Thursday, February 8, 2024

(February 8, 2024, St. John’s): – PC Shadow Minister for Industry Lloyd Parrott (MHA,Terra Nova) is pleased to see the Furey Liberals snatch pages from the Progressive Conservative Party’s election policy Blue Books of 2021, 2019 and earlier by announcing a “Newfoundland and Labrador First” procurement strategy aimed at helping local suppliers win contracts.

While Parrott is pleased to see this first step, he outlined that the Tony Wakeham PC Plan would go a giant step further by extending the “NL First” policy to Newfoundland and Labrador trades workers, including apprentices, to maximize opportunities for our skilled workers to get jobs and the certification they need to enter the workforce.

“It has long been a Progressive Conservative policy to demand maximum benefits, skills transfer, and jobs for Newfoundlanders and Labradorians on resource developments and public infrastructure projects large and small,” explained Parrott. “It only makes common sense to me that the Furey Liberals take the extra step of extending the policy to trades workers, including apprentices. Amazingly, they worked on this and are now announcing it without including benefits for trades workers, including apprentices.”

The PC Party has committed to requiring a percentage of new hires on publicly funded projects to be apprentices and to require a local benefits policy when public funds are spent on infrastructure to ensure Newfoundlanders and Labradorians receive maximum benefits and jobs, including underrepresented groups such as women, gender diverse, and Indigenous workers.

“A PC government under Tony Wakeham’s leadership will maximize opportunities for Newfoundland and Labrador workers, including apprentices, to ensure they get the jobs and certification they need to secure their long-term future in Newfoundland and Labrador. All trades workers deserve better leadership.”

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Ashley Jackson-Politi
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