MR. SPEAKER:
The hon. the Leader of the
Opposition.
MS JONES:
Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Mr. Speaker, on Monday I asked the
Minister of Natural Resources to table the section of
the Hebron Benefits Agreement which guarantees that the
recently cancelled work originally scheduled to be done
in this Province would have to be replaced.
Mr. Speaker,
I ask the minister today, if she
is prepared to provide us with a copy of that
commitment?
MR. SPEAKER:
The hon. the Deputy Premier and
Minister of Natural Resources.
SOME HON. MEMBERS:
Hear, hear!
MS DUNDERDALE:
Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Mr. Speaker, the Hebron Benefits
Agreement is available to the Leader of the Opposition
from the government Web site, as it is to every person
in Newfoundland and Labrador and in the country. There
are two sections in the benefits agreement that allow:
(a) for amendments to the benefits agreements; or, a
dispute resolution process. We did not need to use the
dispute resolution process because the parties came to
the table in a very amicable way to negotiate any lost
benefits, to replace any lost benefits. That agreement
in principle is now being translated into a legal
document. Once I have that completed, Mr. Speaker, I
will be glad to make that available as well.
SOME HON. MEMBERS:
Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER:
The hon. the Leader of the
Opposition.
MS JONES:
Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
We did review the benefits
agreement that was on-line and we certainly did not see
any clause in that agreement that would speak to the
fact that if these contracts were cancelled then they
would have to replace the value of it. So we will wait
for the minister to give the full explanation as to how
the amendment clause worked to meet that expectation.
Mr. Speaker, also under section
7.7 of the benefits agreement the Province has a right
to disclose, at its discretion, commercially sensitive
information as long as it does not compromise the
partners. Surely, we feel that the value of the work and
compensation provisions does not compromise the
company’s interests.
I ask the minister today:
Will you use your discretion and
tell us the value of the work, and what the assessment
value is of the work and who conducted that assessment?
MR. SPEAKER:
The hon. the Deputy Premier.
SOME HON. MEMBERS:
Hear, hear!
MS DUNDERDALE:
Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Mr. Speaker, this is a project
that is valued somewhere between $5 billion and $7
billion. The amount of money that we are talking about
here in terms of replacement value that is required is
less than one-half of 1 per cent of the total project.
Mr. Speaker, that assessment was
done by the department, by Nalcor, and by the partners.
So while I can tell you that the work is less than $50
million, substantially less than $50 million, I am not
going to get any closer than that, Mr. Speaker, because
tenders are being let. The people who are bidding on
these projects know the value of the work and how it has
changed. If we get much closer than that, they will be
able to determine the value of the projects and that
will affect the tendering process and we are not
interested in doing that.
SOME HON. MEMBERS:
Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER:
The hon. the Leader of the
Opposition.
MS JONES:
Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Surely, in a $5 billion to $7
billion contract the minister states is under $50
million of work is not going to compromise any
particular tender or the viability of the project by
disclosing the information.
Mr. Speaker, this government likes
to talk about no more giveaways. Well, right now what we
see in this contract is that government is giving up all
of the direct benefits from these contracts and they are
giving them up for what; an unknown project and an
unknown time without an unknown value.
I ask you minister:
Are you letting this company walk
away, or do you have no provisions to prevent them from
cancelling these contracts and making sure the benefits
stay in the Province?
MR. SPEAKER:
The hon. the Deputy Premier.
SOME HON. MEMBERS:
Hear, hear!
MS DUNDERDALE:
Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Mr. Speaker, their ignorance of
this project is staggering, and what is frightening
about it is they put this out like they are speaking the
truth.
Mr. Speaker, we have commitments
on a concrete gravity-based structure, a mechanical
outfitting, 4.1 million person hours of work; topsides
drilling support module; topsides drilling derrick;
flare boom; helideck; lifeboat stations; structural
steel riser components and assembly of offshore loading
system components; riser bases; rigid risers; tie-in
spools and buoys. We have 50,000 hours of GBS feed-phase
engineering. We have detailed engineering. We have 1.2
million person hours of detailed engineering that have
to be done here in the Province.
