Government of Newfoundland News

Advanced Education, Skills and Labour

Today, the Honourable Gerry Byrne, Minister of Advanced Education, Skills and Labour, announced increases to the minimum wage. Effective April1, 2017, the minimum wage will increase by 25 cents to $10.75 followed by an additional increase of 25 cents to $11.00 on October 1, 2017. These increases will bring the Newfoundland and Labrador minimum wage rate in line with other Atlantic provinces.

Health and Community Services

The Honourable John Haggie, Minister of Health and Community Services, is praising the valuable work undertaken by the Downtown Health Care Collaborative – a project aimed at building primary health care teams with community partners. In St. John’s, the collaborative has partnered with groups such as the Gathering Place and Choices for Youth, to provide primary health care services to people in vulnerable circumstances.

Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner

The Information and Privacy Commissioner, Donovan Molloy, has released his Report A-2016-025 under authority of the Access to Information and Protection of Privacy Act. A summary of the Report is included below.

Education and Early Childhood Development

The Honourable Dale Kirby, Minister of Education and Early Childhood Development, will attend the Newfoundland and Labrador Teachers’ Association (NLTA) Annual Christmas Suite tomorrow (Thursday, November 24). The event begins at 7:00 p.m. at the Arts and Culture Centre, St. John’s.

Municipal Affairs

The public is advised of a Health Canada recall involving smoke and carbon monoxide alarms. This recall involves Kidde NightHawk talking combo smoke/CO alarm KN-COSM-IBCA and KN-COSM-ICA models with manufacture dates between June 1, 2004, and March 2011. The alarms are hard-wired into a home’s electric powers.

Advanced Education, Skills and Labour

Mr. Speaker, I would like to congratulate Memorial University’s Enactus Team on winning the 2016 Enactus World Cup in September.

Environment and Climate Change

Mr. Speaker, I rise in this Honorable House today to congratulate the Town of Paradise on the Paradise Double Ice Complex achieving Silver certification in Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED).

Advanced Education, Skills and Labour

The Honourable Gerry Byrne, Minister of Advanced Education, Skills and Labour, will bring greetings at the 2016 Autumn Presentation of Scholarships and Awards at the Marine Institute today (Wednesday, November 23).

Executive Council

The Honourable Dwight Ball, Premier of Newfoundland and Labrador, will speak at the 2016 Canadian Red Cross Humanitarian Awards this evening (Wednesday, November 23). The event will take place at the St. John’s Convention Centre, 101 New Gower Street, beginning at 5:30 p.m.

Fisheries, Forestry and Agrifoods

The Honourable Steve Crocker, Minister of Fisheries, Forestry and Agrifoods, along with Lisa Dempster, MHA for Cartwright-L’Anse au Clair, will speak during the banquet of the 2016 Biennial convention of the Labrador Fishermen’s Union Shrimp Company Ltd. tomorrow (Wednesday, November 23). The event starts at 7:00 p.m. at the Northern Light Inn, L’Anse au Clair, Labrador.

Health and Community Services

Mr. Speaker, it is my pleasure to rise in this Honourable House and outline our opioid action plan.

Children, Seniors and Social Development

Mr. Speaker, I rise in this Honourable House today to highlight the importance of breastfeeding in the early months of life.

Service NL

In keeping with commitments set out in The Way Forward: A Vision for Sustainability and Growth in Newfoundland and Labrador, a new act respecting public bodies will undergo second reading in the House of Assembly today. The Act Respecting Procurement by Public Bodies will help modernize procurement by provincial public bodies by replacing the decades old Public Tender Act with legislation that responds to feedback from public consultations, as well as a 2008 report by Read and Associates that recommended changes.

Business, Tourism, Culture and Rural Development

Today, the Honourable Christopher Mitchelmore, Minister of Tourism, Culture and Rural Development, launched the engagement process for the province’s new Business Innovation Agenda.

Children, Seniors and Social Development

The Honourable Sherry Gambin-Walsh, Minister of Children, Seniors and Social Development and Minister Responsible for Newfoundland and Labrador Housing Corporation, is recognizing November 22 as National Housing Day. This day provides an opportunity to acknowledge the importance of affordable housing in communities nation-wide.

Municipal Affairs

The Governments of Newfoundland and Labrador and Canada are contributing more than $365,000 to rehabilitate the Bannerman Lake dam in Harbour Grace. The investment is part of both governments’ commitment to supporting economic development and creating new jobs.

Municipal Affairs

Legislative amendments to the Municipalities Act, 1999 received second reading in the House of Assembly on Monday, November 21. These amendments provide local service districts with the ability to implement civic addressing and to provide greater flexibility for municipalities to dispose of property.

Transportation and Works

The Department of Transportation and Works advises that on Monday, November 28, and Tuesday, November 29, the MV Capt. Earl W. Winsor will temporarily replace the MV Veteran while the MV Veteran undergoes upgrades.

Service NL

The Honourable Eddie Joyce, Minister of Service NL, will outline the details of the new Act Respecting Procurement by Public Bodies at a news conference tomorrow (Tuesday, November 22). The news conference will be held at 11:30 a.m. in the Media Centre, East Block, Confederation Building. A technical briefing regarding the legislation will be available to media at 10:45 a.m. in the Media Centre.

Fisheries, Forestry and Agrifoods

The bridge known as the Old Track Bridge along the tributary to Raymond's Brook in the Burnt Hills, Goulds, is closed to all traffic. An update will be provided on Friday, November 25.