Tuesday May 13th

Episode Transcript
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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

(00:22):
Paddy Daily.

Speaker 2 (00:23):
Well, all right and good morning to you. Thank you
so much for tuning in to the program. It's Tuesday,
me the thirteenth. 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 times metro region.
The number of the dial to get in the Q
and on the air seven zero nine two seven three
five two one one elsewhere a toll free long distance

(00:44):
one eight eight eight five ninety VOCM, which is eighty
six twenty six. So the Men's World Hockey Championship's being
co hosted by Sweden and Denmark, Canada, TU and oh
today they get France. I just got me thinking, I
wonder how many guys from France have actually played in
the national hockey leage. It turns out fourteen. I could
think of a couple Bellmer and Rus Bussel and christabau Hue.

(01:07):
But long haul inside the fourteen is a guy named
Pat Daily. Pat Daily no relation played in the National
Hockey League permanently to see how many games he played
in playing in twelve games, scored one goal. Anyway, we
got the French today, all right. When I say Battle
is Sexes, many people automatically will think about Bobby Riggs
playing against Billy Jen King. It was viewed by some

(01:28):
fifty million people on television. Was held at the Houston
Astrodome nineteen seventy three. But prior to that, four months
earlier than that, on this date, Bobby Riggs played against
Margaret Court and Mark Record. Actually finished nineteen seventy three
as number one in the world, a head of number
two Billy Jean King. There was also a third of
those Battle of the Sexes, Jimmy Connors took out Martina
and Avratalova. Now, curiously people talk about whether or not

(01:50):
the King Riggs match was rigged. That was long the thought.
Billy Jan King beat Bobby Riggs in three sets. There
was a winner take all one hundred thousand dollars, which
translates to today's dollars. Somewhere around seven hundred thousand dollars
saw big money in the day, to say the least,
but Battle of the Sex is the first one on
this date. Margrecourt and Bobby Riggs and you hear me
sometimes talk about betting on sports. People who are bet

(02:14):
hers will bet on anything, including who's going to be
the next Pope. I heard this story this morning. Apparently
there was summer in excess of forty million dollars wagered
on who'd be the next Pope. Robert Privo now Pope
Leo the fourteenth had a less than one percent chance
of coming out as the pope, and someone put five
hundred odd dollars on it won fifty two thousand dollars

(02:35):
on who's going to be the Pope of all things?
And going to the folks out in the partial CoV South.
The future the Holy Rosary Church is now in the
hands of the court. You know the story there. And
it wasn't a parish group part of me, It wasn't
affiliated with the Roman Catholic Episcopal Corporation when they raised
all of that money to refurbish the court of the

(02:56):
church itself, and so they think hands off. They changed
the locker. You all know the story, and now the
price tag is somewhere less than forty thousand dollars. They've
already scared away a couple of potential investors. So we'll
find out what comes out to the other side this all,
of course, and before long we're going to have to
hear from the province on this one. The compensation that
has been raised, or for the part of me, the

(03:18):
compensation for the victims at Mount Casheal, it's about forty
million dollars. We're looking at a compensation part of about
one hundred and five million dollars. So the question will be,
you know, we've heard that maybe insurance companies can cover
up the shortfall. That doesn't look like it's going to happen,
So it's probably going to be resting on the provincial
government itself to come up with that shortfall. And as

(03:40):
I've said before, nobody begrudges the money's going to the
victims at Mount Cashele and the severe abuse suffered there.
But at some point we're going to have to hear
from the province on that one. Your thoughts, especially if
you're on portgal Co South, your thoughts about where we
are with the court case. All right, speaking of court
cases and settlements, I brought this up a few because
we heard stories that were reported that there had been

(04:03):
a settlement achieved with the big three tobacco companies for
compensation for provinces regarding the healthcare costs associated with smoking.
In the province of Quebec, they're actually going to be
able to spend money or pertonly give money to Quebec
residents who have been have fallen ill because of their smoking.
So the total problem is about thirty two point five
billion dollars For every province other than this province across

(04:25):
the country, they still have that money's under review. First
things first, like in Nova Scotia, they go right to
the Auditor or General about how that money can be
applied in this province. We've done something like this in
the past. I guess we'll set the stage in this province.
The deficit was misleading. Why because that's settlement money, which

(04:45):
is not all fully guaranteed at this point, has been
applied to the deficit. So we're the only problems in
the country to do this. The Auditor General, Denise Hanrahan
was not brought into the loop first in or last,
so people will have questions. In the past, we have
done something like this in twenty nineteen when the Landscape
Cord was updated. Then that guaranteed money was put right

(05:07):
into the provincial god coffers, even though it's going to
be paid over years. The difference there was absolutely guaranteed
by the federal government of Canada. In the big tobacco case,
the payments come, there's about forty million dollars initially, and
then the rest of it can pay be paid over
the course of thirty years. The problem there is that

(05:27):
one of the biggest, most impactful words in the English
language is if. So this is a comment coming from
the government about exactly that. The quote is, if the
Minister of Finance can satisfy herself and make the case
to the Uditor General that the payment stream is secured,
there is a legitimate basis to record the full amount
at this time. But boy, oh boy, that's a pretty

(05:48):
significant if the future of the tobacco industry is questionable.
I mean it's not going away in full, but the
ability to pay all of those billions of dollars, because
it's not just here in this country. There have been
hundreds of billions of dollars secured by American states regarding
the exact same court challenges. So what does it look
like into the future. So the total coming to this

(06:10):
province is somewhere around five hundred million dollars, so significant
chunk of change. But to me, you know, when it's
not secured, when it's not guaranteed, and to not bring
the Auditor General in like they're doing around the country,
there's some questions that I think are completely legitimate to
be asked here. So BC, Alberta, Sasketchwan, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia,

(06:30):
Prince Edward Island all say that the matter is under review.
In this province, of course, with money's hard to come by,
the provincial government decided to apply it all upfront. So
it's good news that it's coming in and in the
province of Quebec, and everyone loves this story. In the
Province of Quebec, they're spending it a lot. Part of me,
I said, four hundred million, it's forty percent is upfront,

(06:53):
then the payments over the course of thirty years. And
in Quebec there's going to be money flowed directly to
some of their residents. But it does indeed paint a
different picture of this year's deficit because it could have
been doubled. But we're applying money that is not fully
in hand and has not been reviewed. Sometimes it feels
like a self inflicted wound. If the appropriate course of

(07:13):
action here is to bring the Auditor General in to
make sure we're on an appropriate accounting path, then why
don't we just do it? Because the statement from the
government is again, if the Minister of Finance will satisfy
yourself and make the case of the AG that the
payment stream is secured, there's a legitimate basis to regard
the full amount at this time. First things first, make

(07:34):
the case of the AG. So that's a pretty big story,
I would suggest, and if you want to take it on,
we can do it. And also an emailer asked me
to bring this one back up, and it's the fact
of the matter. Over the past six years, to the
tune of some four hundred and twenty million dollars paid
to fewer than a dozen companies, and every single year
money's taken out of contingency funds for children with complex

(07:55):
needs who are in care. The reason this person wants
me to bring it up again I'm pretty sure she
has a child that's in care of the government. We
still don't know exactly what these management concerns are. That
seasons go back to contingency funds year over year for
the past six years, and unlike many other provinces in
the country, we're paying the private sector to take on

(08:18):
what really feels like the government's role. So I'll put
it back out there for that particular listener and emailer,
and if you'd like to pick it up, we can
do it all right. And akin to Prime Minister currently
reducing the carbon tax for consumers yet to be enshrined
in legislation, which is required in this province, Premier Hogan

(08:39):
one of his first courses of business is to asks
the sugar tax. So I mean the public has pushed
back from day one. The well intentioned sugar tax to
encourage people to buy things that are less sugary makes
sense in some part, but it always felt like a
tax scrap and it didn't work. The government itself forecast

(09:01):
at revenue in year number one of nine million dollars
and then came over eleven million dollars, and over the
course of the three years where it's been in play.
Tens of millions of dollars have come in the door
to the professional government and people's purchasing decisions have not
changed for the most part. They So, of course this
is going to require legislation, and I understand kept flip
switches on legislation, but that's going to have to happen.

(09:23):
And also the old sugar tax, it wasn't even equitably
applied by different retailers. Some people will go here and
buy powder for iced tea, and the sugar tax designed
to go somewhere else and it's not applied. There was
confusion at the eleventh hour between the distributor and the
retailers how it was going to work. But it's going away.
When we're going to see the legislation passed to see

(09:44):
it eliminated remains to be seen. Tony Wakem, of course,
leader of the PC party, he's been on this one
since day one. You know, sometimes for starta's road of
the opposition is critically important. Of course, it's regardless of
which party is in power and which party is in opposition,
but it would have been really important for the government
upon review of even year number one if it wasn't working.

(10:07):
Like everything else, in this world, regardless if you're a
supporter of the liberals or the Toys or the NDP
or whoever. Public policy has to be measured against. Reality
has to be measured against whether or not the intentions
have been met, have been achieved, and it hasn't been
from day one. So I think this will be welcome
news when we talk about costs of living and the
price pressures that we all feel it's not the biggest

(10:29):
deal in the world, but symbolically when a tax grab,
which is what it felt like, and it's hard to
argue against that being the appropriate phrase attached to the
sugar tax. So it's gone away. So they'll have to
amend the sugar sweetened beverage tax to fit. You want
to take it on, let's go, all right. So we've
been talking, unfortunately a fair bit about public safety and violence,

(10:52):
whether it be in schools or in the general public,
and the role the drugs play and organized crime and
all the rest of it. And now it looks like
health services, this has been in the news a little
bit for the last month or so. Now going to
give careful consideration to applying some system to detect weapons
being brought into healthcare facilities, so we don't even know

(11:13):
exactly what facilities may indeed see the implementation of this
detection system. And it's important to note like they do
it in other provinces using artificial intelligence and otherwise because
you know a couple of interesting points being made. You
can't go to Confederation building without going through a metal detector,
but you can go into a hospital where people are
worried and frustrated and angry, whether it be about wait

(11:35):
times or their own personal health or the health of
a loved one. And we've seen acts of violence, and
that's pointed out by you'vet coffee. It's not just weapons
like a gun or a knife that can be very
dangerous to the staff and other patients. Whether it be
cases where we've seen printers thrown around and polls that
carry IV bags and chairs. So, whether it be increased

(11:57):
training for security on site, whether there be some additional
training given to staff to de escalate some frustrated visitors
or patients that may indeed be willing to lash out physically.
But it's a crying shame, even though it probably makes
sense that we have to do more to beef up
security for the protection of all hands inside to that end,

(12:19):
and the person who sent along this story as part
of their email went on to say, and I'm not
so sure if it's the lady that has called in
the past on this one, but suggesting that the time
is now for also that strategy to be also applied
to the schools. We've seen the stories there have been
weapons confiscated, whether they be brought in for defensive purposes

(12:39):
and or for aggressive purposes. So it does make me
feel a little uncomfortable, but safety is one of the
key priorities in both of those settings, education and certainly
in healthcare. But it looks like they're considering that type
of detection. You want to take it down, we can
do it this one in healthcare. But also quite bizarre So,

(13:02):
a lady named Lisa Driscoll pled guilty to five charges
in court yesterday here in town. Two counts of for
out over five thousand dollars, two counts of unlawfully obtaining
or possessing another's identity with the intent to commit an
indictable offense, and one counterfeilding to comply with the probation order. Okay,
so she was charged in twenty twenty three investigations held

(13:24):
by Central Health. She was working as a registered nurse
several locations under the identity of others. She didn't have
the credentials period when she was then on probation, she
managed to work at three nursing homes here in town.
We also know that years ago in Ontario, she was
caused with negligence causing death. Her four year old son died.

(13:46):
She was sent her two and a half years in prison,
only service seventy five days. So, okay, that's just one
standalone court case, but it's not the only time we've
heard of someone working in an important sector like long
term care or other health care facilities that wasn't who
they said they were and did not have the credentials
to back up their application form. So find that this

(14:07):
person has now been caught in charge and has plaid guilty.
Remains to have seen what her sentence would be that
schedule for the twenty fifth of September, but she was
here on an ALIAS and they didn't have the credentials.
That really does beg questions regarding vetting in every walk
of life, especially when you're working alongside some of the
most vulnerable people in society. People in a care home,

(14:30):
people in a school, people in a hospital. This can't happen.
And I'm not saying heads need to roll in things
of the like, but it does beg some pretty big
questions about how somebody like this person with her criminal
past and without the credentials gets to work in these
types of facilities. So hopefully that's being shored up as

(14:53):
we go on. Okay, just keep a couple of quickies,
and I do take my lead sometimes from the listener
and the emailer. This person says, maybe a topic for tomorrow.
Just receive my car insurance went up twenty three percent
on a fixed income, haven't had a raise eleven years.
Looking at some of the other bills for the last
few years. City council, of course, in Saint John's our
property tax went up thirteen percent last year. He's assessment

(15:15):
one up ten percent, mobility up eleven percent, TV and
internet up eleven percent. So begging the question about, you know,
whether this be directly regarding people on a fixed income
and whether or not we need to reevaluate the threshold
for qualifying for things like the Guaranteed Income Supplement. But
he wanted me to put those costs of living measures
out there for your consideration. I'm sure many will pick

(15:35):
up on it. And speaking of insurance, I know there's
some consultation happening right now between the provincial government and
the folks who were devastated by the fire, whether it
be Adam's Cove, Small Point broad Cove. So no firm
announcement yet. The province is they will indeed come to
their aid. What that looks like, we don't know. I've
been asked do I know, and the answer is no,

(15:56):
I don't at this moment in time. Couple cookcuns good
on the folks at the college in the North Atlantic
for the second year in a row, they just held
something that they called Jill of All Trades, trying to
break down that barrier was made people feel like trades
were only for guys, only for men, when of course
there's not. There's been a long standing office at the

(16:17):
provincial government regarding women in the trades. So I'd love
to hear from either one of the high school students
or someone who's been through the Office of Women in
the Trades along those lines. I will throw this out
there one more time when we talk about stigma and
barriers and hurdles. Same thing when it comes to certain
healthcare professions, including nursing. There was a story one I

(16:38):
don't know, last year, maybe sometime wherever, the first time
ever the entire staff on one of the floors I
just guessed for North Ay, for North Be the health
sciences was all men. Maybe there should be a campaign
to open up people's eyes that there's absolutely an opportunity
for men to be in the nursing profession. It's no
longer just for women. So when we see the shortages

(16:58):
and we hear the stories women in the trades or
men in the nursing profession, it's probably a great conversation
I have. Maybe we'll reach out to the college itself.
Let's see how successful that has been anyway. All right,
So the federal cabinet will be sworn in today. When
Prime Minister currently named his first cabinet, it was down

(17:19):
to twenty four including himself Justin. Trudeau's last cabinet had
thirty nine ministers. We're anticipating the number to be thirty
or fewer today. Notably bring them back what has been
not used as a specific reference as the secretaries of state,
of which we're thinking there'd be around ten. What that
looks like in this province, we don't know. We are

(17:41):
told through the rom Or Mill that every province in
territory will be represented either in Cabinet proper or as
the Secretary of State, who may be the representative for
this province. I'm not sure will Joeanne Thompson be back in.
I don't know, Tom Osborne, Phil Earl, I don't know.
What's a really interesting one to me? And of course
I have no ine from it on this front yet.

