Speech from the Throne 2015
Delivered at
the Opening of
The Fourth Session of the Forty-Seventh
General
Assembly of the
Province of Newfoundland and Labrador
on
Tuesday, April 21, 2015
by His Honour
The Honourable
Frank F. Fagan, CM, ONL, MBA
Lieutenant Governor of Newfoundland
and Labrador
Newfoundland and Labrador, Proud and Strong
Mr. Speaker and Members
of the House of Assembly: One hundred years
ago, marching proudly in their blue puttees toward ships that would
ferry them to war-torn Europe, young Newfoundlanders and
Labradorians could not imagine what awaited them or what would be
asked of them. A century later, we honour the far too many
whose young lives were cut brutally short and the many more whose
bodies and memories were scarred by what they endured. Through
the “Honour 100 - First World War Commemorations”,
we are telling the story of our men and women who served in the
Royal Naval Reserve, Newfoundland Regiment, Newfoundland Forestry
Corps and Volunteer Aid Detachment as well as those who supported
the war effort at home. We will soon mark the centennial of
the Regiment’s landing at Gallipoli, Turkey on September 19.
The Honour 100 initiative will include opportunities for our
students and veterans to participate in the annual Trail of the
Caribou pilgrimage with the Royal Canadian Legion. This year, a new
Ambassador Program will provide opportunities for more youth to
commemorate Newfoundland and Labrador’s role in the First World War
by visiting the memorials at Beaumont-Hamel and other solemn sites
where the remains of our loved ones rest. Like others before
them, they will return with fresh perspectives and stories that all
of us need to hear – stories to remind us of the unbearable sadness
of war and the debt we owe to those who served. As students
throughout our province hear those stories, they will also benefit
from curriculum enhancements that tell about the people whose
sacrifices we honour.
Our government has also celebrated the
contributions of the women and men who served in this war and other
conflicts by naming the two new provincial ferries that will service
Bell Island, Fogo Island and Change Islands the MV
Legionnaire and the MV Veteran.
In
recent decades, Newfoundlanders and Labradorians have served on
battlegrounds from Sarajevo to Kandahar. Although those
devastated frontiers were far removed from the shores of Green Bay,
it was there in her quiet Springdale home that Gladys Osmond started
handwriting letters to the troops, one by one. She organized a
Granny Brigade of like-minded seniors, eager to spread some downhome
cheer, well-wishes and prayers with soldiers who were serving in
harm’s way. Time and again, the soldiers wrote back to say how
touched they were that she would reach out to lift their spirits.
Gladys passed away in January at the age of 91; but before passing
away, she was presented with the Canadian Forces Medallion for
Distinguished Service, granted an honorary Doctorate of Laws by
Memorial University and inducted into the Order of Newfoundland and
Labrador. Today, we honour Gladys Osmond and the
Granny Brigade for exemplifying the very best qualities of
Newfoundlanders and Labradorians and for reminding us to keep in our
hearts the women and men who serve to protect us at home and abroad.
Despite the distances and differences that separate us,
Newfoundlanders and Labradorians stand by one another in hard times
and good times alike. In the history of Newfoundland and
Labrador, there are thousands of people like Gladys whose stories
need to be shared. Whether in “Them Days” magazine or on CBC’s
“Land & Sea”, in novels or history books, in folklore research or
songs or films, these stories must be gathered and disseminated
among our young people to show them who they are and whence they’ve
come. In towns from Glenwood to Nain, from Natuashish to Port
au Port, from Conne River to Northwest River, we encourage people to
capture and chronicle the tales of folk heroes that more of us ought
to know. To showcase the richness of our diverse
Inuit, Innu and Mi’kmaq heritage, our government is now
preparing the terms of reference for an Aboriginal Education
Advisory Committee to enhance school curriculum so it will continue
to reflect this heritage to all Newfoundlanders and Labradorians.
