May 20, 2008

HANSARD 08-33

DEBATES AND PROCEEDINGS

Speaker: Honourable Alfie MacLeod

Published by Order of the Legislature by Hansard Reporting Services and printed by the Queen's Printer.

Available on INTERNET at http://nslegislature.ca/legislative-business/hansard-debates/

Second Session

TUESDAY, MAY 20, 2008

TABLE OF CONTENTS PAGE
GOVERNMENT NOTICES OF MOTION:
Res. 3113, N.S. Come to Life Charter: New Members - Welcome,
The Premier 3448
Vote - Affirmative 3448
Res. 3114, Gaelic Affs.:Gaelic Filmmaking - Commend,
Hon. A. MacIsaac 3449
Vote - Affirmative 3449
Res. 3115, Keane Can. Inc.: Mgt./Staff - Congrats.,
Hon. L. Goucher 3449
Vote - Affirmative 3450
Res. 3116, EMO: Pub. Safety Telecommunicators - Thank,
Hon. D. Morse 3450
Vote - Affirmative 3451
Res. 3117, Wagg, Len/Nimbus Publishing: Book/Photographs - Congrats.,
Hon. M. Parent 3451
Vote - Affirmative 3452
INTRODUCTION OF BILLS:
No. 176, Engineering Profession Act, Hon. C. Clarke 3452
No. 177, Naturopathic Doctors Act, Hon. M. Baker 3452
NOTICES OF MOTION:
Res. 3118, Tomiczek, Victor: Retirement - Congrats.,
Mr. D. Dexter 3452
Vote - Affirmative 3453
Vote - Affirmative
Res. 3119, Melloy, Terry/Jabbour, Leah: Blue Nose Marathon - Wins
Congrats., Mr. S. McNeil 3453
Vote - Affirmative 3454
Res. 3120, Trenholm, Barry: Mun. Politics/Sports - Contribution Applaud,
Mr. P. Dunn 3454
Vote - Affirmative 3454
Res. 3121, Pye, Jerry - People with Disabilities: Dedication - Recognize,
Mr. D. Dexter 3455
Vote - Affirmative 3455
Res. 3122, Ingraham, Pastor Leslie: Dedication/Serv. - Recognize,
Mr. K. Colwell 3455
Vote - Affirmative 3456
Res. 3123, Cape Smokey Elem. Sch. Basketball Teams: Players/Coaches -
Applaud, Mr. K. Bain 3456
Vote - Affirmative 3457
Res. 3124, Uniacke & Dist. FD - Anniv. (60th),
Mr. J. MacDonell 3457
Vote - Affirmative 3457
Res. 3125, Metledge, Andrew: Lebanese Bus. Person of Yr. - Congrats.,
Ms. D. Whalen 3458
Vote - Affirmative 3458
Res. 3126, Oulton, Wayne & Nicole - Young Farmers Award,
Mr. C. Porter 3458
Vote - Affirmative 3459
Res. 3127, Stewart, Jason - Firefighter of Yr. Award (2008),
Mr. C. Parker 3459
Vote - Affirmative 3460
Res. 3128, Crosby, Graham: Retirement - Congrats.,
Mr. David Wilson (Glace Bay) 3460
Vote - Affirmative 3461
Res. 3129, Fares, Wadih: Top 50 CEOs (Atl. Can.) - Congrats.,
Hon. L. Goucher 3461
Vote - Affirmative 3462
Res. 3130, Hfx. Jane's Walk: Wright, Jane/Kansas - Thank,
Mr. H. Epstein 3462
Vote - Affirmative 3462
Res. 3131, Dugas, Jeffrey: Bowling Bronze Medals - Congrats.,
Mr. W. Gaudet 3463
Vote - Affirmative 3463
Vote - Affirmative
Res. 3132, Wilson, David/Wilson, Peter (Deceased): N.S. Bus. Hall of Fame -
Induction, Hon. J. Muir 3463
Vote - Affirmative 3464
Res. 3133, Martin, Bill: Death of - Tribute,
Ms. M. Raymond 3464
Vote - Affirmative 3465
Res. 3134, 211 Serv.: Quebec - Congrats.,
Mr. L. Glavine 3465
Res. 3135, MacDonald, Matthew: IWK Fundraising - Congrats.,
Hon. C. Clarke 3466
Vote - Affirmative 3466
Res. 3136, Rudnicki, Richard - Lillian Shepherd Mem. Award,
Mr. L. Preyra 3467
Vote - Affirmative 3467
Res. 3137, Digby Choral Fed.: "High Cs in Digby" - Success Wish,
Mr. H. Theriault 3467
Vote - Affirmative 3468
Res. 3138, Shelburne Co. Police Officers - Commend,
Mr. S. Belliveau 3468
Vote - Affirmative 3469
Res. 3139, Gunn, Tom - NSCC Strait Area Campus: Principal - Appt.,
Mr. M. Samson 3469
Vote - Affirmative 3469
Res. 3140, Gov't. (N.S.): NSSBA/Reg. Sch. Bds. - Co-operate,
Mr. P. Paris 3470
Vote - Affirmative 3470
Res. 3141, Pictou Co. Chamber of Comm. - Anniv. (25th),
Mr. C. MacKinnon 3471
Vote - Affirmative 3471
ORAL QUESTIONS PUT BY MEMBERS:
No. 315, Health - ERs: Health Care Workers - Training, Mr. Dexter 3472
No. 316, Health - Clinical Services Task Forces - Recommendations Table,
Mr. David Wilson (Glace Bay) 3473
No. 317, Justice - C.B. Corr. Ctr.: Asbestos - Disclosure, Mr. D. Dexter 3475
No. 318, LWD - Asbestos: Presence - Code of Practice, Mr. G. Gosse 3476
No. 319, Serv. N.S. & Mun. Rel.: Gas Prices - Levels, Mr. S. McNeil 3477
No. 320, Com. Serv.: Healing The Bruises Prog. - Funding,
Mr. L. Preyra 3478
No. 321, Econ. Dev.: Hfx. Port - Assistance, Mr. C. MacKinnon 3479
No. 321, Econ. Dev.: Hfx. Port - Assistance, Mr. C. MacKinnon
No. 322, Fish. & Aquaculture: Digby-Anna. Basin - Shellfish Harvesting Ban,
Mr. H. Theriault 3480
No. 323, Com. Serv.: Transition Houses - Funding, Ms. M. More 3481
No. 324, LWD - C.B. Corr. Ctr.: Health Hazard - Reporting Protocol,
Mr. S. McNeil 3483
No. 325, Educ.: Lunch Prog. - HRSB Budget, Mr. P. Paris 3484
No. 326, Com. Serv.: Dart. Adult Serv. Ctr. - Funding,
Mr. T. Zinck 3485
No. 327, Educ.: Tuition Support Prog. - Cap Remove,
Mr. L. Glavine 3486
No. 328, Com. Serv. - Tech. Aids Prog.: Establishment - Lack Explain,
Ms. M. More 3488
No. 329, Econ. Dev. - Commun. Dev. Trust: Trenton - Access,
Mr. C. MacKinnon 3489
GOVERNMENT BUSINESS:
PUBLIC BILLS FOR SECOND READING:
No. 120, Public Service Act,
Hon. M. Parent 3490
Mr. G. Steele 3491
Mr. K. Colwell 3498
Hon. M. Parent 3510
Vote - Affirmative 3510
ADJOURNMENT:
MOTION UNDER RULE 5(5):
Fish & Aquaculture: Cusk - Endangered Species Status
Mr. S. Belliveau 3511
Mr. H. Theriault 3514
Hon. R. Chisholm 3516
ADJOURNMENT, House rose to meet again on Wed., May 21st at 2:00 p.m. 3518
NOTICES OF MOTION UNDER RULE 32(3):
Res. 3142, Kelly, Robert: St. Mary's Rep. Vol. - Congrats.,
Hon. R. Chisholm 3519
Res. 3143, Madden, Brandon: Bowling Gold Medal - Congrats.,
Hon. R. Hurlburt 3519
Res. 3144, Emin, Tootsie - Yarmouth Rep. Vol. 2008,
Hon. R. Hurlburt 3520
Res. 3145, Archibald, Gary - Yarmouth Rep. Vol. 2008,
Hon. R. Hurlburt 3520
Res. 3146, Goulden, Chelsea - Bowling Championships,
Hon. R. Hurlburt 3521
Hon. R. Hurlburt
Hon. R. Hurlburt
Res. 3147, Goodick, Leanne - Bowling Championships,
Hon. R. Hurlburt 3522
Res. 3148, Balcom, Brendan - Bowling Championships,
Hon. R. Hurlburt 3522
Res. 3149, Brunt, Brianna - Wigs for Kids: Contribution - Applaud,
Hon. W. Dooks 3523
Res. 3150, Eisnor, Betty - Mun. Dist. of Lunenburg: Vol. Work - Congrats.,
Hon. M. Baker 3523
Res. 3151, NSCC Lun. Campus - Tourism Mgt. & Culinary Arts Students:
Gala Dinner - Congrats., Hon. M. Baker 3524
Res. 3152, Goulden, Chelsea - Natl. Bowling Tournament,
Mr. S. Belliveau 3524
Res. 3153, Goodick, Leanne - Natl. Bowling Tournament,
Mr. S. Belliveau 3525
Res. 3154, Balcom, Brendan - Natl. Bowling Tournament,
Mr. S. Belliveau 3525
Res. 3155, Madden, Brandon - Natl. Bowling Tournament,
Mr. S. Belliveau 3526
Res. 3156, Lynch, Patrick: Percussion Abilities - Congrats.,
Mr. C. Porter 3526
Res. 3157, Campbell, Cailun: Bass Abilities - Congrats.,
Mr. C. Porter 3527
Res. 3158, Faulkner, Myles - Musquodoboit Hbr. Vol. FD:
Contributions - Applaud, Hon. W. Dooks 3527
Res. 3159, Gavas, Tyler - Musquodoboit Hbr. Vol. FD:
Contributions - Applaud, Hon. W. Dooks 3528
Res. 3160, Hayes, Daryl - Musquodoboit Hbr. Vol. FD:
Contributions - Applaud, Hon. W. Dooks 3528
Res. 3161, Dauphinee, Michelle - Musquodoboit Hbr. Vol. FD:
Contributions - Applaud, Hon. W. Dooks 3528
Res. 3162, Higginbotham, Andrew - Musquodoboit Hbr. Vol. FD:
Contributions - Applaud, Hon. W. Dooks 3529
Res. 3163, Justason, Eugene - Musquodoboit Hbr. Vol. FD:
Contributions - Applaud, Hon. W. Dooks 3529
Res. 3164, Lachance, Luke - Musquodoboit Hbr. Vol. FD:
Contributions - Applaud, Hon. W. Dooks 3530
Res. 3165, Leavitt, Don - Musquodoboit Hbr. Vol. FD:
Contributions - Applaud, Hon. W. Dooks 3530
Res. 3166, Leavitt, Kevin - Musquodoboit Hbr. Vol. FD:
Contributions - Applaud, Hon. W. Dooks 3531
Contributions - Applaud, Hon. W. Dooks
Res. 3167, MacDonald, Dave - Musquodoboit Hbr. Vol. FD:
Contributions - Applaud, Hon. W. Dooks 3531
Res. 3168, Nangreaves, John - Musquodoboit Hbr. Vol. FD:
Contributions - Applaud, Hon. W. Dooks 3532
Res. 3169, Negus, Daniel - Musquodoboit Hbr. Vol. FD:
Contributions - Applaud, Hon. W. Dooks 3532
Res. 3170, Reynolds, Dave - Musquodoboit Hbr. Vol. FD:
Contributions - Applaud, Hon. W. Dooks 3532
Res. 3171, Ruel, Christian - Musquodoboit Hbr. Vol. FD:
Contributions - Applaud, Hon. W. Dooks 3533
Res. 3172, Sochanski, Barbara - Musquodoboit Hbr. Vol. FD:
Contributions - Applaud, Hon. W. Dooks 3533
Res. 3173, Trider, John - Musquodoboit Hbr. Vol. FD:
Contributions - Applaud, Hon. W. Dooks 3534
Res. 3174, Turner, John - Musquodoboit Hbr. Vol. FD:
Contributions - Applaud, Hon. W. Dooks 3534
Res. 3175, Young, Garth - Musquodoboit Hbr. Vol. FD:
Contributions - Applaud, Hon. W. Dooks 3535
Res. 3176, Young, Scott - Musquodoboit Hbr. Vol. FD:
Contributions - Applaud, Hon. W. Dooks 3535
Res. 3177, Dowe, Zachery - Bridgewater Hockey Award,
Hon. C. Bolivar-Getson 3536
Res. 3178, Mosher, Michael - Bridgewater Hockey Award,
Hon. C. Bolivar-Getson 3536
Res. 3179, Clarke, Jason - Bridgewater Hockey Award,
Hon. C. Bolivar-Getson 3536
Res. 3180, Zinck, Lukas - Bridgewater Hockey Award,
Hon. C. Bolivar-Getson 3537
Res. 3181, Lepine, Brad - Bridgewater Hockey Award,
Hon. C. Bolivar-Getson 3537
Res. 3182, Campbell, Colin - Bridgewater Hockey Award,
Hon. C. Bolivar-Getson 3538
Res. 3183, Murphy, Nick - Bridgewater Hockey Award,
Hon. C. Bolivar-Getson 3538
Res. 3184, Snow, Brad - Bridgewater Hockey Award,
Hon. C. Bolivar-Getson 3539
Res. 3185, Hungate, Craig - Bridgewater Hockey Award,
Hon. C. Bolivar-Getson 3539
Res. 3186, Rhodenizer, Kassie - Bridgewater Hockey Award,
Hon. C. Bolivar-Getson 3539
Res. 3187, Whynot, Courtney - Bridgewater Hockey Award,
Hon. C. Bolivar-Getson 3540
Res. 3188, Stabenow, Annicka - Bridgewater Hockey Award,
Hon. C. Bolivar-Getson 3540
Res. 3189, Bishop, Travis - Bridgewater Hockey Award,
Hon. C. Bolivar-Getson 3541
Res. 3190, Frier, Desmond - Bridgewater Hockey Award,
Hon. C. Bolivar-Getson 3541
Res. 3191, Taylor, Davith - Bridgewater Hockey Award,
Hon. C. Bolivar-Getson 3542
Res. 3192, Creaser, Mark - Bridgewater Hockey Award,
Hon. C. Bolivar-Getson 3542
Res. 3193, MacKinnon, A.J. - Bridgewater Hockey Award,
Hon. C. Bolivar-Getson 3542
Res. 3194, Drennan, Jesse - Bridgewater Hockey Award,
Hon. C. Bolivar-Getson 3543
Res. 3195, Murphy, Patrick - Bridgewater Hockey Award,
Hon. C. Bolivar-Getson 3543
Res. 3196, Wentzell, Zach - Bridgewater Hockey Award,
Hon. C. Bolivar-Getson 3544
Res. 3197, McMullin, Brennan - Bridgewater Hockey Award,
Hon. C. Bolivar-Getson 3544
Res. 3198, Adams, Olivia - Bridgewater Hockey Award,
Hon. C. Bolivar-Getson 3545
Res. 3199, Levy, Alaina - Bridgewater Hockey Award,
Hon. C. Bolivar-Getson 3545
Res. 3200, Seaboyer, Sara - Bridgewater Hockey Award,
Hon. C. Bolivar-Getson 3545
Res. 3201, Feener, Shawn - Bridgewater Hockey Award,
Hon. C. Bolivar-Getson 3546
Res. 3202, Richards, William - Bridgewater Hockey Award,
Hon. C. Bolivar-Getson 3546
Res. 3203, Matheson, Brendan - Bridgewater Hockey Award,
Hon. C. Bolivar-Getson 3547
Res. 3204, McEachern, Shaun - Bridgewater Hockey Award,
Hon. C. Bolivar-Getson 3547
Res. 3205, Selig, Fletch - Bridgewater Hockey Award,
Hon. C. Bolivar-Getson 3548
Res. 3206, Barrier, Doug - Bridgewater Hockey Award,
Hon. C. Bolivar-Getson 3548
Res. 3207, Whynot, Courtney - NSSAF Award, Hon. C. Bolivar-Getson 3548
Res. 3208, Haughn, Zach - NSSAF Award, Hon. C. Bolivar-Getson 3549
Res. 3209, Wentzell, Danielle - NSSAF Award, Hon. C. Bolivar-Getson 3549
Res. 3210, Peters, Dale - NSSAF Award, Hon. C. Bolivar-Getson 3550
Res. 3211, Stabenow, Annicka - NSSAF Award, Hon. C. Bolivar-Getson 3550
Res. 3212, Ryan, Peter - NSSAF Award, Hon. C. Bolivar-Getson 3551
Res. 3213, Langille, Jessica - NSSAF Award, Hon. C. Bolivar-Getson 3551
Res. 3214, Mertens, Max - NSSAF Award, Hon. C. Bolivar-Getson 3551
Res. 3215, Gaudet, Rene - Celebration of School Sport Award,
Hon. C. Bolivar-Getson 3552
Res. 3216, Knickle, Sharon - Celebration of School Sport Award,
Hon. C. Bolivar-Getson 3552
Res. 3217, O'Hearon, Michael - Celebration of School Sport Award,
Hon. C. Bolivar-Getson 3553
Res. 3218, MacKinnon, Heather - Celebration of School Sport Award,
Hon. C. Bolivar-Getson 3553
Res. 3219, Queens Pee Wee "B" Hockey Team: Players/Coaches -
Recognize, Ms. V. Conrad 3554
Res. 3220, Queens Pee Wee "A" Hockey Team: Players/Coaches -
Recognize, Ms. V. Conrad 3554
Res. 3221, Clattenburg, Kieran - Queens Co. Music Fest. Award,
Ms. V. Conrad 3555
Res. 3222, El-Ziftawi, Deena - Queens Co. Music Fest. Award,
Ms. V. Conrad 3555
Res. 3223, Dr. John C. Wickwire Acad. Choir - Queens Co. Music Fest. Award,
Ms. V. Conrad 3556
Res. 3224, Baker, Elizabeth - Queens Co. Music Fest. Award,
Ms. V. Conrad 3556
Res. 3225, Raddall, Gavin - Queens Co. Music Fest. Award,
Ms. V. Conrad 3557
Res. 3226, Colp, Haley - Queens Co. Music Fest. Award,
Ms. V. Conrad 3557
Res. 3227, Barnes, Hannah - Queens Co. Music Fest. Award,
Ms. V. Conrad 3558
Res. 3228, Gillis, Jane - Queens Co. Music Fest. Award,
Ms. V. Conrad 3558
Res. 3229, Queens Atom "B" Hockey Team: Players/Coaches -
Recognize, Ms. V. Conrad 3559
Res. 3230, Queens Atom "A" Hockey Team: Players/Coaches -
Recognize, Ms. V. Conrad 3559
Res. 3231, Selig, Bailey - Queens Co. Music Fest. Award,
Ms. V. Conrad 3560
Res. 3232, Queens Bantam "A" Hockey Team: Players/Coaches -
Recognize, Ms. V. Conrad 3560
Res. 3233, Queens Bantam "B" Hockey Team: Players/Coaches -
Recognize, Ms. V. Conrad 3561
Res. 3234, Crouse, Bradley - Queens Co. Music Fest. Award,
Ms. V. Conrad 3561
Res. 3235, RCL Call to Remembrance Comp.: S. Queens Jr. HS
Gr. 9 Team - Recognize, Ms. V. Conrad 3562
Res. 3236, Manthorne, Jenna - Queens Co. Music Fest. Award,
Ms. V. Conrad 3562
Res. 3237, Clattenburg, Jenny - Queens Co. Music Fest. Awards,
Ms. V. Conrad 3563
Res. 3238, Inglis, Lincoln- Queens Co. Music Fest Award,
Ms. V. Conrad 3563
Res. 3239, Liverpool Reg. HS Chamber Choir - Queens Co. Music Fest.,
Awards, Ms. V. Conrad 3564
Res. 3240, Liverpool Reg. HS Entrepreneurship Class - Knowledge Fest.,
Ms. V. Conrad 3564
Res. 3241, MacLeod, Makayla - Queens Co. Music Fest. Award,
Ms. V. Conrad 3565
Res. 3242, Mutsaers, Neil - Queens Co. Music Fest. Award,
Ms. V. Conrad 3565
Res. 3243, Ernest, Peter - Queens Co. Music Fest. Awards,
Ms. V. Conrad 3566
Res. 3244, Scobey, Samantha - Queens Co. Music Fest. Award,
Ms. V. Conrad 3566
Res. 3245, Stevenson, Sarah-Jane - Queens Co. Music Fest. Award,
Ms. V. Conrad 3567
Res. 3246, MacKinnon, Joe & Christa: Quadruplets - Congrats.,
Mr. L. Glavine 3567
Res. 3247, Old Sydney Soc./Whitney Pier Hist. Soc.: Efforts - Recognize,
Mr. Manning MacDonald 3568
Res. 3248, Currie, Katie - Trampoline/Tumblers Accomplishments,
Mr. L. Glavine 3568
Res. 3249, McGean, Ceilidh - Trampoline/Tumbling Accomplishments,
Mr. L. Glavine 3569
Res. 3250, Prost, Lauren - Trampoline/Tumbling Accomplishments,
Mr. L. Glavine 3569
Res. 3251, Salsman, Kayla - Trampoline/Tumbling Accomplishments,
Mr. L. Glavine 3569
Res. 3252, Killen, Graham - Trampoline/Tumbling Accomplishments,
Mr. L. Glavine 3570
Res. 3253, Calder, Sarah - Trampoline/Tumbling Accomplishments,
Mr. L. Glavine 3570
Res. 3254, Verstichenlen, Nicole - Trampoline/Tumbling Accomplishments,
Mr. L. Glavine 3571
Res. 3255, Holland, Rachel - Trampoline/Tumbling Accomplishments,
Mr. L. Glavine 3571
Res. 3256, Holland, Emily - Trampoline/Tumbling Accomplishments,
Mr. L. Glavine 3572

[Page 3447]

HALIFAX, TUESDAY, MAY 20, 2008

Sixtieth General Assembly

Second Session

6:00 P.M.

SPEAKER

Hon. Alfie MacLeod

DEPUTY SPEAKER

Mr. Wayne Gaudet

MR. SPEAKER: Order, please. There has been a draw for the late debate tonight. It was submitted by the honourable member for Cape Breton Nova:

Therefore be it resolved that the government conduct further research into the potential devastating effect on the lobster industry in this province before listing cusk as a species at risk.

We will commence the daily routine.

PRESENTING AND READING PETITIONS

PRESENTING REPORTS OF COMMITTEES

TABLING REPORTS, REGULATIONS AND OTHER PAPERS

STATEMENTS BY MINISTERS

GOVERNMENT NOTICES OF MOTION

[Page 3448]

3447

MR. SPEAKER: The honourable Premier.

RESOLUTION NO. 3113

HON. RODNEY MACDONALD (The Premier): Mr. Speaker, I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas on May 16th, 60 additional private sector organizations signed the Nova Scotia Come to life charter, pledging to become ambassadors for Nova Scotia, promoting the province and its many attributes wherever they do business; and

Whereas those new members include singer/songwriter Bruce Guthro and comedian Ron James; and

Whereas these new charter members are well connected to the rest of the world and can help us expand our message to a much broader audience;

Therefore be it resolved that all members of this House welcome and thank our newest charter members and always remember Bruce Guthro's message, "We have much to be proud of and I am happy to stand with the rest of the Nova Scotia 'Come to life' charter members to sing Nova Scotia's praises."

Mr. Speaker, I request waiver of notice.

MR. SPEAKER: There has been a request for waiver.

Is it agreed?

It is agreed.

Would all those in favour of the motion please say Aye. Contrary minded, Nay.

The motion is carried.

The honourable Minister of Gaelic Affairs.

HON. ANGUS MACISAAC: Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker, and before I read my resolution, I want to draw the attention of the House to some visitors I believe we have in the gallery. First of all, Marc Almon, who is a writer and director of the film The Wake of Calum MacLeod; Nona MacDermid, the producer of The Wake of Calum MacLeod; Kathleen Reddy, of the Office of Gaelic Affairs and an instructor with the Gaelic Society of

[Page 3449]

Halifax; and Gaelic students presently involved in a six-week Gaelic language immersion course sponsored by the Gaelic Society of Halifax and members of the Halifax Gaelic community. I believe they are behind us here in the west gallery, and over here also. So they are all around us. I am very pleased that they were able to join us this evening.

RESOLUTION NO. 3114

HON. ANGUS MACISAAC: Mr. Speaker, I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas commencing Sunday, May 25th, the Office of Gaelic Affairs is sponsoring a Gaelic film series featuring great storytelling and breathtaking images from an exciting lineup of award-winning Gaelic films from Canada, Scotland and Ireland; and

Whereas Gaelic-language filmmaking is beginning to flourish on both sides of the Atlantic; and

Whereas the Assembly recognizes that a Nova Scotia produced and directed short Gaelic film, The Wake of Calum MacLeod, has created a great deal of enthusiasm in the Nova Scotia Gaelic community and speaks to the potential for further development of Nova Scotia Gaelic resources throughout the film industry;

Therefore be it resolved that all members of this House commend and congratulate all those involved in Gaelic language filmmaking here in Nova Scotia and make every effort to attend one of the Gaelic film series screenings scheduled over the next four weekends throughout the province.

Mr. Speaker, I request waiver of notice.

MR. SPEAKER: There has been a request for waiver.

Is it agreed?

It is agreed.

Would all those in favour of the motion please say Aye. Contrary minded, Nay.

The motion is carried.

The honourable Minister of Immigration.

RESOLUTION NO. 3115

[Page 3450]

HON. LEONARD GOUCHER: Mr. Speaker, I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas Keane Canada Inc., which employs 475 individuals in Nova Scotia, was recently selected as one of the Best Employers for New Canadians; and

Whereas Keane recognizes the international credentials and work experience of immigrant job seekers, and pairs immigrant employees with workplace buddies who help them adjust to the Canadian culture; and

Whereas Keane works to improve the business communication skills of the company's new Canadian employees by providing on-site English-in-the-Workplace programs annually;

Therefore be it resolved that the provincial Legislature extend sincere congratulations to the management and staff of Keane for this work and the company's outstanding contribution to the economic and cultural growth of our province.

Mr. Speaker, I request waiver of notice.

MR. SPEAKER: There has been a request for waiver.

Is it agreed?

It is agreed.

Would all those in favour of the motion please say Aye. Contrary minded, Nay.

The motion is carried.

The honourable Minister of Natural Resources.

RESOLUTION NO. 3116

HON. DAVID MORSE: Mr. Speaker, I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas April 13th to April 19th was National Public Safety Telecommunicators' Week; and

Whereas 911 call-takers and emergency dispatchers work around the clock 365 days a year to protect the health, safety and property of Nova Scotians; and

[Page 3451]

Whereas many lives are saved each year thanks to the dedicated service of 911 call-takers and emergency dispatchers;

Therefore be it resolved that all members of this House offer a well deserved thank-you to the hundreds of public safety telecommunicators who work tirelessly to preserve the health and safety of Nova Scotians.

Mr. Speaker, I request waiver of notice.

MR. SPEAKER: There has been a request for waiver.

Is it agreed?

It is agreed.

Would all those in favour of the motion please say Aye. Contrary minded, Nay.

The motion is carried.

The honourable member Minister of Environment.

RESOLUTION NO. 3117

HON. MARK PARENT: Mr. Speaker, I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas the Nova Scotian photographer Len Wagg, with writer Bob Bancroft and with co-operation from the Department of Environment, has produced a beautiful book called Wild Nova Scotia depicting wonderful photographs of the province's wilderness protected areas; and

Whereas Mr. Wagg has just received the Mayor's Award for Excellence in Book Illustration at the 2008 Atlantic Book Awards for his photographic portraits of nature; and

Whereas Mr. Wagg has generously agreed to allow his photographs from his book to be used by Communications Nova Scotia in promoting the province;

Therefore be it resolved that all members of this House join the people of Nova Scotia in congratulating Mr. Wagg and Nimbus Publishing for their contribution to the promotion of Nova Scotia's most beautiful natural treasures - our protected areas.

Mr. Speaker, I request waiver of notice.

[Page 3452]

MR. SPEAKER: There has been a request for waiver.

Is it agreed?

It is agreed.

Would all those in favour of the motion please say Aye. Contrary minded, Nay.

The motion is carried.

[6:15 p.m.]

