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Oral
Questions
April 16, 2008
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| In the House | Question
Period
MS JONES: Thank
you, Mr. Speaker.
My questions are for the
Minister of Health and Community Services.
Mr. Speaker, it is
reported in today’s Telegram that another
pathologist has resigned from the Eastern Health
Authority.
I ask the minister: Have
you received any information as to why Dr. Beverley
Carter has tendered her resignation, and will you
provide it to the House of Assembly?
MR. SPEAKER: The
hon. the Minister of Health and Community Services.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear,
hear!
MR. WISEMAN: Thank
you, Mr. Speaker.
I understand that Eastern
Health has received a resignation from a pathologist. As
to why she may have resigned, I have no idea, Mr.
Speaker, but I understand she has resigned. I want to
advise members of the House, that Eastern Health has
been successful in being able to have - initiated
discussions with three pathologists who have expressed
an interest in coming with Eastern Health. They are
hopeful that in the very near future they will be able
to confirm the appointments of those three individuals
to be able to replace some of the individuals who have
resigned over the last year or so.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear,
hear!
MR. SPEAKER: The
hon. the Leader of the Opposition.
MS JONES: Mr.
Speaker, we already know there is a shortage of actually
five pathologists at Eastern Health. Dr. Carter’s
resignation now will make that six. We are aware that
they may be recruiting one person, we certainly were not
aware of three.
I ask
the minister, if he can provide to the House of Assembly
an update on the shortages of pathologists throughout
all the health boards in the Province, please?
MR. SPEAKER: The
hon. the Minister of Health and Community Services.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear,
hear!
MR. WISEMAN: As
I understand it, and maybe the member opposite’s
information is more current than mine, but as I
understand it, there were four vacancies, and the most
recent announcement makes five.
As I said a moment ago,
there are three potential candidates that are being
recruited. Eastern Health Authority is very optimistic
that they will be able to conclude the discussions with
those individuals and announce their appointments soon.
As I understand it as well, there is one other vacancy
in Eastern - I think it is in Clarenville - and there is
another vacancy, I am not sure if it is in Central or
Western, but there is one other in either Western or
Central.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear,
hear!
MR. SPEAKER: The
hon. the Leader of the Opposition.
MS JONES: Thank
you, Mr. Speaker.
Just to let the minister
know, the information I quoted to him I received within
the last two hours from Eastern Health.
Mr. Speaker, it is time
for government to recognize that this is a growing
problem and not lambaste the people who are reporting
the information, like we saw last week in the media.
Last year, Dr. Maung completed a review of the issues
facing pathologists in our Province.
I ask the minister: When
is government going to act on this report and address
the issues of recruitment and retention before we start
seeing more vacancies?
MR. SPEAKER: The
hon. the Premier.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear,
hear!
PREMIER WILLIAMS: Mr.
Speaker, I think the hon. Leader of the Opposition is
referring to a comment I made last week when I appeared
before the media.
I expressed a concern
generally, I think, which the media might have taken
personally at the time, but it was not intended to be
that way, that headlines that talk about pathologists
and pathologist recruitment do affect health care in the
Province, just as the inquiry and just as this whole
matter which is the subject of the inquiry does affect
recruitment. It makes it more difficult.
So, in trying to deal
with the inquiry, that is why it is so important that we
strike this delicate balance with allowing the inquiry
to its business without politicizing what is going on;
because we as a government still have to run the
government and still have to try and provide the best
health care that we can to the people of this Province.
When pathologists and
specialists are sitting back in clear conscience and
looking at this and seeing general criticism rolling
out, then I think they are going to second-guess whether
Newfoundland and Labrador is going to be a good place
for them to practice their specialty.
A word of caution just
generally, that this is a very delicate matter and that
we handle it very delicately on an ongoing basis,
because I think the referral was to a comment I made
last week.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear,
hear!
MR. SPEAKER: The
hon. the Leader of the Opposition.
MS JONES: Thank
you, Mr. Speaker.
