Newfoundland and Labrador House of Assembly, Thursday 19 October 2023
Question Period focused heavily on housing and health care. The Opposition challenged the government's claim of building 750 new homes, citing a CBC report that only 11 were actually completed. The Premier and ministers clarified these were 'housing options' (including shelters, supportive housing, and rent supplements) rather than new builds, with the Minister of Children, Seniors and Social Development admitting he 'misspoke.' Additional questions addressed seniors' care home costs, Family Care Team implementation delays, health care recruitment in Labrador, and the statute of limitations for abuse survivors. The House conducted routine business including tabling of documents, notices of motion, and petitions on child abuse limitations and housing issues. The main legislative business was second reading, Committee of the Whole, and passage of Bill 49, An Act Respecting the King's Printer, which updates references from Queen's Printer to King's Printer following the accession of King Charles III. The Leader of the Third Party attempted to move adjournment to debate a housing emergency but was ruled out of order.
Members' Statements
Recognition of Richard Dyson's 43rd consecutive Terry Fox Run
P. Trimper
The Member recognized 75-year-old Richard Dyson of Happy Valley-Goose Bay for completing his 43rd consecutive Terry Fox Run since its inception in 1981, maintaining Terry Fox's legacy and Marathon of Hope.
Recognition of Alex Fahey's achievements
P. Lane
The Member recognized Alex Fahey, a recent O'Donel High graduate who won multiple leadership awards, was named Mount Pearl Youth of the Year, and earned the Riordon Scholarship for full tuition at Carleton University to study aerospace engineering.
Announcement of warming centre at Our Lady, Queen of Families Parish
L. Stoyles
The Member announced that Our Lady, Queen of Families Parish in Mount Pearl has established a warming centre capable of accommodating over 500 people, with a generator installed and fully operational to address community emergency preparedness.
Recognition of Jake Griffiths and The Wiener Wagon
S. Gambin-Walsh
The Member recognized Jake Griffiths, a 23-year-old entrepreneur on the autism spectrum, who operates The Wiener Wagon mobile vending business and hosts an annual car show with proceeds going to charity.
Recognition of Foster Families Month
J. Dwyer
The Member recognized October 2023 as Foster Families Month, highlighting the proclamation signing and flag raising in Marystown, and thanking foster families for providing safe, nurturing environments for children and youth.
Recognition of The Scrub Squad graffiti removal company
J. Hogan
The Minister recognized three young entrepreneurs—Jack Boland (15), Jacob Sheppard (18), and Brandon Ivey (19)—who established The Scrub Squad, a graffiti removal company serving the St. John's metro region during Small Business Week.
Routine Proceedings
Tabling of Orders-in-Council for funding precommitments
S. Coady
The Minister of Finance tabled 14 Orders-in-Council relating to funding precommitments for fiscal years 2024-25 to 2033-34 pursuant to the Financial Administration Act.
Tabling of Management Commission minutes
The Speaker
The Speaker tabled minutes of the Management Commission for meetings held on seven dates between February and August 2023, in accordance with the House of Assembly Accountability, Integrity and Administration Act.
Notice of motion for Bill 57
S. Crocker
The Minister of Tourism, Culture, Arts and Recreation gave notice of introducing Bill 57, An Act to Repeal the Colonial Building Act, on the following day.
Notice of motion to extend sitting hours
J. Hogan
The Minister of Justice gave notice that the House will not adjourn at 5:30 p.m. on Monday, October 23, 2023, in accordance with Standing Order 11(1).
Petitions on removing limitation periods for child abuse claims
Multiple
Multiple Members (H. Conway Ottenheimer, L. Evans, E. Joyce, P. Lane) presented petitions urging government to amend the Limitations Act to remove limitation periods for civil claims involving all forms of child abuse, not just sexual abuse, citing the case of individuals like Jack Whelan and Eli Baker.
Petition on Southwest Coast industry projects
P. Lane
The Member presented a petition calling for a six-month pause on approving industry projects on the Southwest Coast, an independent cumulative effects assessment, meaningful consultation, regional benefits packages, and escrow accounts for decommissioning.
Petition on abandoned buildings in unincorporated areas
C. Pardy
The Member presented a petition urging government to bring forward legislation for removal of collapsed or dilapidated buildings in unincorporated areas, noting their impact on health, safety, tourism, and potential for affordable housing.
Petition on provincial library funding
J. Dinn
The Member presented a petition calling for increased funding to the Provincial Information and Library Resources Board, noting that library budgets have not kept pace with inflation since 1999 while demand has increased 72% between 2012 and 2022.
