CBC Newfoundland Morning

When Justin Trudeau announced this week that he'd be resigning as Prime Minister, he also said something else important: that Parliament would be 'prorogued' until the end of March. But what does that mean for the operations of government? Jamie Merrigan is a Corner Brook lawyer who is a former national chair of the Constitutional and Human Rights Section of the Canadian Bar Association. He spoke with the CBC's Leigh Anne Power.

Deal or no deal? That's the big question for MHAs during an extraordinary sitting of the House of Assembly this week. They're debating one issue: a proposed new agreement between Hydro Quebec and Newfoundland and Labrador Hydro. If approved, the Memorandum of Understanding would replace the current deal, governing the Churchill Falls hydroelectric project in Labrador. Government officials say the deal is a good one that would mean billions for the provincial treasury. But MHAs on the other side of the House are skeptical... and want a formal review of the MOU before voting "yes." The CBC's Darrell Roberts has been at the House of Assembly for this week's debate.

This past weekend's storm surge on Newfoundland's Northeast Coast did a lot of damage. Some communities saw washed-out roads, flooded sheds, and decks being washed away. In Pound Cove, New-Wes-Valley, horse owner Dana Blackmore and her neighbours had to make a dramatic rescue.

It's an extraordinary debate over a historic new agreement. MHAs are back in the House of Assembly for 36 hours this week. They'll be asking questions --- and getting answers --- about a new deal between this province and Quebec, on the Churchill Falls hydroelectric plant. The province says the new agreement will mean 225 BILLION dollars in revenue, for the provincial treasury, over the next 50 years. But not everyone is convinced that the new deal is the right one for Newfoundland and Labrador. Opposition MHAs say they want MORE eyes on the agreement... and MORE time for debate. The CBC's Darrell Roberts was at Confederation Building yesterday for Day One of the discussions..

With the lobster fishery growing, some western Newfoundland harvesters are worried about safety, especially after a tragedy last year. A fisherman and his nephew died in a boating accident in Lark Harbour in the Bay of Islands. Rick Crane is a fisherman who owns a lobster holding tank in Cox's Cove. He spoke with the CBC's Leila Beaudoin.

On December 20, the Liberal MP for St. John's East was sworn in as the federal minister for seniors. Now, not even three weeks later, Joanne Thompson's boss - Prime Minister Justin Trudeau - is quitting. Trudeau says he feels he wouldn't be the strongest candidate to lead the party into the next election. Joanne Thompson joined us to tell us what that means for the party,

The State of California recently declared a state of emergency over the spread of avian flu. The virus is deadly to birds and has been detected on hundreds of dairy farms in the U.S. as it spreads to mammals. Now, the Newfoundland and Labrador government is teaming up with Memorial University to test for the virus in wild, fur-bearing animals. Andrew Lang is a microbiologist at Memorial, and he spoke with the CBC's Leigh Anne Power.

Sunday kept firefighters in Gambo on their toes. Firefighters were called out to assist, after rising water levels in the community.. Keith Peckford is fire chief.

The northeast coast of Newfoundland was battered by wind and rain on Sunday. There were warnings about the potential for storm surges and coastal flooding, and It appears that one of the areas most seriously affected was the town of Gambo. The Town is under a state of emergency. Wanda Pierce is one of the people whose property was affected by the storm. She had to be rescued from her home - twice.

The Town of Gambo declared a state of emergency on Sunday, as a wind and rain storm led to a storm surge and flooding. Darren Dyke is the mayor.