INTRODUCTION OF BILLS

Bill No. 176 - Entitled an Act to Amend Chapter 148 of the Revised Statues of 1989. The Engineering Profession Act. (Hon. Cecil Clarke)

The honourable Minister of Finance.

HON. MICHAEL BAKER: Mr. Speaker, before I introduce the bill I'd like your indulgence to make an introduction. We have in the east gallery this evening, joining us to witness the introduction of a bill for members of the Nova Scotia Association of Naturopathic Doctors - Dr. Glenda Morris, Dr. Rosalyn Hayman, Dr. Carolyn Sterchi and Dr. Sandra Murphy. I'd ask them to rise and receive the warm welcome of the House.

Bill No. 177 - Entitled an Act Respecting Naturopathic Doctors. (Hon. Michael Baker)

MR. SPEAKER: Ordered that these bills be read a second time on a future day.

NOTICES OF MOTION

MR. SPEAKER: The honourable Leader of the Official Opposition.

RESOLUTION NO. 3118

MR. DARRELL DEXTER: Mr. Speaker, I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas Victor Tomiczek's dedicated service to the labour movement includes service as a national representative of the historic CBRT & GW, then of the CAW, and most recently his selection as the Atlantic Regional Director of the Canadian Auto Workers; and

[Page 3453]

Whereas he has been outspoken in his support of Cape Breton's transport and economic links, public health care, workplace health and safety, the rights of working people and the economic future of Cape Breton; and

Whereas in addition to his tremendous service in the labour movement, Victor Tomiczek is a devoted father of three and the husband of Norma Tomiczek, herself a widely recognized community leader;

Therefore be it resolved that as Victor Tomiczek's friends and colleagues celebrate his retirement from full-time service in the labour movement, this House of Assembly join them in offering Victor and his family our thanks for the public spirit he has demonstrated on behalf of Cape Breton, his province and his country.

Mr. Speaker, I request waiver of notice.

MR. SPEAKER: There has been a request for waiver.

Is it agreed?

It is agreed.

Would all those in favour of the motion please say Aye. Contrary minded, Nay.

The motion is carried.

The honourable Leader of the Liberal Party.

RESOLUTION NO. 3119

MR. STEPHEN MCNEIL: Mr. Speaker, I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas on May 18th more than 8,000 runners made their way through the streets of Halifax and Dartmouth as part of the 5th Annual Blue Nose International Marathon; and

Whereas this event - the creation of Gerry Walsh and Rod McCulloch - not only encourages healthy living and physical fitness, it also raises money for the YMCA of Greater Halifax and Dartmouth Strong Kids program; and

Whereas Terry Melloy of Bridgewater won the 42.2- kilometre marathon with a time of two hours and forty-eight seconds, and Leah Jabbour of Halifax won her second consecutive women's marathon in three hours and seventeen minutes;

[Page 3454]

Therefore be it resolved that the members of the House of Assembly recognize the important impact the Blue Nose International Marathon has on the community and congratulate all who participated in this year's race.

Mr. Speaker, I request waiver of notice.

MR. SPEAKER: There has been a request for waiver.

Is it agreed?

It is agreed.

Would all those in favour of the motion please say Aye. Contrary minded, Nay.

The motion is carried.

The honourable member for Pictou Centre.

RESOLUTION NO. 3120

MR. PATRICK DUNN: Mr. Speaker, I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas sports had an impact on the political career of Barry Trenholm; and

Whereas Trenholm's numerous years in school, senior, industrial and oldtimers softball and hockey leagues taught him the importance of being a team player; and

Whereas Barry's venture into municipal politics began in 1977 as a councillor, becoming Mayor of the Town of Trenton from 1981 to 1997;

Therefore be it resolved that all members of this House applaud Barry Trenholm's contribution to two decades of municipal politics, sports in Pictou County, and his recent work and dedication with the Pictou County Sports Heritage Hall of Fame.

Mr. Speaker, I request waiver of notice.

MR. SPEAKER: There has been a request for waiver.

Is it agreed?

It is agreed.

[Page 3455]

Would all those in favour of the motion please say Aye. Contrary minded, Nay.

The motion is carried.

The honourable Leader of the Official Opposition.

RESOLUTION NO. 3121

MR. DARRELL DEXTER: Mr. Speaker, I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas the former member for Dartmouth North, Jerry Pye, is a tireless worker and advocate for his community and the causes he holds dear; and

Whereas among Jerry Pye's many achievements was the enactment, exactly three years ago, of legislation requiring the Minister of Health to exempt community transportation organizations from hospital parking fees; and

Whereas that legislation was recently proclaimed, taking full effect this month, reducing the cost of transport for patients, especially people with disabilities;

Therefore be it resolved that this House recognize that Jerry Pye's dedication to a better life for people with disabilities, and for all Nova Scotians, continues to have a positive effect in our province.

Mr. Speaker, I request waiver of notice.

MR. SPEAKER: There has been a request for waiver.

Is it agreed?

It is agreed.

Would all those in favour of the motion please say Aye. Contrary minded, Nay.

The motion is carried.

The honourable member for Preston.

RESOLUTION NO. 3122

[Page 3456]

MR. KEITH COLWELL: Mr. Speaker, I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas in 1971, Pastor Leslie Ingraham felt the calling to become a minister; and

Whereas on April 30, 1976, Pastor Ingraham graduated with honours from the Bible College in Ontario; and

Whereas Pastor Ingraham celebrated thirty years in the ministry in October 2007;

Therefore be it resolved that members of this House recognize Pastor Ingraham for his dedication and service for the past thirty years and wish him well as he continues to grow his congregation at the Immanuel United Baptist Church on Montague Road in Westphal, where he has served since January 1991.

Mr. Speaker, I request waiver of notice.

MR. SPEAKER: There has been a request for waiver.

Is it agreed?

It is agreed.

Would all those in favour of the motion please say Aye. Contrary minded, Nay.

The motion is carried.

The honourable member for Victoria-The Lakes.

RESOLUTION NO. 3123

MR. KEITH BAIN: Mr. Speaker, I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas basketball great Michael Jordan once said, "You have to expect things of yourself before you can do them."; and

Whereas this is obviously the philosophy used by both the Cape Smokey Elementary School girls and boys basketball teams who played hard and with lots of spirit throughout the 2007-2008 season; and

[Page 3457]

Whereas games and practices for all the players on the Cape Smokey Elementary teams would not have been possible without assistance from individuals such as Johnny Buchanan, Joe McNeil and Brad Robinson;

Therefore be it resolved that all members of this House of Assembly applaud the time and dedication of both players and coaches of the Cape Smokey Elementary School basketball teams this past season, and wish them every future success.

Mr. Speaker, I request waiver of notice.

MR. SPEAKER: There has been a request for waiver.

Is it agreed?

It is agreed.

Would all those in favour of the motion please say Aye. Contrary minded, Nay.

The motion is carried.

Would all those in favour of the motion please say Aye. Contrary minded, Nay.

The motion is carried.

The honourable member for Hants East.

RESOLUTION NO. 3124

MR. JOHN MACDONELL: Mr. Speaker, I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas many years ago, people in various communities throughout our province recognized the need for fire protection; and

Whereas the commitment of the founding members is only accentuated by the exceptional longevity of volunteer fire departments; and

Whereas on March 29, 2008, the Uniacke and District Fire Department celebrated 60 years of service to the Mount Uniacke area;

Therefore be it resolved that this House of Assembly congratulate the members of the Uniacke and District Fire Department for 60 years of dedication to the residents of Mount Uniacke and surrounding area.

[Page 3458]

Mr. Speaker, I request waiver of notice.

MR. SPEAKER: There has been a request for waiver.

Is it agreed?

It is agreed.

Would all those in favour of the motion please say Aye. Contrary minded, Nay.

The motion is carried.

The honourable member for Halifax Clayton Park.

RESOLUTION NO. 3125

MS. DIANA WHALEN: Mr. Speaker, I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas each year the Canadian Lebanese Chamber of Commerce and Industry recognize an individual who has contributed to the business community by awarding their Lebanese Business Person of the Year Award; and

Whereas this year's recipient is Halifax businessman Andrew Metledge, an accomplished real estate developer and contractor; and

Whereas Mr. Metledge, who emigrated to Canada with his parents at the age of 12, has had many career accomplishments, including being the youngest Lebanese developer to reach a 400-unit portfolio, a feat he accomplished at the age of 29;

Therefore be it resolved that members of the Legislature congratulate Andrew Metledge on being named Lebanese Business Person of the Year and wish him every success in the future.

Mr. Speaker, I request waiver of notice.

MR. SPEAKER: There has been a request for waiver.

Is it agreed?

It is agreed.

Would all those in favour of the motion please say Aye. Contrary minded, Nay.

[Page 3459]

The motion is carried.

The honourable member for Hants West.

RESOLUTION NO. 3126

MR. CHUCK PORTER: Mr. Speaker, I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas Wayne and Nicole Oulton of Martock will represent Atlantic Canada in the Canadian Young Farmers event in Calgary this November, after being named Atlantic Canada's outstanding young farmers for 2008, in March; and

Whereas Wayne and Nicole believe strongly in buying local and Nicole recently said that when you visit the meat store on their farm, you never have to ask if the produce is local; and

Whereas besides producing and processing direct market beef, turkey and other poultry in Martock, they also raise 15 varieties of exotic animals, such as elk and wild boar, while also managing a 40-acre apple orchard and a 600-acre woodlot;

Therefore be it resolved that all members of this House compliment Wayne and Nicole Oulton for winning the prestigious 2008 Atlantic Canadian Outstanding Young Farmers Award, while wishing them every success in Calgary in November.

Mr. Speaker, I request waiver of notice.

MR. SPEAKER: There has been a request for waiver.

Is it agreed?

It is agreed.

Would all those in favour of the motion please say Aye. Contrary minded, Nay.

The motion is carried.

The honourable member for Pictou West.

RESOLUTION NO. 3127

MR. CHARLES PARKER: Mr. Speaker, I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

[Page 3460]

Whereas the highest award accorded to a firefighter is to be recognized by their peers as firefighter of the year; and

Whereas Jason Stewart is a well-trained and highly committed firefighter with the Pictou Fire Department who volunteers with his time and effort to help the Pictou Fire Department carry out its responsibilities; and

Whereas Jason Stewart has been recognized by the Pictou Fire Department as a co-recipient of the Firefighter of the Year title;

Therefore be it resolved that the members of this Legislature congratulate Jason Stewart of the Pictou Fire Department for receiving the Harold Hemmings Award as the 2008 Firefighter of the Year.

Mr. Speaker, I request waiver of notice.

MR. SPEAKER: There has been a request for waiver.

Is it agreed?

It is agreed.

Would all those in favour of the motion please say Aye. Contrary minded, Nay.

The motion is carried.

The honourable member for Glace Bay.

RESOLUTION NO. 3128

MR. DAVID WILSON (Glace Bay): Mr. Speaker, I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas Mr. Graham Crosby, a well-known resident of Glace Bay, has worked as a social worker in Glace Bay for 30 years; and

Whereas Mr. Crosby - an office supervisor with the Department of Community Services - oversees employees, acts as a liaison between Community Services clients and employees, and implements new training programs; and

Whereas most recently Mr. Crosby was involved with the Department of Community Services' retraining and upgrading program . . .

[Page 3461]

MR. SPEAKER: Order, please. I'm having trouble hearing the member.

The honourable member for Glace Bay.

MR. DAVID WILSON (Glace Bay): Would you like me to start again, Mr. Speaker?

SOME HON. MEMBERS: No, no.

MR. DAVID WILSON (Glace Bay): Whereas most recently Mr. Crosby was involved with the Department of Community Services' retraining and upgrading program to assist and encourage clients to enter the workforce through upgrading their education and skills;

Therefore be it resolved that members of the House of Assembly congratulate Mr. Graham Crosby on his retirement, after 30 years of dedicated service to the Department of Community Services and wish him a happy and fulfilling retirement.

Mr. Speaker, I request waiver of notice.

MR. SPEAKER: There has been a request for waiver.

Is it agreed?

It is agreed.

Would all those in favour of the motion please say Aye. Contrary minded, Nay.

The motion is carried.

The honourable Minister of Immigration.

RESOLUTION NO. 3129

HON. LEONARD GOUCHER: Mr. Speaker, I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas immigration has given Nova Scotia many great entrepreneurs who have added to the strength of the province; and

Whereas Wadih Fares, arriving in Nova Scotia from war-torn Lebanon in1976, has built a thriving architecture, engineering, construction and property management firm employing 20 professionals; and

[Page 3462]

Whereas Atlantic Business Magazine named Wadih Fares as one of the top 50 CEOs in Atlantic Canada;

Therefore be it resolved that all members of this House congratulate Wadih Fares for his inspiring climb to this pinnacle of recognition and wish him continued success as a CEO of W.M. Fares Group along with his notable community volunteer efforts as chairman of the board for Pier 21.

Mr. Speaker, I request waiver of notice.

MR. SPEAKER: There has been a request for waiver.

Is it agreed?

It is agreed.

Would all those in favour of the motion please say Aye. Contrary minded, Nay.

The motion is carried.

The honourable member for Halifax Chebucto.

RESOLUTION NO. 3130

MR. HOWARD EPSTEIN: Mr. Speaker, I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas residents of eight Canadian cities participated in a walking tour event on May 3rd and 4th to celebrate the legacy and ideas of urban activist and writer Jane Jacobs, who championed a fresh, community-based approach to city building; and

Whereas Jane Jacobs saw cities as ecosystems and promoted higher density, short blocks, local economies and mixed uses, and actively discouraged the car-centred approach to urban planning; and

Whereas Halifax residents Jane Wright and Jane Kansas conducted the Jane's Walk in Halifax on May 4th touring the North Commons area, a vibrant area of mixed uses from the commercial and industrial to residential and artistic;

Therefore be it resolved that this House recognize the role Jane Jacobs has had in developing the concept of the modern urban environment; and be it further resolved that the members of this House thank Jane Wright and Jane Kansas for initiating the first Halifax Jane's Walk and encourage them to make this an annual event.

[Page 3463]

Mr. Speaker, I request waiver of notice.

[6:30 p.m.]

MR. SPEAKER: There has been a request for waiver.

Is it agreed?

It is agreed.

Would all those in favour of the motion please say Aye. Contrary minded, Nay.

The motion is carried.

The honourable member for Clare.

RESOLUTION NO. 3131

MR. WAYNE GAUDET: Mr. Speaker, I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas 14-year-old Jeffrey Dugas of New Edinburgh is an avid bowler and has represented Nova Scotia at national events; and

Whereas Jeffrey participated with Team Nova Scotia at the National Five Pin Youth Challenge Championship in Ottawa on March 27-30, 2008, where he won a bronze medal; and

Whereas Jeffrey also won a bronze medal at the Youth Bowling Canadian Championship in Edmonton from May 3-5, 2008;

Therefore be it resolved that members of this Legislature congratulate Jeffrey Dugas on his two bronze medal achievements and wish him continued success in future endeavours.

Mr. Speaker, I request waiver of notice.

MR. SPEAKER: There has been a request for waiver.

Is it agreed?

It is agreed.

Would all those in favour of the motion please say Aye. Contrary minded, Nay.

[Page 3464]

The motion is carried.

The honourable Minister of Service Nova Scotia and Municipal Relations.

RESOLUTION NO. 3132

HON. JAMES MUIR: Mr. Speaker, I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas David Wilson, a Truro businessman, and his late brother, Peter, are being inducted into the Nova Scotia Business Hall of Fame for their contribution to the commercial, recreational and cultural sectors of Nova Scotia's economy; and

Whereas David and Peter Wilson, the third generation in the family business, grew the company to include multiple divisions and over 500 employees; and

Whereas the Wilson Fuel Company was chosen one of Canada's Best Managed Companies in 2007 and the Wilson group of businesses includes Wilson Fuels, Kerr Controls, Parrsboro Metal Fabricators, Ski Wentworth and Crabbe Mountain;

Therefore be it resolved that all members of this House congratulate David Wilson and the late Peter Wilson on their induction into the Nova Scotia Business Hall of Fame on June 12, 2008, and thank them for their contribution to commerce, recreation and culture in Nova Scotia.

Mr. Speaker, I request waiver of notice.

MR. SPEAKER: There has been a request for waiver.

Is it agreed?

It is agreed.

Would all those in favour of the motion please say Aye. Contrary minded, Nay.

The motion is carried.

The honourable member for Halifax Atlantic.

RESOLUTION NO. 3133

MS. MICHELE RAYMOND: Mr. Speaker, I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

[Page 3465]

Whereas William Patrick Martin, known as Bill to his many friends, was at home on the Northwest Arm from his birth in 1915 until his death in May 2008; and

Whereas always having a love for the sea, Bill Martin served as a wireless operator in the Royal Canadian Navy during World War II, then returned to work for Canada Customs as Registrar of Shipping; and

Whereas Bill Martin was generous in sharing his passion and skill in sports including paddling, sailing, rowing, cross-country skiing and hockey, and demonstrated leadership in many capacities including Commodore of the Armdale Yacht Club, heading up the first organizing committee for Tall Ships of Halifax, founding member of the group which revived rowing on the Arm, and sailing in many Marblehead and Newport ocean races, and rowing competitively well into his 70s;

Therefore be it resolved that this House of Assembly express its sympathy to the family of Bill Martin and recognize him as a great sportsman and teacher who was a tireless role model and visionary responsible for reviving some of Nova Scotia's great sporting traditions.

Mr. Speaker, I request waiver of notice.

MR. SPEAKER: There has been a request for waiver.

Is it agreed?

It is agreed.

Would all those in favour of the motion please say Aye. Contrary minded, Nay.

The motion is carried.

The honourable member for Kings West.

RESOLUTION NO. 3134

MR. LEO GLAVINE: Mr. Speaker, I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas on May 1st, Quebec City launched the first French-language 211 service in North America; and

[Page 3466]

Whereas the 211 service can be described as "a ladder to the services" and is an effective way to help assist members of the community who are in need and to help fight poverty; and

Whereas being a highly beneficial program, the people of Nova Scotia would also benefit from the implementation of the 211 service;

Therefore be it resolved that members of this House of Assembly congratulate Quebec on having the first French-language 211 service in North America and encourage government to take steps toward implementing this service for all Nova Scotians.

Mr. Speaker, I request waiver of notice.

MR. SPEAKER: There has been a request for waiver.

Is it agreed?

I hear several Noes.

The notice is tabled.

The honourable Minister of Justice.

RESOLUTION NO. 3135

HON. CECIL CLARKE: Mr. Speaker, I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas 15-year-old Matthew MacDonald has been a patient of the IWK since he was nine months old and in recent years has dedicated much effort annually to his lemonade sale on Clyde Avenue, Sydney Mines, raising thousands and thousands of dollars to help other children; and

Whereas at a special ceremony at Memorial High School, Matthew was named the 2008 Children's Miracle Network Champion Child for the IWK Children's Hospital in Halifax; and

Whereas the IWK Telethon will take place May 31st and June 1st when Matthew will once again be raising funds locally while serving as Champion Child;

Therefore be it resolved that all members of the House join me in congratulating Matthew, and wish him continued success in his fundraising activities and on his personal journey offering hope and inspiration to all.

[Page 3467]

Mr. Speaker, I request waiver of notice.

MR. SPEAKER: There has been a request for waiver.

Is it agreed?

It is agreed.

Would all those in favour of the motion please say Aye. Contrary minded, Nay.

The motion is carried.

The honourable member for Halifax Citadel.

RESOLUTION NO. 3136

MR. LEONARD PREYRA: Mr. Speaker, I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas for the past nine years the Atlantic Book Festival has showcased many of the talented writers, poets and illustrators throughout Atlantic Canada; and

Whereas the 2008 festival featured readings, workshops, tours, book launches and children's activities with celebrations in Halifax, Dartmouth, Saint John, Sydney, Truro, Pugwash, Charlottetown and St. John's; and

Whereas on May 12th the Atlantic Book Award winners were announced at Alderney Landing Theatre in Dartmouth;

Therefore be it resolved that members of this House of Assembly congratulate first-time illustrator and Halifax resident Richard Rudnicki for winning the Lillian Shepherd Memorial Award for Illustration with his depiction of Judith Meyrick's story of one duck's quest for a good meal in Gracie, The Public Gardens Duck.

Mr. Speaker, I request waiver of notice.

MR. SPEAKER: There has been a request for waiver.

Is it agreed?

[Page 3468]

It is agreed.

Would all those in favour of the motion please say Aye. Contrary minded, Nay.

The motion is carried.

The honourable member for Digby-Annapolis.

RESOLUTION NO. 3137

MR. HAROLD THERIAULT: Mr. Speaker, I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas the Digby Choral Federation will be holding its first-ever High C's in Digby choral festival May 23rd to May 25th; and

Whereas the High C's in Digby will bring together singers from community and church choirs throughout the area under the direction of Douglas Hales; and

Whereas the goal of the High C's Mass Choir is to have 200 voices singing together in the beautiful stone church located in St. Bernard, Digby County;

Therefore be it resolved that the members of the House of Assembly recognize the many efforts of the Digby Choral Federation and wish them success this weekend in their singing adventure.

Mr. Speaker, I request waiver of notice.

MR. SPEAKER: There has been a request for waiver.

Is it agreed?

It is agreed.

Would all those in favour of the motion please say Aye. Contrary minded, Nay.

The motion is carried.

The honourable member for Shelburne.

RESOLUTION NO. 3138

[Page 3469]

MR. STERLING BELLIVEAU: Mr. Speaker, I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas from May 11th to May 17th Canadian Police Week honoured police officers for the public safety and security they provide to their communities; and

Whereas Nova Scotians can be proud that police officers from across the province bring a high level of professionalism, courage and commitment to their work; and

Whereas Shelburne County police officers are dedicated to their profession and diligent in their performance to maintain safety in our streets and throughout every area of our communities;

Therefore be it resolved that this House of Assembly offer appreciation to the police officers of Shelburne County, and commend them for the public safety and security they provide to people in the various communities.

Mr. Speaker, I request waiver of notice.

MR. SPEAKER: There has been a request for waiver.

Is it agreed?

It is agreed.

Would all those in favour of the motion please say Aye. Contrary minded, Nay.

The motion is carried.

The honourable member for Richmond.

RESOLUTION NO. 3139

MR. MICHEL SAMSON: Mr. Speaker, I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas the Nova Scotia Community College has named a new principal for their Strait Area Campus; and

Whereas Mr. Tom Gunn, who is currently the academic chair of NSCC's School of Business and School of Health and Human Services, will begin his role as of July 2nd of this year; and

[Page 3470]

Whereas he will be replacing Mr. Bert Lewis, who will be transferring to a project management role in the NSCC School of Trades and Technology, a post he will keep until his upcoming retirement in January of next year;

Therefore be it resolved that members of the House of Assembly congratulate Tom Gunn on his appointment as principal of Strait Area Campus of the Nova Scotia Community College, and wish Bert Lewis continued success in his new role and upcoming retirement.

Mr. Speaker, I request waiver of notice.

MR. SPEAKER: There has been a request for waiver.

Is it agreed?

It is agreed.

Would all those in favour of the motion please say Aye. Contrary minded, Nay.

The motion is carried.

The honourable member for Waverley-Fall River-Beaver Bank.

RESOLUTION NO. 3140

MR. PERCY PARIS: Mr. Speaker, I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas Nova Scotia has had fully elected school boards since 1991; and

Whereas locally elected, locally accountable school board members give citizens a direct voice in public education and school governance; and

Whereas these board members play an important role in shaping policies for the operations of their boards, while at the same time bringing forward public issues and concerns;

Therefore be it resolved that this House of Assembly call on the government to work closely with the Nova Scotia School Boards Association and the province's eight regional school boards to strengthen and support the roles of school board members as democratically elected officials in their communities.

Mr. Speaker, I request waiver of notice.

[Page 3471]

MR. SPEAKER: There has been a request for waiver.

Is it agreed?

It is agreed.

Would all those in favour of the motion please say Aye. Contrary minded, Nay.

The motion is carried.

The honourable member for Halifax Clayton Park on an introduction.

MS. DIANA WHALEN: Thank you very much, I appreciate the interruption for an introduction. I'd like to draw the House's attention to the west gallery. We're joined tonight by Tim Outhit, who is the new councillor for Bedford in the by-election that he won just recently. I'm wondering if we can give him a warm welcome. Thank you. (Applause)

MR. SPEAKER: We welcome all visitors of the House here tonight.

The honourable member for Pictou East.

RESOLUTION NO. 3141

MR. CLARRIE MACKINNON: Mr. Speaker, I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas the Pictou County Chamber of Commerce has a mandate to foster a strong, competitive economic environment that benefits Pictou County and all Nova Scotia, and the mission of the chamber is to make Pictou County a preferred community in which to live, work and do business; and

Whereas the Pictou County Chamber of Commerce believes that sustainable economic development must be driven by the private sector and that the issues and concerns of the membership should remain the focus of the chamber's agenda; and

Whereas Jim MacConnell, Edward Ripoll and Alan Flemming were instrumental in forming the Pictou County Chamber of Commerce in February 1983;

Therefore be it resolved that this House of Assembly congratulate the Pictou County Chamber of Commerce on its 25th Anniversary, and commend past and present executive boards and members for their dedicated service and commitment.

[Page 3472]

Mr. Speaker, I request waiver of notice.

MR. SPEAKER: There has been a request for waiver.

Is it agreed?

It is agreed.

Would all those in favour of the motion please say Aye. Contrary minded, Nay.

The motion is carried.

ORDERS OF THE DAY

ORAL QUESTIONS PUT BY MEMBERS

MR. SPEAKER: The time now is 6:44 p.m. and we will go until 7:44 p.m.

The honourable Leader of the Official Opposition.

HEALTH - ERs: HEALTH CARE WORKERS - TRAINING

MR. DARRELL DEXTER: Mr. Speaker, my question through you will be to the Premier. After Victoria Day the number of visitors to Nova Scotia starts to increase significantly. In many vacation destinations these visitors may encounter a shut-down emergency room. Another ER closure in Pugwash made the news today. New Waterford's ER closes again this week. Rotating summer closures in Cape Breton were announced last Friday afternoon and the reason given for these closures is a recruitment and retention challenge. So my question to the Premier is, why has this government failed to recruit or train enough health care workers to keep ERs open?

THE PREMIER: Mr. Speaker, I'm surprised the Leader of the NDP is asking that question here tonight, just after last week when he and his Party voted against the budget which meant more money for hiring more professionals to staff not only our hospitals, but our ERs across Nova Scotia. That would see more nurses and will see more nurses at the bedside. That will put in place a selfcare/telecare service, up to $4 million for that, to be open seven days a week, 24 hours a day. Now, this week, he speaks on the other side in saying that we need more when last week he had the opportunity to stand in his place and be counted for all Nova Scotians.

[Page 3473]

[6:45 p.m.]

MR. DEXTER: Mr. Speaker, what I'm doing today is standing in my place and pointing out that after 10 years of that government things are worse, not better. Recruitment and retention of health care workers is critical in providing quality care in a timely manner. A number of health care workers met with NDP MLAs today. For years those health care workers have been urging improved training and recruitment to no avail. They are worn down by this government's failure to recruit or train enough co-workers. Instead the Premier threatens health care workers with the loss of their democratic rights. So my question through you, Mr. Speaker, to the Premier is, why are empty threats and antagonized nurses and other health care workers this Premier's only answer to recruitment training and retention challenges that puts the health care workers under such stress?

THE PREMIER: I am proud to lead a government that has been elected by the people in this province for less than two years, Mr. Speaker, and I'm proud of the fact that this government has put forward once again a balanced budget for all Nova Scotians. While that side of the House and that Leader voted against additional dollars to expand the nursing seats at St. F.X. University and Cape Breton University, this side will stand up for nurses in this province and for additional seats for our hospitals and our health care system.

MR. DEXTER: Mr. Speaker, well, it's clear that the Premier doesn't want to answer the question that is put to him. This government wants to transform health care, so it says, yet it antagonizes the very people who work in the health care system. If they sat down with the representatives of health care workers and planned how to improve health care, and in particular how to improve the recruitment, retaining and retention of these workers, the Premier must drop his antagonistic gestures. So my question through you, Mr. Speaker, to the Premier is, why does the Premier stubbornly cling to his failed idea of stripping away workers' rights even though the drumbeat of ER closures tells Nova Scotians that it's time for a new direction?

THE PREMIER: Mr. Speaker, the same old NDP, the same old NDP that stands by the big unions and the union leadership but doesn't stand by the average Nova Scotian. Well, this side of the House stands by the average Nova Scotian and that's why we're increasing the number of residency positions in the budget which they voted against last week.

