Speech from the Throne 2007
Delivered at the Opening of
The Fourth Session of the Forty-Fifth
General Assembly of the
Province of Newfoundland and Labrador
on Tuesday, April 24, 2007
by His Honour
The Honourable Edward Roberts, ONL, QC
Lieutenant Governor of
Newfoundland and Labrador
The Way Forward
Conclusion
FORWARD TO SELF-RELIANCE
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Honouring Newfoundland and Labrador’s Heroes
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Mr. Speaker, Members of the House of Assembly and
people of Newfoundland and Labrador:
At the outset today, I ask that we observe a
minute of silence in honour of all those Newfoundlanders and
Labradorians, and their colleagues, who have placed their lives on
the line in defence of the values we hold most dear. This year, My
Government will be creating replicas of the plaques at
Beaumont-Hamel bearing the names of fallen Newfoundlanders and
Labradorians and erecting those plaques here at home; and will, in
this context, be exploring an appropriate way of honouring those who
are serving so bravely in Afghanistan.
Corporal Jamie Murphy, Sergeant Vaughan
Ingram, Warrant Officer Richard Nolan, Sergeant Craig Gillam,
Sergeant Donald Lucas, Private Kevin Kennedy and many others have
made the ultimate sacrifice in order that we, and others in our
world, might enjoy the rights and freedoms that are fundamental to
our human dignity. May we never forget the sacrifice they have made.
(MINUTE OF SILENCE)
A Proud Newfoundland and Labrador
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Mr. Speaker and Members of the House of Assembly:
The colony John Guy established at Cupers Cove,
or Cupids, nearly 400
years ago will, three years from now, become the focus of a
Newfoundland and Labrador celebration of international significance.
Preparations for Cupids in 2010 are currently underway, and My
Government will be ready to invite the world to a celebration truly
befitting the long, proud history and culture of Newfoundland and
Labrador. There is much to celebrate, and we will not be shy in
showcasing our very best.
Our best writers and musicians are showcased
in many venues, most recently at the March Hare Festival in
Ireland, where they regaled audiences eager to invest in our
potential and promise.
We showcased our excellence on the national
curling rink in February, where skip Stacie Devereaux, third
Stephanie Guzzwell, second Sarah Paul, lead Julie Devereaux and
coach Diane Ryan demonstrated true artistry in sport, bringing
home our first Canadian junior women’s victory. The Devereaux
rink went on to win an impressive silver at the world junior
curling championships.
We showcased our excellence on the rugby
pitch as the Newfoundland Rock earned a second national victory
to remain Rugby Canada Super League champions, securing their
hold on the coveted MacTier Cup right here on home turf.
We also showcased our excellence in the pool
as 13-year-old swimmer Katarina Roxon of Kippens broke yet
another world record, this time in women’s 1,500-metre freestyle
in the S9 disability category, shattering the previous mark by
nearly two minutes. Having represented Newfoundland and Labrador
at the Canada Summer Games in Regina in 2005, she is now looking
forward to representing Canada in Brazil in August at the
Parapan American Games Rio 2007 and aspiring to compete at the
Paralympic Games in Beijing in 2008.
In schools and arenas, in business circles and
beyond, the secret is out. Newfoundlanders and Labradorians have
countless reasons to celebrate
excellence in effort and achievement 365
days a year. The time has come to accentuate our successes and
rejuvenate our pride as we set our sights on even greater victories
ahead. There is no stopping a people whose hearts and minds are
focused on success.
A Responsible Newfoundland and Labrador
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Mr. Speaker and Members of the House of Assembly:
Success does not come without struggle; but it is
the hope of success that makes the struggle noble and worthwhile. My
Government entered office four years ago with a directive from the
people to take on significant fiscal, social and economic
challenges. Although Newfoundland and Labrador had long been blessed
with immeasurable resource riches and bountiful opportunities, great
obstacles to self-sufficiency and prosperity stood in our way. The
challenges required a bold
new approach and real leadership to clear the way forward. The time
had come to take our future in our own hands. The time had come to
put all our strengths to work for Newfoundland and Labrador, and
unite in the drive for self-reliance.
My Government did not make irresponsible promises
of overnight miracles, but pledged to focus realistically on the
fundamentals and lay a solid foundation on which to build a bright
and secure future, brick by brick. Together, we drew a line in the
sand. There would be no more giveaways, no more shortchanging our
children’s bright future for fleeting gain. With a clear mandate
from Newfoundlanders and Labradorians, My Government moved ahead
responsibly with an eight-year plan of action on which we have
nearly reached the halfway mark. This plan was founded on a
two-pronged approach to self-reliance: firstly, to spend more
effectively the revenues we already receive and, secondly, to
generate new revenues for sustainable social programs by fostering
new economic growth through sound investments in infrastructure, a
healthy business climate, resource development, innovation and
skills. Guided by this eight-year Blueprint for Prosperity, My
Government proceeded to develop a battery of strategic action plans
to navigate, sector by sector and challenge by challenge, past the
obstacles toward a future of promise and success. Under the
leadership of my First Minister, progress on this plan is staying,
not just on schedule, but ahead of schedule.
