In the House

Lorraine Michael and Felix Collins haggle over amendments to the Human Rights Act.

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Member for the District of Signal Hill-Quidi Vidi.

MS MICHAEL: Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, since 1985, government has received recommendations to make the Human Rights Commission truly independent by making it an agency answerable to the House of Assembly. In 2009, the Auditor General, himself the head of an independent agency answerable to the House, outlined the importance of the commissioners being truly independent.

Affordable housing issues addressed by Lorraine Michael in the House of Assembly

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Member for the District of Signal Hill-Quidi Vidi.

MS MICHAEL: Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker.

Government ignores parent’s concerns about new school location for Virginia Park Elementary.

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Member for the District of Signal Hill-Quidi Vidi.

MS MICHAEL: Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, the residents of Virginia Park, which is in my district, were very upset yesterday when they learned, after years of waiting for a replacement for their building, that the Eastern School Board may be making a decision tonight to move the school totally outside their community.

No new money for affordable housing. No rent controls and no answer from government.

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Member for the District of Signal Hill-Quidi Vidi.

MS MICHAEL: Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, there have been numerous housing announcements lately, but the minister in most cases is talking about money committed a year ago and allocated by last July under the Affordable Housing Initiative.

Drilling in the Orphan Basin despite unanswered questions concerning the BP disaster.

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Member for the District of Signal Hill-Quidi Vidi.

MS MICHAEL: Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, this morning we had a technical briefing from Chevron and we were delighted to have that briefing. They informed us that from their perspective they are doing every thing they can to prevent a blow out from occurring in the Orphan Basin as happened in the Gulf of Mexico.

Capabilities of the justice system questioned in relation to the new Act Respecting The Care And Protection Of Children And Youth.

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Member for the District of Signal Hill-Quidi Vidi.

MS MICHAEL: Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker.

Our sea bird population may be decimated by the spill in the Gulf of Mexico. The Minister of Environment and Conservation answers questions from Lorraine Michael.

MR. SPEAKER: Order, please!

The hon. the Member for the District of Signal Hill-Quidi Vidi.

MS MICHAEL: Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker.

Newfoundland and Labrador has sent half its oil booms to the Gulf of Mexico. The Minister of Environment and Conservation answers questions from Lorraine Michael

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Member for the District of Signal Hill-Quidi Vidi.

MS MICHAEL: Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker.

Lorraine Michael questions the Premier about the risk the province is taking drilling in the Orphan Basin despite President Obama's moratorium on drilling in deepwater

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Member for the District of Signal Hill-Quidi Vidi.

MS MICHAEL: Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker.

Lorraine Michael questions the Minister of Natural Resources about Environmental Assessments in the Orphan Basin

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Member for the District of Signal Hill-Quidi Vidi.

MS MICHAEL: Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker.