The House met at 2:00 p.m.

MR. SPEAKER (Fitzgerald): Order, please!

Admit strangers.

MR. SPEAKER: Today, the Chair welcomes the following private members' statements: the hon. Member for the District of Burgeo & La Poile; the hon. Member for the District of Ferryland; the hon. Member for the District of Cartwright-L'Anse au Clair; the hon. Member for the District of Humber Valley; and the hon. Member for the District of Baie Verte-Springdale.

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

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

I rise today to recognize and pay tribute to Elizabeth Harvey of Isle aux Morts in the District of Burgeo & La Poile who was instrumental in driving the income tax issue for fishers throughout this Province and in the Province of Quebec.

Due to her determination and persistence, this issue was not permitted to die. Whether it be politicians, Cabinet ministers, unions, and ultimately the courts, she fought to have an injustice corrected and needs to be recognized. For years she has been an advocate for this income tax issue and deserves, along with their lawyer, Mr. Eli Baker, recognition and accolades.

Yesterday, the Federal Court ordered Canada Revenue Agency to reassess the income tax paid by fishers on buyouts of their fishing licences in the 1990s. The amazing thing is Ms Harvey approached these issues quietly but with such a level-headed, persistent, and determined manner. She was also one of the persons in this Province to petition the House of Assembly to remove the HST from home heating bills and the driving force behind the petitions for dialysis at Port aux Basques and other centres. In all of these issues, Mr. Speaker, she achieved success.

Mr. Speaker, I ask all members of this House to join with me in paying tribute to Ms Elizabeth Harvey. All the best to Elizabeth, her husband, Doug, her four children and eight grandchildren.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. Member for the District of Ferryland.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. HUTCHINGS: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in this hon. House today to recognize and congratulate two youth from my district, Aprille Whelan and Molly Houlihan, on being selected to attend Motivate Canada's seventh Annual ACTIVATE National Youth Leadership Forum at Carlton University in Ottawa held from May 11 to May 15.

ACTIVATE is a five-day forum about empowering youth to create positive changes in their communities. It is all about youth leadership and using sport, physical activity and recreation as a tool for personal community development. ACTIVATE is driven by enthusiasm and builds on shared positive experiences.

The participants experience interactive leadership and team building workshops, learn to set and achieve goals, create action plans to lead physical activity initiatives in their community.

Aprille is a third year MUN student and Molly a Level III student at Mobile Central High. Both of these young ladies are actively involved with the Bay Bulls to Bauline Athletic Association. In 2010, Aprille was chair and Molly a member of the Youth Committee which completely organized and promoted the fourth Annual Regional Games in the Bay Bulls to Bauline area held in September 2010.

It is very encouraging, Mr. Speaker, to see our youth giving back to their community and taking on such leadership roles. I am confident that Aprille and Molly will bring back the knowledge gained from this forum to enhance their skills to further build their communities with their volunteer involvement.

Mr. Speaker, Aprille and Molly are tremendous youth ambassadors and no doubt have very bright futures ahead of them. They are an inspiration for all our youth to get involved in building and being part of what our future communities will look like.

I ask all hon. members to join me in congratulating Aprille and Molly and to commend them on being so actively involved in their communities.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Member for the District of Cartwright-L'Anse au Clair.

MS JONES: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I rise in the House today to recognize two Junior Canadian Ranger Patrols from my district and one individual Junior Canadian Ranger who recently won awards at the Junior Canadian Ranger National Marksmanship competition.

Mr. Speaker, this competition features teams comprised of the top five or ten shooters from each province. In our Province the selection is based on the top two regional teams and not necessarily the top shooters. You would think that this would put us at a competitive disadvantage, but I am proud to say that the two regional teams, both from the District of Cartwright-L'Anse au Clair, who represented our Province, placed first and second in the whole country. They were the Mary's Harbour Patrol and the Port Hope Simpson Patrol. This was an outstanding performance by these young people aged twelve to eighteen years old who represented Newfoundland and Labrador.

I would also like to recognize the members from the Mary's Harbour Patrol: Sergeant Daniel Johnson, Master Corporals Paula Russell, Cassandra Pye, Evan Pye, Hillary Roberts, and their coach, Larry Rumbolt, for finishing in first place. Very special congratulations to Sergeant Daniel Johnson for winning the top shooter in the Country Award.

Mr. Speaker, I would also like to recognize the members from the Port Hope Simpson Patrol on their second place finish. The members were Master Corporal Shauna Burdon, Daniel Sampson, Regan Burdon, Darren Ward, Bobby Marie Clarke, and Coach Bradley Penney.

I ask all members of the House to join with me in extending congratulations to the Junior Canadian Ranger Patrols for their superb performance on behalf of the Province of Newfoundland and Labrador.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

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

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. KELLY: Mr. Speaker, I rise in this hon. House today to congratulate the organizers of Deer Lake Winterfest 2011.

The Winterfest was a huge success this year. The ten-day event kicked off on March 4, and took place at various locations throughout Deer Lake. I would like to extend my congratulations and special thanks to the Winterfest committee members: Samantha Caines, Sarah Bursey, David Fever, Crystal Major, Junior Pinksen, Julie Pinksen, Patty Regular, and Danielle Young. They did an outstanding job, and their goal to have a successful event was certainly accomplished. I would also like to thank all the sponsors and volunteers, as well as the Town of Deer Lake, for contributing to the festival's success.

Mr. Speaker, Winterfest revived the atmosphere of the former Deer Lake Winter Carnival, which had seen interest wane in recent years. So, the young parents who made up the committee had a goal this year to return the festival to how they remembered it when they were children. Mr. Speaker, Winterfest 2011 included a balance of activities for all age groups.

I was so pleased to have attended many of the events. Xavier Junior High hosted an "Are you Smarter than a Sixth Grader?" kind of contest. It was kind of embarrassing for me to admit to all those present, that I was not smarter than a sixth grader. Also, I attended March Hare, an Atlantic Canadian arts festival. They set up a venue which saw performances by the Dunn Hill Singers and The Once.

Mr. Speaker, I ask all members of this House to join me in congratulating the Winterfest committee and the Town of Deer Lake in hosting a tremendous winter festival. It certainly was a wonderful ten days of events for the community, our region, and indeed, our Province.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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.

I rise in this hon. House today to acknowledge the Indian River High School Female Ball Hockey team.

Mr. Speaker, at the eight-team School Sports Provincial Tournament, host school, Indian River High defeated Glovertown in the championship game to capture the 3A Provincial title.

Mr. Speaker, the fans were treated to lots of excitement, sheer perseverance, and skill, as all teams pulled out all the stops to secure a victory. Indeed, the school and the entire community are to be commended for hosting and organizing a tournament of this magnitude.

Events such as this go a long way in fostering a positive, healthy learning climate which enhances student achievement.

Members of the championship team are: Hannah Pollard, Katie Mckay, Shawna Pelley, Demi Pelley, Rebecca Bouzanne, Julia Brewer, Lacee Budgell, Lashonda Roberts, Kristie MacDonald, Katie MacDonald, Emily Edison, Chelsea-Hobbs Regular, Kena Stuckless, Nikita Osbourne, and Morgan Whitt.

Mr. Speaker, I invite all hon. colleagues to join me in sending accolades to the provincial 3A female high school ball hockey champs, the Indian River Wildcats.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER: Statements by Ministers.

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

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. KENNEDY: Mr. Speaker, I rise in this hon. House today to provide an update on the progress of our government's significant health care infrastructure projects throughout the Province. Budget 2011, Standing Strong: For Prosperity. For Our Future. For Newfoundland and Labrador. furthered the provincial government's commitment of advancing health infrastructure with investments of $200.6 million for new construction and redevelopment projects, $50 million for new equipment and $21.6 million for repairs and renovations.

Budget 2011, Mr. Speaker, includes new and significant health-related infrastructure projects, including an investment of $4.5 million for the initial planning of a new mental health facility to replace the Waterford Hospital. In addition to new projects, we continue to fund existing projects, some of which have reached or are about to reach significant milestones.

Mr. Speaker, I am particularly pleased to report that our continued investment, $23.7 million in Budget 2011, has allowed the next phase of construction to begin at the Labrador West Health Centre. Significant progress has been made to date on this $90 million project. Site preparation was completed in late 2008 and work was completed on the foundation and structural steel this past fall. Construction for the main building is anticipated to begin within the next two weeks and the facility is expected to be ready for occupancy by 2014.

This past fall, Mr. Speaker, site preparation was completed for the new Lewisporte Community Health Centre. The foundation for the facility has been laid and construction of the structural steel frame is ongoing. The $29.9 million facility is expected to be ready for occupancy in 2013.

Mr. Speaker, I am also pleased to report that construction is about to begin for the Strait of Belle Isle Health Care Clinic in Flower's Cove.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. KENNEDY: A contract totalling over $7 million has been awarded, final design drawings are now being reviewed and construction will begin in the coming weeks.

Significant work also continues on the hospital being constructed in Corner Brook in which we are investing $18.5 million in Budget 2011. Work also continues on the $150 million new long-term care facility in St. John's, which will replace the Hoyles-Escasoni home, and the $30 million redevelopment of the Central Newfoundland Regional Health Centre in Grand Falls-Windsor.

Mr. Speaker, projects of this scale are complex and take a significant amount of time to complete. We are pleased with the progress that has taken place to date. We currently have twenty-five significant infrastructure projects ongoing, fifteen of which are outside of St. John's.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. KENNEDY: Our dedication, Mr. Speaker, to these projects further illustrates our commitment to providing quality health care infrastructure, especially in rural Newfoundland and Labrador.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

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

MS JONES: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I thank the minister for an advance copy of his statement. One thing I can say for certain is that government is great on announcements because all of these things we have seen announced and heard announced on many occasions. They are a little slow on delivery, I say to the minister. When you look at things like the youth addiction facility in Grand Falls-Windsor that has been on the books for over two years and it is not started yet, you look at the facility for youth with complex mental health needs that you committed to that is still not started in the Province, you look at the addictions centre in Carbonear that is still not started. Mr. Speaker, there is a whole list.

The minister likes to talk about all of these great announcements and the fact that there is $200 million today. The reality is that $143 million of that is being carried over year after year and we are not seeing these facilities being completed.

When you look at places like Labrador West, they have waited years. They had to have protests. They rallied in the street to get the government to move on this infrastructure. When you look at Flower's Cove and Lewisporte, these were facilities a few years ago the government wanted to take off the map, close down X-ray services, and cut back their hours of operation. The people got up against it and the people protested. Today, Mr. Speaker, they deserve the reward of having proper facilities in their communities.

Mr. Speaker, the government is slow on delivery. We are hoping that we are going to see these facilities built in a timely fashion in Newfoundland and Labrador to meet the needs of our people. That is what is important. We also want to see the government move on other things. We have asked them questions around the cancer control strategy in the House of Assembly. We are learning that the advisory committee for this is still not in place and there has been no movement.

I say, Mr. Speaker, announcements are great but the real thing is seeing the results at the end of the day.

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

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

I, too, thank the minister for the advance copy of his statement. It is not a new statement, a statement reminding people of the fact that commitments they have made in at least some areas are moving ahead. Obviously, I am glad to know that the Labrador West Health Centre is finally going into the final stages of actually coming into existence. The people there have been waiting a long time for it.

We, of course, are very pleased about what was announced in the Budget with regard to the replacement for the Waterford Hospital. I hope the minister in the department will direct the planners and architects to consult closely with the mental health community in particular, so they can come up with a design that will respond to the needs of patients and the potential for reintegration into the community.

Infrastructure spending is important, Mr. Speaker, and it is essential, but I wish this government would move its second foot and put money into preventative health measures because that is where we are lacking badly in this Province; yet, we have all kinds of indicators that our people are not in good health. Preventative health measures are needed desperately. So let's move the second foot, Mr. Speaker. Along with infrastructure, let's get into educational and preventive health programs.

Thank you very much.

MR. SPEAKER: Further statements by ministers?

The hon. the Minister of Human Resources, Labour and Employment.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. KING: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I rise today to inform members of the House of an exciting development in the provincial government's commitment to help young people seize opportunities and build better futures.

Mr. Speaker, since the launch of the Youth Retention and Attraction Strategy, we have been communicating with our youth and helping them access the endless opportunities that abound in Newfoundland and Labrador. One of the forty-one initiatives contained in the strategy was a grant program to support businesses that wish to implement innovative workplace skills development practices for young people.

Mr. Speaker, through a commitment of $100,000, the grant program for businesses to implement innovative workplace skills development practices will assist businesses that have recruitment or retention challenges. It will also provide an incentive for employers to encourage innovation in workplace strategies and practices to increase their capacity to both recruit and retain recent graduates and young workers.

Mr. Speaker, this exciting program offers grants of up to $5,000 for small and medium-sized businesses in the Province. It will be administered by the Newfoundland and Labrador Association of Community Business Development Corporations, which is an organization which recognizes the critical role that youth play in developing a strong business climate in our Province.

By empowering youth, we are laying the groundwork to ensure the growth and sustainability of Newfoundland and Labrador. Today's announcement is an exciting new development for post-secondary students, young workers, and businesses operating throughout our Province. Youth have clearly stated that accessing employment and gaining workplace experience is a priority for them, Mr. Speaker.

Through Budget 2011, Standing Strong: For Prosperity. For Our Future. For Newfoundland and Labrador, the provincial government has allocated $3.7 million for grants and subsidies in support of the Youth Retention and Attraction Strategy. Mr. Speaker, by enhancing education, research and the labour market in this Province with these kinds of investments, we are contributing to a stronger and more prosperous future for everyone.

In closing, as the Minister Responsible for Youth Engagement in this Province, I am looking forward to seeing the results of this program, as young people and businesses work in partnership to realize their dreams and their goals right here in Newfoundland and Labrador.

Thank you.

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 thank the minister for an advance copy of his statement. Certainly, all of us look forward to seeing the results of this strategy and this particular part of the strategy that has been launched. We all know that our young people are undoubtedly the future of our Province. While we are pleased to hear about the grant program, and the emphasis on networking and partnerships between youth and business, Mr. Speaker, we cannot overlook the fact that there are serious challenges that face our youth today.

When we look at the unemployment rate in Newfoundland and Labrador in our youth, it is 24.8 per cent, basically double of the national average. We see too many people still having to leave our Province to find work in other parts of Canada; countless stories.