That's why we're investing another $262 million in our Continuing Care Strategy for the seniors of our province, Mr. Speaker, so that we can see additional beds in long-term care facilities, so we can see additional opportunities for them to receive the care from their loved ones, in their homes. That is why this government will continue to focus on what makes common sense for all Nova Scotians.

MR. SPEAKER: The honourable member for Glace Bay.

[Page 3474]

HEALTH: CLINICAL SERVICES TASK FORCES -

RECOMMENDATIONS TABLE

MR. DAVID WILSON (Glace Bay): Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Premier. On January 17th of this year, his Minister of Health issued a press release accepting all the recommendations contained in the Provincial Health Services Operational Report, or as it is known, the Corpus Sanchez report.

Mr. Speaker, recommendations numbers 25 and 31 focused around the establishment of a clinical services task force which was to deliver its recommendations by no later than April 1st of this year. This task force is of great significance to Nova Scotians as it's members will determine which services will be offered in what hospitals and in what communities throughout this province. My question for the Premier is, would the Premier please table in the House the recommendations that were brought forward by the Clinical Services Task Force.

THE PREMIER: Mr. Speaker, there are 103 recommendations through the PHSOR report, all of which not only the government has endorsed but each and every district health authority in this province has endorsed the fact that we do need change within our system, changes which will make a real difference for those living out in our rural communities, which will make a difference to those working in our health care professions and, most importantly, will make a difference for the patient. That is what the focus of the government is on.

Mr. Speaker, I do not have at my fingertips the recommendations with respect to Nos. 25 and 31 offhand but I will certainly pass on the member's question to the Minister of Health and provide him with an update with respect to the recommendations.

MR. DAVID WILSON (Glace Bay): Mr. Speaker, the Corpus Sanchez report acknowledged and endorsed the great work of the Clinical Review Committee that was produced over seven years ago. At that time, the Making Better Health Care Decisions for Nova Scotia report acknowledged that some form of emergency room coverage would be available as a core service in every hospital in Nova Scotia. In the Corpus Sanchez report recommendations, hospitals designated as primary care hospitals or community health centres may not have 24/7 emergency departments. My question for the Premier is, given that both of those reports were endorsed by the Health Department and your government, could you indicate whether you endorsed the recommendation that will see some form of 24/7 emergency room care in hospitals, or the recommendation that is going to see emergency departments in this province close?

THE PREMIER: As we have said in the past, as I have said, as the Minister of Health has said, Mr. Speaker, there will not be any closures of emergency rooms in this province.

[Page 3475]

This government values the fact that each and every one of those play an important and integral role in our health care system.

One of the key aspects which is aligned with that, Mr. Speaker, is the rural health care strategy. We all recognize that we need to work with those who are frontline health care workers, with our professionals, with our district health authorities and board members, to find solutions to deal with the many challenges that many of our small health care hospitals find themselves in today. That is this government's commitment, Mr. Speaker, to work with those individuals to find solutions which work.

MR. DAVID WILSON (Glace Bay): Mr. Speaker, as we sit here right now, there are planned emergency room closures throughout this province - and especially in the Cape Breton region - that are planned for the entire summer. According to the Corpus Sanchez report, the Health Minister should have on his desk right now recommendations on which hospitals are going to be designated primary care hospitals and community health care facilities and what facilities are going to have emergency departments. My final question for the Premier is, will the Premier tell his Health Minister to release that information to all Nova Scotians?

THE PREMIER: Mr. Speaker, as I indicated in my previous answer, I would bring to the attention, the question of the member, to the Minister of Health with respect to the recommendations and the timelines, and I will get further information for him.

MR. SPEAKER: The honourable Leader of the Official Opposition.

JUSTICE - C.B. CORR. CTR.: ASBESTOS - DISCLOSURE

MR. DARRELL DEXTER: Mr. Speaker, my question will be through you to the Minister of Justice. The minister's department has shown a disturbing disregard for the health and safety of corrections officers. On several occasions we have raised the concerns expressed to us by corrections officers at the Burnside facility, but it took the escape of a dangerous offender before the government finally paid any attention to those concerns. Now we see a similar pattern of disregard for health and safety at the Cape Breton Correctional Centre. Even though asbestos was discovered at that facility some time ago, the department failed to inform employees, as it is required to do. So my question to the minister is this - why did his department fail to disclose the presence of asbestos at the Cape Breton Correctional Centre, as required?

HON. CECIL CLARKE: Mr. Speaker, the NDP Leader's statements are totally ludicrous here this evening. If he wants to get up and challenge this government for being responsible for acting in a reasoned and, indeed, an accountable approach, then yes he can do that, but he can't stand in his place in this House and say that we have not acted in the

[Page 3476]

interest, in the safety and security of the workers, of the inmates or the public at large. It's shameful what he is doing here.

MR. DEXTER: Mr. Speaker, the government's own rules require that when asbestos is discovered in the workplace, the Joint Health and Safety Committee must be advised. The department's press release of May 16th says that the asbestos issue was raised several months ago and the presence of asbestos was confirmed on April 25th, yet the correction officers were kept in the dark. My question to the minister is this - why did the department ignore the government's code of practice for managing asbestos and allow correctional officers to continue to work in potentially unsafe conditions?

MR. CLARKE: Mr. Speaker, as usual, the NDP's account of things is different than reality. When the government became aware of the situation, the appropriate measures were taken, the protocols were followed, and indeed all of the necessary measures were in place. So if he wants to get his facts right first and get some research done properly, then maybe we can have a proper Question Period.

MR. DEXTER: Mr. Speaker, my final question will be to the Minister of Labour and Workforce Development. The Department of Justice has an appalling record when it comes to the health and safety of corrections officers and inmates. The Labour and Workforce Development Department's review of conditions at Burnside found many shortcomings. Now, at the Cape Breton Correctional Facility, we find a flagrant disregard of health and safety procedures. So my question to the Minister of Labour and Workforce Development is this - your department recently laid charges against the Department of Community Services when it failed to disclose the presence of asbestos in public housing in Cape Breton. Will he investigate the way in which the Department of Justice mishandled this case?

HON. MARK PARENT: Mr. Speaker, I think he is asking me, in my capacity of Minister of Labour and Workforce Development. (Interruptions) Anyway, as the member correctly noted, we issued a report on May 9th, the Occupational Health and Safety Division of the Labour and Workforce Development Department and they indicated at that time there would be ongoing discussion with management and with the employees on the internal responsibility system. At that time, we will be happy to reveal more data if it comes forward.

MR. SPEAKER: The honourable member for Cape Breton Nova.

LWD - ASBESTOS: PRESENCE - CODE OF PRACTICE

MR. GORDON GOSSE: Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Minister of Labour and Workforce Development. The minister's department has a code of practice for managing asbestos in buildings that states: "Where asbestos is found to be present in a workplace, the owner shall immediately: a) inform occupants, maintenance staff, and outside contractors of the potential hazards (if any) created by the presence of asbestos containing materials in

[Page 3477]

the workplace ... The Joint Health and Safety Committee shall be informed where they exist." My question, through you, Mr. Speaker, is the Department of Justice required to follow the code of practice on asbestos in buildings?

HON. MARK PARENT: Mr. Speaker, absolutely.

MR. GOSSE: Mr. Speaker, with the discovery of asbestos in the Cape Breton Correctional Centre facility and the Department of Justice's failure to inform workers in the Joint Health and Safety Committee. It appears this government hasn't learned anything from its past experience with asbestos and Cape Breton public housing. It appears that in both cases, the proper process was not followed. My question is for the Minister of Labour and Workforce Development - what steps has he undertaken to ensure that government departments will follow his department's code of practices?

MR. PARENT: Mr. Speaker, the operative word in the member's question is "appears" - certainly it's a word which he would want to use. On the Occupational Health and Safety Division we look at facts, not appearances. I stated before in response to the Leader of the Official Opposition that on May 9th, Occupational Health and Safety produced a report and we indicated at that time more work would be ongoing into the workings of the internal responsibility system and we will do that. When more facts come out, we'll report on them.

MR. GOSSE: Mr. Speaker, there is a code of practice to follow because asbestos is a deadly product. The biggest problem is we don't know what government buildings contain asbestos. The Canadian Cancer Society believes the public registry of buildings that contain asbestos should be maintained. My question to the minister is, why hasn't he done any asbestos audit on all of the government-owned buildings to protect Nova Scotia workers?

MR. PARENT: Mr. Speaker, I suspect that question would be better directed towards the Minister of Transportation and Infrastructure Renewal, but I'll take that under advisement and get back to the member on it. By the way, the member's facility with English language was noted as he talked about fish hooks in people's lungs - very graphic language.

[7:00 p.m.]

MR. SPEAKER: The honourable Leader of the Liberal Party.

SERV. N.S. & MUN. REL.: GAS PRICES - LEVELS

MR. STEPHEN MCNEIL: Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Premier. The pain at the pumps and the hole in the pocketbooks of Nova Scotians continues to grow at the hands of this government. Last week, the price of gas increased again by more than three cents a litre. Once again the difference between Nova Scotia and New Brunswick is greater than the

[Page 3478]

tax difference and Nova Scotians are struggling to cope with the Premier's flawed system and inflated price. My question to the Premier is, exactly how high does the price have to go before Nova Scotians can get a much needed break at the pumps?

HON. JAMES MUIR: Mr. Speaker, as the honourable member will know that last year we did a review - a premature review, I might say - of the system of price regulation here in Nova Scotia. We had said at that time we made some adjustments as a result of that review and at the time we committed to do a full review at the end of one particular cycle. The end of that cycle is soon coming up and already staff have begun to put the process together to see a full review take place.

MR. MCNEIL: Motorists who use diesel have felt the pinch more than anyone. For the first time the price of diesel in many parts of this province is more than $1.50 per litre and is higher than all other Maritime Provinces. Nova Scotians are tired of paying a higher price, they are tired of paying higher taxes, and they are tired of this government's flawed regulated system. My question to the Premier is, why do you continue to refuse to put in any measure at all to lower the price of petroleum products in this province?

MR. MUIR: Mr. Speaker, as I said last week in response to a question roughly about 90 per cent of the diesel that is sold in Nova Scotia is not subject to regulation - it's sold by the large commercial consumers who make a deal with the suppliers. I will tell the honourable member an interesting thing that I got today about regulation is that a communication came to me saying that one of the people who sells bulk diesel was complaining because the price at the pump was cheaper than what he had to sell it for.

MR. MCNEIL: Mr. Speaker, is he fighting for a regulated system or an open-market system - which is it? Many Nova Scotians are looking for answers. Motorists around this province see lower prices in New Brunswick and P.E.I. and they are confused. Your federal cousins are telling you to lower the tax and remove regulation, consumers in this province are telling you they want lower prices. My question to the Premier is, when will you put Nova Scotians pocketbooks ahead of your government's?

HON. JAMES MUIR: Mr. Speaker, let me say that there is nobody on this side of the House who would not like to see lower petroleum prices in Nova Scotia or New Brunswick or any province in Canada. We know these prices are making Nova Scotians somewhat change their way of life. As I said earlier, we have put in place a system which we think helps rural Nova Scotians, it helps ensure a supply in rural Nova Scotia, it helps to protect retailers in the margins for all of those who are involved in the system. If information and evidence comes forth to say this is not an appropriate system for Nova Scotia then, obviously, changes would be made.

MR. SPEAKER: The honourable member for Halifax Citadel.

[Page 3479]

COM. SERV.: HEALING THE BRUISES PROG. - FUNDING

MR. LEONARD PREYRA: Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Minister of Community Services. For two years, Alice Housing has been providing an intensive program to help children who have witnessed abuse or who have been abused. Healing the Bruises is the only interventionist one-on-one program east of Montreal for children in second-stage housing. The program has been nationally recognized, yet Healing the Bruises does not get one thin dime of funding from Community Services. I ask the Minister of Community Services, why not?

HON. JUDY STREATCH: Mr. Speaker, I'm pleased to stand in my place and speak about the fine work that's going on across this province with the broad spectrum of women's centres, transition houses, indeed, the men's and women's transitional facilities across this province. But I have to tell you that I find it extremely challenging to answer a question from a member of the NDP who stood in his place last week and voted against additional dollars for those types of programs. So, with that said, this side of the House supports all programming from one end of this province to the other and we'll continue to do so.

MR. PREYRA: Mr. Speaker, I admire the minister's ability to deliver a canned response with so much passion and so little meaning. Frozen and minimal operational funding at Alice Housing makes it difficult to offer its much-needed programs. Alice Housing gets only 11 per cent of its annual budget from the Department of Community Services. Staff must fundraise nearly half of its operational funding, and costs for heat, electricity, and insurance aren't going down any time soon. I ask the minister, given the valuable work of Alice Housing, why won't her department find ways to increase its financial support specifically to support Healing the Bruises?

MS. STREATCH: Mr. Speaker, I don't take any personal offence to my honourable colleague's attack on how I answer my questions because I know that this side of the House supports programming from one end of this province to the other, and they do not. Therefore, I will continue to work with the Premier, with our Cabinet, with the government, to ensure that funding is put in place for a wide arrangement of supports for children, for families, for women, for men across this province. I'm sure that side of the House, the NDP, will continue to put barriers up in my way.

MR. PREYRA: Mr. Speaker, it's not programming we oppose, it's programmed answers we oppose. This is the very problem Justice Nunn talked about in his report. Failure to support children and youth at risk now will cost much more in the future, both financially and in lost human potential. Given the very few hands-on programs that have been created in the wake of the Nunn report, I ask the minister why hasn't her department looked at supporting or expanding successful programs as a beginning in addressing the many gaps in services for children and youth at risk?

[Page 3480]

MS. STREATCH: Mr. Speaker, why didn't we? Mr. Speaker, indeed, we did. Why didn't that member and why didn't that Party vote yes for the $2 million to invest in the Nunn response by this government that that member referenced? That's the real question here this evening.

MR. SPEAKER: The honourable member for Pictou East.

ECON. DEV.: HFX. PORT - ASSISTANCE

MR. CLARRIE MACKINNON: Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Minister of Economic Development. The Halifax Chamber of Commerce recently presented the results of the chamber's 2008 economic scorecard with three ratings: green for above target, yellow for areas needing improvement, red for serious situations that need to be addressed now. One of the reds, Mr. Speaker, Port of Halifax container cargo dropped 4.5 per cent in one year. The port is operating at less than half capacity. Your own export strategy praises its natural assets but, Mr. Minister, what exactly are you doing to help the port?

HON. ANGUS MACISAAC: Mr. Speaker, I'm glad the honourable member has discovered economic development and the port. There hasn't been much discussion about it in the House this session, but we have been working very closely with the Port of Halifax in dealing with both short and long-term strategies. Indeed, I've spent two occasions with the Port of Halifax in India, looking at the future and developing new business for this area, and that is a very long-term project, but it will indeed pay benefits for the Port of Halifax and the Province of Nova Scotia as we move forward.

Mr. Speaker, the honourable member will pay close attention as he sees new developments taking place in the port and some of the customers who have been dealing here, who have moved away for a short time, who he will see coming back in the very near future.

MR. MACKINNON: Mr. Speaker, through you to the minister, your government said in its budget that you would establish a Gateway Council sometime this year. Thanks for adopting the idea we suggested last March and again last Fall. However, details on this council (Interruptions)

MR. SPEAKER: Order, please.

The member for Pictou East has the floor.

MR. MACKINNON: Thanks for adopting the idea we suggested last March and again last Fall. However, details on this council are a little lacking. I ask the minister to tell the House what the mandate of the council will be, who will be on it, and how you will pick those members?

[Page 3481]

MR. MACISAAC: Mr. Speaker, the fundamental difference, of course, between this side of the House and that side of the House is they abandoned the idea of the council. We embraced it in the budget and they voted against it.

MR. MACKINNON: Mr. Speaker, from Yarmouth to Sydney, Gateway's hopes and expectations are rising. You said you're spending $1 million to raise awareness of its advantages and there's a lot of brave talk, but when will Nova Scotians have actual achievable Gateway goals from this government?

MR. MACISAAC: Mr. Speaker, I can tell the honourable member and all members of the House that we indeed are formulating goals. We are out there promoting the Province of Nova Scotia and all of the Gateway attributes that this province has and we're doing it every single day. We engaged NSPI in that process. We have the Office of the Gateway in the province. We're working with the Port of Halifax and the other ports in this province and this will become one of the greatest assets of this province as we move forward.

MR. SPEAKER: The honourable member for Digby-Annapolis.

FISH. & AQUACULTURE: DIGBY-ANNA. BASIN -

SHELLFISH HARVESTING BAN

MR. HAROLD THERIAULT: Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Minister of Fisheries and Aquaculture. Recently the Department of Fisheries and Oceans of Ottawa imposed a shellfish harvesting ban in the Digby-Annapolis Basin because of high bacteria count and the closures caught the clamming industry and many others by surprise is, are you aware of the closure of the Digby-Annapolis Basin to all species of shellfish?

HON. RONALD CHISHOLM: Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker, and thank you to the honourable member for that question. It is, indeed, an important one. It's an issue that

is of grave concern to the Province of Nova Scotia and the Department of Fisheries and Aquaculture. We learned late last week that this was a possibility that this would happen. It was initiated by CFIA, as well as DFO. They made the decision that the bacterial count in that area was high enough that they should close the area.

Mr. Speaker, through you to the member, our department is working on that, we're keeping a close watch on it and we expect that some time by the end of the week there may be a resolve to that issue.

MR. THERIAULT: Mr. Speaker, the timing of the closure couldn't have been worse for many clam fishermen and others. It may even have a long-term impact on the established markets within that industry. It seems that there has been no communication at all with the industry concerning this sudden closure. My question to the minister is, what discussions have you had with the federal government about this closure?

[Page 3482]

MR. CHISHOLM: Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker, and again thank you to the member for that question. As I have indicated in my previous answer, it is of grave concern to us. Staff in my department, as well as staff in CFIA and in DFO are working together on the issue. As I said before, we expect that we will have, hopefully, a resolve to it by the end of the week and we will continue to work with CFIA and DFO to see that the issue is resolved.

MR. THERIAULT: Mr. Speaker, in the past we've seen this federal government make decisions behind closed doors with little communication to our public. In the past years similar spills have occurred, resulting in the closure of the affected area but not the entire basin. So my question to the minister is, are you working with industry officials on this matter and can you tell us why this entire basin is closed and how long it will be closed?

[7:15 p.m.]

MR. CHISHOLM: Mr. Speaker, as I said in my previous answer, we hope that by the end of the week there will be a resolve to that issue. It's of grave concern when CFIA-DFO has to close an area for any kind of closure on any fishery. The clam industry and the shellfish industry is one that we cannot have contaminated clams or shellfish in the marketplace. It is just totally unsafe, it cannot happen. There have been some issues with sewer treatment plants on that shore and that's basically the reason why it is shut down.

MR. SPEAKER: The honourable member for Dartmouth South-Portland Valley.

COM. SERV.: TRANSITION HOUSES - FUNDING

MS. MARILYN MORE: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My question is for the Minister of Community Services. Transition houses provide emergency shelter for women and children leaving abusive situations. In addition, they provide essential support and advocacy for clients, helping them to access programs and services, yet once again operational funding for transition houses is frozen this year, as it has been since 1996. Twelve years of functioning with rising costs and frozen funding is taking its toll. I ask the minister, why won't her department provide adequate operational funding for transition houses?

HON. JUDY STREATCH: Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. We do have nine transition houses in Nova Scotia that provide a wide range of programs and services, when required, and they do great work. Again, they have negotiated salaries through the NSGEU that see an increase in their salary range.

Mr. Speaker, we value what they do, we work well together and again, without repeating myself, it's very interesting that the NDP now choose to ask questions about funding, when last week they voted against the budget.

[Page 3483]

MS. MORE: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. A 12-year freeze is downloading government responsibilities to community-based organizations. The minister knows full well that the 2.9 per cent increase in this year's budget is for salaries and salaries only. This leaves transition houses on their own to handle the rising costs for electricity, heating oil, building maintenance, food and other day-to-day expenses, trying to get by, just as they have done for the past 12 years on completely inadequate core funding. I ask the minister, where does she expect families to turn if transition houses can no longer function at 1996 funding levels?

MS. STREATCH: Mr. Speaker, again, I remind my honourable colleague, these are union-negotiated salaries. I am sure that doesn't come as any surprise to the member across the way. We work with all stakeholders. We rely on our community involvement. We work with the excellent staff. We have staff at Community Services who work with a wide range of facilities across the province and, again, we live within our means and we will continue to support those programs, the transition houses, the women's centres, from one end of this province to the other.

MS. MORE: Mr. Speaker, I just wonder if the minister realizes that if these transition houses weren't in place, the government would be required to pay for all these services at a much higher cost than community organizations can provide. Women and children arrive at transition houses with nothing but the clothes on their backs. They are in crisis and they have serious, complex needs. Shelters need to be able to focus on these families, not on finding the money to pay the light bill. So I ask the minister, when will she finally show her appreciation for the work transition houses do by supplying adequate funding to these organizations.

MS. STREATCH: Mr. Speaker, we understand, on this side of the House, the phenomenal work that goes on across this province through the women's centres, the transition houses, the second-stage housing, and I just wonder if the member opposite knows that by voting against the budget, they voted against dollars into the hands of those Nova Scotians who need them the most.

MR. SPEAKER: The honourable Leader of the Liberal Party.

LWD - C.B. CORR. CTR: HEALTH HAZARD - REPORTING PROTOCOL

MR. STEPHEN MCNEIL: Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Minister of Labour and Workforce Development. Last week, guards from the Cape Breton Correctional Facility refused to show up for their shifts on Thursday night and again on Friday morning, after the union learned that asbestos had been discovered in the facility. While maintenance staff was informed, the Department of Labour and Workforce Development's code of practice requires that all occupants and staff in a building found to have asbestos be informed immediately. Provincial institutions should be the model of communications on safety matters. So my

[Page 3484]

question for the Minister of Labour and Workforce Development is, why wasn't the proper protocol followed and correctional officers informed of this health hazard?

HON. MARK PARENT: Mr. Speaker, thank you for the question. I have responded to it previously but I will respond again that on May 9th, the Occupational Health and Safety Division made its report, 14 compliance orders were issued. The Minister of Justice reported that they would accept and act on all of them. At that time, on May 9th, we indicated that more study and work would be going on with the internal responsibility system and how it functioned or didn't function properly and I'm sure this issue will be part of that ongoing study.

MR. MCNEIL: Mr. Speaker, my first supplementary will be to the Minister of Justice. Even though most correctional officers in the facility returned to work yesterday, this is yet another warning sign that the Department of Justice is failing in its duty to provide officers with the basic requirements to perform their jobs safely. They are under-equipped, they are understaffed in crowded jails and now correctional officers in Cape Breton face the fear of an unsafe work environment. Government has been talking tough on crime but they are doing little to aid those in the front lines. So my question to the Minister of Justice is, when will the Progressive Conservative Government make the health and safety of correctional officers a priority?

HON. CECIL CLARKE: Mr. Speaker, to my honourable colleague and all members of the House, that is exactly what the government is doing. It has been made a priority. We have dealt with things in the order that we received them in terms of issues and concerns. We have made the appropriate and responsible actions that are required to follow up on those matters and we will continue to do that. All the necessary protocols have been followed with regard to the Cape Breton Correctional Facility. We adhere to the follow-up from the Department of Environment. We will continue to do that and we are resourcing our correction services and indeed all of the Department of Justice. The results speak for themselves in terms of positive outcomes that we are achieving here in this province, thanks to the programming of this government.

MR. MCNEIL: Mr. Speaker, asbestos has been banned from use for some time and for good reason. It is well known that the exposure to this harmful substance can cause scarring of the lungs and has been linked to cancer. Air testing is underway for asbestos at the Cape Breton Correctional Facility but the results are not expected until mid-week. My question for the Minister of Justice is, what is your government's plan for the staff and inmates if the results show that asbestos is present at the Cape Breton Correctional Facility?

MR. CLARKE: Mr. Speaker, as people would know, when the concerns were raised and the testing was done, following the necessary processes that were laid out, those indicated everything was within safe and acceptable levels. Any remedial action has been detailed by the Department of Environment, that's been followed up. An industrial hygienist

[Page 3485]

has been meeting with staff and the inmates in that facility. Indeed, as a precautionary measure, we're also doing tests and facility audits within Cumberland and Antigonish Counties for those facilities as the two older facilities in the province, just as a precautionary measure.

All of these things have been followed. Indeed, the second air tests are coming in and they're within those acceptable limits and they'll be issued in the morning. He should have the confidence, everything is in order.

MR. SPEAKER: The honourable member for Waverley-Fall River-Beaver Bank.

EDUC.: LUNCH PROG. - HRSB BUDGET

MR. PERCY PARIS: Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Minister of Education. The minister's department confirmed last week that the spirit, not just the letter, of the lunch supervision law will be followed. In September, 2009, there will be free lunch supervision for all kids in all schools. This comes a year late and a dollar short. The Halifax Regional School Board estimates that it has to come up with an extra $2.7 million to put a free lunch program in place. Can the minister tell the House where in HRSB's budget they're going to find this kind of money?

HON. KAREN CASEY: Mr. Speaker, to the member opposite, the whole question of lunch supervision and students staying for lunch is an issue that has existed in this province through all boards for many, many years and all boards have been able to deal with the issue of supervision of lunch students in a variety of ways. A number of models are used, whether there are supervisors who are hired or whether that supervision is provided by teachers. What we're saying to the Halifax board is, we expect they will be able to do the same as all other boards. In fact, throughout the Halifax board, there are many, many schools where students are staying and teachers are supervising.

MR. PARIS: Mr. Speaker, the minister knows what the current budget arrangements for busing and lunch supervision is. Boards get their actual costs from the year before, plus a cost of living increase but this is the hooker - the Halifax board was never offered this program before so obviously it's not in their previous costs. It needs a cash infusion to get the lunch supervision program off the ground. Mr. Speaker, through you, my question for the minister is, will she authorize a one-time grant to the Halifax board to get the lunch time program up and running?

MS. CASEY: Mr. Speaker, to the member opposite, if he has paid a lot of attention to what I have been saying, he would know that we are giving the Halifax board one full year to implement models that will allow that to be delivered.

[Page 3486]

MR. PARIS: Mr. Speaker, last week The Chronicle-Herald quoted the minister as saying, "...teachers in many schools supervise students at lunch time even though their union contract say they don't have to." So, this is my question - does the minister think that depending on teachers volunteering is the best way to manage Nova Scotia's school system?

MS. CASEY: Mr. Speaker, I've been involved in the education system for a long time and I have seen many, many models of supervision to provide security and protection of our students during lunch period. In many, many cases and in many, many schools - in all of our boards, teachers provide that supervision. In fact, I was in Halifax, a couple of schools in Bedford, two or three weeks ago, a large high school and junior high, and many students stay for lunch. The principal was giving me a tour of the school and I asked the question, do most students stay for lunch? The answer was yes, and we wish they all did. Secondly, how is that supervision provided? He said, by my staff, I wouldn't want it any other way.

MR. SPEAKER: The honourable member for Dartmouth North.

COM. SERV.: DART. ADULT SERV. CTR. - FUNDING

MR. TREVOR ZINCK: Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Minister of Community Services. I'll table a letter from the Dartmouth Adult Service Centre Association regarding funding issues. This organization refers to a crisis across the province for vocational agencies. There's been no change in the operating budget at DASC since 1992. Buildings need maintenance, there are long wait-lists for entry into most programs across the province and there's a serious problem recruiting and retaining staff. My question to the minister is why does the funding freeze continue for these programs?

HON. JUDY STREATCH: I thank my honourable colleague for bringing up a group that does great work across this province. I met with various members, along with the honourable member, to discuss their concerns and to see what type of strategy could be put in place across the province to ensure that the adult centres that are doing the work that they're doing from one end of this province to another do what they're able to do. Mr. Speaker, had my honourable colleague voted yes last week, he would have voted yes for $6 million more for services to persons of disabilities directly related to his question.

[7:30 p.m.]

MR. ZINCK: Mr. Speaker, they say that we're the Party of tax and spend - I can't count how much money she just spent in the last half hour. The letter states, and I quote, "our inability to support community client needs remains critical. For example, DASC has a current waitlist of 33 individuals who are your constituents and who remain at home without vital services. There is an additional 17 individuals for whom DASC cannot provide services due to lack of funding, staff and space." So my question through you, Mr. Speaker, to the

[Page 3487]

minister, is why are so many Nova Scotians with developmental disabilities waiting so long to get into vocational programs?

