our young people, and a lot of our apprentices travel back and forth to the mainland to work and so on. The question would be: Are these people who received their training, their schooling in Newfoundland, and worked for a while, possibly as an apprentice, in a particular business environment or whatever the case might be, and find themselves now having left and gone to the mainland to work? So it would be interesting to see just what our retention capabilities are and certainly a challenge for us to see how we can improve on that and so on.

Well, another issue that has been mentioned is the need for the apprentice - for the hours of work and the experience - to obtain a journeyman's certificate. Also, not only to obtain their certificate of course but to be able to pay off their student debts that they have accrued as they went through the schooling program. For my experience and background in being in the automotive business for a number of years, back in the 1980s General Motors developed ASEP, and believe it is still offered. It was offered at the college at the time in Gander, and it was a very successful program.

I know in many cases from myself, as a manager at that time, of hiring young people who wanted to go into the mechanical side as it was referred to at that time of automotive repair. These young people would be hired basically by the employer prior to going through the school. The employer would assist in putting them through the school with government subsidies and so on, and, of course, that really linked the employee and the employer together prior to becoming an apprentice. In a lot of cases, in most cases, these apprentices then had built a loyalty to the employer and the employer had built a loyalty to the apprentice, and they would come back and establish themselves within the dealerships and so on of that particular employer, do their block training and so on and become the journeyman technician that they had set out to do. Those kinds of programs are good to see, and I certainly would encourage it to continue along the way, but there was a recent article in The Telegram on October 13 of this year. The title said, "Have trade, will travel". It suggested that young Newfoundlanders and Labradorians are still finding it difficult to find apprenticeships within the Province because employers want experienced workers.

If we go back to the resolution that we are looking at here this afternoon, and debating for the last hour or so, the resolution very clearly says, "…that the House of Assembly urges the government to continue to encourage the owners of small- and medium-size businesses to make every effort to hire an apprentice".

I would suggest, probably one of the greatest ways to encourage a small or medium-sized business to hire an apprentice is to support them financially through that process, because we know that many small- and medium-sized businesses find it more difficult than the larger corporations to continue and so on. So, as we think about that article of young Newfoundlanders not being able to find work within their Province, then probably we are able to offer those small- and medium-sized businesses more financial support in that case. That would just be one comment that I would like to make regarding that.

It is great to see the government supporting young women, young people and women in the trades area. Certainly, with the expected shortages, what is being done to attract these young people is very important.

I am a fan of the Mike Holmes show. I enjoy watching them occasionally, seeing all of the renovations being done and so on in properties. It is encouraging to see - if you have been watching it for a number of years, suddenly you see young women being involved in that program and being involved in the trades. You see them tearing out the walls along with other carpenters, doing the ceramic tiles and all of the other plumbing and so on that is involved in the thing. So, it is encouraging. Certainly, they have a lot of skills and we need to support the young people and women in these trades and see that they do well.

Another place, obviously, where we can attract and retain people into the skilled trades program is through immigration. I do not know if we are all that good in this Province of that necessarily, but while it is somewhat paying some attention to it, we see some businesses bringing immigration to their workforce, and so on. Again, it is an area where we as a government, as a Province, can look at programs that would attract immigrants into the skilled trade force; given the shortages that we can expect over the coming years, it is something that we can give more attention to, if you will.

My colleague also mentioned the underrepresented groups, such as the Aboriginals and so on. It is very important that our programs are tailored in such a way that groups like these see it as being a viable option for them; giving them the access, the technical access and so on, and vocational training and other things in rural communities.

I represent a rural district and I always speak from a rural perspective, whether it is education or it is recruiting or whatever the case might be; because it is a different angle and so important that as we continue to implement the recommendations, as we continue to allow it to unfold, that we always understand the challenges that might be unique to each part of the Province.

So, it is good this evening and I am glad to be able to stand. As my colleagues said, I have no problem in supporting the resolution, "…that the House of Assembly urges the Government to continue to encourage the owners of small- and medium-size businesses to make every effort to hire an apprentice"; but, when it comes to, "…that the House of Assembly commends the Government…", well, there is a lot of commendation that goes on every day by the government. I suppose that is just the nature of the beast, so to speak, but I believe the programs are good, and I would encourage the government to continue to develop them and so on, and I am glad this evening to be able to stand in support of this resolution.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

MR. SPEAKER (Kelly): The Chair recognizes the hon. the Member for Ferryland.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. HUTCHINGS: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

It is a pleasure to stand today to speak to this motion put forward by my colleague from St. John's North.

It is a motion that is comprehensive, Mr. Speaker, in terms of a whole range of initiatives by this government, dating back to the call of a task force, and then with the release of the Skills Task Force report in 2007. Certainly, at that point in time, looking at where we were in terms of industry, labour, education, in terms of our youth and those who were also involved in the labour market and what they needed for enhancement of their skill sets to meet the upcoming climate, in terms of development, in terms of the labour market, which is so extremely important.

