MS JONES: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, on Friday I met with the federal Fisheries Minister, Gail Shea, to discuss a number of important issues related to the Province’s industry. During our discussion, I learned that proposed NAFO amendments will be ratified regardless of the vote that takes place in the House of Commons this week.

Mr. Speaker, I ask the Premier today, realizing that the ratification of these amendments will have a significant negative impact on the Province’s industry on a go-forward basis: Will he contact Prime Minister Harper for an immediate meeting with him to discuss this issue and to bring the concerns of Newfoundlanders and Labradorians directly to his attention before this decision is binding?

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Minister of Fisheries and Aquaculture.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. JACKMAN: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

This convention was brought before the House of Commons in June, Mr. Speaker. Since then, I would like to outline what has happened. Our Premier has written to the Prime Minister on two occasions. The former Minister of Fisheries and Aquaculture appeared before three committees; we have met. I have personally sent off a letter just the past few days ago asking Minister Shea to certainly not allow this amendment to be ratified.

Mr. Speaker, we have to commend our federal Liberal MPs for the work that they have done. I certainly thank the Opposition Leader for going up on Friday. I do not know if they have done it before, Mr. Speaker, or not, but maybe too little, too late.

MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!

I ask the hon. member to conclude his answer.

MR. JACKMAN: Mr. Speaker, to the point of what we have been doing as a government, we have done everything that we possibly can to make our point, not only this government, but many people in the Province –

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Leader of the Opposition.

MS JONES: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

For the minister’s attention, we have also participated in a lot of letter writing campaigns to the federal government in the last year on this issue.

The reality is, Mr. Speaker, letters are not working. This issue is not dead until the treaty is signed and it is binding. Today, that is not the case.

I ask the minister and I ask the Premier: Are you prepared to make the call to the Prime Minister of this country to outline the impact that this will have on Newfoundlanders and Labradorians, and to ask that this agreement not be signed because it is not in the best interest of the fishing industry in this country?

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Minister of Fisheries and Aquaculture.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. JACKMAN: Mr. Speaker, I hope to be in contact with Minister Shea before this day is out. I have asked the staff to arrange that I make a call to her.

Mr. Speaker, the measures that I have outlined that have been taken by this government, we have contacted our Atlantic Province counterparts to see if they would support us. It looks like, Mr. Speaker, that in this case here, we are on our own with this, not barring, like I said, the representation, that certainly I am pleased to hear that the Opposition have made. Mr. Speaker, with all the federal Liberal MPs that are up there, the support of Mr. Harris from the NDP, we have made our case, we are continuing to make our case. If luck is with me, Mr. Speaker, I will speak to Minister Shea before the day is out.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Leader of the Opposition.

MS JONES: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

It has also come to my attention that the provincial officials who were present at the NAFO meetings where these amendments were originally brought forward had fully supported their implementation.

I ask the Premier today: Why would the provincial government representatives be directed to support these amendments on behalf of the government and the people of Newfoundland and Labrador?

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Minister of Fisheries and Aquaculture.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. JACKMAN: Mr. Speaker, I cannot speak to what officials have done to this particular point. It is something that I certainly will follow up on and check into.

Mr. Speaker, one thing about it, our stand as a government is very clear. I have outlined it, we are against this and we will continue to pursue it until the last opportunity that we have, Mr. Speaker.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Leader of the Opposition.

MS JONES: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Well maybe the minister could get the answer as to why the officials of his department would have sat at the NAFO table and originally supported these amendments.

Mr. Speaker, another issue that I discussed with the minister was the fish buyback program, which saw a grave injustice done to the fishermen and their families whereby some were taxed on the money they received and others were not. The deadline for action for these hundreds of fisherpeople in our Province is coming in the spring of 2010. So time is running out for many of those people.

I ask the Minister of Finance today: Has your government, through the Department of Finance and Treasury Board, conducted any analysis of the tax laws of 1999 to strengthen the case of these nearly 800 fisherpeople and their families in this Province to present to Canada Revenue Agency and the federal government?

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Minister of Finance and President of Treasury Board.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. T. MARSHALL: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I can assure the hon. Opposition Leader that the government is constantly doing analysis of our tax revenues and our expenditures in the Province, but I do not recall being specifically advised about an analysis of 1999. Obviously, I would be happy to look into that and if there is such an analysis done I would be very happy to advise the hon. member and the members of this House.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Leader of the Opposition.

MS JONES: Mr. Speaker, this is an injustice that has been done to fisherpeople and their families in this Province and they deserve to have a fair hearing on the issue. Mr. Speaker, the federal government has not budged on this particular initiative and since this case has been brought forward there are approximately ninety-two of these individuals who have passed away in our Province.

