HANSARD 11-07
DEBATES AND PROCEEDINGS
Speaker: Honourable Gordon Gosse
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/
Third Session
|
TABLE OF CONTENTS |
PAGE |
|
|
|
|
GOVERNMENT NOTICES OF MOTION: |
|
|
Res. 264, Natl. Shipbuilding Procurement Strategy - Unanimous Support, The Premier Hon. S. McNeil Hon. J. Baillie Vote - Affirmative |
|
|
INTRODUCTION OF BILLS: |
|
|
No. 15, Electricity Act, Hon. C. Parker |
|
|
No. 16, Multiple Sclerosis Patient Support Act, Ms. D. Whalen |
|
|
HOUSE RESOLVED INTO CWH ON SUPPLY AT 9:36 a.m. |
|
|
ADJOURNMENT, House rose to meet again on Mon., Apr.11th at 4:00 p.m. |
[Page 459]
HALIFAX, FRIDAY, APRIL 8, 2011
Sixty-first General Assembly
Third Session
9:00 A.M.
SPEAKER
Hon. Gordon Gosse
DEPUTY SPEAKERS
Ms. Becky Kent, Mr. Leo Glavine, Mr. Alfie MacLeod
MR. SPEAKER: Order, please. The honourable Government House Leader.
HON. FRANK CORBETT: Mr. Speaker, in response to an incident in the House yesterday where the member for Richmond stood on a point of order and said that I may have said something that caused distress to the House and to members and to you, Mr. Speaker; to that point I would ask for the forgiveness of the House, and I sincerely apologize if I offended you or the House or any members. Thank you.
MR. SPEAKER: Thank you. As always, it's nice to clear the air, and also we accept all apologies from all members in the Chamber at all times. Thank you.
PRESENTING AND READING PETITIONS
PRESENTING REPORTS OF COMMITTEES
TABLING REPORTS, REGULATIONS AND OTHER PAPERS
STATEMENTS BY MINISTERS
[Page 460]
GOVERNMENT NOTICES OF MOTION
MR. SPEAKER: The honourable Government House Leader.
HON. FRANK CORBETT: Mr. Speaker, with your indulgence and the consent of the House, all three Parties have agreed to a departure in the normal procedure today. What we are proposing, with the concurrence of the House and with your indulgence, is that the Premier will make a motion and ask for waiver of notice and then he and the other Leaders will speak to the motion before we vote.
Mr. Speaker, of course we will need your consent and the consent of the House for this, so I'm asking for unanimous consent of the House.
MR. SPEAKER: Is it agreed?
It is agreed.
The honourable Premier.
RESOLUTION NO. 264
HON. DARRELL DEXTER (The Premier): Mr. Speaker, just for the record, this notice of motion will be moved by all three Leaders: myself, of course; the Leader of the Opposition; and the Leader of the Progressive Conservative Party.
Mr. Speaker, I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:
Whereas the National Shipbuilding Procurement Strategy is the biggest opportunity to make life better for families in the Maritimes since the Navy was established 100 years ago, and Nova Scotia is ideally suited to meet the federal government's needs; and
Whereas this contract could create and sustain up to 4,000 direct jobs across Nova Scotia during the next 30 years, and create $7 billion in direct payroll, $2.7 billion in tax revenue, and $6.7 billion in consumer spending; and
Whereas as a proud partner of the Canadian Navy, with a proven history of excellence for more than 100 years, Irving Shipbuilding's Halifax Shipyard is best positioned as a centre of excellence for the building of Canada's fleet; and
Whereas Irving Shipbuilding will have invested almost $90 million in the skills of its people and infrastructure and technology upgrades between 2006 and 2011, and today has an extremely capable facility which will continue to be upgraded in the future;
[Page 461]
Therefore be it resolved that the Legislative Assembly of Nova Scotia salute the federal government in undertaking and standing by a fair, open, transparent and merit-based process to determine the award of Canada's shipbuilding contracts as part of the National Shipbuilding Procurement Strategy, and we show our unanimous support for Irving Shipbuilding's Halifax Shipyard as the most-qualified candidate.
Mr. Speaker, I request waiver of notice but all of the Leaders would like to speak to it before a vote is taken on the resolution.
MR. SPEAKER: The honourable Premier.
