Newfoundland and Labrador House of Assembly, Tuesday 19 November 2024
Question Period focused heavily on the government's land acquisition for a new hospital and wellness dome, with the Opposition pressing ministers on due diligence, costs, and transparency. Additional lines of questioning addressed a travel nurse lease scandal involving former health authority employees, the province's immigration marketing contract with m5, and ongoing concerns about violence and funding shortfalls in schools. The House of Assembly conducted Committee of the Whole on two bills: Bill 86 (Opioid Damages and Health Care Costs Recovery Act amendments) and Bill 83 (Medical Act amendments to regulate physician assistants). Both bills passed Committee stage—Bill 86 without amendment and Bill 83 with two minor amendments. The House also began second reading of Bill 68, which proposes significant changes to the Lands Act, including reducing the evidentiary period for adverse possession claims from 20 years to 10 years.
Members' Statements
Recognition of Cheryl Stagg, Port au Port community leader
T. Wakeham
Recognized Cheryl Stagg for her extensive community contributions, including founding the Stephenville Theatre Festival, serving on numerous boards, and receiving the Order of Newfoundland and Labrador in 2016.
Tribute to Jim Brown, business owner and philanthropist
L. Parrott
Honored the late Jim Brown, founder of J-1 construction and Newfoundland Helicopters, former mayor, and generous philanthropist who supported hospitals, schools, sports teams, and individuals throughout the province.
Recognition of Premier's Athletic Award recipients from Topsail - Paradise
P. Dinn
Congratulated eight athletes from Topsail - Paradise who received the 2024 Premier's Athletic Award for Athletic Excellence in various sports including boccia, gymnastics, hockey, parasports, soccer, and swimming.
Baie Verte Chamber of Commerce 50th anniversary
L. Paddock
Celebrated the Baie Verte Chamber of Commerce's golden anniversary and invited MHAs to attend their mining conference in June 2025, noting renewed optimism in the region's mining, fishing, forestry, and tourism sectors.
Recognition of Blackhead One Room School and Church Museum
J. Korab
Highlighted the restored Blackhead museum, a provincially designated heritage structure from 1879, and thanked the many volunteers who maintain it and organize community events.
Ministerial statement on Supported Employment program
S. Stoodley
Announced $10 million investment in the Supported Employment program helping over 650 individuals with intellectual disabilities find meaningful work, and introduced mentee Brock Pittman as an example of the program's success.
Routine Proceedings
Notice of motion to extend sitting hours
J. Hogan
Gave notice that the House will not adjourn at 5 p.m. on Wednesday, November 20, 2024, but will continue sitting until midnight to conduct government business.
Petition for long-term mental health care
P. Dinn
Presented petition calling for accessible psychiatric and neuropsychological assessments and continuous mental health treatment, noting that people wait up to 24 months for services and that government has not met its commitment to allocate 9% of health budget to mental health.
Petition for rural road access regulations
C. Pardy
Presented petition requesting adjustment of the 115-metre sightline requirement for driveways in rural communities with 50 km/h speed limits, arguing the regulation prevents property development and sales in places like Harcourt, Brooklyn, and George's Brook-Milton.
Petition for Trepassey breakwater repairs
L. O'Driscoll
Presented petition urging repair of the Trepassey breakwater protecting the only access road to the lower coast, noting the road has been covered three times since last Thursday and the town cannot afford continued cleanup costs.
Petition for rental increase limitations
J. Dinn
Presented petition calling for amendments to the Residential Tenancies Act to limit annual rent increases, arguing that lack of supply and predatory increases are making housing unaffordable and treating housing as a commodity rather than a human right.
Petition for Canning Bridge replacement
J. Dwyer
Presented petition calling for immediate replacement of the Canning Bridge in Marystown, which has been closed due to poor condition documented in a 2020 inspection report.
Petition for affordable travel in Northern Labrador
L. Evans
Presented petition highlighting that Northern Labrador communities have no road access and face prohibitive air travel costs (e.g., $2,500 return from Nain to St. John's), while government subsidizes flights to Europe, calling for affordable travel solutions for isolated communities.
