Thursday Oct 16th

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
This is VOCM Open Line call seven oh nine two seven,
three fifty two eleven or one triple eight five ninety
eight six two six of using opinions of this programmer,
not necessarily those of this station. The biggest conversation in
Newfoundland and Labrador starts now Here's VOCM Open Line host

(00:23):
Paddy Daily.

Speaker 2 (00:23):
Well, all right and good morning to you. Thank you
so much for tuning into the program. It's Thursday, October
the sixteenth. This is open Line. I'm your host Patty Daily,
David Williams, He's produced the program. Let's get it going.
If you're in the same Johns Metro region. The number
of dial togu get in the Q and on the
air of seven zero nine two seven three five two
one one elsewhere a total free long distance one eight

(00:45):
eight eight five ninety VOCM, which is eighty six twenty six.
So you know, I'm digging in with the Toronto Blue
Jays big winning a must win last night in stle
in Game three thirteen four victory. I mean, baseball is
a weird game, is Dave Williams point it out. Couldn't
get a hit, couldn't do anything in games one and
two and explode last night, eight home runs hitting the

(01:05):
game five off Blue Jay bats and Seattle's Tea Mobile
Park is a big ballpark. It's hard hit one out
of that particular baseball field, but eight flew over the
fence last night. So trailing in the series two to one.
Back at it tonight, but it's a ten o'clock start.
It's going to kill me anyway. Viewership numbers are huge.
The Jays have one of the biggest fan bases in

(01:25):
Major League Baseball, so in Game one of the ALCS,
the average viewers combined ten point zero two million. The
breakdown five point three to one million Americans watched it,
four point seven one Canadians. Million Canadians watched it. So
people are digging the ball of the baseball and the
Blue Jays, all right. This is a fabulous look back
at World Series past fifty six years ago today. In

(01:47):
nineteen sixty nine, the miracle Mets won the World Series
and they were facing a heavily favored Baltimore Oriols team.
In the seven previous seasons, the Mets had never finished
higher than ninth place, routinely lost one hundred games, But
starting in May, the Mets delivered a record of eighty
two and thirty nine, one thirty eight of their last
forty nine games, finished eight games ahead of the Cubbies,

(02:08):
the second worst hitting team ever to win the World
Series in that half century. They did it with the pitching.
So let's see here Tom sever who won twenty five
games that year to win the Cy young also, a
young Nolan Ryan was on that team. They pitched twenty
eight shoutouts that year. Put for context, in the past
one hundred years, only one team talied more shoutouts than
the nineteen sixty nine Mets, and they beat the Oriols

(02:29):
the Miracle Mets pretty wild. All right, what's this scribbled?
Oh David, look's a good stat and he elects to
good Tony wins that. Here you go, Dave, this one's
for you. Listen to these four pitchers, John Smolts, Tom Glavin,
Greg Maddox and Pedro Martinez, all Hall of famers combined.
They struck out over twelve thousand hitters. They faced Tony
Win three hundred and thirty times, struck him out three times. Anyway,

(02:52):
all right, congratulations, Ben Witch and Quinn Norman, who played
for the New Fland Regiment. They're off the throwing over
scoti between the second and the eighth of November to
play Team Canada read at the World Under seventeen Challenge.
Only eight players from the queue made it to that
particular World Challenge, two of them from the regiment to
our boys, Ben Vich and Quinn Norman and Ryan Green.
Paradise native scored his very first NHL goal last night

(03:13):
for the Chicago Blackhawks and an eighty three victory. Congratulations
to Ryan. Okay, Let's move on. So while doom scroll
in social media last evening, I saw a dash cam
video of someone passing a school bus stopped, lights on,
stops on, deployed. My question would be, is not with

(03:34):
the school bus camera pilot project, which I think there's
only six or ten whatever school buses that are equipped
with this camera, have we actually picked anybody up on
that camera and issued a ticket. If so, I think
it'd be probably pretty helpful if when that happens, why
don't we hear a release for whether it be the
Department of Education or whatever the case would be. Because

(03:55):
people have to feel a little bit of financial fear
on top of the fear of hurting or killing a
school age child getting on or off the school bus.
But those videos just don't stop, and you have to
wonder what it's going to take. Are we going to
need to see a headline of a terrible injury or
a death before people just realize when the bus stops
and the lights are flashed and the stop sign is deployed,

(04:17):
traffic in both directions must stop. I can't believe we're
still seeing those videos. But anyway, he won't talk about it.
Let's go all right, sticking with education for a bit.
So we had Dale Lamb, who's the new president at
the NLTA, on the program during the campaign trail, let's
say a couple of weeks ago. They've talked about some
pretty significant things hopefully will change for the better for
not only teachers, but obviously for students and academic outcomes.

(04:41):
So working directly with the government, things like the obvious
class composition, class size, and yes, violence in schools. I
wonder where we are on that pathway to hiring four
hundred more professionals to work in the education system. Haven't
heard much of an update now here. We are in
the transition between the liberals and the PCs who formed
now have the right to form a majority government, So

(05:03):
where are we on that front? Then they talk about
teaching units. It's always been bizarre to me that you
hear someone who's a teacher and they've got point twenty
five here, point twenty five there. So they're floating amongst
four schools with a quarter worth of a salary and
more than that in responsibility. But that can't work for anybody.
It certainly can't work for the students with any kind

(05:23):
of continuity. It certainly can't work for the teachers necessarily.
So then it's of course the careful review of the
Educational Court. It's a crying shame that that important document
got knocked off the rail somewhat when there was the
revelation that there were fifteen fictitious sources cited in the
Educational Court, which is a real problem. There's lots of

(05:44):
important things discussed over the course of eighteen months between
the chairs Brook and Goodnow and everyone else who contributed,
But let's talk education here this morning, because again getting
it right there is probably a pretty big deal. It's
sticking with school somewhat skilled trades. We also heard from
Premier Designate Tony Wakem over the course of the campaign

(06:05):
talk about the skilled trades, you know, whether it be
putting the current skilled trades people to work on any
of the makeup projects, whether it be beta or otherwise.
But he also talked about putting skilled trades courses into
the high school curriculum. It was an elective or it
is an elective over about seventy five percent of the
high schools and the province. So mister wakem saying it
should be part of the core subject offerings not a

(06:28):
bad idea. I mean, actual hands on exposure may indeed
be that eye opener to a high school student who says, well,
you know what, maybe that is for me, because then
you juxtapose it with some of the other issues we're
talking about in the CAD twelve system. And this is
part of the educational court as well. Financial literacy pretty important.
The value of our dollar, how to manage your money

(06:49):
into the future is a bit of a lost art
in so far as critical thinking goes about the value
of money. Then is digital literacy, which of course is
starting to become more and more difficult. The most savvy
people out there to discern about what you're seeing, whether
it has any veracity, it's fake, it's real, it's accurate,
it's bull almost cursed, it's bs. So add to it entrepreneurship.

(07:13):
Not everyone is built to be an entrepreneur, but some
people who may indeed have the gumption and the wherewithal
and the ideas, maybe don't get exposed to the concept
until they've already plotted their course to be a nurse,
or to be an engineer, or to be what have you.
But entrepreneurs are a big driver of the economy in
this country, So maybe we just plant that seed as

(07:37):
junior high students are going through and high school students
are making their way through. You never knew, you never know.
We do a pretty good job here, lots of real
successful entrepreneurs, but adding more to the fault because they've
had their eyes open in their formative years. Maybe a
pretty good idea. But let's talk education here today, if
you're so inclined, all right, speaking of the skilled trades,

(07:58):
people will still wonder about possibilities for skilled trades workers
and others to be employed on the Churchill River. Okay,
this is not new, but it's maybe a little bit
of a different angle that Tony Wakem has now taken
on the upper Churchill memorandum of understanding for statters, and
I don't think he's wrong here, but let's talk about

(08:20):
whether or not this is actual reality. Quote from mister Wakem.
I want to take this out of the political arena
and put it back into the hands of experts to
take a look at what I know they will know.
I mean, take it out of the political arena. Maybe
heavily influenced because of the fact that we were going
to the polls. That horse is out of the barn,
that shit passailed. It is very much a political conversation

(08:43):
at this moment in time. Just look no further than
if you once again on social media, which is a
bit of an echo chamber and maybe not a fair
look at the reality of what people think in the
real world, but it is very highly politicized and unavoidably so.
It's just a name the beast. Which brings me on
to the binding referendum that mister Wickham's talking about, and

(09:05):
I think we should be talking about that here. I'm
not so sure if he's going to follow through on
it or backpedal on it and give it second thought.
I don't know what's going to happen. None of us
do necessarily, but he seems to be fully committed to it.
Considering the fact that it has been so wildly politicized,
is there an argument to be made for a referendum.

(09:26):
It's becoming less and less a good idea as time
goes on. I mean, just look at some of the
social media threads and again I acknowledge it's not necessarily
the real world or reflective of it. But most people
who are completely opposed it's for two reasons. It's the
Liberals and it's Quebec. These are emotional things. Now, there's
a good reason why there's a widespread distrust to Quebec

(09:49):
in this province, and fair enough if there's widespread distrust
in the Liberals in this province. But is that really
enough to form an opinion that would look at a
contract that extends into five six decades down the road
and what it might mean. I'm not suggesting it's perfect.
It's probably the furthest thing from So the Independent Review
is an excellent idea. Well we nudge up against now

(10:10):
is timing. Look, I'm with you. I think the Independent Review,
as set forward by Justice LeBlanc at the muskrat Falls Inquiry,
and it was clear, any capital expenditure and any type
of project in excess of fifty million dollars requires additional
scrutiny independently. So it is really a bit of a
cell phone when the Liberal Party made it one of

(10:31):
the lynch pins, if not the lynchpin, of their campaign
and it didn't work out for them, knowing all the
while that people remember that, people who remember muskrat Falls,
people remember the LeBlanc inquiry, and people remember that recommendation.
So the fact that they didn't proceed with that independent
review has made it a bigger problem from them than
it maybe could have been had they changed their tactics

(10:54):
or their course on that. And then when it is
part of the campaign, how can we walk it out
of the political arena? I mean, how can that even
be done?

Speaker 3 (11:02):
To me?

Speaker 2 (11:03):
It feels and sounds impossible, as much as it's an
excellent idea, because we're talking about contractional negotiations. Whether it
be you like Lego, you hate Lego, you like Hogan Fury,
or you dislike them, whatever the case may be is,
I think we've got to have a bit more of
a well rounded chat on that front. But if you
want to take it on we can do exactly that,

(11:24):
all right, and we can. Of course, we're only a
day removed from the election night results show, and yes
the PC's for twenty one seats, a majority government for
the Tories. I'm still finding it a little bit odd
how shocked some people are that this happened, you know,
ten years of liberals. It's kind of what we do.
You have a party in they arrived somewhere near or

(11:45):
pass the breast before date and people vote for change.
It's pretty natural occurrence here. So what the future holds, Look,
regardless of who you voted for, if you're happy or
sad about the results, we need effective governance and we
need some positive change to happen. The Tories bring it
remains to be seen. They're inheriting a pretty complicated world here,
so off with the majority fashion to that end, you know,

(12:09):
it really is something when you look at the map
and the reds and the blues. The Tories carried rural
for the most part, which brings forward some interesting juxtaposition
for some organizations and industries who are looking for whether
it be additional layer of consultation and arbitration and a
positive pathway forward like the FFAW Jamie Baker, the Secretary Treasurer,

(12:32):
was on the program yesterday with the laundry list of
what I'll just call requests or demands or to follow
up on campaign pledges made by mister Wakem. So again
it really does describe. We know the issues that are
facing the people in rural parts of the province, at
least I think we do. The best way for me
to fully understand it is when we hear from people

(12:54):
who actually live and work in rural Newfoundland. But given
how the Tories can thank the voting district in more
rural parts of the province, they absolutely what's the word,
We're almost going to say, beholden. But given the fact
that rural voters are largely responsible for the majority that
the PCs now enjoy, strict attention to what happens in

(13:16):
rural New Finland now is paramount. Given the fact that
the people have voted them in, They've got a list
of problems which I think many of us share. Sometimes
we exaggerate for the sake of the whole rural urban divide,
but life is different. The issues are different in rural
versus urban. Even though many of the things cost of living,

(13:36):
in healthcare, all those things we all share public safety
very similar vein even though public safety issues might be
heightened in more densely populated parts of the province. But
how will the PCs approach the rural issue specifically, the
trickiest one is going to be healthcare. Lots of promises
and pledges about incentives to be brought forward, and good

(13:58):
people need to access to primary care where they live
as best possible. So that pathway forward is going to
be tricky because just think about it, there is an
actual national meeting or congregation of the provinces and territorials
health ministers. So my initial question would be is who's
actually representing this province. Is Crystaline Howell there as the

(14:21):
most recent Minister of Health Community Services because we do
not currently have one in place, and who that might
be into the future representing the PCs, I don't know,
but you can only hope we have somebody there, whether
it be doctor Prirafrey or a deputy minister or somebody.
Because they're talking about some of the big issues facing
the entire country, primarily is trying to come up with
a national license for healthcare professionals. It's so long overdue.

(14:45):
I mean, just think about doctors and nurse practitioners and
LPNs and go right down through the entire gamage. They
live and work in the same country. There's no need
for all the territorial issues and territorial protective issues. How
many border to who would be classified as rural. If
a doctor in Saskatchewan can help out in Alberta or

(15:05):
in Manitoba without having to jump through hoops, the paperwork
and the frustration, that could really change the water and
the proverbial beans here, So a national license. They're also
talking about actual rural healthcare, which is going to be
an extraordinary challenge in the future. Also, they're asking the
questions out loud about why everybody hasn't hopped onto the

(15:27):
National Pharmacare program. These are pretty excellent questions. So I
would wonder out loud who is representing this province at
that critically important meeting up along. But again, when you
read or listen to commentary come from coast to coast
to coast, the healthcare concerns are largely the same. They

(15:47):
really truly are. But I would like so someone at
the government, especially in the Department of Health Community Services
or at NAL Health Services just for my curiosity, I'd
like to know who's actually there representing the province while
they entertained those conversations. Your thoughts have you doing on
the phone, Dave? So whether it be election related or
some of the big topics, you know, me happy and

(16:07):
willing and wanting to talk about whatever you want to
talk about. Plenty of reaction floating in regarding comments made
yesterday an email I referred to about insurance home insurance,
in particular in areas that are facing rebuild, the post
Fiona stories are coming in fast and furious. People are
sharing the exact same concerns or questions regarding their insurance companies,

(16:30):
the inability to get home insurance because there was a
gap insurance after your home was destroyed in a post
tropical storm, and in this case Fiona. I wonder how
many of those conversations would be similar for folks rebuilding,
who though some two hundred and three structures that were
lost in CBN as a result of the Kingston fire.
So the Tories also have their hands full there trying

(16:52):
to see what the future holds for all these people
who are still living in lives of concern and anguish
and anxiety. And financial uncertainty. Is anyone in the Kingston
or part of me the CBN area on the north
Shore that wants to bring it forward? Your specifics are
more important than mine, all right?