Mr. Speaker, the first time ever
in a negotiation of an offshore project that these kinds
of benefits have been negotiated and copper fastened to
the benefit of the people of the Province.
SOME HON. MEMBERS:
Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER:
The hon. the Leader of the
Opposition.
MS JONES:
Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
So the minister claims. If she
figures the facts are not on the table, maybe it is time
for her to start putting them on the table, starting
with telling us where the clauses are in the agreement.
Secondly, if they have to bring that kind of money back
to the Province - sound familiar? If
they have to bring that value of the work back to the
Province, maybe you are about to tell us what project it
is going in, when the project is going to happen, and
what exactly are we talking about in terms of the value
of that project? Because right now, minister,
you have provided no facts and no answers.
MR. SPEAKER:
The hon. the Deputy Premier.
SOME HON. MEMBERS:
Hear, hear!
MS DUNDERDALE:
Mr. Speaker, it does not matter what
I provide to the Leader of the Opposition, she just does
not get it; she does not understand it.
SOME HON. MEMBERS:
Hear, hear!
MS DUNDERDALE:
Mr. Speaker, the parties came
together, we did not even need to use mechanisms
provided in the Hebron Benefits Agreement. We have an
agreement in principle for the amount of work that is
going to be displaced because of changes in the subsea
template, Mr. Speaker. They will tell us how they are
going to replace the value of that work by June 30,
2010. Otherwise, Mr. Speaker, they will provide us with
a cheque for the equivalent amount, and certainly
circumstances may have changed enough by the end of June
2010 when we can tell them exactly how much that is,
then that will be used for a construction project in the
oil and gas industry providing jobs to Newfoundlanders
and Labradorians.
SOME HON. MEMBERS:
Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER:
The hon. the Leader of the
Opposition.
MS JONES:
Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
The minister also knows when you
allow them to cancel, walk away from a contract that a
cheque does not cut it for all the spinoff effects that
are lost in the economy in this Province.
Mr. Speaker, despite the
provincial director of Child, Youth and Family Services
having responsibility for establishing province-wide
policies and standards under the act, no such policies
or standards exist for the establishing and monitoring
of alternate living arrangements in the Province. Back
in May we raised this issue of implementing a
province-wide regulation for children taken into
government care. At that time the minister acknowledged
that there was a need for a broad legislative review and
that any new legislation that was needed would be
forthcoming.
I ask her today:
Where is your department in this
legislative review and have you made any decisions with
regard to implementing province-wide standards for
alternate living arrangements for children?
MR. SPEAKER:
The hon. the Minister of Child, Youth
and Family Services.
SOME HON. MEMBERS:
Hear, hear!
MS BURKE:
Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
I would certainly like to inform
the hon. member that the legislative review is well
underway. We do have a lawyer working in the department
who is meeting with stakeholder groups and we will
certainly be meeting with as many groups or individuals
who would like to provide input into that process.
We anticipate that in the spring
we would be able to bring forth new legislation for
Child, Youth and Family Services. I also say, Mr.
Speaker, I will not be bringing forward legislation
until I am satisfied that we are ready to do that and we
have the thorough research done so that we have the best
possible legislation we can have in this Province.
With regard to a provincial policy
on the ALAs, the assisted living arrangements, Mr.
Speaker, that is not a form of care that we feel is
appropriate for the children in Newfoundland and
Labrador. We have ALAs right now in the absence of
appropriate foster homes in the Province. Mr. Speaker,
we also want to make sure that we develop a continuum of
services that provides the necessary care for the
children of this Province. Certainly, foster homes, or
living with other family members who are identified as
suitable to care for the child or –
MR. SPEAKER:
Order, please!
