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Oral
Questions
May 8, 2008
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| In the House | Question
Period
MS JONES: Thank
you, Mr. Speaker.
Mr. Speaker, nurses in
Bonavista are protesting today because of staff
shortages and workload concerns. We know the Minister of
Health and the Premier will meet later today with
pathologists in the Province to address similar concerns
in their workplace.
I ask the Minister: have
any immediate actions been taken, or are you willing to
take some action to address the concerns that have been
expressed by nurses consistently since last year?
MR. SPEAKER: The
hon. the Minister of Health and Community Services.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear,
hear!
MR. WISEMAN: Thank
you, Mr. Speaker.
As a government, I think,
Mr. Speaker, we have demonstrated very clearly that we
are always ready to respond to the changing needs in our
health system, to respond to some of the challenges that
we have in recruiting in some locations. Bonavista is
one location, I say, Mr. Speaker, where Eastern Health
has had some challenges in trying to recruit some
nurses, and last year they came up with some new
financial incentives that have given them some success.
As I understand, Eastern
Health is trying to work through now with each of the
facilities that they operate; each of the facilities has
a responsibility to provide their staff some vacation
time for the summer. I think the issue being discussed
in Bonavista now, today, as I understand it, is the
issue around summer vacations, and how they might be
accommodated. Eastern Health is working through that
issue.
I, myself, will be
meeting with the Nurses’ Union over the course of the
next week to discuss some of the issues that they think
are important, that we need to be addressing in the
short term.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear,
hear!
MR. SPEAKER: The
hon. the Leader of the Opposition.
MS JONES: Thank
you, Mr. Speaker.
Maybe the minister could
give us an update in the House once those discussions
are completed, because last year this was a problem in
which nurses in this hospital and others around the
Province could not get the vacation time they wanted.
Mr. Speaker, these nurses
in Bonavista have also decided that they no longer want
to do bookkeeping duties between the hours of midnight
and 8:00 a.m. They believe that patient care should be
their priority.
I ask the minister: Why
would nurses in our system today be required to complete
duties such as bookkeeping as part of their job
description?
MR. SPEAKER: The
hon. the Minister of Health and Community Services.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear,
hear!
MR. WISEMAN: Thank
you, Mr. Speaker.
Mr. Speaker, as many of
you would know, as you have been patients in clinics or
hospitals around the Province, there are patient charts
that are maintained on every patient that you see. The
clinician who has seen that patient has a responsibility
to do their own charting. So, whether it is nurses or
physicians or any other clinician, they would do their
own charting as a normal course of practice in seeing
their patients.
One other thing that
happens in some clinics throughout the Province, I say,
Mr. Speaker, and Bonavista happens to be one of them,
during the midnight hours, when the normal clinics are
not operating, there is a physician available, together
with a nurse available, to provide services to patients
who may present in an unscheduled way for an emergency
visit. When that happens, the nurse involved would be
the person who may have been involved with the
registration of that patient. It would happen as
individuals come in - because it is an unplanned visit,
I say, Mr. Speaker. It is coming through the emergency
department. Sometimes it may be a very busy evening, but
more frequently than not after midnight it is a very
slow night, so there is not enough clerical staff to be
able to provide ongoing service twenty-four hours a day.
So, what happens is the nurse provides that when it
happens.
MR. SPEAKER: Order,
please!
I ask the hon. minister
to conclude his answer.
MR. WISEMAN: Thank
you, Mr. Speaker.
That is it.
Thank you.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear,
hear!
MR. SPEAKER: The
hon. the Leader of the Opposition.
MS JONES: Mr.
Speaker, these nurses really feel that their job is to
provide essential medical care in those particular
hospitals. They also feel that other support workers
should be hired to do bookkeeping or certain levels of
record keeping that is required.
I ask the minister: Will
you meet with Eastern Health to ask if those kinds of
services or support staff can be put in place?
MR. SPEAKER: The
hon. the Minister of Health and Community Services.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear,
hear!
MR. WISEMAN: The
answer is yes.
MR. SPEAKER: The
hon. the Leader of the Opposition.
MS JONES: Thank
you, Mr. Speaker.
My next question is for
the Minister of Education.
In the last couple of
days, I have asked the minister a number of questions
regarding the new teacher allocation formula. Mr.
Speaker, we know that this allocation formula will
remove teaching units from certain schools in the
Province.
I have to ask the
minister: At what point will
they start looking at the quality of education, and
preserving the integrity of the programs in smaller
schools, as opposed to just slashing teachers and
transferring them out?