THE PREMIER: Mr. Speaker, before I begin, with the indulgence of House, I would like to make some introductions. There are some people here in the east gallery who are very interested in this resolution and these statements. They are: Mike Roberts, who is the vice-president of operations, Irving Shipbuilding; Tim Brownlow, who is the director of Government Affairs and Business Development at Irving Shipbuilding; the guy with the biggest grin I know, Karl Risser, who is president of the CAW/Marine Workers Federation Local 1; Rick Clarke, who is a former marine worker, now head of the Federation of Labour; and I believe that's Steve Lund up there with them as well. You're not a marine worker, are you? Not yet. (Interruptions)
I'm pleased to rise today to speak briefly on the all-Party resolution of support for Irving Shipbuilding to be the chosen centre of excellence through the Government of Canada's National Shipbuilding Procurement Strategy. In June 2010, the federal government launched the National Shipbuilding Procurement Strategy, a formal process to select two Canadian shipyards for construction of large vessels to meet Canada's needs. These two contracts are worth $35 billion over a 30-year period. This project will be the largest peacetime shipbuilding program in Canadian history. This means a generation of work for shipbuilders in this province. I've said it already, but I will say it again, whatever Irving needs from the Government of Nova Scotia to help win this contract, we are willing to do.
The National Shipbuilding Procurement Strategy is perhaps the biggest opportunity for Nova Scotia since the Navy was established 101 years ago and this province is ideally suited to meet the federal government's needs. The fact is that the best ships in the world are built right here in the Maritimes. That is why Premier David Alward of New Brunswick and Premier Robert Ghiz of Prince Edward Island have agreed to do all they can to ensure that Irving is the successful bidder in this process. This contract could create and sustain up to 4,000 direct jobs across Nova Scotia during the next 30 years.
[Page 462]
The spinoffs would be tremendous for business and workers throughout the Maritimes and, in fact, will have a tremendous impact for Quebec and Ontario industries that are part of the supply chain that Irving uses.
In Nova Scotia alone, Irving Shipbuilding has 650 suppliers. Irving has invested in safety and training with more than 250 apprentices. In short, much like the Lower Churchill agreement, this is a game changer for Nova Scotia. During the next 30 years, this contract will mean an estimated $7 billion in direct payroll, $2.7 billion in tax revenue.
Shipbuilding runs in the blood of many Nova Scotia families. For 30 years of industry stability, it means that sons and daughters and grandchildren of shipbuilders of today will have the chance to be the next generation of shipbuilders and remain here in Nova Scotia. That is great news for all Nova Scotians.
I want to take this opportunity to thank the members opposite for their tremendous support of this significant initiative. From the moment that both Leaders were approached for the support for this bid, they were enthusiastic and supportive and I want to thank them for that. I look forward to working with all the members of this House to ensure that Irving Shipbuilding is awarded the contract and that the world knows that without a doubt, the best ships in the world continue to be built in the Maritimes. (Applause)
MR. SPEAKER: The honourable Leader of the Official Opposition.
HON. STEPHEN MCNEIL: Mr. Speaker, I want to first of all begin by thanking the Premier not only for sharing his remarks with us earlier - yesterday - but also for engaging our caucus in this initiative weeks ago. This is really, when you begin to look at the plan that's in front of us, this is a tremendous opportunity for our province. When you look at the magnitude of this project, it's an opportunity to create good jobs not only here at the shipyard, but jobs that will be spread across our province from one end to the other; as the Premier said in his remarks, these are generational jobs. These jobs will be here and when a young man or woman signs on in this project, they could actually see that as being their life's work.
When you look at the tremendous work that has happened already by Irving in the shipyard and the workers there, we have reason to be proud. This gives us an opportunity as a province to tell the national government to tell our country where our place is and how important shipbuilding is to our history, how important this project is to the economy of this province. It also gives us an opportunity to showcase the labour that we have here, to showcase the craftsmanship that we have here, and showcase the skills that will be in this province.
[Page 463]
Earlier the Premier said that his government will do whatever it can do to make sure that Irving gets this contract. I want the Premier to know that this caucus will do whatever it can do, whatever it has to do, to help his government ensure that Irving receives that procurement project here in the Province of Nova Scotia. (Applause) It is a great day for Nova Scotia when we can stand in the House of Assembly and all 52 members can see very clearly where we want to go and how we're going to get there. It's a great day for Nova Scotia when we come together unanimously supporting the Nova Scotia workers and an opportunity to create good, solid jobs in the Province of Nova Scotia.
Mr. Speaker, with that, I again want to tell the Premier that our caucus will do whatever we can to ensure that those jobs arrive here in Nova Scotia. (Applause)
MR. SPEAKER: The honourable Leader of the Progressive Conservative Party.
HON. JAMIE BAILLIE: Thank you, Mr. Speaker, and thank you to the Premier for this opportunity for all three Parties to have a say on this important matter. I do want to begin by quickly thanking and welcoming our special guests in the gallery. I know them well and I know the quality of the work that they all do.