That was not a response
to my question.
I guess my next question
would be: Has government taken
the time to actually meet with these pathologists, to
find out what the core of these issues is and how they
can be improved or fixed?
MR. SPEAKER: The
hon. the Premier.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear,
hear!
PREMIER WILLIAMS: Mr.
Speaker, I received a letter today from the Newfoundland
and Labrador Medical Association. I received it just
around lunchtime, actually. It was a lengthy letter
indicating this trouble that physicians are having as a
result of this. I am just going to read a paragraph to
you which I think is important: Physicians, especially
pathologists and oncologists, are not immune to the same
emotional trauma and anguish that has cast its shadow
over the affected patients, their families and the
public at large. Ironically, they have been restrained
from expressing the kind of remorse and sympathy that
they would normally be inclined to offer all their
patients because of the legal uncertainties that loom
ahead.
MR. SPEAKER: Order,
please!
PREMIER WILLIAMS:
There is a growing frustration that the picture has been
painted unfairly.
They have actually
requested, at the end of this letter, a meeting with me,
and myself and the minister will most definitely be
meeting with them.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear,
hear!
MR. SPEAKER: Order,
please!
The hon. the Leader of
the Opposition.
MS JONES: Thank
you, Mr. Speaker.
I think, in light of the
situation, it is more than past due time for government
to seriously address the problem.
Mr. Speaker, we know that
the workload of pathologists at the lab has increased by
29 per cent from 1999 to 2005. We also know that one of
the recommendations was to establish a second lab at
Memorial Hospital in Corner Brook.
I ask
if government is prepared to establish that laboratory.
MR. SPEAKER: The
hon. the Minister of Health and Community Services.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear,
hear!
MR. WISEMAN:
Mr. Speaker, one of the recommendations in that report
that she refers to deals with compensation. You might
recall, Mr. Speaker, in this House last spring I
announced – I think it was around the middle of May
– that government had announced an increase in the
stipend paid to pathologists, to bring them more
competitive with other jurisdictions in the country, I
say, Mr. Speaker. That was one of the first steps we
took last year, and that has been in place almost a year
now.
With respect to the
recommendation of the second laboratory in the Western
Region to conduct ER-PR tests, at this particular point
in time, until the Commission of Inquiry is through and
we have an understanding through that process of what
may have happened with ER-PR testing at Eastern Health
during the period 1997 to 2005 – but, more
importantly, one of the other questions we asked the
inquiry to answer was: Is the current method of testing
at Eastern Health a reflection of current best
practices? - until we get an understanding of what we
are now doing with the one and only lab that conducts
ER-PR tests, we are not prepared to start thinking about
the second location.
When we get that
commission’s report, then we will turn our minds to
the question at hand.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear,
hear!
MR. SPEAKER: The
hon. the Leader of the Opposition.
MS JONES: Thank
you, Mr. Speaker.
I need to remind the
minister that the $50,000 to $60,000 that he talks about
barely put Newfoundland and Labrador on par with the
rest of Atlantic Canada, and I think he knows that, and
this is in an occupational area where we have seen a 32
per cent turnover in the number of pathologists taking
those positions in the last four years.
Mr. Speaker, Eastern
Health have confirmed that Dr. Beverley Carter is the
only pathologist specializing in breast cancer at that
hospital. Noting the professional void that will now be
left at Eastern Health, come June, I ask the minister: What
plans does he have to meet with Eastern Health to ensure
that any delays in diagnoses and wait lists for cancer
patients is offset?
MR. SPEAKER: The
hon. the Minister of Health and Community Services.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear,
hear!
MR. WISEMAN: Mr.
Speaker, that discussion is taking place as we speak,
actually.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear,
hear!
MR. SPEAKER: The
hon. the Opposition House Leader.
MR. PARSONS: Thank
you, Mr. Speaker.
My first question is for
the Minister of Justice.
