Introduction

Vision. Action.

Our government was elected at a time of great challenge to implement a bold new approach to economic development. With an eight-year blueprint to guide us, we embarked on a journey towards self-reliance. We worked hard to spend public money more effectively and we worked even harder to generate new wealth through economic development to secure strong social programs promoting our people’s health, safety and self-reliance. Those were the two prongs of our approach. Nearly four years later, our successes demonstrate that ours is an approach that works.

Now, more than ever before, we are in a position of strength to seize control of our circumstances and become masters of our own house. We know that, to effectively control our destiny, we must achieve a greater degree of financial autonomy. We are doing this by focusing on five key fundamentals for economic growth. Investing in a healthy business climate. Investing in infrastructure. Investing in developing our resources. Investing in developing new strengths through innovation. And investing in our people by giving them the skills to seize the opportunities ahead. That is how we are turning our vision into action and, through action, producing results.

We should not be afraid to take a strong stand. We have the resources, the people, the ingenuity and the opportunity to build the kind of future of which we have always dreamed. And now we also have the confidence. We will move forward independently to strengthen Newfoundland and Labrador’s financial autonomy and fiscal capacity to meet our own obligations by diversifying and g rowing our own economy, reducing Newfoundland and Labrador’s burden of debt on our children, pursuing a fair fiscal balance between levels of government, and reducing our dependence on equalization payments. We as a people will enter into agreements only when they are in our own best interests. We will set our own course. We will define our own future. Our time has arrived, and we will seize the day boldly, with confidence, conviction and a solid commitment to cooperate among ourselves in the spirit of harmony to usher in a new day of promise and prosperity for Newfoundland and Labrador.