The first challenge, restoring fiscal integrity,
has been a difficult exercise; but together as Newfoundlanders and
Labradorians under My Government’s responsible leadership, we have
worked to wrestle our public finances from the pull of decline and
place Newfoundland and Labrador securely on the path to fiscal
freedom. The public debt My Government inherited remains
unacceptably high, but through sound financial management and bold
negotiating with the Government of Canada, we have given ourselves
the fiscal leverage to begin lifting Newfoundland and Labrador from
debt to self-reliance. Public pension liabilities have been
addressed. Last year, for the first time in our history,
Newfoundland and Labrador budgeted a surplus on a fully consolidated
basis. All three credit rating agencies have raised our credit
rating to the highest since Confederation. We are on the right
track, and we are beginning to reap the benefits of living within
our means.
A Self-reliant Newfoundland and Labrador
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Mr. Speaker and Members of the House of Assembly:
Responsible management of fiscal power is
indispensable to good government. It is indispensable to My
Government. It establishes a foundation of trust that is at the
heart of cooperation. When that trust is violated, cooperation
suffers. The Federal Government has an obligation to ensure and
promote equality of opportunity for all Canadians. Newfoundland and
Labrador has been disparaged for accessing Canadian federal benefits
and prevented from applying our natural strengths for full economic
effect. We were offered new hope in 1985 when the Federal Government
signed the Atlantic Accord ensuring Newfoundland and Labrador would
become the principal beneficiary of the offshore resources we
brought into the federation. The effect of this commitment was
achieved two decades later in 2005 when My First Minister signed a
renewed Atlantic Accord with the Federal Government of the day. It
was a historic and defining moment in our history, which changed our
course for the future. Between 2004 and 2006, the party now
governing Canada promised to go a step further toward fairness by
fully removing all such nonrenewable resource revenues from the
equalization formula. This would have enabled Newfoundland and
Labrador to convert nonrenewable oil, gas and mineral resource
potential into fiscal power and invest this one-time revenue in
long-lasting growth initiatives such as debt reduction, economic
infrastructure development, diversification and investment
attraction, without penalty. However, in its 2007 budget, the New
Government of Canada reneged on this promise.
We as Newfoundlanders and Labradorians aspire,
not to perpetual subservience, but to self-sufficiency. Our people
are not content to tolerate a future of relying on others
economically. However, our people have now also learned that we will
achieve self-reliance economically only by taking charge of our
future as a people. To that end, My Government will harness the
desire among Newfoundlanders and Labradorians to cultivate greater
cultural, financial and moral autonomy vis-à-vis Ottawa. Our
priority is the well-being of successive generations of
Newfoundlanders and Labradorians, including those who live here now
and those we welcome to join us from all over the world. My
Government will affirm Newfoundland and Labrador’s status as a
distinct people, not uniform in lineage but multi-cultural, one
nation inclusive of many nations living in harmony together. As
equal partners, Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal together, we will
write a new future for Newfoundland and Labrador, a future of our
own design, where mutual understanding, justice, equality and
cooperation are the order of the day. We propose a political
approach that unites our province rather than divides. We promote a
positive and inviting political vision embracing all Newfoundlanders
and Labradorians, new and old. Our people are proud nationalists who
believe it is only by affirming our identity as Newfoundlanders and
Labradorians that we will realize our goal of economic equality
within the federation. Our people are ready to take charge of our
future and, under My First Minister’s leadership, our province will
achieve self-reliance by becoming
masters of our own house.
Through hard work over the past four years,
Newfoundland and Labrador has generated the fiscal leverage and the
self-confidence needed to take a bolder approach. Never before have
we been in a position of such strength to take a strong stand on the
national stage. My Government will continue to be assertive in
holding the Government of Canada to its commitments and obligations
to Newfoundland and Labrador, including its promises regarding 5
Wing Goose Bay and Lower Churchill development. My Government will
continue to remind federal leaders that Newfoundland and Labrador
has fewer federal offices than any other province and incurs
significant costs as the Federal Government leaves My Government to
bear the burdens of important programs such as legal aid, early
learning and child care, inland fisheries enforcement and support to
advance the status of women. However, as every partner in the
federation should, My Government will also move forward
independently to strengthen Newfoundland and Labrador’s financial
autonomy and fiscal capacity to meet our own obligations by
diversifying and growing our own economy, reducing Newfoundland and
Labrador’s burden of debt on our children, pursuing a fair fiscal
balance between levels of government, and reducing our dependence on
equalization payments. This is My Government’s pledge: We as a
people will enter into agreements only when they are in our own best
interests. We will set our own course. We will define our own
future. Our time has arrived, and we will seize the day boldly, with
confidence, conviction and a solid commitment to cooperate among
ourselves in the spirit of harmony to usher in a new day of promise
and prosperity for Newfoundland and Labrador.
THE WAY FORWARD
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Mr. Speaker and Members of the House of Assembly:
The way forward for Newfoundland and Labrador
requires an unyielding commitment to advance both
economic growth and social development,
the two pillars of a stable society. My Government will continue to
move forward decisively and strategically on both fronts, building
our economy while continuing to invest in the security and
well-being of our people. We will achieve sustainable economic
self-reliance by continuing to invest wisely in the fundamentals:
infrastructure, a healthy business climate, natural resource
developments, innovation and the skills of our people. In the
meantime, and increasingly as our economy grows, we will invest in
facilitating self-reliance for individuals and families, advancing
health care and wellness for young and old, and fostering public
safety and justice for one and all.
