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

MR. BUTLER: Mr. Speaker, it is a pleasure today to stand with yet another petition on behalf of the residents of Newfoundland and Labrador and, today in particular, Lark Harbour, Corner Brook, Mount Moriah, Curling, Springdale, South Brook, Grand Falls-Windsor, Trinity and Badger.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Oh, oh!

MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!

MR. BUTLER: Mr. Speaker, the petition reads:

WHEREAS the people of Newfoundland and Labrador have always built cabins or tilts away from our homes for hunting, fishing, berry picking or just spending time up in the country or places around our shores, sometimes just to get away from the stress of everyday living, a place to relax and enjoy the great outdoors; and

WHEREAS your government has come down hard on the thousands of cabin and trailer owners that are out on our land with eviction notices and forcing them to move without providing them with an alternative; and

WHEREAS Kruger Inc. has timber rights to approximately one-third of all forested land on this Island and is refusing the vast majority of applications for cabin development;

WHEREUPON your petitioners call upon all Members of the House of Assembly to urge government to have compassion on the citizens of this fair Province and allow them the right to enjoy what is rightfully ours. We were born on this land and should have the right to enjoy it.

And as in duty bound your petitioners will ever pray.

Mr. Speaker, this is just another petition of the many that I do have from residents throughout this Province of Newfoundland and Labrador. I know recently there has been some development with regard to the issue with the Whiskey Pit. I know the minister has stated to the media that there is no problem for anybody to go there and do camping on a weekend for a short-term period. Mr. Speaker, that should have been explained to the people back when they were all evicted. They were all put in the one barrel and -

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Oh, oh!

MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!

I ask members for their co-operation. The member is having a job to hear the petition presented by the hon. Member for Port de Grave.

MR. BUTLER: Mr. Speaker, I understand fully because I have a job to hear myself.

Mr. Speaker, what government did here is just like if you have a box or a barrel of apples, if there is one or two in it that did something wrong, everybody was thrown out with the wash, Mr. Speaker. All those people want is a fair answer and they have been told - on May 10 they were told by officials within the department: yes, you can go to the Whiskey Pit but you cannot – I am sorry, you cannot go to the Whiskey Pit and camp on the twenty-fourth of May weekend or any other time and then two days after the minister walks over and tells us: oh, they can go there but they have to leave after three or four days and go back to their homes.

Mr. Speaker, believe it or not, those same people have been offered two plots of land. Coming out of one side of their mouth they are saying you cannot do this any more and now they are coming up with land for them to do it. I agree with that. I agree with that, Mr. Speaker. I agree with that because up in Wolf Pond the people were given an opportunity -

MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!

The Chair has recognized the hon. Member for the District of Port de Grave. The Chair is having difficulty hearing him by shouting across from one side of the House to the other. The Chair has recognized the member and I ask hon. members to show the courtesy of the member being allowed to present his petition.

The hon. member.

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

If the members opposite stood up and shouted with such velocity as what they are doing now on behalf of their constituents about this issue, it would not be a problem.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Oh, oh!

MR. BUTLER: It would not be a problem, Mr. Speaker. It would not be a problem.

They have petitions from all over this Island, and the Minister of Transportation and Works knows full well, he had his constituents taken care of like I did. Government went in, they plotted out the land, they gave them a piece of land, they are paying it back over a period of time but something they could afford. All the people are asking is sit down with us; consult with us so that we can come to a conclusion that will be applicable to everybody.