TIM HOUSTON « » : Mr. Speaker, people are anxious. They just want the facts. They just want to know when they are going to get their vaccination. It is not completely fair of the Premier to try to hide behind Dr. Strang and say, well, Dr. Strang said that, so I said it too.

THE SPEAKER: Order, please. I would ask the member to not use the word "disingenuous" because it is unparliamentary.

HON. ZACH CHURCHILL: Mr. Speaker, the member is not speaking facts on this. There have been 761 new teaching positions imbedded into the system. Those are for math mentors, literacy mentors, supports to support the class cap.

MS. LENORE ZANN: It's funny because they say the big lie is if you have the cojones to lie really bigly, and you throw out a lie there and you just keep repeating it over and over again, people start to believe it. They start to think that it's true.

MR. MACLEOD: Mr. Speaker, I could go on, but there's no need. This is still a stupid piece of legislation, and I believe . . .

MR. SPEAKER: Order please. I will remind the honourable member that the term "stupid" in reference to legislation is unparliamentary.

MR. MACLEOD: I would classify that as a difference of opinion between two members, Mr. Speaker. However, I will be voting against this piece of legislation, for all of those reasons that I'm not allowed to say publicly.

MS. LENORE ZANN: 

So, the Minister of Education and Early Childhood Development and his colleagues have not only drunk the Kool-Aid, Mr. Speaker, but they're making it, and the NSTU, teachers . . .

MR. SPEAKER: Order, please. I'd like to remind the honourable member that that last phrase was definitely unparliamentary, and I will ask her to retract that.

MS. ZANN: Okay, Mr. Speaker. Okay, I retract that. Orange juice, maybe? Drink some orange juice? No? Okay, I retract that, Mr. Speaker. Thank you, Mr. Speaker, at least we have a bit of a sense of humour today.

MR. MACLEOD: Well, Mr. Speaker, what I do recognize is that this minister has no compassion for the individuals who need health care today. (Interruptions) I could be a lot cruder.

MR. SPEAKER: Order, please. I'm going to ask the honourable member to retract that. I'm going to take that as a personal shot at the opposite member.

MR. MACLEOD: I will retract that statement, Mr. Speaker, in respect for you.

MR. TIM HALMAN: Thank you to the Dartmouth Pig Dogs Rugby Football Club for their continued support and promotion of rugby and sports in our community, and supporting local charities.

MR. SPEAKER: It's a good thing that unparliamentary language is all about context, because I'm not so sure "Pig Dogs" would make it much past the list. (Laughter)

[Page 3949]

MR. HUGH MACKAY: Madam Speaker, it's often said that one of the attributes of being a successful bagpiper, a player of the great highland bagpipes, is that one has to be full of hot air, and so I will try to do my level-best to keep up on the playing field with my colleague the member for Pictou West, with great respect. (Interruption)

...

[Page 3962]

MR. BRAD JOHNS: Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the opportunity to talk on this. What I find really frustrating in this whole thing is this whole concept of trying to cloud the issue and a sleight of hand that the government seems to be . . .

MR. SPEAKER: Order, please. Honourable member, I want to remind you that the phrase "sleight of hand" used in that context is unparliamentary.

The honourable member for Sackville-Beaver Bank.

MR. JOHNS: I apologize. Is misdirection an appropriate word?

MR. SPEAKER: I have to hear how you're going to use it.