Name: Alison Coffin
Age: 49
Party affiliation (provincial and federal): New Democratic Party
Email: [email protected]
Phone: 709-746-7455
Website: nl.ndp.ca/leader
Q. Do you believe there is more that can be done to combat climate change in Newfoundland and Labrador? Explain.
A. This province needs to do more to combat climate change and to prepare for its effects. We will monitor whether the large companies are adhering to the annual GHG reduction targets that were specified in the Management of Greenhouse Gas Act. We need emissions reductions as opposed to just paying penalties. Stronger measures may need to be taken if this does not happen. We would include all emissions from the offshore—including exploration, which is currently excluded. We would create a permanent green fund from the portion of the gas tax allotted to carbon tax, which will be spent on increasing the number of home retrofits that are done. We would also create programs to help small businesses and non-profits to do energy retrofits. We would include programs to train tradespeople to do energy audits and building retrofits. We will listen to the ideas of engineers and other professionals, including those in the fossil fuel sector, on how to develop more renewable energy technology in this province. Given that transportation is 37% of emissions in this province, we need to invest in clean, reliable and affordable transportation.
Governments need to work with industry to invest in charging stations, electrification of public transport, and rebates on electric vehicles. The impacts of climate change on oceans—rising temperatures, elevated acidity and reduced oxygen—are going to greatly affect the fisheries, as food chains are interrupted or changed. Communities need more resources to adapt to climate change. The biggest barrier for communities is that they are underfunded and need revenue to take action in this area. It is hard to fund climate change adaptation when you can barely afford to keep the streetlights on at night. Municipalities are well suited to be the front line in addressing climate change. They need a dedicated fund for climate change adaptation. People need to be encouraged to change their personal behavior to battle climate change, but the big changes needed can only happen with stronger public policy and legislation.
Q. What is your primary legislative priority should you be (re)elected?
A. We have a strong legislative agenda to address as soon as we re-enter the House of Assembly. These include, but not listed in priority and not limited to:
- Realistic and workable rate mitigation when the ruinously expensive Muskrat Falls hydroelectric power comes on-stream.
- Pay equity, which government has already committed to achieving but has done nothing about
- Democratic reform. The goals of the current standing committee are too restricted and narrow. We will work hard in the House to ensure true democratic reform is brought to the people of the province.
Q. With the death rate exceeding the birth rate, outmigration remaining prominent, and an aging population, what is your top priority to address demographic challenges in N.L.?
A. The province’s population is aging rapidly, and this is going to be a problem in the future. We are the fastest aging population of all ten provinces. We face a shrinking workforce, growing health care costs and less tax revenue, if we do not tackle this issue right now.
Solutions include getting our young people to stay in the province and raise their families here by ensuring they have good-paying jobs. We need a fully-funded public home care system which will keep our elderly in their homes longer and out of expensive long-term care facilities. We also need to invest in child care. It has been a long-standing goal of the NL NDP to work towards a public, universal, affordable child care program. Our goal is a $25-a-day child care program. Better child care in NL will help to keep our young families here, and attract families from other parts of Canada and beyond.
In terms of our workforce, for every 100 people entering it, there are 125 coming out of it. Clearly increasing immigration has to be part of this solution. The province has improved its efforts to recruit newcomers, but more resources need to be applied to increase the retention rate.
Q. Are changes needed to the existing tax system in Newfoundland and Labrador? If so, what specifically should change?
A. We would raise the corporate tax to the Atlantic Canadian average. We would drop the small business tax. Small business is a key driver in the province’s economy, and allowing them to keep more revenue makes sense. Small business owners can do a lot with that extra revenue, and it will most likely be spent in the community where they operate.
Q. Do you have any conflicts of interest that would need to be addressed upon (re)entering the House of Assembly?
A. No.