Investing in Infrastructure
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Mr. Speaker and Members of the House of Assembly:
Investments in infrastructure are investments in
economic development opportunities. Beginning in 2004, My Government
invested unprecedented amounts to repair and upgrade
highway infrastructure throughout
Newfoundland and Labrador. Roads left to deteriorate for too long
are being renewed kilometre by kilometre under a long-term plan for
infrastructure stability. My Government will continue to make major
investments in road work this year.
My Government commenced and completed
consultations on a transportation strategy for Labrador, the region
with the greatest transportation challenges. Implementation and
monitoring of recommendations from the Labrador Transportation Plan
have been addressed in My Government’s comprehensive Northern
Strategic Plan for Labrador, an unprecedented undertaking to tackle
multiple challenges and seize magnificent opportunities to advance
economic development and social justice in Labrador. Labrador is
geographically, demographically, historically and culturally a
distinct region that will play a pivotal role in shaping our
collective future. We invite our vibrant Aboriginal communities to
play a lead role, in partnership with all our people, in shaping a
future for Labrador that truly achieves its extraordinary promise
and potential. The Northern Strategic Plan has clear and achievable
goals with focused priorities for Labrador over the next five years.
These priorities are the products of extensive consultations and
cooperation with many stakeholders, cooperation that we are eager to
see continue and strengthen in the months, years and generations
ahead.
In Labrador, and also on the island, hundreds of
thousands of our people depend in one way or another on ferry
services for transportation, business and basic commodities. The
Gulf ferry service is a Constitutionally entrenched obligation of
the Federal Government, whose recent decision to raise rates will
affect all of us. My Government, by contrast, chose to reduce rates
on intraprovincial ferry routes. Recognizing the critical importance
of both the Argentia and Port aux Basques Marine Atlantic ferry
routes, My Government will continue to press the Government of
Canada to maintain these services with optimal schedules, modern
amenities and fee structures that are reasonable, affordable and
beneficial to tourism enterprises, exporters, importers and
consumers. My Government, for its part, will improve reliability on
intraprovincial routes by proceeding this year on the Vessel
Replacement Strategy.
Economic opportunities are also advanced by
improvements to infrastructure at the municipal level. My Government
will continue to announce initiatives to advance rural and urban
infrastructure development. A key component of such infrastructure
is solid waste management; but regrettably, the provincial Solid
Waste Management Strategy announced in 2002 was not funded at that
time. Working with the Federal and municipal Governments, My
Government successfully negotiated a plan to invest portions of gas
tax revenues and municipal capital works funding to finance a new
waste management system.
Investing in a Healthy Business Climate
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Mr. Speaker and Members of the House of Assembly:
Sound infrastructure is just the beginning of My
Government’s actions to promote a healthy investment climate. Last
year, My Government successfully launched a new brand signature that
will assist in positioning Newfoundland and Labrador strategically
in the competitive global marketplace as a preferred place to live,
work and invest. The essence of the brand reflects the creativity of
Newfoundland and Labrador’s people, culture and natural environment.
My Government last year also laid the foundation to develop a formal
Provincial Investment
Attraction Strategy. The Department of Business will soon lead a
fresh new business attraction marketing campaign to raise the
profile of Newfoundland and Labrador in global markets and draw
investment back home.
My Government pledged to improve the investment
climate by reducing the impediments to doing business in
Newfoundland and Labrador. The Red Tape Reduction initiative has
already reduced regulatory requirements by 8% and is well on its way
to achieving the target of a 25% reduction in red tape by 2009. As
part of their 35th anniversary celebrations, the Canadian Federation
of Independent Business presented My Government with an award in
recognition of outstanding work to reduce red tape. My Government
will continue to eliminate unnecessary, burdensome regulatory
requirements and continue to streamline and improve services for all
clients and citizens.
Improvement initiatives being undertaken in
information technology and information management within the
Department of Government Services, in partnership with the Office of
the Chief Information Officer, will help to strengthen and
streamline the administration of public services. The objective is
to increase responsiveness to the needs of citizens and business
enterprises in Newfoundland and Labrador and expand the ways they
can access information and government programs.
My Government will also enrich our investment
climate by encouraging those from away, not only to do business in
Newfoundland and Labrador, but also to make Newfoundland and
Labrador their home. My Government this year launched a
comprehensive Immigration Strategy to welcome people around the
world to join us in making Newfoundland and Labrador a home second
to none. Newfoundland and Labrador offers immigrants the best
quality of life in Canada, freedom, security, economic opportunity
and a sense of family. Immigrants, in turn, bring to Newfoundland
and Labrador new ideas, new ways of thinking, strong connections to
foreign markets and significant benefits for local communities in
which they establish businesses and employ their new neighbours. Our
door to newcomers is open wide and our welcome is warm and sincere.
Investing in Resource Development
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Mr. Speaker and Members of the House of Assembly:
Our best prospects for prosperity for many
generations have been our natural strengths, which give us
advantages and niche opportunities that we must exploit for maximum
effect. Diverse in opportunities,
rural Newfoundland and Labrador is an
entrepreneur’s dream. We must challenge ourselves to capitalize on
these opportunities with even greater ingenuity and boldness and an
even greater drive to succeed because there is so much more we can
achieve. My Government this fall will bring together all regional
and provincial council members of the Rural Secretariat, the three
orders of Government and senior public officials for a
fully-interactive conference under the theme "Visions to Actions: A
Roadmap to 2020". Together, those who know rural issues best will
chart the best course forward, region by region, initiative by bold
initiative.
