|
Oral
Questions
November 25, 2008
Home
| In the House | Question
Period
MS JONES: Thank
you, Mr. Speaker.
My question is for the
Premier.
As of today, eight of ten
provinces have released updated financial numbers and
economic forecast. Ottawa will release their numbers on
Thursday, yet in Newfoundland and Labrador we have not
seen an update.
So I ask, when
will the people of the Province, or when can we expect
an updated budget and economic forecast from the
government?
MR. SPEAKER: The
hon. the Premier.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear,
hear!
PREMIER WILLIAMS: Thank
you, Mr. Speaker.
Mr. Speaker, as everyone
in the hon. House is aware, there are very volatile
economic times in the Province and the country and
throughout the world. Fortunately, in the Province we
are probably one of the most stable jurisdictions in all
of North America.
We are in the process
though of evaluating and constantly evaluating and
re-evaluating the information that goes into an economic
update. I want to try and provide the best possible
information to the people of the Province, and indeed,
the members of this hon. House.
We can certainly assure
this House that this update will be provided during this
particular segment, during this particular sitting.
Hopefully, we will be able to do it within a fortnight.
I think the Minister of Finance hopes to have it
available within a fortnight, but it will certainly be
during this particular sitting of the House.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear,
hear!
MR. SPEAKER: The
hon. the Leader of the Opposition.
MS JONES: Mr.
Speaker, last spring in the budget government announced
a surplus of $544 million and projected also a surplus
of $379 million for the next year. I guess because of
the change that we are seeing taking place right now, maybe
the Premier could tell me if they have at least looked
at those numbers and if we will be looking at a deficit
this year overall or if we will still be able to
maintain that surplus position?
MR. SPEAKER: The
hon. the Premier.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear,
hear!
PREMIER WILLIAMS: Thank
you, Mr. Speaker.
I can speak in very
general terms. We certainly have looked at it. It is
something that, of course, obviously we try and review
as often as we can with the best information that we can
put together.
Because of the higher oil
prices in the first half of this fiscal year, which have
now been tempered by the much lower oil prices – and I
say higher or lower, that is in comparison to the $87
per barrel which we have used in our budget forecast. So
we are certainly on the upper side in the first half, it
looks like we are going to be on the down side in the
second half. If it averages out in that $90 range, then
we will be on target with our budget surplus. We
certainly expect to have a surplus. We certainly expect
to have a surplus of at least the projected surplus, at
this time.
With regard to surpluses
or deficits going out, it depends very much so on a
couple of things. First of all, obviously, what our
budgets are going to be and what our operating expenses
are going to be over the course of the three years out,
but as well, it is going to depend on the price of oil.
For example, if we do have a $60 price of oil per barrel
on average, over the next few years, then we can
certainly expect to see deficits.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear,
hear!
MR. SPEAKER: The
hon. the Leader of the Opposition.
MS JONES: Thank
you, Mr. Speaker.
I heard the Premier say
again today, and I have heard this a couple of times,
that we are insulated from some of the activity that we
are seeing happening on a national and global level
within the economy, but I guess we do have to
acknowledge the fact that we do depend heavily as well
on export industries and being able to sell our
commodities at fair prices all over the world. Mr.
Speaker, nationally we are seeing right now the
government put some plan and strategy around what is
happening within the economy. They are holding
discussions at different tables. They are seeking the
advice of people in industry and business.
I guess my question to
the government is: What are
your plans to do that? Will there be consultation with
industry, with the business community to look at how we
mitigate some of this impact in Newfoundland and
Labrador?
MR. SPEAKER: The
hon. the Premier.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear,
hear!
PREMIER WILLIAMS: Thank
you, Mr. Speaker.
All of our ministers and
our caucus members are in constant discussions with
members of industry at all levels, from the ground up.
With regard to our plan,
our plan is going to be exactly the same plan that we
put into our Blueprint five years ago, nearly six years
ago I guess by the time it was prepared. Our plan has
been the same one for basically good economic times as
it has been for bad times. We started out with a very
poor economic situation and that focused us. That made
us sure that we were going to do the things that were
necessary in order to get us through good times and also
lead us into possible bad times down the road.
