Provincial Budget Highlights Spring 2023 Sitting of House of Assembly

  • Executive Council

May 25, 2023

As the spring sitting of the House of Assembly concludes, the Furey Government is highlighting a provincial budget that focuses on transforming the health and well-being of Newfoundlanders and Labradorians. Budget-related legislation will also help residents with the higher cost of living and support businesses.

Early in the session “Budget 2023: Your Health. Our Priority” included a record high $3.9 billion investment in health care. This historic investment includes, among other things:

  • More than $23 million for recruitment and retention of health care professionals;
  • More than $21 million for 10 new Family Care Teams to provide more than 80,000 people with access to primary health care;
  • $15 million for a new health information system; and
  • $9 million to begin the consolidation of 60 separate road ambulance services into a single, integrated service with centralized dispatch.

The budget also included a record $1.4 billion investment in provincial roads and highways over five years, no new tax or fee increases, continued support of cost-of-living measures and support for education, businesses and communities.

In addition to the budget, important legislation advanced in this sitting will support:

Cost of Living

  • Extending the 8.05 cents per litre (including HST) tax reduction on gasoline and diesel until March 31, 2024;
  • Ensuring the one-time cost of living cheques were fully funded despite more than anticipated taxfilers; and
  • Increasing the tax credit rate in order to double the Physical Activity Tax Credit, which will provide a refundable tax credit of up to $348 per family.

Supporting Industry and Professionals

  • Increasing transparency and expanding the mandate of the Board of Commissioners of Public Utilities to include the ability to consider environmentally responsible decisions in addition to lowest cost options;
  • Strengthening consumer protection through a licensing framework for mortgage brokerages and brokers that reflects industry growth and change;
  • Allowing architectural technologists to maintain their title, supporting their professional credentials;
  • Removing barriers by allowing lawyers in good standing with the Law Society of Newfoundland and Labrador to witness documents virtually;
  • Extending the loan guarantee for the Stephenville Airport Corporation; and
  • Supporting small to medium-sized businesses by increasing the provincial payroll tax exemption threshold to $2 million.

Health Care

  • Aligning the Pharmaceutical Services Act with federal legislation to remove barriers to patient access of narcotic and controlled drugs, should the patient be unable to travel or be required to travel in emergency situations; and
  • Amending the Patient Safety Act to better reflect the role correctional officers play in the delivery of health care services while promoting consistency across facilities.

A full list of legislation debated and passed in this session of the House of Assembly can be found in the backgrounder below.

Quote
“As it does each year, the Spring sitting of the House of Assembly focused on passing the provincial budget. At the same time, this session included legislative changes to maintain cost-of-living supports for the people of this province, as well as to modernize legislation to better reflect the realities of health care professionals, correctional officers, lawyers, architectural technologists and small businesses. Our government will continue to prioritize legislation that makes life easier and more affordable for the people of Newfoundland and Labrador.”
Honourable John Hogan, KC
Government House Leader

-30-

BACKGROUNDER

Legislation introduced and passed in the spring 2023 session of the House of Assembly

2023 05 25 4:35 pm