Minister, it was reported
in the media, The Independent, actually, on April
4, that you had in fact received a report which you had
commissioned last fall into certain deficiencies which
might or might not exist in the justice system with
regard to how quick trials proceed and so on. The report
indicated that you, in fact, had a report dealing with
that. I am just wondering: When
might we expect to have that report released publicly?
MR. SPEAKER:
The hon. the Minister of Justice and Attorney General.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear,
hear!
MR. KENNEDY: Thank
you, Mr. Speaker.
I can indicate to the
Opposition House Leader that we do, in fact, have that
report, that I have reviewed the same, that there are
certain practical, budgetary and legislative issues that
we have to look at.
For the information of
the Opposition House Leader, it is a very good report
and I expect you will be able to see it early next week.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear,
hear!
MR. SPEAKER:
The hon. the Opposition House Leader.
MR. PARSONS: Thank
you, Mr. Speaker.
My next question is for
the Minister of Education.
On March 29, the
Telegram broke a story about a series of engineering
reports that had been done on two St. John’s schools,
namely Bishops College and Holy Heart of Mary. The story
indicated that, although the school boards had made
decisions based upon those reports some four months ago,
the reports still have not been released.
I ask the Minister of
Education: When might we expect
to see these reports released?
MR. SPEAKER:
The hon. the Minister of Education.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear,
hear!
MS BURKE: Mr.
Speaker, we recently received the final drafts of this
report. They are finalized and I expect we will probably
be releasing them in the next week or so.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear,
hear!
MR. SPEAKER:
The hon. the Opposition House Leader.
MR. PARSONS: Thank
you, Mr. Speaker.
My next question is for
the Minister Responsible for the Workplace Health,
Safety and Compensation Commission.
Everybody in the Province
is familiar with certain frustrations that have been
felt by clients with the Workplace Health, Safety and
Compensation Commission. In fact, government, in
response to that, commissioned a report looking into
client service issues back in May 2007. I understand the
report was received, actually, in May 2007 - it had been
commissioned before that – and that report has been in
the department’s hands now some 335 days. I
am wondering if the minister can tell us when it is
likely to be released publicly.
MR. SPEAKER:
The hon. the Minister of Human Resources, Labour and
Employment.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear,
hear!
MR. SKINNER: Mr.
Speaker, the report that the hon. member refers to is
not a report that was commissioned by me or by this
government. It was an internal document that the
commission itself is using. I have not seen the report
myself, but I understand that the commission management
have used the report and are making some changes to
their system based upon that.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear,
hear!
MR. SPEAKER:
The hon. the Opposition House Leader.
MR. PARSONS: Just
as a follow-up to that, can the
minister undertake to see that the report is made
public? Can it be made public?
MR. SPEAKER:
The hon. the Minister of Human Resources, Labour and
Employment.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear,
hear!
MR. SKINNER:
Mr. Speaker, I will undertake to ascertain the contents
of that report and have it tabled here in the House of
Assembly, yes.
MR. SPEAKER:
The hon. the Opposition House Leader.
MR. PARSONS:
Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
My next question is for
the Minister of Tourism, Culture and Recreation.
On November 22, 2007, the
media broke a story about certain reports done by that
department concerning the future use of the Colonial
Building. The report itself, apparently, cost $200,000
and it has still not been released by government.
I ask the minister: When
can we expect to see that report released?
MR. SPEAKER:
The hon. the Minister of Tourism, Culture and
Recreation.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear,
hear!
MR. JACKMAN:
Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Indeed, the report is in
its final stage. Second to that, and very much a part
of, is federal funding. We are awaiting confirmation
from the federal government as to whether they are going
to support that project, and I anticipate that will be
announced rather shortly - I mean, the overall report.
MR. PARSONS:
(Inaudible).
MR. JACKMAN:
That is what I just said. The report overall is in the
stage of completion and will be submitted rather
shortly.
MR. SPEAKER: The
hon. the Opposition House Leader.
MR. PARSONS: Thank
you, Mr. Speaker.
My next question is for
the Minister of Health and Community Services.
