While the Liberals and Conservatives continue to make expensive, uncosted promises, Newfoundland and Labrador NDP Leader Jim Dinn is promising a different course: practical and responsible solutions while lowering costs for Newfoundlanders and Labradorians.
“Here’s my promise to you – we’re not going to raise taxes and we’re not going to cut services,” said Dinn.
The New Democrat campaign has been heavily focused on affordability and healthcare – with costed announcements and a plan to save Newfoundlanders and Labradorians more money.
Plans to cut the provincial HST off of all home heating, to cut the HST off kids’ essentials like clothing and shoes, reversing the Liberal tuition hike at MUN, raising the minimum wage to $22/hour, and bringing in rent control have all been focused on putting thousands of dollars a year back into peoples’ pockets.
The Conservative campaign has promised hundreds of millions of dollars in spending – like buying four new ferries – without any costing or plan to pay for them, while the Liberal campaign hasn’t attached costing to most of their campaign promises – all while running up a $626 million dollar deficit.
The unscrupulous campaign tactic follows a long history of both Liberals and Conservatives making big campaign promises to communities to get elected, only to abandon them once in government – like Furey’s promised IVF clinic in 2021 (the province still doesn’t have an IVF clinic).
“It comes down to trust,” said Dinn. “That’s why we’re so focused on transparency and accountability. It’s about doing politics differently and getting the people of this province a better deal.”
Dinn pointed to the fact that decades of both Liberal and Conservative reckless spending have led Newfoundland and Labrador to have the highest debt to GDP ratio in the country, with high debt loads being downloaded and costing everyone in the province money out of their monthly paycheques – like the extra monthly costs to taxpayers associated with Muskrat Falls.
Previewing his costed platform, Dinn said it’s about being practical and responsible.
“It’s not flashy but it gets the job done. We’re not going to promise you something we can’t do – people have had enough of that under the Liberals and Conservatives,” said Dinn. “Our plan will take immediate action to lower costs for Newfoundlanders and Labradorians and get our healthcare system back on track but it’s long past time we have a government that lives in reality when it comes to spending.”
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