Responding to the Liberal Government’s announcement of a further $40Million for the oil and gas industry, NL NDP Leader Alison Coffin is not hopeful that Government’s corporate handout will pay dividends. With the handout only securing jobs over the next 18 months, the question still remains as to the long term viability of the oil and gas industry on the global market.
“Big players in the oil and gas industry are projecting flat or negative demand for the foreseeable future – how does this allow us to maintain our competitiveness?” said Coffin. “While I am thankful that workers in this province have some bit of hope over the near term, I worry that the Liberal Government is issuing false hope given the market and environmental forecasts.”
This announcement comes the same week that it was announced an afterhours clinic on Majors Path will be closing, to the dismay of those who worked there and the patients who availed of the service. Coffin is questioning where government’s priorities are given the realities people across our province are facing.
“In a year where ExxonMobil has issued over $14Billion dollars in shareholder dividends, Branch 1 Legion had to have a donation drive to ensure that the 56 veterans at the Caribou Veterans Pavilion had Christmas stockings, and a public health clinic was scheduled to close,” outlined Coffin. “What was announced today is what we have seen from successive Liberal and Conservative Governments since Confederation – a shiny penny to distract voters from the realities their fiscal and economic mismanagement has created for all of us.”
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For further information, contact Eddy St. Coeur, Director of Communications, NDP Caucus at 729-2137 (o), or eddystcoeur@gov.nl.ca