The Skills Task Force report was released in 2007. Prior to that, there was recognition by government that something needed to be done. That report started that process. We have continued on with it and gone through with a process of meeting those needs in terms of the labour market. As well, in providing assistance, as I have said, to young people in terms of high school, exposing them to the skilled trades and what the opportunities are, and what is involved today in our economy, in terms of a growing economy in many facets. As well, from a post-secondary point of view, in terms of what the possibilities are. As I said, as well, from those who are also involved in industries today who need enhancement to their skill set in terms of the test, in terms of the skilled trades, that they can get the enhancement they need.

Mr. Speaker, as we look back and where we are today in looking forward in terms of significant growth, we are seeing in a broad spectrum of industries here in this Province - whether it is the oil industry, whether it is technology and engineering, industrial and residential development - we have seen unprecedented growth. As we move forward for years to come, the predictions for next year are that the GDP for this year Province will be growing at a rate, probably the highest in the country.

What we have seen in past years, and what we are going to see in future years looks very promising. Skilled trades, in terms of meeting that demand, in terms of the labour market, meeting those projects that lay ahead of us are important. We have to have the foresight and do the work to make sure that we can meet those needs in the labour force, that our population, all Newfoundlanders and Labradorians - we encourage that they seek a career in skilled trades. As well, that the opportunity is there for them to access what they need to make a career in the skilled trades; as we need them, as we move forward.

Mr. Speaker, just recently, obviously, with the term sheet on Muskrat Falls, the Lower Churchill. We have things like Long Harbour, the mining industry; commodity markets have come back over the past year. Good things are happening there as well.

All of that, in terms of those projects and what is needed out there, that is a requirement that this government has supported the initiatives of the skilled trades and we will look forward to continuing to build on what we have done to date so we can meet all of those needs, Mr. Speaker. It includes thousands of jobs and billions of dollars of economic activity, current and what we will see in the future as well, Mr. Speaker.

As well, this whole initiative is a partnership. It is a partnership between the private sector, industry, government, labour, and institutions that offer the programs; because the learning institutions as well, have to adapt. In terms of curriculum, the regulatory nature of the body in terms of, that if we are meeting the needs from a curriculum point of view, from a learning point of view, that it is monitored and maintained, that we are providing the best possible service we can to meet the needs out there.

Technology changes; from a skilled trades point of view, we need to be vigilant in terms of what is needed. We have done that and continue to do that with our educational institutions, through the Department of Education and their initiatives, and other departments as well; Human Resources, Labour and Employment. When I was Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Human Resources, Labour and Employment, exposures to the programs through that department enhances everything that has been done and the recommendations of the Skills Task Force report and things we need to do for the skilled trades as we move forward.

The Youth Retention and Attraction Strategy was announced a few years back. That is a key component of what we are talking about here in terms of the trades and exposing youth at a very early age to the opportunity and possibility of pursuing a career in the skilled trades. Many of the initiatives we have in the high schools now promote that, expose them to it. It is something for them to think about when they leave high school, to pursue a trade in that area.

The Youth Retention and Attraction Strategy, as well - and other programs, too - allow that bridge and assistance with the employer of small- and medium-sized businesses to provide that assistance for them, and incentives for them to take on apprentices to get that block of training they need so they can move forward in terms of the phases of the apprenticeship program and on to journeyperson and Red Seal, which is often referred to, Mr. Speaker.

As I said, the Skills Task Force report in May of 2007, there were numerous recommendations. I know the former speaker from The Straits & White Bay North mentioned in regard to: What has been completed, and how are we doing in terms of those recommendations? Well, almost 80 per cent of those have been implemented, or are certainly on the road to being implemented. It shows the government's commitment to that consultative document in 2007. We listened; we consulted on the recommendations from that partnership I talked about, in terms of government, labour, education institutions. We moved forward with those recommendations and seeing success with it.

As I said, the high school trades program, a very important tool that is used out there now, in terms of providing equipment, support, the development of several new skilled trade courses in the high school. I have seen that first-hand in my area, in the various schools in terms of that exposure, and around the Province in terms of what that has meant.

Since 2006, approximately 13,000 high school students have enrolled in skilled trade courses. For 2009-2010 alone, there are nearly 4,800 students enrolled in skilled trades courses offered in eighty-five high schools. So, a tremendous access to these programs and exposure to skilled trades provided through the high school, through the Department of Education, which, once again, is an initiative directed to our youth to give them one more possibility or one more avenue as they look to pursue careers, and a very worthwhile career in skilled trades.

