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

MS JONES: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, it is quite apparent that the Lower Churchill project is obviously years away from being developed. In government’s Energy Plan it stated that the Holyrood generating facility would be replaced by 2015 by Lower Churchill power. If that did not happen, then scrubbers and precipitators would be installed at the Holyrood facility by 2013, which would reduce pollution.

I ask the Premier today: Now that the 2015 time frame for the Lower Churchill is not possible, will government live up to its commitments under the Energy Plan and immediately install the scrubbers and precipitators at Holyrood to address these environmental concerns?

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Minister of Natural Resources and Deputy Premier.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MS DUNDERDALE: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, the Lower Churchill is progressing along very nicely, thank you very much.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MS DUNDERDALE: We are currently undergoing EAs on the generation project, on the Newfoundland and Labrador link. We are talking with customers in Atlantic Canada, Mr. Speaker, and in the Northeastern United States, as well as New York and Ontario, Mr. Speaker. There is a very healthy interest in this project which, as the Premier said yesterday, is the cheapest hydroelectric project in North America.

Mr. Speaker, in terms of our relationship in acquiring transmission, either through Quebec or through Labrador or through New Brunswick, our issue has only been give us a level playing field. We are prepared to compete, and, Mr. Speaker, we will bring green energy solutions to the rest of the country and the Eastern United States.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

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

MS JONES: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

What we do know is that there has been no sign off on the Lower Churchill by the 2009 deadline that government implemented. We know that there will be no project by 2015. We know that they have no capability to transmit power. We know that all the time frames that were in place are off the table and we know, Mr. Speaker, that there will no deal under the government members opposite.

So I ask you today, minister: What is the plan for Holyrood? Are you going to live up to the commitments you made in the Energy Plan?

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Deputy Premier.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MS DUNDERDALE: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, what we know on this side of the House is that under their Administration they tried to give it away twice.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MS DUNDERDALE: That will not happen, Mr. Speaker. That will not happen with this Administration. She knows very little about this project and she demonstrates it, Mr. Speaker, every time she gets on her feet.

Mr. Speaker, we will know the run of this river. We understand the whole project, Mr. Speaker. So we are in the strongest possible position to negotiate the best benefits on behalf of the people of Newfoundland and Labrador. Mr. Speaker, everybody in this country and everybody in the Eastern United States knows that we hold the answer to many climate change issues in the Lower Churchill, Mr. Speaker. This project is online, it is on time, and it will get developed.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

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

MS JONES: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I remind the minister that in her mind she might think she holds the solution, but she obviously does not hold any deal in her hands, Mr. Speaker, on the Lower Churchill and nowhere near it.

Mr. Speaker, the Premier confirmed yesterday that all the timelines are off the table. We know that their government will not do a deal on the Lower Churchill, and we know that any deal is at least ten to fifteen years out, if at all.

There were no giveaways on the Lower Churchill, I say to the members opposite. The only giveaway in this Province was AbitibiBowater, Mr. Speaker, given a free tab on the backs of the taxpayers of Newfoundland and Labrador.

I ask the minister again: What is the plan for Holyrood? We know Lower Churchill is off the table, are you going to put in the scrubbers on the Holyrood site or are you not?

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Oh, oh!

MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!

The hon. the Deputy Premier.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MS DUNDERDALE: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, she hopes it is off the table. I have never seen anybody in my life, who professes to have the best interests of the people of Newfoundland and Labrador at heart get up here day after day after day in this House of Assembly and almost pray for failure – for failure, for cheap political gain for the people across the House. It is shameful, Mr. Speaker, absolutely shameful.

Mr. Speaker, in terms of Abitibi –

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Oh, oh!

MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!

MS DUNDERDALE: - Mr. Speaker, we did not expropriate Botwood, we did not expropriate Stephenville, but we are going to be left with the cleanup costs. Thank goodness we had the foresight to expropriate the assets so we can clean up the mess that has been left behind by companies such as Abitibi.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

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

MS JONES: Mr. Speaker, I may as well scrub that question, I would say, because I do not think the minister is going to answer it today, so obviously another commitment they are probably not going to meet.

Mr. Speaker, what I will tell the minister is that every time they get caught in this House of Assembly under questioning, they question the patronage of the Opposition members which is absolutely shameful.

Mr. Speaker, they have been caught in mistakes. They have been caught in hiding information. They have been caught now in blowing the Lower Churchill deal and they just cannot handle it.