Speaker 4 (17:11):
Oh?

Speaker 2 (17:11):
Last one? So enrollment numbers at month ooh not good.
Let's take it them a little bit. Just over seventeen
thousand students enrolled at month this fall, but enrollments overall
at the institution has declined by four point six percent
when compared to the fall of twenty twenty four. Okay,
Undergraduate students drop by three point two percent. Graduate student

(17:32):
enrollment drop by nine point seven percent. The university is
pointing at the decrease the number of international students to
climb by twenty three point five percent year over year.
A lot of that to do with the cap on
international students and student visas at the federal government level,
even though I thought we had remained pretty much unscathed
with any reduction on that front. Domestic enrollment is up,

(17:55):
that's a good thing. So it's up about two percent.
A couple of questions would be is look the role
of Memorial University in all post secondary into the future
economically societaly is obviously important but think about it. On
the revenue side, mon has already tried and find pretty
significant savings. And one of the streams of revenue, of

(18:15):
course is tuition and fees, especially international students which pay
a pretty hefty tuition to enroll and to study at
Memorial University. I wonder what that means for their revenue
shortcomings and operating expenditures which continue to increase year over year,
whether you include maintenance or preventative maintenance, or the infrastructure

(18:37):
deficit that they're only dealing with into the tune of
hundreds of millions of dollars. So MONE enrollment down, but
maybe some encouragement under the domestic enrollment up slightly two
percent year over year. Last one, condolences to the friends
and family of Tom O'Brien. Tom O'Brien served three terms
on counselor Stephenville three terms as mayor, and my condolences

(18:59):
to all involved. Well, what's interesting when I think about
a conversation we've had with the then Mayor O'Brien is
he was way out in front of sound of the
alarms about the future of the Stephenville Airport and lo
and behold, obviously he was one hundred percent right in
the concerns that he shared about the future of that airport.

(19:20):
And now we all know the saga that's unfolded since
with the Diamond Group stuff and all the lofty promises
and of course zero delivery onset promises for about condolences
to the friends, family and business relations of Tom O'Brien.
I think he passed away on his birthday. Terrible story
from Twitter where viosim of Polan follow us their email
addresses open LINEAFIOCM dot com. When we come back, Let's

(19:41):
have a great show that only works one way. If
you're in the queue to talk about whatever's on your mind,
don't go away. Welcome back to the show. Let's go
line number one. Darren, you're on the air.

Speaker 5 (19:51):
Yeah, I'm calling back again. I called a few weeks ago,
actually back in the summer about the heat pump program.
I've switched over to the heat pump from the oil
furnace that I used to have, and I was saying
that my heat pump was installed incorrectly. Since then, I've

(20:13):
had an inspector come out, the electrical inspector come out
my house and found out that there was a bunch
of electrical issues, the wrong size breaker was used, wrong
size wiring was used, no disconnecting my basement, and then
a couple of smaller issues as well, like a label
not labeled properly and another small issue. But the electrician

(20:35):
that was used by this company has now been suspended
because he had been operating under with a fraudulent license
in our area. And this company has installed a whole
bunch of heat pumps in this area, in the Bayvert
Green Bay area. And now I'm concerning that people are

(20:59):
using these heat pumps with like I said, undersized wiring
and undersized breakers. There's a fire concern on you know
that you know, people you know could be using these
heat pumps and causing fire issues or hazards. And so
I've spoken to quite a few people. I even had

(21:20):
the opportunity to speak to Premier Hogan mentioning that the
government program has no checks and balances in place to
make sure that these companies had installed heat pumps properly.
They go ahead and take the word of the contractor
saying that they were installed correctly, when a lot of
heat pumps were noted properly. Other issues that I have

(21:44):
with my heat pump installed was they didn't put it
on a ducted box and didn't tie it back into
my air returns for the upstairs of my house. My
heat pump is a disaster, and there are numerous people
in the area with the same issues. My concern now
is that and I've been told by the Take Charge

(22:07):
NL program and by Newcomland Hydro that neither want to
take any responsibility in my problems or the other anybody
else's problems. The thing is, the Take Charge program has
a list of contractors on their website, which gives you

(22:30):
a false sense of security in hiring the company because
they tell you you have to use their list of
contractors to go ahead with the install because they've been
certified or verified by the companies to have the proper credentials.
And now they say they don't want to hold any

(22:53):
responsibility and they just completely pay out. If I have
a contract that works in my house and I'm not
happy with the work, I would withhold some payments until
the dispute can be resolved. But when they completely pay out,
it gives me the customer absolutely no leverage against the contractor.

(23:17):
So and there's numerous people in this area that have
these situations, these problems going on, and there needs to
be something done to help people because some people have
no other heat source now other than their heat pump.

(23:37):
What's going to happen if somebody's house does catch on
fire or there is electrical issues. There could be some
serious problems here.

Speaker 2 (23:47):
Yeah, the process obviously doesn't work as intended. So are
you suggesting that if it's a government related program, that
the government player role in things like inspection during rough in,
inspection upon complete. Because for me, if I'm going to
buy a heat pump or whatever from a company directly,
I want them to take some responsibility here. I want

(24:08):
them to understand who I'm dealing with as an electrician
or someone who's going to install the unit, and then
I want them to come by to ensure because they've
already walked me through the process. They've sold me a
piece of equipment, they've helped me identify all the rebates
and subsidy pots of money. But I want them to
come over and do the final inspection to make sure
that everything is done the way they needed to be
done because their reputation eventually will be on the line.

(24:30):
So for me, it's a company thing. You think it's
a government thing or what are your thoughts there?

Speaker 5 (24:34):
Well, the problem was saying that it's a company thing,
which I agree it is a company thing, but you
you have no leverage, like I said, once the government
pays out the entire program. So the government forces you
to tell you that you can only use a list
of installers off or off of their list.

Speaker 2 (24:56):
I understand you can't.

Speaker 5 (24:58):
You can't use your own co company. So a lot
of people don't realize also that there are these issues
with their heat pumps, Like not everybody's trained to know
that they actually have a problem in their house. They're
just assuming that once these guys have installed the heat

(25:18):
pump and it will turn on and off and run.
But they don't know that there's undersized wiring or undersized
breakers in their house unless they call the inspector and
have an electrical inspector come to their house. But a
code one certified electrician can sign off on their own
work and don't have to have any of their inspectors

(25:42):
come out. So yes, if you're getting a kitchen or
renovation and you're not happy with the way the cupboards
are installed or the tiles on your floor already start moving. Yes,
you can see that, and you understand it and know it.
But McCay anical issues like this, most people don't or

(26:03):
wouldn't recognize that there is a problem because you're you're
using a contractor that's signed off on a government list.
So the responsibility should be there at their end as well,
because they're the ones also paying out the money to
people that qualified for the whole rebate in Newfoundland.

Speaker 2 (26:28):
Yeah, I'm just trying to think while we speak here
this morning. Again, like if I was going to and
I'm not going to name any particular company that sells
heat pumps or mini splits or electric furnaces, what have you,
but I'll go buy one. They'll look. I've advised people
over the course of the last number of years is
get the company to do the work for you, identifying
pots for rebates of what have you sell you the unit.

(26:52):
Make sure you call your insurance company to tell them
what you're doing, to make sure you don't compromise your
insurance period. But then I'm going to really want them
signing on the dotted line and taking the unit upon delivery.
I want them to tell me not only am I
going to use a list of approved contractors electricians otherwise.
But if they understand all the working features of getting

(27:12):
that heat pumping sall properly, I want them to come
back at the end and sign off. Not the electrician
to sign off on his or her own work. I
want the company to understand the process and come back
and tell me, oh, no, no, no, you got to get
them back in to do this, or you got to
get her back in to do that. I need them
to play that role because if we leave at the government,
we'll be waiting a month of Sundays for the final
sign off before you can flip the switch and turn

(27:33):
on your heat pump. So that's why I would ask
for the company that I deal with directly.

Speaker 5 (27:37):
And I've done that and the company's just abandoned me.
They've cut my phone number off because they know they're
actually doing terrible work. So they're just trying to scam
the government by taking as much money as they can
with doing as little work as possible and not doing

(27:58):
the job properly. Know what they're doing. This company knows
what they're doing wrong. Like I said, it's not just
the electrical side of it. They didn't do any of
the Dutch work that was involved in finishing the job.
So it's not just an electrician, it's the entire job.
So this contractor has actually abandoned me, and the fact

(28:20):
that I can't get them to even return calls anymore
when I asked them to come back and do the
work that was supposed to be done. So it's not
just a contractor issue.

Speaker 2 (28:31):
Yeah, no, fair enough, you're the one living it, and
I understand where you're coming from. You know. On top
of that, when all of these rebates came to pass,
provincial programs, federal programs, all of a sudden, I just
picked round numbers all of a sudden. A unit that
cost you two thousand dollars was, all of a sudden
thirty seven fifty. So, yes, the companies maybe played footloose
of fancy free with profit marriages and maybe didn't stick

(28:53):
to their guns enough to have quality work done representing
the units that they sold you. This is obviously a
terrible situation.

Speaker 5 (29:00):
Yeah, And like I said, I'm I'm I'm fortunate that
I do have a little bit of other heat in
my house. But there's going to be people that are
in the same situation. Because I've already heard of lots
of people in our area that this is their only
heat source now and we'll be using it all winter,

(29:20):
and there's no there's no money left for them. They've
been left without a proper working heating unit. They had
a perfectly working, good oil furnace before, but now they
may not even know that they're they're at risk of
burning their house down. So that's why I said, the

(29:41):
government does have to help these people out. Because people
switched over because they didn't have the funds to change
to a heat pump. They decided to change over because
of the rebate program.

Speaker 2 (29:55):
I get it. So because the government does play some
sort of role here, maybe a good place to lodge
a form of complaint and maybe get some result positive resolution.
Here is service and l is consumer affairs here in
this province. And you can probably make a particular argument
about how you're encouraged based on government incentive and government's
own comments about making that shift that to ensure gets

(30:18):
done right. What role they might play. I'd even phrase
it like that is, are you telling me that you
bear no responsibility here? And see what they come back
with as opposed to I want you our money, just
get him to put it in writing an email response
or otherwise exactly about what role do you think you
play here? And I think that'd be a curious way
to start the conversation.

Speaker 5 (30:37):
Well, everybody that I have talked to says they take
no responsibility in it. I've talked to the government, I've
talked to new Command Hydro, I've talked to the Premier.
Now the Premier didn't say that he holds in the responsibility.
He says that he doesn't there didn't know that there

(30:59):
was no X some balances in place on the customer side.
So but I have talked to almost everybody that I can.

Speaker 2 (31:10):
Well, if I come up with any further ideas, Darren,
I have your number, and I'll be happy to get
back to you. I know someone who works in that
industry and I'll put it to them and see if
there's some sort of suggestion or some sort of advice
that maybe will be helpful and rectifying this. And if
I get you something positive, I'll be sure to get
back to you. Yeah, I appreciate your time. Stay in touch, Darren,

(31:31):
let me know if you come up with anything.

Speaker 5 (31:32):
All Right, thank you so much.

Speaker 2 (31:33):
You're welcome. Bye bye. Yeah, I mean it was pretty predictable.
Is that when there's a government incentive for one thing
or another, all of a sudden, the value of that
or the price of that product I should say, not value.
The price of that product is all of a sudden,
out of nowhere more expensive. Well do you know, let's
take a break, don't go away, Welcome back to the show.

(31:56):
Let's go to LNE number two. Good morning, Rob's strong
around the air.

Speaker 6 (32:00):
Good morning, Patty.

Speaker 2 (32:01):
How are you doing very well? Thanks? How about you?

Speaker 6 (32:03):
Oh good good? Yeah, fun surviving and interpret the recent
election and the results of the change of government and
it's potentially impact upon after oil and more specifically on
beta or. I think everybody knows there seems to be
a a disagreement, a riff, a something between of course,

(32:26):
what trades in l we're expecting the way of top
side fabrication and what Equinor are talking about. So my
message to all parties, not that anybody's going to listen
to me, but my message to all parties is we've
got to find a way to make this happen. We've
got to find a way to bridge the gap. If

(32:47):
Equinor is saying that we're not doing any top sides,
and yet the trades NL, who have a lot of
respect for are saying we want seventy five percent of
the top sides. There's got to be a happy medium
somewhere in between, and I think there's probably a role
for government. I know the incoming premier has said that

(33:08):
they want to maximize the content to local content for
Newfoundland on top sides fabrication. Uh So, it's it's it's
a bit frightening that because we desperately need that project.
I mean, people don't realize that, you know, Beta Nord
really is besides being one part of an overall field

(33:29):
called Beta Nord, but you know there are five separate
fields in the Beta Nord development Capeiden and Missan and
Baccalou and Harpoon, and collectively they probably contain over a
billion barrels of oil. Now we know Equinor is planning
if the project gets fit fitted, if there's such a

(33:51):
word as fitted financial investment decision, they want to start
off with two of the fields and then gradually move
and develop the rest of it. So that would involve
My guess is you know you're talking it's probably sixty
seventy wells and you know seventy wells. Is there's a
lot of drilling activity when you consider we've probably only
drilled a couple of hundred wells all in offshore in Newfoundland.

(34:15):
So that's how important it is. I can, I can.
I can understand trades and L position. They certainly don't
want to see uh off all officer fabrication go internationally.
Uh you know, they're they're they're they're They've got a
great pool of skilled workers and there's a there's not
a great employment situation right now. So you can understand

(34:38):
how trades and l feel, but you can also understand
how Equinor feel. You know, Equinor has A has operations
going on all over the world. Just today, for instance,
they they an officer field called back of Lao in
Brazil just came on stream, and they're working in West Africa.