MR. SPEAKER: The
hon. the Minister of Education.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear,
hear!
MS BURKE: Mr.
Speaker, the whole essence of the new method for
allocating teachers is based on being able to provide
the prescribed provincial curriculum in every school in
Newfoundland and Labrador.
Mr. Speaker, we do
regular evaluations of the curriculum to ensure that
there is a quality education in Newfoundland and
Labrador.
Mr. Speaker, what we have
in this Province is a situation where we have a
declining birth rate. As I indicated yesterday, since
2003 we have almost 12,000 less students in the schools,
and over the next seven to eight years, Mr. Speaker, we
are also going to be losing another 10,000 students. In
saying that, we also have schools where there is an
increase in the school population. So we wanted to look
at a formula and a way and a method to allocate teachers
that would first start with the school, look at the
programming requirements in that school, and the needs
of that school. As opposed to a top-down, here are your
numbers, go make it work.
MR. SPEAKER: Order,
please!
I ask the hon. minister
to conclude her answer.
MS BURKE: So
each school will develop a plan as to how they can
provide the prescribed curriculum for the numbers that
they have and, in consultation with the board, the
determined allocation is made. Then, that is how we
allocate the teachers.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear,
hear!
MR. SPEAKER: The
hon. the Leader of the Opposition.
MS JONES: Mr.
Speaker, teachers in those schools that I have spoken
with have told me that, although population is
declining, the needs of the students are not fewer than
they have been yesterday or the day before. In fact, Mr.
Speaker, they feel that there are larger problems
related to learning disabilities and behavioral
problems, and other illnesses that some children face.
I ask the minister: Are
you concerned that fewer teaching units in some of these
schools will see certain students falling through the
cracks in our education system, especially in rural
areas?
MR. SPEAKER: The
hon. the Minister of Education.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear,
hear!
MS BURKE: Mr.
Speaker, one issue we talk about with this method of
allocating teachers is the cap on classrooms. We have it
now at twenty for Kindergarten and twenty-five, for
September coming, from one to four, which will roll out
in Grade 5 and Grade 6 in the subsequent years, and
twenty-seven at Grade 7.
Another important
component of this teacher allocation is also that in our
smaller schools where there is multi-grading we also
have maximum cap sizes on those classes so that, if
there has to be a combination of grades that come
together, at no point will that exceed fifteen students.
There were caps in place
in the previous formula that we no longer use, and the
formula that we have, in some cases, mirrors it but
certainly is more generous.
Thank you.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear,
hear!
MR. SPEAKER: The
hon. the Leader of the Opposition.
MS JONES: Mr.
Speaker, the minister talked about capping the number of
children in a classroom, and we have no problem with
that - in fact, we think it needs to be done – but we
do not think that requirement should be met by moving
units out of rural schools to meet that particular
requirement, Minister, and we have concerns about it.
I ask you: Why
are you not prepared to cap the number of grades that
will be taught in one classroom?
MR. SPEAKER: The
hon. the Minister of Education.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear,
hear!
MS BURKE: Mr.
Speaker, in some of our smaller schools in Newfoundland
and Labrador we actually have a number of schools that
have less than twenty-five students from Kindergarten to
Grade 12. We also have many schools where there is
multi-grading, where we have one and two students per
grade. Sometimes, in the configuration, say, from a K-6
school - that will happen in St. Lewis next year - there
is actually one grade where they will be no students, so
we will not be teaching that curriculum.
Every school is
different, every school is unique; the composition and
the numbers are there. That is why it is so important
that, as we allocate teachers, we start right at the
school level as opposed to just basing it on numbers.
Thank you.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear,
hear!
MR. SPEAKER: The
hon. the Leader of the Opposition.
MS JONES: Mr.
Speaker, I ask the minister - this morning, when she was
on Labrador Morning, she made a comment about a program
for Aboriginal teacher allocation, and the fact that
there was $750,000 to be invested into that particular
initiative - can you tell me
how many teachers will be hired, and in what schools
they will be placed?
MR. SPEAKER: The
hon. the Minister of Education.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear,
hear!
MS BURKE: Mr.
Speaker, once we have that information finalized then I
can certainly speak to it. At this point, I can indicate
that there are two guidance counsellors and, as well,
there is another teacher that will be working in the
school in Nain.
Thank you.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear,
hear!
MR. SPEAKER: The
hon. the Leader of the Opposition.
MS JONES: Thank
you, Mr. Speaker.
