HANSARD 10-42 DEBATES AND PROCEEDINGS Speaker: Honourable Charlie Parker Published by Order of the Legislature by Hansard Reporting Services and printed by the Queen's Printer. Available on INTERNET at http://nslegislature.ca/index.php/proceedings/hansard/ Second Session WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 10, 2010 TABLE OF CONTENTS PAGE SPEAKER’S RULING: Request to take ruling (11/08/10) under advisement (by Hon. Manning MacDonald [Hansard p. 3142, 11/08/10]) Explanation of former ruling ........................ 3319 TABLING REPORTS, REGULATIONS AND OTHER PAPERS: N.S. Health Research Fdn. - Anl. Rept. (2009-10), Hon. Maureen MacDonald .............................. 3321 Mar. Provinces Higher Educ. Commn. - Anl. Rept. (2009-10), Hon. M. More ........................................ 3321 GOVERNMENT NOTICES OF MOTION: Res. 2081, Cdn. Armed Forces Members: Moment of Silence - Observe, Hon. F. Corbett .............................. 3321 Vote - Affirmative ................................ 3322 INTRODUCTION OF BILLS: No. 90, Auditor General Act, Hon. G. Steele ........................................ 3322 No. 91, Royal Nova Scotia Yacht Squadron Amalgamation Act, Ms. M. Raymond ..................................... 3322 No. 92, Agriculture and Marketing Act, Mr. L. Glavine ........................................ 3322 NOTICES OF MOTION: Res. 2082, Servicemen/Servicewomen: Tribute - Pay, Hon. S. McNeil (by Hon. Manning MacDonald) ............. 3323 Vote - Affirmative ................................ 3323 - 2 - Res. 2083, Cdn. Servicemen/Servicewomen: Courage/Sacrifice - Remember, Mr. J. Baillie .............................. 3324 Vote - Affirmative ................................ 3324 Res. 2084, RCL Br. 47 (St. Peter’s): Pres. Hopkins/Exec./Veterans/Membership - Congrats., Hon. M. Samson ................................. 3324 Vote - Affirmative ........................... 3325 ORAL QUESTIONS PUT BY MEMBERS: No. 386, Justice - Prisoner Release: Errors - Justify, Hon. M. Samson ...................................... 3325 No. 387, Justice: Prisoner Release - Announcement, Hon. C. Clarke ....................................... 3327 No. 388, Justice: Prisoner Release - Public Inform, Hon. M. Samson ...................................... 3329 No. 389, Energy: Fracking - Min. Approval, Mr. A. Younger ....................................... 3330 No. 390, Gov’t. (N.S.): Spending Rate - Explain, Mr. J. Baillie ......................................... 3332 No. 391, TCH: Signature Resorts - Status, Mr. H. Theriault ...................................... 3333 No. 392, Gov’t. (N.S.) - Business: Tax Rates - Effects, Mr. J. Baillie ......................................... 3335 No. 393, Justice - Correctional Facility: Weekend Releases - PAC Requests, Hon. M. Samson ........................ 3336 No. 394, Gov’t. (N.S.) - Sm. Bus. Survey: Taxes/Reg. Costs - Effects, Mr. J. Baillie ................................. 3337 No. 395, Educ. - MSVU: Partnering Efforts - Acknowledge, Ms. K. Regan ........................................ 3338 No. 396, SNSMR - Monarch/Rivendale Estates: Water System - Funding, Hon. K. Colwell ............................. 3340 No. 397, Com. Serv.: Mt. Uniacke Seniors’ Residence - Water Problems, Mr. C. Porter .......................... 3342 No. 398, ERD: Economic Development - Abandonment, Mr. L. Glavine ........................................ 3343 ADJOURNMENT, House rose to meet again on Mon., Nov.15th at 7 p.m. .. 3345 NOTICES OF MOTION UNDER RULE 32(3): Res. 2085, Robertson, Pte. James Peter, V.C.: Bravery/Courage - Honour, Hon. F. Corbett ............................... 3346 Res. 2086, Tallahassee Elem. Sch.: “Say No to Bullying” Prog. (5th Anl.) - Commend, Ms. B. Kent ........................ 3346 - 3 - Res. 2087, Ocean View Elem. Sch.: “Say No to Bullying” Prog. (5th Anl.) - Commend, Ms. B. Kent ........................ 3347 Res. 2088, Price, Pte. George Lawrence - Honour, Mr. J. Baillie ......................................... 3347 Res. 2089, Robertson, Pte. James Peter, V.C.: Bravery/Courage - Honour, Mr. J. Baillie ................................. 3348 Res. 2090, Muise, Rudolph: P.C. Party - Vol. (55 Yrs.), Hon. C. d’Entremont ................................... 3349 Res. 2091, Church, Derrick: Lun. Vol. FD - Serv. (25 Yrs.), Ms. P. Birdsall ........................................ 3349 Res. 2092, Tanner, Doug: Lun. Vol. FD - Serv. (25 Yrs.), Ms. P. Birdsall ........................................ 3350 Res. 2093, Hardiman, Hewitt: Lun. Vol. FD - Serv. (25 Yrs.), Ms. P. Birdsall ........................................ 3350 Res. 2094, Feener, Tony: Lun. Vol. FD - Serv. (25 Yrs.), Ms. P. Birdsall ........................................ 3351 Res. 2095, Corkum, Kevin: Lun. Vol. FD - Serv. (25 Yrs.), Ms. P. Birdsall ........................................ 