Labour debate: Liberals promise no mass layoffs, while Tories and NDP focus on Furey's absence

The Liberals, Progressive Conservatives and New Democrats revealed a little more about positions on social issues at a Federation of Labour forum Tuesday night, even though the parties have yet to release full platforms 10 days before the Newfoundland and Labrador election.

The forum the second of three consecutive debates this week covered a wide range of topics, includingstrains on thehealth-care system, the vulnerable, transitioning the economy from oil, the minimum wage, sick leave and privatization.

One of the themes of the nightinvolved who did not attend: Liberal Leader Andrew Furey, who instead sent St. John's West candidate Siobhan Coady, who serves as deputy premier in the current government. She faced off against PC Leader Ches Crosbie and NDP Leader Alison Coffin.

The three all made their case to the virtual audience for the forum.Crosbiesaid there are two choices: cuts or growth, while Coady said massive public service cuts don't work. Coffin hammered at affordability and sustainability.

Coffin was first out of the gate with promises, pledgingno cuts and a commitmentto a $15 minimum wage by 2022.

"If people cannot afford to live here, they'll be forced to leave to get work," Coffin said.

"No one who works a 40-hour work week should be struggling to survive. They deserve to be able to pay for their rent, to pay their bills, to go to the dentist, to buy a winter coat."

Meanwhile, Crosbie said now isnot the time to increase the minimum wage, since so many businesses in the province are struggling through the pandemic.

"The question of raising the minimum wage when so many businesses are teetering on the edge of bankruptcy and holding on to the cliff of solvency by their fingernails, that has to be postponed," Crosbie said.

"We're going to have to see how long it takes to claw our way back out of the pit of financial distress that this pandemic has pitched us into under the Liberals."

Coady noted the Liberals have raised the minimum wagein the past year, and that it will go up again this year, but she stopped short of committingto raise it to $15.

"We have to be careful and cognizant of some of the impacts in the economy when we raise the cost of minimum wage," Coady said, adding that an all-party committee is tasked with looking at a basic income.

No massive public sector cuts: Coady

Crosbie used a question about privatization to muse about whether a sell-offof public assets would be a part of Moya Greene's economic recovery team, which is expected to turn over its interim report atthe end of the month. A final report is due by the end of April.

"Dame Greene is famous for her past agenda and performance as a privatizer," said Crosbie, referring bothto Greene's honorific title in the United Kingdom, where she now lives, as well as her record of running both Canada Post and the U.K.'s Royal Mail.

"That's what attracted Premier Andrew Furey to her in the first place, her reputation for privatizing."

Coady didn't specify whether the Liberals are for or against privatization, but said the report doesn't yet exist, and that it will be debated and cabinet will decide if its recommendations are acceptable.

"When the report is finalized and presented to government, we will consider it. We will debate it, we will discuss it. We will bring it to the House of Assembly for debate and review," said Coady,whoaccused Crosbie of fear-mongering.

Coffin firmly stated the NDP does not support privatization."Public services are just that," she said. "They are publicly available to absolutely everyone."

Later in the forum, when asked about "impending bankruptcy," Coady also promised no mass public service cuts.

"We don't plan massive cuts to the public service. I repeat that the premier of the province, Dr. Furey, has said repeatedly said that massive cuts don't work," said Coady, who pointedto a string of collective agreements that were negotiated before the election writ dropped last month.

Furey's absence

The PCs and NDP also took aim at Furey's absence from the labour forum, and noted that Federation of Labour president Mary Shortall quit theeconomic recovery team last month. Shortall citeda lack of transparency and a concern that the group's work would put her in a conflict of interest.

But Coady said she was more than capable of filling Furey'sshoes at the forum.

"I will not be diminished. There are young girls and young women listening here tonight," she s.aid.

"I am deputy premier and minister of finance in the Liberal Party. Icertainly am here to debate and discuss the issues at hand this evening and certainly am capable of doing it," she said.

Furey, Crosbie and Coffin face off Wednesday night at the highest profile debate of the election, a televised debate that will air on CBC at 7 p.m. NT.

Voters go to the polls on Feb. 13.

When the legislature was dissolved last month, the standings in the 40-seat House of Assembly were 19 Liberals, 15 PCs, three New Democrats and three Independents.

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