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
TUESDAY, APRIL 12, 2011
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TABLE OF CONTENTS |
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PRESENTING AND READING PETITIONS: |
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Educ. - Reduce Tuition Fees/Raise Funding, |
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TIR: Grand Mira South Rd. - Repairs, |
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Mr. A. MacLeod |
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TIR: Smith Rd. (Lun. Co.) - Gravel & Grade, |
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Mr. G. Ramey |
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TIR: Smith Rd. (Cumb. Co.) - Speed Limits, Flooding and Lighting, |
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GOVERNMENT NOTICES OF MOTION: |
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Res. 312, Hamilton, David George: Death of - Tribute, |
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The Premier |
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Res. 313, Hoyte, Shawna - N.S.: Serv. - Commend, |
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Hon. P. Paris |
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Vote - Affirmative |
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Res. 314, Educ. Wk. Awards: Winners - Congrats., |
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Hon. R. Jennex |
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Res. 315, Hawboldt, Stephen - Nickerson Lifetime Achievement Award, |
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Vote - Affirmative |
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INTRODUCTION OF BILLS: |
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No. 18, Maintenance and Custody Act, |
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No. 19, Nova Scotia Business Incorporated Act, |
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Hon. P. Paris |
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No. 20, Liverpool United Baptist Church Trustees Act, |
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Ms. V. Conrad |
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No. 21, Public Archives Act, |
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Hon. D. Wilson |
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No. 22, Bridgewater Public Service Commission Act, |
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Mr. G. Ramey |
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NOTICES OF MOTION: |
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Res. 316, Natl. Shipbuilding Procurement Strategy: |
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Res. 317, Gallagher, Joseph B.: Death of - Tribute |
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Vote - Affirmative |
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Res. 318, Atherton Team: Curling Nationals - Well Wishes, |
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Hon. D. Peterson-Rafuse |
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Res. 319, Tatamagouche Elem. Sch.: Adopt-A-Library Literacy Prog. |
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- Congrats., Hon. K. Casey |
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Vote - Affirmative |
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Res. 320, Hickman, Ken - Prov. Vol. of Yr. (2011), |
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Vote - Affirmative |
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Res. 321, Turner, Arlyn: Vol. Efforts - Recognize, |
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Vote - Affirmative |
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Res. 322, Jacquemin, Yvan & Collette: Retirement - Congrats., |
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Vote - Affirmative |
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Res. 323, MacDonald, Rob - Victoria Co. Mun. Vol. of Yr. (2011), |
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Vote - Affirmative |
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Res. 324, 211 System: Commun. Partners - Thank, |
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Mr. G. Ramey |
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Vote - Affirmative
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Res. 325, Dart. Curling Club - Anniv. (75th), |
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Vote - Affirmative |
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Res. 326, Saulner, Daphne - Teacher of Yr. (2011), |
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Vote - Affirmative |
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Res. 327, Woodcock, Sheila - African Nations: Lab. Standards |
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Vote - Affirmative |
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Res. 328, Pettipas, Paul/Home Builders: N.S. - Contributions, |
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Vote - Affirmative |
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Res. 329, Horyl, Stephen - MJAL Player of Yr., |
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Vote - Affirmative |
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Res. 330, Annapolis Highland Vineyards: Intl. Wine Comp. - Medals, |
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Mr. H. Theriault, |
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Vote - Affirmative |
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Res. 331, Britten, Donna - Sch. Bus Driver of Yr. |
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Vote - Affirmative |
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Res. 332, Day, Sir Graham: Dal. Scholarship - Establishment, |
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Vote - Affirmative |
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Res. 333, Gov. (Can.) Northside Victoria Commun. Bus. Dev. Corp. |
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Vote - Affirmative |
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Res. 334, Mount Edward Elem. Sch. Adopt-A-Musician Prog. |
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Vote - Affirmative |
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Res. 335, Eskasoni Winter Carnival: Joe, Joanne/Organizers - Congrats., |
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Mr. A. MacLeod, |
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Vote - Affirmative |
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Res. 336, Harding, Marie - Atl. Can. Human Resources Award, |
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Vote - Affirmative |
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Res. 337, Keen, Amanda - NSAC President's List, |
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Vote - Affirmative |
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Res. 338, Moulaison, Greg/Tabitha Centre: Assistance - Recognize, |
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Vote - Affirmative |
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ORAL QUESTIONS PUT BY MEMBERS: |
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No. 46, Health & Wellness - Transitional Care Unit: Patients - Move |
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No. 47, Prem.: Shipbuilding Procurement Process - Deadline Change, |
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No. 48, Health & Wellness: Transitional Care Unit - Bed Closures, |
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No. 49, Prem.: Prescription Drug Problem - Response, |
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No. 50, TIR: Gov't Paving - Parks Can. Contracts, |
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No. 51, Health & Wellness - Prescription Drugs: Kentville Police Chief |
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No. 52, Health & Wellness: Prescription Drug Addiction - Assistance, |
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No. 53, Health & Wellness: Liberation Therapy - Funding, |
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No. 54, ERD & Tourism - Yarmouth-New England Ferry: Cut - Reason, |
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No. 55, Energy: Gas Production - Royalty Rate, |
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No. 56, Lbr. & Adv. Educ.: Debt Cap/Debt Forgiveness - Explain, |
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No. 57, Lbr. & Adv. Educ.: NSCC - Tuition Hikes, |
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GOVERNMENT BUSINESS |
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GOVERNMENT MOTIONS: |
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Res. 4, Estimates - Comm. of Whole House on Supply, |
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Hon. G. Steele |
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ON MOTION FOR SUPPLY: |
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HOUSE RESOLVED INTO CWH ON SUPPLY AT 2:30 p.m. |
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ADJOURNMENT: |
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MOTION UNDER RULE 5(5): |
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Energy: BAYplex Geothermal Proj. - Funding, |
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ADJOURNMENT, House rose to meet again on Wed., Apr. 13th at 2:00 p.m.
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NOTICES OF MOTION UNDER RULE 32(3): |
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Res. 339, Ring, Nicole: "French for Future" Essay Contest - Congrats., |
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Mr. H. Theriault |
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Res. 340, Curry, John & Charlie - Dairy Ind.: Work - Congrats., |
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Res. 341, Rand, Richard/Foxhill Holsteins & Cheese House: |
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Entrepreneurship - Congrats., Mr. C. Porter |
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Res. 342, Dillman Fam.: Farm Ethic - Congrats., |
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Res. 343, Archibald, Barry & Greg/HillPeak Farms - Anniv. (200th), |
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Mr. C. Porter |
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Res. 344, Winding River Farms Ltd. - Arbers/Vissers Families: Work |
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Res. 345, Connors, William Joseph "Bill" - Vol. of Yr. (2011), |
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Hon. J. Baillie |
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Res. 346, Adams, Elizabeth - Prov. Vol. of Yr. (2011), |
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Res. 347, Acadia Univ. - Cdn. Forces Liaison Coun. Award, |
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Hon. S. McNeil |
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Res. 348, Admiral Insurance . - Cdn. Forces Liaison Coun. Award, |
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Res. 349, Emergency Medical Care Inc. . |
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- Cdn. Forces Liaison Coun. Award., Hon. S. McNeil |
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Res. 350, Hilt & Seamone Consulting Engineers Ltd. |
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Res. 351, Marine Ctr. of Expertise Can. Border Serv. Agency |
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- Cdn. Forces Liaison Coun. Award, Hon. S. McNeil |
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Res. 352, N.S. URB - Cdn. Forces Liaison Coun. Award., |
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Res. 353, SMU - Cdn. Forces Liaison Coun. Award., |
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Hon. S. McNeil |
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Res. 354, Michelin North America (Canada) Inc. |
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Res. 355, Transport Can., Atl. Region - Cdn. Forces |
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Res. 356, Stewart McKelvey - Cdn. Forces Liaison Coun. Award, |
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Hon. S. McNeil |
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Res. 357, Mansfield, Logan - N. Queens Commun. Sch. Science Fair, |
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Res. 358, MacNutt, Makayla - N. Queens Commun. Sch. Science Fair, |
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Ms. V. Conrad |
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Res. 359, Silver, MacKenna - N. Queens Commun. Sch. Science Fair, |
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Res. 360, Van Dyk, Nichole - N. Queens Commun. Sch. Science Fair, |
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Ms. V. Conrad |
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Res. 361, Ross, Shayla - N. Queens Commun. Sch. Science Fair, |
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Res. 362, Weber, Tanya - N. Queens Commun. Sch. |
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Science Fair, Ms. V. Conrad |
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Res. 363, Weissbach, Lisa - N. Queens Commun. Sch. Science Fair, |
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Res. 364, MacNutt, Kristan - N. Queens Commun. Sch. Science Fair, |
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Ms. V. Conrad |
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Res. 365, Crouse, Kelsey - N. Queens Commun. Sch. Science Fair, |
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Res. 366, Lowe, Katie - N. Queens Commun. Sch. Science Fair, |
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Ms. V. Conrad |
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Res. 367, Freeman, Kate - N. Queens Commun. Sch. Science Fair, |
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Res. 368, Weare, Jordan - N. Queens Commun. Sch. Science Fair, |
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Ms. V. Conrad |
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Res. 369, Frail, Hayley - N. Queens Commun. Sch. Science Fair, |
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Res. 370, Weber, Fabian - N. Queens Commun. Sch. Science Fair, |
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Ms. V. Conrad |
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Res. 371, Rogers, Colin - N. Queens Commun. Sch. Science Fair, |
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Res. 372, Lane, Cameron - N. Queens Commun. Sch. Science Fair, |
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Ms. V. Conrad |
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Res. 373, Mahoney, Ariel - N. Queens Commun. Sch. Science Fair, |
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Res. 374, Smith, Anthony - N. Queens Commun. Sch. Science Fair, |
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Ms. V. Conrad |
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Res. 375, Atkinson, Anne - Rep. Vol. of Yr. (2011), |
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Res. 376, Garron, Joe - Rep. Vol. of Yr. (2011), |
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Hon. S. Belliveau |
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Res. 377, Symonds, Agnes - Rep. Vol. of Yr. (2011), |
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Res. 378, Goreham, Andrew - Rep. Vol. of Yr. (2011), |
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Hon. S. Belliveau |
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Res. 379, O'Connell, Blanch - Archelaus Smith Hist. Soc. Rep. Vol. |
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Res. 380, Cleaver, Brenda - Rep. Vol. on Yr. (2011), |
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Hon. S. Belliveau |
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Res. 381, Nickerson, Dale - Rep. Vol. on Yr. (2011), |
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Res. 382, Roache, Dale - Shelburne Co. Rep. Vol. of Yr. (2011), |
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Hon. S. Belliveau |
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Res. 383, Nickerson, George - Rep. Vol. of Yr. (2011), |
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Res. 384, Moody, Danny - Rep. Vol. of Yr. (2011), |
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Res. 385, Dares, Dana - Rep. Vol. of Yr. (2011), |
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Hon. S. Belliveau |
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Res. 386, Lyle, Danine - Rep. Vol. of Yr. (2011), |
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Res. 387, Meyer, David - Rep. Vol. of Yr. (2011), |
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Hon. S. Belliveau |
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Res. 388, Nickerson, Davis - Rep. Vol. of Yr. (2011), |
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Res. 389, Bower, David - Rep. Vol. of Yr. (2011), |
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Hon. S. Belliveau |
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Res. 390, Nickerson, Ellen - Rep. Vol. of Yr. (2011), |
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Res. 391, Ringer, Gail - Rep. Vol. of Yr. (2011), |
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Hon. S. Belliveau |
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Res. 392, Boudreau, Grace - Rep. Vol. of Yr. (2011), |
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Res. 393, Thomas, Hilda - Rep. Vol. of Yr. (2011), |
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Res. 394, Symonds, Jack - Rep. Vol. of Yr. (2011), |
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Hon. S. Belliveau |
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Res. 395, Balish, Jennifer - Rep. Vol. of Yr. (2011), |
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Res. 396, Fraser, Jerry - Rep. Vol. of Yr. (2011), |
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Hon. S. Belliveau |
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Res. 397, Advance Care Planning Day (04/12/11) - Recognize, |
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[Page 519]
HALIFAX, TUESDAY, APRIL 12, 2011
Sixty-first General Assembly
Third Session
12:00 noon
SPEAKER
Hon. Gordon Gosse
DEPUTY SPEAKERS
Ms. Becky Kent, Mr. Leo Glavine, Mr. Alfie MacLeod
MR. SPEAKER: Order, please. Honourable members, you'll recall that on Friday, with the unanimous consent of this House, we departed from our normal procedure so that we could deal with the passing of Resolution No. 264, which was passed with favourable debate and agreement of all Parties. The Chief Clerk has drawn to my attention that the resolution contained four "Whereas" clauses, which is one more than the three we're permitted under the long-standing practice of this House unless there has been unanimous consent.
Now, I'm assuming that the fourth "Whereas" was intended to be part of the procedural departures for which unanimous consent was given by the House. I'm hoping that the Government House Leader can just ask for confirmation from the House, as it has an important procedural detail that should be reflected in the record.
The honourable Government House Leader.
[Page 520]
HON. FRANK CORBETT: Thank you for putting me in this position, Mr. Speaker, but I suppose I put myself in it. That was the intention and I hope that we can receive unanimous consent from the members throughout the House, that the fourth clause is agreeable to all.
MR. SPEAKER: Is it agreed?
It is agreed.
The motion is carried
PRESENTING AND READING PETITIONS
MR. SPEAKER: The honourable member for Bedford-Birch Cove.
MS. KELLY REGAN: Mr. Speaker, may I beg leave to make an introduction?
MR. SPEAKER: Most certainly.
MS. REGAN: I believe in the west gallery - east gallery, I'm never very good at directions - we have students from the Canadian Federation of Students, including Maritimes organizer Rebecca Rose. If they would stand and receive the warm welcome of the House. (Applause)
MR. SPEAKER: We welcome all our guests in the gallery and we hope you enjoy today's proceedings.
The honourable member for Bedford-Birch Cove.
MS. KELLY REGAN: Mr. Speaker, I beg leave to table a petition on behalf of the Canadian Federation of Students, mostly students from Dalhousie and Mount Saint Vincent Universities. There are 613 signatures, in addition to nearly 4,000 signatures previously tabled this year and last. The operative clause is:
"We the undersigned petition the Legislative Assembly of Nova Scotia to:
· immediately reduce tuition and ancillary fees for all students;
· provide 50% of every provincial student loan as a grant; and
· increase per-student funding to the national average."
Mr. Speaker, I am affixing my name to the petition for the purpose of tabling.
MR. SPEAKER: The petition is tabled.
The honourable member for Cape Breton West.
[Page 521]
MR. ALFIE MACLEOD: Mr. Speaker, I beg leave to table a petition, the operative clause being: We, the guests of the Riverbank Restaurant, the children on the school bus and the workers every day on the road, would like to express our concerns about the dangerous road conditions on the Grand Mira South Road.
Mr. Speaker, there are 336 names on this petition. I have attached my name to this petition. On a recent visit to Cape Breton the minister had an opportunity to travel on that very road.
MR. SPEAKER: The petition is tabled.
The honourable member for Lunenburg West.
MR. GARY RAMEY: Mr. Speaker, I beg leave to table a petition signed by 111 of my constituents, the operative clause of which is:
"We, the undersigned, request that the Smith Road in Midville Branch, Lunenburg County be graveled and graded."
Mr. Speaker, I have affixed my signature to this petition and I thank you.
MR. SPEAKER: The petition is tabled.
Before we go any further, I would like to remind all members that the topic for late debate was chosen earlier and it is:
Therefore be it resolved that the government provide funding and recognize the importance of the Bayplex geothermal project, a pioneering initiative that could serve as a benchmark for geothermal capabilities throughout Nova Scotia.
It was submitted by the member for Halifax Clayton Park.
The honourable member for Cumberland North.
MR. BRIAN SKABAR: Mr. Speaker, I beg leave to table a petition from the residents of the Nappan community on Smith Road. The operative clause is regarding the reduction of the speed limit, to improve the lighting, and to address flooding issues on Smith Road in Nappan, Cumberland County.
Mr. Speaker, there are 33 signatures on this petition and I have affixed my own signature to that as well.
MR. SPEAKER: The petition is tabled.
[Page 522]
PRESENTING REPORTS OF COMMITTEES
TABLING REPORTS, REGULATIONS AND OTHER PAPERS
STATEMENTS BY MINISTERS
GOVERNMENT NOTICES OF MOTION
MR. SPEAKER: The honourable Premier.
RESOLUTION NO. 312
HON. DARRELL DEXTER (The Premier): Mr. Speaker, I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:
Whereas David George Hamilton, a proud fisherman, faithful son, brother, father and partner, who resided in Harbourville, Kings County, passed suddenly on Saturday, April 9th, claimed by the sea; and
Whereas Mr. Hamilton received a Certificate of Bravery from then Premier Hamm of Nova Scotia for his brave and courageous actions, which saved a woman from the clutches of the Bay of Fundy tide; and
Whereas Mr. Hamilton later received the Medal of Bravery from then Governor General Michaelle Jean;
Therefore be it resolved that this House recognize the passing of this brave and beloved Nova Scotian, and send condolences to his family and friends grieving his loss.
Mr. Speaker, I request waiver of notice and passage without debate.
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 African Nova Scotian Affairs.
RESOLUTION NO. 313
[Page 523]
HON. PERCY PARIS: Mr. Speaker, I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:
Whereas Shawna Hoyte of Halifax is a social worker and practising lawyer at the Dalhousie Legal Aid Clinic who has worked tirelessly on behalf of her clients; and
Whereas Ms. Hoyte has served with numerous community organizations for more than 30 years and received several awards for her passionate pursuit of racial equality, inclusion, and adequate services for marginalized youth and families; and
Whereas Ms. Hoyte was recently named Queen's Counsel, becoming just the second African Nova Scotian woman to receive this prestigious designation for demonstration of professional integrity, good character and outstanding contributions to the practice of law;
Therefore be it resolved that all members of this House commend Shawna Hoyte for her outstanding service to Nova Scotia and urge others in our communities to follow her shining example.
Mr. Speaker, I request waiver of notice and passage without debate.
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 Education.
RESOLUTION NO. 314
HON. RAMONA JENNEX: Mr. Speaker, I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:
Whereas Education Week is an opportunity for the province and its many education partners to recognize educators from every region of the province for their amazing work educating students; and
Whereas this year's Education Week theme, Innovative Teaching in the 21st Century, highlights how Nova Scotia's teachers are using innovative and modern approaches and technology in the classroom to prepare students for what they will encounter in today's world; and
[Page 524]
Whereas several educators and education partners are receiving Education Week awards for promoting 21st Century methods to provide the tools students need to be successful in their studies and beyond graduation;
Therefore be it resolved that the members of the House of Assembly congratulate the winners of this year's Education Week awards for their outstanding contributions to public education in Nova Scotia.
Mr. Speaker, I request waiver of notice and passage without debate.
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 Environment.
RESOLUTION NO. 315
HON. STERLING BELLIVEAU: Mr. Speaker, I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:
Whereas the Nova Scotia Environmental Network presented the Eco-Hero awards on March 4th; and
Whereas the Nickerson Lifetime Achievement Award was presented to Stephen Hawboldt of the Annapolis Valley; and
Whereas Mr. Hawboldt retired in January as Executive Director of the Clean Annapolis River Project after 20 years of educating area residents about the importance of their water systems;
Therefore be it resolved that this House thank Mr. Stephen Hawboldt for his dedication and passion to the Annapolis River and our environment, congratulate him on his lifetime achievement award, and wish him every happiness in his retirement.
[Page 525]
Mr. Speaker, I request waiver of notice and passage without debate.
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.
MR. KEITH BAIN: Mr. Speaker, with your permission, if I might do an introduction before I introduce my bill.
MR. SPEAKER: Most certainly.
MR. BAIN: Mr. Speaker, today in the west gallery, six grandparents have travelled from Colchester County to observe the proceedings of the House. I would ask John Stone, Howard and Pauline Glenn, Faye Rood, and Faith and Tony Hindley to please rise and accept the warm welcome of the House. (Applause)
INTRODUCTION OF BILLS
Bill No. 18 - Entitled an Act to Amend Chapter 160 of the Revised Statutes of 1989. The Maintenance and Custody Act. (Mr. Keith Bain)
MR. SPEAKER: Ordered that this bill be read a second time on a future day.
