Office of the Official Opposition
For Immediate Release

St. John’s, NL (June 17, 2020) – PC Official Opposition Leader and MHA for Windsor Lake, Ches Crosbie, today reaffirmed his position that a full budget must be tabled, debated, and voted on, before any election is called. Today, Crosbie wrote both candidates in the Liberal leadership race and the PC Caucus will move the following resolution in the House of Assembly:

Be it resolved that this Honorable House urge the government to table and bring to debate and concluding votes the 2020/21 budget prior to any general election.

“The financial situation of the province is dire and without precedent. In March, Premier Ball wrote the Prime Minister indicating the province could not borrow money, and that the Premier was worried about meeting payroll and funding essential public services. The Premier said the province was out of time,” said Crosbie.

“We have been calling for full disclosure of the province’s financial situation for months. The people need to see the numbers and know what Government’s plan is for the months and years ahead,” added Crosbie.

“Government cannot continue indefinitely on interim supply, which is essentially autopilot, with no level of scrutiny or transparency. It would be unconscionable for the Liberal Government to call a snap election without any financial disclosure and economic plan to kick start the economy,” added Tony Wakeham, PC Official Opposition Critic for Finance and MHA for Stephenville-Port au Port.

Attached: Crosbie Letter to Liberal leadership candidates

Contacts:

Bradley Russell

Director of Policy and Research

(p) 1.709.729.3668

BradleyRussell@gov.nl.ca

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June 17, 2020
Andrew Furey
Via email: andrewfurey2020@gmail.com
 
John Abbott
Via email: info@voteabbott.ca
 
Gentlemen,
 
Congratulations on making the enormous commitment to public service required to seek the leadership of the Liberal Party of Newfoundland and Labrador. The winner will be responsible to lead us as Premier through the most difficult challenges we have ever faced as a province of Canada.

Many in the public believe that the new Premier plans to call a general election soon after the winner of your leadership contest is announced on August 3.

Our province is facing a financial catastrophe. We also face grave issues in health care and education which demand the full attention of the new Premier for the balance of this year. The threat of a second wave of infection also looms this fall.

The public deserves their Premier – their employee – to show up for work on day one and stay at work for the balance of the year instead of hitting the campaign trail. An election before a budget would confirm the worst – the Liberal government is hiding the true state of the financial crisis from the public.

Any Premier whose first act is to call a snap election in the midst of a financial crisis is only in it for himself.

Any Premier who calls an election this year without grappling with all the issues which demand a fully functioning government would be viewed the same way.

Accordingly, I ask that you each publically commit to table by September and bring to debate and concluding votes the 2020/21 budget, and that you each publically commit to put your full time attention without interruption by general election, on managing the crisis caused by COVID-19 for at least the balance of 2020.

Yours respectfully,
 
Ches Crosbie, MHA Windsor Lake
Official Opposition Leader