Speech From the
Throne
Delivered at the
Opening of
the Third Session of the Forty Fifth
General Assembly of the
Province of Newfoundland and Labrador
on Wednesday, March 22, 2006
by His Honour
The Honourable Edward Roberts, ONL, QC
Lieutenant Governor of
Newfoundland and Labrador
A Bold New Attitude
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Mr. Speaker, Members
of the House of Assembly and people of Newfoundland and Labrador:
A bold new attitude has
taken hold in Newfoundland and Labrador – an attitude that considers
a challenge an opportunity for triumph, not an omen of defeat.
Nowhere has this new
attitude manifested itself with more fire than on the icy rinks of
Pinerolo, where our province’s Olympians have spun granite rocks
into gold. The passion that lived there at the Torino Games was born
and nurtured right here in Newfoundland and Labrador, and in that
international arena, it burned with searing intensity in the gold
medal performances of Brad Gushue, Mark Nichols, Russ Howard, Jamie
Korab and Mike Adam. Newfoundland and Labrador salutes the first
Newfoundland and Labrador based team to stand atop the Winter
Olympics podium. These are the torchbearers of a new generation of
heroes whose sights are now set on Vancouver and Beijing and a
thousand other arenas of endeavour: athletic, academic, artistic,
technological, commercial. Newfoundland and Labrador is not
intimidated by any competition because we are confident in our
capacity to shine like gold among the very best.
My Government entered
office in 2003 facing challenges of Olympic proportions: public
sector debt, unfunded pensions, poverty, an aging populace, outward
migration, unemployment, deteriorating infrastructure. To those of
the old attitude, these challenges were omens of defeat, harbingers
of disaster, reasons to give up. But to those of the new attitude
that now fuels the fires of optimism in our province, they have
become opportunities to prove ourselves capable of turning the
corner toward a new era of sustainability and self-reliance in
Newfoundland and Labrador.
My Government took the
initiative, beginning in 2003, by building a partnership with the
people of Newfoundland and Labrador to implement a comprehensive and
far-reaching eight-year blueprint for economic and social
development. People embraced the opportunity to work with My
Government to pull our province from the quicksand of decline and
ground ourselves firmly on the bedrock of growth based on a new
approach to governance.
By working together as a
Government and a people with a common vision, a common plan of
action and raw determination, Newfoundland and Labrador has made
significant progress to date. The people of our province are to be
commended for participating in the hard work required to subdue the
fiscal dragon that was threatening to consume us all. The tremendous
fiscal progress we have made together is among our greatest
achievements – an achievement that will allow My Government to
reinvest back into the province rather than be overwhelmed by debt
and interest. My First Minister is to be commended for taking the
lead in fighting relentlessly for fairness in the allocation of
offshore revenues and returning home in triumph many arduous months
later with a monumental new agreement on the Atlantic Accord.
Newfoundland and Labrador is today celebrating the black-gold
victory that has provided to our province a fairer share of the
return on the oil and gas that saturates the caverns of our
continental shelf. My First Minister has also been successful in
bringing home new agreements to strengthen our health care sector,
the equalization program and our province’s Aboriginal communities
and in many other initiatives that have made Newfoundland and
Labrador stronger than it was. Together, these gains will enable
investments that will strengthen health care, education, justice,
rural communities and public infrastructure and lay the foundation
for further economic growth.
While the challenges are
not yet behind us, the light at the end of the tunnel is today
brighter and nearer than when My Government began. And perhaps more
importantly, there is at play in our province today a new way of
thinking – bold, proud, confident, ready to compete and ready to
lead. My Government will be delivering early this year on many of
the planning exercises initiated two years ago as part of a
comprehensive prosperity agenda – specifically, the Innovation
Strategy, the Infrastructure Strategy and the Poverty Reduction
Strategy – and, having already delivered the White Paper on
Post-secondary Education, will be advancing work this year on the
Immigration Strategy and completing the Energy Plan. Great things
are happening. Newfoundland and Labrador will make further
significant progress on its eight-year blueprint for sustainability
and self-reliance. The gains we make together will greatly benefit,
not only our people today, but also our children tomorrow. Together,
we can build a bright future for our children here in Newfoundland
and Labrador.
Knowledge and Skills
Development
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Mr. Speaker and
Members of the House of Assembly:
My Government entered
office with an agenda and a mandate to promote economic development.
Without question, the cornerstone of a thriving economy is a
well-educated workforce. Starting in childhood and continuing for
life, we must ensure our women and men are well-prepared with the
knowledge and skills they need to seize the awesome opportunities
that currently exist and those that, through innovation and
ingenuity, we will create. This year, as we set our eyes on the
future and continue to progress this economic platform, education
will be a primary focus.
No Newfoundlanders and
Labradorians were more enthused and inspired by our curling team’s
Olympic performance than the young people who cheered on their
heroes from homes and arenas in communities throughout our province.
They cheered, not only to celebrate their team, but also to
celebrate themselves and this reaffirmation of their capacity, as
Newfoundlanders and Labradorians, to take on the most formidable
challenges and succeed.
It is vital to cultivate
in young Newfoundlanders and Labradorians both the attitude and the
aptitude for success so they are prepared to sustain the growth we
are working hard to nurture. We owe it to them to teach them and
prove to them that success is not something they have to leave to
find. We are spawning success right here where we are.
An ideal arena in which
to prepare our young people for success is the classroom. During the
past year, My Government consulted with numerous stakeholders in our
education system to better understand the obstacles standing in the
way of success in the classroom. The obstacles are great, but
greater still is My Government’s determination to work with our
teachers and other key stakeholders to build on our success.
One concern is the
teacher allocation formula, which does not appear to work well in
current circumstances. Firstly, the formula leads to automatic
reductions in teaching resources that are difficult to manage in a
way that does not affect program delivery when there are small,
marginal changes in enrolment. Secondly, the formula does not
harmonize well with My Government’s efforts to add back teachers to
the resource base in order to target specific priorities, such as
reducing class sizes, promoting physical education and wellness, and
supporting cultural studies beginning last year and a skilled trades
and technology route to graduation for young men and women beginning
this year. In this light, the existing formula for distributing
teaching resources may not be optimal. Accordingly, to take proper
account of demographic changes and changing priorities, My
Government will review and if necessary revise the teacher
allocation formula to ensure schools have the teaching resources
they need to deliver the programs our students need. We must do even
more to ensure our schools are resourced adequately so teachers and
students are working with the proper educational tools.
Teachers are motivated
to help all students to develop the knowledge and skills they will
need to be successful in school, and in life, regardless of their
relative abilities. However, many teachers find it difficult to
achieve these goals because of the substantial demands placed on
them in today’s classroom environment. Inclusion strategies, such as
the Individual Support Services Plan, or ISSP, are admirable in
their intent, but sometimes the implementation causes an undue
burden on school staff. The current model of administering ISSPs
imposes significant red tape and documentation requirements on
teachers. My Government will review this program in order to make it
easier for teachers to deliver inclusive education to children with
complex and divergent needs.
Non-teaching supports
are also important to strengthen education delivery and ensure
students receive the well-rounded and well-grounded education they
need to succeed. It is time to take optimal advantage of school
councils to enable parents to work collaboratively with schools and
with their Government in ways that will enrich the school
experience.
Students are best poised
for success when they are healthy and physically fit. Healthy living
habits learned early will deliver a lifetime of benefits. It is time
to build on last year’s investments in physical education by further
promoting healthy living among our young people.
As Newfoundland and
Labrador’s economy grows and large new projects come on-stream,
particularly in the energy and mining sectors, the demand for
workers with specialized skills will increase. In order to address
skills shortages and ensure that Newfoundlanders and Labradorians
are well-prepared to reap the benefits of the opportunities at their
doorstep, My Government will make further investments in programming
and planning under the guidance of a Skills Task Force with
expertise in market needs. This initiative is in addition to the
investments My Government already announced through the White Paper
on Post-secondary Education, which stabilized funding and
froze tuition fees to promote program growth and student access.
