Government of Newfoundland News

House of Assembly

The Honourable Tom Osborne, Speaker of the House of Assembly, today announced the appointment of Mr. Bruce Chaulk as Chief Electoral Officer and Commissioner for Legislative Standards, effective immediately.

Executive Council
Children, Seniors and Social Development

The Honourable Dwight Ball, Premier of Newfoundland and Labrador, joined by the Honourable Sherry Gambin-Walsh, Minister of Children, Seniors and Social Development, will announce details of the proposed legislation to establish an Office of the Seniors’ Advocate today (Tuesday, December 13) at 12:00 p.m. The event will now take place in the Media Centre, Ground Floor, Confederation Building.

Executive Council
Children, Seniors and Social Development

The Honourable Dwight Ball, Premier of Newfoundland and Labrador, joined by the Honourable Sherry Gambin-Walsh, Minister of Children, Seniors and Social Development, will announce details of the proposed legislation to establish an Office of the Seniors’ Advocate tomorrow (Tuesday, December 13) at 12:00 p.m. The event will take place at the Seniors Resource Centre of Newfoundland and Labrador, located at Babb Manor, 24 Road Deluxe, St. John’s.

Municipal Affairs

The use of candles is popular during the holiday season, but these open flames are a common cause of home fires.

Service NL

Mr. Speaker, I rise in this Honourable House to note that today, our government will honour a commitment we made to firefighters. This afternoon we will introduce amendments to the Workplace Health, Safety and Compensation Act to provide firefighters with presumptive cancer coverage.

Executive Council

Mr. Speaker, I rise in this Honourable House today to say how pleased I was on Friday to join the Prime Minister and provincial and territorial counterparts in moving forward with the Pan-Canadian Framework on Clean Growth and Climate Change.

Executive Council
Service NL

The Provincial Government has advanced an amendment to the Workplace Health, Safety and Compensation Act and Regulations to provide presumptive cancer coverage for the province’s career and volunteer firefighters. Adding a presumptive clause to the legislation means a firefighter who serves for a specified period of time and develops a specific form of cancer will be presumed to have developed that cancer as a result of their work, and can avail of worker’s compensation benefits.

Advanced Education, Skills and Labour

Today, the Honourable Gerry Byrne, Minister of Advanced Education, Skills and Labour, announced over $36,000 in funding for the Transition House Association of Newfoundland and Labrador (THANL) to provide province-wide training in Mental Health First Aid to 50 individuals employed at transition houses.

Executive Council
Service NL

The Honourable Dwight Ball, Premier of Newfoundland and Labrador, will announce details regarding presumptive cancer coverage for firefighters today. Premier Ball will be joined by the Honourable Eddie Joyce, Minister of Service NL and Minister Responsible for Workplace NL; Doug Cadigan, President of the International Association of Fire Fighters Local 1075; Duane Antle, President of the Newfoundland and Labrador Association of Fire Services; and Dennis Hogan, CEO of Workplace NL.

Executive Council

The Honourable Dwight Ball, Premier of Newfoundland and Labrador, has joined Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his provincial and territorial counterparts in moving forward with the Pan-Canadian Framework on Clean Growth and Climate Change. Governments of Newfoundland and Labrador and Canada continue to collaborate to ensure that Newfoundland and Labrador’s climate change plan takes account of vulnerable groups, remote and isolated communities, as well as the concerns of consumers and the province’s business sector.

Transportation and Works

Beginning tomorrow (Saturday, December 10), the channel that allows access to the Placentia gut will be inaccessible for approximately one month to mariners who require the Placentia Lift Bridge to lift. This is due to the removal of the former lift bridge. The new bridge remains open to vehicle traffic.

Advanced Education, Skills and Labour

The Honourable Gerry Byrne, Minister of Advanced Education, Skills and Labour, will announce funding for the Transition House Association of Newfoundland and Labrador (THANL) on Monday, December 12. The funding will be used to provide province-wide training in Mental Health First Aid to individuals employed at transition houses.

Municipal Affairs

Christmas trees are a beloved holiday tradition for many families in Newfoundland and Labrador, but whether real or artificial, they also pose a significant fire risk.

Advanced Education, Skills and Labour

The Honourable Gerry Byrne, Minister of Advanced Education, Skills and Labour, was in Corner Brook today to announce over $980,000 in additional approvals under the Linkages program, bringing the total investment in the program to $2.4 million for 2016-17. The program provides funding to community organizations to help youth pursue their career and employment goals.

Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner

The Information and Privacy Commissioner, Donovan Molloy, has released his Report A-2016-027 and Report A-2016-028 under authority of the Access to Information and Protection of Privacy Act. A summary of the Reports is included below.

Service NL

An amendment to the Highway Traffic Act to allow for the registration and use of certain three-wheeled vehicles on the province’s roads received second reading in the House of Assembly on December 8. The amendment establishes criteria for the vehicles’ safe operation and will require them to meet all other registration requirements for motorized vehicles in the province.

Advanced Education, Skills and Labour

The Honourable Gerry Byrne, Minister of Advanced Education, Skills and Labour, will announce additional funding for the Linkages program tomorrow (Friday, December 9) at 11:00 a.m. at the YMCA of Western Newfoundland and Labrador, Humber Community, Studio 1, 2 Herald Avenue, Corner Brook.

Justice and Public Safety

During a ceremony today at Government House in St. John's, the Newfoundland and Labrador Human Rights Commission presented the 2016 Human Rights Award to Mark Gruchy.

Municipal Affairs

As Newfoundlanders and Labradorians prepare to celebrate the holiday season, the Provincial Government is reminding residents to take steps to protect their homes and loved ones from potential fire hazards.

Children, Seniors and Social Development

The Provincial Government is inviting applications for the Accessible Vehicle Funding Program, which helps individuals with disabilities have access to transportation.