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Oral
Questions
May 21, 2008
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| In the House | Question
Period
MS JONES: Thank
you, Mr. Speaker.
Mr. Speaker, earlier
today the Deputy Premier, the Minister of Fisheries and
the Government House Leader resigned, as we know. It was
in the public airways. He stated that it was due to
interference by the Premier’s office regarding
roadwork in his district. When such a senior minister,
Premier, resigns in this Province it is always a
significant matter of public importance.
I ask
the Premier, today, Mr. Speaker, to provide the House
with an explanation as to what happened to bring about
this resignation.
MR. SPEAKER: The
hon. the Premier.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear,
hear!
PREMIER WILLIAMS: I
did not hear the hon. member speak today, so I do not
know whether he used the term interference. I would be
very surprised if he actually said that.
The situation was this.
We have allotted, through the department, about $73
million for roadwork. The total roadwork allotment for
the entire Province is $183 million, if I remember
correctly. Our job then is to distribute that $73
million among forty-eight districts and, as we all know,
some of the districts are in St. John’s, some in
Corner Brook, require certainly less money. So it is our
job to try and equitably distribute that money around
the Province in a fair and proper formula. Now, I
actually get involved in that process and I look at it -
and Stephen Dinn in my office actually also gets
involved in the process, together with the minister and
her officials to make sure it has been properly
allocated. As you know, one thing that was brought to my
attention this year, there had not been an allocation
for your own district, and $1.5 million was allocated to
your district and over $1 million to the Member for
Burgeo & LaPoile, and over $1 million to the Member
for Port de Grave. I understand Signal Hill-Quidi Vidi
does not require any roadwork. So we are trying to be
very, very fair in our allocation.
The other thing we use,
and may I have so many ways in which -
MR. SPEAKER: Order,
please!
I ask the hon. minister
to conclude his answer, the Premier, or else ask for
leave.
Does the hon. Premier
have leave?
PREMIER WILLIAMS: (Inaudible).
MR. SPEAKER: The
hon. Premier by leave.
PREMIER WILLIAMS: The
other thing we look at is the amount that has been given
to districts over the last seven years; since the turn
of the century, basically, since 2000. We look at what
the cumulative total is that has been allocated to each
district. Some districts have more than others and have
gotten more than others over the years. The district
that had the most money allocated for roadwork was Bay
de Verde - Baie Verte, I am sorry - which had, in fact,
over $20 million had been allocated. So, therefore, as
part of our method and the formula for allocating money,
it was indicated that that money should not be as much
this year because it would in fact put them way ahead of
other districts. It was conveyed to the minister at the
time, the Deputy Premier, that in fact he was going to
be allocated $2.5 million. That decision, of course, was
made in conjunction with the minister and with my
office. After that, the minister came back to my office
and indicated that he felt he needed more for his
district - a reasonable request, as all other hon.
members make from time to time. He was told there was
not any other money available, it had all been
allocated.
Then, while I was in
Houston at the Oil and Gas Conference with meetings with
Chevron and Exxon Mobil and others, the Deputy Premier
went to the Minister of Transportation and indicated
that he wanted another million dollars. The minister
indicated that that was not possible. I cannot give this
verbatim. You will have to ask the minister directly
because I was not in that meeting, but the Deputy
Premier at that particular point in time threatened that
if he was not given the extra million dollars he was
going to resign.
So, from our perspective
as a government, and my perspective as a Premier, I am
not going to allow anyone in this government at all,
under any circumstances to come in and try and strong
arm a minister in order to get more funds when that
person knows the process, knows the procedure, knows
exactly how it is done and is basically, while I am not
in the Province, using some form of intimidation. I do
not mean in a crass manner, but using his position as
the Deputy Premier in order to get more funds. That is
not acceptable. In fact, when money is taken out of that
pot and more money is allocated to the person in
question’s pot that means there is less available for
everybody else in every other district in the Province.
That means that he is, in effect, picking the pockets of
other members. I am not going to stand for that. I am
not going to allow it.