Further initiatives to be outlined in conjunction with this year’s
Budget include literacy support, adult basic education, the skilled
trades and technology route to high school graduation, women in
apprenticeship and new programs at the College of the North Atlantic
and Memorial University. Together, these initiatives will
revolutionize the delivery, scope and quality of post-secondary
education programs in our public college and university and give our
people access to the exceptional opportunities that are available to
graduates with prized skills in critical trades and technologies.
My Government will also
ensure that students in high school have access to reliable
information about the wide array of worthwhile career opportunities
available in Newfoundland and Labrador to graduates of programs at
the College of North Atlantic and at the Grenfell and St. John’s
campuses and other locations of Memorial University. This
information benefits them, and it also benefits the rest of us. The
choices our graduates make in large measure determine the degree of
benefits our communities and economy derive from the economic
diversification and industrial expansion that Newfoundland and
Labrador is working hard to develop.
My Government will also,
as a beginning, press the Government of Canada to restore
post-secondary funding to levels comparable to those of the
mid-nineties before deep federal cuts began obstructing growth in
our province’s public post-secondary system. Ensuring our young
people are prepared to lead the world in knowledge and skills
development is a national responsibility that our people encourage
their new national Government to embrace. My Government will work
constructively with the Government of Canada on a wide range of
initiatives important to this province, not the least of which is
education.
Education is the key to
a brighter future. Without question, all of our teachers are windows
of opportunity for the students they teach. They reveal to their
pupils the kaleidoscope of experiences that have shaped who we are
and what we face in Newfoundland and Labrador. Since last year
through the new Cultural Connections strategy and starting this year
through new history curriculum, we are providing teachers with new
opportunities to develop in our young people a deep fascination with
our province’s unique character. One of the people who inspired and
motivated My Government to develop and apply the Cultural
Connections strategy was a young music teacher at Ascension
Collegiate in Bay Roberts named Heather McDonald. Ms. McDonald was
passionate about amplifying the role of music in the classroom. She
not only taught and inspired her students to love Newfoundland and
Labrador’s cultural opportunities but enabled her students to
discover their own hidden talents and showcase them beyond our
shores in Toronto, England, Cuba and the Dominican Republic. She led
her students in producing an album of Irish and Newfoundland and
Labrador music in anticipation of a class appearance in Ireland.
Tragically, Ms. McDonald passed away in December, far too young, but
having left an incredibly powerful legacy, a legacy that endures
through her students and the many who have been inspired by her
dedication. She reminds all of us of the supreme role our teachers
play in discovering and developing the individual talents of our
young people – talents that they, in turn, can build upon for the
rest of their lives.
Innovation and
Infrastructure
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Mr. Speaker and
Members of the House of Assembly:
Education is at the
foundation of the research and development revolution that is
spawning incredible new opportunities on the cutting edge.
Newfoundland and Labrador is swiftly earning a reputation for gold,
not only in the athletic arena, but in the technological arena as
well. C-CORE at Memorial University recently won a key contract from
the European Space Agency to lead a large multinational network of
companies and institutes representing Canada, Denmark, Finland,
France, Germany, Italy, Norway, Sweden and the United Kingdom in a
special homegrown initiative, the “Polar View” program, that will
extensively monitor by satellite the sensitive Arctic and Antarctic
regions for environmental, economic and security reasons. Similarly,
many private companies in our province are also making phenomenal
progress, advancing and commercializing new technologies that in
many cases were incubated in the laboratories of our post-secondary
institutions. Rutter has designed ‘black box’ data recorders for
ships. ICAN has developed marine navigation software and charts.
