Reccesoldier said:
I wrote what I wrote specifically with regard to the comment made about businessmen who can not find workers who want to work full time. I am a Bluenoser and I know that there are those who use pogey as a means to sit around and smoke dope all day. The people who work only long enough to get their stamps and then ask the boss to "lay them off". My suggestion is that people who do that (Welfare Bums, Pogey pussies or whatever you want to call them) be told in no uncertain terms that they will never be hired by that business again, or if more than one businessman could get together and create a list of these moochers, many other businesses as well.
These are the people who are/have given the maritimes such a bad rap in the ROC. These are the ones with the culture of defeat and these are the ones that you Newfoundlanders and Nova Scotians are going to be dragging with you as your provinces struggle to become financially viable again.
Why do everyone compare NS and NL?Because they both have boats?(P.S Newfoundland is not part of the maritimes.)
I have no clue about N.S,never lived there and only breifly stayed there.So I can't comment about N.S and its lazy people smoking drugs.
Here is a few things danny has accomplished.It's kind of amusing that most mainlanders hate him and most Newfoundlanders love him.He's voted by Newfoundlanders for us.43 seats PC,Liberals 3,NDP 1.....kind of speaks for itself after second election doesnt it?I cant find the info right now,I will look later.However my area is very excited about over 90 billion hr's of work at Bull Arm fabrication site.Danny is slowly building up Newfoundland,it will be a have province.Something it hasnt been since confederation.
Eliminated a projected $1 billion provincial deficit. The projected unaudited surplus on a fully consolidated accrual basis for 2007-08 is $261.2 million.
Signed a new Atlantic Accord and secured $2 billion up-front payment for offshore oil royalties.
Invested more than $2 billion in the Infrastructure Strategy over five years, including unprecedented spending on roads, schools, hospitals, etc.
Approved the largest personal income tax cuts in the province's history, making us the lowest taxed in Atlantic Canada. This tax reduction will save the taxpayers of this province $160 million annually.
Developed and implemented a comprehensive $91 million Poverty Reduction Strategy and action plan.
Invested $32 million to attract business to the province. This includes a $25 million business attraction fund and a $7 million business grants fund. The new funding programs are aimed at providing the financial means to assist organizations interested in the province as a place to invest in setting up business, and to take advantage of new opportunities.
Established a 45 per cent resort property investment tax credit designed to encourage individuals and corporations based in the province to invest in selected tourist resort properties.
Invested $1 billion in the province's education budget this year -the first time in the province's history the education budget has exceeded a billion dollars.
Signed an historic MOU with the oil industry partners for the development of the Hebron-Ben Nevis field, including gaining equity and super royalties for the province.
Successfully negotiated the terms of an arrangement for the development of the White Rose satellite fields, including a five per cent equity stake for the province in the White Rose satellite developments and a super royalty.
Continued with potential development of the Lower Churchill.
Released the province's first comprehensive Energy Plan.
Invested $3.2 million in the Mineral Incentive Program over the past two years. This program assists junior mining companies and prospectors to explore minerals. Most of this activity takes place in rural areas of the province.
Invested $6.3 million for the elimination of school fees.
Invested $12.8 million to provide free textbooks for students in grades 9-12.
Committed $90 million to implement the White Paper on Public Post-secondary Education, including a multi-year tuition freeze.
Invested $3.7 million to reduce interest rates on provincial student loans by 2.5 per cent.
Invested $10.7 million for needs-based, non-repayable, up-front grants.
Maintained the tuition freeze for past four years.
Increased provincial student loan limits from $110 to $140 per week and increased debt reduction grants to ensure they are consistent with the increase in limits.
Reduced the expected parental contributions to student financial assistance programs, thereby enhancing access for more low- and middle-income families.
Increased the income threshold to qualify for interest relief by 5 per cent.
Eliminated the claw-back of the Student Loan Shelter Allowance for students with dependent children in receipt of income support.
Released the Skills Task Force report to ensure our trades are able to respond to the needs of large-scale development projects.
Invested $1,440,000 in regional waste management initiatives which included:
$540,000 on the Northern Peninsula;
$290,000 in the Green Bay region;
$89,000 in Western Newfoundland
$286,000 in Central Newfoundland
$60,000 on the Burin Peninsula
$175,000 on the Avalon Peninsula
Provided an ex gratia payment of $24 million in recognition of the value of the sacrifices made by the province's public servants from 1988-1991.
Invested $1.25 million annually to support a new six-year action plan on violence prevention - Taking Action Against Violence.
Increased funding for women's centres.
Focused on helping Aboriginal women through funding initiatives, conferences, etc.
