Province
Législature
Session
Type de discours
Date du discours
Locuteur
Fonction du locuteur
Parti politique
Terre- Neuve et Labrador
42e
2e  
Discours du Trône
28 février 1994
Frederick Russel
Lieutenant Gouverneur
Liberal

Mr. Speaker and Members of the Honourable House of Assembly:
I take great pride and pleasure in welcoming you to the Second Session of the Forty-
Second General Assembly of the Province of Newfoundland.
The emphasis of My Government in this Session of the House of Assembly will be to 
commence the process of truly transforming this Province into one of the most attractive 
locations in North American for business investment and to initiate aggressive new 
measures to market and promote the Province's strengths in this regard on a national and 
international basis.
The goal of attracting business investment as a means to create employment opportunities 
has been a major challenge facing every government in this Province in this century. 
However, the devastating Province-wide impact on our economy resulting from the 
collapse of the groundfish fishery during the last five years is such that it has made new 
business investment directed at economic diversification not only an objective but an 
imperative.
As well, the liberalization of world trade continues to accelerate and is expected to 
constitute the primary catalyst for global economic growth well into the next century. 
This liberalization brings both increased competition and opportunity for economic 
activity, and is the driving force behind the growing emphasis on international 
competitiveness and the fundamental economic restructuring that is now occurring in 
many countries. In this changing global economy, Newfoundland and Labrador must 
look beyond its small domestic market to achieve the level of wealth creation that will 
provide the citizens of this Province with higher incomes, more employment 
opportunities, and improved public services. This will, out of necessity, require My 
Government to be increasingly outward looking in its approach to economic development 
and to create an appropriate investment climate that supports international 
competitiveness.
In this context, My Government began early during its first mandate to develop a 
comprehensive and action oriented Strategic Economic Plan for the Province to guide 
economic development over the long term. With the benefit of a wide-ranging public 
consultation process that reached all corners of the Province, and with the support and 
advice provided by the Advisory Council on the Economy, My Government released its 
Strategic Economic Plan in June of 1992. The goal of the Plan is to bring all elements of 
society together - governments, business, labour, academia and others - to make the 
provincial economy more vibrant, productive and globally competitive. Substantial 
progress in implementing the Strategic Economic Plan has been made in virtually all 
sectors since that time and a formal status report on the Plan was recently released to the 
people of this Province by My First Minister.
Mr. Speaker and Members of the Honourable House of Assembly:
A key element of My Government's strategy for economic development as enunciated in 
the Strategic Economic Plan is that the private sector must be the engine of economic 
growth. The role of government is to create the economic climate in which private sector 
investment can occur and be successful. My Government remains committed to this 
important principle and will be proposing specific new measures over the coming months 
to significantly improve the attractiveness of the Province as a place to do business and to 
invest.
The clear statement in the Strategic Economic Plan that My Government will privatize 
appropriate public services where they can be provided by the private sector in an 
acceptable manner reflects this philosophy. Such an approach furthers two major 
objectives. First, it serves to promote and develop a stronger and more broadly based 
private sector in the Province. Second, it enables the use of the limited capital funds 
available to My Government to provide essential public services instead of investing 
them in commercial areas where the private sector is prepared to operate. Furthermore, 
there is potential through various privatization initiatives to recover some of the capital 
investment made by the people of this Province over time in selected government 
services, and thereby reduce future borrowings that would otherwise be required to 
sustain ongoing government operations and support new capital initiatives.
The major focus of My Government's privatization program for the past year has been 
with respect to Newfoundland and Labrador Hydro Corporation and Newfoundland and 
Labrador Computer Services Limited. The first order of business in this new Session will 
be consideration of My Government's proposal for restructuring the Newfoundland and 
Labrador electrical industry, including privatization of Newfoundland and Labrador 
Hydro Corporation. My Government is also continuing discussions with NewTel 
Enterprises Limited and its alliance partners, Anderson Consulting Limited, and Bell 
Sygma Incorporated, for the privatization of Newfoundland and Labrador Computer 
Services. My Government intends, as well, to issue a public call for proposals in the very 
near future for the privatization of Newfoundland Farm Products Corporation. Further 
privatization initiatives in appropriate areas will be announced by My Ministers during 
this Session.
Mr. Speaker and Members of the Honourable House of Assembly:
As a further tangible expression of My Government's determination to accelerate its 
efforts in promoting and developing a stronger and more effective private sector in this 
Province, an unprecedented and comprehensive legislative proposal will be introduced in 
this Session entitled "A Bill to Promote Business Investment in the Province of 
Newfoundland and Labrador." The purpose of this Bill will be to significantly improve 
the business investment climate of the Province.
The first area to be addressed in this legislation will be the restructuring and refocusing of 
departmental activity directed at enhancing economic development in the Province. 