Our government will also continue to consult with
Aboriginal organizations, including when development
decisions have the potential to impact asserted rights. We
will continue to implement the Labrador Inuit Land Claims Agreement,
continue to negotiate the Innu Nation’s final land claims and
self-government agreement and the Miawpukek First Nation final
self-government agreement, continue to participate in the Innu
Roundtable, continue to develop a land claims and self-government
agreement Implementation Policy, and continue to ensure that
Aboriginal people benefit fully and fairly from major developments
like the Muskrat Falls Project.
Across the vast stretches of
the Big Land, the camaraderie that unites people of diverse
communities is an inspiration for all of us. Guided by the
Northern Strategic Plan and other investments targeting
Labrador, by the end of the 2014-15 fiscal year our
government allocated a total of $4.9 billion in Labrador since 2004,
and opened up the region as never before with the Trans-Labrador
Highway. We will consult with northern stakeholders to develop
a new Northern Strategic Plan to raise new opportunities on the
foundation we have already built. In 2016, we will once again
support Labradorians who gather for the Labrador Winter Games, a
triennial celebration of sports as diverse as the Snowshoe Race, the
Snowmobile Race, the Dog Team Race, the Labrathon, the One Foot High
Kick and Over the Rope. In recognition of the uniqueness of
Labrador and the love Labradorians share for their flag, our
government will proudly fly the Labrador Flag at our Labrador-Quebec
border crossings.
Our multifaceted heritage not only
enriches us as a people, but it also forms the backbone of our
billion-dollar tourism industry in which thousands
of people are finding employment and opportunity in more than 2,500
enterprises, 83 per cent of which are small businesses. Our
government has invested directly in businesses and infrastructure to
help strengthen our tourism industry. It has invested in
marina developments, boardwalks, trail ways, airport improvements,
the St. John’s Convention Centre and various enterprises, all with
the goal of strengthening Newfoundland and Labrador’s image as a
destination for leisure and business travelers. By continuing
to invest in our award-winning, trendsetting marketing campaign, we
will showcase Newfoundland and Labrador to the rest of the world
with a goal of further developing this essential industry. Our
government will continue to support growth through our Cultural
Economic Development Program, the Newfoundland and Labrador Arts
Council, our community museums, heritage organizations, archives and
Provincial Historic Sites. The just-concluded Republic of
Doyle series complemented our marketing ads by showcasing our
uniqueness around the world. In this year’s budget, our
government will announce initiatives to build on that success.
* * * * *
Mr. Speaker and Members
of the House of Assembly: For a decade, our
government has been fostering innovation and diversifying the
provincial economy, supporting start-up businesses, emerging growth
sectors and regional development activities. We are committed
to making local companies globally competitive, strengthening
employment opportunities and driving economic diversification in
Newfoundland and Labrador. Through our Department of Business,
Tourism, Culture and Rural Development, we are enabling more than 50
companies to increase their competitiveness through the
implementation of industry-leading “lean manufacturing”
practices. For some firms, the shift has been
transformational. One central Newfoundland small business has more
than doubled production. Others have seen delivery times cut in
half, significant reductions in defects, and improved safety and
morale. Our government will drive the use of lean manufacturing
techniques by more enterprises while helping them collaborate and
learn from one another through our support of business networks.
Newfoundland and Labrador’s major industrial projects have
fueled the growth of a supply community that is
more than 600 strong. These enterprises, in turn, represent
the development of an extensive knowledge base and skills inventory
that can be marketed beyond our provincial boundaries. The
expertise we draw here for these industrial projects will remain and
fuel growth long after the projects have been completed.
International business growth opportunities for local enterprises
are off the charts because of free trade, international
partnerships, supply chain networks and other fundamental shifts in
the global marketplace. But the global marketplace is complex
and competitive. To help enterprises meet the increasingly
rigorous demands and secure their niche, our government will provide
targeted trade-focused assistance for small and medium sized
enterprises pursuing international business opportunities.
We also recognize that building a strong diversified economy is
based upon a strong private sector comprising a mix of smaller,
nimble firms working alongside larger multi-national companies that
are entrenched in global markets. That is why
attracting foreign direct investment and attracting companies with
international reach to the province continues to be one of
our trade and investment priorities.
