FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
February 23, 2024
Statement from Karla Bernard: King Government’s Population Framework A Disappointing Document That Does Little To Address the Growing Crises in Healthcare, Housing and Land
Charlottetown, PE – Yesterday the King Government released its long overdue population “framework” after several delays and multiple calls from the Green caucus for a comprehensive population growth strategy. Let’s be clear: what was released yesterday is not a strategy and it’s not what our province needs in order to address the immense pressures on our healthcare system, our housing market, our childcare spaces, our land and so much more.
Government is calling it a framework but I’d call it a communications document that merely acknowledges what we’ve known for years – which is that our population is growing faster than we can keep up. Population growth is happening rapidly. We needed a document full of “hows” and all we got was one full of “whys.” We already know the why.
The only tangible action in this document is the 25% reduction of federal nominations and the intent to target immigration to sectors most in need. But the document doesn’t explain how exactly this will help government achieve its goals. If this is something government had control over, why are they only doing it now? We know that one in four people coming to PEI through the Atlantic immigration program and the provincial nominee program last year listed occupations in food service and accommodations. In comparison, only nine per cent of people coming to our province through these programs had healthcare training.
We know about the crises in healthcare, housing, childcare so why – after two delays – is government releasing something so uninspired and empty that doesn’t have any real, concrete actions?
The document mentions things like opening 30 medical homes and having 78 early years centres by the end of the year without any proof or explanation on how these will be built and staffed. It says it will hire more healthcare professionals. How? It says it will ease pressures on emergency departments by reducing off load delays. How? It says it will prepare the healthcare system to train healthcare professionals. How do we get the healthcare professionals to do that? It says it will offer free tuition to some healthcare workers. When? Is this a budget commitment? It says it will work to recognize credentials of foreign-trained healthcare practitioners? When? How?
Unfortunately, this document leads to more questions than answers, and does little to assure me that Premier King is up to the task.
Karla Bernard
Leader of the Third Party
MLA Charlottetown-Victoria Park
-30-
For media inquiries, please contact:
Katie Rankin
Chief of Staff
Office of the Third Party
Tel: (902) 213-6378
Email: kerankin@assembly.pe.ca