SOME HON. MEMBERS:
Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER:
The hon. the Leader of the
Opposition.
MS JONES:
Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
While the minister feels that it
might not be the most appropriate standard of care, it
is the standard that is being provided in the Province
right now, and it is not regulated.
I ask the minister this question:
A Certificate of Conduct is one of the things that is
supposed to be required by ALA workers in order to work
with these children that are in care. We have learned
that many of these workers start on the job without ever
having a Certificate of Conduct.
I ask you, Minister, is this
acceptable, and why is it being tolerated?
MR. SPEAKER:
The hon. the Minister of Child, Youth
and Family Services.
SOME HON. MEMBERS:
Hear, hear!
MS BURKE:
Mr. Speaker, that was a similar
question that was brought forward in the last spring
sitting of the House of Assembly. At that time, I went
back to the department to ask the question if
certificates of conduct were received on people before
they worked in the ALAs because of the accusations that
were being made. When we checked with the regional
health authorities, that is indeed their policy, and
they have also indicated that they have these
certificates of conduct before people work in the ALAs.
SOME HON. MEMBERS:
Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER:
The hon. the Leader of the
Opposition.
MS JONES:
Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
I would let the minister know that
there is only health board that we have determined in
the Province that requires it for day one, and the other
health boards do require it, but not before the person
starts at the employment stage.
Mr. Speaker, many of the children
who are placed in ALAs do so with histories of neglect,
emotional abuse and family violence. These are very
serious issues that need to be addressed in a proper
manner by qualified caregivers.
I ask the minister:
Is
consideration being given today by government to provide
for minimum employment qualifications for ALA workers in
this Province?
MR. SPEAKER:
The hon. the Minister of Child, Youth
and Family Services.
SOME HON. MEMBERS:
Hear, hear!
MS BURKE:
Mr. Speaker, the stark reality as to
why we need ALAs is because we not have a sufficient
number of foster homes in Newfoundland and Labrador. We
feel, as a department, that it is our duty to make sure
that we do the appropriate marketing and recruitment and
provide the necessary support so that we can have the
appropriate foster homes in this Province.
Mr. Speaker, many of the children
– and I think there are probably about thirty-five at
any given time that may be in ALAs. Many times they are
short-term, because these children need to be placed in
foster homes, and an ALA is not seen as a long-term,
viable plan, especially for young children, as a means
that we feel would be the most appropriate way to care
for their needs.
Mr. Speaker, we certainly need to
have more foster homes in this Province, and that is
certainly going to be one of the priorities of the new
department.
SOME HON. MEMBERS:
Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER:
The hon. the Leader of the
Opposition.
MS JONES:
Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Children being entrusted into
government care in this Province face a system with many
deficiencies, one of which has a shortage of social
workers and caregivers in the in-care system. The
shortage is resulting in high incidence of turnover in
caregivers and social workers that are being assigned to
these children. In fact, the Office of the Child and
Youth Advocate did a review of the in-care system files
in 2006 and in some cases found that as many sixteen
different social workers were assigned to a file.
I ask the minister today, this
came to your attention in the last year and I ask you:
Have your government or your department done anything
to try and provide for more stability in the in-care
system in the Province?
MR. SPEAKER:
The hon. the Minister of Child, Youth
and Family Services.
SOME HON. MEMBERS:
Hear, hear!
MS BURKE:
Mr. Speaker, the Department of Child,
Youth and Family Services came into being because this
government recognized that there were problems in the
area of Child, Youth and Family Services. We were not
comfortable, despite our investment of $25 million in
recent years into this program area, that we were
getting the results that were necessary.
Mr. Speaker, in the last couple of
years, and with our $25 million investment, there have
been 200 additional positions in Child, Youth and Family
Services.
During the summer, Mr. Speaker, as
the new minister of this new department, I took it upon
myself to visit fifty offices across Newfoundland and
Labrador and to meet with the social workers, so that
just was not a paper exercise to determine what the
issues were.
