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

MS JONES: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, a house fire in Labrador claimed the lives of five people, two of whom were children and one of whom was under the care of Child Welfare. After this incident, government did complete an internal investigation. We requested a copy of this report through the Access To Information and we did receive it, but for the most part a lot of the document was blacked out. In fact, Mr. Speaker, even a number of the recommendations in the document were blacked out. There were eight recommendations that we were aware of that involved improving training, clinical supervision and risk management. Some of the other recommendations, we do not know what they are.

I ask the minister: Has there been any action to implement the recommendations that were contained in that report, and are you prepared to share with us those recommendations that were blacked out?

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Minister of Child, Youth and Family Services.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MS BURKE: Mr. Speaker, I can say that the report that was received based on the fire in Labrador was taken very seriously by Health and Community Services and now by the Department of Child, Youth and Family Services. I can also say that any information that was blacked out was according to the guidelines of the legislation that guides how we black out information or what we black out, and a lot of it may have been about personal information of the people who are involved in this particular review.

Mr. Speaker, what I can say is that based on those eight recommendations, we are moving forward with every area of those recommendations to make sure that we set up a system that protects the children of Newfoundland and Labrador and no recommendations will be ignored or not followed upon.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

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

MS JONES: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I should let the minister know that we have appealed to the Information and Privacy Commissioner, simply because oftentimes we know that there are private and personal information that are blacked out but recommendations in a document are there to improve the system itself and to make it work better for the people who use it.

So I ask the minister, if she is prepared to provide to us a full copy of the recommendations that was in that report?

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Minister of Child, Youth and Family Services.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MS BURKE: Mr. Speaker, based on the legislation, but more importantly in this particular case, based on the fact that some of the recommendations may contain personal information or names of private individuals who may not wish to have that made public, that I have to respect the law and I would not want to do anything to embarrass the families any further or to release information right now that under the law is protected. If there are any appeals made, and the Privacy Commissioner determines that that information should be released, we will do it, but I will not take it upon myself right now to violate the privacy of any individual. Especially, Mr. Speaker, when we are talking about people right now who have been severely and seriously affected by a very tragic event in Labrador, and there are still people grieving, Mr. Speaker. I hope they have been notified by the Official Opposition today that questions were coming. I hope they knew that it was being in the media last night, because earlier this summer when they made issues public, I know that that family had not been notified.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

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

MS JONES: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

If the minister is all that concerned, I can certainly inform her that I have had many discussions with the family.

Mr. Speaker, we know that Labrador has unique challenges involving geography, culture, workload and staffing that often requires different approaches in dealing with issues. In this case in Labrador, it was alleged that reports were made but not followed up on within the Department of Child, Youth and Family Services.

I ask the minister today: Has there been any improvements made in the system, especially in Labrador, to ensure that there is follow-up on all of these child welfare issues?

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Minister of Child, Youth and Family Services.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MS BURKE: Mr. Speaker, there is so much I can say about this particular topic right now that to have a few seconds to address it just does not give it justice.

Mr. Speaker, this government, over the last couple of years, invested $25 million in Child, Youth and Family Services and with that there were 200 new positions, but, Mr. Speaker, despite that investment, we did not feel that that service was moving ahead in the way that we felt was most effective. As a result of that, Mr. Speaker, we have created the new Department of Child, Youth and Family Services. That certainly shows that this government takes this area of our work very seriously and we are preparing to move forward to make the improvements that are necessary.

Mr. Speaker, just last week I had the opportunity to meet with the Deputy Minister of Health and Social Development for the Nunatsiavut government. I was accompanied by the Minister of Aboriginal Affairs. We talked about the unique issues in Coastal Labrador regarding child protection issues. I also had the opportunity this summer, Mr. Speaker, to meet with the staff in the Nain office, in the Hopedale office, and in the Makkovik office as well. I also met with the staff in Happy Valley-Goose Bay, Cartwright and Forteau.

Mr. Speaker –

MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!

I ask the hon. minister to conclude her answer.

MS BURKE: Well, in conclusion, Mr. Speaker, what I would like to say is that this government is keenly interested in the areas, particularly in Labrador, and we plan to continue to address these areas until we get the progress that is absolutely (inaudible).

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

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

MS JONES: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Kathleen Kufeldt, the former Chair of Child Protection at Memorial University and a child welfare expert, has stated that when these types of incidents occur within the system an independent investigation is warranted and should be initiated by government. However, Mr. Speaker, in this case until we took the issue ourselves as an Opposition to the Child and Youth Advocate Office there was no such investigation planned by government.

