Member’s of Deer Lake’s business community had the chance to help shape the province’s official opposition’s economic policy Thursday.
Cathy Bennett, the Liberal MHA for Virginia Waters and official opposition critic for the Department of Finance, addressed the Deer Lake Chamber of Commerce during a lunchtime information session at the Holiday Inn Express Thursday.
The session was part of the opposition’s “Let’s Connect” series of meetings slated to be held throughout the province in the coming weeks.
Bennett told those in attendance that her party selected the topics for the sessions based on feedback from the public.
Much of her address centred around the impact of economic conditions on small and medium business owners, as well as ideas to help stimulate the economy by enhancing the opportunities for entrepreneurship in the province.
In light of an aging workforce, an anticipated drop in gross domestic product growth as oil revenues plunge and an economy expected to be the country’s worst performer in 2015 according to a Conference Board of Canada forecast, Bennett said action is required.
With 36 per cent of the province’s revenue generated by the oil industry, she said there’s a need for more jobs in other sectors to help entice more young, skilled workers to return to or remain in the province.
“What comes first, the people or the jobs? When you think about it, it’s the job and the quality of the job that attracts people here,” Bennett said.
Bennett said cutting red tape and easing the tax burden are things most business owners would welcome, while tapping into global and domestic markets, as well as doing more business online are potential avenues for growth in the future.
Although there were no questions or comments when Bennett opened the floor to the public, attendees were each given blank forms which could later be submitted to Bennett’s office in St. John’s.
