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Oral
Questions
May 22, 2008
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| In the House | Question
Period
MS JONES: Thank
you, Mr. Speaker.
Mr. Speaker, yesterday
the Minister of Transportation and Works stated that she
felt strong-armed or intimidated by the former Deputy
Premier to give him extra money for roadwork in his
district, and this happened while the Premier was in
Houston. Mr. Speaker, the Premier returned from Houston
on May 8, according to his appearance in the media on
that date. The Minister of Transportation and Works
announced the extra money in a press release a full week
later on May 15.
I ask today, Mr. Speaker,
I ask the minister if she had
concerns about this extra funding, she felt somehow
threatened or strong-armed or pressured, I believe were
all the adjectives that she used, into making this
decision, I ask her: Why didn’t you speak to the
Premier in the week leading up to your announcement and
have this sorted out?
MR. SPEAKER: Order,
please!
The hon. the Minister of
Transportation and Works.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear,
hear!
MS WHALEN: Mr.
Speaker, I acknowledged in this House yesterday to my
hon. colleague that I had erred in judgement, when my
gut feeling told me that I should do some consultation
with the Premier’s office. I did that, Your Honour,
and I take full responsibility for the judgement I made
but I would like to say to the hon. member there, it
would have been very easy to sweep this under the rug
but that is not my feeling and not my principles so I
went and did consult with the Premier. There was a
process to go through -
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Oh,
oh!
MR. SPEAKER: Order,
please!
MS WHALEN: -
and I have to tell you that the ultimatum that the
Deputy Premier had put to me in a conversation that he
would walk, he did just that yesterday,
Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear,
hear!
MR. SPEAKER: Order,
please!
The hon. the Leader of
the Opposition.
MS JONES: Thank
you, Mr. Speaker.
Maybe
the minister can tell me if her consultation with the
Premier was on or before May 15 at the time she made the
public announcement?
MR. SPEAKER: The
hon. the Minister of Transportation and Works.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear,
hear!
MS WHALEN: Mr.
Speaker, I have a number of conversations with the
Premier’s office. I cannot tell her the exact time or
date but I did have a number of consultations about this
issue.
Thank you.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear,
hear!
MR. SPEAKER: The
hon. the Leader of the Opposition.
MS JONES: It
is a regular thing on the other side, Mr. Speaker, when
Cabinet ministers are questioned that they forget
specific details. We have learned that over the last few
weeks, like when they had conversations and who they had
them with.
Mr. Speaker, this morning
on the Open Line show the former Deputy Premier stated
that he had never put pressure on the Minister of
Transportation -
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Oh,
oh!
MR. SPEAKER: Order,
please!
I ask the hon. member to
continue with her question.
MS JONES: Thank
you, Mr. Speaker.
In fact, it was the
minister who contacted him on this issue.
I ask you, minister: Did
you make this call and, if so, why did you state
yesterday that you were strong-armed into giving the
funding and to making the announcement?
MR. SPEAKER: The
hon. the Minister of Transportation and Works.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear,
hear!
MS WHALEN: Mr.
Speaker, I had a couple of conversations with the Deputy
Premier. In one of those conversations the Deputy
Premier asked for an extra million dollars and his words
to me were: If I don’t get this for my district, I
will walk. I took that to be a threat. Obviously, the
Deputy Premier called that yesterday. He resigned when
he did not get the extra million.
I want to say here too,
that there is a message here; everybody has to be
treated alike. The Deputy Premier at that time, I felt
carried a lot of weight in this House and I looked up to
the Deputy Premier. When he gave me that ultimatum, I
did not want to see him walk but there was no choice, my
gut told me otherwise. I had made an error. I own up to
that, I take responsibility for that. I would say to
every member sitting in this House here that I would say
all of us at some point or other have erred in judgement
and I regret that very sincerely. I regret that error in
judgement.
Thank you.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear,
hear!
MR. SPEAKER: The
hon. the Leader of the Opposition.