Our fishing industry has long been a mainstay of
rural Newfoundland and Labrador and, despite challenges in recent
decades, it remains a beacon of opportunity. My Government
participated with the Federal Government in a detailed review of key
elements of the fishing industry in a concerted attempt to develop a
comprehensive, ocean-to-plate policy framework aimed at
reinvigorating this sector and placing it on a sound foundation for
the future. Following extensive consultation with stakeholders
throughout our province, our Governments have now identified and
announced new policy directions for harvesting, processing and
marketing under a coordinated Fishing Industry Renewal Strategy that
charts a course for sustainability, financial self-reliance and
global competitiveness. Provincial initiatives include a new
processing policy renewal strategy, an enhanced fisheries loan
guarantee program, a Newfoundland and Labrador Seafood Marketing
Council, a voluntary fish auction, workforce adjustment,
occupational health and safety initiatives, and R&D initiatives to
develop new species, new products, new markets and new techniques to
harvest, handle, process and market our fish resources. My Fisheries
Minister’s meetings with officials of the European Commission and
the European Parliament and complementary interventions by the
Federal Government and our fishing industry have already contributed
to significant shrimp tariff reductions, which bode well for the
ultimate goal of achieving market access equal to that of our key
competitors. Efforts at home and abroad to promote our sealing
industry factually in order to counter irrationality are working, as
demonstrated by the European Commission’s decision not to draft a
ban on seal products.
Aquaculture has emerged as one of the
fastest-growing sectors of the province’s rural economy.
Furthermore, Newfoundland and Labrador has some of the best
remaining sites available for aquaculture development in Eastern
Canada, and less than 10% of our province’s potential aquaculture
space is currently being utilized. Upon hearing from industry
leaders that increased availability of capital was the key to
industry expansion, My Government responded with new loan guarantee
and capital investment programming. As a result of the program’s
success to date, our aquaculture industry is rapidly coming of age,
creating 200 new direct full-time-equivalent jobs and an estimated
100 indirect full-time-equivalent jobs over the past year, with
expectations that total salmon production will triple in the next
two to three years and create 800 new jobs over the longer term.
Further investments and growth are anticipated in both the salmon
and mussel sectors.
Our agriculture and agrifood industry is another
with proven potential to create jobs and investment in rural
Newfoundland and Labrador. Ongoing initiatives of My Government have
increased the rate of growth in agrifoods production value from 1%
to 5% since 2003.
Our forest industry is another mainstay in many
rural communities; and although affected by industry pressures
gripping forestry communities across North America, My Government
will continue to work with the industry, its workers and our
forestry communities to enhance our competitiveness in the face of
these challenges and develop a forward-looking forest industry
strategy for future sustainability. When the operation at
Stephenville was threatened, My Government stepped in with a
significant assistance plan. My Government also stepped forward to
support mill workers at Grand Falls-Windsor by standing firm in
linking timber licences to the continued operation of both of the
mill’s paper-making machines. To place this sector on a more-secure
footing for the future, My Government commissioned a comprehensive
Forest Industry Competitiveness and Strategy Study last fall,
mirroring My Government’s earlier initiative to generate a Strategic
Plan to Develop Labrador’s Secondary Manufacturing and Value-Added
Wood Products Industry. The industry’s competitiveness has been
strengthened by increased investments in silviculture, road
construction, forest inventory and forest protection, and such
initiatives will continue as My Government works to build upon
Newfoundland and Labrador’s century-old forestry legacy.
My Government this year will introduce a
Sustainable Development Act and appoint a Round Table on
Sustainable Development. My Government will also provide resources
necessary to support related activities and develop a Strategic
Environmental Management Plan within the next two years. Considering
the magnificent natural heritage and resource base of the Corner
Brook region, we fully expect the Grenfell Campus of Memorial
University and the Institute for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Science
to take key roles in formulating these sustainable development
strategies.
Our natural heritage lures numerous tourists to
Newfoundland and Labrador each year and keeps them coming back.
Non-resident visits increased 5% last year as more than 494,000
tourists from away experienced first-hand the incredible gifts we
have to offer. The value of their expenditures increased some 8% to
$365 million. My Government’s investments of more than $30 million
to market and support our tourism industry during the past three
years have been dollars well spent. This year, we will build on
those investments through a new tourism web site, a new advertising
campaign and a revamped Travel Guide that, together, will grab the
attention of prospective visitors and further promote Newfoundland
and Labrador on the national and international scene. My Government
will also work in partnership with the Newfoundland and Labrador
Outfitters Association to further develop this sector’s unique niche
markets.
Also building on our natural strengths is our
cultural industry. Having launched Newfoundland and Labrador’s first
Strategic Cultural Plan last year, My Government will fuel this
momentum through additional investments in the Newfoundland and
Labrador Arts Council, the Cultural Economic Development Program, a
Cultural Export Strategy and an intangible cultural heritage
preservation initiative. These efforts will be complemented by
investments in infrastructure, such as the Mealy Mountain Auditorium
in Happy Valley-Goose Bay.