(18:01):
Is Anthony Jermaine? So the judicial recount is happening now,
tearing over the peninsulas. But mister Jermaine can speak Mandarin.
I wonder I is he pull on a secretary safe
position of foreign Affairs. I mean, we all know the
conversation regarding Deana with China on a variety of fronts,
And of course there are plenty of staffers working for
the federal government can speak Mandarin, of course, but you

(18:23):
wonder whether or not as a sitting member of Parliament.
And I'm sure there's going to be some consideration waiting
for the outcome of a judicial recount. But anyway, the
cabinet comes in today. We are told Jonathan Wilkinson out
as the Minister of Natural Resources, but we do know
that Christer Freeland will be in cabinet, and we do
know that Stephen Giebo will be in cabinet. So we

(18:43):
don't know what it's going to look like for representation
regarding the West, which is going to be a big
part of the ongoing conversation here because the stormy conversation
and negotiations and or thoughts of referendum are growing by
the day. Hate to bring it up, but that's the case,
and you want to take it on. Let's go last one.

(19:04):
So the federal rioting in Quebec that was flipped from
the Black Abaqua to the Liberal priority by the case
of one solitary vote, not so fast, versus story in
the news today where a lady got her vote that
she mailed in absolutely on time. She mailed it on
April the fifth. It was returned around May the second,
a return to sender because Elections Canada made a mistake

(19:26):
on the return envelope in the postal code. I'm not
exactly sure what the mistake was, but it was regarding
the postal code. It's not her fault. And we talk
about the integrity of the elections. This is going to
have to go to court. This is probably going to
end in a by election. I don't know who she
voted for, but the story kind of intimates that she
voted for the block, which would constitute a tie. So
it's not her fault. Irregularities can't be challenged in court.

(19:49):
And so when it's so critically important for elections Canada
to be viewed as doing everything possible inside the recounts
and to address this irregularity, let's get done right so
that one seventy that the Liberals are saying they have,
maybe it is going to be one sixty nine. So
that's a really interesting story coming from Quebec. All right,

(20:09):
on this date, nineteen seventy, the Beatles world premiere of
Let It Be. The film was premiered in the United States.
It wasn't until a week later, but it made his
way to the UK, and of course it included that
unannounced rough Top performance. It was the last time the
Beatles performed in public. And in addition to that, no
Beadle went to any of the premiers of Let It Be.

(20:32):
I want to say good luck, go get him to
Butlerville's very own. Jacob Lewis, he's in the finale tonight
and Canada's got Talent. He's had a great run so far.
He's a really nice guy and has a lovely voice,
good performer, million dollar prize on the line, so he's
in it with the shot, So good luck to Jacob.
I'm sure there'll be some pretty heavy viewing parties in

(20:53):
different parts of the province. Oh what time was that
on TV tonight? I think it's nine to thirty. It
is on nine to thirty New Fland standard time on
City TV. Good luck to you, Jacob. We're on Twitter.
We're Viosimpalane follows there. Email addresses open onafiosium dot com.
Whant we come back? Let's have a great show that
can only happen with you and the Q to talk
about whatever's on your mind. Don't go awect, Welcome back

(21:14):
to the show. Let's go to LNE number one. Good
morning Tom, you're on the air.

Speaker 3 (21:18):
Good morning Patty.

Speaker 2 (21:19):
How are you doing okay? Thanks? How about you?

Speaker 3 (21:21):
Not too bad? Sorry to have to lead you in
the lurd Chester day, but just just too many fires
and not love hoses and I had to run. Sorry.
Uh just want I just spoke to one of the
guys last week. That's where I was raised out in
the Perception by North, in the broad cold blows, went
to school in Western Bay. So a lot of friends

(21:42):
out there still and hope you all make them through it,
but very devastating news for all the people in that area,
no doubt beautiful area. Before I get to the point,
I spoke to you a couple of weeks ago about
the family and Buttwood that we were trying to get
relocated to Hear Saint John's because the sun excuse me,

(22:05):
needs to go to the Middle Center for treatments and
it's too expensive to go back and forth. So we've
been We've been fortunate. We found we found the family
and an apartment in Mompero and they'll be moving in
sometime early June. They still need some help with moving expenses,

(22:26):
so they've set up a go fundly page, and anybody
out there has had a couple of dollars to spear,
they can go on the web to Nathan's CMT journey
and naked donation and I'm sure everyone would appreciate it.
It's about a couple of thousand bucks to get our
furniture and effects packed up and shipped in here. So

(22:49):
any any contribution to dollars, ten dollars, twenty dollars would
certainly be appreciated to help get the family in here,
So thanks for that. The the reason I called yesterday
was we wrote to Mother's Day dinner of breakfast with
my wife and son and got a call from one
of the neighbors and I should come in because she's

(23:11):
one of the great neighbors around the hub that picks
up gbage and things when she sees it, and she
noticed under her ramp here there were some needles, so
I left and came in, and sure enough, I think
everybody in the area who they must have come for
a party, because there were at least twenty needles underneath

(23:33):
a ramp here on the step cong up to her
kitchen area, somebody had obviously parked and left two razors,
a can of shaving cream, toothpaste, two pressures, and a
wet cloth and a bunch of sanitary white things I
guess disinfecting wipes. I guess where they wiped their arms

(23:55):
before they inject So really, really quite a mess of needles.
And you know, a lot of kids play on the
ramp with their skateboards and things, so very concerned so
called the city couldn't get an answer, so eventually did
with the help of of Kenclor Davis uh and we
later found out yesterday that of course the city will

(24:18):
not come and the scared of those things. They disposed
of those things for us, which was quite a shock.
You know, I just can't believe. You know, we're not
equip to do it, but we've had to do it
with the help of Walter harding Water has the gear
to be able to pick up stuff. So Walter stopped

(24:39):
by and helped us. But it's you know, it's rather
disappointing that the city will not assist. You know, they
keep calling us private, a private entity. You know, we're charity.
We don't have the resources to be able to do
those type of things. But you know, it's just situation

(24:59):
seems big, the worst of this area that every single
day we're all picking up needles and it's it's just,
you know, it's depressing and the neighbors. It's depressing for
the neighbors. You know, I had the post signs they're
saying be careful and maybe needles and you know, it's
just just not a good situation.

Speaker 2 (25:18):
It's dangerous, but it's also very sad, it really is,
you know, like Dave Williams was mentioning when he'd go
for walk down around Kitty Viddi another place I don't
want to, you know, just isolate certain parts of the
city or this region because it's probably everywhere. And just
see some of these red needle collection containers that are
quite easy to spot, but they're not being used. So

(25:38):
within a stone's throw there's needles on the ground right
there for all to see, for the kids to pick up,
for the dogs to bite, and it's just absolutely everywhere.
And you know, people say, well, we're giving people free
needles to enable them. We don't know if that was
a free needle or a needle that was shared. The
fact of the matter is it's ending up on the
ground and what we do about it, Like the city says,

(25:58):
if a city managed proper, we call the city directly
to pick it up. But that's an after the fact,
that's a careful removal, but it doesn't address just how
many needles end up on the ground, because, like we
all know, if you're addicted to the point with these
intravenous drugs, then you're probably not making very good decisions,
which includes throwing a kneel on the ground.

Speaker 3 (26:21):
I know you're appreciate the converted here and that you
know it's an everyday occurrence for here. Instead, I got
my maintenance guy every day walking around the building and
every single day, you know, we pick up needles and
I know we're in the side of the city and things.
You know, if I had a solution, i'd offered. I

(26:41):
hate just complaining, but I don't know what the solution is.
Put if we put those legal containers there, like you say,
they won't use them. We have picking up cigarette butts.
We put the bud container there, they won't use those.
So you know, I really don't know what the solution is.
It's just it's hard and there's this needle after needle

(27:01):
after day after day. So you know, if somebody has
a suggestion for us, we'd been born and willing, but
the police limit the day, campy day, every moment, So
terrible situation.

Speaker 2 (27:14):
I like to be in the solution business too, and
I'm at a loss. I don't know what we can do.
We can put out the containers if people aren't going
to use them, then what do you do? And you know,
speaking to an attic who's probably so far gone that
making a good decision is probably not in partner parts
with their daily life. How do we address this? I,
honest to God don't know, but I hear these stories

(27:35):
all the time. People send me pictures of their community
clean up, and inevitably in every single email regarding that,
there's a picture that includes needles every time.

Speaker 3 (27:43):
Yeah, yeah, I know, it's crazy. Anyway, thank you for listening.
And again if I can repeat that that go funding page.
It's Nathan cmt journey and people would like to contribute
and help this family. We certainly would appreciate it.

Speaker 2 (27:58):
So would that and hopefully people with the capacity to
help will consider doing it. Tom, I appreciate your time.
Thank you all the best. Yeah, I mean, where's a
solution to that? And it's a growing problem, and it's
not isolated through just a couple of spots. It's almost everywhere,
never a bit of a trail network, people ducking in

(28:20):
the woods. I saw some needles when I was caughting
through from the Confederation Building parking lot into walk around
can'spand right there at the trailhead. Well, I guess ten
feet in there they were for of them all's right
sitting right there, garbage can right on the corner. Anyway,
let's take a break. We'll we Quebec. Oh no, Tina's
in the queue. Her house burnt down out in Adamscovee.
We'll speak with Tina. And Kevin's got a suggestion regarding

(28:42):
what we just talked about with Tom with the needles,
and then we're speaking with you. Don't go away, welcome
back to the show. Let's go to line umber three. Kevin,
you're on the air. I don't bad.

Speaker 4 (28:57):
Why don't we just employ somebody for people out there
that actually do the forces for bug sec duke forces
for for dangerous pick up stuff like that. Let's deploy.
I mean you got one guy who goes around this
goes to several different sites every day. Maybe got five guys.
People will pick up a lot of need There will

(29:17):
be a significant change. I'm sure now when it comes
to the drugs, I wasn't at a one time and
I went out to the Grace and Harberd Grace and
I'm telling you, why are the flipple plate that is there?
Is there is a big change in the addiction uh,
the addictions, you know, the demographic of people that are

(29:39):
out there and that you know, there is help to
get and if you if you want it, you can
get it. But there are you know, like you said,
there's a.

Speaker 5 (29:46):
Lot of people out there and if you're in the
ivy drug use and you're not making good decisions.

Speaker 4 (29:51):
But at the end of the.

Speaker 5 (29:52):
Day, there are responsible ways to do it. But abstinence
is the key.

Speaker 4 (29:57):
However, the city should just employ somebody. What's wrong with that?
You know, I don't get it.

Speaker 2 (30:03):
Yeah, if the city owns and manages a piece of property,
then you can call the city and they will dispatch
someone to deal with it. So that's all fine and dandy,
But then you've got to try to jump through hoops,
whether it be needles found on a school property, and
then you have to go through the province. And then
if it's a dispute about who actually owns the property itself,
then you'll probably have to go you know, be put

(30:23):
on hold to pass along with this person and that person.
So your right DM makes sense to me. If the
city thinks that it is a problem, and it obviously is,
then if they can have by law officers going around
give me a ticket during the winter parking band when
there's no song on the ground, then maybe we can
train them up and give them the safety items required
to be on the needle pickup as well, Like why not?

Speaker 4 (30:43):
Absolutely absolutely, totally totally correct. And you know it's just
the names of our children, say of our people, and
you know, our families and stuff like that. I meant,
we've got to be able to stand on our own, Judes.
And if you're afraid to pick up an eagle, and
I don't know what to tell you, because I do.
I pick them up all the time. Like I said,

(31:04):
I was one time drug user and now I'm a
successful person. But you know, like if I see one
on the street, I'm picked up. I'll put one of
those red boxes. No problem, I got no problem.

Speaker 2 (31:17):
Yeah, I'm not afraid of it either personally.

Speaker 4 (31:20):
So man, we got to be able to take care
of ourselves too. If I see somebody who I be
or whatever like that, that's fine. You know, I might
keep an eye on them for a minute. They're they're
throwing a lot the window. If they do, I'll pick
it up. And but you know, there could be somebody
in the city that that.

Speaker 6 (31:35):
Is boyd for. It's not something.

Speaker 4 (31:38):
That's a you know, you could get eight from this.

Speaker 5 (31:42):
I see, you get a lot of different that will
be like dangeringly faltering, and and there is a level
of responsibility that comes on to the drug user. But
like you say, if you're using drugs, you're not me.

Speaker 2 (31:56):
If you don't mind me asking, Kevin, I feel free
to ignore. But how you've been clean.

Speaker 4 (32:02):
We'm clean now, maybe six or eight months. Three months
before and I slipped. I went out to the Grace
Center and Harvard Grace and I'm telling you a lot
of place. What a beautiful place they like lake. You're
a king out there. And then I tell you, I
recommend it to anybody. And the people and the staff
out there, they they just they help you. There's so

(32:22):
much information, there's so many professionals out there, and they
just really make sure that you are ready for the street,
ready to go home and and uh be a different person.
And first what a spot out there, man, I recommend
it to anybody. Go to your family doctor, go to
your your your nurse practitioner, whoever get a referral, go

(32:46):
on out to the Grace Enter and Harvard grace and
then visit out there for thirty days, and I'm telling
you a little different.