Prospects for growth in
the knowledge-based economy, in particular, are incredible. By
providing support for business incubation and acceleration,
we are helping advanced-technology firms with high growth potential
to tap into new markets and connect with venture capital
opportunities that will propel them to global success.
In no
area of technology are Newfoundlanders and Labradorians better
positioned to lead than in ocean technology.
Here on the North Atlantic, we have nurtured a culture of innovation
that has enabled us to make breathtaking advances in the oil and gas
sector, fisheries and aquaculture, transportation, environment,
marine recreation, tourism, security and defence industries.
We have built infrastructure and expertise second to none, and are
now partnering with other businesses in the largest ocean technology
markets in the world. Our government will be even more
aggressive in driving ocean technology growth to meet demand abroad
and draw opportunities and profits home.
With unsurpassed
expertise in taming the harsh ocean environment, Newfoundland and
Labrador is well-positioned to take a lead role in developing
technology to provide solutions to operational challenges in the
Arctic. Our government is focusing on three strategic directions
under the Arctic Opportunities Initiative: first,
positioning the province as the Path to the Arctic; second, building
capacity; and third, fostering economic development and business
opportunities for local players. Newfoundland and Labrador is
strategically located on international and northern sea shipping
routes, with world-renowned industrial infrastructure plus centres
of excellence in safe and sustainable resource development already
in place. That makes us uniquely positioned for leadership in
Arctic-related activities. Our government will continue to
strengthen relationships among stakeholders, promote partnerships
involving local and Aboriginal players, and forge strategic
alliances with other northern jurisdictions with which Newfoundland
and Labrador can partner for success on this emerging frontier.
We have strengthened our position for leadership in R&D.
Through our province’s Research & Development Corporation,
we will continue to invest in R&D projects that maximize the impact
on our economy and attract leveraged investments from collaborative
partners, particularly our innovative business community.
As
Memorial University and College of the North Atlantic engage in
world-class research activities, researchers from
at home and abroad are focusing their R&D activities on local
industries and putting them into practice both here and around the
globe. As an example, with the government’s support, Memorial
University’s Holyrood Marine Base is now giving students hands-on
experience in marine environmental studies, marine biology, marine
ecotourism, diving and oil spill response.
To ensure
Memorial University has space to grow, our government has approved
the construction of a new Core Science Facility to
replace aging infrastructure. This facility will house
state-of-the-art teaching and research laboratories to support MUN’s
faculties of Science and Engineering and Applied Science. It
will also contain space for R&D collaboration with industry to help
them compete, grow and diversify our economy. The province’s
$125 million contribution will come from the settlement for Hebron
fabrication work.
Tomorrow’s leaders are today’s youth!
To position Newfoundland and Labrador’s young people to be the
leaders of the pack, we will support innovative projects
that engage youth in meaningful, experiential learning
opportunities focused on the fields of science, technology,
engineering and math, but also in the creative world of the arts.
Such support and mentorship will open doors for local youth while
ensuring that Newfoundland and Labrador secures a sustainable,
dynamic and diversified economy for generations to come.
Our
government is preparing for the release of its Population
Growth Strategy, which will support residents to attach to
the labour market and align the workforce with local job
opportunities; enhance supports for families of all sizes and ages;
support community well-being and economic development; and increase
the attraction and retention of immigrants to the province. To
support the strategy, the government will be launching a series of
new labour market information tools to better inform Newfoundlanders
and Labradorians, and those interested in moving to our province,
about where job opportunities exist in Newfoundland and Labrador.
Increasing the availability of skilled trade workers has been a
top priority for our government since the release of the Skills Task
Force report in May 2007. Through a series of
apprenticeship forums, the government has engaged
employers, educators, students and graduates to chart the way
forward. The results have been phenomenal: an investment of
more than $100 million in apprenticeship support, a 94 per cent
increase in the number of registered apprentices, and a 122 per cent
increase in the number of journeyperson certificates issued.