Question Period
Land acquisition for hospital and wellness dome
Asked by T. Wakeham · Answered by F. Hutton / S. Coady
The Minister of Transportation and Infrastructure confirmed that H3 Development owns the land and that the province is in negotiations and close to a final deal under an MOU. The Deputy Premier emphasized the strategic importance of the hospital location for future generations and defended the government's planning process.
Site investigation and due diligence for land purchase
Asked by T. Wakeham · Answered by F. Hutton
The minister stated that officials are conducting due diligence and that the land is zoned appropriately. He defended the government's strategic approach and noted that the RFP for the wellness dome was public and announced in the provincial budget.
Announcement of projects on land not yet owned
Asked by T. Wakeham · Answered by F. Hutton
The minister highlighted the government's aggressive infrastructure agenda, listing multiple schools and facilities under construction or completed, and defended the practice of announcing projects before land acquisition is finalized.
Travel nurse lease scandal and accountability
Asked by B. Petten · Answered by J. Hogan
The Minister of Health confirmed that allegations were raised in March, prompting letters to the Auditor General, NLHS CEO, and board chair. He stated that leases were terminated and that the Auditor General is investigating. He emphasized that NLHS is an arm's-length entity responsible for operational HR decisions and committed to acting on the AG's recommendations.
Costs and details of cancelled travel nurse leases
Asked by B. Petten · Answered by J. Hogan
The minister did not provide specific cost figures but stated he has requested full details from NLHS, including lease values, duration, and investigation findings, and committed to making that information public once received.
m5 immigration marketing contract
Asked by L. Parrott · Answered by S. Stoodley
The Minister of Immigration defended the UK recruitment efforts, noting over 900 interested individuals and 100 interviews conducted. She stated she would look into whether the m5 contract can be publicly released and emphasized the need to invest in attracting health care workers and other professionals to the province.
School funding and accessibility issues
Asked by J. Brown · Answered by K. Howell
The Minister of Education said she was unaware of the email requesting cash payments from parents and would investigate. On the elevator delay at Menihek High School, she noted that infrastructure is a shared responsibility with Transportation and Infrastructure and that the government is working to address maintenance challenges.
Violence in schools
Asked by J. Dinn · Answered by K. Howell
The minister acknowledged the issue of violence in schools and defended the government's multi-faceted approach, including the Education Accord, pilot programs for student services, increased student assistants, and improved counsellor ratios. She rejected the notion of a one-size-fits-all solution and emphasized the complexity of the issue.
Orders of the Day
Committee of the Whole on Bill 86 (Opioid Damages and Health Care Costs Recovery Act)
Multiple
Bill 86 was debated in Committee with questions from H. Conway Ottenheimer, P. Lane, L. Paddock, and J. Dwyer. Minister B. Davis explained amendments align with other jurisdictions, extend limitation period from 2 to 15 years, and broaden definition of health care benefits. Members raised concerns about including justice-related costs, individual plaintiff claims, litigation timeline (compared to 13-year tobacco case), and ensuring fair provincial compensation. Bill passed Committee without amendment.
Committee of the Whole on Bill 83 (Medical Act amendments for physician assistants)
Multiple
Bill 83 was debated in Committee with questions from J. Brown, B. Petten, and L. Parrott. Minister J. Haggie explained amendments will regulate physician assistants as a new health profession, with consultations conducted with College of Physicians and Surgeons, NLMA, and Canadian Association of Physician Assistants. Members asked about recruitment impact, scope of practice, training requirements, and differences from nurse practitioners. Two minor amendments were made to correct typographical errors. Bill passed Committee with amendments.
Second reading of Bill 68 (Lands Act amendments)
G. Byrne
Minister Byrne introduced Bill 68, the first significant amendments to the Lands Act in 48 years. He explained the bill reduces the evidentiary period for adverse possession claims from 20 years (1957-1977) to 10 years, reversing the 1976 policy that intended to abolish squatters' rights as knowledgeable affiants aged out. The change will make it easier for people to obtain title to land they have occupied openly, notoriously, consecutively, and exclusively by expanding the pool of available affiants.
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.