It seems like the
minister really has very little information when it
comes to this. Yesterday I asked her how many teachers
would retire from the system; she did not know. I asked
her how many new teachers would be hired; she did not
know. I asked her how many were going to be hired under
this new Aboriginal program; she seems not to know that.
Mr. Speaker, from
yesterday, has the minister now
had an opportunity to look at the number of teachers
that will leave the system this year, and the number of
new teachers that will be hired to replace them?
MR. SPEAKER:
The hon. the Minister of Education.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear,
hear!
MS BURKE: Mr.
Speaker, what is important here is that we felt, based
on the new allocation of teachers, that in essence we
would see more teachers in Newfoundland and Labrador
next year. We actually increased the Budget by over $3
million to accommodate the fact that we anticipate more
teachers.
Mr. Speaker, I also want
to be perfectly clear that there will be no
rationalization of the number of teachers in our schools
based on the number of retirements. We will determine
how many teachers we need in the system, and we
anticipate we will need more teachers next year than
what we had this year.
If a number of the
teachers in the allocation that we require for next year
are present teachers who retire they will be replaced,
but in no way are we counting retirements or being cute
about this or somehow using attrition. If we have a
required number of teachers, and a number of them
retire, we will hire the teachers that will replace the
ones that retire.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear,
hear!
MR. SPEAKER:
The hon. the Leader of the Opposition.
MS JONES: Mr.
Speaker, the school boards have already made decisions
and schools have been contacted.
I ask the minister again
- she makes a good speech, but - how
long will be have to wait to see the number of teachers
that are coming out and the number of teachers that will
be hired to replace them? A very simple
question.
MR. SPEAKER:
The hon. the Minister of Education.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear,
hear!
MS BURKE: Mr.
Speaker, I will try to give a very simple answer because
I have answered this question every day this week and I
will continue to answer it again today.
As soon as we have the
information available, whether it is next week or the
week after, or in three weeks time, as soon as we know
what the final allocations are we can certainly make
that public.
It is not something that
we are going to try to hide, how many teachers we have
hired. It will be reflected in our budgets, it will be
reflected in the reports from our schools boards, and,
Mr. Speaker, once we have those final numbers I will
only be more than too pleased to release them publicly.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear,
hear!
MR. SPEAKER:
The hon. the Leader of the Opposition.
MS JONES: Thank
you, Mr. Speaker.
Is
the minister also prepared to do another evaluation of
the units being removed from schools in Labrador -
almost every school from the South Coast to the North
Coast - and look at how this is going to affect the
programming in those schools, the multi-grading in those
classrooms, have a good hard look at it and see if there
is something that you can do to maintain the complement
of teachers that is presently there?
MR. SPEAKER:
The hon. the Minister of Education.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear,
hear!
MS BURKE:
Mr. Speaker, it begs the question: Is our method of
allocating teachers and the fact that we did an
extensive consultation, we had a report from our
commissioners, we did extensive analysis on it, was it
only to say that we will not move any teachers or
schools would not lose teachers? We have examples where
schools will actually not be offering the grade they had
the year before, so it just does not make sense that,
you know, we will come up with a method so that everyone
is protected.
What we have to do and
what is prudent in this Province is to make sure that as
we have shifting populations, a declining birth rate and
a prescribed curriculum that we have to offer, that we
have to do it in the most responsible way we can. Mr.
Speaker, just to assign numbers was not good enough. We
want to make sure that we look at the needs from each
school and that is how we then determine the number of
teachers to provide that particular curriculum.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear,
hear!
MR. SPEAKER: The
hon. the Leader of the Opposition.
MS JONES:
Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Most of my questions have
been related to rural schools, but I was contacted
yesterday by a teacher who told me there was a guidance
counsellor position being eliminated at I.J. Samson
school here in the centre of St. John’s.
The minister launched an
anti-bullying campaign in most of the schools around the
Province and drug awareness programs, all which these
individuals are responsible for in the schools. We know
that centre city schools have their own set of very
unique problems when it comes to these things.
I ask the minister: Why
is a guidance counsellor position being eliminated in
this school while the staff there are telling us that
there is still a very strong demonstrated need to
maintain that unit?
MR. SPEAKER:
The hon. the Minister of Education.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear,
hear!
MS BURKE:
Mr. Speaker, one thing that did not change for next year
in our new method of allocating teachers was the ratio
for guidance counsellors. The reason why that was not
changed was I felt that the guidance counsellors do a
significant amount of work in the schools. There was a
new ratio that was recommended in the report but it did
not provide enough rational or accountability.