In 2014, Atlantic Premiers signed the Memorandum of Understanding on
Atlantic Apprenticeship Harmonization to enhance consistency.
Together, over the next four years, we are working to harmonize ten
Red Seal trades, representing over 60 per cent of apprentices in the
Atlantic region. The government is also engaged in developing
an Atlantic Apprenticeship Mobility initiative and a Pan-Canadian
Mobility Apprenticeship Protocol to make it easier for apprentices
to move between provinces and territories while they complete their
certification. This will enable local industries to meet their
labour demands while greatly expanding the region in which local
apprentices can work. Our government has repeatedly consulted
with stakeholders to ensure our apprenticeship system continues to
respond to industry needs. We will build on this approach
through additional stakeholder engagement sessions organized in
consultation with the Provincial Trade Advisory Committees.
The apprenticeship renewal initiatives under discussion will include
implementation of an online application and registration process,
alternate approaches to apprenticeship training and exam
accommodations, youth apprenticeship programming, enhanced
apprenticeship supports, enhanced processes for updating files and
an enhanced pre-apprentice tracking system. We will ensure our
approaches are relevant and responsive to each specific trade in
Newfoundland and Labrador.
To better prepare our young
people for post-secondary education and employment, we will proceed
with K-12 curriculum renewal in many areas,
including English Language Arts, Science, Health, Social Studies and
French programs. We will develop a 21st-century curriculum,
employing methods that integrate innovative and research-driven
teaching strategies, modern learning technologies, and relevant
resources and contexts, and focusing on learning skills that address
the needs of a new generation of students. We will also
convene a group of educational leaders to review Math performance.
To support teaching with the requisite infrastructure, our
government will unveil a multiyear K-12 infrastructure development
plan to prepare in a proactive way for projected growth.
These efforts in K-12 will be complemented by the initiatives we are
taking to follow through in the area of early childhood development.
The Early Childhood Learning Framework, entitled
“Navigating the Early Years”, will be released in the year ahead.
The Framework outlines a pedagogical approach to holistic early
childhood learning and development, with specific emphasis on
play-based learning, the important role of adults in supporting
children’s early learning and development, and the inclusion of
children with exceptionalities across a variety of environments,
which include home, child care settings, the community and school.
When today’s children grow up, they will find a province very
different from the one we live in today, and a large part of the
reason for that difference will be the transformation we experience
as we bring Lower Churchill power on stream and complete the
transition to a renewable energy economy.
That transition has been made possible because of our government’s
commitment to embrace the opportunities created by offshore oil, and
channel the returns into renewable energy development. Muskrat
Falls is a source of power that will flow in perpetuity, long after
the last of the oil and the gas have been drawn from beneath the
ocean floor.
But the days of oil are not
ending anytime soon. The 2013 Bay du Nord discovery was the
largest conventional oil discovery that year in the entire world.
Our government is working with Statoil and Husky to negotiate an
agreement to bring this project to development. Our government
is also working to conclude a new generic royalty regime to maximize
revenues from offshore oil development. Our government’s
optimism is also buoyed by the successful Call for Bids in the
Flemish Pass Basin, the significant growth of reserve estimates for
the Hibernia field, and the opportunities created by the new
scheduled land tenure system.
In March, the
Canada-Newfoundland and Labrador Offshore Petroleum Board issued the
very first Call for Bids under the scheduled land tenure
regime in our offshore area. It consists of eleven
parcels totaling 2.5 million hectares in the Eastern Newfoundland
Region, and the minimum bid for each parcel is $10 million in work
commitments. The new land tenure regime means transparency and
predictability for companies interested in doing business in our
offshore industry. It was developed through consultation with
industry leaders and is based on the best practices of leading
exploration jurisdictions around the world. The new regime is
a huge step forward in the province’s offshore industry.
In
every region, we take steps to ensure our environment is protected.
This year, we will receive the report of the expert panel reviewing
the environmental and socio-economic implications
of hydraulic fracturing in western Newfoundland. We will also
enact legislation this year to strengthen the province’s oil spill
liability regime to ensure even greater diligence to prevent spills
and their consequences.