Made a $1.953 billion payment into the Teachers' Pension Plan for the unfunded liability, resulting in a significant reduction of debt servicing costs.
Introduced a home heating rebate program that will provide over 68,000 residents with up to $200 towards high home heating costs at a price tag of $12.8 million. Households that heat with electricity are eligible for this assistance for the first time.
Approved in principle the sale of the assets of Fishery Products International (FPI) and reached MOUs with High Liner Foods Inc. and Ocean Choice International Inc.; and achieved a five-year agreement for the sustained operation of existing FPI facilities, where traditional levels of employment will be maintained.
Committed approximately $140 million through Fish Industry Renewal process.
Funded a $10 million Aquaculture Capital Investment Program, which will add approximately 150 full-time jobs to the industry within the next two years, for a total of 350 new jobs in the aquaculture sector.
Partnered with Cooke Aquaculture to invest $10 million over the next two years in a $156 million project that will triple our salmon aquaculture industry from its current production of 6,000MT to 18,000MT by 2008. This project has created 30 full time jobs immediately on the farm and will provide an additional 170 jobs over the next 18 months.
Froze auto insurance rates from March 2004 to March 2005.
Legislated auto insurance reform measures that provide consumers with an average savings of 20 per cent on their auto insurance bills.
Added a third MRI in the province.
Invested in new satellite dialysis units for Carbonear, Gander, St. Anthony, Burin and Happy Valley-Goose Bay.
Invested $16.5 million to construct a new primary health clinic in Grand Bank and redevelop the Blue Crest Inter Faith Home; followed by $7.2 million in Budget 2007 to continue construction on the health centre in Grand Bank and to redevelop the Blue Crest Nursing Home.
Approved new Long Term Care facilities throughout the province.
Provided funding for mental health, addictions, new vaccines for children, insulin pumps for children, improved dental care programs for children.
Invested money to add drugs for serious illnesses such as breast cancer, colorectal cancer, multiple myeloma; Alzheimer's disease and multiple sclerosis.
Provided over $4 million to enhance services and support for individuals and families living with disabilities.
Added $8 million to the $10 million allocated last year to the Small and Medium Enterprise Fund to help small and medium-sized businesses grow with loans and equity investment.
Invested $15 million in the $52 million fibre optic link project which will bring broadband to more rural communities and increase competitiveness in the province.
Invested substantial new monies for policing through the RCMP and RNC.
Provided funding to help fight against salmon poaching.
Announced the Northern Strategic Plan for Labrador as part of Budget 2007. Under the NSP, more than $250 million, including existing and new initiatives, will be invested in the region over the next five years. Approximately $55 million will be spent for new initiatives over the next five years to implement the plan.
Decreased ferry rates. Government reduced passenger and vehicle-plus-driver fares on provincial ferries to bring them in line with road equivalency costs and cancel the five per cent, across the board, rate increase for all fares at a cost of 1.5 million for phase one. The reduction in ferry rates will benefit individuals who live in smaller communities especially those who commute to work. It will also provide more cost-effective access to private and public sector services. Additionally, it will stimulate our tourism sector, as lower fares will encourage our tourists to use the ferry system to see even more of our beautiful province.
Made unprecedented investments in tourism marketing and our investments into culture help rural communities. Starting in 2004, this government has nearly doubled the tourism marketing budget from $6 million to $11 million. This investment builds upon the province's investment in Budget 2006 of $17.6 million over three years to implement a cultural plan that preserves, supports and develops the province's cultural resources.
Provided early commitment of capital works programs for 2007-08 valued at $77.4 million, the provincial portion of which is $36.2 million.
Approved the 2005-08 Multi-year Capital Works Program for a total investment in municipal infrastructure of $85 million of which $42.5 million is provincial.
Funded Employment Support Programs for the fiscal year 2006-07 estimated at $10.0 million. This included the funding of 425 projects with a total of 3,121 individuals assisted.
Invested $15 million through the Provincial Silviculture Program to ensure responsible management of the forest resource while generating meaningful employment opportunities.
Allocated, over the past two years, $7 million to construct approximately 140 km of new forest resource roads and reconstruct an additional 60 km of forest resource roads to ensure access to timber on Crown limits for industry.
Provided $4 million for a new Agriculture and Agrifoods Development Fund (AADF) to support large-scale agriculture and agrifoods projects throughout our province, as well $2.8 million that was allocated in last year's budget but not expended has been carried forward.
Invested $500,000 to further develop small to medium-scale agricultural opportunities under the Provincial Agrifoods Assistance Program, bringing government's total annual investment to $2 million.
Announced $17.6 million over three years to implement the province's first cultural plan entitled Creative Newfoundland and Labrador: The Blueprint for Development and Investment in Culture