I ask the minister this question: In light of the fact that Lower Churchill is off the table, in light of the fact that your government will not do this deal, will you commit to upgrading the transmission capacity on the Avalon Peninsula so that existing hydro resources can be used to full potential? Instead of spilling water in Bay d’Espoir, we could be using it to generate power on the Avalon Peninsula.

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Deputy Premier.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MS DUNDERDALE: Mr. Speaker, I do not know what it means to question your patronage, but I will say that I have not questioned her patriotism.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MS DUNDERDALE: She is operating from a place of misinformation, Mr. Speaker, and she is putting out false propaganda –

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Oh, oh!

MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!

MS DUNDERDALE: – that does not serve the interest of the people of Newfoundland and Labrador.

Mr. Speaker, the Lower Churchill will be developed and it will be developed in the best interest of the people of Newfoundland and Labrador.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MS DUNDERDALE: Mr. Speaker, it will be done in a timely and comprehensive fashion.

In terms of commitments that we have made to the people of the Province, including the people who live in the area of the Holyrood generating facility, Mr. Speaker, we will live up to our commitment.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

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

MS JONES: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I will tell you what the facts are. The facts are the minister opposite hid the information on AbitibiBowater for ten months in this Province before she disclosed it to the people of the Province. Another fact, Mr. Speaker, they had to admit yesterday that their timelines on the Lower Churchill are all off. So, Minister, there are facts for you.

Mr. Speaker, yesterday an environmental studies professor at York University raised concerns about the lack of openness and transparency surrounding the spill of 74,000 litres of drilling mud in the Orphan Basin in 2007. She says there are no details available to indicate what happened with the spill.

I ask the minister: If this process is truly open and transparent, why is it so difficult to get information once a spill occurs?

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Deputy Premier.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MS DUNDERDALE: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, there was a spill on January 28 of 74,000 litres of drilling mud. Drilling mud is the fluid that is used when drilling a well to compress anything that is in the well and keep it from coming to the surface. Mr. Speaker, there was a terrible storm on that day. The drill rig had to disconnect because it was at very high risk and there was a spill.

Mr. Speaker, with regard to environment and safety, these issues is posted immediately on the Web page of the C-NLOPB. There was quite a bit of media coverage around this event at the time. Anybody who was paying attention could have gotten all of the information off the Web, which I have here, and as well as in the media.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!

The hon. the Leader of the Opposition.

MS JONES: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

What we do know is that the minister opposite, or the Minister of Environment, certainly made no disclosure or no statements around it, Mr. Speaker.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Oh, oh!

MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!

MS JONES: We also know that this spill, the comments from the C-NLOPB said that this spill was mud and not as bad as oil so they were not as concerned, Mr. Speaker. However, according to the story, drilling mud can harm fish and marine life as well.

I ask the minister: What detailed analysis was completed regarding this spill and the impacts that it had on the ocean environment?

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Deputy Premier.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MS DUNDERDALE: Thank you.

Mr. Speaker, I going to try to simplify this as much as I can in hopes that the Leader of the Opposition is going to understand. Drilling mud is the fluid that is put down in a well to compress any oil or gas from escaping. By its very nature, Mr. Speaker, it is very, very heavy, heavier than water. It is made up mainly of vegetable oil.

When the marine riser was disconnected and the location of the spill, Mr. Speaker, the area was tens of metres within the vicinity of the hole. Mr. Speaker, it did not rise to the surface, it had no effect on fish, and it had no effect on birds and the only organisms that it would have impacted are those that were crawling on the sea floor and not able to get away (inaudible).

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

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

MS JONES: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I say to the minister: I understand very well, it is you people over there that do not have your act together. That was evident, Mr. Speaker, on the Abitibi mill. We had one minister out saying we had a German company coming, we had another minister out saying we do know if they are coming, and we had the other minister out saying we are ready to sell it, offload it and dismantle it, Mr. Speaker.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Oh, oh!

MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!

MS JONES: That is the kind of inconsistency that you get on the other side.

Mr. Speaker, on several occasions I have raised the issue of placing independent monitors on oil rigs off our coast. In response to questioning, the Minister of Natural Resources has indicated the aerial surveillance works fine.

For the sake of transparency and accountability I ask the minister: Will she release all of the data collected on aerial performance surveillance and the detection of oil slicks at offshore platforms from 1997 when Hibernia started drilling to present, and whether the number of surveillance flights have decreased or increased over that time?