No industry offers greater promise for a
self-reliant future than our energy sector. Through oil and gas,
wind and hydro, we can provide energy opportunities for customers in
other jurisdictions and for customers willing to grow opportunities
here at home. To take maximum advantage of our energy strengths, My
Government proceeded to develop a comprehensive long-term Energy
Plan, a strategy that will position Newfoundland and Labrador as a
warehouse of energy resources that will benefit, first and foremost,
the people of Newfoundland and Labrador. The Newfoundland and
Labrador Energy Plan will soon be released and will mark a new era
of self-confidence and promise for energy resource development in
Newfoundland and Labrador.
Under the leadership of My Premier, who is Chair
of both the Council of the Federation and its Energy Committee,
Newfoundland and Labrador is currently working with other provinces
and territories to produce a Pan-Canadian Energy Strategy.
Newfoundland and Labrador Hydro already developed, on My
Government’s behalf, a comprehensive Lower Churchill project
execution plan to achieve a project sanction date by 2009 and first
power by 2015. Members of the dedicated project team are now
assessing energy markets, both domestic and beyond, with a goal of
meeting the critical project milestones. Consultations with the
people of Labrador will continue to be a priority.
In Newfoundland and Labrador’s offshore oil and
gas sector, massive energy opportunities are matched by My
Government’s confidence that further activity will soon be occurring
at Hibernia South, White Rose and Hebron-Ben Nevis as exploration
proceeds in other basins. My Government also launched industry
consultations to develop an offshore natural gas royalty regime that
will provide clarity to industry. This should facilitate the
development of our immense natural gas resource potential in a
manner that provides a fair return to industry and the people of
this province.
Not only offshore but also onshore, oil and gas
opportunities abound. My Government successfully negotiated with the
partners at Garden Hill to recommence production in western
Newfoundland, and new entrants are also prepared to invest in
drilling opportunities in rural regions.
Our people also welcome onshore value-added oil
and gas activities, including proposals to build a new refinery in
Placentia Bay and a Liquefied Natural Gas transshipment facility
near Arnold’s Cove. My Government will continue to work with
communities and developers with the confidence to grasp hold of
opportunities in petroleum resource development, not only on the
Avalon Peninsula, but right across Newfoundland and Labrador.
Rural Newfoundland and Labrador is ideally
positioned to reap the benefits of growth in another natural
resource sector: mineral development. The value of mineral
production is projected to grow in 2007 to reach $3.3 billion, a
400% increase since 2004. Employment is projected to grow from 3,200
in 2004 to more than 3,550 in 2007. Massive iron ore production at
Labrador West is now being supplemented by nickel, copper and cobalt
production at Voisey’s Bay, where local discoveries have generated
international attention. These are not our only mining successes.
The first shipment of concentrate left the Aur Resources mine at
Duck Pond in January. The copper, zinc, silver and gold operation is
expected to provide jobs for some 192 people. There is also great
excitement about new mining developments on the Baie Verte
Peninsula, in central Newfoundland and possibly in eastern Labrador.
The recent import of gold ore for processing near Baie Verte offers
a new opportunity for our industry, which for so long has sent its
products away for processing. Mineral exploration jumped 70% from
2005 to 2006 and is expected to reach $100 million in 2007. My
Government will continue to promote the growth of our mining sector
through the Mineral Incentive Program and other strategic
investments, recognizing that every public dollar invested in
mineral exploration incentives leverages three from the private
sector.
Investing in Innovation
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Mr. Speaker and Members of the House of Assembly:
Newfoundland and Labrador’s greatest natural
resource is its people, and one of our people’s greatest strengths
is ingenuity, the capacity to create opportunity with the power of
the mind. This past year, My Government released Newfoundland and
Labrador’s first
Innovation Strategy, a carefully considered plan to increase the
capacity for innovation in our economy and society to facilitate
growth and prosperity. With our focus on high-growth sectors such as
ocean technology, life sciences, environmental industries, and
information and communication technology, My Government already
launched two action initiatives under this strategy. The
Commercialization Program is helping companies transform ideas into
products and services. The Innovation Enhancement Program is
supporting public sector institutions, not-for-profit groups,
community organizations and industry associations involved in
activities that are enhancing the innovation capacity of the
province.
Newfoundland and Labrador is also demonstrating
leadership in information and communication technologies.
Recognizing the global importance of innovative technologies for
future economic growth, My Government developed the Government
Broadband Initiative to assist in creating a network of essential
communications infrastructure to, from and through Newfoundland and
Labrador, bridging the communications vacuum and linking us to the
technological centres of North America. In November, under this
broadband initiative, My Government announced funding for the
installation of a fully redundant fibre optic link running from St.
John’s to Halifax along two diverse routes to connect to national
carriers in mainland Canada. This fibre optic link will help bring
Newfoundland and Labrador’s critical infrastructure to the level of
telecommunications access and capability that already exists in the
rest of Canada. It is My Government’s firm conviction that it would
be grossly irresponsible to leave Newfoundland and Labrador behind
on this front, considering the increasing global reliance on
telecommunications technology. Faced with the choice between lagging
behind and moving forward, My Government will consistently choose to
move forward.
