ST. JOHN'S, N.L. --
NDP Leader Alison Coffin kicked off the first full week of Newfoundland and Labrador's winter pandemic election by promising to strengthen public services and increase the minimum wage -- deficits be damned.
"We are going to make different choices," she told reporters Monday morning in St. John's. "We have an $8-billion dollar budget. That $8-billion dollar budget can be allocated in a variety of different ways."
Balancing that budget, which includes a $1.84-billion deficit and a projected $16.4-billion net debt, is a "laudable aim," Coffin said. "Our primary concern, though, is to ensure that the services are available for individuals." Part of the services she promised is a dental plan for seniors across the province.