We actually have someone
hired right now who is doing a piece of work to look at
the work of the guidance counsellors to help us with the
accountability to make sure that we understand how much
work they are required to do, what is reasonable to
expect any particular guidance counsellor to do and how
do we ensure that that work is done in the timeframes
that are suitable to the school, to the students and to
the parents.
Mr. Speaker, there has
been no chances in the allocation for guidance
counsellors for next year, but it is a piece of work
that I think is very significant that will guide us in
the future as we allocate guidance counsellors.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear,
hear!
MR. SPEAKER:
The hon. the Leader of the Opposition.
MS JONES:
Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
My next questions are
regarding the gas price regulation. I am not sure which
minister is responsible, so I guess whoever answers.
Mr. Speaker, there was a
freeze on gas prices in Zone 11 in Labrador and that
freeze was lifted today, far earlier than it would have
been in any other year, and usually the service is
delivered from what we call tanker to tanker. It is
fuelled up in the spring. When the tanker comes in to
refuel in the spring, the price changes. However,
that price changed today and I would like to have an
answer as to the reason for it.
MR. SPEAKER: The
hon. the Minister of Government Services.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear,
hear!
MR. O'BRIEN: Mr.
Speaker, I am aware of the Zone being lifted, but I do
not have the details as to why at this particular time,
so I will take the liberty of coming back to the House
with the answer when I consult with my officials.
Thank you.
MR. SPEAKER: The
hon. the Member for Port de Grave.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear,
hear!
MR. BUTLER: Mr.
Speaker, last evening I received several petitions from
residents on the Northeast Avalon, in particular those
living between Torbay and Pouch Cove, regarding the
route of the proposed Torbay Bypass Road. These people
feel that the current proposal will turn two kilometres
of the road through Torbay into a five-lane highway.
Instead, they suggested a new route that should start at
the boundaries of St. John’s to improve the safety and
congestion for those concerned.
I ask the minister: Has
a final route been chosen by government for the Torbay
Bypass Road?
MR. SPEAKER: The
hon. the Minister of Transportation and Works.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear,
hear!
MS WHALEN: I
thank my hon. colleague for the question.
The design work and our
field survey work is nearing completion. An
environmental review is required under the Canadian
Environmental Assessment Act prior to the project being
approved for construction or to meet the requirements of
the funding agreement. A revised draft will be sent to
Transport Canada and work cannot be completed until we
have an environmental report approved.
Thank you.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear,
hear!
MR. SPEAKER: The
hon. the Member for Port de Grave.
MR. BUTLER: Mr.
Speaker, during a recent information meeting at Torbay,
there were, I guess, officials there from the department
as well as approximately 120 residents. The concerns
that they expressed were about the six side roads and
the many driveways which will come on to that main
highway. It affects some 214 residents.
I ask the minister: Will
government consider constructing a highway that will
totally bypass the Town of Torbay?
MR. SPEAKER: The
hon. the Minister of Transportation and Works.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear,
hear!
MS WHALEN: Mr.
Speaker, the survey data collection and detail design
and the property acquisition has been ongoing for some
time with regard to the Torbay Bypass Road, and it is
nearing completion. The utility relocation design and
the construction to accommodate the bypass route is also
underway, so all that is in the design right now. There
has been a fair amount of design work put into this
particular project. It is ongoing and we are looking at
the best route to alleviate the congestion and the
traffic coming out from Torbay.
Thank you.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear,
hear!
MR. SPEAKER: The
hon. the Member for the District of Port de Grave.
MR. BUTLER: Mr.
Speaker.
At that particular recent
meeting, some of the people living along those routes
were concerned about their property and the highway
taking away their lawns, as a matter of fact. That was
the way it was explained to me. Others were concerned
about the construction, the delays that will happen
there, more or less a bottleneck where the traffic is
fairly much tied up at this present time.
I know the minister said
that the plans are ongoing, but
I was just wondering if she could give us an approximate
date when the start up would be for the construction of
this highway.
MR. SPEAKER: The
hon. the Minister of Transportation and Works.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear,
hear!
MS WHALEN: Mr.
Speaker.
I thank my colleague for
the question, but I cannot provide a date for him right
now. That process is still taking place and as soon as I
have a date that I can make him aware of, I certainly
will do that for you.
Thank you.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear,
hear!
MR. SPEAKER: The
hon. the Leader of the Opposition.
MS JONES: Thank
you, Mr. Speaker.