Mr. Speaker, I met with the social
workers everywhere from the North Coast up to Nain, down
to Burgeo and to St. John’s. It is certainly, I guess at
one point, very reassuring to know that we have
professionals who have a true passion for the work they
do and are providing some very good quality work. Mr.
Speaker -
MR. SPEAKER:
Order, please!
I ask the hon. minister to
conclude her response.
MS BURKE:
Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
The social workers highlighted
concerns in many areas, not just in-care. They talked
about the IT system that they used, they talked about
having to do duties that are not necessarily social work
related and is, in fact, not even having access to –
MR. SPEAKER:
Order, please!
SOME HON. MEMBERS:
Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER:
The hon. the Leader of the
Opposition.
MS JONES:
Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Mr. Speaker, yesterday I asked the
Minister of Health to enhance the air ambulance services
in the Province. At that time, Mr. Speaker, he suggested
he would be willing to cut services or relocate services
out of St. Anthony which was a shameful response, I say,
for the Minister of Health who should be investing in
services and not cutting it.
Mr. Speaker, I ask the minister
today, because I thought he might have learned a lesson
when it came to gutting rural health care in the
Province. I ask him today, Mr. Speaker:
Will you
clearly state today that the air ambulance services in
St. Anthony will not be removed?
SOME HON. MEMBERS:
Oh, oh!
MR. SPEAKER:
Order, please!
The hon. the Minister of Health
and Community Services.
SOME HON. MEMBERS:
Hear, hear!
MR. KENNEDY:
Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
I am not sure what it is that the
Opposition Leader is looking for. Yesterday, she
presented a petition asking to support and strengthen
the provincial air ambulance program based in St. John’s
and St. Anthony. That was based, Mr. Speaker, supposedly
on a petition from the people of Labrador, which when
you read the prayer of the petition from the people of
Labrador asking to establish a medevac response team and
aircraft in Labrador, that there is an overwhelming need
for a medevac in Labrador.
Yesterday, she was asking to have
it in Labrador. Today she is asking to have it kept in
St. Anthony. Mr. Speaker, we have two aircraft. The
numbers indicate that there are 240 airlifts a year out
of Happy Valley-Goose Bay and Lab West. That is twice as
many as there are in St. Anthony. What I say to the
Opposition Leader is what I said yesterday: Do you want
it in Labrador? Do you want it in St. Anthony? Perhaps
you could help me with this.
SOME HON. MEMBERS:
Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER:
The hon. the Leader of the
Opposition.
MS JONES:
Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
The minister knows what we want.
We want an adequate air ambulance service for all the
people of the Province.
Mr. Speaker, this government has
the money and the resources to invest in a third air
ambulance in this Province to be based in Labrador. Mr.
Speaker, they are the same government who have invested
more than $30 million into the oil exploration industry
but is refusing to spend $8 million to buy an aircraft
for air medevac in Labrador.
SOME HON. MEMBERS:
Oh, oh!
MR. SPEAKER:
Order, please!
MS JONES:
I ask you minister:
Are you
prepared to commit to the purchase of a third air
ambulance for this Province and base it in Goose Bay?
MR. SPEAKER:
The hon. the Minister of Health and
Community Services.
SOME HON. MEMBERS:
Hear, hear!
MR. KENNEDY:
Yes, Mr. Speaker, if we are going to
invest in another airplane it has to be to replace the
one that is currently stationed in St. John’s, as the
hon. member pointed out yesterday.
Now, Mr. Speaker, if I could just
point out to the member opposite. She is asking for a
third aircraft: one in St. Anthony, one in Labrador, and
one in St. John’s. Well, there are more flights out of
Deer Lake each year than there are out of St. Anthony.
So, what I say to you, I say to the Leader of the
Opposition: Where do you want this plane? The Mayor of
Happy Valley-Goose Bay was on Open Line today. The
question was put to him, Mr. Speaker, should it be in
St. Anthony or should it be in Goose Bay? He said it
should be in Happy Valley-Goose Bay.
