Newfoundland and Labrador House of Assembly, Wednesday 1 April 2026
Question Period was dominated by affordability concerns, particularly rising gas prices exceeding $2/litre, with the Opposition and Third Party pressing the government to cut the gas tax and deliver its promised budget measures. The Finance Minister repeatedly deferred to the forthcoming budget, citing 'planning efficiently' and targeted measures for vulnerable residents. Other topics included medical travel/MTAP reform, patient relations at NLHS, gun crime, housing and rent supports, fee/tax reductions, and road repairs. The morning sitting saw the House move Bill 6, An Act to Amend the Pension Benefits Act, 1997, through Committee of the Whole and third reading, with the Member for Mount Scio questioning the Minister of Government Services and Labour extensively on pension transfers and solvency ratios. The House then debated second reading of Bill 8, An Act to Amend the Wild Life Act, which modernizes language, increases penalties and improves enforceability, before passing it and recessing until 2 p.m. The afternoon featured Members' statements, Ministers' statements on National Wildlife Week and safe drinking water, tabling of documents, petitions, and a lengthy Private Members' Day debate on housing centred on the Auditor General's report on Newfoundland and Labrador Housing Corporation.
Members' Statements
Recognition of rescuers of snowmobile accident victim
E. Joyce
The Member for Humber - Bay of Islands recognized Glenn and Matt Jacobs, and Sue, for their courageous actions in saving the life of Mark Sheppard after a snowmobile accident on February 10.
Labrador West 65th Winter Carnival
J. Power
The Member for Labrador West celebrated the 65th annual Labrador West Winter Carnival held March 6 to 15 and thanked the committee, sponsors, volunteers and organizers.
Passing of Sheshatshiu Elder Mary Adela Penashue (Maniaten)
K. Russell
The Member for Lake Melville recognized the life of Sheshatshiu Innu Elder Mary Adela Penashue, one of the last nomadic Labrador Innu mothers, who died at age 98, honouring her kindness, quiet strength and carrying forward of Innu traditions.
40th annual Mussel Bed Soiree in Lewisporte
M. Butt
The Member for Lewisporte - Twillingate recognized the 40th annual Mussel Bed Soiree, coinciding with the town's 140th anniversary of settlement, and thanked volunteers, sponsors and participants.
Miss Newfoundland and Labrador Cassidy Barry
L. Stoyles
The Member for Mount Pearl North introduced this year's Miss Newfoundland and Labrador, Cassidy Barry, a cardiology technologist who aspires to become a heart specialist, and wished her success in her reign.
Routine Proceedings
Ministerial Statement – National Wildlife Week
P. Forsey
The Minister of Forestry, Agriculture and Lands marked National Wildlife Week (April 5-11) and recognized retiring departmental employee Chris Baldwin for his 32-year career championing sustainable hunting and angling; the Members for Fortune Bay - Cape La Hune and the Leader of the Third Party responded, congratulating Baldwin and urging more public involvement in conservation and reconsideration of the South Coast NMCA cancellation.
Ministerial Statement – Safe Drinking Water
C. Tibbs
The Minister of Environment, Conservation and Climate Change highlighted the importance of safe drinking water and recognized award-winning water operators Derrick Seward and PJ Genneaux; the Members for Burgeo - La Poile and St. John's East - Quidi Vidi responded, noting persistent boil-water advisories in rural communities (140 communities affecting nearly 9 per cent of the population) and urging stronger action.
Tabling of Basic Income Committee Report
J. Dinn
The Leader of the Third Party tabled, with leave, the Recommendations for a Basic Income in Newfoundland and Labrador: Report of the All-Party Committee on Basic Income of September 9.
Answer to Question – Roadwork Fairness
B. Petten
The Minister of Transportation and Infrastructure responded to prior Question Period criticisms about roadwork fairness by detailing roadwork funding received by several Opposition-held districts over five years, arguing the government aims to distribute work fairly across all districts.
Petition – Student Support Staff in Gander District Schools
B. Ford
The Member for Gander presented a petition urging government to address a critical shortage of student support staff, review staffing levels, release a public report on supports and wait times, increase funding, and develop a recruitment and retention plan.
Petition – Home Care Worker Wage Parity
S. Gambin-Walsh
The Member for Placentia - St. Mary's presented a petition (from constituents in Opposition-held districts) calling for self-managed home care employees to be paid at the same rate as agency employees, noting a $3.25 hourly wage gap for the same work.
Petition – GPS Ankle Bracelet Monitoring for IPV Offenders
P. Parsons
The Member for Harbour Grace - Port de Grave presented a petition calling on government to implement an active GPS ankle bracelet monitoring program as an option for courts to impose on dangerous or repeat intimate partner violence offenders.
Question Period
Gas prices and gas tax relief
Asked by J. Hogan · Answered by Premier Wakeham
The Premier attributed high prices to global conflict and defended making the existing tax reduction permanent, saying gas would be eight cents higher otherwise; he refused to cut the tax further and pointed to affordability measures coming in the budget.
Affordability 'levers' and timing of tax relief
Asked by J. Hogan · Answered by C. Pardy
The Finance Minister said the government knows where the many 'levers' are and will use them, but urged patience and pointed to the upcoming budget rather than committing to immediate action; he declined to state extra oil revenue, saying it was a small fraction of the inherited deficit.
Budget timing and unfulfilled promises
Asked by J. Hogan · Answered by C. Pardy
The Minister would not confirm a budget date, saying it would be announced in 'short course' and that affordability measures and platform promises would be delivered, defending the delay as 'planning efficiently.'
House sitting schedule and early closure
Asked by S. Stoodley · Answered by C. Pardy
The Minister predicted the government would sit longer than the previous government and committed to sitting the full term, saying more time may be needed.