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 Leader of the Opposition seems to be under the impression that I am the regulator for the offshore. I am not. I am the Minister of Natural Resources charged with responsibility for here in the Province. I share that responsibility with Minister Paradis, the federal Minister of Natural Resources.

Mr. Speaker, the C-NLOPB is an independent agency arm’s-length from both levels of government. Mr. Speaker, I am more than happy to ask them to release the information and provide it to the Leader of the Opposition in the same way, Mr. Speaker, that I ask the C-NLOPB to come tomorrow and give the Opposition a briefing on what we are doing in terms of safety around drilling in the offshore.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

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

MS JONES: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I say to the minister, that you may not be the regulator but you certainly should have enough interest in what is happening to have that kind of information when you stand here everyday and defend the industry by saying that aerial surveillance is significant. Well, minister, you should know if our flights are going up or going down and how much surveillance is occurring offshore.

Mr. Speaker, we will meet with the C-NLOPB in the morning and we have called them, I say to the minister, and set up the meeting. The oil platforms off our coast operate in pretty severe weather conditions. We know that the only level of independent monitoring is done from 20,000 feet and that there are instances where weather conditions would prevent this surveillance from happening.

In light of this, I ask the minister: What backup plans are in place to detect oil spills in the absence of aerial surveillance? We do have fog out there.

MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!

The hon. the Minister of Natural Resources and Deputy Premier.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MS DUNDERDALE: Mr. Speaker, most of the fog we are experiencing in this part of St. John’s is on the other side of the House, Mr. Speaker. They are constantly in a fog bank.

Now, Mr. Speaker, I did not at any time in this House say that the only means of inspection was aerial surveillance. What I have stated time and time again to the Leader of the Opposition is that we do have independent monitors who visit those rigs on a regular basis, Mr. Speaker. While she has been asking for permanent people to be placed on those platforms my response to her has been, in terms of determining whether or not there has been a spill of oil at sea, the best way to determine that is through aerial surveillance and not having permanent inspectors on the platforms. That is a matter of science, Mr. Speaker. It is not a matter of opinion.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

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

MS JONES: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The minister makes that defence, and she could not even tell us today how much aerial surveillance is occurring even offshore in the oil industry.

Mr. Speaker, the minister also stated that environmental officers do regular checks from the platforms but these people work for the oil company. So they are clearly not independent monitors. We were contacted by a health, safety and environmental technician who quit his job because the rig manager wanted him to sign off on environmental forms for tests that were not being completed.

I ask the minister: Why is this government so dead set against independent monitors who can demand proper industry regulations are being followed and potentially protect our Province from an environmental catastrophe?

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Minister of Natural Resources and Deputy Premier.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MS DUNDERDALE: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, the chief conservation officer works with the C-NLOPB. He has at least three other officers who work with him to do independent inspections on the rig. They do not work for the oil companies, I say to the Leader of the Opposition.

Another thing, Mr. Speaker, that I would like to point out with regard to safety on our oil rigs. Mr. Speaker, from the cook to the steward, to the person who is navigating the ship, to the oil push, to an oiler, any person on that platform who has any concerns about safety, Mr. Speaker, has the authority to stop drilling, to stop all activity until that issue is dealt with. That is a matter of fact, Mr. Speaker.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

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

MR. BUTLER: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

As of this morning the residents of Bell Island are without a ferry service at all. The Flanders is receiving repairs and this morning the Nonia is out of service. The residents of Bell Island are stranded and frustrated.

I ask the minister, Mr. Speaker: What is the nature of the problem with the Nonia and when will it be back in service?

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

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. HEDDERSON: Mr. Speaker, I guess I will start off by saying, I do not know if they built houses and mansions and that sort of thing, but one thing they did not build when they were in government was ferries.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. HEDDERSON: That sir - my hon. colleague across the way. That is why we are in the shape we are in right now with no service to Bell Island, because of the nature of the fleet that we have and our inability, I guess, to deal with what was left to us, Mr. Speaker.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!

The hon. the Member for the District of Port de Grave.

MR. BUTLER: (Inaudible) the people of Bell Island are frustrated, with a response like that from a minister who is looking after their services.

Mr. Speaker, the residents of Bell Island are no strangers to complications and disruptions with the ferry services. These disruptions leave many people late for work, and the most important thing, I guess, is late for appointments for medical concerns. The fact that there is no ferry service at all today leaves many wondering what will be done in the meantime.