(34:59):
I think they're now working in Sir and m and
obviously they're working in the North Sea. So they have
to balance this project i e. Made an ord against
other projects and have to make it work. So how
do they how do they accomplish that? Well, I think
they've got to sit down at the table and certainly
there's a role for government here, be it the provincial

(35:20):
government or the government of Canada. Some people have suggested
that a government of Canada might introduce some sort of
patrollingum incentive program or accelerated taxation write offs or redoption
of the emissions cap. But it's I can't stress how
important it is for the oil and gas industry to
make this project happen. And I certainly hope that this

(35:43):
new government is is going to sit down with Trades
n L and others by the way, because not everybody,
you know, there are other companies that are not members
or host workers, are not prior to Trades NL. Just important,
you know, I'm thinking of in this case, not the
not the not the welders and the pipe fitters, and

(36:03):
that the trades. And I'm also thinking about, you know,
the guys that fly the helicopters, the guys that run
the supply boats back and forth to the caterers, theky
the the full range of crew on these rigs. So
my message to the new premier and his government is
call up, call up Trades in L, and call up

(36:25):
equinor and stead at the table and let's see if
we can't resolve the differences to maybe have some give
and take from both sides, but it's important for New
Finland to see that happen.

Speaker 2 (36:36):
So a couple of things, So federal government's involvement, I
would be wholly surprised if there's anything beyond some attention
to things like the admissions cap that is in place.
Financial incentives from the federal government seems highly unlikely to me,
given even you know, unless there's some sort of capitulations
to the Province of Alberta. I mean, even though they

(36:56):
are talking about this mythical pipeline with no company that
wants to build it, you know, between or part of
me regulatory certainty and the missions cap, that might be
the only thing that the Feds get involved with necessarily speaking.
And on jobs. Look, I understand entirely where Bob Fiander
or Trades and Ella is coming from. I also understand
where Tony Wakem is coming from. But Equinor is listening.

(37:17):
They're following along. It's not like they're immune to this
provincial election. Why because their big significant find is off
our shores. So if Trades and El say they want
seventy seventy five percent of the top size work to
be done here, they give an endorsement of Tony Wakem.
He talks about maximizing value on shore. We're also thinking
about a company called Equinor that made a financial decision deposit.

(37:38):
So these types of comments, they do matter, and they
will influence any sit down to negotiate a benefits agreement.
So I'm not saying Fiander or Wakem are wrong, because
that's what they believe. But we also have to consider
how you message this stuff. If you say something along
the lines of we will try to get every single
job possible here versus put a number like seventy five

(37:59):
percent on it. I mean, how receptorm is equiinor to that,
I can tell it they're not because they got so.

Speaker 6 (38:05):
But you know, in negotiations, you always start off as
your highest highest price, and you got to look at capacity.
If you look at the configuration for the FPSO top
sides from what I've seen and I sent you a
copy of it, from what I've seen from the schematic
or the drawing that BW who's the contractor, has produced
their time about five or six big modules. Well, you

(38:27):
know bull Arms Fabrication Hall can probably do two modules,
maybe Mary's Town can do one. So where the where
what other capacity is there a new from Land. I mean,
people say, why can't we build an our Gentia? Well,
Urgentia is not a steel fabrication site. Who's a site
to build a concrete structure? So we probably don't have

(38:48):
the capacity to do seventy five percent here. As far
as we certainly have the manpower of capacity, no, there's
no problems finding that, you know, qualified workers. But do
we have the physical capacity to build seventy five percent
of the top such I don't know. But as I say,
this is important, and it's so important in Newfoundland and
Labrador that that of course you you mentioned the emissions cap,

(39:12):
which is critical to not only Beta Nord but critical
do any future development. But if we don't have the
capacity and we have to try to meet a schedule
because operators want to get the oil out of the
ground as quickly as possible, So where we I mean,
if we're not talking to each other, we're not getting anywhere.
So there's got to be a way We've got you know,

(39:34):
they've got to find a way to make it happen. Patty,
it's it's too important, it's too new Foundland.

Speaker 2 (39:40):
Last one for me is look having your putting your
most demanding foot forward in negotiation pretty standard, fair and
having something in the back of your mind about where
you're willing to settle. Those things are done quietly, though.
There's a difference in putting it out in an election
campaign versus taking an approach when you close the doors
on the eighth floor the Confederation Building. So that's where

(40:02):
I think maybe, you know, thinking through the message, you know,
it may indeed encourage people to vote for you, but
it might weaken your hand to go sit down with
the actual person or company and need to negotiate with.
So that's my only point there is, you know, you
keep your cards close to the chest or the best.

Speaker 6 (40:17):
Again, it's a poker game, you know, expose your hand
right up front, you save it for the end sort
of things. So let's hope we're going to reach that
in That's that's my message.

Speaker 2 (40:26):
I appreciate your time this morning, Rob, thanks for doing it.

Speaker 6 (40:29):
Okay, Patty, take care you too, Bye bye bye bye.

Speaker 2 (40:32):
Let's see here, let's take a break. There's a caller
in the Q named Paul. He wants to respond to
Darren who had the issue with the heat pump. Don't
go away, welcome back to the show. Let's go to
line five. Paul, you're on the air.

Speaker 7 (40:42):
Yeah, I just wanted to a comment about te pumps
where people put the heat pump in and get rid
of there. All kinds today, yep. And when I was
living in Toronto, there was Consumer's gas. If you change
the gas and give it to give it a good
price on your all furnase. Right, So we had a
lot of fly by night there and you're taking the

(41:03):
turners out, given the guy natural gas for heat, and
he take the tank out and he saw the plates
out in the basement and forget to tell you your
company that they're gone to heat pomp and what happened
Then we got out of make deliveries. Well that's what happens.
All company goes there, come on in your basement for.

Speaker 2 (41:25):
You that shouldn't be laughing at access. Devastating and expensive
to clean up.

Speaker 7 (41:31):
And it happened at a lot of times in in
in front of where I lived dead and he would
you wouldn't bring the mess. And there was one guy
he was sleeping in the basement and the camera and
they came out and he would soak. You know, all
something went there and didn't know that it changed over
and he got so and there was a lot of.

Speaker 5 (41:52):
Lots for.

Speaker 2 (41:54):
I've never heard a story like that. I suppose it
certainly can happen. So if you ever do your oil
tank removed, probably a good idea is to have the
oil company remove it. Uh. And if they don't make
sure that they know that you're no longer needing a
delivery of oil before it ends up flooding your basement.
Just imagine that mess and the cleanup. I mean, if

(42:15):
you spill a spoonful of home heating oil in the
backyard or a spoonful of gasoline, if you're forced to
clean it up, it can be extraordinarily expensive. So that's
a really strange tale, and a cautionary one at that.

Speaker 7 (42:27):
I suppose, yeah, because the old comics wouldn't have nothing
to do with it.

Speaker 5 (42:31):
If you're a.

Speaker 7 (42:32):
Change, if you've got a contract when you're doing all
the work and you've got a fly by night coming
in there and not doing a proper job in the
vent pipe with outside and the fill pipe is outside
and then the sangle.

Speaker 2 (42:45):
Yeah, well you put a permanent cap on the outside, uh,
and inside it they handle it differently. I've seen it
in action in the passport. It's a good story to
tell so that if anybody listening is moving away from
oil and the tank has to come out of the house,
make sure that everybody can need to know the tank
is not in the home anymore. Does exactly what this
needs to be done. That's a strange story, but I'm

(43:05):
glad you told it.

Speaker 7 (43:07):
But it doesn't take mark to move the bend pipe.

Speaker 8 (43:09):
And it's doesn't being on the lady side. You just
saw it off inside lead to a pipe and good
fight benside, So look like you're on oil.

Speaker 2 (43:23):
Yeah, there are some decent reasons why you needn't do
the outside there end. We don't need to get into
it right now, but Paul, it's a story that I'm
sure will some people will listen to and say, uh oh,
I don't know if I can expect an oil delivery
to my basement floor this afternoon. So thanks for doing
it this morning. Thank you, Paul.

Speaker 5 (43:39):
Okay, bye bye bye.

Speaker 2 (43:41):
Imagine that happening. Oh my god. Anyway, before we get
to the news called on lin number two, SA, good
morning to pan Paris is re elected as the Member
of the House of Assembly for harber Grey's port to Grave.
Good morning, Pam, you're on the air.

Speaker 9 (43:53):
Good morning Penny, and good morning to your listeners. It's
a beautiful follow morning out here. But I just wanted
to call in and take thank you again to my
constituents for re electing me. This is my fourth general
election now it feels a quite.

Speaker 3 (44:06):
A long time.

Speaker 9 (44:06):
It's twenty fifteen is when I was first elected. But
I just wanted to say thank you to all the support.
And it's been a long month, as you can appreciate
on the campaign trail, noting as many doors as we
possibly can, but I'm hearing a lot of good feedback
from people and the concerns people have, and just you know,
ready to get back at it. Obviously in a different

(44:27):
role because I've been in government ever since I've been elected,
but as we know, we are now in the official opposition,
and so I'll be going in there with a different
role and I look forward to embracing that new challenge.

Speaker 2 (44:39):
I know the priorty has to you know, take a breath, regroup, rebuild,
post mortem and what have you. But I don't think
it's unfair to ask a re elected Liberal member of
the House of assembly as to what they think went
wrong here, because something did go wrong. I had my ideas.
How about you?

Speaker 9 (44:58):
Yeah, I think from what I've just that I've heard
is people wanted more information. We're and we're concerned about
the Molu process. That's what I That's what I heard
here in Harber Graves portograph. I mean, yes, people, healthcare
is huge. That was that was a big concern from
many people, and rightfully so, as we know, healthcare is
at a pivoting point. It needs to change. We're operating

(45:20):
from a model from from decades ago. But that said,
the Health Accord, we've undergone the Health Accord, as we know,
recommendations have started to be implemented. Pat Paraphrey of course
leading that. But it's going to take some time. But
that said, we know change is definitely needed, and it's
not unique to me from Land of level Door. We
know this is happening across the entire country. So healthcare,

(45:41):
cost of living, We're seeing a global cost of living crisis.
A lot of people are hurting, a lot of people
are struggling, and I mean even people who are making
good wages, good livings are also finding it difficult. So
it was a number of these things. But as we know,
we do have a historic deal before us. We do
know Quebec is in a position they're in a great
need for power. They need it now. We know multiple

(46:03):
premiers of the past have tried to crack open that deal.
The door was shut in their face by Quebec. But
now Quebec's coming to the table where you know, they
need the power and they're looking. They want they're anxious
to develop Go Island. We have the assets, as we know,
but we're not just going to let that happen. Obviously,
we want to rectify the wrongs of nineteen sixty nine
and people of the province want to make sure that

(46:26):
they're getting the absolute best deal for that. And then
we I guess we're all on that same page. We
want to extract the best and protect our province with
regard to escalating clauses that should be in this the
sixty forty by with Quebec taking on all the risks
of the mega projects. People want to work home here
in Newfoundland Labrador and those jobs need to go to
Newfoudlanders and labador Ins first and foremost. So there's lots

(46:48):
of great concerns, but you know what I'm looking forward to.
Mister wakem made a lot of promises, and I'm going
into the role as a critic as opposed to defending
government or a minister for government. And I look forward
to that great dialogue because there was a lot of
things what the problems had made out to newfom Landers
and Laboratorians, and so I look forward to those debates
and to see how they're going to deliver on that.

(47:10):
I mean, he actually went as far as to say,
I'll have a referendum on this, and so we'll see
what happens going forward about this discussion, because it's certainly.

Speaker 2 (47:17):
Not over what we Absolutely I don't know what the
future holds. But if you say people wanted more information
and to guarantee the very best deal is in hand,
would you characterize a mistake not to immediately abide by
the little Blah inquiry recommendation to send this for an
independent oversight review, someone that's independent from a political appointees.

Speaker 9 (47:36):
Yeah, and I will take you back. And then I'm
sure you tuned into the special debate that Premier theory
you know, had had occur on the House of the
flour of the House of the family in January with
the experts in from JP Morgan who were the expert
negotiators on that deal. But that's the people want to hear.
People want to hear more from Hydro. I mean, I
applied Jennifer Williams. She took the time a couple of

(47:57):
times to have a good conversation with you on open line.
But again I encouraged the public get involved, get involved
in the conversation. The MoU is out there, it's available
for people to read. It's a long read and you
would know Patty, but be become engaged, learn the facts,
get out there, ask the questions and be involved. Reforms
are available town halls. Even so, and again given the stands,

(48:22):
I will remind people when we had this debate, it's
a non binding, non binding MoU process that's happening. There
is no deal. These talks will continue until April of
twenty twenty six, and that when that debate happened in
the House of Assembly, that was simply a debate to
go forward to continue these talks. But what I will say,
and what was disappointing as an MHA is to see

(48:45):
that Tony wakem got up and walked through the House
of Assembly when it was time to take a stand
to vote him and his cock. If they left the building,
literally they did not take a stand, whether they agreed
with it, whether they didn't agree with it, or whether
what or what they got up they left, they did
not exercise their demic credit right. So every constituent represented
by Amaja to walk out of the House that they
did not have a voice. I applaud the MVP. I

(49:07):
applaud the independence. They took a stand, they took a vote,
and that's what it's about. It's not about walking out.
You're elected here to do a job in the House
of Assembly and everybody should exercise that right on behalf
of their constituents. I always say when I stand to
talk in the House of Assembly, it's not about my
opinion only. I represent thousands of people. I'm representing them.
I'm representing their concerns and I expect nothing less from

(49:30):
every member who takes that oath. And we're all going
to be sworn in to take our oath. So again
I look forward to this. I'm a journalist prior to
this life in politics, as you know, my job was
to ask questions and to get the facts out there
and believe you me as an opposition member, I have
full intent. I'm doing this for the people that province,
not just in my district, but the entire new Foulant Labrador.

Speaker 2 (49:50):
I appreciate your time, congratulations on your reelections.

Speaker 10 (49:52):
Thank you, Pam, thank you, Patty.