The honourable Minister of Economic and Rural Development and Tourism.
HON. PERCY PARIS: Mr. Speaker, before tabling my bill, I would like to make a brief introduction.
MR. SPEAKER: Most certainly.
MR. PARIS: Mr. Speaker, in the gallery opposite I'm very pleased today that we have representatives here from Anchor Industries, and I would ask them, as I call out their names, if they would please rise: Theresa Boyd, Bonnie Deveau, Mary Pratt, and Executive Director Marilyn Forrest. I would like for the House to give them a warm welcome. (Applause)
[Page 526]
MR. SPEAKER: We welcome all guests to the gallery, and we hope you enjoy today's proceedings.
Bill No. 19 - Entitled an Act to Amend Chapter 30 of the Acts of 2000. The Nova Scotia Business Incorporated Act. (Hon. Percy Paris)
Bill No. 20 - Entitled an Act to Amend Chapter 132 of the Acts of 1948. An Act to Incorporate the Trustees of Liverpool United Baptist Church. (Ms. Vicki Conrad)
Bill No. 21 - Entitled an Act to Amend Chapter 24 of the Acts of 1998. The Public Archives Act. (Hon. David Wilson)
Bill No. 22 - Entitled an Act to Amend Chapter 59 of the Acts of 1993. An Act Respecting the Public Service Commission of Bridgewater. (Mr. Gary Ramey)
MR. SPEAKER: Ordered that these bills be read a second time on a future day.
NOTICES OF MOTION
MR. SPEAKER: The honourable member for Hants West.
RESOLUTION NO. 316
MR. CHUCK PORTER: Mr. Speaker, I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:
Whereas all Parties in this Legislature stood united Friday to support 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 to show unanimous support for Irving Shipbuilding's Halifax Shipyard as the most-qualified candidate; and
Whereas the federal Liberals recently announced in Quebec City that a Liberal Government would extend the established deadlines for bidders to demonstrate solvency in order to give Levis-based Davie Shipyards an unfair opportunity to bid on the $35 million contract; and
Whereas Mr. Ignatieff's campaign promise puts the independent process established by the federal government at risk;
Therefore be it resolved that all members (Interruptions)
[Page 527]
MR. SPEAKER: Order, please. The honourable member for Hants West has the floor.
MR. PORTER: Therefore be it resolved that all members of this House of Assembly condemn Mr. Ignatieff's intention to interfere with the fair and independent procurement process, and reaffirm our commitment to the Irving Shipbuilding's Halifax Shipyard's bid.
Mr. Speaker, I request waiver of notice and passage without debate.
MR. SPEAKER: There has been a request for waiver.
Is it agreed?
I hear several Noes.
The notice is tabled.
The honourable member for Bedford-Birch Cove.
RESOLUTION NO. 317
MS. KELLY REGAN: Mr. Speaker, I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:
Whereas Joseph B. Gallagher was a fixture of Bedford since moving there in 1960, where he was deeply immersed in its business and recreation and always had a fun story or an amusing anecdote to tell you; and
Whereas Joe was not just a great talker, he was a great volunteer - he was a founder of the Bedford Minor Hockey Association, and his work as an organizer and coach gave generations of children a chance to play the sport he loved; and
Whereas at his funeral last Friday, Joe was eulogized by Father Albert Cosgrove as being the kind of person whose first question was always, "How can I help you?";
Therefore be it resolved that the members of this House of Assembly recognize the special person that Joe Gallagher was, and send our condolences to his friends and family - wife Connie, children Captain Joe, Margie and Gerry, and his many grandchildren - he will be missed.
Mr. Speaker, I request waiver of notice and passage without debate.
MR. SPEAKER: There has been a request for waiver.
[Page 528]
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 Community Services.
RESOLUTION NO. 318
HON. DENISE PETERSON-RAFUSE: Mr. Speaker, I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:
Whereas at the conclusion of the Nova Scotia Men's Dominion Curling Championship held at the Chester Curling Club, the Atherton rink of the home club was crowned the provincial champions; and
Whereas the Atherton rink consists of Andrew Atherton - skip, Jose Teixeria - mate, Nathan Reid - second, and Terry Atherton - lead, and finished the tournament with a record of seven wins and one loss; and
Whereas in November 2011, Team Atherton will travel to Richmond, B.C. to compete in the Nationals;
Therefore be it resolved that the members of this House of Assembly congratulate the Atherton team on winning the provincial tournament and wish them all the best when they travel to British Columbia to compete in the Nationals.
Mr. Speaker, I request waiver of notice and passage without debate.
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 Colchester North.
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RESOLUTION NO. 319
HON. KAREN CASEY: Mr. Speaker, I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:
Whereas statistics indicate a strong relationship between low literacy skills and increased levels of crime in later years - the higher the level of literacy, the lower the crime rate; and
Whereas the Adopt-a-Library Literacy Program is hosted by the RCMP who work in partnership with a school to provide incentives that promote literacy among children; and
Whereas through the Adopt-a-Library program, Colchester North's Tatamagouche Elementary School students were challenged to read 5,000 books;
Therefore be it resolved that all members of this House of Assembly congratulate the students of Tatamagouche Elementary who doubled their goal by reading 10,000 books and earned 1,000 new books for their school library and classroom.
Mr. Speaker, I request waiver of notice and passage without debate.
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 Progressive Conservative Party.
RESOLUTION NO. 320
HON. JAMIE BAILLIE: Mr. Speaker, I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:
Whereas Ken Hickman of Oxford was among the volunteers from across the province to be recognized at this year's Provincial Volunteer Awards Ceremony in Halifax; and
Whereas Mr. Hickman is a volunteer firefighter, a Level I firefighter instructor and received the Firefighter of the Year Award in 2010 and was a St. John's Ambulance first aid instructor; and
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Whereas Mr. Hickman is involved with the outreach ministry for Oxford Nazarene Church, is a Sunday School facilitator and instructor and youth counsellor as well as a youth camp counsellor at Big Lake Nazarene, coaches minor baseball and ringette and is a founding member of the Community Health Board for Springhill, Oxford and Amherst Regional Health Boards;
Therefore be it resolved that all members of this House of Assembly congratulate Ken Hickman on being named a 2011 Provincial Volunteer of the Year and thank him for the countless hours and many contributions he has given to better his community and strengthen our province.
Mr. Speaker, I request waiver of notice and passage without debate.
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 Queens.
RESOLUTION NO. 321
MS. VICKI CONRAD: Mr. Speaker, I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:
Whereas Arlyn Turner of Pleasant River has been a very important part of the Pleasant River Hall Society, the Masonic Hall and the Boy Scouts of Canada as a volunteer; and
Whereas volunteers are the heart and soul of our communities and Arlyn has been selected to represent Queens County at the Provincial Volunteer Ceremony this year; and
Whereas Arlyn Turner continues to be involved with all aspects of his community on a volunteer basis and it is a wonderful thing to recognize all of his efforts;
Therefore be it resolved that this House of Assembly recognize and congratulate Arlyn Turner of Pleasant River, Queens County on having been recognized by his community for all of his volunteer efforts.
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Mr. Speaker, I request waiver of notice and passage without debate.
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. 322
HON. KEITH COLWELL: Mr. Speaker, I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:
Whereas Yvan Jacquemin and his wife Collette were both born in Belgium and decided to emigrate to Canada, and did so in 1956, arriving at Pier 21 in Halifax on their way to Trois Riviere, Quebec for employment as a stonemason - Yvan and Collette had one child and one child on the way at the time; and
Whereas Yvan was an expert and experienced stonemason and his employer won a contract to build Mount Saint Vincent University and St. Theresa's Church in Halifax, thus Yvan was transferred to Halifax and six months later, his wife Collette joined him in Halifax and they decided to stay, they moved to the community of Lake Echo in 1959 and that is where they live today; and
Whereas two of their four beloved children have died, however they have been blessed with one grandchild and one great-grandchild who also live in Nova Scotia - Yvan is now semi-retired but still takes on some challenging, high-quality stonework;
Therefore be it resolved that the members of this House of Assembly recognize the significant contribution that Yvan has made to Nova Scotia's architecture, building some of the finest stonework structures in Nova Scotia and join me in wishing Mr. and Mrs. Jacquemin a very happy and wonderful retirement.
Mr. Speaker, I request waiver of notice and passage without debate.
MR. SPEAKER: There has been a request for waiver.
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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. 323
MR. KEITH BAIN: Mr. Speaker, I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:
Whereas Rob MacDonald was named the Municipality of Victoria County's Volunteer of the Year for 2011 and was in Halifax on April 4th to be recognized at a provincial gathering of Volunteers of the Year from across Nova Scotia; and
Whereas Rob's contributions to the North Islands Community Organization through a variety of roles - ranging from board chair of the North Islands Community Museum and Cultural Centre in Cape North, to playing an integral role in the resurrection of John Cabot Days celebrations and Cabot Landing Provincial Park - are a clear indication of Rob's devotion and commitment to his community; and
Whereas last year Rob played a leading road in guiding, along with the staff, the North Islands Museum through its highly successful 2010 evaluation by the Nova Scotia Community Museum Assistance Program in which the museum achieved top grade;
Therefore be it resolved that all members of this House of Assembly congratulate Rob MacDonald for his outstanding volunteer work because without people such as Rob, a lot of things would not get done in communities across Nova Scotia.
Mr. Speaker, I request waiver of notice and passage without debate.
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.
[Page 533]
The honourable member for Lunenburg West.
RESOLUTION NO. 324
MR. GARY RAMEY: Mr. Speaker, I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:
Whereas last week our government announced their commitment to work with several dedicated community partners, to bring a 211 service to Nova Scotians; and
Whereas the purpose of this service is to make life better for Nova Scotia families by giving them one number to call to access information on community support services; and
Whereas today's editorial in a provincial publication commends the Dexter Government for making the right call on bringing 211 to Nova Scotia;
Therefore be it resolved that that all members of this House thank the community partners involved for their dedication and perseverance in helping to bring the 211 system to Nova Scotia.
Mr. Speaker, I request waiver of notice and passage without debate.
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 Dartmouth East.
RESOLUTION NO. 325
MR. ANDREW YOUNGER: Mr. Speaker, I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:
Whereas the Dartmouth Curling Club was formed in 1936, within an annex of a molasses factory in downtown Dartmouth; and
Whereas after years of relying on the weather to play on the natural ice of the Dartmouth Lakes, the curling club moved to its current home on Canal Street in 1944; and
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Whereas the Dartmouth Curling Club celebrated their 75th Anniversary with Olympic gold medalist Russ Howard on February 12th;
Therefore be it resolved that members of the House of Assembly join me in congratulating the Dartmouth Curling Club on their 75th Anniversary and wish them every future success for at least 75 more years.
Mr. Speaker, I request waiver of notice and passage without debate.
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 Argyle.
RESOLUTION NO. 326
HON. CHRISTOPHER D'ENTREMONT: Monsieur le Président, à une date ultérieure, je demanderai l'adoption de la resolution suivante:
Attendu que La Sermaine de l'éducation ce déroule du 10 au 16 avril et lors d'une cérémonie qui s'est tenu à Halifax le lundi 11 avril, trios enseignant ont été honorés pour leur contribution dans leurs école; et
Attendu que Daphne Saulnier, enseignante depuis 15 ans, est passionnée de la lecture et de littératie, Elle est présentement enseignante titulaire de la 4ͤ année à l'École Belleville et occupe le poste de mentor en littératie; et
Attendu que Mme Saulnier s'assure d'une bonne communication avec les parents et les élèves, Elle est aussi coprésidente du projet d'amélioration de l'École Belleville et Elle joue un rôle important dans le bon fonctionnement de la bibliothèque;
Par conséquent, qui'il soit résolu que tous les members de cette Assemblé se joignent à moi pour féliciter Daphne Saulnier en recevant la distinction d'enseignante de l'année et la remercier pour son dévouement à ces élèves, son école et lui souhaite grand succès dans sa carrière.
I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:
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Whereas Education Week for 2011 runs from April 10th to 16th and in a ceremony in Halifax on Monday, three teachers of the CSAP, including Daphne Saulnier, were honoured for their outstanding involvement in their schools; and
Whereas Daphne Saulnier, a teacher for 15 years, is currently a Grade 4 teacher and literacy coach at École Belleville and is passionate about reading and literacy; and
Whereas Ms. Saulnier ensures a good communication with parents and students, is co-chair of the Improvement Project at École Belleville and plays an important role in the functioning of the school library;
Therefore be it resolved that all members of this House of Assembly join me in congratulating Daphne Saulnier on receiving the distinction of Teacher of the Year for 2011 and thank her for her unwavering dedication to her students, her school, and wish her continued success in her career.
Mr. Speaker, I request waiver of notice and passage without debate.
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 Lunenburg.
RESOLUTION NO. 327
MS. PAM BIRDSALL: Mr. Speaker, I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:
Whereas African nations, struggling with the fight against diseases such as HIV/AIDS and malaria, experience a shortage of adequate laboratory facilities to provide necessary laboratory results and often a lack of knowledge and skills required to perform necessary testing; and
Whereas Feltzen South resident Sheila Woodcock, who has an extensive background in administration, education and professional regulation involving hospital laboratories, formed her own consulting company, QSE Consulting, to assess how labs in African nations are functioning; and
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Whereas Ms. Woodcock, who has travelled numerous times to African nations such as Mali and Tanzania since 2007, does the initial assessment of a lab's performance and performs follow-up visits to determine progress with the aim of having laboratories ideally meet international standards;
Therefore be it resolved that this House of Assembly recognize Sheila Woodcock of Feltzen South and QSE Consulting for her commitment to improving laboratory standards in Mali and Tanzania, resulting in better health care.
Mr. Speaker, I request waiver of notice and passage without debate.
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 Yarmouth.
RESOLUTION NO. 328
MR. ZACH CHURCHILL: Mr. Speaker, I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:
Whereas a recent report highlights the fact that Nova Scotia's home building industry is the second largest job creator in the province, directly and indirectly employing over 27,000 people; and
Whereas the report also found that residential construction directly and indirectly generated $1.5 billion in provincial Gross Domestic Product, generating millions of dollars in tax revenue for the province; and
Whereas despite these incredible achievements, the CEO of the Nova Scotia Home Builders' Association, Paul Pettipas, remains as humble and charming as always, being quoted by The ChronicleHerald as saying, we knew we were big, but not that big;
Therefore be it resolved that all members of the House of Assembly congratulate Paul Pettipas, the Home Builders' Association, and the home builders across the province for their success, thank them for their real and meaningful contributions to the economy of Nova Scotia, and support their work and industry with thoughtful and productive legislation.
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Mr. Speaker, I request waiver of notice and passage without debate.
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 Cape Breton West.
RESOLUTION NO. 329
MR. ALFIE MACLEOD: Mr. Speaker, I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:
Whereas Stephen Horyl of River Ryan was a talented forward on the Truro Bearcats; and
Whereas Stephen was selected as the Maritime Junior Hockey League's Player of the Year in early March; and
Whereas Stephen is known as a hard-working, two-way forward who notched 23 goals and 53 points in 42 games this season, while only turning in 14 penalty minutes;
Therefore be it resolved that all members of this House of Assembly congratulate Stephen Horyl on his selection as the Maritime Junior Hockey League's Player of the Year and wish him every success in his future.
Mr. Speaker, I request waiver of notice and passage without debate.
MR. SPEAKER: There has been a request for waiver.
Is it agreed?
It is agreed.
[Page 538]
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. 330
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 latest International Wine Competition was held this past March in Finger Lakes, New York; and
Whereas Annapolis Highland Vineyards of Bear River East brought home four medals to add to their already growing collection; and
Whereas the competition saw a record breaking amount of entries this year;
Therefore be it resolved that the House of Assembly congratulate the Annapolis Highland Vineyards for their award-winning wines and continued success.
Mr. Speaker, I request waiver of notice and passage without debate.
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 Hants West.
RESOLUTION NO. 331
MR. CHUCK PORTER: Mr. Speaker, I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:
Whereas students and staff at the Falmouth Elementary School got together in mid-February to present local bus driver Donna Britten with a School Bus Driver of the Year Award; and
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Whereas Donna is a unique and special bus driver who is always in a cheerful mood and who makes the drive to and from school memorable for children with the singing of songs, especially on birthdays; cards at Christmas; chocolates at Easter and, yes, even candy at Halloween; and
Whereas Donna is such a special person that she is always ready with a hug for any student who might need one;
Therefore be it resolved that all members of this House of Assembly congratulate Donna Britten on being named the School Bus Driver of the Year and thank parent, Natalie Bauchman, for nominating Donna for this special recognition.
Mr. Speaker, I request waiver of notice and passage without debate.
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. 332
MS. DIANA WHALEN: Mr. Speaker, I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:
Whereas on February 15, 2011, Dalhousie University hosted A Knight's Tale - Lessons Learned from an Unintended Career in Business, with esteemed alumnus Sir Graham Day who is a law school graduate, former professor, and former chancellor of Dalhousie University; and
Whereas the evening celebrated Sir Graham's lifetime legacy and achievements in the business world and commemorated the establishment of a new million dollar scholarship fund for the School of Business, established in his name by friends and colleagues; and
Whereas Sir Graham has directed the scholarships be awarded to students doing course work or work terms in the areas of family business, transportation, or business-government relations;
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Therefore be it resolved that members of the House of Assembly join me in commending an outstanding Nova Scotian and inspiring teacher, Sir Graham Day, on the establishment of this generous scholarship fund at Dalhousie University, and applaud his enduring commitment to supporting students.
Mr. Speaker, I request waiver of notice and passage without debate.
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. 333
MR. KEITH BAIN: Mr. Speaker, I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:
Whereas the Northside Victoria Community Business Development Corporation has commissioned a study on the feasibility of a marshalling yard to handle Marine Atlantic's commercial traffic; and
Whereas this study will expand upon the economic growth potential for Cape Breton; and
Whereas the acquisition of the Blue Puttees and the Highlander to complement the Atlantic vision will not only grow commercial capacity but will grow tourism-related business, and these investments by the federal government, along with other initiatives including a new terminal, skywalk, secure safe site, will help secure economic growth in this region;
Therefore be it resolved that all members of this House of Assembly recognize the impact of the federal government and the Northside Victoria Community Business Development Corporation for increasing sustainable infrastructure and economic growth in the region.
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Mr. Speaker, I request waiver of notice and passage without debate.
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 Dartmouth East.
RESOLUTION NO. 334
MR. ANDREW YOUNGER: Mr. Speaker, I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:
Whereas Symphony Nova Scotia's Adopt-A-Musician program exists to partner professional musicians with young students collaborating to develop original scores and musical compositions; and
Whereas this music education program completed its eighth year with a successful concert entitled We are the Stars! at the Rebecca Cohn Auditorium in Halifax on Saturday, April 10, 2011; and
Whereas students from four schools participated in this year's concert, including Mount Edward Elementary School in Dartmouth;
Therefore be it resolved that all members of the House of Assembly congratulate the music students of Mount Edward Elementary on their successful concert and their hard work with Symphony Nova Scotia, and wish each of them well in their future artistic endeavours.
Mr. Speaker, I request waiver of notice and passage without debate.
MR. SPEAKER: There has been a request for waiver.
Is it agreed?
It is agreed.
[Page 542]
Would all those in favour of the motion please say Aye. Contrary minded, Nay.
The motion is carried.
The honourable member for Cape Breton West.
RESOLUTION NO. 335
MR. ALFIE MACLEOD: Mr. Speaker, I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:
Whereas the Eskasoni Winter Carnival is an important part of the community's cultural events, and was held this year from February 18th to 21st ; and
Whereas this festival raises significant funds for the Holy Family Parish; and
Whereas the Eskasoni Winter Carnival also helps build the poise and confidence of the young women who participate in the carnival's Princess Pageant;
Therefore be it resolved that all members of this House of Assembly congratulate the organizers of this year's successful Winter Carnival, and recognize the achievement of Joanne Joe for being named the Queen of the Eskasoni Princess Pageant for 2011 and congratulate Joanne, as well as her court.