Speaker 2 (32:52):
I'm really pleased for you, Kevin. Uh, keep up the
good work and thanks for the call.

Speaker 4 (32:58):
All right, man, you have you.

Speaker 2 (32:59):
Too, foul bye bye. Here he goes a good story
and a reasonable suggestion. Let's take a break, don't go away.
Welcome back to the show. Let's go to line number two.
Good morning, Tina, you're on the air. Hi, Patty, Good
morning to you, Tina. Welcome to the show.

Speaker 7 (33:15):
Thank you. Tell us about your loss, oh as well.
I don't know where to start, but for the first
thing I'm going to start was, it's just to think
thank everybody, like for donations, clothing. I can't like I
think we're still in shock, but like the kindness and
everything that everybody's from my friends to my family, the strangers.

(33:38):
Like we literally like fled the house with just the shoe.
We didn't even have shoes on when my dad had
a slippers out. We actually had to flee the house.
The house, and I'm sorry, that's past, right. So I
grabbed my purse. I don't even remember grabbing my first
but like like I'm sitting here now and I'm still shaking.
Dad is still there. You know, we're still I think

(33:59):
we're still in shock. Sweet like not just that everything
burned down, but like the part where we nearly we
nearly die. I try to get it out of there. Right,
was was pretty traumatic. But I want to thank everybody,
like the Salvation Army ladies, everyone who who's dame, well
everyone knows who they are, even even the ladies at Walmart.
Like after the fire, my phone went dead and we

(34:21):
were stinking of smoke, so I ran into Walmart to
get a phone charger because everybody was calming me to
see if we were okay. And I think I had
four or five ladies that worked there going around the
store looking for a charger for me and helping me,
and just the kindness and support. It's just that that
alone is overwhelming, because you know, when you don't know
until something like that happens, what it feels like for

(34:44):
someone just to give you as simple as like my
cousin came out the next morning, I got me that
Rander two brush and like that meant you know, that
meant like a million dollars to me at that moment.

Speaker 2 (34:53):
Right, I'm really sorry to hear this happened to you.
How much warning did you have? How close was the
phone when you grabbed your person off you went?

Speaker 7 (35:03):
Okay. So I was outside and I was doing a
bit of yard work, and like a beautiful day, I
had my music. I listened in the field wire story.
But I was listening to music and I started to
smell a bit of smoke. So anyway, you know, I
didn't really panic or anything, because there was apparently there
was a little forest fire the day before, and I
didn't even know about that one, right, and that was

(35:24):
just like not far.

Speaker 8 (35:25):
From where we were.

Speaker 7 (35:26):
So I went in and I said to Dad, I said, Dad,
I saw like smoke. I said, I think there's a
fire somewhere. So I said, I'm want to get in
the car now and just go, you know, and see
what's going on, right, not thinking that, you know. So anyway,
when I went out the road, because we're like, we
were the first area that the fire hits, like like housewife,

(35:47):
right like that area. So anyway, I went out the
road and way over the hills, I could see like
very big, like an infernal flames just going up in
the sky. But it was like it was in the distance.
It wasn't closed or anything. So I drove right back
in the road.

Speaker 8 (36:04):
I don't know.

Speaker 7 (36:04):
Maybe that took me five minutes or so. And I
said to Mom and dad, like we had to evacuate.
No one told me because no one had time to
tell me, right, So I said we had to leave.
So Mom said, well, she said, I need my coat.
So I went in the bedroom and got her coach.
And when I came back, the yard was on fire.
There was fire in the backyard. There was like the

(36:26):
fire was everywhere, like all different spots, but right across
the road from off there's a house and up on
the back of his house. How many he had like
two or three burns, I think, And he had like
antique jeeps in there and stuff like that. So I
don't know for sure, but I think that was on fire.
His house didn't burn. The fire came right down beside

(36:47):
his house, because I went down the next day and
looked at it. So, like my father said, that's probably
like And so when I looked out the window and
I seen fire, then everything just got right black. And
I don't know how I got my mom out because
she can't walk, and we were just in the process
of getting a ramp. This land labror housing or supposed
to come and put a ramp on the house because

(37:08):
she has like a transport chair. So anyway, me and
Dad and Dad can hardly walk. He walks with a walker.
But anyway, we got her in the car somehow, and
by the time well, when we got out on the doorstep,
it was just like an inferno of heat and smoke
and stuff flying around. And when we got down to
the bottom of the driveway, I couldn't I couldn't see,

(37:28):
I didn't know if I was on the road. I
just used my you know, sense of direction, and we
just drove a house the road a little ways and
then we were out of the fire. Like it was
just crazy. Like my father said, he's like my father's
eighty two. He's never seen nothing like that in his life,
like one minute, and he said that he's seen this
big fireball come over from across the street and just

(37:51):
come over airplace right, and like even the backyard there
was flames coming up behind. And Dad had a grudge
in the back garden and there was big flames come
on up behind that. When I got us in the.

Speaker 2 (38:01):
Chair, oh boy, I mean I can't even imagine, you know,
dealing with the immediacy of trying to leave safely and
then the aftermath of trying to rebuild or asking all
those questions. So, I mean, we know there's some discussion
at the provincial government level about coming to your aid.
What that looks like, we don't know. I guess we'll

(38:22):
know in the coming days. So what's next step? So
you talk about just rebuilding right where the home was
in Adam's cover, What's what are you thinking about?

Speaker 7 (38:29):
We didn't have insurance. So that's why I felt maybe
you could help me because like I don't I'm in
the dark, Like I don't know what am I supposed
to call somebody. I'm not supposed to just wait for
someone to contact me, or like, I don't even know
what we're supposed to do.

Speaker 2 (38:43):
Right, So, Adam Scove is an LSD, right, a local
Local Service District. I would imagine they should play an
active role here in compiling names to act as your
advocate with the provincial government. You can indeed contact emergency
services directly here. But what I will do for you, Tina,
I'll get you exactly the number where you can put

(39:03):
your name on a list for compensation into the future.
But I'd also go to my LSD leadership and see
if they're going to play a role in making sure
that everyone in that local service district knows what to
do and how to avail of any compensation if and
when it's coming. But I'll try to get your number myself.

Speaker 7 (39:20):
So, so Steve Cracker, is that who you mean? I
have to contact him?

Speaker 2 (39:25):
Well, his office will pass you along to someone else.
Let's see, there's nobody.

Speaker 7 (39:31):
Nobody's contacted as ship. But I mean, I don't know.
But that's where I'm wondering, like do I wait for
some of the contact.

Speaker 2 (39:38):
Len I contact emergency services personally. And so this is
a number that is simply for this is all directly
related to Fiona, which is no good to you. But
let me put you on hold. On I'm gonna get your.

Speaker 7 (39:53):
Number, all right, prop and good luck, thank you.

Speaker 2 (39:57):
You're welcome. Bye bye. So Tina's on hold. That's take
a break and I will get her a number. A sap,
donk away, welcome back to the show. Let's go to
line number one. Caller. You're on the air.

Speaker 9 (40:12):
Oh hi, Patty there, okay, just making sure that I'm
speaking to you. Yeah, I'm just calling on behalf of
that person who is a former patient of a deceased
psychiatrist here in Newfoundland. Okay, so here here's his psychiatrist

(40:34):
passway and two and a half years ago. He's been
on office medication ever since. And I don't know if
you've heard this scenario before, but now when he speaks
with when he went down to see doctor, the doctor

(40:57):
referred to him to the Waterford, spoke with him and
he doesn't want to go for thirty days in the Waterford.
Is there a way to experdise this without being reassessed?

Speaker 2 (41:12):
Probably not, so, I don't think so. We had the
same conversation with many people when doctor Lauda passed away.
There are a few years ago and the people that
were in his care. I think there were some arrangements
that had been made because I think he was probably
very close to retiring when he unfortunately passed away while
on holiday. So I think that wheel was in motion

(41:34):
in this case. I really don't know. Did this doctor
work at a private clinic or did they work at
the mental health facility or where was this doctor?

Speaker 10 (41:45):
Now it was actually doctor Ladder.

Speaker 2 (41:47):
That was doctor Ladder yeah, Ladder.

Speaker 10 (41:49):
Yeah. Yeah.

Speaker 9 (41:52):
So when he went to see the local doctor, she
referred him to the Waterford and he stated to me
that he really didn't want to, you know, go in
for another thirty days.

Speaker 10 (42:05):
I sat down with him.

Speaker 9 (42:06):
And went over his medications, and Matt, I do volunteer work.
I'm just here on a holiday right now, try and help.

Speaker 10 (42:16):
Yeah, So I.

Speaker 9 (42:17):
Just want to see if I can help him, you know,
maybe expectate this to where you know, a psychiatrist, current
psychiatrists and Saint John's can take.

Speaker 10 (42:28):
Over doctor Latti's files. Yeah, but for him to.

Speaker 9 (42:32):
Go to the Watersford if there's the question, he just
won't do it. And he's he has multiple diagnoses like
almost everyone on GM five right, So well, I'm going.

Speaker 2 (42:44):
To try to help too. So just a couple of things.
I do know someone who was under the care of
doctor Lata that it was immediately picked up by another psychiatrist.
I don't know how that worked, but I can ask
that person that question. They're pretty open with me about it.
We've been friends for a long time. Number two, are
we one hundred percent sure that would probably would require
a thirty day assessment as an inpatient at the new

(43:07):
mental health facility.

Speaker 10 (43:09):
Well, this is the thing.

Speaker 9 (43:11):
He's absolutely no to death.

Speaker 10 (43:15):
He does not want to go.

Speaker 9 (43:16):
Like he said, I was on all these medications, my
psychiatrists passed away. Now he's not on anything. So when
he went to see his local doctor, I mean, she
just referred him to the Waterford and I guess that's
their way, I guess to expedited, you know, to send

(43:38):
him directed Waterford. But that's one step that he's not
going to take. So if if even you could find
which psychiatrist I mean that doctor Ladder, his favorite doctor
Ladder's patients have gone to or taken over his caseload,
that would be perfect.

Speaker 2 (43:59):
I'll see what I can find out. But I think
my specific question is the referral to the new mental
health facility. Does that actually mean in every single case
it requires a thirty day in patient assessment or is
it possible that it's less onerous than that. So that's
something that I would do first, is you know, you
got to ask that question of some of the mental

(44:19):
health professionals at the new hospital about what it's required
if and when you're a doctor. In this case, doctor
Alata has passed away, so i'd be sure to ask
that question before I worried about it being one hundred
percent of a thirty day in patient assessment. So I
do that much first, and I will try to find
that name my friend.

Speaker 9 (44:38):
Okay, Now, who would I contact? This is the thing
not going to make out the connections now through you?
Who would have contact to find that out? Like if
they actually need a dirty day assessment.

Speaker 2 (44:52):
Well, I don't really know exactly who that could or
would be, but I'm going to give you some point
of contact here. Yeah, I mean you're going to have
to speak with an actual healthcare professional because I don't
have a specific answer to that question. But let's see
uh today, Okay, here we go. I think this is

(45:12):
probably it. Okay, all right, So there's a couple of
easy ways where I think you're going to get some
easy answers here. So you know a lot of the
go to's here, and this person that picks up the
phone at eight point one might not have this specific answer,
but they know who to put you onto. So it's
actually a mental health crisis line. They can put you
in contact with Doorways and so what that means is

(45:35):
that on the other end of that phone, there's going
to be someone who will have the answer to that question.
So just describe to that person what you describe to me.
They'll put you on the right path. And I'm really
not sure if it requires an absolute thirty day in
patient assessment. So do that much and get back to
me while I'm trying to find out that the name
of that doctor.

Speaker 9 (45:54):
Okay, how will reconnect, Like how we'll find out who
that name David?

Speaker 2 (46:02):
You know Dave has your number? Okay, Yeah, So if
I get any helpful information, I'll be sure to get
back to you. But I think you're going to get
an answer to the next step in the process simply
by calling eight one one and tell him exactly what you.

Speaker 9 (46:15):
Told me, Okay, And I'll just give you the background
on myself.

Speaker 2 (46:20):
Okay.

Speaker 9 (46:21):
Right now, I'm just here on holiday. You may have
heard in good hands and memory of David Kavanaugh.

Speaker 2 (46:28):
Absolutely with the r V. Yah.

Speaker 9 (46:30):
Well that's that's I'm his mom, and I'm still doing
a lot of volunteer even remote. So I'm here now,
and of course these a lot of things are happening
in the small community, but I'm just here till tomorrow.
So I wanted to help this guy, this you know client, well,

(46:52):
I pretty much may call him a friend right now
because and you know something.

Speaker 10 (46:57):
Patty, I'm going to tell you he is so talented.
I mean, the these the scales.

Speaker 9 (47:06):
I'm just going to put it out there for anybody
with mental illness. You know what, they're the most brilliant,
brilliant people that are God put on this earth.

Speaker 10 (47:17):
I could even show you some work that he's.

Speaker 9 (47:20):
Done with it would burning in like he had he
has a tabletop, wouldn't tabletop he actually has and it's
perfect and burnt into the table like the Monopoly game,
and it is absolutely amazing.

Speaker 10 (47:40):
Well, yeah, skills.

Speaker 9 (47:42):
That's just I'm just putting it out there that you know,
mental illness doesn't mean that you're not skilled. Mental illness
just means that you have, you know, a diagnosis. But
you know, with with his diagnoses, multiple multiple diagnosed, he
just needs that medication. Like this is nothing that meditation

(48:07):
is going to help or any type of you know,
breathing exercise or anything like.

Speaker 10 (48:11):
He needs that medication.

Speaker 9 (48:13):
He's are focus. But once he's focused, you can you know,
he's amazing.

Speaker 2 (48:20):
People with the mental health diagnosis are more than anything
else are misunderstood.

Speaker 10 (48:25):
So understood.

