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Ahead of the provincial budget, associations and non-profits across Newfoundland and Labrador are looking for measures that ease burdens on businesses as well as address health-care struggles.
The budget will be delivered at Confederation Building on Wednesday and it will be the first budget for the PCs since they were elected in October.
“We are looking for strong, bold decision making,” said Labrador North Chamber of Commerce CEO Julianne Griffin.
“We know the province [has a] significant deficit but there are a lot of exciting things on the horizon. So we’ll be looking for, you know, strong decisions and planning around recruitment and retention, energy reliability, in particular, for Labrador, housing and supports for small businesses.”
She added the cost of living in Labrador is higher than other areas of the province, so she wants the budget to reflect that.
In December, Finance Minister Craig Pardy said the province’s deficit had skyrocketed to $948 million — up from the last projection of $626 million given in August by the previous Liberal government.
Jonathan Galgay, director of legislative affairs with the Canadian Federation of Independent Business (CFIB), said they want to see a reduction in so-called “red tape” to make things easier for businesses to apply for permits and make applications.
“We’re asking for a reintroduction of new legislation to make things easier,” he said.
During the election, the PCs promised to drop the small business tax from 2.5 per cent to one per cent if elected — which Griffin and Galgay are hoping to see implemented.
Galgay said another priority is to see the 15 per cent retail sales tax on insurance for businesses axed.
“I’ve engaged directly with the minister of finance and the premier to talk about these issues. So they made commitments. We have to thank them for doing that. But Wednesday is truly the day to see whether or not they’re going to follow through with that,” he said.
Energy needs
The recently announced expansion of military base 5 Wing Goose Bay and a proposed Gull Island hydroelectric project will result in an increased need for power in Labrador.
Griffin said energy reliability in Labrador is something her association has been concerned about for a long time.
“Regardless of the results of the independent review of the [Churchill Falls] MOU, we need strong planning, strategic planning and an energy plan for Labrador,” said Griffin.
Without it, she said Labrador is at a risk of missing out on economic activity and revenue for the province.
Health-care hopes
Yvette Coffey, president of the Registered Nurses’ Union Newfoundland and Labrador, is looking for commitments to the province’s health-care system, especially getting away from costly private travel nurses.
Coffey added the union has a travel team proposal into government that would create new positions in the province’s health-care system, and anyone who wanted to work as a travel nurse would have to apply for the position.
The proposal, which Coffey said would be cheaper than relying on travel nurses, would see registered nurses and nurse practitioners travel throughout the province.
The union is also looking for support for nursing students, pointing out students on work terms have to pay their own way, including travel costs, accommodations and meals and courses.
“We think that’s wrong and we think that they should be getting supported financially,” said Coffey.
Advocate Noreen Careen wants funding aimed at housing in Wednesday’s budget, especially for the Labrador West Housing and Homelessness Coalition.
“We’re waiting on a final response around finding to extend our emergency shelter. So we’re very hopeful that that’s something that’s going to happen.”
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