Accountability in government and making the province a more attractive place to live are top of the agenda in the PC Blue Book, their election platform released today by leader Ches Crosbie.
Crosbie says he's talked to people who worked engineering jobs in Fort Mac that had to take up dishwashing upon moving home.
He says the blue book focuses on jobs first. #nlpoli pic.twitter.com/2ejoareF2V
— 𝔸𝕟𝕕𝕣𝕖𝕨 ℍ𝕒𝕨𝕥𝕙𝕠𝕣𝕟 (@hawthornandrewj) April 30, 2019
If much of the promises outlined in the blue book sound familiar, it’s that you’ve already heard about them from the Liberals 2019 budget.
Items like the removal of the insurance tax, money for ArtsNL, the Autism plan and others are almost identical, give or take.
The removal of the deficit reduction levy is in both, for example, but the PCs would remove it immediately rather than at year end.
Both PCs and Liberals promise a return to balance by 2023.
Crosbie says the province is in a population crisis that the Liberals have failed to address. #nlpoli pic.twitter.com/iSIXzsbXyf
— 𝔸𝕟𝕕𝕣𝕖𝕨 ℍ𝕒𝕨𝕥𝕙𝕠𝕣𝕟 (@hawthornandrewj) April 30, 2019
Leader Ches Crosbie says a focus on childcare, education, and health care are about making the province a nicer place to raise a family, and removing some financial burden.
Another focus is honesty and accountability in government, with Crosbie suggesting legislation to make political promises binding with the Honesty in Politics Act, a first for the country.
An outline of the first 200 days of a Crosbie mandate includes a task force on health care, launching a new child care plan, an all party committee on democratic reform, and the erection of moose fencing.
Leaders Trade Barbs About Purloined Policies
Premier Dwight Ball took a swipe at the PC leader on the campaign trail yesterday.
Ball was responding to Ches Crosbie’s claims that the Liberals stole the PC’s idea of cutting out the tax on auto insurance.
Ball scoffed at the notion when speaking with reporters at the Sheraton Hotel yesterday. He says he’s not about to take any ideas from Ches Crosbie.
But as for the similarities between the PC and Liberal platforms, at the Blue Book announcement Crosbie said not everything the Liberals promise is a bad idea.
He says he’s willing to steal a good idea no matter where it comes from, but notes that the Liberals certainly must agree as they also stole his rate mitigation plan for Muskrat Falls.
We’re just over two weeks away, with the election set for May 16.
Osborne Slams Blue Book
Liberal Finance Minister Tom Osborne is calling the Tory Blue Book “bogus” and “reckless.”
He says Ches Crosbie is talking about spending Atlantic Accord money on rate mitigation, while the Liberals are using it to reduce borrowing. Osborne says the Tory plan is “bogus” because Crosbie is “double counting” $150-million.
