Introduction
The Right Choices: Momentum for Growth and Prosperity
Mr. Speaker, in 2003, our government was elected under the
leadership of Premier Danny Williams to implement a
comprehensive and far-reaching blueprint for economic and social
development. On the second anniversary of our first budget, I am
delighted to report that our economy is moving forward and the
momentum is greater now than it has ever been. But rather than
become complacent, our government believes now is the time to
drive our economy even harder in order to reap even greater
returns. Budget 2006 supports that fundamental belief.
Our change of circumstances is not the product of fate or
chance. It is the result of responsible governing, careful
planning and a great deal of cooperation and hard work. Our
government entered office having inherited fiscal challenges
that were clearly troubling and unsustainable. And though the
future to some may have looked bleak, we had a vision of a
stronger, sustainable, self-reliant Newfoundland and Labrador;
and we also had a plan, an eight-year blueprint for prosperity
to make our bold vision for this province a bright reality. We
entered into a partnership with the people of Newfoundland and
Labrador and with our public employees to focus our strengths on
developing strategies that would help us seize opportunities �
opportunities that hold the promise of a new era of progress in
Newfoundland and Labrador. Everything we have done in the past
two years and everything we do in the years ahead in putting our
plan into action is focused on laying a solid foundation on
which we will build a future of growth and prosperity that
touches every region of our province. Newfoundland and Labrador
is on the right track; we are more confident today than we have
ever been; and we are sensing the momentum of progress as our
destination comes more clearly into focus with each passing day.
I want to thank our public employees and the people of our
province for working with us to build a stronger, more
sustainable Newfoundland and Labrador. The tremendous fiscal
progress we have made together is among our greatest
achievements. Together, we stood proudly behind our Premier when
he fought for and achieved a tremendous victory on the sharing
of offshore revenue under the new Atlantic Accord.
That victory, together with our other fiscal achievements in
just the past two years, has strengthened the tools with which
we are working to build a vibrant and self-reliant economy. With
these tools in hand, we are strengthening our resolve to use
them strategically, in the most effective ways we possibly can,
so our efforts reinforce the foundation on which we are building
and make Newfoundland and Labrador�s economy robust and
resilient.
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