Genoa Design has produced new architectural software via the
internet. Cathexis is advancing radio frequency identification
technology to revolutionize merchandise tracking. Consilient has
pioneered the mobile computer technology the New York Fire
Department began using after 9/11. Northstar Technical has developed
its Netmind wireless system as well as consoles that Lockheed Martin
is using. Blue Line Innovations has developed the PowerCost
Monitor™, a powerful real-time direct feedback display device for
domestic energy consumers that tells them at a glance, in real-time,
how much electricity their homes are using in dollars, cents and
kilowatts - information that consumers are using to reduce their
energy costs by 10 to 20 per cent. North Atlantic Biopharma has
developed a seal oil-based bio-pharmaceutical product used for the
medical industry. NewLab Clinical Research conducts research to
isolate genetic markers for common human disorders. NovaLipids has
developed technology to improve the way medications are processed in
the body. Natural Newfoundland Nutraceuticals is bringing together
technology in support of the agrifood sector that is not presently
available in Atlantic Canada, to develop and produce a range of
natural health products. Wholesome Dairy has developed exciting new
Good Natured yogurt products. These are just a few of the gold medal
successes Newfoundland and Labrador has already achieved.
This year, My Government
will introduce an Innovation Strategy entitled “Innovation
Newfoundland and Labrador: A Blueprint for Prosperity”, with
initiatives to advance the next wave of success on several
frontiers: engineering, information technology, life sciences – key
sectors in which innovation means opportunity. Nurturing success
means investing in key post-secondary programs in which our province
is poised for global leadership: for example, marine, environmental,
genetic, geriatric and earth sciences. It means identifying and
investing in opportunities to harness scientific and technological
advances for commercial and public economic gain. It means marketing
our products, our services, our people and our ideas effectively at
home and abroad. It means generating the expertise that enables
success in key industries such as petroleum engineering, mineral
refining and industrial fabrication and design. It means creating a
business climate that encourages and rewards investment,
diversification, modernization and inventiveness. The new Innovation
Strategy will address these opportunities in such a way to foster a
culture of entrepreneurialism and act as a catalyst for new
businesses and careers to give our people a powerful future firmly
grounded right here at home.
My Government’s
Innovation Strategy is a framework to support strategic high-growth
sectors of the economy, such as marine and ocean technology – an
area where Newfoundland and Labrador is excelling on the world
stage. Supported by world-class R&D infrastructure and unique
expertise in areas such as ocean engineering, marine communications,
and integrated navigational systems, this sector is demonstrating
innovation in product development and international markets.
To build on this
momentum, My Government will help fuel growth in the province’s
ocean technology cluster by enhancing leadership and advancing our
capability to develop and commercialize offshore technologies,
including the development of a highly technical, integrated Ocean
Observing System in the North Atlantic. In collaboration with Rhode
Island and other New England States, Ireland and other parts of
Canada, Newfoundland and Labrador will play a lead role in
developing observing systems that support efforts to improve
maritime defence and security, marine weather forecasting and
warning, environmental conservation, and pollution control.
Innovation in the public
sector will be a prime focus of our approach. Already, new ground
has been broken through innovations in telemedicine and distance
education. Through the new Office of the Chief Information
Officer, My Government will continue to streamline the flow of
information both through and from the public sector, coupling the
goals of enhanced efficiency and enhanced openness in order to
better meet the needs of our people. Sound investments in
information technology will be complemented with sound investments
in information management to make the most of that technology.
Through enhancements in efficiency, people and businesses will
benefit from greater ease in dealing with their government.
Furthermore, investments in training through the Public Service
Secretariat will also do much to promote a strong professional
public service in Newfoundland and Labrador. The Office of the Chief
Information Officer will also work with the private information
technology sector to ensure the benefits of public sector IT
initiatives are spread among many local enterprises. These
initiatives will bring tangible benefits to the province by
stimulating private sector technological advancement, private sector
job creation and economic development. We are proud of our
province’s technical industries, whose ingenuity is the major reason
Newfoundland and Labrador is today a leader in information
technology.
