By Olivia Bradbury / Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
Public worries about the deficit aside, Mount Pearl North Liberal candidate Lucy Stoyles says the government will always find money for what needs to be done.
The longtime Mount Pearl councillor, who made a successful transition to provincial politics in 2021, is defending her seat against the PC Party candidate she unseated at that time, farmer and businessman Jim Lester.
“It’s like when the fires hit,” said Stoyles. “We always find money for emergencies and when things happen and in crisis situations. If something needs to be done, we have to spend the money and do it.”
But Stoyles maintained the Liberal government acts conservatively by only spending what is necessary. “No government wants to waste any money,” she said. “We all want to do what’s better for the people.”
Stoyles said she has read the proposed new deal between Newfoundland and Hydro Quebec on Churchill Falls and Gull Island and allowed the province will not make the same mistakes of the past.
“We have experts,” Stoyles said. “I’m listening to the experts. Is it a good deal? I’m being told by the experts it’s a good deal, it’s the best deal for this province. We’ve been briefed. Before the deal was announced, (NL Hydro CEO) Jennifer Williams and her team came in and met with a bunch of us at the Confederation building.”
As for health care, Stoyles admitted it went downhill after the pandemic, but said it has improved in the past year or so. She cited an increase of doctors as a factor in the improvement.
“Every single doctor that went through university here in this province has been offered a job,” she said. “And every single nurse that has gone through the system here has been offered a job,” she added, referring to a promise the government made last year.
Stoyles said people don’t realize that bringing doctors into Newfoundland and Labrador costs more than doing so in any other province, but health care has to be looked after.
“I always say your health is your wealth,” Stoyles said. “And if you haven’t got your health, you don’t have anything. We need our people to be looked after.”
Stoyles said while some people do have to wait for medical care, those facing life or death health issues are seen promptly and well-cared for. New government clinics opening on Stavanger Drive and Topsail Road will help people whose issues can be addressed outside the emergency room, she added.
As for the federal and provincial government’s concerted campaign the last few years to bring in more immigrants, with the resulting effect in some people’s eyes that it has added to the unemployment rate for young Newfoundlanders, Stoyles noted Ottawa is trimming and re-evaluating some of those programs. She added that the fish plant in her hometown of Bay de Verde would not have workers without people coming from other countries to work there.
“No doubt we want our people, if they want a job, to have it first,” said Stoyles. “It’s like the Churchill Falls. When the jobs are going to happen if this deal goes through, we want the people in Newfoundland and Labrador to have the jobs first.”
Stoyles acknowledged the record immigration levels have impacted housing.
“Of course it has. How could it not?” she said. “We’ve had thousands of people in. That’s why they’ve (the two levels of government) been doing extra things. They’ve been putting extra money into it. We’ve put subsidies in place for people who were renting and that. So, we’ve been working on that.”
As for district specific issues, Stoyles said she has a strong record as MHA. “Even though I sit as a backbencher, I’ve been very proud of some of the stuff I’ve done,” she said.
Stoyles said she has helped many seniors get subsidies and helped delivered food hampers to people in need every month. She said she was responsible for changes to the Family Act, making it legal for common-law partners of a deceased person to apply for financial support from the deceased’s estate. Stoyles said she was also responsible for making changes to Bill 13, changing the Act for payday loans and lowering the borrowing rate from 28 per cent to 14 per cent. Stoyles added she was also active in ensuring the government moved forward with moose fencing.
“What’s important in my district is the people,” said Stoyles, describing herself as visible in the community and always available. “When people call me, I get back to them… I will fight for the individual… What’s important to people is what’s important to me.”
Lucy Stoyles