Newfoundland and Labrador House of Assembly, Thursday 28 May 2026
Question Period on May 28, 2026, was dominated by opposition pressure on seniors' programs, early childhood educator compensation, and allegations that the Premier's deputy chief of staff was secretly paid through a private consulting corporation and MCP funds. Health care access, air ambulance/water bomber pilot leadership, EI reform for seasonal fishery workers, aquaculture and endangered salmon, a swing vessel procurement, and workplace safety were also raised. Government ministers largely defended their record, frequently pivoting to criticize the previous Liberal government's spending, particularly the Transitional Supportive Living Initiative. The sitting opened with the Speaker welcoming numerous guests, including two Pages who recently graduated from Memorial University, school groups, and several subjects of the day's Member statements. Members delivered statements recognizing D.A.R.E. graduates, a volunteer fire chief, a retiring fisheries manager, a young football athlete, a constituency assistant, a sexual-violence survivor and advocate, and a centenarian. Ministerial statements marked Early Childhood Educators Week, Provincial Francophonie Day, Law Enforcement Torch Run Week, and food fishery access expansion, each with opposition responses.
Members' Statements
Cowan Heights Elementary D.A.R.E. graduation
K. White
The Member for St. John's West congratulated the Grade 6 D.A.R.E. graduates of Cowan Heights Elementary and thanked educators and Constable Julie Cunningham of the RNC for supporting the program.
Chief Roger Gillingham and North Shore Volunteer Fire Department
R. Balsom
The Member for Carbonear-Trinity-Bay de Verde recognized Chief Roger Gillingham for his leadership during last year's wildfires and honoured the North Shore Volunteer Fire Department's dedication.
Retirement of Gilbert Linstead
L. Dempster
The Member for Cartwright-L'Anse au Clair recognized Gilbert Linstead's retirement after 45 years as General Manager of the Labrador Shrimp Company, crediting his leadership with sustaining harvesters and communities.
Athlete Evan Healey
F. Hutton
The Member for Conception Bay East-Bell Island honoured young football player Evan Healey, recently named PCSP Male Athlete of the Year, and highlighted his rise through elite programs and university recruitment.
Constituency assistant Chelsea Follett
J. Dwyer
With leave, the Member for Placentia West-Bellevue thanked his constituency assistant Chelsea Follett for her compassion, dedication and service to constituents.
Sarah Sherman and We're Here For You Canada
J. Dinn
With leave, the Member for St. John's Centre recognized survivor and advocate Sarah Sherman, founder of We're Here For You Canada, which provides comfort kits to hospitals for survivors of sexual violence.
We're Here For You Canada
S. O'Leary
With leave, the Member for St. John's East-Quidi Vidi spoke about We're Here For You Canada's mission of trauma-informed, survivor-centred care and its partnership with Unifor volunteers.
100th birthday of Pearl LeCoure
Premier Wakeham
With leave, the Premier, as MHA for Stephenville-Port au Port, celebrated the 100th birthday of Pearl LeCoure of Port au Port West, honouring her community contributions.
Routine Proceedings
Early Childhood Educators Week
P. Dinn
The Minister of Education and Early Childhood Development recognized Early Childhood Educators Week and congratulated scholarship recipient Louise Pedersen; opposition members responded urging fair wages, pensions, benefits and paid sick leave to improve recruitment and retention.
Provincial Francophonie Day
L. Paddock
The Minister of Jobs and Growth, and Rural Development marked Provincial Francophonie Day and the 40th anniversary of the Franco-Newfoundland and Labrador flag; opposition members congratulated Francophone communities and called for greater investment in French education.
Law Enforcement Torch Run Week
H. Conway Ottenheimer
The Minister of Justice and Public Safety recognized Law Enforcement Torch Run Week supporting Special Olympics NL; opposition members praised participants and Special Olympic athletes while calling for more support for correctional and sheriffs' staff.
Food fishery access expansion
L. O'Driscoll
The Minister of Fisheries and Aquaculture welcomed the federal expansion of the food fishery and called for seven-day access on the South and West Coasts with conservation limits; opposition members supported the call while stressing safety, enforcement and sustainability.