As a result of that very
prudent, fiscal management we have done a lot of the
right things and I am very proud to say so. We have done
it as a team, we have done it together and we have
talked about it and we have planned it. We have looked
at putting a lot of money into infrastructure which has
certainly fuelled the economy here in Newfoundland and
Labrador. We have paid down our debt dramatically and
hope to do that again this year which positions us. We
have also reduced our taxes, our personal income taxes
and also other taxes, like insurance taxes and school
fees, and the list goes on. Final and a very, very
important thing that we have done is we have also
reduced our public pension, unfunded -
MR. SPEAKER: Order,
please!
I ask the hon. Premier to
conclude his answer.
PREMIER WILLIAMS: Thank
you, Mr. Speaker.
We have also reduced our
unfunded pension liability which is something that I
never, ever thought our government in a term or two
terms would ever get a chance to do. We are now seeing
that on a national basis pension funds are actually in
trouble, having lost significant amounts of money. So we
are ideally positioned, the same plan. We are going to
stay the course.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear,
hear!
MR. SPEAKER: The
hon. the Leader of the Opposition.
MS JONES: Mr.
Speaker, we certainly feel that an economic plan is
warranted over and above what has been planned out and
discussed within government. After all, we are facing a
different climate, a different circumstance. Obviously,
when there is money rolling in and government is able to
spend to offset and increase the amount of activity
ongoing in the economy it helps but right now we are
dealing with a situation where the future of the Grand
Falls mill is uncertain, where the proposed refinery is
in a bankruptcy position before it ever got to see a
hole in the ground out there. The Come by Chance
expansion is on hold. The fishing industry has lost a
major source of capital and the Alberta economy, Mr.
Speaker, is rapidly slowing down to the point that many
of the transient workforce in this Province may not be
able to depend upon it for the rest of the year.
So I
ask the government again, are you ready to sit at the
table to start looking for the solutions and be able to
put in place -
MR. SPEAKER: Order,
please!
MS JONES: -
an economic plan that will see the entire Province and
all industry sectors get through this?
MR. SPEAKER: Order,
please!
The hon. the Premier.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear,
hear!
PREMIER WILLIAMS: Thank
you, Mr. Speaker.
As the hon. member
opposite knows, the global reality now is that certain
industries, particularly the forestry industry, are
certainly in difficulty. No one can speak better to that
than the Minister of Natural Resources.
We are meeting constantly
with Abitibi officials. We are meeting with the union.
We have met with community leaders and stakeholders,
staying very, very close to that problem. What we have
done is we have offered to enter into, obviously, an
exchange for timber rights with the company, the company
has rejected that and that would be a significant amount
of money which could be infused.
We have also sat down and
had detailed discussions with the members of the union
as to what they see as solutions. We are prepared to
basically use that money for the timber rights, to put
it into the mill to give some longevity to the mill.
The reality of the fact
here is that we have an owner who is not prepared to
invest a cent in that property. So it would be wrong for
government to start to throw cash at that in unlimited
amounts of money when, in fact, that the owners,
Abitibi, have not bothered to put a cent into it.
With regard to the oil
refinery, there has been a real legitimate effort there
by a great consortium of people, local and
international, from Europe –
MR. SPEAKER: Order,
please!
I ask the hon. Premier to
conclude his answer.
PREMIER WILLIAMS: Thank
you, Mr. Speaker.
This is a multi-billion
dollar financing effort. That financing, as I understand
it, was to have come from the United States and because
of what happened down there with the sub prime debt
problem that funding was not available and they just did
(inaudible).
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear,
hear!
MR. SPEAKER: Order,
please!
The hon. the Leader of
the Opposition.
MS JONES: Thank
you, Mr. Speaker.
My next question is for
the Minister of Health and Community Services.
