NDP Leader Lorraine Michael says today’s provincial budget fails to address the realities that people in this province are facing such as poverty, income inequality, outmigration, and the lack of a job creation strategy – problems that will get worse with inaction.
“While this budget looks like it is ‘standing pat’ on paper, it is not dealing with the inequalities that people in this province are facing,” Michael said. “It fails to undo any of the damage that was done in the 2016 budget.”
“There’s not much ‘building’ going on in Building for Our Future: Budget 2018,” she said.
She says this government promised, but has so far failed to do, any long-term planning around economic diversification to address the need to get away from offshore oil dependence.
In the meantime, she says, since this government came to power our debt has gone from $12.1 billion to $21.7 billion.
“If they really wanted to have a budget based on evidence, they should have focused on what’s happening right now in the province,” Michael said.
The absence of a strategy for job creation and a strategy to deal with increasing outmigration are glaring. Additionally, there is a lack of any proof or detail about government’s supposed use of gender-analysis in the preparation of the budget, and any indication that government understands that budgets disproportionately impact women.
“This government also continues to blame the previous administration. This is the Liberals’ third budget – it’s time to take responsibility,” Michael said.