He indicated that if that
was not acceptable, and in fact he indicated to my chief
of staff, that if he was not allowed to keep the extra
million dollars then in fact he would resign, and I
graciously accepted his resignation.
MR. SPEAKER: The
hon. the Leader of the Opposition.
MS JONES: Thank
you, Mr. Speaker.
As well, in the press
conference this morning when the Deputy Premier tabled
his resignation, he also said that there was no
face-to-face discussion between himself and the Premier.
I would like to ask the
Premier today: Why was there no
discussions between him and the former Deputy Premier
around this issue to try and sort it out?
MR. SPEAKER: The
hon. the Premier.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear,
hear!
PREMIER WILLIAMS: From
my perspective, the facts were very, very clear. The
Deputy Premier met with my chief of staff. My chief of
staff informed him that this extra million dollars would
not be available, because in fact the funds - if there
is any kind of surplus of funds we have to use it for
some extras, if there happens to be overruns in some of
the districts.
I also, yesterday, had a
situation where I had an MHA come to my office and
basically made a plea to me to provide some extra funds
for roadwork, due to the fact that children were being
rerouted in buses over a particular road on the
understanding that this particular road was going to be
fixed, for want of a better term, and it was going to be
paved. There was no money available for that particular
road. So I indicated to the MHA at that particular time
that we would attempt to find that money. There was no
money available within the pot because basically it had
been all used up at Transportation and Works. This money
had been improperly obtained by the Deputy Premier from
the Minister of Transportation and Works, so we will be
using that money for bus safety for children.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear,
hear!
MR. SPEAKER: The
hon. the Leader of the Opposition.
MS JONES: Thank
you, Mr. Speaker.
My next question, as
well, is for the Premier.
I
would like to ask if there were any other issues that
contributed to this resignation; because this individual
was a senior Cabinet minister within government, held
various portfolios, and I am wondering if there were any
other issues outside of this that would have contributed
to the resignation today.
MR. SPEAKER: The
hon. the Premier.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear,
hear!
PREMIER WILLIAMS: There
was another side issue which is not directly related to
this, but the primary issue, basically, was the
situation with regard to the roads. That is where, as I
said before, the Deputy Premier knew the rules. He was a
former Minister of Transportation. He knew that the
Premier’s office had to basically sign off on it, was
told by the Premier’s office that they were not going
to approve it, was told again that they were not going
to approve it, and then he decided that he would resign.
There was no forced
resignation. He offered his resignation and, as I said
before, I respect that.
MR. SPEAKER: The
hon. the Leader of the Opposition.
MS JONES: Mr.
Speaker, I am just wondering if the Premier would like
to share with us what the side issue might have been,
and if it had anything to do with differences of opinion
inside of government.
MR. SPEAKER: The
hon. the Premier.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear,
hear!
PREMIER WILLIAMS: Mr.
Speaker, there are always issues between hon. members,
and especially in Cabinet. We have good healthy debate.
I think we have actually been commended for the debate
that we have in Cabinet. Contrary to popular opinion, we
are very democratic in our deliberations in Cabinet.
There are lengthy discussions that sometimes drag on in
Cabinet and there is good healthy debate.
From our perspective,
from time to time any of my ministers can have a
disagreement with me on any issue and we work it out and
we ultimately reach consensus. Nothing gets railroaded;
nothing gets driven home. It is a matter of everybody
reaching consensus, and if we do not reach consensus we
move on.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear,
hear!
MR. SPEAKER: The
hon. the Leader of the Opposition.
MS JONES: Thank
you, Mr. Speaker.
I guess we will have to
wait and see what the other issues may have been.
My next question is for
the Minister of Transportation and Works.
On Thursday past, the
minister issued an announcement of $3.5 million in
roadwork for the District of Baie Verte-Springdale and
it was issued in conjunction with the member for the
area.
I have to ask the
minister today: Why would you
have committed to give the $3.5 million to Baie Verte-Springdale
District for roadwork, as you publicly announced, and
then retract on it later?
MR. SPEAKER: The
hon. the Minister of Transportation and Works.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear,
hear!
MS WHALEN: Mr.
Speaker, I thank you for your question.
