TIM HOUSTON: The issue here is not the competence of anyone, except maybe some of the members in this House, but it's the fact that . . .

THE SPEAKER: I'll ask the honourable Leader of the Official Opposition to retract that statement.

TIM HOUSTON: I retract that statement.

LISA ROBERTS: I just want to briefly comment on the use of my colleague's term "slush fund." What we are talking about are government revenues, and government revenues are a part of government. When we pay taxes, we contribute to government revenues. We use those revenues to provide the services that we cannot provide for ourselves as individuals.

ALLAN MACMASTER: Mr. Speaker, on a point of order. During Question Period, the Minister of Labour and Advanced Education claimed that the member for Northside-Westmount was insinuating that he, the Minister of Labour and Advanced Education, was lying in his responses to questions.

That may be what the Minister of Labour and Advanced Education feels, but that minister should retract his comment as it suggests that the member for Northside-Westmount said that he way lying, when no charge of such a serious nature was ever made.

BRAD JOHNS: But, as a fiscal conservative, what a bloody waste of money that is. You bought $7 million piece of property that . . .

THE SPEAKER: Order, please. The honourable member for Sackville-Beaver Bank will retract the phrase, "bloody waste of money."

The honourable member for Sackville-Beaver Bank.

BRAD JOHNS: I'll retract bloody waste of money.

HON. LABI KOUSOULIS » : I'm actually very proud of the work our universities have done in keeping our international student fees low. Nova Scotia is less expensive to go to university for an international student than B.C., Alberta, Saskatchewan, Ontario, or Quebec, as well as P.E.I. We are the third least-expensive place for an international student to go in Canada.

GARY BURRILL: Mr. Speaker, the government is spending more than $1,000 per day per person keeping hundreds of long-term care residents living in our hospitals when the cost would be just a fraction of that to have these people living in nursing homes. Instead of that, we've been keeping them in our hospitals, which is causing no end of problems from the point of view of patient flow.

THE SPEAKER: On April 3^rd, following Question Period, the honourable Official Opposition House Leader rose on a point of order respecting a statement by the honourable Minister of Labour and Advanced Education that the honourable member for Northside-Westmount had insinuated he was lying.

An allegation that another member has lied is unparliamentary and is never acceptable in this House.

TAMMY MARTIN: Mr. Speaker, I will tell you as I stand here, on my life, that I have now since found out that these decisions were made in March, that there were certain stakeholders taken to meetings - and I would be glad to call them. These decisions were made in March. Not our local councillor, not the local MLA - nobody was included in these decisions and we were not told the truth when I asked those questions, and I think that's disgraceful. (Interruption) I am speaking the truth.

TIM HOUSTON: One thing is for certain: four times the Premier has called by-elections, and four times the people have spoken loud and clear. He doesn't have the courage to call the fifth one. He doesn't have the courage to call the fifth one because he knows how Nova Scotians feel about his record. This Premier won't let us fully . . .

THE SPEAKER: Order, please. I'd like to remind the honourable member that he's calling into question the character and courage of another member, which is unparliamentary.

STEVE CRAIG: So, as a caring and conscientious parent, what types of supports do we provide? What type of recommendations might we see come from the recommendations in the godawful circumstance that it would lead to a death - unplanned death, but yet preventable death. ...

THE SPEAKER: I just want to remind members that terms like "godawful" I think are teetering on unparliamentary.