Speaker 2 (48:26):
Yes, I think you're right. I do have to get
to the news. But I really appreciate you doing this
for this person and for making talk to the program.
So make that call and find out for sure what
next steps are as opposed to for you and for
your friend to think that it's automatically to be admitted
for thirty days. So make that call and let me know,
and I'll try to find that name for you.

Speaker 9 (48:46):
I so appreciate it, and I love your show. We
listened to it in Ontario.

Speaker 2 (48:51):
I appreciate you tuning in.

Speaker 10 (48:52):
Thanks allakay, all right, thank you.

Speaker 2 (48:54):
You're welcome. Bye bye. Yeah, let's take it right. When
we come back, we'll talking about the budget, which of
course has got to be passed in the legislature, and
then whatever you want to talk about, don't go away.
Welcome back to the show. Let's got a line. Umer three.
Say more to the independent Member of the House of
Assembly elected in and serving the folks in Mount Pearl
Southlands as Paul Lane Paul around the air, Good morning, Patty,

(49:14):
Good morning to you, Patty.

Speaker 11 (49:18):
I wanted to just chat a little about the about
the provincial budget, and I guess you know, and we
have talked about this in in in before, I guess,
in some version of this conversation. And but but it's
not something that always I don't think it necessarily gets

(49:39):
the attention that it deserves, certainly not necessarily from m
ah is calling in when it comes to budgetary matters.
And you know, we'll hear you know, members either on
the one hand, calling in to talk about, well, this
wasn't in the budget. That wasn't in the budget. We
need more money for this, we need more money for that.
And then and then often we'll get government members, you know,
talking about, oh, we're gone to invest millions here and

(50:01):
millions here and millions and somewhere else. And you know,
a budget, you know, it is a balancing actors, no
doubt about it. And I understand that there are lots
of needs out there for sure, and there are wants
out there as well, and government has to be tasked
and it's not an easy task to be in government
to find an appropriate balance that takes care of certainly

(50:25):
the needs, the absolute needs, and even some of the wants,
but by the same token, doing so within a fiscal
envelope that we can all afford. As a province. And
with that said, I just want to, you know, just
just give a little bit of attention to this year's
budget and to some discussion that occurred in budget debate

(50:49):
last night, and certainly something that is in the media today,
certainly on CBC as.

Speaker 2 (50:56):
It relates to the budget.

Speaker 11 (50:58):
So I think it's important that we all need to
recognize that, you know, while we have to provide for
the needs of people and so on, that we have
been for year over year over year, we've been running
significant deficits and piling up quite the provincial debt. I
would argue a crippling provincial debt. We pay on actually

(51:22):
overs one point two or one point three billion dollars
each year to service just to service the debt. That's
not paying any that's not paying on principle, that's just
to service the debts. This year and this year's budget,
there's a projection of three hundred and seventy two million

(51:44):
dollar deficits. So that's three hundred and seventy two million
dollars additional that's going to be wrecked on to our
provincial debt based on the budget. Now, if you look
at the budget and you look at what's been project
in terms of the price of oil, the price of
oil is actually lower than what was projected, so that's

(52:08):
going to have a negative impact on.

Speaker 2 (52:10):
The bottom line.

Speaker 12 (52:12):
And if you.

Speaker 11 (52:12):
Look over since since this fiscal year started, if you
look at the dollar, the dollar is actually trading higher
than was projected. That will also have a negative impact.
So if you take so that continues for the rest
of the year, that three hundred and seventy two million
dollar projected deficit is probably could look somewhere more in

(52:34):
the line of perhaps a half billion dollar deficit based
just based on that. Now, of course, the government just
announced that they're going to get rid of the sugar facts.
I know a lot of people are happy about that,
but it is important to note that that is also
going to have an impact on the budget because that's

(52:55):
additional revenue not coming in, so that's going to be
that's going to be additional debt on top of that.
This year we are borrowing four point one billion dollars
with a b One point eight billion of debt is
going to be just refinancing of existing debt, so that's

(53:15):
not going to really have any impact. But two point
three of that four point one is additional borrowing for
infrastructure and so on for capital. So that means between
the half billion dollars that we're going to have a
shortfall this year and another two point three billion dollars

(53:37):
that we're going to borrow for capital this year, that
takes us up to two point eight billion dollars additional
onto our existing debt. Now, if you look at the
story on CBC News this morning, and this is something
that I get been uncovered because it certainly hasn't been
discussed in the House Assembly. Certainly wasn't in the budget

(54:00):
beach the provincial government apparently is in this budget in
these figures, and again it wasn't certainly wasn't openly disclosed,
certainly not in the budget speech, certainly not listening where
I can see in a transparent manner, the government is
counting on five hundred million dollars a half billion dollars

(54:22):
of money that they're hoping they're going to get this
year from that lawsuit against the tobacco companies, And according
to the news story, they have not gone to the
Other General or so on even to seek advice as
to whether they can even properly claim it on this
year's budget. If they should or if they shouldn't have

(54:42):
other provinces apparently haven't or have maybe claimed a portion
of it, but not all of it. But we're going
to claim the whole half billion dollars in this year's
budget money that we don't even have. So that's going
to if that doesn't come to fruition. That's three point
three billion dollars added on to our provincial debt this

(55:02):
year alone. And when you look at the budget speech
and you look at the budget document, it says we
are on track because we're only have we have a
three hundred and seventy two million dollar deficit, is what
they're saying, and we're on track to balance the books
next year. But they're not talking about this five hundred
million And even if we got this five hundred million
dollars in this through this lawsuit this year, where we

(55:25):
getting the five hundred million dollars to next year and
the year after that, you know, I mean, this is
like found money. We're not going to pick it up
off the side of the road the year after year
after year. So I think to suggest that we're on
track for balanced budgets is what they're said. I think
that that's just poppycock. I really don't think it's going
to happen.

Speaker 2 (55:42):
Yeah, well, there's a lot to that. So BC, Alberta,
Saskatchewannder Brunswick, nov. Scotch Pei all have the matter under review.
First things first, go into the province's auditor generals, which
we have not done. Denise Handrahana and their staff not
brought into the loop. And I've talked about this off
the top of the program and one of this staments
that came from the department and says, if the Minister

(56:04):
of Finance can satisfy yourself and make the case of
the ag that the payment stream is secured, there's a
legitimate basis to record the full amount at this time.
The problem with that is if because the companies that
are paying these fines, these settlements judgments, they might not
even be around in thirty years. So we're counting on
something that is highly suspect to think that all of

(56:26):
these big tobacco companies, given the state of the world,
and you know, their sales and people can track their
sales and that's why they've diversified, will call it into
the vapes and all the other things. Because people don't
smoke like they used to So we are betting on
something a business or three businesses to still be there
when we've already accrued that money. I'm not so sure
about this one. And you mentioned a half a billion dollars,

(56:48):
you know where there's almost a half a billion dollars
in the future fund. The budget included one hundred and
eight million dollars this year, which brings the total to
I believe four hundred and sixty seven million dollars, all
the while borrowing money like I'll never be able to
understand that, heaping on debt which we have to service annually,
and refinancing debt, all the while putting millions of dollars
into a future fund. Like I get the concept. Rainy

(57:11):
day money is a good idea in my household. It
was a good idea in Alberta. It's a good idea
in Norway. But they didn't borrow money to satisfy it.
But we are so I just for the life you
don't understand that play, I'll add that to it.

Speaker 11 (57:24):
Well, Well, well, if you want to make an analogy
just to your own you know, personal you know, for
for people's own personal circumstances, if you will, basically it
would be the same thing as saying I get paid
this week, I pay my bills, and now now I
need to get groceries. Well, instead of buying my groceries,

(57:45):
I'm going to take that you know, two hundred or
three hundred dollars or four hundred, whatever it is, and
I'm going to put in my sock thrawer and I'm
gonna buy my groceries on my visa. Like that's that's really,
you know, in simplistic terms, that's really what we're doing.
So so yeah, we'll give ourselves a pet on the
back that we put one hundred million dollars in the
future fund while we're going to go over three billion

(58:07):
dollars in debt this year. And so now our net
debt is going to be north of twenty north of
twenty billion dollars. I don't know the exact amount, but
it's going to be north of twenty billion, and our
actual debt, when you look at the unfounded liabilities and
everything else, is going to be north of thirty billion dollars.

Speaker 2 (58:25):
I do believe.

Speaker 11 (58:27):
So for a province of five hundred thousand people, And
there is a figure out there that talks about how
much per chicken child that actually adds up to it's
a lot of money. But the bottom line is is
that you know, we have a huge problem when it
comes to the debt, the deficits that we continue to run,

(58:48):
the debt that we've built up, and like I say,
for this year, to have in the budget that all, well,
we're three seventy two, we're on track to balance the
budget next.

Speaker 2 (58:56):
Year, knowing knowing.

Speaker 11 (58:59):
Full well never disclosed it to you and I in
any in any real transparent way, but knowing themselves that
they're counting on five hundred million dollars that we don't
even have, may not even get, which would make the
real deficit eight hundred and seventy two million dollars, not
three hundred and seventy two, and suggests run track for

(59:19):
a balanced budget. I think it's pretty pretty disingenuous to
be honest aty, and I think it's something that is
a concern for us all. Like I say, it's great
to talk about the budget investments, education, healthcare, it all
needs to be done. We all understand that there's needs
out there. But at the same time, when we're painting
these pictures, and this is not me trying to beat

(59:40):
up on the government. It really isn't because we've had
Conservatives got PC governments in the past that when oil
was at one hundred and forty odd dollars a barrow,
we were spending money like there was no tomorrow. I'm
not pinning at all on this administration or anybody else,
but I'm just saying that it's important that when we
talk about the bud and so on, that we don't

(01:00:02):
just focus on, well, you know, what are we getting
out of? But are we going to get Am I
getting new hospital? Am I getting new a school? Am
I getting paiment and so on? That's all important too,
But we also have to realize that for the most part,
we're paying for all this with board money.

Speaker 2 (01:00:18):
Yeah, so just a couple of things. Forty percent of
the tobacco settlement is upfront, so it's not all one
hundred percent hoping into the future. So forty percent is
an upfront payment of the thirty two and a half
billion dollars net day in this province, not including unfunded liabilities.
So it's going to be nineteen point four billion dollars.
But we add on to the things that you mentioned,
because that's fair at nineteen point four billion dollars. That's

(01:00:40):
over thirty thousand dollars per person. It's also about forty
four almost forty five percent of GDP, so I mean
we're the least flexible province in the country regarding our debtload,
so over thirty thousand dollars per person. Now someone did
mention via email, you know what about some of the
money's flowing from the proposed hydro deal, which I assume
means the memorandum understanding if it gets signed by April

(01:01:02):
next year retroactive to this year average billion dollars a
year over the course of seventeen years. But there's also
ifs there, so you know, if that comes to past,
there will be more money. But again, every time we
use IF we should be proceeding with caution where we
look about borrowing into the future. So there's obviously lots
of these conversations, but very final thought goes to YOUPO

(01:01:23):
because I have to get gone.

Speaker 11 (01:01:25):
Yeah, no, listen, I agree with an individual that you
know there is if there is possibly Look there there
is opportunities when it comes to hydro potentially, there's opportunities
when it comes to new mining, you know, potentially wind,
although I'm not going to hold my breath on the wind.
We'll see what happens. But at the end of the day,
there is opportunities for more revenue over time, I'm not

(01:01:47):
saying that. But then, of course that comes down to
how do we manage that revenue, Because, as I said
in the House of Family yesterday, you know, if the
Upper Churchill does come to fruition, and if we do
get the revenues that are suggesting they we're getting, will
we have the discipline to try to put a good
portion that money to paying down this crippling debt? Or

(01:02:10):
will we just be tempted by the politics of spend spend,
spend on and everyone will have their hands out for this,
that and everything else in the government of the day,
will just continue to spend, spend, spend and do nothing
with the debt so and just put us in a
worse position. So anyway, it all comes down to how
you manage it.

Speaker 2 (01:02:28):
Of course, appreciate the time, Paul, thank you.

Speaker 11 (01:02:31):
Thank you, Patty all the very best.

Speaker 2 (01:02:32):
Take care bye bye, yeah you too. Let's take a
break when we come back off top of the show.
Mentioned that you know this is not new. We've been
told that NL Health Services and the province considering putting
some weapon detection systems in place at health care facilities.
But of course that's not the only thing that jeopardizes
people's safety inside these health care facilities. The president of
the Registered Nurses Unit of newfoulandon Labrador is if at coffee.

(01:02:55):
She joins us right after this took away. Welcome back
to the show. It's called line number six, Segamore to
the president of the Registered Nurses Union. That's the EVET
coffee Vet here on the air. Good morning, Patty, welcome
back to the program.

Speaker 13 (01:03:11):
Thanks.

Speaker 2 (01:03:12):
So this has been bandied about for some while now,
But your thoughts on the consideration for weapon detection systems,
whether it be artificial intelligence or just metal detectors otherwise
at healthcare.

Speaker 13 (01:03:22):
Facilities, Well, I think it's only one part of the
solution to addressing the increasing violence that we're hearing about
every single day in the health sector. We also have
to have a fulsome strategy, a fulsome plan in place,
and that includes what we're asking for, which is an
independent health sector Safety Council. Because right now what's being

(01:03:45):
offered to us is between workplace in l and Newsland
Labrador Health Services is to hire two facilitators to embed
them into workplace. Into Newsland Labrador Health Service is to
address two top priorities, increasing injuries in the health sector

(01:04:05):
and the increasing violence. Two people for twenty thousand employees
is not going the cottage. In my opinion, I am
at the table agreeing to be part of the oversight
committee for this because this is better than having nothing
at all. But I often say you can put a
price on safety, and everybody deserves to feel safe at work,

(01:04:29):
no matter where they work.