Yes, I did put out a
press release; but, in sober thought and in hindsight, I
should not have committed that extra million to the
district.
I felt that I was
strong-armed and pressured to come up with that million
dollars. So, in retrospect, I did run it by the Premier
because my gut feeling said that I should not have done
that, and I accept the full responsibility of that.
Thank you.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear,
hear!
MR. SPEAKER: The
hon. the Leader of the Opposition.
MS JONES: Thank
you, Mr. Speaker.
I ask the minister: Is
it true that she was strong-armed by the Premier’s
office to actually renege on the commitment and to
cancel the $3.5 million announcement in funding?
MR. SPEAKER:
The hon. the Minister of Transportation and Works.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear,
hear!
MS WHALEN: I
have never been strong-armed by the Premier’s office
at any time in the last five years. I have made my
decisions, but this decision - my gut told me that I did
the wrong decision. I consulted with the Premier’s
office, and I take full responsibility for the decision
that I made.
Thank you.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear,
hear!
MR. SPEAKER:
The hon. the Leader of the Opposition.
MS JONES: Thank
you, Mr. Speaker.
I thought I had just
heard the Premier say, in answer to a previous question,
that he had asked you to cancel the funding. I
guess I just want to confirm that was indeed the case
and, Minister, that you were contacted by the
Premier’s office and asked not to approve the $1
million in extra funding for the District of Baie Verte-Springdale.
MR. SPEAKER:
Order please!
The hon. the Premier.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear,
hear!
PREMIER WILLIAMS: Mr.
Speaker, I was informed by the hon. minister that while
I was in Houston the Deputy Premier basically contacted
her and indicated that if he was not given the extra
million dollars for his district he would resign.
Now, if the strong-arming
occurred, the strong-arming occurred with that hon.
gentleman. He has been around politics for thirty years.
He is very experienced. He is very good at what he does
from a political perspective; however, he used his
position of influence to strong-arm one of my ministers.
Now, first of all, I am
not going to stand for that when it comes to
strong-arming other ministers; and, secondly, I am not
going to take money out of all the pockets of
(inaudible) members here that all want roadwork done and
have huge demands for roadwork, and that includes you.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear,
hear!
MR. SPEAKER:
The hon. the Leader of the Opposition.
MS JONES: Thank
you, Mr. Speaker.
I would like to ask the
Minister of Transportation and Works: Is
there often interference in her department by the
Premier or the Premier’s office when it comes to
approving funds for districts for roadwork in the
Province?
MR. SPEAKER:
The hon. the Minister of Transportation and Works.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear,
hear!
MS WHALEN: Mr.
Speaker, there has never, ever, been any interference
with the department through the Premier’s office.
I would tell my hon.
colleague that there is lots of consultation that takes
place back and forth from the Premier’s office to the
department, but there has never been anything out of the
ordinary in our department. We have always consulted,
when need be, and the Premier has been there, but I
think it should be said that there is a message here
that everybody is treated equally, MHAs, in this House.
Thank you.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear,
hear!
MR. SPEAKER:
The hon. the Leader of the Opposition.
MS JONES: Thank
you, Mr. Speaker.
The next questions I have
are actually for the Minister of Fisheries and
Aquaculture, but I guess when the minister resigned he
would have dropped his briefing book on someone’s desk
on the way out, so I will ask the questions anyway.
We have learned of
significant bycatches of invasive species of green crab
in the Placentia Bay area. It has been in the media
repetitively in the last number of weeks. We have also
heard reports of other unusual fish species that have
been found in waters around the Province.
Now, Mr. Speaker, there
has been a link drawn in discussions around this issue
with increased vessel traffic in Placentia Bay, and
speculation that the green crab may have migrated with
ballast water from oil tankers.
I would like to ask the
Minister of Fisheries and Aquaculture: What research has
been done in your department to ensure –
MR. SPEAKER: Order,
please!
I ask the hon. member to
pose her question.
MS JONES: What
research has been done in the department on this issue
of ballast water from oil tankers and the appearance of
green crab in the Placentia Bay area, and the –
MR. SPEAKER: Order,
please!