Mr. Speaker, over the
past couple of months we have been in discussions with
families whose children are suffering from mental
illness. They feel the government and the health care
system have failed in meeting the needs of their
children. One of these deficiencies is the lack of
adequate services for programs to address youth mental
health. Two of these families have young children - and
I know the minister is aware - who have spent months at
the Janeway on the psychiatric ward without any
long-term treatment plan.
I ask the Minister of
Health today: What is
government’s plan to deal with the need of those youth
who need treatment within our Province?
MR. SPEAKER: The
hon. the Minister of Health and Community Services.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear,
hear!
MR. WISEMAN: Thank
you, Mr. Speaker.
This government is very
much aware of the many challenges facing our mental
health system. That is why, back in 2005, we laid out a
policy framework for mental health services in this
Province. It was because of that recognition, because of
that understanding of some of the challenges facing
people living with mental illnesses. As a result of that
policy framework, back in 2006 we introduced legislation
in this House. In fact, it was enacted in the fall of
2007, I believe. It was the first time that the
legislation was revamped for over thirty years, Mr.
Speaker, and that was an initiative of this government.
We did that in consultation with many of the
stakeholders from the communities and individuals who
are living with mental illness, individuals who are
involved in providing supports to people with mental
illness.
I say, Mr. Speaker, in
the last three to four years this government has been
very actively engaged with the community, with
supporters of mental health services and other providers
of mental health services, to ensure that we have a
range of mental health services in this Province second
to none, and we are continuing to build that, I say, Mr.
Speaker.
MR. SPEAKER: Order
please!
I ask the hon. minister
to conclude his answer.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear,
hear!
MR. SPEAKER: The
hon. the Leader of the Opposition.
MS JONES: Thank
you, Mr. Speaker.
I have no problem with
the legislative changes that were made – they were
needed - but we need services and we need treatment for
these people as well.
Mr. Speaker, some of
these young people have spent months, up to a year, at
the Janeway. According to hospital administrators, this
unit was designed as a short-term acute care unit for
young people with behavioural problems, not as a
treatment centre for mentally ill youth. There are no
programs and services available here at home to help
these children effectively deal with their issues.
I ask you, Minister,
again: When is government going
to recognize the seriousness of these problems, and why
did these families have to go public and exploit their
case in order to get the attention of you and your
government?
MR. SPEAKER: The
hon. the Minister of Health and Community Services.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear,
hear!
MR. WISEMAN: Thank
you, Mr. Speaker.
I appreciate the
significance of the question being asked by the hon.
member opposite, but one of the things I would ask her,
though, is: to suggest that there are no services
available for people in this Province with mental health
issues I think is a gross injustice to the many hundreds
of people who are out there actively involved today in
providing supports and mental health services in this
Province.
We have about 280-290
people in the community-based programs and services, I
say, Mr. Speaker, supporting people with mental illness.
We have the Janeway with an array of programs and
services, some of them in-patient and some on an
out-patient basis. About 95 per cent of all the patients
who have received care in this Province receive it on an
out-patient basis, I say, Mr. Speaker. So, to stand in
this House to say that there are no services available
is a gross injustice to those hundreds of people who do
a great job each and every day of the week providing
supports to individuals with mental illness, and support
for their families, I say, Mr. Speaker.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear,
hear!
MR. SPEAKER: Order
please!
The hon. the Leader of
the Opposition.
MS JONES: Thank
you, Mr. Speaker.
That does not give me any
answer as to what this government is going to do, to
deal with lack of services and treatment for youth who
suffer from mental illness.
Mr. Speaker, the
government does have a report. They received it in
December 2003, at which time the minister was then the
Parliamentary Secretary for Health, and it outlines
significant problems related to youth mental health
services in our Province. Many of these problems have
worsened each year; yet, government has not made serious
efforts to deal with this specific group or to implement
most of these recommendations.
I ask the minister: Why
have you not acted to address the problems that were
highlighted in the report? It existed in the
department. We have seen a number of people in treatment
increase from seventeen youth in 2003 to over fifty
today.
