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VOCM News Late-Day Update September 14th · VOCM On Demand

• 0:05
  Speaker 1: Good evening, I'm Linda Swain. Premier Tony Wakeham says he
• 0:08
  Speaker 1: was given no advance notice of Keith Russell's decision to
• 0:10
  Speaker 1: leave the PC caucus and become an independent member of
• 0:13
  Speaker 1: the House of Assembly. Russell dropped a political bombshell this
• 0:17
  Speaker 1: morning at the beginning of a special sitting of the
• 0:18
  Speaker 1: House of Assembly to debate the Churchill Falls deal.
• 0:21
  Speaker 2: After much reflection, I have made the difficult decision to
• 0:24
  Speaker 2: cross the floor and sit as an independent member.
• 0:27
  Speaker 1: The legislature was hurriedly called to recess as the PCs
• 0:30
  Speaker 1: filed into their caucus room to discuss the development. Wakeham
• 0:34
  Speaker 1: calls Russell's decision disappointing for his former colleagues and for
• 0:37
  Speaker 1: his constituents.
• 0:38
  Speaker 2: There was no discussions with Mr. Russell prior to the announcement.
• 0:42
  Speaker 2: He was in our caucus this morning and he's decided
• 0:44
  Speaker 2: that he wants to sit as an independent and that's
• 0:47
  Speaker 2: his choice.
• 0:48
  Speaker 1: Indigenous Relations and Labrador Affairs Minister Lila Evans, who's no
• 0:51
  Speaker 1: stranger to crossing the floor, indicates that Russell was not
• 0:54
  Speaker 1: happy with being left out of cabinet.
• 0:56
  Speaker 3: He has been close with many caucus members. He didn't
• 0:59
  Speaker 3: indicate that he was disgruntled. He did indicate that he
• 1:03
  Speaker 3: was not pleased that he wasn't a minister. We can
• 1:06
  Speaker 3: attest to that. So I think it's less to do
• 1:08
  Speaker 3: with the Church of Paul's New agreement, and in actual
• 1:11
  Speaker 3: fact that he wasn't made a minister. He's told us
• 1:13
  Speaker 3: that several times.
• 1:15
  Speaker 1: Crowds took to the steps of Confederation Building this afternoon
• 1:17
  Speaker 1: to protest government's latest deal with Hydro-Quebec on the Churchill
• 1:20
  Speaker 1: Falls Agreement. Protesters booed and shouted liar as they denounced
• 1:24
  Speaker 1: government's about-face on holding a referendum on the deal. Administrator
• 1:27
  Speaker 1: of the NL Proud Facebook page and protest organizer Noah
• 1:30
  Speaker 1: Davis-Power contends that the agreement reached earlier this year is
• 1:34
  Speaker 1: worse than the 1969 deal it replaces. The protesters argue
• 1:38
  Speaker 1: the deal favours Quebec and the non-binding agreement must be
• 1:41
  Speaker 1: ripped up. Among the speakers was outspoken Innu advocate Simeon Chakapesh,
• 1:45
  Speaker 1: whose remarks prompted chants of not for sale from the crowd.
• 1:48
  Speaker 1: Today's gathering comes after MHA Keith Russell quit the PC
• 1:51
  Speaker 1: caucus to sit as an independent, and organisers predict that
• 1:54
  Speaker 1: his departure could be the first of many. RCMP are
• 1:58
  Speaker 1: investigating after someone siphoned fuel from at least eight vehicles
• 2:02
  Speaker 1: parked in a commercial lot in Carbonier over the weekend.
• 2:05
  Speaker 1: Police were called to a business on High Road South
• 2:07
  Speaker 1: on Sunday. The owner reported that at least $ 3, 000 worth
• 2:11
  Speaker 1: of fuel had been stolen in the overnight hours from
• 2:13
  Speaker 1: eight commercial vehicles parked there. Anyone with information is asked
• 2:16
  Speaker 1: to contact Harbor Grace RCMP. Stella's Circle officially opened its
• 2:20
  Speaker 1: new supportive housing complex in St. John's today. The site,
• 2:23
  Speaker 1: at an undisclosed location in the downtown, contains 15 units
• 2:26
  Speaker 1: geared towards those who have experienced gender-based violence, homelessness, or
• 2:30
  Speaker 1: who have been through the justice system. Laura Winters of
• 2:33
  Speaker 1: Stella's Circle says there is a significant housing shortage in
• 2:35
  Speaker 1: the city and more units are needed to fill the gap.
• 2:38
  Speaker 4: I think there's incredible efforts being made in the community
• 2:41
  Speaker 4: sector with our partners in government, but honestly, no, the
• 2:45
  Speaker 4: outcome is not meeting the need. Housing and homelessness are
• 2:49
  Speaker 4: major challenges in our province, in our city, in our country.
• 2:52
  Speaker 4: We're not alone in this. This project is an excellent
• 2:55
  Speaker 4: example of partnership between municipal, provincial, federal levels of government
• 3:01
  Speaker 4: and community, as well as private partners.
• 3:04
  Speaker 1: Your weather forecast is next.