Since 2012, our government has been
working with other provinces and territories to develop a
pan-Canadian Energy Strategy. Our government’s
primary focus has been to achieve open-access, non-discriminatory
electricity transmission. To that end, we will continue to
press for the establishment of east-west energy corridors so that
all provinces and territories have the unfettered ability to
transmit electricity within Canada. Our Premier has met with
government and industry leaders both nationally and in the United
States, where interest in new clean-energy sources is strong.
We remain on track to produce first power at Muskrat Falls
in late 2017 with full power in 2018. Through the new
oversight processes implemented last year, the government is taking
a hands-on approach to ensure the project remains on course.
Construction of the Maritime Link Project to bring our surplus power
to market has commenced, and industrial and employment benefits
agreements have been signed. In advance of first power two
years from now in late 2017, our government has taken steps to
ensure the existing infrastructure is adequate to meet domestic
needs. The government will soon complete its electricity
review of all aspects of our province’s current system, including
governance and regulation, generation, transmission and
distribution. As Muskrat Falls comes on stream, our government
will continue to look farther ahead to opportunities to add Gull
Island power, Upper Churchill power, wind power and other power
sources to the mix and maximize the potential of our vast energy
warehouse. To complement this green energy initiative, our
government will also bring forward other measures to promote
greenhouse gas reduction.
Let no one minimize the
economic impact the Muskrat Falls Project is having on
Newfoundland and Labrador, even before power flows. The
project is expected to generate value and cash flows in excess of
$30 billion. The number of Newfoundlanders and Labradorians
employed on the project rose in 2014 to 3,274, representing 81 per
cent of the project’s workforce. In 2014 alone, the project
brought investments of $394 million to 500 Newfoundland and Labrador
businesses. That was just the beginning.
We are
developing clean energy, not primarily to export, but to give
Newfoundlanders and Labradorians access to a sufficient supply of
clean power at costs that are both low and stable, and also to use
that new power to grow and diversify the economies of our regions
with new and expanding industries. One of those industries,
the mining sector, is currently experiencing the
impacts of the downside of cycling commodity prices. This is
difficult news for impacted workers, their families and local
businesses. Through the strong relationships we have built
with industry and municipalities, supported by our participation in
the Labrador West Regional Task Force, we are standing by and
working with affected communities and families during this critical
period. Programs and services are already in place, along with
assistance to support new business opportunities. But as in
the past, commodity prices will rebound and growth in our mining
sector will resume its upward trajectory. Our government is
developing a Minerals Strategy to maximize the value of resource
development in the province. We will continue to support the
mineral industry through the mineral incentive program, public
geoscience and promotions. We have taken advantage of
opportunities to enhance the benefits of one of the largest mining
and processing operations in the province at Voisey’s Bay and Long
Harbour. Thanks to that work, Newfoundland and Labrador will
benefit from an estimated additional $200 million in compensation
and a $30 million commitment for community initiatives in the
province. The Long Harbour nickel processing plant is now
producing, and Vale has committed to proceed with underground mining
after its surface operation advances at Voisey’s Bay.
Mining
has been sustaining local communities for generations, but no
industry has sustained us longer than the fisheries.
Today, the entire Newfoundland and Labrador seafood industry is
valued at approximately $1 billion and employs approximately 18,000
people in harvesting, processing and aquaculture, while generating
indirect benefits for many more individuals and enterprises.
In 2014, our government took unprecedented steps to improve
markets for cod harvested from the St. Pierre Bank area.
They included temporarily relaxing minimum processing requirements
to test fresh markets in the United States and authorizing outside
buyers. These measures complemented efforts by the harvesting
and processing sector to establish quality grading for cod,
resulting in significantly improved prices. Cod landings
increased, and the overall landed value increased. Our
government will continue these efforts to prepare for the shift from
shellfish to groundfish over the coming years.