We all know of our young people who are leaving our neighbourhoods and our families to further their careers across the country. Certainly, so much has to be done. From the skilled trades' point of view as well, Mr. Speaker, so many of them have to pack up and leave, particularly to Alberta. The Telegram carried a story a short while ago that said Have trade, will travel, and I just recall the stories of so many people leaving.

Mr. Speaker, it is good to see the initiative. It is great to see that grants have been made available to businesses. I, too, would hope that the outcome will be that we see more of our young people being able to stay in this Province, develop their careers, and have a positive input into our society.

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, too, thank the minister for an advance copy of his statement. I do believe and agree with government that they have a role to play in assisting small businesses in their training needs and ensuring that youth get employment opportunities. Skills training continues to be an extremely important need in this Province, and it will go on for quite a while, I believe. We need to continue to increase the number of interns that government hires in its own departments, to ensure that youth get the crucial experience they need to become more employable and remain in the Province, as the minister has stated.

With regard to this particular announcement today, Mr. Speaker, if the maximum grant is given to all businesses who apply, it would help actually twenty businesses. I would like to see a more extensive and permanent program to offer regular training to small business employees, young people who are small business employees, so they can continue to upgrade their skills to the benefit of their company and enhance the economy.

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker.

MR. SPEAKER: Further statements by ministers?

Oral Questions.

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

MS JONES: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, my questions are for the Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs. The deadline to reach a settlement with the Canadian Union of Postal Workers is just a week away. We understand that Newfoundland and Labrador opted out of the agreement to have postal workers deliver pension and social assistance cheques in our Province.

I ask the minister today: What is the plan to have those cheques delivered to the people of the Province come Tuesday if these workers are on strike?

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

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. DENINE: Mr. Speaker, at any time when there is any type of a job action or anything going to happen, there is always measures being taken to make sure that any important mail or cheques or whatever are delivered on time. I am sure that will be done this time, too.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

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

MS JONES: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Maybe the minister could tell me why Newfoundland and Labrador opted out of the program that other provinces signed on to for the delivery in the case of a strike or a lockout and maybe he can tell me what the contingency plan is in Newfoundland and Labrador if this should happen come Tuesday?

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

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. DENINE: Mr. Speaker, again, when there is a job action taken by any union or anyone that affects anyone in the Province of Newfoundland and Labrador and Canada, all the necessary steps are taken to make sure that whether it be mail, whether it be cheques or any information gathered are disseminated throughout the Province.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

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

MS JONES: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

It is quite obvious the minister knows nothing about this and obviously, there is no plan in place or he would be telling the people of the Province today.

Minister, AbitibiBowater reported this week that it earned a $30 million profit in the first three months of this year. The company sales are up 8 per cent. The company is still making paper, it is just not making paper in Newfoundland and Labrador, I say to the government. That is a far cry, Mr. Speaker, from what the Premier and Nalcor President, Ed Martin, said was going to happen when they told us that we needed to expropriate the company's assets two years ago. Mr. Speaker, the actions of the government obviously have chased Abitibi out of our Province.

I ask the Premier today, Mr. Speaker –

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Oh, oh!

MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!

MS JONES: - because the company is still solvent, the company is still earning a profit; the company is still making paper.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Oh, oh!

MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!

MS JONES: I ask the Premier today, if she could update for us what the government is doing with those assets at this time?

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Premier.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

PREMIER DUNDERDALE: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, AbitibiBowater pulled out of Newfoundland and Labrador despite tremendous support by this government and support from the communities in Central Newfoundland for over 100 years.

Mr. Speaker, the poor little lambs across the way, we provided all the information to them and they joined unanimously with us as we expropriated those assets; one of the finest moments in the Legislature of Newfoundland and Labrador, Mr. Speaker.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

PREMIER DUNDERDALE: Now, Mr. Speaker, that they have been granted protection under the laws of Quebec and have been able, because of the laws of Quebec, to walk away from their environmental responsibilities in Newfoundland and Labrador, like they walked away from the people of Central Newfoundland, she wants us to do something.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!

The hon. the Leader of the Opposition.

MS JONES: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The problem is, Mr. Speaker, they have walked away. They walked away, they are earning a profit, they are making paper, and they are creating jobs somewhere else. What is happening in Newfoundland and Labrador? We are paying the bills, we are paying the price for a mill that you expropriated, and we are paying for all the security and clean up costs.

Mr. Speaker, I ask the government today: What is happening with the assets that were left behind by Abitibi and what is the plan to deal with this?

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Premier.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

PREMIER DUNDERDALE: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, I will tell you one thing they are not doing, they are not making money off the assets of Newfoundland and Labrador while they are not providing work in this Province to the people of the Province.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!

The hon. the Premier.

PREMIER DUNDERDALE: Now, Mr. Speaker, we have those assets here in the Province. We have the generation coming off the Exploits River; we have the biomass and an opportunity to do something with that to provide employment. Like the people of Central Newfoundland said to us: Expropriate those assets. We may not be able to earn a living from them but we want the ability of our children and grandchildren to be able to do that. We stand by that decision, Mr. Speaker, too bad you do not.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!

The hon. the Leader of the Opposition.

MS JONES: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Abitibi is not providing jobs in this Province today because your government chased them out. They are not providing jobs today because they could not work with the government opposite. Mr. Speaker, the Premier and the head of Nalcor led all of us to believe, in this Province, that AbitibiBowater was going bankrupt - that they were going bankrupt.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Oh, oh!

MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!

MS JONES: Here they are today, a thriving company, earning $30 million in profits in the last quarter, creating jobs and making paper.

I ask the Premier: It is nearly two-and-a-half years now, can you tell the people of this Province how much we are paying, in total, for this bungled expropriation, including the paper mill that she had for nine months and did not realize she had?

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Premier.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

PREMIER DUNDERDALE: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, this company has been under bankruptcy protection in the Province of Quebec since the expropriation. I do not know where you are, but the rest of the country is well aware of that, Mr. Speaker.

Now, we laid out exactly what was going on, we listened to the advice of the people of Central Newfoundland, we did what was right. Talk about an abrogation of the responsibility. Every piece of information we had at that time, we provided to the members of the Opposition, and they stood with us at the time, proudly I recall, to expropriate those assets.

It just goes to show they do not know what they are talking about now, and they did not know what they were talking about or doing then, either.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

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

MS JONES: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

At the time, we stood by because we were told by you, Premier, and Mr. Ed Martin that this company was going into bankruptcy, everything would be lost; and here we are seeing them earning a profit, creating jobs, making paper, while we are left with what? With all of the environmental damages that will cost the people of this Province.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Oh, oh!

MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!

MS JONES: So, Mr. Speaker, we will not be taking the Premier's word and Mr. Martin's word next time around.

Yesterday, Nalcor released its financial reports indicating it made $77.5 million last year. I ask the Premier: Nalcor is making vast amounts of money and increasing their profits, so why have they made an application to the Public Utilities Board to increase the electricity rates on the Island by nearly 7 per cent?

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Premier.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

PREMIER DUNDERDALE: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, thanks to this government, Nalcor is now a very big, integrated company, working on behalf of the people of Newfoundland and Labrador, earning money for the people of Newfoundland and Labrador.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

PREMIER DUNDERDALE: Mr. Speaker, we get good return through our royalties from our oil and gas. We are going to also get a return from our equity, through Nalcor, because of what we are doing in oil and gas, Mr. Speaker. Electricity is a regulated activity in this Province, something we are well aware the members of the Opposition do not understand, Mr. Speaker. Anybody who has been listening to the debate on Muskrat Falls must be scratching their head in wonderment that three members who are part of a government, two part of a Cabinet, do not understand the regulation of electricity in this Province.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!

The hon. the Leader of the Opposition.

MS JONES: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

We understand fully. I tell you what: I would even take it a step further to say that they are not just a big, integrated corporation; they are a big, integrated, secretive corporation, Premier, and you created them that way. They are also the same corporation today that you are funnelling $348 million of taxpayers' money into as I speak.

Mr. Speaker, why is it Nalcor is earning a profit this year of $77.5 million, yet they are going out asking the people of Newfoundland and Labrador to pay 7 per cent more for their electricity? I think the people deserve an explanation, Premier.

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Premier.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

PREMIER DUNDERDALE: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, the people of the Province always get an explanation when they ask questions of this government, unlike members opposite when they sat on this side of the House.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

PREMIER DUNDERDALE: Mr. Speaker, electricity generation is a regulated activity in this Province. The cost of generation, except in exceptional circumstances, is paid by the ratepayer, Mr. Speaker. That is the way the system works. It is the way it worked when you were there; it is the way it works now.

We expect Nalcor to make money – to make money for Newfoundlanders and Labradorians, Mr. Speaker. We may decide at some point to increase our subsidies to pay for electricity. We do that in a number of communities already in this Province. We have just made a big commitment to the people of Newfoundland and Labrador in our Budget with the 8 per cent rebate on home heating costs, Mr. Speaker. We respond to Newfoundlanders and Labradorians.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!

The hon. the Leader of the Opposition.

MS JONES: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The Premier is prepared to do everything possible under the law to protect Nalcor as a corporation, to ensure that it is secretive, to ensure that it is exempt from the Auditor General, and to ensure that it is exempt from the Public Utilities Board. Mr. Speaker, all of those particular things, but she is not prepared to go out on a limb to protect the consumers in Newfoundland and Labrador from another rate hike, Mr. Speaker. That is what she is not prepared to do.

The Minister of Finance stated the other day in the House of Assembly that Nalcor would make $500 million a year on Muskrat Falls power by collecting money from Newfoundlanders and Labradorians. They currently make $77.5 million based on a power price of 6.5 cents per kilowatt hour.

I ask you today, Premier: How much will Nalcor really have to charge to Newfoundlanders and Labradorians for Muskrat Falls power to ensure they make that $500 million a year?

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Premier.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

PREMIER DUNDERDALE: Mr. Speaker, just let me remind the Leader of the Opposition, when this government was establishing the Crown corporation of Nalcor, we suspended the rules of this House for over a week, three days or a week, so that they could be fully informed, the members of the Opposition. We made all the advice we had available to us from the Department of Justice available to them. We worked co-operatively together so that they would understand the structure of this company and how it would work on behalf of the people of the Province; suspended the rules of the House so they could understand, Mr. Speaker. We moved ahead.

Mr. Speaker, Nalcor has an annual meeting where all of the people of the Province can come and question directly the executives of Nalcor about the business they perform on our behalf.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

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

MS JONES: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Half the people in this Province cannot afford to get to a hospital, I say to the Premier, in St. John's, along with a meeting with Nalcor at one of the hotels downtown.

Mr. Speaker, for the past six months the Premier has been telling the House of Assembly that Muskrat Falls will get a full assessment at the Public Utilities Board. We learned yesterday, however, that she and the Chair, Andy Wells, whom the government appointed to that board, are now negotiating just how much of the project will go to the PUB for review.

I ask you today, Premier: Why are you limiting the ability of the Public Utilities Board to examine this project?

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Premier.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

PREMIER DUNDERDALE: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, unlike members opposite, we are sending this project to the PUB for review, more than they were going to do.

Mr. Speaker, it is astounding actually that former Premier Grimes' deal did not go to the board of Newfoundland and Labrador Hydro. It did not go to the PUB, was not going to the PUB. They had an order for an exemption from the PUB, Mr. Speaker. It did not go to the people of Newfoundland and Labrador, and the Leader of the Opposition, who was Justice Minister and Attorney General at the time, talked yesterday about the fact that there was not an exemption. Mr. Speaker, I do not even know how much of the Cabinet knew. Mr. Speaker, we are bringing the PUB back in, something they should have done in 2000.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

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

MS JONES: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

This project is the work of the Premier and her government, Mr. Speaker. The act says that she may, Mr. Speaker –

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Oh, oh!

MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!

MS JONES: - may order the Public Utilities Board to do a full review of this project.

I ask you today, Premier: What is there to hide? What is it that you are trying to keep from the public? Why are you not prepared to have the Public Utilities Board do a full review of the Muskrat Falls Project?

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Premier.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

PREMIER DUNDERDALE: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, there is nothing to hide. This is a project that everybody on this side of the House is so proud of, Mr. Speaker.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

PREMIER DUNDERDALE: We are pleased to be associated with this project.

Mr. Speaker, not only is there nothing to hide and not only are we going to the PUB to ask the fundamental question, the critical question that you have been putting forward day and day. What is the critical question? Is Muskrat Falls the lowest cost option for the people of Newfoundland and Labrador for electricity generation? That is the question that is going to be put to the PUB. When that question is answered from the PUB, all of the other answers to the other questions will become absolutely clear.

Mr. Speaker, not only are we putting it to the PUB, Nalcor is putting it to independent consultants; that report will be available, Mr. Speaker, by midsummer.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Oh, oh!

MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!

PREMIER DUNDERDALE: So, Mr. Speaker, Nalcor will put that question to independent consultants to review. Mr. Speaker, the government will put it to the PUB to review. The PUB will answer your most important…

MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

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

MS JONES: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

It is nothing to be proud of in this Province as an MHA to say that we are going to support increasing and doubling electricity rates of Newfoundlanders and Labradorians.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Oh, oh!

MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!

MS JONES: I am so proud, Mr. Speaker, I am going to give away 29 per cent of our transmission to a private corporation in Nova Scotia. That is something to be proud of.

Mr. Speaker, the Premier says she is putting it to the PUB. The difference is she is putting it to the Public Utilities Board under her terms, terms that she will control the outcome of, and that is not fair. We are asking that there be a full review of the Public Utilities Board, that there be public hearings, that it be an open process. The time it takes to do it should be done because it is the people's money that you are gambling with that Newfoundlanders and Labradorians will have to pay for, for many years to come.

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Premier.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

PREMIER DUNDERDALE: Mr. Speaker, I will guarantee you one thing, I am not putting it there under their terms which was not to have the PUB look at it at all. Mr. Speaker, I am not taking that position.

Now, Mr. Speaker, you can say until you are black in the face that Muskrat Falls is doubling electricity prices in this Province. You will be wrong. You were wrong the first time you said it; you will be wrong the last time you say it, Mr. Speaker.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Oh, oh!

MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!

PREMIER DUNDERDALE: That is not so.

In the same way she constantly repeats that only 11 per cent of our electricity comes from Holyrood, Mr. Speaker, when she has admitted in this House that ranges from 11 per cent to 37 per cent given the hydrology.

AN HON. MEMBER: Oh, oh!

MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!

PREMIER DUNDERDALE: Nobody argues with you that it was 11 per cent last year, but it was 37 per cent the year before.

AN HON. MEMBER: Oh, oh!

MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!

PREMIER DUNDERDALE: You see, Mr. Speaker, that is part of the problem. She can only get part of the information. That is all she presents to the public. She does not (inaudible).

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!

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

MR. DEAN: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, the Minister of Environment and Conservation has decided to celebrate Municipal Awareness Day by blaming municipal leaders for having boil order advisories in their communities. The fact of the matter, Mr. Speaker, is that of over 200 boil order advisories in this Province, 36 per cent are related to the lack of chlorination because municipalities do not have the resources or the financial ability to operate them.

I ask the minister: Why is your department, which is responsible for addressing environmental concerns, allowing these situations to continue in municipalities?

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Minister of Environment and Conservation.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. WISEMAN: Thank you.

In recent years, our government has made some tremendous effort and great strides in working co-operatively with municipalities throughout Newfoundland and Labrador. In fact, we have established three mobile training units stationed in Western Newfoundland, Central Newfoundland, and Eastern Newfoundland serving the entire Island portion of the Province and Labrador to provide the technical expertise and training to operators of our water systems around the Province.

We have introduced a certification program to ensure that people who operate water systems around the Province have the appropriate training and certification levels to operate these sometimes very complex systems, Mr. Speaker. We have introduced new funding arrangements, my colleague the Minister of Municipal Affairs, to allow smaller municipalities to access greater amounts of money to make enhancements and improvements to their water systems, Mr. Speaker.

We will continue. We made a commitment and we will continue to work with municipalities to enhance the quality of water supplies throughout Newfoundland and Labrador.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

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

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Oh, oh!

MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!

MR. DEAN: Mr. Speaker, thank you.

The number of boil order advisories remains extremely high in this Province, despite this government's minimal efforts to address the issue. In fact, Mr. Speaker, the best this government could offer to municipalities is the portable water dispensing units. Very few municipalities have taken advantage of them because they do not see them a viable solution and many of them cannot afford them.

Mr. Speaker, I ask the Minister of Municipal Affairs: What plans does his department have to address the 200-plus boil order advisories that are presently in this Province?

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

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. O'BRIEN: Mr. Speaker, I thank the hon. member for the question because it gives me a chance to highlight the significant investment that we have made with regard to municipal infrastructure particularly in the water area. We have invested over the last six, seven years over $200 million in regard to addressing the infrastructure needs in this Province.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. O'BRIEN: As well I would like to point out, Mr. Speaker, that 60 per cent of that is in rural Newfoundland and Labrador.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!

The hon. the Opposition House Leader.

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

Mr. Speaker, yesterday in this House I asked the Minister of Justice to explain why he cut the staff that could deal with nuisance wildlife in this Province, principally moose. He said that nothing had changed. I am not sure how that is possible seeing that the permanent field staff has gone from 120 to 37, contrary to the numbers that the minister gave us yesterday.

How can you say there are no changes to dealing with nuisance wildlife, minister, when the field staff complement has been cut by 70 per cent?

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Minister of Justice and the Attorney General.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. F. COLLINS: Mr. Speaker, I am still puzzled where the hon. member is getting his figures. The thirty-seven positions, Mr. Speaker, he refers to were thirty-seven positions moved from Natural Resources to Justice, in addition to the approximately fifty positions we already had in Justice. We have, I think it is eighty-eight positions under this new department, new division, Mr. Speaker, all doing the work of conservation including the work of nuisance animals and road kill and that sort of thing. From that point of view the same people are working the same job; we have eighty-eight people doing the job not thirty-seven. I do not know where you are getting those numbers.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

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

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

We hear about economics of one sort or another and mathematics is important too. Mr. Minister you do not include secretaries, mechanics, ADMs, that is what you have included in your eighty-eight. I am using the word field officers.

I say, minister, this is indeed an issue of public safety. If there is a moose knocked down on one of our roads today, conservation officers are not allowed to touch it, not allowed to do anything. They now have to wait for one of the officers from Justice to show up and there are only thirty-seven of them. For example, there were six wildlife officers in Labrador West previously who could deal with this type of issue. That has been cut to one.

I ask you minister: Why are you jeopardizing public safety by not allowing Conservation Officers to remove these nuisance carcasses from our highways?

MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!

The hon. the Minister of Justice and the Attorney General.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. F. COLLINS: Mr. Speaker, this government is very proud of its natural resources, its wildlife and fish stocks -

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Oh, oh!

MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!

MR. F. COLLINS: - and, Mr. Speaker, very determined to make sure that we preserve and protect our wildlife resources in this Province. That was the reason for this merger and bringing this division together. At the end of the day, Mr. Speaker, this will all be combined under one division, under one roof; we will do all the work that was necessary to wildlife and conservation protection.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Oh, oh!

MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!

Order, please!

MR. F. COLLINS: We will continue to do that and will do much better under the new arrangement. There is a transition team in place, Mr. Speaker, making sure this all goes seamlessly. At the end of the day, we hope to have a better division as a result of it.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!

The hon. the Opposition House Leader.

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

It is good to see that the minister has finally admitted there are not eighty-eight because you do not include the secretarial staff and so on when it comes to field officers. It is great to see that. We finally have an admission.

Mr. Speaker, there are five fish and wildlife officers on the Avalon Peninsula. We have learned that on Monday all of them were in St. John's dealing with nuisance moose. We have heard this is common throughout the Province and takes up most of the officers' time.

I ask the minister: Who is doing fish and wildlife enforcement on our rivers and in our forests when all the officers responsible for it are busy getting rid of nuisance moose, yet you refuse to allow conservation officers to undertake that task? What is the logic and rationale for doing such?

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Minister of Justice and the Attorney General.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. F. COLLINS: Mr. Speaker, the comments of the Opposition House Leader make absolutely no sense whatsoever. We have eighty-eight positions - and I do not know the exact number of officers, the exact number of secretaries. We have thirty-seven new positions that came over from Justice.

The Department of Justice and the Department of Natural Resources sat down over a number of months and put the team together to put fish and wildlife enforcement in place. It is designed to protect our wildlife stocks in a much more expedient, expeditious and safe manner and that is the whole purpose behind this division.

With regard to the nuisance animals, that will be done in the same spirit it was done before, by most of the same people who did it before because these officers are still in place.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

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

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

Mr. Speaker, diabetes is a terrible disease which affects approximately 47,000 people in our Province.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Oh, oh!

MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!

MS MICHAEL: In the report The Economic Burden of Diabetes in Newfoundland and Labrador, the Canadian Diabetes Association –

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Oh, oh!

MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!

The Chair is having difficulty in hearing the hon. the Member for the District of Signal Hill-Quidi Vidi with conversations back and forth across the House.

The hon. the member.

MS MICHAEL: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The Canadian Diabetes Association estimates that the annual cost of diabetes to government in 2010 was $254 million. This cost is expected to skyrocket by 27 per cent to a cost of $322 million by 2020.

Mr. Speaker, I ask the Minister of Health and Community Services if the unfinished chronic disease prevention and management strategy will include programs that will deal with healthy weights, populations at risk, and secondary prevention.

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

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. KENNEDY: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The hon. member opposite is aware, from Estimates last week, that the chronic disease management strategy is in its final stages of being prepared. She is aware of that. It will outline a plan, as does other strategies, to deal with these situations.

Mr. Speaker, we are a government of action, and not only of plans. Let me give you an example how our approach to diabetes has impacted on the lives of individuals in this Province. In 2007, we brought in a $1.4 million investment to fund insulin pumps for children in this Province, and it has affected people's lives.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. KENNEDY: Mr. Speaker, Budget 2010 provides an additional $797,700 to expand the coverage from eighteen to twenty-five year olds.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. KENNEDY: Mr. Speaker, we are not a government that talks, we are a government that acts.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

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 pointing out the information about the insulin pumps, which was good information, but the Canadian Diabetes Association, Mr. Speaker –

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Oh, oh!

MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!

MS MICHAEL: – has reported that diabetes itself is on the rise in the whole country, but Newfoundland and Labrador's rate was significantly higher than the Canadian rate.

So I ask the minister: Is government going to further expand its insulin pump program to include all residents living with type 1 diabetes, where medically prescribed, and cover the glucose testing strips under MCP?

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

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. KENNEDY: Yes, Mr. Speaker, again I will quote the Opposition House Leader earlier: The NDP seems to take the position that you pay for everything and money falls off trees – now, I am paraphrasing somewhat.

Mr. Speaker, let me give you another example of how we have dealt with diabetes, the priorities and choices we have to make. Look at our investments in dialysis. Talk to the members who have recently had the benefit, talk to the Opposition House Leader, talk to the people on this side of the House, and the investments we have made in dialysis, Mr. Speaker. What we have had to do is make choices. We have made choices with dialysis. We have put it out throughout this Province, and the impact it has on people's lives and improving their lives is phenomenal. We have dealt with the insulin pumps, and look at the impact we have had on people's lives. Talk to people, Mr. Speaker.

So, what we are doing, there is a limited budget, we make our decisions, we look at the competing dictates, and we have to make decisions. We continue to improve the health care system, and these are two great examples of how we have improved people's lives.

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, the minister knows that people with diabetes are more susceptible to many other illnesses. One of the leading causes of kidney failure and ending up on dialysis is diabetes. The fact is our Province has the worst record in the country of preventing the long-term complications from this disease and the minister knows that. There is a desperate need for training and education centres so they do not make it to a dialysis machine.

I ask the minister, Mr. Speaker: Why did the 2011 Budget not include more provisions for diabetes nurses and treatment centres?

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

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Oh, oh!

MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!

MR. KENNEDY: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

This government has certainly placed emphasis and continues to place emphasis on prevention, Mr. Speaker, because that is a key factor. Owning your own health plays a key factor, Mr. Speaker, in maintaining the sustainability of the health care system. Let me, Mr. Speaker, paraphrase again from the World Health Organization report in 2003: 80 per cent of coronary heart disease, 90 per cent of type 2 diabetes cases, and one-third of cancers can be avoided by changing to a healthier diet, increasing physical activity, and stopping smoking, Mr. Speaker.

We are attempting to get our message out, especially to school kids, Mr. Speaker, and to all people of this Province. You have to own your own health and there are things you can do to prevent illness.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER: The time allotted for questions and answers has expired.

Presenting Reports by Standing and Select Committees.

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

MR. VERGE: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The Resource Committee have considered the matters to them referred and have directed me to report that they have passed without amendment the Estimates of the following departments, offices, and agencies: the Department of Natural Resources; the Department of Tourism, Culture and Recreation; the Department of Fisheries and Aquaculture; the Department of Environment and Conservation; the Department of Business; the Department of Innovation, Trade and Rural Development; the Newfoundland and Labrador Research & Development Corporation; the Rural Secretariat; the Women's Policy division; and the Office of French Services.

I would like to thank the members of the Committee for their involvement: the Member for Burgeo & La Poile, the Member for Labrador West, the Member for Conception Bay East & Bell Island, the Member for Topsail, the Member for The Straits & White Bay North, the Member for Grand Falls-Windsor-Green Bay South, the Member for Cartwright-L'Anse au Clair, and the Member for Signal Hill-Quidi Vidi.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

MR. SPEAKER: Further presentations of reports by standing and select committees?

Tabling of Documents.

Notices of Motion.

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

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MS BURKE: Mr. Speaker, I give notice that under Standing Order 11, I shall move that this House not adjourn at 5:30 p.m. on Thursday, May 19, 2011.

Further, Mr. Speaker, I give notice under Standing Order 11, I shall move that this House not adjourn at 10:00 p.m., Thursday, May 19, 2011.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER: Further notices of motion?

Answers to Questions for which Notice has been Given.

Petitions.

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

MS JONES: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I stand today to present a petition on behalf of residents of Labrador with regard to the Trans-Labrador Highway.

WHEREAS the Trans-Labrador Highway is a vital transportation lifeline for the Labrador communities, providing access, generating economic activity, and allowing residents to obtain health care and other public services; and

WHEREAS Route 510 and connecting branch roads of the Trans-Labrador Highway are unpaved, in deplorable condition and are no longer suitable and safe for the traffic volumes that travel this route; and

WHEREAS Labrador cannot afford to wait years or decades for upgrading and paving of their essential transportation route;

WHEREUPON the petitioners call upon the House of Assembly to urge the government to provide additional funding for much-needed improvements to Route 510 and connecting branch roads of the Trans-Labrador Highway.

Mr. Speaker, the people of Labrador have been petitioning the House of Assembly for weeks now asking the government to address the need with the road in the local area. Not only are they looking for an immediate response, Mr. Speaker, to what are very bad sections of gravel road, but they are also looking for a long-term commitment to pave this section of road. They have not had any response, Mr. Speaker, from the government and they are very frustrated.

In fact, Mr. Speaker, here we are now again about to head into a long weekend. Another weekend where people all across Labrador, like the people all over the Island portion of the Province, want to get in their vehicles and they want to be able to drive out for the weekend. They want to be able to drive to other areas of Labrador. They want to be able to drive out to the Island.

It is not fair that they have to put their vehicles on a road where there is nothing, Mr. Speaker, only rocks protruding in many sections, where there is a lot of loose gravel – well not loose because it is actually gone, it has disappeared now, it is on the sides of the road. What you have, Mr. Speaker, is a lot of potholes and things like this. It is causing damage to their vehicles.

In fact, I told you yesterday about a reporter I talked to in Labrador on another issue, and I just asked them if they had taken the road lately - in conversation. They told me that they drove the road just a few weeks ago, and from Blanc Sablon up to Goose Bay, which is normally a six to seven hour trip for most people, they were fourteen hours trying to make the trip.

There have been so many stories. Almost everyday, Mr. Speaker, I am getting calls in my office from people who have to use this road, almost every single day. They are not just my constituents. They are constituents of everybody else's in this Province, other members who sit in this House of Assembly who have constituents who have to go into that area of the Province for work, for travel, for other reasons. This is not just a Labrador problem. It is a problem that is shared by everyone who wants to access that area and who wants to get out of it.

Mr. Speaker, I think it is time to address it. Here it is, it is almost the end of May. We are getting into the May 24 weekend. It is time now for government to make a commitment in terms of what they are going to do to address the immediate concerns on that particular road and that is what the people are petitioning the House of Assembly for.

MR. SPEAKER: Further petitions?

The hon. the Opposition House Leader.

I ask the hon. Opposition House Leader if he would be mindful of the clock.