So I ask the minister: What course of action does your department have in place to immediately address this situation?

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

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. HEDDERSON: As I pointed out, Mr. Speaker, it is very difficult to manage the fleet, the legacy that was left to us from the previous Administration.

Again, to get up and talk about me not caring about the people on Bell Island, there is nothing further from the truth. We have been working diligently, Mr. Speaker, since we have had the difficulties – first the Flanders went down, now the Nonia is down. We have divers out in Long Pond right now trying to get a piece of rope or something out of the thruster so we can get that vessel back and get the people of Bell Island - the ferry that they need right now to get back and forth.

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 been in power for seven years. It is time to stop laying the blame on someone else when they had Budgets that increased as high as $6 billion and $7 billion, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, the residents of Bell Island have many questions and concerns about their ferry service. An open line of communication would no doubt be valued and appreciated by the people.

I ask the minister: Will you meet with the community of Bell Island to listen and to discuss their concerns as soon as possible?

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

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. HEDDERSON: Mr. Speaker, I am getting tired of people on that side telling this side what jobs we have and how we can do them. I can tell you right now that there is a meeting set up for the committee, the ferry committee on Bell Island, and as soon as possible we will be sitting down and dealing with this. Again, Mr. Speaker, this government inherited a fleet that is an embarrassment to any jurisdiction in North America, let alone in Canada, and I say to them, that this government has responded. This year alone, $55 million to try –

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. HEDDERSON: – to try to make good on fifteen years of neglect on that side of the House. Let me tell you, Mr. Speaker, I am standing here today and saying to the people of Bell Island, to any of the people on the Island, that this government is acting and acting appropriately and it is going to take some time, but guess what? We will get the job done!

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

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

MR. DEAN: Mr. Speaker, the residents of Jackson’s Arm were informed this past Friday that their shrimp plant will be closed, likely on a permanent basis. Naturally, the community is devastated by this news. There are 120 people who are now without work and are fearful for their livelihood and the long-term future of their community.

I ask the minister: When were you aware of this closure, and have you had a meeting with this community and our plant processor to see if this closure could have been prevented?

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

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. JACKMAN: Mr. Speaker, I believe the member opposite said likely permanently closed. Mr. Speaker, that is misleading the people. I met with the company this morning.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Oh, oh!

MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!

MR. JACKMAN: Mr. Speaker, I met with the company this morning. They have cited that due to a cut in the quotas by DFO of 28 per cent, by the market exchange of the Canadian dollar, these factors are impacting upon their business, so they have to make a business decision. Mr. Speaker, in no way has the company come out and said that this is a permanent closure.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

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

MR. DEAN: Mr. Speaker, under this government’s watch we have seen other communities lose their fish plants, like Englee and Fortune, and we have watched as the industry has gone. While the MOU process takes its dead time to unfold -

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Oh, oh!

MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!

The Chair is having difficulty hearing the hon. member that has been recognized by the Chair to ask a question.

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

MR. DEAN: Under this government’s watch we have seen communities like Englee, for sure, that has been shut down with no industry to follow. While the MOU process takes its dead time to unfold we are fearful that this is the beginning of more plant closures across the Province.

So, I ask the minister: What is being done to create a long-term transitional plan for plant workers and communities that increasingly will find themselves at the mercy of this fishing restructuring?

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

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. JACKMAN: Mr. Speaker, it is a good chance he got to recover, because in his original statement he mentioned that Fortune was closed. I do not know who is doing the research, Mr. Speaker, but Fortune is up and doing quite well.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. JACKMAN: Mr. Speaker, no one will be able to accuse this government of not stepping up for the plant workers of this Province. If there is one thing that we have done consistently - and it came under the Fishing Industry Renewal Strategy, that there was a program called the Plant Workers Adjustment Program, and at any point we have done that. We have done that in Marystown, we have done it in Harbour Breton, we have done it in other plants across the Province and we will continue to do, Mr. Speaker.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

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

MR. DEAN: Mr. Speaker, I have no problem with being wrong if that is the case - not like this government - and admitting it.