Mr. Speaker, as well, with the investment of $2.3 million under the Labour Market Development Agreements and Labour Market Agreement, this is just an example of an initiative with the Newfoundland and Labrador Home Builders Association to support the implementation of the highly successful Try the Trades program just a little while ago. It is a tremendous program. Once again, it is some initiative to look at in terms of bringing groups together to make them aware of what is available and support it through industry. Because this is certainly, as I said, a partnership, it is industry driven and as well partnering with medium and small businesses to make sure we achieve the success that is so much required.

Mr. Speaker, the mentorship program through people hands-on with apprentices, or even exposure to the sector I mentioned, the residential sector, is very important as well.

As I said, in terms of the development in the Province, different things we are seeing and have seen to date, as we move forward it is so very important that we continue with the initiatives that we have seen to date, to continue to build on what we have started. There have been bumps in the road, obviously, in terms of the skilled trades, in terms of the apprenticeship program, and certainly in the downturn in the economy a year or a year-and-a-half ago. We have a lot of people who worked out West; they were coming back. In terms of access to programs, or access to those block of hours, to proceed through the apprenticeship program, there were some challenges there.

We, as a government, did respond to that in terms of increasing funding for employer programs. As well, from a provincial employer point of view through departments in government, we increased the number of apprenticeships that we brought into various departments. I know in Transportation and Works and various other departments. I know in the regional health authorities and various other departments -Newfoundland and Labrador Housing Corporation. Once again the government stepped up, recognizing that there was a shortfall there and bringing in apprentices who needed those block of hours, that they could access it and certainly proceed through the journeyman program.

I know it was mentioned before of some of the initiatives we have with the Government of Alberta as well. We negotiated to allow the work hours logged out there to be part of the apprenticeship program here. So, they have the ability to return here and do the academic components that they need to do, recognizing the hours that they have logged and that could be signed off in their log book, which is very important.

It was mentioned, as well, as to the initiative of reducing the ratio in terms of a journeyperson to apprenticeship. Again, allowing more access for that individual who needs those hours, which again is so very important.

As well, an important component of all of this, in initiatives of our government, relates to support women in apprenticeship programs, which is so very important. We have seen initiatives signed over the last number of years with various labour unions: the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, carpenter and millwrights' union, and to enhance the placement of female apprentices in the workplace. We are having success with that and certainly will continue with that.

In regard to development and the different initiatives and agreements we have signed in terms of industrial development, we have seen success there as well. In terms of the Hebron Benefits Agreement, for the first time ever in the offshore development component of what we are doing, in that agreement requires a Gender Equity and Diversity Program right through the Hebron project. So that certainly enhances everything we are trying to do in terms of the skilled trades and making them more accessible for the women in our society who certainly, and many have, step up and see that as a career and want to pursue it. We certainly provide the supports and continue to provide those supports for them to have access to a career.

A lot of the funding provided through the apprenticeship programs is provided through the department. The Department of Education certainly provides the support that is needed to run a program like this. Obviously, it is quite comprehensive and the Department of Education works to review and assess how it is going. From time to time, we need to continue to adjust or monitor what we are doing because with changing economies and changing issues, oftentimes, we need to amend public policy on that.

I know when I was Parliamentary Secretary to Human Resources, Labour and Employment along with my colleague, the Parliamentary Secretary to Education, we certainly met – I guess it was around the time of a downturn in the economy about a year-and-a-half ago across the country, seeing some changes in terms of accessibility. I met with the Strategic Partnership Council, made up again of a great partnership of government, labour, the employment community, and business to look at some of the things that they were seeing. Through that, we used that to proceed to make some modifications, to do additional investments in terms of what we are doing in this policy area to ensure that if there is any hindrance there that we can do what we can, certainly within the fiscal capacity, to assist them to the best of our ability.

Mr. Speaker, to clue up I just wanted to comment on a couple of items and how we are doing in terms of some of the outcomes we are seeing. A lot of these initiatives – and you will ask: Well, we are doing all of this; what is the return? What are we seeing in terms of results? Newly registered apprentices in Newfoundland and Labrador are averaging a growth of almost 18 per cent from 2006 to 2009, which is certainly significant. There was an increase in the number of Red Seal certificates. It increased by 85 per cent, which is quite significant; from 262 in 2006 to 484 in 2009. That is quite significant and it indicates that in terms of dating back to the Skills Task Force report of 2007 what we have done since in terms of our policy initiatives, funding, and investments is certainly having a return. Obviously, there is more to do, and we will monitor and keep doing what we are doing and adjust as we need to.

In 2010, it indicates that there is, as I said, a continued increase in Red Seal certification consistent with prior years, and hopefully with all of our initiatives that will continue as well. In May 2009, we held our first Skills Task Force stakeholder forum, which again is a method of going out there; keeping in touch with the partnerships and making sure we are hearing what is occurring. If there is changes to be made or if we can improve on what we are doing, that is what we will do, and we continue to do that.