MS. STREATCH: Mr. Speaker, you know the question is almost laughable. He wants to count the money I spent in the last half an hour? It was well laid out in the eight hours of estimates debate we held in this House where I stood in my place explaining to Nova Scotians the good work that we were doing on this side of House that they voted no for - the $6 million is for persons with disabilities and it includes the exact question that my honourable colleague was referencing.

MR. ZINCK: Mr. Speaker, well I'm going to go off text here right now and I'd like the minister to tell me, where is the budget line item that tells us where the money is specifically for DASC Industries in this past budget?

MS. STREATCH: Mr. Speaker, obviously my honourable colleague didn't have enough time in the eight hours of estimates. I stood in my place for eight hours and explained clearly the work that was going on in the Department of Community Services - I'd be pleased to do it again next year.

MR. SPEAKER: The honourable member for Kings West.

EDUC.: TUITION SUPPORT PROG. - CAP REMOVE

MR. LEO GLAVINE: Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Minister of Education. Hundreds of children in Nova Scotia suffer from correctable learning disabilities. Frustrated by the lack of progress in the public education system, many students have become disengaged and virtually have given up hope. Bridgeway, Churchill and Landmark East have revitalized their sense of hope - children who have attended these schools have excelled in the classroom, made friends and rediscovered the joy of learning. One thing is crystal clear, their programs work. My question to the minister - will the minister commit to removing a three-year cap on tuition support so that all children gain the educational tools they need to succeed?

HON. KAREN CASEY: Mr. Speaker, to the member opposite who knows full well that I have engaged in dialogue with many of the parents, have received correspondence from many of the parents, and in fact have contacted many of the schools - in fact the three schools that are designated - to make sure that they work closely with our department. We do not want children left out, we do not want students to not have the appropriate programming to meet their need. That's why this government introduced the Tuition Support Program and that's why we extended it to three years, and we will continue the dialogue with those parents.

[Page 3488]

MR. GLAVINE: Mr. Speaker, parents have expressed their desire to have the three-year limit on tuition support removed. Molly Thompson wrote to the Premier and copied to me, "I'm a student who attends Bridgeway Academy and have been going here since Grade 9. I previously attended a HRSB Junior High School and the system failed me." Molly further explains, "one teacher called me stupid in Grade 8 for not understanding the number line. My mental health became unstable and soon became depressed. I'm doing the public school program with the help of Bridgeway and my marks have soared. Please make the right decision. What would you do if your kids had a learning difference?"

MR. SPEAKER: Question.

MR. GLAVINE: My question to the minister is, will the minister tell Molly Thompson and her family why this government refuses to remove the three-year cap on tuition support?

MS. CASEY: Mr. Speaker, you will recall that there was a review that I called for on special education in this province. One of the recommendations in that review and report was to discontinue the Tuition Support Program. I did not accept that report. We are continuing with that program. We are looking at the number of students who are transitioning. We have 17 students who are transitioning back next year and we are continuing to work with the schools to identify the needs of those remaining students.

MR. GLAVINE: Mr. Speaker, every child is entitled to an equal education no matter the geographic location or learning capabilities. The government allocates $6,500 for every student in the public system. If the minister allows the money to follow the student, the province would actually save money. MacKenzie MacLeod writes, "I know my parents would love to have tuition support so I could go to this school next year. Bridgeway has helped me a lot because in the public school I was failing everything and this year I am close to 90 per cent and my parents are so happy. Without tuition support, it will be hard for me to come back next year."

MR. SPEAKER: Question.

MR. GLAVINE: My question to the minister is, will MacKenzie MacLeod be forced back into the public system that has failed her or will the minister do the right thing and remove the three-year limit on tuition support?

MS. CASEY: Mr. Speaker, students have been attending the designated schools for many, many years and that has been at a significant cost to the family. With the introduction of our tuition support, we have reduced the cost of tuition to those families; $6,400 is what followed those students this past year and, in addition to that, funding was available for 51 needy families so that their students would have an additional $3,000 support. So we are doing what we can to try to make that available for all students.

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MR. SPEAKER: The honourable member for Dartmouth South-Portland Valley.

COM. SERV. - TECH AIDS PROG.: ESTABLISHMENT - LACK EXPLAIN

MS. MARILYN MORE: Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Minister of Community Services. Nova Scotians who require wheelchairs face many out-of-pocket expenses relating to their equipment needs. The Abilities Foundation program and special needs funding helps some Nova Scotians without insurance to purchase wheelchairs. Where the funding falls short, however, is when people who use wheelchairs need help with maintenance and repairs. My question to the minister, why has her government failed to establish a comprehensive technical aids program to address these needs for disabled persons?

HON. JUDY STREATCH: Mr. Speaker, you know, the wonderful relationship that we have with the Abilities Foundation has allowed us to invest millions of dollars in wheelchair programs for Nova Scotians. Last week we increased that by $300,000 in this year's budget, that this side of the House supported and that the NDP did not.

MS. MORE: Mr. Speaker, wheelchair users need to have their chairs maintained at least once a year, sometimes more often, to ensure safety and extend the life of the equipment. It's not enough to buy the wheelchair, you have to repair it and maintain it. One wheelchair user without insurance detailed for me the cost she faces just to keep her chair in good repair. General maintenance runs between $50 and $100 a year. Tires need replacing a couple of times a year at $70 and up. New cushions or chair backs are at least $500 to $600 or more when they need to be replaced. So I ask the minister, why is there nothing in place to help cover these costs for uninsured, low-income Nova Scotians?

MS. STREATCH: Mr. Speaker, the Abilities Foundation and the Nova Scotia League for Equal Opportunities are the experts in this area. We are pleased to work with them. It was through our relationship with those two organizations that government recognized that an increase in the budget was necessary. We put our money where our mouth was and we supported those requests and this side of the House will continue to do that and I would certainly hope that the NDP will do so in the future.

MS. MORE: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Well those are a few of the very groups that are bringing this issue to our attention. These wheelchair repairs are just as critical to disabled Nova Scotians as requiring vehicle safety inspections. It's a health, comfort and safety issue and the costs add up. My question to the minister is, in the absence of a technical aids program, will her department offer help with repairs and maintenance for low-income, uninsured, wheelchair users?

MS. STREATCH: Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. We will continue to invest, on this side of the House, in the needs of Nova Scotians. We will do so with an over $900 million investment in the Department of Community Services, that this side of the House

[Page 3490]

supported and passed last week. We will continue to invest in a wheelchair program in this province and, through the Abilities Foundation and the Nova Scotia League for Equal Opportunities, we will continue to work in partnership and take their advice and work with them to ensure that those Nova Scotians who need us most will get that from this side of the House.

MR. SPEAKER: The honourable member for Pictou East.

ECON. DEV. - COMMUN. DEV. TRUST: TRENTON - ACCESS

MR. CLARRIE MACKINNON: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My question is for the Minister of Economic Development. When the Premier announced the Community Development Trust on March 28th, he specified the Town of Trenton as one of the hard-hit places the trust was meant to benefit. The Mayor of Trenton says he repeatedly asked how the town should apply and is still waiting for a straight answer. Will the minister tell the House why the Town of Trenton is having such difficulty finding out how to access the trust, when you say the town is a model of the kind of community the trust was designed to help?

HON. ANGUS MACISAAC: Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. I can tell the honourable member that if the Town of Trenton were to write to the Department of Service Nova Scotia and Municipal Relations, that would trigger a process whereby any thoughts and ideas and programs that they have that they feel would be appropriate for their circumstance, that would be given a full and clear airing by the department, as well as my own department, Mr. Speaker.

MR. MACKINNON: Mr. Speaker, I do want to thank the minister for ensuring that his department finally put some information up on its Web site about the trust. I note that it stipulates community stakeholders who would like to access the trust will work with the provincial government departments and agencies to develop proposals for funding under existing departmental programs. Mr. Speaker, through you to the minister, does this mean that a community cannot apply to the trust if its needs don't fall under an existing program?

MR. MACISAAC: Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. I can tell the honourable member and all members of the House that the community trust is available to respond to the needs. We believe the programs that we have in place are appropriate to meet those needs. If, however, a unique circumstance comes forward and it is deemed worthy of consideration by government, then it will not be held back by any of the words that are on the Web site at this stage. We will certainly respond to any good ideas that come forward that are appropriate for the interests of this province and the community that brings it forward.

MR. MACKINNON: Mr. Speaker, again through you to the minister, I want to make it crystal clear that we don't oppose this trust, but it's a one-time cash infusion and it has to be spent so that we get the most bang for the limited dollars that are available. For the sake

[Page 3491]

of towns like Trenton, we have to do this right the first time. Will the minister tell us how this trust will help the Town of Trenton?

MR. MACISAAC: Mr. Speaker, I'm very pleased to be working with the honourable member for Pictou Centre with respect to the interests of the Town of Trenton. We will be able to bring forward programs that will benefit that town. I want to say that we are, of course, very actively pursuing somebody to look at the facility there and do our utmost to ensure that that continues operating into the future.

MR. SPEAKER: The honourable member for Digby-Annapolis.

MR. HAROLD THERIAULT: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

MR. SPEAKER: Order, please. The time allotted for the Oral Question Period has elapsed.

GOVERNMENT BUSINESS

MR. SPEAKER: The honourable Deputy Government House Leader.

MR. CHUCK PORTER: Mr. Speaker, would you please call the order of business, Public Bills for Second Reading.

PUBLIC BILLS FOR SECOND READING

MR. SPEAKER: The honourable Deputy Government House Leader.

MR. CHUCK PORTER: Mr. Speaker, would you please call Bill No. 120.

Bill No. 120 - Public Service Act.

MR. SPEAKER: The honourable Minister of Environment.

HON. MARK PARENT: Mr. Speaker, I have had opportunity to speak about the new stand-alone Nova Scotia Department of Environment before and some of the tasks before us, the challenges and the opportunities. So having had the chance to speak on that in the past, and I am sure anticipating the opportunity to speak on it in the future, I will now take my place and listen to discussion on Bill No. 120.

[7:45 p.m.]

MR. SPEAKER: The honourable member for Halifax Fairview.

[Page 3492]

MR. GRAHAM STEELE: Mr. Speaker, I rise as the Environment Critic for the Official Opposition on a bill that creates, or more precisely, recreates a stand-alone Department of Environment. We used to have one of these but it was eliminated. Now who eliminated it? Was it the NDP who eliminated it? No. Was it the Liberals who eliminated it? No. It was the Progressive Conservatives who eliminated the stand-alone Department of Environment only six or seven years ago now, and at the time, we told them it was the wrong thing to do. The then-member for Dartmouth North - not the very fine current member for Dartmouth North, but the previous very fine member for Dartmouth North - said very specifically, if there is any department that deserves to stand on its own, it was the Department of Environment. Other members of the NDP said similar things, warning the government that amalgamating it with other departments was the wrong thing to do.

Mr. Speaker, but the government did not listen to us at the time because at the time they had a majority. They could do whatever they wanted. They did do whatever they wanted. The didn't need the support of any Opposition Party so they did not heed our advice. Now here we are, six years later, and they are undoing what they did only six years ago. They are creating a stand-alone Department of Environment and saying look at us, look how good we are. We are showing our commitment to the environment. We are putting environment in its own department. It's no wonder that many people across Nova Scotia look at this government's record on the environment and say that it's just a pure record of greenwashing, which is a term used by environmentalists to describe governments and other entities that act as if they are friendly to the environment but are not really. Because the essence of this government's position on the environment is the contrast between what they say and what they do. The contrast between the high-flying rhetoric and the on-the-ground reality.

Nothing, Mr. Speaker, could be more symbolic of that than the bill that is before us today creating something we already had, which is a stand-alone Department of Environment. Because what they did is, they took the Department of Labour and the Department of Environment six years ago, and they put them together into a department called, imaginatively, the Department of Environment and Labour, with one minister. During the estimates debate, for example, we could ask the minister about anything to do with environment or labour, or a number of other affairs that were within the competence of the department.

This year they are splitting the department. Now we have a stand-alone Department of Environment and a stand-alone Department of Labour and Workforce Development - but there is only one minister, the same minister. This is exactly the kind of thing that makes people who care about the environment roll their eyes about whether the government is truly committed to environmental progress or not. They had one department and then the split it into two with one minister. So it's not that this new Department of Environment is getting more attention from the minister - his attention is still as divided as it way before. It's not that the department is getting substantially more resources than it had before, because it's not. It's

[Page 3493]

not that the department is getting a different mandate than it had before, because it's not. It is all the same - the only difference is the name on the sign in front of the office.

The only people who are going to be satisfied with Bill No. 120 are the people who print the government's business cards and who print the nameplates on the minister's door, because they're going to have to be redone all over again. So instead of a sign out in front of the building saying Nova Scotia Department of Environment and Labour, there is going to have to be two signs - one saying Nova Scotia Department of Environment and the other one saying the Nova Scotia Department of Labour and Workforce Development which, of course, is precisely what we had only six years ago. But all the business cards are going to have to be reprinted, the Web site is going to have to be redone, all the signs everywhere posted around the province of every kind are going to have to be redone - but not one thing is going to change with respect to the government's approach to the environment.

This is something that people refer to as greenwashing, as I've already said. It's something that my colleague for Halifax Chebucto referred to as the Astroturf approach to the environment - from a distance something looks green but when you get up close to it, you realize that it isn't. It's not real, it only looks real from a distance.

Let me give some examples, Mr. Speaker. The government's flagship piece of legislation on the environment is the Environmental Goals and Sustainable Prosperity Act, the acronym for which is the Environmental GASP Act - the Environmental G-A-S-P Act. The problem with the Environmental GASP Act is that all the goals are in the distant future, long past the expected lifetime of this government - every day that passes brings us one day closer to the end of this government. Also, just as significant, is that the reporting on whether the goals have been met is not done objectively, it's not independently verified - the government reports on its own progress, as it did last week. So when a student reports on their own progress you can expect that they will grade themselves rather well; when a government reports on its own progress, you can expect that they will find that they have performed quite satisfactorily, and that's exactly what we got last week.

Now real change would be adopting our proposal for an environment commissioner attached to the Office of the Auditor General, such as exists at the federal level. That person would be independent, would be objective, and one of their principal tasks would be verifying the progress made toward the goals in the Environmental GASP Act. There are many things this government could do on the environment - that would be one of them - but so far the government has shown no interest. The government has taken many of our ideas, and they're welcome to them - that's why we're here. That's another good idea from the NDP - and if the government wants to take that idea they are welcome to it. It's a good idea, they really ought to think about it seriously.

Another example of the gap between the rhetoric and reality of this government was revealed only a few months ago in the latest report from the Office of the Auditor General,

[Page 3494]

which I happen to have right here. Chapter 3 of the February 2008 Report on the Office of the Auditor General gives what I can only call a devastating critique of the Environmental Monitoring and Compliance Division of what was then called the Department of Environment and Labour.

What concerns me, Mr. Speaker, is the department's response to this devastating critique has been to dismiss, to minimize, to split hairs, to split words. I've seen no indication from the minister or his department that they have taken to heart the flaws found by the Auditor General, who we all know is an objective observer of the scene, they only report what they see. I would have liked to have seen our Minister of Environment take a lot more seriously the findings of the Auditor General.

Let me review them quickly. There are four parts to the Environmental and Compliance Monitoring Division of the Department of Environment, and all four parts were found wanting.

On the first part, Mr. Speaker, the Approvals section, the Auditor General says in Paragraph 3.8, "We noted the Division issued many approvals without all required documentation in place."

So on approvals, there are guidelines about what documents are required and the Auditor General finds not a few, not one, not some, the word used by the Auditor General is "many" instances where not all of the required documentation was on file. Now the department's response was, well, it wasn't needed anyway, to which the Auditor General sagely replies, well if it's not needed, then record that in the file or change the guidelines.

All we have now are guidelines that are not being followed in many cases, and when it comes to the environment, Mr. Speaker, that is not acceptable. But what does the government do, Mr. Speaker? They create a stand-alone Department of Environment with no significant change in resources or mandate.

The second duty, Mr. Speaker, has to do with monitoring and inspections. The essence of what the Auditor General said on this part is in Paragraph 3.11, "We concluded inspection processes are not adequate as the Division is not meeting its inspection requirements. We also noted monitoring processes could be improved." I don't know how the Auditor General could have been more clear than that - inspection processes are not adequate. But does the government respond with a paper on how they are going to improve the situation and how they are going to improve the funding of the Monitoring and Compliance Division, about why Nova Scotians should expect that things will change, Mr. Speaker? No, they do not. They bring forward Bill No. 120, which changes the name of the department. That is their response.

[Page 3495]

Mr. Speaker, the third part of the Environmental Monitoring and Compliance Division of the Department of the Environment is enforcement. On this the Auditor General says the following at Paragraph 3.17, "We found instances where the Division's enforcement actions were not adequate." There were cases of chronic failure to meet orders of the department, and all the department would do is go out again and ask nicely for compliance.

A number of files had no indication that any remedial action was taken or that there was any follow-up.

Finally, Mr. Speaker, the fourth part of the division is complaints, how they deal with complaints. Now this is rather important, because the department and its inspectors can't be everywhere all the time. They really do rely on people who know the issues, who know the area, who know what is going on, who know when there is a problem. It may be the colour of run-off, Mr. Speaker, it may be when a stand of trees go down, it may be any of a number of things that only local people would truly appreciate. So how the department deals with complaints is important.

Here's what the Auditor General had to say about that at Paragraph 3.22, "We concluded the Division does not have adequate systems to track and monitor public complaints. While the Division has established policies and procedures for recording, investigating and concluding on complaints, we noted a number of instances where they did not follow required procedures." Mr. Speaker, there are four parts to the division and the department came out of this Auditor General's Report 0-4, significant deficiencies in every one of the four parts of the division and this government's response is a bill that changes the department's name. This is why more and more Nova Scotians are noticing the difference between the rhetoric of the government on the environment and the on-the-ground reality.

Mr. Speaker, let me turn, as another example, to this issue of uranium. Where is the Minister of Environment on the fundamentally environmental issue of uranium? Nova Scotia has had a uranium moratorium since 1981. The price of uranium has meant that nobody was really interested in exploring for it anyway, but now that the price is high, the interest has returned. So, the question is, will the moratorium hold or will it not? Now on this issue, which is fundamentally an issue of the environment, we would expect the Minister of Environment to be leading the way just as the Government of British Columbia has done. What we have instead is virtual silence. The lead on the file is being taken by the Minister of Natural Resources whose job it is to promote mines and mining in the province.

We expect the Minister of Environment to speak out on this issue but he does not speak. When he does speak all he does is voice support for the position of the Minister of Natural Resources. Mr. Speaker, it used to be said, until only a few months ago, that Nova Scotia was the only jurisdiction in the country with a uranium moratorium, but it's not true anymore. Others are joining us. The Inuvialuit Government in Labrador, which has self-government over certain aspects of natural resources, has declared a moratorium on uranium mining. The Government of British Columbia recently adopted a uranium policy that for all

[Page 3496]

practical purposes is a moratorium. Just last week, a certain political Party in New Brunswick called for a moratorium on uranium mining in that province. Was it the New Brunswick NDP? Well, yes, but that had happened previously. Was it the New Brunswick Liberals? No, it was the New Brunswick Progressive Conservative Party. Their Critic on Natural Resources said it is well known that uranium mining is dangerous and that there ought to be a moratorium on uranium mining in that province. That was the Progressive Conservative Party of New Brunswick.

[8:00 p.m.]

Now, who is right and who is wrong? Like most public policy issues, it's far too complicated to say there is only one right answer and everybody else is wrong. What I will say is we expect the Minister of Environment in this province to speak out in defence of the uranium moratorium and instead we get a bill that changes the name of his department.

Another example, the burning of tires, which the minister will occasionally claim as one of his victories. He made a decision that we're not going to burn tires in this province. There was a proposal to do so at the Lafarge Plant near Brookfield. I went out to that plant and I must say that it's a very high calibre, sophisticated operation, people who know what they're doing, meeting world competition for their product, but what they need, in addition to the feed stock, is fuel. They had proposed that they could burn Nova Scotia's tires in their kiln in order to generate the heat that's necessary to create their product.

Now, Mr. Speaker, it is a complex issue and this minister said that he would not permit tire burning in Nova Scotia. But, what happens to Nova Scotia's tires? Just because we're not burning them at the LaFarge plant in Brookfield, doesn't mean they evaporate into thin air. What is happening to the nearly one million tires that Nova Scotia generates every year? Why, they are being burned.

Now if the Minister of Environment really believed that burning tires is harmful for the environment, one would think that he and his department would come up with another solution to this mountain of tires that this province generates every year, one million tires. One tire every year for every man, woman and child in the province. Mr. Speaker, the problem is, we don't know what to do with them. An enormous mountain of tires every single year and most of them are burned. The only difference is, they are not burned in this province. They are trucked out and they are burned in Quebec. But if it's not the right solution for Nova Scotia, I doubt it's the right solution for Quebec. It is a very much a case of out of sight, out of mind. Instead of dealing with the issue, of recognizing that this mountain of tires is being burned, we get a bill that changes the name of the department.

Pesticides, Mr. Speaker. We expect leadership from the Minister of Environment on the pesticides issue. This caucus, the very fine member for Pictou West, has brought forward a bill for the government's consideration that would permit municipalities to pass bylaws

[Page 3497]

regulating the use of pesticides. Now we all know that such a law came into effect a number of years ago but it applied only to Halifax Regional Municipality. HRM did indeed pass such a bylaw and pesticides are, for the most part, not permitted for use - at least cosmetic use - in this municipality. The other municipalities, with the support of the Union of Nova Scotia Municipalities, has asked for the same power and we, in this caucus, want to give it to them. It's another good idea.

We are full of good ideas, Mr. Speaker. We want the government to take our good ideas. We have so many good ideas; too many, really, that one could expect from a caucus our size but we will share the wealth. Take our ideas, implement them. There is another one. Adopt this bill of the member for Pictou West. Let the Minister of Environment stand in his place and say that he understands the environmental and human health impact that pesticides have on our environment. Instead, we get silence and we get a bill that changes the department's name.

Another example, Mr. Speaker, of the yawning gap between rhetoric and reality has to do with the system for recycling electronic waste. Now this system just came into effect recently. What we are trying to do is get electronic waste out of our landfills and get it recycled, reused, broken down into its component parts because it does represent a tremendous waste and a real danger when you look at the constituent parts. This minister likes to laud that program as a great success of his department.

Do you know what, Mr. Speaker? So far, in just a couple of months, there hasn't been a lot of objection to it but, mark my words, we will be coming back to this. A year from now, we may be questioning this minister and this government about why the system has failed. It will not work. It cannot work because the revenue does not match the money necessary to make the system work. The system was rolled out far too quickly. The organizations that wanted to take part in it were given a take or leave it proposition, sometimes with 24 hours notice to review it with their lawyers, to review it with their boards - no changes to the contract imposed upon them by the Resource Recovery Fund Board. Many of them came back and said, we can't do it for this amount of money, it will not work.

Rather than listening to those voices of some pretty knowledgeable business people, Mr. Speaker, they said, okay, we don't want you, we are going to give the contract to other people. Mark my words, the money flows do not work for the e-waste recycling system. The system is going to come crashing down sooner or later when some of those people who are trying to process that equipment for not enough money say, we've had it, we can't make any money at this, we're out, and nobody will take their place.

Mr. Speaker, last week, last Thursday night, I was in the minister's riding, the very beautiful riding of Kings North. I took a drive out to Halls Harbour . . .

AN HON. MEMBER: Extremely well-represented.

[Page 3498]

MR. STEELE: The extremely well-represented riding of Kings North let me say, Mr. Speaker. I drove out to Halls Harbour and I came back to Centreville where I talked to a gathering of environmentally-minded citizens and I was at the community hall in Centreville in the minister's riding. Across the street from where I was standing on the steps of the community hall, what did I see but computers and other waste at the side of the road.

This is right in the minister's own riding, Mr. Speaker. When the system doesn't work, what we're going to have is people dumping electronic equipment in the woods, on the sides of roads, because it's too expensive and too difficult for them to get to the few depots that there are. I hope I'm proved wrong but I'm willing to bet that between now and a year from now, this issue will come back because it will not work as currently constituted.

Finally, another example of the yawning gap between rhetoric and reality is drinking water - another responsibility of the renamed and recreated Department of Environment. Mr. Speaker, 75 per cent of the drinking water supplies in Nova Scotia will meet provincial and federal guidelines by the end of this year and 25 per cent will not. Now, I don't want to exaggerate. It's only 2 per cent or 3 per cent of the population affected so we're talking about a number of the relatively small drinking water systems but 25 per cent of the drinking water systems will be non-compliant with legal regulations for how drinking water is delivered in this province.

Mr. Speaker, what is the government's plan to help those municipalities and municipal water units to close the gap? Why, the government has no plan. It has no idea how the municipalities are going to do it. It just records the fact that they can't meet the drinking water guidelines. That is a gap between the rhetoric and the reality, between setting the standards and then when municipalities say we don't have the money to meet them, the government just shrugs its shoulders and says, you're on your own. Instead of coming forward with a plan about how it's going to get those last number of municipal drinking water providers to get over the gap, to provide drinking water that meets all provincial and federal guidelines, instead of that the government brings forward a bill that changes the name of the department.

Now, Mr. Speaker, I hope you don't misunderstand me. Of course we're going to support Bill No. 120 because all it does is change the name of the department. My point on behalf of my caucus is simply this - there is so much more the government could be doing and should be doing on the environment. The name of the department does not matter so much as what that department and what that minister are doing. Right now, there is this enormous gap between the rhetoric and the reality. The greenwashing perpetrated by this government - the Astroturf government - looks real from a distance but up close it's all made up. That is why we say today, and we will continue to say, that it is time for the government to stop talking as if it's green and be green. It's time to stop the high-flying rhetoric and actually do something on the environment.

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MR. SPEAKER: The honourable member for Preston.

MR. KEITH COLWELL: Mr. Speaker, it's with pleasure and displeasure I stand to discuss Bill No. 120. I'm pleased to see that this government has finally changed its mind and put the department where it should belong as a separate department. Not mixed up with another department and expand the responsibilities of the department to many areas that they should have been involved in in the past and over the last few years haven't been.

As we go through life and we see the changes from 15 or 20 years ago - and I've said this in this House before - the environment really wasn't a major issue to us here in Nova Scotia or anywhere in the country. But it's becoming very obvious that the environment is one of the key things we have that we have to look after, protect and improve as time moves forward.

If not, civilization as we know it, will change drastically. Unfortunately, I haven't seen the present government do what they need to do to start this very important work. They've come forward with a bill that ties in the economy and the environment together - I think that's long overdue. It has become obvious years and years ago that the environment and a good economy are one and the same. It's nice to see the government has done that.

However, at the same time, in estimates debate with the minister I asked the question why the Resource Recovery Fund Board, in their great wisdom - I question their great wisdom, I have and I always will until there's a major change there - has stopped collecting cardboard? His answer was, they didn't really need to collect it and since then, the department has sent me a letter back that says the municipalities now collect it at curbside. But if you move or get some major appliances, and you're trying to chop up this cardboard into a small little package and tie it all together, a lot of people don't bother. Therefore, some of it goes in the woods, to illegal dumps with some of the other things that I will be talking about later, which we have in our area, unfortunately, because of some remote areas, easy access to them that people can dump things.

[8:15 p.m.]

Then, they just took the cardboard away from, the Resource Recovery Fund Board took it away from the Enviro-Depots. The Enviro-Depots didn't make very much money on this cardboard - a very small amount, probably enough to pay a couple of weeks' power bill a year, if that - but it did provide a service to the people in the community. It made it convenient for people to come in, drop their cardboard off, and their other items like batteries, bottles and everything else they had through the Enviro-Depot. It made it convenient. When you make something convenient, people tend to use it and utilize it.

Then on further question to the minister, he indicated the Minas Basin Pulp and Paper - a fantastic success story in our province with Economic Development - making paper out

[Page 3500]

of cardboard. Lo and behold, he indicates that it's getting very expensive for the company now to get cardboard out of New England that they have to buy. They're buying cardboard out of New England. Yet, on the other hand, the Resource Recovery Fund Board decides it's not worthwhile to collect cardboard anymore.

So, there's something wrong with this picture. Here's a nice, convenient place that one of the major companies in the province can get cardboard at a very low cost, a sensible cost that they can reprocess into other products and sell, make money and do it very environmentally friendly and do things we talk about and we should be doing more and more. Yet the Resource Recovery Fund Board doesn't see the wisdom in that and takes away some income opportunities from the Enviro-Depots, convenience for the people in the community. Again, it all goes together and it doesn't make any sense. It just doesn't make sense.

