Newfoundland and Labrador House of Assembly, Monday 3 March 2025
Question Period was dominated by Opposition attacks on the Liberal government's land dealings and its management of the health care system. The Official Opposition pressed the Housing Minister on the sale of Crown land off Snows Lane for $5,000/acre and the Kenmount Crossing purchase, while multiple members grilled the acting Health Minister over nursing vacancies, agency nurse reliance, specialist recruitment in rural areas and medevac access for Labrador children. The NDP raised concerns about privatization of health services and the federal pharmacare plan. The House dealt primarily with routine proceedings and legislative business. The Minister of Finance tabled seven Orders-in-Council and gave numerous notices of motion related to the upcoming budget and Interim Supply, several petitions were presented on constituency issues, and two bills advanced: Bill 100 (Revenue Administration Act amendments) passed second reading and Committee of the Whole, while Bill 102 (Law Enforcement Oversight Commission) passed second reading and progressed partway through Committee.
Routine Proceedings
Tabling of Orders-in-Council on funding precommitments
S. Coady
The Minister of Finance tabled seven Orders-in-Council relating to funding precommitments for fiscal years 2025-26 to 2029-30, pursuant to the Financial Administration Act.
Notice of budgetary policy motion
S. Coady
The Minister of Finance gave notice that she would move tomorrow that the House approve in general the budgetary policy of the government.
Notices of motion on Supply and bills
L. Dempster
The Deputy Government House Leader gave several notices: Committee of the Whole on Supply for Interim Supply (Bill 105), introduction of Bill 106 (Revenue Administration Act No. 7), Committee of the Whole on Supply (Bill 107), a motion to forgo Private Members' Day on March 5 for government business, and adjournment provisions.
Petition on highway aggregate and windshield damage in Bonavista
C. Pardy
The Member for Bonavista presented a petition urging government to replace the broken filtering screen at the Amherst Cove depot to reduce large stone and salt on highways, which is causing frequent windshield breakage and additional costs for residents.
Petition to restore Residential Energy Rebate
J. Brown
The Member for Labrador West presented a petition urging government to reinstate the HST rebate on home heating, arguing heat is a necessity of life and cost of living is rising.
Petition for volunteer fire department equipment
P. Forsey
The Member for Exploits presented a petition urging government to provide adequate tools and equipment to volunteer fire departments in a timely manner, citing recent rejection letters to several towns in his district.
Petition on Trepassey breakwater repairs
L. O'Driscoll
The Member for Ferryland presented a petition urging government to complete durable repairs to the Trepassey breakwater protecting the only access road to the lower coast; the Minister of Housing responded that Transportation and Infrastructure is working on a solution after acknowledging design flaws.
Petition on Janeway access for Northern Labrador children
L. Evans
The Member for Torngat Mountains presented a petition urging government to ensure all children in the province, particularly in Northern Labrador, have timely and equal access to the Janeway Hospital for serious medical conditions.
Question Period
Sale of Crown land off Snows Lane and Kenmount Crossing land purchase
Asked by T. Wakeham · Answered by J. Abbott
Abbott insisted the transactions were transparent, above board and recommended by senior officials, and tabled purchase/sale and appraisal documents; he repeatedly invited the Opposition to refer the file to the Auditor General if they believed anything was improper, noting land is returned to expropriated families at fair market value.
Nursing vacancies, retention, agency nurses and health human resource plan
Asked by B. Petten · Answered by J. Haggie
Haggie countered with recruitment figures (1,133 nurses recruited April 2023–December 2024, 246 new RN graduates, 95% retention), said a formal health human resources plan is nearly ready, and stated agency nurse use is down 42% but remains essential, particularly in Labrador; he said government continues to work with unions on recruitment and retention.
Specialist recruitment, wound care and surgical backlog at G.B. Cross Clarenville and rural NL
Asked by L. Parrott · Answered by J. Haggie
Haggie cited 761 registered nurses recruited and work with the NLMA to enhance internal medicine compensation and add residency slots; on wound care he argued it is within RN and LPN scope of practice and that the member was conflating specialty care with routine care, but committed to obtaining specifics on the Clarenville situation.
Family doctor shortage and medical recruitment in Placentia West - Bellevue
Asked by J. Dwyer · Answered by J. Haggie
Haggie said he did not have district-specific figures but would obtain them, noted 73,370 people are now connected through Patient Connect (up 41,000 since May 2023), and confirmed 16 job fairs are planned across the province.
Medevac transportation and Janeway access for children in Northern Labrador
Asked by L. Evans · Answered by J. Haggie
Haggie stated no one is denied access to care based on where they live, and that medevac transfers to higher levels of care are triaged through a medical control centre as clinical decisions made by clinicians, not administrators or politicians; he declined to discuss specific cases.
Privatization of health services, AG recommendations, pharmacare and drug coverage caps
Asked by J. Brown · Answered by J. Haggie
Haggie denied health care is being privatized, framing agency nurses as a transitional necessity, and reiterated recruitment numbers (1,133 nurses, 146 physicians); on pharmacare he said staff are working with a distracted federal government to avoid Newfoundlanders losing provincial benefits, and noted the fiscal caps are under review within the budgetary cycle and NLPDP funding has increased since 2015.
Orders of the Day
Bill 100 - An Act to Amend the Revenue Administration Act No. 6 (second reading)
S. Coady
The Minister of Finance moved second reading, describing the bill as routine and technical amendments to clarify language and administrative practices, including HAPSET application for out-of-province remuneration, exemption thresholds for associated employers, extending overpayment refund periods from three to seven years, and gasoline tax/IFTA alignments. Members for Baie Verte-Green Bay and Labrador West spoke, and the bill passed second reading.
Bill 100 - Committee of the Whole
Multiple
In Committee, Members questioned the Minister on the definition of qualified motor vehicles (excluding motorcycles), the three-to-seven year refund extension, HAPSET revenue and thresholds, associated-employer loopholes, and payroll tax collected from Crown corporations such as the health authority. The bill was carried without amendment.
Bill 102 - Law Enforcement Oversight Commission Act (second reading)
B. Davis
The Minister of Justice moved second reading of Bill 102, which establishes a civilian-led Law Enforcement Oversight Commission to handle RNC discipline complaints through one streamlined process, with the commissioner determining public versus internal HR matters, set timelines, 45-day updates, and de-identified public summaries. Members for Harbour Main, Labrador West, and Mount Pearl-Southlands spoke, raising concerns about training, standards, use of a commissioner versus a board, and body cameras; the bill passed second reading.
Bill 102 - Committee of the Whole (progress)
Multiple
In Committee, Members for Harbour Main and Labrador West extensively questioned the Minister on consultations, the choice of a commissioner over a board, appointment qualifications, complaint time limits, referral to the chief, SIRT parallel investigations, appeals, complainant anonymity, and collective agreement implications. The Committee reported progress and asked leave to sit again.
Adjournment
L. Dempster
The Deputy Government House Leader moved that the House adjourn until 1:30 p.m. the following day; the motion carried.
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.