Petition on upgrading Witless Bay Line
L. O'Driscoll
The Member presented a petition urging government to upgrade the Witless Bay Line highway, describing the eight to nine kilometre stretch as having deplorable road conditions affecting commuters, commercial traffic, and tourism.
Question Period
Seniors' Advocate recommendations on personal care home rent increases
Asked by T. Wakeham · Answered by A. Furey
The Premier stated they received the Seniors' Advocate's advice and the Minister of Health is working on the file. He committed to working efficiently but did not guarantee 30-day financial assessments, saying only they would work 'as fast as we possibly can.'
Discrepancy between claimed 750 new homes and actual 11 built
Asked by T. Wakeham · Answered by A. Furey / S. Coady / P. Pike
The Premier and ministers clarified that '750 housing options' included various types of housing supports (107 NL Housing units with 11 completed, 76 supportive housing units, 174 shelter beds, and up to 427 rent supplement recipients), not 750 new homes. The Minister of Children, Seniors and Social Development admitted he 'misspoke' when saying 750 homes were built.
Timeline for addressing 2,800-person housing wait-list
Asked by T. Wakeham / B. Petten / L. O'Driscoll · Answered by A. Furey / P. Pike
The Premier defended the government's record investment in social housing and announced 850 new housing options to start soon. The Minister of Children, Seniors and Social Development listed completed and in-progress units across the province but provided no specific timeline for clearing the wait-list.
Status of announced 40-unit apartment complex in St. John's
Asked by B. Petten · Answered by S. Coady / L. Dempster
The Minister of Finance reiterated budget commitments. The Minister of Labrador Affairs defended the government's fiscal decisions and criticized past PC government spending, but did not directly address the status of the specific 40-unit project.
Renovictions and residential tenancies legislation
Asked by L. O'Driscoll · Answered by S. Stoodley
The Minister of Digital Government and Service NL stated she has had conversations with advocates and is open to discussions, but believes current residential tenancies legislation 'delivers the lowest rent for the people of the province.'
Family Care Team implementation in Grand Falls-Windsor and Clarenville
Asked by P. Forsey / L. Parrott · Answered by T. Osborne
The Minister of Health confirmed teams are 'accepting patients' and rostering but not yet fully operational. He could not provide an exact opening date for Grand Falls-Windsor. For Clarenville, he acknowledged no doctors are currently hired but emphasized nurse practitioners can provide primary care and noted 19 of 35 promised Family Care Teams are announced with 49,000 patients now rostered (up from 28,000).
Health care worker recruitment and retention in Labrador
Asked by J. Brown · Answered by T. Osborne
The Minister announced physician incentives in Labrador-Grenfell increased from $200,000 to $300,000. He stated Labrador-Grenfell is working with two physicians for potential recruitment to Labrador West and a Family Care Team is being staffed.
Removing statute of limitations for abuse of children in care
Asked by L. Evans · Answered by J. Hogan
The Minister of Justice expressed sympathy for survivors and stated the department is reviewing policies and legislation on this matter, but could not comment on the specific case as it is before the courts.
Orders of the Day
Second reading, Committee of the Whole, and passage of Bill 49, An Act Respecting the King's Printer
S. Stoodley
The Minister introduced Bill 49 to repeal Part VI of the Works, Services and Transportation Act and create separate legislation for the King's Printer (formerly Queen's Printer) following the accession of King Charles III. The bill passed second reading, Committee stage with brief questions from Opposition members, and was ordered for third reading tomorrow with no amendments and no operational changes or job losses.
Other business
Point of order regarding unparliamentary language
J. Hogan
The Minister of Justice raised a point of order claiming the Member for St. John's Centre used unparliamentary language by calling someone a "liar." The Member refused to withdraw the comment. The Speaker took the matter under advisement to review Hansard.
Motion to adjourn for urgent debate on housing emergency
J. Dinn
The Leader of the Third Party moved pursuant to Standing Order 36 to adjourn the House to debate a housing emergency, citing that only 11 of 750 promised housing units have been built, tent city residents face winter conditions, and many face eviction or unaffordable rent increases. The Speaker ruled the motion out of order, noting similar motions had been made earlier in the week and Standing Order 36(7)(a) permits only one such motion per sitting.
This is Tabled's summary of the sitting, written from the official record; Hansard is only ever quoted at the link above. Search Newfoundland and Labrador Hansard for the words themselves, or read this sitting in the archive.