SOME HON. MEMBERS:
Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER:
The hon. the Leader of the
Opposition.
MS JONES:
Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Yesterday, as well, we asked the minister if he would
commit to instating a trauma team in St. Anthony to
support the air ambulance services that are there, we
did not get a response from him. Maybe today he would
like to tell us if he is prepared to do that?
MR. SPEAKER:
Order, please!
The hon. the Minister of Health
and Community Services.
SOME HON. MEMBERS:
Hear, hear!
MR. KENNEDY:
Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Yesterday, Mr. Speaker, the Leader
of the Opposition presented a 3,000 name petition asking
to have a medevac team in Labrador. Now, Mr. Speaker, if
we are looking at a medical flight services team, it
would go with the aircraft. So what is happening here
now, is obviously, the Opposition Leader does not know
what she is talking about. She has not done her
homework. Mr. Speaker, I spoke yesterday –
SOME HON. MEMBERS:
Oh, oh!
MR. SPEAKER:
Order, please!
Order, please!
The Chair is having great
difficulty in hearing the hon. the Minister of Health
and Community Services.
The hon. the Minister of Health
and Community Services.
MR. KENNEDY:
Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Mr. Speaker, I met with the town
councils of Lab City and Wabush, they asked to have an
air ambulance situated in Lab West. I met with the
family affected in Lab West. I met in Happy Valley-Goose
Bay with the family there, and with the council, they
asked to have it put in Happy Valley-Goose Bay. The
numbers, Mr. Speaker, indicate that there are twice as
many medevacs out of Labrador as there are out of St.
Anthony, and there are more out of Deer Lake than there
are out of St. Anthony. So, again, I am asking the
Leader of the Opposition to help me out here -
MR. SPEAKER:
Order, please!
MR. KENNEDY:
- yesterday she asked for Labrador,
today she is asking for St. Anthony. Which is it?
MR. SPEAKER:
Order, please!
SOME HON. MEMBERS:
Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER:
The hon. the Member for the District
of Port de Grave.
MR. BUTLER:
Mr. Speaker, one of the truest
indicators of the economic struggles experienced by
Newfoundlanders and Labradorians is their use of food
banks. Food Banks Canada recently released a study
entitled HungerCount 2009, and the results for this
Province were alarming. Over the past year Newfoundland
and Labrador has seen an increase of 10.1 per cent in
food bank usage. Those are people who rely on food banks
on a regular basis. This is clear evidence that poverty
is increasing in this Province, Mr. Speaker.
I ask the minister:
Since the
recent poverty reduction progress report does not
address this issue specifically, what immediate action
does government intend to take to alleviate this
problem?
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, I cannot believe that
I just heard that there are no indicators that poverty
in this Province has been reduced. We produced a report
and laid it on desks yesterday that would have shown you
that the most common measure of poverty in this country
is LICOs, Low Income Cut-offs. We have shown a decrease,
Mr. Speaker, from 12.2 per cent down to 6.5 per cent.
SOME HON. MEMBERS:
Hear, hear!
MS SULLIVAN:
Mr. Speaker, in terms of income
levels in this Province we have shown a huge increase,
in particular for income support clients, where we have
seen an increase of 11.6 per cent.
SOME HON. MEMBERS:
Oh, oh!
MR. SPEAKER:
Order, please!
MS SULLIVAN:
Where we have seen an increase of
11.6 per cent for our income support clients, Mr.
Speaker. In terms of the minimum wage, 50 per cent
better than it was just two to three years ago.
SOME HON. MEMBERS:
Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER:
Order, please!
I ask the hon. minister to
conclude her response.
MS SULLIVAN:
Mr. Speaker, I will conclude my
response by saying there are huge indications that we
are on the right road, and I hope I get another question
because there are a number of things I could answer
here.