Mr. Speaker, I request waiver of notice and passage without debate.
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 Bedford-Birch Cove.
RESOLUTION NO. 336
MS. KELLY REGAN: Mr. Speaker, I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:
Whereas Marie Harding is Coordinator of Recruitment and Professional Programs for the Atlantic region law firm McInnes Cooper; and
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Whereas Ms. Harding introduced associate lawyer evaluations on-line, developed a recruitment Web site, and produced a video for the recruitment of law students, making McInnes Cooper the first law firm in the country to use on-line recruitment for law students; and
Whereas Ms. Harding received the New Human Resources Leader Award at the Atlantic Canada Human Resources Awards;
Therefore be it resolved that the members of this House congratulate Marie Harding on the initiative and inventiveness that brought recognition to both her and to her firm, and wish her well in her future endeavours.
Mr. Speaker, I request waiver of notice and passage without debate.
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 Colchester North.
RESOLUTION NO. 337
HON. KAREN CASEY: Mr. Speaker, I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:
Whereas the Nova Scotia Agricultural College has gained international fame for the excellent academic standards it maintains; and
Whereas students must be enrolled in four or more courses per semester, must be in the top 10 per cent of their program of study and must have an average of 80 per cent or higher to be included on the President's List; and
Whereas Nova Scotia can be proud of the academic excellence of these students and look to them as skilled, creative, well-prepared future leaders;
Therefore be it resolved that all members of this House of Assembly congratulate Amanda Keen, Tatamagouche, Colchester North, for the prestigious honour of being named to the President's List at the Nova Scotia Agricultural College.
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Mr. Speaker, I request waiver of notice and passage without debate.
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 Yarmouth.
RESOLUTION NO. 338
MR. ZACH CHURCHILL: Mr. Speaker, I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:
Whereas for many years the Tabitha Centre, an outreach program supported by St. Ambrose Parish, has assisted countless individuals and families in Yarmouth and area; and
Whereas under the current direction of Greg Moulaison, the Tabitha Centre continues to help ease and relieve the financial burdens facing so many in our community on a daily basis; and
Whereas the Tabitha Centre continues to embody its belief that if you have a house in which to live, clothes to wear and food for every meal, you are rich compared to many people in the world - if we have these things and we have more than enough, we need to share with those who are less fortunate - be willing to share, you will feel good and others will benefit;
Therefore be it resolved that the members of this House of Assembly recognize Greg Moulaison and the Tabitha Centre for many years of compassionate assistance and for truly making a positive difference and providing hope in the lives of so many in our community.
Mr. Speaker, I request waiver of notice and passage without debate.
MR. SPEAKER: There has been a request for waiver.
Is it agreed?
[Page 545]
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
MR. SPEAKER: Before we do Oral Question Period, I would like to remind our members that the use of Blackberries, laptops and any other electrical devices will not be permitted during Question Period, so they are to remain off during that time.
The time is now 12:53 p.m., we will finish at 1:53 p.m.
ORAL QUESTIONS PUT BY MEMBERS
MR. SPEAKER: The honourable Leader of the Official Opposition.
HEALTH & WELLNESS - TRANSITIONAL CARE UNIT:
PATIENTS - MOVE
HON. STEPHEN MCNEIL: Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Premier. Yesterday Capital Health issued yet again another Code Census. Later in the evening the same district provided a solution, a solution that will address not only the much-celebrated flatline budget received from government, but also the frequency of Code Census calls. The district's solution - move patients out of the transitional care unit. They claim this will have no impact on patient care.
My question for the Premier is, can the Premier explain how moving patients out of a transitional care unit, when they have nowhere else to go, fails to have zero impact on patient care?
THE PREMIER: Well, Mr. Speaker, what I know is that the QEII and Capital District Health and all of the facilities in Capital Health have the utmost respect for the individuals for whom they are providing service. I don't believe that any of them would make a decision that they felt would in any way impact on the patients' care.
MR. MCNEIL: Mr. Speaker, long-term care was important to this government when they were in Opposition. Now they are content to remain silent and letting the districts deal with the problem. As of yesterday, 71 patients at Capital Health were occupying hospital beds, waiting for long-term care. These are real people with families, waiting to hear something from government on what will happen with them. My question to the Premier is, what plans does your government have for these 71 patients the district indicates they no longer have the budget resources to provide care for?
[Page 546]
THE PREMIER: Mr. Speaker, I don't know if the Leader of the Official Opposition has been following this but we have been opening new long-term care beds right across this province, hundreds of them. (Applause) In fact, we have already closed one transitional unit by taking those people and putting them in long-term care facilities. You can expect that will continue.
MR. MCNEIL: Mr. Speaker, I've been following the opening of these long-term care facilities. I was following it when the previous government initiated the solution of building long-term care facilities across this province. What we're asking from this government, instead of standing there and cutting the ribbon on a commitment made by the previous government, what is your solution facing the many Nova Scotia families who have loved ones waiting for long-term care beds who are sitting in transitional-care units across this province? This is not only a challenge here in the Capital District, it is a challenge all across Nova Scotia. What we're looking for from the Premier, instead of cutting ribbons on previous commitments - what is your government going to do to make sure Nova Scotia families have long-term care beds?
THE PREMIER: Mr. Speaker, we are supplying more beds for long-term care. We are moving people out of transitional units into those beds. We're not just cutting ribbons. More important than announcements made by the former government is the fact that we are actually budgeting to support those long-term care beds. We are supporting the people who are in those beds and the single largest increase in the health care budget was in long-term care this year. (Applause)
MR. SPEAKER: The honourable member for Hants West.
PREM.: SHIPBUILDING PROCUREMENT PROCESS -
DEADLINE CHANGE
MR. CHUCK PORTER: Mr. Speaker, I'm sure many Nova Scotians, particularly those who work at the Halifax Shipyard, were shocked to read this morning that the federal Liberal Leader intends to interfere with the procurement process for work on the National Shipbuilding Procurement Strategy to give Davie Shipyard a chance to bid on this massive contract. Mr. Ignatieff's plan is one that could push the Halifax Shipyard out of contention and that smacks of political opportunism at its most crass.
My question through you to the Premier is, would the government be in favour of a move to change the deadline already established and does the Premier believe such a move would be consistent with a fair and open bidding process?
THE PREMIER: Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the member opposite for the question. Obviously, like many Nova Scotians, I was very shocked to read the comments of the Liberal Leader. I think, as is usually the case in these things, people have two opinions. They have their knee-jerk reaction and then they have a considered opinion and I would hope the considered opinion of Mr. Ignatieff would be to support the fair and open procurement process that is currently underway. Certainly, I support it and I know that my colleagues in the other provinces here support it. I hope that he would, in considering his opinion, understand the value of the existing rules.
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MR. PORTER: Mr. Speaker, five shipyards from across the country entered into this bidding process for a $35 billion contract, believing that the awarding of the contract would be managed through an independent process, free of political interference and overseen by a fairness monitor. My question through you to the Premier, what would the effect of this change be on the Halifax Shipyard and its chance of success?
THE PREMIER: Mr. Speaker, as I've said before, we make the best ships in the world right here in Nova Scotia. We're not afraid of competition, we're not afraid to put the skills and the product of our shipyards up against anyone. We expect that the rules of the procurement process will be well-known in advance to all of the bidders, that when they are set out by the federal government, they will adhere to that process, that it will be independent and free, frankly, of political interference. We believe, of course, the procurement process should proceed as it was set out and we continue to support that process.
MR. PORTER: Mr. Speaker, I'm relieved to hear that the Premier shares the outrage members of our caucus and hard-working shipbuilders feel today. My final supplementary through you to the Premier is, does the Premier intend to convey the government's strong disagreement to the Liberal Leader, Mr. Ignatieff?
THE PREMIER: Yes, Mr. Speaker, we certainly are and I have asked my staff, on my instruction, to draft a letter to the Leader of the federal Liberal Party expressing our disappointment in his comments and asking him to understand that. Also on comments that he has made on the Lower Churchill project and the idea that it should be wheeled through Quebec, neither of these things are acceptable to the people of Nova Scotia and furthermore, if this were to come true, if this was to be in fact the position of the federal government, it runs the risk of stunting the growth of Atlantic Canada for a generation.
MR. SPEAKER: The honourable member for Halifax Clayton Park.
HEALTH & WELLNESS: TRANSITIONAL CARE UNIT
- BED CLOSURES
MS. DIANA WHALEN: Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Minister of Health and Wellness. Today we are beginning to see the true impact that a flatline budget will have on the operations of Capital Health District. Everything is being laid on the table, including moving nursing home patients out of the transitional care unit in the hospital when clearly they have nowhere else to go. My question to the minister is, how does the minister plan to respond to a recommendation of closing beds for the 71 elderly patients waiting for a nursing home space?
[Page 548]
HON. MAUREEN MACDONALD: Mr. Speaker, the first thing the Minister of Health and Wellness is intending to do is to actually get the report from Capital Health District. They have until I believe the end of the week to file their business plan with our department and until that time, I have not seen the business plan and, in fact, have very little to say about it until I read it.
MS. WHALEN: Mr. Speaker, at the beginning of this session we tabled a bill asking that that be tabled at the same time as the financial estimates and I think it is time that we have access to that and continue on.
In November, Mr. Speaker, the Department of Health and Wellness revealed that nursing homes were not operating at peak capacity. Occupancy rates on nursing home beds were down while the number of patients in hospitals awaiting transfer was going up. The department responded at that time to the issue by bringing in an industrial engineer to streamline the way it admits seniors to nursing home beds. My question to the minister is, can the minister please indicate what was ultimately recommended by the industrial engineer to address this challenge?
MS. MAUREEN MACDONALD: Mr. Speaker, there are a number of areas where patients come into the Capital District Health Authority and end up occupying beds in acute care facilities and we need to look at how to move those folks into more appropriate settings. Seniors waiting for long-term care are one group and we've been opening new beds and we've been assessing how we can move people in a more efficient and effective manner, for example, having people assessed on weekends which didn't happen before but, in fact, can happen and people can be moved through at that time.
We also need to look at people with mental health disorders who end up in hospital and have no place to go in terms of discharge into the community or an intermediate setting and we also need to look at other groups, in rehab, for example, people with disabilities and head injuries. All of that work is being done in the department in a very active way in co-operation with our DHAs.
MS. WHALEN: Mr. Speaker, my question was specifically about the industrial engineer who was hired. It was announced in November 2010 that he was being hired by the Department of Health and Wellness, by the executive director of the Continuing Care Branch for the Department of Health and Wellness. Those recommendations were going to help to streamline the placement of seniors waiting for nursing home beds who are currently in hospitals. I believe the House has a right to see what the recommendations were and would like to know. My final question to the minister is, will you table the results and the recommendations that came from that industrial engineer?
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MS. MAUREEN MACDONALD: Mr. Speaker, when I've had an opportunity to thoroughly review the report, I will give consideration to providing it to the honourable member.
MR. SPEAKER: The honourable Leader of the Official Opposition.
PREM.: PRESCRIPTION DRUG PROBLEM - RESPONSE
HON. STEPHEN MCNEIL: Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Premier. "It has been elevated by many in the community and those outside the community as a plague that is tearing families apart and the government's response has been muted . . . There doesn't seem to be any clear indication from government that they are willing to provide the resources that are required to in order to deal with it." Those are the words of the NDP Leader, now Premier, in an interview conducted with the Cape Breton Post in 2004 and I will table that. He was speaking specifically about the challenges associated with prescription drug addiction. My question to the Premier is, why has the Premier chosen to be silent on the issue of the prescription drug plague in 2011 when clearly it was so important to him in 2004?
THE PREMIER: Well far from it, Mr. Speaker. Through our department we are dealing with Addiction Services. We're putting in place the resources that are required to deal with this issue. It is something that we unfortunately have seen. Some communities have a very difficult time with it, but we are working hard with our partners in the district health authorities and through the department to address it.
MR. MCNEIL: Mr. Speaker, prescription drug addiction continues to plague the Annapolis Valley and many communities across this province. These addictions are tearing families apart and they're resulting in needless deaths. My question in follow-up to the Premier's response to the previous question, could he tell this House and all members of this House a specific issue that they have done to deal with the challenges facing these Nova Scotians?
THE PREMIER: Of course, the person best able to answer that is the Minister of Health and Wellness and I'll ask her to respond to the Leader of the Official Opposition.
HON. MAUREEN MACDONALD: Thank you very much and it's a very important question, one we're very concerned about. A specific example of things that we have done are: we've struck a working group; we did that some time ago to look at the whole issue of opiate abuse. We're working with the College of Physicians and Surgeons to improve the clinical guidelines that physicians use in prescribing. We have in place a drug monitoring program. We're looking at why these drugs are getting into the hands of people in the first place and we continue to work with law enforcement groups as well because they're often on the front lines and they understand and see before anyone else. Additionally, we've been working with the coroner who unfortunately is often called to the scene when there has been a tragic situation as a result of drug abuse.
[Page 550]
MR. MCNEIL: Mr. Speaker, this issue was important enough for the Premier to talk about in 2004, now we are almost two years into his mandate as Premier and what we heard from the Minister of Health is that we've created more strategies, more task forces to talk about the issue. Nova Scotia families are suffering. Nova Scotia families are losing their loved ones because of this issue. I want to speak directly to the Premier. How much longer do Nova Scotians have to wait for you to take action on this important issue?
MR. SPEAKER: Order, please, order. The member is using the word 'your' again. That is out of order. I explained last week that we're going to follow proper parliamentary procedure in this House. Questions are to be asked using the third person. I had a procedural note distributed last week to all House Leaders for each caucus explaining why this is to be followed. I ask the member to re-phrase that question and any other questions that he may ask later. The honourable Leader of the Official Opposition.
MR. MCNEIL: Mr. Speaker, I apologize to the House and I appreciate receiving that note from you. My question to the Premier is, how much longer will Nova Scotians have to wait for the Government of Nova Scotia to respond to these needs?
THE PREMIER: Mr. Speaker, he heard you, he got the note, he read it, he just didn't understand it. The answer is quite straightforward. Nova Scotian families are not waiting for this government to act. This government is acting and it is our intention to continue, not just to talk about this but to implement these strategic directions that will help these families address the issues with prescription drug abuse.
MR. SPEAKER: The honourable Leader of the Progressive Conservative Party.
TIR: GOV'T PAVING - PARKS CAN. CONTRACTS
HON. JAMIE BAILLIE: My question is for the Minister of Transportation and Infrastructure Renewal. Mr. Speaker, over the last few months there has been a lot of debate about the government acquiring its own road paving and chip-sealing ability. In presentations to a variety of public sources, including Opposition caucus, the minister's department referred to their success in line painting as an example of what they would like to do for paving and chip-sealing more generally.
As it turns out, Mr. Speaker, it's not as simple as that. In fact, over the past two years the government line-paving crew has gone out of its way to undercut legitimate small business, private sector operators in the line-paving business. I will give as a specific the contract with Parks Canada for Cape Breton Highlands National Park.
My question, therefore, to the minister is, why is his department seeking to replace legitimate private operators such as those that provide that service to Parks Canada?
[Page 551]
HON. WILLIAM ESTABROOKS: Mr. Speaker, I thank the member opposite for the question although I would appreciate the fact using the term undercutting would be, in my view, not a proper way to describe competitive bidding.
It would seem to be this is an issue that at this stage I am not fully aware of. The specifics, of course, are that a very important part of the trail, and of course the national park and its involvement has part of the ongoing inventory. My department regularly looks at the fact of what line painting is going to take place at what time but at this stage I am not aware of any undercutting that has taken place.
I do know that there is a private company that is in the line-painting business as is there also, and has been for a number of years, a line-painting crew from the Department of Transportation and Infrastructure Renewal. With those particular points that the Leader of the Progressive Conservative Party has brought forward, I will have to look at them, investigate more fully and get back to him at a later time.
MR. BAILLIE: I encourage the minister to look into it and I appreciate that he is going to take the time to do that. Let me just fill him in very briefly. In this particular case there was no competitive bid, this was an arrangement between Parks Canada and his department.
Unfortunately, the result of the arrangement was that a legitimate small business in Nova Scotia has been cut out of that work. That is why I use the phrase the undercutting because no competitive bid was sought, they were just dropped as the result of the arrangement between his department and between Parks Canada.
My question is this, through you, Mr. Speaker, how can private operators like those in the line-painting business compete when there is no competitive process and when the minister's department deals directly with legitimate customers like Parks Canada?
MR. ESTABROOKS: Mr. Speaker, I am not aware of any "arrangement" between the national park and the line-painting crew with TIR. It is, after all, important that we understand the fact, whether we are talking about the road builders in the province or a private line-painting company, that competition is welcomed.
Under these particular circumstances, as I said earlier to the Leader of the Progressive Conservative Party, I'll have to look at the issue and I'll have to discuss it with him further. It would seem to me that this is a particular example of some cherry-picking, if that is appropriate. If this would be an issue that the MLA for Inverness had brought to my attention, he would have done it in a way that I would have had the answers for him in this House. I find it unfortunate that, at this particular time, I'm discussing something that as the minister I am not aware of any arrangement and I'm certainly not aware of any undercutting.
[Page 552]
MR. BAILLIE: Mr. Speaker, we try very hard on this side of the House, when we're asking a question, to provide examples so that the minister can go and check, that hardly is cherry-picking, in fact it is supporting the premise of the question. To that end I just want to provide the minister with a little more information.
The fact of the matter is Parks Canada billed his department $47,000 for line-painting work in the summer of 2010. Best estimates of industry are that the cost to provide that work would be in the range $63,000 to $75,000 a year in excess of what they were actually billed. That is why there is a concern about undercutting private business.
To bring it back to the issue of road paving, what assurance can the minister give to our private road-paving contractors and chip sealers so that the same thing won't happen to them? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
MR. ESTABROOKS: Mr. Speaker, thank you to the member opposite. The question is in the matter of line painting and I'd like to continue with that thought. I hear some numbers that have been expressed, it is important that I realize that some of the specifics with last year's budget and the $47,000 that was awarded to the line-painting crew from the Department of Transportation and Infrastructure Renewal, it's an important feature. I was not aware of the $63,000 to $75,000, all good information, all important things that as the Minister of Transportation and Infrastructure Renewal, I would like to know more about and I assure the member opposite that I will find out more about the situation.
MR. SPEAKER: The honourable member for Kings West.
HEALTH & WELLNESS - PRESCRIPTION DRUGS:
KENTVILLE POLICE CHIEF - LETTER
MR. LEO GLAVINE: Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Minister of Health and Wellness. Fifteen months ago Kentville's Chief of Police sent a letter to the Ministers of Health and Wellness, Justice, and Community Services. The letter was borne of frustration, frustration at watching young people in his community lose their lives as a result of prescription drug addiction. He speaks of the unspoken pandemic sweeping Nova Scotia and the need for everyone, especially government, to be responsible, show the compassion and courage required to hold everyone accountable when it comes to creating the change necessary to save communities.
I'll table that letter for the House; it is one that perhaps all MLAs should read. My question to the minister is, before the end of Question Period today can the minister please table her response to the letter signed by Chief of Police Mark Mander, dated January 15, 2009?
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HON. MAUREEN MACDONALD: Mr. Speaker, I do remember receiving that letter very well. I remember having a discussion with my deputy about it and I remember making a request that a response from our department be constructed, and a working group was established in response to the chief of police's letter to me. Thank you.
MR. GLAVINE: Mr. Speaker, 12 young adults have died in the Valley since 2010. Street level access to prescription drugs is a huge problem, not just in my community but in others as well. Chief Mander expressed concerns that the prescription drug monitoring program is a reactive system, helping some but is not proactive. The system responds and addresses complaints only when reported, it is incapable of flagging problem prescribers from the outset. Tragic results of a reactive monitoring system - more deaths.
My question to the minister is, given that the minister was made aware of the prescription drug monitoring system problem a year and a half ago, can the minister report to the House what she has done to address it?
MS. MAUREEN MACDONALD: Mr. Speaker, as I indicated earlier, there are a number of things we are doing. We did strike the working group and the working group did have representation from Mental Health, from the coroner's office, from the Colleges of Physicians and Pharmacists. We do have the Prescription Monitoring Program. I met with the college myself, personally, about the Prescription Monitoring Program, how that program is actually working and what are the things we might do to improve upon the program.