Changes will be made to all economic development departments and agencies that will 
focus added attention on the importance of a client centred approach to business 
development. The objective will be to ensure that when firms and investors express 
interest in pursuing specific business development opportunities in this Province, 
government officials are available to support and navigate them through the regulatory 
and development approval process such that their interest is maintained, timely decisions 
are made, and a positive attitude toward and image of the Province as a good place to 
invest is fostered and continuously reinforced.
The second area My Government intends to address will be the relatively high burden of 
taxation that is presently faced by the private sector and which impedes new investment 
and the creation of new employment opportunities in this Province. While a number of 
significant changes to the existing business tax structure have already been adopted by 
My Government, the entire taxation regime requires further attention if it is to be used as 
a means of promoting Newfoundland and Labrador as a highly competitive location in 
which to do business. Substantive changes to the existing tax structure affecting the 
private sector at the provincial and municipal levels will be made to provide tax holidays 
for new or expanding business enterprises in the Province. This will be accomplished in 
such a manner that existing business enterprises in the Province will not be placed at a 
competitive disadvantage relative to those companies and investors who are able to take 
advantage of the new tax regime.
The third area to be addressed in the Bill will be the labour market training domain. 
While My Government has already taken decisive steps to restructure and improve our 
basic and post-secondary educational system, additional measures will be proposed to 
provide enhanced labour market training incentives to new and expanding business 
enterprises as well as to existing businesses that need to refocus their corporate 
operations and upgrade their existing workforce to remain competitive. This will assist in 
the training and retraining of the provincial workforce to meet the demands of the 
changing global marketplace and to take advantage of new employment opportunities 
that will be created through new investment made directly by the private sector.
The fourth area in which My Government intends to introduce reform is in respect of the 
provincial environmental assessment process. My Ministers remain fully committed to 
protecting the environment and have recently adopted new measures to address particular 
problems related to abandoned automobile wrecks and the indiscriminate use of all-
terrain vehicles. Further positive initiatives to address various other environmental 
challenges facing the Province are planned by My Government in the coming months. At 
the same time, however, My Government is concerned that the provincial environmental 
assessment process, as currently administered, has in some circumstances become 
unnecessarily burdensome to economic development in the Province, especially in terms 
of the length of time necessary to make decisions on individual project proposals. 
Consultations with all major stakeholders on the environmental assessment process have 
recently been concluded and appropriate reforms to streamline the overall process, 
without compromising the fundamental integrity of the existing Environmental 
Assessment Act, will be proposed in the new Bill.
The final element of this comprehensive Bill will provide for a more positive labour 
relations climate in the Province that will serve to attract new investment and stimulate 
new business enterprises. My Government recognizes its responsibility to ensure that all 
employees are treated fairly and that adequate safeguards to protect their interests remain 
in place. However, it is in the broader public interest to achieve these objectives in a 
balanced manner that also assures those who wish to conduct and carry on business and 
provide economic opportunity in this Province have a reasonable prospect of receiving an 
acceptable level of return on their investment without undue risk from uncertain labour 
relations conditions. A new approach to labour-management relations, reflective of the 
realities of conducting business in the ever increasing and competitive global economy, is 
in the common interest of all citizens of this Province.
The overall intent of the "Bill to Promote Business Investment in the Province of 
Newfoundland and Labrador" will be to ensure that when the Province is objectively 
measured on the basis of its business climate, taxation levels, regulatory regime, 
workforce and labour relations climate, it will be judged to be among the best places, not 
only in Canada but in all of North America, for a business to invest and prosper.
In addition to the measures provided for in the Business Investment Bill, My Government 
intends to establish an independent Commission to oversee a review of all of My 
Government's existing regulations, with a view to substantially reducing the onerous 
regulatory burden that is presently imposed on those who wish to pursue or carry on 
economic activity in this Province. The goal will be to retain only those regulations 
which are absolutely essential for the orderly management of the public affairs of the 
Province and the protection of the general public interest in terms of appropriate health, 
safety and environmental standards. Each and every regulation of My Government will 
be evaluated in respect of its effect on the competitiveness of the private sector in 
national and international markets, as well as the extent to which existing regulations 
discourage innovation and efficiency in business operations. All unnecessarily 
burdensome regulations will be eliminated and steps will be taken to streamline and make 
the burden that remains far easier for business to bear. To ensure this objective is 
successfully achieved, this Honourable House will be asked to give its consent to 
legislation that will identify a specific sunset period beyond which all existing regulations 
will become null and void unless they are expressly re-confirmed by the Commission and 
by My Ministers through this review process.
Complementary to this overall regulatory review process, a plan will be outlined in this 
Honourable House for the more effective administration of My Government's land 
acquisition, land development and building permitting, licensing and inspection 
functions, including the consolidation of these functions, to the maximum extent 
practical, in a single agency with offices throughout the Province. This will eliminate the 
existing inefficiencies and duplication of service provided by a multitude of government 
departments and agencies in this area, and will thereby provide a more streamlined, 
timely and accessible "one-stop" approval process for the public, including the business 
community.