SOME HON. MEMBERS:
Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER:
Order, please!
I ask members for their
co-operation. In order for members to be recognized here
in this Chamber they must stand and be recognized by the
Speaker. Members on both sides of the House cannot sit
in their chairs and shout obstructions back and forth
across the House and drown out questions that are being
asked and answers that are being given.
The hon. the Member for the
District of Port de Grave.
MR. BUTLER:
Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker.
I say, Mr. Speaker, as good as her
report was that she released this week, the numbers do
not add up. The report shows nothing about the long
lineups that are going to our food banks. Mr. Speaker,
not only has the number of individuals seeking aid from
food banks increased, but Newfoundland and Labrador is a
Province with the highest percentage of food bank use
per capita in Canada. Happy Valley-Goose Bay alone, and
this is in rural Newfoundland by the way, has seen a 20
per cent increase in food bank usage this year which is
higher than the national average. Six percent of our
population regularly attend at least one of the
Province’s twenty-eight food banks and there are food
banks in our Province that do not have enough food in
storage to meet the increasing demands.
I ask the minister:
Will government commit to granting
funds to food banks this Christmas to support those
families who are in need?
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, we would be the first
to acknowledge that we appreciate the work that is being
done by food banks in this Province. Let’s not make any
mistake about that.
SOME HON. MEMBERS:
Hear, hear!
MS SULLIVAN:
Mr. Speaker, we have worked long and
we have work hard at putting money back into the pockets
of Newfoundlanders and Labradorians and improving their
lot, and the statistics show that. In terms of what we
are doing though in order to supplement some of the
issues around food banks, just let me give you some of
those indicators. The Kids Eat Smart Program, increased
to $1.25 million through the Poverty Reduction program.
The Mother Baby Nutritional Supplement increased as well
to $60 a month. There are a myriad of other initiatives
as well: Healthy Baby Clubs, the Air Foodlift Subsidy to
Labrador, Newfoundland and Labrador’s School Milk
Program, Mr. Speaker.
SOME HON. MEMBERS:
Hear, hear!
MS SULLIVAN:
There are a number of ways that we
are assisting.
SOME HON. MEMBERS:
Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER:
Order, please!
The hon. the Member for the
District of Port de Grave.
MR. BUTLER:
Mr. Speaker, I have to say that I
totally agree with the Kids Eat Smart Program. I am
invited to my district on December 22, to officially
help open the two hundredth club in this Province. That
to me says there are many hungry kids in this Province.
If the money is going into the people’s pockets, it is
sure not going to buy groceries, Mr. Speaker.
Mr. Speaker, about 50 per cent of
the food bank uses in Canada are families of one or more
children who are in the low income bracket. Food Banks
Canada has approached the federal government with
recommendations on addressing this very important issue.
Specifically with regard to increasing the Canada Child
Tax Benefit from $3,300 to $5,000.
Mr. Speaker –
MR. SPEAKER:
Order, please!
I ask the hon. member to pose his
question.
MR. BUTLER:
Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Since the federal government, the
territorial and the provincial ministers are meeting in
Whitehorse, I ask the minister:
Can he confirm that this issue is on the agenda and will
he consider bringing this important issue to the
attention of those in attendance at the finance meeting?
SOME HON. MEMBERS:
Oh, oh!
MR. SPEAKER:
Order, please!
The hon. the Member for the
District of Signal Hill-Quidi Vidi.
MS MICHAEL:
Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker.
Mr. Speaker, my questions today
are for the Minister of Municipal Affairs. Mr. Speaker,
the vast majority of residents living in rural
Newfoundland and Labrador have no 911 emergency services
and tourists that visit our rural areas cannot expect to
dial 911 in case of an emergency and get a response.
Mr. Speaker, during an Estimates
committee in April of this year –
SOME HON. MEMBERS:
Oh, oh!
MR. SPEAKER:
Order, please!
