Employers’ Council reacts to the fiscal update
The Employers’ Council has been in the news reacting to the mid year financial update by the Deputy Premier and Finance Minister Siobhan Coady. View some of our media coverage: News Talk – Linda Swain VOCM – Oct. 20, 2023 On The Go – Anthony Germain CBC – Nov. 1, 2023 Business News – David  [...]
Employers’ Council reacts to ‘The Big Reset’
On Thursday, May 6th, Dame Moya Greene released the long awaited report from the Premier’s Economic Recovery Team. The report entitled ‘The Big Reset’ highlighted the dire financial crisis the province is facing and how we can ‘right the ship’. The NL Employer’s Council Executive Director, Richard Alexander, was in the news responding to the  [...]
Employers’ Council calls for credible plan to fix spending problem
The Employers’ Council has been in the news this week calling for a credible plan to modernize and reform government program delivery and address our province’s spending problem. Earlier this month we also defended the Economic Recovery Team following Mary Shortall’s resignation, calling out the need for a credible and transparent plan to provide certainty  [...]
Government delivers “more of the same” in pandemic Budget
Speech provides hope that action on spending reform to come next year New Finance Minister Siobhan Coady released her first budget yesterday amid the Covid-19 pandemic. The delayed 2020-21 budget delivered more of the same in terms of increased expenditures, large deficits and massive amounts of borrowing. Expenses increased $524 M over 2019-20, to a  [...]
COVID-19 Supply Chain & Fiscal Situation
The Employers’ Council has been in the media discussing the continued challenges faced by NL businesses due to COVID-19, as well as the need for swift action by the incoming premier on the province’s fiscal situation. While many in the public feel that NL’s economy is back to normal due to the low number of  [...]
NL Employers’ Council reacts to $2.1 B deficit
Minister Tom Osborne presented the provincial fiscal update on Friday, July 24th. The provincial deficit is now $2.1 billion, which is more than double the projected deficit in the last budget. Borrowing has also increased by $2 billion to $3.2 billion. These projections do not include any budgetary decisions. The province plans to release a  [...]
Elected officials must put politics aside and develop a plan to fix the fiscal crisis
The Employers’ Council sent a letter to all elected officials in NL yesterday, asking them to use the reopening of the House of Assembly today as an opportunity to develop a long term fiscal plan for the province. Read the full letter. The letter urges elected representatives to give the same focus and urgency to  [...]
Business needs more timely support from government
The NL Employers’ Council was in the news this week calling for more timely support from the provincial government to help businesses survive Covid-19 shutdowns, and swifter action to address the province’s economic crisis. The NL Employers’ Council, along with eight other business associations sent a letter to government in early April outlining no-cost and  [...]
Employers’ Council creates media buzz on “Transforming our Future”
The NL Employers’ Council generated significant media coverage last week by securing interviews for guest speakers from our Transforming our Future summit on all major news broadcasts. We also secured multiple follow-up interviews with Executive Director, Richard Alexander, calling for a credible plan to fix our fiscal situation. Watch the coverage now using the links  [...]
Employers’ Council speaks out as fiscal situation worsens
Finance Minister Tom Osborne issued the fall fiscal update last week, showing the deficit for 2019-20 had grown to $943-million. This is up significantly from the $575 million projected in the 2019 budget. Government attributed this to factors “outside of their control”, specifically decreased revenue. This included $185 M from a shutdown in Hibernia, lower  [...]
Employers’ Council disappointed with increased spending and little tax relief in 2019 Provincial Budget
The NL Employers’ Council was in the media in April reacting to the 2019 Provincial Budget. Click here to watch Jaclyn Sullivan provide live reaction to the budget on CBC. Despite a paper surplus, we still have a spending problem Government presented a $1.9 B surplus for 2019-20, by recognizing the full $2.5 B in  [...]
Employers’ Council presents to provincial tax Review Committee: Emphasizes urgent need to make taxes competitive
This week, the Employers’ Council presented to the provincial Tax Review Committee, a five person committee appointed by government. The committee will make recommendations for reforms to the province’s tax system, to be considered prior to Budget 2019-20. Our presentation emphasized the urgent need to reduce the total tax burden on both citizens and businesses,  [...]
Moody’s releases report today echoing Employers’ Council analysis that government plan is risky
In a report released today Moody’s substantiated the Employers’ Council’s analysis as risky. “The province’s forecast to balance the books by 2022/23 carries risks, and will be conditional on improving economic conditions and increasing oil prices, and on the government’s ability to consistently adhere to its expenditure controls. The province expects that the bulk of  [...]
“Stay the course budget” brings modest tax relief to business, but does little to improve fiscal situation
Finance Minster Tom Osborne brought down his first provincial budget on Tuesday. Budget brings modest tax relief Removal of the payroll tax has been a longtime advocacy issue for the Employers’ Council. The Budget included an announcement that the threshold of the provincial payroll tax will be increased from $1.2 M to $1.3 M effective  [...]
Employers’ Council raises red-flag on tentative NAPE agreement with government
Reports emerged this week that a tentative agreement between NAPE and government includes a wage freeze, buyout and elimination of severance for all NAPE employees, and a no-layoff clause for the term of the contract. The Employers’ Council has been in the media expressing concern about the no-layoff clause. “To put a no-layoff clause in a  [...]
Employers’ Council releases “Another Way Forward”, an alternative to government’s fiscal plan.
The Employers’ Council launched Another Way Forward today, an alternative to government’s fiscal plan developed with research from the Conference Board of Canada. This proposed plan relies less on tax increases and more on government spending reductions. The Conference Board found that NL has the second highest personal tax burden in the country. Another Way  [...]
Employers’ Council reacts to tax review: Without action to reduce spending, committee may be set up for failure
Yesterday Finance Minister Tom Osborne announced an independent review of the provincial tax code, to be completed in September 2018 with the final report expected in November 2018 for consideration prior to Budget 2019-20. Government stated that the main objectives of the review are to ensure the province’s tax system is competitive and fair, identify  [...]
Spending reform still needed: Employers’ Council reaction to Budget 2017
Finance Minister Cathy Bennett brought down her second provincial budget yesterday. -Due to higher than expected oil revenue, this year’s deficit was revised to $1.1 B, down from the $1.83 B deficit forecasted in last year’s budget. -Government committed to hit their deficit reduction target for 2017-18 through spending cuts of $283 million. Next year’s  [...]
Employers’ Council counters CUPE’s protest against Public Private Partnerships
The Employers’ Council has been in the media countering the Canadian Union of Public Employee’s (CUPE) campaign against Public Private Partnerships (P3s). CUPE’s comments paint a misleading and inaccurate picture of public private partnerships, and of government’s plans for the recently announced long term care facility in Corner Brook. “It is hard to understand why  [...]
Employers’ Council ramps up BigGovNL campaign following cancellation of fall supplemental budget
The Employers’ Council has ramped up our Newfoundlanders and Labradorians for Big Government campaign following the premier’s announcement that there will be no fall supplemental budget. During segments on both CBC Here & Now and NTV Evening News yesterday the Employers’ Council launched new BigGovNL online videos and TV ads. The satirical advertising campaign is designed to drive citizens to http://BigGovNL.ca to  [...]
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