MS JONES: Thank
you, Mr. Speaker.
My
question was very simple, and that was, who initiated
the contact with regard to this funding arrangement and
this announcement? Was it you contacting the member,
minister, or the member contacting you?
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Oh,
oh!
MR. SPEAKER: Order,
please!
The hon. the Minister of
Transportation and Works.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear,
hear!
MS WHALEN: Mr.
Speaker, as with roadwork, there are a number of
contacts made with all MHAs, back and forth, to take
their input for their districts, the kind of issues that
they lobby for. I had no different with the Deputy
Premier. I had a couple of conversations with him, as
well as I have had with other MHAs.
Thank you.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear,
hear!
MR. SPEAKER: The
hon. the Leader of the Opposition.
MS JONES: Thank
you, Mr. Speaker.
Media reports have also
indicated that the Minister of Municipal Affairs was as
well intimidated and felt his position was under threat
and strong-armed by the former Deputy Premier as well.
I ask the minister: When
did this occur, and how much money would have been
coerced from your department as a result of that
strong-arming and threatening approach?
MR. SPEAKER: The
hon. the Minister of Municipal Affairs.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear,
hear!
MR. DENINE: Thank
you, Mr. Speaker.
The recent program I
announced is a multi-year capital works. That is for the
larger centres. In doing so, Mr. Speaker, I contacted
all the MHAs that had multi-year capital works, and I
had a conversation with all of them, exactly what was
going to happened.
I did contact the Deputy
Premier at the time to let him know what was happening
and, yes, we did have a discussion. It was not a very
pleasant discussion, I might add, and one of the issues
was the fact there was insufficient money there for him.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear,
hear!
MR. SPEAKER: The
hon. the Leader of the Opposition.
MS JONES: Thank
you, Mr. Speaker.
I ask
the minister, if he can tell me how much money was
committed to the Member for Baie Verte-Springdale at the
time that he felt threatened and pressured and
strong-armed by that member to provide money?
MR. SPEAKER: The
hon. the Minister of Municipal Affairs.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear,
hear!
MR. DENINE: Just
a correction there, Mr. Speaker.
When the money is dealt
with in multi-year capital works, it is not done to a
district. It is done to a municipality. In terms of the
municipality, there could be one or two in each
municipality and it is done to the municipality.
So, after the discussion
- a very heated discussion we had, a very aggressive
discussion - there was $875,000 given over three years.
So, it is roughly around $250,000 per year.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear,
hear!
MR. SPEAKER: The
hon. the Leader of the Opposition.
MS JONES: Thank
you, Mr. Speaker.
Maybe
the minister can provide for us the details of
additional funding that the Member for Baie Verte-Springdale
was requesting at the time?
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Oh,
oh!
MR. SPEAKER: Order,
please!
The hon. the Minister of
Municipal Affairs.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear,
hear!
MR. DENINE: I
am not sure if I got all of the question, I was trying
to listen to what was happening there. This money is
allocated to a municipality and the money is done in
bulk. For example, the municipality Multi-Year Capital
Works will come in with a list of what they want to do,
priorities, and we will basically look at the priorities
and try to share it out as equally and fairly as
possible, and then it will be up to the municipalities
to decide their priority list.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear,
hear!
MR. SPEAKER: The
hon. the Leader of the Opposition.
MS JONES: Thank
you, Mr. Speaker.
The minister is
indicating that he had committed to $875,000, I think,
over a three-year period.
My question is very
simple.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Oh,
oh!
MR. SPEAKER: Order,
please!
I ask members for their
cooperation. There are questions being asked, ministers
are having difficulty in hearing questions and the Chair
is having difficulty not only hearing the answers but
hearing the questions. I ask members for their
cooperation.
The hon. the Leader of
the Opposition.
MS JONES: Thank
you, Mr. Speaker, and I thank you for your intervention.
I would like to ask the
minister: What was the
additional amount of money that the member was
requesting, for what community within his district, and
was that money granted?