So, Mr. Speaker, the motion that is put forward by the Member for St. John's North, I certainly support it. I recognize that it is an ongoing project in terms of continuing to invest in the skill trades. In 2007, in terms of that report, was the start of that. We are continuing on, we will monitor it in terms of our economy, in terms of educational institutions, government, labour, and business. It is an initiative for small- and medium-size business, and they will continue to work with us. We will continue to monitor it and continue to invest in it. It is an investment in our future, certainly of our youth and all Newfoundland and Labradorians. I will certainly be voting for this motion, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, very much.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER: The Chair recognizes the hon. Member for Signal Hill-Quidi Vidi.

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

I am very pleased to have the opportunity this afternoon to speak to this motion, the motion moved by the Member for St. John's North.

The motion does deal with a very significant and important issue. That is the issue of the small number of apprentices - apprentice workers and journeyperson workers who we have in this Province. It talks about the programs that government has put in place to deal with that issue. What I would like to talk about is to speak to the seriousness of the issue and the realities that we are facing in this Province. It is something that I have been concerned about for a long time because I was the first Executive Director of Women in Resource Development, which the member referred to when he spoke earlier in presenting his motion.

Women in Resource Development, which started as an organization in 1999, was put in place to try to get more women in trades and technology, especially in the natural resource development sectors of the Province. Looking at the fact that we had a huge mine coming on board in Voisey's Bay, we had increases that were going to happen in the whole area of oil and gas development, and other mining ventures that were being foreseen. Women who had been working around these issues for years came together and realized that something really needed to be done. Women in Resource Development were put in place and have been working since 1999.

It has been eleven years operating, working out the whole issue of trying to get women into trades and technology, working with the College of the North Atlantic on the delivery of the Orientation to Trades and Technology, which is a program that Women in Resource Development put together, doing the work funded both initially by HRLE and HRDC. Now, of course, all of the funding is under the provincial arm, though there is federal money there. Everything is under the provincial arm, so that the process of how the funding happens has changed but not the funding itself. This organization continues to try to get women into trades and technology.

When I left that organization in 2006, in order to run politically, one of the issues we were facing was that we were getting women trained, women were going through the Orientation to Trades and Technology and women were choosing to go on in trades and technology, but we were finding that they were having a hard time getting jobs after they finished their work – or after their training they were having a hard time getting jobs.

When I left in 2006, one of the things we were putting in place then was a plan for working more closely with industry, with companies to get employment opportunities for women. I recently, not too long ago, was talking to one of the current staff of Women in Resource Development. Lo and behold, four years since I have left, what is the major issue that they now dealing with? The major issue they are now dealing with is trying to find employment for women - help women find employment.

A lot of the women who went through the program and did their training have had to go outside of the Province in order to find employment. I have been over the last four years bumping into them here, there and everywhere: women who have been to Alberta, for example, or to Ontario, who have come back; or, women who have not left at all and who have gone on, who have done their training, who now have the ability to work in a trade but cannot get jobs so they are working in the retail sector.

I have met quite a number of women who went through the orientation at trades and technology, went on and did their training, and cannot get a job in their trade. So, we have a major problem. I know that what the government has done with regard to setting up the partnership with the Newfoundland and Labrador Regional Council of Carpenters, Millwrights and Allied Workers and also setting up the Office to Advance Women Apprentices, while I know these two programs are the way to go, and they are, at this moment in time we still see a very slow movement of women into trades and technology.

I was quite surprised; in preparing for this afternoon, I looked at the 2009 update from the Skills trades Task Force, from their committee, the Industry Co-ordinating Committee, and the last update from them that I can find was May of 2009. If there is a more recent one the member could inform me, because I think he is the chair of the committee, but this is the most recent one we could find. In the report in 2009, there is an interesting report from the IBEW, the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, Local 2330, and the IBEW Local 2330 had entered into an agreement with the Department of Education enabling more women to get jobs as electricians. Laudable, very laudable; but, when I look at it, I say: well, at the same time that they did that, Women in Resource Development had women who were doing the OTT, who were going in and doing their trades in electrical and yet were not able to find jobs. Recently, I met the only journeywoman electrician in the Province. We have one; one journeywoman electrical worker in the Province, one electrician.

Now, it is interesting, that when this report was done by the IBEW for the ICC update, they talk about their goal. They say at that moment they had zero journeywomen electricians. We now have one in the Province; she was not part of this program. They are estimating, because of the work that they are going to be doing - they called it the Employment Equity Initiative – that by the year 2013, which is only three years' time, that there was going to be a minimum of ninety-six women who would have reached journeyperson status as electricians.