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

WHEREAS the Department of Transportation and Works of the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador is responsible for the funding and maintenance of roads in the community of Cape Ray, in the Province of Newfoundland and Labrador; and

WHEREAS the roads at Cape Ray are in a deplorable condition, including the road leading from the community to the J.T. Cheeseman Provincial Park; and

WHEREAS the citizens of Cape Ray demand that the roads be upgraded;

WHEREUPON the undersigned, your petitioners, humbly pray and call upon the House of Assembly to urge government to provide sufficient funding to complete the necessary repairs to the roads at Cape Ray.

Mr. Speaker, this is the fourth or fifth time I have entered this petition on behalf of those residents in Cape Ray and, indeed, all the users from that area and tourists who visit our area.

The Department of Transportation and Works uses the road themselves, it is adjoining a provincial park. It is in a deplorable condition and we would ask the minister to please take it under consideration and hopefully, he can find a few loads of sand even and a grader to get rid of the potholes that are there. It is not a long stretch of road. Indeed, it is only about a kilometre or so long and it could be repaired very quickly but somebody needs to give direction to have it done. Without the direction from the department in here, they are not prepared to do it on the ground out there, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you.

MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!

It being 3:00 o'clock in the afternoon, this being Private Members' Day, I now call on the hon. Member for the District of Signal Hill-Quidi Vidi to present her private member's resolution.

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

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

I am very pleased to move the following:

WHEREAS 47,000 people in Newfoundland and Labrador have a diabetes diagnosis as of 2010, which is 9.3% of the population, the highest rate in Canada; and

WHEREAS the number of people with diabetes in the Province may double in the next ten years without effective prevention; and

WHEREAS unless properly managed, diabetes leads to kidney and heart failure, disability and early death; and

WHEREAS dialysis machines are in demand because more diabetes cases are progressing to kidney failure, but if the disease is properly managed, people do not end up on dialysis; and

WHEREAS diabetes costs our health care system about $41 million a year for doctor visits, hospitalization, drugs, and medical supplies, a cost that could double in ten years without better prevention and management; and

WHEREAS diabetes requires frequent daily glucose testing with expensive testing strips, which is a hardship for most people who do not have private insurance or government assistance; and

WHEREAS many people who need glucose testing strips are going without because they cannot afford them, thus endangering their future health and placing an added burden on our health care system;

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that this House urge the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador to cover the cost of glucose testing strips for all diabetics in the Province under MCP;

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that government place the highest possible priority on releasing the chronic disease prevention and management strategy.

Seconded by the Member for Cartwright-L'Anse au Clair.

I am very pleased, Mr. Speaker, to take time now to speak to the motion I have just made. The motion is about governments doing more to help people cover the cost of managing their diabetes so they will not go on to develop serious conditions such as kidney failure, heart disease, blindness, and disabilities that cost our health care system millions every year.

We want government to ensure that all diabetics who need testing strips can get them through MCP. These strips, Mr. Speaker, can cost up to $1,900 per year if an individual with diabetes uses them for the maximum amount of time that one can be called upon to use them. We know that not everybody uses them the same amount, but if you really have a case of diabetes that requires it, you could be required to use them up to six times a day.

There are 47,000 diagnosed diabetics in the Province, but not all of these people would use the strips or test that much daily. Some experts are saying testing strips are not needed if you are not taking insulin, while others are saying every diabetic should use them.

The Canadian Diabetes Association takes the position that diabetes treatment is something decided between the patient and the practitioner. Everybody's case is different and they may use different types of treatment. That means that two diabetics with the same diabetes might not require having to use the same number of strips a day. Whether or not we are paying the $1,900 per person or not, will depend on the condition of the person with diabetes.

Forty-seven thousand people with diabetes are 9.3 per cent of our population, the highest rate in Canada. Government must do more to address this crisis because it is a crisis and people in the Diabetes Association and people who are dealing with diabetes call it a crisis.

Currently, the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador has not a finished strategy, although I do know the minister is saying and has said that it is coming, but at this point we still do not have the strategy in place to deal with prevention and management of chronic diseases. I hope, Mr. Speaker, that when we do get that strategy, and I am certainly expecting it sooner rather than later, that this strategy will be a plan with specified goals and measurable performance indicators.

Mr. Speaker, diabetes is a hidden public health threat. For every two people diagnosed with diabetes there is one undiagnosed, and that is agreed upon inside of the medical system. Nearly 18 per cent of our population are living with what is called pre-diabetes, which is high blood glucose levels that leads to diabetes or can lead to diabetes. If prevention does not become more effective or if management of the condition does not become more effective, the number of diabetics will double to 73,000 in 2020 that are here in our Province. At the rate we are going, at the rate people are aging and at the rate diabetes is being developed - I will repeat it - in 2020 we will have 73,000 people with diabetes.

We do not even have in this Province adequate screen testing of people who are a high risk for developing diabetes. This is really disturbing, Mr. Speaker, because there are four tests that can be done of people who are at high risk, people who can have no possibility probably of avoiding diabetes. The test that can be done can indicate where they are with the disease. Yet, here in this Province only 21 per cent of people at risk of diabetes can access all four tests, Mr. Speaker. We have higher rates for one test than for another, but in terms of all four tests that can be done, only 21 per cent of our people who are at high risk for diabetes can access these screening tests. So, Mr. Speaker, we are woefully deficient in trying to even prevent people getting into a dangerous situation with diabetes.

Unless properly managed, as I have already mentioned, diabetes leads to kidney and heart failure, disability, blindness, and early death. The mortality rate for diabetes is quite high, Mr. Speaker. It is five times higher here in Newfoundland than those without diabetes. So, people who have diabetes have five times more of a chance to die than people who do not have diabetes.

The costs of diabetes, Mr. Speaker, they are high and they are a burden on individuals. The direct costs of diabetes are estimated at $40 million a year for doctor visits, hospitalization, drugs, and medical supplies. Indirect mortality and disability costs are $214 million a year, so the total cost to our system, of diabetes, is $254 million a year. The annual out-of-pocket costs are close to $4,000 per person. That would include the testing strips and drugs. If somebody gets an insulin pump, insulin pumps cost in the range of $6,000, and according to Eastern Health persons with insulin pumps, while representing only 1 per cent of persons with diabetes, are consuming 50 per cent of resources under its diabetes education program. Not everyone, Mr. Speaker, has private or government insurance, so this is a heavy burden on people, I would present - a major burden.

Prevalence of diabetes occurrence was only 5 per cent in the year 2000 – that is eleven years ago, Mr. Speaker – but we have had, in the past eleven years, a dramatic increase due to poor diet, obesity, and sedentary lifestyle. The Auditor General's 2010 report deals in depth with diabetes and other chronic illnesses. It indicates that we have some of the highest rates of obesity, inactivity, and poor nutrition in the country, Mr. Speaker. The Auditor General called for a better primary prevention strategy for pre-diabetics and for people at risk. This is one of the preventative measures that I hope is going to be in the strategy when it comes forward from the minister.

All of the health authorities, in response to the Auditor General, said their services are not adequate to provide adequate care. Now, one of the anomalies that we have happening –

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Oh, oh!

MR. SPEAKER (T. Osborne): Order, please!

MS MICHAEL: - Mr. Speaker, in our Province right now is that with the four –

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Oh, oh!

MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!

MS MICHAEL: - regional authorities, four different things are happening with regard to a prevention strategy. For example, Mr. Speaker, out in the Western Regional Health Authority, they are actually in the process of developing their own diabetes strategy. They have provincial funding for that, Mr. Speaker. They are putting a program in place, software in place as they develop their own strategy with provincial funding.

In Central Health, they are developing their own strategy for chronic disease prevention and management. Their funding comes from the Public Health Agency of Canada to complete projects focused on prevention of diabetes. Labrador Grenfell has drafted a work plan with regard to diabetes prevention and management and Eastern Health intends to align activities with the department's strategy which we do not have yet.

Here we are, Mr. Speaker, we have four health authorities, each one doing something different with regard to a prevention strategy and diabetes management strategy. This is very, very disturbing, Mr. Speaker, that such is the case. Mr. Speaker, this means that we do not even have right now in the Province a unified standard going on even with regard to how strategies are being developed. This is very disturbing and I hope that the minister finds it disturbing as well. I find it very strange that, without a strategy, one health authority actually got money to put something in place; another one went off and found money. All of this happening under one Province, Mr. Speaker, it is not acceptable.

Even without a strategy we know we need more diabetes treatment and education centres around the Province and more diabetes nurses. We have been told this by the Canadian Diabetic Association; we have been told it by practitioners in the Province who are involved in dealing with the people who have diabetes. Right now it takes months to get into one of the education programs here in St. John's and to see a diabetes nurse.

We have 47,000 people with diabetes but we have only eight education centres. We have only eleven primary health care site practices and we have twenty-eight collaborative practices but we have 47,000 people with the disease, Mr. Speaker. I would like to point out that we used to have an office in the Department of Health and Community Services that co-ordinated primary health care practices, Mr. Speaker. There was federal money in that office keeping that office going. When the federal money dried up in the year 2006, this government did not think that it still had a responsibility to continue the co-ordination of primary health care. This is really a shame, Mr. Speaker. It is a terrible shame.

We need so much education, Mr. Speaker. We need stronger school nutrition programs. We need more physical education during school hours. We also need, Mr. Speaker, better access for people who have diabetes to medications, devices, and supplies.

Mr. Speaker, yesterday one of the radio stations in this city put a question on-line with regard to this motion, asking how people felt about it. I do not very often read the comments that happen when these kinds of polls are done, but because the poll had to do with this motion I decided I would read the pages and pages and pages of comments that people took the time to post. Mr. Speaker, I can say that about 95 per cent of the comments that were on-line were people with diabetes, people who had somebody in their family with diabetes, or somebody in the health care system who knows diabetes who all said the same thing: they totally, completely supported the motion I have brought forth here today, Mr. Speaker.

We need to make sure that people who have diabetes can manage the diabetes. One of the most important ways they can do that is through the use of glucose testing strips, Mr. Speaker, which are a real burden for people who do not have private insurance and a real burden for people who do not have government assistance. So, Mr. Speaker, covering the cost of the glucose strips, while it will be an expense upfront, it is going to take care of another expense at the other end that will not happen. We will help keep people, Mr. Speaker, off dialysis machines which would be a lot more expensive than providing people with the glucose strips they need to manage their diabetes.

So, Mr. Speaker, this is of such an urgent nature with regard to the health of our people in the Province. I really do urge all the members of this House, Mr. Speaker, that we stand in solidarity together and pass this resolution so that people know this whole House of Assembly does care for the health of the people in this Province. This whole House of Assembly can stand together when it comes to an issue that really does have to do with the welfare of our people and the welfare of our communities.

So I thank you very much, Mr. Speaker, for the time to present the motion. I look forward to the discussion that is going to follow here in the House.

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

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. KENNEDY: Yes, thank you, Mr. Speaker.

There are two aspects to this motion, and I will be speaking to that throughout, but one deals with glucose, the second deals with the chronic disease management strategy.

Mr. Speaker, there can be no question of the effect of chronic disease on our society, and the future sustainability of our health care system. Chronic disease is the biggest threat to the health of our population, and the sustainability of the health care system. Chronic diseases have long durations, they are generally slow to progress, they require ongoing management by individuals, health care providers, and the communities. Some examples of chronic disease and conditions include diabetes, heart disease, arthritis, chronic pain, lung disease, kidney disease – and there is, again, no question of the significance of diabetes and the prevalence of diabetes in our society.

Mr. Speaker, contributing to the prevalence of chronic disease are the high rates of risk factors, such as smoking, physical inactivity, unhealthy diets, excessive alcohol use, and obesity. Chronic disease also is more common with age, and in this Province, as we know, our population is rapidly aging. Other factors include low income, poor social support, and unhealthy physical environments. This all contributes, Mr. Speaker, to development of chronic disease.

These factors then contribute to the decreased quality of life for individuals, decreased productivity in the workplace, and increased costs to the health care system. So there is no question, Mr. Speaker, on the significance and importance of this issue to us as a government, or to any government. This is not only a Newfoundland and Labrador issue, Mr. Speaker, this is an issue that affects everyone in this country, because these same chronic diseases are prevalent throughout the country, and in fact, contribute to burdens on the health care systems throughout the world.

Last year, Mr. Speaker, I had the opportunity, as the co-chair of the Federal/Provincial/Territorial health ministers to travel to Geneva and go to the World Health Organization meetings, Mr. Speaker. I can tell you, not only was it educational, but it was an eye opener, Mr. Speaker. Sometimes it is easy to forget how good we have it in this country. That does not mean, Mr. Speaker, that we cannot improve. It does not mean that we cannot continue to invest wisely in health care. The reality is that the level of care offered in Canada and in our Province, Mr. Speaker, is of the highest standard.

One of the things that jumped out at me – I can remember the federal minister of health saying to me, as we were listing to various countries – it could have been India, Brazil, various representatives – we have to own our own health. That is a message that we have to get out to each and every Newfoundlander and Labradorian and each Canadian, Mr. Speaker. We have to own our own health.

Now, Mr. Speaker, what did she mean by that? Well I can tell you and I can quote to you, Mr. Speaker, from the World Health Organization Global Strategy on Diet, Physical Activity and Health which is 2003. They state that chronic diseases are now the major cause of death and disability worldwide. Noncommunicable conditions such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes, obesity, cancer and respiratory diseases now account for 59 per cent of the 56.5 million deaths annually and 45.9 per cent of the burden of disease. A relatively few risk factors; high cholesterol, high blood pressure, obesity, smoking and alcohol cause the majority of the chronic disease burden. A change in dietary habits, physical activity and tobacco control has a major impact in reducing the rates of these chronic diseases often in a relatively short time.

Mr. Speaker, the World Health Organization, made up of experts throughout the world, state up to 80 per cent of coronary heart disease, 90 per cent of type 2 diabetes cases, and one-third of cancers can be avoided by changing to a healthier diet, increasing physical activity and stopping smoking. Mr. Speaker, you are going to hear one of my colleagues today talk about what this government is doing in prevention and wellness.

By contributing to a healthier lifestyle, by each of us living a healthier lifestyle, Mr. Speaker, we contribute to the health of the health care system. Not only do we improve and manage our own health – now, Mr. Speaker, I recognize that there are numerous factors which affect all of this and it is not as simple as simply saying go ahead and do all of these things. It takes cultural changes, Mr. Speaker, in thinking. By that I mean that we have to look at what we do as society.