The hon. the Minister of
Innovation, Trade and Rural Development.
MR. TAYLOR: Thank
you, Mr. Speaker.
Mr. Speaker, as the
Leader of the Opposition would well know, since she was
the Minister of Fisheries and Aquaculture at one time,
the issue of management of the fishing industry, once
you go below the high-water mark, it is purely the
jurisdiction of the federal government.
Furthermore, Mr. Speaker,
the issue of invasive alien species in the waters of
Canada has been an issue that probably was discussed
when she was the Minister of Fisheries, around
federal-provincial-territorial meetings. I know it was
when I was there. It is an issue of major concern to
fisheries departments throughout Canada. It is an issue,
Mr. Speaker, in the Great Lakes, it is an issue on the
Atlantic Coast, and it is an issue on the Pacific Coast.
Mr. Speaker, our
government is very concerned about it; the Department of
Environment has made representation to the federal
government. As the Minister of Fisheries, when I was
down across the road, we certainly made representation
to the federal government, and it is why, in part, we
have invested in SmartBay, Mr. Speaker, so that we can
adequately monitor what is going on –
MR. SPEAKER: Order,
please!
MR. TAYLOR: –
in Placentia Bay, in order to prevent this type of thing
from happening in the future.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear,
hear!
MR. SPEAKER: The
hon. the Leader of the Opposition.
MS JONES: Thank
you, Mr. Speaker.
In high-water mark or
not, I say to the hon. member, it was in the last
election when your government went out and talked about
establishing fisheries research vessels in the Province,
and facilities in that particular area. So
I would like to ask you where that is on the radar right
now.
MR. SPEAKER: The
hon. the Minister of Innovation, Trade and Rural
Development.
MR. TAYLOR: Thank
you, Mr. Speaker.
I can tell you that it is
a lot closer on the radar than it was when she was
Minister of Fisheries and Aquaculture.
I can tell you, Mr.
Speaker, that we at least have made a commitment to
investing in research from a fisheries perspective, and
our government is committed to research and development,
as was evidenced by the announcement that we made of $5
million at Memorial University last week, as was
evidenced in our recent budget of $4.175 million for
research on oceans, Mr. Speaker, and our ocean sector
strategy.
Mr. Speaker, we are very
committed to ensuring that the people of Newfoundland
and Labrador and the decision-makers in Newfoundland and
Labrador have the appropriate information to make sure
that our ocean environment is preserved and our fishing
industry is preserved on a go-forward basis, with or
without the help of the federal government, Mr. Speaker.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear,
hear!
MR. SPEAKER: The
hon. the Leader of the Opposition.
MS JONES: Thank
you, Mr. Speaker.
Maybe soon we will see
something on the research vessels that you committed to.
My next question is for
the Minister of Natural Resources, because the European
green crab is only one symptom of the environmental
conflicts that are occurring in the Placentia Bay area.
Most recently, the federal and provincial governments
both gave approval under the environmental regulations
for a new oil refinery to be constructed.
I ask the minister: What
is the current status of the Newfoundland and Labrador
oil refinery corporation’s plan to construct the
300,000 barrel-a-day refinery in the Placentia Bay area?
MR. SPEAKER: The
hon. the Minister of Natural Resources.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear,
hear!
MS DUNDERDALE: Thank
you, Mr. Speaker.
The refinery has passed
through its environmental impact study and has been
approved on that piece.
My understanding, Mr.
Speaker, is that they have hit some roadblocks in terms
of their financing given the circumstances that are
occurring in the United States with the subprime rate
and so on. So, we are very supportive of this project
but we are in a position where we have to wait and see
if they are able to get the kind of investment that is
going to be required to complete the project.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear,
hear!
MR. SPEAKER: The
hon. the Leader of the Opposition.
MS JONES: Thank
you, Mr. Speaker.
Because the environmental
impact was completed without any investor present at the
table, I have to ask: Is government concerned that a new
investor that might come in, because they did not have a
seat at the table, if they will
be willing to comply with the pollution and prevention
policies that have now been outlined in that
environmental statement?
