The provincial finance minister expects that Premier Tony Wakeham will raise equalization during a meeting of the Council of the Federation in PEI this coming week.
The provincial government dropped the legal action taken by the previous administration on equalization, but that doesn’t mean to say that the current government thinks everything is fine.
Craig Pardy calls the current equalization formula “unfair,” especially given the province’s small population and vast geography.
He says all three Maritime provinces can fit into NL’s land mass three times over, and with 500 communities, the cost of delivering services like transportation and health care, are great.
“It’s unfair when you look at the revenues the province has, and that is what they’re going to fund it on, but they don’t look at the aspects of the province for the delivery of the services.” Said Pardy, “I think the Premier will mention that, sitting around that same table at the Council of the Federation meetings.”