We're also working with the College of Physicians and Surgeons in terms of developing and implementing better clinical-practice guidelines for physicians who prescribe these very powerful drugs in the province. In addition, we are working on the whole aspect of treatment for people who become addicted to these very powerful drugs and the need for better treatment programs, so there are two elements we need to deal with: the access to these powerful drugs, and then treatment for people who should become addicted to them. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
MR. GLAVINE: Mr. Speaker, I appreciate that the minister is taking the issue very seriously. I know it's complex but in some ways the problem is now urgent and it's not a fully comforting response for the families who have buried their loved ones as a result of a prescription drug overdose. The challenge exists now, today.
We have seen this government take action on the issue of cyber-bullying but when it comes to prescription drugs, not so much. My question to the minister is, why has the minister not dealt with this in a more urgent fashion, to bring her colleagues together to address an issue that is literally breaking the hearts of families from one end of the province to the other?
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MS. MAUREEN MACDONALD: Mr. Speaker, I don't know what miracles that member thinks can be performed with respect to such a difficult subject as this. I want to say, as someone who worked for many years as a social worker and who has lost to this tragic, tragic situation young people I worked with as a social worker, I take this matter extraordinarily seriously, which is why we are doing the things we're doing, which is why we're working with the coroner's office, which is why we're working with the College of Physicians and Surgeons, which is why we're looking at prescribing patterns, which is why we're looking at the need for better treatment.
I take great exception to that member standing there and saying that this Minister of Health does not treat this matter seriously. (Applause)
MR. SPEAKER: On a new question, the honourable member for Kings West.
HEALTH & WELLNESS: PRESCRIPTION DRUG ADDICTION
- ASSISTANCE
MR. LEO GLAVINE: Mr. Speaker, obviously she missed my opening remarks where I said she took the problem seriously, however, there was an urgent need today. People will leave detox in the Middleton hospital today without follow-up, without support and without the kind of help they need. My question is to the Minister of Health and Wellness.
Today joining us in the gallery is Amy Graves. In the last month, she has lost her brother, a victim of the drug Dilaudid in combination with alcohol. She is not alone in her loss. She has participated in a protest to ensure other families do not have to suffer the loss that she has endured. Amy's brother Josh, 21, was bright, with a job, with a car; he was beginning to plan his future. Amy is not about criticizing the system; she simply wants help for others when it comes to excess prescription drugs on the street. My question to the minister is, what are you going to do, in the short term, to help families like Amy's and others crying out for help?
HON. MAUREEN MACDONALD: First of all, I'd like to extend my condolences to the lady the member referred to. Prescription drugs are way too easy to find. That is one of the things that we are taking action on. We need to ensure that prescription drugs, particularly the powerful opiates, are much more difficult to access. For people who become addicted to prescription drugs, we need to ensure they have ready access to treatment, and those are the two-pronged approaches that we are actively pursuing in the Department of Health.
MR. GLAVINE: Mr. Speaker, Amy Graves simply wants to make a difference for families struggling with the same challenges. Since Christmas, in addition to Amy's brother Josh, two other deaths have hit me personally: one young man I taught, while the other I served as his vice-principal. One had medical detoxification seven times, but was never able to access a regulated methadone program. The western part of the Annapolis Valley is in desperate need of a provincially-run methadone clinic. Families were screaming for help months, weeks and even hours before the deaths of these two young men who were my students. My question to the minister is, Amy and many families want timely access for treatment and a methadone clinic before the medical examiner has to handle yet another statistic. Will the minister assist in this urgent need?
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MS. MAUREEN MACDONALD: Mr. Speaker, I know first-hand of the positive impact that access to methadone can have for residents of our province. Direction 180 is in my constituency and was the first methadone clinic in the province, and I've always been very supportive of that particular clinic. It's not the only way to deliver methadone - as we know, it can also be delivered through the offices of family physicians and I believe that pharmacists are doing it in parts of the province as well. We are very much involved in looking at what the needs of the Annapolis Valley area are, and how to deliver a very strong program for people who do have opiate addictions in that particular area.
MR. GLAVINE: Mr. Speaker, my community and several others throughout the Valley will not let this issue falter until solutions are found and implemented. This has been a very difficult day for Amy, to come here, and for her family, but it is the role of all legislators to join her in creating a better outcome through education, timely treatment programs, and 24-hour access to follow up needs, which includes a provincially run methadone clinic. My question to the minister is - and this is a recommendation of Chief Mander who is more than prepared to assist - will you immediately bring medical, pharmaceutical, law enforcement, and community leaders to the table at the same time to bring action to this prescription drug problem and to help on the front line?
MS. MAUREEN MACDONALD: Mr. Speaker, the answer to that question, of course, is yes, but we already are actively working in this area and we will continue to do so, and we recognize it very much. I would like to take an opportunity to thank the families and the individuals from the Annapolis Valley, who have been organizing some public events, for the attention that they're bringing to a very important issue - their work will not go unnoticed.
MR. SPEAKER: The honourable member for Cape Breton West.
HEALTH & WELLNESS: LIBERATION THERAPY
- FUNDING
MR. ALFIE MACLEOD: Mr. Speaker, my question through you will be to the Minister of Health and Wellness. Last Fall, the NDP Government in Manitoba committed $500,000 to fund clinical trials into the liberation therapy for MS as a part of a national effort. It said recently that it is tired of waiting for a broad coordinated Canadian research effort to begin, so it announced $5 million for clinical trials. Unfortunately, the Nova Scotia Government has made it a priority to spend up to $5 million per year for five years to introduce an optional play late "My-Play" card system on VLTs with no proof that it will deter problem gamblers.
[Page 556]
Yet still no commitment for liberation therapy, no commitment for the thousands of Nova Scotians who suffer with MS, no commitment to improve their quality of life. Manitoba is taking a lead on liberation therapy and would have liked all provinces to participate in trials, but in the absence of that, Premier Selinger said that this is a strong Plan B. My question to the minister is, since there is no national effort to fund trials into the liberation therapy, what is this government's Plan B?
HON. MAUREEN MACDONALD: Well, first of all, there actually is a national effort and it was agreed to by all Ministers of Health, including the Minister of Health from Saskatchewan, from Manitoba, and myself, when we met in Newfoundland and Labrador a year ago the Fall past. What that initiative is about is seven research projects throughout North America, four of them in Canada, which will be monitored very closely by a national scientific expert panel. The results of this research, which we Ministers of Health asked that it be accelerated, the results as quickly as possible, that will form the basis of clinical trials going forward. We've said as a province we certainly will participate in clinical trials when the scientific panel recommends that clinical trials proceed.
MR. MACLEOD: Mr. Speaker, Manitoba is going to work jointly with Saskatchewan to avoid duplication of research into the liberation therapy and they hope that other provinces will join them. My question to the minister is, have you had any discussions with the Governments of Manitoba or Saskatchewan to see how Nova Scotia could benefit from working together with them on research into liberation therapy for MS patients?
MR. SPEAKER: Order, please. Again, we're using the word "you", you know, I'm not going to read the same speech over again but I would remind all members, please, ask the questions using the third person when asking questions. So I will now let the honourable Minister of Health and Wellness answer the question.
MS. MAUREEN MACDONALD: Mr. Speaker, through you to the honourable member, I would like to say that the Premier was just in Manitoba last weekend and spoke with the Premier of Manitoba. I've had an opportunity to speak with the Health Minister for Manitoba and Nova Scotia is currently the chair of the federal-provincial-territorial Health Ministers Table. I have an opportunity every time we consult across the country to get an update, and I assure the honourable member that MS liberation therapy is on the agenda of every conversation and every meeting we attend. We attach great importance to this subject.
MR. MACLEOD: Mr. Speaker, thank you for providing that guidance of my questioning earlier. The Manitoba Branch of the MS Society of Canada applauded Premier Selinger's announcement saying that they were pleased that MS has been recognized as a top-priority health care issue by the NDP Government of that province.
[Page 557]
My question through you to the Minister of Health and Wellness is, why is this government following the lead of its Manitoba NDP cousins on paving but when it comes to liberation therapy trials, and given the high prevalence of MS in Nova Scotia, when will this NDP Government make MS a top-priority health care issue and begin funding trials in liberation therapy to improve the quality of life for thousands of Nova Scotians who suffer with MS?
MS. MAUREEN MACDONALD: Mr. Speaker, people who suffer from MS in Nova Scotia are, in fact, a very important priority for this government. This government funds the MS clinic here.
Mr. Speaker, I have had an opportunity to go and meet with the members of the MS community here in metro and we keep the lines of communication open. We will continue to work with that community and we are fully prepared to participate in clinical trials once the scientific evidence supports that participation.
MR. SPEAKER: The honourable member for Yarmouth.
ERD & TOURISM - YARMOUTH-NEW ENGLAND FERRY:
CUT - REASON
MR. ZACH CHURCHILL: Mr. Speaker, last week in Question Period, when asked about the finances around the decision to cut investment in the Yarmouth-to-New England ferry, the Minister of Economic and Rural Development and Tourism said, "We were the only game in town. I wrote to the U.S. Government, to the federal government. To the best of my knowledge, there was only one game in town and that was the provincial government."
I'm just wondering, Mr. Speaker, if the minister can answer this question. Was the decision to cut the ferry for 2010 based on the fact that the financial burden was falling solely on the province's shoulders? I will table those comments.
HON. PERCY PARIS: Mr. Speaker, through you to the member opposite, the decision to cut the ferry - and, again, this is a reiteration - Bay Ferries wanted us to continue with the subsidy of the ferry service. We made a decision - "we" meaning Cabinet - based on the business case that was in front of us.
Mr. Speaker, without a doubt, yes. Were we in contact and did we contact other jurisdictions that we thought might be interested? Absolutely. Again, I've said time and time again, it was a tough decision, it was based on a business case.
[Page 558]
MR. CHURCHILL: I asked if the decision to cut the ferry was based on the financial burden falling solely on the province. When I brought up an offer that was put forward by the municipalities last week, the minister said, "I would also say that this funding coming from municipalities - I don't know where that's at because I've never heard of it."
That's interesting, Mr. Speaker, because I have a letter here, dated March 9, 2010, addressed to the Mayor of Yarmouth, the Wardens of Argyle, Yarmouth and Clare, that states, "I appreciate the municipal offer to provide financial support for 2010 Cat ferry service. Unfortunately . . . We believe it is now necessary to engage in a substantive discussion on how best to proceed without the Cat." Signed, sincerely, the Minister of Economic and Rural Development.
Will the minister admit to this House, today, that the financial situation in its entirety was not considered when they made the decision to cut funding to The Cat ferry?
MR. PARIS: We had never received a proposal with figures in it concerning the subsidy. We can be here for weeks, going back and forth, he said, they said, we said.
Mr. Speaker, the bottom line is that a decision was made based on the business case, a decision that was made by Cabinet and we thought long and hard about it.
MR. CHURCHILL: I am disappointed that the minister resorts to rhetoric instead of the facts because if you look at the facts, it is now clear that the financial situation wasn't totally considered by the province, they didn't consider the economic implications of that decision.
My question to the minister is, all we want him to do is admit that they made a mistake and help our community move forward with getting a ferry service. So my question to the minister is, will he admit that they made a mistake, that they didn't consider all the facts when they made that decision and work immediately to address this issue and help Yarmouth secure a ferry service for 2012?
MR. PARIS: All the facts were considered. We've proven in the last 20 or 21 months that we are willing to work with southwest Nova Scotia to improve southwestern Nova Scotia, the business tourism in the jurisdiction.
We will stand on our record when it comes to investment in southwestern Nova Scotia. Mr. Speaker, southwestern Nova Scotia has to be a destination point. Look, I was criticized for saying let's concentrate on the positives. Southwestern Nova Scotia has a lot to offer, let's put that out there.
[Page 559]
MR. SPEAKER: The honourable member for Dartmouth East.
ENERGY: GAS PRODUCTION - ROYALTY RATE
MR. ANDREW YOUNGER: Mr. Speaker, it has come to my attention in an annual filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, Triangle Petroleum has noted that Nova Scotia demands an exceptionally low royalty rate for gas production compared to other provinces and, in fact, other U.S. states and, in fact, offers other incentives on top of that. The royalty rate that Nova Scotia has asked for for onshore gas is 10 per cent, compared to an average rate of over 17.5 per cent and up to 36 per cent in Alberta and in Texas and Louisiana, 25 to 30 per cent, and in New York the legislated minimum royalty rate of 13 per cent. In fact, Nova Scotia has if not the lowest royalty rate, one of the lowest in North America.
Even worse, Mr. Speaker, in Nova Scotia the royalty rate, unlike other jurisdictions, is calculated after processing and production costs instead of on gross royalties on gross production. So would the Minister of Energy please explain to Nova Scotians why he believes residents of Nova Scotia deserve to benefit less from their resources than the citizens of other provinces?
HON. CHARLIE PARKER: Mr. Speaker, I thank the honourable member for the question. Our royalty rates have been in effect for some time, probably for years, for decades now, but we are undertaking a review within the department to look at our rates for minerals, for petroleum resources, for aggregates, for everything. That review is underway but certainly at the moment you might say we're very competitive.
MR. YOUNGER: Well, Mr. Speaker, a 10 per cent royalty rate is not competitive, it's theft. The minister recently stated in the that the oil and gas industry is an important part of our energy future but he forgot to mention that his government, the NDP Government, believes that not only should the gas industry walk away with our resources at a lower price than anywhere else, but that they deserve a two-year royalty holiday when the wells start. The same SEC report, and I'll table that report, states that for oil and gas production no royalties shall be due for the first two years of production.
Mr. Speaker, would the minister please explain why he and the NDP believe that gas exploration companies should have to pay no royalties for a resource that belongs to Nova Scotians, for two years, in addition to the already very low royalty rate?
MR. PARKER: Mr. Speaker, as I mentioned already, our royalty rates are under review and we'll soon have that report. We're always looking for new sources of revenue and to make life better for Nova Scotians.
MR. YOUNGER: Well, Mr. Speaker, the NDP certainly made life better for some people with million dollar salaries in the oil and gas companies but I don't know about local residents of Nova Scotia.
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Mr. Speaker, in the last 20 months the NDP has made life less affordable for Nova Scotia by hiking user fees, raising the HST, adding a tax to electricity, and while sticking it to everyday Nova Scotian families, we now find that the NDP has followed the path laid down by the previous Progressive Conservative Government by continuing a corporate giveaway to the gas industry.
Mr. Speaker, why is the minister and the NDP Government supporting increased taxes and fees for Nova Scotia families while engaging in an enormous corporate giveaway?
MR. PARKER: Mr. Speaker, as I said, our royalty structure is under full review and we'll be getting that report shortly. We're working hard to make life better for Nova Scotians and there are better days ahead. We'll be doing things like reducing the HST on energy and other good programs for Nova Scotians.
MR. SPEAKER: The honourable member for Victoria-The Lakes.
LBR. & ADV. EDUC.: DEBT CAP/DEBT FORGIVENESS
- EXPLAIN
MR. KEITH BAIN: Mr. Speaker, my question through you is for the Minister of Labour and Advanced Education. This NDP Government announced a debt cap for Nova Scotia students who attend Nova Scotia universities, but it is also going to use Nova Scotia taxpayers' dollars to forgive debts of Nova Scotians who are educated in institutions in other provinces, with no plan to bring those students back.
Mr. Speaker, my question through you to the minister is, why is this government cutting funding to Nova Scotia universities, yet investing Nova Scotian taxpayers' dollars in universities in other provinces and countries and what is being done to bring these students back?
HON. MARILYN MORE: Mr. Speaker, I think most Nova Scotian families would be very pleased to understand that the Nova Scotia Government is supporting their students, whether they have been able to get their programs here in Nova Scotia or in other institutions across Canada. Certainly, I think our track record in encouraging young people to return home to raise their families, to start businesses, to live here and be fully engaged in Nova Scotian communities, this track record is well known and we'll continue to encourage them to come back after their studies. Thank you.
MR. BAIN: Mr. Speaker, my question is going to be a direct one to the minister. In order to be eligible for the program, do students have to complete the undergraduate program in a certain amount of time and is the student debt forgiveness program tied to a retention program? I guess it's two questions in one.
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MS. MORE: Well, Mr. Speaker, on the broader issue we're really pleased to be able to support Nova Scotian students. We have the Graduate Retention Rebate that more and more people are taking advantage of. This encourages people to stay in our province whether they have graduated from community college or from university.
We also have a number of other incentives to encourage people to move back to our province so I'd be very pleased to sit down with the member at any time and go over the details of some of this. Thank you.
MR. BAIN: Mr. Speaker, my final supplementary to the minister. Upon graduation, many students are faced with the challenges of finding meaningful work and the minister has referenced incentives that are available now. I guess my question would be to the minister, as Minister of Labour and Advanced Education, what will be done to encourage businesses to hire new graduates in Nova Scotia?
MS. MORE: Mr. Speaker, more and more sectors of our business community are realizing that the challenge for them is to fill the skilled job openings that are coming up because of retirements and big project demands from other parts of Canada. So more and more employers and their sectors, industry sectors, are working with government to develop strategies to both upskill their current workforce, incentives to encourage Nova Scotians who are working in other parts of Canada to return home. It's very promising, in terms of a number of the projects that are going to be happening in Nova Scotia. We have a number of job openings and we're going to make sure that we have a trained, skilled work-force to fill those job openings. Thank you.
MR. SPEAKER: The honourable member for Bedford-Birch Cove.
LBR. & ADV. EDUC.: NSCC - TUITION HIKES
MS. KELLY REGAN: Mr. Speaker, recently CBC News reported that NSCC is being forced to consider a tuition hike because of rising costs. A tuition hike would affect approximately 28,000 students who attend NSCC campuses across the province. My question is, has the Minister of Labour and Advanced Education received any communication from NSCC regarding tuition increases?
HON. MARILYN MORE: Mr. Speaker, certainly I am aware and my department is aware that the board of governors and officials at the Nova Scotia Community College are in the final stages of a very careful analysis of both their long-term plans and their budget. They fully understand that they are part of the government's initiative to live within our means. They also recognize the significance that government places on the community college's mandate to meet both labour needs and the economic needs of this province.
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We are expecting to get details about their recommendations, in terms of budget decisions, within the near future and government will be prepared to look at those very seriously. Thank you.
MS. REGAN: Mr. Speaker, I would ask the minister to table those communications between NSCC and the department, so we can know what they are.
Mr. Speaker, NSCC is facing a $5.7 million shortfall, due to rising costs. As reported on CBC, Michelle Lane, NSCC Vice-President of Advancement, said that money accounts for wage increases and cost of living increases. The NDP negotiated the college teachers' contract but they won't provide additional funding to cover those increases. Can the minister please tell this House how much the wage increases and other benefit increases the NDP negotiated will cost NSCC this year?
MS. MORE: I don't have those details; certainly, I would be prepared to present that information during Budget Estimates. I do know the procedure is that once their recommendations are in place, the Board of Governors and senior officials will bring those to government, especially around any possibility of tuition increase, for example. I know that the government is very committed to keeping community college tuition as affordable as university tuition and certainly we would not want to grant any increases beyond the 3 per cent cap that we also provided to protect tuition for university students. Those discussions are underway. I do not have any official correspondence at this time, but certainly would be prepared to share what details I have by the time budget estimates are held.
MS. REGAN: Mr. Speaker, the NDP have saddled NSCC with additional costs and won't make up the difference and that amounts to a cut. I'm wondering, why is the minister refusing to cover wage increases her government agreed to?
MS. MORE: I can only repeat what I said in an earlier answer. The community college officials and Board of Governors certainly recognize that their role, in terms of training the future workforce of Nova Scotia, is an important one. It's one that the government takes very seriously, but they recognize, too, that they are part of the initiative to live within our means and we all want to be responsible to the taxpayers of this province.
MR. SPEAKER: The honourable member for Dartmouth East.
MR. ANDREW YOUNGER: Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Minister of Environment. The other day, our Finance Critic asked for detailed input costs with regard to environmental assessments and the only quote from the Minister of Finance was, every notice has been filed. Well, that did not answer the question. Will the Minister of Environment commit today to the House to table the exact cost, and every cost that went up to deliver an environmental assessment, which resulted in the fee increase?