Minister, in January 2007
outside consultants completed and submitted a report to
government which examined and provided recommendations
on issues related to workplace issues for pathologists.
I understand that report has been in your hands for 435
days. I also understand that it is in the hands of the
commission as an exhibit but it has not been released
publicly. When can we expect to
see that report?
MR. SPEAKER:
The hon. the Minister of Health and Community Services.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear,
hear!
MR. WISEMAN:
I can table it in the House tomorrow, Mr. Speaker.
MR. SPEAKER: The
hon. the Opposition House Leader.
MR. PARSONS:
Thank you.
My next question is again
for the Minister of Health and Community Services.
Minister, in your
testimony at the Cameron Inquiry you mentioned that upon
taking office you were not able to get around to reading
your notes for four months in, and one of the reasons
you gave is that you were busy reviewing a report of an
organizational review of Child, Youth and Family
Services. This report has never been released publicly. I
am wondering when we might expect to see this report
released.
MR. SPEAKER:
The hon. the Minister of Health and Community Services.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear,
hear!
MR. WISEMAN:
We can release that one, as well, tomorrow.
MR. SPEAKER:
The hon. the Opposition House Leader.
MR. PARSONS:
Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
My final question is for
the Premier.
Premier, I have just
asked five different ministers of your government about
reports that are sitting in their offices, ranging up as
much as fifteen months, and have not been released.
You yourself, Premier,
said on March 3 that you would have government ministers
search and find out whatever was sitting around in terms
of reports; because there was a commitment made,
first of all back in 2003, in terms of openness and
accountability, that reports would be released within
thirty days. It did not say that they would be called
drafts. It did not say that they would have to be
actioned, or action plans done on them, but that the
reports would be released within thirty days. Right here
today we see six examples of reports that have not been
released; and, again, it has been forty-five days since
you made that statement that they would be released.
Can
you tell us what you are going to do? You make a
commitment that you were going to do it in 2003, you
made a commitment on March 3, and yet we have six
examples in front of us where your ministers have not
followed through.
MR. SPEAKER: Order,
please!
The hon. the Premier.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear,
hear!
PREMIER WILLIAMS: That
is just simply not correct, Mr. Speaker.
The hon. member opposite
never ceases to amaze me. The Minister of Finance got up
today and did a Ministerial Statement basically
indicating that we had been accredited as a Chartered
Accountant training office. In that statement the
minister said, "…this certification represents a
positive step…."
MR. SPEAKER: Order,
please!
I ask the Premier if he
would not read from statements during Question Period,
if he would refer to them, paraphrase them.
The hon. the Premier.
PREMIER WILLIAMS: Mr.
Speaker, the Minister of Finance basically said it was a
positive step forward for the Province’s overall human
resource requirements by expanding opportunities
available to train professionals and basically employ
students.
You stood up and said
that this was absolute nonsense, that it does not
matter, that we should not get graduates to come to the
government to work. We should not train people. We
should not cease out-migration. We should not encourage
people to come to work for the government. You had
better get your priorities straight.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear,
hear!
MR. SPEAKER: Order,
please!
The hon. the Member for
Port de Grave.
MR. BUTLER: Mr.
Speaker, earlier this session I asked some questions
about the School for the Deaf, and today I have some
further questions on that topic.
The skills and training
for teachers of children who are deaf and hard of
hearing is very different from the training of other
students. In the past, teachers were required to have a
degree in deaf education to teach those students.
I ask the minister: Does
she fully understand the impact that her push towards
mainstreaming is having on deaf students in this
Province?
MR. SPEAKER: The
hon. the Minister of Education.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear,
hear!
MS BURKE: Mr.
Speaker, I want to be perfectly clear that we do not
push students towards mainstreaming. Mainstreaming is a
goal that everyone has a right to. Everyone has a right
to go to their community school and to receive the
supports that they need.