MR. SPEAKER: The
hon. the Minister of Natural Resources.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear,
hear!
MS DUNDERDALE: Mr.
Speaker, I can only imagine that somebody who is
prepared to make significant investment in any kind of
project in this Province would do the due diligence and
know what is required of them in terms of conducting
business in this Province.
As far as we are
concerned, as a government, only the highest standards
regarding protection of the environment will guide the
operation of any kind of a project within this Province,
whether it is the new oil refinery or any other business
here in the Province.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear,
hear!
MR. SPEAKER: The
hon. the Leader of the Opposition.
MS JONES: Thank
you, Mr. Speaker.
Also, a
federally-commissioned Environmental Oil Spill Risk
Assessment Project looked at high-risk spills across
Canada and this particular area was one of the areas
considered to be of higher risk. I
ask if government is committed to developing a
comprehensive environmental protection strategy for this
particular area of the Province - that means Placentia
Bay - within its entirety.
MR. SPEAKER: The
hon. the Minister of Environment and Conservation.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear,
hear!
MS JOHNSON: Thank
you, Mr. Speaker.
Mr. Speaker, we are very
committed to the environment and ensuring that any
project that goes forward is done so in an
environmentally sound manner, in order to protect
sustainable development for future generations. We work
very closely with the federal government. We work on
SmartBay projects. We have a very intense environmental
assessment process, one that is recognized throughout
the country in terms of timelines and how open it is to
the public.
I can assure the hon.
member opposite that environment is an utmost concern
for us and we will continue to work with groups in the
Placentia area and the federal government.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear,
hear!
MR. SPEAKER: The
hon. the Leader of the Opposition.
MS JONES: Thank
you, Mr. Speaker.
We also know that the new
nickel plant that is planning to be constructed in Long
Harbour is being considered now by Vale Inco, and we
also know that they are looking at the type of
technology that would be used.
I ask
the minister today if she can confirm that the hydromet
technology is working and that will be the preferred
option.
MR. SPEAKER: The
hon. the Minister of Natural Resources.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear,
hear!
MS DUNDERDALE: Thank
you, Mr. Speaker.
Vale Inco will make a
decision and a public announcement very soon in terms of
which technology will be used in the operation in Long
Harbour.
I can tell you that, in
terms of the work that is being done, the work on the
hydromet is very, very encouraging.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear,
hear!
MR. SPEAKER: The
hon. the Leader of the Opposition.
MS JONES: Mr.
Speaker, we are aware as well of the environmental
process that has been ongoing in Long Harbour in
relation to this facility.
I ask
the minister if she has any indication right now when
that process will be completed, and if all the
environmental concerns have been addressed to date in
that plan.
MR. SPEAKER: The
hon. the Minister of Environment and Conservation.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear,
hear!
MS JOHNSON: Thank
you, Mr. Speaker.
Mr. Speaker, as the hon.
member would know, that company submitted their
Environmental Impact Statement some time ago, and at
that point it certainly was rejected because there were
a lot of deficiencies in that report.
As I said, our utmost
concern is the environment so we felt that we would want
another Environmental Impact Statement submitted for our
review. The company has done that and now it is in the
public process in terms of public input.
We certainly welcome
input from the members opposite and any members of the
public, and we will review that and ensure at the end of
the day that all environmental considerations are met.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear,
hear!
MR. SPEAKER: The
hon. the Leader of the Opposition.
MS JONES: Thank
you, Mr. Speaker.
The use of the hydromet
technology, if that is what they choose to go with, will
require the use of tailings ponds in that area. We just
witnessed recently in Alberta from the media, that
because proper protocols were not put in place that
there was a danger to wildlife populations in that area
when they came in contact with toxins.
I ask the minister: What
requirements and protocols have been built into this
environmental assessment piece to ensure that those
wildlife are protected from toxins in that particular
area?
MR. SPEAKER: The
hon. the Minister of Environment and Conservation.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear,
hear!
MS JOHNSON: Mr.