Speaker 2 (49:54):
Welcome, Bye bye, let's see, let's get break it for
the news. Don't go awhile, look back, let's go Len
number one, Kevin, you're on the air.

Speaker 11 (50:04):
Yes, good morning, good morning. Yes. First off, I want
to say that I'm definitely not a Partison person my brand.
In my lifetime, I ran for the Liberals camp campaign
manager for the MVP, and in this way it can
been a tradeing member. I support to Tony Wakem and

(50:27):
what he offered us. As a matter of fact, our
Liberal leader didn't even have the common decency to come
to our annual meeting. I mean that's fourteen fourteen thousand
plus members and their families everything else, so I guess
probably had that possible sixty thousand boats. Didn't really mean
to be good to him, you know, and I'm refleshed

(50:48):
and he's probably a little bit behind eight ball right now.
But anyway, that's for not Urt. But yesterday morning, your
first college yesterday morning. You know, he was a person
of this Steele her stuff like that. And I mean
to I think at least three three of these sessions
with Alkhoor and stuff like that. And you know, there's

(51:11):
too much not in this m ou for us just
you know, rubber stamma, not at all. It's unbelievable that
any person in no flank could actually even think about this.

Speaker 5 (51:27):
Whatever we do.

Speaker 11 (51:28):
And I mean my business is only wait in the
same way probably five or six different times, and you know,
something on different press releases and everything else, and his
view on right now, we just said that we need
we don't need an independent study. And that's why he
walked out of the house because he did not have
the information he needed to make a decision. And and

(51:52):
the large you can Dad, is to walk away from
you know.

Speaker 2 (51:55):
But that's how that vote was about. That vote is
simply about whether or not to have one or this
layer of review. It wasn't about whether or not to
rubber stamping and just move on.

Speaker 11 (52:06):
No, no, I never said that at that time. But
that boat had nothing, absolutely nothing to do with that.
The vote was for an individent review. That was ten
months ago. That indivental review could be done, and it
could be you know, it could be filed, could be intermediate,
and you know, and we should be talking about it.

(52:29):
And maybe the deal is probably the best deal that
we'll ever see in these problems. But you know, like
I said, that your first color the other day and
another color down the line, I mean, shows exactly what's
wrong with that new and politics and the parisonship that
that's gone on these problems. You know, the gentleman, the idea,

(52:51):
it was only you wanted to stay in noose and
all this stuff, and this is the best deal. But
is he putting he's to stay in noose the head
of the people and go for land. We accept, We
just accept them this need again for no real reason
other than a few jobs and stuff like that. You know,

(53:12):
they have to be better ways to look at this
to do. You know, the numbers don't really pan if
you look at them, and you know they had to
be something better. We've got to be something better than that.
It's fifty years and anybody in your great mind, you know,

(53:33):
most people learn something thirty years on the mortgage, your mind,
fifty years on the project that you know, work billions
and billions of dollars. Now they're toping four hundred billion
dollars and we're not going to have an independent review.
I don't think that could happen anywhere else in the
world right here, you know, and it's fantastic that it

(53:53):
would even be put on the table. And certainly glad
you know that the election did come out of the
way that it is because if nothing else other than
the fact that we do need that independent and we don't.
We don't need to put no fland the first we
got to get away from this parts and politics, you know,
like I said, but yesterday, you know, with all our liberals,

(54:16):
it wasn't about with the people, the actual people of
this province. And that's what's wrong with this problems that
we don't think of the people first. You know, it's
my parody and that'sh my god, it's time to grow
up and this province will be honest with you. They
don't little world down where with their accident. A couple
of few colors that.

Speaker 3 (54:35):
You got, Tony, do.

Speaker 11 (54:38):
Another one that exally you know, help them to describe
those flanks. I mean, you know, you take that same
situation Pat that and it would be seized on the
other side instead of the liberals this time, and they
were coming in with this mo oo, what would Tonys
have to say about that? Then it would the best

(55:00):
teams in slave spread. My god, there's something seriously seriously
wrong with this attitude in our province and the people
need to wake up and get on board and start
looking after people in the drops and then the earth.
This morning you had another dement in there that the
figures we said sell off made an art project for

(55:23):
for a few helicopter drops in a couple of levels.
You know, the feeders attitude within no for Land is unbelievable.
We always seems to be just settling, and that's it.
You know, we can't push ourselves forward because you know,

(55:43):
I don't know if we're not worldly. I was here
in sixty nine when they did the first deal in Certophiles,
and I would safely say then, you know, we weren't
worldly enough to even be involved in that deal because
we didn't have any expertise whatsoever. But that's not the
case today. The case today that there's all a kinds
of people there and we can find the experts to

(56:05):
do this stuff right. I mean, you know, the top
must faults. The Probert the biggest, biggest found faults and
I never agree with it. You go back to the
transcripts to two thy eleven. I said that I didn't
think could it was the best cost action. But just
for now all the over run to Danny Winnings once

(56:27):
that was the sign. Everything else it was. It was
now core engineer, superintendents and manager that screwed up that project.
It wasn't no more than there every test, and I
worked on every test. There had to be done three times.
You know, it was all suchteen you do it right
the first time, they tell you wrong, then you do

(56:49):
it the way they wanted. Then they tell you that's wrong,
then you go back to the first time. That's the
way that wins.

Speaker 2 (56:54):
Very true, you know, well some of that happened when
we hired a company with no experience in that those conditions,
harsh conditions that present themselves in Labrador so ASTALLEDI I mean,
that was just one of the steps that we can
call or characterized missteps. Now that led to obliteration of schedule,
obliteration of budget. So you can add that to the pile.
And one of the biggest problems with muskriders. We were

(57:15):
the customer. We were the only customer, which is a
hard way to handcuff yourself.

Speaker 11 (57:21):
Yes, it is, and you know, and I primally believe
I believe in that. But the same thing is, it
wasn't just a condition to it that project. There was
never any delays for weather or in like that. I
was there the whole time man, that there was no
I mean, can you imagine when you build down a
building to build a power herosine that's too small. So

(57:45):
that's not let me do with the weather. That's an
engineering issue.

Speaker 2 (57:48):
Yeah, But I was more meaning experiencing this arena, experiencing
these conditions, experience with that type of winter experience for
the hydro developments.

Speaker 12 (57:56):
Yeah, yeah, it is.

Speaker 11 (57:59):
Everything is and you know our friend there with all
you know, we don't have the space to build out
of these modules for uh for made noise my god
as he ever woke up as you as you go
route passed over past. We got a lane the faragiy

(58:20):
didn't see and shower line second to none in the world.
And we can build a mean here that possibly During
years we've helped get the feeders attitude way back when
you know the Atlantic Accord, you know this conditions in
there that we should be following and stuff like that,
but we're not. You know, we always seem to settle

(58:42):
for a few dollars here and stuff like that. Can
you imagine that the coppers of New from Land had
all the income tax for every module to was built
for our offshore of children's progress, you know the exact
amount of money that that would be into this province.
You it said when we settle for self like you,

(59:05):
I find hard to believe we could read the answer.

Speaker 2 (59:09):
There's a lot to what you're talking about here this morning, Kevin. Look,
the MoU I got no problem with an independent review.
From day one. There was references on this program from
me and others about the LeBlanc inquiry. And I don't
know why we wouldn't reference something that cost us tens
of millions of dollars about billions of dollars worth of
boondoggle and be very very cautious with the next steps.

(59:29):
And for the liberal it's a bit of a self
inflected wound here, I would suggest, but I think it
would also be helpful. Look, we've heard analysis from a
variety of people on this program and in the public sphere.
But for mister Wakem, I think it would probably be
important if he could let us know exactly the concerns
he has with the MoU as opposed to this needs
an independent review, which is a bit of a catch all,

(59:50):
you know, And we really do need to know exactly
what we're going to ask somebody. Now. People keep telling
me that there's an easy answer to that. No there's not.
I mean, we can't just ask someone did we get
the best deal as well, asked Dave Williams, you know,
as opposed to Goldman Sachs. So we need to know
exactly what the problem is in so far as the
political party is what they think the problem is. Because
we've heard from Michael Wilson, Dave Vardin de Sullivan and

(01:00:11):
Bill Wells and gave Gregory and a ton of olk,
Danny Williams, a bunch of people here were very specific concerns,
but not so much in the political theater, because it's
been about that theater as much as anything else.

Speaker 11 (01:00:24):
Yes, and I heard your reference in terms of reference
for the study itself like that, And that's what we
definitely need is a good to say the terms of
reference just just to even static look completely underwent, because
if you don't have a good, good reference, you know,
with everything gets shown decided or mixed and saying oh

(01:00:45):
that's not part of it.

Speaker 6 (01:00:46):
And stuff like that.

Speaker 11 (01:00:47):
But your term to references would be extremely strong.

Speaker 2 (01:00:53):
Or you're just asking for an opinion versus some factual
reference to risk or boring, growing and present day value
like whatever people want to do inside these proposed terms
of reference, but it's got to be something tight enough
where we're going to actually get a report back that
gives us some things to sink our teeth into, as
opposed to good or bad thumbs up thumbs down is

(01:01:14):
not necessarily going to be good enough for independent review. Kevin,
anything else quick before I gotta get going.

Speaker 11 (01:01:20):
Yeah no, and well just in the in that then
you keep that company with saying that we'll go back
to your only customers that if there's a lot of crap,
just say with when you're talking four hundred billion dollars
and with the phone project that could see you with
a large share even if a company could make a

(01:01:40):
hundred billion dollars off, not the not the two hundred
billion plus the two make ups looking for I'm sure
if we've been a proposal to be no trouble to
fine and thanks for your.

Speaker 2 (01:01:50):
Timepreciate yours Kevin, all the best, All right. I mean
I've been asked that question. Have we asked other potential partners,
like any big energy company, the Four of the World
America partners, they're still I think, big questions to be
asked about. How do you get the power to where
you want to sell it. Let's take a break, no
go away, welcome back, Let's go line ver six ch
earlier on the.

Speaker 13 (01:02:11):
Air, Good morning, Patty, Good morning Patty. Your Montrealcadians are
looking pretty good.

Speaker 2 (01:02:18):
You know, I'm going to kind of just be cautiously optimistic.
But that young group, they are thick. I mean, like
every team that are young and talented, they're a player
or two away from being a real problem, I think,
I mean, like second line center, even though I don't
think they're really wofully short there, but they look good
to me, and I'm just going to keep my mouth
relatively quiet. Is the other season on folds.

Speaker 13 (01:02:41):
Well, they've got a ten year window there with with
with those players and my poor old leaf, so looking
at going down as opposed to going up. But anyway,
I guess that's all part of it, Patty. I was
kind of disgusted with the election, as you know. Two

(01:03:02):
of the main concerns the addressing of our provincial dit
which is scandalous, and all summer we've been dealing with
a lack of water and fires and so on, and
hardly a word about climate change. In fact, the PC leader,

(01:03:22):
can you tell me exactly what he said regarding offshore
oil and climate You did make some statement there, I did.

Speaker 2 (01:03:30):
He says he doesn't see a direct link between one
or the other, which you know, I guess sometimes what
happens here is politicians are notorious for speaking to an
audience in the words that they want to hear, and
that really trips up a lot of big policy, a
lot of big public discourse there because to not be
able to draw that link is just bowfully absent or

(01:03:51):
divorce from what we already know.

Speaker 13 (01:03:55):
So is he talks about theories and lowering taxes and healthcare.
He didn't once once say we have some ways of
dealing with this in terms of we can cut this
or cut that, as the NDP leaders did. That wasn't

(01:04:18):
dealt with all. It's as if we can borrow interminably
and it's not affecting us, It's like it's not a
concern at all. Wouldn't that bother a lot of people
who know that we spend a billion dollars a year
servicing this dit and you have an attitude like that

(01:04:38):
from our well he's our premier now.

Speaker 2 (01:04:41):
Yeah, look, I mean just from a personal perspective, I'm
more at all talking about it. I mean, every time
I see a budget or a fiscal update, before we
dig into very specific stuff down the line, I started
with define deficit and deficit all the time. I mean,
even during this campaign. I don't know how many times
as I said, the depths of a six hour and
twenty six million dollars with all the big tobacco settlement

(01:05:04):
money included, it would have been over a billion dollars.
We're born four point one billion dollars is a billion dollars.
I mean, I got worned I talking about it. But
seemingly I'm in the minority because people want what they
want when they want it. Well, you know, you talk
about onshore wind and fossil fuels and everything else. What
kind of world we're leaving to our grandkids. Well, we're
going to leave a pretty debt late in world unless
we deal.

Speaker 13 (01:05:24):
With it well. As I said before, is not only
leaving her to them, it's it's a way of affecting
us as we speak. Of course, see what we do
every year, you know, Patty the oh my gosh, I
lost my thought for a second. The MoU The two

(01:05:46):
things there that to me stand out that we need
clarification on. He's talking about a referendum, which is a
semi idea unless unless we know what we're voting on.
And I'm glad he's talking about an independent review. But
the two things that I see is problematic after all
I've read and heard, would be the is there an

(01:06:09):
escalator clause or not? Is it a firm escalator clause?
Dave Verdi and the others say it's not. And the
fixed terms that we have for so long, fifty years,
seventy years and all this stuff, if that was reduced,
and if we at clarity on do we have an
escalator clause or not, it seems to me that that

(01:06:30):
would clear up ao the confusion. How can it be
to get those two things out to the public in
a very clear.

Speaker 2 (01:06:39):
Manner depends on who you listen to. People are using
two point seven cents or the pathway to two point
seven versus pathway to five point nine. But no matter
how you slice that particular onion, there is so we
can have the debate or the argument about two point
seven five point nine, but it is not a fixed price.
And if you look at the impact of inflation and
that present value, all those I mean it's in THEMU.

(01:07:02):
I mean, people feel free to read it. I know
not everybody has the time or patience to want to
dig into it, but some of the questions people have,
which I do find remarkable. Look, it's a busy life.
It's a busy world, but I have people ask me
questions and then give me very strong opinions about this
particular MoU And if I simply ask a question, and
not to be saucy, but did you read it nine

(01:07:23):
times out of ten the answer is no. So I mean,
if you're really concerned, which we all should be at
some level of severity, just read it and then maybe
we can all have a conversation on the heels a bit.