Through the newly-established Office of the Chief
Information Officer, My Government took the initiative to bring the
Newfoundland and Labrador public sector into the 21st century by
implementing industry best practices in information technology,
developing a legacy replacement strategy, significantly upgrading
information technology infrastructure and developing an e-Government
Framework that enables more and more public functions to operate
more efficiently through IT systems. My Government also established
a new relationship with Nati and the local IT industry by entering
into major contracts for government IT services that will extend
benefits to eight local IT companies.
A key growth opportunity for research and
development will be the Newfoundland and Labrador Centre of
Excellence for Environmental Science, Research and Technology
located at Corner Brook. This Centre of Excellence is an
unprecedented collaboration among innovators who are ready to
position Newfoundland and Labrador as an international leader in
climate-friendly green technology. These forward-thinking innovators
will identify niche areas in which Newfoundland and Labrador has a
competitive edge, with particular focus on forestry and freshwater
ecology.
Investing in Skills
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Mr. Speaker and Members of the House of Assembly:
A fifth pillar of a successful economy in
Newfoundland and Labrador is skills development in our people,
particularly those already in our education system but also those
who have moved beyond school. My Government, in March of 2006,
commissioned a Skills Task
Force which brought together business, labour, education and other
community leaders to identify the skill sets we are lacking and
determine the best ways to ensure our graduates and workers are
ready to seize opportunities. The task force report will be released
shortly and action to implement its recommendations will begin
immediately.
My Government will work more creatively and
intensively with young people on income support to identify their
strengths and help prepare them for gainful employment in careers
that challenge and reward them. This past year, My Government
successfully completed the implementation of a new province wide
service delivery model with one of the objectives being to help
clients make the transition from income support to work through
access to education, training, career counseling and workforce
assistance. My Government moved quickly to meet the needs of
displaced fish plant workers through the establishment in Fortune
and Marystown of career transition offices, which have served as
single points of entry for access to accurate labour market
information, career counseling, training and support for skills
development. My Government also successfully launched a new Labour
Market Division to help employers, workers, new and returning job
seekers and students make informed labour market choices. Together
with the business and labour sectors, My Government will find new
ways to prepare young people in urban and rural centres to join the
labour market and help employers train and upgrade their workforce
for improved productivity and competitiveness.
The connection between education and economic
growth is well established. However, many continue to face hurdles
because of problems with literacy. My Government this year will
enhance the Strategic Adult Literacy Plan, providing direction at
the community, regional and provincial level, respecting community
and cultural differences, and ensuring multiple points of entry for
adults to access the support they need to master reading and writing
skills.
Not only illiteracy but also innumeracy can serve
as a major barrier to employment and career advancement. Advanced
mathematics skills are prerequisites for many careers, particularly
in the skilled trades and advanced technology sectors. Children must
receive a solid grounding in math at school so they are prepared to
apply those skills after graduation. The mathematics curriculum
currently in our schools was introduced in Atlantic Canada beginning
almost a decade ago. Our parents are saying many of their children
are experiencing difficulty in mathematics at school. Examination
results confirm it. It is time to take stock of what we are doing
and review the curriculum, the student resources and the supports
for our teachers and parents. My Government this year will undertake
a comprehensive review of mathematics curriculum and will make
changes wherever needed to ensure the curriculum and instruction are
appropriate and effective.
My Government will also move forward early this
year on the work of the Teacher Allocation Commission and the
Individual Support Services Plan / Pathways Commission. My
Government established these commissions to review issues identified
by our teachers and parents as serious concerns. The Individual
Support Services Plan / Pathways initiative in our school system is
a valuable tool to develop appropriate programming to meet a
student’s goals and needs; but the administrative burdens on
teachers have proven to be onerous. The commission is addressing
ways the process can be improved so it is less burdensome while
continuing to serve the needs of students. Funds will be allocated
to ensure students with special needs are identified in a timely
fashion so they can receive the supports they need to succeed.
My Government appointed a Teacher Allocation
Commission to address the limitations of the current Teacher
Allocation Formula. The review will be completed this spring. In the
meantime, My Government announced an allocation of teaching units in
2007-08 to help reduce class sizes in urban areas and to maintain
high quality programming in rural communities. No teaching units
will be removed from the system in 2007-08; in fact, despite
declining enrolment, there will be more units in the coming year
than in the past year.
Nearly as important as teachers and programs are
educational infrastructure and technology. To ensure the school
facilities our children attend are safe and functional, My
Government will invest additional funding to address maintenance
issues proactively. Furthermore, this year additional investments
will be made in science infrastructure, resources and professional
development to build upon the laboratory safety initiative
introduced last year. In an age of rapidly changing technology, it
is more important than ever that today’s school system remain on the
leading edge to ensure the success of our graduates. This year, My
Government will invest in technology supports to ensure our students
have the appropriate skill sets to succeed.
