Many of our rural regions are in steep decline, losing young people for a lack of jobs. The opportunities to turn things around are abundant, but the government is blocking the path to growth with outdated policies, endless red tape and a lack of confidence, demonstrated by a lack of investment where it counts.
I believe so strongly that a secure future for our province must begin in rural Newfoundland and Labrador that I am determined to invest in a rejuvenated future for our rural communities.
That means looking harder for the untapped opportunities that can breathe new life into every region, and then proving we believe in our potential by investing in local services and reliable infrastructure to make growth happen. Rural leaders are telling me they are tired of seeing our potential ignored. I want to empower local leaders to work with me to unleash prosperity right where you live.
Tapping our collective skills, knowledge and experience, we can shape made-at-home rural towns that future generations will not just “come from” but “come to”.
Leadership demands action.
HOW I WILL LEAD:
- A government I lead will ensure it is YOU, the rural residents yourselves, who take the lead in driving rural growth in your region, with the province as your strong partner.
- Hand-in-hand with the people and municipal leaders who call rural regions home, we will collectively set out what a rejuvenated future for our rural communities can look like – the services and infrastructure we need, how they can best be delivered and supported, and the resources and opportunities on which a thriving future can flourish.
- Region by region, we will identify the opportunities and industries with untapped potential, the barriers to development, and the solutions that have been proven elsewhere, including incentives, modernized infrastructure, shared services and so forth.
- We will remove the barriers to growth in our traditional industries like fish harvesting and processing, aquaculture, agriculture and food production, forestry and lumber, tourism and the arts, mining and mineral processing, and all forms of energy generation.
- We will explore new industries booming elsewhere, finding opportunities for rural success wherever we can – in emerging technology and innovation, engineering, fabrication, industrial repair, green industries, ocean technology, IT and telecommunications, e-commerce and financial services, research and development, education and health industries, and a vast array of other private services driving success around the world – because if they can do it, so can we.