Speaker 13 (01:07:34):
Hey, Patty, you've said that before. If I read it
and I have looked at that a couple of seconds
if I read it, and I'm more confused than ever
day Verdy Michael Wilson, Uncle Merrily and it doesn't know this,
Gabe Gregory. They spend their time at this, what chance

(01:07:56):
have I got to understand? I would rather go to
people like that have got no relax to grind, who
understand it and have said Danny Williams was another and
have said there is no strong escalator clause or no
escalator clause period. So I'm not gonna get my question

(01:08:17):
answered by going in and reading the same thing as
they're reading and having less understanding. So you've got two
sides who are supposed to know all about this.

Speaker 2 (01:08:26):
Yeah, but that's just a matter of picking aside, though, Charlie,
that's a matter of picking aside. I'm sorry, that's just
simply a matter of picking aside. So you know, I
would make the counter argument, for the purpose of conversation
that if you want to adhere to or abide by
or believe in what mister Wilson, who has been on
every name you just mentioned, they've been on this program.

(01:08:46):
You know, if the counter question was, why wouldn't someone
believe Carl Smith or Jennifer Williams or wherever. That's why
I suggest reading it. For me, the most important part
about it for me was if I hadn't read it,
I wouldn't be able to ask anybody any sort of
sensible question about it at all, whether p Jennifer Williams
or Michael Wilson. That was the background for me when

(01:09:09):
you read it.

Speaker 13 (01:09:10):
When you read it, can you answer me the question
what I asked about escalated clause I did already one
or not?

Speaker 2 (01:09:18):
Yes, I've already answered that question, which I also extended
to say that we'll be told in some corners that
is two point seven cents versus five point nine cents.
But the base answer to is there one? Then the
answer is yes. Is it what it needs to be?
Reflect it for market elasticity into the future, the change
of the water and the beans with renewables or alternatives.

(01:09:38):
That becomes a much more tricky question. But like again,
I can only say this so many times before I
run out of steam. I read it so that I
could talk to people about it, as opposed to sit
here not know anything about it and just you know,
basically open up a bully pulpit with no conversation. So
that's the reason why I read it, because if I didn't,
how can I sit here and interview Jennifer Williams or

(01:10:00):
Michael Wilson or Danny Williams or Karl Smith or Fury
or Hogan or Awaken or anybody else. So I had
no choice for to reading.

Speaker 13 (01:10:07):
You couldn't do it because that's part of your job
and you would have to do that. And I understand
that I'm saying as a lay person, I will listen
to Jennifer Williams, and that I was at the beginning,
I was out for this. I will listen to the
other side and then I'll make up my mind who's
being accurate. But what I'm saying is when you get

(01:10:29):
two sets of experts with two sets of opinions, there's
no hope for the public to vote in that is
clarified that you can have a referendum. Now, that's what
I'm hoping the Independent review will clear up so too.
So if I was dealing with these people as you are,

(01:10:50):
I would definitely have to read it. Yes, and you
donswer ask good questions. I'm saying most of the people
in Newfoundland will do what I'm doing and listen to
both sides.

Speaker 2 (01:11:02):
Look, I get that sentiment, which I've echoed many times here,
but it's also the starting point for me to think
out loud that a referendum becomes a bad idea because
even before this independent review, I don't think there's going
to be much in the way of minds being changed
at this point, which is why it was a problem
and a mistake on the heels of the press conference

(01:11:22):
at the rooms. The press conference the next day should
have been here is our independent review organization of which
who cares, McKinsey and company, Rothschild and cole like Whoever.
If there had to be someone announced that to abide
by the LeBlanc recommendation, the conversation would be different today
because now people get their minds made up. That's how
the world works, you know. If you believe something to
be true. Now, for the vast majority of people, it's

(01:11:45):
impossible to change that worldview, regardless of what we're talking about,
which is why I generally lean in on and it's
not about one side or there is lying, but if
you hear something and you believe it to be true
for a lot of people, there's no talking them out
of it, regardless of what we're talking about. That's why
I've said since day one, if there's a review to
be done, it has to start now. And here we are.

(01:12:06):
Minds are made up of all.

Speaker 13 (01:12:08):
These people that I'm quoting or having trouble with it.
They all read the MoU william City rigidly was sick
of it. I'm sure Dave Verdi did, and Gabe Gregory
and they have serious questions and when you listen to
the other side, you're not really getting clear answers. So

(01:12:29):
this independent review is so necessary, so we can get
this third party who's arbitrating these two views.

Speaker 2 (01:12:36):
My point anyway earlier is that at this moment, a referendum,
regardless of independent review or not, minds are made up.
That's it. So referendum sounds like a terrible idea to me,
Like when I read my social media chains under my email.
If the references are pretty strictly and I mean I'm
not talking about Wilson and Williams and Verdi and Sullivan

(01:12:58):
and Wells and others, I'll talk about general Joe and Jane,
who will be eligible to vote if they just say
shag Quebec or shagged the liberals. That's not a vote
based on anything but shagged. The liberals are shag Quebec.
Which is why we entertain the conversations with folks who
are in the room and the Wilsons of the world,
because it's a different conversation. So I'm going to lean in.

(01:13:19):
I look, I get in trouble all the time for
saying the referendum is a bad idea, but I think
it is. Do I think an independent review is good idea?

Speaker 13 (01:13:24):
Of course I do well on the referendum, it's a
bad idea. At this point. I think, if we're going
to have it, and I would agree it's a bad
idea anyway. But if we're going to have it, let's
have let's have it based on something else. And this
is where the independent review comes in. But in the

(01:13:45):
in the end, I would vote against a referend and
put it that way. Patty just said a couple of
more quick things, very quickly. On the heat pumps there.
We had one install about fifteen years ago. There's some
cowboys of their This guy was really good. Put it in.
It's worked, okay. He said. If you get sales from

(01:14:08):
other people and refer them to me, I will give
you fifty dollars. And then I learned later he promised
other people that, and he never came through for anybody.
And when you try to reach the guy I was
going to get the thing cleaned out in that he
won't get back to you. So they're all there to
put it in. But sometimes so I would get someone

(01:14:28):
and up front, I would ask him for written something
written down, rather than just promises.

Speaker 2 (01:14:35):
Yeap, fair enough, I guess.

Speaker 13 (01:14:37):
I guess I can leave it at that.

Speaker 2 (01:14:38):
I appreciate the time, Charlie, thank you, Okay, thank you,
bye bye. Just to quick shout out to the folks
who continually to send me links to stories that I
just don't care about, notably things like whether or not
Justin Trudeau is romantically involved with Katie Perry. I mean,
you should see some of these emails saying why are
you afraid to talk about that? I'm not afraid that

(01:15:00):
talk about it is that I don't care about it.
And I'm not so sure how many people with busy
lives and minds actually care whether or not too consulting
adults or having a romantic relationship. I don't care. I mean,
I've got five dozen emails from say ten or twelve
email address. Why am I afraid to talk about Justin
Trudeau's relationship with Katy Perry and they get the vote

(01:15:21):
in the referendum. Let's take a break. Welcome back, Let's
go lend them before Walter. You are on the air.

Speaker 14 (01:15:30):
Hi, good morning, Patty.

Speaker 5 (01:15:31):
How are you, sir?

Speaker 2 (01:15:32):
That's kind you. No, I'm very good, thank you.

Speaker 14 (01:15:34):
I'll be very quick, Patty. I wanted to give you
a call this morning. You took a phone call three
or four weeks ago from a gentleman in central Lucidland
who was looking to get a bit of an independence
back by taking possession of a motorized mobility device slash wheelchair.
So I heard the call and I called him right
away and let her know that just in my little

(01:15:55):
role at the help and the great work that Tom
Badcock does there, and we were going to try to
track down a good unit for him so that he
could get back.

Speaker 15 (01:16:05):
You're doing his date today. Activities spoken this morning, we
managed the jigs and reels. Tom a very generous donation
came in of almost a brand new unit and it
was delivered yesterday to Grand Falls, to this chow and
he called me this morning. He's already scooting around in
it and loves it.

Speaker 14 (01:16:22):
And his exact words I think were, thank God's open
line because you took his call. So I said, I'll
give a call let him know that you have it.
And it's a good a good result, a very good result.
I just want to call and say thank you for
taking his call. Because we love, we love to lend assistance,
and we can't do it unless me know about it.

Speaker 12 (01:16:38):
So I just want to say thank you very much.

Speaker 2 (01:16:39):
Well, I'm glad it happened the way it did, Walter.
I appreciate the update. I'm glad he's scooting around in
his new tam wheelchair.

Speaker 10 (01:16:46):
Thank you for your time.

Speaker 2 (01:16:46):
Patty, all the best, Happy to do, take care, Bye
bye bye. All right, let's keep going. Laird Live number two.
Jeanine around the air.

Speaker 16 (01:16:53):
Oh hi, Patty, how are you? I'm calling today for
not a new subject about the lack of student assistants
in the school systems. So this is day two that
I've received a call from my daughter's school saying that
there's no student system available to replace the one that's
off sick. I made a post on Facebook, as most

(01:17:15):
of us students day age, and this has happened yesterday.
Five different schools in our an Avalon system that kids
who are an alternate curriculum or ulternate gravitation have been
told that there's no student assistance for those children to
go to school. I mean, this is not new, This
is not a new I don't know why NATE is

(01:17:35):
not doing anything about this. I don't know why NL
Schools is still not approaching this problem. There is twenty
three listings for jobs in the Avalon for student system
positions that aren't being filled at wages for twenty four
to twenty six an hour. Why aren't they even noticing
that this is a problem. What's going on and why

(01:17:59):
is this still a problem. Well, my disability is not new.
Kids going to school, disabilities aren't new. Supports aren't new.
You know, it's extremely frustrating that we are still doing
this in twenty twenty five, is it?

Speaker 2 (01:18:12):
Ever? It's not new In some form and fashion. Governments
have recognized the fact that they see and they hear,
and they understand it's a problem, but not a whole
lot gets done. It's even continuity. If I'm in grade
four and I have a specific need that requires a
student assistant. I move on to grade five in the
exact same school. My parents have just talked to the

(01:18:35):
vice principal and the principal. In August, I go back
to school and my support's not there. You know, maybe
it's been more complicated than I give it credit for
for hiring people retaining them long term. But I hear
these stories so often. The number one, it's heartbreaking. Number two,
it's infuriating absolutely.

Speaker 9 (01:18:52):
And here I am.

Speaker 16 (01:18:53):
My daughter's in high school and so she's not new
to the system. She's in high school, so she's needed
supports for fifteen years, so this isn't new for her,
and it's you know. So here I am getting a
call at eight o'clock in the morning saying that, well,
apparently he was put on this smart Find system. And
it goes on the smart Find system from my knowledge,

(01:19:14):
until ten o'clock at night, and then it goes again
from six to eight in the morning. And so my
question is you know, and here I am Nate, you
this is these are your representative student systems are under
the terms of Nate. Why is are Nate not looking
at the fact? Okay? Is there an on call list
of people that just aren't being called in anymore, that's inactive.

(01:19:37):
Is that why they're not hiring more people? Because the
list looks like it's full. Is this why there's positions?
I mean, people are crying saying there's no work. There's
twenty three positions in the Avalon alone for student systems
at twenty four dollars to twenty six dollars an hour.
Why is no one looking at the fact. Why aren't
these positions being filled?

Speaker 6 (01:19:56):
Like?

Speaker 16 (01:19:56):
Why is the schools not looking like the school in
all schools? So yesterday I actually sent an email to
I sent an email to let me see to the
Minister of Education and a minister responsible for the status
of person's disabiliting, which is the same person Bernard Davis.
I sent an email to Jerry Arlt and NAPE. I

(01:20:16):
sent an email to Support Service Student Programming Specialist NL Schools.
I even sent an email to Tony Wakem. I've gotten
zero response. I've gotten zero replies. I understand people are
busy who take a couple days to respond, but I'm
also being told every morning that my child does not
have the proper support after fifteen years to go to school.

Speaker 2 (01:20:36):
For the last two days curiously in the queue right
behind you, Janina'sdale Lamb, the president at the NLTA. We'll
start the conversation with Dale with this exact subject because
it's not just about you and your daughter. This would
have an impact on dozens or hundreds of families right
across the province and with the right.

Speaker 16 (01:20:54):
Supports in school for our children who need the support.
It takes the burden off of the teachers as well
that are in the schools. I mean and peril and
teachers can't get on the school bosses with the students.
It's not in their it's not in their collective agreement.
If anything happens to students or or two teachers getting
on those bosses, they're responsible because it's not in their

(01:21:15):
collective agreement to take the positions of the student assistant.

Speaker 2 (01:21:18):
Yeah, it's a part of collective bargaining. On top of that,
even in the classroom itself, a student without the required
supports has an impact on every single student in that
classroom and the teacher and the other assistants. It just does.

Speaker 16 (01:21:29):
My daughter is a wheelchair user and an epileptic, so
she she needs sex support, she needs the support on
the boss. She needs the support in school. So if
they don't have the people replacing the alternate transportation on
the bosses, who's replacing the essays that are in school
that are that are off. So that means the schools
are still short the student assistants and they're still short
the student assistants on the alternate transportation for these kids.

Speaker 2 (01:21:51):
Yeah, points under student taking, Janine. I'm glad you brought
them up before we speak with Day Lamb. Thanks for
doing this, keep me in the loop. Thank you will,
thank you, Bye, pleasure, but bye, take a break for
Dale Lamb, the NLTA president. Don't go away, plok it
back to the show. Let's go let nuber one siga
more to the president at the NLTA. That's Dale Lamb
daarlier on the air.

Speaker 4 (01:22:09):
Good morning, Patty, how are you today?

Speaker 2 (01:22:10):
Great today? How about you doing well? Thank you, good man.
Let's go right to Janine's call, because calling has a
concerned mother. We all understand, obviously, but just paint the
picture for what that complication means for a teacher in
the classroom. My assertion is, if one student doesn't have
the required support, then that has an impact on every
other student. Every other teacher, every other assistant that might

(01:22:30):
be president in the classroom. You paint us a picture
what that that circumstance looks like in a classroom.