Speaker, the environmental assessment process does
exactly just that. We look at all of the potential
negative implications or possible impacts on wildlife on
all of the surrounding area, and certainly all of those
issues will be addressed. Certainly, before any issues,
before any permits or any go ahead is given, all of
those would be addressed in the environmental assessment
process.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear,
hear!
MR. SPEAKER: The
hon. the Leader of the Opposition.
MS JONES: Thank
you, Mr. Speaker.
We realize that there
have been very specific evaluations and EIS done on both
of these projects, the oil refinery and the hydromet,
but local people in the area have raised concerns with
us. In fact, there are over 500 fishing enterprises in
that area and they are concerned about everything from
tanker traffic to these particular projects. They have
been asking if government would consider a larger
environmental assessment that would evaluate the
cumulative impacts on the environment in the entire
region as a result of compounding industry. Would
the minister consider that?
MR. SPEAKER: The
hon. the Minister of Environment and Conservation.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear,
hear!
MS JOHNSON: Mr.
Speaker, one of the deficiencies that was evident in the
Environmental Impact Statement for the Voisey’s Bay
project was the fact that the cumulative effects piece
was not sufficient in our case and it was not
satisfactory. So, that is one of the things that we have
asked the company to go back and do. They have submitted
a new cumulative effects plan and that is currently
being viewed by the public, commented on by the public,
and certainly my staff and myself will also review that
before any decisions are made.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear,
hear!
MR. SPEAKER: The
hon. the Member for the District of Port de Grave.
MR. BUTLER: Mr.
Speaker, the T’Railway system in this Province was
closed down after a federal report indicated to the
Minister of Environment that problems existed there. The
minister had no alternative source of information to
draw on since the department had no system of regular
inspections.
Given this lack of proper
procedure in place for the T’Railways, I
ask the Minister of Transportation and Works: Are
regular inspections done of bridges and overpasses on
road systems in this Province? If so, will the minister
make these reports available to the House?
MR. SPEAKER: The
hon. the Minister of Transportation and Works.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear,
hear!
MS WHALEN: Thank
you, Mr. Speaker.
Yes, our bridges are
inspected every two years. Just recently, if you
remember, we had the federal government close down the
bridges, and Transportation and Works worked all one
weekend and inspected all of the bridges here in the
Province.
Thank you.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear,
hear!
MR. SPEAKER: The
hon. the Member for the District of Port de Grave.
MR. BUTLER: Mr.
Speaker, the inaccessibility of the provincial ferry
system for people in wheelchairs has been discussed in
the media. Also, when an inspection was done of the
Marine Atlantic a number of problems were identified in
the ferry system that falls under federal jurisdiction.
Can
the minister tell this House what kind of regular
inspections of the provincial ferry systems are
conducted, and will the results of those safety
inspections be made available to the public?
MR. SPEAKER: The
hon. the Minister of Transportation and Works.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear,
hear!
MS WHALEN: Thank
you, Mr. Speaker.
Yes, I cannot speak for
Marine but I can speak for the provincial ferries, that
we do have - in fact, we are now implementing new safety
measures on our ferries. Just recently, it was in the
news, where we have asked people to get out of their
cars now and go to the cabin. That is one of the safety
measures that we have had. The other thing that we are
doing, too, is that we are going to be building new
ferries that will have accessibility for handicapped
people on those ferries, with the new design.
Thank you.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear,
hear!
MR. SPEAKER: The
hon. the Member for the District of Port de Grave.
MR. BUTLER: Thank
you, Mr. Speaker.
Just a
follow-up to the first two previous questions; if you
have information available, I was wondering if the
minister would make it available, those reports?
Mr. Speaker, we hear so
much those days with regards to problems within our
hospitals and schools, which leads me to the next
question about other public buildings and facilities in
the Province.
I ask the Minister of
Transportation and Works: Have
inspections been done on other public buildings and
facilities, and will she make those reports available
once the inspections - if they are not done now, when
they are done - available to the public?
MR. SPEAKER: The
hon. the Minister of Transportation and Works.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear,
hear!
MS WHALEN: Mr.