Mr. Speaker, for many
years hard of hearing or deaf students had to be
segregated into another school because they learn
differently - they learn from American Sign Language -
but, Mr. Speaker, there have been many advances in
technology. There are cochlear implants that students
never had before, there are FM systems that they never
had before, and that enables a student to be able to
participate fully in the mainstream classroom in their
community.
Mr. Speaker, there are
still a number of students who attend the Newfoundland
School for the Deaf, and we are committed to making sure
these students receive the appropriate education and
also have the ability to integrate into the main school
system.
MR. SPEAKER: Order,
please!
I ask the member to
conclude her answer.
MS BURKE: Well,
Mr. Speaker, I hope there is a subsequent question,
because I really want to make sure that the people of
Newfoundland and Labrador understand the importance of
this.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear,
hear!
MR. SPEAKER: The
hon. the Member for Port de Grave.
MR. BUTLER: Mr.
Speaker, I am fully aware that the students have the
opportunity, I guess, to go to whatever schools they
want to go to, but the correspondence that we have
received from students who attend Gonzaga High School -
one of them was told that they were there and they could
not go back to the School for the Deaf, and they left
this Province and went to a hearing school in Ontario.
I ask the minister: Have
any recent studies or reports been given to the
department related to the education of deaf and hard of
hearing students in this Province, and, if so, will she
release this information to the public?
MR. SPEAKER: The
hon. the Minister of Education.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear,
hear!
MS BURKE: Mr.
Speaker, there is an ongoing piece of work within the
department that is not finalized, as we look at how we
serve best the students who are deaf or hard of hearing
in the Province.
Mr. Speaker, let me be
perfectly clear. The students who are attending Gonzaga
leave the School for the Deaf, and go to Gonzaga five
days a week for a half day. At the school, in Gonzaga,
we have two ASL teachers who also go to the school, we
have three educational interpreters who also assist at
the school, and for the first time ever in this
Province, this year, we have transcription that happens
instantly.
There is one student
doing a Physics program, as the teacher speaks it is
transmitted to Calgary and comes right back to the
laptop on that student’s desk. So we are providing
every support we can to make sure these students have
access to the courses they need, and at the same time,
have the ability to integrate and feel part of the
larger community as well.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear,
hear!
MR. SPEAKER: The
hon. the Member for the District of Port de Grave.
MR. BUTLER: Thank
you, Mr. Speaker.
I want to say to the
minister that the questions I am putting forward are
coming from students who attend Gonzaga, and if she
would only read their e-mails that were sent to her,
like are sent to us, she would answer properly.
Rather than looking at
the education of deaf students from a cost-savings point
of view, I ask the minister: Will
she look at how services, such as vocational education,
can be expanded for deaf and hard of hearing students in
this Province?
MR. SPEAKER: Order,
please!
The hon. the Minister of
Education.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear,
hear!
MS BURKE: Mr.
Speaker, let me talk about the cost of educating
students in Newfoundland and Labrador and, particularly,
hard of hearing or deaf students. We have eighteen
students enrolled at the School for the Deaf. We provide
mainstreaming services at Gonzaga. For these eighteen
students we have ten teachers, we have a principal, a
guidance counsellor and an audiologist. That school, Mr.
Speaker, was built for 200 students. We maintain it
right now for eighteen students. In addition to that,
Mr. Speaker, we also continue to have the residence
open, and that residence was built for 120 students and
now has seven in it. We have also increased funding so
that the students who attend the School for the Deaf are
able to go home every single weekend, so that they can
spend the weekends with their families and parents in
their communities.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear,
hear!
MR. SPEAKER: Order,
please!
The hon. the Member for
the District of Port de Grave.
MR. BUTLER: Mr.
Speaker, students are telling us that government is
deliberately pushing students into mainstreaming so that
eventually the numbers of students will be so low that
they will have no option but to close the school.
I ask the minister: Is
this yet another case of this government putting
political damage control ahead of public involvement?
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear,
hear!
MR. SPEAKER: Order,
please!
The hon. the Minister of
Education.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear,
hear!
