Provincial budget to hit Nunatsiavut the hardest, says President

April 14, 2016

Today’s provincial budget will adversely affect Nunatsiavut more than any other region of Newfoundland and Labrador, says Nunatsiavut President Sarah Leo.

“Our communities are among the most impoverished in Newfoundland and Labrador, and the cuts announced in this budget will only add to the growing economic disparity that exists between Nunatsiavut and the rest of the province,” says President Leo. “Many of our people are not going to be able to adequately feed their families or have any quality of life.”

Budget impacts on Nunatsiavut include:

• The elimination of the Air Foodlift Subsidy program, which assisted retailers in providing nutritious, perishable items such as fruit, vegetables and dairy products to Labrador’s coastal communities;
• a 40 per cent increase in ferry rates for passengers and vehicles;
• a shortened coastal marine shipping season (maximum of169 days per year);
• a 100 per cent increase in the cost of medical travel;
• the elimination of the Home Heating Rebate program for low income families; and
• a $200,000 cut in funding to clean up PCB contaminated areas in Hopedale.

“These cuts are distressing,” says President Leo. “They were made with no consideration whatsoever to the health and wellbeing of our people and our communities. They will stunt economic growth and development, and make it very difficult for many to make ends meet.”

Media Contact:

Bert Pomeroy
Director of Communications
(709) 896-8582

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