The following is being distributed at the request of the Government House Leader:

Government House Leader Comments on Results of Spring Session

The Government House Leader, the Honourable Darin King, Minister of Justice, said today that the spring sitting of the House of Assembly resulted in valuable work for the people of the province.

“Building on the focus of Budget 2013: A Sound Plan, A Secure Future, there was important work accomplished during this session that will certainly provide direct benefits to the people of Newfoundland and Labrador,” said Minister King. “Government had to make some difficult but necessary decisions to secure Newfoundland and Labrador’s financial future and protect the gains made over the last ten years, but we have also made significant investments in programs and services for the people of the province.”

Important investments from Budget 2013 include:

• Funding for 12 new drug therapies, eight of which will assist in the treatment of various forms of cancer;
• Funding for work on the new, half-billion-dollar Corner Brook hospital;
• Infrastructure investment of over $866 million to encourage economic growth, job creation and stronger communities. This investment will generate 5,330 person years of employment;
• $185.3 million to nurture and protect the province’s children and youth through the Child Care Strategy, the Continuum of Care Strategy, youth initiatives and additional staffing to care for children and youth;
• More than $39 million to complete the last full season of paving of Phase I of the Trans Labrador Highway. Since 2004, approximately $450 million has been invested to build the Trans Labrador Highway;
• Almost $4 million to continue the public post-secondary tuition freeze, allowing this province to lead the way in affordable post-secondary education with one of the lowest tuition rates in Canada; and,
• A $1.3 billion investment in education, which includes, among other staffing and programming initiatives, funding for work on eight new schools throughout the province and seven major school redevelopment projects.

“The spring sitting of the House of Assembly is normally focused on the provincial budget,” noted Minister King. “In this session, we have passed a budget which balances the requirements of fiscal responsibility with innovative and efficient provision of services. In addition, we dealt with very significant occupational health and safety legislation and a number of other bills, which are important for the governance of the province.”

Minister King also noted that while the opposition parties are now complaining about the length of this sitting, there was no representation made to the government to keep the House of Assembly open.

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Media contact:
Linda Walsh
Government Members Office
Communications
709-729-0898
lindajwalsh@gov.nl.ca 

2013 05 17                                   3:20 p.m.