So here's an Environment Department saying one thing on one hand and not doing what they should be doing on the other. It goes on and on. The more we see this, the more we realize the department really isn't - they walk the walk and they're talking the talk, but they sure don't do what should be done to, number one, help our economy, and to help our environment. Two very important things we have to do.

We talked about cardboard, that's a very simple thing. Now, let me talk about tires. As soon as the RRFB decided they were going to burn tires in Nova Scotia - well, I went to some pretty heated community meetings in the Truro area. I don't blame the people in the community for being upset. I really don't blame them. Fortunately, working with the community, working with the very informed community and with our caucus, we managed to get the burning of tires stopped in Nova Scotia. I hope it's stopped permanently.

The government wouldn't support the bill I put forward to make it illegal to burn tires in Nova Scotia, which would be a long-term, permanent cure for this. But, no, they didn't do that, so in their great wisdom, they stopped burning tires in Nova Scotia, they load them on a truck and pay the company that is burning the tires in Quebec - burning the tires in Quebec, and I wanted to repeat that - $1.95 per tire to truck them to Quebec. So we're paying them to generate pollution in Quebec and if the prevailing winds are right, we get the pollution back in Nova Scotia. So, Environment is doing a really good job looking after tires.

Then I asked, well what does the rest of the fee go to? There's a tipping fee and I still haven't figured out what that's for. Maybe they are paying another $1.20 or so tipping fee to the company that is burning tires. I don't know what for.

Then there are administration fees. Well, I can understand with the RRFB, with the top-heavy, inappropriate actions they take on behalf of residents of the province having an administration fee, I can imagine that's pretty healthy. I don't know what that is at this point but I'm going to inquire and try to find out.

[Page 3501]

AN HON. MEMBER: Fifty per cent of revenue is going to go back to government . . . .

MR. COLWELL: Yes, that's right, that does. So there's money going back to government instead of to the municipalities, 50 per cent of it has changed. I mean these are all very negative things, things that don't encourage recycling and reuse and all the things we should be doing to help our environment and help jobs in Nova Scotia, because they go together. The cleaner things we can do and the more jobs we can create, the better off we're going to be.

My honourable colleague who just spoke before me talked about electronics. Well, he indicated that electronics- we're not charging enough for the recycling fee in electronics. He said the same thing about tires in an interview with - that's an NDP member - that the cure to fixing the tire problem was to put the tax up on it, the deposit that you have to pay on new tires. That was the key, charge people more money. In other words, another tax. He indicated the same thing about the electronics, charge more money, that will fix it.

Recently I watched a Discovery Channel operation of electronics recycling out of the U.S. There was the owner of this very large operation who was recycling electronics. He says it is very expensive to set up a recycling facility for electronics, and nobody would disagree with that. But he said we put the investment in it, private company put the investment in it, without a fee for recycling, no recycling fee, no deposit fees, no GST on those fees, and he said we can make money off this. They are making money, they reuse some of the electronics that come in to start with and resell them or give them to schools or other locations where they can reuse them.

He said we get the precious metals out of them. The precious metals alone pay for more than all the costs they have in the facility. They reuse the plastics. The complete operation - it showed, in general terms, how the whole thing operated and it was pretty interesting to see. I would suggest the minister maybe have a look at that program and see what can be done here in Nova Scotia to do this. Maybe we don't have enough volume here in Nova Scotia. If not, we should be looking at other places to bring the electronics and do the processing here in Nova Scotia.

That brings up another issue. I know many people have talked about this, we're paying a fee to recycle electronics, plus we're paying the GST on top of that fee. So if you're paying $1, you're paying $1.13 actual fee to recycle that product, paying it in advance.

Who gets this money? Well, the province gets most of it now that the federal government reduced the GST, so they get most of that so it increases their revenues. So everything they can do to increase their revenue means that they can have a balanced budget, they say. But it's another tax on the taxpayers, it's another burden.

[Page 3502]

So as we go through all these things and we see exactly what is transpiring. You know, the Department of Environment, I don't think, and I think the majority of Nova Scotians don't believe that they're doing what they could be doing to really help our environment. They talk about protected places in this province and they designated two new protected places, which I commend them for.

However, when we were in government some time ago, we had, I believe, 61 candidate areas and we've only designated, what, 10 or 12 so far, of 61, and they're going to achieve the 12 per cent that they set the target for, which should be set much higher. They're only at about 8.5 per cent right now. So they're going to have to get very, very busy in the next year or so and protect many more areas of natural beauty that this province has. You know that natural beauty has many things, it protects many wildlife species, it protects some of the forests, but I'm not too sure that they don't allow foresting, forest practices, clear-cutting on these protected areas. I'm not convinced of that, but I will wait to see if that transpires or if they are already clear-cut before they announce them as protected places, even though they still allow clear-cutting on wildlife sanctuaries and I can give you an example of that.

I spent many pleasant hours on the Liscomb Game Sanctuary, years ago, sport fishing. It was sort of awful to see in a game sanctuary, something that is owned by this province, clear-cut, absolutely clear-cut, and you could see nothing but just barrens, absolute barrens where there had been beautiful forests, roads cut all through everywhere and then wonder why the deer and the wildlife and everything don't prosper in those areas. It just doesn't make sense. These are the sorts of things the government really has to look at. That, I'm sure, will not be very positive for our climate change problems that we are having.

So when you look at the protected areas that the province is touting, I think they have to do a lot better job and they have to do it sooner and they have to be more committed to doing it. There are some obstacles in the way, but I think those can easily be resolved if there is a will to do it, but you have to have the will. I'm not sure this government has the will to do it.

You know, there are so many issues that we can talk about here. Oil spill cleanups. Now oil spill cleanups, it seems to me, from many people I have talked to with problems with oil spills and the way they have to clean things up - I usually get a panic call from somebody who is a next door neighbour who says there is an oil spill next door, I can smell oil somewhere but they came and did the cleanup and they say it's okay but I can still smell oil. There doesn't seem to be a clear-cut approach to these cleanups or the reporting of how this should be done, cleaned up and reported, and how you clean them up and how you know when they are done, that you have confidence that these have been cleaned up properly. Now this is an expensive proposition, to have an oil spill cleanup.

[Page 3503]

When I was on regional council there was one oil spill in particular that they identified and luckily they identified it immediately, and it was, I believe, a kilometre or two kilometres in the sewer pipe before they found it. Now, luckily, it got in the sewer system and they were able to vacuum it and clean it all out and the individual who had the oil spill - it was an oil tank in a home - didn't even realize it was leaking. It was down under their foundation. Luckily it got in the storm sewer system and they could clean it up and it saved a major problem. When they did check around the property, there wasn't much oil right on the property and none on the neighbour's. So that was a lucky one but, unfortunately, a lot of these things go undetected for a long time and then you have a serious, serious problem.

When you look at the approaches and the people who have run into these problems, and I have talked to many of them, there is no clear-cut answer to it. When you look at the reports and if someone comes in, you get a consulting company come in to do core samples, check the samples and you work through the whole process, each time it seems to be different when you are talking to the individuals. If you read the documentation they have, each time it is different. That shouldn't be the case. It should be a clear-cut, straightforward way that you document this information and you move forward.

It would give people who are unfortunately affected by these, either the person who unfortunately had the spill, or neighbours, the opportunity to know what they are in for, and to know, when they have done all the things they are supposed to do, that, indeed, they have done what they need to do to resolve their problem. But if you don't know what you have to do to resolve your problem, you can't possibly ever get it resolved. It seems to be, I don't know what it is, it seems to be a problem with the department changing targets. One time they say you have to do this to clean it up, the next time you have to do this, the next time you have to do this, and this engineer is okay this time but we don't agree with them so, therefore, we aren't going to sign off on it, and the next time it's something else. It just seems to be a tangled mess that really needs to be addressed.

I know the Auditor General has given the Department of Environment some pretty scathing report and indicated there are so many things that they have to do and do properly, that they are not doing properly and, hopefully, under one department, which is going to be for a change, a pleasant change, that indeed these things will be addressed and rectified and moved forward. But with so many new issues and so many issues that the department has to deal with, I think it is going to be many, many years, and it is going to take some really strong direction to make these things all happen and a commitment by the government as a whole that the environment in this province is really important.

You know they talk about the sustainable environment and they put the new bill in, they tout the bill and they did a big report on it the other day, and I spoke here in this House about that. We need to set long-term sustainable goals in this province toward climate change and our total environment - those are extremely important. We have to do those and we have to set realistic goals. We have to try to influence other jurisdictions to make sure that they

[Page 3504]

do the same thing, that we don't receive the benefit of their pollution as we are from the burning tires in Quebec from our tires. Again if they're talking about the sustainable change in the environment, we're not helping it by sending our tires to Quebec. So when you look at it at that standpoint, as we work toward those major goals, those long-term goals that we have to achieve, we're not doing anything for the immediate problems that we have.

Number one, if we can stop burning a litre of fuel of any type in this province, a net loss of one litre of fuel not burned in this province, we're gaining, even though it's a small gain. I can't understand why the province, directed by the department, worked with the Department of Environment, doesn't come forward with the same sort of system. It doesn't have to be the same thing as they had in the 1970s when we had this so-called oil crisis and energy crisis where we were going to run out of oil. We didn't run out yet but there was a crisis created probably by the oil companies to make more money. Regardless of that the government had enough wisdom at the time to come out with a program that would help insulate homes and improve homes and properties that would reduce the amount of fuel that's burned in the homes. That's the easiest thing we can do in an immediate basis to ensure that we reduce the amount of reliance on fuel of any type.

[8:30 p.m.]

Now, 60 per cent of our homes in the province are heated by oil. The solution was the government came out with this huge, wonderful plan under Conserve Nova Scotia - well, we can fix that because we'll put new furnaces in the house to burn more fuel, so that really was their cure. So they bought more efficient furnaces, I agree that more efficient furnaces is an improvement. But when the oil company adds money to the program too so you can buy a furnace from them to burn more of their oil you're not really gaining. It would have been a lot better instead of having the 10 per cent allowance they have for solar panels to increase that allowance to 50, 60 or 70 per cent and really do something to reduce the dependence on oil in this province. But no, we still have 60 per cent of the people in this province burning oil. The national average for oil heating in homes is 12 per cent and we're 60 per cent - five times higher than anywhere else in the country.

It really shows the government is not interested in getting rid of our dependence on oil. If we don't get rid of this dependence on oil we're going to be a long time before we ever affect climate change in this province. You know the old adage, I remember when I was going to school, supply and demand. At that time if the demand was high the price would go down, that's what they taught you in school at that time. But the reality is if the demand is high the price goes up because everybody wants it and they're willing to pay for it and that's what we have with oil today. The only way we're going to get our oil costs down and our use of oil down is by having innovative programs by governments to ensure that we get the use and dependence on these fuels down and it doesn't take much.

[Page 3505]

If each family in the province could reduce a little bit and with the help of programs, because we have a lot of people in this province who can't afford to do anything. I've got seniors in my area - and I can say everyone in this room has the exact same thing - who are very concerned about heating their homes this winter. If you have a senior with $8,000, $9,000, and $10,000 a year income - and that's real, we have a lot of seniors in this province who are in that situation and I've spoken about this before in this House. They worked all of their lives to get a modest home, they have it paid for, their husband or wife has passed away and they're trying to struggle through, maintain the home, look after themselves and heat their home through the winter months.

Indeed, we're going to come to find out this winter is probably going to be even worse than last winter. I don't have oil in my home, but when you talk $1.17 a litre now for furnace oil, $1.17 a litre, and if you've got 1,000 litres in your oil tank you need to fill, that's $1,170 - $1,170 for one oil tank. I know many people who don't have their homes well insulated and can't afford to insulate them - that's every four weeks. Now, four weeks, our winter lasts a whole lot more than four weeks. So if you could take one month, we'll just say a month is four weeks and some months are a little bit longer than four weeks, but four weeks - $1,100. So we get five months of that. So five months at $1,100 is $5,500, if the price doesn't go up.

So you're making $8,000 a year and you're faced with a $5,500 oil bill, and it probably would be more than that before it's all done. You've got to maintain your furnace on top of that, which you can't afford to do, probably not. That means the efficiency of your furnace will drop and your oil consumption will go higher. You can't afford to insulate your home because you're paying all the money in oil. You can't afford to maintain your home in any other way. So if you've got something else that happens to your home, if a window starts leaking and gets into your insulation, the value of your insulation goes down and another cost that puts your heat bill up again.

So what do you do? You turn the thermostat down lower, that works for a little while. Then the first thing you know, people are getting sick and then it's a burden on our health care system. It's just a vicious cycle. We've got to help people in these situations. We've got to help the families with two wage earners and children, who are low-income earners in this province, to look after their homes and make sure they can afford to heat their homes.

To raise a child in this province today is extremely expensive and add the cost of energy that we have to now and the fact that our economy is based on vehicles and moving around and if we don't really look after this, what's going to happen to our economy? We talk about the cost of diesel. There was some discussion in Question Period about that today. As the cost of diesel goes up, so does the cost of transporting our food and everything else we do. Everything else we do, the cost goes up. So if you add a couple of dollars on a shipment of one item, on each item a couple of dollars, that goes on the item, and you put those items up over time, we're going to be faced with very serious inflation in the next few

[Page 3506]

years if this trend in the oil industry continues and our dependence on the oil in this province continues.

So it's a vicious cycle and we've got to break this cycle. The only thing that's obvious that you can do immediately is to put a program in place to help insulate homes in this province and remove the need for oil to heat homes. We've seen the government come up with their really aggressive windmill-property tax program. It's the most aggressive thing I've ever seen. They're going to charge property tax on the label on a windmill. If the windmill says it's five kilowatts, that's what they pay property tax on. Whether the windmill is running or if it's not, it's going to be on that five kilowatts. It's regressive taxing, it's going back to the old machinery tax, which was finally eliminated, that deterred any manufacturing in this province.

So these windmills, the windmills themselves, should be property tax exempt. They should be exempt so it would encourage people to invest the money in them. Put the property taxes on the buildings associated with them and the land associated with them, but the windmills themselves should be property tax exempt. But no, the government in its great wisdom - so they give a tax credit to the people who are already in place and they decided anyone new in the industry, well, they'll have to deal with it. If we don't get serious about renewable energy in this province, with windmills and solar panels, wave energy, or anything else that innovative people can come up with, this province is going to flounder. It's going to be a major, major problem because industry operates on low-cost energy, but low-cost energy can no longer be coal that isn't burned properly and the emissions put back in the air that are very clean, we can't do that anymore today.

We have to do things that ensure that our environment is clean. We have to make sure we have renewable energy in this province and we can be leaders. We can be leaders. One of the reports that David Suzuki's foundation put out recently . . .

MR. SPEAKER: Will the honourable member please allow an introduction?

MR. COLWELL: Of course.

MR. SPEAKER: The honourable member for Dartmouth South-Portland Valley.

MS. MARILYN MORE: Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the chance to make this introduction. I draw members' attention to the west gallery where we've been joined by Kelly Wilson, who is the executive assistant to the Member of Parliament for Halifax and also is the spouse of the Official Leader of the Opposition; and Katherine Joudrey, who is the constituency assistant for the member for Halifax Fairview. The third person doesn't want to be introduced, but I just want to say that she's a long-time volunteer in Dartmouth North and we're very pleased to have them. If you'd stand and be warmly welcomed by the Legislature. (Applause)

[Page 3507]

MR. SPEAKER: Thank you. The honourable member for Preston.

MR. COLWELL: Welcome to our gallery today, it's always nice to have guests here to see these very interesting debates.

I was speaking about alternate energy in the province and it's important that we really have a proper structure and environment set up for people to invest in alternate energy. I was talking about the David Suzuki Foundation, one of the reports they did recently and they said Nova Scotia is one of the best places in the world for wind energy - in the world, not just in Canada, but in the world. We're really not exploiting that possibility as much as we could.

There have been some announcements where some windmills have been put up. It doesn't make sense, if you look at the financial burden that the windmill operators have - I'll just use windmills now for an example. It's a huge capital expense to put a windmill in place in this province. Then you're faced with the fact you can only sell the power to Nova Scotia Power, you can't sell it anywhere else, so they dictate the price you can get. Then the municipalities come along and tax the living daylights out of your windmill.

When you balance all those things out, it's really slowing down to the point, from what I understand, that some of these companies have left the province and gone other places to look, places they can invest money into wind energy. That's a shame, considering we are one of the best - if not the best - place in the world for wind energy.

Wind energy isn't the answer to everything, it definitely is not - unless we can get all types of alternate energy working together so we can truly, truly help our environment as we move forward. We have to do these things, we absolutely have to do them. It's not a matter anymore of, yes, it would be a nice thing to do, it's nice to see a windmill, it's nice to see these neat things around, but it's really important for the long term.

If we had renewable energy, such as wind energy or solar, wave energy or anything else we can use in this province, we're all going to win. We're going to be healthier. Our population will be healthier. Hopefully there will be fewer incidents of cancer and other respiratory diseases we're seeing. In our environment we have Nova Scotia Power, which is one of the worst polluters in the country.

What has the Department of Environment really done? They've set some new goals for them, they can meet the new goals just by simply burning natural gas over in Tufts Cove here in Dartmouth. That's pretty simple to do, they have all the equipment there to do it. What I understand is they're burning about 80 per cent natural gas now and 20 per cent bunker sea and they burn it based on cost - they don't burn it based on efficiency, they burn it on cost. So if bunker sea is cheaper today, they'll burn bunker sea; if the natural gas is cheaper tomorrow, they'll burn natural gas. That's exactly how they're doing it.

[Page 3508]

I don't think that's the proper way to do it for the environment. It's a good business decision for cash if you don't have to pay any penalties for having not very clean emissions coming out of your stacks right in the middle of the biggest city in Nova Scotia.

When you look at all the records that the province has done in these things, it's not a very rosy picture. I've asked many questions about who does the monitoring of the emissions from Nova Scotia Power or any of the other big operations in the province, well, they do it themselves. How do you know they're doing them properly?

I used to work in a scientific environment for many, many years. Doing testing, you want to make sure your test equipment is calibrated properly, you want to make sure you have very explicit standards set, that you can prove that you are meeting those standards, that your monitoring equipment is up to the standard and when you know, you get a reading, the reading is correct and you can back it up.

The Department of Environment, from what I can tell, on-site with the operations like Nova Scotia Power, really don't check to see if their equipment is up to date. They don't do the monitoring. The system should work that the Department of Environment should supervise all the monitoring in the facilities and the company should pay for it. They should pay for it directly, because there are quality assurance systems you could put in place to make sure that would happen. They are not expensive for the province to do and it would also protect the firms to know that if there is a problem sometime, they know what their situation was and what they had to deal with. So there are so many things that we have to do in the environment here today to do these things.

I am going to go back now to the cardboard and some of the other things that aren't easy to drop off at Enviro-Depots. Well, in my area we have a series of illegal dumps. Now these people come from all over, they found out where these places are, they are pretty easy to get to. There are no houses around so you can easily haul up with your car or your truck and dump the stuff and be gone in a few minutes. Well, the last cleanup in the area cost $140,000 for one road, one road that is about a kilometre long. Separate from that $140,000, there were hundreds of volunteer hours on top of the $140,000.

[8:45 p.m.]

It would have been a whole lot easier, a lot cheaper and made more sense if we would have had an easy process for people to get rid of that garbage. Now, I'm not proposing to take and bury it, I'm talking about taking it, recycling it, reusing it and doing whatever you can with it to make sure we don't fill up our dumps, and we shouldn't really have dumps in this province, but until we get the technology in place and the will, by government, to ensure that we don't continue with dumps, they are going to be something that we have deal with, unfortunately. When you look at all the things that are now emptied into dumps, there are

[Page 3509]

very few of those things that can't be recycled if you have the will and really put the effort forward to do it.

We are a long way from where we need to be. We have made some strides, even though Nova Scotia is touted as being one of the best recycling places in the country, that's mainly thanks to one of the predecessors or one of my former colleagues in Cabinet, Mr. Wayne Adams, who worked and took a lot of pressure for setting up the RFB and the recycling and we took a lot of pressure putting a deposit on bottles. We can take and see that those things have really worked. They have worked. But it is stalled, the whole thing is stalled and what has happened, instead of us really moving forward and proving these things as time goes on, they have actually slowed down.

There is no new innovation. The Enviro-Depots should be doing many more things. They should be taking the expired propane tanks. They are not difficult to deal with. Even if RRFB had to come along and say, okay, we're going to train the people to look after these things and we will provide to you the enclosures to put them in so they're safe until they are taken away and recycled. I recently had my propane tank refilled at a local establishment I won't name here, and they were taking the empty propane tanks. I said, what do you do with them? The gentleman replied, well, there are 10 years here that you can use the tanks, but we ship them out of the country and they're good for 20 years. They refurbish them, put them back on the shelf again and they are used for 20 years. So if there's use in another jurisdiction for 20 years, why can't we look at refurbishing these propane tanks here and using them over again as long as they are safe and they are properly regenerated into another product? Again, more jobs for Nova Scotians - really, really simple.

The price of steel today, in those tanks, it's getting to the point they are worth more for scrap almost than they are when you first purchase them. So, indeed, we want to make sure that those things don't slip through our hands and again, with the trucking costs of moving these things in and out of the province, the cost is going to go up on those and it's another thing we could do locally and help our local economy. Again, you have to have vision, you have to have foresight and you have to have a commitment to do these things. It's just not there, I haven't seen it there. You look at the cost of these things. There's been so many changes with the RRFB and it doesn't seem that cost matters anymore, they just do things. This year I didn't even bother to ask about the programs and the special funding they have for research projects. Some of them seemed really strange last year, to the point they didn't seem to make very much sense when I questioned what that project was going to do or accomplish. I didn't get a straight answer so I didn't even bother asking this year.

It was several thousands of dollars put into these programs and here we are again back to tires. Some of these programs should be put into tires and see what we can do with tires in the province to generate some more employment. Why not do this? There could be money spent, the money is there, let's use it for something that would really help our

[Page 3510]

economy. But no, we truck them to Quebec, we burn them and we get the fumes. It makes a lot of sense for climate change.

I could talk a long time about the problems I think we have in environment. I believe that people in the province and in this country are slowly starting to realize that we have to be very careful with what we do with our environment. One time people would change their oil and dump it on the ground and there it would be. People realize you can't do that anymore today and that oil can be reused and we have seen that reused in many ways. We have to do more of these things, more things that make it safer and a better future for our children, our grandchildren and our great-grandchildren. That's what we're talking about as we move forward but we have to have the commitment.

The government talks about it. They put this new sustainable environment act in and a lot of lofty goals there but most of it hasn't even been started yet. Some of the things may or may not ever happen but at least there's something there. Hopefully when the government changes after the next election, we're going to see a real commitment to the environment for a change. That's overdue and from what I'm hearing from people in the community, they can't wait to go to the polls. So it's going to be interesting when all of this transpires and goes through and we see what happens, but we have to go back to the basics. We have to go make things easier for people, we have to educate people. When we make things easy for them and we have to try to do everything we possibly can to put more jobs and more work in Nova Scotia using the resources we have. Those resources could be moved in here like the propane tanks are - they're not made here but they could be used here again. There can be all kinds of things that we can do but you have to have the imagination, the foresight and the commitment to do these things.

I know the Minister of Environment has been listening. I know it's a lot of things that have to be done in this province. This is a major commitment we have to make as Nova Scotians and as Canadians to protect our environment and continue. If we don't start using the things from the environment to create jobs here, we're not going to have very many jobs left. We've seen Moirs Candy Factory pack up and go to Mexico. We've seen TrentonWorks go to Mexico. You know one time we used to pride ourselves in this country, we were better educated and had more equipment and more technology than we had anywhere else. I can tell you when you really research the countries like Mexico and others, we used to call Third World countries at one time, their education system is good or better than ours. They are manufacturing the equipment we buy to build stuff with, so they're manufacturing capabilities are beyond ours. Then you look at the daily wage rate that they have in these countries we just simply cannot compete.

We really have to use the resources we have here. The resources we bring in to use for one thing, we can turn them into something else. Until that really starts happening our economy is going to be in jeopardy in time. It's going to take time, it's going to be slow but you take 1,400 jobs out of Moirs and over 1,000 out of TrentonWorks and all of the other

[Page 3511]

small businesses that just can't compete anymore - all of a sudden, you have a problem on your hands. They touted the other day $1.86 for every dollar that the government invested in jobs. Well again I want to remind people that when I was running a manufacturing facility, every dollar we could export we got equivalent to $7.00 back, 7 to 1. That really makes a difference so if you're talking $1.86 you're not doing very well on your investment, quite frankly.

We need to do a lot better than that, we need to make sure that we get money here in Nova Scotia to put people to work. I'm not talking about people to work at $6.00 or $7.00 or $8.00 an hour. You can train people in this province because we've got a highly motivated workforce here and I have no question about that. We can train people here to do the jobs, very high tech jobs, and ensure that they make really good money. It can add to our economy and then build homes and do all the other things that create more jobs and do the things we have to see, and to start expanding some of our rural areas, areas that the population is moving away from.

There's nothing better than to live in a really rural area where you know all your neighbours and it's a nice neighbourhood, quiet, and if you had a good job there that paid you well, I'm sure that you would not see people moving out. Indeed, you would see people moving in and that's the thing we have to do, but you have to have foresight. You have to have a vision, and you have to make that vision move forward. If you don't make that vision move forward, we're going to die as a province and we can't allow that to happen.

So with those few glowing comments for the minister, I am going to take my place. We will be supporting this bill moving forward. Again, it's good to see that the government has put the Department of Environment on its own again. It should never have been separated or never been put together with another department. Hopefully, they realize how important the environment is to Nova Scotians and move forward with the positive things that will help Nova Scotians.

MR. SPEAKER: If I recognize the honourable Minister of Environment, it will be to close debate on Bill No. 120.

The honourable Minister of Environment.

HON. MARK PARENT: Mr. Speaker, thank you for the opportunity to say a few words before I move second reading. I do want to thank the critics from the Parties opposite for sharing some of their thoughts on Bill No. 120 and on the environment. It's a pleasure to move forward with this new department that has 27 new FTEs; a dedicated deputy, which is so critical for the functioning of any department; has the climate change file now with additional resources, about $0.5 million more in climate change money on top of the climate change file and the FTEs that came forward; and about another $0.5 million in terms of the

[Page 3512]

Environmental Goals and Sustainable Prosperity Act. So it's a pleasure to move second reading of Bill No. 120.

MR. SPEAKER: The motion is for second reading of Bill No. 120. Would all those in favour of the motion please say Aye. Contrary minded, Nay.

The motion is carried.

Ordered that this bill be referred to the Committee on Law Amendments.

The honourable Deputy Government House Leader.

MR. CHUCK PORTER: Mr. Speaker, that concludes the government's business for today.

MR. SPEAKER: The honourable House Leader for the Official Opposition.

MR. FRANK CORBETT: Mr. Speaker, we will be calling for business after Question Period - Bill No. 139 and Bill No. 62. The hours tomorrow will be from 2:00 p.m. until 6:00 p.m. I say we now adjourn.

MR. SPEAKER: The motion is that the House rise to meet again tomorrow at the hour of 2:00 p.m.

Is it agreed?

It is agreed.

Would all those in favour of the motion please say Aye. Contrary minded, Nay.

The motion is carried.

We have now arrived at the moment of interruption. The adjournment debate has been chosen and announced earlier.

"Therefore be it resolved that the government conduct further research into the potentially devastating effect on the lobster industry in the province before listing cusk as a species at risk."

ADJOURNMENT

MOTION UNDER RULE 5(5)

[Page 3513]

MR. SPEAKER: The honourable member for Shelburne.

FISH & AQUACULTURE:

CUSK - ENDANGERED SPECIES STATUS

MR. STERLING BELLIVEAU: Mr. Speaker, I find it very interesting to search for a word, but we're surrounded by water, we're on the Nova Scotia sea-bound coast and we also boast of Canada's Ocean Playground. For me to be in that geographical area, I would think I question why I'm actually standing here, because a few days ago on May 6th - I'll table this resolution - I tabled a resolution that the House support fishers in rural communities requesting further review before the cusk is named an endangered species. I'll table that particular motion.

I was particularly set back, but not shocked, for us to be surrounded by water - and we talk about the sea bound coast and this is our ocean playground so we should understand that by having this particular fish on the endangered species list, the potential impact it will have on coastal communities. I was somewhat surprised, again, as the debate went through the House, we had the budget estimates the other day and the Minister of Fisheries for the government stood and explained that he was in total support of this.