I find it very disconcerting to see that in the ICC report. Now, obviously, the committee did not write this, this report comes from the IBEW. I would like to say that I find it absolutely impossible - knowing what I know about how slowly things are moving, knowing that we have only one journeyed electrical worker who is a woman in this Province - that we can possibly, by 2013 have ninety-six journeyed electrical workers. One of the reasons is, they might do their electrical, but we do not have positions here in the Province for them to become journeyed. Some of that is because a lot of the workers who are out there, who are older workers, did not become journeyed. They are quite talented and they have a tremendous amount of experience, but they did not become journeyed. In order to mentor apprentices and have apprentices under you, you have to be journeyed.

We have a major problem here, it is multiple. I have been speaking to the President of the IBEW 2030. She has told me how difficult her job is to try to get jobs for the women who are in her membership. She told me: I really try, but the jobs are not there. She said, whenever I can possibly find a place, they are in it. She has, I think it is hundreds of people on her list, a small number of who are women. She cannot get jobs for a large number of electrical workers in this Province. It is a big issue.

While I see the programs that are in place are good, I think they are absolutely inadequate to deal with what we are dealing with. One of the issues that has been brought to me by one of the labour leaders who is involved in these efforts, is that because you have these older workers who are not journeyed, and they are the logical ones to be able to mentor apprentices, you would think okay, well maybe we can get them journeyed. There are real issues, because if you are talking about a person who has say, twenty years under his belt - and I am saying his because we are definitely talking about men in this situation. If you have a journeyperson who has twenty years under his belt, twenty-five years, they find it very difficult to go back to school. Some of them may not have even finished high school. Some of them may have difficulties with literacy; can do fantastic electrical work but may not feel that they have the ability even to go back and to try to become journeyed. So, there are many facets to increasing the number of workers who are apprentices, and especially the number of women workers who are apprentices.

Another issue that has been brought to my attention is while we have the wage subsidy, and I do note that since July, 2010 there have been seven wage subsidy agreements signed for women apprentices. I got this information from the Office to Advance Women Apprentices, that since July, 2010, there have been seven wage subsidy agreements signed. However, the Office to Advance Women Apprentices has a list of 331 potential apprentices in their office, so wage subsidy agreements of only seven is a very, very small number. One then has to ask the question: Is the wage subsidy big enough? Because one of the other issues - and the member himself in presenting his motion mentioned it - is the slow uptake by businesses, by small businesses. In particular, small businesses have very little resources when it comes to taking on apprentices. Maybe, if we are going to be looking at businesses coming forward in a greater degree, and they do have to come forward in a greater degree, maybe we have to do a questioning and evaluation of what is in place. Is the wage subsidy large enough? What other incentives can be put in? It is not going to happen unless we have more businesses involved.

There are a couple of issues to work on that could help get more journeyed workers. One would be to enhance access to Adult Basic Education and literacy programs. If we could get more of the older workers with experience feeling comfortable with going back to school and becoming journeyed, then that would help with the whole process of apprentices, because this is not something where you can talk about apprentices without talking about the lack of journeyed persons. So, enhancing access to Adult Basic Education and literacy programs would really help when it comes to getting more journeypersons.

Another thing, and we do use this in our adult education in the Province, but I think we do not use it to the degree that it needs to be used, is to strengthen the use of prior learning assessment tools in the classroom and the workplace. If we use prior learning assessment tools, you would probably find out that somebody who has been an electrician for twenty, twenty-five years, could be almost ready to be journeyed without having to go through a lot of courses; because that is what the prior learning assessment tool is all about, is giving credit for work experience without having to do courses in order to get the credit. We have many pieces that need to be put in place to work along with what the government has put in.

The first resolution in the motion says, "… that the House of Assembly urges the Government to continue to encourage the owners of small- and medium-size businesses to make every effort to hire an apprentice". Well, just saying we encourage you, and we encourage you 100 per cent, or 200 per cent is not going to do it. So, I would have liked the resolution to show something that would show that government has to do more than say we encourage, and they have to come up with other incentives besides the wage subsidy. I think the wage subsidy has to be increased, and then what are other incentives. Incentives to help companies have workers become journeyed would be another thing that could happen, because without those workers, without adequate journeyed workers, you are not going to have apprentices in training either.

With that, Mr. Speaker, I think the resolution is limited, because it does not recognize the complexity of the issue, and I am sorry that it did not go further in recognizing how complex this issue is.

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker.

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

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. KING: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I am certainly very pleased to rise today and have the opportunity to speak in support of the private member's resolution brought forth by my colleague.

Before I do, I would say, though, to the member opposite, on the last comment made, is that as I understand the rules of this House, any member has the opportunity to revise or amend a motion if they are not happy with what is on the floor. So, I say to the member opposite, that is something that might have ought to have been considered, if that is the way she feels.