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HON. STERLING BELLIVEAU: Mr. Speaker . . .
MR. SPEAKER: Order, please. The time allotted for Oral Question Period has ended.
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, would you please call Resolution No. 4.
Res. 4, re Estimates - Committee of the Whole House on Supply - notice given Apr. 1/11 - (Hon. G. Steele)
MR. SPEAKER: The honourable Leader of the Progressive Conservative Party.
HON. JAMIE BAILLIE: I am very pleased to rise to speak to this resolution on behalf of the Progressive Conservative caucus. I know the time allotment, I don't intend to use it all so we can get into the estimates here in this Chamber, but there are a few remarks I would like to add to the debate on the resolution, following on the comments made by the critic for the Liberal Party and actually trying to put this resolution and the estimates themselves into a greater context because the fact of the matter is that the government has, in a number of public places, been accused of manipulation and so on when it comes to the budget. I would just like to do a quick review that puts this particular resolution in the context of the last couple of years.
It is a fact that is known to all Nova Scotians that the NDP were elected on a number of promises, one of which was to balance the budget in their first year, another of which was to not raise taxes and so on. I won't dwell on that. That has been well documented. The fact of the matter is that quickly after the election, the government had a desire to escape from under those commitments, if I can word it that politely. They did the old trick of claiming that the cupboard was bare, but the fact of the matter is that this is where the first manipulation starts because they faced an inconvenient truth, inconvenient for the new government. That is, far from inheriting a mess, they had in fact inherited a string of eight consecutive balanced budgets.
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I know that there will be debate forever about this. I only rely on the word and the opinion of the Auditor General of Nova Scotia in making this point, that he himself signs off on the financial statements of the province. He certainly reviews the revenue assumptions and the estimates but he also actually audits the entire set of Public Accounts and has concluded eight years in a row, up until that time, that he had surpluses or balanced budgets for that entire period in office.
The government obviously wanted to get out from under that inconvenient truth. So they commissioned Deloitte to do an independent assessment. One of the things that the government asked Deloitte was, is the budget truly balanced, and in fact the Deloitte report, which I have here, Mr. Speaker, answered that question very clearly on Page 7 where it says (Interruption) I'm happy to table it. This is the library's copy so it will return from whence it came but it says that the forecast surplus in the 2008-09 fiscal year is in accordance with the Public Sector Accounting Board standards, Generally Accepted Accounting Principles, for that year.
That is an inconvenient truth for the government. It's happy news for Nova Scotians but it's an inconvenient truth for the government. I will point out, Mr. Speaker, that that budget was prepared by the same officials in the same department using the same processes as those who serve today's Minister of Finance.
So there we have it, the inconvenient truth exposed. So, that not working, Mr. Speaker, the government decided to ask Deloitte to do some more work but they handcuffed them with some assumptions that appeared to be bizarre at that time. Those assumptions included - and they're in the report - that the revenue of the province would be flat for the foreseeable future. In fact, they specifically said that the revenues of the province would be rolled back to the 2007-08 fiscal year and, secondly, that expenses would continue to grow at a compounded rate of 5 per cent a year ad infinitum.
Mr. Speaker, the NDP themselves claim that that is an unsustainable rate of growth. I will return to their own track record since taking office on cost containment in a moment but the fact of the matter is, that rate of growth was assumed to continue forever into the future, that our economy, our GDP, would experience zero per cent real growth throughout the period in question and that our offshore revenues would decline.
Mr. Speaker, of course, handcuffing Deloitte with those assumptions would - if you give it enough time - produce a significant deficit and that is the number the government now puts out as the number they wanted to slay, the $1.4 billion, but I think it is important to remind the House and remind all Nova Scotians that, in fact, no such deficit existed. It is a work of fiction forced upon Deloitte by the handcuffing that the NDP did in their early days in office. This is the equivalent of asking if I take this car and I steer it towards a ditch and I do nothing but drive in that direction, will I, in fact, at some point drive into the ditch? The answer, of course, is yes, you will, and that is all that the Deloitte's report says.
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Mr. Speaker, some will say it's a real deficit, some will say it's a structural deficit. One thing I know, it is not a real deficit because the Auditor General cannot audit it because it did not exist in fact. This is the first manipulation that Nova Scotians have experienced. Now, at the time people were not too focused on this because there was some hope, that the reason for this fiction was that the NDP would be serious about managing the books of the province in a financially responsible manner and about rolling back that compounded unsustainable rate in our spending growth and so on. But that, as it turns out, was not the real reason for creating this work of fiction because that is not what happened. Now we can look back with two years of experience under our belts and see whether expenses really were contained or not.
What we find is they have gone on at roughly the same rate of growth, at 9 per cent over two years, very close to what Deloitte had said would be the case but, unfortunately, we remain in deficit. The only meaningful action that was taken was to raise taxes - to break that other promise. Now we understand the real reason for this work of accounting fiction that the government forced on Deloitte, and that was to justify breaking their other meaningful election promise and raise our HST from 13 per cent to 15 per cent. That is manipulation number one - and I think it's important to put today's budget in that context.
Mr. Speaker, along with the budget we can now look at the forecast for the year just ended and, sadly, the manipulation continues and the old tricks continue for a group that said they wanted to do things differently. We now have some real experience with last year's budget. The NDP has made a big claim about how good they are at managing expenses - and they have patted themselves on the back in this area to the point that their arm must be awfully sore. But their claim rests on the assumption that they have beat their budget targets for every department - and this, in fact, is exactly what the NDP claims.
This is the oldest trick in the book because the government itself sets the spending targets for the year, and then congratulates itself when it beats them. We cannot even rely on the Auditor General to set the record straight on this because his work is limited to the revenue side of the budget - the expense side is completely the work of the government. So no wonder they beat their own estimates. Good for them, Mr. Speaker. The problem is, and this is where the inconvenient truth comes up again, what most people do is look at what they actually spent in the previous year and compare that to their estimates for the current year.
The fact of the matter is spending was up, according to the December forecast of the government, by $300 million over the actual spending of the year before. This is a government that does its best to say that up is down, down is up, that left is right and so on. We have as a convenient fact, according to the government's own forecast, this undisputable truth - spending marches on. It is up last year over the year before; the estimates for this year show it to be up again over the actual for the year just ended.
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Mr. Speaker, that rate of growth that Deloitte assumed that we were hopeful would actually turn out not to be true, in fact turns out to be true - that that spending growth continues on unabated. Yet the government claims some progress on deficit reduction even though they created the first deficit after taking office, as we've already established. The fact of the matter is, and the budget documents show this, that that progress, whatever it is, was made all on the revenue side.
If you had assumed no GDP growth for the last two years but our actual experience in real terms is 2.1 per cent last year and 1.9 per cent this year, of course the government's tax take is going to be higher than Deloitte had assumed. That's not real progress, Mr. Speaker. That is beating a hurdle that you set for yourself that is so low that it is a joke that Nova Scotians will soon be in on as the record of the government in actual terms becomes clearer as time goes on.
That brings me to this year's estimates in that context, having faced these great manipulations. First, there was no way to get out from under the inconvenient truth that they assumed when they took office in 2009; there is no way to avoid what the numbers actually say about last year's forecast compared to the budget; and now we have a third opportunity for the government to set the record straight, but the manipulation goes on.
There is no greater example, Mr. Speaker, in this budget than the government's attempt to count, or miscount, how many people actually work for the NDP in the core of government - not counting nurses, not counting doctors, just counting people who work in the departments of government.
They actually put out a budget update that tries to make the case that they are making progress towards their own goal of eliminating 1,000 positions; a goal, by the way, that is in itself a hurdle that is laughably low because natural turnover will get them there without any effort whatsoever. Even then, in this case, with a hurdle that is that low, they still trip over it because the estimates show there were actually 10,162 people funded by the government in actual terms last year. They're estimating 10,782 for this year. That is an increase of 620.
Either the government intends to actually fill those funded positions or it doesn't. If it does, it has tripped over this very low hurdle and, in fact, is digging itself into a bigger hole; or it doesn't intend to fund them; or it intends to fund only some of them, in which case there are tens of millions of dollars padded into the budget so the government can claim some success when we get to this point next year. These are the three hurdles of manipulation that Nova Scotians have come to see as the government builds up a real track record as financial managers in office.
I raise those because the fact of the matter is, the deficits go on, and the debt continues to grow; even by the government's own estimates, as far into the future as the Estimates Book goes, show higher and higher debt. The government did not put out a release on this, of course. They are making a $37 million down payment on our debt as a result of the prior year adjustment, or the prior year surprise, that we learned about on the last day of the fiscal year just ended. No one has a problem with that except that by the government's own estimates that down payment will last us exactly 20 days before the debt starts to go up again.
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This is the real track record of the NDP. This is why they shouldn't risk breaking their arm in patting themselves on the back because they're getting caught up in their own spin. They're getting caught up in their own fog. They're missing their own inconvenient truth, which as time goes on becomes clearer to us and becomes clearer to all Nova Scotians.
With those few remarks, I will take my place and we can move on with the orders of the day. I am delighted to have addressed Resolution No. 4.
MR. SPEAKER: The estimates are referred to the Committee of the Whole House on Supply unto Her Majesty.
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 honourable member for Richmond.
HON. MICHEL SAMSON: Mr. Speaker, either on a point of order or a point of privilege as it does go to the Rules of this House. In the brochure that's given to visitors to our gallery it says specifically, "The Speaker welcomes you to the Nova Scotia House of Assembly and asks you to note the following rules while in the galleries: You are not to lean over the front rail or place articles on the rail." A very important piece of advice, "You must abstain from applause or making any interruptions or disturbances, expressing approval or disapproval of proceedings." And more importantly for this particular point, "Photographs or recordings are not permitted."
Mr. Speaker, it is my understanding that this last rule is waived for those who are members of the press gallery and who are accredited for being able to take pictures or recording of members here in the House of Assembly. Today I did notice, via Twitter, that a member of the NDP research staff, or I believe an employee of the NDP caucus, or possibly a ministerial executive assistant by the name of Joanne Cook has posted a comment regarding activities here in the Legislature, but more importantly, has posted a photo of the floor of the gallery here, making accusations against a member of this House. I believe that is most inappropriate for any Nova Scotian to come into this Chamber and do, but certainly extremely inappropriate for someone who is employed by a Minister of the Crown to be undertaking that type of activity.
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Members should be free to express themselves and conduct themselves in this House within the boundaries of the rules you have provided and at the end of the day, Mr. Speaker, it is you who has the ultimate responsibility for the activities here in this House, not executive assistants to ministers or anyone else who would take pictures of members on the floor of this House without notice to yourself, to the staff of the House or certainly to the duly elected members of this Chamber.
As a result of that, Mr. Speaker, I'm asking that you make a ruling on this specific matter as to what is to be expected, not only of those who are in our gallery visiting or employees of the government or of ministers and as well, that the members of the House can have a clear understanding of what the expectations are, both for ourselves and for those who are in the gallery during our proceedings.
Mr. Speaker, I have shown you the information. I'm not quite sure how one can print this off, but it is clearly available on-line and I have shown it to you and the actual accusations made in that. I will certainly check with some of our technical people to see if there is a way of providing you with some sort of a paper copy of the actual posting that was made on Twitter, if that is even possible to do. I thank you for the opportunity to raise this matter with you today.
MR. SPEAKER: I thank the honourable member for his point of order and he did give me a look at the picture that was posted on Twitter, I did see it. I will take the matter under advisement and report back to the House at my earliest convenience and I thank the honourable member.
We will now go to the debate on the Supply motion.
The honourable member for Dartmouth East.
MR. ANDREW YOUNGER: Mr. Speaker, I know that after Question Period you're probably very eager to leave the Chair and do some other important business of the House and make your ruling on that issue.
It was interesting to listen earlier to the remarks by the Leader of the Third Party regarding GDP growth and some other issues related to the budget, particularly his concerns about the NDP budget and the fact that expenses and expenditures are growing faster than GDP. That is a concern that we share and the member for Kings West has raised that issue many times. It was interesting, though, to hear the Leader of the Third Party point that out because I started looking at the GDP and expenditure growth when the person who is now Leader was chief of staff in the Premier's office. I just thought it was worth noting that prior to the honourable member becoming the chief of staff in that particular office, expenditures by the Government of Nova Scotia, both in the first couple of years of the Hamm Government, as well as the years of the previous Liberal Government, GDP was always out-stretching expenditures, sometimes very close, but always out-stretching it.
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Interesting to note that when the Leader of the Third Party became chief of staff, all of a sudden they started going in opposite directions and, in fact, I will table a graph indicating just how dramatic a change that became over the years as things (Interruptions) No it wasn't, it was under a majority Progressive Conservative Government that suddenly things started to go the other way.
In 1999, if we go back a bit, GDP in Nova Scotia was growing at a rate of almost 5.5 per cent while ordinary expenditures were growing at a rate of 2 per cent. I think that we would all accept that's probably fairly reasonable, expenditures growing at a slower rate than our provincial GDP.
We saw that increase, we saw that sometimes it would get closer, sometimes further away and hopscotch, but the turning point happened in 2002 just as the honourable member took the position of chief of staff in the Premier's office and, in fact, GDP plummeted from 4 per cent down to 0 .9 per cent between 2002 and 2004. During the same period of time we watched as expenditures grew from 1 per cent a year to almost 6.5 per cent per year. Now it's interesting because that growth continued on a diverging path throughout the Progressive Conservative Government years and, in fact, has now continued in the 21 months of the NDP Government.
Mr. Speaker, we've heard in the past few weeks a lot of talk about coalitions. It strikes me, in looking at these numbers, that provincially the NDP and the Tories would make a very good coalition since their expenditure management policies seem to be almost identical. Especially under the two current Leaders as when we look back at the Leader of the Third Party in his time as chief of staff and the legacy there.
It's also worth noting, Mr. Speaker, during that period that when we look back at those years of expenditures, that was really when the huge turning point came. I know that somebody has nicknamed that particular issue as the TSN "turning point" in Nova Scotia financial history. (Interruption)
Well, I'm glad that you would bring that up because the only time, in fact, as much as I may not agree with all the decisions that were made during that particular time, I will say that the only time that expenditures actually decreased on a year over year basis in the Province of Nova Scotia was actually under a Liberal Government. In fact, the largest payoff of debt in this province's history was also under a Liberal Government.
Mr. Speaker, the fact is that the honourable member did pose the question as to what happened and it was probably a dangerous question for him to ask because what we see here is that there were two different paths.
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Mr. Speaker, the fact of the matter is that during the time from the Liberals taking office to the time they completed, the combined sales tax in Nova Scotia decreased in that period of time as well. Let's compare it here; we know that we've seen taxes rise. We've seen the fact that earlier today I asked the Minister of Energy about royalty rates for natural gas. I do have to question why the Minister of Finance, when he looked at the books and he went on his Back to Balance tour, saw that other provinces and states were looking at royalty regimes around North America and yet jumped right to the HST and right to fee increases. When, in fact, we were handing out a two-year holiday on oil and gas royalties, which there appears to be few, if any, other jurisdictions in North America doing now. As well as a royalty rate that - it's one thing for the Minister of Energy to stand up and say that it's competitive to be at 10 per cent, and he's right, it's competitive, but it's also competitive to be 2 per cent or 3 per cent less than the other jurisdictions.
If you look at Alberta, where the average royalty rate is 17.5 per cent, or Texas and Louisiana where it is between 25 per cent and 30 per cent, we could be a lot higher and still be very competitive. They seem to have a very thriving oil and gas industry. Instead, Mr. Speaker, what we're seeing is a situation where people are being hurt.
We had the Minister of Energy and other ministers talk about taking the HST off electricity. That's fine but it's a bit rich to mention that now since it has pretty well been wiped out by the other charges that have been added to electricity, including the NDP's own electricity tax that, just days before the election, they opposed. Yet one of the first acts of government was to actually implement that tax.
Mr. Speaker, we can discuss the merits of that from a conservation point of view or from a shifting point of view. But, when we actually look at that, when we actually look at what the rules are around that issue, the fact of the matter is that the numbers are wrong, as being presented, and that should be troubling to Nova Scotians.
Mr. Speaker, I had a letter the other day and I wish I could quote it here, I didn't know until a while ago that I was going to be speaking going into Supply, otherwise I would have printed it because it is an interesting letter from a former NDP voter. Somebody I unfortunately haven't met but who does live in my constituency, who was very angry to listen to the Premier talk about the surplus the other night, very angry. She sent this one-paragraph letter specifically asking the Premier not to boast about it because the decisions that the government has taken have hurt her and her family, not the least of which are things like the HST and, in fact, I don't see much evidence of expenditure management. I see a lot of evidence of good luck. I see a situation where we could talk about $447 million, but at the end of the day, when we take off the HST increase and we take off a much larger than expected CRA adjustment, you're still looking at a $70 million deficit or thereabouts, for last year. So I think we need to be very careful about that because that is why it isn't on an ongoing basis.
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We've heard the Minister of Finance talk about the previous government creating a structural deficit and I agree with him on that. I think he's absolutely right. What I'm concerned about is I don't see anything that is actually working to change that or working to actually find those efficiencies that could be had, and we can take that back even to the paving issue. With the government getting into the paving business, the rationale may have made sense if they had first gone to the business community, or the paving community and said, listen, we're going to get into the paving business if things don't improve. Well, it turns out now that paving prices are the lowest they've been in 10 years, in Nova Scotia. It turns out that tender prices are the lowest they've been in 10 years.
Mr. Speaker, that happened in the last season before the government even announced this. So, you have to question whether there was a need and then we had a press conference, or a technical briefing, where the minister said, or the minister's staff, I'm not sure which it was exactly that stated this, said, well, the tender specs are - we're not getting as good a price as they are in New Brunswick. Well, it turns out the tender specs are different and that would account for some of that change.
Mr. Speaker, we also had the staff admit that the prices, even though they were at 10-year lows, were still higher because of issues like that. They were still higher because of issues of not bundling tenders in areas and so those issues weren't addressed and there has not been a satisfactory answer to that issue. So when we look at things like this, and I know that the member for Glace Bay is talking about the BAYplex later today, and there's another example where what is effectively a government facility, a community facility, is trying to save costs by using geothermal technology, which is largely - many of the major advances in that issue have been made in Nova Scotia, and yet the government is not willing to support that type of project and that's troubling. That's more than troubling, in fact, because it's downloading a cost.
Then, Mr. Speaker, we can go one step further. The Minister of Service Nova Scotia and Municipal Relations has talked about the issue of a municipal downloading. He calls it a prevention of uploading but the fact of the matter is that he said, well, it's an MOU and we can get out of it. Well, it turns out that that's not quite accurate either. It actually turns out it's entrenched in legislation which the government will have to repeal if it wants to change that. So that's going to be an interesting debate on that piece of legislation and it will be interesting to see how the minister explains the fact that it's a bit more than an MOU, it's actually something that was entrenched in 2008.
Mr. Speaker, I had a meeting with some elected and staff officials on the weekend from the Halifax Regional Municipality who have calculated the costs in HRM to that decision at $46 million over four years for their municipality. The minister will stand up and say that what municipalities haven't budgeted for is this same amount but he knows that's not true because the department a number of years ago advised municipalities to do five-year budgeting and they enter collective agreements. They enter long-term contracts on the basis of the capacity that they will have and this takes away that capacity. It takes away the capacity for exactly the reason that the Minister of Service Nova Scotia and Municipal Relations said, which was that there is only one taxpayer. So the municipalities know that they can't raise their taxes on that bill when the province raises their taxes.
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So that is something that we all need to remember and they shouldn't think for a moment that people won't notice because I know in HRM, like some other municipalities in the province, the provincial charges are indicated separately from other charges on the bills.
Mr. Speaker, we should be deeply concerned about that sort of thing because what that indicates is that instead of there being expenditure management on the part of this government, they are downloading the responsibility for expenditure management to other levels of government, just like they are through the fee increases, just like they are through not funding other projects, just like they are to things such as the BAYplex that I mentioned earlier that the member for Glace Bay will talk about in more detail later on.