Mr. Speaker, the phrase "generational change" is used often in this Chamber, probably more often than it deserves, but this is one of those times when we really have an opportunity to make a generational change not only for Halifax and for the Halifax Shipyard, but for all of the Maritimes, because the ripple effect economically of the work that would be done at the Halifax Shipyard will be felt throughout Nova Scotia and indeed throughout the Atlantic Provinces and beyond. That is the opportunity that is before us today for the shipyard and for our region of the country.
In fact, Mr. Speaker, when we talk of generations, we look to the future generation, obviously, but it is a fact that there are many generations of Maritimers who have been part of the shipbuilding industry. We do, in fact, build - in the past, in the present and in the future - the best ships in the world. Many of the members of this House have connections to the shipbuilding industry, my own family in Pictou as well as in Halifax, and going back through the years, I know of examples. I point out that my previous job at the credit union, that credit union was originally known as the dockyard workers credit union. That is the kind of history that we all share.
Now we look from past generations and see an opportunity to provide a whole new generation of Nova Scotians and Maritimers with true, meaningful work. That is why we all come together and the business case is very strong. I know the quality of the work that goes on at the Irving Shipyard. I know the business practices that they employ. Whether it's cost containment or quality of the work or apprenticeship training, Irving Shipyard is exactly the place, both historically and by business case, that this kind of procurement strategy should land.
[Page 464]
For that reason, this is one of those times - I mentioned in this Chamber the other day, my Pictou County example that New Glasgow might fight with Pictou, and Stellarton with Trenton, when they're within the county, but as my father used to tell me, once you get over Mount Thom you're all from Pictou County. Today this is true for Nova Scotia: Liberal, Progressive Conservative, NDP, it doesn't matter, we are as one as we support the Irving Shipyard bid, as it should be. We are now together, over Mount Thom and on to that better land where we all work together, as Nova Scotians expect us to. That is our opportunity today.
I have said this to the shipyard, I say this to the government, they have our full support as a Progressive Conservative caucus. We are willing to work with anyone who needs a push that we can help with to make this happen. We've carried this message to the government here in Halifax. We've done the same, I'm proud to say, to the whole world, to the Progressive Conservative Government in Ottawa, that this is a very important project that on a business-case basis belongs right here.
To that end, Mr. Speaker, on behalf of our caucus I am proud to get up and support this all-Party resolution and let's go on and win that contract. (Applause)
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.
INTRODUCTION OF BILLS
Bill No. 15 - Entitled an Act to Amend Chapter 25 of the Acts of 2004. The Electricity Act. (Hon. Charlie Parker)
Bill No. 16 - Entitled an Act to Establish Clinical Trials Respecting Multiple Sclerosis Liberation Therapy and Observation of Multiple Sclerosis Patients in Receipt of Liberation Therapy. (Ms. Diana Whalen)
MR. SPEAKER: Ordered that these bills be read a second time on a future day.
ORDERS OF THE DAY
[Page 465]
GOVERNMENT BUSINESS
MR. SPEAKER: The honourable Government House Leader.
HON. FRANK CORBETT: Mr. Speaker, would you please call the order of business, Government Motions.
GOVERNMENT MOTIONS
MR. SPEAKER: The honourable Government House Leader.
HON. FRANK CORBETT: Mr. Speaker, I move that you do now leave the Chair and that the House resolve itself into a Committee of the Whole House on Supply unto Her Majesty.
MR. SPEAKER: The House will now take a short recess until we get set up for the Committee of the Whole House on Supply. Thank you.
[9:24 a.m. The House recessed.]
[9:36 a.m. The House resolved itself into a CWH on Supply with Deputy Speaker Ms. Becky Kent in the Chair.]
[1:48 p.m. CWH on Supply rose and the House reconvened with Deputy Speaker Ms. Becky Kent in the Chair.]
MADAM SPEAKER: The Chairman of the Committee of the Whole House on Supply reports:
THE CLERK: That the committee has met and made considerable progress and begs leave to sit again.
MADAM SPEAKER: Is it agreed?
It is agreed.
The honourable Government House Leader.
HON. FRANK CORBETT: Madam Speaker, that concludes the government's business for today. I move that the House do now rise to meet again on Monday from the hours of 4:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. The order of business will be the daily routine, adjourned debate on the Supply referral that was adjourned by the honourable member for Kings West, and then we will be going into Committee of the Whole House on Supply. I move that the House do now rise.
[Page 466]
MADAM SPEAKER: The motion is to adjourn to meet again at 4:00 p.m. on Monday.
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 House rose at 1:49 p.m.]