Speaker 2 (01:04:30):
Absolutely, And you mean you point out accurately things that
can happen inside the healthcare setting, because okay, so the
knife for the gun didn't get in, or the brass
knuckles didn't get in, but an IV pole or a
chair or a printer or who knows what can very
easily be used for violence. So I'd like the idea
of some additional training for security. And I know it

(01:04:52):
sounds like an excellent idea for de escalation training for
the frontline staff, but that once again says that we're
going to put people directly in harm's way. So I
think that's a good idea, But how do we strike
that balance, because it's one thing to have de escalation
techniques being taught, but how they're employed and how successful
they can be. You know, we're talking about like hostage
negotiators working for the FBI, which is not what we need.

(01:05:14):
How to staff.

Speaker 13 (01:05:16):
Absolutely, And I often say, you know, you can't walk
into CBC or the Confederation Building just off the streets,
but you can walk into any healthcare facility in this province.
The doors are not locked because we're often told they're
public building. Well, well, I would consider Confederation Building.

Speaker 14 (01:05:34):
To be a public building, but I have to go.

Speaker 13 (01:05:37):
Through a metal detecture in order to go through a
meeting at the Confederation Building. I often say, you know,
we had a big incident last week in one of
very big emergency rooms where the triage area where you
go when you register and see the nurse for the
first time and they assess you and tree as you
according to the acuteness of your illness or injury. That

(01:06:01):
was destroyed and out of commission for almost eighteen hours
because the patient became violent and there was printers, there
was phones, there was tables, everything flying. We had stack
running for their own safety, having to move patients out
of the way and waiting for security to respond and

(01:06:24):
for the police to respond not good enough. There has
to be a way. If someone is known to the
police forces as being violent, that has to be flagged
in our system as well. We have a right to know.
You know, you can't go into a school without going
through security. So it's part of the puzzle. But there's

(01:06:48):
more things that can be done. And I'm very concerned
about the increasing violence of long term care. And while
they're proposing right now to address violence does not include
private life on term care, private personal care homes, or
the home care sector, and where we see that ninety
percent of staff are female dominated, and it's certainly at risk.

(01:07:12):
In the community settings. We're sending nurses into people's houses
not knowing what they're going to face, and I've had
nurses be cornered with a pitbull in a house and
having to wait until the pitbull was subdued.

Speaker 10 (01:07:27):
In order to get out.

Speaker 13 (01:07:29):
We got to do better. We've been talking about this
fair too long. And like I said, you can put
a price on safety of healthcare workers or anybody else
for that matter.

Speaker 2 (01:07:39):
Yeah, And we can get into you know, the arrest
and release kind of stuff. That people point to in
the criminal justice system. But I think you rightfully once again,
if I lash out violently at someone at a grocery store,
I'm lucky to get in charged. And that doesn't seem
to be the case in a healthcare setting, which I
don't understand why there's any additional grace offer to somebody

(01:07:59):
who's vis at the hospital. I don't really know why
that's the case. Probably the last one. So this story
about this Lisa Driscoo pretty and guilty to all these
charges yesterday in town. And know in her criminal background
and she was working as a nurse without the credential.
She was working at a nursing home while she was
on probation, and we know she isn't who she said

(01:08:20):
she was. That vetting has got to be problematic or
troublesome for you and your organization because when we put
people in positions of authority and power regarding our most vulnerable,
whether it be in a school or in a hospital
or long term care, but we better know who the
sapphire and in this case.

Speaker 13 (01:08:36):
We didn't absolutely and you know that was an identity
of one of our actual registered nurses that were stolen
by this person and nascas race by the regulatory body,
not cast by the employer, and certainly not cast by
the private agency who was making big bucks off of

(01:08:57):
New Zealand and Labrador and the people of our province.
We have to do better, and I do believe protocols
have been put in place now so that, you know,
to prevent that from happening again. But once again, we're
always in reactive mode and not proactive and the most
vulnerable of our society. I think it's you know, it's

(01:09:19):
a sign of who we care for, and we need
to do better for people in long term care. It's
not put them in long term care, you know, shut
the door and walk away and not think about them anymore.
We need to do better. We need safer staffing ratios there.
We need de escalation techniques for sure, because with the

(01:09:42):
population with dementia you can see violent helpers. But there
has to be a protocol in place to address that
for every individual patient and residents. Some it may just
mean you know, de escalating, talking them down. It might
be different ways of doing personal care, or it might
be medication, but that plan has to be in place

(01:10:04):
because we have to keep everybody safe. Not just the
resident and the staff, but the other residents as well.

Speaker 2 (01:10:09):
One hundred percent. If anything else this morning.

Speaker 7 (01:10:13):
I'd be remissive.

Speaker 13 (01:10:14):
I didn't say Happy National Nurses Week to every nurse
out there, especially though as I represent registered nurses and
nurse practitioners. They are leaders. They are driving change in healthcare,
and they're bringing forth to solutions that we're bringing forth
and demanding change in the system.

Speaker 2 (01:10:32):
Here here. I didn't know that this was the awareness week.
I know it's National Policing Week, but there you go.
I'm glad you mentioned the Yvette and I appreciate your time.

Speaker 13 (01:10:40):
All right, Thanks, Patty, You're welcome.

Speaker 2 (01:10:41):
Baba. That coffee is the president of the R and
U n L. Let's take a break, don't go away,
welcome back to the show. Let's go to one number two.
Sake it going to the chair of Equal Voice. That's
Kate Cadigan and good morning Kate. You're on the air.

Speaker 15 (01:10:55):
Good morning, Patty.

Speaker 2 (01:10:56):
How are you very well? Thank you for asking? How
about you?

Speaker 15 (01:10:59):
I'm great, Thank you.

Speaker 2 (01:11:01):
We can talk a little Equal Voice during the course
of the conversation. But I think you've got a purpose
for calling this morning. What is it?

Speaker 15 (01:11:07):
No I certainly do.

Speaker 3 (01:11:09):
Patty.

Speaker 15 (01:11:09):
I'm calling you to let yourself and listeners know that
I intend on running in the upcoming municipal election for
counselor at large.

Speaker 2 (01:11:19):
And that begs the question why at this day and age,
given what we see in politics, why now?

Speaker 15 (01:11:26):
Yeah, exactly. Many are thinking that this may not be
the most attractive time to get involved in politics, and
I actually think.

Speaker 8 (01:11:33):
The exact opposite.

Speaker 15 (01:11:35):
I have a deep connection to our community and its people,
and I care what's happening politically and the decisions that
are being made, and that's kind of pushed me forward
to make this decision to put my name forward for
the upcoming election in October. I think as a young
person who sees themselves living here for a long time

(01:11:55):
and contributing to our city, I have a long term
interest in it, in its success, and I really think
that my voice would be valuable around the table.

Speaker 2 (01:12:04):
A lot of the big things that we focus in
on this day and age now. Number one when that
comes to mind is cost of living. Some things are
at the control of the municipal leevers to be pulled,
but not a whole whole lot. So if you're talking
cost of living, which I think is front of mind
for virtually every Canadian outside the top one percent marketing bugs.
So as a counselor, what can you do in that envelope?

Speaker 15 (01:12:27):
Yeah, you're absolutely right. I think munis pole government certainly
has a role to play in everything that's happening right
now politically, including the cost of living crisis. Although sometimes
our ability looks different, we still can advocate other levels
of government to make change, and we can do things
within council ourselves to make resources more available, affordable community services, etc.

Speaker 4 (01:12:53):
So I do think there's a role.

Speaker 15 (01:12:54):
To play municipally in the cost of living crisis.

Speaker 2 (01:12:59):
I know you are not currently a counselor. I might
not have an understanding of every single moving part of
the council level. I'm sure I don't because I haven't
worked in that field. But do you have any examples
that come to mind about how my municipal council can
deal with my cost of living issues? First of mind
for me is real tight control of the money, because
last my property tax what up thirteen percent in addition

(01:13:21):
to the price of food, ENSHRI inflation and the price
of gas and everything else. So anything outside of property
tax come to mind Kate.

Speaker 15 (01:13:29):
Yeah, you can look at property property tax as an
example of an area where the city has control over
the cost of living crisis. You can also look at
recreation services and things like summer camps, public transit, those
kinds of things where the city has some say in

(01:13:49):
what that looks like for residents and what they're paying.

Speaker 7 (01:13:52):
We want those.

Speaker 15 (01:13:54):
Services to be available and accessible for people, especially as
they're navigating financial times.

Speaker 2 (01:14:01):
One thing that we've stopped doing across the country regarding
cost of living is housing and the way we've approached housing.
You know, rentals used to be built consistently and constantly
by every single problems, we've moved away from it. And
now consequently we've got a vacancy rate in and around
one percent in this city. And even with the one
percent vacancy rate, the rent and the price of rent

(01:14:22):
has gone way up. So any idea is there, whether
we dealing with no fault evictions or can focus on
building up versus out and building rentals. Where do you
think your role would be as in that large councilor
regarding the housing issue.

Speaker 15 (01:14:36):
Absolutely, I think across the country we're facing a housing
crisis and we're not in the city. We're feeling that
here and students. I hear stories all the times of
students who are renting, who are paying obscene amounts for
their monthly rent. And I think we need to look
at growing our housing infrastructure. I think sustainable development and

(01:14:59):
smart development is key. You know, we're dealing with urban
sprawl here and we want to limit that, but we
also need to be planning for growth, housing growth, infrastructure, growth,
service growth. You know, again, as somebody who looks to
set roots here, I want to see housing options, diverse
housing options to meet the needs of the residents here.

Speaker 2 (01:15:21):
With your experience with Equal Voice, of course, it's a
much different role. You're talking about access and opportunity, whether
it be to raising capital toront as a politician, whether
it be having mentorship available to you to talk about
the elected bodies more reflective of the community, whether it
be gender disabled folks and otherwise. How can you translate

(01:15:42):
some of what you've learned and understood as the chair
of Equal Voice into being a counselor, and I guess
more importantly campaigning for counsel Yeah.

Speaker 15 (01:15:50):
Absolutely, I've learned a lot in my time as Chared
Equal Voice of Equal Voice sorry, and as a volunteer,
and I think the biggest thing that I've learned is
is creative policy making. Different voices bring different perspectives and
that's something that I will take forward with me throughout
the campaign and if elected, I will bring to the table.
I think, in particular, Equal Voice host campaign schools which

(01:16:14):
really prep you to run a successful campaign, which will
be handy as I kind of launch forward and get
on the ground knocking doors. Some of those foundational skills
are necessary and not always easy to learn. So I'm
thankful for my time at Equal Voice and I do
think it's helped me prepare for this step forward.

Speaker 2 (01:16:33):
Anything else you'd like to talk for this morning, Kate,
Well we have you you know what.

Speaker 7 (01:16:37):
That's it, Patty for today.

Speaker 15 (01:16:39):
I look forward to talking to so many of the
residents throughout the campaign and if anybody's interested, you can
reach me at info at Vokcadigan dot com for.

Speaker 2 (01:16:48):
Share your time, Kate, good luck out there.

Speaker 15 (01:16:51):
Thank you so much, Patty, you have a good one
you too.

Speaker 2 (01:16:52):
Bye bye. Kay Cadagan Chair of Equal Voice and taking
a swing up becoming an at large councilor of City St.
Johns Because of course, we're not. We're going to have
a provincial election at some point this year has to
be handled by October, but we're also going to have
municipal elections. Well, I get Paul before we get to
the break day. Okay, let's go to line number five
secon More to the executive director at the Eating Disorder Foundation.
That's Paul to me, Paul, you're on the air morning, Patty.

Speaker 16 (01:17:14):
Thanks for taking my call, no problem, not going to
keep you along this morning. Just a couple of things.
I guess it's for us. And I think I said
this last last Springer May we were into into our
fundraising season. I just wanted to quickly mention three fundraisers,
two that are current and one that's coming up. We

(01:17:36):
currently have our fifty to fifty getting ready for summer
that's up in June. Tickets are available here through our
office and i'll give I'll give some details of how
to reach us. Now shortly the big one, I guess,
the one we've been doing since COVID A little bit different.

(01:17:56):
Our Drive in Bingo gets underway on May the twenty eighth,
six events this year at jack Burne Regional and we
look forward to seeing people come out so we can
have another successful run at Dingo. And the final one
I wanted to mention is our annual Concert of Hope,
and this will be the fourteenth year for the Concert
of Hope not till October, but we've decided to go

(01:18:19):
a little bit earlier to get tickets on sale this year,
so tickets are now available at the Arts and Culture
Center box office and up to the end of August.
There's an early bird promotion of thirty five dollars per ticket,
so it's a good chance for people to get some
great seats right now to a wonderful concert from one
of our finest musical groups in the province, the Masterless Men,

(01:18:42):
who are featured in this contest. If anybody wants to
get any further information on any of our fundraisers or
to purchase tickets, like I say, the Concert of Hope
to the Arts and Culture Center, but otherwise give us
a call here seven O nine two zero five zero zero,
extension four, or you can email Julia at EDFNL dot CA.

(01:19:07):
And I'd just like to remind everybody that all of
the funds we raise from these these great fundraisers go
back to allow us to provide the services and the
supports to the people of this province who are dealing
with a serious mental illness called an eating disorder.

Speaker 2 (01:19:25):
Absolutely good luck with all of it. Paul, appreciate your time.

Speaker 16 (01:19:28):
Thanks, Patty, really appreciate the time.

Speaker 2 (01:19:30):
No problem solve, Take care, Take care, bye, right bye,
Paul Toomey, Executive director director at the Eating Disorder Foundation.
Let's take a break. When we come back forth, fires
and whatever you want to talk about unk away.

Speaker 1 (01:19:40):
You are listening to a rebroadcast of VOCM Open Mind.
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 (01:19:58):
Welcome back to the show. Let's go. Let number one
singgamore to the councilor of Ward four here in town.
That's Tom Davis, Council earlier on the air.

Speaker 8 (01:20:07):
Good morning, Patty morning. It seems like it's going to
be a vigorous municipal election coming up. We got people
coming out and it would work already this early, so it's
exciting to hear Kate on and I know there's at
least a few people who are already starting to go
door knocking this early in the game, so we were
all worried there wouldn't be a lot of people to run.
But looks like in the city of Saint John's there's

(01:20:27):
a lot of people want to Yeah, solution.