MR. SPEAKER: The
hon. the Minister of Municipal Affairs.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear,
hear!
MR. DENINE: Mr.
Speaker, as I just said, under the multi-year program
there is a bulk of money that is allocated to a
municipality that applies under multi-year. There is
another program, the Municipal Capital Works Program,
which is a separate program.
What happens is, when
they send in their priority list the municipalities will
determine their priorities. When the money was given it
wasn’t for a specific item. The municipality then
would have to fill out Schedule A, send it back into us,
and then it is approved.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear,
hear!
MR. SPEAKER: The
hon. the Leader of the Opposition.
MS JONES: Thank
you, Mr. Speaker.
Did
the minister at that time make the Premier aware as well
that he was being strong-armed by a minister to try and
give him money for his district? Was that reported to
the Premier’s office at that time or only after this
occurrence with the Minister of Transportation and Works
became public?
MR. SPEAKER: The
hon. the Minister of Municipal Affairs.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear,
hear!
MR. DENINE: Mr.
Speaker, just being new into the Cabinet back in
November, I took it upon myself, the responsibility for
that department, and when something happens I try to do
it as best I can, to the best of my ability, to decide
which way I will go. I don’t have to run to the
Premier with everything that happens. The Premier
expects me to handle it and I hope I handled this as
best I could.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear,
hear!
MR. SPEAKER: The
hon. the Leader of the Opposition.
MS JONES: Thank
you, Mr. Speaker.
My next question is for
the Premier, because it is quite obvious, Premier, that
you have ministers who are unable to fend off the lobby
tactics of their own colleagues, and make decisions that
are firm that they are prepared to stand by.
I ask you: Does
this cause you any certainty in their ability to be able
to carry out and exercise proper judgment in doing their
jobs as ministers in your government?
MR. SPEAKER: The
hon. the Premier.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear,
hear!
PREMIER WILLIAMS: I
have certainty now, because Tom Rideout is gone.
MR. SPEAKER:
The hon. the Leader of the Opposition.
MS JONES: Thank
you, Mr. Speaker.
Mr. Speaker, it seems
like yesterday the Premier made a statement - I read it
in the paper this morning – that, even if the Member
for Baie Verte-Springdale did not table their
resignation, he was about to ask for that resignation.
I have to ask you,
Premier, because we have seen other ministers here, and
in particular today the Minister of Transportation and
Works, who is not being reprimanded in any way for
making an error in judgment, or a decision within the
department that was not in due process of that
department.
Mr. Speaker, I ask the
Premier: What will be the
disciplinary action of him, as a Premier, to a minister
in a case where those ministers breach the process that
has been outlined within their department and their
responsibilities?
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Oh,
oh!
MR. SPEAKER:
Order please!
The hon. the Premier.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear,
hear!
PREMIER WILLIAMS: Mr.
Speaker, it would be totally inappropriate for me to
discipline or reprimand or deal with a minister who has
been threatened, while I am out of the Province, by my
Deputy Premier, with his resignation, in order to get
extra money for his district. She has indicated that she
has made an error in judgment by granting it to him
under a threat of resignation. She said it several
times. She cannot do any more than that.
As far as I am concerned,
the minister has basically acknowledged her mistake;
however, the most important thing here is that we have a
minister of the Crown that was threatened by another
minister of the Crown with a resignation in order to get
money from that minister of the Crown. That is totally
inappropriate.
His resignation stands,
and I am quite pleased with it.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear,
hear!
MR. SPEAKR:
The hon. the Leader of the Opposition.
MS JONES: Thank
you, Mr. Speaker.
Mr. Speaker, this is a
Premier who did not think it was even necessary to take
action or to call for a resignation of his Health
Minister at a time when that minister did not even read
his briefing notes and be informed on one of the major
health disasters facing the people in this Province - a
sure sign of incompetence.
I have to ask the
Premier: Why is that you are so
keen today to take actions where the Deputy Premier was
concerned? Is it because he was in disagreement with
you, and not just in non-compliance and incompetent in
his job?