My question is for the
Minister of Labrador Affairs.
I ask
if he is aware that the price freeze in Zone 11 was
lifted today and that consumers in that region are
paying twenty-two to twenty-three cents more for
petroleum products today on a product that was stocked
in October, Mr. Speaker?
MR. SPEAKER: The
hon. the Minister of Government Services.
MR. O'BRIEN: As
I informed the hon. House, this lies within the Public
Utilities Board. They have jurisdiction over that which
is within my responsibility as the Minister of
Government Services. I will endeavour to consult with
those officials and determine the reason why it was
lifted, and if it was lifted early I will determine that
as well and get back to this House at a later date.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear,
hear!
MR. SPEAKER: The
hon. the Leader of the Opposition.
MS JONES: Thank
you, Mr. Speaker.
It is obvious the
Minister of Labrador Affairs has no knowledge of this,
but what I will say is I have contacted the Petroleum
Pricing Commission, Mr. Speaker, and I have spoken to
individuals there and there was no rationale given to me
as to why this was done. I think it is unacceptable that
people should have to pay twenty-two cents more today
for fuel that was stocked in October at October’s
prices.
I ask
if you can work immediately to consult with them and to
see if this reversal can be made.
MR. SPEAKER: Order,
please!
The hon. the Minister of
Government Services.
MR. O'BRIEN: As
I just informed the House in the past two questions and
two occasions, I will endeavour to determine why it was
lifted so early – if it is early, in fact – if there
are resources there and fuel capacity there to keep the
zone restricted. I will determine that and I will get
back to the House at a later date.
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 Minister of Aboriginal Affairs.
From the information that
we have received regarding teaching units being
transferred out of North Coast schools, were
you aware that there could be up to twelve positions,
Minister, being removed from schools in your district?
I ask if you are concerned
about this, and if you have had any consultation with
the Minister of Education or the school board on the
matter.
MR. SPEAKER: The
hon. the Minister of Aboriginal Affairs.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear,
hear!
MS POTTLE: Mr.
Speaker, for the last week I have been on the North
Coast of Labrador. I have talked with school councils,
with parents, with principals and with the school board,
and they brought their issues and concerns forward to
me. I have forwarded them to the Minister of Education.
Right now the allocations
are not finalized, and I have asked to be briefed on
that as soon as things unfold. I will be keeping up on
it, and I am up on it.
Thank you.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear,
hear!
MR. SPEAKER: The
hon. the Leader of the Opposition.
MS JONES: Mr.
Speaker, I ask the minister if
she is concerned that taking those units out of those
particular schools will affect the programs being
offered in North Coast schools, especially the school in
Nain.
MR. SPEAKER: The
hon. the Minister of Aboriginal Affairs.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear,
hear!
MS POTTLE: Like
I said, Mr. Speaker, the allocation allowance has not
been finalized yet.
I am concerned with some
numbers that are out there; but, like I said, they are
not finalized so it is kind of premature for me to base
my comments yet. We will wait for further information on
that, Mr. Speaker.
MR. SPEAKER: The
hon. the Leader of the Opposition.
MS JONES: Thank
you, Mr. Speaker.
If the minister was
meeting with principals and in the schools, she would
also know that they were contacted by the school boards
and they were given those particular numbers.
Is she
telling me now that the school board has since changed
its mind and that they will be revamping their numbers?
MR. SPEAKER: Order,
please!
The hon. the Minister of
Education.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear,
hear!
MS BURKE: Mr.
Speaker, I want to confirm what we had said yesterday,
that a number of
teachers had been given
layoff notices because in their contract there was date
by which they had to be notified of their positions for
next year. If there was an ongoing process that was not
finalized, legally, until they had a position that could
be offered, they would have to be notified of the
layoff.
Mr. Speaker, that is what
has been happening this week. We do not necessarily have
the finalization, the final numbers, for every school in
this Province. As I have said, whether it is in Labrador
or any other part of Newfoundland, when these numbers
are finalized we will be releasing them publicly.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear,
hear!
MR. SPEAKER: The
hon. the Leader of the Opposition.
MS JONES: Thank
you, Mr. Speaker.
Just a quick question for
the Minister of Fisheries and Aquaculture.
In the Estimates on
Tuesday evening, I asked the minister questions with
regard to a number of fisherpeople in our Province who
had sold their licences, retired their licences, under a
federal government program dating back three to four
years ago. Many of them feel that they had to meet
discriminatory tax laws under Revenue Canada at that
particular time.