Newfoundland and Labrador is fortunate to have
first-rate post-secondary institutions which produce first-rate
graduates. To keep and recruit skilled workers, creative measures
are required. Ongoing tuition fee freezes at Memorial University and
the College of the North Atlantic have been very effective in this
respect. Newfoundland and Labrador has the lowest tuition rates in
the country for Canadian students. Of no less importance is the fact
that our public post secondary education system has received
considerable attention over the last two years, first through
investments included in the White Paper on Public Post secondary
Education and then in Budget 2006. The Canadian Federation of
Students recently invited My First Minister to address their
national conference in May. Their letter of invitation stated:
"Given your Government’s impressive record on tuition fees and
grants, we would be delighted if you were able to give the keynote
address on May 24 or 25." This year, My Government will again
increase operating grants for our post secondary institutions and
continue the tuition freeze. My Government also began working with
students and graduates to identify the best measures to address high
student debt loads and will be announcing a new initiative in this
year’s Budget.
Investing in Personal Self-reliance
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Mr. Speaker and Members of the House of Assembly:
Education is an economic growth issue, but a
social justice issue as well. We as a society have an obligation to
ensure citizens have the opportunity to harness their individual
strengths and achieve their potential. Personal self-reliance is an
issue of basic human dignity for young and old. We must work
collectively to empower our citizens to enjoy the rewards of
self-reliance. My Government last year introduced a
Poverty Reduction Strategy, only the
second of its kind in the country, to address the barriers to
self-reliance and enhance the quality of life of our most vulnerable
citizens. The president of the National Anti-Poverty Organization
publicly acknowledged the organization’s appreciation of My
Government’s efforts on poverty reduction, saying the strategy
should be used as a model for a national anti-poverty strategy. The
chair of the National Council of Welfare also indicated My
Government’s strategy should serve as a model for the rest of
Canada. This cross departmental priority initiative is a
comprehensive, integrated and long term effort to transform
Newfoundland and Labrador from a jurisdiction with the greatest
poverty challenges to one with the least. My Government, in this
year’s Budget, will build on the initial annualized commitment of
$64 million to provide new opportunities for citizens to achieve a
higher standard of living and a greater degree of self-reliance.
Investing in Personal Health
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Mr. Speaker and Members of the House of Assembly:
A key determinant of one’s quality of life is
one’s personal health. We owe it to ourselves to embrace healthy
living and support it as best we can. We should be especially
cognizant of the importance of instilling in our young people an
appreciation of the value of maximizing physical fitness. My
Government already invested significantly in new physical education
equipment for schools and, this year, will begin to implement a new
Recreation and Sport
Strategy to promote and support active living. A partnership with
the Government of Canada will foster Aboriginal sport participation
and promote healthy eating and physical activity. In support of our
elite athletes, a new Provincial Training Centre will be completed
this year to provide our best with the opportunity to train with the
best and compete with the best in the country and the world,
building on the legacy of our Olympians. The Recreation and Sport
Strategy, however, will promote physical activity among all
Newfoundlanders and Labradorians, whatever their level of skill or
field of interest.
It is My Government’s belief that the cornerstone
of many rural communities is the local school. These facilities are
often the only public spaces suitable for recreation and social
activities. This year, following up on a Blueprint commitment, My
Government will support the sharing of school facilities with
community user groups while protecting these valuable resources for
our children’s instruction.
It is not only how active we are but also what we
eat that helps determine how fit we will be. Lifestyle choices made
during our school years often remain with us throughout our lives,
so it is important to instill healthy living habits in our students.
Inactivity and obesity among young people are creating new health
problems that are preventable through healthy living. To build on
the decision last year to introduce new School Food Guidelines to
promote healthy food choices, My Government this year will invest in
equipment and training to further enable these guidelines to be
implemented.
Not only young people but also older residents
and seniors can fortify their health through the choices they make.
My Government consulted with over a thousand Newfoundlanders and
Labradorians in the process of developing a Healthy Aging Policy
Framework and Plan to promote physical health, social health and
self-reliance. Newfoundland and Labrador’s seniors have provided the
building blocks for the society in which we live today. The
Ministerial Council on Aging and Seniors has been instrumental in
identifying ways and means to make My Government and our society
more responsive to the needs of seniors and more appreciative of
their role.
It is My Government’s conviction that seniors
should be able to retain their independence to the greatest extent
possible. Recognizing seniors require various degrees of care, My
Government will move ahead strategically to establish and maintain
long-term care facilities where our seniors can find the supportive
care they need in a welcoming environment.
Collectively, we have an obligation to care
properly for those among us who are ill or specially challenged.
Over the last three years, My Government invested significantly to
improve access to health care services in all regions. In the year
ahead, My Government will continue to make strategic investments in
diagnostic and medical equipment, health care services and health
human resources initiatives in order to ensure Newfoundlanders and
Labradorians have access to quality care, regardless of where they
live. We will build on investments that have already reduced wait
times for cardiac procedures, radiation treatment, sight restoration
and hip and knee procedures.
Every year for the past three years, My
Government increased the budget for the provincial drug program,
adding effective new therapies while expanding the number of people
covered through the introduction of a new low-income drug program.
My Government will also continue to press the Federal Government for
a National Catastrophic Drug Program that will provide equal access
to drug coverage for all Canadians so that no Canadian has to be
denied drug coverage because they cannot afford their prescription
drugs.
Newfoundland and Labrador’s investment in health
care last year approached $2 billion, nearly half of all program
spending. One of the challenges driving increases in health spending
is the dispersal of our people along thousands of kilometres of
coastline and hundreds of thousands of square kilometres of land.
