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Alarming outmigration trend reflects failed government policies
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Judy Foote, MHA for the District of Grand Bank and Opposition Critic for Industry, Trade and Rural Development, says it is clear that the premier and his administration have done absolutely nothing to curb the out‑migration trend in the province since elected in October, 2003. The Liberal MHA was reacting to the Statistics Canada release of census figures completed in 2006 that were released this morning. In her own district, the town of Grand Bank lost 281 people between 2001 and 2006. Burin lost 8.4 per cent of its population in the same time frame. "This premier was elected on the promise that he was going to do something about out‑migration and to "turn the corner" on problems he felt this province faced back in 2003,@ said Foote. A In fact, as Leader of the Opposition, he stood in the House of Assembly in 2002 and referred to the out- migration in this province as mismanagement by the government of the day. The numbers in the report this morning show that his administration has done nothing to curb that trend of a declining population despite his alarm at the extent of out- migration in 2002. "It is little wonder he is looking to the federal government for action on transfer payments. It is the only answer he has to counter the financial downward spiral he has triggered. For every person that has left the province, there has been a reduction in transfer payments of $22,000. Furthermore, his failure to negotiate a deal on the offshore, together with businesses such as Fishery Products International and Abitibi closing on his watch have resulted in this province finding itself in dire circumstances. This has not just occurred in the rural parts of our province, as the Avalon Peninsula is also starting to feel the effects of government inaction. "The actions of this premier, the same person who boasted that his success in business would mean success in government, have also stymied our growth economically. The Conference Board of Canada projects our growth will shrink to 0.4 per cent next year. Newfoundland and Labrador, which has either led the country or been in the middle of the pack in recent years, will be at the bottom in terms of growth in the country. People are nervous and this is translating into them looking elsewhere. They are not taking a chance on a government that has yet to show it has an action plan, or even a vision to spur an improvement in the work environment particularly in rural Newfoundland and Labrador. "The loss of opportunity in our offshore has led to people leaving in droves for opportunities elsewhere. The bottom line is that there aren=t even any prospects on the horizon that would encourage them to stay. These recent census numbers confirm what we witnessed last fall with the long line- ups at the job fairs encouraging people to move west. Unfortunately, there are no other options for them."
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