Medical transportation / MTAP reform
Asked by L. Dempster · Answered by L. Evans
The Health Minister said the government is working to deliver 100 per cent MTAP coverage in the budget and is examining affordable travel for all Labrador passengers, contrasting this with the previous government's inaction, but committed to no specific timeline beyond the budget.
NLHS patient relations responsiveness
Asked by J. Parsons · Answered by L. Evans
The Minister acknowledged problems in patient relations and said staffing has been increased with NLHS, action she said is just beginning to take effect.
Guns on the streets and public safety
Asked by K. White · Answered by H. Conway Ottenheimer
The Justice Minister said the government is committed to public safety and will invest in policing, hire more RNC and RCMP officers, and invest across the justice system, courts, and corrections to tackle crime.
Elimination of 300 taxes and fees
Asked by K. White · Answered by C. Pardy
The Finance Minister said the 300 fees were introduced by the previous government in 2016 and that an extensive review is underway, but did not identify any specific fees or taxes eliminated in six months.
Indexing of income support
Asked by S. Gambin-Walsh · Answered by C. Pardy
The Minister did not commit to indexing income support, saying only that the government hopes to put more money into people's pockets, including the vulnerable, in the upcoming budget.
Rent supplements and housing demand
Asked by S. Gambin-Walsh · Answered by J. Wall
The Minister of Social Supports blamed the previous administration for exhausting the Canada Housing Benefit and said the government has a plan and is looking at all options to help vulnerable people, urging people to 'stay tuned.'
Budget date and affordability measures
Asked by J. Dinn · Answered by C. Pardy
The Minister said the budget date would be forthcoming 'in short course' and reiterated a preference for targeted measures for the most needy over an additional across-the-board gas tax cut.
Stakeholder consultation on rent control
Asked by S. O'Leary · Answered by M. Goosney
The Minister of Government Services listed stakeholders he has met and plans to meet, including tenants, landlords, the Association for New Canadians, real estate brokers, NLAR and SeniorsNL, saying he is working to improve the legislation.
Release of the All-Party Committee report on Basic Income
Asked by J. Dinn · Answered by C. Pardy
The Minister spoke favourably of Guaranteed Basic Income and collaboration but did not commit to releasing the report, saying federal help is needed given the province's debt and interest costs.
Repairs to Routes 450 and 440 in Bay of Islands
Asked by E. Joyce · Answered by B. Petten
The Transportation Minister agreed to review the routes but made no commitment to repairs until pricing is under control and budgets are known.
Cancelled roadwork tenders and associated costs
Asked by E. Loveless · Answered by B. Petten
The Minister said tenders were cancelled due to flawed contractor bids that failed to meet specifications and others due to excessive pricing; he declined to give the number of contracts or cancellation costs, stressing protection of the public purse.
Orders of the Day
Bill 6 – An Act to Amend the Pension Benefits Act, 1997 (Committee of the Whole)
M. Goosney
The House considered Bill 6 in Committee of the Whole, where the Member for Mount Scio questioned the Minister of Government Services and Labour on who initiates pension transfers, solvency ratios (85 per cent coming in, 100 per cent within five years under the Superintendent), disclosure requirements, consultation, and why the change was being made; the minister explained the change moves definitions from regulations to the act for harmonization and protection of pensioners. Both clauses, the enacting clause and the title carried without amendment.
Bill 6 – Third Reading
L. Parrott
The Committee reported Bill 6 without amendment, the report was received and adopted, and the bill was read a third time and ordered passed.
Bill 8 – An Act to Amend the Wild Life Act (Second Reading)
P. Forsey
The Minister of Forestry, Agriculture and Lands moved second reading of Bill 8, explaining it modernizes language, updates penalties, improves enforceability, adds coyote to the list of fur-bearing animals, and significantly increases fines for offences such as obstructing or impersonating wildlife officers and big game violations, following consultations with roughly 260 responses. Members from Fortune Bay - Cape La Hune, St. John's East - Quidi Vidi, Labrador West, Mount Pearl North, Labrador Affairs/Torngat Mountains and Corner Brook spoke in support, raising themes of conservation, wildlife officer safety, moose management and highway safety, urban coyotes, food sovereignty in Labrador, and youth engagement; the minister closed debate and the bill was read a second time and referred to Committee of the Whole for the next day.
Motion to Recess
L. Parrott
The Government House Leader moved that the House recess; the motion carried and the House recessed until 2 p.m.
Private Members' Business
Private Member's Motion on Housing and the Auditor General's Report
K. Russell
The Member for Lake Melville moved a private Member's motion asserting that housing challenges were significantly worsened by the previous government's failures, welcoming the Auditor General's report, and calling for stronger oversight, a comprehensive housing action plan and collaborative action with the NL Housing Corporation board. Government members (Housing Minister J. Wall, and Members for Placentia West - Bellevue, Lewisporte - Twillingate and Labrador West) supported the motion and criticized the former administration, while Opposition members (Placentia - St. Mary's, Burin - Grand Bank, Humber - Bay of Islands, Cartwright - L'Anse au Clair) defended past housing investments and objected to the blame framing; the NDP members (St. John's East - Quidi Vidi and St. John's Centre) focused on homelessness, rent control, co-operative and modular housing and other solutions.
Other business
Welcome of new Page and gallery guests
The Speaker
The Speaker welcomed new Page Ahmet Mumcu, a Memorial University political science master's student from Turkey, and in the afternoon welcomed Miss Newfoundland and Labrador Cassidy Barry and members of the Newfoundland and Labrador Youth Parliament Board of Directors to the public gallery.
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.