How do Newfoundland and Labrador parties compare on these election issues?

The Liberals have promised to open up hundreds of more $10-a-day child-care spaces. Currently there’s about 11,200 across the province operating through the federal government's child-care agreement. The program is in place until March 31, 2031. Education Minister Bernard Davis announced 574 child care spaces are being created in the Avalon Peninsula and central regions of Newfoundland in August.

PC MHA Paul Dinn said affordable child care remains out of reach for many in the province, pointing to child care operators who want to open facilities but are delayed by government inaction. Wakeham said, if elected, a PC government would keep $10-a-day child care, improve the system, without giving examples, and said he’d remove red tape obstructing operators from opening.

Jim Dinn said he would expand $10-a-day child care to more families and hire more early childhood educators, while improving their working conditions. He said he would bring in paid sick leave and give ECEs pensions, which would attract more people to the sector.

The Liberals released a climate change action plan for 2025-2030 as a framework to reduce emissions and help communities adapt to the changing environment. The party set a goal to reduce emissions by 30 per cent by 2030 and by 60 per cent by 2040, with the goal of reaching net zero by 2050. The Liberals have also allocated funding for green projects, and committed to building more electric vehicle charging stations throughout the province. Premier John Hogan said the 35 volunteer fire departments that helped in this summer’s wildfire fight will get $100,000 for wildland coveralls to ensure they have suitable equipment going forward. He also promised volunteer fighters will be compensated for those long days and in September, announced they would receive an honorarium of $500 each. Fire departments and search and rescue teams will also receive $10,000.

Wakeham said he would ensure volunteer firefighters and search and rescue teams have the necessary gear to respond to emergencies. He also promised to double the volunteer firefighter and search and rescue tax credit to make sure volunteers retain more money, and hire 50 more wildland firefighters. He estimates it would cost $7 million, and it would come from the existing budget. He also committed to repairing the province’s fifth water bomber — which the Liberals have already awarded the contract for — and it would be stationed in Labrador.

In August, Dinn called for the governing Liberals to increase financial support for people evacuated from their homes due to wildfires. Hogan did, along with introducing compensation for volunteer firefighters.

The Liberals cut its “sugar tax” in July, which had added 20 cents to the cost of each litre of sugar sweetened drinks. The party called the cut an affordability measure, after initially introducing the tax in 2022. That initiative was led by former premier Andrew Furey, and raked in $11 million for the province’s coffers in its first year. For parents and guardians, Education Minister Davis announced a new $100 back-to-school benefit for families on income support. That money is on a per-child basis. There’s also a promise, effective this September, to boost income support, increase the monthly amount, housing support and vision care access. The Liberals have carried on with its tax reduction on gasoline and diesel, as well as has a home heating supplement program that ranges between $200 and $500 for residents whose adjusted family income for 2024 was $150,000 or less.

Wakeham said one of this election’s major issues will be the cost of living crisis, and he says he is taking “real action” to lower the cost of living and cut taxes. The Tories, according to Wakeham, would create a 10-year poverty reduction plan and prevention strategy that will focus on workforce development, education, skills training and helping with job searches, financial support, society safety nets, literacy, early intervention for children and youth and support for community organizations. The party said it will expand child benefit eligibility and increase the seniors’ benefit by 20 per cent. Wakeham said he’d permanently cut the provincial gas tax, as well as review all taxes and fees to see what can be cut or reduced.

The NDP has promised to launch an independent investigation into rising power rates if elected. Dinn has advocated for the removal of HST on home heating and a liveable minimum wage. He promises a NDP government would also remove HST on children's essentials like clothing, shoes and car seats, along with relief for extracurricular-related needs like swimsuits, sports jerseys and dance clothing. He said it will cost $6.4 million. Dinn has also promised to raise the minimum wage over four years to $22 an hour and cut the corporate income tax for small businesses.

The Liberals have promised funding to help businesses through loan guarantee programs and investments. That money will go toward initiatives like website development, marketing, product development and attending trade shows. The party has also eased into interprovincial trade, like direct to consumer sales of alcohol, and improved labour mobility. The party is supportive of efforts to develop wind hydrogen companies in the province, and extended the Crown land reserved for six such projects. The Liberals also signed an MOU with the Port of Amsterdam to collaborate and share information on green hydrogen issues. Most notably, the Liberals are in the middle of negotiating a new deal on Churchill Falls power with Quebec, which could inject hundreds of billions of dollars into the province over the next five decades. The Liberals also signed a non-binding MOU with North Atlantic to release the Bull Arm fabrication site, with the intention of creating a “Green Energy Centre of Excellence” to support the energy transition. Hogan said his party is committed to the launch of Bay du Nord, an oil and gas project making its way through the design and development phase and headed by  Norwegian energy giant Equinor. The party has also voiced support for offshore natural gas as a future economic resource.