I ask the minister today: Through the Department of Finance and Treasury Board are you prepared to advance this issue with the federal Minister of Canada Revenue and the Government of Canada and present a case on their behalf to ensure that these fisherpeople are treated properly and are repaid the money they deserve?

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Minister of Finance and President of Treasury Board.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. T. MARSHALL: Mr. Speaker, as we all know, there is a federal Department of National Revenue and there is the Province. We charge taxes in order to raise revenue to carry out the programs that the people of this Province want us to carry out. We have personal income tax, we have corporate taxes, but also the federal government have their own taxes. That seems to be an issue that is under the complete jurisdiction and confidence of the federal government, and any representations on behalf of those fisherpeople I think have to be made to the federal Minister of Finance and the federal Minister of National Revenue.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Leader of the Opposition.

MS JONES: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

My next questions are for the Minister of Education. Since raising the issues contained in the report on Jens Haven Memorial School in Nain I have heard from a number of teachers and leaders in the community who still have concerns. Mr. Speaker, while these individuals are certainly proud of the accomplishments of many of the students who attend this school and want to promote the positive impacts of their community, and aspects, they also indicated that they have many problems and concerns with the highlights in the report of 2006.

I ask the minister, with the information that you have been provided and recognizing the fact that two-thirds of the children in this school have been impacted by trauma and tragedy in their lives, I have to ask minister: Why have no physiologists been sent into this community and into this school to work with those children?

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Minister of Education.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. KING: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I thank the member opposite for her question. I, like many of our officials and school board people, share her concerns around what is happening in all of our schools, not only the one reported that we are discussing here today. We are fully aware of the issues and we offer our continued support. Last week I highlighted a number of significant initiatives that we have undertaken.

As a matter of fact, Mr. Speaker, one of the initiatives that I announced around the teaching units was confirmed as being the basis of that report by the author, I think it was on Friday, who clearly said that the basis of that report was to present the negative side of that school for the purposes of securing resources, and, in fact, left out a lot of the many positive things happening in that school. That is what tends to be overlooked here.

Mr. Speaker, we are working with the Nunatsiavit government, we are working with the Department of Labrador and Aboriginal Affairs, and we are working with the local school board. As I said last week, we have responded with extra resources. We responded with special services support. We are reviewing the current curriculum offerings to make sure it is appropriate to the students, and we will continue to respond as we are needed to.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Leader of the Opposition.

MS JONES: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The minister did not answer my question which was related to the two-thirds of the children in the school who had been affected by trauma and tragedy in their lives, and why there is no psychologist that have been sent in there.

Mr. Speaker, the minister did state again today and last week, that there have been some additional teaching units. I know that most of them are around FAS support, but I ask him today: Why is there no guidance counsellor on staff for the full school year? As I understand it now, there is one visiting guidance counsellor who comes out of St. John’s, who spends about three to four days out of a month at this school, weather permitting and all the rest of the issues around travel into the area. I also ask him, why there are still vacant teaching positions at this school?

One of the areas that is vacant –

MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!

I ask the hon. member to conclude her question.

MS JONES: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

One of the vacant positions is in the Grade 4 area and we know that 88 per cent of the Grade IV students were performing at a (inaudible) rate.

MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!

The hon. the Minister of Education.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. KING: Mr. Speaker, the issue of teacher staffing throughout the Province is a challenge in many places. Specific to the allocation of guidance counsellors, we have two significant challenges; one is the number of qualified and trained guidance counsellors available to us. A result of that is it is hard to fill positions, particularly in smaller communities. The member has already highlighted one of the initiatives that we have undertaken to try and at least address some of the burden. We are flying itinerant counsellors in and that is not the ideal, it absolutely is not. It is happening in other parts of the Province as well, Mr. Speaker.

One of the things we have done is we have also offered bonuses to teachers to try and fill the positions. The specifics of the positions that have been named I cannot respond to because staffing of schools, as the member would know, is the responsibility of school boards, not the Department of Education. What I can say –

MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!

I ask the hon. minister to conclude his response.

MR. KING: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I can say that we have responded to the best of our ability when we have been asked to by school boards to support them in their efforts to recruit trained personnel.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Leader of the Opposition.

MS JONES: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Realizing that there have been some efforts made on behalf of the government but realizing as well that there are many improvements that still could be initiated, I ask the minister today: If he is prepared to commit to implementing a monitoring process that will determine what the effectiveness is or have been of the new investments in units in that school and if he is prepared to put in place a plan to address the other issues that are outstanding?