Mr. Speaker, you talk about what you are doing for these communities and I can tell you that what you have done for Englee has not been much comfort to them. What is happening today, the workers are losing their income, they are losing their employment stability and we appreciate the make-work programs and other things as short-term answers, but we need more than a beefing up of job creations, we need longer term prospects for these people and for the communities. Even though three years has passed since Englee has been closed, I want to tell you today that these people see no new industry growth from your government.

So I ask the minister: Are you prepared to put investments in these communities to recruit new industry when the plants close like you did in towns such as Grand Falls-Windsor and other places where other industries have closed?

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

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. JACKMAN: Mr. Speaker, I have said in this House during Question Period on a number of occasions: The industry players that are involved in the MOU, those being the FFAW, the ASP and government, are instrumental in bringing about reform in this fishery. Mr. Speaker, the Opposition may not have full faith in that process, but I can tell you one thing that I, as minister, do and we, as a government, do. We hope that will bring about some long-term stability and a better livelihood for the people who are involved in this industry.

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, yesterday in conclusion to the Budget Debate, government spoke of their plan for the Province and said that the Energy Plan is their vision for the future of Newfoundland and Labrador beyond the time of oil and gas revenues. Mr. Speaker, this government has based its Energy Plan on what it considers as its way forward around the Lower Churchill development for which the Premier has admitted there is no longer a firm timeline.

Mr. Speaker, I ask the Premier: How can he ask the people of the Province to hang their hope for their future on a development plan for which the Premier cannot even give us a solid timeline?

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Minister of Natural Resources and Deputy Premier.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MS DUNDERDALE: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, there is a great deal of planning that needs to go into a project the size of the Lower Churchill to ensure that it is being done properly. There are applications for transmission through the Province of Quebec. There are applications for transmission through New Brunswick, Mr. Speaker. There is engineering that needs to be done. We need to understand the full run of the river and challenges that we need to deal with there. Mr. Speaker, we are talking to customers in this country and in the United States. All of these things are progressing around timelines in a very well, strategic plan.

While we cannot give a firm timeline to say that at such-and-such date in 2015 it will happen –

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Oh, oh!

MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!

MS DUNDERDALE: – Mr. Speaker, that project is ongoing and will be finished in a reasonable and sensible time frame.

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 would like to ask the minister: Are they building into their plan meeting all of the roadblocks that are coming their way that is putting them off their timeline? Let’s admit it. The Premier has admitted it; let her admit it as well.

Mr. Speaker, the Minister of Natural Resources said yesterday that there is a plan in the Province, the plan that she is talking about for the future. This Energy Plan seems to have become the one and only focus, and it seems to be the reason why she is totally focusing on Lower Churchill.

Mr. Speaker, this government must look to alternative ways of investing money in the future of this Province, at the same time as they try to resolve the Lower Churchill development. Mr. Speaker, sitting and waiting totally on Lower Churchill is not securing our future.

I ask the minister: Will she explain why this government is putting all its eggs in the Lower Churchill basket?

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Minister of Natural Resources and Deputy Premier.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MS DUNDERDALE: Mr. Speaker, we are not putting our eggs in one basket. There is much more on the go here than the Lower Churchill. I point out to the Leader of the NDP that we have negotiated equity and royalties in three offshore projects that will see a return of $36 billion.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MS DUNDERDALE: Now, Mr. Speaker, I have heard the Leader of the NDP from time to time wax poetically on energy development here in the Province, and what we should be doing in tidal, and what we should be doing in wind. Mr. Speaker, we have the best wind regime in North America. We have 5,000 megawatts of wind just in Labrador.

Mr. Speaker, wind needs to be backed up by something. You cannot store wind energy. So, the development of the Lower Churchill and other hydro resources is very important in a complete and comprehensive (inaudible).

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 -

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Oh, oh!

MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!

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, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, the minister stood in the House in December of 2009 and released an update on the progress of the Energy Plan. She is making reference to things that sounds like there is stuff going on that I do not know about. She said at that time that there was going to be an Energy Plan progress report in March 2010.

I am asking the minister: Give us the details, give us the progress report that was promised for 2010 in which we have not gotten.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Oh, oh!

MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!

The hon. the Deputy Premier.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MS DUNDERDALE: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, I provide updates on the Energy Plan on a regular basis, particularly here in the House of Assembly. We are an energy warehouse. We have a comprehensive Strategic Plan that we are progressing, Mr. Speaker, to the benefit of the people of Newfoundland and Labrador.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Oh, oh!

MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!

I ask members for their co-operation.

The time allotted for questions and answers has expired.