Mr. Speaker, there has to be a change. That TSN turning point, where expenditures started to go out of control, has to change. It started the very year that the Leader of the Third Party became chief of staff in the Premier's Office and has continued ever since. It has just gotten worse every year. That was the point that it changed and it's very clear on the graph. That member certainly could have encouraged his government to take control and reduce expenditures early in response to that GDP amount; he didn't. This government, and that continued through subsequent governments, and now is continuing with this government, and it has to turn around because at a certain point it's going to be unaffordable.
Yes, that means some tough decisions but we've been 21 months with the only quasi-tough decisions have been the ones like cutting the Yarmouth ferry, which probably cost more money than it saved. Thank you.
MR. SPEAKER: The motion is carried.
[2:30 p.m. The House resolved itself into a CWH on Supply with Deputy Speaker Ms. Becky Kent in the Chair.]
[5:56 p.m. CWH on Supply rose and the House reconvened. Mr. Speaker, Hon. Gordon Gosse, resumed the Chair.]
MR. SPEAKER: The Chairman of the Committee of the Whole House on Supply reports:
THE CLERK: That the Committee of the Whole House on Supply has met, has made progress and begs leave to sit again.
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MR. SPEAKER: Is it agreed?
It is agreed.
The honourable Government House Leader.
HON. FRANK CORBETT: Mr. Speaker, that concludes the government's business for the day.
MR. SPEAKER: The honourable Opposition House Leader.
HON. MANNING MACDONALD: Mr. Speaker, tomorrow the House will sit from the hours of 2:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. Following the daily routine and Question Period, we'll be calling Opposition Members' Business, Resolution No. 280 and Resolution No. 295.
I move that the House adjourn until 2:00 p.m. tomorrow.
MR. SPEAKER: The motion is to adjourn.
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 Adjournment motion was submitted by the honourable member for Halifax Clayton Park:
"Therefore be it resolved that government provide funding and recognize the importance of the BAYplex geothermal project, a pioneering initiative that could serve as the benchmark for geothermal capabilities throughout Nova Scotia."
ADJOURNMENT
MOTION UNDER RULE 5(5)
MR. SPEAKER: The honourable member for Glace Bay.
ENERGY: BAYPLEX GEOTHERMAL PROJ. - FUNDING
[Page 574]
MR. GEOFF MACLELLAN: Mr. Speaker, I'm very happy to rise in my place to discuss this pioneering retrofit project for Glace Bay. I know the members of the House were riveted by my questions in Question Period and couldn't wait to hear about the BAYplex. In all honesty, I'm very happy. I know this is an important week for the Legislature so I'm very pleased that my topic was selected tonight. It just gives me a few minutes to share with my colleagues of the Legislature how important this project truly is.
I do want to recognize and thank the member for Cape Breton West and the Minister of Energy who will be speaking on this resolution, as well, during the debate. I certainly look forward to your comments and both owe me dinner now for those kind words.
I want to take a few minutes to discuss what this means for me, for Glace Bay, for the province, certainly, and for the people of Nova Scotia and for the government. To me - and I may be a little biased because this is my own backyard - but this represents and brings up the question of renewable energy and the green economy. We talk about it at all different levels of government, from coast to coast to coast in this nation, talk about renewable energies and green resources and a green economy and those types of things.
I guess my point on that and my focus here is, to make sure that we understand that when these opportunities are presented, we go for them and this is one that I don't think we can let slip away.
I just want to tell you a bit about the centre of our universe in Glace Bay and that is the BAYplex. It's not just a rink - and I say that with absolute respect that rink projects, whether it be to the building, to the facility, to the plant, are important. I know that many rinks - and the minister and I have had this conversation - need those types of upgrades. I don't want to lose that thought but, at the same time, this is one that is so much more than that. The BAYplex is absolutely a community pillar that, through the tremendous volunteer and community efforts, this retrofit is on the table. It is there for the taking, it just needs a little bit of a nudge and then we're going to have it. So it's not a simple capital upgrade or building upgrade, it's an important investment in renewable energies.
The BAYplex forms part of our identity, who we are in Glace Bay, and we take ownership of it. It's certainly our home in many ways. First of all, we obviously have thousands of hockey players, with Glace Bay minor hockey, with the adult male and female leagues, high school hockey tournament, the Junior B minors play there, summer hockey leagues, power skating, family skating, fitness skating, senior skating, all those types of things, they are all there at the rink.
Of course we have many key and hugely successful hockey tournaments: the Vince Ryan Memorial Hockey Tournament just celebrated the 22nd edition of that tournament, and the Jason Simmons Memorial Scholarship Hockey Tournament is a phenomenal 35- and-under hockey tournament. That takes place over the Easter weekend.
[Page 575]
AN HON. MEMBER: Not anymore.
MR. MACLELLAN: Yes, that's right, not anymore, Mr. Speaker. Of course Jason Simmons, he passed away in 1997 at the age of 24, was a phenomenal athlete and we all look forward to that tournament each and every year. We've got the BAYplex female hockey tournaments, the Panther Classic and countless minor hockey tournaments, as well as banquets and gatherings.
The BAYplex is much more than hockey to the people of Glace Bay. We've got a walking track, there's a walking club there, over 600 people. There's yoga, there's heart and stroke fitness, a seniors' skating program, those types of things, which are significant for the community.
There are boxing cards at the BAYplex; there are baseball camps at the BAYplex; flea markets, craft shows, car shows, trade shows, all those types of things. Volunteer groups often have that as the hub of their activities. The BAYplex has hosted hundreds of weddings, community celebrations, cultural events, since its opening in 1997. It plays a huge role in Glace Bay. It's not just a rink, it's the foundation of our community.
So why should the government support this project? I guess that's why I'm here today, that's what I stand in my place to tell you why I think that the Government of Nova Scotia, the province, should be involved in this project. I think I've got very clear facts and they are undisputable, in terms of why our government, at the provincial level, should be involved. The number one reason, this is a renewable energy source and again, in my preamble, I stated these things, we all talk about them, it's important, it's the new age.
This government is so very proud of Lower Churchill Falls and, to be perfectly honest with you, so am I and so is the caucus, we all are. That's a significant, historic initiative that's going to make a difference and it is renewable energies - well, so is the BAYplex. The geothermal retrofit is a renewable energy that is at the tip of our fingertips and we need the government's help to push it over. Let's make it our style to support all renewable projects across this province; it's a pretty good way to go.
You know, I've said many times at town hall meetings and those types of things, we have an absolute reliance on fossil fuels and as the prices and the cost of living go up in this province, in this country, and in this global economy, we are absolutely dictated to by OPEC and by the world markets. So we can't control, you know, we can talk about seniors and do initiatives, and the government can try to combat the rising cost for seniors, but at the end of the day, if the world prices aren't in our favour, which obviously they're not, there's not a thing we can do and OPEC controls this.
We keep talking about it, we have to turn the renewables, we have to turn the renewables, well, here's one now and it's a renewable energy project that we can go to. It's hard to try to explain to somebody why gas is $1.40 per litre and then we're not too sure about a green project such as this one at the BAYplex. So I think it's important. Again, we rely on those fossil fuels but in Glace Bay and Nova Scotia, we've got all these options in front of us: wind, tidal, solar, geothermal and, of course, hydro options. So let's capitalize.
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The second reason why I think this is a pretty easy decision for us is that it maximizes federal investments, and in this case the CBRM was struggling economically and has tough times making ends meet as a municipality. They're in for this already so this is a $1.2 million project that has the community, the feds and the municipality already involved. So if those stakeholders see the merit in this project, then I think the province has to take a serious look at it. The province talks about leveraging dollars and the dollars are there, we just have to leverage them; we've got to lift them up.
Another reason is that this clearly promotes and supports healthy lifestyles, something that we all talk about as a Legislature. All the supports that they have placed at the BAYplex, I mentioned the activities, the active living initiatives are housed at the BAYplex. Supporting the BAYplex means healthy lifestyles in Glace Bay for children, for families, and for all the people who live there and live in the surrounding areas, the people who come from Cape Breton South, from Cape Breton West, from Cape Breton North, and from all over to come and enjoy the BAYplex. The things that are offered for healthy active living are available to everybody and this would be geothermal energy contributing to healthy active living in a region that certainly needs any help that it can get.
Another reason is that this investment by the province would support a non-profit community group that has done all the legwork. This is a landmark, a significant project that will show off, will flex our muscle in terms of geothermal, underground mine water capabilities, and the work is done. The consultant report is done. The other levels, as I said, and the community, are there financially. All this stuff is done. It's ready for us to take it and this thing pays for itself in 10 years. One decade and this thing is paid for. It saves in the vicinity of $90,000 per year and we always float that word out there - sustainability, sustainability - well, this provides sustainability to the BAYplex for a long time to come.
Another reason, this is certainly a small investment relative to the return to our taxpayers, $200,000 is what's required, give or take, for a renewable energy source. That's a pretty small price to pay for the very first geothermal retrofit of its kind in this region. So it's very significant and it's unprecedented. I think that we've got to look at that. The final reason I would mention is that this shows the community of Glace Bay that the provincial government is there for them.
In closing, I want to say that all these reasons, they're there, it makes sense, this project makes sense, and when good projects are presented, there are no parameters. So let's get this done for the people of Glace Bay, the Province of Nova Scotia, and let's flex our muscle in terms of the renewable resources that we have in this province.
[Page 577]
MR. SPEAKER: The honourable Minister of Energy.
HON. CHARLIE PARKER: Mr. Speaker, I'm pleased tonight to be able to rise here in the late debate on the topic about the BAYplex facility in Glace Bay. I thank the honourable member for Glace Bay for bringing this forward. I know it's an important issue to him and he has actually raised it with me, of course, during Question Period here earlier on a previous day. Actually, I thank the member, too, for bringing me some information about the project, he brought it over to me personally, and I've had a look at that. I also passed it on to my deputy minister and other folks in the department. It's there being considered by department personnel. It was a synopsis of what could be done with that project.
I know, certainly, rinks are a focal point in all of our communities, the BAYplex in Glace Bay and in my community it's the Hector Arena. Like all the rinks, there is hockey, sometimes there is ringette, it's sort of the centerpiece of the community where people gather and come for minor hockey or gentlemen's hockey or whatever the case might be.
Just recently I was at my arena in Pictou, they had an Atom B provincial championship with five teams from around the province, and it was a good experience. Even in the summertime the rink is used for the Musical Ride and the provincial exhibition is centred around the Hector Arena in that town.
Coming back to the BAYplex, I understand it has received some dollars, or funding, over the last number of years, in total of $162,000 since 2005, including some of that which was used for energy efficiency projects. About $100,000 of that was used in the regional development fund, perhaps the members are aware of that, under the Department of Health and Wellness. That is a program that only every five years you are eligible to apply for it, just last year the BAYplex arena received that money. In 2014, they will be able to apply again for that.
We also have the Rink Energy Program, which is on a rotating basis around the province. I believe also last year it was in the Cape Breton region and this year it's in Halifax and the Fundy regions. It helps to upgrade rinks, especially older rinks that are in need of funding. I think the Glace Bay BAYplex has had some benefit from that particular program as well in the past. It's designed that we don't have it all at once, we can't do every rink in the province, so everybody gets a turn at it. This year it's, like I said, the central and fundy regions.
You mentioned about the geothermal project in Glace Bay, that is an exciting possibility, an exciting project. Unfortunately, as far as I know, I haven't gotten the final answer back yet from my department personnel. They are looking at it, but I don't know of any programs right off the top of our heads where this would fit, at least under an existing program that we have.
[Page 578]
Coming back to the ice rink project, we're trying to be fair to all of the rinks around the province. Some are older and some are newer, I'm not sure the exact dates right off about the BAYplex but I know we have many rinks in the province, I'm guessing, that are probably much older and in need of repair or replacement. We're just trying to be equitable to all the rinks in all areas of the province.
Now I did mention, Mr. Speaker, to the honourable member last week that there may be some potential under Efficiency Nova Scotia; I think I gave you the name of the administrator there, Mr. Allan Crandlemire. I don't know if the members had an opportunity to speak with Mr. Crandlemire yet but he's indicated that perhaps he has. I think there might be some opportunity there under Efficiency Nova Scotia. They are looking at renewable energy projects and certainly geothermal is one that certainly has some potential. As you're aware the project in the Springhill area is based on geothermal - the underground mines bringing up the water so there is a model to go by.
If I recall correctly in the information that you passed on to me, there was talk about using that as an example of how it could be done. I think you even indicated there was somebody on staff, or in Glace Bay, who has some experience and knowledge of the project in the Springhill area. Again, I haven't actually had the opportunity to talk with anybody in Efficiency Nova Scotia but there may be some programs or at least something they can tweak, or work with, that might fit your project there in Glace Bay.
Coming back to the Department of Energy, our programs there - as you know, Efficiency Nova Scotia is sort of an arm's-length agency from our department. We don't really control their budget; they are independent from the Department of Energy, but we do have some liaison with them. Actually right in the Department of Energy at this time, we have a lot of good programs for helping homeowners, apartment owners and commercial projects to help them reduce their energy costs and save money on their energy bill. As our Minister of Finance is accustomed to saying, "a penny saved is a penny saved," and if people can save money on their heating bill or their energy existence, that's a good thing. A lot of these programs allow efficiency savings up to about 30 per cent off their heating bill, so for a low-income person that's a good thing. I think, on average, it's around $150 per month, so it's all about making life more affordable for Nova Scotians.
Unfortunately, at this time, like I said, I don't know of a program in the Department of Energy that would fit your particular request. I'm not saying that forever and ever, that's true, but at this moment I don't know of anything that would fit the bill. I really think your best bet might be through Efficiency Nova Scotia. If you talk to those folks, there might be a program or a fit there that would work. Again, I would encourage you to talk to them and work with them and see what is possible. Geothermal is an exciting new type of energy. It's not entirely new; as I mentioned, Springhill has it but it's not widely known in Nova Scotia. So it certainly has some potential.
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As I mentioned earlier, you do have the option, under the regional development funding, to apply again in 2014. I know that doesn't help you right now, right this year, and I do realize you have some funding lined up from the federal government and through your municipality. As I mentioned, I don't know of any program right now that would fit under the Department of Energy, but keep at it. I encourage you to keep pushing the program and there may well be something that would come along - and keep bringing good information to us and we'll see where it goes from here. Again, talk to Efficiency Nova Scotia. With those few remarks, I'm going to say thanks here for the opportunity and, again, I encourage the member to stay with it. Thank you.
MR. SPEAKER: The honourable member for Cape Breton West.
MR. ALFIE MACLEOD: Mr. Speaker, it is a great privilege to get up here this evening and talk about the BAYplex, and I want to congratulate the member for Glace Bay for having his caucus bring forward this very worthy project.
I want to thank the minister for his comments, but I would suggest to the minister that when he is talking about innovation, when he is talking about doing something that's different, it is his role as minister to make it happen, not wait and find out if there are people in his department who can make it happen. It's the minister's role to make a project like this, which is so innovative and so new and so fresh - it is his job to make it happen. He should be talking to his colleagues. We're talking about wellness, this BAYplex - people from Cape Breton West use it on a regular basis. As a matter of fact, there's a walking track there, there are all kinds of hockey facilities, people go there for community events, fundraisers. It's a wellness centre, so there may be something that he could talk to his Minister of Health and Wellness and see if there is some funding that would be available there to help this project.
You know, the BAYplex is not just a wellness centre, it's an economic driver for our communities, and you would know, Mr. Speaker, being a Cape Bretoner as well, that the Vince Ryan Memorial Hockey Tournament generates millions of dollars to the Cape Breton economy, dollars that are brought in by people from all over this world, and the largest old-timers hockey tournament in the world - and it's held where? At the BAYplex. What we're trying to do here is make this a more efficient operation and at the same time allow people for generations to come to enjoy that facility and improve their health, so they don't have to rely on the health care system here in the Province of Nova Scotia.
Cape Breton is always a leader in firsts - I mean, we have for the first time in our history the Speaker of the House from Whitney Pier; we have the Lieutenant Governor from Whitney Pier; we have the Chief Justice of Nova Scotia from Whitney Pier; and we have an opportunity to be leaders in Glace Bay with geothermal.
Yes, there is a project in Springhill and, yes, in that project in Springhill they have been able to cut their operational costs of their rink by 50 per cent by using mine water. For years, Glace Bay and surrounding areas have supplied coal generation so that the Province of Nova Scotia could have its energy. Eighty per cent of the energy for the Province of Nova Scotia comes from where? It comes from Cape Breton Island. Generated by what? Coal, the coal that has been mined in Cape Breton. As a result of that, we have all kinds of mine water. And what do we do with the mine water? We can now take that and turn that into energy - energy that will make this building more efficient and a better place for people in Cape Breton and all around the Island to work, live, and play.
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So, Mr. Speaker, I think that when we're talking about geothermal and talking about the BAYplex, it is incumbent upon that minister, that government, to make sure they support this project. The federal government is onside to the tune of about $200,000. CBRM is there because they see the value in what this can do for our area.
But not only that, there are projects on the sideline waiting to happen using geothermal so that seniors' homes and seniors' facilities can be heated by geothermal, so that halls and churches can be heated by geothermal. This is just the thin edge of the iceberg and it all can happen with the help of this government, a government that says they want to see renewable energy increase in this province. They have an opportunity to step up to the plate. They have an opportunity to do what's right for the people in Glace Bay and surrounding areas. I think, Mr. Minister and Mr. Speaker, it is an opportunity that should not be missed.
It is with great privilege and pride, I am so proud to be able to stand today and support this whole concept of the geothermal for the BAYplex because in my opinion it will have a lasting effect, not just for Glace Bay but for surrounding areas and indeed for all of our province.
Mr. Speaker, with those few thoughts I will take my place. Thank you. (Applause)
MR. SPEAKER: I would like to thank all the members tonight for an excellent debate on such a good topic as geothermal energy. We will now rise to sit between the hours of 2:00 p.m. and 6:00 p.m. tomorrow.
We are adjourned.
[The House rose at 6:21 p.m.]
NOTICES OF MOTION UNDER RULE 32(3)
[Page 581]
RESOLUTION NO. 339
By: Mr. Harold Theriault (Digby-Annapolis)
I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:
Whereas the French for the Future National Essay Contest is a not-for-profit organization that supports and motivates high school students on their path towards bilingualism; and
Whereas Nicole Ring, a Grade 10 student of Digby Regional High School, is among major winners of this essay contest; and
Whereas Nicole Ring has earned national recognition and won a $10,000 university scholarship for her essay titled, The Year to Legalize Abortion;
Therefore be it resolved that all members of this House of Assembly congratulate Nicole Ring on her outstanding essay and wish her all the best with future writing essays and continued education.
RESOLUTION NO. 340
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 Curryknoll Farms is a dairy and grain farm located near Wolfville and owned by John and Charlie Curry; and
Whereas the 50-cow diary operation has an average production of 11,541 kilograms of milk and sits adjacent to a monument commemorating the deportation of the Acadians; and
Whereas the Curryknoll Farm is one of 14 dairy farms to be toured this Spring during the 2011 Canadian Holstein Convention being held in Halifax and concluding in Newfoundland;
Therefore be it resolved that all members of this House of Assembly congratulate John and Charlie Curry for their dedicated work in Nova Scotia's dairy industry and wish them continued success.
RESOLUTION NO. 341
[Page 582]
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 the Fox Hill Holsteins Dairy Farm and Cheesehouse, near Port Williams in the Annapolis Valley, is a sixth-generation family farm, presently operated by Richard Rand; and
Whereas Fox Hill Holsteins is a 50-head dairy operation set up in where the herd is housed in a free stall facility, yet milked in a tie stall, with the milking operation producing an average of 8,612 kilograms of milk annually; and
Whereas as part of the Canadian Holstein Convention tour, Fox Hill Holsteins will be able to show conventioneers their cheese, yogurt and gelato-making facility on the farm;
Therefore be it resolved that all members of this House of Assembly congratulate Richard Rand, operator of Fox Hill Holsteins and Cheesehouse, for his successful entrepreneurship and wish him continued success with all aspects of his farm operation.