Speaker 2 (01:20:29):
I'm not going to be surprised if there's a pretty
competitive race in the different awards and the at large positions.
The real concern is in other parts of the province
where you know, I think em Andel has done a
good job. We're trying to bring forward that make your
Mark campaign. It seems to have helped, but we had
plenty municipalities didn't even have enough candidates to fill all
the seats in the council chambers. So we've really got

(01:20:51):
to hope that some of the enthusiasm here spreads elsewhere.

Speaker 8 (01:20:54):
One hundred percent. You know, as someone who just jumped
into it last year, it's I will say, through war
and challenging and you need to have thick skin. However,
if you put put the residents first, but try and
think a little long term. To me, that's what helps
me sleep at night. So I want to I want
to a couple of city things, landlords, we're having this

(01:21:18):
challenge where landlords rent out their places but don't let
them know that the parking could be a challenge. So
if someone is a student, for example, rents a place
in September and you know, maybe they can park on
the street, but then the winter snow clearing comes and
that's a challenge. So so as a city, in order
to encourage more residential development, we're doing parking forgiveness. We're

(01:21:39):
being more lenient with parking. However, landlords need to do
their part and make sure that their tenants realize that
there is limited parking. And we'll also have situations where
there's maybe too many people living in house, but at
the very least right up to the limit, I'll say
five people and a lot of them have vehicles and
very few homes if any have parking for three, four
or five vehicles. And in particular, when we get into

(01:22:01):
the witch time, then they're parking on the lawns, which
is against the bylaws, and you know, it's caustant challenges.
So you know, landlords and tenants need to come together.
And if you're if you're a tenant asked the question
about parking employees landlords, if you know they're parking is
a challenge for for your communities and for your neighborhoods.
Like the best thing you can do is be fully transparent.

(01:22:22):
So you get a tenant two is a good fit
for your property.

Speaker 2 (01:22:26):
Yeah, that really boils back to the tenant's responsibility to
be honest. You know, I've lived that life in the past,
and I mean, I'm concerned with certain things when it
comes to bringing in a ten but if a tenant
has a vehicle and understands the rules, so I mean,
if you're not from the city and have no idea
that there's winter parking band, maybe that reasonable conversation should
be entertained. But boy, tennant's got to ask all the

(01:22:46):
questions up front. I don't think landlords are trying to
mislead people by not talking parking, because you know, it's
no I think I.

Speaker 8 (01:22:55):
Think they're probably not even thinking about it. You know,
you have New Canadians, you have people, a lot of
people coming in from rural New Fa Lane where they
aren't parking pans. So again, just you know, between educating
the tenants and asking the landlords to be as transparent
as possible, because I tell you, in a lot of
the parts of the city. You know, residents are always
calling us saying, hey, there's people parking on the lawns.

(01:23:16):
You know, so we want to we want to educate people,
and that's the purpose of that first note, I want
to give kudos to Paul Lane for trying to keep
the fiscal reality of our province front and center for
in the psyche of both new Flanners and Labrariianes and
the government, because it doesn't seem to matter what side
of the house people are on. That does not seem
to be as a rule, part of the conversation. Uh,

(01:23:38):
you know, the bait and switch, the short term ism,
claiming all the revenue in one year but spreading out
the expenses over multiple years. Uh, you know, which which
gives a perception that you're doing a much better job
than you are. You know again, and it just allows
the government, the government, the governing people, or the people
wanting to be in government, to continue to increase the

(01:23:58):
amount of debt that our province has, increase the unsustainability
of the spending, in particular in healthcare. And unless we
have people like Paul Lane talking about it, unless people
realize it does matter, that short term thinking has got
us into the challenge where now it's going to continue
doing it. So again, I just want to pass along
my thanks to paul because I know he continues to

(01:24:19):
try and call for change, but he's a bit of
a voice in the wilderness.

Speaker 2 (01:24:24):
Yeah. I try to focus in on it as frequently
as possible, and I don't know why we wouldn't. It's
one of the most important issues we're dealing with because
all of the laundry lists of wants and needs they
sometimes pay the comparison to are required by law servicing
of our debt and you know into the future like
a per capita that that in this province is thirty
thousand plus. I mean, that's a whopping big number. Anyway,

(01:24:47):
let's keep going, but go down Pauline for doing this
fair enough.

Speaker 8 (01:24:50):
So last week, on the same day, we had four
four fires simultaneously, Badger from use Holy Road, Adams Cove,
and our hearts go out to the people in Adams Cove,
you know, obviously terrifying some of the story, especially even
the ones even on your show's day, because I know
at some point I think it might have been Brian
was talking about wildfire versus forest fire and what's the
difference force fires of fire and wooded areas of wildfires.

(01:25:13):
Any on control fire, so that could be a brush
fire or in a force so all fires or wildfires,
not all wildfires aren't forced. The fires seems to be
increasing across the country and we seem to be seeing
it here. I mean, already this year we've had sixty
two wildfires and the average is about one hundred and

(01:25:33):
one for the year. Last year we had ninety six,
So we're off to a scarier start and causes hotter,
drier summers, which seems like we've been experiencing later, drier winters.
We definitely just had a drier winter, a lot less
snow cover across the country. Lightning storms or an issue,
it's not such a so much of an issue here.

(01:25:54):
And the winds seem to be a factor again I'm
not so short, so that's a big issue here. But
the climate change that we're seeing is causing the fire
seasons to be longer and more severe, even in Atlantic Canada,
like you know, on the West coast of Canada, like
they're fires sometimes don't even go out, they go right
to the whole winter. Then they start again, but in

(01:26:16):
a new final elaborator. It's mostly human and so you know,
purpose of this call is to try and have a
discussion about that. Like unattended campfires or campfires that aren't
properly extinguished. Discarded cigarette butts can be a real problem.
Obviously they're later two. So you know we can do
better than that. We you know, told on to them
not throw them out the window. Or when you're out
in the woods, there is an issue with ATVs. They

(01:26:37):
can sometimes be an issue where they're sparking, or sometimes
if you're going through the mud and you get mud
up on the mufflers, that pete can get like charcoal
and then it can drop off and it can start
a fire. Get the wrong circumstances in proper burning. I
had a call from a resident who's down playing golf
at Clove Valley and said that right next to the woods,
said employees down there were burner fires burning brush. You know,

(01:27:00):
you are the trees the most the predominant trees in
Nufon Labrador, the conifers, spruce and the fir trees. They
are just like gasoline. So you know, you really got
to follow the regulations, I mean, permit force. They have
rules how far away and what the wind conditions have
to be. And it's it's tough that someone who's done
it before to get a day that is not two windy.

(01:27:21):
It's actually pretty uncommon. So people need to really be
aware of that. And again it happens so quickly. You know,
one thing you've got, a small little fire burned a
bit of brush, next thing you've got I mean, I
don't know what the causes of any of these ones
that we just had last week care but for sure
a fair amount of these can start in that.

Speaker 2 (01:27:38):
Way, no doubt. I mean, we're tall in some corners
that the big fire out of Adams Covin area may
indeed be the responsibility of humans. What that means, I
don't know whether it means someone lit it on purpose
or unattended fire as you point out, and or an ATV.
But it can't happen. And you know, for people who
are focusing on climate change and wildfires because it has

(01:27:59):
been a very dry winter here. What's also important part
of that conversation. I think it got some legs when
we talked about the fire and Jasper last year. Fire
Load management is critically important if you talk about emissions
that come from a large wildfire, they're enormous, but dealing
with the windfall, the fire load, which is the kindling
that makes the fire so much worse. We need to

(01:28:22):
do our level best, whether it be creating of fire breaks,
dealing with the fire load, cutting out the windfall, in
addition to all the you know, the placement the water
bombers and the training for boots on the ground. But
I don't know what the process is here. But last
summer out in churchra Falls and Lap City, there was
plenty of rumbles about that when they were prepared, whether
it be fire breaks and or cleaning up the force

(01:28:43):
as they say, which can be oversimplified. I got to
get to the break town, but I appreciate your time
this morning.

Speaker 8 (01:28:49):
Okay, and just one quick thing quick. We're having this
issue with people kind of not having insurance and that
is something I'm going to cut. We'll talk about next week.
But I mean that's that's that increases the challenge and
increases the potential burden on the province, and when people
expect the province to cover it, that leads to another challenge.
We'll chat about that next week.

Speaker 2 (01:29:07):
Fortunately, Thanks Tom, Bye bye. All right, us take a break.
When we come back, we're going to take a moreing
to Benjamin Bergen. He's the president of the Canadian or
Council of Canadian Innovators. The economy of the future is
not something we've wrapped our mind around. Then give the
issues in the United States and the concept of brain
drain going in both directions, it's time to focus in
on innovational policies. So we'll have that conversation with mister

(01:29:30):
Bergen right after this welcome back to the program. Well,
the Council of Canadian Innovators has released the policy report
called a Mandate to Innovate. Join us on the line.
Number two is the president of the CCI. That's Benjamin Bergen.
And good morning, Benjamin. You're on the airy.

Speaker 6 (01:29:45):
Thanks so much for having me.

Speaker 2 (01:29:46):
Happy to have you on the show. I'm looking forward
to this conversation. So let's start with what is not
necessarily the key focus here, but the concept of brain drain.
You know, for the American residences or citizens, whether it
be in healthcare, academics, scientists maybe see kind of as
a home to apply their trade. What's the case for
guiding brain drain? And our innovators in this country are
we seeing that flow south and if so, why.

Speaker 6 (01:30:10):
So, you know, if you kind of take a step back,
obviously there's some you know, uh turmoil that's occurring south
of the border, you know, for lack of a better term,
and there is I think some you know, some positive
signes of some bright people willing to you know, willing
to move north and are and are excited to be
part of, you know, the Canadian project that we're that
we're building here. But if you if you kind of

(01:30:30):
dig into the data, what you see is that record
numbers of Canadians have actually left for the United States.
I think last year was a record year with over
two hundred thousand folks, folks leading And what we're really
seeing in the innovation space and in the entrepreneurial space
is those that are wanting to build successful technology companies
are having to move south in order to have the
right sort of economic conditions to do so, whether it

(01:30:52):
be accessing talent so you know, the brains and the
highly skilled workers that they're needing, you know, the capital,
or also you know, access to the markets as well.
And so you know, we're finding ourselves in a challenging
situation economically where you know, our country has stagnated for
you know, at least the last decade and are now
facing you know, increasing headwinds, and so part of what

(01:31:13):
we're working on at the Council of Canadian Innovators is
looking at what are the right policy leavers to help
you keep and retain those break people here, you know,
bring more people to this country that can help build
technology firms that are successful and sort of reverse a
lot of the challenges that we've seen for our country.

Speaker 2 (01:31:31):
Give us some of the challenges that you're speaking to
is because we know when we talk immigration, we can
have very targeted focused immigration for people in the skilled trades,
people in the tech and innovation sector. But what are
the challenges that you're talking about. Were the firms maybe
seen more challenges in Canada than the United States because
access to capital is kind of a moving target. I mean,
I can borrow in Hong Kong instead of shopping Burgio.

(01:31:51):
So give us an idea what you're talking about for
a challenge.

Speaker 14 (01:31:55):
Yeah, for sure.

Speaker 6 (01:31:56):
So look, I gettin this is sort of like a
multifaceted problem that we have here in Canada when it
comes to looking at how we build industrial policy and
innovation strategy in the twenty first century. So, you know,
one of the things that that we do in this
country that's not necessarily positive is we don't actually favor
domestic firms in terms of our public policy discourse. So

(01:32:18):
we often put foreign multinationals at the center of innovation.
So good example that I'll give you is, you know,
in southwestern Ontario and in Quebec, there was a tremendous
amount of money that was given towards companies like Fonda
and Scalantis for evs. Right, a lot of those deals
are now actually coming unbound. And here we've seen the
government make bets on large foreign technology firms and not

(01:32:43):
actually supporting domestic Canadian capacity building. And so when that
policy then begins to kind of reverberate out through areas
like access to capital, access to talent, you know, government procurement,
and freedom to operate, we see that ultimately it doesn't
lead to the right type of conditions. Examples that I'll
just kind of give you quickly, Spread which is a

(01:33:04):
four billion dollar year program that the government spends. Eighteen
thousand companies receive it. About twenty companies that are Canadian
name only receive fifty percent of every shred dollar, and
it was uncovered that up until twenty twenty three, Huawei
received some of the largest amounts of spread substies, to
the tune of about one hundred million dollars a year.

(01:33:26):
So here we have our own government actually supporting through
capital means a technology firm that we ultimately deemed unacceptable
to be within our own communications network. And so this
is the kind of sort of like bone headed public
policies that we see that get implemented by federal and
provincial governments where they ultimately favor foreign firms rather than

(01:33:49):
looking at how to support domestic domestic innovators. And how
this then ties into immigration sort to take you on
a bit of a bit of a journey there is
that the conditions then to actually support a domestic firm
from going from let's say, you know, ten million in
revenue to one hundred million and a billion and beyond
just makes it that much more difficult because there's capital
constraints because of the way that our market systems are

(01:34:10):
set up. But then there's also talent constraints because of
twofold one. Our government is helping to subsidize foreign firms
to hire locally, you know, in the case of Juawei
as an example, and then two, a lot of those
folks go south after graduating from our top academic institutions
because of the challenges that they're facing in order to

(01:34:31):
build firms. So it's a bit of a chicken in
the egg situation, and the recommendations that we kind of
lay out in our mandated INNUVATE helps to try and
reverse those and looks at it from a cross section
of government departments, not just say, you know, the industry
ministry or ice administry, whatever you know, whatever term you
want to call it.

Speaker 2 (01:34:49):
The Howndas Delantas example is a good one. I mean,
that's more about the all school thought of government gets
involved and help create jobs. But there's also a supply
chain issue when you look at the electric batteries, are
the electric vehicle batteries were of course use myself phone,
laptop and other applications as well. But it is a
little bit old school in this world's economy. You know,

(01:35:09):
in Canada, we've done a pretty good job researching, do
a pretty good job developing, but we haven't done a
very good job in creating and protecting and monetizing intellectual property,
which is a key focus of the tech and innovation sector.
Other big countries and the biggest economies in the world,
they're feeding us our lunch. You know, when we look
at the amount of IP generated here over the course
of a fiscal year, it pales in comparison even with

(01:35:31):
our neighbors to the south and with the big bullies
that are China and otherwise. How do we get to
that path? Because it's one thing to talk about capital
and those things, but it's really monetizing, which is the
new world economy is money that comes from ipe, which
also creates jobs.