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Minister of Education.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. KING: Mr. Speaker, let’s define what some efforts entail, because the member tends to present a case here that we have done absolutely nothing or next to nothing to support the students in Nain.

We have addressed, first of all, the first and most significant issue raised to us which was the allocation of more teaching resources to that school. We have done that, Mr. Speaker. We provide training in FASD to the teachers who required it, Mr. Speaker. We have also introduced after school programming and a Homework Haven, Mr. Speaker to that community. We provide library night; we provide adult basic education Level I and II, Mr. Speaker, to residents of that community. All of that - those things are things that we have been asked to support and we have responded positively. So to stand here and say we have done some things, Mr. Speaker, is an injustice to the actions that we have taken as a government and the school board has taken to try and provide support to the students of Nain.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Leader of the Opposition.

MS JONES: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Again, the minister has not answered the questions so I will try to phrase it a little bit differently. In light of the fact that there are still issues in this school, that there are still individuals who work and live in this community who feel that the improvements have not been enough and that there are still significant issues that exist there, I ask the minister: Is he prepared to do an evaluation to look at how effective the investments have been, and what is required in order to move forward?

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Minister of Education.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. KING: Mr. Speaker, we do evaluations of all of our schools on an ongoing basis. We evaluate through academic programs, through things like the public exam results, through criterion reference testing results, Mr. Speaker. We monitor attendance rate, we monitor dropout rates and we monitor graduation rates. We will continue to do that with that school. If there are other initiatives that the school board would like us to become engaged with, with them, we will certainly consider that.

I can say, Mr. Speaker, for the member’s benefit, that the statistics show us, over the last two years, the graduation rates have improved in that school, the attendance rates have improved and the percent of students absent from school has dropped.

So, Mr. Speaker, we will continue to provide the supports, as we are asked to provide by the school board, recognizing that it is the local school working with the school board who helps to set their own localized priorities; we work with them to support them.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Leader of the Opposition.

MS JONES: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The doctorate program in clinical psychology currently being offered at Memorial University is designed to provide comprehensive high level training in the practice of clinical psychology. The graduate program, Mr. Speaker, is helping to address the need of clinical psychologists not only in Newfoundland and Labrador, but across Canada. Students enrolled in the program have been assured that they will be able to complete the program; however, there is a growing concern that funding will not be in place for future students to enrol.

I ask the minister today: Is government willing to commit the necessary funding to ensure that this program will continue into the future?

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Minister of Education.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. KING: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I certainly want to thank the member opposite for praising the programs that we are offering at Memorial University. We, on this side of the House, everyday talk about proud we are of Memorial and the kinds of programs that we are able to offer. Indeed, the one that she has referenced today is a good program, it is a strong program and it is certainly recognized across the country as one that is needed, Mr. Speaker.

With respect to budget commitments, I am not in a position to make a budget commitment today. I can only say to the member opposite that the decision on program offerings is one of Memorial’s. They are autonomous; they make their own academic choices about programming. We are engaged in discussions with them, and we will continue to be engaged in discussions over the coming weeks and months relative to their budget priorities. We work with them based on their priorities, Mr. Speaker. I do not sit here and make the priorities on program offerings for Memorial. I can say that there is absolutely, absolutely no plan to eliminate that program.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Leader of the Opposition.

MS JONES: Mr. Speaker, they did not mind intervening to select a president a couple of years ago, but they have a huge problem to intervene to save an important program at our university that is desperately needed.

Mr. Speaker, the reality is this, many of the people in this program realized that the application for applying for the next season is on February 1, and if there is no assurance from the Province for money to continue with this program, it could very well be cancelled. The minister knows that the university, in order for them to fund this program, they will have to cut another program.

I ask you, Minister: In the absence of coming forward with the funding to allow this program to continue, what would you suggest they cut at our university?

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Minister of Education.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. KING: Mr. Speaker, I thank you.

It is getting really hard to stand in the House and listen to the member opposite continue to praise the initiatives of our government, and I thank her for it, because she just referenced the latest initiative, which was the securing of a new president for Memorial. We could not be happier; we have a top-notch candidate.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. KING: We have a top-notch candidate, Mr. Speaker, who is going to take Memorial from where it is today and is going to lead it into the future and help it grow and become a vital part of our Province as it continues to be. So I thank the member opposite for pointing that out for the House and for everybody listening that they support that as well, Mr. Speaker.