Now that the global economic recession has largely dissipated, it is the opportune time to 
act on these measures and, in parallel, to launch an aggressive and focused business 
prospecting initiative on a national and international basis to promote the Province and 
attract new investment that is essential to the economic future of Newfoundland and 
Labrador. The recent visits that were led by My First Minister to the United States and 
the Far East marked the commencement of this new business prospecting initiative. 
These efforts will continue in other parts of the world where promising business and 
economic opportunities are reasonably present.
Mr. Speaker and Members of the Honourable House of Assembly:
Contrary to popular perception among some circles, the fishery of the Province remains a 
positive and substantial contributor to total provincial economic output. In 1993, the 
value of fish products sold in the marketplace reached almost $500 million and peak 
employment, although primarily part-time, approximated 31,000 people. As well, the 
fishery is still the basic source of revenue for a large number of small communities in this 
Province and certain areas of the fishery are performing exceptionally well and offer 
opportunity for expansion.
Notwithstanding this situation, the ongoing crisis in the groundfish fishery remains a 
major concern for My Government since it is now clearly evident that this crisis will 
continue to have unprecedented implications for our economy and our people over the 
foreseeable future. My Government remains firm in its conviction that this problem 
requires attention on four inter-related fronts, all of which necessitate strong action and 
leadership both at the federal and provincial levels with full consultation and co-operation 
of all components of the industry and affected communities.
First, the magnitude of the current crisis and its impact will necessitate the continuation 
of a fair and equitable compensation and income adjustment program for those 
fisherpersons and industry workers impacted by the closure of various groundfish 
fisheries. The collapse of these fisheries, in the main but not exclusively, has its roots in 
the failure of federal fisheries management decisions. These decisions have largely led to 
the present situation and hence there is an obligation on the part of the Government of 
Canada to accept responsibility for the economic circumstances of those who have been 
affected by the closure of these fisheries.
Second, in recognition of the fact that the very nature and character of the fishery of the 
future will be fundamentally different from the fishery of the past, there is a need for the 
federal and provincial governments to jointly develop and implement a fisheries industry 
restructuring program in order to build a stronger and more viable industry in the future. 
This can best be achieved through a joint federal-provincial fisheries renewal board 
which would provide for an effective voice for the Province in important fisheries 
management decisions and facilitate the more effective coordination of all aspects of 
federal and provincial fisheries policies. My Government's specific approach to the 
restructuring of the fishery will be released during this Session in a "White Paper on the 
Fishery of the Future", which will reflect and take into account the results of the public 
review of an earlier discussion document released on this subject entitled "Changing 
Tides".
Third, the long-term impacts of the loss of a major part of the Province's fishing industry 
can only be mitigated through a joint federal-provincial economic restructuring 
agreement which provides sufficient funding to rebuild and diversify the Province's 
economic base. The federal Task Force on Incomes and Adjustment in the Atlantic 
Fishery, in its recently released report, highlighted the need for such a concerted 
response. My Government will be seeking the Government of Canada's full support for 
an initiative of this nature as a critical element of a long-term comprehensive response to 
the fisheries crisis.
Fourth, there is an over-riding need for the Government of Canada to adopt decisive 
fisheries management conservation measures to address the unprecedented decline in the 
groundfish resource generally, including effective measures to eliminate foreign 
overfishing of straddling and other groundfish stocks on and adjacent to the "Nose" and 
"Tail" of the Grand Banks. My Government is encouraged by the publicly stated 
commitment of the new federal government to address the problem of foreign overfishing 
in a timely manner, and welcomes the recent landmark decision by the Northwest 
Atlantic Fisheries Organization to place a one year moratorium on the cod fishery of the 
southern Grand Banks. My Government will press the Government of Canada to ensure 
that these new international measures are strictly complied with by all member states of 
NAFO and that other appropriate measures are taken to address fisheries conservation 
needs over the longer term and in respect of other economically important species of 
interest to the Province in the waters outside the 200 mile limit.
Mr. Speaker and Members of the Honourable House of Assembly:
My Government recognizes that the key to long-term economic and social development 
of the Province will be a well educated population. The people of the Province have 
clearly called for improvements in the performance of our education system. To this end, 
My Government has embarked on a major program of educational reform and has 
endeavoured to involve all key stakeholders in this process on a constructive basis. It is 
My Government's hope that the necessary changes which must be made to the education 
system will be able to be implemented with the support and cooperation of all concerned.