The shellfish
sector is in jeopardy because of a troubling Government of Canada
policy on shrimp allocations. Last year, we sent an
All-Party Committee on Northern Shrimp Allocations to
Ottawa to deliver the message that the province will not stand by
and watch the devastation of the inshore shrimp fleet, onshore
shrimp processing plants, and the hundreds of communities that
depend on the northern shrimp resource. Recent analysis has
confirmed that the federal government’s “Last In First Out”
allocation policy has had a disproportionate detrimental impact on
this province’s inshore fleet and onshore processing. The
Committee will continue to press the federal government to abolish
the inequitable LIFO policy being used for the northern shrimp
fishery.
Our government also continues to be resolute in
demanding that the Government of Canada respect its agreement with
Newfoundland and Labrador to provide fully $280 million as its share
of a $400 million fisheries investment fund for industry development
and renewal. Ottawa agreed to provide fully $280 million for
the fund as a condition of our acceptance of the elimination of
minimum processing requirements in order to facilitate the
Canada-European Union Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement,
known as CETA. Our government demands that Ottawa honour its
covenant with Newfoundland and Labrador.
The future of the
fishing industry in Newfoundland and Labrador is bright. Our
government will continue to work closely with the seafood industry
to market local seafood internationally, leading
delegations to major trade missions in the United States, the
European Union and Asia while bringing buyers here. We will
also continue to support local awareness of our seafood products in
collaboration with the province’s Restaurant Association and the
Association of Chefs and Cooks. We will continue to
disseminate information on market prices, trends, market conditions,
supply and demand, currency exchange rates, inventory levels and
more. To assist the processing and harvesting sectors in
negotiating raw material prices for various fish species, we will
continue to work with the industry to ensure timely and relevant
market information is made available to all parties in the
collective bargaining process.
Our government is also proud
to be supporting the sealing industry as it
capitalizes on opportunities associated with seal processing.
There is reason to be optimistic about the future of this
sustainable and humane harvest, given the longstanding role of
Carino Processing and the introduction this year of PhocaLux
International as an additional player in this industry.
Last
year, the government released the five-year Aquaculture Sustainable
Management Strategy reflecting extensive consultations on the future
of the aquaculture industry. The strategy
confirms the province’s commitment to work cooperatively with all
stakeholders to ensure the industry’s long-term growth through
sustainable management, capacity support and R&D. In the ten
years from 2003 to 2013, employment in the aquaculture industry grew
fourfold to nearly 900 person years, and the GDP generated by the
industry grew tenfold to more than $100 million. With the
strategy in place, that growth is just the start.
Our
government also remains strongly committed to initiatives that will
drive further growth in the agriculture and forest
industries, which employ large numbers of people and
generate significant economic activity. To promote food
security in line with the vision of the Growing Forward initiative,
our government will work with agrifoods producers to explore
opportunities to make our province more reliant on local crops.
Our government will continue to leverage the strengths of our rural
and urban areas, as well as our highly skilled workforce and
well-developed infrastructure, to strategically market Newfoundland
and Labrador as great place to live, work and do business. We
will continue to use our strategic attributes to attract foreign
investment and encourage companies to expand to our province.
* * * * *
* * * * *
There are no finer people on the face of the Earth than
Newfoundlanders and Labradorians. They deserve nothing but the
best.
Our government is buoyed with optimism as our people
begin to come into their own, enjoying the highest levels of income
ever in our history, employment levels that are higher than a decade
ago, and a vast array of initiatives that enhance the lives of the
oldest to the youngest among us. Our government is managing
the affairs of the province responsibly, progressively and
sustainably to ensure the incredible gains we have already achieved
are eclipsed only by the phenomenal gains that we are about to bring
to fruition. Newfoundland and Labrador is stronger today than
it has ever been, and we are on course to achieve goals that will
benefit our people for generations to come. Our government is
filled with confidence and optimism that the prospects for
Newfoundland and Labrador, both in the short term and over the long
term, are incredibly bright. Ours is a future that knows no
bounds, and we shall ever remain resolute in defence of this
province we so dearly love – Newfoundland and Labrador, proud and
strong.
* * * * *
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.