Speaker 4 (01:22:36):
In the classroom, Patty, I mean, it's a lot of
work on the teachers, like teachers need to cover off
these things. And what I will say about Janine's call,
she was very thorough. She she had excellent actions there
contacting the you know, the MHAs the current Minister of
Education working through NATE for their suggestions going through n

(01:22:59):
L schools in her case, they're all excellent actions as
parents as you know what's needed. And then from there,
you know, government needs to look at their recruitment efforts
for student assistants. And of course that's the reason that
we're having this conversation today. I'd be remiss if I
didn't offer congratulations to our Premier elect WAKEM and PC party.

(01:23:19):
I'm forming the new government. But just like you reference,
there things that need to be addressed, and we're going
to be looking for commitment to our new government to
education to lessen some of the issues that are you know,
taking over in the classroom so that teachers can't educate.
So yeah, it really does complicate the classroom dynamic, and

(01:23:40):
we're going to be looking to government to make sure
that classroom dynamic is improved so that our teachers can
work with what they need to work with regarding curriculum
and caring for these children.

Speaker 2 (01:23:52):
Yes, we talk about these things sometimes really high level,
which I think is beneficial to the listener because they're
not working in the system, or maybe they're not working
in the system. So let's dig in a little bit too.
You know, some very specific questions you'll be put into
Premier designate wakem and or the eventual Minister of Education
as opposed to you know, we need this. Let's dig

(01:24:13):
into what this means and for us.

Speaker 4 (01:24:16):
You know, I was disappointed in the lack of focus
that the political parodies did offer the education in a
spoken format during the during the election, but we do
have some We did get a platform document from a
Premier elect to waken and you know they looked at,
you know, improving working conditions, reducing our class sizes, tackling

(01:24:37):
school violence. So that commitment was stated, you know, looking
at hiring more teachers, classrooms, supports to reduce the class
sizes because class size and complexity and complications that's what's
taking over in a lot of our classrooms, you know,
looking at improving students, access school psychologists, you know, looking

(01:24:58):
at teaching units that are no hunger split beyond halftime.
So like you know, these are the things that were promised.
Looking at the action plan to address online harassment and
aggression towards educators, like teachers shouldn't be encountering you know,
aggressive posts on social media or aggressive emails. It just
complicates and makes things more complex for how they deliver

(01:25:21):
their job. And then to review the education of course,
sit down with teachers and the inn LTA to examine
the recommendations and then you know, for to allow us
to provide input in how the chosen recommendations move forward
in the classroom setting.

Speaker 2 (01:25:37):
Yeah, and one thing, look, I know, governments have to transition.
There has to be selection of cabinet, people have to
get sworn in, people have to be familiarized with the
content that they're looking at. But what we need to do,
I'll do it for you. Time is of the essence here.
This could be a wait till the summer, put in
the grunt work. Hopefully things are improved by September, because

(01:25:57):
that's just another school year with folks with desonalities, whether
it be gifted or needed additional support, fall through another
academic year, Crack. So time is so important here.

Speaker 4 (01:26:07):
And you're absolutely right there, Patty, Like time is of
the essence. We are in a school year and our
year of course looks different from the calendar year. So
like any moment in education is an important moment. So
government needs to transition the education portfolio quickly because issues
are happening every day and we need to be prepared

(01:26:28):
for that. So government needs to lead that and make
statements and commitments as to how the future of education
is going to look for the problems. Because the future
is right now and moving forward. You know, we need
to know exactly what the plan is in order to
improve our education system and to get students to be
more engaged and to support the parents like Janine who

(01:26:49):
were on earlier, to make sure that they're children with
needs and exceptionalities, that they receive the care that they deserve.

Speaker 2 (01:26:56):
Yeah, one hundred percent, quick one. Because some of the
things education or dovetailed right academic outcomes can go back
to absenteism chronically or otherwise, violence, lack of supports, all
those types of things in the world of violence. We
kind of talked about hiring assistance will to act like
hall monitors, but that's not a pragmatic approach to carving
violence or dealing with violence in the schools any other

(01:27:17):
suggestions in what we've heard in the past.

Speaker 4 (01:27:20):
Government's going to need to get creative in how to
resources that are actually given for teachers need to be deployed,
and you know, they're going to have to think outside
the box. They're going to have to look at other
jurisdictions in order to determine what's going to address students,
you know, who are disregulated, students who are exhibiting violent behavior,
and that's going to be a lot of work on

(01:27:41):
the part of government. So they're going to need to
show commitment through their work and through how they move
forward and put plans in place. But resources are very important.
Patting and how those resources are deployed, that's what we
need to be focused on, not just give more, but
also how is the more going to be oper rationalized
in our system. And once again, you know, the PC

(01:28:03):
Party have committed to consultation with our Teachers Association and
with our educators in order to put planes in place
to dolicit more success for these students.

Speaker 2 (01:28:15):
Yeah, their success is collectively our success. I'm almost worn out,
you know, putting to the same things here. And it
is a bit dismaying that we didn't have a bit
more of a focus on the campaign trail about education,
whether or not you know, it's a vote getter, but
let's think about it. There's somewhere in the neighbor of
sixty six thousand kids enrolled in CADID twelve this year
in our province of schools, which means at minimum fifty

(01:28:38):
thousand families. So and in addition to that fifty thousand
representing five hundred and forty thousand people living in the province,
we are talking about our ultimate goals of successes and viability,
prosperity and societal issues to be dealt with. My god,
if we don't think that can happen in school, then
we're getting ourselves.

Speaker 4 (01:28:55):
Yeah, and you are a very petty. There was definitely
a missed opportunity on the of the leaders to speak
to that in a candid fashion. But now the government
is elected and now that transition will take place, that
commitment needs to come through interactions. So you know, we
can't look at the past. We can't look at the
campaigns and what they didn't do.

Speaker 5 (01:29:15):
But we do need to keep this focus.

Speaker 4 (01:29:16):
And I appreciate you keeping the focus on education because,
like you said, it is the foundation to how we
move forward.

Speaker 2 (01:29:24):
Yeah, and let's hope that we can see some pragmatic
positive change. Academic outcomes are not where we need it
to be. I mean, just look at the rate of
folks in their adult years who aren't functionally literate, whether
it be reading and writing and arithmetic or otherwise, and
that's hurting us as well. To add to that is
just the worst idea I've ever heard of. Dale. As always,

(01:29:46):
I appreciate your time, Thank you very much.

Speaker 4 (01:29:47):
All Right, thank you very much, Patty, you have a
wonderful day.

Speaker 2 (01:29:50):
You Tuesday alone President at the NLTA. Let's get a
breaking when we come back. We're talking cet MRI, whatever
you want to talk about. Don't go ahead.

Speaker 1 (01:29:57):
You were listening to a rebroadcast of VOC Open Live.
Have your say by calling seven oh nine, two seven,
three fifty two eleven or one triple eight five ninety
eight six two six and listen live weekday mornings at
nine am.

Speaker 2 (01:30:14):
Welcome back to the show. Let's go line up with three. Yolanda,
you're on the air.

Speaker 9 (01:30:19):
Good morning, Patty.

Speaker 2 (01:30:20):
How are you great today? Thank you? How about you?

Speaker 16 (01:30:23):
Oh, I'm doing okay. Thanks. I have I guess kind
of a public service announcement for other people. I've been
dealing with I guess CT scans and MRIs for the
last couple of years, probably more than some people, because
my partners have cancer and we've been dealing with that,
and also for myself. So for myself, I've had to

(01:30:45):
get an MRI I want for a year, followed by
an employment with a specialist for a condition that I
basically got to be watched for forever. So first problem
with and he has to get CT scans followed up
every six months right now, So the first problem is
the requisitions. So the doctor sends the requisition or the

(01:31:06):
specialist sends it to the booking department. I'd like to
say this is a nice related event, but this has
happened now for the last two years, and I now
call every time because for the last CT scanned for
my partner, for example, three requisitions had to be sent.
They keep getting lost, no appointments booked. Then the appointment's lake.

(01:31:28):
So his follow up cancer appointment turns out to be late.
Then I think. Then I thought, well, okay, maybe that's
a niceolated thing. But then my MRI appointment requisition also
got lost, two requisitions for the last one, which then
I got late, and by the time I seemed the specialist,
my MRI hadn't even been read because the were a

(01:31:49):
late book in the appointment because it got lost. That's
the first problem.

Speaker 2 (01:31:53):
So quick questions, Yolanda, what got lost? I know it's
the referral, but the requisition part of me so a
fact requisition or a handwritten requisition, which is the problem.

Speaker 16 (01:32:05):
Well, I'm not sure exactly how the problem happens, but
it is a facts issue because the specialist told me
last year when I went in in December, and he said,
he said, I see you just had your MRI done.
I don't have it read, so I don't have anything
to go by. He said. I did have a look
at it myself, and I think it's okay, he said,
but he said, I'll have to get back to you

(01:32:26):
once he's read at some point, which is the wrong
way to be doing it, because I had already had
the appointment with the specialists. That's when you need to
discuss if there is an issue. But he told me
he thought it was ridiculous that we were still using
a fact system for requisitions and that's when everything else
is going digital, and not that there aren't issues with that,
but there's a problem there somewhere. So somewhere there there

(01:32:48):
is a disconnect because it's not an isolated event. So
that's the first problem. The second problem is, so last
week I had an appointment because I think I kicked
out so much noise last year about my inquisitions being lost,
So this year, I had my appointment early. So it
was Thursday for my mrin, which was great, and I
was fasting. I just started fasting for it at seven

(01:33:09):
thirty in the evening and then I got a call saying, sorry,
your appointment is now canceled due to an emergency. Don't worry.
We'll call you back and we'll rebook it, so don't
worry that. I'm like, okay. So that was on Thursday,
so Friday was fine. Monday was the holiday. So Tuesday
I said, okay, I'm going to call to make sure
because I haven't heard anything. And even though that wasn't
very long. I'm already tainted with the whole requisition thing.

(01:33:33):
So I called and I got a lady who was
clearly overburdened called, which is unfortunate, and you could tell
by the tone, which was fine. And then I told
her I was checking on an MRI reappointment, and she said, no,
you're a no show, so you don't get another one.
You'll have to go back to your doctor and get
another requisition and get it. I'm like, hold on, no, no,

(01:33:54):
I'm not a no show. I was called and told
that my appointment was due to emergency and that they
would call me back. She said, well, that's not what's.

Speaker 11 (01:34:03):
Here on file.

Speaker 16 (01:34:04):
I said, I understand what you're reading, but I said,
I am telling you I was not a no show.
And so she said, well, i'll have to call over.
Do you know who you were talking to? And I'm like, no,
just someone from the Janeway MRI department. So anyway, she
puts me on home for but ten minutes and comes back,
and you can tell she's very annoyed, not with me necessarily,
what with the procedure. I don't know why they did that.

(01:34:24):
They're never supposed to do that, right to you, as
a no show, and then apparently there were multiple people
that they did the same thing to that night. So
all of these people who think they are getting an
appointment rescheduled, well they might be now because I kicked
up such a book as on the phone. And then
I did get my appointment and rebooked yesterday for this
following week coming. And I hope the other people did too.

(01:34:46):
But how many people are is that happen? And apparently
so having it to that is that I had to
run up to get a blood slip from my partner
and get his cancer reach I blood worked done yesterday
and I mentioned it too. She asked if he had
a CT scan appoint yet. I said no, I said,
but I'm working on it. She said, oh my god.
And I told her what happened about three and you
at my MRI thing, and she said, that's happening to

(01:35:08):
so many patients. I've had so many patients come back
to me and say that the same thing's happening, and
then they're telling them that there's no shows and they
need new requisitions. So we have a serious problem there,
we do.

Speaker 2 (01:35:20):
I mean things like that in such important life and
death matters can't get lost and shrugs their shoulders. And
I'm not suggesting everyone who spoke to just shrug their shoulders.
But in addition to what it's meant to you and
employments and follow ups, is can we just get rid
of facting around referrals and requests and whatever you look,
it's a privacy matter on top of everything else. You

(01:35:41):
can get lost. Someone else can take it as they
retrieve their facts, and who knows where that ends up,
and someone who might not have any business looking at
my medical related files can just pick it up off
a fax machine and rate it. There's so many things
wrong with it. I mean, we can digitize our medical records,
but we can't have electronic trail of requisition.

Speaker 16 (01:36:02):
No, there's something completely wrong. And then like so every
single test, now, every single ct scan, everything, I had
to call every single time to make sure. And then
it's if I didn't I'm not joking very literally, he
would have been dead because we would have missed so
many appointments, chemo being canceled. Wait on a waiting list

(01:36:22):
for chemo, it's going to be three to four months
because we're backlogged after Christmas. Like cancer doesn't wait, you
can't be backloged after Christmas for a chemo at home
training process, which means a nurse goes in and reads
through a leaflet and gives you a hazardous kit to
take home with you. That's that's what the training is.
All these people need their chemo. You can't wait four months.

(01:36:42):
Of course, some people can't wait. It would have made
a difference in my partner's survival or not survival, absolutely,
because he was like a millimeter away from this tumor
being embedded in something. If we had waited, could have
been a totally different outcome. Like, there's so many wrong
things we can't let that have happen, and these tests
are critical, they're critical.

Speaker 2 (01:37:05):
Obviously. So it's just such an actiquated system which leads
to these exact problems and it should never be the case.
In twenty twenty five, are you alund to anything else
you want to say about that this morning?

Speaker 6 (01:37:17):
Now?

Speaker 16 (01:37:18):
The only thing I'd like to follow up with is
I understand that this can happen in is you know,
human error, and there's lots of it's busy and that
kind of thing. However, this has been happening now for
at least two years for me. So this is a
problem that they know is happening. Someone needs to address
it a little quicker, and there must be a way
to track what's happening. Is it an internal memo saying, hey,

(01:37:42):
if you have to cancel an appointment for an emergency,
then please don't write this down as a notional because
it's not a notional. Please make sure it's pending so
that they get an additional or another appointment. It can't
be rocket science. I understand there's you know, there has
to be a way to do it.

Speaker 13 (01:37:58):
No.

Speaker 2 (01:37:58):
I mean, if it's a cancelation for a legitimate reason,
you can't be pushed at the back of the line.
And in this case, it doesn't feel like rocket science.
They're trying to make it rocket surgery and it needn't be. Yolanda,
could to have you on the show. Thank you, you're welcome,
Thank you for calling you too, Bye bye, I mean
that kind of stuff right before we get to the break.
Let's go lineer before Alex around the air.

