Mr. Speaker, during the course of the afternoon we have heard on numerous occasions the fact stated that there was something in the way of a better system in Newfoundland, that various church groups were dragging their feet and slowing up the system so that this could be occurring.
I want to dismiss some of those myths and refer to some of those things that are actual fact from the Newfoundland situation. Time and again it has been asserted by people that the Roman Catholics, Pentecostals and others were seeking to frustrate the process of educational reform, how necessary it was and yet being blocked by these obstinate people.
Premier Tobin made that point on numerous occasions, that they were trying to prevent this from occurring. The truth is that those groups, the Pentecostals, the Roman Catholics, willingly embraced reforms that came along.
They entered into dozens of joint service arrangements and consolidated and closed scores of schools. They co-operated with the government in the reduction of school boards from the original 267 down to the present number of only 10.
Today 90% of Newfoundland communities have a single school system and only 10% have more than one system, so considerable changes have occurred with regard to reform over the last while.
They have no objection to the government operated provincial school construction board. They accept that school bus reform is necessary, that school councils will serve a useful purpose, that school boards may be fully elected.
For many years governments in that province have set the curriculum. They have trained and certified teachers, and until it unwisely abolished them, they also set and corrected public exams.
What do these groups want to protect? They have not been standing in the way of reform. They simple want the right, as has been stated by many others here, to bring up their children, send them to schools where their own faith values are pre-eminent. That is a bit of a prelude.
I want to pass on to the test which was mentioned by our leader this morning, the test of democratic consent, and offer some suggestions as to where it may be suspect or found to be lacking with regard to the whole matter of democratic consent. Was the question a fair one? Was it clear?
Members may be aware that this question was developed by the Newfoundland government's public relations firm and was one of several potential questions subjected to some mini polling and focus groups to try to massage it to the point where it came up with a question that would ensure a certain outcome of the vote.
The question also referred to a preference for a single system where all children would attend and where religious education is taught. Of all the children in Newfoundland, 90% are presently in that kind of system. Therefore Roman Catholic, Pentecostal and integrated children have access to a program in their own faith if there is sufficient demand. That was the question and the people believed they were voting yes to preserve this system.
On July 30, 1997 single school system was defined by the premier as a Christian school system. One month later, seven days before the actual vote, one day before the advance polls, a single school system had been redefined as a public, non-denominational school system and religious education had become not necessarily Christian but general. In the three days before the Labour Day weekend there was insufficient time to address the fact that the question now meant something entirely different than originally.
The question fails to address the real issue. Voters want some constitutional rights of parents to choose separate schools removed. It is my belief that this was not a fairly worded question. There were some shenanigans which took place in the last days which did not give people time to properly address the question before them. As a result they voted in favour of a prior question stated.