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

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

It is a pleasure to be able to stand today, seeing this is the last day before the May 24 weekend celebrations, to present a petition on behalf of the residents of Triton, Great Harbour Deep, Robert’s Arm, Brighton, Miles Cove and Burgeo.

WHEREAS we 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 to just 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 the 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 forest 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 many that I have presented on behalf of those people. Some of the questions they are asking: This government was elected in 2003; why did they wait until 2009 to come and evict people from the gravel pit areas? Why are they so iron fisted? In other words, listen to our rules or else.

Mr. Speaker, they are also, I guess, disappointed that not one member of their elected officials they have from the many communities that I have named over the last couple of weeks have stood in their place when they are making their speeches to just bring forward the concerns that they want to express.

Mr. Speaker, I say to the government and to the minister: If you are offering campers a site that meets government’s requirements, like you have done for the people in the Whiskey Pit area, help them to implement the new changes. Because those people are used to a tradition and a culture here in the Province for many, many years, and all they are asking is to help them organize with the new approach that you want them to take.

All you have to do is read the papers and listen to the people like the residents on the West Coast, like the Crewes, the Wiltons or the Brakes, how they feel about this and how upset they were to know that they were evicted from some places that they have been for years. Ninety-five per cent of the people, Mr. Speaker, have not done anything environmentally unfriendly in this Province, and some of them have been evicted while others have not been evicted.

I am asking government to re-evaluate your heavy-handed approach. Consult; work out a long-term solution to the practice that you find so unacceptable. If possible, why does the department not come down with a written policy that would be equal and fair to everybody?

Mr. Speaker, in conclusion, I want to wish a happy May 24 weekend to all those who enjoy the country, and in particular to the people in the gravel pits.