One hundred days into their mandate, the Conservative government has fallen short on the commitments they made to Newfoundlanders and Labradorians, with key promises either broken, delayed, or quietly abandoned.
During the election campaign, Conservatives promised lower taxes, better health care, and safer communities. Instead, the first 100 days in office have delivered higher power bills, cuts to health care, stalled projects, and excuses.
Cost of Living Still Rising
Despite promising lower taxes and relief for families struggling with affordability, Newfoundlanders and Labradorians are paying more, not less. Mr. Wakeham could have opened the House of Assembly this fall to pass the tax cut he promised, but he chose instead to do nothing.
Power bills continue to rise, putting more strain on household budgets, and the government has failed to deliver any meaningful relief that would put money back in people’s pockets. Our Liberal plan would have cut the provincial portion of the HST on all power bills by now. Instead, for many families, the promised help with the cost of living has been met with silence from government.
Major Projects Stalled
The government’s handling of the Churchill Falls MOU and Bay du Nord has also been alarming, causing serious concern among Newfoundlanders and Labradorians that these generational opportunities are slipping through Mr. Wakeham’s fingers.
Mr. Wakeham’s original pledge to have a review of The Memorandum of Understanding on Churchill Falls finished within 60 days got repeatedly delayed, and now we won’t hear any update until April. In the meantime, he failed to talk to the NL Hydro negotiating team, or to move the project along meaningfully in any way. By stalling, Mr. Wakeham is running out the clock, and it leaves many doubting whether the Government is interested in moving forward at all. Mr. Wakeham’s biased review panel will deliver whatever answer he wants, and we still have no clarity on his proposed referendum. We are running out of time, and all we have heard from the Conservatives is silence.
At the same time, progress on the Bay du Nord project has been delayed, creating uncertainty for workers and communities that depend on responsible resource development and projects that would bring billions to Newfoundland and Labrador. Mr. Wakeham wants to pretend that Equinor’s deadlines are arbitrary, but they are only arbitrary until they are missed, and we lose this job creating opportunity.
Health Care Promises Broken
Health care was a top priority and central campaign promise, but early decisions tell a different story.
The government has cut plans for a desperately needed new hospital, preferring to throw good money after bad into St. Clare’s, and walking back commitments to modern health care infrastructure. They also fired the respected physician and Health Accord architect from NLHS CEO and appointed their Conservative friend as Chair of NLHS. Promised improvements to the medical travel program, and free hospital parking have failed to materialize, leaving patients and families still facing stress, uncertainty, and out-of-pocket costs.
24-Hour Snow Clearing Still Not Delivered
Conservatives committed to 24-hour snow clearing. One hundred days in, no new routes have been added and residents are still waiting for that promise to become a reality, with no clear plan or timeline provided. Instead, the Transportation Minister said the public’s “expectations were too high”.
Public Safety Met with Excuses
Rather than strengthening policing and public safety, the government has offered excuses for inaction. Communities continue to raise concerns, while the government points fingers instead of delivering solutions. Premier Wakeham has admitted he hasn’t even held discussions on their promise to hire at least 46 new police officers. Meanwhile, all civil and traffic court cases were adjourned, circuit courts in Baie Verte and Port aux Basques were suspended, and the government struck a working group that excluded frontline workers and wasn’t expected to report back for months.
Newfoundlanders and Labradorians Deserve Better
After 100 days, it’s clear that the Conservative government is not delivering the leadership they promised. Newfoundlanders and Labradorians deserve a government that keeps its word, takes responsibility, and focuses on real solutions, not delays and excuses.
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