The provincial government is expanding the definition of what constitutes a resident of Newfoundland and Labrador when it comes to admission to Memorial University.

Effective immediately, people with strong and ongoing ties to this province, specifically members of the Canadian Armed Forces and the RCMP and their immediate families, will be able to avail of the expanded definition.

The change is in response to a controversy last year in which the daughter of a career military person was denied entry to the Faculty of Medicine as a resident.

Education Minister Paul Dinn says government recognizes that such families may have experienced time away from Newfoundland and Labrador as the result of service-related postings.

He says the expanded definition aligns with government efforts to increase the number of locally-trained physicians.

Meanwhile, Opposition Leader John Hogan says the changes reflect their recommendations they made to government when news of the situation broke late last year.

However, he rejects Minister Dinn’s claim that the move will address the recruitment and retention of doctors and help increase the number of locally-trained doctors. Hogan says the new definition does not create a single new medical school seat – it only changes who can compete for an existing seat.

He says expanded capacity is the only move that will actually produce more physicians in Newfoundland and Labrador.