MR. SPEAKER: Order
please!
I ask the hon. member to
pose her question.
MS JONES: I
ask you, Minister: What are you
going to do to implement proper services and treatment
for these people who need it immediately?
MR. SPEAKER: The
hon. the Minister of Health and Community Services.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear,
hear!
MR. WISEMAN: Thank
you, Mr. Speaker.
The hon. member opposite
mentions a report that was written back in 2003. Yes,
Mr. Speaker, I acknowledge that there was a report
written at that time. I think half a dozen people were
involved, some from the community, some from within the
department and some from some of our regional health
authorities. That report was, in fact, brought forward
to the Administration at that particular time and the
officials in the department looked at it and realized
that there were some solid recommendations in there but
at this particular time they were not prepared to move
forward with them.
I can advise the members
of this House and the member opposite that about three
weeks ago I tasked three officials in my department with
a program, or a process, rather, to pull out that report
and actually look at what was recommended at that time
to see whether or not those recommendations are valid
today. If they are, we want to make sure that we are
able to respond appropriately to the challenges we are
finding in our mental health services. That is not
unlike, Mr. Speaker, I say, with respect to the whole
addictions piece as well.
MR. SPEAKER: Order,
please!
I ask the hon. minister
to complete his answer.
MR. WISEMAN: I
say, Mr. Speaker, you might recall the OxyContin Task
Force indicated that the best approach at that
particular time was to continue to send people outside
the Province for addictions counselling. Again, I say,
Mr. Speaker –
MR. SPEAKER: Order,
please!
The hon. the Leader of
the Opposition.
MS JONES: Thank
you, Mr. Speaker.
This is a very serious
issue and I cannot believe I am just hearing the
minister say that it was only five weeks ago when he had
officials take out this report and do some analysis on
it.
Mr. Speaker, as I said,
the recommendation in that report was to identify the
need at that time that existed, which was seventeen
youth in treatment outside the Province. Today, on any
given month, we have fifty youth in treatment. We have
seventy-five youth who are in independent living or
group home arrangements, Mr. Speaker, and who are not
getting the proper treatment that they require.
This report recommended
that there would be a facility that could accommodate
twelve youth with mental illness, emotional disorders
and concurrent disorders.
I ask you, Minister: Are
you prepared to look at that recommendation in light of
the circumstance we find ourselves in, in this Province
today?
MR. SPEAKER: The
hon. the Minister of Health and Community Services.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear,
hear!
MR. WISEMAN: Again,
I say, Mr. Speaker, I am not treating this matter
lightly. This government takes this issue very
seriously. I laid out, in my first response, the kinds
of issues we have done in this Province and, as a
government, the issues we have taken on the challenge
and responded to.
Mr. Speaker, when I made
a comment about this report, it was not just that I took
it out after 2003. In 2003 the report was looked at, the
same way as I was commenting earlier. The OxyContin Task
Force indicated that sending children out of the
Province was more appropriate than establishing an
addictions treatment centre in this Province.
Those two issues, and
that was some time ago - one was in 2003 and the other
was about 2004 – in both those issues officials in my
department now are re-evaluating the recommendations of
that time with a view of consideration for an addictions
centre for the Province.
The same way with the
2003 report; at that time it was decided not to move
forward. What I have done now, in light of some events
in recent past with issues that have come to my
attention, I have asked officials in the department to
revisit that report to determine if there is merit in
moving forward with the recommendations that were laid
out in that particular program.
MR. SPEAKER: Order,
please!
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear,
hear!
MR. SPEAKER: The
hon. the Leader of the Opposition.
MS JONES: Mr.
Speaker, in 2003 it was determined that it cost
approximately $250,000 for an independent youth living
in or out of the Province that was in placement. We are
looking at those numbers today and saying it would cost
about $12.5 million annually, or more, and this does not
include the hidden costs: the costs that are associated
with sending children out of the Province, the emotional
costs of separating families, or the social cost of
removing children from their communities and from their
neighbourhoods and their friends.