Wakeham said his party will renegotiate the new Churchill Falls MOU with Quebec to ensure the province gets the best deal. He also said it needs to be sent to an independent committee and is on board with developing Gull Island for hydroelectric power. Wakeham says any final deal should be subject to a public referendum. Earlier this year, Wakeham called on the Liberal government to block U.S. companies from being able to bid on provincial procurement contracts, and said they must cancel existing contracts when possible. He also called on the Liberal government to help companies with market diversification. Wakeham said his government would be “pro-business” and make it less expensive to operate a business in Newfoundland and Labrador. He said he will reduce and reform the payroll tax, would aggressively cut red tape, set service benchmarks and report on performance, simplify filling out online forms and extend operating hours for the business navigator help desk. MHA Lloyd Parrott says a PC government led by Wakeham will stand up for the development of oil and gas in Newfoundland and Labrador, promote offshore exploration and ensure the province sees its benefits.

The NDP has called on Liberal government to ensure that new mines prioritize the hiring of local workers, as opposed to fly in and fly out workers. The party also wants to ensure the province’s workforce is ready for new jobs created through a new Churchill Falls deal.

The Liberal Party recently unveiled the Education Accord, a 10-year plan to modernize the provincial education system. The party has also committed to improving the school system, by decreasing some class sizes, better distributing teachers and adding 175 teaching and learning assistants through 2025-26. The plan is for that number to grow to 200 the following year. The party has also revealed a plan to encourage people in rural areas to become teachers. Several new schools are also on the Liberal radar, with promises of new facilities in Portugal Cove-St. Philip's, St. John’s, Paradise and Cartwright.

PC MHA Paul Dinn has called for modifications to bus routes to allow parents to register their children to be picked up and dropped off at child-care centres. He has also criticized large class sizes and incidents of violence in schools going unaddressed by the Liberal government.

The leader of the NDP said the provincial government should review the Memorial University Act, better fund the province’s public university and make its governance more transparent and democratic. Dinn pledged to bring Memorial University tuition to pre-2022 levels and freeze it, costing government $49 million in the first year. He’s also criticized the Liberals for a proposed plan to change high school curriculums to make some classes, like art, optional.

Newfoundland and Labrador’s Liberals have expanded numerous health-care programs through the summer, which included widening the eligibility for the shingles vaccine, the continuous glucose monitoring program and colon and breast cancer screening. The party promised MCP coverage for the private rehab centre Vida Nova Recovery, and launched a $2-million one-year pilot project where some patients won’t have to pay out of pocket to visit a nurse practitioner. The party also committed to creating more health-care facilities, including new family care teams, transitional care units and a substance use treatment centre in Labrador. It also opened a new mental health and addictions facility to replace the aging Waterford Hospital and announced financial incentives to recruit and retain health-care professionals.

The Progressive Conservative Party of Newfoundland and Labrador says it has big plans to improve the province’s health-care system, which includes making visits to a nurse practitioner free. Party Leader Tony Wakeham said he will cut wait times in Labrador by purchasing new diagnostic equipment, as well as hiring technicians and staff to operate it and cover travel costs for patients travelling outside their regions to get essential care. He also said a PC government would ensure all regions of the province have access to primary health care, and not just through virtual services. Wakeham said he’s committed to calling for a judicial inquiry into the costly travel nurse contracts. The PCs have called for a health human resource plan to identify how many nurses and other health professionals are needed in the province, where they are needed in the province and when they are needed in order to improve staffing and workload. The party has also criticized the Liberal government for not filling nursing vacancies, implying a PC government would fill them.

NDP Leader Jim Dinn has called for permanent, full-time job guarantees for all nursing graduates, which he said will cut down on the province's reliance on costly travel nurses. He has also called on the province to sign on to the federal government’s pharmacare program, which would cover the cost of birth control and diabetes medication. Dinn said, if elected, an NDP government would bring in a multi-year labour plan for the health-care system and end unpaid work terms for nursing students. He said his government would phase out travel nurses over four years and use the $14.3 million to compensate nurses and other students for their work. The NDP would also support the long-term placement of nurses throughout the province.