So, I put that question out there - why is this lack of support - and, to me, it should be unanimous. There are three points I want to point out here tonight. The questionable science that's related to this particular committee that's been established to identify cusk as the potential to be listed on the endangered species list. I question the science of that. In fact, the fishers from Southwest Nova Scotia tell me that the science was collected by draggers.

Anybody that's familiar with groundfishing knows that a cusk is very difficult to capture in a dragged net. They're easy to catch on a line and this is usually how it's done. So, the fishermen have identified that the science is questionable. I also pointed out last week that the consultation process - in my office, there's a blackboard with a certain date on it; the date reads November 27/07. It may not have any meaning to anybody here listening to me tonight, but if you talked about that date, if you talked about that date in Southwest Nova Scotia or the people in coastal communities, it is a very important date.

[9:00 p.m.]

In fact, that was the beginning of Southwest Districts 34 and 33's lobster season. The people that go around and consult with people and ask for stakeholders' input - they suggested this was the date they wanted to have some consultations with fishers. I question that. I question how many people were in New Brunswick - not in Southwest Nova Scotia - on that given day when we all know the importance of the lobster season, especially the beginning.

[Page 3514]

If you agree with on the two previous points, that the science is correct and that the consultation process has been followed, there's one point we all must get - I'm going back to when I heard a No when I tabled that resolution. I was startled. I was startled because I don't think that member in this House understands the major economic impact that is going to have on listing the cusk as an endangered species.

The point I want to make here to the members present in the House tonight is simply the loss of the fishing ground, when you have roughly less than 1,000 boats and one-third of them, I suggest, will fish the deep waters. As the winter months approach toward Christmas, we all know the ocean starts cooling down. That one-third of those 1,000 licences in Southwest Nova Scotia, they make a decision. The decision is, are we going to go near shore or basically land our traps or are we going to go and try to be successful and we're going to try to follow the lobsters as they migrate off? A lot of them makes the decision to follow the lobsters as they migrate to deeper water.

It just so happens to be where the cusk are located. This is what's crucial, it's because it's by accident - an incidental catch, the cusk is entrapped in that particular situation. This has been going on for generations. This is not something that happened yesterday.

The other thing I want to point out is how we can be so easily overwhelmed by these conditions that almost mysteriously float down from Ottawa. I want to take you back to a particular press release that I issued on October 12, 2007, and it talks about incidental catch of sculpin, which is another fish that accidentally goes in a trap. This has been a bait fish for generations - not yesterday, this has been going on for generations. It just so happens that this year, DFO parachuted a condition in the fishermen's licence that you can no longer have sculpin in your catch and you must release them immediately. No consultation, no input from fishermen and this is one of the prize baits that all fishermen use. To me, it has no commercial value, there is no consumer who uses it for food - it's only directed toward bait.

Again, I want to table that because, to me, whoever is making these decisions needs to be held accountable. There is the point that you want to make those people - you put your job on the line and say, I'm making this decision. I'll put my job on the line when I say that this is going to have a major impact on the coastal communities in southwest Nova Scotia if this is on the endangered list. The economic impact is what we need to understand, and for that person to stand here a few days ago and say no, they do not understand that.

This is what the debate tonight is, and I suggest to the minister that by August this committee is waiting for consultation from the stakeholders, and I would be very pleased - in fact, I am going to suggest that we may want to re-table that resolution and just show that after that particular member understands all the information that we would have unanimous support of a resolution going to that committee, and when they understand that the House of Assembly has fully endorsed that this would be endangered to go down that particular route, they would get the message, and I can't emphasize this enough.

[Page 3515]

The part that I'm going to finish on, Mr. Speaker - I only have a few minutes left - if we infringe on South West Nova's fishing grounds and we basically push that fleet in by a half or one-third of their fishing grounds, we are going to have trouble. I looked around and I said, how can I explain an example of this? To me, it was obvious. If we took this particular room and we have divided it off here, basically in a reasonable manner, and we asked the governing Party now to come over and come on this particular ground here, I think we will have some chaos. I don't think we would have harmony and I think we would understand the importance of spreading that fleet out and making sure that everybody is going to have a benefit. I can tell you right now - and I will challenge anyone in this House - that this will not go in our coastal communities. What we need is unanimous support to not have that listed. What I am suggesting is that we - I think everybody gets the point about the fishing grounds here.

So I want to just thank you for the opportunity and I look forward to the minister's response to this particular topic, and I look forward to introducing that motion again in this session. I am confident that we will have unanimous support. Thank you very much.

MR. SPEAKER: The honourable member for Digby-Annapolis.

MR. HAROLD THERIAULT: Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank the member for Shelburne for bringing this topic up. "Therefore be it resolved that the government conduct further research into the potentially devastating effect on the lobster industry in the province before listing cusk as a species at risk."

Mr. Speaker, I have fished all my life - the same as the member for Shelburne has - and probably close to forty years in the fishery. When this is talked about, the cusk, DFO using this fish as a tool of some sort, I believe, to control maybe the fishermen - and this is what the fishermen believe because when they say it is a species at risk, they call it a joke. Forty years ago when I started fishing, I fished from Emerald Bank to Georges Bank to the head of the Bay of Fundy, longlining and in the groundfish fish dragging too.

Thirty five years ago you could go anywhere with a fish dragger, the same as the honourable member for Shelburne mentioned. You could probably in a whole trip, especially fishing for hake in the deep water, you couldn't catch in a dragger a few hundred pounds of cusk the whole trip. I believe it is a hard fish to catch in a net. Never, even up in the deep waters in the Bay of Fundy, we used to fish off there and longline for hake - you could never catch any amount of cusk, even on hook and line. You would get the few scattered here and there, it's all the cusk there ever was.

About the last few years that I lobster-fished in the Bay of Fundy in the deep water - approximately five, six, seven years ago, before I came here, Mr. Speaker - you could pick up 50 to 100 pounds of cusk a day in that deep water. Well today in that deep water - and I talk to my son nearly every night and he fills me in about the fishing that he's doing that day,

[Page 3516]

and he tells me exactly to the pound what he catches and where he catches them - today they're catching up to 200, 250 pound of cusk in that deep water, more so than when I was at it. So, today, there seems to be more cusk around the bottom than there ever was before, and this is not coming from the general fishermen - this is coming from my sons, that I know every night just exactly what they caught. They can take me through the whole trip all day and I feel like I've been there, I even feel a little seasick when they're telling me about it. So I believe that, I truly believe that.

It's something that the Department of Fisheries and Oceans is using to help control what fisherman are doing and where. There's not one fishermen on this coast who will tell you any different or believe any different. It's some kind of a control. Now if DFO was smart in Ottawa, they would have picked a couple of fish. I would have picked a white hake, because I fished all my life and you could get boatloads of hake anywhere. I challenge you to go to the Bay of Fundy, go to Georges Bank, go to Emerald Bank and see if you can come back in with 1,000 pounds of white hake after three or four days fishing. They're not there. So they should use the white hake as a species at risk. Maybe I shouldn't give them these ideas because they might come up with that next, but if they do, this is recorded.

I would have gone after the catfish for an endangered species. I see us on Browns Bank and those holes have tows of 15,000 to 18,000 pounds of catfish - wolffish they're called, big grey ones. I challenge anybody - DFO with the little dragger they use - to go find a catfish in the Scotia Fundy region. Now, I challenge them to that tonight. I'll find more cusk, a lot more cusk than I will a catfish, and I'll find a lot more cusk than I will white hake, but for some reason they picked this cusk, because they didn't know what they were doing when they picked it. I can prove, my boys can prove, and fishermen can prove, that the cusk out there is not endangered. Why don't they go after salmon, wild salmon? Aren't they endangered? Why aren't they shutting the rivers off?

If the Department of Fisheries and Oceans wants to do something, they better look at the seal population off of Nova Scotia - 400,000 grey seals off the coast of Nova Scotia. I'm going to use a little figure of 20 pounds per day they're eating, and they like cusk too. You don't want to think that those grey seals don't like cusk because they do. They're quite a delicacy, there's nothing wrong with a cusk, and they will go after it. They are eating 20 pounds a day a piece, that's eight million pounds a day that the grey seals out off this coast tonight on our lobster grounds are eating. Eight million pounds today, since daylight this morning until daylight tomorrow morning, eight million pounds of fish will be gone.

The whole fishing industry and the cusk wouldn't catch - would they catch 5,000 pounds a day? Three-quarters of those, my boys catch them in the shallower water, they're not hurt, it doesn't break their sound in the shallower water, so they throw them back over and away they take off, just like an eel. So the fishermen call this a joke, well, that's how I'm kind of telling it, Mr. Speaker, because that's the way it is. It's not really a joke, but to them it's a joke. Why would the Department of Fisheries and Oceans do something like that - to

[Page 3517]

pick this cusk so they can control where the lobster fit, the only good fishery left in South West Nova from Halifax around to Digby, that there is that a half-decent living that can be made. In the great wisdom, that Department of Fisheries and Oceans in Ottawa wants to get better control of that to slow that up a little more.

That is in reality, I believe- not me, that is what every fisherman in South West Nova believes and every one will tell you that, that this is going on. It's got nothing to do with that cusk, it's something they are using for that control over how those people are fishing that bottom, out to the 50-mile line, to catch their lobster. As the member for Shelburne said, if they shove them all inshore out of that area, it's going to be a disaster to the inshore fishery, the lobster fishery of Nova Scotia. The lobster fishery is two-thirds of what keeps Nova Scotia coastal communities going and DFO wants to get control of that somehow, they don't know how else right yet to get control of that. They can't do it through the licensing, everything is good there. We have quota traps, we have a quota of time on, that we can do that fishery so there has to be another way they can get better control. So they are going to use this cusk to try to do that and there is not a fisherman around this coast who doesn't believe that.

[9:15 p.m.]

Mr. Speaker, I think the only endangered thing in our waters right now, other than a few groundfish that are left in our coastal waters- and I'm sure that the fishermen are not going to hurt that because there is nobody out there directly fishing for groundfish anymore. So what is going to happen there is the seals are going to keep that down so bad until something happens to the seals, which it will, I believe, nature will do something there in time to bring that herd down. It did it in Europe at one time, where 95 per cent died off and after that happened, the groundfish came back again.

So I think we have to go through that here, but in the meantime, if DFO has their way, before that groundfish ever returns to this province, the only thing I can see endangered right now, on the waters of the Scotia Fundy region, is the fishermen themselves. They are an endangered species and I can see it coming. It scares me so. I have three boys in the fishery who are earning a half-decent living in the lobster fishery and I'm afraid they are going to lose that. So with that, Mr. Speaker, I will take my place and thank you very much.

MR. SPEAKER: The honourable Minister of Fisheries and Aquaculture.

HON. RONALD CHISHOLM: Mr. Speaker, it is great to be able to stand in my place tonight to speak about this very important topic that has been brought forward by the member for Shelburne. I know the member for Shelburne is very passionate about the fishery, as well

[Page 3518]

as the member for Digby-Annapolis. Both those guys, I know, have been involved in the fishery, have been fishermen all their lives, very successful fishermen and it's great for me, as the Minister of Fisheries and Aquaculture for the province, to have both of those guys as critics for the fishery. I certainly respect their input. I know my staff certainly appreciate the input that they give me and the department on issues dealing with the fishery.

Mr. Speaker, getting back to the issue of the cusk and the possibility of that being designated as an endangered species and what it will do to our fishery in the Province of Nova Scotia, I certainly agree with both those members as to the devastation that it could probably cause to the lobster fishery.

As you know, Mr. [Deputy] Speaker, your area, the area you represent of Clare, the fishery is one of the most important things in that riding. I know in Digby the fishery is the most important thing as well as in Shelburne and I can go to many other ridings. My colleague, the member for Yarmouth, is another one. The member for Pictou West, the member for Pictou East, the member for Queens, all of us, the member for Richmond on this side, we all represent - and I do in Guysborough and Sheet Harbour as well, a big part of my riding right now is the inshore fishery and the lobster fishery, basically the only fishery.

I tend to agree with my colleague, the member for Digby-Annapolis, when he talked so passionately about the seal population. As he has said, we know that there are over 400,000 grey seals in eastern Nova Scotia as well as down the South Shore now. You can see them down through there. It's my opinion, I guess, and the opinion of quite a few people, that unless we do something with the grey seal population, the fishery will never recover. In one of my communities, Canso, 16 years ago, back in the early 1990s when they put the moratorium on the fishery down there, we had a fish plant that probably employed 800 people. Today that plant has been demolished, torn down.

So, you know, at that time I can recall I was on the council for the District of St. Marys and had attended many meetings down in Canso. At that time, I know DFO and the science was all indicating that in five years, in three to five years time, the fishery will be back, the cod fishery will be back and it will be business as usual again but, Mr. Speaker, that hasn't happened. It did not recover. The cod fishery down in eastern Nova Scotia has absolutely not recovered. The haddock fishery that we had down there is a small, stunted haddock, so that's basically out of business and what fish there is, it's so full of cod worm that it's not worth anything. So, you know, we do have a problem and I know we've tried to get some kind of a fishery or a harvest with grey seals, we have to work at that. We have to make sure that we go further with that.

So until something is done, I believe, with the grey seals, the cod fishing will definitely not recover. It's really too bad because there were a lot of people from one end of Nova Scotia to the other whose lives depended on these fish plants and what we've done. I can just see the devastation in that community of Canso right now with the fishery not

[Page 3519]

coming back, boats tied to the wharf. But we're fortunate, Mr. Speaker, we have a very vibrant lobster fishery in that side of the province now, down the Eastern Shore, down through Guysborough County, right to the Strait of Canso. It's probably the best we've had in 25 to 30 years, the lobster fishery in that area now. There are catches of 1,000 pounds a day and more that fishermen are getting. The last three years, the lobster fishery in that area. has been very, very vibrant.

South West Nova is another area where the lobster fishery is very important. We have, I don't know, a large number, the largest number of licences in the province- I just forget the number now - in South West Nova Scotia and the lobster fishery has been a very important part of South West Nova for hundreds of years. So we know, as a department, our officials know, I know and our government knows that the lobster fishery right now is probably the most important fishery that we have. The lobster fishery right now is worth probably about $400 million a year in export sales in total for the province. I guess the fishery now, in export sales, is the second largest export that we have. It was number one for a number of years but we were overtaken by natural gas a couple years ago and they now have the highest export value of any commodity that we have in the Province of Nova Scotia, but our fishery is still second.

Mr. Speaker, you know, I totally agree with my colleague, the member for Shelburne, when he says that they're not convinced that the science was accurate. It's my information that during the time they did their survey, a lot of the survey was done on sand bottom and if you're a fisherman, or you're involved in the fishery, you would know that the cusk does not live on sand bottom, it lives on rocky bottom, rough bottom, where our lobster live. The fear is if the cusk is identified as an endangered species that the province, or the lobster fishery will have to go to permits in order to be able to fish and fish lobster in those areas.

That is very much a concern for us. My officials are part of the Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada, which will make the decision. It's really not DFO, I guess the decision from that committee will go to DFO for a decision.

My staff have been involved in many of those meetings, pretty well all of those meetings that have taken place. They are monitoring the situation on a daily basis and they will do whatever they can. They have indicated, have recognized, that the lobster fishery will be definitely hurt if that is an endangered species. As I said before, and as the members for Shelburne and Digby have said, we're not convinced the science has been what it should be. We would like to see more science done before any decisions are made. We also want to see that the industry is made aware of what has happened and what is happening. We have, and we will continue to request DFO not include cusk as an endangered species.

Mr. Speaker, I guess we know exactly how important the lobster fishery is to us, the ground fishery in South West Nova, such as it is, we do know that it is going down, so we

[Page 3520]

will make every representation, every effort to make sure we have all the evidence in place before the cusk is identified as an endangered species.

I look forward to the input from both my colleagues on the other side, as well as the member for Yarmouth, Richmond, or any of our coastal communities that have an interest in this issue. I look forward to working with them in the future and we'll continue to make sure that the science is right, at least. From the information that I have and the information my staff have relayed back to me from those meetings, we do not have the proper science and more needs to be done.

With that, I will take my place and thank you for the opportunity to say a few words tonight.

MR. SPEAKER: Thank you. I would like to thank all the honourable members for having taken part in tonight's late debate. The motion for adjournment has been made.

The House stands adjourned until 2:00 p.m. tomorrow.

[The House rose at 9:26 p.m.]

[Page 3521]

NOTICES OF MOTION UNDER RULE 32(3)

RESOLUTION NO. 3142

By: Hon. Ronald Chisholm (Fisheries and Aquaculture)

I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas Municipality of St. Marys' resident Robert Kelly plays a critical role in volunteer activities in the Municipality of St. Marys and was one of almost 70 volunteers from across Nova Scotia recognized in late April at Nova Scotia's 34th Provincial Volunteer Awards Ceremony and Luncheon; and

Whereas Robert is genuinely dedicated as he runs a volunteer taxi from the Highcrest Nursing Home Tuesday evenings for carpet bowling in Sherbrooke, on Wednesday nights his cab rolls for darts while also running the Sherbrooke to Antigonish route on a weekly basis taking a group to bowling followed by lunch; and

Whereas Robert Kelly is also a Trustee and Elder of the St. John's United Church and an active member of the St. Marys' River Association;

Therefore be it resolved that all members of this House express our gratitude to Robert Kelly of the Municipality of St. Marys in Guysborough County for his dynamic community spirit and countless hours of volunteer work in being recognized as the Municipality of St. Marys' Representative Volunteer at the 2008, 34th Annual Nova Scotia Volunteer Awards Ceremony and Luncheon.

RESOLUTION NO. 3143

By: Hon. Richard Hurlburt (Energy)

I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas the National Youth 5-Pin Bowling Championships were held in Alberta's Capital City of Edmonton, May 3-5; and

Whereas Brandon Madden captured a gold medal for Nova Scotia in only his second appearance at the National Youth 5-Pin Bowling Championships and has been involved in the sport for seven years; and

[Page 3522]

Whereas after winning the 2008 provincial championship in March in his age category, 12-year old Brandon, a Grade 7 student at Barrington High, finished with a five game total score of 1127, an average score of 225.63 per game, with his high being 351;

Therefore be it resolved that all members of this House of Assembly commend Barrington High School student Brandon Madden for his gold medal win in the 2008 Canadian Youth 5-Pin Bowling Championships.

RESOLUTION NO. 3144

By: Hon. Richard Hurlburt (Energy)

I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas Yarmouth resident Tootsie Emin is one of almost 70 volunteers from across Nova Scotia, recognized back on April 24 at Nova Scotia's 34th Provincial Volunteer Awards Ceremony and Luncheon; and

Whereas Ms. Emin was named the Town of Yarmouth's 2008 Volunteer Representative for her diligent work with Yarmouth Big Brothers, Big Sisters, with this year marking her 19th consecutive one, that she assisted with the television auction, raising $20,000 in the process; and

Whereas Tootsie is also an ardent volunteer with the Yarmouth Hospital Campaign and donates many of her paintings for various fundraising initiatives;

Therefore be it resolved that all members of this House express our profound thanks to Yarmouth's Tootsie Emin for her outstanding volunteer ethic and deserving accolade at the 2008, 34th Annual Nova Scotia Volunteer Awards Ceremony and Luncheon.

RESOLUTION NO. 3145

By: Hon. Richard Hurlburt (Energy)

I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas Municipality of Yarmouth resident Gary Archibald plays an integral role in volunteer activities in Yarmouth County and was one of almost 70 volunteers from across Nova Scotia recognized in late April at Nova Scotia's 34th Provincial Volunteer Awards Ceremony and Luncheon; and

[Page 3523]

Whereas Gary Archibald is presently Chairman of the Board of the Western Counties Regional Library and has served as a volunteer with the library for more than two decades, as well as serving as President of the Canadian Library Trustees Association, Executive Director of the Library Boards Association of Nova Scotia and serving as President, Secretary and Treasurer of the Library Board Association of Nova Scotia; and

Whereas Gary is also involved with other volunteer activities such as his work with the Yarmouth County Historical Society and Museum, the Yarmouth Mariners Centre Management Board and the Yarmouth Industrial Commission;

Therefore be it resolved that all members of this House express our gratitude to Gary Archibald of Rockville, Yarmouth County, for his dynamic community spirit and countless hours of volunteer work in being recognized as the Municipality of Yarmouth's Representative Volunteer at the 2008, 34th Annual Nova Scotia Volunteer Awards Ceremony and Luncheon.

RESOLUTION NO. 3146

By: Hon. Richard Hurlburt (Energy)

I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas the National Youth 5-Pin Bowling Championships were held in the Alberta Provincial Capital of Edmonton, May 3-5; and

Whereas Chelsea Goulden, a Grade 9 student at Shelburne High, who has been involved in the sport for eight years and participated in national competition a number of times, placed fifth this year in her age bracket; and

Whereas after winning the 2008 provincial championship in March, 15-year old Chelsea finished with a five game total score of 1160, an average score of 228.67 per game, with her high being 330;

Therefore be it resolved that all members of this House of Assembly compliment Shelburne High's Chelsea Goulden for another incredible performance in the 2008 Canadian Youth 5-Pin Bowling Championships.

[Page 3524]

RESOLUTION NO. 3147

By: Hon. Richard Hurlburt (Energy)

I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas the National Youth 5-Pin Bowling Championships were held in the Alberta's Capital City of Edmonton, May 3-5; and

Whereas Shelburne County youth put on a remarkable display at the 2008 event; and

Whereas after winning the 2008 provincial championship in March in her age category, nine-year old Leanne Goodick, a Grade 3 student at Hillcrest Academy, competed nationally in this 5-Pin tournament for the first time, and finished with an average score of 133.18 in 22 games, including a game high of 173;

Therefore be it resolved that all members of this House congratulate and applaud the outstanding athletic achievement of Hillcrest Academy's Leanne Goodick for her 12th place finish in the 2008 Canadian Youth 5-Pin Bowling Championships.

RESOLUTION NO. 3148

By: Hon. Richard Hurlburt (Energy)

I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas the National Youth 5-Pin Bowling Championships were held in the Alberta's Capital City of Edmonton, May 3-5; and

Whereas Shelburne County youth bowled with passion and determination at the 2008 event; and

Whereas after winning the 2008 provincial championship in March in his age category, 10-year old Brendan Balcom, a Grade 4 student at Hillcrest Academy, competed nationally for the first time, finishing with an average score of 170.9 in 22 games, including a game high of 258;

Therefore be it resolved that all members of this House applaud the outstanding athletic accomplishment of Grade 4 Hillcrest Academy student Brendan Balcom for his 7th place overall finish in his age b racket in the 2008 Canadian Youth 5-Pin Bowling Championships.

[Page 3525]

RESOLUTION NO. 3149

By: Hon. William Dooks (Tourism, Culture and Heritage)

I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas 11-year old Brianna Brunt of Jeddore had her hair cut to donate to Wigs for Kids; and

Whereas Wigs for Kids provides wigs for children who have lost their hair due to cancer treatment; and

Whereas it takes 15 ponytails to make one wig, with Brianna growing her hair for three years to get the necessary 10 inches;

Therefore be it resolved that all members of this House applaud the contribution of Jeddore's Brianna Brunt for her thoughtfulness and generosity and wish her every continued success.

RESOLUTION NO. 3150

By: Hon Michael Baker (Finance)

I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas volunteers make an enormous contribution to their communities and to the lives of their fellow citizens; and

Whereas Betty Eisnor has given freely and eagerly of her time to help out as a volunteer with the Martins River Fire Commission and within her community for many years; and

Whereas the Municipality of the District of Lunenburg has recognized Betty Eisnor for her hard work and generosity;

Therefore be it resolved that all members of this House of Assembly congratulate Betty Eisnor on being honoured by the Municipality of the District of Lunenburg for her volunteer work on behalf of the Martins River Fire Commission and on behalf of her community.

[Page 3526]

RESOLUTION NO. 3151

By: Hon. Michael Baker (Finance)

I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas the Nova Scotia Community College, Lunenburg Campus, has an excellent Tourism Management and Culinary Arts Program; and

Whereas for the past 10 years, Tourism Management and Culinary Arts students have organized a Gala Dinner to showcase their talents; and

Whereas the proceeds from ticket sales from this year's event totalled $1,500, of which $600 was donated to the local Kinsmen and the remainder to the Tourism and Culinary Arts Scholarship fund;

Therefore be it resolved that all members of this House of Assembly congratulate the Nova Scotia Community College, Lunenburg Campus, Tourism Management and Culinary Arts students on hosting their 10th successful Gala Dinner.

RESOLUTION NO. 3152

By: Mr. Sterling Belliveau (Shelburne)

I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas Chelsea Goulden, who attends Grade 9 at the Shelburne Regional High School in Shelburne County, placed 5th in Canada at the National 5-Pin Bowling Tournament held in Edmonton, May 3 to 5, 2008; and

Whereas Chelsea has been bowling for eight years and holds an average of 208.5 and has a five game total of 1160 while earning the Provincial Champ title of March 1, 2008; and

Whereas at the National Championships she finished with an average of 228.67 in 24 games having a high game of 330;

Therefore be it resolved that this House of Assembly congratulate Chelsea Goulden of Shelburne County for placing fifth in Canada at the National 5-Pin Bowling Tournament held in Edmonton on May 3 to 5, 2008, and wish her best wishes with her future bowling endeavours.

[Page 3527]

RESOLUTION NO. 3153

By: Mr. Sterling Belliveau (Shelburne)

I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas Leanne Goodick attends Grade 3 at the Hillcrest Academy in Shelburne County and placed 12th in Canada at the National 5-Pin bowling tournament held in Edmonton May 3 to 5, 2008; and

Whereas Leanne has been bowling for four years and holds an average of 127.1 and has a five game total of 640 has earned the Provincial Champ title of March 1, 2008; and

Whereas this being the first time to the National Championships, Leanne Goodick finished with an average of 133.18 in 22 games having a high game of 173;

Therefore be it resolved that this House of Assembly congratulate Leanne Goodick of Shelburne County for placing 12th in Canada at the National 5-Pin bowling tournament held in Edmonton on May 3 to 5, 2008, and extend best wishes to her in future bowling endeavours.

RESOLUTION NO. 3154

By: Mr. Sterling Belliveau (Shelburne)

I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas Brendan Balcom, who attends Grade 4 at the Hillcrest Academy in Shelburne County, placed seventh in Canada at the National 5-Pin bowling tournament held in Edmonton May 3 to 5, 2008; and

Whereas Brendan has been bowling for four years and holds an average of 159.1 and has a five game total of 895 while earning the Provincial Champ title of March 1, 2008; and

Whereas this being the first time to the National Championships he finished with an average of 170.9 in 22 games with a high game of 258;

Therefore be it resolved that this House of Assembly congratulate Brendan Balcom of Shelburne County for placing seventh in Canada at the National 5-Pin bowling tournament held in Edmonton on May 3 to 5, 2008. Best wishes in future bowling endeavours.

[Page 3528]

RESOLUTION NO. 3155

By: Mr. Sterling Belliveau (Shelburne)

I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas Brandon Madden who attends Grade 7 at the Barrington Municipal High School in Shelburne County, brought home the gold and earned #1 Champion in Canada at the National 5-Pin bowling tournament held in Edmonton May 3 to 5, 2008; and

Whereas Brandon has been bowling for seven years and holds an average of 194.5 and has a five game total of 1127 while earning the Provincial Champ title of March 1, 2008; and

Whereas this being the second time to the National Championships he has finished with an average of 225.63 in 24 games and a high game of 351;

Therefore be it resolved that this House of Assembly congratulate Brandon Madden of Shelburne County for bringing home the gold and for earning #1 Champion in Canada at the National 5-Pin bowling tournament held in Edmonton May 3 to 5, 2008, and wish him all the best with future bowling endeavours.

RESOLUTION NO. 3156

By: Mr. Chuck Porter (Hants West)

I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas 25 months ago in April of 2006, a group of six enthusiastic music students in Windsor-West Hants realized they wanted more out of music than what was offered in school and formed a jazz band; and

Whereas they named their band Easily Distracted, and have received genuine superlative instruction from Windsor-West Hants Bank Music icon Brian Johnston; and

Whereas Windsor's Patrick Lynch simply enjoys everything percussion-related and, in addition to being a member of Easily Distracted, takes part in the Nova Scotia Honours Jazz Program and enjoys watching the precision drumming group Squid and someday hopes to become a scientist;

[Page 3529]

Therefore be it resolved that all members of this House congratulate Patrick Lynch of Windsor for his exceptionally talented percussion abilities while wishing him every future success.