Speaker 6 (01:35:45):
Patty, you nailed it, You totally nailed it.

Speaker 4 (01:35:47):
Where we have government.

Speaker 6 (01:35:49):
Policy that is stuck in let's call it a job
strategy narrative. And the challenge, I think for our political
class and for our civil servance is to realize is
that wealth and prosperity and economic sovereignty is now no
longer just captured in labor. It's actually captured in the
ownership of those ideas and then restricting those ideas from

(01:36:12):
being used in order to get money for it. And so,
you know, one of the big shifts that we need
to make as a country, and this is really what
a mandate to innovate outlines is that we've got to
get out of this sort of job's narrative and really
into the ownership narrative of IP and of data and
the way to do that successfully because to your point,
Canadians are actually you know, brilliant into what we call

(01:36:35):
the invention of things. But where we really fall down
short is that the innovation component, and for us, innovation
is actually the commercialization of an idea and you know,
getting money for it. And so in order for us
to actually achieve that, we've got to do a couple
of big things. First is we've got to look at
how we actually orientating those types of research and development

(01:36:57):
that's occurring at our universities. And if we're allowing that
to just overwhelmingly flow out of the country, then that's
a problem and that's an issue. And in essence, what
we're doing is actually creating philanthropy for these large firms
that are coming in and hovering up intellectual property. The
other piece that we've got to look at, more specifically
is realizing that traditional industry is now tech industry. Those

(01:37:23):
things are now synonymous. When we think of who the
largest IP filers are in Caton in Canada. It turns
out that it's Halliburton, an oil and gas company. When
we think about John Deere tractor, it's no longer a
farming company. It's now a technology company based off of
data and IP. And so part of what we also
have to do is help catalyze our own traditional industries

(01:37:45):
into realizing that wealth and prosperity is now actually being
captured in the ownership of IP and data and no
longer in sort of just the traditional brick and mortar
aspects of labor and of work.

Speaker 2 (01:37:57):
Because we have you figured out a way to capture
that economic activity like we do, say, for instance, we
talk about housing starts or GDP growth. You know, because
some of the big companies have come into user word
hoovered up some of our IP, it's hard to put
a tangible measurement about what that sector means to the
overall economy because people say housing starts, job creation and

(01:38:17):
GDP growth and have a hard time understanding what the
IP impact is on the economy. How do we create
something that's an understandable metric for the everyday Canadian because
that with the everyday Canadian understanding, it comes political force
which comes political good decision making.

Speaker 10 (01:38:34):
Yeah.

Speaker 6 (01:38:35):
So look, I think you know, part of the job
of political leaders and our of our government is really
to help, you know, inform and educate the public on
sort of where the you know, the puck is going
in terms of economic prosperity. And so our job as
an organization, which is you know, one hundred and seventy
five technology companies from right across Canada, eight of them

(01:38:57):
which are in the province of New Fundland and Laborador,
is to help explain to government this dramatic shift where
if you, let's say, look at where value has gone
over the last thirty years, it's overwhelmingly into firms that
are IP and data rich. Small little example I'll give
you is the S and P five hundred. The value

(01:39:17):
of it in nineteen seventy four, seventeen percent came from
IP and data rich companies. Fast forward to today, over
ninety four percent of the value in the S and
P five hundred comes from IP and data rich companies,
meaning that wealth is now actually captured in this component.

(01:39:37):
And if we as Canadians are not actually playing the
game in terms of understanding this new reality, we're leaving
a lot of money on the table. And ultimately, if
you look at the economic data in terms of our
ethnical GDP and growth per capita, it is either declining
or stagnant, depending on which term you want to use.
And in comparison, what this ultimately means is, you know,

(01:40:00):
Americans now make twenty five percent more than the average Canadian.
And this is not just a US phenomenon. You can
look at Denmark, you know, Denmark figure this out a
long time ago. They now make twenty percent more than
the average Canadian. And even the Australians, you know, similar
similar situation where they're now making about twenty percent more
than the average Canadian. And so this has real economic

(01:40:20):
consequences for Canadians. It means less money in your pocket,
it means less ability to access you know, world class technologies,
it means less travel, it means a less vibrant life
in comparison to other nations which we have often determined
that we are you know, equivalent or similar to. And
so the real response that we're now needing from government

(01:40:41):
is one that actually looks at, Okay, how do we
take the assets that we have build mechanisms of wealth
and prosperity and then you know, Marshal, Marshal the Canadian
people to achieve that. And I think, you know, we've
had this economic reset. You know, we had an election
where basically eighty five percent of Canadians voted, you know,
dealing with economic challenges, whether it be you know, people

(01:41:03):
voting for conservatives based off of cost of living and
economic issues on that end, or we had folks voting
for Liberals to try and go and deal with Donald
Trump and look at how to figure out aspects of
the economy. And so I think there's this sort of
golden moment where we have actually seen a real alignment
of Canadians saying, look, economic insecurity, economic issues are the

(01:41:27):
main driving force of why we want people going into
Ottawa to actually address this issue. And so I think
there's a real opportunity here for the government to be
seized with a sense of alacrity and look at proposals
like my organization is putting forward to actually address some
of the challenges that we're seeing.

Speaker 2 (01:41:46):
Yeah, and a lot of this has been really heightened
with the introduction of the Inflation Reduction Act in the
United States, which has really influenced some government policy here
in this country. That's some before I let you go,
So you know, to create bigger business and the gravy
in this world is getting the contract. So, whether it
be artificial intelligence and other tech involved in the health sector,
and importantly talking about defense spending maybe moving to two

(01:42:08):
percent of GDP maybe three percent of GDP, procurement has
to be keenly focused on Canadian innovation, Canadian companies, even
if that includes a variance of five percent or something
with bids coming forward so that Halliburton doesn't win over
a Canadian company or other examples that you'd offer John
here or otherwise. So if the key focus was on procurement,

(01:42:28):
I think the tentacles grow from there.

Speaker 6 (01:42:32):
At one hundred percent patty government procurement is actually the
biggest lever that our government has to pull in terms
of supporting an innovation economy. So if you look at
any successful innovation economy around the world, government and industry
work hand in gloves in areas where let's say, you know,
it's an emerging technology or where they've got some natural advantages,

(01:42:55):
and in Canada we just stink at procuring domestic solutions
for for whether it be you know, government solutions and
areas like healthcare or defense or even ice IT systems,
and so part of what we're really pushing for in
part of our mandate to innovate is that governments have
to figure out how to procure domestic solutions because that's

(01:43:16):
the greatest driver in terms of building successful firms. And
so some quick examples that I'll give you is that,
you know, any company would much rather a purchase order
than a grant or a subsidy or you know, a
tax attacks right off. They would much rather have their
actual domestic government buy their own domestic solutions and innovations.

(01:43:37):
And one, you know, one kind of quick example that
I'll give you, you know that that's a big concerning
is you know, before the election, we had Prime Minister
Mark Carney up up in the North in Nunavut doing
an announcement around some new technology that would be purchased
in order to defend our borders from you know, incoming
missiles and other other debris as as a way of

(01:43:58):
you know, safeguarding our North but also our country in total.
You know, turns out that it was an Australian firm
that is potentially going to get this contract to the
tunes of billions of dollars a year when it turns
out that that technology is still being developed by this
Australian firm, but in Canada, we've actually been giving about

(01:44:18):
sixty million dollars to two firms in the R and
D space to do this exact technology that it turns
out that we're going to be purchasing. Neither of these
firms were contacted by federal affairs or civil servants that
we're actually looking into this procurement. And so here we
have a case where we as taxpayers are subsidizing this

(01:44:38):
really great technology that's being designed by Canadian firms, but
our own government isn't even purchasing those solutions, but is
actually purchasing it for from a foreign from a foreign
firm in Australia. And that contract alone has turned this
firm into a billion dollar technology firm because of that contract.
And that's the kind of stuff that we've got to

(01:45:00):
really kind of dig into to make sure that every
dollar that we spend as Canadians is going to the
most kind of effective outcomes that it can in terms
of a multiplier of growing our economy. Now, I don't
want to say that we at CCI are for autarchy,
you know, shutting down the border and you can only
buy Canadian. But as you think about emerging technologies that
our government has to buy, if it's if on balance

(01:45:21):
it's equal and it's Canadian, go with a Canadian product,
Go with a Canadian solution, because that's really how you're
going to get a larger multiplier in the economy.

Speaker 2 (01:45:29):
And just to use an example of tried and true technology,
the cat Do reactor. We will loan three billion dollars
to the Romanians. They have to spend all three billion
dollars on developing the cad Do reactor with Canadian goods
and services. That's what translates beyond our own borders, you know.
So I could talk about this all day, not that
I know what I'm talking about, but I could have
this chat all day. Benjamin, really appreciate making time for

(01:45:50):
the show. We'll reach out to you again in the future.

Speaker 6 (01:45:53):
Thanks so much, Patty, take care you too.

Speaker 2 (01:45:54):
Bye bye, Benjamin Bergen, President of the Council of Canadian Innovators.
Let's take a break. When we come back, we're speaking
with you the Tim Powers Show.

Speaker 1 (01:46:02):
Join the Conversation weekday afternoons at four pm on your VOCM.

Speaker 2 (01:46:07):
Welcome back to the show. Let's go to Leneuber six Carl,
you're on the air. Good afternoon, No, good morning, still
good morning.

Speaker 14 (01:46:15):
Okay, good So there was a good segue earlier that
young person who says that they're running for city council.
I'm a big fan of anybody that puts themselves out
there for politics. You know, since the inception of social media,
it seems like one of the most thankless jobs. But yet,

(01:46:37):
as we all know, or we should know, it is
one of the most important jobs that there is.

Speaker 2 (01:46:43):
One hundred percent.

Speaker 14 (01:46:44):
So that'll bring me into my next point that I'm
calling about, you know, the Eddy joices of this world
and Paul who called earlier like it's easy as an
independent to complain about what government does and doesn't do.
But if you're a politician and you're just going to
sit as an independent in perpetual then I don't understand

(01:47:09):
how you get a right to get on a radio
show and complain about what the government does and doesn't do.
I think in my lifetime anyways, politicians have two jobs.
Want us to be in the sitting government and enact legislation,
and the other one is to be in opposition as

(01:47:29):
a collective and say that you should be doing this.
An independent is a cop out who gets to sit
on the sidelines, get paid, and not get to make
any decisions. So I have a real problem when you
just decide that, you know, I'm just going to sit
here and get paid and not worry about what I

(01:47:52):
can or can't do to help the situate Devil's Advocate.

Speaker 2 (01:47:56):
Can the Independent members including Eddie Joy, Sam Pauline, we
go what is the issue they're speaking to? You know,
we talk about Eddie say, cataract surgeries and Paul layin't
talking about debt here today. Doesn't that play an active
role as an opposition member?

Speaker 17 (01:48:12):
Well yeah, but you know again, like you can't, like
as a single person sitting as an independent, Like if
if Paul really.

Speaker 14 (01:48:23):
Wanted to do something about the debt, he would go
to John Hogan and say, John, I want to sit
in government and I want to help with this problem,
as opposed to getting on a radio show going hey, listen, everybody,
the government can't do it right. But you know what,
him as an independent can never get it right because
he can't be in the government to change it. Like

(01:48:44):
if all of a sudden, when you know John Hogan
decides to call an election, which is going to happen
in the next couple of months, then you know it
doesn't matter. If Paul gets elected as an independent again,
he's still and if the Conservatives get in, he still
doesn't get to change the way the government has run.
I just feel like it's just such a cop out, right.

Speaker 2 (01:49:06):
Fair enough, your opinion is as valuable as anybody else's
to me. If we are in majority government, majority parliament,
it doesn't matter. If you're red, blue, green, yellow, black,
it does not matter because majority governments will have their
say at the end of the day simply based on mathematics,
which is currently where we stand here in this province today.
I'm not necessarily surprised that I either or have not

(01:49:29):
rejoined the party that they were once a member of,
because Paul's been, of course around the block a couple
of times, same thing with Eddie, so I don't know
why they continue to choose to sit as independence. But
one thing I'm just guessing here is given the fact
that if I remember correctly, Eddie Joyce got about eighty
percent of the vote out in Bay of Islands so
he can sit where he wants. The electorate are more

(01:49:51):
than happy with him as an independent or otherwise. And
Paul gets re elected with pretty significant terms as well.
So I guess that's probably part of the MO motivation is, Hey, well,
if the elector is fine with me running as an
independent and sitting is an independent, then that's exactly what
I'll do. I'm guessing that play some role.

Speaker 14 (01:50:08):
Well, yeah, and I'm sure it would, you know, because again, yes,
as an individual, and again, like I said, it takes
a lot to put yourself out there and to say
I'm going to do this, but to to you know,
to just be an independent forever and ever. Like I said,
you know, let's just play that a little bit for it.

(01:50:28):
And you're absolutely right about a you know, a majority government.
You know, we're seeing we're going to see it play
out in the federal level as we have for the
last four years with a minority government. But let's just
play that forward. Let's pretend for a second, you know,
with the NDPS they get elected and the two independents,
Let's pretend for a second that and I wouldn't be

(01:50:49):
surprised if this happened provincially, that we did have a
minority government, then you know, then all of a sudden,
you know, where do you go to get the support.
Do you go to the guy who just sat on
the sidelines and and and you know, complained about everything
without actually doing anything about it. Or do you go
to the NDP Or do you go to the Liberals
if they're the minority, if thirty the opposition or you know, so,

(01:51:13):
I just I just feel like it's a bit of
a cop out. And again, like I said, that's just
my opinion. I'm sure there's other people that I've talked
to for sure that agree with it. And listen, I
know for a fact that there's lots of people that
don't because, like you said, eighty percent of his district
don't agree with me.

