Province Législature/Legislature Session Type de discours/Type of speech Date du discours/Date Locuteur/Speaker Fonction du locuteur/Function Parti politique/Political party Ile du Prince Edward Island – Prince Edward Island 55 3 Discours du Trône/Speech from the Throne ??-02-1981 Hon. Dr. Joseph A. Doiron Lieutenant-governor Progressive Conservative P.E.I: Speech from the Throne, Third Session of the Fifty-fifth General Assembly, February, 1981 It is my privilege, in the name of Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth 11, to welcome you to this Third Session of the Fifty-fifth General Assembly of the Province of Prince Edward Island. I am pleased, once again, to deliver the Speech from the Throne to Members of this Assembly. Mr. Speaker, Canadians were saddened during the past year by the death of the Right Honourable Jules Léger, the former Governor General of Canada. He was a man of courage and upright character who served the nation with distinction during his period of office and throughout his long and exemplary career in the public service. In the life of our nation we are presently in the midst of a critical discussion of the constitutional arrangements which determine how we are to be governed as a people. We call upon Canadians everywhere to exercise patience and goodwill and to strive for those solutions which will secure our future as a strong and united country. J'ai l'honneur, au nom de sa Majesté la Reine, Elizabeth II, de vous souhaiter la bienvenue à cette troisième session de la cinquante cinquième Législature de la Province de l'Île-du- Prince-Édouard. Il me fait plaisir, une fois de plus, de prononcer le Discours du trône devant vous les membres de cette Assemblée. Monsieur l'Orateur, tous les Canadiens ont été attristés cette année par la mort de l'ancien Gouverneur Général du Canada le Très Honorable Jules Léger. Un homme de courage et de conviction, Jules Léger s'est dévoué pour le Canada d'une façon exemplaire pendant la durée de sa charge comme Gouverneur Général et aussi pendant toute sa carrière au service du pays. Notre pays, le Canada, est aux prises actuellement avec des débats très importants sur la constitution, débats qui détermineront comment nous serons gouvernés à l'avenir. Nous demandons à tous les Canadiens de montrer de la patience et de la bonne volonté et de faire tout en leur pouvoir pour résoudre les difficultés actuelles de façon à assurer pour toujours un Canada fort, un Canada uni. Throughout the past year the representatives of my Government have made a positive contribution to the constitutional discussions. They have upheld the principles of federalism upon which this country is founded, and have stressed that the constitutional negotiations to be successful must be an exercise in partnership and cooperation between the Federal Government and the Provinces. If this does not happen the status of the provinces, especially a small one like Prince Edward Island, will be diminished, and a principle central to the life of the federation will be greatly harmed. My Government believes that the decision of the Federal Government to act unilaterally in this regard is contrary to Canadian convention, custom, and practice and is potentially damaging to the Canadian Federation. It is in the best long term interests of the country that this course of action be discontinued. During this session of the House my Government will be introducing a resolution which will enable Honourable Members to express their views on this important matter. MR.SPEAKER AND MEMBERS OF THE LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY This Island province is not insulated when it comes to the broad economic forces operating at the national and international levels. Recently these forces have placed severe constraints on our fiscal capacity. Rising energy costs, high interest rates, inflation, and a generally stagnant North American economy are just a few of the factors over which we have no control but which affect us extensively. It is clear that we are presently in the midst of a period of profound change. Many of the unrealistic assumptions and expectations of the past few decades must be discarded. A new view of society, and of ourselves, is required. We must become more self reliant as a people. We must make more efficient use of the resources which we possess in the Province. We must tailor our expectations to the actual productivity of our economy. Most of all, we must recognize that our well being depends on our own initiative and resourcefulness. rather than on the largesse of government. Mr. Speaker, an example of the type of attitude which has become predominant in our society is the emphasis on individual rights. While this crusade for greater rights has had some salutary effects, it is necessary that it be balanced by an emphasis on responsibility. The future well being of our province is not a right which can be guaranteed; rather, it is a challenging task for which all Islanders must be willing to bear their share of responsibility. MR. SPEAKER AND MEMBERS OF THE LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY Among the many responsibilities of my Government, the following are identified as areas of exceptional importance: Renewable Resource Development Resource Based Secondary Industry Human Resource Development Community Strengthening My Government continues to view the development of renewable resources as the central pillar of economic development in the province. In agriculture the establishing of the Marketing Branch, the establishing of a commodity development approach to crop diversification, and steps taken to implement the