Mr. Speaker, as all of us know, children are much more adaptable, their minds are more malleable and they can accept ideas without question. There is an example, Mr. Speaker, of a great project out in my District of Carbonear-Harbour Grace whereby in the school that I went to, it seems like many years ago, they for numerous years had a greenhouse attached to the school. Mr. Speaker, the students run the greenhouse, the students eat the vegetables that they grow. Mr. Speaker, they grow lettuce, they grow tomatoes, cucumbers, pumpkins and they eat them. So, Mr. Speaker, what we are bringing home to them is the importance of a healthy diet but they are doing it themselves, they are owning what is taking place.

Mr. Speaker, another one of our colleagues is a great grower of vegetables. At any given time, Mr. Speaker, he will grow the vegetables that all of us eat on a daily basis. Mr. Speaker, what we have is that these vegetables again contribute to your health.

Mr. Speaker, I agree with the member opposite, that prevention and awareness is something that we have to focus on as a government. It is something that we are doing. What will this chronic disease and management strategy be, Mr. Speaker? What would it be? It is a document that lays the foundation for action plans, evaluation plans to be developed separately over time.

Now, Mr. Speaker, a framework or a strategy by itself means nothing. It is the action that counts. I can, after my short time in health - it seems like a long time at times - know the kinds of things that should go into a strategy, but what we have to do is not only a strategy. What are we going to do about it? How are we going to increase awareness? What are we going to do? There is no question, Mr. Speaker, and I do not have the exact numbers in last year's Budget, but I know we had a number of diabetic educators in our Aboriginal communities. Diabetes, again, is a very prevalent disease. Diabetes is certainly a disease that we have to deal with. Mr. Speaker, the two types of diabetes that we have is type 1 diabetes, which typically requires insulin and the age of onset is generally younger; then we have type 2 diabetes, which is typically managed by either diet alone or medication taken by mouth and the age of the onset is usually later in life.

Mr. Speaker, we are working with various organizations. On April 14, 2011 we provided $75,000 to the Canadian Diabetes Association for a variety of prevention and management activities, including an awareness campaign focused on type 2 diabetes. This funding will also help the Diabetes Association participate in self-management initiatives. What we are doing, we are going to the people who are living with this, the people who are the experts and saying, how can we help you educate the people who need help? Not only all of us who are at risk of developing diabetes, Mr. Speaker, but those who suffer from diabetes.

The numbers as outlined by the member opposite are certainly significant, but the member opposite talks about in the motion the number of people in the Province may double in the next ten years without effective prevention. Mr. Speaker, the Canadian Diabetes Association estimates that the 47,000 in 2010 is expected to increase to 73,000 in 2020, an increase of 65 per cent. It is not going to 94,000. It is still a significant increase, Mr. Speaker, but not what is outlined by the member opposite.

Mr. Speaker, now we come to the issue of the diabetic test strips. Mr. Speaker, our Province is as good as or better than any other province or Territory in Canada with the provision of these strips. There is no standard approach across Canada. Diabetic test strips are in the top five drug costs in the country's public drug programs. In this Province, blood glucose strips are covered under the Newfoundland and Labrador Prescription Drug Program. So, Mr. Speaker, if you are entitled to coverage under the drug program, the Access Plan or the Assurance Plan, then they can also cover the strips.

The coverage, Mr. Speaker, "is restricted to: beneficiaries who have diabetes and are taking insulin or oral hypoglycemic medications; beneficiaries who are not on insulin or oral hypoglycemic medications but are being followed by a Diabetes Nurse Educator, Dietician, or Family Physician, with a letter to confirm same and have an approved special authorization."

Mr. Speaker, we are providing coverage for glucose strips. They will be paid if the beneficiary has had a paid claim for diabetic medication within the past year or has a special authorization in place. They are subject to a maximum of 2,500 test strips per year for all beneficiaries meeting the criteria. So, we do provide coverage in this Province. There are private insurance plans, but we also do it under our Newfoundland and Labrador Prescription Drug Program

Now, Mr. Speaker, the member opposite referred to evidence now questioning the necessity of these glucose strips. Mr. Speaker, there has been a recent report. It is a very lengthy report if anyone wishes to read it. It is in the Optimal Therapy Report Systematic Review of Use of Blood Glucose Test Strips for the Management of Diabetes Mellitus and it is the Canadian Agency for Drugs and Technology Health.

This group, Mr. Speaker, referred to as CADTH, is an independent, not-for-profit body funded by Canada's federal, provincial, and territorial governments. For more than twenty years CADTH has been providing information and advice on drugs and other health technologies based on the best available research.

Mr. Speaker, the results of the clinical review are currently under consideration. Basically, CADTH is of the opinion that in patients with type 2 diabetes who are managed either by diet alone or by medication by mouth does not result in clinically significant improvement. Now, that is not going to change at this point, the way anyone does business. As we talked about when we were talking about the breast cancer screening policy, there is conflicting literature.

What is happening here, I understand, Mr. Speaker, is the Canadian Diabetes Association does not agree with the CADTH report. So we will explore this and we will see what goes on. There is ongoing consultation with national experts.

Mr. Speaker, just to put it in perspective, in the Province in 2010-2011, $5.5 million was spent on diabetic test strips involving 15,885 clients. Mr. Speaker, we are going to examine all of this, we will look at it, and everything will remain the same for now.

Mr. Speaker, in terms of considering what to do in the best interest of the patients, we do that all the time. Anyone who has been involved in the budgetary process knows that you have to sit down and you have lists and lists of requests. We have to look at ranking those requests and how can we achieve the best result with the money we have. Mr. Speaker, that is what we do with dialysis, as another one of my colleagues will talk about today.

You talk about the effect of dialysis on the people down in Fortune Bay-Cape la Hune; you talk to the MHA there at how pleased they are. Mr. Speaker, that is a million dollar investment - $1.5 million with approximately $700,000 ongoing. You talk to the people on the Burin Peninsula, the MHA for Burin or the MHA for Grand Bank, and the effect on those people who had to drive back and forth to either Clarenville or St. John's to obtain dialysis. You talk to the improvements we have made in Stephenville, Port aux Basques, new dialysis in Lab West. So, these are decisions that you have to make.

Then, we look at the insulin pumps and the investment in our youth and how it has opened up a new lifestyle for a lot of our youth with the investments in our insulin pumps – $1.4 million in 2007, and $800,000 in Budget 2010 to expand from eighteen to twenty-five. Mr. Speaker, in four years, look what we have done with dialysis, look what we have done with insulin pumps. Yes, we will consider whatever it is we have to do, but there has to be a process in terms of you cannot have everything, what can we do each year, and you budget for that.

Now, Mr. Speaker, in terms of the resolution put forward, this is what I will suggest. I would like to put forward the following amendment, that we delete clauses 2 to 7 inclusive and replace with the following:

2. WHEREAS the number of people in the Province are expected to increase by 55% between 2010 and 2020 without effective prevention; and

3. WHEREAS diabetes can lead to kidney and heart failure, disability, and shorten life expectancy; and

4. WHEREAS there are increasing demands for dialysis service for individuals with diabetes and other chronic conditions which requires a focus on disease prevention to reduce future demands for dialysis services; and

5. WHEREAS in 2010 diabetes cost our health care system $40 million for doctor visits, hospitalization, drugs and medical supplies, a cost that could increase by 65% without better prevention and management; and

6. WHEREAS some individuals with diabetes require frequent daily glucose testing at a cost of approximately $1 a strip, which can pose a financial hardship for individuals without sufficient financial means; and

7. WHEREAS the Newfoundland and Labrador Prescription Drug Program provides support for people who need glucose testing strips but who have difficulty affording them, thus seeking to prevent endangerment of their future health contributing to an added cost to our health care system.

Mr. Speaker, when it comes to the resolutions, I would also put forth in the first THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED clause the word cover be deleted and the following inserted "give consideration in the next budgetary process to covering". The clause reads:

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that this House urge the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador to give consideration in the next budgetary process to covering the cost of glucose testing strips for all diabetics in the Province under MCP.

Finally, Mr. Speaker, I put forth that the final THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED clause be amended by deleting the words: place the highest possible priority on, and insert the words: "continue to place priority on finalizing and". The clause reads:

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that government continue to place priority on finalizing and releasing the chronic disease prevention and management strategy.

Those would be the amendments suggested, Mr. Speaker.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!

The Chair will take a brief recess to review the amendments as put forward by the hon. the Minister of Health and Community Services and return with a ruling.

MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!

The Chair has reviewed the amendment as put forward by the hon. the Minister of Health and Community Services and we deem that the amendment is in order.

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

MR. DEAN: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

It is an honour to be able to stand and speak to this private member's motion today. A very important motion I believe covering a very important topic for all of us in the Province of Newfoundland and Labrador. All of us are impacted in one way or another, either personally or through family members and friends, by a disease that really – there seems to be no real cure for sure and control even at best. The increases that we are seeing are very dramatic and concerning. I am pleased that I can stand and speak to this private member's motion today for a few moments.

I would say that the changes in terms of the amendment brought forward, really we are taking it from placing the highest priority on this issue to placing priority, so not a great shift, not really understanding totally perhaps as to why it is necessary.

Mr. Speaker, in my research in preparation for speaking here this afternoon, some of the numbers that we find are very glaring and very concerning in terms of the numbers of people impacted by diabetes. When we look at it from a global perspective we realize that indeed it is an epidemic of major proportions.

We see the numbers today tell us that there is an estimated 285 million people or so throughout the world who are affected in some way or another by diabetes. The statistics would suggest that within the next twenty years, taking us to about 2030, the number will hit somewhere around 435 million to 440 million people with an increase each year of approximately 7 million people. So certainly the numbers are staggering in terms of where this disease is going to take the population not only of our Province but of the world.

Mr. Speaker, in Canada today we have somewhere around nine million people or so who live with diabetes or are in what we would call a pre-diabetes state and health condition and so on and it is very concerning.

Mr. Speaker, there are a lot of reasons for people being affected by diabetes to the degree that they are. Population, of course, aging and as population ages, Mr. Speaker, many of the chronic diseases in our society we obviously experience them; diabetes is certainly one of those. Obesity rates, we know, are on the increase. Mr. Speaker, it is a key contributor to diabetes. Then of course there are just the lifestyles that we live; many of the things we do each day are not necessarily good for us health-wise. We know that, we read about it and we are informed of it from day to day but yet whether it is a lack of physical activity or whether it is an unhealthy diet, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, all of these things give us increasing chances of being affected by diabetes.

Mr. Speaker, as well an interesting note is that as the demographics of Canada change and as our population increases we realize that almost 80 per cent –

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Oh, oh!

MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!

MR. DEAN: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I have a hard job trying to figure out what I want to say here right now because I cannot hear myself speak.

Mr. Speaker, almost 80 per cent of new Canadians come from populations that are considered to be at a higher risk for diabetes and these include Aboriginal, Hispanic, whether they are from South Asian, African decent and many of the other groups that really run a high risk for different reasons. Certainly, these statistics and these demographics affect our Province as well as the country and we know that it is a major issue that we are discussing here this afternoon. The best and most efficient use of the taxpayers' dollars and being able to have the services that are available to the people throughout our Province that have this disease, Mr. Speaker, is very important.

Mr. Speaker, there are estimates in Newfoundland and Labrador in terms of our provincial Budget that in 2010 there was approximately $250 million that was spent on the treatment of diabetes. The estimates are that within the next ten years, by 2020 that cost will increase some 27 per cent to take the total cost of that particular piece of our health care to about $320 million. There is a significant investment in terms of money in the administration of health care, in the delivery of health care to people in the Province that have diabetes. It is very important to us that we are able to meet that requirement, that we have the tools in place, that we have the programs in place, that we educate our people, that we make available to them medical treatments and resources and so on throughout the Province; not only in one area, probably in the capital city, or some of the larger centres of the Province, but it is very important that people throughout our Province in the less densely populated areas of rural Newfoundland and Labrador are afforded the same opportunity as well.

Mr. Speaker, the personal cost of diabetes, not only is it a financial piece, but more importantly, it is the personal cost that is involved. When you have this disease you are not able to participate, necessarily, in the same quality of life that a person can before. It kind of reduces what you can do sometimes in terms of activity. It gives you complications in health, in terms of whether it is heart disease and stroke. It leads to blindness. We see where it goes when it is out of control, eventually people losing limbs and so on and amputation. So, the outcome and the cost of being stricken with this disease is very huge and very great for sure.

Mr. Speaker, then there is the financial burden upon people who are inflicted with this disease. They do not always have the types of medical insurance and so on that many of us might be privileged to have, where there is no coverage for certain types of insulin and certain types of treatments and so on. We realize people who have diabetes incur medical costs per year that are astronomical compared to what a healthy individual would have. For example, there can be direct costs just from medications and supplies that can take you anywhere from $1,000 to $15,000 or more a year. As we understand diabetes, as it affects people with lower incomes and the aging populace of our community, then obviously, there would be a lot of people in our community who would not be able to afford $15,000 a year for medical treatment and medical supplies to counteract their diabetes problem.

That in itself, Mr. Speaker, begs the question, are people really getting the medical attention they need and that they should have? Are people slipping, if you will, into this disease prematurely, or are they facing amputation prematurely? Are they facing death prematurely, Mr. Speaker, because they do not have the financial resources that are available to them to be able to really get the medical attention they need and so on? I am sure that is the case and that is very unfortunate, I would say.

Mr. Speaker, it is estimated that by 2020, it is just a staggering number, but it is estimated diabetes will cost our health care system in Canada some $17 billion a year; $17 billion a year to treat one disease. So anything we can do in terms of research, education, and pre-empting people being inflicted by this disease, Mr. Speaker, obviously those things are very, very important.

Studies show us that 57 per cent of Canadians with diabetes do not comply with their prescribed therapies because of the cost of medications, the cost of devices, the cost of supplies, and so on. Over half the people who have that disease – we can equate that to our Province today. Over half the people in Newfoundland and Labrador today, according to statistics, who have the disease, do not comply with the prescribed therapies that the doctors have prescribed to them, simply because they cannot afford the means of doing it. Of course, we know failure to do that, Mr. Speaker, obviously, leads directly to more significant complications, whether it is kidney disease, heart attacks, strokes, blindness, or whatever the case may be. Obviously, ultimately the outcome is that individuals are facing those kinds of illnesses simply because they cannot afford to do anything about it.

Mr. Speaker, it is interesting to note the observations that the Auditor General has made in his review of the diabetes health care issue in the Province. He did an analysis on how the Province is doing. While we are doing a lot of good things – and I want to acknowledge that here this afternoon, Mr. Speaker, that good things are being done in our health care system – there are also a lot of things that fall short of where we want them to be. The Auditor General has taken time to note them and obviously things that the Auditor General notes are important and significant for us.