MR. SPEAKER:
Order please!
The hon. the Premier.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear,
hear!
PREMIER WILLIAMS: Mr.
Speaker, the Minister of Health was Parliamentary
Assistant to the former Minister of Health, had been in
that department for a long period of time. He is trying
to manage that department under a lot of stress, under a
lot of difficulty, and manage this government and the
people of this Province who have had health problems
that certainly were not caused by this government. He
has done that to the best of his ability.
If he happens to know
about a problem, and understands it, then if he decides
not to read a briefing note that is his prerogative; I
am not upset over that. Nor am I - if a minister makes a
decision in good faith, which is done in good faith in
order to prevent what she thought would have been an
embarrassing resignation to this government while I was
away, of the Deputy Premier, and she acted in good
faith, she now acknowledges that was a mistake, then I
do not have a problem with that.
You know, our Code of
Ethics says that we cannot undermine the democratic
traditions. That is the Code of Ethics that is being
passed; it is going to be passed in this House. We
cannot allow that to happen. You know, I am sure -
MR. SPEAKER: I
ask the hon. the Premier to conclude his answer.
PREMIER WILLIAMS: I
am sure Mr. Rideout’s intentions were well-intentioned
for his district; however, he knows and I know, and
everybody in this House knows, and the people in this
Province know, that it is inappropriate to threaten a
minister of the Crown.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear,
hear!
MR. SPEAKER: Order,
please!
Just a quick
interruption; I ask hon. members to refer to members by
the district they represent, or by their portfolio.
The hon. the Leader of
the Opposition.
MS JONES: Thank
you, Mr. Speaker.
You know what the real
irony in this situation is? It is that you have the
former Deputy Premier who was out there lobbying for
extra funds, Mr. Speaker, for an issue in his district,
but what happened in 2004? In 2004 the Premier
intervened, himself, in the VON strike in your own
district, Mr. Speaker, on the West Coast of
Newfoundland, and allocated extra funding to that group,
against what we saw as knowledge of the Minister of
Heath and Community Service at the time. In fact, it led
to the resignation of the Member for Topsail at that
time, in that position.
I ask the Premier: Why
is there a double standard today? How are the actions of
the Member for Lewisporte, in lobbying for extra money
not allocated for his district, any different –
MR. SPEAKER: Order,
please!
I ask the hon. member to
pose her question.
MS JONES: -
than you accessing money for an issue in your district?
MR. SPEAKER: The
hon. the Premier.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear,
hear!
PREMIER WILLIAMS: The
difference is that the Member for Baie Verte-Springdale
threatened a minister of the Crown. That is the
difference. That is very clear; it is very, very
obvious. I cannot tolerate it, and I will not tolerate
it, and my Cabinet will not tolerate it, and my caucus
will not tolerate it.
That is the clear
distinction. I cannot say it any more. I have said it to
you four times. The worst thing about this is that you
were once a minister of the Crown and you understand
exactly what I am saying, and you know that it was wrong
to do what he did at that particular point in time.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear,
hear!
MR. SPEAKER: The
hon. the Leader of the Opposition.
MS JONES: Thank
you, Mr. Speaker.
The other side to this,
that has become very clear, is that there was no
conversation between the Deputy Premier and the Premier
with regard to this issue.
I ask the Premier: If
this individual, who was your right-hand man, cannot get
a face-to-face meeting with you to deal with these
issues, what does that say about the dialogue within
your own government with the rest of your Cabinet
ministers?
MR. SPEAKER: Order,
please!
The hon. the Premier.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear,
hear!
PREMIER WILLIAMS: The
former Deputy Premier met with my chief of staff and
asked if he could get an extra allocation for $1 million
for his district. He was told by a senior official in
the Premier’s office that was not going to happen
because the money was not available, and he could not
get it because the money had already been allocated.