I would like to take a few moments to talk about a number of points that have been made here today, made very clearly in support of government's position on skilled trades. I thank members opposite of the Official Opposition for their comments and supporting words of what I think has been just a tremendous direction this government has been taking over the past six or seven years to focus on skilled trades in this Province, to ensure that we are providing support where it is required, both human resource support as well as financial support to people in this Province, to ensure that we are providing proper skills training and development opportunities and also, Mr. Speaker, to ensure that we are focused on the future.

All of us here who are tuned into what is happening in the economy recognize very clearly that there are some tremendous projects on the horizon in our Province, most recently, of course, with the announcement of the proceeding to develop the Lower Churchill. There are going to be tremendous opportunities and tremendous numbers of jobs available for people in this Province. It is certainly very, very comforting when we see those things happen to know that it has been the vision and leadership of the government, the people who sit with the Progressive Conservative government. It has been that kind of vision and leadership that has allowed us to put some of the tremendous activities and initiatives in place that are preparing us, Mr. Speaker, for where we need to be.

Having said that, Mr. Speaker, maybe as opposed to revisiting a number of points that have been made, I am going to take an opportunity, if I might, to respond to a number of issues that have been highlighted by the Opposition, in particular a number of questions perhaps more than anything. I would like to, if I could, respond to a couple of those points in the limited time I have. So I am going to run through a couple of these.

One of the hon. members across talked about the difficulty in finding jobs for apprentices in the Province and the fact that individuals are gaining their initial level of training to become apprentices, but they are finding it difficult to move to the next level to become journeypersons. Mr. Speaker, there is no question that we recognize that there are still challenges out there with that. There is no question about that, but at the same time I want to point out to all members of the House and for those who are tuned in that that is in certain areas, certain skilled trades' areas, Mr. Speaker. There are many other areas where they are in demand.

I can use an example from a press conference I attended with a number of my colleagues within the last month or so where we were told that the particular skilled trade we were talking about at that point in time - they had a call from Nova Scotia looking for fifty employees, fifty jobs on the spot within an hour for people who had the training. Mr. Speaker, there were not enough people in Newfoundland and Labrador unemployed in that trade to take those occupations, to take those jobs and to pursue that employment opportunity that existed.

So while we recognize there are challenges - and I say to members opposite: There is no question about it; we, like you, are focused on that and we will continue to do our best on that. I do not want any of us to leave the wrong impression with the public, and I am sure that is not the intent. I want to say clearly, to make a blanket statement that the in skilled trades there is a problem, I think is unfair. There are aspects of the skilled trades, some particular trades, where the challenges are greater than others.

The second point I want to speak to, Mr. Speaker, was one of the hon. colleagues across the way talked about the logbook and the Catch-22 situation. I want to explain how that works for people who are listening to this debate today. Once an individual in this Province receives their training as an apprentice, it is what we would call the entry level training, Mr. Speaker. To ensure that we maintain integrity in the system, and as high a standard as we possibly can do, which keeps us on par with the national Red Seal standard, we require, when individuals gain employment offers, them to obtain an apprentice number and to obtain a logbook. Mr. Speaker, the purpose of the logbook is to document the further training that the individuals receive which will help them eventually proceed through the blocks to obtain journeyperson status.

So, it is very much, Mr. Speaker, about maintaining integrity in the system and maintaining standards in the system because we are, Mr. Speaker, a part of a national accreditation process, and people need to understand that. It is not just something that is applicable to Newfoundland and Labrador. The Red Seal Program is a national program that we participate in with all other provinces and territories in Canada.

So, the logbook, Mr. Speaker, is a way of documenting and maintaining a record of the training that individuals receive as they proceed through their training component. Mr. Speaker, I might add that while some find it problematic, or suggest it is problematic, that you cannot get the logbook until you gain a job, you cannot gain a job until you get the logbook, let me just say clearly how that works. An individual applies for a job, when they receive an offer they notify us. Upon receipt of their offer, we provide the logbook. It is really as simple as that.

Mr. Speaker, I know some find that troublesome because the process is different than what it used to be, but let me also say that the standard of practice in Newfoundland and Labrador on how we provide the apprenticeship number and how we provide the logbook and the process that we follow, that standard of practice is consistent right across Canada. There is nothing unique happening in Newfoundland and Labrador that is not consistent with the rest of the country. In fact, Mr. Speaker, it was us who changed the process. The process used to be for a short period of time that logbooks and numbers were given out, even when individuals did not have opportunities to go to work. There were a number of problems associated with that, including our officials' ability to substantiate and maintain the integrity of the program. So I just wanted to speak to that one for a couple a moments.