RESOLUTION NO. 342
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 the Musquie Valley Dairy Farm is situated in Nova Scotia's beautiful Musquodoboit Valley and operated by John and Gwen Dillman and their sons Reg and R.J.; and
Whereas the Musquie Valley Dairy Farm is home to a 50-head herd of Holsteins as well as some Jerseys and Ayrshires, producing about 8,107 kilograms of milk annually; and
Whereas the Dillman farm is also known nationally for having bred the All-Canadian 4-H Junior Ayrshire Calf in 2008, later exhibited by their daughter Brianna;
Therefore be it resolved that all members of this House of Assembly applaud the Dillman Family, of Musquodoboit Valley, for their hard-working farm business ethic and congratulate them for being one of the stops on the Canadian Holstein Convention Farm Tour later this Spring.
RESOLUTION NO. 343
[Page 583]
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 HillPeak Farms in Middle Musquodoboit is a seventh generation farm presently run by Barry and Greg Archibald; and
Whereas HillPeak Farms has a herd size of 215, which includes 90 milking cattle which average 9,425 kilograms of milk annually; and
Whereas besides playing host to convention attendees of the Canadian Holstein Convention in May, are proudly celebrating the 200th Anniversary of the farm in 2011;
Therefore be it resolved that all members of this House of Assembly applaud Barry and Greg Archibald of HillPeak Farms for commemorating two centuries of farming.
RESOLUTION NO. 344
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 Winding River Farms Ltd. of Stewiacke, Colchester County, is a 333-head operation with 177 milking cattle and 156 younger stock, which produce abut 11,680 litres of milk annually; and
Whereas Winding River Farms Ltd. is owned by Leo and Mary Harbers and John Vissers, along with family members Bert Harbers and Chris and Arnold Vissers; and
Whereas this Stewiacke dairy operation is hosting the Canadian Holstein Convention attendees for a tour in May;
Therefore be it resolved that all members of this House of Assembly congratulate Leo, Mary, John and Bert, Chris and Arnold for their diligent work in making Winding River Farms Ltd. a successful dairy farm.
RESOLUTION NO. 345
[Page 584]
By: Hon. Jamie Baillie (Leader of the Progressive Conservative Party)
I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:
Whereas William Joseph "Bill" Connors, of Parrsboro, was among the volunteers from across the province to be recognized at this year's Provincial Volunteer Awards ceremony in Halifax; and
Whereas Mr. Connors earned the title of "Volunteer Extraordinaire" for his work refurbishing and painting the Parrsboro Band Hall; and
Whereas Mr. Connors is a retired painter and jack of all trades who spends countless hours volunteering his time and talents to many Parrsboro charitable and not-for-profit organizations and churches;
Therefore be it resolved that all members of this House of Assembly congratulate William Joseph "Bill" Connors on being recognized as a 2011 Volunteer of the Year and thank him for the many contributions he has made to his community and to our province.
RESOLUTION NO. 346
By: Hon. Jamie Baillie (Leader of the Progressive Conservative Party)
I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:
Whereas Elizabeth Adams of Springhill was among the volunteers from across the province to be recognized at this year's Provincial Volunteer Awards ceremony in Halifax; and
Whereas Mrs. Adams has been active with the Girl Guides of Canada for 45 years, serving as a Brownie, Guide and Pathfinder leader, as District Commissioner and Camp Advisor, as well as helping with Sparks and acting as camp cook; and
Whereas she has been a member of Phythian sisters for 32 years, held many positions with the Springhill Baptist Church, is a member of the IODE and has volunteered in the kitchen at the local community centre;
Therefore be it resolved that that all members of this House of Assembly congratulate Elizabeth on being named a 2011 Provincial Volunteer of the Year and thank her for the countless hours she has devoted to her community and to our province.
RESOLUTION NO. 347
[Page 585]
By: Hon. Stephen McNeil (Leader of the Official Opposition)
I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:
Whereas the Canadian Forces Liaison Council is a group of civilian business leaders who volunteer their time and efforts to promote the Primary Reserve Force by encouraging industry, educational institutions and government to grant reservists time off work to participate in military training and operations; and
Whereas each year reservists have the opportunity to nominate the company, educational institute or government department that provided them with the support they needed to carry out their training and duties; and
Whereas on Wednesday, March 30, 2011, Acadia University received the CFLC provincial Support to Student-Reservists Award;
Therefore be it resolved that members of the House of Assembly congratulate Acadia University on the receipt of this prestigious award and thank them for their dedication to the Reserve Force.
RESOLUTION NO. 348
By: Hon. Stephen McNeil (Leader of the Official Opposition)
I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:
Whereas the Canadian Forces Liaison Council is a group of civilian business leaders who volunteer their time and efforts to promote the Primary Reserve Force by encouraging industry, educational institutions and government to grant reservists time off work to participate in military training and operations; and
Whereas each year reservists have the opportunity to nominate the company, educational institute or government department that provided them with the support they needed to carry out their training and duties; and
Whereas on Wednesday, March 30, 2011, Admiral Insurance received the CFLC Best Practices in Employer Support Large Organization Award;
Therefore be it resolved that members of the House of Assembly congratulate Admiral Insurance on the receipt of this prestigious award and thank them for their dedication to the Reserve Force.
[Page 586]
RESOLUTION NO. 349
By: Hon. Stephen McNeil (Leader of the Official Opposition)
I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:
Whereas the Canadian Forces Liaison Council is a group of civilian business leaders who volunteer their time and efforts to promote the Primary Reserve Force by encouraging industry, educational institutions and government to grant reservists time off work to participate in military training and operations; and
Whereas each year reservists have the opportunity to nominate the company, educational institute or government department that provided them with the support they needed to carry out their training and duties; and
Whereas on Wednesday, March 30, 2011, Emergency Medical Care Inc., received the CFLC Support to Canada's Reserve Force Award;
Therefore be it resolved that members of the House of Assembly congratulate Emergency Medical Care Inc., on the receipt of this prestigious award and thank them for their dedication to the Reserve Force.
RESOLUTION NO. 350
By: Hon. Stephen McNeil (Leader of the Official Opposition)
I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:
Whereas the Canadian Forces Liaison Council is a group of civilian business leaders who volunteer their time and efforts to promote the Primary Reserve Force by encouraging industry, educational institutions and government to grant reservists time off work to participate in military training and operations; and
Whereas each year reservists have the opportunity to nominate the company, educational institute or government department that provided them with the support they needed to carry out their training and duties; and
Whereas on Wednesday, March 30, 2011, Hilt and Seamone Consulting Engineers Ltd., received the CFLC Best Practices in Employer Support Small Organization Award;
[Page 587]
Therefore be it resolved that members of the House of Assembly congratulate Hilt and Seamone Consulting Engineers Ltd., on the receipt of this prestigious award and thank them for their dedication to the Reserve Force.
RESOLUTION NO. 351
By: Hon. Stephen McNeil (Leader of the Official Opposition)
I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:
Whereas the Canadian Forces Liaison Council is a group of civilian business leaders who volunteer their time and efforts to promote the Primary Reserve Force by encouraging industry, educational institutions and government to grant reservists time off work to participate in military training and operations; and
Whereas each year reservists have the opportunity to nominate the company, educational institute or government department that provided them with the support they needed to carry out their training and duties; and
Whereas on Wednesday, March 30, 2011, Marine Centre of Expertise Canada Border Services Agency received the CFLC domestic Support to Canadian Forces Operation Award;
Therefore be it resolved that members of the House of Assembly congratulate Marine Centre of Expertise Canada Border Services Agency on the receipt of this prestigious award and thank them for their dedication to the Reserve Force.
RESOLUTION NO. 352
By: Hon. Stephen McNeil (Leader of the Official Opposition)
I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:
Whereas the Canadian Forces Liaison Council is a group of civilian business leaders who volunteer their time and efforts to promote the Primary Reserve Force by encouraging industry, educational institutions and government to grant reservists time off work to participate in military training and operations; and
Whereas each year reservists have the opportunity to nominate the company, educational institute or government department that provided them with the support they needed to carry out their training and duties; and
[Page 588]
Whereas on Wednesday, March 30, 2011, the Nova Scotia Utility and Review Board received the CFLC private sector Best Practices in Employer Support Provision of Military Leave Award;
Therefore be it resolved that members of the House of Assembly congratulate the Nova Scotia Utility and Review Board on the receipt of this prestigious award and thank them for their dedication to the Reserve Force.
RESOLUTION NO. 353
By: Hon. Stephen McNeil (Leader of the Official Opposition)
I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:
Whereas the Canadian Forces Liaison Council is a group of civilian business leaders who volunteer their time and efforts to promote the Primary Reserve Force by encouraging industry, educational institutions and government to grant reservists time off work to participate in military training and operations; and
Whereas each year reservists have the opportunity to nominate the company, educational institute or government department that provided them with the support they needed to carry out their training and duties; and
Whereas on Wednesday, March 30, 2011, St. Mary's University not only received the CFLC private sector international Support to Canadian Forces Operations Award but was also selected to receive the National Award for Support to Student Reservists which they will be presented with at the National CFLC Ceremony in Ottawa on June 1, 2011;
Therefore be it resolved that members of the House of Assembly congratulate St. Mary's University on the receipt of these prestigious awards and thank them for their dedication to the Reserve Force.
RESOLUTION NO. 354
By: Hon. Stephen McNeil (Leader of the Official Opposition)
I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:
Whereas the Canadian Forces Liaison Council is a group of civilian business leaders who volunteer their time and efforts to promote the Primary Reserve Force by encouraging industry, educational institutions and government to grant reservists time off work to participate in military training and operations; and
[Page 589]
Whereas each year reservists have the opportunity to nominate the company, educational institute or government department that provided them with the support they needed to carry out their training and duties; and
Whereas on Wednesday, March 30, 2011, Michelin North America (Canada) Inc., not only received the CFLC provincial Support to Student-Reservists Award, but was also selected to receive the national Most Supportive Employer in Nova Scotia Award which they will be presented with at the National CFLC Ceremony in Ottawa on June 1, 2011;
Therefore be it resolved that members of the House of Assembly congratulate Michelin North America (Canada) Inc., on the receipt of these prestigious awards and thank them for their dedication to the Reserve Force.
RESOLUTION NO. 355
By: Hon. Stephen McNeil (Leader of the Official Opposition)
I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:
Whereas the Canadian Forces Liaison Council is a group of civilian business leaders who volunteer their time and efforts to promote the Primary Reserve Force by encouraging industry, educational institutions and government to grant reservists time off work to participate in military training and operations; and
Whereas each year reservists have the opportunity to nominate the company, educational institute or government department that provided them with the support they needed to carry out their training and duties; and
Whereas on Wednesday, March 30, 2011, Transport Canada Atlantic Region received the CFLC international public sector Support to Canadian Forces Operations Award;
Therefore be it resolved that members of the House of Assembly congratulate Transport Canada Atlantic Region on the receipt of this prestigious award and thank them for their dedication to the Reserve Force.
RESOLUTION NO. 356
[Page 590]
By: Hon. Stephen McNeil (Leader of the Official Opposition)
I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:
Whereas the Canadian Forces Liaison Council is a group of civilian business leaders who volunteer their time and efforts to promote the Primary Reserve Force by encouraging industry, educational institutions and government to grant reservists time off work to participate in military training and operations; and
Whereas each year reservists have the opportunity to nominate the company, educational institute or government department that provided them with the support they needed to carry out their training and duties; and
Whereas on Wednesday, March 30, 2011, Stewart McKelvey received the CFLC private sector Best Practices in Employer Support Award;
Therefore be it resolved that members of the House of Assembly congratulate Stewart McKelvey on the receipt of this prestigious award and thank them for their dedication to the Reserve Force.
RESOLUTION NO. 357
By: Ms. Vicki Conrad (Queens)
I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:
Whereas the Grade 6, 7, 8 and 9 students of the North Queens Community School presented approximately 80 projects at the 2011 North Queens School Science Fair; and
Whereas awards were presented for the categories of physics, biology, environmental science and consumer science; and
Whereas the President's Award for positive work ethic, determination and research was presented to Logan Mansfield;
Therefore be it resolved that the Nova Scotia House of Assembly recognizes and congratulate Logan Mansfield for his success at the 2011 North Queens Community School Science Fair.
RESOLUTION NO. 358
[Page 591]
By: Ms. Vicki Conrad (Queens)
I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:
Whereas the Grade 6, 7, 8 and 9 students of the North Queens Community School presented approximately 80 projects at the 2011 North Queens School Science Fair; and
Whereas awards were presented for the categories of physics, biology, environmental science and consumer science; and
Whereas the President's Award for positive work ethic, determination and research was presented to Makayla MacNutt;
Therefore be it resolved that the Nova Scotia House of Assembly recognize and congratulate Makayla MacNutt for her success at the 2011 North Queens Community School Science Fair.
RESOLUTION NO. 359
By: Ms. Vicki Conrad (Queens)
I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:
Whereas the Grade 6, 7, 8 and 9 students of the North Queens Community School presented approximately 80 projects at the 2011 North Queens School Science Fair; and
Whereas awards were presented for the categories of physics, biology, environmental science and consumer science; and
Whereas the Librarian's Award in recognition of knowledge and understanding of their research topic was presented to Mackenna Silver;
Therefore be it resolved that the Nova Scotia House of Assembly recognize and congratulate Mackenna Silver for her success at the 2011 North Queens Community School Science Fair.
RESOLUTION NO. 360
[Page 592]
By: Ms. Vicki Conrad (Queens)
I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:
Whereas the Grade 6, 7, 8 and 9 students of the North Queens Community School presented approximately 80 projects at the 2011 North Queens School Science Fair; and
Whereas awards were presented for the categories of physics, biology, environmental science and consumer science; and
Whereas Nichole van Dyk was awarded the Top Biology Project and the Top Consumer Project and also gold medals for Verbal Presentation, Display, Research and Overall Project gold medal award;
Therefore be it resolved that the Nova Scotia House of Assembly recognize and congratulate Nichole van Dyk for her success at the 2011 North Queens Community School Science Fair.
RESOLUTION NO. 361
By: Ms. Vicki Conrad (Queens)
I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:
Whereas the Grade 6, 7, 8 and 9 students of the North Queens Community School presented approximately 80 projects at the 2011 North Queens School Science Fair; and
Whereas awards were presented for the categories of physics, biology, environmental science and consumer science; and
Whereas Shayla Ross was awarded gold medals for Verbal Presentation and Display along with a gold medal for Overall Project award;
Therefore be it resolved that the Nova Scotia House of Assembly recognize and congratulate Shayla Ross for her success at the 2011 North Queens Community School Science Fair.
RESOLUTION NO. 362
[Page 593]
By: Ms. Vicki Conrad (Queens)
I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:
Whereas the Grade 6, 7, 8 and 9 students of the North Queens Community School presented approximately 80 projects at the 2011 North Queens School Science Fair; and
Whereas awards were presented for the categories of physics, biology, environmental science and consumer science; and
Whereas the President's Award for positive work ethic, determination and research was presented to Tanya Weber;
Therefore be it resolved that the Nova Scotia House of Assembly recognize and congratulate Tanya Weber for her success at the 2011 North Queens Community School Science Fair.
RESOLUTION NO. 363
By: Ms. Vicki Conrad (Queens)
I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:
Whereas the Grade 6, 7, 8 and 9 students of the North Queens Community School presented approximately 80 projects at the 2011 North Queens School Science Fair; and
Whereas awards were presented for the categories of physics, biology, environmental science and consumer science; and
Whereas the Librarian's Award in recognition of knowledge and understanding of their research topic was presented to Lisa Weissbach;
Therefore be it resolved that the Nova Scotia House of Assembly recognize and congratulate Lisa Weissbach for her success at the 2011 North Queens Community School Science Fair.
RESOLUTION NO. 364
[Page 594]
By: Ms. Vicki Conrad (Queens)
I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:
Whereas the Grade 6, 7, 8 and 9 students of the North Queens Community School presented approximately 80 projects at the 2011 North Queens School Science Fair; and
Whereas awards were presented for the categories of physics, biology, environmental science and consumer science; and
Whereas the Librarian's Award in recognition of knowledge and understanding of their research topic was presented to Kristan MacNutt;
Therefore be it resolved that the Nova Scotia House of Assembly recognize and congratulate Kristan MacNutt for her success at the 2011 North Queens Community School Science Fair.
RESOLUTION NO. 365
By: Ms. Vicki Conrad (Queens)
I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:
Whereas the Grade 6, 7, 8 and 9 students of the North Queens Community School presented approximately 80 projects at the 2011 North Queens School Science Fair; and
Whereas awards were presented for the categories of physics, biology, environmental science and consumer science; and
Whereas Kelsey Crouse was awarded gold medals for Verbal Presentation and Display;
Therefore be it resolved that the Nova Scotia House of Assembly recognize and congratulate Kelsey Crouse for her success at the 2011 North Queens Community School Science Fair.
RESOLUTION NO. 366
[Page 595]
By: Ms. Vicki Conrad (Queens)
I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:
Whereas the Grade 6, 7, 8 and 9 students of the North Queens Community School presented approximately 80 projects at the 2011 North Queens School Science Fair; and
Whereas awards were presented for the categories of physics, biology, environmental science and consumer science; and
Whereas Katie Lowe was awarded a gold medal for Research and also a gold medal for Overall Project award;
Therefore be it resolved that the Nova Scotia House of Assembly recognize and congratulate Katie Lowe for her success at the 2011 North Queens Community School Science Fair.
RESOLUTION NO. 367
By: Ms. Vicki Conrad (Queens)
I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:
Whereas the Grade 6, 7, 8 and 9 students of the North Queens Community School presented approximately 80 projects at the 2011 North Queens School Science Fair; and
Whereas awards were presented for the categories of physics, biology, environmental science and consumer science; and
Whereas Kate Freeman was awarded a gold medal for Research and also a gold medal for Overall Project award;
Therefore be it resolved that the Nova Scotia House of Assembly recognize and congratulate Kate Freeman for her success at the 2011 North Queens Community School Science Fair.
RESOLUTION NO. 368
[Page 596]
By: Ms. Vicki Conrad (Queens)
I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:
Whereas the Grade 6, 7, 8 and 9 students of the North Queens Community School presented approximately 80 projects at the 2011 North Queens School Science Fair; and
Whereas awards were presented for the categories of physics, biology, environmental science and consumer science; and
Whereas the President's Award for positive work ethic, determination and research was presented to Jordan Weare;
Therefore be it resolved that the Nova Scotia House of Assembly recognize and congratulate Jordan Weare for his success at the 2011 North Queens Community School Science Fair.
RESOLUTION NO. 369
By: Ms. Vicki Conrad (Queens)
I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:
Whereas the Grade 6, 7, 8 and 9 students of the North Queens Community School presented approximately 80 projects at the 2011 North Queens School Science Fair; and
Whereas awards were presented for the categories of physics, biology, environmental science and consumer science; and
Whereas Hayley Frail was awarded a gold medal for an Overall Project award;
Therefore be it resolved that the Nova Scotia House of Assembly recognize and congratulate Hayley Frail for her success at the 2011 North Queens Community School Science Fair.
RESOLUTION NO. 370
[Page 597]
By: Ms. Vicki Conrad (Queens)
I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:
Whereas the Grade 6, 7, 8 and 9 students of the North Queens Community School presented approximately 80 projects at the 2011 North Queens School Science Fair; and
Whereas awards were presented for the categories of physics, biology, environmental science and consumer science; and
Whereas Fabian Weber was awarded a gold medal for Research and also a gold medal for Overall Project award;
Therefore be it resolved that the Nova Scotia House of Assembly recognize and congratulate Fabian Weber for his success at the 2011 North Queens Community School Science Fair.
RESOLUTION NO. 371
By: Ms. Vicki Conrad (Queens)
I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:
Whereas the Grade 6, 7, 8 and 9 students of the North Queens Community School presented approximately 80 projects at the 2011 North Queens School Science Fair; and
Whereas awards were presented for the categories of physics, biology, environmental science and consumer science; and
Whereas Colin Rogers was awarded a gold medal for Display and also a gold medal for an Overall Project award;
Therefore be it resolved that the Nova Scotia House of Assembly recognize and congratulate Colin Rogers for his success at the 2011 North Queens Community School Science Fair.