I ask the minister: Why was there not an independent investigation into this case launched by your department and your government?

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Minister of Child, Youth and Family Services.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MS BURKE: Mr. Speaker, there was an internal review, as the member had indicated, that was done by Child, Youth and Family Services. It is also my understanding that this had been referred to the Child and Youth Advocate at one point in time and was deemed that it would not be investigated by the Child and Youth Advocate. Now, Mr. Speaker, that referral and that decision was made outside of government. Then I understand that the hon. member made representation to the Child and Youth Advocate that this case be opened and there was a statement made that the advocate’s office would review this.

Now, Mr. Speaker, the advocate’s office is arm’s-length from the MHAs and from the House of Assembly. They report to us but we do not go down or we should not be down telling them what to do or what to investigate, but, in saying that, I also received correspondence from the present advocate who indicated that he felt that the appropriate decision was made initially not to review this case but because the advocate who is now no longer in that position made that decision, that he would honour that decision. So, Mr. Speaker, the decision of the advocate’s office should be independent of us. If we are not making that referral, which we did not in this case but it was indicated that it had been referred, they looked at their files and they felt they did not need (inaudible).

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

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

MS JONES: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Is the minister telling me today that the Child Advocate is investigating a case of a death of a child that was a ward of the state in this Province only because he feels an obligation to do it, not because he thinks it is necessary, should be done and should be a practice that happens within government and within this Province?

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Minister of Child, Youth and Family Services.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MS BURKE: Mr. Speaker, the answer is - I guess the question is not correct because the case we are talking about is not a child who was a ward of the director of Child Protection. This was a child who was with their birth parent. The child died in a fire. The fire was investigated and the fire in that house was accidental. The Child and Youth Advocate’s Office at one point took the referral and decided that they did not have a role. They do that independent. They do not report back to me. The present advocate reviewed the case again - and I cannot speak for the advocate, only what was given to me - he felt that the review was unnecessary but would continue based on the actions of the previous advocate.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

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

MS JONES: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

It is unfortunate that you have to drag an investigation out of the Child and Youth Advocate in this Province when a child dies. I just cannot believe what I am hearing here today.

Mr. Speaker, the Turner report was supposed to overhaul the way in which child welfare and support services functioned in this Province and address some of the systemic problems that exist. The Department of Child, Youth and Family Services was set up to put more focus on the welfare of children in the Province, and unfortunately there are still some very serious problems that still exist.

I ask the minister today: What are we learning? Are we learning any lessons from all of these incidents and the impact that this has had on people’s lives in our Province? If we are, why is there still recurring incidents?

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Minister of Child, Youth and Family Services.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MS BURKE: Mr. Speaker, we are in the process of change in this particular field in Newfoundland and Labrador. I will refer back to the clinical service report done by Susan Abell. She indicated in that report – and I have great respect for her as an expert. She said that a series of quick fixes will not work; it will take three to five years. She is right, to do a systems change takes a long time.

One of the fundamental changes we have to make, Mr. Speaker, is our legislation. We have to review the legislation; we have to amend it. One thing that is fundamentally flawed with the legislation, Mr. Speaker, is the fact that it does not focus on the best interests of the child.

Mr. Speaker, the previous government received a report in 1997, and on page 59 of that report it outlined what the focus should be in the legislation. In not one place did it say it should be in the best interests of the child. Do you know what? You took it, you brought it in and now we are left with the problems.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

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

MS JONES: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, in July, government issued a tender for the provision of ferry services on six coastal service routes in the Province. With the outline specs of the tender that was issued by government, it would require that the vessels be fifteen years of age or younger. It was impossible to supply this contract unless new vessels were being built. However, Mr. Speaker, there was no stipulation in the contract to say if new vessels were to be built, they would be built at shipyards in Newfoundland and Labrador.

I ask the Premier today: Why was this clause excluded from the tender documents when your government had made a commitment that ferries would be built in Newfoundland and Labrador?

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Minister of Transportation and Works.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. HEDDERSON: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

In response to the question from the member opposite, these were six contracted ferry services which we put out a tender for, and in the response to that tender that came back, that it did call for – we were hoping that there would be some boats around that would fit the specs of those tenders, that they could be used. It came back that these would have to be newly constructed ferries, and of course, that put another wrinkle into the mix. So looking at the tenders, looking at the money that came in, we decided to let those tenders elapse and to go back to the drawing board.

