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, Mr. Speaker, in the Province who are totally appalled and against the decision of the provincial government to relocate air ambulance services out of St. Anthony to Happy Valley-Goose Bay.

Mr. Speaker, these individuals feel that there is a need for a third air ambulance service in this Province. They certainly feel that there is a need to close the gap on air ambulance and the need in Labrador. They do not feel that the government is going about doing it in the right and proper manner, Mr. Speaker. In fact, they feel that the air ambulance service should be kept in St. Anthony and the service should be enhanced by adding a full medevac team in that community, and that Labrador within itself should have its own air ambulance services to provide for the needs of the patients in that particular area. People have felt so strongly about this and have really challenged the government in their decision. They have done it with very few answers and they did it, Mr. Speaker, without being given a lot of time at all.

In fact, Mr. Speaker, yesterday we heard from the Mayor of St. Anthony who tried to bring the points of his community and the views of his community to the government in meeting with the minister. He was absolutely appalled with the treatment and the behaviour and the language that was used by that minister of the Crown, Mr. Speaker, in dealing with his council and this issue which is so important to them. In fact, he felt so strongly about it that he took the opportunity to write to the Premier to express his concerns about the callous remarks and the insinuations that had been put forward by the Minister of Health and Community Services in bringing forward their issue.

Mr. Speaker, this is an individual, a mayor who has always prided himself on his working relationship with government and with the ministers of the Cabinet. Unfortunately, on this particular issue he soon found out how this government really acts and how callous they can really be. Mr. Speaker, that kind of bullying and those kinds of tactics would not be tolerated in our classrooms in our schools, it would not be tolerated from teachers in a classroom, it would not be tolerated from medical professionals, and I suggest it would not be tolerated from lawyers in any other environment.

I think that the minister, at the very least, should not only reconsider the decision that he has made knowing it is the wrong decision, but he should openly apologize to the people in the St. Anthony area, to Mr. Simms and to his council, and give these individuals a fair hearing on getting their air ambulance services back and getting them in place.