recommendations of the report "Soil Erosion on Prince Edward Island" are indicative of my Government's commitment. Mr. Speaker, the Marketing Branch of the Department of Agriculture will continue to coordinate the planning of Commodity Production Programs with market opportunities as well as encouraging, through a crop production fund, the development of new crops for which market opportunities exist. There are many Islanders living on parcels of land, both large and small, who are deriving little if any benefit from that land. This is a waste of our most important natural resource; a waste that our small province cannot afford. The overall objective in agriculture is, therefore, to increase the number of Islanders who are productively engaged on the land, either in a full- time, or a part-time capacity. If this province is to thrive, we must make the best possible use of every acre of productive land. To this end my Government has established an Interdisciplinary Committee on Small Scale Agriculture which will make recommendations to government regarding those measures which will encourage a profitable utilization of the many small pieces of land in the ownership of Islanders right across the province. A Small Farm Program will be implemented as a pilot project in order to serve small and part time farmers with extension programs. Also, the New Farmer Program will be continued. Mr. Speaker, the General Farm Development Capital Grants Program will be replaced by a system of Commodity Specific Grants. The Commodities Grants will be available to encourage production of commodities where market opportunities exist. Cooperation has taken place between the Department of Agriculture and Forestry and the Department of Education with a view to establishing programs for the highschools of Prince Edward Island. Such programs will be designed to awaken in Island students a greater appreciation and knowledge of the farming vocation, and a greater regard for this Province's principal natural resource its land. MR. SPEAKER AND MEMBERS OF THE LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY My Government recognises the importance of both inshore and offshore fisheries to the Island economy and to the stability of our rural communities. Assistance to fishermen will be continued for the acquiring of insulated fish tanks, ice makers, weather shelters, and unloading derricks to ensure that the fish is properly looked after from the time it enters the boat until it reaches the market or the processing plant. Assistance to Island fishermen will be continued for the purchase of new vessels and to encourage their construction on Prince Edward Island. The Vessel Construction Subsidy Program assisted 52 fishermen this past year while ensuring 7,000 man days of employment for those in the highly skilled boat building trades. Aquaculture is a high priority with my Government. In the year ahead an in depth examination of the potential of the shell fish beds of this province will be undertaken with a view to maximizing commercial opportunities that may be available from this vast resource. My Government will continue to encourage more orderly marketing at both the primary and secondary levels. The "Weeks Report" has been received, and its recommendations will be considered by my Government in its review of the fishing industry. MR. SPEAKER AND MEMBERS OF THE LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY It is imperative that the province utilize its woodland to develop a vital wood fuel industry. The Forest Renewal Program is progressing steadily and the inventory to determine volume and biomass quantities will be completed by the fall of 1981. This is the first of its kind in Canada. When completed, it will tell us just how much we can reasonably expect from our woodland. Preliminary results indicate clearly that Island forests, properly managed, can absorb a significant increase in demand without endangering the resource. A Management Incentive Program has been designed to increase the supply of wood materials coming from private woodlots. A major part of this program is the "individual management plans" which should substantially improve the return per acre from Island forests. Under this program woodlot owners are eligible for assistance in a variety of areas such as road construction, stand improvement, and plantation establishment and maintenance. MR. SPEAKER AND MEMBERS OF THE LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY My Government believes that it must build on its reputation for progressive action in the areas of renewable energy development and energy conservation. In the past year my Government has initiated a number of projects designed to help move this province along the path towards a renewable energy future. The encouragement of conversion to wood heating systems in both public buildings and private homes will be continued in the year ahead. Wind will unquestionably be another important source of power in the future. As a means of demonstrating wind-power my Government is supporting the installation of six windmill units at Mt. Pleasant which have a capacity to produce 1.5 megawatts of electrical power. MR. SPEAKER AND MEMBERS OF THE LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY Over the past year my Government has encouraged industrial development based primarily on the indigenous resources of the province. During the period April I to December 31, 1980, Industrial Enterprises Incorporated approved 17 loans in the amount of $5.8 million. Of these, 14 loans in the amount of $4.5 million, were to Prince Edward Island based firms. Eight loans, in the amount of $2.2 million, were