I ask the minister: When
he made the statement a couple of weeks ago that the
numbers in this Province do not warrant a treatment
centre, was he looking at the realistic numbers that we
are dealing with today in terms of the number of people
in treatment, and was he looking at the cost that our
youth are paying, as well as the cost –
MR. SPEAKER: Order,
please!
The hon. the Minister of
Health and Community Services.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear,
hear!
MR. WISEMAN: Mr.
Speaker, I would only be too glad to engage members
opposite, or anyone for that matter, in a discussion
around the recommendations that were in that report,
when we have had a chance to review it and determine
what our recommendations will be on a go-forward basis.
The data around the cost
of sending people out – and the part of this analysis
is one of two things. One, there is a financial piece of
it, and I acknowledge that, but in this particular case
here our focus is going to be on what is going to be in
the best interests of those people who need mental
health services in this Province. Do we have the
capacity, from a human resource perspective, to
implement a program and sustain it in the long term, is
one of the questions we need to ask ourselves.
The other points that
have been raised by the member opposite, in terms of the
stress it creates for the individuals themselves and for
their families, we acknowledge that; we recognize that.
If I did not recognize, and we as a government did not
recognize and acknowledge those issues, we would not be
re-evaluating that report of 2003.
That is the very reason
we are doing (inaudible}.
MR. SPEAKER: Order,
please!
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear,
hear!
MR. SPEAKER: The
hon. the Opposition House Leader.
MR. KELVIN PARSONS: Thank
you, Mr. Speaker.
My question is for the
Minister of Fisheries and Aquaculture.
Over this past summer,
the world has witnessed the financial meltdown of our
fellow island neighbour, Iceland. In particular, their
banks have collapsed and are now either in receivership
or merging, or in buyouts or are liquidating. It is
estimated that the banking sector, the Icelandic banking
sector, provided roughly half of the capital of this
Province’s fishing industry. Meanwhile, industry
watchers are predicting major declines in seafood
processing and seafood demand.
My question for the
minister is: Do you and does
your government have any plans to stabilize the fishing
industry in this Province given this serious credit
crunch?
MR. SPEAKER: The
hon. the Minister of Fisheries and Aquaculture.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear,
hear!
MR. HEDDERSON: Thank
you, Mr. Speaker.
I thank the member
opposite for the question because obviously, as has been
already alluded to in the House today, there are some
very difficult times that industries are facing. The
fishing industry is no different, especially given the
type of industry that we have, which is global, and our
markets very much dependent on, I guess the European
markets, the American markets, Japan, China and all over
the world. But, again, it is not a time for us to panic.
It is a time for us to make sure that we are doing what
we have to do as an industry to address these particular
challenges. We have been in contact with the industry,
we are monitoring it very closely and we are prepared to
do what is necessary in order to make sure that that
industry remains viable, sustainable and competitive.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear,
hear!
MR. SPEAKER: The
hon. the Opposition House Leader.
MR. KELVIN PARSONS: Thank
you, Mr. Speaker.
I guess it is quite
clear; they do not have any plans.
My next question is for
the Minister of Natural Resources.
Prices of almost all
commodities have gone into steep decline. One of them,
of course, is iron ore. Wabush mines has announced a 40
per cent cut in production. The company says that
layoffs are guaranteed, temporary workers will be let
go, overtime will be eliminated and contractual work
will be cancelled. Other mines have already announced
layoffs as well, Beaver Brook Antimony Mine and the mill
near Glenwood has reduced their workforce by twenty.
My question for the
minister is: Does the
government have any plan to address the impacts of this
downturn in the mining industry on the Province or are
we pinning all of our hopes on Long Harbour, which was a
good Liberal initiative?
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear,
hear!
MR. SPEAKER: Order,
please!
The hon. the Minister of
Natural Resources and Deputy Premier.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear,
hear!
MS DUNDERDALE: Thank
you, Mr. Speaker.