MS MICHAEL:
Mr. Speaker, during an Estimates
committee in April of this year, I was told to expect
that the government would be moving on the Expressions
of Interest received regarding an enhanced 911 system
within sixty days. Mr. Speaker, it has been around 250
days since that statement was made.
Mr. Speaker, I ask: If the
minister, nearly a year after the last press release
from Municipal Affairs, is able to provide us with an
update on this matter?
MR. SPEAKER:
The hon. the Minister of
Transportation and Works.
SOME HON. MEMBERS:
Hear, hear!
MR. HEDDERSON:
Mr. Speaker, the 911 system
throughout Newfoundland and Labrador is indeed a
tremendous challenge given the geography of the
Province, given the technology that is available
throughout the Province. This government is committed to
looking forward to somehow or another tying it all
together.
As for an update with regard to
the specific question, I would have to refer that back
to the department and provide you with that at some
later date.
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.
In light of the fact that tomorrow
could be our last time in the House for this sitting, it
would be great if the minister could be able to table
something tomorrow. As I said, it has been 250 days
since I was told that they would have something in place
within sixty days with regard to the Expression of
Interests. So I hope that the minister can get something
quickly.
Maybe I have a few more questions
that he will have to get information on as well, but I
will proceed with them. I am very concerned that we have
not heard anything since last April, and rightly so, it
is a very serious issue, but I am concerned that
virtually the only time government talks about this
issue is when they are asked questions in the House.
How this government expects the
people of rural Newfoundland to take their commitment
seriously while keeping them in the dark –
MR. SPEAKER:
Order, please!
I ask the hon. member to pose her
question.
MS MICHAEL:
I will, Mr. Speaker.
I would like the minister to find
out, when he speaks to the people inside of Municipal
Affairs: What is the delay in getting the plan in place
for the 911 enhancement?
MR. SPEAKER:
The hon. the Minister of
Transportation and Works.
MR. HEDDERSON:
Mr. Speaker, again, in response to
the question, I indicated that I would provide an
update, and I did not see anything in the second
question that would go beyond that. Right now, I am just
saying that there is challenge out there. We are aware
of that challenge and we are working towards coming up
with some strategies to deal with it.
MR. SPEAKER:
The hon. the Member for the District
of Signal Hill-Quidi Vidi.
MS MICHAEL:
Mr. Speaker, I just want to add, so
that the minister knows the detail I am looking for, I
would like to know if anything right now is being talked
about with regard to having street names and numeration
done in rural Newfoundland since that is such an
important step. I would like him to have that
information as well when he comes to the House with the
information.
I understand that large projects
take time. We have been waiting on this, and the people
in the Province have been waiting on this for a long
time as well. People in emergency services continue to
call me and make comments to me about the fact that they
do not know what is going on. This deals with life and
death in our Province, so I ask the minister to also be
able to find out for us –
MR. SPEAKER:
Order, please!
I ask the hon. member to pose her
question now.
MS MICHAEL:
I am asking my question. I am, Mr.
Speaker.
I would also like to know: When
will the residents of rural Newfoundland and Labrador be
able to know exactly when emergency services -
MR. SPEAKER:
Order, please!
The hon. the Minister of
Transportation and Works.
SOME HON. MEMBERS:
Hear, hear!
MR. HEDDERSON:
Mr. Speaker, public safety is
foremost on the minds of any official, any government,
as this government is committed to public safety on the
roads or for emergency services. Again, we work closely
with the municipalities to ensure that we are doing
everything to clearly outline where roads are.
It was just the other day that I
passed amendments in this House that give the
municipalities the go ahead to insist that numbers be
placed on the buildings and houses throughout
Newfoundland and Labrador. So we are working toward
that. Again, I will try, as best I can, to the hon.
Member to fill in some of those details for you when I
report back to the House.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
SOME HON. MEMBERS:
Hear, hear!
MR. SPEAKER:
Order, please!
The time allotted for questions
and answers has expired.