With respect to the question on the program at Memorial, Mr. Speaker, I can only say it is a shame that the member would stand up, opposite here, and cast fear and doubt out through the public airwaves to students to suggest that the program might disappear when, in fact, Memorial has made public statement that they have no plans whatsoever to cancel that program.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Leader of the Opposition.

MS JONES: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I am sure the University of New Brunswick is quite happy today too, I say to the minister. We have a great Newfoundlander and Labradorian running the university over in New Brunswick, Mr. Speaker, in Dr. Campbell.

Mr. Speaker, Memorial University is renowned for being one of the best universities in the country; there is no doubt about that. Programs, such as this one, is currently the only one of its kind in English speaking Canada and it is attracting new students to our university and to our Province. Mr. Speaker, you combine that with the fact that there about 200 people in Newfoundland and Labrador on the wait-list today to see clinical psychologists. When you look at that kind of information I think it should be a priority for the government to continue funding this particular program -

MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!

I ask the hon. member to pose her question.

MS JONES: I ask the minister today: Instead of putting the university through the search of trying to find the revenues within their budget to continue with this program, why don’t you and your government -

MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!

If the hon. member has a question, I ask that she pose it now.

MS JONES: Mr. Speaker, I will have to repeat the question again because I was almost finished it. In light of the fact, Mr. Speaker –

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Oh, oh!

MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!

Members know that there are forty-five seconds allotted here in the House to ask a question and forty-five seconds to ask one. The present member has been one minute and twenty-six seconds.

The hon. the Minister of Education or I ask the member to pose another question.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. KING: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I am suspecting you will not give me the same minute and forty-five, but I will try to restrict my response. I did not hear a question, so I am not going to call it an answer.

I will say that as happy as the University of New Brunswick might be, we are just as happy here in Newfoundland and Labrador with the candidate that we have secured.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. KING: We are quite proud of the candidate we have secured, Mr. Speaker, and we are quite happy with the direction that we see Memorial going in. We are proud to be a supporter of that, Mr. Speaker, with the kind of investments we continue to make in post-secondary education in this Province.

I say again, Mr. Speaker, because I have said this twice already, it is a shame that a member would stand opposite in this House, in the public airwaves and to suggest to students who are out there nervous about a program that they might lose it.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Opposition House Leader.

MR. KELVIN PARSONS: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, on Friday past the Supreme Court of Newfoundland and Labrador dismissed the application of Darlene Neville, in her capacity as Child and Youth Advocate, to address the House of Assembly in regard to her suspension.

I ask the minister: Can government now confirm whether they will be bringing a resolution calling for her removal from office to the House during this session?

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Minister of Finance and President of Treasury Board.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. T. MARSHALL: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I believe there were two actions taken by Ms Neville in the Supreme Court of Newfoundland last week. The first was the one that the hon. member refers to and that was dismissed. There was another action that, I believe, continued or has been set over until such time in January. The government will be bringing forward, before the end of this session, a resolution with respect to Ms Neville.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Opposition House Leader.

MR. KELVIN PARSONS: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, after the same court, the Supreme Court of Newfoundland and Labrador, denied Fraser March’s application to be heard by the House of Assembly government gave Mr. March an opportunity to present his case to retired Justice John O’Neill in an independent review, which is currently underway. This was all after a resolution for his dismissal had been passed here in the House of Assembly.

I ask the minister: Would government be prepared, in the case of Ms Neville, to permit a similar independent review by a retired judge prior to the resolution coming to the House of Assembly?

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Minister of Finance and President of Treasury Board.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. T. MARSHALL: Mr. Speaker, the answer to the question is no.

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Opposition House Leader.

MR. KELVIN PARSONS: Mr. Speaker, we are aware that the current Minister of Health and the former Minister of Finance and President of Treasury Board stated when Ms Neville was originally suspended by government that she would have an opportunity to state her case to Cabinet before any resolution was brought to the House of Assembly.

I ask the minister: Will this opportunity to address Cabinet still be afforded to Ms Neville, and if so, when; or would an independent review be more appropriate, as then there would be no denial of natural justice to Ms Neville?

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Minister of Finance and President of Treasury Board.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. T. MARSHALL: Mr. Speaker, as he indicated earlier, government’s intentions with respect to Ms Neville will be dealt with in a resolution or in a matter that will be brought before the House of Assembly prior to the end of the session.

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Member for the District of Port de Grave.

MR. BUTLER: Mr. Speaker, the deadline for government’s oil tank registration program was reached in July, 2009. It became illegal for homeowners to operate unregistered tanks. Within weeks of the deadline passing, government realized it would have no choice but to create an emergency program to assist some 5,000 low-income homeowners who are not in compliance as well as establish new deadlines for oil tank registrations, more so for the people along the Coast of Labrador communities due to human resource difficulties.