Again, as we have said
time and time again through this Question Period, we are
in a very volatile time in the economics of the world
these days and commodities are getting hard hit, there
is no doubt about it. We are feeling the effect of it
right here in Newfoundland and Labrador, in some of the
instances that the Opposition House Leader referred to.
We are in regular
communication with mining companies here in the
Province. Wabush Mines met this week. We are waiting to
here from them about what their go-forward plan is. They
have indicated to us at this point in time that there is
a reduction in their concentrate at about 40 per cent
and that temporary layoffs - people who have temporary
positions with them will be laid off and some contracts
will not be followed through on.
MR. SPEAKER: I
ask the hon. minister to complete her answer.
MS DUNDERDALE: Thank
you, Mr. Speaker.
We continue to monitor
this situation and work closely with the industry to
mitigate the effects that they are feeling.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear,
hear!
MR. SPEAKER: The
hon. the Opposition House Leader.
MR. KELVIN PARSONS: Thank
you, Mr. Speaker.
My next question is also
for the Minister of Natural Resources.
This past summer
government signed the Hebron deal and government claimed
that the announcement of this project would inject
some-$20 billion into the Province.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Oh,
oh!
MR. SPEAKER: Order
please!
MR. KELVIN PARSONS: We
also understand that the government is negotiating the
Lower Churchill deal. At the time of Hebron, oil prices
were close to $150 a barrel. Now, of course, today they
are hovering around $50 a barrel. We must hit at least
$50 a barrel, as I understand it, before the super
royalty regime would kick in under Hebron in any case.
The Premier says that the project will survive without
specifying what changes will be made to the project
plans in light of the changed economic circumstances.
My question for the
minister is: Do you anticipate
that there will be any changes to the program,
particularly in terms of project timelines and financing
both for Hebron and the Lower Churchill, given the
situation we find ourselves now in the economy? Will
such an update be given publicly?
MR. SPEAKER: Order
please!
The hon. the Minister of
Natural Resources and Deputy Premier.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear,
hear!
MS DUNDERDALE: Thank
you, Mr. Speaker.
I am happy to report that
I met with the vice-president for the America’s of
Exxon Mobil just within the last month. They do not see
any amendments or restructuring of their planning at
this point in time. Remember, construction on Hebron is
not scheduled to begin until 2012. We will see first
production around 2015, 2016. The company is in a very
strong economic position now. It does not see any
problem in meeting its demands and expects that the same
is true for their partners. So, it is business as usual
with regard to the Hebron project.
In our own planning for
the Hebron project and our purchase of equity in that
project and so on, we used a full range of numbers
around oil, Mr. Speaker, ranging anywhere from $40 and
beyond. So we are very sure of what we are doing around
the economics of this project.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear,
hear!
MR. SPEAKER: Order
please!
The hon. the Opposition
House Leader.
MR. KELVIN PARSONS: Thank
you, Mr. Speaker.
My next question is for
the Minister of Innovation, Trade and Rural Development.
In the last five years,
the greatest source of employment for rural Newfoundland
in this Province has actually been employment in rural
Alberta. Estimates of the number of commuter workers
have ranged up to 10,000 people from this Province
working in Northern Alberta in the tar sands and other
projects. Now the latest news from Alberta is cutbacks
in investment, delays of projects, and actual layoffs of
personnel.
We have heard the
minister, in his former capacity, talk about the
improved in-migration figures that we have for this
Province. I just hope the in-migration is not based upon
our Newfoundlanders staying home permanently.
Does
the minister have any contingency plans –
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Oh,
oh!
MR. SPEAKER: Order,
please!
I ask the hon. member to
pose his question.
MR. KELVIN PARSONS: Thank
you, Mr. Speaker.
I have never seen a group
so anxious to give a non-answer before.
Mr. Speaker, does
the minister have any contingency plans to deal with the
fallout which the Alberta turndown in their economy is
going to have, obviously, for the workers in rural
Newfoundland –
MR. SPEAKER: Order,
please!