Question Period
Seniors' programs and lack of stand-alone Seniors' Minister
Asked by J. Hogan · Answered by C. Pardy
Pardy said as Minister of Seniors he had held a well-received meeting with seniors and committed 100 per cent to working with them, but did not give a date for opening the Active NL grants or Seniors' Social Inclusion Initiative. He dismissed concerns about the portfolio being combined with Finance by citing his close working relationship with the file.
Early childhood educator compensation and recommendations
Asked by J. Hogan · Answered by P. Dinn
Dinn reiterated a blue book commitment to look at wages, pensions and compensation, noting the opposition voted down the budget that contained child care measures. He committed to establishing a steering committee shortly to address ECE priorities in the order the sector wants, but announced no immediate action.
Payment of Premier's deputy chief of staff through private consultancy and MCP funds
Asked by M. King · Answered by Premier Wakeham
The Premier and ministers deflected, attacking the former Liberal government's Transitional Supportive Living Initiative and its $24 million cost. Pardy said the Premier's office is $345,000 under the previous government's budget and the coffers had a net gain, while Petten defended the spending as proper; no figure for the consulting company payment was disclosed.
Water bomber and air ambulance chief pilot resignation and air services coverage
Asked by P. Parsons · Answered by B. Petten
Petten said he was already aware and had issued a job posting for a replacement the same day the resignation came in, was working with Transport Canada in the interim, and expected to be ready for fire season. He did not confirm whether the air operating certificate could be suspended and instead attacked the Member over past pay bonuses.
Urgent care clinic staffing and proposed CBS clinic
Asked by B. Davis · Answered by L. Evans
Evans committed to staffing and fulfilling the mandate for urgent care centres on Stavanger, in Mount Pearl and the planned CBS one, blaming underfunding and poor planning left by the previous government. She did not table data to support the claim that most ER patients come from CBS and Holyrood.
EI deviser rules and reform for seasonal fishery workers
Asked by E. Loveless · Answered by L. O'Driscoll
O'Driscoll said he received the FFAW letter and had reached out to the federal government, was awaiting a response, and would report back when he had answers. He offered no concrete plan or public position despite repeated questioning.
Swing vessel procurement and non-compliant bids
Asked by J. Korab · Answered by B. Petten
Petten explained the Public Procurement Agency independently deemed all bids non-compliant and will meet with bidders now that it is posted on MERX. He said the RFP process is closed but anyone can approach officials, a brokerage firm may be used, and government remains committed to securing a swing vessel.
College of the North Atlantic ECE program and child care spaces in Gander
Asked by B. Ford · Answered by P. Dinn
Dinn said the file is being monitored and had not been set aside, citing potential facility upgrades, certifications and inspections as issues. He committed to reviewing the file and providing a clearer update but did not confirm the program would proceed this fall.
Blood collection problems at Carbonear Hospital
Asked by P. Parsons · Answered by L. Evans
Evans acknowledged long-standing problems and said the government is looking at the situation and putting plans in place to address issues, stressing the region's importance, but gave no specific timeline for a fix.
Total compensation package for early childhood educators
Asked by J. Dinn · Answered by P. Dinn
Dinn rejected the 'full meal deal' framing, saying it is a serious issue not a quick fix, and that groups he consulted support forming a committee to work through priorities for compensation, pension and benefits. He said an announcement on the committee would come soon rather than committing to an immediate full package.
Open sea pen aquaculture and endangered South Newfoundland Atlantic salmon
Asked by J. Dinn · Answered by L. O'Driscoll
O'Driscoll said aquaculture is a major industry and that government has met and will continue meeting with stakeholder groups, and takes wild salmon seriously. He did not commit to pausing expansion of open sea pen aquaculture pending a recovery plan.
Workplace violence, OHS investigators and health sector safety council
Asked by S. O'Leary · Answered by M. Goosney
Goosney said he has met with stakeholders and is looking to bring forward legislation in the fall sitting but did not directly commit to more OHS investigators or publishing reports online. Evans, on the request for an independent health sector council, said it was a Nurses' Union priority and highlighted reducing the vacancy rate to under 5 per cent, without committing to establishing the council.
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.