Newfoundland and
Labrador is also poised to become a leader in energy supply. No area
of our public sector is better positioned to harness economic
opportunities for the enduring benefit of our people than
Newfoundland and Labrador Hydro. My Government pledged to expand
Hydro’s mandate to encompass the broad array of energy sector
opportunities that have drawn international attention to our
province: not only hydro energy and wind energy but also petroleum
energy. Hydro has the ability to harness these resources in ways
that will return to our people the kind of benefits that energy
corporations in other jurisdictions have returned to their own. In
order to make our Crown corporation a competitive player in the
international marketplace, My Government will invest in Hydro’s
financial health, giving it the leverage and liberty to pursue
opportunities that will bring new industrial developments and
economic wealth to Newfoundland and Labrador. Hydro’s work, in
concert with the work of Natural Resources, will facilitate many of
the initiatives that will be identified in the new comprehensive
provincial energy plan.
The proposed Lower
Churchill hydro development has the potential to significantly
benefit Labrador and the entire province. Newfoundland and Labrador
Hydro, as directed by My Government, is reviewing the feasibility of
development options for this significant clean energy resource. This
is phase two of a multi-phase process that was initiated in 2005
with the international request for expressions of interest and
proposals, “the EOI process”. The objective is to identify all our
development and market options, including a Newfoundland and
Labrador led project, and then gradually narrow the field to the
best options. Work is underway to ensure that all decisions are made
from a thoroughly informed perspective. As part of this process, in
January Newfoundland and Labrador Hydro made an application for
transmission service with Hydro-Québec’s transmission division. This
application will provide important cost and technical information
about accessing electricity markets.
Hydro potential in the
Big Land is one of its many strengths. Labrador also
faces unique challenges, but again, these challenges are
opportunities to prove ourselves capable of turning the corner
toward a new era of sustainability and self-reliance. My Government
will continue to consult with and work hand-in-hand with the people
of Labrador’s communities to build on their strengths. Our
province’s Aboriginal heritage is among its greatest strengths. We
congratulate the Inuit people of Labrador as they work to build a
brighter future for their communities through their
newly-established Nunatsiavut Government – “Our Beautiful Land”.
Newfoundlanders and Labradorians likewise wish the people of the
Innu Nation tremendous success and a brighter future as they work
with My Government and the Government of Canada to achieve their own
land claims agreement. Our people also support the desire of the
Labrador Métis Nation to access federal programs and services for
people of Aboriginal descent. There are golden opportunities for
Labradorians of all heritages to work together for the greater
benefit of all. As our province sets its sights on the many
possibilities for progress in Labrador, one significant development
opportunity that is a priority is the potential development of the
Lower Churchill hydroelectric resource. My Government will continue
to consult with Labradorians as we work towards development of this
resource.
In Labrador and on the
island, the energy sector is one of the many industries that promise
strong economic and employment returns on investment. Others that
predominate in rural communities and promise significant growth in
many regions are aquaculture, agriculture, forestry and mineral
development. My Government will promote sustainable growth in
rural Newfoundland and Labrador by investing strategically in these
sectors to advance the development of new opportunities and optimum
resource utilization. We will promote strategic growth opportunities
in partnership with the private sector and other community
stakeholders in rural areas of our province based on the strengths
of each region. In many rural areas of our province, value-added
wood production, agrifoods, aquaculture and small-scale
manufacturing offer solid potential. In other areas, opportunities
for four-season tourism development and knowledge-based services are
areas for further development. Using our natural resources and
innovative approaches to maximize the potential for each region, My
Government will promote development opportunities beyond local and
provincial markets. Together, we will also work to ensure that we
benefit from our natural resources, particularly our important
fish resources, through increased investments in resource,
product and market development. We will also contribute to the
recovery and future management of cod, which have been, and will
continue to be, vital to our province’s future prosperity. We will
build upon our commitment and actions to further protect and sustain
our natural resources. And we will continue to promote the
development of long-term visions and priorities for sustainable
regional development – economic, social, cultural and environmental
– through the work of the nine Regional Councils and the Provincial
Council of the Rural Secretariat.
