What we had to say at our meeting with Dame moya Greene of the economic recovery team

On February15th our Council chapter had a meeting with Dame Moya Greene.  Prior to the meeting we sent the Economic Recovery Team a summary of what we wanted.    It comprised three sections: 

• Climate change and biodiversity challenges
• Rethinking remote and rural diversification
• Addressing revenues and expenditures

Here's what we said.
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Climate Change and Biodiversity Challenges - John Jacobs
   Humanity is facing a crisis as a result of global climate change and the loss of biological diversity.  Addressing climate change requires reducing carbon emissions to the atmosphere so as to achieve “net zero” by 2050.  Biodiversity loss requires protection of wildlife habitat, among other measures. All future development planning must take into account potential impacts or benefits in relation to climate change mitigation and biodiversity conservation objectives.

• The Government of Newfoundland and Labrador has undertaken to reduce carbon emissions in stages to reach net-zero emissions by 2050.  We must ensure that forward planning includes measures to meet that goal.
• Biodiversity loss requires protection of wildlife habitat. The Provincial Sustainable Forest Management Strategy 2014-2024  set the direction for healthy management of our slow-growing boreal forests for the forest products industry and community uses, while protecting habitat for caribou and other species-at-risk. 
• The Newfoundland and Labrador 2020 Protected Areas Plan will raise our presently protected wilderness area from 6.9 per cent of our provincial lands and inland waters to 8.5 per cent (Wilderness and Ecological Reserves Advisory Council. A Home for Nature: Protected Areas Plan for the Island of Newfoundland), compared with the federal government’s goal of 25 per cent for Canada.   We must expedite action to meet our protected area goals, and consider further protections in Labrador, jointly with Indigenous communities.

 
The aforementioned plans and policies are based on extensive public consultation and reflect critical input from all interest groups and concerned individuals. Forward planning should not ignore existing policies and practices that are working.
 
Rethink Rural and Remote Diversification - Yvonne Earle
   NL needs to build on its geographic location in and bordering on the north Atlantic rather that fight against it.  Small communities need to be able to look to a future. Young people need to see reasons to stay, return or arrive as new comers.

• People in smaller communities need 21st century connectivity for good internet / broadband connectivity. This will support education initiatives, banking, job opportunities (including working from home) and commerce.
• Establish a “Genesis Centre” located outside the Avalon to focus on and foster ocean related enterprise and expand the horizons of the possible beyond landing and exporting fish and seafood.  In the long term a good economic return. (There is a CBC (Jane Adey) documentary from Iceland)
• Use citizen scientists from small communities to monitor and document changes in the ocean and its populations to inform climate and fisheries policy. This will provide some jobs and also local opportunities for developing school science curriculum.
• Use green energy / carbon tax funding to build the infrastructure for electric transit off the Trans-Canada Highway and in Labrador. The ramp up of electric car production now planned in North America will require communities to be ready for tourists driving electric cars in the near future. This will also support the provincial carbon reduction plan.
• Use green energy / carbon tax funding for electrification of boats. This is a relatively recent shift and there would be a possibility for developing new technology. Provide new jobs. This will support the provincial carbon reduction plan.
• Co-ordinated oceans clean-up operations from designated communities. Look for federal and environmental agency funding to start. This could provide local employment, possible recycling opportunities, remove plastic from the marine environment for marine species and make our shorelines less unsightly.

 
Addressing Revenues and Expenditures – Marilyn Reid

• Having analyzed and compared income tax rates across the county, we recommend increasing the income tax rate, substantially for those earning over $100,000, somewhat for those making over $50,000 and not at all for those making under $30,000.
• Government could consider increasing the carbon levy or gas tax on gasoline, but only in communities that have public transport or have plans to introduce it.  Those increased revenues could be fed back to municipalities to invest further in public transit or in the installation of electric car charging stations.
• Government should reduce expenditures by immediately freezing salaries and setting salary and benefit caps on of all GNL, crown corporation and House of Assembly positions now earning $100,000 or above.
• Our government, in conjunction with other provinces, should push the federal government to return to the highly successful (1938-1974) fiscal policy of borrowing money directly from the Bank of Canada.  This money could then be loaned to governments and used to pay down external debts and/or fund infrastructure projects, instead of using P3s.  We recommend an end to P3 arrangements and cite considerable evidence that they end up costing government more.

 
   Finally, we believe that the culture in government over the last decade has been one that repeatedly excludes different points of view. An important corrective step would be reform of political donation practices – practices which have very little to do with party loyalty and much to do with buying influence. In our opinion the practice of dismissing senior civil servants whenever government changes hands also needs to be curtailed.