The first stage of reform will be a restructuring of the way in which education is 
governed. Legislation will be introduced to reform the structure of school boards, the 
provincial governing structure and the organization of schools, the principles of which 
have been substantially outlined in a public document entitled "Adjusting the Course". At 
the same time, My Government intends to move forward on a number of other initiatives 
stemming from the Report of the Royal Commission on the Delivery of Programs and 
Services in Primary, Elementary and Secondary Education which were outlined in a 
recently released report entitled "Adjusting the Course - Part II - Improving the Condition 
for Learning". Certain of these initiatives, particularly those having to do with the school 
year and school day, teacher certification, standards-setting, school accreditation and 
school councils, will also require the legislative consent of this Honourable House. All of 
this will require a comprehensive legislative package, incorporating changes to The 
Department of Education Act, The School Act, The Teacher Training Act, and other 
relevant legislation.
Mr. Speaker and Members of the Honourable House of Assembly:
While the urgency of present circumstances dictates that priority must be given to the 
economic challenges facing the Province, My Government remains firmly committed to 
addressing existing and emerging social issues through the development and 
implementation of a Strategic Social Plan. This initiative was announced in My Address 
to this Honourable House on March 4, 1993, and work commenced immediately 
thereafter on the essential task of updating and examining existing data, reviewing the 
programs of all government departments and agencies involved in the delivery of social 
services, and researching emerging trends and the demand for new social initiatives. The 
team of senior officials who have been working on this phase of the social planning 
process will be reporting to Cabinet shortly, and My Government will subsequently 
prepare a consultation document for public examination and discussion. As in the case of 
the Strategic Economic Plan, public meetings will be held in every region of the Province 
so that all concerned organizations and individuals will have every opportunity to 
contribute to the final stages of the planning process. Once the public consultation step is 
completed in the Fall of 1994, a formal Strategic Social Plan will be compiled and 
confirmed as My Government's policy, with implementation to begin in the 1995-96 
fiscal year. It is the intention of My Government that increasing pressures and challenges 
arising as a consequence of the acceleration of economic and social change at home and 
abroad will be anticipated and addressed effectively through a planned approach in 
concerted and cooperative community action.
Mr. Speaker and Members of the Honourable House of Assembly:
Our Province will mark two important anniversaries during 1994.
On June 14th of this year, we will be celebrating the 75th Anniversary of the historic first 
trans-Atlantic flight by Captain John Alcock and Lieutenant Arthur Brown of the Royal 
Air Force. On June 14th, 1919 at 12:58 p.m. Newfoundland time, Alcock and Brown 
took off in their Vickers Vimy Bomber from Lester's Field in St. John's. Sixteen hours 
and twelve minutes later they landed in a bog in Clifden, Ireland, to complete the first 
non-stop Atlantic crossing by air. This was the start of what today has become a tidal 
wave of thousands of aircraft passing over Newfoundland and Labrador yearly as they 
traverse the Atlantic Ocean.
June 6th of this year will mark the 50th Anniversary of the D-Day Invasion when allied 
troops stormed the windswept beaches of Normandy launching the deciding battle of 
World War II in Europe. Of course, D-Day commemorations symbolize the final victory, 
as this battle was but a part of the whole. Nearly 20,000 men and women from 
Newfoundland and Labrador served in the army, navy and air force during the Second 
World War. They fought in the Battle of Britain, the Battle of the Atlantic, in North 
Africa, Italy, France, Belgium, Holland and elsewhere, so that we and generations yet to 
come could live as free men and women. During two world wars, 900,000 Canadians 
went to Britain and fought alongside them in the great battles of the two wars - 100,000 
of them died. Up to now, no monument or memorial existed in Britain to commemorate 
Canada's role in these wars. On June 3rd of this year, Her Majesty the Queen will unveil 
the Canada Memorial at Green Park, London, to finally recognize this magnificent 
contribution. On June 6th, the 50th Anniversary of the actual D-Day Invasion in 1944, a 
Canadian Remembrance Ceremony will be held in Beny Reviers Canadian Cemetery in 
Normandy. His Excellency the Governor General and the Prime Minister will be at both 
the ceremony in London and the one in Normandy. Although on a private visit to Europe, 
I am privileged to say that my wife and I will also be present at both ceremonies. My 
Government will honour both these important anniversaries.
Mr. Speaker and Members of the Honourable House of Assembly:
During this Session My Government plans to place a number of important legislative 
proposals before you in addition to the legislative measures to which I have already 
referred. During the course of this Session, you will also be asked to grant supply to Her 
Majesty.
A full listing of My Government's legislative agenda for this Session of the House of 
Assembly will be tabled at the earliest opportunity so that all Members can properly 
prepare for the upcoming proceedings.
Mr. Speaker and Members of the Honourable House of Assembly:
I invoke God's blessing upon you as you commence your labours in this Second Session 
of the Forty-second General Assembly. 
May Divine Providence guide you in your deliberations.