I ask
the minister if he would support an all-party committee
of the House of Assembly to advocate on behalf of these
individual fishers in our Province to try and improve
their benefits and to try and help them seek
remuneration that they were owed by the federal
government. I ask if has had a chance to entertain that,
and if he has made a decision on it.
MR. SPEAKER: The
hon. the Deputy Premier.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear,
hear!
MR. RIDEOUT: Thank
you, Mr. Speaker.
I think the member will
recall, at the time that she asked the question, I
indicated that I certainly had no difficulty with it in
principle, I would take the matter under advisement and
give it some thought, and when I was finished that
process I would report accordingly.
I have not completed that
process yet, Mr. Speaker, but perhaps in due course.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear,
hear!
MR. SPEAKER: The
hon. the Member for Signal Hill-Quidi Vidi.
MS MICHAEL: Thank
you very much, Mr. Speaker.
My questions are for the
Minister of Municipal Affairs.
The Auditor General
highlighted the lack of a 911 service in this Province
in his report released in January 2006. He pointed out
that Newfoundland and Labrador is the only Atlantic
Province without Province-wide coverage for land-based
911 and recommended that the government consider
implementing a 911 emergency response service.
I ask the Minister of
Municipal Affairs why this government has not yet even
taken steps toward implementing a full Province-wide 911
service?
MR. SPEAKER: The
hon. the Minister of Municipal Affairs.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear,
hear!
MR. DENINE: Thank
you, Mr. Speaker.
I want to inform the hon.
member that we have taken some steps. We are taking
steps. When I became Minister of Municipal Affairs back
in November, my first meeting with the FES officials was
to put 911 back on the table in terms of moving it
forward.
Right now we have some
money there to engage a consultant to see where we are
going to go, because it is not just simply turning a
switch and you are into 911. There is a significant
amount of co-ordination. There is a certain amount of
sophistication that has to go into it. There is a
certain amount of people that have to be involved.
I had an opportunity, Mr.
Speaker, to go to Nova Scotia and look at their 911
system. When I talked to the people there, it is just
amazing how many things they had to go through to make
it a reality.
Mr. Speaker, we are from
ground zero - we are moving forward. We have a lot of
hoops to get through, and we want the consultants to
show us the way to get there.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear,
hear!
MR. SPEAKER:
The hon. the Member for Signal Hill-Quidi Vidi.
MS MICHAEL: Thank
you very much, Mr. Speaker.
I am glad to know that
the minister has started moving on this, but he must
know that this is really urgent in the Province. Not all
people are aware they do not have 911. Children are
conditioned to think that 911 is the number to call in
an emergency, and the Department of Tourism forecasts
more travellers to the Province, all of whom think we
have a 911 system.
How long do you think
this process is going to take, Mr. Minister?
MR. SPEAKER:
The hon. the Minister of Municipal Affairs.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear,
hear!
MR. DENINE: Mr.
Speaker, I cannot tell the hon. member how long it is
going to be.
Like I said before, we
have to move from getting – just think about it, Mr.
Speaker, the number of communities we have in
Newfoundland and Labrador with no numbers, just civic
addresses on them. Just think of that part first. That
is only one hurdle that we have to get over. That is a
monumental task on its own. Just think of that one, the
co-ordination of ambulance services, the co-ordination
of hospitals, the co-ordination of police services, fire
departments, volunteer and composite fire departments -
that is significant.
To give a date, Mr.
Speaker, is unrealistic right now.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear,
hear!
MR. SPEAKER:
The hon. the Member for Signal Hill-Quidi Vidi.
MS MICHAEL: Mr.
Speaker, surely, if the minister has consulted already
with one province and knows what they went through, he
should be able to at least tell us if we are talking a
year, two years, three years.
Can you not give us some
specifics? The people in this Province are waiting to
hear those specifics, Mr. Minister.
MR. SPEAKER:
The hon. the Minister of Municipal Affairs.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear,
hear!
MR. DENINE: Mr.
Speaker, I could give a very brief answer but I will not
do that because that would not be becoming of me as a
member.
Mr. Speaker, I said
before, the thing here is that we are moving ahead. It
is on the agenda for us to do something. I have to look
at where we are, where we are going, and how we are
going to get there. Like I said, there are a lot of
hurdles to jump over. We are going to take our time to
make sure it is right; because, as I said, the
co-ordination is very, very important. It is not like
just turning a switch and you are on 911 today and
everything is all hunky-dory. It is not that case, so to
give you an exact time would be very premature for me to
do that. |
