For Immediate Release
25 October, 2023
NDP Leader, Jim Dinn (St. John’s Centre), is publicly publishing the following questions to the Liberal Government after he was notified he will not be able to speak in the House of Assembly.
“While the housing crisis continues across the province, I was not able to ask the following questions to the Liberal Government today in the House of Assembly:”
1. Speaker, yesterday the Minister of Finance said that this government is putting a tremendous amount of effort “to construct 850 affordable homes this year.”
I ask the Minister of Finance. Is she misspeaking when she said this, or will these homes actually be constructed, unlike the 750 they misspoke about?
2. Speaker, in response to my question yesterday, the Deputy Premier stood in this house and gave kudos to NLHC workers who are doing incredible work as we go through this housing crisis, yet it is clear that those workers do not feel that kudos from government. In a news release, CUPE states that, “housing corporation has been reducing staff through attrition and leaving positions vacant and has been letting contractors remove the inventory maintenance workers need to do their jobs.”
I ask the Deputy Premier: Will she listen to the call from CUPE NLHC workers and fill the vacancies so that workers can do their job.
3. Speaker, of the 11 new housing builds, we are being told three NLHC units in Gander were torn down to build six new units. I ask the Premier, will the province fill vacant positions at NLHC so that the existing housing stock, including the eight new homes they have just built will not fall into disrepair and be left to rot?
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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