Speaker, we do inspect our buildings. In fact, this year
in the Budget we have invested a significant amount of
money to have maintenance done on all of our public
buildings here throughout the Province.
Thank you.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear,
hear!
MR. SPEAKER: The
hon. the Member for the District of Signal Hill-Quidi
Vidi.
MS MICHAEL: Thank
you very much, Mr. Speaker.
Mr. Speaker, until today,
I would have thought that it was the right of any MHA to
go to a minister and advocate on behalf of their
district for constituents, for schools, for projects.
All MHAs do that.
Mr. Speaker, I would like
clarification from the Premier whether it is true or not
that MHA requests to ministers must now be approved by
him?
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Oh,
oh!
MR. SPEAKER: Order,
please!
The hon. the Premier.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear,
hear!
PREMIER WILLIAMS: Not
at all, Mr. Speaker.
There she goes again,
playing the same old politics again.
There is a procedure in
place. You would not understand this, because it is not
part of your background and your experience, but you
would not understand that there is a budget process that
has to take place. We go through that process and we
allocate a pool of money. Then we go further in that and
we define how that money is basically allocated. Then
that is it, it is done, and then we finally advise the
members. They sign off on that; they accept it.
Nobody is happy with it.
There is nobody happy with their allocation for roads,
but that is the way it is. We put as much money into it
as we can. At one point, the past Liberal government put
$6 million into roads. We put $183 million into roads.
I have a role to play,
through my office, to make sure that the money is fairly
allocated to everybody in the room, and that is exactly
what we will do. As for someone having to come up and
get my approval, if you want to drop up for a chat about
your district, you are more than welcome to drop up some
time.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear,
hear!
MR. SPEAKER: The
hon. the Member for the District of Signal Hill-Quidi
Vidi.
MS MICHAEL: Thank
you, Mr. Speaker.
I actually have offered a
number of times, in about three different letters to the
Premier, how happy I would be to sit down and talk with
him, but he has never invited me up before. Now you have
it. Now you are going to get it. Now I will be up.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Oh,
oh!
MR. SPEAKER: Order,
please!
The hon. the Member for
the District of Signal Hill-Quidi Vidi.
MS MICHAEL: Thank
you, Mr. Speaker.
With regard to budgets, I
think I understand the budget process very well. One
thing I do know is that ministers do have discretion
within their budgets.
In the Estimates process,
both this year and last year, I asked questions about
discretionary money and what criteria are there, and I
know there is discretionary money. I would have thought
that the Premier’s consent was not needed if a
decision made by minister fell within the mandate of the
minister and within the departmental budget.
Mr. Speaker, could the
Premier please tell the House and the public, what is
the criterion that he uses to insert himself in
departmental decision-making?
MR. SPEAKER: The
hon. the Premier.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear,
hear!
PREMIER WILLIAMS: The
criteria is quite simply: when the House Leader, the
Deputy Premier, the Minister of Fisheries, the former
Attorney General, goes to a minister and strong-arms
that minister with a request that if he does not get his
money he is going to walk and he is going to resign, it
is on that basis that I intervene in order to protect
the public purse for all the other people here who need
some of that money, which includes you.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear,
hear!
MR. SPEAKER: The
hon. the Member for the District of Signal Hill-Quidi
Vidi.
MS MICHAEL: Mr.
Speaker, I am rather confused because the Premier has
said that he gets hundreds and thousands of pieces of
mail –
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Oh,
oh!
MR. SPEAKER: Order,
please!
MS MICHAEL: He
has told us that he gets hundreds and thousands of
pieces of mail and requests through his office and that
he does not have the time to micromanage.
Mr. Speaker, I am asking
the Premier again to tell this House what has changed
his opinion since he made those statements about
micromanaging departments.
MR. SPEAKER: Order,
please!
The hon. the Premier.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear,
hear!
PREMIER WILLIAMS: Again,
Mr. Speaker, I do not know what the hon. member has ever
managed in her life, but I can tell you that $183
million, to me, is a lot of money and needs to be
managed very carefully, and I do not consider it to be
micromanagement. |