Innovation is also
promising new returns from other age-old endeavours, particularly in
our cultural industries. For centuries, our people have told
stories, made music, crafted art and performed plays for one
another’s enjoyment and enrichment. This heritage that defines us
also empowers us to reap economic returns. The global music,
publishing and film industries generate untold billions of dollars
each year, and we are beginning to get a sizeable piece of the
action as our musicians, authors, actors and artists become more
widely recognized for their artistic expression and more inventive
in capitalizing on their skills. My Government this year will build
on last year’s cultural initiatives through further strategic
investments in our cultural sector and by adopting the province’s
first Strategic Cultural Plan. This Plan will provide a foundation
for the sound preservation and management of our cultural resources
and strategic support for the further development of the province’s
cultural sector. Newfoundlanders and Labradorians are especially
proud this year to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the
Newfoundland and Labrador Arts Council, our province’s leader in
representing, promoting and nurturing the many artists who call
Newfoundland and Labrador home.
A thriving cultural
sector is one of the attractions that lures tourists to our shores,
but so too is our scenic beauty and vibrant lifestyle. Effectively
promoting our strengths means aggressively promoting our uniqueness
in a competitive marketplace. To that end, My Government will
bolster the provincial tourism marketing budget and promote
tourism growth through initiatives that identify and employ our
strengths for maximum effect. The goal is to bring even more
visitors to our communities to enjoy the wonderful hospitality and
exceptional experiences that so many have boasted about in the past.
Enhancing the province’s lure also means investing in historic
sites, natural heritage parks, environment and conservation
initiatives, recreational opportunities and various events to make
the visit all the more rewarding.
My Government initiated
a number of important strategies that involve participation and
physical activity. An important part of addressing these challenges
is how we increase and encourage recreational activities and sport
participation. My Government will develop a Recreation and Sport
Strategy this year that will look at the issues, the opportunities
and the directions we must take to support recreation and sport
throughout Newfoundland and Labrador.
Not only tourists but
also investors are lured to our shores by the promise of
opportunity. It is to our advantage to lure more and retain more of
those whose presence will make our province stronger. My
Government’s branding initiative is a business-savvy means of
melding our diverse voices into a uniquely powerful voice for
maximum effect in the crowded and noisy international marketplace.
The brand is not only a convenient bandwagon on which smaller
players can hitch a ride in national and international circles, but
also a vehicle for attracting new investors to the local scene where
their money can fuel the growth our province is seeking. A brand
will enhance our province’s professional image and do a great deal
to position who we are, what we are offering in tourism, culture and
business, and where we are going in strategic sectors including
fisheries, the environment and many others. Understanding that
investors are also attracted by a friendly business climate, My
Government will continue over the year ahead to identify innovative
ways to streamline the regulatory process and cut red tape in ways
that enhance the attractiveness of a province that is already
winning accolades in national circles for its attitude and approach
to business.
Our attractiveness to
investors is enhanced even more through strategic investments in
infrastructure. Existing infrastructure, including roads and
public buildings, has been eroding throughout Newfoundland and
Labrador for decades. Addressing the wide assortment of costly needs
responsibly over time requires expert information and careful fiscal
balancing. For this reason, My Government initiated a comprehensive
infrastructure strategy to evaluate the needs and identify ways and
means of meeting them. Last year, My Government made a record
investment in the Provincial Roads Program, negotiated an expansion
of the National Highway System in this province and moved the
Trans-Labrador Highway nearer to completion. My Government this year
will continue to invest strategically in transportation
infrastructure, municipal capital works initiatives and improvements
in government services that together will reinforce our province’s
commitment to nurture stronger, more-sustainable rural communities.