One of the things he mentioned was a lack of accurate numbers in terms of people in the Province who have diabetes. There is no chronic care registry, if you will, and no diabetes registry within the Province.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Oh, oh!

MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!

MR. DEAN: We really do not know where the numbers are, either from a budgetary point of view or from the number of people who actually have the disease and are being treated today, because there is no diabetic registry. The failure to capture the patient information, whether it is personal information, whether it is health information, whether it is risk factors, whether it is diagnoses that have taken place of multiple diseases, whether it is the test results and other things, Mr. Speaker, that would be important not only to the patient but to really, I would think, understanding the disease and its prevalence in the Province; really, we are missing out on that simply because we do not have a Province-wide diabetes registry. I know that issue has been raised in this House over time in recent sessions and I would encourage the government and the Minister of Health in particular to really act upon those points of the Auditor General to say this is something that we need, this is something that we need to see and that we could expect, Mr. Speaker, in due order to see it implemented.

Something else of importance that the Auditor General brought to our attention, Mr. Speaker, in his report is that each of the regional health centres indicated that the services available in their region are not sufficient to offer the level of care needed to provide what they deemed as being optimal care to diabetes patients. The level of care that they are able to offer is not to the level that it needs to be if they are going to give optimal care to the patients within their regional health authorities.

Mr. Speaker, that is concerning because we do not all live within a little cluster in terms of geography, we are spread out. We know it is challenging and it is very unfortunate I would say today that if one regional health authority is able to offer an optimal service simply because of where you live, and yet someone living in another part of the Province as they develop diabetes, as they require treatments and medications and so on, Mr. Speaker, that they are not able to get the same kind of service simply because of where they live. I would hope that in due process and short order, that we can see changes to that where we can see the Auditor General coming back and saying that great improvements have been made and pleased to report that basically a proper and effective treatment of diabetes and services is available across the Province.

Mr. Speaker, he also noted in his report that the Department of Health has not implemented all of the recommendations contained in the 2008 primary health care report and noted that as a result of that basically the Province of Newfoundland and Labrador, "…has not progressed to the level at which it should be with regards to the management and control of chronic…" diseases such as diabetes.

It is one thing to do a report, it is one thing to do a strategy, it is one thing to do an investigation, but behind that, Mr. Speaker, it is very important that it is implemented. That is certainly of major importance, in terms of the care of diabetes.

I am pleased today to be able to stand and to speak to this issue. It is an important issue, I support the private member's motion as put forth by the Leader of the NDP, and pleased that I can stand this afternoon and speak to it for a few moments.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Member for the District of Ferryland.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. HUTCHINGS: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Glad to rise today and speak to the motion put forward by the Member for Signal Hill-Quidi, and as well, the amendment put forth by the Minister of Health and Community Services.

Mr. Speaker, both speak to chronic disease prevention and the issue of diabetes. I think for my speaking time today, I would like to speak to the motion in general, but as well, to speak to the prevention component, and in terms of health and well being, and certainly, the importance of prevention, and being effective in all chronic disease, including diabetes and everything that goes with that.

Mr. Speaker, our government continues to enhance the health and well being of Newfoundlanders and Labradorians through record investment in health care in our system. In particular, in Budget 2011 for the Province our government has invested a record $2.9 billion in health care services to enhance health care and services throughout the Province. Health care infrastructure throughout Newfoundland and Labrador continues to be a huge priority of this government with a total of $272 million in Budget 2011, Mr. Speaker. That includes a little over $200 million for new and continuing construction and redevelopment, $50 million for new equipment, and almost $22 million for repairs and renovations. So, the investments are certainly vast right across the Province, on the island and in Labrador as well.

While investing in infrastructure is vital for enhancing our health care system, I am pleased to say that the government is taking several approaches to addressing health care for all our residents. As I have often said before, health care is the full approach, it is the holistic approach. It is dealing with acute care, dealing with things like long-term care, but dealing with prevention as well, our full demographics, in terms of our very young right to our seniors, in terms of living healthy lifestyles and certainly having access to programming and services that promote that, education programming, all those kinds of things that are so important for chronic disease and certainly for diabetes as well. Promoting that wellness and prevention is an important aspect of that commitment and we have made that commitment and continue to do so.

As Parliamentary Secretary for Health and Community Services I see first hand how our investments are rolling out and the impact we are having on the ground out in rural communities, all communities in Newfoundland and Labrador and the efforts we are having.

Mr. Speaker, our government is committed to providing those supports and encouraging everybody to adopt a healthy lifestyle. We do that by investing in many of the programs, which I will touch on, and services that encourage our residents to go healthy in the Province.

Mr. Speaker, some of those investments include $4.1 million annually in the Provincial Wellness Plan. That focuses on several priorities, priorities like healthy eating, physical activity overall, tobacco control, injury prevention, mental health promotion, environmental health, child and youth development and overall health protection.

Mr. Speaker, as part of our overall wellness plan our government launched the Provincial Wellness Grants Program in 2005. Over that time we have awarded approximately $3.5 million in funding to over 170 community-based projects throughout Newfoundland and Labrador. I know in my area in particular I see it first hand, Mr. Speaker, with the Bay Bulls-Bauline Athletic Association, a total of $40,000 over two years to do a whole range of initiatives in terms of healthy lifestyle, the promotion of healthy living with youth, as I said before, right to seniors.

After-school programs in terms of our youth, statistics show that our youth, the most inactive period of time is from three to five in the evening, so after-school programs I know in St. Bernard's, Witless Bay, Baltimore and Ferryland, I know them as well. They are involved in after-school programs, keeping kids active in that period of time and providing support and services. We do, through various programs, allow that to happen to introduce youth to that healthy activity and healthy lifestyle. Learn that at a young age and they continue down through their adult life which is all about prevention and is about avoiding chronic disease and other diseases as they get older which is extremely important.

Mr. Speaker, in addition we have over $700,000 in funds ranging from $5,000 to $40,000 to various types of different grants and that type of thing. I know my colleague from Kilbride and I have been involved with the Gould's Daffodil Club, another seniors group that is quite active. This year they had a healthy-aging seniors grant approved of $10,000 to allow initiatives to get started for them and to continue on the good work they are doing. The types of things you need to do for prevention and a healthy lifestyle which are so important.

All these grants were given to a wide range of community groups, municipalities, community centres, youth centres, seniors groups, Aboriginal groups, and athletic associations. It touches a broad spectrum of all the groups out there on the ground that are doing a whole range of wonderful activities in terms of healthy living. This funding allows government to reach out, put the money on the ground, and allow these groups in the communities and regions who know what they need to proceed to put the programs and services in place.

Mr. Speaker, forty-four community groups from across the Province were receiving these funds and implementing programs, as I said, to address priorities. These are tied to the Provincial Wellness Plan as I spoke of. That is all about promoting prevention at a young age, instilling it in our youth in terms of healthy living, and exposing them to the proper programs.

Mr. Speaker, the plan Go Healthy – Achieving Health and Wellness in Newfoundland and Labrador was released in 2006. The overall aim is certainly improving the health of the provincial population and helping all Newfoundlanders and Labradorians achieve their optimal state of wellness, whatever that may be. The Wellness Plan reflects an increased focus on shared responsibility for health and provides direction for promoting health, preventing illness and injury, and increasing the capacity of individuals, groups, communities, and sectors to take action for wellness.

The minister earlier spoke of taking ownership in terms of our health and well-being. I think that is something we are coming to a realization of in terms of prevention and healthy living. That is so important as well.

Mr. Speaker, this year, in addition to the Wellness Grants, our government also provided twelve community groups with senior wellness grants ranging from $7,000 to $25,000. A total of $200,000 was provided for a variety of projects that focus on improving health and well-being and the overall health of seniors. In the second year was also awarded a total of $200,000 in Age-Friendly Newfoundland and Labrador Grants to ten municipalities and thirteen seniors clubs.

Again, I can certainly relate to the area I represent, the District of Ferryland, and the very active groups and initiatives and what they are doing: the Trepassey 50 Plus Club, a $9,000 grant last year; the O'Connor 50 Plus Club in Witless Bay, and I had an opportunity to attend their annual dinner and dance last Saturday night, the work they are doing in the region; particularly from Bay Bulls to Bauline, certainly working with the Bay Bulls-Bauline Athletic Association collectively, a $10,000 grant, and they are certainly doing great work as well; and the Captain William Jackman Social Club in Renews and the good work they are doing in providing healthy activity for a whole range of people in that area.

So these are all positive things that are reaching out, building healthy lifestyles, and things like prevention which I spoke of. We certainly recognize our responsibility in that and that is part of the holistic approach in terms of health care and what we need to do. It is related to what we are talking about here today in terms of chronic disease and certainly effective prevention.

There are other things we are doing, Mr. Speaker, in terms of investing, $477,000 for the expansion of the Janeway Lifestyle Program that provides services for children to achieve healthy weight and address other risk factors for chronic disease. That is so important as they go through all of that, too. It is about looking at the risk factors for chronic disease. Our prevention programs focus on that, so we do not get there in regard to those chronic diseases and all the implications that they would bring.

As well, Mr. Speaker, we are looking at things like $225,000 for a school based tobacco prevention campaign and that is targeting our young people, elementary and junior high students. A continuation of a social media campaign to focus on youth and young adults with smoking prevention and cessation messages, and an increase in funding to the Newfoundland and Labrador Lung Association for the operation of the Smokers Helpline. As well, talking about directive towards prevention and awareness and providing that information so people can make the right choices in terms of healthy lifestyles.

They all reflect the priorities we have set out in the Provincial Wellness Plan, as I have indicated, and that is just one of the ways. Our government is taking the necessary steps to address chronic disease. We have recently – the minister spoke of this as well - established a chronic disease control division in the Department of Health and Community Services. The responsibility there and the target is to look at a provincial chronic disease strategy, as we spoke of, and include diabetes and other chronic diseases such as cancer, heart, stroke, lung, arthritis and chronic pain. Once again, it is holistic in terms of obviously chronic disease. We know this is so important to Newfoundlanders and Labradorians and that is why we are addressing it now and moving forward with it.

We have also made several investments to improve services to those with chronic disease. In 2007, we invested $1.4 million to fund the insulin pump therapy program which now provides insulin pumps to several hundred people living with diabetes throughout the Province. One of the greatest things about these pumps is that they help the very young children, our youths, who live with type 1 diabetes. It reduces the number of injections that are required each and every day and can be adjusted to match activity levels and needle times as well. These pumps also reduce the risk of future complications of diabetes, so certainly get to the prevention component of those who suffer from a chronic disease.

Back a number of weeks ago I had the opportunity to attend the Junior Diabetes kickoff for the Run for the Cure. Certainly there, the youth ambassadors, some outstanding young boys and girls got up and talked about their experience in terms of being diagnosed with type 1 diabetes and what they went through. I heard first-hand from them in terms of the use of the insulin pump, what it has meant for them. It certainly changes their lives and the activities they do. I congratulate those three youths who got up and spoke so articulate, strong leaders, strong youth. I think the ages were probably eleven and under. It is just fantastic to hear these young people speak and give first hand their experience in terms of dealing with type 1 diabetes, and the insulin pump and what that has meant to them in their lives and how they are able to function.

Mr. Speaker, as well, I was pleased to see in Budget 2010 an additional $800,000 to expand the coverage of insulin pumps for 2011, from ages eighteen to twenty-five years of age. Again, to adults looking at that same, in terms of moving that service to the older population - our youth, I guess you would say.

Other things we have done, in terms of chronic disease and looking at assisting our population. We have increased the income threshold for its access plan under the Newfoundland and Labrador Prescription Drug Program, making it more accessible to residents and for new medications for diabetes as well, Mr. Speaker.

Several groups, as well, just recently announced by Minister Kennedy, $400,000 to address a number of issues related to chronic disease, diseases like arthritis, diabetes, cancer control, tobacco use, and promotion of healthy eating. Some of the groups that were targeted in this are groups that do exceptional work out there. Once again, it is our government identifying those who are out there on the ground doing fantastic work and providing the funding and resources so they can do prevention programming and assistance to those who need it. Some of those groups, for example, would be the Food Security Network of Newfoundland and Labrador, Canadian Diabetes Association, Arthritis Society of Newfoundland and Labrador, Buckmaster's Circle, and Stella Burry Community Services. All of those, and others out there on the ground, we recognize and respect the great work they do and the role they play.

Mr. Speaker, we believe the initiatives that we talk about here help improve the lives of people with chronic disease, and as well, those with diabetes. These initiatives demonstrate our understanding of what is happening out there, how we are strategically moving to meet those challenges, and encouraging healthy lifestyle choices and how we can prevent chronic disease.

Mr. Speaker, that commitment is evident in our investments over the past number of years, through things like the Wellness Plan, and the Provincial Wellness Grants Program. We certainly expect to continue to do that, and we recognize that community programs and services contribute to successful prevention and management of chronic disease. That is what we are talking about here today, in terms of this overall motion and moving forward.

As I said earlier, in terms of the unprecedented investments we have made as a government in health care, to make sure people receive the quality care as close to home as they possibly can. We put the supports in place, Mr. Speaker, to improve the overall health of our population in an effort to reduce the demands on our health care system in the future; whether it is a number of chronic disease types, including diabetes, that we deal with it when someone unfortunately is diagnosed, but then prior to it in terms of prevention.

So, Mr. Speaker, I am glad to avail of the opportunity to speak to this motion. I would ask the hon. members to further partake in the discussion. I would certainly ask members as well to support the amendment put forward by the Minister of Health and Community Services in terms of the private member's motion.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER (Kelly): The Chair recognizes the hon. the Leader of the Opposition.

MS JONES: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I rise today to speak to the motion put forward by my colleague, the Member for Signal Hill-Quidi Vidi and the Leader of the NDP. Mr. Speaker, it is a good motion. It is a very good motion because it speaks to a real need that exists out there in the Province for many patients today who suffer from diabetes in particular and from chronic disease.

Mr. Speaker, let me just say from the offset, I was very disappointed that the government chose today to make an amendment to the motion, an amendment really that reflects very little in my opinion. Mr. Speaker, the amendment is obviously so that government would vote for the motion that they brought in as opposed to voting for a motion that the NDP or any other party would bring into this House of Assembly. I think that is really not acceptable. If government is prepared to do this, why play games with it? Why not support the motion that was originally on the Order Paper and the motion that was put forward by the NDP?