Speaker 17 (01:38:21):
Very pleasant morning too, you too, Thank you. I was
a little embarrassed to make this call, but I tried
to especiate and maybe they can direct me to the
right people, I can't get them on the line save
me lives.

Speaker 5 (01:38:36):
I gave up.

Speaker 17 (01:38:36):
I said, Okay, you know what, but open line has
been a wonderful support service for us, and I just
missed a pad as to what they're doing and what
it is. It might sound odd, but the girlfriend moved
out in the country. She's on the avalon but way
outside of the cities, in the country, beautiful, surrounded by woods,

(01:38:57):
and to our amazements and pleasure and amusement, we seem
to have adopted a whole lot of wild critters, squirrels.
We got like a village of squirrels living in the
back there.

Speaker 8 (01:39:11):
I don't know.

Speaker 17 (01:39:12):
There's all different colors of squirrels. I don't know where
they would have come from. And an awful lot of
little birds are all obviously here because it's very likely
the previous tenant who passed away, I believe, and relinquished
that obligation of responsibility once you take it on. I

(01:39:35):
think they were feeding them and nurturing them, and so
I think we've adopted them all. And I tried googling it. Well,
I don't know what to feed them, or how much
to feed them, or what to do for them the bird,
and that became so confusing and missed the funct. I
really would love to be able to contact people actually

(01:39:58):
know what they're talking about.

Speaker 2 (01:40:00):
What's the question, right?

Speaker 7 (01:40:02):
So, well, we don't know what to do for them, Like.

Speaker 17 (01:40:05):
I thought, oh, we assume that we should have taken
over responsibility to feed them and nurture them.

Speaker 5 (01:40:13):
But uh, there's quite a lot of them.

Speaker 17 (01:40:15):
Man, we don't know what to do for them. I
don't know who to appeal to to be able to
tell me. Well, we know and we can guide you
through it, and we were happy to help you.

Speaker 5 (01:40:28):
Here's what you do.

Speaker 2 (01:40:29):
On second, well, just one second is the question what
should you or should you not feed squirrels?

Speaker 17 (01:40:36):
Well, the thing is I tried googling that. It became
so confuted it's incomprehensible. So the bottom line with all
the little birds and the squirrels is that maybe there
are some organizations I assume probably some social groups who
know all about this and can guard us through and yeah, yeah,
you want to help them, here's what you do, but
we don't know who to call.

Speaker 5 (01:40:56):
I'm lost.

Speaker 2 (01:40:57):
Okay, well I do let me jump in here. Well,
you don't feed them? Is bread? But you don't feed
them is dairy products or junk food or process food.
But a squirrel, I mean a carrots and apple nuts, pecans,
you know, peacans and walnuts and stuff like that. So
anything that's not bread, dairy or processed, you can probably
feed it squirrel. So I'd start with carrots and apples

(01:41:19):
and just pick a nut that's not salted. Yeah.

Speaker 17 (01:41:25):
I picked up a certain amount of that off the
internet rapidly, and so we re elected. The best thing
we could find locally was a big bag of bird seed,
you know, which had a whole bunch of stuff.

Speaker 2 (01:41:39):
But I would stay away from bird seeds, you know why,
because the rats love it. The rats love the seed.
I'd put out that stuff in very small portions and
kind of just stand close enough to eyeball them actually
eating it. Because if you put out an abundance or
whatever for your little gang of squirrels, before long it's
another gang of rodents. So that's personally that's what I

(01:41:59):
would do. We feed squirrels around our house as well,
and generally it's grapes or character are rapple and not
a whole lot of us.

Speaker 17 (01:42:08):
Okay, Yeah, I noticed they eat the green shuits off
the end of the pine trees and everything here. Sure,
and that's obviously part of their natural required doets, So
we don't want to restrict, we don't want to stop that.
I want to make sure they're obviously used to being
taking carrier, so we want to step up to the
plate and do the right thing. So thanks very much

(01:42:29):
for that info. Are there any groups who you know?
I know there are bird lovers groups who take pictures
and take care of birds, and are the groups who
would be involved with Well, we're feeding the birds here too,
and the number one is concern with stray cats at all. Well,

(01:42:51):
I can't get them used to being fed there and
a little ball on the ground cut the castle come.
So we're trying to figure out.

Speaker 2 (01:43:01):
And Alex, I'll also throw in there. You know, there
is a little bit of don't feed wild animals kind
of period stuff, But I mean, I think animals, like squirrels,
they are pretty self sufficient in and of themselves. It's
not like don't feed the bears, because the problem don't
feed the bears is if they become used to having
been fed by humans, next thing, you know, you can't

(01:43:22):
get the bears out of your backyard, but I mean squirrel.
I just give him a little bit because I think
it's cute. But there is a school of thought about
not feeling feeding wild animals because then all of a
sudden they need you and the girlfriend to feed them.
But I'm happy enough to feed them a little couple
of pieces of apple with no peel on it. No
big deal. I gotta get going, but enjoy the feeding.

Speaker 17 (01:43:43):
Thanks very Machria. Manah, A beautiful day.

Speaker 2 (01:43:46):
You too, Alex. All the best, Okay, bye bye. When
we come back. Darryl Hines in the queue, he ran,
I'll be down successfully in the voting district amount SiO.
He's there, and then you don't go away looking back.
Let's go Lene number five growing Daryl Hines, you're on
the air.

Speaker 18 (01:44:00):
Well, good morning, Patty, thanks for taking a call. I
just wanted to call in and quickly say thank you
to the residents about Style. My first time running and
had a great, great experience. I mean not successful, obviously,
but I really enjoyed the experience in getting around and
saying hello to you know, hundreds and.

Speaker 3 (01:44:18):
Thousands of people. And you know, I can't thank my
family enough and my supporters.

Speaker 18 (01:44:23):
I had you know, hundreds of people helped me out,
and my family who stood by me for the last
two months, and you know, one always great days and
you know when things are going well and things are
not going so well and everything else. So I really
appreciate all their love and support. And I certainly offer
congratulations to Sarah, who's.

Speaker 3 (01:44:42):
You know, return and I wish her well even though
she's gonna, you know.

Speaker 18 (01:44:45):
Transition to opposition to continue to serve our community. And
I congratulate Laura Belle. I mean, the NDP had a
good showing and I knew if there was voute split
that would certainly hurt our chances, and that's exactly what happened.
But looked a people have spoken and the people are
always right, and you know, I regret.

Speaker 3 (01:45:05):
I mean Saint John's in the district.

Speaker 18 (01:45:06):
I hope to play a senior role or I had
hoped to play a senior role in Tony Wakem's new government.
But full marks did the Conservative campaign around the island.
I mean, we weren't successful in Saint John's in Mount
Pearl area, but it was a tremendous success and a
majority government.

Speaker 2 (01:45:23):
Yeah, you know, I don't know about the what went
wrong type of conversations, especially when we're talking about a
party that actually secured a majority government. But any thoughts
on the rural urban successes of one party or another,
because I don't think it's you know, it's not a
trend that's not example exemplified elsewhere, because it is, it's

(01:45:44):
kind of moving in that direction. Any thoughts of what
we see election night resolved with the Toy success outside
of earthing Svaline versus in.

Speaker 3 (01:45:51):
Well look knocking doors.

Speaker 18 (01:45:53):
I certainly Saint there was an appetite for change because
of you know, the crime and healthcare and other stories.
But I mean it just didn't get out to the
ballot box. I mean, Paddy, there was polls here in
Mount Sail that Lesson. I think there was one there
less than ten people voted. So I mean, unless people
are going to get out and mark the rex and
vote with their feet and vote for change.

Speaker 5 (01:46:15):
It's just not going to happen.

Speaker 18 (01:46:17):
And certainly in rural areas it seemed to be more
an appetite and frustration for a change weight from the
Liberal Party, a change weight in the incumbents, but in
you know, Saint John's and the greater Avalon I mean
it certainly wasn't. I mean, you know, pauled In a
very successful politician and a tremendous grassroots guy, and you know,
just on the other side the highway in Para Lace
next to where Iran, I mean had a very close race,

(01:46:40):
you know, only one by one hundred votes. So I mean,
obviously that appetite for change didn't resonate in Saint John's.

Speaker 3 (01:46:47):
Not exactly sure why.

Speaker 18 (01:46:48):
I mean, I you know, again, I think the Monk case,
there was a low turnout, the vote split with the NDP.
You know, you know, people are not happy with government
and they have multiple places to park their vote that
don't that don't help one priority necessarily or the other.

Speaker 3 (01:47:02):
So that didn't that didn't help.

Speaker 18 (01:47:04):
But I guess in the coming days, but there'll probably
be someone Aalysistan and other people have some thoughts. But
I just wanted to call it because, like say, it's
my first time running. I really enjoyed it, and I
like said, I couldn't have thanked my family enough of
my supporters, and you know people have reached out before
and Saints I mean, I ran as hard as I
could and I ran the best campaign I could, but

(01:47:25):
it just sometimes in politics it's just not meant to be.

Speaker 3 (01:47:28):
And I think that's purely the situation here.

Speaker 18 (01:47:30):
And again, congratulations Sarah and Laura Bell, who both ran
good campaigns.

Speaker 2 (01:47:36):
Yeah, and look, and congratulations to everyone who took a
swing at it campaigning. Even if it's a shortened it
ish campaign in twenty eight days, it takes the good idea.
I would think I've never campaigned for anything, but I
can only imagine the effort put in to try to
secure office. Darrell, appreciate this, and thanks for making time
for the program.

Speaker 3 (01:47:54):
This morning, and thanks very much for the time.

Speaker 2 (01:47:57):
No problem, bye bye. All right, let's route here before
a barbie around the air.

Speaker 19 (01:48:02):
Okay. I live in a cabin setting too, and I
have some squirrels around and what I.

Speaker 16 (01:48:08):
Usually feed them is peanut butter.

Speaker 12 (01:48:10):
Fair enough kids, Yeah, put it on the trees or.

Speaker 19 (01:48:13):
Branches and things like that. And also I have a
lot of birds and I finally figured out they love cheerios. Yeah, ceurios.
Peanut butter seems to work pretty good.

Speaker 11 (01:48:26):
There's a bit cheap on the budget.

Speaker 2 (01:48:28):
I kind of stay away from anything processed, to be
honest with you, because I was one of those as
a kid, you know, a hot dog bone that's got
a bit of all out. That's what I'm feeding the dock.
Just to find out that's a terrible idea. So I
just go with, like I mentioned, a couple of little
piece of apple with no peel, and a couple of
little chunks of carrots, a couple of little walnuts or
hazel nuts or something. That's about it for me, but
fair enough.

Speaker 19 (01:48:49):
Yeah, and shell peanuts are good too.

Speaker 2 (01:48:52):
Yeah, it's give me a little bit of something to do. Yeah,
thanks for the call, right, Oh, thank you, you're welcome
and by Yeah, it's like a little activity hour, right,
you got to work for your shupper. No free lunch
around here, is squirrel. Let's take a break for the news,
don't go ahead.

Speaker 1 (01:49:09):
Tim Powers Show showing the Conversation weekday afternoons at four
pm on your VOCM.

Speaker 2 (01:49:15):
Welcome back to the show. It's got on number two.
Second more to the leader of the NDP successfully re
elected in Saint John Center, Jim Din Jim around the air.

Speaker 20 (01:49:23):
Thank you, Patty, thanks for having me. It's the start
of a whole new term, I guess. But I do
want to congratulate Tony on his victory and being the
premier elect. I didn't reach out to him on the
election night, but it is an opportunity here to publicly

(01:49:44):
congratulate him on that victory and to also I congratulate
my the my political opponents in the district, Ben Dougan
and Jimmy Hicky for taking taking on the taking on
the task of running. It's not an easy job to
put yourself up as a candidate that I can attest to.

Speaker 10 (01:50:04):
So more power to them and to all.

Speaker 20 (01:50:07):
Candidates who, regardless of political strike, who stepped up to
the plate. It's not an easy task.

Speaker 2 (01:50:14):
Congratulations. Where would you like to go?

Speaker 6 (01:50:16):
Oh?

Speaker 20 (01:50:17):
I just well, first of all, I do want to
say big thank you to the volunteers in the in
their campaign team, to my wife Michelle, or my family,
and the constituents who in Saint John's Center who voted
for me, deeply appreciated, deeply humbled.

Speaker 2 (01:50:38):
For the support.

Speaker 20 (01:50:39):
And I get a commitment to all the residents of
my district that I will continue to work on behalf
of very one, regardless of whether they voted for me
or not.

Speaker 10 (01:50:50):
It's I represent all the.

Speaker 20 (01:50:51):
People of Saint John's Center and that's something I'm going
to continue. I'm also glad to have Saint John's's Kitty
vide back in the fall, and to have Shila Larry
join me in the House of Assembly. It's a bittersweet
because we we we won't have Shazia Rozzi join us
in our caucus representing Labrador West, but I can guarantee

(01:51:15):
you that I'll still be in touch with them and
with Jordan as well, to you know, make sure that
we still are committed to the issues that were raised
by Labrador West and by Jordan when he was was
my colleague in our caucus.

Speaker 10 (01:51:32):
Yeah, and that's to start.

Speaker 3 (01:51:33):
I don't know.

Speaker 20 (01:51:33):
If you have any questions, I'll certainly leave it to
you to run the rest of the conversation.

Speaker 2 (01:51:39):
Sure, I'm not entirely sure how to ask this one,
but I'll give my best shot. So I know, two
is better than one. Two was double one with Sheila
getting back in. But I've heard in certain corners that
you know, the way that you and the party and
Shila have reacted to this sort of speaks to the
strength or lack the row of the NDP. If we're
so boisterous over two people getting elected out of forty

(01:52:02):
in the House Assembly. Your thoughts, Jim, Oh, I have.

Speaker 20 (01:52:08):
To look at two a couple of things, and I
understand that's and that's a fair question. We look at
two is better than one for sure. As I said,
it would have preferred to have three and would have
preferred to have more than that.

Speaker 10 (01:52:23):
We're hoping to pick up more.