Enhancements in education and health care infrastructure will
promote the delivery of strong social programs. The magnitude of the
demand is such that meeting it will take some time, but My
Government will move ahead boldly with a keen understanding of the
relation between reliable infrastructure and our attractiveness to
investors, and also, of course, with a clear appreciation of the
capacity of infrastructure work to generate strong economic activity
on its own and to improve the lives of our people in numerous ways.
Including the
$41.7-million commitment this year to continue work on the
Trans-Labrador Highway, My Government will proceed this year with a
wide range of initiatives to strengthen Labrador totaling some $47.3
million in this year’s budget with new infrastructure commitments
totaling over $175 million. These include a $1.9-million provincial
contribution to proceed with a performance space in Happy
Valley-Goose Bay; money to help improve facility arrangements for
the College of the North Atlantic in Labrador West and to extend the
College’s campus in Happy Valley-Goose Bay; planning for a new
$25-million health centre in Labrador West and a new $17.5-million
long-term care centre in Happy Valley-Goose Bay; and improved kidney
dialysis services in Happy Valley-Goose Bay.
Social Sustainability
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Mr. Speaker and
Members of the House of Assembly:
Strong economic growth
enriches a government’s ability to invest in our provincial
health care system. In our province today, we are faced with an
aging population, outdated health infrastructure and growing public
expectations, resulting in increased demands on our health care
system. Over the last two years, My Government made strategic health
care investments that will not only address future infrastructure
needs but also help to address new health care demands. We have
improved access to key health care services, and we will continue to
respond to the health care needs of our seniors, our children and
youth, and all Newfoundlanders and Labradorians.
Statistics Canada
estimates that by 2021, Newfoundland and Labrador will have the
highest proportion of seniors in the country. My Government will
plan now to ensure that the needs of our seniors are anticipated and
met. Ongoing consultations with seniors will result in the
development of a new Healthy Aging Framework for our province.
My Government recently
launched a new Provincial Wellness Strategy, a plan which focuses on
educating the public about the benefits of an active and healthy
lifestyle and supporting them in improving overall health and
wellness. Our new Mental Health and Addictions Policy framework sets
out My Government’s long-term commitment to create a more-responsive
system that focuses on the importance of prevention of addictions
and other mental health problems.
My Government will act
on its commitment to continued health promotion, disease prevention
and protection of the public. Newfoundlanders and Labradorians are
being diagnosed with preventable diseases that could be avoided
through early detection. My Government will continue to educate the
public on the importance of screening and will invest in new
technology to detect diseases before they spread. The threat of a
potential influenza pandemic is a public concern around the world.
My Government’s planning is now underway to increase public health
capacity and our ability to respond to the potential implications of
an influenza pandemic, should the need arise. New investments will
enhance capacity at the regional level and throughout government to
ensure that our population is protected.
The well-being of women,
children, Aboriginal women, youth, seniors and other vulnerable
populations is compromised, not only by health challenges, but also
by the violence they experience in their homes and in their
communities. New investments this year will strengthen and broaden
My Government’s commitments to violence prevention with the
implementation of a six-year plan, Taking Action Against Violence
‑ 2012. This plan has been developed by the Women’s Policy
Office from consultations with community groups that deal with the
effects of violence on individuals and families. The plan of action
includes strategies to enhance the work of community groups,
Aboriginal organizations and women to prevent violence. It is our
collective responsibility to ensure that those vulnerable to
violence feel safe and protected in their homes and communities.
My Government’s
commitment to advancing the status of women in Newfoundland
and Labrador will ensure they share equitably in the social and
economic benefits of our society. My Government will integrate
women’s voices and perspectives, including those of Aboriginal
women, when formulating public policy. Beginning this year, special
measures will increase women’s opportunities to acquire positions in
trades and in nontraditional occupations and sectors of our society.
Women’s participation in leadership and decision making will be
advanced.