The third point made by one of the members opposite that I want to speak to is indeed a very good initiative, Mr. Speaker. Everybody in this House will be aware of this, because I think I have talked about it on a number of occasions, and certainly my two colleagues who are from the Labrador portion of Newfoundland and Labrador will be well aware of that. We were reminded to make sure that we do not forget the Aboriginal peoples of Newfoundland and Labrador, Mr. Speaker, when it comes to skilled trades' development. I say to this House of Assembly, and members here, and people who are listening, indeed we have not forgotten that, Mr. Speaker. We have not forgotten that.

As a matter of fact, it is this government who negotiated to put in place a partnership with the provincial and federal governments and the Aboriginal peoples of Labrador, Mr. Speaker, a program to the tune of $30 million, Mr. Speaker, $30 million focused –

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. KING: Focused, Mr. Speaker, on two aspects. Number one, on supporting Aboriginal peoples who are currently employed in trades in Newfoundland and Labrador, and providing them with incentives and financial support to continue to upgrade their qualifications, Mr. Speaker. Secondly, Mr. Speaker, to provide support for those Aboriginal peoples who currently are not trained. It is our intention to ensure that the Aboriginal peoples of this Province have every opportunity for success and that no barrier stands in their way to training to access jobs that will become available and are available in the skilled trades, Mr. Speaker. That is why this government partnered in a $30 million announcement. I say to members opposite: We hear your concern and we are with you. That is why we negotiated this announcement and we brought it forward, and I am very pleased to stand and talk about that today.

Mr. Speaker, the other piece I want to touch on very quickly. My colleague opposite, who is listening now, mentioned small- and medium-size businesses and the difficulty sometimes with those businesses taking on apprentices and bringing them through to journeyperson status. There is no question, Mr. Speaker, that we recognize that as well. As a matter of fact, by definition, almost 90 per cent of the businesses in Newfoundland and Labrador, Mr. Speaker, are classified as small- and medium-size businesses. There are some challenges, because as of now, in a report produced in 2009 by the Canadian Apprenticeship Forum, Mr. Speaker, less than 20 per cent of small- and medium-size businesses are, in fact, taking on apprentices.

So we recognize that is a challenge, Mr. Speaker, and we have done a number of things to try to encourage that, but I want to share two interesting things with you that came out of that report that I think are very important. Number one, the report found that for small- and medium-size businesses who invest in apprentices, take them on and take them through the training to journeyperson status, for every single dollar invested, Mr. Speaker, the return is equal to about $1.47 - a forty-seven cent increase on return because they take the employees on and bring them into their company. The second significant benefit, Mr. Speaker, that has been identified in the national report, is that there is significant gain for the journeypersons who have tremendous professional development opportunities to learn themselves from apprentices who are fresh out of school.

There are certainly great advantages to small- and medium-size businesses taking on apprentices. I want to say today through these few remarks that I am making that we need small- and medium-size businesses to help us with that. We can do a lot of things in government, but we cannot do it alone, Mr. Speaker. We need businesses to take on these apprentices because it is an investment in the future. Jobs are coming, they are going to come fast and furious, and we need individuals in this Province who are trained. We cannot do it alone. My colleagues talked about the government hiring program, we talked about a number of wage subsidy programs, Mr. Speaker, that we have invested in, both for females as well as within government, but we cannot do it alone. We need private sector enterprises to step up to the plate, to take on these apprentices, these young men and women who are out there with all of the energy and all of the skills in the world, Mr. Speaker, wanting to go to work and wanting to prepare themselves for what is in the future. I say to those people: We need your help and we need it now. We want you to step up to the plate.

Mr. Speaker, I have a little shade less than eight minutes left, so I want to take my last couple of minutes to speak to a number of comments made by the last speaker. The Leader of the NDP had a few comments, and I want to speak to those because, frankly, I find a lot of errors, at least from the perspective of government and from the perspective of people who are working in this field, Mr. Speaker.

Let me say, first of all, the member talked about a particular individual who was in a trade that could not get a job, whereas somebody in another trade had a received a job and thought it was just incredible that government could not do something to help the first person. It is not unusual, Mr. Speaker, as I said a few moments ago, where there are trades in this Province, like any job, where there are opportunities for people to go to work immediately, and there are other occupations, Mr. Speaker, where there are challenges. We understand that. There is nothing unusual about that.

Mr. Speaker, what perhaps caught my attention most of all was the fact that the member opposite suggested that we compromise the integrity of the apprenticeship program. The member stood over there, Mr. Speaker, and said that we should not require a journeyperson to be required to supervise the work of apprentices. She said that we should change it. We should lower our standards; forget about the integrity of the program; forget about wanting the best trained people. The member opposite stood up and said we should change all of that, Mr. Speaker. Well, I say to the member, bring your program forward; let's hear your suggestion because that is not what the industry is talking to us about. That is not what we are being told, Mr. Speaker.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. KING: The last point I want to talk about is the first point the member opposite made, which I am very pleased to speak to this one today, and I would like for everybody in this House to listen to what I am about to say because I think it is just a wonderful testament to everybody who sits with this PC government, Mr. Speaker. The member opposite talked about her role with supporting women in the skilled trades, Mr. Speaker. Let me say this, Mr. Speaker, there is no government, no government that has the female voice and the female interest at heart when it comes to decisions like this government, Mr. Speaker.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. KING: You look around the room. You look around the caucus room and you look around the Cabinet table, Mr. Speaker, and there is no government that brings as strong a female voice as we have in this government.