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

MS JONES: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Will the minister confirm that new tenders for these six vessels in the Province will stipulate a requirement that if new vessels are to be built, that they would be built in shipyards in this Province?

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Minister of Transportation and Works.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. HEDDERSON: Mr. Speaker, as I indicated in my previous answer, these were contracted ferry services put out in a tender, these were services, not construction. These were put out; I believe a number of companies tendered for them. Again, looking at what came back nowhere in those contracts was anything with regard to construction of ferries in Newfoundland and Labrador.

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

MS JONES: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I do not see the point in asking the question again, obviously there is not going to be a requirement to have those ferries built in the Province.

Mr. Speaker, this government also closed down thirteen highway depots in the Province in 2005. It was done as a cost-saving measure to government. NAPE, the union representing these affected workers has grieved the decision, took the government to court and they won their case. In fact, Mr. Speaker, they won their case twice. Now government is appealing it for the third time.

I ask the minister today: As opposed to continuing appealing these decisions in the courts, wasting taxpayers’ money and time, why is government not prepared to reopen those depots and put these workers back to work?

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Minister of Transportation and Works.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. HEDDERSON: Decisions are made, and I guess any policy, and when those decisions are made, it is based on what we believe as a government is the best course of action. Of course, when those decisions are made, they are not always agreed upon. In the interim, I suppose, parties can come back and ask that they reviewed, whether it is through the courts or through grievances or whatever.

That is where that process is now, Mr. Speaker. It is in the appropriate place. We, as a government, are representing the interests of the Province, and we will await the outcome of that particular appeal.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

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

MS JONES: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

It is quite obvious that government’s decision in the Province and to lay these workers off was the wrong decision. The courts have ruled twice in favour of the workers. Why the government continues to appeal it, we have no understanding of that.

I ask the minister today: How much has your government spent so far in court and legal action on this particular file, and how much has the savings been since 2005 when you made the decision to close those depots?

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Minister of Transportation and Works.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. HEDDERSON: Again, Mr. Speaker, I say to the hon. member opposite, as I have said before, we work in the best interest of the people of Newfoundland and Labrador. During the course of operating in that manner, there are expenses that we incur, but again, we feel that we have to go down this path in order to clarify this situation and the decision; that is where we stand right now.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Member for The Straits & White Bay North.

MR. DEAN: Mr. Speaker, the tourism industry has been rationalized into four destination marketing organizations down from twenty-seven regional tourism associations. In their inceptions, these DMOs have a mandate to increase economic development in the four regions through tourism. Yet, Mr. Speaker, there is a concern that some of them are immensely large in size and also concerned that the goals of the regional tourism growth market and product development are being compromised.

I would ask the minister: Since her department recently changed the mandate of DMOs towards exclusive marketing of tourism, the position of marketing co-ordinator for the Northern Peninsula and Southern Labrador was eliminated, and today I wonder how this contributes to the goal of economic development?

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Minister of Tourism, Culture and Recreation.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. FRENCH: I would like to thank the hon. member for my first question in the House of Assembly. Thank you very much; I appreciate it.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. FRENCH: Mr. Speaker, we have four DMOs set up in the Province now; we are about to set up a fifth one. Last year, we set one up in Central Newfoundland. Mr. Speaker, when we talk about marketing in this Province, just a point for the House of Assembly: Do you know how many awards we have won in marketing in this Province? We have not won one, we have not won ten, and we have not won twenty - fifty-one awards.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Member for the District of The Straits & White Bay North.

MR. DEAN: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

It seems like the hon. minister is off to a good start; he did not answer my question.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Oh, oh!

MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!

MR. DEAN: Probably it is possible to go from fifty-one awards to 101 if we put the proper staffing out there. It was very disturbing, Mr. Speaker, to discover that the Western DMO will no longer be employing regional staff people in these rural areas to work with the businesses in our region -

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Oh, oh!

MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!

MR. DEAN: The individual who held this was previously employed with the Viking Trail Association, an organization that previously received its core funding to attract tourists to L’Anse aux Meadows and we look at the numbers that visit Gros Morne and we look at the difference between what visits L’Anse aux Meadows.

I ask the minister: Without local liaisons working with the in excess of 600 businesses, communities and organizations that depend on the tourism for revenue, how will the DMOs adequately market their products?