As our province turns
the corner economically, we must empower people to realize their
full potential. We cannot forget those who need help most. Poverty
often engenders a lower quality of life, poor nutrition, poor
health, poor educational opportunities, poor employment prospects
and a feeling of being excluded from society. Reducing poverty and
its effects on children in particular has been a key goal of My
Government. Guided by a strong social conscience, My Government will
advance a poverty reduction agenda by implementing a range of
initiatives that are designed to address both the consequences and
the causes of poverty. These initiatives will flow from a long-term
poverty strategy that includes policies and measures that will have
the greatest impact on those living in poverty and work in the
longer term to prevent poverty in Newfoundland and Labrador. All of
us benefit when poverty is reduced. Reducing poverty is not only
about improving the well-being and quality of life of those who
currently struggle to afford basic necessities. Poverty reduction is
also about ensuring a strong and prosperous future for our province.
Addressing poverty is necessary to improve our economy and to
promote an inclusive society. All men and women must be able to
participate fully in the social and economic benefits of
Newfoundland and Labrador.
We cannot forget those
people who rely on the social safety net because they cannot work
due to disability or other circumstances. My government’s poverty
reduction strategy will include measures to ensure that these
residents of the province receive services in a dignified manner
that will help enable them to participate in society.
The poverty reduction
strategy will also help those who are eager to become more
self-reliant. The best long-term solution to impoverishment for many
people is a good job, and the best way to get a good job is to get a
solid education. However, there exist in our society many structural
disincentives and barriers to employment for those who rely on
social assistance. Reducing the disincentives to employment and
increasing the inclusiveness of our education system will enable
more people to enter the workforce and become more self-reliant.
Youth, women and other vulnerable groups are a particular focus.
Sadly, last year, forty-seven percent of new applicants for social
assistance were young people. For many of them, one of the main
barriers is the lack of an adequate educational foundation. My
Government will build upon measures designed to encourage students
to stay in school and find ways to help them further their education
and develop skills that will enable them to find good jobs and
become self-reliant.
While most of these
initiatives will also benefit the Aboriginal people of our province,
My Government will continue to recognize that Aboriginal peoples and
their communities have particular needs and that the Government of
Canada has a special role to play in addressing those needs. As
already stated, My Government will remain committed to the
settlement and implementation of land claims and self-government
agreements that will provide Aboriginal peoples with the tools and
resources they need to develop healthy and self-reliant communities.
My Government will also work with the Government of Canada to ensure
the Aboriginal peoples of this province receive maximum benefit from
the initiatives arising from the historic meeting among First
Ministers and national Aboriginal leaders in Kelowna last November.
My Government will continue to assist people of Aboriginal descent
to gain full access to federal Aboriginal programs and services. My
Government will advance issues of importance to Aboriginal women as
identified at the recent Aboriginal Women’s conference in Happy
Valley-Goose Bay and as my First Minister did in Kelowna. My
Government will also continue the process of addressing issues
identified in the federally-commissioned report on Innu education,
commonly known as the Philpott report.
Education is the
foundation of personal self-reliance just as it is the foundation of
our collective self-reliance. The bold new attitude that is driving
our citizens and My Government to take on Olympic-size challenges
with confidence can also enable individuals to face personal
challenges and achieve personal triumphs. We all must work together
to help empower our poorest citizens to share productively in the
rewards of success. We all must work together to help remove the
obstacles that stand in their way and inspire them and enable them
to seize the opportunities around us. Success may not come without
an Olympic-size effort, but when we really understand what we are
truly capable of achieving and helping others to achieve, we no
longer see that effort as an exercise in futility. We see clearly
the possibility of victory. We catch a vision of triumph. We glimpse
the glitter of the gold, and we know the dream that drives us is
worth the effort.
Mr. Speaker and
Members of the House of Assembly: Estimates of expenditure will
be laid before you in due course and you will be asked to grant
supply to Her Majesty.
I invoke God’s blessing
upon you as you commence this new Session.
May Divine Providence
guide you in your deliberation. |