The Liberals have also promised to build more houses, by issuing requests to encourage private companies to build more affordable housing. The party has shown interest in building micro-homes in central Newfoundland.

MHA Joedy Wall said the province needs a provincial housing strategy that addresses the cause of homelessness, builds more affordable homes and helps people stay in their homes long-term. Wall said a PC government would also fix all currently vacant Newfoundland and Labrador Housing Corporation units.

Dinn said an NDP government will make non-market, affordable housing a priority. In the past, Dinn called on the Liberal government to replace damaged Newfoundland and Labrador Housing Corporation units in downtown St. John’s. The NDP has voiced frustration on delays in building affordable housing in Labrador, and called for the government to bring in incentives for additional housing construction in the region. Dinn has also promised to bring in rent control if elected.

After some stops and starts, the Liberals are moving forward with plans to replace the decrepit Her Majesty’s Penitentiary with a new facility. It will cost approximately $692.8 million and will be built on East White Hills Road in St. John’s. The Liberals have also announced partnerships with municipalities and the federal government to improve municipal infrastructure, including water and sewer upgrades in Harbour Grace and an extension of water and sewer services in Labrador City. The party has been looking into the province's ferry system, and issued a request for information to see if they need to expand the system. The Liberals have also purchased five new snow plows, with the goal of getting 64 plow trucks on the road during major winter storms. In the aftermath of Conception Bay North wildfires, Hogan convened a committee to help with rebuilding efforts.

MHA Barry Petten said a PC government will build infrastructure that reflects the province’s needs. MHA Lin Paddock said a PC government would improve road safety. The PCs have also called for a review of the Kamutik W’s suitability to service Labrador communities, and said they want the Liberal government to provide an alternate service for northern residents. Wakeham said he’d bring back 24-hour snow clearing, as well as making sure the equipment and staffing is adequate to provide the service. Wakeham said he’d also boost ferry services by purchasing four new vessels and look into local companies to help with building the fleet, along with creating a long-term fleet renewal strategy.

The NDP has called on the Liberal government to ask Prime Minister Mark Carney to include the Labrador West third transmission line Project on the nation building projects list. It is a proposed additional transmission line linking Churchill Falls and Labrador West that would provide further power to the region. Dinn has also promised to lead a “transparent” government, and modernize investment disclosure of government officials.

The Liberals have allocated funding for violence prevention programs meant to reduce gender-based violence against those more at risk — like Indigenous women, girls, women in remote areas and 2SLGBTQIA+ people. The Liberals have also introduced measures to boost road safety and cut down on motorists passing school buses illegally. A new pilot project will have school buses fitted with cameras. The party also launched an online crime dashboard, and in the 2025 budget allocated more than $50 million to the Department of Justice and Public Safety. Some of that funding is going toward hiring five new RNC officers in Happy Valley-Goose Bay and 10 new officers in northeast Avalon. They also anticipate in 2026-27 they will hire an additional 19 police officers. The budget also has support for a joint task force unit to target weapons, drugs and contraband. The government is also bringing in RNC special constables to carry out low-risk police functions on the northeast Avalon.

Wakeham said one of the other major issues in his campaign is the rising number of people who say they don't feel safe in their communities. MHA Helen Conway Ottenheimer said a PC government will fill vacant RNC positions, properly allocate resources and create a mental health crisis unit. She has also said collaboration between community organizations, health services and social support can help prevent crime, and that the province needs better rehabilitation programs. The party said it will act to make communities safer at a time when reported crime has increased.

Dinn said incarcerated youth need better mental health support, education and housing. He said the justice system needs to be focused on rehabilitation. He also said more support is needed for women’s shelters, as well as additional space.

The Liberals issued a proposal for grants to support Indigenous Violence Prevention grants for education, training, investing in leadership and healing. The Liberals have also commissioned artwork meant to honour Beothuk, as well as artwork in the Confederation Building by Indigenous artists, done in part to work toward reconciliation.

Wakeham said his PC government will bring in a local benefits agreement on all public infrastructure contracts valued at more than $500,000. It would prioritize hiring skilled local workers, awarding contracts to Newfoundland and Labrador companies, as well as launch opportunities for apprentices and underrepresented people like gender diverse and Indigenous workers.

In the wake of French schools books being destroyed over numerous inaccurate claims about Indigenous peoples, Dinn said Indigenous people and teachers “deserve better.”