He came up, then, two
days ago – actually, he was asked to come up by the
chief of staff - and was informed that, that money was
not available; that, in fact, the decision that had been
reached by he and the minister, the agreement that had
been reached by he and the minister, had to be
rescinded. Then he said he was going to resign and he
would table his resignation. There was no request for a
meeting with me.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear,
hear!
MR. SPEAKER: The
hon. the Leader of the Opposition.
MS JONES: Thank
you, Mr. Speaker.
Maybe
the Premier can tell me today what roadwork would have
been scheduled for the District of Baie Verte-Springdale
that has been cancelled as a result of this. What
communities will be affected, or what piece of roadwork
has been cancelled?
MR. SPEAKER: The
hon. the Premier.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear,
hear!
PREMIER WILLIAMS: I
have no idea, Mr. Speaker. It was money that was
improperly obtained and it does not matter. If there is
a need in that district then over the course of the time
that we are in office, for the rest of this term, it is
certainly a need that we will look at on a priority
basis. If it is necessary, we will get it done. If it is
not a priority then we will not be able to get it done.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear,
hear!
MR. SPEAKER: The
hon. the Leader of the Opposition.
MS JONES: Thank
you, Mr. Speaker.
We did make an inquiry to
the Department of Transportation and Works this morning
to find out what that $1 million would have been
allocated for, for roadwork that had been cancelled.
Mr. Speaker, I will ask
the Minister of Transportation and Works, because we did
not get the information from the department; they were
going to look into it: What
piece of work was to be done with this $1 million? Now
that it has been cancelled, how will that affect that
area?
MR. SPEAKER: The
hon. the Minister of Transportation and Works.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear,
hear!
MS WHALEN: Mr.
Speaker, the hon. colleague is referring to the $1
million. There is no extra $1 million for that district.
We will assess that
district, the needs that are there we will look at, and
we will work within the budget that we have right now
that was prior allotted to that district.
Thank you.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear,
hear!
MR. SPEAKER: The
hon. the Leader of the Opposition.
MS JONES: Mr.
Speaker, I say to the minister: When you committed to
the $1 million - under whatever restraint you claimed to
have committed to it - you must have at least been
looking at a piece of roadwork that would have been
done.
I ask you, Minister: What
section of roadwork was to be completed by the $1
million investment, whether it is there today or not?
MR. SPEAKER: The
hon. the Minister of Transportation and Works.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear,
hear!
MS WHALEN: Mr.
Speaker, there is a four-year plan submitted for that
district. We are now looking at that four-year plan and
we will identify the work that needs to be done in that
district, within the confines of the budget that was
allotted, $2.5 million. We will certainly assess that
district.
Thank you.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear,
hear!
MR. SPEAKER: The
hon. the Leader of the Opposition.
MS JONES: Mr.
Speaker, the Premier stated yesterday, in response to
one of his questions, that school children travelling on
a rough section of road somewhere within the Province
will now get this extra funding.
I ask the Premier: Can
you tell us what road that is, where it is located, and
which member approached you for that extra funding to do
that work?
MR. SPEAKER: The
hon. the Premier.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear,
hear!
PREMIER WILLIAMS: It
was a road, one of the roads going to or leading from
Long Island. There was an issue with respect to safety
on that road and the reason being was, my understanding
is that a bus route had been reallocated to that
particular road for children, a school bus, on the clear
understanding and on the commitment from the member at
that particular point in time that, in fact, that road
would be brought up to standard in order to ensure the
safety of the children. That is where that money will be
going.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear,
hear!
MR. SPEAKER: The
hon. the Opposition House Leader.
MR. PARSONS: Thank
you, Mr. Speaker.
Mr. Speaker, I have asked
twice in this House now in the last week if we could
have the names of the individuals who sit on the
Conflict of Interest Advisory Committee, as recently as
Tuesday. Surely, the government puts millions into
communications; this is not a big task.
I ask the Minister of
Natural Resources, who responded last Tuesday, I ask
again: Can we have the names of
the individuals who sit on the Conflict of Interest
Advisory Committee and the dates of their appointment?
