Responding to the Greene Report being released by the Premier’s Economic Recovery Team NDP Leader, and economist, Alison Coffin says while there are some good things within the report like increasing taxes so wealthy people pay their fair share, it is concerning that very little of Moya Greene’s speech offered anything new and innovative. Instead, Coffin argues that at first glance it appears that outdated approaches to governance and economics are being applied to a 21st Century economy and the people of the province are going to pay the price for decades of mismanagement from successive Liberal and Conservative governments.
“We absolutely have to change how our province operates, this isn’t news, but at first glance it offers little hope for the future to young people, workers, and those struggling to make ends meet,” said Coffin. “The ‘Old School’ economics Greene thinks we need is the type of thinking that got this province into the situation we’re currently facing.”
Included in the announcement was references to having to negotiate with labour unions, and if they do not comply to government’s will – legislation will be introduced to force them into submission. Coffin also was surprised to see that Greene’s speech was riddled with cuts, contrary to the campaign platform Andrew Furey used to garner votes this year.
“Andrew Furey said himself we cannot cut our way to prosperity, though it is clear that this is the recommendations from the economic recovery team,” Coffin said today. “Greene was right to highlight how the situation has gotten worse since the Liberal’s took power, the question is – why are we trusting them to correct the situation they’ve failed to address since 2015?”
Given the breadth of the report and its implications, the NL NDP will be doing an in depth analysis of the report and reaching out to representatives from Labour, Education, and Healthcare groups, and the people of the province, as we prepare to enter extensive discussions and consultations with the Furey Government.
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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