to firms directly engaged in the province's indigenous resources industries of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry. My Government will continue to push ahead in this direction. A strategy document will be prepared early in this fiscal year detailing labour force trends and identifying specific opportunities and projected employment potential under the following two general headings: - Establishing of new-resource based industries, and strengthening those presently operating. - Identification, promotion and support of new appropriate manufacturing opportunities. Consultation with the Provinces's business community will be an integral part of our efforts to secure the existing industrial base and realize future potential. My Government is committed to assisting existing Island businesses which have the potential to expand but, for one reason or another, have not taken the necessary steps to improve productivity and identify new product lines. Increased emphasis will be placed on providing funds to assist Island firms to undertake a review of their operations. MR. SPEAKER AND MEMBERS OF THE LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY During 1980, in cooperation with tourism operators, a Tourism Plan Analysis Study was conducted. With this information in hand my Government will now move to introduce a Financial Incentives Program to encourage private tourism operators to up grade and modernize their facilities or services. To improve services to the travelling public and tourist operators, new information centres will be opened in 1981 at Wilmot and Brackley. MR. SPEAKER AND MEMBERS OF THE LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY The strong emphasis of my Government on the paving and maintaining of Island roads reflects the view that the quality of transportation within our province is an important factor in determining whether or not Islanders are willing and able to live in the rural areas of the Province. During the past year a total of 116 kilometers of provincial roads were paved. As a result of this program 446 Island households were reached with pavement. In addition, during the past year my Government, under a cost sharing arrangement with the Federal Government, reconstructed 25 kilometers of collector and resource roads within the province. My Government also completed 15.6 kilometers of woodlot access roads in the province and assisted in the up grading of 32 kilometers of the Trans Canada Highway. In the year ahead this emphasis on the improving of our roads and highways will be continued. MR. SPEAKER AND MEMBERS OF THE LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY The general well being of our society is inseparable from the individual health and well being of Island citizens. The physical, mental and spiritual health of individual Islanders is, for the most part, a private matter, quite outside the concern of Government. There are, however, a number of areas where public policy influences these matters. In such cases it is important that the human resources of our province be nurtured. The identification and elimination, where possible, of those aspects of Island life which cause illness, as well as the promotion of those measures which foster good health, are priorities of my Government. An accent on health enrichment should permeate all major social institutions the home, the school, and the workplace. To this end, my Government is committed to a policy of reducing environmental and life- style risks and increasing self care capabilities so as to help Islanders better the quality of their health. The passage of a new Public Health Act, measures taken to implement the recommendations of the Ministerial Advisory Committee on Alcoholism and Drug Addiction, the expansion of Home Nursing Care, the establishing of Community Mental Health Teams, and the Scoliosis Screening Program introduced in the schools are steps which have already been taken to achieve this end. Further, a general strategy has been prepared to guide and support health promotion efforts in the most effective manner. Certain major priority items such as childhood development and accident prevention are identified in planning associated with Phase Three development. Particular program initiatives will include bolstering the province's nutritional services, and the designing of a coordinated approach to occupational health and safety through a ministerial advisory body involving the many concerned parties. Other initiatives by my Government in this field will include the extension of the Community Mental Health Program; the decentralization of the Community Hygiene Program through establishment of a base office in Summerside, and the establishing of a program of community based services to the elderly. Islanders can also anticipate, during the year ahead, the opening of the Queen Elizabeth Hospital. MR. SPEAKER AND MEMBERS OF THE LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY Another important component of a healthy community is its cultural life. Properly understood culture is not an elitist pursuit or a mere byproduct of society; rather, it is the very spirit and inner workings of the society itself. Cultural vitality, though an intangible force, is responsible for the energy and confidence which is at the heart of any thriving community. My Government has appointed a Cultural Affairs Officer who has been charged with the responsibility of assisting in the formulation of a provincial cultural policy embracing the Arts, Historical Resources, and the field of Mass Communications. My Government considers a wise provincial cultural policy to be an important