Office of the Official Opposition 

Equalization fight is PC policy that the Furey Liberals are stealing at the 11^th hour in a desperate bid to distance themselves from Trudeau

For Immediate Release

(May 30, 2024, St. John’s NL) – PC Opposition Leader Tony Wakeham said the Furey Liberals, after meekly kowtowing to the Trudeau Liberals throughout their mandate, are now desperately stealing pages from PC Blue Books to launch an equalization fight in a frantic bid to distance themselves from Trudeau.

Wakeham said fighting for fairness on equalization has long been a key policy in PC election blue books, taking centre stage in both 2019 and 2021.  But the Liberals have refused to fight, allowing the current unfair formula to be rolled over twice, without any changes to bring fairness to Newfoundland and Labrador.

“When the equalization formula came up for renewal, where was Mr. Furey’s fight then? said Wakeham.

“This is a pattern.  This same Premier rolled over and accepted less in health transfers than we needed when those came up for negotiation.  He refused to fight for federal support for the Health Accord, as the Accord authors urged.  He refused to fight the carbon tax when it could have made a difference; and refused to fight for a say in our fisheries. 

“We have always supported the fight for fairness on equalization, but the Furey Liberals have woken up a bit late.  After refusing to fight for fairness all those years when they had the chance, they are now pulling a desperation move at their 11^th hour.  After a wasted Liberal decade, this is political posturing.”

“The next general election in this province will be over before such a case can make its way through the courts.  And when that election is over, a new PC government will wage this fight for fairness and stand up for Newfoundland and Labrador right from the start, not as an afterthought as the Liberals are now doing.”

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