RESOLUTION NO. 372
[Page 598]
By: Ms. Vicki Conrad (Queens)
I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:
Whereas the Grade 6, 7, 8 and 9 students of the North Queens Community School presented approximately 80 projects at the 2011 North Queens School Science Fair; and
Whereas awards were presented for the categories of physics, biology, environmental science and consumer science; and
Whereas Cameron Lane won the Top Physics Project and Top Environment Project and gold medal for Overall Project award;
Therefore be it resolved that the Nova Scotia House of Assembly recognize and congratulate Cameron Lane for his success at the 2011 North Queens Community School Science Fair.
RESOLUTION NO. 373
By: Ms. Vicki Conrad (Queens)
I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:
Whereas the Grade 6, 7, 8 and 9 students of the North Queens Community School presented approximately 80 projects at the 2011 North Queens School Science Fair; and
Whereas awards were presented for the categories of physics, biology, environmental science and consumer science; and
Whereas the Librarian's Award in recognition of knowledge and understanding of their research topic was presented to Ariel Mahoney;
Therefore be it resolved that the Nova Scotia House of Assembly recognize and congratulate Ariel Mahoney for her success at the 2011 North Queens Community School Science Fair.
RESOLUTION NO. 374
[Page 599]
By: Ms. Vicki Conrad (Queens)
I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:
Whereas the Grade 6, 7, 8 and 9 students of the North Queens Community School presented approximately 80 projects at the 2011 North Queens School Science Fair; and
Whereas awards were presented for the categories of physics, biology, environmental science and consumer science; and
Whereas Anthony Smith was awarded a gold medal for Verbal Presentation;
Therefore be it resolved that the Nova Scotia House of Assembly recognize and congratulate Anthony Smith for his success at the 2011 North Queens Community School Science Fair.
RESOLUTION NO. 375
By: Hon. Sterling Belliveau (Fisheries and Aquaculture)
I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:
Whereas Barrington Passage resident Anne Atkinson has been nominated by Bay Side Home to be recognized as a representative volunteer during National Volunteer Week, April 10-16, 2011; and
Whereas volunteers play an integral role in every community in Nova Scotia on a daily basis, unselfishly contributing of their time, passion and expertise for the betterment of numerous community groups and organizations; and
Whereas volunteers are indeed the heart of each community, helping to enrich the lives of those they know and come in contact with through their actions, words, kindness and support;
Therefore be it resolved that this House of Assembly congratulate Barrington Passage resident Anne Atkinson, who has been nominated by Bay Side Home to be recognized as a representative volunteer during National Volunteer Week, April 10-16, 2011.
RESOLUTION NO. 376
[Page 600]
By: Hon. Sterling Belliveau (Fisheries and Aquaculture)
I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:
Whereas Sandy Point resident Joe Garron has been nominated by the Shelburne Area Lions Club to be recognized as a representative volunteer during National Volunteer Week, April 10-16, 2011; and
Whereas volunteers play an integral role in every community in Nova Scotia on a daily basis, unselfishly contributing of their time, passion and expertise for the betterment of numerous community groups and organizations; and
Whereas volunteers are indeed the heart of each community, helping to enrich the lives of those they know and come in contact with through their actions, words, kindness and support;
Therefore be it resolved that this House of Assembly congratulate Sandy Point resident Joe Garron, who has been nominated by the Shelburne Area Lions Club to be recognized as a representative volunteer during National Volunteer Week, April 10-16, 2011.
RESOLUTION NO. 377
By: Hon. Sterling Belliveau (Fisheries and Aquaculture)
I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:
Whereas Clark's Harbour resident Agnes Symonds has been nominated by the Town of Clark's Harbour to be recognized as a representative volunteer during National Volunteer Week, April 10-16, 2011; and
Whereas volunteers play an integral role in every community in Nova Scotia on a daily basis, unselfishly contributing of their time, passion and expertise for the betterment of numerous community groups and organizations; and
Whereas volunteers are indeed the heart of each community, helping to enrich the lives of those they know and come in contact with through their actions, words, kindness and support;
Therefore be it resolved that this House of Assembly congratulate Clark's Harbour resident Agnes Symonds, who has been nominated by the Town of Clark's Harbour to be recognized as a representative volunteer during National Volunteer Week, April 10-16, 2011.
[Page 601]
RESOLUTION NO. 378
By: Hon. Sterling Belliveau (Fisheries and Aquaculture)
I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:
Whereas Clark's Harbour resident Andrew Goreham has been nominated by the Barrington Area Lions Club to be recognized as a representative volunteer during National Volunteer Week, April 10-16, 2011; and
Whereas volunteers play an integral role in every community in Nova Scotia on a daily basis, unselfishly contributing of their time, passion, and experience for the betterment of numerous community groups and organizations; and
Whereas volunteers are indeed the heart of each community, helping to enrich the lives of those they know and come in contact with through their actions, words, kindness and support;
Therefore be it resolved that this House of Assembly congratulate Clark's Harbour resident Andrew Goreham, who has been nominated by the Barrington Area Lions Club to be recognized as a representative volunteer during National Volunteer Week, April 10-16, 2011.
RESOLUTION NO. 379
By: Hon. Sterling Belliveau (Fisheries and Aquaculture)
I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:
Whereas Newellton resident Blanche O'Connell has been nominated by the Archelaus Smith Historical Society to be recognized as a representative volunteer during National Volunteer Week, April 10-16, 2011; and
Whereas volunteers play an integral role in every community in Nova Scotia on a daily basis, unselfishly contributing of their time, passion and expertise for the betterment of numerous community groups and organizations; and
Whereas volunteers are indeed the heart of each community, helping to enrich the lives of those they know and come in contact with through their actions, words, kindness and support;
[Page 602]
Therefore be it resolved that this House of Assembly congratulate Newellton resident Blanche O'Connell, who has been nominated by the Archelaus Smith Historical Society to be recognized as a representative volunteer during National Volunteer Week, April 10-16, 2011.
RESOLUION NO. 380
By: Hon. Sterling Belliveau (Fisheries and Aquaculture)
I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:
Whereas Brass Hill resident Brenda Cleaver has been nominated by the C.S.I. New Horizons to be recognized as a representative volunteer for that organization during National Volunteer Week, April 10-16, 2011; and
Whereas volunteers play an integral role in every community in Nova Scotia on a daily basis, unselfishly contributing of their time, passion and expertise for the betterment of numerous community groups and organizations; and
Whereas volunteers are indeed the heart of each community, helping to enrich the lives of those they know and come in contact with through their actions, words, kindness and support.
Therefore be it resolved that this House of Assembly congratulate Brass Hill resident Brenda Cleaver, who has been nominated by the C.S.I. New Horizons to be recognized as a representative volunteer for that organization during National Volunteer Week, April 10-16, 2011.
RESOLUTION NO. 381
By: Hon. Sterling Belliveau (Fisheries and Aquaculture)
I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:
Whereas Shag Harbour resident Dale Nickerson has been nominated by the Shag Harbour Incident Society to be recognized as a representative volunteer during National Volunteer Week, April 10-16, 2011; and
Whereas volunteers play an integral role in every community in Nova Scotia on a daily basis, unselfishly contributing of their time, passion and expertise for the betterment of numerous community groups and organizations; and
[Page 603]
Whereas volunteers are indeed the heart of each community, helping to enrich the lives of those they know and come in contact with through their actions, words, kindness and support;
Therefore be it resolved that this House of Assembly congratulate Shag Harbour resident Dale Nickerson, who has been nominated by the Shag Harbour Incident Society to be recognized as a representative volunteer during National Volunteer Week, April 10-16, 2011.
RESOLUTION NO. 382
By: Hon. Sterling Belliveau (Fisheries and Aquaculture)
I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:
Whereas Lockeport Special Olympian Dale Roache has been nominated by Shelburne County Special Olympics to be recognized as a representative volunteer during National Volunteer Week, April 10-16, 2011; and
Whereas Dale Roache was also a gold medal winner at the Nova Scotia Winter Games held in New Glasgow on February 4-6, 2011, topping the podium in the 100-metre snowshoeing event; and
Whereas Dale Roache is a dedicated Special Olympian, both on and off the field, who has made a significant contribution to the Special Olympics program over the years as an athlete and a volunteer;
Therefore be it resolved that this House of Assembly congratulate Lockeport Special Olympian Dale Roache, who has been nominated by Shelburne County Olympics to be recognized as a representative volunteer during National Volunteer Week, April 10-16, 2011.
RESOLUTION NO. 383
By: Hon. Sterling Belliveau (Fisheries and Aquaculture)
I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:
Whereas North East Point resident George Nickerson has been nominated by the Woodland Multi-use Trail Association to be recognized as a representative volunteer during National Volunteer Week, April 10-16, 2011; and
[Page 604]
Whereas volunteers play an integral role in every community in Nova Scotia on a daily basis, unselfishly contributing of their time, passion and expertise for the betterment of numerous community groups and organizations; and
Whereas volunteers are indeed the heart of each community, helping to enrich the lives of those they know and come in contact with through their actions, words, kindness and support;
Therefore be it resolved that this House of Assembly congratulate North East Point resident George Nickerson, who has been nominated by the Woodland Multi-use Trail Association to be recognized as a representative volunteer during National Volunteer Week, April 10-16, 2011.
RESOLUTION NO. 384
By: Hon. Sterling Belliveau (Fisheries and Aquaculture)
I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:
Whereas Lockeport resident Danny Moody has been nominated by the Woodland Multi-use Trail Association to be recognized as a representative volunteer during National Volunteer Week, April 10-16, 2011; and
Whereas volunteers play an integral role in every community in Nova Scotia on a daily basis, unselfishly contributing of their time, passion and expertise for the betterment of numerous community groups and organizations; and
Whereas volunteers are indeed the heart of each community, helping to enrich the lives of those they know and come in contact with through their actions, words, kindness and support;
Therefore be it resolved that this House of Assembly congratulate Lockeport resident Danny Moody, who has been nominated by the Woodland Multi-use Trail Association to be recognized as a representative volunteer during National Volunteer Week, April 10-16, 2011.
RESOLUTION NO. 385
[Page 605]
By: Hon. Sterling Belliveau (Fisheries and Aquaculture)
I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:
Whereas Sable River resident Dana Dares has been nominated by the Woodland Multi-use Trail Association to be recognized as a representative volunteer during National Volunteer Week, April 10-16, 2011; and
Whereas volunteers play an integral role in every community in Nova Scotia on a daily basis, unselfishly contributing of their time, passion and expertise for the betterment of numerous community groups and organizations; and
Whereas volunteers are indeed the heart of each community, helping to enrich the lives of those they know and come in contact with through their actions, words, kindness and support;
Therefore be it resolved that this House of Assembly congratulate Sable River resident Dana Dares, who has been nominated by the Woodland Multi-use Trail Association to be recognized as a representative volunteer during National Volunteer Week, April 10-16, 2011.
RESOLUTION NO. 386
By: Hon. Sterling Belliveau (Fisheries and Aquaculture)
I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:
Whereas East Green Harbour resident Danine Lyle has been nominated by Lockeport Elementary Home and School to be recognized as a representative volunteer during National Volunteer Week, April 10-16, 2011; and
Whereas volunteers play an integral role in every community in Nova Scotia on a daily basis, unselfishly contributing of their time, passion and expertise for the betterment of numerous community groups and organizations; and
Whereas volunteers are indeed the heart of each community, helping to enrich the lives of those they know and come in contact with through their actions, words, kindness and support;
Therefore be it resolved that this House of Assembly congratulate East Green Harbour resident, Danine Lyle, who has been nominated by the Lockeport Elementary Home and School to be recognized as a representative volunteer during National Volunteer Week, April 10-16, 2011.
[Page 606]
RESOLUTION NO. 387
By: Hon. Sterling Belliveau (Fisheries and Aquaculture)
I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:
Whereas Sable River resident David Meyer has been nominated by the Sable River Volunteer Fire Department to be recognized as a representative volunteer during National Volunteer Week, April 10-16, 2011; and
Whereas volunteers play an integral role in every community in Nova Scotia on a daily basis, unselfishly contributing of their time, passion and expertise for the betterment of numerous community groups and organizations; and
Whereas volunteers are indeed the heart of each community, helping to enrich the lives of those they know and come in contact with through their actions, words, kindness and support;
Therefore be it resolved that this House of Assembly congratulate Sable River resident David Meyer who has been nominated by the Sable River Volunteer Fire Department to be recognized as a representative volunteer during National Volunteer Week, April 10-16, 2011.
RESOLUTION NO. 388
By: Hon. Sterling Belliveau (Fisheries and Aquaculture)
I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:
Whereas Woods Harbour resident Davis Nickerson has been nominated by Balmoral Rebekah Lodge #39 as a representative volunteer during National Volunteer Week, April 10-16, 2011; and
Whereas volunteers play an integral role in every community in Nova Scotia on a daily basis, unselfishly contributing of their time, passion and expertise for the betterment of numerous community groups and organizations; and
Whereas volunteers are indeed the heart of each community, helping to enrich the lives of those they know and come in contact with through their actions, words, kindness and support;
[Page 607]
Therefore be it resolved that this House of Assembly congratulate Woods Harbour resident Davis Nickerson who has been nominated by Balmoral Rebekah Lodge #39 to be recognized as a representative volunteer during National Volunteer Week, April 10-16, 2011.
RESOLUTION NO. 389
By: Hon. Sterling Belliveau (Fisheries and Aquaculture)
I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:
Whereas Shelburne resident Donald Bower has been nominated by the Shelburne Historical Society to be recognized as a representative volunteer during National Volunteer Week, April 10-16, 2011; and
Whereas volunteers play an integral role in every community in Nova Scotia on a daily basis, unselfishly contributing of their time, passion and expertise for the betterment of numerous community groups and organizations; and
Whereas volunteers are indeed the heart of each community, helping to enrich the lives of those they know and come in contact with through their actions, words, kindness and support;
Therefore be it resolved that this House of Assembly congratulate Shelburne resident Donald Bower who has been nominated by the Shelburne Historical Society to be recognized as a representative volunteer during National Volunteer Week, April 10-16, 2011.
RESOLUTION NO. 390
By: Hon. Sterling Belliveau (Fisheries and Aquaculture)
I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:
Whereas Sandy Point resident Ellen Nickerson has been nominated by the St. Peter's By the Sea Community Church Society to be recognized as a representative volunteer during National Volunteer Week, April 10-16, 2011; and
Whereas volunteers play an integral role in every community in Nova Scotia on a daily basis, unselfishly contributing of their time, passion and expertise for the betterment of numerous community groups and organizations; and
[Page 608]
Whereas volunteers are indeed the heart of each community, helping to enrich the lives of those they know and come in contact with through their actions, words, kindness and support;
Therefore be it resolved that this House of Assembly congratulate Sandy Point resident Ellen Nickerson who has been nominated by the St. Peter's By the Sea Community Church Society to be recognized as a representative volunteer during National Volunteer Week, April 10-16, 2011.
RESOLUTION NO. 391
By: Hon. Sterling Belliveau (Fisheries and Aquaculture)
I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:
Whereas Jordan Falls resident Gail Ringer has been nominated by the Shelburne Harbour Yacht Club to be recognized as a representative volunteer during National Volunteer Week, April 10-16, 2011; and
Whereas volunteers play an integral role in every community in Nova Scotia on a daily basis, unselfishly contributing of their time, passion and expertise for the betterment of numerous community groups and organizations; and
Whereas volunteers are indeed the heart of each community, helping to enrich the lives of those they know and come in contact with through their actions, words, kindness and support;
Therefore be it resolved that this House of Assembly congratulate Jordan Falls resident Gail Ringer who has been nominated by the Shelburne Harbour Yacht Club to be recognized as a representative volunteer during National Volunteer Week, April 10-16, 2011.
RESOLUTION NO. 392
By: Hon. Sterling Belliveau (Fisheries and Aquaculture)
I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:
Whereas Sandy Point resident Grace Boudreau has been nominated by the Order of the Eastern Star to be recognized as a representative volunteer during National Volunteer Week, April 10-16, 2011; and
[Page 609]
Whereas volunteers play an integral role in every community in Nova Scotia on a daily basis, unselfishly contributing of their time, passion and expertise for the betterment of numerous community groups and organizations; and
Whereas volunteers are indeed the heart of each community, helping to enrich the lives of those they know and come in contact with through their actions, words, kindness and support;
Therefore be it resolved that this House of Assembly congratulate Sandy Point resident Grace Boudreau who has been nominated by the Order of the Eastern Star to be recognized as a representative volunteer during National Volunteer Week, April 10-16, 2011.
RESOLUTION NO. 393
By: Hon. Sterling Belliveau (Fisheries and Aquaculture)
I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:
Whereas Gunning Cove resident Hilda Thomas has been nominated by Little People's Place to be recognized as a representative volunteer for that organization during National Volunteer Week, April 10-16, 2011; and
Whereas volunteers play an integral role in every community in Nova Scotia on a daily basis, unselfishly contributing of their time, passion and expertise for the betterment of numerous community groups and organizations; and
Whereas volunteers are indeed the heart of each community, helping to enrich the lives of those they know and come in contact with through their actions, words, kindness and support;
Therefore be it resolved that this House of Assembly congratulate Gunning Cove resident Hilda Thomas, who has been nominated by Little People's Place to be recognized as a representative volunteer for that organization during National Volunteer Week, April 10-16, 2011.
RESOLUTION NO. 394
[Page 610]
By: Hon. Sterling Belliveau (Fisheries and Aquaculture)
I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:
Whereas Clark's Harbour resident Jack Symonds has been nominated by the Town of Clark's Harbour to be recognized as a representative volunteer during National Volunteer Week, April 10-16, 2011; and
Whereas volunteers play an integral role in every community in Nova Scotia on a daily basis, unselfishly contributing of their time, passion and expertise for the betterment of numerous community groups and organizations; and
Whereas volunteers are indeed the heart of each community, helping to enrich the lives of those they know and come in contact with through their actions, words, kindness and support;
Therefore be it resolved that this House of Assembly congratulate Clark's Harbour resident Jack Symonds, who has been nominated by the Town of Clark's Harbour to be recognized as a representative volunteer during National Volunteer Week, April 10-16, 2011.
RESOLUTION NO. 395
By: Hon. Sterling Belliveau (Fisheries and Aquaculture)
I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:
Whereas Lockeport resident Jennifer Balish has been nominated by the Harmony Bazaar Festival of Women & Song Society to be recognized as a representative volunteer during National Volunteer Week, April 10-16, 2011; and
Whereas volunteers play an integral role in every community in Nova Scotia on a daily basis, unselfishly contributing of their time, passion and expertise for the betterment of numerous community groups and organizations; and
Whereas volunteers are indeed the heart of each community, helping to enrich the lives of those they know and come in contact with through their actions, words, kindness and support;
Therefore be it resolved that this House of Assembly congratulate Lockeport resident Jennifer Balish, who has been nominated by the Harmony Bazaar Festival of Women & Song Society to be recognized as a representative volunteer during National Volunteer Week, April 10-16, 2011.
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RESOLUTION NO. 396
By: Hon. Sterling Belliveau (Fisheries and Aquaculture)
I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:
Whereas Sandy Point resident Jerry Fraser has been nominated by the Sandy Point Recreation Group to be recognized as a representative volunteer during National Volunteer Week, April 10-16, 2011; and
Whereas volunteers play an integral role in every community in Nova Scotia on a daily basis, unselfishly contributing of their time, passion and expertise for the betterment of numerous community groups and organizations; and
Whereas volunteers are indeed the heart of each community, helping to enrich the lives of those they know and come in contact with through their actions, words, kindness and support;
Therefore be it resolved that this House of Assembly congratulate Sandy Point resident Jerry Fraser, who has been nominated by the Sandy Point Recreation Group to be recognized as a representative volunteer during National Volunteer Week, April 10-16, 2011.
RESOLUTION NO. 397
By: Hon. Maureen MacDonald (Health and Wellness)
I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:
Whereas more than 259,000 Canadians die every year and the rate of death is projected to increase by 33 per cent by the year 2020; and
Whereas an Advance Care Plan is a process of thinking about and communicating wishes for end of life care and involves communicating end of life care wishes with family, friends and health professionals, as well as naming a substitute decision-maker; and
Whereas Canadians with Advance Care Plans and their caregivers report greater satisfaction with end of life care and are more likely to take advantage of hospice resources or die at home;
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Therefore be it resolved that all members of this House of Assembly recognize April 12th as Advance Care Planning Day.
