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

MS JONES: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I stand today and present a petition on behalf of the residents in my own district, actually, Mr. Speaker, with regard to the air ambulance services. I will read the prayer of the petition:

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

WHEREAS the majority of residents of Cartwright-L’Anse au Clair rely on the air ambulance service that is currently stationed in St. Anthony; and

WHEREAS the removal of this integral service in St. Anthony will certainly diminish the quality of service that is currently being provided to residents in Southern Labrador; and

WHEREAS government has a duty to optimize the air ambulance service by putting a third air ambulance service in Labrador as opposed to relocating one that has been working for many decades;

WHEREUPON the petitioners ask the House of Assembly to call upon the government to maintain the air ambulance service in St. Anthony area and provide a third air ambulance service to Labrador to ensure residents of the whole Province are provided with adequate and essential health services.

And as in duty bound your petitioners will ever pray.

Mr. Speaker, it is rather unfortunate what is happening here, because government tends to leave the impression in the public that the decision regarding air ambulance only came as a result of a petition that I presented in the House of Assembly. Nothing could be further away from what has really transpired here, Mr. Speaker.

In fact, if you want to go back, back in July and August 2009 there were several incidents in Labrador that stemmed, or should have stemmed, government to have a serious look at our air ambulance service in Newfoundland and Labrador, and how that service could be improved.

As a result, Mr. Speaker, a meeting took place on August 21 in Labrador West that really designed a new system of air ambulance in this Province. The briefing notes that were circulated indicated that the service would be moved from St. Anthony to Happy Valley-Goose Bay. Mr. Speaker, that was confirmed in a further briefing note within the minister’s department, which was released on September 4. In that briefing note it said, Mr. Speaker - it referred to the meeting of August 21; it referred to other initiatives that government would have to undertake with regard to this service.

Mr. Speaker, the government campaigned in that district in the fall of 2009, all the while knowing that they were preparing to cut the air ambulance services in that very district. Mr. Speaker, how can you walk into a town, shake people’s hands, and tell them that you are there to support them and that they can depend upon you, all the while when there are notes circulating in your own department, circulating within the health authorities themselves, indicating that this has already been designed and devised and this is the new strategy for air ambulance?

Then, Mr. Speaker, government goes out and pays $10,000 to an individual by the name of Wes Drodge to what? To rubber-stamp the recommendations already provided by Corey Banks back in August 2009. That is exactly what this was, Mr. Speaker. That is exactly what it was. How could a government who is supposed to be representing the (inaudible)?

MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!

I remind the hon. member that her time for presenting the petition has expired.

Does the hon. member have leave?