RESOLUTION NO. 3157

By: Mr. Chuck Porter (Hants West)

I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas it was back in April 2006 when a group of six young students in Windsor-West Hants decided they wanted more out of music than what was offered in school and undertook to form a jazz band of their own; and

Whereas their band became known as Easily Distracted and they have received superlative guidance and leadership from retired music teacher Brian Johnston; and

Whereas Martock's Cailun Campbell plays bass in Easily Distracted and won the 2007 Student Recognition Award from the Nova Scotia Band Association;

Therefore be it resolved that all MLAs in this Legislature commend Cailun Campbell for his tremendous bass musical abilities and wish him every future success in music and career choices.

RESOLUTION NO. 3158

By: Hon. William Dooks (Tourism, Culture and Heritage)

I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas volunteers like Myles Faulkner from Musquodoboit Harbour Volunteer Fire Department are a tremendous asset to our rural communities; and

Whereas through professional training Myles Faulkner has gained the knowledge and skills necessary to save lives and properties during times of fires and emergency; and

Whereas with the efforts and sacrifice of volunteers like Myles Faulkner we can build strength in our communities;

Therefore be it resolved that all members of this House applaud the contributions of Myles Faulkner and wish him continued success.

[Page 3530]

RESOLUTION NO. 3159

By: Hon. William Dooks (Tourism, Culture and Heritage)

I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas Tyler Gavas is a volunteer with the Musquodoboit Harbour Fire Department; and

Whereas Tyler Gavas gives up his family and personal time to train so that he is equipped and ready to answer the call of duty; and

Whereas without volunteers like Tyler Gavas our communities would be at a loss;

Therefore be it resolved that all members of this House applaud the contributions of Tyler Gavas and wish him continued success.

RESOLUTION NO. 3160

By: Hon. William Dooks (Tourism, Culture and Heritage)

I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas rural fire departments like Musquodoboit Harbour Volunteer Fire Department depend on people like Daryl Hayes; and

Whereas skilled individual volunteers like Daryl Hayes obtain the training needed to be able to serve his community; and

Whereas our volunteers give of themselves selflessly;

Therefore be it resolved that all members of this House applaud the contributions of Daryl Hayes and wish him continued success.

RESOLUTION NO. 3161

By: Hon. William Dooks (Tourism, Culture and Heritage)

I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

[Page 3531]

Whereas the Eastern Shore relies on volunteers like Michelle Dauphinee from the Musquodoboit Harbour Volunteer Fire Department; and

Whereas through the dedication and volunteer efforts of people like Michelle Dauphinee our communities can feel safe; and

Whereas volunteers give of themselves to undergo the training that is required to successfully answer emergency calls;

Therefore be it resolved that all members of this House applaud the contributions of volunteers like Michelle Dauphinee and wish them continued success.

RESOLUTION NO. 3162

By: Hon. William Dooks (Tourism, Culture and Heritage)

I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas Musquodoboit Harbour Volunteer Fire Department is supported through volunteers like Andrew Higginbotham; and

Whereas through skilled individuals Andrew Higginbotham is able to obtain the training necessary to successfully answer emergency calls; and

Whereas with volunteers like Andrew Higginbotham our communities can feel assured that they are in good hands;

Therefore be it resolved that all members of this House applaud the contributions of Andrew Higginbotham and wish him continued success.

RESOLUTION NO. 3163

By: Hon. William Dooks (Tourism, Culture and Heritage)

I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas Musquodoboit Harbour Volunteer Fire Department is supported through volunteers like Eugene Justason; and

[Page 3532]

Whereas through skilled individuals Eugene Justason is able to obtain the training necessary to successfully answer emergency calls; and

Whereas with volunteers like Eugene Justason our communities can feel assured that they are in good hands;

Therefore be it resolved that all members of this House applaud the contributions of Eugene Justason and wish him continued success.

RESOLUTION NO. 3164

By: Hon. William Dooks (Tourism, Culture and Heritage)

I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas Musquodoboit Harbour Volunteer Fire Department is supported through volunteers like Luke Lachance; and

Whereas through skilled individuals Luke Lachance is able to obtain the training necessary to successfully answer emergency calls; and

Whereas with volunteers like Luke Lachance our communities can feel assured that they are in good hands;

Therefore be it resolved that all members of this House applaud the contributions of Luke Lachance and wish him continued success.

RESOLUTION NO. 3165

By: Hon. William Dooks (Tourism, Culture and Heritage)

I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas Musquodoboit Harbour Volunteer Fire Department is supported through volunteers like Don Leavitt; and

Whereas through skilled individuals Don Leavitt is able to obtain the training necessary to successfully answer emergency calls; and

[Page 3533]

Whereas with volunteers like Don Leavitt our communities can feel assured that they are in good hands;

Therefore be it resolved that all members of this House applaud the contributions of Don Leavitt and wish him continued success.

RESOLUTION NO. 3166

By: Hon. William Dooks (Tourism, Culture and Heritage)

I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas rural fire departments like Musquodoboit Harbour Volunteer Fire Department depend on people like Kevin Leavitt; and

Whereas skilled individual volunteers like Kevin Leavitt obtain the training needed to be able to serve his community; and

Whereas our volunteers give of themselves selflessly;

Therefore be it resolved that all members of this House applaud the contributions of Kevin Leavitt and wish him continued success.

RESOLUTION NO. 3167

By: Hon. William Dooks (Tourism, Culture and Heritage)

I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas rural fire departments like Musquodoboit Harbour Volunteer Fire Department depend on people like Dave MacDonald; and

Whereas skilled individual volunteers like Dave MacDonald obtain the training needed to be able to serve his community; and

Whereas our volunteers give of themselves selflessly;

Therefore be it resolved that all members of this House applaud the contributions of Dave MacDonald and wish him continued success.

[Page 3534]

RESOLUTION NO. 3168

By: Hon. William Dooks (Tourism, Culture and Heritage)

I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas rural fire departments like Musquodoboit Harbour Volunteer Fire Department depend on people like John Nangreaves; and

Whereas skilled individual volunteers like John Nangreaves obtain the training needed to be able to serve his community; and

Whereas our volunteers give of themselves selflessly;

Therefore be it resolved that all members of this House applaud the contributions of John Nangreaves and wish him continued success.

RESOLUTION NO. 3169

By: Hon. William Dooks (Tourism, Culture and Heritage)

I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas rural fire departments like Musquodoboit Harbour Volunteer Fire Department depend on people like Daniel Negus; and

Whereas skilled individual volunteers like Daniel Negus obtain the training needed to be able to serve his community; and

Whereas our volunteers give of themselves selflessly;

Therefore be it resolved that all members of this House applaud the contributions of Daniel Negus and wish him continued success.

RESOLUTION NO. 3170

By: Hon. William Dooks (Tourism, Culture and Heritage)

I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

[Page 3535]

Whereas rural fire departments like Musquodoboit Harbour Volunteer Fire Department depend on people like Dave Reynolds; and

Whereas skilled individual volunteers like Dave Reynolds obtain the training needed to be able to serve his community; and

Whereas our volunteers give of themselves selflessly;

Therefore be it resolved that all members of this House applaud the contributions of Dave Reynolds and wish him continued success.

RESOLUTION NO. 3171

By: Hon. William Dooks (Tourism, Culture and Heritage)

I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas Christian Ruel is a dedicated volunteer of the Musquodoboit Harbour Fire Department; and

Whereas through training, Christian Ruel is able to respond quickly and skillfully to emergency calls; and

Whereas with volunteers like Christian Ruel, we can feel the strength in our community;

Therefore be it resolved that all members of this House applaud the contributions of Christian Ruel and wish him continued success.

RESOLUTION NO. 3172

By: Hon. William Dooks (Tourism, Culture and Heritage)

I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas Barbara Sochanski is a dedicated volunteer of the Musquodoboit Harbour Fire Department; and

Whereas through training, Barbara Sochanski is able to respond quickly and skillfully to emergency calls; and

[Page 3536]

Whereas with volunteers like Barbara Sochanski, we can feel the strength in our community;

Therefore be it resolved that all members of this House applaud the contributions of Barbara Sochanski and wish her continued success.

RESOLUTION NO. 3173

By: Hon. William Dooks (Tourism, Culture and Heritage)

I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas John Trider is a dedicated volunteer of the Musquodoboit Harbour Fire Department; and

Whereas through training, John Trider is able to respond quickly and skillfully to emergency calls; and

Whereas with volunteers like John Trider, we can feel the strength in our community;

Therefore be it resolved that all members of this House applaud the contributions of John Trider and wish him continued success.

RESOLUTION NO. 3174

By: Hon. William Dooks (Tourism, Culture and Heritage)

I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas James Turner is a dedicated volunteer of the Musquodoboit Harbour Fire Department; and

Whereas through training, James Turner is able to respond quickly and skillfully to emergency calls; and

Whereas with volunteers like James Turner, we can feel the strength in our community;

Therefore be it resolved that all members of this House applaud the contributions of James Turner and wish him continued success.

[Page 3537]

RESOLUTION NO. 3175

By: Hon. William Dooks (Tourism, Culture and Heritage)

I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas Garth Young is a dedicated volunteer of the Musquodoboit Harbour Fire Department; and

Whereas through training, Garth Young is able to respond quickly and skillfully to emergency calls; and

Whereas with volunteers like Garth Young, we can feel the strength in our community;

Therefore be it resolved that all members of this House applaud the contributions of Garth Young and wish him continued success.

RESOLUTION NO. 3176

By: Hon. William Dooks (Tourism, Culture and Heritage)

I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas Scott Young is a dedicated volunteer of the Musquodoboit Harbour Fire Department; and

Whereas through training, Scott Young is able to respond quickly and skillfully to emergency calls; and

Whereas with volunteers like Scott Young, we can feel the strength in our community;

Therefore be it resolved that all members of this House applaud the contributions of Scott Young and wish him continued success.

[Page 3538]

RESOLUTION NO. 3177

By: Hon. Carolyn Bolivar-Getson (Human Resources)

I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas the sport of hockey requires a lot of stamina, aggressiveness both offensively and defensively, skill, positioning and dedication as a team; and

Whereas the Bridgewater Minor Hockey Association held its annual hockey banquet to recognize individuals for their attributes and commitment to the league; and

Whereas Zachery Dowe, Bridgewater, of the Atom "B1" team received the Most Sportsmanlike Award;

Therefore be it resolved that all members of this House congratulate Zachery Dowe on this great achievement.

RESOLUTION NO. 3178

By: Hon. Carolyn Bolivar-Getson (Human Resources)

I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas the sport of hockey requires a lot of stamina, aggressiveness both offensively and defensively, skill, positioning and dedication as a team; and

Whereas the Bridgewater Minor Hockey Association held its annual hockey banquet to recognize individuals for their attributes and commitment to the league; and

Whereas Michael Mosher, Bridgewater, of the Atom "B1" team received the Most Improved Award;

Therefore be it resolved that all members of this House congratulate Michael Mosher on this great achievement.

RESOLUTION NO. 3179

By: Hon. Carolyn Bolivar-Getson (Human Resources)

[Page 3539]

I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas the sport of hockey requires a lot of stamina, aggressiveness both offensively and defensively, skill, positioning and dedication as a team; and

Whereas the Bridgewater Minor Hockey Association held its annual hockey banquet to recognize individuals for their attributes and commitment to the league; and

Whereas Jason Clarke, Bridgewater, of the Atom "B1" team received the Most Dedicated Award;

Therefore be it resolved that all members of this House congratulate Jason Clarke on this great achievement.

RESOLUTION NO. 3180

By: Hon. Carolyn Bolivar-Getson (Human Resources)

I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas the sport of hockey requires a lot of stamina, aggressiveness both offensively and defensively, skill, positioning and dedication as a team; and

Whereas the Bridgewater Minor Hockey Association held its annual hockey banquet to recognize individuals for their attributes and commitment to the league; and

Whereas Lukas Zinck, Bridgewater, of the Atom "B2" team received the Most Sportsmanlike Award;

Therefore be it resolved that all members of this House congratulate Lukas Zinck on this great achievement.

RESOLUTION NO. 3181

By: Hon. Carolyn Bolivar-Getson (Human Resources)

I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas the sport of hockey requires a lot of stamina, aggressiveness both offensively and defensively, skill, positioning and dedication as a team; and

[Page 3540]

Whereas the Bridgewater Minor Hockey Association held its annual hockey banquet to recognize individuals for their attributes and commitment to the league; and

Whereas Brad Lepine, Bridgewater, of the Atom "B2" team received the Most Improved Award;

Therefore be it resolved that all members of this House congratulate Brad Lepine on this great achievement.

RESOLUTION NO. 3182

By: Hon. Carolyn Bolivar-Getson (Human Resources)

I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas the sport of hockey requires a lot of stamina, aggressiveness both offensively and defensively, skill, positioning and dedication as a team; and

Whereas the Bridgewater Minor Hockey Association held its annual hockey banquet to recognize individuals for their attributes and commitment to the league; and

Whereas Colin Campbell, Bridgewater, of the Atom "B2" team received the Most Dedicated Award;

Therefore be it resolved that all members of this House congratulate Colin Campbell on this great achievement.

RESOLUTION NO. 3183

By: Hon. Carolyn Bolivar-Getson (Human Resources)

I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas the sport of hockey requires a lot of stamina, aggressiveness both offensively and defensively, skill, positioning and dedication as a team; and

Whereas the Bridgewater Minor Hockey Association held its annual hockey banquet to recognize individuals for their attributes and commitment to the league; and

Whereas Nick Murphy, Bridgewater, of the Bantam "B" team received the Most Sportsmanlike Award;

[Page 3541]

Therefore be it resolved that all members of this House congratulate Nick Murphy on this great achievement.

RESOLUTION NO. 3184

By: Hon. Carolyn Bolivar-Getson (Human Resources)

I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas the sport of hockey requires a lot of stamina, aggressiveness both offensively and defensively, skill, positioning and dedication as a team; and

Whereas the Bridgewater Minor Hockey Association held its annual hockey banquet to recognize individuals for their attributes and commitment to the league; and

Whereas Brad Snow, Bridgewater, of the Bantam "B" team received the Most Improved Award;

Therefore be it resolved that all members of this House congratulate Brad Snow on this great achievement.

RESOLUTION NO. 3185

By: Hon. Carolyn Bolivar-Getson (Human Resources)

I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas the sport of hockey requires a lot of stamina, aggressiveness both offensively and defensively, skill, positioning and dedication as a team; and

Whereas the Bridgewater Minor Hockey Association held its annual hockey banquet to recognize individuals for their attributes and commitment to the league; and

Whereas Craig Hungate, Bridgewater, of the Bantam "B" team received the Most Dedicated Award;

Therefore be it resolved that all members of this House congratulate Craig Hungate on this great achievement.

RESOLUTION NO. 3186

[Page 3542]

By: Hon. Carolyn Bolivar-Getson (Human Resources)

I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas the sport of hockey requires a lot of stamina, aggressiveness both offensively and defensively, skill, positioning and dedication as a team; and

Whereas the Bridgewater Minor Hockey Association held its annual hockey banquet to recognize individuals for their attributes and commitment to the league; and

Whereas Kassie Rhodenizer, Bridgewater, of the Midget Ice Sharks team received the Most Sportsmanlike Award;

Therefore be it resolved that all members of this House congratulate Kassie Rhodenizer on this great achievement.

RESOLUTION NO. 3187

By: Hon. Carolyn Bolivar-Getson (Human Resources)

I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas the sport of hockey requires a lot of stamina, aggressiveness both offensively and defensively, skill, positioning and dedication as a team; and

Whereas the Bridgewater Minor Hockey Association held its annual hockey banquet to recognize individuals for their attributes and commitment to the league; and

Whereas Courtney Whynot, Bridgewater, of the Midget Ice Sharks team received the Most Improved Award;

Therefore be it resolved that all members of this House congratulate Courtney Whynot on this great achievement.

RESOLUTION NO. 3188

By: Hon. Carolyn Bolivar-Getson (Human Resources)

I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

[Page 3543]

Whereas the sport of hockey requires a lot of stamina, aggressiveness both offensively and defensively, skill, positioning and dedication as a team; and

Whereas the Bridgewater Minor Hockey Association held its annual hockey banquet to recognize individuals for their attributes and commitment to the league; and

Whereas Annicka Stabenow, Bridgewater, of the Midget Ice Sharks team received the Most Dedicated Award;

Therefore be it resolved that all members of this House congratulate Annicka Stabenow on this great achievement.

RESOLUTION NO. 3189

By: Hon. Carolyn Bolivar-Getson (Human Resources)

I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas the sport of hockey requires a lot of stamina, aggressiveness both offensively and defensively, skill, positioning and dedication as a team; and

Whereas the Bridgewater Minor Hockey Association held its annual hockey banquet to recognize individuals for their attributes and commitment to the league; and

Whereas Travis Bishop, Bridgewater, of the Midget "B" team received the Most Sportsmanlike Award;

Therefore be it resolved that all members of this House congratulate Travis Bishop on this great achievement.

RESOLUTION NO. 3190

By: Hon. Carolyn Bolivar-Getson (Human Resources)

I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas the sport of hockey requires a lot of stamina, aggressiveness both offensively and defensively, skill, positioning and dedication as a team; and

Whereas the Bridgewater Minor Hockey Association held its annual hockey banquet to recognize individuals for their attributes and commitment to the league; and

[Page 3544]

Whereas Desmond Frier, Bridgewater, of the Midget "B" team received the Most Improved Award;

Therefore be it resolved that all members of this House congratulate Desmond Frier on this great achievement.

RESOLUTION NO. 3191

By: Hon. Carolyn Bolivar-Getson (Human Resources)

I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas the sport of hockey requires a lot of stamina, aggressiveness both offensively and defensively, skill, positioning and dedication as a team; and

Whereas the Bridgewater Minor Hockey Association held its annual hockey banquet to recognize individuals for their attributes and commitment to the league; and

Whereas Davith Taylor, Bridgewater, of the Midget "B" team received the Most Dedicated Award;

Therefore be it resolved that all members of this House congratulate Davith Taylor on this great achievement.

RESOLUTION NO. 3192

By: Hon. Carolyn Bolivar-Getson (Human Resources)

I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas the sport of hockey requires a lot of stamina, aggressiveness both offensively and defensively, skill, positioning and dedication as a team; and

Whereas the Bridgewater Minor Hockey Association held its annual hockey banquet to recognize individuals for their attributes and commitment to the league; and

Whereas Mark Creaser, Bridgewater, of the Bantam "AAA" team received the Most Sportsmanlike Award;

Therefore be it resolved that all members of this House congratulate Mark Creaser on this great achievement.

[Page 3545]

RESOLUTION NO. 3193

By: Hon. Carolyn Bolivar-Getson (Human Resources)

I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas the sport of hockey requires a lot of stamina, aggressiveness both offensively and defensively, skill, positioning and dedication as a team; and

Whereas the Bridgewater Minor Hockey Association held its annual hockey banquet to recognize individuals for their attributes and commitment to the league; and

Whereas A.J. MacKinnon, Bridgewater, of the Bantam "AAA" team received the Most Improved Award;

Therefore be it resolved that all members of this House congratulate A.J. MacKinnon on this great achievement.

RESOLUTION NO. 3194

By: Hon. Carolyn Bolivar-Getson (Human Resources)

I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas the sport of hockey requires a lot of stamina, aggressiveness both offensively and defensively, skill, positioning and dedication as a team; and

Whereas the Bridgewater Minor Hockey Association held its annual hockey banquet to recognize individuals for their attributes and commitment to the league; and

Whereas Jesse Drennan, Bridgewater, of the Bantam "AAA" team received the Most Dedicated Award;

Therefore be it resolved that all members of this House congratulate Jesse Drennan on this great achievement.

RESOLUTION NO. 3195

By: Hon. Carolyn Bolivar-Getson (Human Resources)

[Page 3546]

I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas the sport of hockey requires a lot of stamina, aggressiveness both offensively and defensively, skill, positioning and dedication as a team; and

Whereas the Bridgewater Minor Hockey Association held its annual hockey banquet to recognize individuals for their attributes and commitment to the league; and

Whereas Patrick Murphy, Bridgewater, of the Pee Wee "B" team received the Most Sportsmanlike Award;

Therefore be it resolved that all members of this House congratulate Patrick Murphy on this great achievement.

RESOLUTION NO. 3196

By: Hon. Carolyn Bolivar-Getson (Human Resources)

I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas the sport of hockey requires a lot of stamina, aggressiveness both offensively and defensively, skill, positioning and dedication as a team; and

Whereas the Bridgewater Minor Hockey Association held its annual hockey banquet to recognize individuals for their attributes and commitment to the league; and

Whereas Zach Wentzell, Bridgewater, of the Pee Wee "B" team received the Most Improved Award;

Therefore be it resolved that all members of this House congratulate Zach Wentzell on this great achievement.

RESOLUTION NO. 3197

By: Hon. Carolyn Bolivar-Getson (Human Resources)

I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas the sport of hockey requires a lot of stamina, aggressiveness both offensively and defensively, skill, positioning and dedication as a team; and

[Page 3547]

Whereas the Bridgewater Minor Hockey Association held its annual hockey banquet to recognize individuals for their attributes and commitment to the league; and

Whereas Brennan McMullin, Bridgewater, of the Pee Wee "B" team received the Most Dedicated Award;

Therefore be it resolved that all members of this House congratulate Brennan McMullin on this great achievement.

RESOLUTION NO. 3198

By: Hon. Carolyn Bolivar-Getson (Human Resources)

I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas the sport of hockey requires a lot of stamina, aggressiveness both offensively and defensively, skill, positioning and dedication as a team; and

Whereas the Bridgewater Minor Hockey Association held its annual hockey banquet to recognize individuals for their attributes and commitment to the league; and

Whereas Olivia Adams, Bridgewater, of the Pee Wee Ice Sharks team received the Most Sportsmanlike Award;

Therefore be it resolved that all members of this House congratulate Olivia Adams on this great achievement.

RESOLUTION NO. 3199

By: Hon. Carolyn Bolivar-Getson (Human Resources)

I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas the sport of hockey requires a lot of stamina, aggressiveness both offensively and defensively, skill, positioning and dedication as a team; and

Whereas the Bridgewater Minor Hockey Association held its annual hockey banquet to recognize individuals for their attributes and commitment to the league; and

Whereas Alaina Levy, Bridgewater, of the Pee Wee Ice Sharks team received the Most Improved Award;

[Page 3548]

Therefore be it resolved that all members of this House congratulate Alaina Levy on this great achievement.

RESOLUTION NO. 3200

By: Hon. Carolyn Bolivar-Getson (Human Resources)

I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas the sport of hockey requires a lot of stamina, aggressiveness both offensively and defensively, skill, positioning and dedication as a team; and

Whereas the Bridgewater Minor Hockey Association held its annual hockey banquet to recognize individuals for their attributes and commitment to the league; and

Whereas Sara Seaboyer, Bridgewater, of the Pee Wee Ice Sharks team received the Most Dedicated Award;

Therefore be it resolved that all members of this House congratulate Sara Seaboyer on this great achievement.

RESOLUTION NO. 3201

By: Hon. Carolyn Bolivar-Getson (Human Resources)

I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas the sport of hockey requires a lot of stamina, aggressiveness both offensively and defensively, skill, positioning and dedication as a team; and

Whereas the Bridgewater Minor Hockey Association held its annual hockey banquet to recognize individuals for their attributes and commitment to the league; and

Whereas Shawn Feener, Bridgewater, of the Pee Wee "A" team received the Most Sportsmanlike Award;

Therefore be it resolved that all members of this House congratulate Shawn Feener on this great achievement.

RESOLUTION NO. 3202

[Page 3549]

By: Hon. Carolyn Bolivar-Getson (Human Resources)

I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas the sport of hockey requires a lot of stamina, aggressiveness both offensively and defensively, skill, positioning and dedication as a team; and

Whereas the Bridgewater Minor Hockey Association held its annual hockey banquet to recognize individuals for their attributes and commitment to the league; and

Whereas William Richards, Bridgewater, of the Pee Wee "A" team received the Most Improved Award;

Therefore be it resolved that all members of this House congratulate William Richards on this great achievement.

RESOLUTION NO. 3203

By: Hon. Carolyn Bolivar-Getson (Human Resources)

I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas the sport of hockey requires a lot of stamina, aggressiveness both offensively and defensively, skill, positioning and dedication as a team; and

Whereas the Bridgewater Minor Hockey Association held its annual hockey banquet to recognize individuals for their attributes and commitment to the league; and

Whereas Brendan Matheson, Bridgewater, of the Pee Wee "A" team received the Most Dedicated Award;

Therefore be it resolved that all members of this House congratulate Brendan Matheson on this great achievement.

RESOLUTION NO. 3204

By: Hon. Carolyn Bolivar-Getson (Human Resources)

I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

[Page 3550]

Whereas the sport of hockey requires a lot of stamina, aggressiveness both offensively and defensively, skill, positioning and dedication as a team; and

Whereas the Bridgewater Minor Hockey Association held its annual hockey banquet to recognize individuals for their attributes and commitment to the league; and

Whereas Shaun McEachern, Bridgewater, of the Bantam "A" team received the Most Sportsmanlike Award;

Therefore be it resolved that all members of this House congratulate Shaun McEachern on this great achievement.

RESOLUTION NO. 3205

By: Hon. Carolyn Bolivar-Getson (Human Resources)

I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas the sport of hockey requires a lot of stamina, aggressiveness both offensively and defensively, skill, positioning and dedication as a team; and

Whereas the Bridgewater Minor Hockey Association held its annual hockey banquet to recognize individuals for their attributes and commitment to the league; and

Whereas Fletch Selig, Bridgewater, of the Bantam "A" team received the Most Improved Award;

Therefore be it resolved that all members of this House congratulate Fletch Selig on this great achievement.

RESOLUTION NO. 3206

By: Hon. Carolyn Bolivar-Getson (Human Resources)

I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas the sport of hockey requires a lot of stamina, aggressiveness both offensively and defensively, skill, positioning and dedication as a team; and

Whereas the Bridgewater Minor Hockey Association held its annual hockey banquet to recognize individuals for their attributes and commitment to the league; and

[Page 3551]

Whereas Doug Barrier, Bridgewater, of the Bantam "A" team received the Most Dedicated Award;

Therefore be it resolved that all members of this House congratulate Doug Barrier on this great achievement.

RESOLUTION NO. 3207

By: Hon. Carolyn Bolivar-Getson (Human Resources)

I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas over 40,000 student-athletes participate annually in school sport programs throughout the province; and

Whereas recently, the Nova Scotia School Athletic Federation held its annual celebration of School Sport Awards; and

Whereas Courtney Whynot from Park View Education Centre was the female recipient of this award;

Therefore be it resolved that all members of this House congratulate Courtney Whynot on this outstanding achievement and wish her well with her future endeavours.

RESOLUTION NO. 3208

By: Hon. Carolyn Bolivar-Getson (Human Resources)

I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas over 40,000 student-athletes participate annually in school sport programs throughout the province; and

Whereas recently, the Nova Scotia School Athletic Federation held its annual celebration of School Sport Awards; and

Whereas Zach Haughn from Park View Education Centre was the male recipient of this award;

Therefore be it resolved that all members of this House congratulate Zach Haughn on this outstanding achievement and wish him well with his future endeavours.

[Page 3552]

RESOLUTION NO. 3209

By: Hon. Carolyn Bolivar-Getson (Human Resources)

I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas over 40,000 student-athletes participate annually in school sport programs throughout the province; and

Whereas recently, the Nova Scotia School Athletic Federation held its annual celebration of School Sport Awards; and

Whereas Danielle Wentzell from Bridgewater Jr./Sr. High School was the female recipient of this award;

Therefore be it resolved that all members of this House congratulate Danielle Wentzell on this outstanding achievement and wish her well with her future endeavours.

RESOLUTION NO. 3210

By: Hon. Carolyn Bolivar-Getson (Human Resources)

I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas over 40,000 student-athletes participate annually in school sport programs throughout the province; and

Whereas recently, the Nova Scotia School Athletic Federation held its annual celebration of School Sport Awards; and

Whereas Dale Peters from Bridgewater Jr./Sr. High School was the male recipient of this award;

Therefore be it resolved that all members of this House congratulate Dale Peters on this outstanding achievement and wish him well with his future endeavours.

RESOLUTION NO. 3211

By: Hon. Carolyn Bolivar-Getson (Human Resources)

[Page 3553]

I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas over 40,000 student-athletes participate annually in school sport programs throughout the province; and

Whereas recently, the Nova Scotia School Athletic Federation held its annual celebration of School Sport Awards; and

Whereas Annicka Stabenow of Hebbville Academy was the female recipient of this award;

Therefore be it resolved that all members of this House congratulate Annicka Stabenow on this outstanding achievement and wish her well with her future endeavours.