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Minister of Tourism, Culture and Recreation.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. FRENCH: Mr. Speaker, it is very important in the tourism industry that we be consistent. We have taken this Province a long, long way. Actually, the DMOs came about because of a 2004 report that we went out, consulted with the industry, Mr. Speaker, and at the time there was twenty-eight different organizations out there promoting this Province. Many of them still exist by the way. This is a way to put a professional team in place so that they can assist all areas of the Province.

Mr. Speaker, the gentleman opposite just mentioned L’Anse aux Meadows, and I happened to be down there recently as the hon. member probably knows. I can assure you, Mr. Speaker, I can assure you as I was driving over the $4 million worth of new pavement to go to L’Anse aux Meadows; this government does an awful lot for tourism in this Province.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Member for the District of The Straits & White Bay North.

MR. DEAN: Yeah, Mr. Minister, you never got an award for that visit, but anyway.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. DEAN: Mr. Speaker, I would suggest again that it is not reasonable to decrease the representation of our regions. You know, quite frankly, when I look in my districts, as many districts throughout the Province possibly in rural Newfoundland, the numbers continue to go and the liaisons and support staff continue to decrease.

I would ask the minister, again: Would he consider to increasing the numbers in tourism and in support staff and so on rather than decreasing the numbers?

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Minister of Tourism, Culture and Recreation.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. FRENCH: Mr. Speaker, we have taken a marketing budget in this Province that now peaks at $13 million in this Province. We are constantly concerned. Last year we had a recession; a world recession and our numbers in this Province went up, Mr. Speaker.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. FRENCH: So, I would certainly take any advice the hon. member would like to pass along but we are all about moving this Province forward when it comes to tourism. We have the record to show for it. We have increased numbers. This industry now in this Province, Mr. Speaker, is an $850 million industry.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. FRENCH: Mr. Speaker, not only is it an $850 million industry, it employs 13,000 Newfoundlanders and Labradorians.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. FRENCH: Mr. Speaker, that is not in places like St. John’s. That is in rural Newfoundland and Labrador.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

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

MR. BUTLER: Mr. Speaker, last year government announced a pilot project for twenty-four hour snow clearing in the Province and would evaluate the effect of such a program.

I ask the minister: What were the outcomes of the pilot project, and will the program happen again this year?

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Minister of Transportation and Works.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. HEDDERSON: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Last year, indeed, we did put into place a pilot project with regard to twenty-four hour snow clearing in specific spots throughout the Province of Newfoundland and Labrador. In doing so, Mr. Speaker, we had some preliminary analysis but looked to extent it for another year to make sure that we have the information that we need in order to make the informed decisions that have to be, to see what we can do with twenty-four hour service in Newfoundland and Labrador.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

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

MR. BUTLER: Mr. Speaker, last year many community leaders voiced their concern that their areas were not included in the twenty-four hour program.

I ask the minister: Will the twenty-four hour snow clearing program be expanded this year to include other areas of the Province, and if so, what areas will be included?

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Minister of Transportation and Works.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. HEDDERSON: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

In response to the question from the member opposite, it is a pilot project. It is not a program, and it is a pilot because obviously we are looking to what direction we can go in. In order to do that, as I pointed out in my previous response, we need to have the specific information to make the informed decision so that we can move forward with perhaps the extension on that pilot.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

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

MR. BUTLER: Mr. Speaker, the pilot project was only in effect from Monday to Friday. Many felt that this was inadequate because we all know there is a lot of traffic on our highways on the weekends.

I ask the minister: Will the pilot project this year include weekends?

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Minister of Transportation and Works.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. HEDDERSON: In actual fact, it was, I believe, five nights per week, Sunday through Thursday. Again, we are looking at it as a pilot. We are looking at the time that we are doing it, we are looking at the traffic flows, and we are looking at the storm conditions, and so on and so forth. We are putting all that information together. Again, we need a second year to ensure that the decisions that we make are the right decisions.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

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

MR. BUTLER: Mr. Speaker, the Auditor General noted, as of March 2008 there were 1.3 million tires in stockpile in Placentia and Bull Arm. He also noted that there were safety concerns around the 110,000 tires that were at Bull Arm. The tires were not being stored in accordance with the Office of the Fire Commissioner.

I ask the minister: What is the update on the Bull Arm site? What actions have been taken, and are there any tires remaining at this site as we speak?