catalyst to Island progress, since large or small, any community that has lost its cultural identify is a lost community, unable to discern the appropriateness of change or make intelligent decisions about its future development. MR. SPEAKER AND MEMBERS OF THE LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY Both compassion and practicality demand that society be prepared to offer educational programs for those of its children with special learning problems to overcome. Such programs should be aimed at allowing children to develop their skills to the highest possible degree and to take their place as contributing members of society. The Report on Learning Difficulties has been completed, and in the year ahead my Government will take steps to address the special needs of children with learning difficulties as outlined in the Report. A study into the special needs of blind children has also been completed, and my Government intends to expand its service to the pre-school blind children and their parents, and to those blind children integrated into the regular school program. Mr. Speaker, the curriculum being used in the teaching of Island school children is a matter of concern to my Government. Modern teaching facilities are no guarantee of superior education; of far greater importance is the nature and quality of the ideas and skills being imparted. As there has been no thorough evaluation of the school curriculum for many years, my Government has appointed a cross section of concerned and qualified Islanders to a Ministerial Curriculum Review Committee. This committee will examine the question comprehensively; will receive public input; and, will make recommendations to Government in a number of specified areas. MR. SPEAKER AND MEMBERS OF THE LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY Development strategies of recent years have given insufficient consideration to the well being of communities. My Government believes that any action which has a bearing on community life ought to be taken only after the impact of that decision on the community has been assessed carefully. Further, such involvement by Government should be respectful of the autonomy and integrity of communities, and should be designed to assist rather than direct community development. During the past year my Government has promoted community development in a number of ways. It has decentralized the staff of the Department of Community Affairs; has established a new Services Centre in Summerside; has provided funds for the hiring of Recreation Directors in a number of communities; has established a new Fire Fighters Assistance Program to facilitate the collection of dues by Community Fire Departments; has sponsored a new Municipal Grants Act; and has conducted an intensive investigation into retail shopping facilities. Mr. Speaker, in the area of municipal relations my Government will continue to pursue the concept of equalization through discussions with municipal leaders. The first step towards equalized funding has already been achieved through implementation of the New Municipal Grants Act. Further discussions will explore solutions intended to resolve inequities that exist between communities, and between communities and the Province. In Housing continued programs aimed at rehabilitation of our housing stock are intended. This will be complemented by further construction of senior citizens units in the Province. MR. SPEAKER AND MEMBERS OF THE LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY In order to assess more accurately employee training requirements in the Province, and to evaluate employer needs, my Government is presently examining a variety of methods of collecting labour market information. MR. SPEAKER AND MEMBERS OF THE LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY In addition to the measures already specified you will be asked to consider a wide variety of legislative proposals, including: - A new Construction Safety Act to assure greater safety for workers on construction sites; - A New Potato Lien Act to ensure the payment for product within the terms of Grower/Processor Contracts: - Shopping Mall Legislation to control the construction of shopping malls within the Province; - An Act to Amend the Credit Union Act and an Act to Amend the Potato Crop Mortgage Act to authorize Credit Unions to make loans to farmers on the security of potatoes still in the field; - An Act to Amend the Oil and Natural Gas Act; - An Act to Amend the Landlord and Tenant Act; - An Act to Amend the Highway Traffic Act; - An Act to Amend the Civil Service Superannuation Act. In addition to the Measures already specified you will be asked to appropriate the funds for the services and payments required by this Assembly. The Public Accounts and Reports of the various Departments of my Government for the year ending March 31, 1980, will be tabled for your information. The Interim Report, forecasting estimated Revenues and Expenditures for the fiscal year ending March 31, 1981, and Estimates for the fiscal year ending March 31, 1982, will also be presented for your consideration. MR. SPEAKER AND MEMBERS OF THE LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY Despite the uncertainty of the times in which we are living, Prince Edward Islanders recognize the many privileges and blessings which we enjoy as residents of this beautiful Island Province. As has ever been the case, it is our pride of place; our love for our homes and communities; and our commitment to our future together which will enable us to meet successfully whatever challenges lie ahead. May Divine Providence guide your deliberations. ??