Mr. Speaker, I also want to pick up on two other points: one is that the member opposite made some negative comments about the women in apprenticeship office. I want to say to the member opposite I am not sure what media she is following and what province she is talking about, but it was less than two months ago that I and a number of members on this side of the House attended a press conference with this particular office at the Carpenters Millwrights College. If I recollect, members can correct me, but three or four people stood in front of the microphone, in front of the TV cameras and praised the Government of the Province of Newfoundland and Labrador for the tremendous investments that they are making to support women apprentices in this Province, Mr. Speaker.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. KING: Mr. Speaker, let me end with this final comment. Let me end with this final comment in case the member opposite is still questioning the support of females in this Province; let me remind her that it was the Premier of this Province, when she was the Minister of Natural Resources, who negotiated the women's benefits as part of the Hebron deal, Mr. Speaker.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. KING: The member opposite should remember that.

Thank you very much.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!

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

If he speaks now he shall close debate on the motion.

MR. RIDGLEY: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The House of Assembly is a marvellous spot for invigorating and interesting debate. I would like to thank the Member for Grand Bank, the hon. Minister of Education for making a contribution.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank all the members on both sides of the House who contributed to today's debate. As I said at the outset, what we were trying to achieve was to put the spotlight on an issue that is so important for the future of the Province. We are encouraging businesses out there, small- and medium-sized businesses particularly, to get involved, look to the future, and, if you can at all, to take on an apprentice.

There are two words, Mr. Speaker, that I would like to bring to mind as we conclude debate this afternoon. One of them was brought up at the very first meeting we ever had at the Skills Task Force. One of the representatives of business said the major problem with the trades in this Province is lack of continuity. I think, Mr. Speaker, in the next year or so we will come very close to getting continuity of work.

In just this weekend's The Globe and Mail there was a very interesting article about how the oil sands out West are going to be re-energized. One of the labour leaders out there says that Western Canada will need more workers than it ever did at the heights of 2008, but they go on to say that Western Canada and Western resources will not be able to fish in their usual pool, which is Atlantic Canada. They make particular reference to the Province of Newfoundland and Labrador and they say that in this Province, "Vale Inco's Long Harbour nickel-processing plant needs an average of 1,630 people per year while it is being built over the next few years," and the Hebron offshore, "which is expected to begin construction in 2012, will need 3,500 workers at its peak." They go on again, Mr. Speaker, to say: "Although the project has yet to be sanctioned, the provincial government expects up to 2,700 workers will be needed to build the Churchill Falls hydro dam."

So, Mr. Speaker, the future in this Province is extremely bright. What we are encouraging today is businesses out there not to look necessarily to the immediate and to this week's payroll, but to look to the future: give an opportunity to an apprentice.

The other word, Mr. Speaker, that came up several times today was the word partnership. I believe, and the members today who spoke believe, that government has stepped to the plate. We have done our part. We are offering programs and although the Member for Signal Hill-Quidi Vidi puts forward the proposition that the programs are inadequate, I would say, Mr. Speaker, that the programs are very, very good. They are attractive. The most recent one in terms of hiring female apprentices offers a business owner 60 per cent of the wage of that person. As the minister just pointed out, an investment in an apprentice for every dollar invested will have a return to that business of approximately $1.40.

Mr. Speaker, I will conclude by saying that the last time I spoke in the House in the spring, when I spoke on the Budget, I made reference to some music and I quoted some song titles. One of the media actually reported incorrectly the next day that I had offered to sing. Whatever pain is inflicted on people listening to speeches in this House, I would not dare, Mr. Speaker, inflict that on any member in this House.

I will conclude with this, Mr. Speaker. Given that this is a very momentous anniversary, the thirtieth anniversary of a big moment in the history of music, I will conclude with this. We are talking about our apprentices, we are talking about our young people and all we are saying is give them a chance.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER (Fitzgerald): Order, please!

Is the House ready for the question?

Shall the resolution as put forward by the hon. the Member for the District of St. John's North carry?

All those in favour, ‘aye'.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Aye.

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

The motion is carried.

This being Private Members' Day and it being now 4:49 o'clock and the business of the House being concluded, this House now stands adjourned until 1:30 of the clock tomorrow, being Thursday.

This House is now adjourned.