MR. SPEAKER: The
hon. the Minister of Natural Resources.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear,
hear!
MS DUNDERDALE: Thank
you, Mr. Speaker.
I have committed to
provide that information to the House. As soon as it is
gathered, Mr. Speaker, and I have time to attend to it,
I will provide that information and it will be done
before this session of the House is complete.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear,
hear!
MR. SPEAKER: The
hon. the Opposition House Leader.
MR. PARSONS: Thank
you, Mr. Speaker.
God forbid, if we ask for
something that is really complex, getting a few names of
who sits on a committee.
Mr. Speaker, last week we
had the fundraising caper of Mr. Andy Wells, which was
in violation of the Conflict of Interest Act. This
morning, Mr. Wells was on Open Line supporting a mayoral
candidate in the upcoming St. John’s by-election. Now
the Public Utilities Board is a quasi-judicial body. The
head of a quasi-judicial body is supposed to be
independent, supposed to be unbiased, and not be giving
political endorsements. It is absolutely inappropriate,
it is contrary to the provisions of the Conflict of
Interest Act and it creates an apprehension of bias.
I ask the Premier: Will
you advise Mr. Wells to cease and desist from this
activity, bring him into line, or else dismiss him,
because he obviously got no respect for the laws of the
Province?
MR. SPEAKER: The
hon. the Minister of Justice and Attorney General.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear,
hear!
MR. KENNEDY: Thank
you, Mr. Speaker.
I can inform the
Opposition House Leader that there has been a close
review of the Conflict of Interest Act, that we have
been looking at sections 14 and 15 of the act, and the
issue raised here today will be taken under advisement
and will be examined by this government.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear,
hear!
MR. SPEAKER: The
hon. the Member for the District of Port de Grave.
MR. BUTLER: Mr.
Speaker, it is obvious that government’s mega-dump
concept will not be in place for a number of years, yet
many communities need a solution to their serious waste
disposal problems right now.
I ask the minister: What
does government intend to do -
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Oh,
oh!
MR. SPEAKER: Order,
please!
The hon. the Member for
the District of Port de Grave.
MR. BUTLER: Mr.
Speaker, I ask the minister: What
does government intend to do to address the serious
problems which need to be addressed immediately?
MR. SPEAKER: The
hon. the Minister of Municipal Affairs.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear,
hear!
MR. DENINE: Mr.
Speaker, I will take it, but I am not sure of the
question. I will probably infer the question, is that -
AN HON. MEMBER: Tom
Rideout (inaudible).
MR. SPEAKER: Order,
please!
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Oh,
oh!
MR. SPEAKER: Order,
please!
MR. DENINE: I
think the Opposition chastised us once for about being
rude.
Mr. Speaker, right now
the Waste Management Strategy is moving forward; 2010
for the Avalon, 2011 and 2016 for the Western. Labrador,
we are waiting for the report to come back on and see
where that is going to go from there.
Mr. Speaker, we talk
about - the Western one is 2016. If it can be shortened
up, it will, and if it cannot then we will look at 2016,
but the other two are 2010, 2011.
I am not sure if that is
the question.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear,
hear!
MR. SPEAKER: The
hon. the Member for the District of Port de Grave.
MR. BUTLER: Mr.
Speaker, Fogo Island is offering government a crystal
ball into what will occur in many communities in this
Province once they eliminate the teepee incinerator
system. Residents suggest that in that community the rat
population has exploded, Mr. Speaker.
I ask
the minister, I do not know if this government is
predicting that a Pied Piper might come along, but I am
asking this government, what will they do to see that
this problem is solved with a lack of composting
programs in this Province?
MR. SPEAKER: Order,
please!
Order, please, for the
last time, and the Chair will have no hesitation in identifying
members by their district if they continue to interrupt.
The hon. the Minister of
Environment and Conservation.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear,
hear!
MS JOHNSON: Thank
you, Mr. Speaker.