Mr. Speaker, when you talk about funding glucose testing strips in the Province, I understand from others here today there is a price tag that obviously comes with that. You cannot ignore the fact that right now today, under our own health care system and the way funding works, is that there are a lot of people who are diabetics who are receiving certain insulin that is considered to be what they call open insulin. Because of that, Mr. Speaker, they have full coverage on things like glucose testing strips and so on. There are others, Mr. Speaker, who receive insulin that has to be approved. Because of that, they also need to get approval for the strips, the supplies, and everything else that goes along with it.

It is not like we are not already doing this partly under MCP, but, Mr. Speaker, we are not taking it far enough. What my colleague today is introducing to the House of Assembly and asking us to do is to call upon the government and to have the government implement a policy immediately that would ensure glucose strips and other materials required by diabetics in the Province be covered under MCP. I would think, Mr. Speaker, that there are probably a number of people who fall outside of the two provisions that are currently within our system to have these supplies covered and there are still a number of people who are going without it.

Mr. Speaker, I was disappointed to see that the government would introduce an amendment that says they would give it consideration in the next Budget as opposed to supporting the motion that was currently there. At least, Mr. Speaker, it is on their radar but why they would even make that amendment and bring it in knowing that they could support the motion that was here with a commitment that they would do it either within this year or within the next Budget year – I say it is only because they did not want to stand in the House and support a motion that was put forward by someone in the Opposition, Mr. Speaker.

In addition to that, the motion speaks to the Chronic Disease Prevention and Management Strategy. Mr. Speaker, the government opposite has committed to this strategy. They have committed to it now for a number of years, not months but years, and we still have not seen it. We still have not seen the chronic prevention and management strategy on behalf of the people in this Province. What the motion asked was that the government make it, its highest possible priority. The government amended that by saying they would continue to place a priority on it. You know, Mr. Speaker, if that is not splitting hairs, I do not know what is; I have no idea what splitting hairs would be.

The thing is that government should make it a priority because in Newfoundland and Labrador we have one of the highest rates of chronic disease of anywhere in the country, Mr. Speaker. It is important that we have a preventative strategy and a management strategy. Everywhere you look we have high rates of heart disease, we have high rates of cancer, we have high rates of respiratory disease, we have high rates of diabetes. All of these things, Mr. Speaker, need to be well thought out in terms of prevention strategies and maintenance strategies so we provide for the better health of the people in our own Province so that we do not remain a statistic, a very poor statistic at that.

When you look at the report that was recently released by the Canadian Diabetes Association, and it has to do with the diabetes cost in Newfoundland and Labrador. One of the things, Mr. Speaker, they did outline in their findings was that the Newfoundland and Labrador diabetes cost model currently has the highest rate of diabetes prevalence in Canada with future forecasts continuing to grow at an alarming rate.

Mr. Speaker, the member in her motion pointed out that currently we have 9.3 per cent of the population who has diabetes making it about 47,000 people; but that is the figure for 2010. If you look at what they are projecting by 2020, in just the next ten years, they are expecting those numbers to be at about 73,000 people in Newfoundland and Labrador. That is an alarming rate in terms of increase in the number of people who will be living with diabetes in this Province.

Mr. Speaker, what is more alarming is that the prevalence information is understated. Therefore the cost to the health care system is currently understated because we do not really see the true cost. We do not really see what the true cost is in terms of what we are spending in treatment and in management, Mr. Speaker, so what we are seeing is not real numbers in terms of what it is costing us. So, investing in prevention and investing in those kinds of initiatives is very, very important.

We know, Mr. Speaker, that there are common risk factors for diabetes in this Province especially amongst our Aboriginal people. Especially because of the increasing age group, the population that we have is getting older. There is a tremendous family history of diabetes in this Province and we have seen that in generation after generation of families. There are also many behaviours that contribute to it as well; physical inactivity is one of the biggest contributors to diabetes; obesity contributes to diabetes; so does an unhealthy diet. Mr. Speaker, there are other things such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol and high blood glucose. These are some of the relevant factors.

Mr. Speaker, we feel that the government needs to start giving this more attention. More attention for a couple of reasons – not just because of the growing and alarming number of people in the Province who are developing and being diagnosed with diabetes but we think that if government was to be able to move on a proper chronic disease management strategy and be able to act on the recommendations that were in the Auditor General's report around diabetes that we would start seeing some real leaps forward in terms of prevention.

The Auditor General, Mr. Speaker, reviewed the diabetes health care issue in the Province and he did an analysis on how the Province was doing. There were many issues which he pointed out in his report. One was the lack of the accurate number of people who are living with diabetes in the Province because we are unable to determine what the real numbers are. We do not know for sure what the cost is to the health care system so the cost is somewhat unknown. He pointed out that there is no Province-wide registry in Newfoundland and Labrador for people with diabetes. He felt it was important to be able to capture that patient information such as their personal information, what their health complications are, what their risk factors are and their diagnosis of multiple diseases and test results. Right now we have no legislative requirement of course to be able to track all of those who are diagnosed each year. One of the things that the Auditor General was pointing out was the need to be able to capture all of that information into a registry for diabetics in the Province.

Right now, I think, as my colleague the mover of the motion pointed out, every regional health authority in the Province is doing something a little bit different in terms of how they are dealing with diabetes and diabetic strategies and how they are dealing with chronic disease. We think that needs to be streamlined, it needs to be led by government, it needs to be a provincial program, and it needs to apply right across all of the health authorities in all the regions in the Province. In order to do that, Mr. Speaker, that requires a commitment from government, not just financially, but a commitment in principle that this is the right thing to do. Each of the regional health authorities so far has indicated that the services available in their regions are not sufficient to offer the level of care that is needed to provide optimal care to diabetes patients.

We have things like insulin pump usage which is highest at Eastern Health and it is relatively high in other areas of the Province. They indicated that persons with insulin pumps represent 1 per cent of persons with diabetes, but they are consuming 50 per cent of resources under its diabetes education program. That is important to note because there are so few diabetes education programs out there, there are so few diabetic nurses in the Province to provide the service. There are actually wait-lists, Mr. Speaker, to access those particular services. They are telling us that the resources are just not there.

We have raised these issues in the House of Assembly on many occasions, especially as it relates to the diabetes clinic in St. John's, where it was understaffed and where the doctor left the Province. I know they maintained that care through technology with a lot of the patients and they still come back to the Province, but we were left with a real gap in our diabetes care program as a result of that.

Mr. Speaker, when you look at the fact that we not only have thousands of people in the Province who suffer from diabetes, we also have to be cognizant of the fact they have to pay a lot of out-of-pocket expenses, especially type 1 diabetics. Mr. Speaker, they are costs of about $3,600 a year per person out of pocket. For type 2 diabetes, it is closer to $4,000 per person.

We need to be cognizant of that. We need to realize that blood glucose testing strips today are probably about $1 each. There are some patients out there who use five or six of those every single day, so the cost adds up on an annual basis.

Mr. Speaker, we certainly support the motion that was put forward by the Leader of the NDP and Member for Signal Hill-Quidi Vidi. We think it is a good motion. We think it is one government should act on immediately, especially in terms of the chronic disease prevention and management strategy. We think that is long overdue. They have been talking about it and committing to do it, yet we have not seen any action and we have not seen any results.

In terms of covering glucose strips for patients with diabetes in the Province, we should be covering it. We cover it already for a number of them who suffer from diabetes through various programs under MCP, depending on the kind of insulin they take, whether the insulin is open or whether they require special authority. So, Mr. Speaker, why not add the rest of the people to the system and ensure that everybody is covered under MCP?

We all have people out there in our districts who are diabetics. I am sure when you are going around your districts, you are hearing from people all the time who are telling you how much this is costing them and that they are paying for all of this out of their own pocket. The request to government, Mr. Speaker, is to take some of that burden off and to have it covered under MCP like is being done in other provinces. For example, right now in Nova Scotia, that is the way the program is handled, although they did try to change it this year. They did try to adopt the same program we had, but because of protests by the Canadian Diabetes Association, the Government of Nova Scotia did backtrack and they did leave the program in place. So, right now, today, they do have the full coverage.

I will be supporting the motion that was put forward by my colleague and I am somewhat disappointed, Mr. Speaker, that the government could not support that motion but rather decided to pass an amendment that really has very little reflection in terms of a different direction.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

MR. SPEAKER: It is the pleasure of the Chair to recognize the hon. Minister of Human Resources, Labour and Employment.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. KING: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I am certainly pleased to take a few moments and stand in the House today and have a few comments on the motion and, in particular, the improvements made to the motion through the amendment made by my colleague here in the House today.

I think all of us recognize, through our engagement with our constituents throughout the Province, the need to focus on quality health care. We hear it every day, as my colleague just mentioned a few moments ago, when we travel in our districts. It continues to be a major priority for our government to focus on health needs of people in all parts of the Province. It is always a challenge, Mr. Speaker; you are always forced, when you sit on the government side of the House, to make choices when you have to live within a budget. You have to make choices around the kinds of health care services that you want to deliver, the kinds of services and the quality of services that you want to deliver and that people expect from you, also, with the emerging trends in health care today, we are seeing more challenges, as my colleague the Minister of Health has said on any number of occasions here in the House. We are seeing more demands on the system today in areas than we have in the past and it is a fact of life. As people get older, they are developing different and more elaborate and more complicated kinds of diseases and health challenges. It is always important that we recognize that and we place government and the department in a position of being able to respond, Mr. Speaker.

We also have the challenge in the Province of geography. Whether that is health care or whether it is the delivery of educational services or any number of other services, we have a challenge of geography. We have a significant portion of the population located in this part of the Province here on the Avalon Peninsula, and then we have a lot of people spread out everywhere from the Burin Peninsula, the Bonavista Peninsula, Labrador, the Great Northern Peninsula, and through the West Coast to Port aux Basques.

Mr. Speaker, that makes it a real challenge because there is a balance between trying to deliver quality and appropriate services to people throughout the Province but at the same time recognizing that we have to work within a budget. We have a limited amount of money that we can contribute to services in the Province; therefore, it is not possible sometimes to do the many, many kinds of things that we would like to do in all parts of the Province. It is indeed a challenge, as my colleague has said on many occasions, it is all about choice and it is all about trying to make the best use of the money that you can make.

Mr. Speaker, I want to speak particularly to dialysis services, as it relates directly to the motion here today. I am very pleased to speak to that because I have had quite an extensive involvement on the Burin Peninsula with my two colleagues, the Member for Burin-Placentia West, and also the Member for Bellevue. I am going to talk a little bit more about that in a few minutes.

I want to give some context to some of my comments here today on dialysis services. Since 2004, our government has introduced seven new dialysis sites - seven new sites in the Province. Those sites will be in Burin, Carbonear, Gander, St. Anthony, Labrador West, Port aux Basques, and Happy Valley-Goose Bay. Mr. Speaker, that is seven new sites, doubled our capacity over the last number of years in this Province. I think by any measurement, by any standard, at any level of objectivity, one would have to see that that speaks to the commitment we have to health care services in this Province and the commitment we have to this particular issue that we are dealing with here today.

Let me just touch on the other seven because I think what it does is it gives those who are listening to the debate a flavour of the diversity of the geography in the Province and the challenges that we have. So, in addition to Burin, Carbonear, Gander, St. Anthony, Lab West, Port aux Basques, and Happy Valley Goose Bay, we also have sites in Corner Brook, in Grand Falls-Windsor, Clarenville, Stephenville, and of course, here in St. John's with the Health Sciences Centre, St. Clare's, and the Waterford Hospital, Lab City, and I think I said a few moments ago, in the coming months, we will have Port aux Basques up and running.

Mr. Speaker, that is important to recognize because what we have done is we have doubled the number of sites where we provide health care service for people, and I think people in the Province recognize that; certainly people in my constituency that I have talked to recognize that.

Mr. Speaker, the present Budget that we are debating here, Budget 2011, further recognizes and supports and illustrates our commitment to health care in the Province with a $3.1 million investment in dialysis services in the Province - $3.1 million. I think if you checked the record of our government over the last number of Budgets, I think you will see a track record that is very clear, that we continue to invest in health care, and in particular, we continue to invest in dialysis services.

Mr. Speaker, let me give you a little snapshot of that. I know my colleague, the MHA for Fortune Bay-Cape la Hune, worked very hard on this one to see investment of $1.1 million for a new six-station dialysis service at the Connaigre Peninsula Health Centre in Harbour Breton. Mr. Speaker, that is no small announcement. I spent a number of years in my early career living on the Connaigre Peninsula teaching in a community called English Harbour West. I know the geography quite well, I drove it many weekends to get to Gander or Grand Falls which would have been the service centre of the day. The road had just gone in, Mr. Speaker, when I was down there as a matter of fact tying in the communities that I worked in.

Mr. Speaker, what we are talking about here is an investment that will allow people from that region to no longer have to travel the Connaigre Peninsula which I would say parallels the Burin Peninsula in some respects because it is a long road in the wintertime. A long road, as my colleague knows when she is back and forth every weekend or every other weekend representing her constituents here in the House of Assembly and turning around every Thursday night and Friday morning driving home so she can be at events in her district. It is a long road – it is a long road and very dangerous road.

Mr. Speaker, $1.1 million now will put service down there in Harbour Breton. It will allow service for a six station dialysis satellite system to be set-up, Mr. Speaker, so that those people will not have to travel that road three times a week. They have the benefit because of the hard work of their member and because of the foresight of this government and the commitment of this government to providing dialysis services. Because of all that, Mr. Speaker, we have a quality service that will be established there and will make the quality of life much easier and much better for those people. I say, Mr. Speaker, that is a good news investment for the Province. Certainly, I am sure, Mr. Speaker, that there will be a time in the not too distant future when the people on the Connaigre Peninsula and the people in particular in Harbour Breton will recognize the member for her efforts in delivering for them in this past Budget.

I want to talk just a moment about a couple of other topics related to that, Mr. Speaker. One of the other units that we focused on, and I think I mentioned it a few moments ago, is a new unit in Labrador City. That one, Mr. Speaker, just recently became operational; again, another success story of hard work, dedication, commitment and, most importantly, recognition of the need in that particular part of the Province.

Mr. Speaker, for the House Leader for the Opposition we also have a unit in Port aux Basques which is expected to open very shortly. Again, I think all of us recognize putting politics aside that the geography of the Province is such that because there is a demonstrated need, because of the number of individuals in that part of the Province who require dialysis service, Mr. Speaker, that the Minister of Health and government has recognized the need to put that in there. I am pleased to stand here and speak to that and to recognize the importance.

