For immediate release
July 24, 2020
No plans, no solutions in the fiscal update
NDP Leader Alison Coffin is frustrated by the Liberal government’s latest fiscal update. Once again, she says, government is big on excuses and short on ideas for restarting the economy and solving our fiscal crisis.
“Our province was already in dire financial shape before the COVID-19 pandemic struck,” said Coffin. “The Liberal government claims Muskrat Falls is not their fault, and yet five years on we still don’t have a rate mitigation plan. We also do not have an economic recovery plan even though the Liberals have been talking about the need for one since the beginning of the pandemic.”
“It sounds like all talk and no action to me.”
Coffin says the outgoing Premier said in March that he thought the NDP proposal for a Select Committee on Economic Recovery was good, but she says her Caucus saw no action on it from the Liberals.
“Now we are being told to wait for a new unelected Premier to create his own plan. One of the candidates to be the next Liberal Leader has even promised to put someone unelected in charge of creating such a plan. How long are we going to have to wait for real action and solutions?” said Coffin.
“The people of the province deserve some certainty, so they can plan for the future: Should I buy a house, have a baby, move out of the province, will I be able to afford my light bill? Will there be adequate health care when and where I need it? Will I find a family doctor?”
Coffin says the two candidates for Liberal Leader and Premier Ball have been largely silent on what concrete actions they will take to get us out of this desperate financial situation.
“The only tangible solution I heard from the Finance Minister today was to get more money from Ottawa. Yet the Liberal government’s track record with Ottawa has been poor, with the federal government providing no help with Muskrat Falls to date.”
“The people of our province have seen through this blame and delay charade and are now demanding real, immediate, and practical solutions. The elected representatives of the people must be allowed to do their jobs. A Select Committee on Economic Recovery that allows them to work together and move on real solutions is one constructive way to allow for this,” said Coffin.
“If the Liberals have no concrete ideas or solutions then perhaps they should get out of the way and let others do the job.”
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For further information, contact Bruce Gilbert, Chief of Staff, NDP Caucus at 729-2330 (o), 330-0328 (c), or brucegilbert@gov.nl.ca.