Mr. Speaker, in November
of 2003 this government signed on to a Canadian Council
of Ministers of the Environment commitment to eliminate
teepee incinerators in this Province.
Mr. Speaker, there are
three issues identified. One of the main areas to tackle
this problem was to eliminate teepee incinerators in
Newfoundland and Labrador because they account for 27
per cent of the national dioxin and furan emissions that
go out into the country. There were forty-one at that
time in 2003. We have that number from forty-one down to
twenty-five and we are very committed to eliminating
those twenty-five by the end of this year, all for the
reasons of health for the people of the Province.
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 heard the member for -
I think it was Government Services saying they were
toxins. I say he must be sniffing them by the way he is
acting over there today, Mr. Speaker.
Mr. Speaker, already we
are hearing reports from community leaders of increasing
dumping in the wood roads in this Province.
I ask the minister: Does
she see this as a serious problem, and how is the
department dealing with it?
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 eight
months away from the deadline to eliminate teepee
incinerators and we are not going to throw in the towel
right now and give up, and say: Do you know what? We
will go ahead and let you expose these people to dioxins
and furans.
We have a committee
between the Department of Government Services, the
Department of Municipal Affairs, and my department.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Oh,
oh!
MR. SPEAKER:
Order please!
MS JOHNSON: We
have a steering committee in place and we have committed
to meeting with all twenty-five communities over the
next coming weeks to ensure that there are alternatives
in place.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear,
hear!
MR. SPEAKER:
Order please!
The hon. the Member for
the District of Signal Hill-Quidi Vidi.
MS MICHAEL: Thank
you very much, Mr. Speaker.
Mr. Speaker, in answers
to questions yesterday, and again today, the Premier has
made it clear that he plays an essential role in the
approval of the money that goes to roadwork in the
Province, both during the budget process, prior to, and
obviously afterwards, because since the Budget he has
said no to the Member for Baie Verte-Springdale for more
money and he has said yes to the Member for Lewisporte
for more money. So, he is essentially involved in that
process.
I would like to know from the Premier, why he has chosen
this area to be so closely involved in?
MR. SPEAKER:
Order please!
I ask the Member for
Gander for his co-operation.
The hon. the Premier.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear,
hear!
PREMIER WILLIAMS: As
the Premier of the Province, I have responsibility for
all departments generally. Unfortunately, I can’t
drill down to all the details at every department. From
our perspective, as a department, there is an official
in our department who liaises with the minister and her
officials. There is also a caucus liaison who liaises
with caucus members and ministers with regard to road
allowance. That procedure is disseminated through all
these. It is very rarely that I have to meet with a
member or a minister over roads. As a matter of fact, I
am sure I can probably count on one hand the number of
times that has actually happened.
This is a different
experience, but generally I oversee it and I also look
at the allocation for roads generally to make sure that
I feel it is fair. That is why I was particularly
informed of this particular incident in Baie Verte-Springdale,
because in fact that district had already gotten, over
the last seven years, over $20 million in road money
allocation. That was more than any other district in the
Province. Therefore, I was trying to keep things
somewhat symmetrical although there still are
disparities.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear,
hear!
MR. SPEAKER: The
hon. the Member for the District of Signal Hill-Quidi
Vidi.
MS MICHAEL: Mr.
Speaker, I would like to know from the Minister of
Transportation and Works what the criteria are for
approving the roadwork that is going to be done in the
Province, because obviously your department goes through
a whole process of coming to an agreement. What are the
criteria that you use?
MR. SPEAKER: The
hon. the Minister of Transportation and Works.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear,
hear!
MS WHALEN: Mr.
Speaker, there is a process that the department goes
through, but one of the emphasis that we do put on is
that safety comes first. We try to address all of the
safety issues that are prioritized in our Budget when we
are doing roadwork.
Over the past number of
years, we have put significant dollars into our roads
infrastructure. It was in deplorable condition prior to
taking office in 2003. I am very proud today to say that
we have invested $182 million in road infrastructure
this year. |