RESOLUTION NO. 3212

By: Hon. Carolyn Bolivar-Getson (Human Resources)

I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas over 40,000 student-athletes participate annually in school sport programs throughout the province; and

Whereas recently, the Nova Scotia School Athletic Federation held its annual celebration of School Sport Awards; and

Whereas Peter Ryan of Hebbville Academy was the male recipient of this award;

Therefore be it resolved that all members of this House congratulate Peter Ryan on this outstanding achievement and wish him well with his future endeavours.

RESOLUTION NO. 3213

By: Hon. Carolyn Bolivar-Getson (Human Resources)

I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas over 40,000 student-athletes participate annually in school sport programs throughout the province; and

[Page 3554]

Whereas recently, the Nova Scotia School Athletic Federation held its annual celebration of School Sport Awards; and

Whereas Jessica Langille from New Germany Rural High School was the female recipient of this award;

Therefore be it resolved that all members of this House congratulate Jessica Langille on this outstanding achievement and wish her well with her future endeavours.

RESOLUTION NO. 3214

By: Hon. Carolyn Bolivar-Getson (Human Resources)

I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas over 40,000 student-athletes participate annually in school sport programs throughout the province; and

Whereas recently, the Nova Scotia School Athletic Federation held its annual celebration of School Sport Awards; and

Whereas Max Mertens from New Germany Rural High School was the male recipient of this award;

Therefore be it resolved that all members of this House congratulate Max Mertens on this outstanding achievement and wish him well with his future endeavours.

RESOLUTION NO. 3215

By: Hon. Carolyn Bolivar-Getson (Human Resources)

I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas teachers in particular give of themselves, above and beyond the call of duty; and

Whereas many school sports would not be possible without those teachers and coaches; and

Whereas Rene Gaudet of Bridgewater Jr./Sr. High School was the recipient of the Coaches Award during the Celebration of School Sport Awards ceremony;

[Page 3555]

Therefore be it resolved that all members of this House congratulate Rene Gaudet on this outstanding achievement.

RESOLUTION NO. 3216

By: Hon. Carolyn Bolivar-Getson (Human Resources)

I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas teachers in particular give of themselves, above and beyond the call of duty; and

Whereas many school sports would not be possible without those teachers and coaches; and

Whereas Sharon Knickle of Hebbville Academy was the recipient of the Coaches Award during the Celebration of School Sport Awards ceremony;

Therefore be it resolved that all members of this House congratulate Sharon Knickle on this outstanding achievement.

RESOLUTION NO. 3217

By: Hon. Carolyn Bolivar-Getson (Human Resources)

I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas teachers in particular give of themselves, above and beyond the call of duty; and

Whereas many school sports would not be possible without those teachers and coaches; and

Whereas Michael O'Hearon of New Germany Rural High School was the recipient of the Coaches Award during the Celebration of School Sport Awards ceremony;

Therefore be it resolved that all members of this House congratulate Michael O'Hearon on this outstanding achievement.

RESOLUTION NO. 3218

[Page 3556]

By: Hon. Carolyn Bolivar-Getson (Human Resources)

I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas teachers in particular give of themselves, above and beyond the call of duty; and

Whereas many school sports would not be possible without those teachers and coaches; and

Whereas Heather MacKinnon of Parkview Education Centre was the recipient of the Coaches Award during the Celebration of School Sport Awards ceremony;

Therefore be it resolved that all members of this House congratulate Heather MacKinnon on this outstanding achievement.

RESOLUTION NO. 3219

By: Ms. Vicki Conrad (Queens)

I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas minor hockey is such an important part of the growth of our youth and the Queens Minor Hockey Association works very hard to ensure that minor hockey plays a very large part in the development of youth in their community; and

Whereas throughout the hockey season, many games and tournaments are played both in the players' communities and in many communities in Nova Scotia; and

Whereas at the end of each successful season, the recognition of how well the game was played is recognized at the Minor Hockey Awards celebrations;

Therefore be it resolved that this House of Assembly recognize the players and coaches on the Peewee B team in Queens for their wonderful accomplishments throughout the 2007-08 season and in particular Jeremy Dalby, Most Improved; Stephen Karavos, Most Dedicated; Catherine and Mary McLennan, winners of the Wade Delong/Chris Fralic Memorial Award and congratulates them all.

RESOLUTION NO. 3220

By: Ms. Vicki Conrad (Queens)

[Page 3557]

I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas minor hockey is such an important part of the growth of our youth and the Queens Minor Hockey Association works very hard to ensure that minor hockey plays a very large part in the development of youth in their community; and

Whereas throughout the hockey season many games and tournaments are played both in the players' communities and in many communities in Nova Scotia; and

Whereas at the end of each successful season, the recognition of how well the game was played is recognized at the Minor Hockey Awards celebrations;

Therefore be it resolved that this House of Assembly recognize the players and coaches on the Peewee A team in Queens for their wonderful accomplishments throughout the 2007-08 season and in particular Kristen Gordon, Most Dedicated; Gavin Raddall, Most Improved; Bradley Murry, Most Sportsmanlike; Jack Robart, Most Improved; and Tyler Dauphinee, winner of the Walter Mosher Memorial Award and congratulate them all.

RESOLUTION NO. 3221

By: Ms. Vicki Conrad (Queens)

I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas music plays such an important role in the education and growth of our youth; and

Whereas music festivals promote and encourage the growth in music through local festivals in competitive and non-competitive classes like the Queens County Music Festival, recently held in Liverpool, Nova Scotia; and

Whereas the 63rd Annual Queens County Music Festival awards concert took place at the Astor Theatre in Liverpool, recognizing hard work and enjoyment of music;

Therefore be it resolved that this House of Assembly recognize Kieran Clattenburg for shaing the Khattar Cup for Junior Duet or Trio on the piano.

RESOLUTION NO. 3222

By: Ms. Vicki Conrad (Queens)

[Page 3558]

I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas music plays such an important role in the education and growth of our youth; and

Whereas music festivals promote and encourage the growth in music through local festivals in competitive and non-competitive classes like the Queens County Music Festival, recently held in Liverpool, Nova Scotia; and

Whereas the 63rd Annual Queens County Music Festival awards concert took place at the Astor Theatre in Liverpool, recognizing hard work and enjoyment of music;

Therefore be it resolved that this House of Assembly recognize Deena El-Ziftawi for shaing the Khattar Cup for Junior Duet or Trio on the piano.

RESOLUTION NO. 3223

By: Ms. Vicki Conrad (Queens)

I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas music plays such an important role in the education and growth of our youth; and

Whereas music festivals promote and encourage the growth in music through local festivals in competitive and non-competitive classes like the Queens County Music Festival, recently held in Liverpool, Nova Scotia; and

Whereas the 63rd Annual Queens County Music Festival awards concert took place at the Astor Theatre in Liverpool, recognizing hard work and enjoyment of music;

Therefore be it resolved that this House of Assembly recognize the Dr. John C. Wickwire Academy Choir under the direction of Andrea Crouse on receipt of the Kiwanis Trophy for the highest mark in the Elementary School Chorus category.

RESOLUTION NO. 3224

By: Ms. Vicki Conrad (Queens)

[Page 3559]

I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas music plays such an important role in the education and growth of our youth; and

Whereas music festivals promote and encourage the growth in music through local festivals in competitive and non-competitive classes like the Queens County Music Festival, recently held in Liverpool, Nova Scotia; and

Whereas the 63rd Annual Queens County Music Festival awards concert took place at the Astor Theatre in Liverpool, recognizing hard work and enjoyment of music;

Therefore be it resolved that this House of Assembly recognize Elizabeth Baker for winning the IODE Cup for Piano Junior Soloist.

RESOLUTION NO. 3225

By: Ms. Vicki Conrad (Queens)

I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas music plays such an important role in the education and growth of our youth; and

Whereas music festivals promote and encourage the growth in music through local festivals in competitive and non-competitive classes like the Queens County Music Festival, recently held in Liverpool, Nova Scotia; and

Whereas the 63rd Annual Queens County Music Festival awards concert took place at the Astor Theatre in Liverpool, recognizing hard work and enjoyment of music;

Therefore be it resolved that this House of Assembly recognize Gavin Raddall for winning a share of the Atlantic Superstore Award for Junior Soloist, Vocal (excluding Folk Song, Modern Ballad and Musical Theatre).

RESOLUTION NO. 3226

By: Ms. Vicki Conrad (Queens)

[Page 3560]

I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas music plays such an important role in the education and growth of our youth; and

Whereas music festivals promote and encourage the growth in music through local festivals in competitive and non-competitive classes like the Queens County Music Festival, recently held in Liverpool, Nova Scotia; and

Whereas the 63rd Annual Queens County Music Festival awards concert took place at the Astor Theatre in Liverpool, recognizing hard work and enjoyment of music;

Therefore be it resolved that this House of Assembly recognize Haley Colp for receiving the RICJAC Irving Mainway Trophy for Duet or Trio, vocal with her partners.

RESOLUTION NO. 3227

By: Ms. Vicki Conrad (Queens)

I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas music plays such an important role in the education and growth of our youth; and

Whereas music festivals promote and encourage the growth in music through local festivals in competitive and non-competitive classes like the Queens County Music Festival, recently held in Liverpool, Nova Scotia; and

Whereas the 63rd Annual Queens County Music Festival awards concert took place at the Astor Theatre in Liverpool, recognizing hard work and enjoyment of music;

Therefore be it resolved that this House of Assembly recognize Hannah Barnes for winning a share of the Atlantic Superstore Award for Junior Soloist, Vocal (excluding Folk Song, Modern Ballad and Musical Theatre).

RESOLUTION NO. 3228

By: Ms. Vicki Conrad (Queens)

[Page 3561]

I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas music plays such an important role in the education and growth of our youth; and

Whereas music festivals promote and encourage the growth in music through local festivals in competitive and non-competitive classes like the Queens County Music Festival, recently held in Liverpool, Nova Scotia; and

Whereas the 63rd Annual Queens County Music Festival awards concert took place at the Astor Theatre in Liverpool, recognizing hard work and enjoyment of music;

Therefore be it resolved that this House of Assembly recognize Jane Gillis for winning the Lions Cup for Senior Duet or Trio.

RESOLUTION NO. 3229

By: Ms. Vicki Conrad (Queens)

I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas minor hockey is such an important part of the growth of our youth and the Queens Minor Hockey Association works very hard to ensure that minor hockey plays a very large part in the development of youth in their community; and

Whereas throughout the hockey season, many games and tournaments are played both in the players' communities and in many communities in Nova Scotia; and

Whereas at the end of each successful season, the recognition of how well the game was played is recognized at the Minor Hockey Awards celebrations;

Therefore be it resolved that this House of Assembly recognize the players and coaches on the Atom B team in Queens for their wonderful accomplishments throughout the 2007-08 season and in particular Dennis Leblanc, Most Dedicated; Ryleigh Theriau, Most Sportsmanlike; Mandi Judge, Most Dedicated; and Tristan Robar, Most Improved and congratulate them all.

RESOLUTION NO. 3230

[Page 3562]

By: Ms. Vicki Conrad (Queens)

I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas minor hockey is such an important part of the growth of our youth and the Queens Minor Hockey Association works very hard to ensure that minor hockey plays a very large part in the development of youth in their community; and

Whereas throughout the hockey season, many games and tournaments are played both in the players' communities and in many communities in Nova Scotia; and

Whereas at the end of each successful season, the recognition of how well the game was played is recognized at the Minor Hockey Awards celebrations;

Therefore be it resolved that this House of Assembly recognize the players and coaches on the Atom A team in Queens for their wonderful accomplishments throughout the 2007-08 season and in particular Joel Deighton, Most Dedicated; Joel Orme, Most Sportsmanship; and Seth Harding, Most Improved and congratulate them all.

RESOLUTION NO. 3231

By: Ms. Vicki Conrad (Queens)

I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas music plays such an important role in the education and growth of our youth; and

Whereas music festivals promote and encourage the growth in music through local festivals in competitive and non-competitive classes like the Queens County Music Festival, recently held in Liverpool, Nova Scotia; and

Whereas the 63rd Annual Queens County Music Festival awards concery took place at the Astor Theatre in Liverpool, recognizing hard work and enjoyment of music;

Therefore be it resolved that this House of Assembly recognize Bailey Selig for sharing the Khattar Cup for Junior Duet or Trio on piano.

RESOLUTION NO. 3232

By: Ms. Vicki Conrad (Queens)

[Page 3563]

I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas minor hockey is such an important part of the growth of our youth and the Queens Minor Hockey Association works very hard to ensure that minor hockey plays a very large part in the development of youth in their community; and

Whereas throughout the hockey season many games and tournaments are played both in the players' communities and in many communities in Nova Scotia; and

Whereas at the end of each successful season, the recognition of how well the game was played is recognized at the Minor Hockey Awards celebrations;

Therefore be it resolved that this House of Assembly recognize the players and coaches on the Bantam A team in Queens for their wonderful accomplishments throughout the 2007-08 season and in particular Jeffrey Hanlon, Most Sportsmanlike; Devin Holdright, winner of Bryan Miller Memorial Award; Steven Meisner, Most Improved; and Riley Delong, Most Dedicated and congratulate them all.

RESOLUTION NO. 3233

By: Ms. Vicki Conrad (Queens)

I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas minor hockey is such an important part of the growth of our youth and the Queens Minor Hockey Association works very hard to ensure that minor hockey plays a very large part in the development of youth in their community; and

Whereas throughout the hockey season many games and tournaments are played both in the players' communities and in many communities in Nova Scotia; and

Whereas at the end of each successful season, the recognition of how well the game was played is recognized at the Minor Hockey Awards celebrations;

Therefore be it resolved that this House of Assembly recognize the players and coaches on the Peewee B team in Queens for their wonderful accomplishments throughout the 2007-08 season and in particular Rhylee Truelove, Most Dedicated; Alex Whalen, Most Improved; Thomas Raddall, winner of the Darren Butt Memorial Award; Tyler Croft, Most Sportsmanlike; and Shawn Levy, Coach of the Year Award and congratulate them all.

[Page 3564]

RESOLUTION NO. 3234

By: Ms. Vicki Conrad (Queens)

I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas music plays such an important role in the education and growth of our youth; and

Whereas music festivals promote and encourage the growth in music through local festivals in competitive and non-competitive classes like the Queens County Music Festival recently held in Liverpool, Nova Scotia; and

Whereas the 63rd Annual Queens County Music Festival awards concert took place at the Astor Theatre in Liverpool recognizing hard work and the enjoyment of music;

Therefore be it resolved that this House of Assembly recognize Bradley Crouse for winning a share of the Bowater Mersey Paper Company Cup for Senior Soloist on the piano.

RESOLUTION NO. 3235

By: Ms. Vicki Conrad (Queens)

I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas in 1995, in the Royal Canadian Legion branches in Nova Scotia, the idea to create the Call to Remembrance Program began during a Legion Pilgrimage of Remembrance by Veterans from Nova Scotia; and

Whereas the Call to Remembrance Program is a quiz program with subject matter based on Canada's participation in World War I, World War II and the Korean War; and

Whereas the Zone 13 Royal Canadian Legion Call to Remembrance Competition was held in March and saw the South Queens Junior High School Grade 9 team compete in the regional competition;

Therefore be it resolved that this House of Assembly recognize Ryan Oxner, Jordan Ingersoll, Megan Doucette, Kelsey Hatt, and teacher, Stephen Nickerson, on their Gold Medal performance in the regional competition and their 4th place finish in the provincial competition.

[Page 3565]

RESOLUTION NO. 3236

By: Ms. Vicki Conrad (Queens)

I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas music plays such an important role in the education and growth of our youth; and

Whereas music festivals promote and encourage the growth in music through local festivals in competitive and non-competitive classes like the Queens County Music Festival recently held in Liverpool, Nova Scotia; and

Whereas the 63rd Annual Queens County Music Festival awards concert took place at the Astor Theatre in Liverpool recognizing hard work and the enjoyment of music;

Therefore be it resolved that this House of Assembly recognize Jenna Manthorne received the RICJAC Irving Mainway Trophy for Duet or Trio - vocal with her partners.

RESOLUTION NO. 3237

By: Ms. Vicki Conrad (Queens)

I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas music plays such an important role in the education and growth of our youth; and

Whereas music festivals promote and encourage the growth in music through local festivals in competitive and non-competitive classes like the Queens County Music Festival recently held in Liverpool, Nova Scotia; and

Whereas the 63rd Annual Queens County Music Festival awards concert took place at the Astor Theatre in Liverpool recognizing hard work and the enjoyment of music;

Therefore be it resolved that this House of Assembly recognize Jenny Clattenburg for winning the Veinot's Footwear Limited Cup for Senior Soloist - Vocal (excluding Folk song, Modern Ballad and Musical Theatre), the Private Stock Studio Trophy for Highest Mark in Folk song, Modern Ballad, the RICJAC Irving Mainway Trophy for Duet or Trio - vocal with

[Page 3566]

her partners, a share of the Winds of Change Plaque for Senior Musical Theatre and also having been recommended for the provincial music festival.

RESOLUTION NO. 3238

By: Ms. Vicki Conrad (Queens)

I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas music plays such an important role in the education and growth of our youth; and

Whereas music festivals promote and encourage the growth in music through local festivals in competitive and non-competitive classes like the Queens County Music Festival recently held in Liverpool, Nova Scotia; and

Whereas the 63rd Annual Queens County Music Festival awards concert took place at the Astor Theatre in Liverpool recognizing hard work and the enjoyment of music;

Therefore be it resolved that this House of Assembly recognize Lincoln Inglis for winning a share of the Atlantic Superstore Award for Junior Soloist - Vocal (excluding Folk song, Modern Ballad and Musical Theatre).

RESOLUTION NO. 3239

By: Ms. Vicki Conrad (Queens)

I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas music plays such an important role in the education and growth of our youth; and

Whereas music festivals promote and encourage the growth in music through local festivals in competitive and non-competitive classes like the Queens County Music Festival recently held in Liverpool, Nova Scotia; and

Whereas the 63rd Annual Queens County Music Festival awards concert took place at the Astor Theatre in Liverpool recognizing hard work and the enjoyment of music;

Therefore be it resolved that this House of Assembly recognize the Liverpool Regional High School Chamber Choir on receipt of the Bank of Montreal Cup for Overall

[Page 3567]

Choir at the Junior or Senior High Level and the Kinsmen Shield for Overall Choir and for being recommended for the provincial music festival.

RESOLUTION NO. 3240

By: Ms. Vicki Conrad (Queens)

I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas a video contest was part of the Knowledge Fest that was held recently in Bridgewater which is a celebration of learning held over two days; and

Whereas the image of a giant hamburger squashing a person into its mouth gave the students from the entrepreneurship class at Liverpool Regional High School a second place finish in the student video competition; and

Whereas the marketing, the advertising, the artwork, and slogan "eat smart or be eaten" were all part of the entrepreneurship curriculum they were studying in school;

Therefore be it resolved that this House of Assembly recognize the Entrepreneurship Class at Liverpool Regional High School and teacher, Kristopher Snarby, for their second place finish at Knowledge Fest.

RESOLUTION NO. 3241

By: Ms. Vicki Conrad (Queens)

I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas music plays such an important role in the education and growth of our youth; and

Whereas music festivals promote and encourage the growth in music through local festivals in competitive and non-competitive classes like the Queens County Music Festival recently held in Liverpool, Nova Scotia; and

Whereas the 63rd Annual Queens County Music Festival awards concert took place at the Astor Theatre in Liverpool in recognition of participants hard work and their enjoyment of music;

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Therefore be it resolved that this House of Assembly recognize Makayla MacLeod for winning a share of the Atlantic Superstore Award for Junior Soloist - Vocal (excluding Folk song, Modern Ballad and Musical Theatre).

RESOLUTION NO. 3242

By: Ms. Vicki Conrad (Queens)

I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas music plays such an important role in the education and growth of our youth; and

Whereas music festivals promote and encourage the growth in music through local festivals in competitive and non-competitive classes like the Queens County Music Festival recently held in Liverpool, Nova Scotia; and

Whereas the 63rd Annual Queens County Music Festival awards concert took place at the Astor Theatre in Liverpool in recognition of their hard work and the enjoyment of music of all the participants;

Therefore be it resolved that this House of Assembly recognize Neil Mutsaers for winning a share of the Bowater Mersey Paper Company Cup for Senior Soloist on the piano.

RESOLUTION NO. 3243

By: Ms. Vicki Conrad (Queens)

I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas music plays such an important role in the education and growth of our youth; and

Whereas music festivals promote and encourage the growth in music through local festivals in competitive and non-competitive classes like the Queens County Music Festival recently held in Liverpool, Nova Scotia; and

Whereas the 63rd Annual Queens County Music Festival awards concert took place at the Astor Theatre in Liverpool recognizing hard work and the enjoyment of music;

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Therefore be it resolved that this House of Assembly recognize Peter Ernest for winning a share of the Bowater Mersey Paper Company Cup for Senior Soloist on the piano and winning the Lions Cup for Senior Duet or Trio - piano.

RESOLUTION NO. 3244

By: Ms. Vicki Conrad (Queens)

I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas music plays such an important role in the education and growth of our youth; and

Whereas music festivals promote and encourage the growth in music through local festivals in competitive and non-competitive classes like the Queens County Music Festival recently held in Liverpool, Nova Scotia; and

Whereas the 63rd Annual Queens County Music Festival awards concert took place at the Astor Theatre in Liverpool recognizing hard work and the enjoyment of music;

Therefore be it resolved that this House of Assembly recognize Samantha Scobey for sharing the Khattar Cup for Junior Duet or Trio on the piano.

RESOLUTION NO. 3245

By: Ms. Vicki Conrad (Queens)

I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas music plays such an important role in the education and growth of our youth; and

Whereas music festivals promote and encourage the growth in music through local festivals in competitive and non-competitive classes like the Queens County Music Festival recently held in Liverpool, Nova Scotia; and

Whereas the 63rd Annual Queens County Music Festival awards concert took place at the Astor Theatre in Liverpool recognizing hard work and the enjoyment of music;

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Therefore be it resolved that this House of Assembly recognize Sarah-Jane Stevenson for sharing the Khattar Cup for Junior Duet or Trio on the piano.

RESOLUTION NO. 3246

By: Mr. Leo Glavine (Kings West)

I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas on January 24, 2008, Joe and Christa MacKinnon welcomed quadruplets into their family, two girls and two boys - an addition to their two-year-old son; and

Whereas with this great joy also came financial burden, with estimated costs of just under $30,000 each year to cover the basics for their care; and

Whereas many people throughout the community have offered assistance to this young couple as they adjust to their new situation as parents of quadruplets;

Therefore be it resolved that members of the House of Assembly congratulate Joe and Christa MacKinnon on their healthy quadruplets and recognize the many generous people who have helped to ease their tight financial situation.

RESOLUTION NO. 3247

By: Mr. Manning MacDonald (Cape Breton South)

I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas The Old Sydney Society and Whitney Pier Historical Society are working towards reviving neighbourhoods near the Sydney tar ponds; and

Whereas the society's goal is to establish a heritage fund which would be used to purchase heritage buildings, restore them, and sell them the properties to owners interested in preserving the buildings historic qualities; and

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Whereas with funding from the Cape Breton Regional Municipality and the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation, business plans are being proposed for this important venture;

Therefore be it resolved that members of the House of Assembly recognize the efforts of The Old Sydney Society and Whitney Pier Historical Society and wish them success in restoring and protecting the history of these properties.

RESOLUTION NO. 3248

By: Mr. Leo Glavine (Kings West)

I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas the Eastern Canadian Trampoline & Tumbling Championships took place in Longueil, Quebec, May 9 to May 11, 2008; and

Whereas Nova Scotia was represented by a group of Valley tumblers coached by Laura Holland; and

Whereas Katie Currie of Windsor took part in the 2008 Eastern Canadian Trampoline & Tumbling Championships representing Nova Scotia;

Therefore be it resolved that members of this House congratulate Katie Currie for her accomplishments and wish her continued success in future endeavours.

RESOLUTION NO. 3249

By: Mr. Leo Glavine (Kings West)

I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas the Eastern Canadian Trampoline & Tumbling Championships took place in Longueil, Quebec, May 9 to May 11, 2008; and

Whereas Nova Scotia was represented by a group of Valley tumblers coached by Laura Holland; and

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Whereas Ceilidh McGean of Greenwood took part in the 2008 Eastern Canadian Trampoline & Tumbling Championships representing Nova Scotia;

Therefore be it resolved that members of this House congratulate Ceilidh McGean for her accomplishments and wish her continued success in future endeavours.

RESOLUTION NO. 3250

By: Mr. Leo Glavine (Kings West)

I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas the Eastern Canadian Trampoline & Tumbling Championships took place in Longueil, Quebec, May 9 to May 11, 2008; and

Whereas Nova Scotia was represented by a group of Valley tumblers coached by Laura Holland; and

Whereas Lauren Prost of Torbrook took part in the 2008 Eastern Canadian Trampoline & Tumbling Championships representing Nova Scotia;

Therefore be it resolved that members of this House congratulate Lauren Prost for her accomplishments and wish her continued success in future endeavours.

RESOLUTION NO. 3251

By: Mr. Leo Glavine (Kings West)

I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas the Eastern Canadian Trampoline & Tumbling Championships took place in Longueil, Quebec, May 9 to May 11, 2008; and

Whereas Nova Scotia was represented by a group of Valley tumblers coached by Laura Holland; and

Whereas Kayla Salsman of Port Williams took part in the 2008 Eastern Canadian Trampoline & Tumbling Championships representing Nova Scotia;

Therefore be it resolved that members of this House congratulate Kayla Salsman for her accomplishments and wish her continued success in future endeavours.

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RESOLUTION NO. 3252

By: Mr. Leo Glavine (Kings West)

I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas the Eastern Canadian Trampoline & Tumbling Championships took place in Longueil, Quebec, May 9 to May 11, 2008; and

Whereas Nova Scotia was represented by a group of Valley tumblers coached by Laura Holland; and

Whereas Graham Killen of Halls Harbour took part in the 2008 Eastern Canadian Trampoline & Tumbling Championships representing Nova Scotia;

Therefore be it resolved that members of this House congratulate Graham Killen for his accomplishments and wish him continued success in future endeavours.

RESOLUTION NO. 3253

By: Mr. Leo Glavine (Kings West)

I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas the Eastern Canadian Trampoline & Tumbling Championships took place in Longueil, Quebec, May 9 to May 11, 2008; and

Whereas Nova Scotia was represented by a group of Valley tumblers coached by Laura Holland; and

Whereas Sarah Calder of Port Williams took part in the 2008 Eastern Canadian Trampoline & Tumbling Championships representing Nova Scotia;

Therefore be it resolved that members of this House congratulate Sarah Calder for her accomplishments and wish her continued success in future endeavours.

RESOLUTION NO. 3254

By: Mr. Leo Glavine (Kings West)

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I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas the Eastern Canadian Trampoline & Tumbling Championships took place in Longueil, Quebec, May 9 to May 11, 2008; and

Whereas Nova Scotia was represented by a group of Valley tumblers coached by Laura Holland; and

Whereas Nicole Verstichenlen of South FarminGton took part in the 2008 Eastern Canadian Trampoline & Tumbling Championships representing Nova Scotia;

Therefore be it resolved that members of this House congratulate Nicole Verstichenlen for her accomplishments and wish her continued success in future endeavours.

RESOLUTION NO. 3255

By: Mr. Leo Glavine (Kings West)

I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas the Eastern Canadian Trampoline & Tumbling Championships took place in Longueil, Quebec, May 9 to May 11, 2008; and

Whereas Nova Scotia was represented by a group of Valley tumblers coached by Laura Holland; and

Whereas Rachel Holland of South FarminGton took part in the 2008 Eastern Canadian Trampoline & Tumbling Championships representing Nova Scotia;

Therefore be it resolved that members of this House congratulate Rachel Holland for her accomplishments and wish her continued success in future endeavours.

RESOLUTION NO. 3256

By: Mr. Leo Glavine (Kings West)

I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas the Eastern Canadian Trampoline & Tumbling Championships took place in Longueil, Quebec, May 9 to May 11, 2008; and

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Whereas Nova Scotia was represented by a group of Valley tumblers coached by Laura Holland; and

Whereas Emily Holland of South Farmington took part in the 2008 Eastern Canadian Trampoline & Tumbling Championships representing Nova Scotia;

Therefore be it resolved that members of this House congratulate Emily Holland for her accomplishments and wish her continued success in future endeavours.