Speaker 2 (01:51:31):
Yeah, let me take your scenario one step further. Imagine
a minority government where the ballots of power was in
the hands of Eddie Joyce and paul A. I mean,
you know, and that reality is right there in front
of us. I mean, the Liberals were a couple of
by elections away from being all of a sudden in
a minority position. So maybe they would have got support
of the NDP, but they could have absolutely got the

(01:51:52):
support of independence, so all of a sudden, the Honorable
Member for Violence and the Honorable Member of Mopero South Lance,
they might even all the balance of power. I mean,
all the mathematics is fascinating and all hypothetical. But I
appreciate making time for the show. Jsp stay in touch.

Speaker 10 (01:52:08):
No, no, you know it.

Speaker 3 (01:52:09):
I always like to call in and we'll do this again.

Speaker 2 (01:52:12):
I'm sure I look forward to it. Thanks Carl, all
the best YouTube pal, Bye bye, all right, thank you,
break and welcome back to Lloyd's here to talk about
long term care and then we're speaking with you. Don't
go away, Welcome back to the show. Who Doesn't Love
at Flipper Dinner debut? Look at Flipper. Let's go to
line number three. Jeff, you're on the air.

Speaker 18 (01:52:32):
Hi, good morning. I'm calling on behalf of the Gander's
Trying Club Terrifect. So anybody in the central luc Lend area,
glynn Wood Ben in their Gander. We're having our annual
Shriner's Flipper Dinner Wednesday tomorrow at five o'clock on the

(01:52:52):
ed In or four thirty for Jacob and we have
a few tickets SLIPT So thanks for the opportunity to let.

Speaker 2 (01:52:59):
People know happy to do. So, what's the cost of
a flipper dinner? Five twenty five dollars. So if you're
in and around the Gander area like to support the Shriners,
want to feed a flipper, you can do exactly that
tomorrow four point thirty for takeout five o'clock to sit down.
You got good man, Good luck with it.

Speaker 3 (01:53:18):
Jack, thank you.

Speaker 18 (01:53:19):
It's the number for people to call it is four
to two four two six one three.

Speaker 2 (01:53:26):
Terrific stuff. How are things going with Shriners out and Gander.

Speaker 4 (01:53:30):
We're still active.

Speaker 18 (01:53:31):
We're down a few members, of course, like every other organization,
but the boys we're all working hard and we've got
some good results. We have children going back and forth
to our hospitals. The numbers up there, we're able to
help more. So that's that's very rewarding.

Speaker 2 (01:53:54):
Well, it's Shiners, like most service organizations do important work.
Without it, why we'd be hard pressed to backfield the effort.

Speaker 18 (01:54:02):
It's life changing, Patty. And you know, like we're hearing
stories now of our children and the results that there's
one child that really hope that they didn't have much

(01:54:23):
hope is from the West Coast and Hurd. He's back
and he went to our Montreal hospital and they referred
them on to our Philadelphia hospital and he was a
quantu polgic apture is in an ATV accident.

Speaker 3 (01:54:42):
And now he's got movement and.

Speaker 18 (01:54:46):
It looks like he might be able to assist assisted walk.
So the prognosis for him is really really good. That's
life changing, and it's it's really it's really really rewarding
when we see those kind of results.

Speaker 2 (01:55:02):
That's fantastic story. Jeff. I'm glad you told us this one,
and good luck with your dinner. Stay in touch.

Speaker 18 (01:55:08):
Thank you very much, appreciate time.

Speaker 10 (01:55:10):
My pleasure.

Speaker 2 (01:55:11):
Now bye bye. All right, let's keep over here. Let's
go to LNE number five, Lloyd around the air.

Speaker 12 (01:55:16):
Yes, I don't have much time. Now I've got it.
This is a serious problem and I don't think I
can cover it, but I'll tell you it's to do
with own care. And I've contacted everyone except public, and
I was going to public today. I can read some
of the names I've contacted. Apartment of Health, which is Ogan,

(01:55:37):
he's no Premier, and Pitton for Kits and Sippison Bay
South he's the critic and MJ. Bennett for lewis Port
for our district for see the Buttwood District, twenty Gate
Hospital client relations and and the U to Me Hospital.

(01:56:04):
And now I'm going public, so I don't have much time.
It's a very serious matter. And I'm sure that Premier
Ogan we'll we'll get the transcript of this call. But
I took my wife to the You to Me Center.

(01:56:25):
She had dementia. She wasn't that bad. She could still
use the bathroom herself. She walked out to the car,
she thought she was going to the hospital. I took
her to the U to Me Center. She was a
healthy woman, she had she had a good health. She

(01:56:46):
had no high blood pressure and nothing like that, no
heart conditions, nothing. After a week she began to and
she was hajian. And I said, you know, she's only
here a week and she've haged two years. Well that's normal.
She's getting used to she got to get used to
the environment. And after the eleventh day, Now when I

(01:57:11):
when when I signed her in to the doctor, to
the the the desk, it was the the social worker
was there and the floor manager, and that's who signed
her in. They wanted to know medication. I had it

(01:57:32):
there and then they said, does she have any other
health problems. I said no, no underlying health problems. Only one.
I explained what that was, but we'll take care of that.
After the eleventh day, I went there and she couldn't walk,
she couldn't sit down. She was complaining and she was hurting.

(01:57:56):
She was sore. As you want to loay down, she
said yes, So I took her to the to her room,
took her to the bathroom. See why, boy, she was sore.
I didn't seen old rash. She had a clean diaper,
honor a pull up. And then I discovered I can't

(01:58:17):
explain it. It's too bad. I swore you could hear
me down to the base when I've seen it. And
I was going to take her home. I said, this
is what I told you was her problem, and you
haven't done nothing about it. You haven't given her any
treatment for her. We was treating her the doctor in Tweling.
I said she she had she had a problem with

(01:58:37):
her bubbles and she'd be constipated. And what I've seen
I won't tell you now, but I had to do
what the doctors was supposed to be doing. After eleven days.
The next day I went there and they said that
she she'd fallen in the night, and I thought she
was at her bed, and it wasn't it was. It

(01:59:02):
was somewhere else on the wing. She was down the hall,
across the hall the aisle on the other side, in
somebody else's room. I don't know. Somebody knocked her down
a watch, but she was on the floor and I
brought her back. She must have been there all night.
She was cold, and I was going to take her

(01:59:25):
home again, and they it wouldn't happen anymore. They embraced
her and puttering, wrapped her in big clothing that she
couldn't fall and hurt herself. I said, she didn't fall,
there's no way. She felt she wasn't. There was some
reason for her. And I went back in the room

(01:59:45):
and was not fit for nothing, only a polar bear
the room. The room temperature was turned off in the
summer on nineteen and that morning I stayed the Grand
Falls all night and it took me a power to
clean the ice out of the Windshiel and he gets
car clear enough to drive the botwood.

Speaker 9 (02:00:06):
And uh.

Speaker 12 (02:00:09):
And in the room it was high school and it
was minus ten outside. Then it's all about the scene
bott what I've told them all that, and they're going
to they're going to correct that. That's all they're going
to correct. You can't correct the rest because it's too late.
But she was left in a room freezing, no bit closed.

(02:00:33):
They don't have bait clothes on your sheet. You know,
it's not it's cruel. It's more than cruel. It's it's
it can't be any worse. She was neglected and she
got constipated again, and they said the brain was swelling.

(02:00:55):
And then I got a call. I got a call
from the from the hospital. She was confused. They were
going to take her to take her to a doctor
or when he had doctors there. A doctor was going
to come to see her. A couple of days after.
She was still screaming. She had been screaming for ten
days and she's still screaming. And I was there every

(02:01:18):
other day. I went back and I know they called
me in the morning. No, I called him in the
morning and I said, oh, is she she's still screaming
because she saw the doctor and the hid doctor that
day that evening. I said, wanted what did the doctor say?
He said, she's still said, she's still screaming. Yes, she's

(02:01:39):
still screaming. I should She's screaming like anybody dying. They
stopped for about a minute. She said, mister, right out,
Corey is dying. And from that on I've had to
live a nightmare. It's a nightmare and a way. She

(02:02:00):
was treated in Botwood, in the ut ME cent her,
in the long term care facility. It worse than the
Helocausts because in the alocast he just went to sleep.
There were gas and he went to sleep. And I
know I don't know much about that. I know a
little about it. And he followed, was a war veteran,

(02:02:23):
and I've studied a bit of that. But they fell
asleep in box cars. My wife screamed in pain where
she was plugged solid. And they haven't admitted that. All
they said to me was, what do you want me
to do? We can't fire anybody. I told him she

(02:02:43):
didn't die of dementia. Don't even mention dementia. That not
what she died. She died of neglect. I said, it's
criminal negligence causing death. And they never blinked, And I said,
what do murder sound? Did that sound any different. And
I told the doctor, are you still.

Speaker 2 (02:03:04):
Listening, Yes, sir, I'm just not interrupted.

Speaker 12 (02:03:08):
I told the doctor, I said, so the first I
know the fine for cruelty now wrote seventy five thousand dollars.
And you probably got a dog or a cat or something.
Most people have, and if you were cruel to your animal,
it's a seventy five thousand dollars fine. Well behind cruel

(02:03:28):
what they did to my wife, a healthy woman, never
had a negative word for anybody. She was mother Tree,
saved this community. And what I had to go through,
you know, I don't know what else to do. I
wished it to come and take me and cary me

(02:03:50):
to Bishop Folls. They don't have to come and take me.
All they got to do is call me and I'll
be there. I got a good home, everything you could
ask for. I'm not hurting for anything, not even money.
And I don't know what to do. I'm I'm eighty

(02:04:13):
nine years old, and I I think I'm still tough.
To put up with what I put up with, I
must have the skin of the alligator. I wait every
night about one o'clock, and all I can think about
is how she had to suffer and what she had
to go through, no human being, no human being ever,

(02:04:36):
should have to go through that. That's that's the that's
the she died the most honorable death. Did anybody. I
won't say nothing Land. Anybody in Canada never had to
gortro so much as to suffer scream, not not every
every breath. She screamed every breath for nine or ten days.

(02:04:59):
And they call that. He started to tell me it
was the brains drinking and all that. But now I
do the difference then and I didn't know what to do,
and it's cruel, cruel, It's cool, it's beyond negligence. When

(02:05:20):
I the first time the neglect happened, it was on
the eleventh day, and I discovered what it was and
I had to do what the doctor was supposed to do,
and I reported it and I was going to take
her home. They said, looks, you've had bowel movements every
day Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday. All checked off. I said, look,

(02:05:43):
that's not true. She didn't. She hadn't had a bowel
movement in eleven days since I took her from my own.
This is the first time I know what I's on.
But what do you think I am. Don't you think
I know the difference of that. I said, you've falsified
the report. If you check that off, you don't know
who you checked it off for. It was not for
cor because she didn't have a bowel movement for eleven

(02:06:05):
days and I don't know if she ever had another
one after that. And she lived two months and I
had to take her home and bury her.

Speaker 2 (02:06:17):
I'm so sorry to hear of all that went on
and your experience, and my condolences to you, Lloyd. It's
a dreadful story. I'm really hard to hear and I'm
sorry for everything you've gone through.

Speaker 12 (02:06:32):
Well, I've just named out some of the people. Most
of the people have contacted. I contacted twenty Git Hospital
because they were the one They treated her in twelling Gate.
They treated her with tender loving care and that was
six months before I took her to Botwood. But she
didn't get any tenderloving car in Botwood. There's not tenderloving
care at all. And now I'm not blaming the Central Health.

(02:06:55):
This is not the Central Health. This is not the
lack of money for the government. The government is putting
money into that wasting money. I don't know what did
all they said to me, I've talked. The last one
I talked to in bat was the manager. People said,
you got to talk to the manager. He talked to
the manager and he said, well, what am I supposed

(02:07:16):
to do? You met this, when you met that, when
you met that one. He said, you mean to say,
you're going to keep this up. I said, look, you
got to do something. He said, what's I going to do?
I'm not able to fire anybody. I said, what the
hell you're talking about? And he hung upon me. I

(02:07:38):
should close the wing. That the long term care unit
in Babu should be shut down. I can go. I see,
I was there. I was there most of the time
in while she was there and every other day, and
some of the family was there in between that when
I wasn't there, and I know what I and they

(02:08:01):
should shut it. It's not decent for humans to be.

Speaker 2 (02:08:04):
And I wouldn't dispute anything that you've offered. And again, sir,
I appreciate your concerns. I'm sorry for your loss, and
now that has been made public, hopefully that changes some
of the approach taken at that center, and hopefully you
get a reply from some of the politicians that you've
tried to connect with. And I wish you well, sir.

Speaker 12 (02:08:22):
Yeah, well, thank you very much. Sure, listen, Johnny, I've
let you to you. This is the people who's listening
to this and the people who are going to get
this conscript. This transcript knows all about it because I've
contacted them all and I've told them some of the
things I'm telling you. But more than that, there's things
I'm not I haven't got time.

Speaker 2 (02:08:42):
To tell yet, and you deserve a response.

Speaker 12 (02:08:45):
The public is only airing some of the things. I'm
not covering anything up. I got no reason to cover
anything up. Like I said that, they want to take me,
they can take me to the Dorchester's. They want to
take me where they like. I got to live, right,
I'm willing to do in jail.

Speaker 2 (02:09:04):
I understand, sir, And my deepest condolence is I wish
you well and hopefully you get a response. You deserve one,
and I have to leave it there for today. Unfortunately, Lloyd,
I got a stack of cards you can't count on.

Speaker 12 (02:09:22):
You can see them on the fireplace and they're about
six or seven each eye plus the phone, plus the
calls and the text messages, and I understand I've had
calls and people don't knew where I've had calls from.

Speaker 2 (02:09:41):
I'll have to say goodbye this morning, unfortunately simply because
of the time on the clock, not the conversation. I
wish you well, thank you very much, You're welcome. Bye bye.
Here we go, good show today, big thanks to all hands.
ILL be willing, need to pick up this conversation again.
Fore morning right here on VOCM and Big Land of
FM's up in line for half of the producer David Williams.
I'm your host, Patty Daily, Have yourself safe, fun, happy day.

(02:10:02):
We'll talk in the morning. Bye bye

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