Speaker 20 (01:52:25):
We did put forward a costed platform that early on,
and we put that out there in the name of
transparency in the show that here's a plan and here's
how we're going to approach this. We had forty good
candidates who stepped to the up to the plate. From
our point of view, here is that we did give

(01:52:47):
the positives that we gave a candidate, an NDP candidate
in every district to people who wanted to vote. I know,
I've spoken to a number of the candidates, regardless of
whether they're going to win or lose, and somehow and
I knew that they're up in.

Speaker 10 (01:53:00):
An uphill battle.

Speaker 20 (01:53:01):
They're committed to start the process of rebuilding. They're energized
by it. So I'm looking at here is this is
the While it's easy to focus on the on the
on the downside of it, the fact is We've got
candidates who are far from being discouraged. They're now energized

(01:53:22):
and they want to and they want to they want
to run again, they want to build up the district associations.
They're they're already looking at getting together, getting together the
volunteers in their district and organizing for the next one.
So I have to as a leader, I had to
take an awful lot of comfort and encouragement in that

(01:53:43):
that despite that, people are still committed and they're proud
of the fact that we were able to offer that
constant platform which no other party was able to offer,
and that we uh and uh.

Speaker 17 (01:53:54):
The other criticism we put the.

Speaker 20 (01:53:55):
Bed is that, you know, we were able to get
forty candidates in these in these districts, some of whom
were it was their first time, young women candidates who
took that step.

Speaker 10 (01:54:09):
And you know that's a.

Speaker 20 (01:54:12):
To me, that's encouraging.

Speaker 2 (01:54:14):
Well, you know, I think in years past, and you know,
I've had this conversation, if a party's unable to feel
the full slate of candidates, then people will, whether it's
appropriate or not, we'll just think, a well, how serious
can they be so filling forty slots? I think is
a certainly a positive step in the right direction, even
if some of those candidates might not have made a
big impression in the district and or from the district.

(01:54:37):
It does take a certain amount of gumption to take
a swing out of regardless of the effort put in
or the likelihood of winning.

Speaker 20 (01:54:43):
Listen that it does, especially in districts that are not
traditionally INDP and that they're either going to swing back
before between Liberal and PC.

Speaker 2 (01:54:55):
It does.

Speaker 20 (01:54:56):
And I can you know the people I visited, like
a know with a look at at the Shasia Uh,
Sarah Hillier in UH in Springdale, I look at Jasmine
Paul Meli out all the new to this and UH
and put their foot I would say, more than dip

(01:55:16):
their toes into it. They put their feet into it
and they and they gave their best.

Speaker 2 (01:55:20):
So that's to me.

Speaker 20 (01:55:21):
I got to look at that that that's the new
that's the future of the party, and that's what we
build on. And UH, there's obviously an interest and it
was it was always a challenge, I guess getting people
to run, but we were able to do it this
time and now we get I guess we've got the
work to do that, like we know what the PCs
put forward, but we've also got a constant platform and

(01:55:43):
we're definitely going to be looking at issues along lines
whether see I heard your earlier they talking about the
fractional units in education. Uh, if we want to address
the the issues in in our education system, that's one
way of doing it. About ending corporate and union own
nations so that we have an election that owned by

(01:56:03):
the people the province bringing in demanding now that where
the previous government didn't, but hopefully this one will bring
in pharmacare to sign on to that and to address
issues like climate change. We saw what happened this summer
and this is a foretaste of what's to come. But
it's not just the fires. It was the lack of water.
It was the low water levels in all areas. It

(01:56:26):
was the poor yields by farmers. I think, Patty, when
you've got people farmers saying, look, asking people not to
buy the bails of hay for decorations, it speaks to
the issues we've got here. So we have we I
think I can safely say it will not be a
surprise as to the issues we're going to be pushing

(01:56:46):
in the House of Assembly. It's there for all to
see throughout the election and we're committed to pushing those
issues over the next four years.

Speaker 2 (01:56:54):
Appreciate the time, Jim, congratulations once again, Thank you, take
care you too, podvide later. The NDP also successful and
being reelected in Saint John Center. Let's got a lot
of number. Welcome morning, Patrick Collins around the air, Good morning.

Speaker 4 (01:57:07):
How are you today?

Speaker 2 (01:57:08):
About it all?

Speaker 3 (01:57:09):
You good?

Speaker 21 (01:57:10):
Thank you. The reason why I'm calling in Patty is
to let people know that the Accession Maymasine is once
again hosting their historical Haunted Hike, leaving from the Old
Cathedral in Harbor Grate at seven thirty tomorre night. It's
an annual thing. It's our fundraiser and we'll awake from

(01:57:32):
the dead the Undertaker Art Rogers, who will emerge from
the immerge from the church and he'll be walking around
the town, you know, fairly close by the church itself,
calling on the on the spirits who are offsit with
the town.

Speaker 12 (01:57:48):
And offsit with it Ben And so.

Speaker 21 (01:57:52):
Everybody's welcome. It starts to morning at seven thirty and
it's ten dollars at the gate, so we have quite
a number of characters that will be called out. William
donn Lee, of course, who was buried along with his
family underneath the old church. He was there until about
ten years ago when he was removed from the crypt,

(01:58:13):
him and his grandchildren. And we think he's a bit
upset with the fact that he gave all this money
to the church and here he has been pulled out,
and we think he's probably going to be a little
bit angry. And we have a visit back now from
a young priest who died halfway through Mass, and we
know that he has appeared at several places in the church.

(01:58:36):
Some workers have seen him, and so on construction workers.
So quite a number of characters that are going to
be called upon, Patty. I think people will either be
scared or will enjoy it, or maybe both.

Speaker 2 (01:58:51):
I've heard reaction from folks who had last year after
we had our annual call, and they had a great time,
really enjoyed, and it was a combination of entertaining a
couple of little spooky homes as well, which is exactly
how it's designed.

Speaker 17 (01:59:03):
Well, you know, we have a whole.

Speaker 3 (01:59:04):
Lot, that's true.

Speaker 12 (01:59:06):
We have rais is that really blessed like that because
we have a.

Speaker 21 (01:59:09):
Whole a great history, a great depth of history, you know,
over the last number of centuries, last three centuries and
going from East and India. Earhart for example, who was
taken from us a few months ago and of course
just found.

Speaker 12 (01:59:24):
But I mean, she's got to be upset.

Speaker 21 (01:59:27):
The rumors are that she's going to be walking around
wondering why that she was chopped up like she was.
And you know some had Peter Easton for example, such
a breath of history like going from East and up
until recent times with the ear Heart. So you never
know who's going to pop out of one of those

(01:59:48):
old houses tomorrow night and everybody'll be welcome, and hopefully
the weather will hold off and it's like it is today.
Tomorrow night it was like it is, you know, the
same as today, and we're going to go ahead. It'll
just make it a bit small here for everybody past.

Speaker 2 (02:00:03):
Yeah, hopefully it's a great time. Again. Thanks thanks for
telling us about it, Patrick.

Speaker 21 (02:00:07):
And thank you very much for the year time to
talk about it.

Speaker 2 (02:00:10):
Have a good day you too, sir. All the best
my life. There we go the annual tradition that is,
let's take a break. We'll we back. Michael's in the
queue to talk about a documentary about Afghanistan, and then
we're talking addictions and then maybe some time for you
took away. Welcome back to the show. Let's go to
line number six. Sagamore to the re elected member from
Mount Pearl Southlands Independent Member, Paul Aine. Paul, you are

(02:00:30):
on the air.

Speaker 10 (02:00:32):
Good morning, Patty.

Speaker 2 (02:00:33):
How are you this morning? Not bad? It's all. Thanks
for asking. And before we get into it, I'm going
to sneak this call and one more on this morning,
so let's get at it. Go ahead.

Speaker 10 (02:00:42):
Yes, well, Patty, I did want to my topic was addictions.
Before I do, I just want to say thank you
to everyone that supported me during the campaign and certainly
all of my volunteers, my family as well, Patty. As
I said, I wanted to speak about the issue of addictions.
It continue used to be a huge issue in our province.

(02:01:02):
I know we have the Vita Nova facility now up
on the Salmon air Line. They're doing tremendous work. It's
very unfortunate though that suppose from what I can gather,
there's still no decision made or to have this service
covered by MCP. I do think it's addictions is a

(02:01:23):
health issue for sure, and we can put you know,
we can cover We can cover this stuff under MCP
to try to beat the addictions or if not, we're
only going to be paying for it, whether it be
through the healthcare system or through the justice system.

Speaker 2 (02:01:40):
On the road.

Speaker 10 (02:01:41):
You know, because of the impacts of addictions. We know
that I'm hearing from people, certainly in my community Mount
Pearl is no different than the rest of the province.
We're hearing issues about drug houses that are existing around
the around the community. We're hearing about people finding used
syringes on the walking trails, in the area of playgrounds
and so on, crimes up as we know, and a

(02:02:03):
lot of this stuff is related to drugs and drug addiction.
And unless we get a grip on this and we
support facilities like Vitanova to try to get people clean,
and of course once they are clean, support appropriate resources
and housing and so on to keep them clean as
opposed to taking someone getting them clean then throwing them

(02:02:25):
in a shelter somewhere where they're around people who are
doing drugs. You know, we really need to get this
right from a financial point of view and from a
moral point of view and from a community safety point
of view, of.

Speaker 2 (02:02:38):
Course, and there's a lot of ways to tackle this
particular issue. Vadanova is a good compliment to a system
that needs more beds, and they also have a model
that I think we should talk about a bit more
between reducing time between detox and rehabit and then support
of housing as you try to fully recover from an addiction.

(02:02:58):
Because we just have a really disc connected world out
there at this moment of time in the province. So yes,
there's more to be said on that particular front, simply
because I don't want to leave Michael Pertty, who wants
to talk about a documentary about Afghanistan, leave him in
a lert suare this morning. How about we revisit whatever
you want to talk about next week. Will we have
more time, Paul, not.

Speaker 10 (02:03:17):
A problem, Patty all the very best, and I can't
thank you to everyone who's supporting.

Speaker 2 (02:03:21):
Goodbye, my pleasure, Bye bye. Let's go to line umber three. Michael,
You're on the air, Dave. Is Michael's pot up on three? Michael,
You're on the air, Michael, Michael Pertty Line number three. Okay,
I'll put him on hold. Dave if you want to
see if you can get him sorted out possibly. You know,

(02:03:42):
I just read an email out of the corner of
my eye about one thing that the NDP put back
out on the front burner and stuck with it is.
And I wonder whether or not the current elected government,
the PCs under a Premier designate Tony wakem will take
it upon themselves to have a careful review of how
we've finance campaigns in this province. It's just not great.

(02:04:04):
It makes life easier for the parodies, but that's not
my worry. It makes it easier for the politicians running
or the candidates running, but that's not really my concern either,
to be honest with you, because every single time I
sit in this chair and there's been a big government contract,
let big or small people ask who donated to that priority,
who donated to this person, or who donated to the premiere.

(02:04:25):
We've got to get rid of it. We've just got
to shore it up. And the NDP, to their credit,
put that out there in pretty stern fashion, and they're
right as far as I'm concerned. Let's go leneer reform
Michael pretty around the air. Hello, Hi there, Now we
got you.

Speaker 12 (02:04:41):
Okay, great. So there's this Saturday at the Gower Street Theater.
There is a documentary by Karen Stock and Robert Current
about Fallen hero Is their Journey Home. It's a nine
minute documentary but the Canadian Armedforces in Afghanistan. It touches
on some key.

Speaker 22 (02:05:01):
Battles, highlights and the war's impact on Canadians and a
lot of it is going to talk about the repatriation
of those who were killed over there, so it's.

Speaker 12 (02:05:11):
Going to be a bit of a trigger warning for vexs.
I think I've sent you the applicat or the brochure.
And interesting thing about Afghanistan is there was one hundred
and fifty nine soldiers and four civilians that lost their
lives over there, in thirteen of them more hours. They
were from Newfoundland. So it's twenty five dollars. All the

(02:05:35):
proceeds go back into the Soldier On Fund, and they
are the Soldier On Fund and the history matters of
history go to support veterans and educational materials such as
this about the war in Afghanistan.

Speaker 2 (02:05:49):
And I'm glad we've made time to ensure you got
on here this morning, Michael. I mean, look, the military
debts are of course extraordinarily sad, and repatriation ceremonies there
enough to break your hat. But I mean there was
a journalist killed, a diplomat killed, aid workers killed. I
mean it's a big, broad story and I'm glad they're
also being recognized.

Speaker 12 (02:06:08):
Yeah, and it talks about all of them. And I
know Karen personally. I met her last May in Italy.
She was leading a tour about the PBCLI Princess Patricia's
Caneline Infantry and I went over because I served with
that unit, but I also did a lot of research
in the one sixty sixth Regiment from Newfoundland, the Field
Artillery Regiment, and she took the time out to do

(02:06:30):
detours for us to go visit sites where they fought
and the different cemeteries where New Flanders are buried over there.
So she's a good person, her heart's in the right place,
and I think this is going to.

Speaker 2 (02:06:41):
Be an amazing documentary.

Speaker 12 (02:06:43):
If you go to Trailer the Cariboo on Facebook, there's
more details and there's a clip you can watch. So
hopefully we'll get one hundred and seventy seats sold out.
There are still some left and you can do that
by the QR code I sent you, or contact the
Gower Theater and they can sell you a ticket.

Speaker 2 (02:07:01):
And if anybody wants that copy of that post in
the QR code, if they send me an email, I'll
be happy to forward it along. Michael, I really appreciate
making time for the program this morning.

Speaker 12 (02:07:11):
Yeah, and it's it's on the Facebook page as well.
Tell the care with Facebook page the poster. Thank you
very much for taking a call, sir. Interesting conversations.

Speaker 2 (02:07:18):
We have an interesting four years ahead of us.

Speaker 12 (02:07:21):
Hopefully we can all get along.

Speaker 2 (02:07:22):
Interesting is one way to vote it. Oh yeah, thanks Michael.

Speaker 3 (02:07:28):
All right, thank you sir.

Speaker 2 (02:07:29):
You're welcome. Bye bye. All right, another good show today,
big thanks to all hands, the listeners, callers, emailers, twitters
are all right. We will indeed pick up this conversation
again to one morning right here on VOCM and Big
lnfm's open line. I'm behalf of the producer David Williams.
I'm your host Patty Daily. Have yourself a safe, fun,
happy day. We'll talk in the morning. Bye bye.