Investments in transportation infrastructure and services will
improve our ability to serve the needs of people in remote areas
while advances in information communications technology will allow
health care professionals to share critical diagnostic and treatment
information in real time with others many thousands of kilometres
away. Our geography may be a challenge, but for My Government it
will not act as a barrier to hinder the provision of health care to
the people of Newfoundland and Labrador.
Investing in Personal Security
top
Mr. Speaker and Members of the House of Assembly:
There are vulnerabilities in our society other
than frailty and illness that jeopardize the personal security of
our citizens. My Government will act this year on the
recommendations of Dr. Peter Markesteyn and the Child and Youth
Advocate on the tragic death of
Zachary Turner, and the recommendations
of the Right Honourable Antonio Lamer with respect to wrongful
convictions. These initiatives are among My Government’s highest
priorities this year.
The Department of Justice will also provide
leadership in enhancing community protection and safety. The
proposed Safer Communities and Neighbourhoods legislation will
establish a mechanism for My Government to respond to complaints and
put an end to illegal activities that adversely affect or harm a
neighbourhood. My Government will also continue to invest in the
strength of our police forces, to which we owe a tremendous debt of
gratitude for their tireless efforts to promote safety and security
in our communities.
Last year, My Government introduced a Violence
Prevention Initiative to reduce violence against women, children and
other vulnerable populations in all regions of Newfoundland
Labrador, including our rural communities. My Government will
enhance its commitment to violence prevention by increasing its
investments in public awareness, education and training, research,
sexual assault community services, and rural regional committees;
and will also fight violence against Aboriginal women and children
in Aboriginal communities. The Department of Justice clearly
understands the importance of responding more appropriately and
effectively to the need for proper policing and justice services in
Labrador. The Department of Justice will take concrete steps to
improve access through developments in interpretation services,
policing, family justice services and public prosecutions in
Newfoundland and Labrador.
Remembering the floods at Badger and Stephenville
and the events of ‘nine-eleven’, our people expect their Government
to be ready to provide assistance when emergency or disaster
situations overwhelm the capacity of individuals or communities to
respond. Beginning immediately, My Government will commence
implementation of an Emergency Management Strategy designed to
develop and maintain a modern and robust emergency management system
in collaboration with other levels of government, Crown
corporations, the voluntary sector and the private sector, all of
which have crucial roles to play in planning against, preparing for,
responding to and recovering from emergencies and disasters.
Conclusion
top
Mr. Speaker and Members of the House of Assembly:
The initiatives and investments outlined today
and detailed in the days and weeks to come will build on My
Government’s past investments to promote economic growth in our
communities and social justice among our people. Challenges face all
who would make a home in Newfoundland and Labrador, but more
impressive than the challenges are the opportunities and rewards
that make the struggles worthwhile. It is in our lineage to be bold,
for it was the bold before us who embraced the struggles and made
Newfoundland and Labrador a society of which we can be truly proud.
We as bold visionaries owe it to our children to build, upon their
grandparents’ daring legacy, a bright future of promise and
productivity, of prosperity and self-reliance, of economic progress
and social justice for one and all. We as Newfoundlanders and
Labradorians share one path as joint heirs of those who started out
before us; so together, with one vision to unite us, let us resolve
to stay the course, to keep the faith and to keep our eyes fixed on
the future that, with boldness and confidence, we are beginning to
usher in throughout Newfoundland and Labrador.
* * *
Personal Reflections
top
Mr. Speaker, Honourable Members:
Please grant me a personal word as I conclude.
This is the fifth Speech from the Throne that I have read to the
House of Assembly. In all likelihood, this will be my last. The
Constitution sets the term of a Lieutenant Governor at five years,
an anniversary which I shall reach on the first day of next
November.
I thank the Premier for his steadfast support and
repeated courtesies. He and his colleagues have made my job much
easier, and much more pleasant. I am grateful, too, to them and to
you for the support you have provided to Government House. The
building and the grounds are a national treasure, one to be
cherished. Government House has been at the centre of our political
and social history for nearly 180 years. It has been maintained
lovingly and carefully and remains today - as it has been since 1829
- as a place of which every Newfoundlander and every Labradorian can
be proud, and should feel welcome. Eve, my wife, and I have worked
hard to make this so.
Lieutenant Governors are a uniquely Canadian
institution. We represent the Queen, personally. We also embody the
Crown, an inseparable and invaluable part of our heritage. The Crown
represents all Canadians, and is a symbol of our national identity -
as Canadians and as Newfoundlanders and Labradorians. I have greatly
enjoyed serving as the Lieutenant Governor of Newfoundland and
Labrador. I have travelled widely throughout the province, and have
met many thousands of people in their own communities as well as
welcomed many thousands more to Government House. My respect and
admiration of our people has deepened and become ever stronger. We
are a vibrant people, a nation with a strong and proud history and
glorious prospects. Any Newfoundlander, any Labradorian would be
proud and honoured to hold this office. I have been, and I am.
One more thought, if I may. Our fellow citizens
can confer no greater honour upon any of us than to send us to speak
for them in this House. It is known as the people’s House, where the
voice of anyone and everyone can be heard. I have always admired
those who seek election, and those who serve as Members. There are
many ways to serve our country and our province, but there is no
finer way than to be a Member of this House. Do so with pride, and
be forever grateful that you have been given the opportunity to do
so.
* * *
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.
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