Mr. Speaker, I am not going to get an opportunity to cover all of the dialysis services in the Province but I want to speak to my own on the Burin Peninsula. It is one that my colleagues the Member for Burin-Peninsula West and the Member for Bellevue have been involved with extensively, Mr. Speaker. I recall one of the first events that I attended, having gotten elected to the House of Assembly back in 2007, with my colleagues and the Minister of Health at the time happened to be the Member for Trinity North. It was an opportunity, Mr. Speaker, because of a decision of our government to be at the Burin Peninsula Health Care Centre and to open up the new dialysis services centre. I have to tell you it was such a great feeling to be there, not only as the MHA but to be there and to share in the joy of the people who were part of the committee lobbying and advocating and working on behalf of residents on the Burin Peninsula, Mr. Speaker.

I will tell you a bit about the geography of the Burin Peninsula because it is not to be understated, Mr. Speaker. If you live in a community like Lamaline or Lawn and you need dialysis services, prior to that announcement, Mr. Speaker, you would have had to drive at least to Clarenville which is pushing three hours for sure. There might have been an occasion where you had to drive right to St. John's because of the unavailability of space in Clarenville. Mr. Speaker, that is more like a five hour drive. To put that in context you just think about yourself, if you need this kind of service, a dialysis service or any medical service, medical treatment three times a week, Mr. Speaker, in the middle of winter driving that highway. You have to get in your car and you are going to make that trip in, you are going to go through an extensive, somewhat intrusive, some might say, procedure and then you are going to turn around and drive back. Think of the stress that that puts on you as a patient and think about the stress that it puts on your family and in most cases – I had personal friends who had to do that, Mr. Speaker – think about the stress it puts on your family and your loved ones who have to accompany you on each of those trips, Mr. Speaker. That is significant.

Not only was it a pleasure for me to be there to do the opening of that particular site but it was indeed much more of a pleasure to listen to the Minister of Finance in the House of Assembly during the Budget this year when he announced $631,000 for Burin to expand the dialysis services down there to add an additional twelve patients.

I have to say, Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the people so much for their patience because my colleagues and in particular my colleague for Burin-Placentia West and myself received a lot of phone calls – probably because the two of us sit in Cabinet – a lot of phone calls and a lot of advocacy and deservingly so, Mr. Speaker, from people who had lots of hardship on their plate and recognized that if we could only expand the service in Burin what it would mean to their life. I thank them sincerely for their patience and for their continued advocacy, Mr. Speaker, in working with us because they did. It was not a case of working against us, they worked with us in a co-operative fashion and they continue to support us, Mr. Speaker.

Even sometimes when you get criticisms in the community, some of these who were patients receiving dialysis service and travelling that highway three times a week still supported the Minister of Fisheries, myself, and the Member for Bellevue because they recognize the tremendous investment we have made over the years over and over again to health care service. They recognize, Mr. Speaker, that it was a priority for us and that we were working within our own government and within the Budget process to try to find a way to expand the service. I thank them for that, Mr. Speaker. I thank them for that because it is very important.

Mr. Speaker, as I said a few moments ago, budgeting is all about making decisions.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Oh, oh!

MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!

MR. KING: Thank you for that protection, Mr. Speaker.

As I said a few moments ago, Mr. Speaker, budgeting is all about making decisions. I listened to the hon. the Leader of the Opposition speak a few moments ago. I want to respond to a couple of things because the member talked about why wait until the next Budget to do some of the things she is advocating for?

I say to the member opposite: When you stand in the House, Mr. Speaker, you cannot have two points of views that differ from each other and are adversarial to each other on given days. The member opposite has been very clear that she does not support this Budget. The member has been very clear on that – she does not support this Budget – and she feels government spending has gone too far. Yet today, Mr. Speaker, the member opposite stands and asks why we did not spend more money. Mr. Speaker, those are very diverse messages – very, very diverse messages.

Mr. Speaker, the member opposite also made the point that we ought to do the right thing. Our government ought to make decisions that do the right things. Well, I say, Mr. Speaker, an investment in dialysis of $151 million over the last seven to eight years is the right thing to do.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. KING: It is the right thing to do because people in my district and people in other districts including members opposite, including their districts, will benefit from this, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, to be very frank with members in this House today and to be very frank with people who are listening to this debate, the only thing that I find troubling is the politics being played by the member opposite who stood up and said very clearly she does not support this Budget and does not support dialysis for people on the Burin Peninsula. Yet today she is saying that this government is not spending enough.

Well, Mr. Speaker, I think the people deserve an explanation there. I am sure the member will be quite prepared to do that when she comes to the Burin Peninsula at some later date to talk to people and explain to them why she does not support dialysis on the Burin Peninsula. I can tell you, Mr. Speaker, when we go to the Burin Peninsula –

MS JONES: A point of order, Mr. Speaker.

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. Leader of the Opposition, on a point of order.

MS JONES: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I challenge the minister to find the comments that I ever made that I do not support dialysis on the Burin Peninsula or any other peninsula in Newfoundland and Labrador, and I ask the minister to apologize for leaving that impression in the House of Assembly today.

MR. SPEAKER: There is no point of order.

The hon. the Minister of Human Resources, Labour and Employment.

MR. KING: Mr. Speaker –

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Oh, oh!

MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!

MR. KING: Thank you for the protection again, Mr. Speaker; there is no need for the heckling. I gave the member the opportunity to say her piece, I have a right to respond. I say to the member opposite, I will produce the evidence, and the evidence will be when we stand in this House and vote on the Budget you either support Burin Peninsula dialysis and support the Budget or you do not.

Now, I have no problem, I will not apologize, but I tell you what I will do, I will apologize if she stands and supports the Budget. If she supports the Budget and supports dialysis, I will apologize.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. KING: That, Mr. Speaker –

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!

MR. KING: I have no difficulty because this issue is beyond partisan politics. Anybody who supports dialysis services in this Province ought to be supporting that Budget, and the proof is going to be in the pudding, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER: The Chair recognizes the hon. Member for Signal Hill-Quidi Vidi. When she speaks now, she will close debate.

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

I am happy to stand and give the closing thoughts with regard to what has happened here this afternoon. First of all, Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank the Member for Cartwright-L'Anse au Clair for her seconding the original motion and for her support with regard to the amendment.

I have to say, Mr. Speaker, that I am extremely disappointed in the amendment that the minister brought forward. I really did believe that this could be a motion that we could deal with in a non-partisan way and everybody could say that this motion deserves to pass. I was really shocked to hear the Member for Grand Bank say that the amendment was an improvement on my motion. I think that is an insult to people with diabetes, to say that inaction is an improvement on the motion, because what I was asking for was a decision by this government to be able to say that they support covering the cost of the glucose testing strips.

The amendment says to give consideration. That is not a decision, Mr. Speaker. So, that is inaction. The motion said that we place the highest possible priority on releasing the chronic disease prevention and management strategy, and the amendment says to continue to place priority on finalizing and releasing.

That is not an improvement, Mr. Speaker, that is a stalling tactic and it is an insult to the people who have diabetes in this Province, and for whom having to pay the cost of glucose strips is a very, very heavy financial burden that they cannot even carry. They end up not buying the glucose strips, those people who are not covered by our drug plan, and there are over 31,000 who are not covered. We know some of those have private plans, we do not know how many.

We have thousands of people out there who find it very difficult and because they find it difficult to buy these strips, Mr. Speaker, they are not managing their disease the way that they want to manage it. Many of those people are watching here today and they see the game playing that is going on, people are not stupid. I really hate this thing of game playing over an issue as serious as what we are dealing with in this motion here today in this House. It is extremely disappointing to see the government side of the House behave this way with regard to this issue.

The Minister of Health when he stood, the Member for Carbonear-Harbour Grace, made very good points and I thought we were going to be able to agree on where we were going. Then he reiterated something that I had heard him say in Estimates that really upset me. I understand fully what it means to say to own your own health, but we have to always look at that, we always have to temper that in relationship to what people are dealing with. People who are dealing with type 1 diabetes who had absolutely no choice over having type 1 diabetes and have to manage it in order to make it not as bad as it could be, or people who have diabetes simply because of age – there are people who get diabetes simply because of age, that happens, older people who get diabetes, not because of lifestyle.

We also have people who have type 2 diabetes who are so advanced in that disease that managing it, getting exercise and losing weight is not going to help them with their disease. To say to them own your own health, that is an insult also, Mr. Speaker. I was very, very disappointed to hear the Minister of Health and Community Services and the Member for Carbonear-Harbour Grace say that. He knows the difference, Mr. Speaker. He knows that there are limits to how we can manage our own health. What we are telling people who cannot afford to get glucose strips because they just do not have the money to get the amount that they need to use; it really is an awful thing to say back to them: own your own health. Part of managing their disease is being able to use those glucose strips.

Mr. Speaker, here we have an amendment that is saying we might think about doing it - we might think about doing it. Mr. Speaker, when something is urgent, you do it right away. What really concerns me is that an issue that I have brought to this House that I absolutely believe is an urgent issue, is being ignored, that this government is not seeing the urgencies of what we have brought forward. Mr. Speaker, it is very possible that there are going to be people who are going to end up on dialysis in a year's time or two years' time because of the stalling tactic that this government is doing here today because they are not going to be able in the near future to begin managing their disease through the use of glucose strips. Instead of spending the possibility of $1,900 a year on that person in order for that person to buy strips, and that is the maximum that one would spend, it most likely would be less than that for many people, so, instead of spending $1900 a year, we will be spending thousands of dollars a year for the person to be on dialysis.

It is good that we have new dialysis sites. Anybody who is watching me right now knows that I believe that. It is good that we have new dialysis sites. We have people who right now at this moment need dialysis and need the new sites, but the motion that I brought to this floor and that the government has decided to amend is trying to lessen the number of people who will need to be on dialysis in the future. The proof is there that if people can manage their disease and are able to regularly know what their sugar level is, helps them manage their disease; the more they manage it, the less chance there is going to be of kidney failure down the road and the need to be on dialysis.

Mr. Speaker, I found it very disconcerting to hear government talk about all the money that they have spent on dialysis machines and not make the connection that bringing in this motion would help us in the future have fewer people on dialysis machines.

Mr. Speaker, saying that the government has to wait for the next budgetary process to even consider the issue, not to make a decision, even if they had said we will make the decision in the next budgetary process, but to consider it in the next budgetary process. For them to say that, Mr. Speaker, it is just not acceptable. This government, if it has to spend extra money, if they think something is important enough and they have to spend extra money, they do it, Mr. Speaker. The money is there to do it. What they are saying is that they do not see this as being urgent enough. Unfortunately, that was the message that this government gave when it came to the Auditor General's concern about the strategy. In the Auditor General's 2010 report, he talks about the strategy on Chronic Disease Prevention and Management and he questions why the strategy was not yet in place.

The government itself, in response to the Auditor General, actually say in their written response that the strategy is not in place because it was a budgetary issue, making decisions about things on a budgetary level and some other things got priority. The minister repeated that as well in Estimates this week, that there were other things that got priority.

Mr. Speaker, I do not think it is being overdramatic to say that when we are talking about these glucose strips, we are actually talking about life and death stuff. This is life and death stuff, because if we are talking about somebody who cannot manage their disease, whether it is type 1 or type 2, who has gotten to a point with type 2 that it cannot be managed safely anymore – with type 1 we know they have to have their glucose strips. If we are saying to them that being able to have glucose strips in order for them to manage their disease, that does not get top priority, that it is okay if you end up with kidney failure or it is okay if you die of a stroke, then, Mr. Speaker, that is an insult to the people in this Province who have diabetes. The minister is on record saying it. The department is on record in response to the AG saying that other things have priority.

This government, Mr. Speaker, has to look at the things that get priority. It was a priority to spend $23 million to do digging up on the Northern Peninsula to see if there was oil when other oil companies, big oil companies, had dug there many times and came away dry; but, no, for some reason this government thought: oh, no, we will let Nalcor do it. We will tell Nalcor, because we are the owners, we are the boss. We can tell Nalcor what to do. We will tell them to go do it. Mr. Speaker, I am positive there were many people, like myself, who knew they were going to find nothing, but that was priority for this government. They told Nalcor to do it and $23 million went into that.

When this government wants to give priority to something, when this government wants to spend money they can do it. They could have made this decision outside of the Budget decision that they had already made. They could have said - and they can still do it. They can still say I am rethinking, and they can vote against their amendment. They could do that, Mr. Speaker, and it would be wonderful because I think that is what people are expecting of this government. This issue is a serious issue. It is an urgent issue.

Just imagine, Mr. Speaker, the minister said that people have to own their own health. Well, if they had another $5 a day in their pocket, Mr. Speaker, if they were spending $5 a day on glucose strips, that could be extra fruit or vegetables a day they are buying for a healthy diet. When you are talking about people who may be running a family on only $30,000 or $40,000 a year, then you cannot afford the glucose strips. Say they have to pay the full maximum, another $2,000 when you are running a family and a household on $40,000 a year or less, $2,000 is a lot of money.

Mr. Speaker, this government is showing itself as certainly, definitely not giving priority to this issue. They are not giving priority to the urgency of people whose disease can lead to death. As I already said here in the House when I first spoke to my motion, the mortality rate for people with diabetes is five times that of people who do not have diabetes, Mr. Speaker. So it is a life and death situation.

I am extremely disappointed. I really did think that it was something we could all come together on. This government has shown, no, they are not willing to do that.

Mr. Speaker, I am going to leave it at that. There is no more to say. I am not going to stand here and make comments just for the sake of playing a game.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Oh, oh!

MR. SPEAKER (Fitzgerald): Order, please!

MS MICHAEL: I am serious about the issue I have brought forth. I brought it forth because I thought it was urgent. I brought it forth because people with diabetes think it is urgent. The Canadian Diabetes Association thinks it is urgent. People in the health care system think it is urgent. This government does not, Mr. Speaker, and of course I will be voting against the amendment.

Thank you.

MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!

Is the House ready for the question?

Shall the amendment as put forward by the hon. the Minister of Health and Community Services to the private member's resolution carry?

All those in favour, ‘aye'.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Aye.

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

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Nay.

MR. SPEAKER: The amendment is carried.

On motion, amendment carried.

MR. SPEAKER: Shall the motion, as amended, carry?

All those in favour, ‘aye'.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Aye.

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

The motion, as amended, is carried.

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