I ask the minister: Why were these income, geographic and human resource obstacles not identified by your department prior to the approach of the deadline?

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Minister of Environment and Conservation.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MS JOHNSON: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, I would just like to clarify one point by the Opposition member. The deadline is May of 2010, provided you have an appointment to get your oil tank updated. That is for everybody in the Province.

Thank you.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Member for the District of Port de Grave.

MR. BUTLER: Mr. Speaker, this government has spent millions of dollars developing poverty reduction strategies and Northern strategic plans to ensure cross-departmental awareness.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. BUTLER: Mr. Speaker, I ask for your protection because I might read the same question twice. I am known to do that before.

However, Mr. Speaker, the way in which this oil tank registration program was rolled out this summer shows to me that these documents look better in theory than in practice.

I ask the Minister of Finance: Can you confirm that this program ran out of money to meet the high demand for the $300 oil tank replacement assistance subsidy for residents as early as October, and how many people are still owed money through the Department of Finance?

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Minister of Finance and President of Treasury Board.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. T. MARSHALL: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I will be happy to seek the information, as the hon. member has asked, and give him an answer tomorrow.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Member for the District of Signal Hill-Quidi Vidi.

MS MICHAEL: Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, it has been two years since the Premier said that his government would develop anti-scab legislation. Mr. Speaker, the governments of B.C. and Quebec already have anti-scab legislation in place and if the Premier really wanted anti-scab legislation, then we could have it too. Mr. Speaker, if the government really cares about the benefits to the people of the Province from resource development, then they should also care about benefits to the workers who are the backbone of that development, such as the workers at the Voisey’s Bay nickel mine.

Mr. Speaker, I ask the Premier: When will his government bring forth anti-scab legislation?

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Minister of Human Resources, Labour and Employment.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MS SULLIVAN: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

To be clear, it has been two years since we have agreed to do that review and we have been actively engaged in that review.

I would like to remind the member opposite that there are three parties engaged in that review: it is business, it is labour and it is government. We are very concerned about modernizing our labour legislation; there is no question about that. I believe that all three parties are concerned about that. I am assuming that you have asked that question to labour and that you have asked that question to business as well because this is a tripartite committee and we are all working on that process. I would be happy to bring forward any amendments, any legislation once that review is completed and once they offer up those amendments to us.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Member for the District of Signal Hill-Quidi Vidi.

MS MICHAEL: Mr. Speaker, the striking workers at Voisey’s Bay are entering their fifth month on the picket line. Vale Inco is using scab labour which puts a great deal of stress on the situation and on other workers on the site. Such action by the employer has the potential to create an unsafe work environment. For two years the government has been giving the answer that the minister just gave.

I am asking, Mr. Speaker, if the minister will recognize the urgency of tabling anti-replacement worker legislation or is she happy with the current situation Newfoundland and Labrador workers are facing in Voisey’s Bay?

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Minister of Human Resources, Labour and Employment.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MS SULLIVAN: Again, as a point of clarification, Mr. Speaker. Bringing in anti-scab or anti-worker replacement legislation is not going to solve the strike at Voisey’s Bay. There are many issues at the heart of that particular problem and my Labour Relations Agency is at the ready. We are willing to sit down at any time to try to find a successful resolution to the problem at Voisey’s Bay. Many, many issues at stake there; conciliation people ready to go, we simply need the opportunity to sit down with them.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Member for the District of Signal Hill-Quidi Vidi.

MS MICHAEL: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

My concern is not just for this strike but for other strikes that have happened in the past and strikes that might come. We have had, Mr. Speaker, at least three strikes in particular in Labrador where scab workers have been brought in and we have had others here in the Province, one in St. John’s in particular that ended in April, 2008 after eight months of workers being on strike.

My question for the minister is - I will answer her first, yes, I have spoken to other groups. I would like to know the details of how anti-scab legislation is being dealt with within the current review of the labour regulations?

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Minister of Human Resources, Labour and Employment.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MS SULLIVAN: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, there is very little consensus, actually, about the success relationship between banning anti-replacement workers and successful resolution of strikes. There is very little consensus on that.

I should point out that there are only two jurisdictions, Mr. Speaker, two jurisdictions in North America that have anti-scab legislation. So, the jury is not out on that. I think it is very clear that that is not an option at this particular point in time, but in terms of the details, all three parties are working. When they bring something forward to me I will be more than happy to share that with you.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!