July 11nd, 2014 St. John’s, NL – The Narrows Group Inc., a non-profit organization dedicated to preserving, protecting and enhancing The Narrows, the historic entrance to St. John’s harbour, announced today details of the 2nd annual Grand Punt Race, Townies vs. Baymen. The event is scheduled for Saturday, Aug. 9th  (weather permitting) at Harbourside Park in St. John’s, and will see “Townie” and “Baymen crews” compete in a race around St. John’s harbour. Charlie Anonsen, owner of the Scademia and one of the first tour-boat operators in the province, has donated a $3,000 purse to be divided between the winning men and women’s crews. The championship race will be called the Scademia in honour of Anonsen’s outstanding contribution. The event will consist of three races, with four punts in each race. The first race will be the men’s, involving two Townie and two Bay teams. The second race will be the women’s, again involving two Townie and Bay crews. The top Bay and Townie men’s a...

The following petition was presented today, June 20th, in the House of Commons. Mr. Ryan Cleary (St. John's South—Mount Pearl, NDP): Mr. Speaker, I would like to present a petition on behalf of hundreds of citizens of Petty Harbour--Maddox Cove, as pretty a Newfoundland and Labrador outport as one could find. The petitioners call upon the Government of Canada to reinstate the hours of operation from 24 hours a week to 32 hours a week at the community post office.

I posed this question in the House of Commons today...   Mr. Ryan Cleary (St. John's South—Mount Pearl, NDP): Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister was in Atlantic Canada yesterday, showing again his disrespect for the region. He failed again to make a commitment to the Gulf ferry.     The federal government has an obligation to ensure Newfoundlanders have access to ferry services, but Marine Atlantic will be laying off employees and reducing crossings.     Instead of dodging responsibility, instead of denying their own mismanagement and letting down those who depend on this vital service, Conservatives need to step up and act.     What will the government do to ensure Newfoundland ferry service is protected?      Mr. Jeff Watson (Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Transport, CPC): Mr. Speaker, as the member would know, Marine Atlantic is a independent Crown corporation respon...



 I gave the following one-minute statement in the House of Commons on Wedneday, June 18th. Mr. Speaker, Too many Newfoundlanders and Labradorians … too many Canadians … are thinking of starting a family but are worried about the financial cost. Too many people have to choose between a career and a baby. The support for young families is not where it should be. I held a public forum in my riding of St. John’s South-Mount Pearl last week and the overwhelming message is that – at 55 per cent – parental benefits under the EI system are inadequate. Parental benefits should also fall outside the EI system. New parents are not unemployed or searching for work. New parents deserve fair pay for the hardest job. We speak in this House about Citizenship and Immigration and the Temporary Foreign Worker program as ways to address the labour shortage, but why not make our central focus the family? We must nurture our most precious resource.

  I gave the following 10-minute speech on the Drug-Free Prisons Act in the House of Commons on Tuesday, June 17th. Mr. Speaker, I will be splitting my time with the member for the great riding of Sherbrooke. It is not as great as the great riding of St. John's South—Mount Pearl, but it is a close second. I stand in support of Bill C-12, An Act to amend the Corrections and Conditional Release Act, also known as the drug-free prisons act. However, that title is incredibly misleading as the bill before us will not lead to drug-free federal prisons, I am sorry to say. There is not a chance of drug-free prisons without two things: resources and rehabilitation. However, the word “rehabilitation” is not in the Conservative dictionary. It is not in the Conservative budget. It is not in the Conservative mindset. Good luck to the interpreters trying to explain the concept of rehabilitation through the Conservative earpieces. The interpreters will earn th...

I gave the following speech on Tuesday, June 10 th , in the House of Commons. Mr. Speaker, I stand in support of this motion by the honourable member for Skeena-Bulkley Valley. That, in the opinion of the House, the drastic increase in income inequality under recent Liberal and Conservative governments harms Canadian society; and that the House express its opposition to the Conservative income-splitting proposal which will make this problem worse and provide no benefit for 86 per cent of Canadians.” I repeat — income splitting is no benefit for 86 per cent of Canadians. That means it IS a benefit to 14 per cent of Canadians. And what 14 per cent of the Canadian population would that be, I ask you Mr. Speaker? Why the wealthiest, Mr. Speaker – the best off, the highest income level. But you probably already knew that, Mr. Speaker, because income splitting is a plan pitched by the Prime Minister and the Conservatives, and that party is all about big business, big mon...