The hon. the Minister of
Innovation, Trade and Rural Development.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear,
hear!
MR. SKINNER: Thank
you, Mr. Speaker.
Mr. Speaker, unlike the
member opposite, I hope that they all come home to stay.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear,
hear!
MR. SPEAKER: Order,
please!
MR. SKINNER: Mr.
Speaker, unlike the member opposite, I do not intend for
them to come home and stay on EI, which seems to be what
the member opposite wants.
We have experienced
in-migration. We have seen people return home to this
Province for work. We have opportunities here in this
Province. They are continuing to grow. The sectors that
we have already spoken about in Question Period are
employing people. We expect that there will be lots of
opportunity for our people here in this Province who are
currently working outside the Province, who are
currently commuting outside the Province, to return to
this Province to find gainful, meaningful employment,
and we expect that will continue into the future.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear,
hear!
MR. SPEAKER: Order,
please!
The hon. the Member for
Signal Hill-Quidi Vidi.
MS MICHAEL: Thank
you very much, Mr. Speaker.
Mr. Speaker, during the
spring session of the House, the Minister of Health and
Community Services was continually asked about the need
for improvements in the way home care is provided in
this Province. Repeatedly, the minister said that a
report on home care and long-term care would be
available in the fall. Well, we are here now in the last
week of November and the people of the Province, and I,
are still waiting for this report.
Mr. Speaker, I ask the
Minister of Health and Community Services: Where is the
report that you told us we could expect this fall?
MR. SPEAKER: The
hon. the Minister of Health and Community Services.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear,
hear!
MR. WISEMAN: Thank
you, Mr. Speaker.
One of the challenges in
this House, when the members opposite try to pin you
down for a date and you give an approximate - you give a
season, like fall - someone decides they want to pick a
date on a calendar and hold you to that date.
I am very reluctant to
say it is still going to be in the fall. I said last
year, in the spring. It is a major piece of work, it is
a comprehensive piece of work, and we want to do it
right. We have still not concluded that process. I hope
to have it finished in the very near future but I am
reluctant, again, to give a time frame, not to be held
to it as I am now in the House.
So I say to the member
opposite: It is still being worked on, and when we get
it concluded I will be only too glad to share it with
you and others in the Province; because, as you have
said, many people are anxious to see it. It is going to
be a significant piece of work, I say, Mr. Speaker, and
it is going to affect a lot of people. It will build on
the significant investments that we have made in home
support in this Province in the last five years.
We have taken a budget -
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear,
hear!
MR. SPEAKER: Order,
please!
The hon. the Member for
Signal Hill-Quidi Vidi.
MS MICHAEL: Thank
you, Mr. Speaker.
I point out to the
minister that good planning usually involves timelines,
and we are all used to doing that. I know that you
cannot pinpoint a date but the fall is pretty broad and
the minister does have until December 21, which I think
is the first day of winter, so let’s see if we might
be able to get it done by the first day of winter, Mr.
Minister.
I would ask you, since
you seem to be far along in the process - and that
pleases me - could you give us some specifics as to what
we can expect with what the report is dealing with?
MR. SPEAKER: The
hon. the Minister of Health and Community Services.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear,
hear!
MR. WISEMAN: If
I were in a position to give you very specific
information, the report would be complete. I am in a
position to tell you that it is very broad. We are
looking at all aspects of long-term care and community
supports, whether it is a lack of home support services,
whether it is long-term care homes, whether it is
personal care homes, or whether it is the kind of
equipment that is provided by people who are availing of
home supports. It is the financial assessment process,
dealing with the client contribution, so I say, Mr.
Speaker, it is very broad.
To give a very specific
answer about what might be the outcomes of that
evaluation on any one of those points would be premature
and it would be irresponsible of me, I say, Mr. Speaker,
to start to speculate what might be in that report or
what my colleagues may want to add to it when we as a
department are finished and what government may want to
endorse and bring forward for the people of this
Province as they look at the kind of supports that they
need to stay independently living, I say, Mr. Speaker. |
