Spring Session of the House of Assembly Supports Fiscal Responsibility, Openness, Transparency and Accountability

June 9, 2016

The inaugural session of the House of Assembly, under the leadership of the Honourable Dwight Ball, Premier of Newfoundland and Labrador, concluded today. The productive session, which included 38 pieces of legislation, demonstrated the Provincial Government’s commitment to fiscal responsibility, as well as openness, transparency and accountability.

“Within our government’s first 100 days, we opened the House of Assembly and initiated an ambitious legislative agenda that supports matters that are important to Newfoundlanders and Labradorians and that advance our commitment to making sound, evidence-based decisions while improving openness, transparency and accountability. I thank all Members of the House of Assembly for their contribution.”
– The Honourable Andrew Parsons, Minister of Justice and Public Safety and Government House Leader

The spring session of the House of Assembly included a difficult but necessary provincial budget, which featured a plan that will reverse the effects of the unprecedented financial situation facing the province. Examples of other important legislative initiatives that were undertaken include:

• Creating a merit-based appointment process for agencies, boards and commissions and an Independent Appointments Commission;
• Ensuring the rights of transgendered individuals by removing the requirement for a person to undergo sex reassignment surgery prior to changing the gender marker on the persons birth registration or marriage registration;
• Protecting the environment through regulation of greenhouse gas emissions from large industrial facilities;
• Protecting against the harms of flavoured tobacco products, electronic cigarettes and hookah smoking;
• Eliminating compensation for parliamentary secretaries and the parliamentary assistant to the Premier;
• Supporting safer roads and highways through the implementation of stronger penalties for motor vehicle infractions; and,
• Modernizing how the Provincial Government pays providers for the insured services they provide to Newfoundlanders and Labradorians.

The complete list of legislation passed in the spring session of the House of Assembly is available at www.assembly.nl.ca/business/bills/ga48session1.htm .

“As a government, we appreciate that residents demand more out of the House of Assembly and are committed to improving the function of the provincial legislature. We are committed to updating standing orders, setting a schedule for the House of Assembly, and seeking opportunities for non-partisan legislative review committees and democratic reform. It is an ambitious agenda but the people of the province deserve an ambitious government.”
– Minister Parsons

The 48th General Assembly opened on March 8.

QUICK FACTS

• The inaugural session of the House of Assembly, under the leadership of the Honourable Dwight Ball, Premier of Newfoundland and Labrador, concluded today
• The Provincial Government introduced and passed 38 pieces of legislation.
• The legislative agenda highlighted government’s commitment to greater fiscal responsibility, as well as increased openness, transparency and accountability.

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Media contact:
Luke Joyce
Director of Communications
Department of Justice and Public Safety
709-729-6985, 725-4165
lukejoyce@gov.nl.ca

NT3