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

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MS JOHNSON: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, we take the Auditor General’s report very seriously, and as a result, we have had all of the tires removed at the Bull Arm site. They are all gone, and all the tires that are currently at the Placentia site are being stored in order with all the fire codes that are necessary. So they are all gone, we are happy to report.

Thank you.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

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

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

Mr. Speaker, my questions are for the Minister of Health and Community Services. There is a serious shortage in the Province, as we know, of home support workers who provide personal care in people’s homes. Recently, at the town hall meeting that I held in my district, where people expressed their concerns about home care, many issues were raised. Mr. Speaker, home care recipients and workers both said that a major reason why there is a shortage of home support workers is the low wages and lack of benefits in this very demanding field of work.

So I ask the Minister of Health and Community Services: Will the spring budget address this injustice by raising the wages and benefits of home support workers to the same level of personal care attendants in long-term care facilities?

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Minister of Health and Community Services.

MR. KENNEDY: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, in Budget 2009 the provincial government earmarked $35 million to improve services and enhance supports across the Province to strengthen long-term care and community support services. Of that, Mr. Speaker, $16.5 million was to increase home support hourly subsidy rates; $8 million, Mr. Speaker, was utilized to address home support program growth; $1.5 million to increase the personal care home subsidy; and $1.1 million to begin implementation of the new assessment tool, Mr. Speaker. We have seen the benefits of that assessment tool, and we have seen the savings that have come about.

The member opposite implies that we are not doing anything about home care. Home care, Mr. Speaker, has been a concern for this government and last year’s budget indicates, with a $35 million investment, how much we are contributing to the same.

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.

I will point out that I did not imply what the minister just said. I asked a very specific question: Will the wages and benefits of those doing the personal care in homes be brought up to the same level of the personal care attendants in long-term care facilities? He did answer that question. I made no implication that the government was doing nothing about home care.

Mr. Speaker, at the town hall home support workers said they need more formal training to acquire the skills to do their jobs safely, and especially to serve clients with complex needs. The minister said last week he saw the video, and he heard that if he watched it.

Mr. Speaker, the training programs cost several thousand dollars and only a few workers have been able to access funding to help with this cost.

Mr. Speaker, I ask the minister: Now that the Province has taken over federal job training programs, will the Minister of Health work with the Department of Human Resources, Labour and Employment to ensure that all home support workers have access to high-quality, affordable training programs?

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Minister of Health and Community Services.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. KENNEDY: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, last year’s budget, the $16.5 million which was annualized to $24.6 million increased the home support hourly subsidy rates as follows: $7 million, Mr. Speaker, for a 50-cent increase on March 1, 2009; $7.6 million for a 71-cent increase on July 1, 2009; and another 50-cent increase on January 1, 2010.

In relation to the training, Mr. Speaker, of the home support workers I am certainly willing to discuss the same with my colleague in Human Resources, Labour and Employment, and anything we can do, Mr. Speaker, to improve the services offered to the seniors in our Province, the persons with disabilities, we are certainly willing to consider and we will continue to address these needs.

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 thank the minister for the last part of his answer because if having the control over - now the training dollars are here in the Province and we need to match training with our labour market. If we ever had a labour market need, it is the training of the home support workers.

Mr. Speaker, workers and people needing home support also express frustration that there are no legislated standards for home care, which leaves government off the hook for adequately monitoring home care provided through the private agencies.

I ask the minister again, Mr. Speaker: Would he put in place regulations for home care including standards of care in education, and provide the resources for monitoring and enforcement so that these standards take care of the health and safety of both the workers and recipients of home care?

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Minister of Health and Community Services.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. KENNEDY: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, the Leader of the NDP raised the issue - last week I think it was - about the long-term care strategy. A long-term care strategy, Mr. Speaker, is something that will address all of the issues involving support services in the community in terms of long-term care, community care and home care workers. What we have to do, Mr. Speaker, as a government is look to our aging demographic and how we can best deal with people like our seniors and treat them with the respect they deserve in their elder years.

Also, Mr. Speaker, we have to look at our home care workers, and part of the long-term care strategy, we will look at all aspects of it. We will look at independent living, Mr. Speaker. We will look at community programming. We will look at home care.

One of the issues I expect that will arise in this strategy will be the need for standards to govern how care is provided to seniors, persons with disabilities and, Mr. Speaker, all those who can benefit from the kinds of monies that this government is putting into these programs.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!