NDP Leader Earle McCurdy officially launched his summer tour today. McCurdy will continue his visits to the rural libraries that were on the Liberal chopping block until a surprise announcement last week that the closures will be postponed while a steering committee and consulting company EY look at the issue. He will spend the summer gathering information from people on how the 2016 Budget has affected them.
“The goal of the tour is to reach as many of those threatened libraries as possible by the end of the summer,” McCurdy said today. “They’re emblematic of the many decisions made by the Liberals in Budget 2016 – decisions that seem deliberately designed to penalize those least able to handle cut services or added costs.”
McCurdy added that residents of rural Newfoundland and Labrador have been hit particularly hard by decisions such as clinic and office closures, gas taxes and reduced ferry schedules.
“I’ve already been to several of the libraries Dale Kirby wanted to close,” McCurdy said today. “People are furious that government even contemplated taking away this basic service, and this temporary reprieve isn’t reassuring them. But they’re angry about other things too, and I’m sure they’ll have no hesitation sharing their opinions.”
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A copy of McCurdy’s schedule is attached.
For information, e-mail news@nl.ndp.ca