3351 HALIFAX, WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 10, 2010 Sixty-first General Assembly Second Session 12:00 NOON SPEAKER Hon. Charlie Parker DEPUTY SPEAKERS Mr. Gordon Gosse, Mr. Leo Glavine, Mr. Alfie MacLeod MR. SPEAKER: Order, please. We’ll start today’s proceedings. Before we go to the daily routine, I have a Speaker’s Ruling that I would like to indulge your attention with for a moment. SPEAKER’S RULING: Request to take ruling (11/08/10) under advisement (by Hon. Manning MacDonald [Hansard p. 3142, 11/08/10]) Explanation of former ruling. On Monday I delivered a ruling explaining that it is not in order to ask a minister a question or to raise in debate matters falling under the administration of the Speaker. This was with respect to a question that the member for Dartmouth East had started to raise in Question Period on Thursday, November 4th. After I ruled, the member for Cape Breton South asked me to address a point he had raised, that the member for Dartmouth East had been delivering a preamble to his intended question and that I had stopped him before he had posed the full body of his question. The member for Cape Breton South questioned how I could do this without having heard the entire question that followed the preamble. I understand the member’s frustration with the way the ruling unfolded and I think it’s worth explaining my reasoning for stopping the question. 3319 3320 ASSEMBLY DEBATES WED., NOV. 10, 2010 As members will know, the Chair prepares for a variety of possible situations that may occur during any sitting and prepares for procedural questions that may come up as a result. I had received a number of media inquiries about a personnel matter falling under the Speaker’s administration and I expected the matters being pursued by the press might also be pursued here in the House. However, I’m also aware that questions about matters falling under my administration are not to be posed to ministers in the House during Question Period. Now, as I explained in my ruling on Monday, that is one of the long-established practices governing the business here in our House. When I heard the preamble to the question raising just such a matter, I intervened to uphold that principle. Perhaps I was like an expectant father and I jumped into action more quickly than usual, but I felt it was appropriate to stop the question before it went too far. A preamble to a question, to the extent a preamble is permitted, is required to be directly relevant to the question that’s being asked. Accordingly, when I heard the subject of the question, I felt it appropriate to take action because I’d heard a subject that is out of order. I understand that many members may not have previously been familiar with the parliamentary practice I was seeking to enforce and that quick intervention on my part may have surprised some members. I trust that members will now know that there was a parliamentary practice and issue, and I certainly was not attempting to impose an arbitrary measure. Because of this, when dealing with some of the less-known principles that bind parliamentary practice in the future, I will be mindful to offer a more immediate explanation of the reasoning I am applying. I recognize that members would have been less surprised by my intervention on Thursday if I had allowed the entire question before ruling it out of order, and I hope they’ll understand that my intent was to uphold basic parliamentary principles, not to stifle debate, even though that is how it may have been felt in the spur of the moment. It is truly my intent to allow members as much latitude as possible in exercising their freedom of speech in this place within the bounds set by traditional parliamentary practice. I thank all honourable members for their attention today and their ongoing co-operation in the days to come. Thank you. The honourable Minister of Health on an introduction. HON. MAUREEN MACDONALD: Mr. Speaker, I would like to draw attention to the east gallery, where we’re joined today by Mr. Bill VanGorder, who is with CARP, the Canadian Association of Retired Persons. I would ask Mr. VanGorder to stand and receive the warm welcome of the House. (Applause) MR. SPEAKER: The honourable Minister of Health on an introduction. WED., NOV. 10, 2010 ASSEMBLY DEBATES 3321 HON. MAUREEN MACDONALD: Mr. Speaker, also in our east gallery today we are joined by some members from the Nova Scotia Health Research Foundation. They are Dr. Jean Gray, board chair; Krista Connell, the CEO; Ryan McCarthy, Director of Programs; and Nancy Carter, Director of Evaluation Services. I would ask members to give them a warm welcome. (Applause) MR. SPEAKER: We welcome all our visitors here this afternoon and hope you enjoy the proceedings