MS BURKE: Mr.
Speaker, as I said, we have eighteen students at the
School for the Deaf and we are absolutely committed to
their education, but what is really important here is
that every student in this Province has a right to be
educated in their community schools, close to their
families, and we have a commitment to provide the
services that they need.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear,
hear!
MS BURKE: Mr.
Speaker, to say that we deliberately asked children and
students to stay with their parents and in their homes?
They have a right to that, Mr. Speaker, and we have a
right to make sure that we can accommodate students,
whether it is through FM students, whether it is through
ASL teachers or whether it is through its FM systems.
Mr. Speaker, as the Minister of Education, I will never
force a five year old starting Kindergarten to leave
their parents and leave their home and have to travel
and spend from Monday to Friday in St. John’s.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear,
hear!
MR. SPEAKER: Order,
please!
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Oh,
oh!
MR. SPEAKER: Order,
please!
The hon. the Member for
the District of Port de Grave.
MR. BUTLER: Mr.
Speaker, all I can say is, I sure hope not, what she
just made there.
Mr. Speaker, this
minister has a record of avoiding meeting people who
have concerns about what is happening to the education
system. She refuses to meet with them and does not
respond to their questions.
I ask the minister: Why
is she not responding to correspondence which she
received from students at the School for the Deaf that
has been sent to her?
MR. SPEAKER: The
hon. the Minister of Education.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear,
hear!
MS BURKE: Mr.
Speaker, I can assure you that every piece of
correspondence that is directed to me, as the Minister
of Education, comes to me first before anyone assists or
drafts any reply to it. Every single piece of
correspondence is logged, it comes to me and I make sure
that there is a response. If it has not been timely, we
will make sure that it is. But, Mr. Speaker, I can
assure you that every piece of correspondence - and I
regularly review the correspondence logged to make sure
that I have replied to each and every piece of
correspondence, and I will continue to do so.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear,
hear!
MR. SPEAKER: The
hon. the Member for Signal Hill-Quidi Vidi.
MS MICHAEL: Thank
you, Mr. Speaker.
My question is for the
Minister of Natural Resources.
Last week the Nunatsiavut
Government voted for a three year ban on uranium mining.
The minister, in an April 14 press release, gave a
backhanded critique of their vote by saying that her
government is, and I quote: Confident in our approach to
managing uranium development.
Mr. Speaker, could the
minister outline for us the rules and standards that
have been protecting people, communities and the
environment around uranium mining for the past twenty
years that she is so confident about in her press
release?
MR. SPEAKER: The
hon. the Minister of Natural Resources.
SOME HON MEMBERS: Hear,
hear!
MS DUNDERDALE: Mr.
Speaker, last week I acknowledged that the Nunatsiavut
Government’s decision to put a moratorium on uranium
development in their land claim areas was entirely
within their jurisdiction and a decision that we
respected, and that is so.
In terms of our own
regulation, we are very confident, and I am happy to
provide a copy of the regulations to the Leader of the
NDP. She is more than welcome to them. We base our
regulations on standards that were developed in
Saskatchewan who has a long history of uranium
development and one of the safest records in the world.
So, we are very confident. We recognize, as I said,
Nunatsiavut’s right to do what it did but we also have
a right to make decisions on our lands and we have done
so, and we stand by that, Mr. Speaker.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear,
hear!
MR. SPEAKER: The
hon. the Member for Signal Hill-Quidi Vidi.
MS MICHAEL: Mr.
Speaker, statistics from the Ontario Cancer Treatment
and Research Foundation reveal that residents of Elliott
Lake, Ontario, experienced very high incidents of
colorectal cancer among females and of lung cancer among
men and women. The study also found higher infant
mortality rates and childhood leukemia than in other
areas.
Mr. Speaker, are these
the kinds of facts that are giving this government
confidence in its approach to uranium mining?
MR. SPEAKER: The
hon. the Minister of Natural Resources.
SOME HON MEMBERS: Hear,
hear!
MS DUNDERDALE: Thank
you, Mr. Speaker.
As I said, our standards
are not based on what is done in Ontario. They are based
on the standards that are practiced in Saskatchewan,
which has one of the best safety records for uranium
mining in the world, Mr. Speaker.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear,
hear!
MR. SPEAKER: The
hon. the Member for Signal Hill-Quidi Vidi.
MS MICHAEL: Mr.
Speaker, I appreciate that Ontario and Saskatchewan are
different. However, the facts about cancer related
illnesses apply wherever uranium mining happens.
In a February 2008 letter
to the Ontario government, the Ontario College of Family
Physicians Environmental Health Committee indicates
reason to have concern regarding cancer causing affects
of radon gas and other decay products released into air
and water bodies because of exploratory drilling and
mining of uranium.
Mr. Speaker, since the
government is so keen on promoting uranium mining. Will
this government strike a committee to examine the
potential negative effects of uranium mining in this
Province?
MR. SPEAKER:
The hon. the Minister of Natural Resources.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear,
hear!
MR. DUNDERDALE:
Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
These matters are
extremely important to all provinces, the industry, and
governments who have uranium mining going on in their
jurisdiction. We keep a close eye on the research. We
follow the standards, we follow the regulations, we
follow the health information and we set the bar very
high in this Province.
Mr. Speaker, I am happy to share whatever information
that the Leader of the NDP wants. I can stand here
saying very strongly and very clearly that we are very
satisfied with the regulations that we operate under and
we have sufficient evidence to satisfy us that the
standards are very high and safety is a major concern.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear,
hear!
MR. SPEAKER:
The hon. the Member for Signal Hill-Quidi Vidi.
MR. MICHAEL:
Mr. Speaker, yesterday the all-party committee of the
Nova Scotia Legislature upheld the governments ban on
uranium mining.
Will this government
strike a committee that will at least look at whether it
is possible to mine other minerals without disturbing
uranium deposits?
MR. SPEAKER:
The hon. the Minister of Natural Resources.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear,
hear!
MS DUNDERDALE:
Mr. Speaker, I have to say as minister of this
department and responsible for mining activity in this
Province, as I have gone about my work in the last two
years I have received accolades from every part of the
industry, every agency that is involved in this kind of
work, to say that this government has extremely high
standards. It is one of the best and safest places in
this country to do this kind of business.
We monitor what is going on in this industry all the
time. We strive to have the highest standards. We will
work with the Nunatsiavut government. We share all our
information with them. We will continue to do that, but
the health and safety of the people of this Province is
of primary importance to us and we will do nothing to
endanger that.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear,
hear!
MR. SPEAKER:
The hon. the Leader of the Opposition.
MS JONES: Thank
you, Mr. Speaker.
Mr. Speaker, my question
is for the Premier.
We have heard testimony
at the Cameron Inquiry that the Board of Eastern Health
was kept out of the loop as it related to faulty hormone
receptor testing. As a matter of fact, I think Joan Dawe
basically stated that the board was irrelevant with
respect to this issue.
I ask the Premier: If
the health care boards are supposed to govern the
activities of the Health Care Corporation, why are they
not functional and making decisions on such important
matters?
MR. SPEAKER:
The hon. the Minister of Health and Community Services.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear,
hear!
MR. WISEMAN: Mr.
Speaker, the Cameron Inquiry is hearing a lot of
evidence from a lot of people. At the end of the day,
they will make a ruling about a number of things, I
suspect, and make some comment on a number of aspects of
the testimony that they heard.
Clearly, the testimony
that the member opposite is referring to is a board
chair who said that information did not come to the
board. As the Minister of Health and Community Services
I will tell this House today, and I will tell the people
of the Province of Newfoundland and Labrador, that it is
inappropriate for any senior executive management team
to withhold pertinent, crucial information from the
health authority, the trustees that actually have
recruited them and put them in place to carry out that
function of running the day to day operations, I say,
Mr. Speaker. |
